Week 30--Monday Evening

I don't relax easily; I'm kinda like my dogs when they haven't had a walk for a while...I pace, I keep busy, I organize.  What does that mean?  I have always felt that my brain never stops; I'm always thinking.  Why does this matter?  It matters because it makes relaxing difficult.  Don't get me wrong, I want to relax, but I almost feel guilty for doing so.  Guilt should only be felt if you've done something wrong, right?  It sure isn't wrong to rest; I just need to practice it more often, I think.

Speaking of random things I've thought about today relating to this week's task...how about this:  If you had $40 bucks, (and guys, this is mostly girl stuff, but think creatively) and you had to choose between a mani/pedi or a shopping trip, which would you choose?  Here's how I think this through...

If I get a mani/pedi, it feels wonderful!  There is no re-creating the relaxation experienced at a clean salon with a skilled technician.  They delicately cut your nails and cuticles, use hot stones to massage essential oils into dry, crusty, calloused feet, and paint that fabulous glossy color on your toes that only comes on new cars and shiny red wagons.  However, the experience, in the long run, is brief.  It's an hour of bliss and then, like a new car, your pedicure depreciates the moment you walk out the door.  Most of the time, you're wearing sandals or flip-flops because it's summer, so your feet get dirty sooner and there's a higher chance of "denting" your paint job. 

If, however, you spend your $40 on bargain shopping (for the quality items, of course) and you find perhaps, a cute pair of fabric pumps on clearance and a late-season skirt that you could wear several times over, is the $40 better spent?  You'll have items you can re-use and therefore, cost less per use (if you normally think about cost per unit ;)

I almost always choose the shopping because I love the fun and fashion of clothing.  Besides, I can do my own mani/pedis...but alas, there is not quite as much relaxation in doing your own grooming.  However, I can drink beer while I paint my toes :)

So, which would you choose?

Soft hands, feet and pretty toes (Googling "manicured toes" get you some interesting images...but I digress)


Or a cute outfit? (not a plaid person, but the skirt is cute.)

Week 30--"De-Stress Yourself"--Sunday Evening

De-Stress Yourself; "Sometimes the best way to take care of the world is to be sure you are taking care of yourself.  You are an environmental hazard walking around as a stressed-out time bomb.  Learn to recognize your own signs of being overly stressed, and so something about it before it seeps out while driving, at work, or at home.  Although it's great to be oriented toward caring for others, it is essential that you know when to make yourself a priority."

This week's task comes on the heels of a stressful week--it can be stressful in the moment of "speaking up." However, speaking up can be cathartic if done in an assertive manner, professionally and respectfully.

I need to plan some ways to de-stress this week.  Any ideas?  Pedicure, massage, shoe shopping...hey, how about two weeks to myself with a few good novels at this place watching these sunrises?

Week 29--Speak Up!--Wednesday Evening

Just have to devote a line to my 100th post!

Speaking up at work can be difficult, requiring tactical maneuvers and timing.  Speaking up with family can only be accomplished through prayer...before, during and after gatherings.  Don't get me wrong, I love my family and its members dearly; however, the best aspects about having a large family can also be the most difficult aspects of being part of a large family. 

It's important, as I've tried to move to the forefront of my consciousness this week, to be assertive and say what you have to say, honestly and frankly...or  concede to the consequence of silent suffering.  A friend said to me today, "Create your own opportunities or wait for one to open up; those are your choices."

Say what you need to say, when you need to say it.

Week 29--Speak Up!--Monday Late Night

Time to speak up; that's what I'm supposed to do this week, isn't it?  By the way, I like what Oswald Chambers said about justice: "Never look for justice, but never cease to give it."  So while I am challenged to speak up! about injustices this week, or speak up and speak my mind, I won't be disappointed if I don't see justice or experience it throughout my day. 

I finished reading a book this morning (Jesus Did It Anyway by Dr. Kent Keith) and the title of the final chapter was...drum roll please... Making A Difference.  How apropos.  I'd like to share some of the selections from this chapter that made a difference to me:

"We have all that we need (to be deeply happy)--the resources, the teachings, the gift of grace, and daily encouragement.  It is up to us to take these gifts and live our faith.  It is up to us to do something."

"God has given us each many gifts.  We are on this planet to use our gifts."

"How do you serve others?  How do you make a difference?  Here are five ideas to keep in mind."

1.  Be the real you.  You have to be the authentic you. 
2.  Don't worry about making a difference in terms of power, wealth and fame. 
3.  The difference you are called to make may be right in front of you.  If you see a need, right in front of you, take action.  Do what you can.
4.  You may make a difference that you did not plan to make.  God may take you by surprise.
5.  Remember that little things make a difference.  You can change another person's life by doing something that is simple and loving.  The impact can be amazing.

Week 29--Speak Up!--Sunday Afternoon

"Speak Up!":  Next time you witness an injustice to someone, read something that infuriates you, or experience something that pisses you off, speak up.  Express yourself through direct verbal confrontation (of the Ghandhian nonviolent genre, of course), or write a letter directly to the source.  How will the other part ever know what they did if you don't communicate?  And where were you planning to redirect that pent-up anger, anyway?"

Yes readers, that's right...the phrase, "that pisses you off" are the author's words.  Make me feel a bit more normal that a woman who wrote a book about making a difference used this phrase.  The challenge for me this week is not to speak up, but to do so in a Ghandhian manner. 

Week 28--Saturday Afternoon

An update on re-using the paper coffee cup:  It did NOT last.  After the second day, the seam had absorbed quite a bit of coffee and since I put creamer in my coffee I was leery of the dairy-sitting-out-something-growing-issue (even if I rinsed out the cup).  The seam started to look black and I suspected some growth or the cure for cancer, perhaps, so I tossed the cup.  I now see the reason why those sturdy-looking paper cups are tossed after single use--not willing to take that risk ;)

Week 28--Saturday Morning

This final week's post for "Re-use as a State of Mind" is inspired by celebrity fashion faux-pas from this past week.  I can't help myself...they are the ones who wear it in public for all to see...

Lady Gaga re-using the "ribbon" nozzle on the icing tool to decorate her dress.  She also used a bolt of lace from Jo-Ann Fabric and tried a Spanish-inspired wedding veiled look from about a century ago.



Fergie dons some sort of cardigan--but I'm not sure.  It looks more like an old curtain to me. Sorry Fergie, this is not your best ensemble...



Dana Delaney (I really don't know who that is) sports what looks to be the tail of a furry animal.  Garfield?  Tigger?  A lemur?  It's unknown, but what I want to know is why?