Totefishing

In a week that included a root canal AND and a botched attempt to remove a blackberry thorn from my finger (resulting in a staph infection and a week of antibi

Yup. Just like on television. But unlike tv, 48 hours later, I still trying to process the overwhelming reality of poverty, violence and hopelessness that defines a world only 20 miles away from my idyllic, privileged life.

This email is specifically targeted to the 193 trusty readers of my old blog.   Some of you (okay, 2 of you that I can name) asked, over the years, why I stopped writing my blog AND whether I'd ever start it up again.   I explain the "why" in the updated ABOUT section (summary = I was licking my wounds after shutting down my startup).  The do it again part?  Well, it took me awhile but I got the itch to write.  Hopefully, you have the scratch to read.   

How 'bout that metaphor?  That's what happens when you don't write pithy blogs for...

Visiting Watts Tower Sculpture in Los Angeles is a must do for anyone wanting to be creative... but feeling daunted by the prospects of how to succeed. Despite calling Los Angeles my home for fourteen years, I only learned this week about the Watts Tower during a parking-lot conversation at my children’s school (Moms gossiping about field-trips and fundraisers).  Yesterday, I mentioned it to my husband. “Watts What?” he said.  This Sunday, we found the address and piled into the car.

Born out of real-life experience, here is what I suggest you do on Monday nights:

1.)  Don’t order a caffe latte at the restaurant at 9:30 pm.  You’ll regret it at 2 am.

2.)  Oops.

3.)  Find ways to amuse yourself quietly so as not to wake husband & kids.

4.)  Don’t Facebook search ex-boyfriends.  Acting like a stalker never makes anyone feel good.  Even  if he's now bald and his wife has a horse-face and thick thighs.  

5. ) Don't measure your thighs. 

6.)  Don’t Linked In search ex-bosses.  You'll just end up muttering to yourself about how stupid can people really be??!!...

Just stumbled over Mackelmore & Ryan Lewis' newest song, "Growing Up."  It's quite lovely when a young man gets all soft about his baby.

It's a nice reminder of the kind of parents we (might) strive to be -- but also, a kind nudging on a breezy August day, when it feels like the sunset is getting closer, that we, too, are still growing up.   We, too, are still young.  We, too, should savor our own advice to our children.  And enjoy the little moments we often forget.  May we continue to enjoy the simple pleasures of growing up.

A few reminders --

"...

In case the start-up business doesn’t pan out, I’ve got my next career at Hallmark all tee’d up:

CARD #1 to Me (from my kids):

Roses are Red,

Violets are Blue,

I promise never to get

A Mommy tatoo!

CARD #2 to Me (from my kids):

Roses are Red,

Violets are Blue,

You’re taller than Sophie’s Mom

And you sing Katy Perry songs really good, TOO!

CARD #3 to Me (from my kids circa 2034):

Roses are Pink,

Violets are White,

I’m sorry I thought otherwise,

Because it’s true.  You were right!

CARD to MY MOTHER (from me circa 2012):

Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

Actually, moms DON’T know best

Their grown daughters do!

CARD to MY MO...

CREATING INNOVATORS by Tony Wagner

A must-read for all modern-day parents who hope to instill the qualities needed for their children to survive and thrive in the future economy.  

I’m a big believer that our nation’s top priority needs to be educating children on how to think broadly, synthesize information across multiple industries and innovate new products and systems.  This book not only validates that theory with a succinct summary of the leading studies, but pushes me forward with applicable parenting approaches.  

The book is easy to read and offers a compilation of stories from those invo...

As a self-annointed devotee, I have pitched unrelentingly the awe-inspiring merits of the newly-translated book, "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying up."  I stand by my rants (and my now 1-stick-only lipstick box).  I (without exaggeration!) have spent the last 3 weeks constantly decluttering drawers, shelves and hidden stashes of stuff throughout my house.

According to Marie Kondo, a life is best-lived uncluttered and surrounded only by the things that bring joy. Undeniable, right? Who isn't a neat-freak like me?