Hats off!

Hats make me smile!   And sweet friends who endured a day of wearing them in the cold and rain just because I really wanted to go to a charitable event...they make me smile, too!

Off to vacation with my family...which brings the biggest smile of all!

Magical Movie Moments...

You know that feeling when you start watching a movie and you realize about 15 minutes into it that the movie isn’t really any good.   I’m one of those people who can’t stop watching it.   I feel like I’m “quitting” if I turn it off.  So, I usually stick with it till the very end. ..even if it stinks.

Such was the case the other day.  Sat down to watch a movie and soon realized that it would be more productive to clean out my closet instead of watch, but I kept at it.  And am I ever glad that I did!

Toward the end, the hero of the plotline shared a sweet story with the heroine about Play-doh.  You see, Play-doh was originally created and used as a wallpaper cleaning substance.   After a few years, the inventor realized how much fun children would have playing with it as a craft since it was softer and easier to mold than traditional modeling clay.  The inventors added colors and, voila…Play-doh was born.   Hero was sharing this story with Heroine because she needed to be reminded that sometimes your life just needs a bit of adjustment to set things in a new direction.  It was a sweet scene that brought a few tears to my eyes (I’m just a big ‘ole sentimental girl) and created a memorable moment when I wasn’t expecting it. 

I love movie moments like that - when something happens that you aren’t expecting; or when the Hero says just the right thing in just the right way to completely change the Heroine’s mind; or when the musical score is so majestic that you have to download it right away.  (That’s me with the soundtrack to Pride & Prejudice playing in the background whenever I’m working on a fundraiser!)  Some movie moments are just magical to me.   

This particular moment reminded me that just a little bit of adjustment to a situation, or looking at something from a different view, can really make an impact on your life.

And that makes me smile.

Doesn't take much...

It doesn't take much to make me smile on sunny Saturday afternoons!

Strong women

I have a hard time slowing down and shutting my brain off.  It hasn’t always been this way, but it seems to be getting worse as my life gets more complicated.  So, this past weekend, after six months of planning, I left all the responsibilities behind and headed to California wine country with nine other moms.  Left at home were 10 husbands, 26 children (plus one on the way) and 14 dogs.  That’s a lot of responsibility. 

We’ve agreed that what happens in Sonoma, stays in Sonoma, so I’m going to leave out LOTS of juicy stories from the trip.  But, what I CAN tell you are that in that group of 10 different personalities, upbringings, religious preferences, political opinions, and fashion selections, are true, honest women who shared their hearts.  Women who have complex layers within each of them.  Layers who have made them the amazing women that they are.   These friends from my trip are all strong and proud and, because of that, they are raising tremendous children.  And that’s pretty special. 

I like strong women.  Women who know what they believe and are willing to speak their minds carry a lot of weight with me.  It takes courage to speak up and say what you think and to not just go along with the crowd.   I may not always agree with their points of view or the way they handle specific situations, but the differences we have are always put aside when we are working toward something together. 

So, to my C.O.S. friends…thank you for reminding me that we all have complex layers that have made us the women we are today and that being strong in your beliefs is a good thing.

And to Superwoman who is the strongest of them all…keep being strong! 

You make me smile.

To blog or not to blog, that is the question… or at least it’s been the question around my house for a while now.  In the last ten years, my family has lived in six different cities and thankfully, we’ve made nice friends in all those places.  So, I felt like a blog would be an interesting way to update the friends and family that we have spread out all over the country.   My husband isn’t as convinced.  He’s not sure that the tidbits of our daily, chaotic life merit being put into print.  But, I’m a woman, so it’s my prerogative to disagree with him! 

To me, a blog gives the writer a place to say some of the things that they think are interesting; the reader can choose to read it or not.  I also think it will provide some good background for my son’s future therapist. 

Task 1:  name the blog.  This wasn’t as hard as I thought it might be.  I love quotes.  I’m frequently posting them as my Facebook status or sending cards to friends with only a quote jotted inside.  I really like that someone’s words carry on to lots of other people, to be used over and over again in different situations.  One of my favorites came off a Papyrus card, “It takes seventeen muscles to smile and forty-seven to frown.  Conserve energy.”   I bought this card for a friend a long time ago and bought one for myself at the same time.  It sits on a window ledge right above my computer where I can see it every day.      

See, I’m not a poker player.  My innermost feelings play out on my face for every Tom, Dick, and Harry to see.  My friend from long ago had asked me simply to “smile more” and I really took it to heart.  The words have never left me.  Life is busy and stressful and it is very easy to get caught up in the hustle-and-bustle of everyday nonsense.   When I really make an effort to smile more, I find myself thinking about things that make my inner light shine and let go of the fears, worries, and concerns that tend to creep into my thoughts and show on my face. 

That’s where the name of my blog came from:  seventeen muscles to smile and forty-seven to frown. 

I’m living a life where each day is full of new opportunities.    I’m a wine-and-chocolate-loving mom to one son and a rare-breed dog;  a woman who is a tad OCD and over-scheduled; a domestic-goddess-always-in-training;  a detail-loving event planner who secretly dreams of owning a floral studio;  a charitable fundraiser and school volunteer who doesn’t take “no” for an answer;  and overall life-loving woman who forgives aforementioned husband for being weary of my blogging.

Come along with me on this journey into the smiles that I find.  There will be frowns along the way to use those forty-seven other muscles.   You might read something interesting…or you might agree with my husband….either way, I’ll be glad to have you here.