Bring On Lemons

It's funny - I sometimes feel like I got 'ripped off' because my Dad died when I was so young. I think...hmmm...what would I ask him now that I didn't think of asking then....in his wisdom, he answered those questions well before they were even on my radar. Let me explain: My Dad died right after teaching me how to drive a car. I don't know if he was Republican or Democrat. I didn't ask how he felt about abortion or pre-marital sex. I have no idea if he cared how many children I would have, and we never had a conversation about the type of house I would live in, how big my wedding should be, etc... So you're probably wondering how he answered all those questions if I never brought up the subjects? Here's the scoop. He taught me a lot of things, but the important stuff can be explained in Ten bullet points (not all that different than the Ten Commandments come to think of it): 1) "You don't have to know everything, but you need to know wh...

The Only One “Linda? Hey, are you home? Helooooo?” Phil called to his girlfriend as he set down his empty coffee mug on the island in the kitchen. Hearing no response, he shrugged his shoulders and picked up the newspaper and me, his buddy Whiskers. We settled in on the couch, I was purring gently while Phil tried to take in the day (or forget the day – I was never sure which).  The local news on the television.  Old tabby cat in one hand.  Ipad in the other. Predictable. Simple. Phil quickly fell asleep – just as he did every other evening after a long day at the insurance office. Phil and Linda had been living together for just under six months; they had settled into a routine. I didn’t mind Linda so much. She was much better than the other girls Phil had brought home. Missy was high maintenance and claimed to be allergic to me, Shawnda was some sort of dancer and her high heel shoes quite frankly scared me to death as I was afraid she was going to step ...

Today, I received a very polite email letting me know that I had not won a literary contest I had submitted a story to. For some reason (call it human nature if you will) rejection brings me to a funny place. I hear every negative comment that has ever been called to my attention. Those thoughts fill my mind and I fight them off saying 'Crystal, not everyone can win. Toughen up. Where's that lemonade attitude you talk about?' and then I start second guessing myself. 'Who are you to tell other people to be positive when you're sinking into the muck and mire of negativity?' on and on.... And then - I am reminded to breathe. Life comes with it's very own phone-a-friend option when you don't have all the answers. I grabbed my phone and called a friend. Sent an email to my husband. Wrote in my journal. I started to hear positive encouragement. I saw the love in my children's eyes. I remembered that Dr. Suess was rejected numerous times before becoming...

Writing can be therapeutic - so can a cup of coffee with a friend...but since we may or may not live close enough to meet for coffee...let's write together instead. Grab the introduction, choose the option you like best, and then write a story 250 words or less to go with it. Each submission will be featured on this blog and will be shared with others via social media, so be sure to submit your biographical information as well as your website information to help be recognized for your work! Please submit your original work on or before noon September 4th. Thanks for sharing! Here is the introduction... Intro: The phone rings and wakes me from a blissful dream of horses and grassy fields. I squint to see the clock; it's 3:07am and I hold my breath as my husband tries to find his glasses and stumbles across the room to our wall mounted land line. He grumbled something and I'm sure it had to do with his feelings about keeping the land line is today's cellular age. I ...

Today's post title is inspired by the fabulous song that is likely going through your head right now "I still belong, don't get me wrong, you can speak your mind but not on my time...you can live your life, but this is my life..."etc... The topic however is inspired by a dear friend who recently said to me "why is it so hard for people to be real and have a conversation about things they disagree with?" I've been thinking about that queestion and the conversation that it inspired - what she was really talking about is feedback. Why is it so difficult to tell someone that you'd like them to do something differently? We beat around the bush, and sometimes never say what's on our mind. Isn't this really the rooot cause of relationship problems? The cause of dating mis-haps, family arguements, and the underlying issue that often results in anger and fighting? Before you answer, let me toss out some scenarios: 1) You're dating someone ...

I wanted to write today (I've been so busy and it's like going to the gym - I miss it so), so I went to a creative writing website and was given the following prompt: "Back to square one..." so here goes: "Seriously?" Emma hollered as Jake drove away in their Chrysler Town and Country minivan. He had just broken the news about he and Claire. Emma was furious, not to mention too young to be a grandmother. After all, she still fit into her her size eight riding pants and the few grey hairs she had were artfully hidden with expensive highlights. She had been a teenager when Jake was born, and she wanted more for her son. It wasn't that many years ago that she and Eddie had been talking about having another baby of their own, and now Jake was headed to school and she was left to explain things to her husband. Emma picked up the flour sack towel she had thrown recklessly on the ground. She headed inside with a sigh. Middle of the night feedings, dirty di...

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Boy - it's been a while since I put my 'pen to paper' as they say. Lots has happened. Some of the things that transpired are not ready to be shared. One of them isn't ready, but I want to share it any way. Judge me if you like, but read to the end and you may just understand what took me 35 years to figure out. "I wish upon tonight to see you smile, if only for a while to know you're there..." These words move me to tears, because I have been crying every day since March 24th 1994 when my Daddy died. I dated men who were emotionally unavailable, treated myself poorly at times, and didn't make very good decisions. I didn't feel very valued, because the person who valued me the most had been taken to heaven all too soon. I married a fabulous man at Christmas time in 2000. We were married in the same church sanctuary where I had buried my father. The pain was nearly too much for me to bear. We invited less than a hand full of people, because I was...

Have you had those moments when you weren't feeling quite like yourself? Those negative thoughts were creeping in? clouding your judgment? making every day chores seem like amazing feats of heroism? If you've never felt like that - good for you! I on the other hand struggle with life's ups and downs. From depression during my divorce to post-partum depression, etc... I tend to be a very happy and optimistic person, but the flip side of that coin brings those days when staying in bed is more alluring than hopping in the shower and going through the motions of the day. There are some fabulous medications on the market today, and seeking the help of a healthcare professional is always a great idea. Sometimes I'm not feeling depressed, but I fear I'm headed there. I don't particularly care for some of the side effects of medications I have been on in the past, and a natural remedy can sometimes give me just the kick in the pants that I need to 'get happy...

This lemon just may become more aesthetically pleasing... Tomorrow is my first day as the Office Manager/Administrator at Youthful Endeavors located at 304 N. Rapids Road in Manitowoc, WI 54220. To find out more about what Youthful Endeavors offers, check out their website: www.youthfulendeavors.com or call: 920.683.1800 The Youthful Endeavors mantra is "We Complement Your Internal Beauty" and they offer free consultations with their surgeon and aestheticians. Seeing this is the week before our wedding, I may not have time to post much about the new job...but as time goes on, I'm sure you'll hear more. Thank you as always for your support. I do plan to continue with Relax Consulting as well as my board position with the Walk to End Alzheimers and Women in Management Inc. Life's a juggling act, and the more balls you juggle, the better the show! May your paths be abundantly filled with lemons, sugar, sunshine and an aesthetically pleasing view of all thi...