Bring On Lemons

"Only Pigs Wallow" my mother would say when I was in a funk as a child. I loved reading Anne of Greene Gables, so I was likely to come home and tell my mother that I was in the depths of despair because something terrible had happened. During my pre-teen years, the something terrible would have been a fashion disaster with my clothing, a bad hair day that couldn't be tamed with my extra large bottle of Aqua Net Hairspray,  or a zit that couldn't be disguised with an ample covering of Cover Girl foundation. I dated a pig farmer when I was 16 and my mother may not have been right about pigs being the only animal that wallows, but I found out first hand that pigs stink. Maybe it was then that I decided to take her advice, or maybe it's some genetic gift that helps me see the bright side....whatever it is or it isn't...the fact is, I seldom wallow. I didn't say NEVER wallow...I said seldom... and for the record: When I miscarried in December, I wasn'...

"As the winds of change began to blow, she braced herself for the inevitable. The future belonged to her and she could taste it. It was sweeter than anything she had delighted in before." Crystal This quote is my gift to you. If you are familiar with this blog, you may have read a previous post titled: Why A Lemonade Attitude Is A Must Have about the lemons to lemonade analogy where I explain that those lemony situations in life are nothing more than little moments of transitions or catalysts of change if you prefer to think of them that way. They are moments that make you question things, and they may even make you uncomfortable ... but in the end, you are a changed person (with a glass of lemonade - in keeping with the analogy). I challenge you to think about the above quote each morning before you get out of bed. If you journal each day, maybe this is something you want to write at the top of the page as a reminder. When you find yourself concentrating on life's p...

Historian and writer, Bill Copeland is said to have given the following advice: "Try to be like the turtle - at ease is your own shell." Bill was also the author of several books (Ashes to the Vistula, and the Secret People's Trilogy) and poems which include a collection of Holocost Poems including the following titles that are particularly moving: The Ravine Nothing To Fear Wiggling Earth Selection Bill held a Masters Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Georgia but did not begin writing until a decade before his death. He suffered a heart attack and underwent bypass surgery - it was at that time that his writing began. He was recognized by the National Writer's Association and in 2008 was nominated by the Georgia Writer's Association for the Georgia Author of the Year Award. Bill passed away October 10th 2010 after an extended illness. Now that we know a bit about the man who we credit for the quote, let's look at the qu...

A friend recently told me about her worrying problem. We all worry, but it seems that she worries about worrying. Her physician had recommended a particular book and when we talked about it, I told her to buy the book because it's the type of thing you don't just read once. As I was searching for the book on the internet, I came across many book and article titles giving a certain number of easy steps to a positive attitude, a certain number of days to a positive self image, and the list goes on and on. It seems if you have any type of problem at all, someone has some steps you can take to rid yourself of the problem. If it really were that easy, don't you think we would all be frolicking in the daisies laughing with childlike glee? All of the therapists, life coaches, psychologists, etc.. would be out of business if there truly were just a few steps needed to change your life. It's no different than the belief that a few pills can end an obese lifestyle. Well that...

New Years is a time to reflect, make resolutions, blah blah blah ... but what if it was more than that? What if you could go back and change the past instead of simply changing the future? What if you had magical powers for a day? Better yet, a fairy god mother/father who could help you travel back in time to right a wrong or change the outcome of a difficult situation? Here's a little story about just that ... is there a moral to the story? maybe...but that's for you to decide. Enjoy! Time to Decide My throat dry, my eyes felt full of sand, and my head was throbbing. I should blame the Marlboro Lights and the red wine but instead I will blame the son of a gun who promised to love honor and cherish me until death. Dammit Ben, you swore this was happily ever after. Where are you now? You may not care, but I’m staying in some shit hole hotel in the middle of nowhere. I pick up my cell phone to text him something smarmy about today being Christmas day or a happy annive...

If you were a boat, the following could be said: When the waves are tossing you about and the turbulence is more than you can bear you return to port. Returning to the safety of the harbor where you find refuge and safety among others of your kind. Life isn’t entirely different than sailing. When a woman feels as if her very being is shattering – during childbirth – she calls out for her mother. Our natural instinct is to return home. Sometimes home is a town, a building, the loving arms of friends and family, and sometimes it is merely a smell or a memory. I place we long to be but can never find in the physical sense. I feel that way myself from time to time. I seek the camaraderie of a particular melody or the words of a poem. Today it was the lovely words written nearly one hundred years ago by poet Amy Lowell. I have a delightful text book from 1923 that describes Amy in the following way: No one has fought, in theory and in practice, the battles for the experimental a...

Pretty sure this is entry 9, but it's been a long day....I must say that I enjoy journaling challenge. And if you didn't catch the earlier post about what this is all about, how to join, etc...here it is again:  http://www.createwritenow.com/ And here is what my entry for day 9 looks like: What does your inner critic say? What makes you think that you’re qualified to help others do anything? You’ve got three loads of unfolded laundry stacked in your basement, your lawn needs mowing, and your kids can’t find a pair of matched socks! How does your inner coach respond? See pep talk below! Remember – call on your inner coach any time!!! Pep talk: Coach: Crystal – grab a cup of coffee and step into my office. Why are you kicking your own ass? Aren’t there plenty of people out there willing to question your abilities? Why are you joining them? Me: Um…..I suppose….I just wish there were more hours in the day. Coach: What’s going to happen if the laundry...

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...

Believe In Yourself - there are enough people out there ready to knock you down or kick your a__, why do it for them?  Now don't go thinking that based on this title I am back to driving the bus...I definitely believe that God is the bus driver. Now that I've offended some, onto today's point which I'll get to via a story. I previously worked in a large office that had an IT department with several incredibly helpful people who would replace, repair, reboot, computers and could fix network problems, understood firewalls, etc... I was a bit more techy than some, but less than most, and when I got home at the end of the day I had trouble installing anything (including virus protection) on my home PC and went for years without a printer at home because I thought it was too confusing to get it networked correctly. Last week I paid $6.75 to have 9 pages scanned to a PDF and put on a memory stick. That was it for me, I knew it was time to upgrade my printer. I had a ...

http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-a-Lemonade-Attitude-Is-a-Must-Have&id=6952000 Why a Lemonade Attitude is a Must Have   Do you want to see your glass as overflowing instead of half full or half empty? Wouldn't it be even better if your glass was filled with lemonade instead of water? You'll want to learn more about achieving a Lemonade Attitude where there are plenty of lemons, sugar, sunshine, and smiles!   First, I suppose we should talk about a Lemonade attitude and exactly what that is...I could start at the beginning, but I don’t want to bore you and I assume only a small portion of readers and friends can read my mind. So, here's the scoop. I was raised by old fashioned parents who had a great work ethic, and who among other things wanted me to have a positive attitude. When I would complain, they would remind me that God gives me lemons so I can turn them into lemonade. I refer to myself as a lemon because I recently lost my job and I felt like I ha...