Online Life Support

Pennies from heaven...

2011-06-08T07:11:00.000-07:00

It was one of those mornings. I woke up before daylight, restless with too many things racing around in my head. By the time I fell back into a sound sleep - the alarm buzzed incessantly that it was time to rise and shine. Well, get up out of bed anyway.

After dropping my good-hearted 15 year old off at his volunteer job helping with Vacation Bible School this week, I headed home knowing I needed a walk to clear my head and get, well, you know, into the day. Pretty hot, but I thought I'd keep to the shade and carry a tall cool bottle of water with me.

These summer morning walks have become a kind of prayer time. Just me, the birds, and all the lawn guys, out early in our solitary pursuits. I try to 'notice what I notice' and find myself wishing I could speak 'bird'. They sure do chatter away, and you know me, I'm dying to get in on the conversation!

Imagine my surprise when a glint caught my eye. I looked down to the curb and there sat - heads up - a shiny new penny! Minted 2011. I smiled because every time a coin finds it way into my path, I think of my mom. She's the one who taught me that they're 'pennies from Heaven.' And so, I knew she was telling me that this restless, needful day ahead of me was going to be just fine.

I'll have to tell Harrison I found it. When he was little, I passed on the 'pennies from heaven' tradition Mom had taught us. Although he was only 3 then, the next time he found a penny lying in his path he said, "Look, Mom. Granny Fran sent us some money!" And we both laughed.

So Mom, although you've been gone for almost 25 years, I know you're here. Still looking out for me, and still sending pennies - and nickels and dimes and quarters - from Heaven. I love you.

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy….

2011-05-31T20:59:00.001-07:00

…making other plans."

It's not often that I look to John Lennon for input on my life philosophy, but this is one case where his words ring oh-so-true. The family wedding was over, and it was gorgeous! My 15 year old headed into his final exams to finish out his (thankfully) successful transition as a freshman in high school. Memorial Day and the loooonnnng weekend were headed my way with a wide-open calendar, when WHAM! The phone rang at midnight. Never a good thing.

My sweet mother-in-law had been rushed to the hospital, very ill but nobody was quite sure exactly with what. My heart started pounding, and the anxiety built. Too soon. It was much too soon after my own father had died to even begin thinking about losing another one so loved.

Fast forward to Memorial Day. She is home and doing well. The miracles of modern medicine have done their work once again, and she is recovering in her own home. My heartbeat's slowed to normal, and all is safe. But what has this taught me? What's MY lesson to be learned?

To borrow from another kitchen table philosopher, my good friend Anne, 'as soon as you think you've got it all together, you don't!' Amen, sister. I've finally had to face the fact that there is no perfect point - no matter how hard I search and try to make it real - when everything is on even keel, taken care of, safely stable, all at the same time. It just doesn't happen. As uncomfortable as it makes me, change IS life. Change … change for the better, for the worse… richer, poorer… sickness and health. You got it.

So what's my new mantra? "I am ready for everything." While I don't (as my mom used to say) 'borrow trouble', I am coming to accept that the only constant IS change, and that keeping my own center in the midst of life's ups and downs is the ONLY thing I really have any control over.

Maybe you've already realized this, and you're better at it than I am. What lessons have you learned about life happening that you can share with us? Does it blindside you when something happens out of the blue? Or have you learned how to accept it as just one more way that life happens.

Let us know? And let's learn from each other.

Weaving the web - friendship, support and sisterhood

2011-05-13T21:07:00.000-07:00

Wikipedia says that: "Spider silk is a remarkably strong material. Its tensile strength is comparable to that of high-grade steel." Well, I'm here to tell you that spiders have nothing on a group of women gathered together! Especially around a common purpose.

This week a dear friend underwent surgery for breast cancer. From the first moment the news went around, her network of friends started spinning a stronger-than-steel web of support for her. Prayers, meals, carpools, house cleaning. The Care Calendar is up (and if you don't know about this amazing tool, check it out!) and the slots are filled. Old friends, new friends, work friends, school friends. Whatever she needs, for however long it takes. We will be there for her.

Tonight, I saw a new web being spun into existence. Another group of women. This time, from around the country, many meeting each other for the very first time. But in just minutes, bonds were being formed. Common ground identified. Needs expressed. Offers of help. Support. Sisterhood. I know from experience that although this is a brand new web, it will be just as strong - over distance and time - as the one holding my friend and her family post-surgery.

This is what we women do. What women have always done. And what every multi-tasking woman knows deep in her soul. No matter how hectic our lives, no matter our previous commitments, we are never too busy to care. To share. And to keep weaving the webs that make life worthwhile.

Making room… making space

2011-05-10T06:55:00.000-07:00

"Mom, we need to give these away," my 15 year old said, as he held out a 2 ft. high stack of nearly new hoodies and sweatshirts. "What!?!" my we-just-bought-those-last-fall voice cried out.

"Well, you're always telling me I need to go through my stuff and weed out what I don't need," he came back. (Don't you hate it when your words come right back at you?) "And I don't have room for all these. How many hoodies does one guy need anyway?"

Out of the mouths of babes. Wisdom from my teenager. "I don't have room for stuff I don't need, and I only need so much."

WOW! Let me sit with that a minute. Really soak it in. I only need so much, and why take up space with stuff I don't need? Duplicates. Triplicates. Might-fit-into-it-one-days. Who knows when I might NEED THIS (insert word here, which could range from those too-tight sparkly evening shoes to that only used it once specialty cake pan to a not really antique but really old anything.)

It's said that one (wo)man's trash is another's treasure. Well, I've been given the map by my own progeny. Guess I'll just have to start out on the journey. You know. The one where I sake my self if I REALLY need or REALLY want something, or if its' just taking up all too valuable real estate in my house, and in my life, which could be open and waiting. Space to breathe. Space to move. Space. Just pure, plain open space. Why not today? What am I waiting for. I have the map and X marks the spot! Join me?

Do you hang onto things just because you 'may need them?' What kinds of things do you keep? Could letting them go help make space in your life? Let me know how you make room in your life this week...

Wedding Watch why? ... Part two

2011-05-01T18:43:00.000-07:00

Well, the wedding may be over but I find myself still fascinated and watching the coverage whenever it comes on TV. The gorgeous images are in sharp contrast to the devastation that is also being pictured, where people have lost everything.

My first reaction is 'how can I feel so happy about this event across the sea, when there is so much horrific news right in my own backyard?' But the more I contemplate it, the more I realize that recognizing BOTH events are important, critical even, to really living all of life. Acknowledging that good and bad, new life and destruction, happiness and sadness in all their extremes, always co-exist. Always have and always will.

This weekend, I've had the chance to celebrate a dear friend's 45th birthday, ushering in what will undoubtedly be another full year of life. At the very same time, she is dealing with her mother's diagnosis of a malignant tumor. Today, another group of friends gathered to shower one of our own who's embarking on first time motherhood at the age of 45. She's 'big' and uncomfortable and hot and all the things that go along with the 3rd trimester, but the joy of new life she's nurturing inside will, as we all know, be well worth the pain and suffering right now.

It's Both/And. Never either/or. Life is happening every minute of every day, in its full array of pleasure and pain. We can't limit ourselves only to the happy and enjoyable, even if we sometimes wish we could. But, to borrow from our good friend O, there's one thing I do know for sure: Multi-tasking women are never too busy to celebrate AND to care.

If you can help, please make a donation today to the Red Cross, Salvation Army or charity of your choice. Even William and Kate have passed on receiving gifts and asked anyone who wishes to make a donation to one of the charities they feel are important.

Royal Wedding Watch... Why?

2011-04-27T19:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, I admit it... a group of my girlfriends and I are all getting up and getting together to watch the Royal Wedding. I haven't quite decided yet if I'll get up really early for the 4 am start of coverage, or just stay up all night and hope to nap later. My owl genes may kick in, but that remains to be seen. :-)

At first, it was just Ellen and me. Then our friend Marsha graciously offered to host us at her house so we could laugh, comment, squeal and pretty much celebrate without having to take husbands and kids with early work/school schedules into account. But then, the party grew. We aren't the only ones, it seems, willing to sacrifice soothing slumbers for a first glimpse of THE guests, THE dress, THE balcony kiss. There are lots of us out there. You, too?

What is it - really - that fascinates us about this wedding? Is it just 'ordinary girl marries Prince Charming'? While hardly Cinderella, Kate IS just one of us (well, if you're the daughter of self-made millionaires!) But I think it's more than that. There must be something that makes a bunch of busy, multi-tasking women with families and businesses and oh-so-many other things to do, get up so early (or stay up so late) to watch a wedding an ocean away!?!

My curiosity has me asking the women I know WHY? and you know what they say?

"We just want to see some GOOD NEWS these days!" and what better, happier story is there than a wedding of two gorgeous young people with their new life together spreading out in front of them.

So we'll be there.. in front of our flat screen, champagne flutes in hand to raise a toast. Here's to optimism, and to what we all seem to really need these days... a happy ending, or at least a good start on a 'happily ever after.'

Grab your glass and join us!

When the student is ready.... my immersion weekend!

2011-02-04T20:40:00.001-08:00

They say when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. Well, this student is armed and at attention with ball point, spiral binder and laptop in hand. I'm spending my birthday weekend with best selling author and the all-round amazing Hollis Gillespie at her Shocking Real Life Book Writers Boot Camp.

Tonight was just a preview of what I know is going to be a life changer. Those of you who know me well, know that I've been promising (threatening?) to 'write my book' for oh, say, what is it, years, now? Well, girlfriends and fellow multi-taskers, it's time for the rubber to meet the proverbial road... or better yet, for the fingers to keep on pounding the keyboard.

As with all of Hollis' offerings, tonight alone has already proved worth the price of the retreat. Just as though she'd been eavesdropping on my interior conversation, I got the answers to what I now realize are some of the burning (and rarely spoken aloud for fear of seeming nuts!) questions every writer ponders:

yes, ALL writers suffer from that good old 'I'm not worthy' otherwise known as 'fraud syndrome' (Really? Really!)
the very best place is to start where you are and write like nobody will ever read it!
just get it out of your head and onto the paper - tell those internal censors to put a sock in it!

I'll be up bright and early tomorrow with my potluck offering for lunch in hand (my favorite - classic southern homemade pimento cheese!) and looking forward to filling my mind and feeding my soul with the thoughts, input and ideas that come from a gathering like this. Just me and 12 other would-be-will-be-published writers, listening to the wisdom of those who've passed this way before and come back to share details of the roadmap. No GPS required!

Stay tuned!

Five things I’ve learned from Snowmageddon 2011:

2011-01-12T16:21:00.001-08:00

1.) When given several days of uninterrupted in-house time, every woman I know – even the ones who normally don’t– COOK COOK COOK I have never heard of so many comfort food soups, sweets and meals being created, served and consumed in such short order! Now to swap for all those recipes…

2.) The world can still be a truly quiet place. No cars, no traffic, no noise. Just the silent frozen outside. Opening the door just to hear the snowfall was poetry.

3.) Plenty of uninterrupted power – AKA electricity – is the greatest blessing in a frigid world. Watching the roads freeze, thaw and refreeze is much more pleasant through the window of a well heated home with a hot cocoa in hand.

4.) People have become unbelievably intolerant of any down time. I heard more than one interviewed on the continuing news coverage who claimed to be going ‘stir crazy with cabin fever’ after 24 hours! Really? REALLY? I think it’s a good reminder that we need to practice relaxing and going with the flow – even if it’s snow and ice!

5.) Nothing brings out our best selves than a ‘crisis’…. Calls to and from neighbors, friends and family. Shared meals, offers to bring stuff from the store from the 4 wheelers, help pushing a car out of a snow rut. Helping. Sharing. Smiling in the snow. Why can’t every day be like this? Hmmmm….

Day 3 and just heard there’s no school again tomorrow… but as our fictional Atlanta sister said, that’s ‘another day.’ Let’s see what tomorrow brings…

HELP! I'm drowning….

2011-01-05T06:25:00.000-08:00

In email offers, that is. It happens to me before I know it. I have to know the latest Groupon deal. And, of course, the Williams Sonoma sale is important. I'm sure they have something I need. I'll just let it sit in my inbox until I check out my pantry...

OH WAIT! Another Groupon. Now Bloomie's has a one day special. Those 3 carat diamond studs I've always dreamed of? ONE DAY SPECIAL at Ross Simons!!!! They're flowing in faster than catalogs at Chistmas. Now the inbox is over its limit. How did this happen AGAIN????
ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH……………

Step away from the 'SAVE' button! Take a deep breath. Now
hit DELETE. DELETE. DELETE.

It's discipline I need to acquire. Get an offer. Read it. Act on it (or don't) and then delete it and move on. Because by now I should have learned that there is always another offer. Another deal. This one may not last but there will be others. if I don't need it right now, let it go. Besides, they're only good today and today only, right?

DELETE...and breathe…..

My one and only Resolution

2011-01-05T06:24:00.001-08:00

That’s right. This year, I have one – ONE – and only one resolution. Sound too simple? Too easy? Too good to be true? Well, maybe, but after 2010 and all that it brought, let me share.

It hit me just before Christmas when the temps dropped like a rock. Everywhere, we were all complaining about the cold. Moaning. Groaning. Ceaselessly complaining. And then, in a crystal clear moment, it hit me. Yes, it was cold. Very cold. Way below freezing, single digit wind chill, in fact. But I had just walked out of a very cozy house, gotten into my car with a fully functioning heater (and defroster) and driven to my toasty warm office. What did I have to complain about?

At that moment, I resolved to stop complaining and start appreciating. Yes, it was cold, but why look on the down side? Why not start being grateful for all the good things I had during the coldest days of the year? From that moment, I met every “I hate this cold weather!” with “It is cold. Sure am grateful for my furnace/fireplace/warm clothes/boots, (you name it)!” That was my start. My lightning bolt. My epiphany!

This year, I resolve to listen to myself, really LISTEN, and actually hear what I’m saying, both to others, and in the never-ending conversation that goes on inside my head. Have you ever stopped to listen to what you say when you talk to yourself? Our walk on the negative side can become so subtle, we never realize it. But with a little attention, and a sharply listening ear, we can catch ourselves and turn it around.

“I can’t thank you enough” becomes “It meant the world to me!”
“Don’t forget ….” turns into “Please remember…”
“I’ll never lose these last five pounds” transforms into “Wow! I’m glad I have a body that works and can exercise!”

You get the drift….
Want to join me?

What do you say when you talk to yourself? Do you need to shift focus from the dark side to the light? It’s amazing what can happen when you do!

Happy New Year!!!!

When life shoots you a bird… cook it!

2010-11-25T19:13:00.000-08:00

Okay, we arrived safely over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house. We had our traditional Thanksgiving Eve fried shrimp dinner (hey, different is good!) And I was armed and ready with sharpened knives and fresh poultry seasonings, crispy celery and pungent onion.

You see, with the passage of the years, it's become my pleasure - and honor - to be trusted with the making of the dressing and the dressing of the bird. Or in our family's case since we're all white-meat-only fans, the biggest turkey breast Grandad can lay his hands on.

Imagine my surprise as I unwrapped the ten-pound-plus package to find wings and legs emerging! What kind of mutant turkey breast was this? What had the butcher pawned off on my dear unsuspecting grocery-shopping father-in-law? A closer look at the package, as I'm sure you've now suspicioned, revealed that I was NOT in possession of the world's largest (10.6 lb) turkey breast, but a whole young Butterball gobbler! In went my rubber gloved hands to retrieve the neck - ewwww - giblets and all those other unmentionables. And out went the call to locate the big but little-used roasting pan from its cupboard.

The bottom line? It turned out to be a stellar bird in every way. Golden brown skin. Moist, tender meat. And the two turkey legs? Imagine my surprise to discover that Uncle D had long dreamt of juicy dark meat as a holiday treat to his otherwise heart-healthy diet. And our Russian guest relished the other drumstick just as much.

So what wisdom, you might ask, did I glean from this? Well, for a start, life happens. And, as we all know, it doesn't always go exactly the way we've planned. The perfect turkey breast we have our heart set on, arrives with legs, neck, gizzard and all, The more I think about it, the unexpected arrival of the full bird seems particularly appropriate this year, because for most of us, it's been a white meat - and a dark meat - kind of year. We didn't get to pick and choose only what we wanted to happen, but somehow we had the grace - and the guts - to deal with it all.

The whole enchilada? Forget it! I'll take the full bird treatment any time. Now, how about a turkey sandwich to go?

Sigh of Contentment… Sunday night

2010-11-14T18:06:00.001-08:00

Do you have ever have one of those moments when you realize - for one brief moment - that all's right in your world? As I put the last load in the dryer just now, and looked around the kitchen, I have to admit, a sigh of - dare I say it? - contentment came unbidden to my lips.

The dishes are washed. The house is filled with the enticing aroma of home made Bolognese sauce simmering in the crackpot for dinner later this week (and several dinners after.) The bills are paid. And I'm even going to have time to sit and read the Saturday and Sunday newspapers with a nice hot cup of ginger lemon tea by my side. Sigh.

I know that Thanksgiving, with all its traveling, turkey roasting, cranberry sauce making, etc. is just around the corner. My monkey mind wants to jump in and remind me of all that will need to be done in too few days from now.

BUT WAIT! There I go again, getting ahead of myself. I force the monkeys back in their mental cages. Stop. Take a breath. And remember that Right Now is a moment to savor. Just sit, enjoy, and relax.

Now, forgive me Coca Cola, but this is the Pause that Refreshes me!

One small step...

2010-11-09T18:53:00.000-08:00

Okay, check another one off my list. I saw - and heard - the Dalai Lama myself. Live and in person. When I learned back in the summer that he was coming to Atlanta, I jumped on the laptop and bought two tickets - good tickets! - knowing that this was my chance!

What I did NOT know then was that he would arrive just days after my dad died. Yes, after one too many calls to the EMTs and one stay too many in ICU, my sweet daddy just couldn't bounce back one more time. It was, in many ways, as peaceful a parting as we could have wished. But all the same, it left me with a huge, gaping hole in my life that found me suddenly subject to what I call 'unexpected waves of non-specific sadness.' Along with many a tear rolling down my cheek.

So, it seemed only fitting that the Universe had supplied this world renown leader bringing his wisdom and peaceful presence into my very own city, just when I needed it most. Along with 4,000 others who quietly attended, I listened… hard. I remembered to breathe. I even took notes. What did I learn? What wisdom did he share? Was I able, as my brother asked, to text him the meaning of life?

Well, not exactly.

My takeaway at that moment from the experience was simply this: 'In the journey we call life,' His Holiness said. 'It is good to make plans; explore options; examine all possibilities. But when you start your journey, you must keep putting one step in front of the other.'

WOW. Like the old song, I asked myself: 'Is that all there is?' But then - and later with further reflection - the truly profound nature of this simple comment really struck me. Yes, we can plan and scheme and hope and dream all we want. Make lists and map out routes, too. But ultimately, life - and death - happens. It's the cycle. It's nature. It's the journey.

So the next time I find myself feeling a little 'lost', missing my dad on the other end of the line, or just having a bad time, I'll call to mind the words I heard that day, simple but profound, and just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Who knows where I'll end up?

First day of High School

2010-08-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

Is it possible to be more nervous than your child (teenager!) about the first day of High School? LOL Guess so, because my tummy's fluttering. I dropped him off and headed home, my head filled with all those swirling mom-thoughts: Will he like it (hate it?) Meet people (find old friends?) Like his teachers... and more importantly, will they like him? Realize what a great kid he is (see past that ultra-cool exterior they all sometimes use when in new situations?)

Do all moms feel this way? I'm guessing they do, but since this is my only kid, and the first time I've experienced this particular 'first', it's all new to me.

Got any advice? Bring it on... all hints, tips and tricks are welcome... believe me!

Neighbors are where you are!

2010-08-13T21:43:00.000-07:00

One of our family traditions is the August visit to Grandmother's for the annual golf tournament. Back to my husband's hometown so he can play on the course, in the outing he's been enjoying since he was a teenager, reconnecting with his roots - and his 'high school buddies.'

I'm the spouse. It's his hometown, but over the years, I've been lucky enough to make friends with his friends - and their wives - and have come to enjoy the time as my time 'home' as well.

This year, within minutes of arriving on Thursday night, my iPhone announced its presence. It was my friend Jane. "You're here? GREAT! I have a peach cobbler going into the oven and I'll bring it over in an hour." WOW. Not am I lucky enough to have found friends in my acquired-through-marriage second hometown...

I HAVE A WONDERFUL NEIGHBOR!!!!

Summertime ... and it's VACATION

2010-06-15T21:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, get ready. This is the summer between middle and high school for my teenager, and I've decided that this is my time to spend with him. Yes, I'll still be working. Yes, I'll keep my commitments. But expect a minimum of postings. :-) My priority will be living the moments, not posting them. Then, later, when the hot summer days begin to fade into fall, I'm sure my reflections will creep into this blog. How could they not? But this Multi-Tasking Mom is going to make her actions match her words. My family is my #1 priority and during these all-too-brief summer months, that's where my focus will be.

I talked with a (much) younger friend of mine who left the corporate world earlier this year. Excitement creeps into her voice as she shares that, for the first time, she has NOT booked her kids into camp every day, because she doesn't have to. She has no 8:00 am office arrival deadline to meet. She now works for herself. She's taking the summer to focus on her family because she CAN.

We know we are lucky. Very lucky. But as you move through these sunny, summer days, I hope you can take a minute, stop, and see how you can make your summer reflect your priorities, whatever they may be for you. Whether taking an extra day off just to catch some rays, leaving a few minutes early so you don't have to rush. Or stopping off for a cool cone of yummy ice cream. I hope you can let the ease of summer make its way into your busy, multi-tasking days.

Well, got to run, summer's calling ... and I hope your own summer days are filled with family, friends, and fun!

I am what I eat!

2010-04-28T06:00:00.001-07:00

Okay, so my mom actually did know what she was talking about. 'Brain food' she'd tell us, anytime we confronted anything healthy on our plates. Well, I've been reading (among other things) Dr. Daniel Amen's book: 'Change Your Brain. Change Your Body.' and am confronted, once again and very for real this time, that we ARE what we eat.

What we eat DOES make a difference in how our brain works, and therefore how our bodies function and handle the stresses of the Multi-Tasking life. Now that I'm at that age where numbers matter more than ever (you know, hormone levels, good and bad cholesterol, etc.) it's information that I'm taking to heart (literally) and to mind! Stay tuned...

Oh, Donna!

2010-04-21T08:41:00.000-07:00

WOW! Donna Brazile was touching, inspiring and motivating. 'What are we waiting for?' she challenged. 'Now is OUR time.'

What an amazing opportunity to hear this very accomplished woman speak from her heart. I'm deciphering my notes now to share some of her great points. Stay tuned!

Day 13 and still going....

2010-04-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

I just realized that my 9 days has moved into day 13 and I'm loving it! Today is Sunday, and I think I'll declare this a day off, unless I just can't help myself from throwing away.

I have got to connect with Angeles Arrien to find out more about this amazing practice. She's given me a fabulous gift and I've never even met her!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Inside Outside - Mother Nature's Gifts!

2010-04-17T12:20:00.000-07:00

Okay, some days are just too beautiful to stay inside, and today was one of them. I dropped H off at his all day play rehearsal, hit the track for a few laps, and then headed home. With a full (teen free) day in front of me, what could I do?

Recycle. Recycle. RECYCLE! In the yard, I picked up pine cones to get them out of the way of the mower. I pulled weeds. I swept pollen. I dead headed faded blooms. I trimmed and cut, and tossed into the compost bin.

And then it struck me.

All my cleaning out, giving away, and tossing these last few days are just reflecting what happens every Spring outside, compliments of Mother Nature. She doesn't sit around regretting the loss of the daffodil blossoms that are now past their prime; she's ready to move on to the next thing. Make room for the azaleas and the dogwoods.

The new green shoots push up past the old dead grass. The new leaves push off the old. And the circle of life continues.

It makes me realize that what's started as a 9 day exercise is really a constant way of life. Letting go, making room, celebrating the new, turning loose when it no longer serves. Big stuff.

No shop, no cost birthday giving!

2010-04-16T12:12:00.000-07:00

Some of my girlfriends and I have made a pact when it comes to celebrating birthdays. Getting together for lunch is gift enough. No need to shop for big expensive presents that (in most cases) we don't really need.

We do funky cards, have a horoscope book we read from every year, and bring some silly birthday candle glasses we make the honored one wear (while often taking pictures.) All in all, it keeps the focus on the fun of being together - where we most enjoy it - and helps us all keep costs down.

Every now and then we grab some $1 lottery tickets, but the last time I brought those, we weren't very lucky. So this year, when Patti said (several times over) how much she needed to 'relax!' I hit my own private stash to see what relaxing things I might be able to share. Before I knew it, I had enough fun little items to create her very own Relaxation Kit! A couple of packs of neat bath salts I'd picked up at my favorite beach shop last summer, a brand new eye mask (compliments of Air France!), a glowing red candle, and a few other goodies.

It was a fun and silly way to share the love, and as I promised P. "no (current) dollars were expended on this birthday goodie."

How creative can you get with what you already have? Enjoy! And see your shelves open up...

Doing good by giving away

2010-04-16T12:03:00.000-07:00

My very creative friend Chris is doing a great thing to jazz up some business right now when people need it most. She's organizing a mini trade show at her neighborhood's clubhouse for next weekend, offering people a chance to showcase their wares, services and talents. She's having the firefighters come, doing fingerprinting of all the kids for their parents (great safety idea!) and even got someone to provide a 'moon walk' for fun while the grownups meet and greet.

How could I help her? It suddenly hit me that a product business I'd dabbled in had left me with a number of really neat products that would be perfect for her to use as door prizes! I grabbed a shopping bag and started pulling things off my shelf. Before I knew it, I had a bag full, and even included gift packaging for her to put them in!

Wow! More space on my shelf. Brand new products to good use. We both benefit! It continues to amaze me at the gifts that giving away my 27 a day is bringing home to me!

"Old News".... recycling at the Office

2010-04-14T11:58:00.000-07:00

I had 30 minutes at the office before I left to pick up you-know-who at his play rehearsal - too little time to start any thing new, but DEFINITELY too much time to sit in carpool line for pick up.
Soooo.... I tackled one (of the many) 'piles' in the corner of my office.

Thinking most of it was due to be filed away, imagine my surprise when I uncovered 15 back issues of the business weekly (way too old news to bother to read now) and about that many old magazines and newsletters. There must have been SOME reason why I kept them all, but looking at the dates it's obvious that if I haven't needed them by now, it's time for them to GO!

So off to the recycle bin I go. It does make me wonder how many more things are hiding in my 'piles' of vaulables that are really pretty much trash.

Hmmmmm.... more to come on this.

Swept away.... when cleaning out takes over!

2010-04-13T08:52:00.000-07:00

Well, this weekend I decided to tackle letting go of one of the biggest things in my life - my thousands (yes, I said thousands) of emails in my InBox! How did I get to this point? Serious reflection was required. Was it just a case of not wanting to 'deal with it'? Or maybe I was afraid I'd forget something? Miss out?

I brewed a cup of green tea and contemplated. When did this start? I never used to be this overstuffed with old emails. And then I realized. If I tracked it back, it all seemed to start when my DH was out-of-the-blue diagnosed with colon cancer. (Skip ahead to the good news for those of you who don't know the details. He is now fine and cancer-free! We thank God and the Universe without ceasing.)

When that happened, all bets were - as they say - off! My multi-tasking time became focused on him, our family and his treament and my work had to fill in the empty spaces. To do that, I realized I started keeping every correspondence on all 3 computers: at the office, at home, and on my mobile, so I could keep up no matter where I was (doctor, chemo, up in the middle of the night, you name it.)

Wow! Eye opening. Although we've moved on in so many of the most important - and life affirming ways - I was drowning in a veritable ocean of old emails. So I hit DELETE - DELETE - DELETE and kept on and on and on

27 things? Make that 100's... and still letting go.... I can feel the space opening up. Breathe. Breathe. Room to breathe.

Sometimes giving away comes back to you!

2010-04-10T14:53:00.001-07:00

Okay, it's been a week of giving away 27 things a day. But today I have to tell you that I've been the recipient of SOME ONE ELSE's clearing out process.

"Mom, I have to have a two piece wool tweed suit, an orange sweater vest, and a wide striped tie." Has my 14 year old son gone retro? Well, yes, but only to appear in the school production of Bel Kaufman's Up the Down Staircase (movie version, Sandy Dennis, remember?) "Oh, and I need it by Monday." Of course.

Well, where else to head but my local Goodwill Store, where they have come to almost know me by name. (They do come out with the cart when they see my car drive up!) In we walked, stopping by after Friday play rehearsal. Clean and shining, long rows of clothing, artistically arranged by color. A veritable rainbow of options. But a two piece wool tweed suit? In April? In Atlanta?

Taking a deep breath, we headed to Men's. The first two tweed sport coats fit him fine. "But Mom, I really need a suit." So we kept looking. I reached for a Harris Tweed, dark brown with a bit of blue, and voila! Not a sport coat, but a pair of slacks with it. The longed-for two piece suit, but would it fit? Into the dressing room, and as my mother used to say, lo and behold! Perfect. Just needed a little hem. Simple.

Who knew it could be so easy? Anticpating a weekend of searching every Salvation Army and vintage store in town, all done in 15 minutes on the first try. All because some fine upstanding Gentleman decided to let go of his Botany 500 two piece, three button tweed suite. His giving away was our much-needed gain. What's that they say about one man's 'trash'....?

Guess there's something to this Goodwill hunting, after all.

Jewels beyond treasure....

2010-04-09T13:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's Friday night and I've been swamped. Meetings all day (very productive) but not much chance to 'throw away'. More like collecting more! Oh well.

Now it's 9:00 pm., and my little family of 3 is engaging in its own ritual of de-stressing from our busy weeks. Larry's watching the replay of the Master's in the den, Harrison's using his laptop as TV to watch an old Pokemon show, and I'm ensconced just where I want to be. In our bedroom, cozy and comfy, waiting for the start of tonight's What Not To Wear. Stacy, Clinton and me. A standing Friday night date.

Although it's tempting to skip my giving away and just stretch out on the bed, my better self emerges from its torpor and I bring my all my jumbled up jewelry out of the closet and my top dresser drawer and sit it on the bed with me.

Wow! Sparkle and shine. Chains of silver and gold. Beads and baubles. Only a few pieces of what you might call 'valuable' like my treasured David Yurman earrings Larry gave me for my big 5-O, my collected pearls and tennis bracelet. But every piece chosen for a reason and worthy of consideration.

What to keep? Or more like it - what (if anything) can I bear to give away? Well, it's funny, because once I started looking through it all, I found empty suede pouches, a brooch who's back needs to be fixed, a pearl necklace that wants some TLC with a new clasp. And some plain old, gosh darned junk that needs to be somebody's dress up stuff.

As a whole, the shining pile seemed like a pirate's chest, but taken one by one some were treasures and some were trash. It took me taking the time to go through them one by one to tell the difference.

Now I know not just What Not To Wear, I know what treasures I have at my disposal to decorate myself and my life!

How many white blouses can one woman have?

2010-04-08T13:28:00.000-07:00

Too many! I admit, I'm a sucker for a crisp white blouse. Very business like, very chic, sometimes even very 'sexy secretary' when paired with the perfect pencil skirt. (I'm just sayin'....)

But I realized when examining my closet for 27 things (really? yes, really!) that while I had five white shirts, from button down to safari-style, I only really ever wear ONE. And why?

Okay, I'll tell the whole truth and nothing but. It's the one that I can toss in the washer and dryer, pull it out, hang it up and NEVER, EVER touch it with an iron! Yes, it's not a figment of my imagination. The perfect white blouse does exist. I know because I discovered it quite by accident one day when trying on jeans at Nordstrom (but those jeans are another story.)

Maybe you've heard of the Foxcroft label, but I never had. I just know that when I slipped on the blouse, buttoned it up and tweaked the collar, VOILA! The perfect shirt for jeans or pearls. My new go-to when I want to feel totally pulled together, crisp but comfortable white shirt.

So the other four? Well, one really comfy boyfriend (make that husband) button down, I'm keeping to knock around the house in - even if it's Oxford cloth is kind of wrinkly. But the rest? Giving away to gals who have a closer relationship with their iron - or dry cleaner - than I do.

Sigh....

Where ever you are... throw it out!

2010-04-07T13:08:00.000-07:00

Today I extended my reach to my office. Surely there must be 27 things I needed to let go of there?!?

As I sat on a conference call (if it was you, I promise I WAS paying attention!) I opened the top drawer of my desk, pulled the wastebasket close and began to toss. 27 things to let go of in my office? Heck! There were 34 in the top drawer alone. Some tiny, granted. Bent paper clips. Chipped push pins. Pencils without any eraser (who could use those?) Some just old stamps (how much is a Tiffany lamp stamp worth anyway? a penny? Who even knows?)

But I came across a few treasures, too. Things I'd forgotten I had. Like the note my mother wrote me when I was named a finalist for Small Business Person of the Year - only to lose to a man older, wiser and more-connected than I was. A big disappointment for me, but the note from my mom? "Will every one here kindly step to the rear and let a Winner lead the way?" Only a mother, who'd understand that I was still honored to be among the chosen but oh-so-sad not to be the big winner!

If I hadn't been bound and determined to give away my 17 things, I might never have realized that the note was still there.

Giving away can uncover forgotten treasures, too.

I'm Kyle and I'm a Clip-aholic...

2010-04-06T12:56:00.000-07:00

Is there a 12 step group for people like me? Today I tackled the magazine basket on my coffee table in the den, right after I hit the catalog basket in the corner. Do any of you hang on to the pretty pictures, the great articles you know you just have to share with somebody, the next best recipe you'll need to cook (whenever you find time for that?)

Well, maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm afraid I'll miss something. That I'll need it and it won't be there. (But in that stack, how the heck I'd find it, I'll never know.)
So today my 27 things turned into more like 40 as I plowed throw these two piles and mercilessly tossed them into the recycled bin.

The juicer I never ordered from Williams Sonoma. Oprah's latest words of wisdom and sage advice. The quaint little hotel in Italy I was going to visit which is probably closed by now the magazine is so out of date.

Letting go of what might have been. It's freeing, actually. No piles crying out to be read AGAIN. No worry about re-finding that article or idea. No cutting out and putting in yet another file or pile.

I'm Kyle... and I'm a recovering Clip-aholic.

The real question is...

2010-04-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

As I hit Day 3 of my giving away effort, it strikes me that some things - like the chipped plate that will never be repaired and the really cool but never used eyeglass holder that showed up with new sunglasses - are obvious giveaways, recycles, trash.

It's the others that are harder. You know. The pink silk blouse that I bought, perfect for a spring suit three years back, but never wore because you could see everything - and I do mean everything - underneath, even WITH a camisole. The tag's still on it. Brand spanking new, as my mom used to say. But then I realized what the REAL question in all this giving away is:

Does this (whatever) serve me?

It may sound crazy, but it makes sense the more you think about it.
The pink blouse takes up valuable space in my closet, just hanging there. It's a reminder, every time I get dressed, of a bad choice. (Can't you hear it mocking me?)
And believe me, after 3 years, it's never going to become a valued part of my wardrobe other than just a hanger on. LOL

Clearly, it does NOT serve me. Soooo.... feeling courageous, I gently take it down, on the hanger, and release it into the world (well, at least to Goodwill) knowing that for some other gal, it may be the PERFECT pink blouse she's needing right now.

That makes me feel good. And, it opens up space in my closet, and life, for whatever needs to be there that will serve me better!

What the Easter Bunny brought....

2010-04-04T12:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, my first day of giving away 27 things for 9 days went well. The space formerly known as the 'junk drawer' in my kitchen (you know the place where paper clips, odd buttons, old keys and semi-melted birthday candles reside) is now clean, shiny and organized. Wow! You can actually find the Scotch tape when you need it. And a sharpened pen is close at hand.

But today is Easter, and I'm taking the day off. Spending time with my family, grateful for the sun, the daffodils my friend Susan brought me, and looking forward to a casual family gathering on the deck tonight. You know. One of those impromptu but oh so enjoyable gatherings with the kids playing in the yard and eating a delivery pizza and the grown-ups enjoying candle light and wine.

Tomorrow? I'm actually looking forward to giving away my 27 things. I've decided not to make a 'plan' but just to take it as it comes, paying attention to stuff that gets in the way, or wants to be dealt with. Cleaning out. Clearing out. Making room to breathe.

A whole new take on Spring Cleaning!

2010-04-03T12:38:00.000-07:00

Okay I’m doing it. Giving away 27 things a day for 9 days. Starting today! It’s Easter weekend and what better time for me to give away the old and make room for the new.

I read about this practice in an article this week. Apparently it’s a practice described by cultural anthropologist Arrien Angeles.

All I know is that too much stuff is one of the ways I get ‘stuck’ and this sounds like a great way to get things moving after a long cold and very wet winter! A new take on spring cleaning for me. Giving away, throwing away, sharing, making room.

Whew. Can’t wait to get started. I think I’ll tackle the pile of mail on my kitchen counter first

Survive, Thrive and Stay Sane with 12 Ways of Christmas!!!

2009-11-30T16:40:00.000-08:00

That's right! The countdown to Christmas is well underway now that the turkey's been cooked and eaten. And this Multi-Tasking Woman is blogging her heart out with eight of her best expert friends at 12WaysOfChristmas.com!

Come join us for tips, tricks and sanity-saving stratgegies to help us all Survive, Thrive and Actually ENJOY the Holidays this year!

I've learned a ton already.... join us now!

42 Days until Christmas... but who's counting? YIKES!

2009-11-12T20:25:00.000-08:00

To borrow a line from the Man in Black, “I hear that train a comin’…” but in my case, it’s a long line of freight cars loaded with to-do’s, shopping lists, party invitations and I- don’t- know-what-all for the holidays.

When I hear somebody carelessly say ‘Thanksgiving’s just the week after next’ cold chills run up my spine, my heart beats faster and I’m darn close to hyper ventilating, because Christmas is speeding way too fast in my direction.

And you?

Well, my mother always told me you should give someone a gift that you’d like to receive yourself. So girlfriends. This is IT! The 12 Ways of Christmas are here because they’re a gift I want - no, make that NEED - and all my Multi-Tasking friends do, too.

Join us and use them right along with me. Add you own Ways, tweak ours for your needs. Use one or two Ways and not the others. Make the 12 Ways YOURS, because we together we can be a lot more creative, and have more fun, than just on our own!

Share and let’s learn from each other! Any ideas we can get that let us enjoy the real spirit of the season? Well, you can keep your elves, Santa, because that’s the help I need!

Power Brunch

2009-11-07T12:40:00.000-08:00

Okay, I just got home from Brunch with 14 fabulous, talented, powerhouse women. WOW! When that much feminine brainpower gets in the same room, the ideas fly fast and full. We met to talk about that classic subject - What do women want? But in this case, the context is what do women want/need to find out/know/learn about new revenue models in this ever-changing technologically-enhanced world of ours. (In other words, how do we do business and make money in new ways with new tools?)

The idea under general consideration yielded at least (in my mind) four good avenues for exploration and possible execution (oops, better make that implementation. Don't want anybody executing, now, do we ?) It was fascinating to hear each of us come at the subject from our own perspective, and also listening carefully to what every woman had to offer. As I sat there, thankful beyond belief for my women friends both long-time and newly met, I have to admit that I wished we had this type of input/discussion/leadership in every walk of life. Starting with politics!

In her book, DeeDee Myers made the argument for "Why Women Should Rule the World" and today was just a great example of how it might look if we did and when we do. Yes, we can learn from the successes (and failures) of our male counterparts, buy maybe it's time they took a lesson from us!

It was a dark and stormy night....

2009-10-31T04:32:00.000-07:00

Here it is again. The night of creepy crawlers, beastly beasties, and all things come from the gathering fog to haunt your days and nights. The scariest day of the year....

Wait. You think I'm talking Halloween here?

Heck no! I'm talking about the sheer raving terror that arises the minute the calendar flips from October 31 to (cue very scary music) NOVEMBER 1st!!!!! EEEKKKKKKKKK!!!!! No sooner have we put the candy out for the kids than the Christmas decorations loom large on the horizon. The skeleton's on the door but the spectre of gift lists, party invitations and big family gatherings to plan for rises from the undead to haunt our days and nights from now till December 31^st!

Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE the holidays. Any chance to celebrate brings a smile to my face. It's just that somehow, whoever planned this calendar we live our lives by missed out on a great opportunity to insert some extra time that we REALLY NEED.

Wouldn't it be lovely if there were - as one of my great heroes Dr. Seuss opined - a first of Octember? Just think what life would be like if there was a week, a day or even just a few hours of ‘bonus’ time - to soften the transition, to adjust, to just get used to the idea that, oops, now we need to shift into holiday high gear.

Well, there may not be an actual day, but this year I’m carving out some extra time here and there to truly enjoy the holidays. I guess you could say that ‘I’m getting by with a little help from my friends’, and invite you to share the journey with me.

For tonight, enjoy those baby Butterfingers, rainbows of Skittles, and mouthfuls of M&M’s, for tomorrow we begin!

When Life Happens...

2009-10-26T09:49:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting in the Outpatient Waiting Room at the wonderful St. Joseph's Hospital. My husband is back in the 'recovery room' waking up from a minor procedure. (He reminded me this morning that a 'minor procedure' is only when it happens to somebody else!) Okay, I admit, I get that. Really.

What I am struck with as I sit here, the one who waits, is that despite that old saw that you-know-what happens, it really strikes me that it's all just life. Make that LIFE. This is just another part of the 'in sickness and in health' we vowed to. Judging it 'good' or 'bad' I realize is truly unfair to all. It just 'is'!

Wait, there's the doctor.... whew! All is okay but wait a minute. Life just happened again. Lots of pain meds so the outpatient is now an overnight 'inpatient' (boy is that a really close to accurate term!) When he fully awakens I know he'll want to be home.

But for now, just waiting for life to keep happening. And being grateful for every minute.

PS And I'm truly thankful for friends like CA who take up the slack! You are God-sent, I have no doubt, girlfriend!

31 Days in the Pink!

2009-10-21T21:39:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's now 23 days into the 31, and our Multi-Tasking best buddy Karen (Hughes) is still 'in the Pink!' The month of October, as we all know, is designated for Breast Cancer awareness, and this year, she challenged herself to WEAR PINK every day, in honor of her mom and dad, both of whom had breast cancer.

Now as an Image Consultant, Karen probably has the creative jump on most of us for ways to work pink into her daily wardrobe, but even she admits it's been a bit harder since pink isn't exactly 'on trend' for Fall 2009. Well, pink may not be hot on the Runway this October, Karen, but you're sure catching our attention!

If you haven't had a chance to see what's going on, log on to Karen's blog. She's posting pictures In the Pink, and giving us all great style tips along the way! Here one of us with Karen last night, as she shared Style Secrets we could all use!

Okay, I quit! (for tonight anyway.) LOL

2009-10-17T16:20:00.001-07:00

7:19 and I declare it is officially quitting time!

The wallpaper is stripped. Three loads down and one to go on laundry. eMails all handled; even got a tweet out! Now it is time to shower (oh, yeah!) change, and go out for dinner. Where? Who cares! As long as I'm not cooking. Although that veggie soup still simmering on the stove smells pretty good.

I'm guessing the family's up for pizza tonight - and a big Greek salad at our favorite spot. Of course, if the TV's not on Ga Tech, we'll have to get them to change it. Homecoming, don't you know?

Well, this Multi-Tasking Woman's signing off for tonight. Don't think I could have packed one more thing into this Saturday.

Cheers!

Testing. Testing...

2009-10-17T13:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, how many things CAN I do at once on a Saturday? Well, today, let me report in that I am:

Stripping wallpaper off the walls in my son's bathroom (after cleaning out the refrigerator and freezer to see what's actually in there)
Simmering a pot of homemade vegetable soup on the stove (see, you never know what you'll find in the deep recesses of refrigeration.)
Washing YET ANOTHER round of clothes, sheets and towels (how can 3 people generate so much laundry in a single week???)
In between, I'm checking email to finalize the 12 Ways of Christmas series, AND the cool Facebook Quiz Mary's setting up for us!
Oh and deciding to record this moment for posterity on my blog!

Reporting back shortly. Can I do it? Will it work? My Super Cape is getting sweaty... will it slow me down? More to come.

Trends with Friends? Now we know what’s hot and what’s not this season.

2009-10-07T17:34:00.000-07:00

If you’re like me, shopping for yourself is the LAST thing you have time for in your way-too-busy days. Yet you do want to dress like you know what’s in style this year, yes? Well, last night Karen Hughes of Image Assets showed us a few simple ways to bring this season’s trends into our wardrobes without cleaning out the closet – or our pocketbooks!

Here are a few of the looks that are big this fall and winter, along with a little of what I learned from Karen (photos coming!)

• Motorcycle- Biker Glam (leather, zippers, denim) This look may be too extreme for a ‘regular’ day, but a biker-like leather jacket can punch up a silk blouse and pencil skirt.

• Curtain Call -(Heavy damask and velvets) Think rich, totally luxe, regal – hey you have to keep warm in the winter castle somehow, girls!

• Heavenly Body (Sheer, see-through, draped) Demure, but romantic, layers, ruffles at the neck, the wrist, oh-so feminine.

• Iron Maiden (Military, ripped/torn fabrics, epaulettes, metal buttons) Okay, I admit for this one, I’m visualizing Cate Blanchett at Irina Spalko with Indy.

• Metallica (Cut-outs, grommets, embellishments) Futuristic, think Star Trek, and shoulder pads? They’re BAAACK…

• Menswear (the Boyfriend look, cardigans, white shirts) but don’t just borrow his, get your own and make it fit!

• Russian Inspired (Fur-trimmed, boots, structured coats, hats) When I was in Paris in June, this was the ONLY look showing in the windows at Chanel. Rich curly lamb, suede boots, fitted boiled wood coats, and big, big jewels worthy of the czarina.

Want to learn more? Drop a line to Karen at ImageAssets.net She does a great Style Camp and I think there’s one more scheduled for this fall!

The Other Twilight

2009-10-02T05:41:00.000-07:00

As my FB friend Kelly just reminded me, long before Bella, there was the original Twilight - Rod Serling and his Twilight Zone. What a groundbreaking show of amazing stories! 50 years old today, the show still stands the test of time. Stretching our minds, challenging our imaginations. Offering a twist on reality. Dreams? Or are they?

I heard NPR say today that Twilight Zone was a transition from the Eisenhower 50's to the challenge-it-all 60's. While that may be true, what I remember mostly is the conversations it sparked in my household. Listening to my mom and dad discuss it over dinner, or after bedtime. What do you think that meant? Was it all a hallucination? And so it went.

Rod Serling. The voice. Intoning those opening lines I can still hear in my head today. "Ladies and gentlemen, I offer for your inspection....You have just crossed over into the Twilight Zone."

Alternate realities? Wild imaginings? Maybe. But what would be your Twilight Zone? I wonder.

‘Do you have your power back?’

2009-09-23T18:25:00.000-07:00

If you’ve been watching the news at all, you know that here in Atlanta we’ve been hard hit with drenching rains and flash floods – fast flowing, record reaching and devastating in their destruction. While the creek behind our house rose far beyond its banks, sweeping away a 20 ft bridge, wiping out our AC and creating chaos in the landscape, we are the lucky ones amidst so many who have lost so much.

All this led me to pull myself up short when I texted yet another friend to ask if her electricity had been restored: “do u hve ur pwr bk?” And then my mental light bulb came on. When some force of nature or man hits us out of the blue, nothing can take us from multi-tasking to laser-like single focus faster. In this case quite literally not only does it turn out the lights, it can truly zap of us of our power… to act, to rebound, to see the good still around us.

And then it struck me. We DO have a choice in one thing, at least, even in the worst of times. We can re-claim our power by paying attention and listening to ourselves. Observing how we look at things. What mental stand we take. What we say when we talk to ourselves.

For me, the glass is ¾ full. I still have my home mostly intact, and my family is safe and healthy. And for that I am truly and profoundly thankful.

The next time you catch yourself in deep despair over disaster, personal or global, Stop. Notice. And then flip the switch on your own personal ‘transformer.’ I think you’ll find that you get your power back lots faster than the utility company truck can arrive!

Leaving on a jet plane

2009-06-01T11:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, school is out and I'm on may way for a long-planned, much anticipated girls trip to PARIS!!!! Yes, FRANCE! Not sure how much posting I'll get done since I'm sure I'll be so busy shopping, drinking wine and sleeping late, but I promise to post the details when I get back!!!

As you know, the last year has been a truly tough one at our house, but the news (thank God!) is all GREAT! My husband is now cancer-free with a totally health prognosis, so the rounds with doctors and chemo are coming off my 'to do' list and I know something fabulous (including trips like this one) will be coming to take their place.

But for now, au revoir. Or as we say around here: 'Bye for now, and y'all come back!

She's got legs....

2009-05-26T18:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, the debate rages on. Summer's here and I've heard twice in the same day the age old question: Do you have to wear pantyhose to look professional. I've weighed in with my opinion (if the legs look good, go for it - if not, put 'em on, girls!) but what do you think?

It's time to cast your vote. Post a comment on More.com like I did, and then take Image Assets' style survey! Let's see what we really think about this timely topic, once and for all.

And just remember, sleekly tan or still fleshy white, those gams have gotten you to where you are today, girls, so let's hear it for the legs!

Thank you MORE!

2009-05-04T19:58:00.000-07:00

"And to think, if I hadn't picked up the April issue I might have missed this!" Our stories all seemed to have this common thread. With apologies to Julius, we saw, we read, we responded. Most of us not totally sure why, just that we felt compelled to do it.

So thanks to you, Lesley Jane Seymour and everyone at MORE and CARE. Thank you for making this possible and writing the letter that got us all here! See, we really do read every one of your carefully crafted words!

I met so many amazing women tonight that I can hardly think about sleep! And this is just the start. LOL Everyone of them has their own very unique story. Many are exploring new options. Some are shifting gears and careers. In fact, re-invention was the byword of the evening.

And bravo! Re-invention seems to be a specialty of women, but more on that later. For now, let me sit back, settle in and savor the new connections we've made tonight. Because 6:45 will be here before I know it, and I don't want to miss a thing!!!!

Photo: Here we are at the MORE Welcome Reception, Features Editor Jolie Solomn, Editor -in-Chief (and author of the now famous April Editor's Letter) Lesley Jane Seymour, and me!

I am HERE!!!!

2009-05-04T19:53:00.000-07:00

Riding in from the airport, I admit my heart skipped a couple of beats as the Jefferson Memorial and Washington Monument passed by my taxi window. "It must be exciting to live here," I commented to the driver. "Don't you love it?"

He answered that it was all he knew of the US since he and his family came here from Eithiopia, Wow! Is this a great country, or what?

I'm all checked in, freshened up and re-lipsticked. Hitting the 'down' button to meet and greet at the Welcome Reception downstairs at the hotel, and can't wait to see what - and who - the evening will bring!

I know there will some major energy flowing. I can feel it already!

Headed to D.C.

2009-05-03T18:43:00.001-07:00

I can't tell you how excited I am to be headed to Washington tomorrow to participate in the MORE Magazine 50 Over 40 Making A Difference, with CARE International. What an amazing opportunity to learn more about how the women of the world can connect to fight hunger and poverty.

When I think about the opportunity to get concrete information about how we here who, no matter our 'down economy', are so richly blessed with so much can make a difference to other women in the world, my heart races with excitement. I'll keep you updated as I learn more, and together, we'll set about changing the world, one more woman at a time.

50 Over 40! but who's counting?

2009-04-22T19:46:00.000-07:00

Well, apparently the call has been heard! In response to a 2 day sell out, MORE has pushed the envelope and added 10 more women to the conference. What an amazing opportunity! I am getting the information and am getting more excited about this with every email.

As if speakers like Wolf Blitzer and Gwen Ifill weren't great enough, now I find that Richard Gere (yes, girls, THE Richard Gere) is being given a Humanitarian Award during the conference. My friend Marsha says she is goingt to be so jealous if I actually get to meet him! LOL Hey, I'm impressed to be in the same town.

Mostly, I'm looking forward to connecting with 49 other women from around the country who have answered Lesley Jane's call. Not to mention all the other women - and men - who are coming to the CARE event to lobby our congressional reps.

The message is clear. The women of the world need our help and this rich and generous country of ours must join the rest of the world and take a lead in breaking the cycle of poverty, hunger and abuse of the world's women.

I'm so there!

OMG I'm June Cleaver!

2009-04-16T16:35:00.000-07:00

I rushed into the house after stopping by the store on the way home from another busy day of meetings, lunch, and conference calls. My family was 'starving' as usual, so I tied on the apron and jumped right into dinner, pulling spaghetti sauce from the freezer, chilling the romaine and slicing up the artisan french baguette (thank you, Costco bakery!)

Since everything was on target for our supper, I went ahead and mixed up a batch of triple chocolate brownies - part of a weekend food basket I'm taking over to an attorney friend of mine who had a bad accident and can't drive for 3 months (she who has a busy family of six, by the way.)

That done, I was ready to take a breather, sit a spell and watch the news. But no, the timers dinged simultaneously to say all was ready. Time to put it on the table, bless it, and dig in.

Everyone comfortably full, I got up from the table and started the clean-up. Oh wait, I finally took a second and ran to the potty. As I washed my hands, I happened to glance up and see myself in the mirror.

OMG, there I was, black apron, still (mostly) crisp white shirt and PEARLS! I had a flashback.

Remember how we used to make fun of June, cooking and serving Ward and the boys in her heels, shirtwaist and pearls. Well, tonight I GET IT! June wasn't putting on airs; she just didn't have time to change!!!!

I'm off now to slip into my comfy sweats and bunny slippers. Just had to share.

I want MORE!

2009-04-15T19:38:00.000-07:00

You know how sometimes the universe just seems to align? Well, that happened to me this week. I picked up my copy of MORE Magazine - if you don't read it, you should - and there was a letter from Editor Lesley Jane Seymour. Her topic? Giving back makes a difference. Not only in the cause you support, but ultimately it's an even great gift to YOU.

Her column included an invitation to become one of 40 Over 40 Making a Difference, joining her - and MORE - at the CARE International conference in Washington, DC. Well, something just clicked in me so I jumped on the computer and lo and behold (as my mother used to say) there were just 9 spots left. I hit the keyboard like a madwoman and voila! I'm in!!!!

Whyam I doing this? Taking off to DC because I read the words of a woman I've never met?
All I can tell you is I feel called to do it.

More to come on me, DC and MORE>>>>

She's got STYLE!

2009-04-15T18:29:00.000-07:00

And MTW Karen Hughes of Image Assets has the Style Camp to prove it! If you've ever - like me - watched in wonder at What Not to Wear, now's your chance to get your very own Style Guide in what the Atlanta Journal Constitution this weekend called 'style boot camp.' You get the idea. Kind of like intensive training for fast results, but in this case, almost before your eyes (or certainly in your closet when you get home.) It's all part of what Karen calls 'Style YOUniversity.' It's one school of higher education that's nothing but fun!

Take a look and then pack your (day) bag... it's time for us Multi-Tasking Women to head to camp just for US!

SNOW DAY!!!!

2009-03-02T16:58:00.000-08:00

Well, it finally happened! On Sunday the snow fell all day here in big poofy flakes. It landed on trees, decks, mailbox posts - and finally accumulated on roads (and power lines.) After a brief outage, the lights came back on. With the wind howling through, it seemed that all the beautiful, wet snow would whisk away our chance at a Monday 'off', but wait!

The phone rang at 6:20 am. No school! WOW!!!! You know what that means, don't you? This Multi-tasking Mama is sleeping in and taking the day off! (Well, most of it, anyway. Still have to go into the office to file those W-3's and 1096's - thank you, IRS.)

But in any case, by the time I had to go out, the sun was shining, the roads were clear, and the driving was easy. But me? I was in my jeans and tennies, loving the 'day off.'

Maybe we should pay attention to this, and plan these a little more often. You heard me - yes, plan them! Put them on the calendar and live by them. Remember what we used to call 'mental health' days? I think I do. And I think I'm having one today.

Just a few extra unplanned hours to take an extra breath. Catch on the mail pile on my kitchen counter. Have a steaming cup of hot tea with a little honey. And not worry one bit that tomorrow, things will be right back to busy/normal.

Enjoy!

Hibernating...zzzZzzzZzzz...

2009-02-12T17:25:00.000-08:00

Okay, I admit it. I'm feeling lazy. So lazy, in fact, that it's truly all I can do to go to work, come home and do what MUST be done and get up and do it all again.

I'm blogging in my head, as I know you must be, too. Thinking of pithy things to share. Observations that come unbidden into my hibernating brain. All about how wonderful winter is (really?) or what's slumbering in my subconcious for the dark months, waiting for the sun to return.

But really? I want nothing more than to be warm, stay cozy, and know that if something happens and we need each other, we are all still here. We're just storing up our energy for what has to be done. And we'll get back to blogging when the temperature - and our energy - rises!

Snooze.... and enjoy!

What was it like to actually BE THERE?

2009-01-20T19:36:00.000-08:00

Here’s the latest from Ellen:

“Yes, it was bitter cold. Yes, we shared the Washington Mall with 2 million people. Yes, it was difficult to see with people standing shoulder to shoulder and only a Megatron TV screen to view. Yes, we had to walk several miles to get out of the Mall after Inauguration was over and the buses were nowhere to be found. BUT it was an incredible day!!!

I met people standing around me from Philadelphia, Puerto Rico and nearby in the DC area. We listened, laughed, and cried through all the speeches, prayers and songs. The day was full of sharing snack foods and dancing to any music just to stay warm. Thousands of us sang an impromptu "Goodbye Song" to George Bush as he flew one last time around the Mall in the helicopter.

The day began at 7:30 am and ended by 4 pm when we finished lunch in Arlington and made our way back.

We have souvenir bus passes, newspapers, t-shirts, and posters. Now we make our way home to Atlanta - happy and very tired - and feeling a little more connected to the new administration.”

Ellen, thanks to you, all us Multi-Tasking Women here at home who couldn’t make it to DC now feel it, too!

Safe travels home…and as we face the hard work of the days ahead, let’s remember that – YES, we can!

MLK Day in DC

2009-01-19T19:14:00.001-08:00

Checking-in with our MTW on the Scene:

“Not as cold today - a few random snowflakes.

We are experimenting with the best way to get to the Inauguration tomorrow and had several "dry runs" on Sunday. My sister-in-law ventured in to the city via the Metro and joined the 400,000 at the Opening of the Inaugural Ceremonies. They heard Obama's welcome address and two hours of star-studded musicians playing in front of The Lincoln Memorial.

There is something to do everywhere you look: "Quilts for Obama" at the Washington Historical Society, "Songs for Presidents" - a performance of 43 songs about 43 presidents, and an exhibit of 40 of the most historic front pages of the Washington Post.

Meanwhile my brother rode his bike 7 miles to the Mall to see which bridges are open. The strangest sight he took in was the lines of soldiers along the pathways and security fencing. It didn’t feel like the United States to see so many army personnel so highly present and visible, but much care is being taken in hopes that we can all enjoy "This Moment, This Time.”

Ellen

Hello from Washington D.C.!

2009-01-17T07:47:00.000-08:00

"It is extremely cold here.

We encountered no traffic on our drive up from Atlanta today, but many cars sporting Obama bumper stickers. In the McDonald's in Gastonia, NC we struck up a conversation with a woman and swapped info we had learned about Inauguration Day. She's heard that the Metro was running out of tickets. We knew about the concert on the Mall tomorrow starring Mary Blige, Bono, and Bruce Springsteen.

The excitement is everywhere. As George Washington said upon his inauguration in 1789:
“I was summoned by my country, whose voice I can never hear but with veneration and love.”

We are here to be a part of this love. Stay tuned."

Ellen

Why?

2009-01-16T07:39:00.000-08:00

I’m sitting here in my long underwear plus two more layers of clothing over that. It is 24 degrees in Atlanta – what on earth is the weather going to be like in Washington DC tomorrow?

I am driving north in the morning with my sister-in-law and two of my nieces age 12 and 15. We are determined to witness the inauguration of our 44th president of the United States. We have a full tank of gas, plenty of reading material, snacks, and pillows. We will stay at my brother’s house in Falls Church, VA.

The rest of my family has other priorities; camping in FL, playing roller hockey, attending an Atlanta Thrashers game. But for me, this feels important. I want to be a part of the crowd of Americans who also want to be there. Does that make sense?

My mother thinks I am nuts to go; too cold, too many crowds, too dangerous. We will see.

MTW Ellen Hayes is posting her experiences at this week's Historic Inauguration. Check back for more, and thanks for sharing with us, Ellen!

This Multi-Tasking Woman's making history...

2009-01-16T06:57:00.000-08:00

No matter what your political position, I believe we can all agree that history is being made this week with the Inauguration in Washington. This unique 'first' makes me think of other moments in our country's time line. Times of impact. Times of change. Times of historic note, like "Where were you when Neil Armstrong first set foot on the moon?"

I've been feeling a rising tide of excitement and find myself glued to all my various screens for the latest reports of what's about to happen. I want to be 'there.'

Well, for all of us watching from afar, Multi-Tasking woman IS there! Our good friend and Multi-Tasking Woman team mate Ellen Hayes is on her way to D.C. with her own small group of participants in history. She's made the plans and all the arrangements to take five days out of her very multi-tasking daily life with all its commitments to be there, experience it for herself - and share it with all of us. The feelings, the excitement, the moments that will stand out in her memory.

When history asks her, "Where were you when..." Ellen will have the stories she's living with us. Thanks, Ellen, for being our eyes on the scene! We can't wait to hear about it....

Read today's post.

Reflecting before resolving...

2009-01-04T18:17:00.000-08:00

Okay, it happened again. For all my good intentions and pre-planning, the holidays still ran away with ME before I knew it. (Did you notice that this is my first post since December 16th? Does it strike you as meaningful that the date was the same as the end of school and just one week away from the BIG DAY itself?) LOL

Well, before I get all resolution-y about how I'll do it differently in the coming year, I've decided to take life into my own hands and stop for a bit. Stop? Yes, STOP. Stop to reflect on what, why and how before I resolve to do any thing at all. Does that make sense to you? Call me crazy, but for all us multi-tasking gals out there who cook, shop, bake, swap, and generally do it all to create those oh-so-memorable holiday moments NEED A BREAK before breaking down on ourselves.

Okay, maybe I WAS still shoving gifts into cute bags right before walking out to meet the next recipient. But that was only because I spent five hours of my wrapping time out shopping for my dad so HE could have presents wrapped and ready to give, though he no longer drives and shops himself. Maybe I did have a single marathon baking session - my one-woman cookie swap, my husband says - instead of savoring a different batch several nights in a row. But that was because I spent some of my cooking time cooling my heels over a cappucino with my best friend who's going through one of those bad 'first' holidays this year.

So see, I do have my reasons. And the more I think about them, I realize they are darn good ones, and way, way more important than what I had 'planned.' Sometimes you just need to throw your tightly-wound schedule out the window, or as my hero Joseph Campbell says: "You have got to let go of the life you have planned in order to live the life that is waiting for you."

Ahhh. I feel better now. Thanks for listening. I'll be ready to move on to those resolutions in a bit. Till then, I'm going to stop and remember all the good times from THIS holiday before moving on.

'Green' is the new GIFT!

2008-12-16T18:19:00.000-08:00

Everybody's going GREEN this year, and no wonder! We've all had lots of good examples about why we need to save the Earth instead of spending all our time, energy and dollars consuming everything in sight. Well, if you can do some environmental good while you're gifting this year, why not do it?

Make this the year that you commit to giving only gifts that can be consumed or recycled! Okay, I hear you saying 'No way! I'm not the mother nature, earth shoe type.' Well, listen on, my multi-tasking friends.

- This year instead of wine glasses, give a bottle of wine or a vintage Champagne. Drink a toast and then recycle the bottle!

- Instead of those high-end steak knives, how about some Choice filet mignons? A gourmet treat and nothing left over to go in the landfill!

- Does your giftee have company over the holidays? How about a loaf of your best home made cranberry orange bread, wrapped in a useable-over-and-over-again cute kitchen towel.

You get the idea.
But consumable gifting doesn't just have to be eating and drinking:

- Give a growing gift. Instead of sending a cut flower arrangement, send some living, breathing plants or blooming bulbs. (I love paper whites; when they come up they smell like Spring is just around the corner.)

- And lest I sound a little too basic, find out what your giftee REALLY needs. If her old umbrella is already three sheets to the wind, find a gorgeous one she can use every time the drops start falling. It's good to give if it's a needed replacement for something that gets frequent use.

I've been thinking about it this way. If it can be eaten, used up, passed on, or recycled - it's a good gift! Hey, it may be only one small step, but as the saying goes, little things mean a lot!

Thin is IN!

2008-12-15T15:22:00.000-08:00

We went to pick out our Christmas tree tonight. For the last few years, we've pre-ordered from the local high school baseball team. They travel to a tree farm to pick out the trees and go cut them with their dads the weekend before Thanksgiving. It's a great plan. We get a great hand-picked tree and they make money!

This year, though, we went a week later than usual to pick up our tree - a seven-footer - and lo, and behold (as they say this time of year) there were only 8 of that size left to choose from. The one with the best and straight-est top (very important to seat the Angel properly) was rather narrower than our usual choice. Hmmm, I thought, will this work? Overall perfection of shape won out over width, and I proceeded to the mom-staffed check-out.

"Good thing we came tonight," I offered. "You guys are almost out of trees! Good for you!"
"Find one you liked?" my friend Laurie asked.
"Yep, but a little skinnier than usual.
"That's the good news," she shot back. "Less tree to decorate!"

WOW! The light bulb went off. This year, my multi-tasking mind is thinking, we'll just choose the best-of-the-best of our (seems like hundreds) of ornaments and keep it sleek and slenderly beautiful.

Our tannenbaum's branches will be full, and her silhouette slim and elegant. And it will take half the time to decorate (and take down!) Hear that, Santa, at our house this year, thin is in!

Be a good Scout this Christmas!

2008-12-13T14:55:00.000-08:00

Most of us will spend the weekend doing all those things we can't quite get around to during the week. And on top of everything else, party follows party. Now where is that cute hostess gift I bought?

Take a look at your calendar. By now, you probably know whose parties you'll attend, whose guest you (and your family) will be. Do yourself a favor and borrow that classic Scouting motto and BE PREPARED! Don't rush around hoping you have a bottle of wine or some yummy treat to take and say 'thanks for hosting us.'

Make a trip as soon as you can to your favorite source and get all your hostess goodies NOW. Then go home, wrap, sack, bow and tag each one of them so they are ready to walk out the door when you are! Better yet, let the shop do the multi-tasking for you. Choose a place that does cute wrap and bow, and abracadabra! You're finished.

Some of our favorites?
- a single gorgeous tree ornament
- fun cocktail napkins with a clever spreader
- a bottle of wine with a twist; add a seasonal wine cork
- handmade toffee, candy or snacks; my favorite is anything chocolate
you get the idea...

I can hear you breathing a sigh of relief now, and it's only December 6th!

Food, but wait, there's more!

2008-12-11T18:15:00.000-08:00

Okay, since we're talking food here - holiday goodies and such, how about REALLY multi-tasking?
I know you have a favorite specialty - you know the dish, appetizer or dessert that EVERYONE always asks for. Yes?

Well, when you're making it for the holidays, do ahead for yourself but also make more for - get this now - GIFTS! Now I don't know about you, but if someone gave me a tray of home made appetizers ready to pop in the oven for guests - or a jar of wonderful, hot soup that could become an instant meal on a cold day - or a pan of their specialty lasagne - I'd be in heaven!

It's kind of a back to the future sort of thing. Just what my mom and the gals in the neighborhood used to do. (Remember Spiced Tea?) LOL Let's just update it for our tastes - and make it easy (ier) for each other!

Ready ladies? All together now: Cook once, freeze twice, AND share a gift with your favorite Multi-Tasking gal!

Food, Glorious Food!

2008-12-10T17:04:00.000-08:00

If the holidays has your tastebuds tickling, but you're thinking 'when, oh when, will I EVER find time to bake, cook, frost (insert your favorite food pastime)' - well, despair no more. I have discovered that with a teeny tiny bit of planning (very miniscule, I promise) you can actually make the cooking you ARE doing totally Multi-Task for you!

Take a look at your favorites, and I think you'll find as I did that anytime you're cooking, you can double up (or even go for triples.) Get those freezer containers ready, girls, and in the next week or two, you can double dip on any thing you make so that you have an extra one, or several dozen at the ready when company hits town.

While I try to do this all year round, it's never more important than now. Here are a few things I've stashed, ready to go the minute I have no time to cook:

- White chicken chili, tortilla soup and good old fashioned vegetable!
- Our favorite mini chicken puff pastry appetizers, several hot crab dips and even my husband's all time best - Classic Artichoke Parmesan spread
- Desserts? I'll be baking this week and popping in a couple of pound cakes and even a set of mini chocolate lava cakes
- and the list goes on!

Need some ideas? Hit recipezaar.com, or pick up a copy of one of my favorites, Diane Davis, the Diva of Do-Ahead. She's got it all together!

And while you're at it, maybe you can team up with a girlfriend and swap some of your specialties. Way better than take-out. But more on that later...

Bon appetit and bon appetite!

Thanks for the memories!

2008-12-09T16:09:00.000-08:00

Okay, it's happened. I've been hit - with my first gift of the season, that is. So nice and yet so lethal. LOL Just kidding about the deadly part. But if you get a gift or go to party, there's that instant obligation to say 'Thanks' to the giver or hostess.

If you're like me, the LAST thing you want hanging over your head in the New Year is that oh-so-long list of notes you know you need to write, to properly tell each and every one how special they made you feel. And yet, you know you should. So what's a Multi-Tasking Woman to do?

Well, try this. Next time you're out, find the cutest box of holiday Thank You's you can get your hands on. Take them home and while you're watching Charlie Brown, put your return address and a stamp on each one. Then, stash them in an easy to retrieve from spot (for me, it's my purse) and when you're gifted, you'll be ready!

I just pull one out when I'm sitting in line or sipping that Starbucks and write my heartfelt thanks to who (whom?) ever's been kind enough to remember me! It's quick, easy and timely. And guess, what? The after Christmas list is short and manageable!

Oh, and PS, don't forget to use your notes to tell your friends how much you appreciate them and all they do. No gift required for that one!

Take 5....

2008-12-08T14:49:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but for me, reality is setting in big time! What did I think? That Christmas would magically make itself happen? LOL

The cold, hard facts of cards, gifts, food, and fun are looming large right now. My multi-tasking has shifted into turbo, as I'm making my list and checking it twice - about every hour or so! What's a woman to do?

Take 5. That's right. If you don't pace yourself, you'll be down for the count. Before you know it, everyone else will be merry and bright and you'll be hoping for an Rx at the local doc in the box on Christmas Eve. So plan now!

Every day, every single day from now till December 25th, be sure that you set aside at least 5 minutes for YOU. 5 minutes 5 times a day would be better, but hey, let's start with just 5. What to do in that 5 minutes? Whatever YOU like. A nice hot, list-checking-free, cup of cocoa. A few moments of carol (and kid) free silence. Time to walk through your favorite shop just to soak up the season. Whatever rejuvenates YOU.

Got to run now. I hear a heavenly piece of Godiva and an easy chair calling my name. Time to Take 5!

I'm Theme-ing for a (simple) Christmas

2008-12-05T18:57:00.000-08:00

Okay, picking just one store and shopping ONLY there a little too drastic for you? Well, try choosing a theme for your gifts this year to make shopping an easy part of your Multi-Tasking life. Need some ideas to get you started? Let's think about it.

- How about SPORTS? Everything from tickets to your favorite team to new work-out clothes. Balls, bats, yoga mats. Even a pedometer for Grand Dad. Everybody likes to move it, move it. Choose all your gifts around a sports theme and you'll be the hometown hero!

- Sports too active for you? Celebrate the cerebral parts of all of us and choose a BOOK for EVERY person on your list. (Hey, you can do all that at your ONE store!) :-) Cookbooks, spy stories, murder mysteries, bodice-heaving romances, and my all time Christmas favorite - the REAL Dickens' Christmas Carol.

- How about TREATS as a theme? Choose something for everyone on your list that you know they'd NEVER, EVER buy for themselves. Godiva Chocolates for the gourmet palate (they buy and give them to everybody else.) An extra good year of Champagne or Chardonnay. A bottle of perfume, NOT cologne. A gift certificate for a hot stone massage. What's your secret pleasure? Give someone an extra special indulgence they usually deny themselves and watch their eyes light up!

Get the picture? Let your mind run free and you'll find your own themes running wild in your imagination. Theme-ing makes gift-giving fun... and a whole lot easier!

Tell us your ideas!

Don't shop till you drop!

2008-12-03T19:48:00.000-08:00

Want an easy way to take your holiday shopping from 'too many to choose' from to 'the best of the bunch'? It's simple. Narrow your focus. That's right. If you want to keep your shopping simple, don't run from shop to store, from mall to main street, STOP. Take a deep breath and try this.

Choose one or two of your favorite sources - you know those spots that have the things you think are neat and clever - and do ALL your shopping there! Yes, you heard me right. Do ALL your shopping in just those places.

It sounds so simple. Will that really work, you're asking? Well, it will if you choose places that have some universal appeal. My top 3 favorites are:

a good bookstore- not just for books, but calendars, neat gifts, stationery, magazines, you name it!
the gourmet grocery/wine shop - hey, everybody eats! And most drink a bit, as well.
a 'has it all' retailer with style - like Target

Then head out, with list in hand, and start your shopping. No cheating. Remember, just one (or maybe two) stores. Believe me, it works! I've done it, and everybody from Grandad to our Garbage Man is happy with their gifts - and I'm happy with my one-stop, low-stress shopping.

You can get creative and even go with a theme, but more on that tomorrow!

See, I told you it was easy.

The Countdown begins!

2008-12-01T10:04:00.000-08:00

That's right. Although it seems that the leftover Turkey has just left the building, it's just 25 all-too-short days till the Big One! But don't worry your pretty little Multi-Tasking head about it, because we are going to make it through this together, and have a blast doing it!

Okay, are you with me on this?

When we were little, we had an Advent calendar, lovingly crafted by my mom. Every night, the four of us kids would place an ornament on the tree and then be treated to some yummy bit of chocolate in that day's little pocket. A wonderful tradition and a treat of a way to count down to the holidays.

Only now do I realize what it must have taken to find and fill those pockets with nearly 100 pieces of chocolate - all different! The time my mom spent to make those days leading up to Christmas special and fun. Me, I'm lucky if I can remember to change the number on our 'Santa comes in ___ days' chalk board! How did she do it all?

Over Thanksgiving weekend, I read a cute book called "On Strike for Christmas." In it, a group of gals decide to go on 'strike' from doing everything themselves for everyone else one holiday season after another, and decide to leave the making of Christmas to their husbands. (You're getting the picture, right?)

I won't give away all the details in case you want to read this little piece of holiday reflection for yourselves, but let me tell you what I came away with. Bottom line? Christmas DID get done. Maybe not the way the gals were used to, but happen it did! The husbands (and kids!) learned just how hard it really was to create the kind of holidays they all loved. And the girls? Well, let's just say that when they gave up a little 'control,' they ultimately ended up with a lot more help.

Who does Christmas at your house? How does it happen? Is it you, You, YOU? If you find yourself with that Grinch-y feeling sneaking around the corners of your heart as you look ahead to the next 24 days, stop and spend a minute with me. I'm determined to 'do' Christmas this year in a way that's fun for me, too! What does that mean? What will it look like? Well, I'm guessing that it will require me to loosen my own grip a bit on the holiday steering wheel and ASK for some help - and involvement - then be willing to LOVE THE RESULT - no matter how different it may look!

Because ultimately, isn't that what Christmas - or whatever holiday you celebrate - is really about? Sharing. Being together. Enjoying the time together with family and friends. Hold on to your hat, Martha, because this year, Christmas at my house is going to be a family affair!

Stay tuned for more because you don't have to do it alone! Join me on the ever-changing journey to December 25th and let's see what small changes we can make that will give us BIG SMILES when Santa arrives!

Multi-Tasking Women Are Never Too Busy To Vote!

2008-10-01T14:15:00.000-07:00

(Just a quick note. Since we believe that getting women to GO VOTE is so critical, I'll be blogging for now on NeverTooBusyToVote.com every day. Visit me there, and I'll resume normal blogging here as I can. Kyle)

Those of you who know me, know that I'm passionate about getting women - well, everybody really, but especially women - out to VOTE! Unless you've been in a cave with no cable signal, it's not news to you that in this year's election, EVERY VOTE COUNTS!

I've been up way too late at night,flipping from Nightline to CNBC to CNN, just trying to keep up! And in my mad mashing of the remote control, I happened on late night host Craig Ferguson. It just so happened to be his night to riff on the political situation we have this fall. If you didn't see it, take a look and listen for yourself. "If you don't go vote, you're a moron," might be a little harsh, but it was fascinating - and inspiring to hear this naturalized citizen (whether you like him or not) giving his take on us and our right to vote. Not just a right, as he says, but our responsiblity.

I especially liked his comments in response to those who say they're not 'political.' "Do you buy gas? Groceries? Do you live in a house... Do you live in this country?" he asks. Then you're involved in politics! Certainly something to think about.

My personal mantra on politics is 'if you don't vote, you don't count!' (As you can see I'm on my soapbox here) so this weekend, we're kicking off Multi-TaskingWoman's first non-partisan GO VOTE effort!

We don't want to tell you who to vote for; we just want EVERY WOMAN to get out and vote! Put it on your calendar now, and make it happen! Let there be no excuses! In fact, in many states, you can even vote early and miss the long lines everyone's anticipating.

I'm calling on every one of you who is has a friend, is a friend, blogs, posts, twitters or just plain chats, to spread the word! Won't you join us in this effort! Drop us a line or give us a call and we'll let you know how you can help!

In the moment…baking Black Cake

2008-09-07T11:40:00.001-07:00

It’s Sunday afternoon, and yes, it’s true. I have just finished baking a from-scratch cake. How did this happen, you might ask? Well, it started when my almost 13 year-old son said, “Mom, why don’t you ever make Grandmother’s Black Cake?” An annual tradition when we visit my in-laws, the famous Black Cake (officially titled Brownie Sheet Cake) lives from trip to trip as one of the most looked forward to parts of going over the river and through the woods – second only to his other great love, Seniors Night at Captain D’s.

My son, an only child, is a rabid traditionalist. And should I complain? I hear my mother’s voice reminding me that ‘the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.’ I love family traditions, be they large or small, and in truth, really look forward to them as much as my child always has.

“Mom, is it ready yet?” comes the cry from the den. “Not yet,” I yell back across the rooms as I continue to type. For this moment… this very moment, seems somehow important to capture. You know, it’s hard to multi-task when you’re mixing up a cake – well, it is for me, anyway. If you don’t pay attention, you could well use powdered sugar for granulated, or oops, add a tablespoon of soda when only a teaspoon was needed. Disaster lurks at every step when trying to do too many things at once.

I have to stop and think while I bake. Hmmm. There’s a concept. I don’t know about you, but multi-tasking is my life most of the time - the majority of it, in fact. But the true wisdom is that it’s every bit as important – in fact, I can argue it’s even more crucial - that we intentionally make times to stop. Breathe. And concentrate all our heart, mind, soul and action on just one thing. To single task. With single focus. In the moment.

Well, the timer’s just beeped and the much-anticipated cutting of the first piece is at hand. It’s not a particularly lovely cake to look at, I must admit. Not exactly up to Martha’s standards for aesthetic appeal, but it was made with love. Baked with intention. And it will be eaten with enthusiasm and many thanks - a rare moment of appreciation from my almost teenage boy. And for me? A few precious moments to truly savor being just where I am this minute.

Bon appetit!

A Birthday with Benefits!

2008-08-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

You may be looking forward to it, or may rue the day it arrives... your birthday! But yes, it's true, we all have one, every single year (if we're lucky!)

Well, meet my friend, multi-tasking woman Alyson Hoag who decided to crown the occasion of moment - her 4oth birthday - with a bash that's fun-filled and filled with benefits! 'All You Need is Love and a little Lipstick' celebrates Aly's partnership with the Chelko Foundation to launch PROJECT Authentic Beauty - empowering all women and girls to feel beautiful from the inside out, providing hope and healing for women experiencing trauma.

Aly says, "Lifting the authentic voices of young girls and women to love themselves completely is the best birthday present I could ever have!" We hear you, Alyson! Happy birthday and thanks for sharing your own very authentic beauty and soul with us and with the women of the world!

Read more about Project Authentic Beauty on Multi-TaskingWoman.com. To make a donation to this amazing work, visit www.myimagejourney.com

"I have everything I need..."

2008-08-02T20:27:00.000-07:00

Like so many of you, this week I watched Diane Sawyer’s Celebration of Life for Randy Pausch. It’s a story we’ve all followed, whether on YouTube or mainstream media, or even at the bookstore. His “Last Lecture” has had an impact that reaches so far beyond its first audience at Carnegie Mellon.

As Larry and I watched, Kleenex at hand, we drew amazing strength from Randy’s wife Jai when she shared the mantra that’s become second nature during these last few months: “I have everything I need.” “Do you really believe that,” asked Diane. And Jai went on to explain that while she was certainly not happy about Randy’s diagnosis, she had accepted it. Together, they had made a conscious choice to spend their remaining time together not angry at the world they found themselves in, but making small memories that would last a lifetime that would not include Randy’s presence. Having everything they needed, right now.

What a gift, to affirm that in the face of whatever happens, “I have everything I need.” Many times I’ve heard that quote - happiness isn’t about getting what you want, but about wanting what you have. I realize that, to me, that translates into living life each day so you love the life you live NOW. Not putting off till tomorrow. Not waiting for ‘someday.’ Not waiting until whatever-it-is happens. But living the life you want now, every day, showing up in small ways that matter to you.

My husband and I call it the ‘Mack truck theory.’ We all hope to be blessed with long lives and much happiness, but you never know when you could hop on the highway and get smacked by that proverbial Mack truck. Chatting with my friend Eileen today, she reminded me, “You know, life gives us all kinds of Mack trucks.” Yours may not be a terminal prognosis like Randy Pausch. (I hope not!) But you may be broadsided by an unexpected divorce. The loss of a job. Death of a loved one. Or any number of other life-altering events.

A few Mack truck moments are inevitable in our lives, it seems. When one hits you, will you be able to say, “I have everything I need”? I hope we all can. Thank you Randy and Jai, for sharing your lives with all of us - reminding us that it’s the small moments that add up to a lifetime of memories. And that’s everything I need.

Wisdom on the beach...

2008-07-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

Ah, the beach. What better way to put the world in perspective than to sit and watch the waves roll in and out? Endlessly, dependably. So much larger than anything going on in my life – ever! And that’s comforting.

I look forward to my beach walks every summer. The patterns the tides sculpt in the sand are among the greatest works of art I’ve encountered. The sheer power of the water to work its way upon the land. There’s a timeless wisdom at work that is single-minded in its focus, and offers lessons for my own over-burdened multi-tasking life.

This year, as always, when I walked with the waves lapping at my ankles I couldn’t help but pick up some of the shells that I encountered along the way. I don’t know why I do this. I have bags of shells from years past sitting in boxes in my studio. Waiting. Waiting. For what, I ask? But still I pick them up as I walk, and it occurs to me that they, too, are calling out important lessons for me to learn - three I know, for sure.

Lesson 1: “The farther you go from the crowds on the beach, the bigger the shells you find.”

Wow! That IS a big one. How often, I ask myself, do I stay with the ‘crowd,’ satisfying myself with small things – telling myself that this may be small;, but it’s perfect and I should be ‘satisifed’, when I could be doing BIG things, making huge discoveries, having bigger impact, opening up a larger world of greater abundance. Now that’s a really good reason to strike out ahead, to venture where there may be less company but so much greater rewards to discover.

Lesson 2: “If you see something that catches your eye, pay attention, dig it out, and you may be surprised at the size of the shell you find.”
Now that happened exactly that way for me. A tiny tip of lovely color, examined more closely and nudged from the shifting shore, revealed the largest shell of all! I have learned to pay attention to things that catch my attention. Call it intuition. Call it serendipity. Or just call it plain ol’ keeping your eyes open. When something catches my eye – whether it be a special article of clothing or an article in the newspaper, it it ‘speaks’ to me, I’ve learned to trust that there’s something there for me to follow. Hmmm. Maybe that’s why I met the man of my dreams at a party called ‘Serendipity’ on a Saturday night all those years ago. Take my advice girlfriend: if you get a sign, read it and pay attention!
Lesson 3: “There is beauty even in broken shells.”

For me, this may be the biggest lesson of all. Ever searching for the perfect: the perfect gift, the perfect words to say, the perfect life – I often find myself critically examining the treasures the sea has placed in my path. Oh, no. There’s a crack, a hole, a piece missing. But why is it only the whole and the unblemished that I’ll accept in my gathering? That broken shard of oyster shell, lined with iridescent mother of pearl glistens with beauty – ah, ‘mother’ of pearl – is a piece of that which has nurtured great beauty. Three shells clumped together with built-up barnacles reminds me of our family of three - individually quite different but connected in a solid and enduring way. Instead of passing by the imperfect that the sea has put in my path, I find myself looking for the beauty of what it offers. Less judging. More accepting.

This year, more than ever, I looked forward to our week at the beach. Quiet time with limited duties. Nothing more strenuous than making sandwiches for lunch and deciding where to make reservations for dinner out. It’s as close to single-tasking as I’m likely to get anytime soon with a family, two businesses and all that goes along with. But who knew that my few solitary walks on the beach would yield such wisdom and insight? It makes me wonder what I might find in my own backyard when I return home.

I may not be able to take the beach with me, but I hope I will remember my walks and how they’ve taught me to slow down, listen, and pay attention to what lessons there are to learn if you’ll only take time to look.

News from Meerkat Manor... and a tribute to Tim Russert

2008-06-23T10:20:00.000-07:00

Wow! I just realized that although I have been blogging in my head for weeks now, it just hasn't seemed to make it on to the web. As most of you know, I've been otherwise occupied. As I've said to some of you, I feel like those crazy madcap residents of Meerkat Manor - a jam-packed underground life, with only an occasional chance to raise my head out of the home hole. Thankfully, the glimpses of daylight have been much more friendly than that old arcade game of Whack-A-Mole! My contacts with the outside world have been, thanks to all of you, filled with smiles, shoulders to cry on, healing golden light and heartfelt prayers.

Am I still multi-tasking? You bet your life, boy and HOW! But since the day my world stood still - that would be the day the doc told us that Larry's routine colonoscopy had uncovered a malignant tumor that needed immediate surgery - well, I'm sure you get the picture. My multi-tasking gene kicked into overdrive as I became totally, acutely and in-your-face aware that life as we know it is precious, fleeting and all-too-soon can be taken away in the blink of an eye - or in our case - the uttering of just a few words.

This was brought home to me all the more last Friday when, while on the way to pick up H from his summer week away from home at Scout Camp, we heard Tom Browkaw share the shocking news that Tim Russert had died of a heart attack while prepping for his weekly Meet the Press.

Tim Russert. Now there was a multi-tasking man, if ever there was one. Taking time and care with his aging father, breaking away from the most hectic political season in (some say) history to share Italy with his wife and recent college graduate son to, while maintaining more than one highly recognized television show - and all the time keeping up with friends, their kids and their lives - birthdays, sports teams, illnesses. Wow! A man after my own heart. An MTW brother/sister under the skin.

Just 58 years old, he could have been my big brother, or just a few classes ahead of me in school. A best guy buddy from next door. For that's the way so many of us saw him. Just a regular guy - our voice, if you will - speaking out by asking the questions WE wanted answered. What a loss. Certainly for his wife, his son and his dad Big Russ. But a loss that many of use feel all to closely. Taken away in the prime of life. At the top of his game. It could have been me. My husband. You.

If ever a person could be said to have died 'happy,' his friends and colleagues say that surely it was Tim Russert. I know that he's certainly left an invaluable legacy for me. One that is at the same time universal and deeply personal. He's willed me an unmatched reminder of what a gift I've been given with Larry's excellent prognosis. An awareness that every day, every hour, every moment COUNTS. And that what we choose to do with our time is exactly that - OUR CHOICE!

So I hope you'll raise your head up out of your own personal Meerkat Manor (yes, I know you have one!) and join me in a toast to Tim. He may not be Father Time, but he certainly epitomized Time Well Spent.

Here's to you, Tim!

A Grand Perspective

2008-03-15T08:50:00.000-07:00

Wow! When life is flying fast and furiously, there's nothing like Mother Nature to put things back in perspective. After a jam-packed January and February, the week of Spring Break came all too soon it seemed - the first week of March. Too cold to go north. Too far too go to tropical breezes in Maui - we headed for what turned out to be the perfect place - Arizona - home to the most amazing of all earth's many natural wonders - The Grand Canyon.

As I stood on the rim, I looked down a whole mile into its depth - in wonderment that the canyon contains its own mountain ranges, creates its own weather systems, and was carved by the erosion of the persistent Colorado River. Imagine that. Water, pure and simple. But doing its job day after day, eon after eon.

"See that - there at the very bottom," our friendly guide pointed out. "That dark layer's called Vishnu schist. It's over 2 billion years old." 2 billion? With a 'B'!" Talking about seeing straight to the heart of things.

One view. One vision. Laying out the layers of time before your eyes. Two billion years ago right up to today. Kind of makes that constant 'to do' list of mine look a little more manageable. Puts it right back into scale, and reminds me that if I can just keep focusing on the small actions I need to take day after day, maybe the eons really will take care of themselves.

Time to say thanks to those bigger, older parents of ours - Nature and Time. And oh, yeah, don't forget to BREATHE.

The eyes have it!

2008-02-08T06:09:00.001-08:00

"Have you lost weight? You look GREAT!", my friend told me. HAD I lost weight? Well, maybe an quarter ounce or so. LOL I'd just had my brows done. Yes, my eyebrows had their own personal makeover to acheive their personal best - the work of make-up genius Alyson Hoag, better known as the 'Brow Guru.' Artist to the stars at the recent Sundance Film Festival, how lucky for me that she's based right around the corner!

Need to lose those excess pounds? Take my advice. Have an instant 'lift' - no surgery required. Just a great eye for Authentic Beauty, some careful plucking, a little trim here and there, and you're done! Skip the recovery and enjoy the result.

You know, if the eyes are the window to the soul, now I've got the perfect custom framing!

Quiet, please. I'm hibernating.

2008-01-21T19:06:00.000-08:00

Baby, it's cold outside. The holidays are over. (Almost) all the decorations and paraphernalia are packed away for another year, and I'm yawning - big time! All I want to do is curl up with a good book, a hot cup of cocoa (or maybe a good red wine) and stay inside, quiet, and alone. But alas, the world (and kids and family and work) all cry out for my attention to the new year, new projects, new commitments, and the fulfilling of old obligations. As my friend Sandra says, "I'm grumpy! Why? Because I'm trying to hibernate and everybody keeps sticking their hand in my cave!"

Okay, let's get real. While I'd love nothing more than to while away the winter, snoozing and warm, face it. It ain't gonna happen. Not in my lifetime (well, maybe when I'm retired?) So till then, I'm facing this winter time with a firm resolution in my heart and on my mind. Every day, till Spring comes calling at my door step, no matter how busy, no matter how long the to-do-list, I WILL HIBERNATE for at least 15 minutes each day. One small quarter of an hour when I will shut my door and answer to no one. A cat nap. A cup of tea. One chapter of my book. Watching out the window for the winter birds.

Unlike the bears, I may not be able to slow my system down for the full season, but I will claim at least a tiny 'peace' of each day for me. And who knows? Maybe I'll get so good at it, I can stretch it out to an hour, or even a full day now and then. All I know is that Mother Nature knows her ways. And if downtime is good enough for her, it's good for us all.

Excuse me now. My tea is ready for honey.

Out with the old....

2007-12-31T11:32:00.001-08:00

Okay, here it is. The last day of 2007 with 2008 just 12 hours away. WAIT! STOP! I'M NOT READY!!! I haven't even packed away the ornaments. I haven't put Santa back in his box(es) for storage in a cool dry place for yet another year. And there are still Christmas tree cookies calling my name. YIKES!

Slow down. Be still my racing heart. Breathe deeply and repeat after me - "There is enough time. There is enough time." Why does the New Year engender such panic in me? I guess there's a (very unrealistic) part of me that still thinks I need to 'get it all done' before I can move on to the next thing. Well, time to let go of that one.

I'm taking a deep breath and enjoying the ordinariness of the day. This is just another day of many, many days. Just because the calendar says 'end of the year,' I promise not to fall prey to feeling like it's an ending that's set in stone, the end of the world, last chance, last day. I'll remember that it's just one more day on the calendar, and that in those oh-so-famous words, 'tomorrow IS another day' it will be followed by another, and another, and another.

Wow! I have plenty of time to get things done. What a relief!

Happy New Year!

"Are you feeling it?"

2007-11-21T12:26:00.000-08:00

My amazing sister-in-law was just in town for a week, and boy, did we have fun! We talked, visited and shopped till we dropped. I introduced her to the fabulous Ladies Who Launch LIVE. We shared lots of ideas and plans for her new business. AND I soaked up lots of the wonderful California energy she always brings with her.

On one of our adventures exploring the latest in holiday fashion, I tried on something that was pretty cutting edge (for me anyway! LOL) and she took one look at me and said, "You're just not feeling it, are you?" and sure enough, although the latest in style, it really wasn't me.

I really didn't love the look, but I DID love the way she expressed herself. "I'm feeling it." or "I'm not really feeling it." she'll often say. WOW! It made me stop and think. What if I asked MYSELF each time I considered doing or buying something: "Am I feeling it?" NOT do I want it? Do I need it? Should I? or even Shouldn't I? But "Am I feeling it?" Starting from a feeling point of view, I realized, might really shift my perspective.

Try it. Ask yourself: "Am I feeling it?" the next time something new (or even the same old thing) presents itself.

Let me know if it shifts your perspective. If you get different results. Or if you just feel better looking at how you emotionally connect.

Launch Power!

2007-11-12T14:19:00.000-08:00

What a day! I'm still glowing from the positive energy generated when 200 women get together for a day of fun, sharing, relaxation and learning from each other. WOW! Ladies Who Launch LIVE is now a permanent fixture on my annual calendar. Last year was terrific, and this year, exponentially more energizing.

Kudos to Traci Long who leads Atlanta's launchers year round. If you don't her yet, you should! She's one powerhouse Multi-Tasking Woman whose background in sales training, marketing and promotion is all put to fabulous use as a LWL facilitator. Meet Traci at MTW, and then make plans to meet her in person at the next event or Incubator. Lots of my Incubator buddies were there, including the always smiling Kelly Kole, Kandrac-Kole Interiors.

Now if they could just figure out how to harness the power of women empowering each other, there would NEVER be a fuel shortage!

Who's in your corner?

2007-11-07T12:32:00.000-08:00

If I know you, you're like me - a 'corner' person. One of those people who champions their friends, their favorite causes, the great new restaurant their best gal pal has opened. Your recommendation has more power than the hottest critic or national news media! Everyone needs people like you in their corner. You make the world a better place for everyone.

But - who's in your corner? Think about it. As a good friend of mine told me once, "You're in everybody else's corner, Kyle. You need to be sure YOU have some corner people of your own." You know what she meant. The kind of friends who watch your back. Who sing your praises to all around. Who are there whether you need a shoulder to cry on or someone to help you jump for joy at your latest success.

I'm lucky to have some great people in my corner. Girlfriends who come together to help out at the last minute when I've run out of time without knowing it (like last night!) Who pump me up when I'm in the Sea of Despair. Who tell me honestly what they think - good or bad. Who are the first to high five me and shout it out when great things happen.

Who are your corner people? Have you told them lately how much they mean to you? How you couldn't live without them? How their friendship and support make life infinitely richer?
Well, stop now, pick up the phone or hit 'send' and tell them.

It's guaranteed to make your little corner of the world - and theirs - a brighter spot.

I'm voting for Octember....

2007-11-02T08:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, here's my problem Just a few days ago, it was Halloween - October 31st, yes? Jack o'lanterns, costumes, and tons of sugary, chocolate-y goodness. And then, at the stroke of midnight - BAM! It hits. With all the speed of an on-coming high speed train. Yes. You got it.

NOVEMBER 1st!!!

YOW! Stop! Stop it right now! I need more time. Time to adjust. Time to take the skeletons down before the turkeys and trees come out. What I've decided I need, what I believe we all need, is ONE MORE WEEK. That's right. A full week of breathing space to let the fall dust settle before the sugarplum sparkle begins.

Okay, this is my official plea to whatever powers there may be. I am officially campaigning for something you know we need desperately, let's call it "Octember."

Do I have your vote?

Want to dress up?

2007-10-31T16:08:00.000-07:00

It's Halloween, and I'm writing this in between rings of the doorbell and shouts of 'trick or treat.' There's something extra special about a holiday in the middle of the week. Every normal schedule gets set aside for little while. And on this one of a kind day, you get to dress up as anything you want on top of everything else. Who could ask for anything more?

If you were dressing up this year (and maybe some of you are) who - or what - would you be? Already tonight I've seen a grown-up Spider Man, a miniature Jack Sparrow, the full cast of characters from the Wizard of Oz - even a clever bottle of Dasani water. But wait. My question here is serious. Who would you be if you could be anyone you chose? What costume would you wear? What mannerism? What personality? Work with me here, girls. Visit the theater of your mind and tell me what part you'd like to play.

Maybe it's time we all got back in touch with our inner trick or treater, played around with what our dream costume would be, and then, live with it a bit. How do you feel? What does it bring out in you that you might ignore in your oh-so-busy life? Hmmmm. Maybe, just maybe, we're gathering clues to what just might be missing in our lives - or at least what's hidden from view that may need to be brought to light, at least every now and then.

Got your mind moving? Good! Now, I've got to run; the doorbell's ringing. Where did I put those Wonder Woman cuffs?

"The difficult I can do today....

2007-10-15T17:58:00.000-07:00

The impossible will take a little longer." So said that Lady who sang the blues, Miss Billie Holiday. Billie, I hear you, girl. Today was one of those days I felt like I was walking through deep mud. It just kept sucking on my pumps and slowing down my progress.

What do you do with days like that? Well, not having you on hand to share, I just sucked it up, took a deep, cleansing breath, and slogged on. I got to the end of the day determined to finish at least ONE thing on my list and actually made it to two.

Well, in the words of that other Atlanta gal, 'tomorrow's another day.' I'm going to bed early tonight and wake up to a new day, hopefully one where the sun's come out and dried up all that pesky mud.

See you on the path!

Wants or needs?

2007-10-08T20:14:00.001-07:00

I realized today that I'm one of those people who loves to receive gift certificates, for anything from a day at the spa, to a Starbucks gift card. I lovingly thank the giver, and cherish the thoughts of my relaxation, the largest Chai tea latte on the menu... whatever the card is for.

I drive through Starbucks and pull out my wallet. But then reality strikes! Since I didn't want to 'lose it', the treasured card is at home in my other purse. LOL Or I hold out the golden carrot of that special day of relaxation all for me until... eeek! It's expired. Sigh. An amazing day wasted. And all because I waited for the perfect moment. For the day I'd 'really need it.' Do you know what I mean?

Okay, time for a New Year's resolution. (Yes, I know it's only October, but you know for me this is the time for new starts.) I hereby resolve to use my gift cards, my gift certificates, my credits for returning stuff to T. J. Maxx, whatever it is... WHEN I RECEIVE THEM!

No more delayed gratification for this girl. I'm treating myself right... starting NOW! Why wait for some day out there sometime in the future when I could be having all that fun today? Or in the words of the title character in one of my favorite Sandra Deer plays: "My daddy always said, 'Gal Baby, if you want it, you need it.' "

Ahh.... I hear my massage appointment being called now... excuse me, girls. Got to go.

Some days you’re bullet proof…

2007-09-01T07:13:00.000-07:00

You know the feeling… some days you ARE Superwoman. Everything goes right. You make every meeting in an overly tight schedule. The traffic’s light. The weather’s perfect. You even have a good hair day. And then…

Yep. Then there are those OTHER days. You know. The ones where you feel like life’s shot you down so many times you might be a duck at the fair? Bullet proof? Heck no! More like bullet-ridden. There’s a wreck that stops traffic for miles on the only road that leads to your appointment. Your child comes home in tears from some small (to you) but life-ending (for her) social crisis at school. The hard drive crashes just as you are printing out the brief that (OH NO!) you suddenly realize you forgot to ‘save’.

What’s a girl to do? Where’s that bulletproof chest when you need it, oh woman of steel? You NEED those Wonder Woman cuffs. NOW!

Time to bite it…. the proverbial bullet, of course. Time to borrow that courage and strength from all our multi-tasking forbears. From the ones who held down the fort, castle, tent and tepee while the men fought amongst themselves, to the ones from the silver screen who shouted against all odds, “Let’s put on a show!” You can do it! Deep inside, you know you can. The traffic will clear (thank god it wasn’t you in that wreck!) The tears will turn to smiles the instant the phone wrings or a friend calls with a good word. The hard drive. Heck, you needed to do some cleaning our anyway.

Oh, yeah, you go girl! And those Wonder Woman cuffs, now where did I put them?

It's Magic!

2007-07-28T19:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, I admit it. I'm in lockstep with all those of you out there who love Harry Potter. a main topic of conversation at my house for all the weeks leading up to the big release of the last book in the series. Yes, my favorite co-reader and I attended the Deathly Hallows Ball (thank you, Borders!) both of us in full costume and in character. (You can guess which one is me!) And yes, I stayed up till 4 am reading the latest, greatest volume with my 11 year old. I'm not sure who was more excited to read the dramatic conclusion... or who was sorrier that this book was the 'end.'

What is it about this story that has captured my multi-tasking mind and heart? Could it be the attraction of a wand that 'chooses' its owner and helps achieve the seemingly impossible with a few well-chosen words and a flick of the wrist? Could it be the Time Turner that truly lets you be in two places at once and none the worse for wear? Or maybe it's that enchanted evening bag that holds everything but the kitchen sink? (You did notice that it was Hermione - the girl - who planned ahead with that little gem so that the three heroes had practically everything they needed on a moments notice? Hmmmmm....a Multi-Tasking Woman in training without a doubt.)

We could all use some magic in our lives, couldn't we? Well, this summer, I'm trying to make a little magic of my own. I may not have a house elf, but I'm remembering to ask for help and not try to do EVERYTHING myself. I'm expanding my time by choosing lots of on-the-grill main dishes which are magically cooked by my husband and son. And, when all else fails, I'm magically rejuvenating myself by sneaking little cat naps and ice cold drinks and the apparating to another time and place via a good book or a summer movie.

Now, where did I put that wand?

Where does the time go?

2007-06-21T14:33:00.000-07:00

Sheesh...since my last post, I have: survived the 100 days of May, and lived to talk about it, helped graduate a 5th grader, had the house painted, replaced my air conditioning system, equipped/packed/sent my child off to Scout camp for the first time for a whole week, completed a year-long project for a client while juggling all the balls of other 'normal' business, helped two friends start their own new ventures, celebrated Father's Day with my husband and my own dad.... and only had a few nervous breakdowns in the process. LOL

Come on, all you out there. I know I'm not alone! Not by a long shot!!! What's your life been like from Mother's Day till Father's Day this year? Good thing the 4th of July and my vacation is right around the corner or I'd be the one shooting off sparks into the sky!

Now, it's time to relax. This year, I'm going where my phone won't ring, and it's (almost) impossible to get email. And, I only speak the language just enough to get by. I'm going to see things and places I haven't seen. Find a nice sunny beach where I can lie near the water and re-connect with a good piece of fiction, and eat whatever I feel like at the time. A vacation for the body, the brain and the soul.

Sound good? Let's go together to find out what life's like on 'island time.'

More to come...

The 100 Days of May

2007-05-19T13:27:00.002-07:00

Well, at least that's what my friend Elaine calls it... the 100 Days of May. You know what I mean. That incredibly jam-packed time of year just before summer, in the all-too-few days before school gets out and vacations begin. The time when EVERYONE wants it off their list and on to yours! Just picture those monkeys jumping from back to back to back!

What's on your schedule this week? If it looks anything like mine, it's crammed with meetings, end of the year parties, award ceremonies, concerts, final rounds of sports matches, check-ups and all the things we want to get out of the way so we can have fun in the summertime! Whether you're in school or not, don't we ALL get that classic twinge of jealous anticipation of weeks on end of swimming, sun and just laying around? Ahhh, if we can only get there....to the beach, the mountains, the lake, or even the hammock in the backyard.

Only 81 days to go...

Celebrating Charlotte!

2007-05-12T10:43:00.000-07:00

I'm hot, sweaty and tired, but in a great way! I have just walked the Komen Race for the Cure with my friend Charlotte and her 'Charlotte's Web' ... and we have the T-shirts to prove it!

When I met Charlotte, our sons were in the same first grade class. With her background in PR and mine in advertising, we hit it off right away, and breakfast soon followed. Over croissants and scrambled eggs, we began sharing the background of our lives, as new friends do. She was up front and upbeat in telling me of her diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer several years earlier. Already as 'survivor,' she was confident and optimistic ... and she made sure that I was not 'too busy' multi-tasking to get regular mammograms myself.

Now our kids are heading off to middle school, and Charlotte's celebrating a BIG anniversary... 10 years since her surgery! To mark the occasion, she planned to do the Komen Race and generously opened the invitation to us to join her. Anyone who's met Charlotte will tell you that the first thing you notice about her is her smile. And today, that smile was bigger than ever.

But it wasn't until she crossed the finish line in the lane especially marked for Survivors, received a beautiful single long-stemmed rose, and stood embraced by her husband Jim, that the truly major significance of this event really struck me. We all stood there watching with tears in our eyes as a volunteer snapped a picture of them together, capturing in a moment, the true essence of life. 10 years. A full decade. Time of waiting. Watching. Living. I was so proud to be there with her.

As we moved on through the crowd for a much needed bottle of water and the requisite t-shirt, I was struck by so many groups like our own. Groups of (mostly) women who walked in matching t-shirts of their own - all colors, shapes and sizes with fun names, corporate logos and serious messages. Women who support each other every day in so many ways. Mothers, daughters, aunts, cousins, BFF's as the kids say. Carving out a few hours out of their lives on a very early Saturday spring morning, coming together to create a force of thousands to make a difference in the lives of so many.

I have always loved that saying: "I am but one, but I am one," and one plus one plus one plus one...all add up to women making an incredible, powerful difference in one life after another.

Thank you, Charlotte for including me in your invitation. And thanks for each and every one of you who walked today and all the other days to make a difference.

Now I'm back home and it's time to do Saturday laundry. I've got to wash the gorgeous pink t-shirt that today became the most fashionable item in my wardrobe!

Stripping down and loving it!

2007-05-08T20:24:00.000-07:00

No, don't get scared. It's not the clothes I'm wearing that are coming off. It's the clothes in the closet that never get worn. It's the 'fashion mistakes' I've bought that just never quite fit into my wardrobe. You know what I mean. You love it in the store, but when you get it home, what were you thinking! :-)

And it's not just about closets or clothes. I'm finding myself unloading, taking out, throwing away and giving up all kinds of things. "If you feel stuck, give fifty things away," I read recently. Well, it sounded like a good idea, and certainly something I needed, so I jumped right in. Out went the old never used waffle iron. The sheets that no longer match. The lamp I never really liked anyway. In fact, I've given away so many loads that now when I drive up to Goodwill, they ask "What have you got for us today?" Imagine that. I'm on a first name basis.

So what does all this mean? Spring cleaning, you say? Well, yes, I'm sure that's part of it. But in a bigger, even more important way, I've become aware that keeping too much 'old' keeps 'new' from coming in. Not necessarily new things, but change, new ways of being, new outlooks, new ideas. If, as Eastern medicine says, "the only disease is congestion and the only cure is circulation", then I'm getting healthy! Making space. Room to breathe. Clean, clear, open areas where air can circulate and ideas can percolate.

Why not join me? I'll be the one in the silver SUV pulled up to the curb and unloading at Goodwill. Got another load to go...

Balancing act!

2007-05-05T09:46:00.000-07:00

I had coffee yesterday with my friend who's an amazing life coach, Melissa Grossman. As our conversation ran from one thing to another, we settled on the topic of balance - always an issue in our multi-tasking lives. "People forget that balance doesn't have to mean 50/50," she said. Boy is that the truth! People who say every thing is equally important in their lives, scare me! How can that be?

Anybody who's lived long enough will agree, I think, that sometimes balance is 80/20. Sometimes it may be 60/40, or 30/20/50 or even 20/10/30/50.... you do the numbers! If you picture a scale, I know that some days I have a watermelon on one side and about 10 bunches of grapes on the other. Balanced? Yes, but every day can be different.

How does your life balance? How do you make your numbers work? Add it all up, and what's the total weight of your life right now? If you don't like the way the scale looks, eat a few grapes and watch it change!

Multi-Tasking Men?

2007-04-23T17:26:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems that there are some men out there that are truly envious of our ability to multi-task! I made the acquaintance the other day of a very nice guy - a banker - who asked if he could come to Multi-TaskingWoman.com and LEARN HOW! "My wife's always telling me I need to learn. Maybe you can help me." Well, we'd sure like to try.

His wife, it seems to me, is a great role model. As he told me about her - a spouse and mom, as well as a business owner - she's a one year survivor of breast cancer. Congratulations!!! Never having even met her, she's our new hero!!! All of you who've gone through such a life altering experience know what I mean. It's times like those that show us the real value of multi-tasking, and at the same time, knowing when it's key to focus on ourselves and what we need at that moment.

Another friend called to relate this multi-tasking man story which brought a smile. "We had our staff meeting and one of the guys got my Multi-Tasking Woman is Redundant coffee mug," she said. One of the other guys saw this, turned to him and said, "You know when I drink out of that mug, I find myself able to do so much more." which earned the response from one of his male counterparts, "Yeah, me, too, but I sometimes I get a little cranky."

Oh yeah? WHO gets cranky when they multi-task? LOL I don't know about you, but when I'm busy doing five things at once, cranky-ness is last on my list. I'm too busy driving, talking, planning my next stop, returning calls and writing a presentation in my head.

So boys, next time you're flipping burgers with one hand and holding a cold one in the other, remember to thank that multi-tasking woman of yours who's baking the beans, bathing the kids, and entertaining the guests all at the same time...with a very un-cranky smile on her face!

The Joys of Sleep

2007-04-21T07:23:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh. A Saturday morning where - miracle of miracles - there are no ball games. No meetings. No pressing chores that have to be done at daybreak. Nothing. An incredible occurrence in my life, as I'm sure it is for all you multi-tasking women out there.

Hmmmm....how to take the maximum advantage of these blessedly commitment free moments? SLEEP! Yes, to sleep, perchance to dream (thanks Will!) Extra sleep is, for me, like a mini vacation. A time to simply become one with the bed. To luxuriate in the quietness of the house. To wake just long enough to hear the birds outside and see from the corner of my half-opened eye the glint of sunlight through the shutter. Then to drift back off to dreamland for an oh-so-rare extra hour (or maybe even two) of restorative sleep.

You know they (whoever 'they' are) say you can't 'catch up' on sleep. Me? I'm not so sure about that. Awaking at 9:15 instead of 6:45? It does me a world of good. In fact, I feel so much better, I may even take a nap this afternoon.

Want to join me?

I've got what you need!

2007-04-16T14:49:00.000-07:00

I was having a fun lunch with two of my girlfriends a couple of days ago, when the conversation turned to spring, winter weight gain and lack of clothes to wear. (And you know what they say about 'nothing to wear,' for men it means 'nothing's clean' and for women it means 'nothing's new!') :-)

In any case, as they both bemoaned not being their best size and shape to wear their nicest clothes, an amazing thing happened. 'If you need suits, I have some really nice ones that are a size too large for me,' said one ' but I can't bear to get rid of them because I paid so much.' Girlfriend two responded 'And I have a couple of designer ones that are just too small. I was going to take to the consignment store but maybe they'll suit you for now.'

And voila! Just like that, the (temporary) problem of 'nothing to wear' was solved! A win/win for both.

It made me think. When we stop, take a minute and share with a girlfriend, how many times do we find that she has just the solution we've been searching for? If you're like me, more times than not! What a gift we are to each other. But ONLY when we step up, say it out loud, and can be honest about what we need - whether it's clothes to wear, a shoulder to cry on or a new nanny.

Feeling overwhelmed? Frustrated? Have some joy to share? Call your girlfriend. You may find that what you have to offer is just what SHE needs! Share the word...

Shifting into Turbo-tasking!

2007-03-01T18:40:00.000-08:00

What is it about a trip out of town that makes all my multi-tasking worlds collide? It's Spring Break, time for a few days in the sun, but the way my head is spinning, you'd think we were going to a third world country for six months.

Why do all the little things that have been hanging around the bottom of the to-do list suddenly command my greatest attention? I haven't gotten around to sending that oh-so-special baby gift for the last four weeks. Why does it HAVE TO DONE before I leave town? Those new undies I've been promising to shop for? Do I REALLY HAVE TO have them before I hop on the plane? Oh, yes, and that deep cleaning, closet organizing...MUST it be completed before I walk out the door?

Is that my mother's voice I hear chiding from the corners of my multi-tasking brain? "What if there's an accident? Are you wearing a slip?" A slip? Who's she kidding???? And WHY am I listening to that after all these years? LOL

Well, back to that deep breathing again. No, it does not ALL have to be done before I go. Yes, I do have two pairs of pants to hem so my ever-growing son will have something to wear besides sweats and shorts. Yes, I do need to remember my eye drop prescription. And I probably DO need to order those special flowers for my mother-in-law's birthday which happens to be on the day we fly.

But everything else? Well, I'm pretty my multi-tasking life will be waiting when we hit the tarmac back at home. And until then, I'm taking my Spring Break for just what it was intended.... a little time off for fun, sun, and some life enhancing deep breaths! Want to tag along?

Happy Valentine's Day!

2007-02-13T17:50:00.000-08:00

How will you spend this February 14th? If you're in NY state, you'll be digging out of the snow and hoping for hot chocolate instead of bon bons! :-) What's on your agenda today? It makes me think of Valentine's past... long ago hoping that school girl dreams would come true in the form of the biggest red velvet heart filled with caramels and nut clusters. Or maybe the Valentine's Day that came just a month or two after my husband and I met comes to mind.

He had long ago planned the annual ski trip out West with his buddies... how could he know new love was coming his way? I offered to drive him to the airport so he stopped by my place to change clothes and leave his car. (Hey, I was going to pick him up when he got back, wasn't I?) We drove for the plane, only to be met with news of several hours' weather delay. As I looked around the VIP lounge, I spotted all the good looking girls who were flying his way. Hmmm. My sneaky insecurity crept into the corner of my thoughts for a brief moment. After a big kiss and smiling sendoff, I drove home to look forward to a solo Valentine's day.

With thoughts of him and our budding relationship, I turned the key in the door, walked in, dropped my purse and headed down the hall. Wait. What was that? Something caught my eye and brought me up short. In the corner of the dining room sat the longest, largest pair of black wing tip shoes I'd ever seen. Empty shoes that, as the five days passed by, came to be warmly regarded and as comfortable in the space as if they had been my own.

That was 18 Valentine's ago. We married later that year with a June wedding. And five fast-flying years later, our son was born. Those black wing tips (well, actually a pair just like them) now reside on his side of our closet. And what will we do to celebrate this year's Day of Love? Well, I think this Wednesday night, I'll tag along with Coach and Son to basketball practice...and that beats any five star dinner on the town.

Tennis shoes. Wing tips. Ski trips. Home comings. Happy Valentine's day to you and all your favorite memories!

Make Way for the Queen!

2007-02-08T05:04:00.000-08:00

Remember those old movies where the loyal servant walks before the Queen and shouts in a loud and oh-so-official voice: "Make way for the Queen"? Well, the Queen wasn't just trying to keep the lowly subjects away from sullying her Royal Person, she was creating some much needed space to get her job done!

We all know that expression about not seeing the forest for the trees. And then there's my favorite colloquial variation: "When you're up to your you-know-what in alligators, it's hard to remember that your original intention was to drain the swamp!" Don't we all know that feeling!! LOL When we're multi-tasking to the max, it can truly seem that there's no room left to breathe.

Well, here's my suggestion. Each one of us knows with great familiarity that critical inner voice that's always chiding us about doing more, doing it better, you know the drill. It's time to introduce a new character into our Internal Play. Welcome your own Inner Herald to the stage.
Let him (or her) shout for you "Make Way for the Queen!) anytime you're feeling overwhelmed by the multiple-requests, the should's, the ought-to's, the oh-no-I-forgots.

Claim some space, even if it's just enough to catch your breath and start right back again. As my friend Mary would say, "It's voting for yourself." And with enough votes like that, even if you're not Queen, you'll be electing yourself Permanent Prime Minister!