Where Everybody Knows Us

From 1982 to 1993, a (TV show) bar called Cheers was home to characters such as Sam, Carla, Norm, Diane, Woody, Frasier, and Coach (there are more, but you get the idea).  When any of “the regulars” walked into the bar after a long day, the others would greet him or her and inquire about the day.  These people became our people, and many of us connected with them and felt that we belonged to them as well.

Where do you belong?

One of the main attractions of this TV show was the fact that the relationships of the people rarely bled into their “real” lives.  They knew each other as those who sat on the bar stool and only in the ways that they chose to share.  Whatever really happened during the day was left behind as they shared, felt heard, and were fed.  They did not go home and suffer; instead – they shared the day and, hopefully, moved on from the troubles.

We all need a place like this.

Last night, on day two of the first week of school, I was spent.  I had not desire to cook, stay at home, and do what needed to be done (laundry, paperwork – you get the idea [that must be my phrase today…]).  I wanted to be fed, and I wanted to go somewhere where those who served me knew me well enough to know when to ask questions and when to walk away.

The huz called ahead to see what the specials and crème brulee of the day were, and then we headed to our home away from home – our favorite Italian restaurant.

They had our table waiting for us – table 17.

And we shared the salmon with asparagus risotto.

I also had minestrone soup as my lunch had been late and light.  After our meal, we shared the white chocolate crème brulee (if food could be divine, the crème brulee might be exactly that…I am quite sure that Heaven will have an endless supply of the crème brulee from Nonna Rosa’s).  The heaviness of both of our days slipped away as we relaxed in our home away from home.

The characters are different than that of the TV show Cheers, but the idea is the same.  They greet us when we walk in the door, they know which table is our favorite, and they do not seem to care that we do not drink alcohol (supposedly their wine choices are really good – if you like wine).  We love Chuck, Tina, Chef Francesco, Ashley, Jennifer, and our new friend (server) Victor.  They know from our faces what kind of day it is in our lives, and they share parts of their own story with us.  They know what we like to eat, what we like to drink, and whether or not the crème brulee of the day will make us smile. 

They take us as we are and feed us, and we love them for that.

If you are ever in the northern Minneapolis area, this restaurant is a must (I will gladly join you!).  From their coffee to their service, everything is worth whatever you spend.  They will make you feel welcome, will let you stay as long as you like or leave as quickly as you need, and will feed you well regardless of what you order.

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Other Posts about Nonna Rosa’s

• Best Italian Restaurant for Dinner in Minnesota
• Only at an Italian Restaurant
• Foodie Focus Group Fun
• Valentine’s Day Musings

Going Postal for Pray! Shirts

As I shared in last Monday’s post, I opened a business two weeks ago called Encouragement Ink.  The purpose of the business is to provide shirts that say Pray! on them to anyone and everyone who wants them and to support a grass roots movement started at Village Creek Bible Camp to wear these Pray! shirts on Fridays.

Last week, I went to the post office with my daughter (one of the employees) to put a box of Pray! shirts into the mail for a friend who works at a church.  When I handed my business credit card to the postal worker, he pointed to the logo (see the graphic to the right of this paragraph) and said, “That’s right. That’s what it is all about.”  I agreed with him, and our conversation ensued about the business and the fact that we were mailing Pray! shirts.

He wanted to buy two shirts!

The funny part of this story for me is that my son had given me a hard time when the credit card arrived.  He did not think that I had put the right logo on the credit card.  But I knew that the logo would be a conversation starter.  And I was right.  This man had proven it.  My daughter and I drove home, grabbed him two shirts, and returned before his shift was over.

On Saturday morning, I received an order via PayPal for a shirt that needed to be shipped to Wisconsin.  I wanted to get the shirt off right away that day because I know how I feel about things that I purchase online – I want them right away!  I quickly packaged the shirt and drove over to the post office. As I drove, I wondered if I would see the same worker.

I did.

I asked how his shirt fit, but he was not concerned with the fit.  He pulled out the business card and told me that he needed another shirt as he pointed to a color on the logo that I did not have stocked.  We went back and forth until we agreed upon a color that he wanted that I actually had stocked.  I drove home and brought him back another shirt before his shift ended.

When I fell into this Pray! shirt thing, I never imagined that it would reach a postal worker at my neighborhood post office.  I never imagined that we would do daily encouragement posts about prayer.  I never imagined that we would have people challenging each other via the Facebook page to pray – not as a chore – as a relational time with God.

In the United States, we talk about someone “going postal” over something meaning that they have lost their minds and do something crazy.  I feel as though I have gone postal, in a sense, about these Pray! shirts because this is crazy and because this seems to have a bit of a mind of its own.  It is more than I imagined it could be, and it seems to be something that is so needed in our country (our world) right now.

It is so simple. 

Pray!

The Low Has Arrived

After a summer of decently good mental health and a bit of a manic time last week (I even started a business!), the low is quickly approaching.  I shared with my staff at work yesterday that it is here.  I guess I am not sure if it is actually here or still approaching.  After such a high (and little sleep last week), it is hard to tell what is normal or a low.

Maybe it is just the balancing time?

This comes at a very inconvenient time.  School starts on Monday.  The family heads to Iowa for Labor Day Family Camp at which the pastor huz and I speak.  I just found out that I will most likely be flying to Oklahoma for work the week after Labor Day.  The kids start school on the Wednesday after Labor Day.  It’s just not a good time for a low to come.

Is there ever a good time?

Manic times – mine are nothing in comparison to those of others – rarely come at bad times.  From my perspective, there is not a bad time to gain a bit more energy, to need a bit less sleep, or to see the world through the lenses of one who thinks anything is possible.  In fact, looking back on my life, I see these times as bursts of great creativity, and great productivity.  They tend to be times when I sign up for graduate school or – like the most recent one – start a business.  I like these times.

But I do not like it when it swings back this way.

It always does, though.  One of the reasons why I appreciate having the bipolar diagnosis is that it explains the swings.  It is true that most of us experience the swings in our moods, emotions, and energy.  It is true that most of us go through times of highs and lows.  The difference that I have discovered is that most people’s swings are a bit more tempered and balanced.  Mine can sometimes get in the way because they are not.

I used to hate the lows.

A few years ago, this low coming my way would have been very upsetting.  Instead – although the timing is not great – I am going to embrace it.  I will go to bed a bit earlier.  I will sleep a bit later in the morning.  I will put off until tomorrow what can wait.  I will be willing to let the business venture stand still a bit if needed before the full advertising swing gets put into play.  I will put fewer expectations on myself.  And I will likely not say “yes” to anything new this week or next…or the next.

And I will pray.

Knowing that God is near me, beside me, and around me helps at these times.  Family and friends are a comfort, but it is not really comfort that I need.  For me, lows do not mean that feel bad.  I do not tend to start with a depressed mood.  Instead I just run out of steam.  Eventually that can lead to a low mood because it can be really hard to feel like I have no energy, but it does not start out like a sadness.  If it lingers too long, and sometimes it does, then I can be sad simply from being annoyed that balance has not come back fast enough.

The worst part about being in a low is that I do not know how to end this post…so – the end. 

ps: This explains a lot about college and the issue that I had when writing papers for classes when I was in a low.  Ah-ha moment.

July and 31 Dresses

In late July, I attended my high school 20 year reunion.  Click here to read more about what I learned through that experience.  What I did not expect to experience was to find “new” friends in the crowd.  (Side note: I do not remember a ton of high school; in fact, most of my junior year is a simple blur.) 

One of the people that I enjoyed “meeting” was AnnMarie who had been a cheerleader, saxophone player and art enthusiast (still is….). 

I am sure that we were decent acquaintances in high school, but it was really fun to get to know her more as an adult at the reunion. As we talked, she shared about a challenge she had created for herself to wear a dress every day in July. This was gutsy as our reunion occurred over the time period, so she wore a dress to each of the reunion events.  The more I heard about her challenge, the more I knew I wanted to feature her story on my blog. 

Many thanks to AnnMarie who agreed to share her story through a question/answer format for the post.  I am inspired by her courage and perseverance – even through a reunion!

What prompted you to do this?
As I was cleaning out my closet for stuff to add to my rummage sale pile, I kept putting dresses back in the closet and thinking "I still might wear that.” Then I started counting the dresses... I got to 20 and thought, “boy, I have enough dresses and skirts for a whole month, and I really should wear them.” This was the end of June...so I decided, why not?

On July 1st, I put on a dress and started off my month of dresses. I decided not to tell anyone except my husband...just in case I couldn't go through with it. I knew if I posted it on FB, then I'd be committed and I wasn't ready for that. After about 1/2 the month, when I realized that I could actually do it, I started to tell some co-workers who were probably wondering if I was interviewing somewhere since we are an extremely casual office where shorts and flip flops are the norm all summer.

What did you learn?

• I learned I own a lot of dresses and skirts!

• I learned that dresses are way cooler on a super hot summer like this... but also that not everyday is a dress day... some days you just want a pair of super comfty capri's.

• The best thing was learning which I liked and felt comfty in and which I did not... and if I did not, then it probably is time for that one to go to anther person who can appreciate it.

• I also learned that by challenging myself I actually was influencing and challenging others... some ladies in my work and social circle started to wear more dresses. It was fun to walk into hockey camp and have a friend say, “You inspired me (and Lisa looked beautiful in her dress).”

I've always enjoyed wearing dresses... but it was so fun to see others doing the same!

What were your doubts/drawbacks to starting? Did you really have 31 dresses in your closet or did you have to wear some a second time?

I didn't have to wear any a second time... but I did have to include skirts. Also since I had recently lost 25 lbs, that opened up a few more options that hadn't fit in a while. So together with skirts and dresses, old and new, casual and dressy, I did have 31... 3 of them are dresses that I use as swimsuit cover-ups, but that worked great when we were at the lake for 4th of July. My only rule, helped too: I decided I didn't have to workout in a skirt... although I do have a workout skort that I wear most of them time .  And once I have worked out, I can put on something comfty. So this forced me to workout a bit more... especially on days when the dress wasn't particularly comfy.

Are you keeping all of the dresses?

No... I have about 5 that I have added to the rummage sale pile. The rest I'm keeping, and I will probably continue to wear several a week.

Would you suggest that other women do something similar?

For sure... it was fun! A fashion challenge is a great way to try on some of the things in your closet that we keep but really aren't wearing... this gets us to wear it and decide if it stays or goes. As for me... I will do this again... dresses again next summer, but maybe sweaters this winter... I have a lot of those that I don't remember when I last put them on. I just don't know if I have 31 of them!

Again – many thanks to AnnMarie for sharing her story!!!

In her life now, she is married, has three boys who all play hockey, and is a Configuration Data Analyst for a software company in Mankato. In her “free” time, she volunteers at her boys’ schools, is the webmaster of Mankato Community Bible Study, and serves as treasurer of the Southern MN Autism Coalition (of which she was also a founding member).

What’s next for you, readers?

• What challenges are youconsidering as we head into fall?
• Weight loss?
• A dance class?
• Better eating habits? 
• More hours of sleep? 

I would love to hear about them through the comment section of the blog.  Also – if you have done any challenges similar to AnnMarie’s, I would love to hear about your outcomes as well.

I Opened a Business

It has been a week since my last post.  I’ve heard from some readers with the question, “Why aren’t you blogging?”  And I have just one answer for you: a cool idea combined with an inspiration and a bit of mania had taken over for a full week. By Thursday, I was the proud owner of an e-commerce t-shirt business to support a cool ministry “movement.”

That clears it up, doesn’t it?

Let me take you on a timeline trip…

The huz and I spent a week of rest at Village Creek Bible Camp during the first week of August.  On the last day of camp, I noticed that quite a few of the staff members were wearing shirts that said Pray! on them.  One thing led to another, and I found myself  - along with two of the staff members - planning a grand movement called Pray! Shirt Fridays.  You can read the background information by clicking here.

Friday night, Aug 10

I could hardly sleep as I thought and prayed about what needed to be done.  A Facebook page (click here to see it) and a blog can start something, but where would we get the shirts?  It came to me…I need to start a business and sell the shirts.  We will give some of the money to Village Creek, and it will be a fun venture for me and the kids.  I prayed and asked God that He would make it clear if this is how I should proceed.

Saturday, Aug 11

I drove home with a van filled with boys and prayed that the huz – who had left two days before me – would either support this crazy idea or put a stop to it.  When he and I spoke about it, he said we could move forward.  We told the kids about it.  The family brainstormed about our business name (Encouragement-Ink.com). 

The boy created the logos.

Monday, Aug 13

• I applied for federal and state ID numbers.
• I opened a business checking account.
• I acquired our shirt vendor (Youth Enterprise).
• I started researching websites.
• I checked into our shipping options

Tuesday, Aug 14

• I made several mistakes with the website.
• I thought it would be fun to have a daily “prayer” quote on the Facebook page.
• I researched the merchant services (credit card stuff) side of things.
• I started thinking about our business cards.
• Another post went up on the P!SF blog.

Wednesday, Aug 15

• I chose PayPal as our credit card vendor.
• Our shirt vendor supplied us with mock-ups of the t-shirts in our 5 colors.
• I worked on the website and gave a few people access to check it out.
• We nearly doubled our “likes” on the Facebook page.

Thursday, Aug 16

• We launched the website!
• I signed us up for Twitter (@prayshirtfriday).
• We received our first order!

Friday, Aug 17

• We received our second order!

Saturday, Aug 18

• My entire family worked to create space for 500 t-shirts that start to arrive in our home this week (2 colors=200 today; 3 more colors=300 more on Friday).

We are super excited about this concept, the role that we can play in encouraging others to pray, and how God will use this to encourage us as well as others.  I am thankful that God gave me the manic energy to get this done last week.  I still worked my normal work week and then did this in the evenings and in the wee hours of the morning and the night. The week was also a week where I was not feeling well, so I am thankful for all of the strength God provided to get this all finished and ready to go.

How can you get involved?

1. Buy a Pray! shirt

2. Wear the shirt on Fridays

3. Encourage others to do the same

4. Spread the word!

I have this crazy vision of people wearing these shirts on Fridays during the Minnesota State Fair.  Wouldn’t that be cool?

Music Monday: “Some Nights” by Fun.

Some songs get your attention at the start of the very first note in the song. 

Some Nights by Fun. is one of the those songs.

Take a listen for yourself by clicking here (warning: there is an F-bomb dropped).

What caught my attention?  The usual – the music itself, the vocals, and the lyrics. 

The Music

• The drum parts in this song are incredible.  Although they have diverse rhythms, the underlying beat is that of a battle hymn drum corps.  Incredible.
• The electric guitar is present but not overpowering.  In what is portrayed in the music video as a Civil War ensemble, the electric guitar would seem out of place.  Not so!
• The piano mirrors the drums but is an instrument unto itself. 
• Overall – each instrument is heard, but they truly represent an enseble.

The Vocals

• I am continually impressed with the lead singer of this group. What he can do vocally sounds like a synthesizer. (Is it actually a synthesizer?)
• The opening bars of the song sound like an acapella choir.  The harmony is amazing.  I love the all male ensemble – so fitting for this song.

The Lyrics

What is a song without its message?  This song speaks to us all as we struggle with why we are here, why we fight for some things, who we are trying to please, and where the meaning in all of it is.  The music video’s setting is a Civil War re-enactment, and this leads me to think about all of the world conflict that is going on.  But this song is not only about literal conflicts; it is also about the conflicts within each of us as we strive for love, acceptance, and meaning.

Overall: great song with an awesome beat.  We each can find something in it that speaks to us.  However, it is not a song about answers.  It is a song that brings up more questions.  Perhaps this is just part of our current culture – that we just ask more questions because we still don’t know what we stand for?

I have posted about Fun. before. Click here to read that post.

My Final Thought

I may not know what I stand for, but I do know who stands for me.  As a rule, I do not try to put my faith out there too much on this blog, but this song pushes me to share a bit.  Many years ago, I was confronted with the reality that I, as is true of all humans, am sinful.  On the other hand, God is holy.  Because of my sin and because of God’s holiness, there was a chasm between us – no matter how hard I tried, I could not get to Him on my own.  Not only is God holy but He is also loving.  Because of this love, He sent Jesus to die on a cross for me…for you…for all of us.  In doing so, the cross created a bridge so that God and I (we all) could be in relationship with each other. 

It is not that I stand for God; it is that He stood and stands for me.  When the rest of life seems uncertain and when we do not know what we stand for, we can know that God stood up for us by sending His son to die so that we would have everlasting life – together with God…not separated (note: Hell). 

Without God standing for me, life would be meaningless.  I would live only for today, and I would lack assurance of redemption not only of my soul but also of my poor decisions.  I have no bad luck to cash in because God will bring it all together for His good intentions.

Unlike the song by Fun. – which ends in uncertainty and despair – we can all be certain and hopeful because of what God has done and because of what God will do.  Amen! 

She Cooked on Vacation

I am not a cook.  I know that this sounds odd as I am an American female, a wife, and a mother, but the truth is that I am not a cook.  I, however, do like to eat.

Last month, I went on a vacation during which I had a few days to myself.  In preparation for my time alone without a car and with shopping more than a mile in either direction, I went to Trader Joe’s and bought the staples that one needs for a few days alone.

My Shopping List

• 3 bananas
• 3 apples
• 3 nectarines
• 1 red pepper
• 1 orange pepper
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 lb chicken breasts
• 1 bottle Italian dressing
• 1 box pasta
• 1 lb asiago/romano/parmesan grated cheese

My days looked very much the same as the one before.

Breakfast: banana and apple

Snack: nectarine

Lunch or Supper is pictured above.

When I arrived at the condo on the first night, I had already eaten supper (by the way, it was a delicious fried shrimp plate at Ellen’s Harborside in Rockport, MA. Yes – I would go back again in a heartbeat!).

I put all of the chicken breasts into a container, dumped the entire bottle of Italian dressing in to the container, and put it in the fridge.  I also cut up the peppers.  Then each day – for supper or lunch depending on if I ate out (ie – walked to The Lobster Pool…click here to read about my lobster friend who I then ate.) for the other or not – I made up a plate that looks like this.  I baked the chicken in the oven at 450, flipped it every 10 minutes or so, for about half an hour.  For the last five minutes, I broiled it after covering the chicken with the grated cheese.  I baked the peppers in the oven for those last few minutes as well.

I ate well on my own – even without Chef Huz along.

What have you been cooking lately?  What do you like to eat when you go on vacation?

Getting Their Attention

We have all been there at one point or another.  You know what I am talking about, right?  You like that boy (or that girl), and you want to get her (or him) to notice you in the biggest way.  But you think that you are not right for him (or her) because something about you is just not right, and that is why she (or he) never even gives you the time of day.

What is a girl (or boy) to do? 

Well, it is here that I want to turn our attention to Ms Gertrude McFuzz – a girl-bird in Seussical – the Musical – who has the biggest crush on Horton the Elephant.  When he does not notice her, Gertrude assumes it is because her tail feathers are not big enough, bright enough, long enough – or simply not “ee-noof” in any way.  In order to remedy the situation and try to get Horton’s attention, Gertrude takes the advice of Maizy (an irresponsible floozy), sees a doctor who prescribes a berry, and consumes not just one but many berries. 

The result is (as seen below) a long, colorful tail.

The trouble is this: Horton does not give a hoot about Gertrude’s tail.  Every time she tries to draw his attention to her tail, he is preoccupied by being a great guy – saving the Whos and sitting on an egg in a nest for Maizy (the floozy turned bad mom – a story for another post!) while she seeks the party life.

This is an excellent lesson for all of us in relationships. 

Isn’t this how it is with all of us in some form or another?  I know that it is true for teenage girls. They think that their hair is too short (or too long), that they are too fat (or too skinny, though it is not very typical in America for a girl to ever see herself as too skinny), or that they are not attractive enough in some form or another, – and the list literally goes on and on.

With plastic surgery, liposuction, and other surgeries out there, girls can get the body they think they want if they are willing to pay the price.  According to Lisa Bloom, “25 percent of young American women would rather win America's Next Top Model than the Nobel Peace Prize.”  That is a lot in my opinion!

Back to Gertrude and Horton: The ah-mazing (the most used adjective in all of Seussical – the Musical) thing that I learned from the two of them was that looks really are not what catches a guy’s (ok – an elephant’s) attention.  Horton pretty much ignored Gertrude through all of her make-over phase.  It was not until she showed an interest in what he found to be the most important – saving the Whos from extinction – that he notices her at all.  By then, she had ripped out the tail that she had been so certain would catch his eye because it grounded her – and she needed to fly in order to help him save the Whos.

As I think about my own relationship with my husband, I am thankful for the times when he looks at me and says that I am attractive to him.  But – I also know that he is attracted to me for more than how I look.  In our pre-marriage counseling sessions back almost 18 years ago, he claimed that he liked my intelligence, my heart for God, and my passion for people.  That is what drew him to me as much as how I looked.

I also know that I become more attractive to him when I care about the things that he cares about.  When I enjoy trap-shooting at camp with him  or when I talk to him about the next grill we should buy, I become attractive to him because I care about the things he loves – just like Horton noticed Gertrude when she helped him save the Whos.

So – ladies (and gents): before you go off and alter yourself for that man (woman) that you think you love, consider figuring out what makes her (him) tick instead and then show some interest (true interest) in that first.  You might find that your interest turns his (her) head more quickly than whatever part of your body you planned to change.

Supporting Sparks with Gifts

According to Search Institute, sparks “are the interests that inspire, the activities that energize. Sparks are the special abilities uniquely yours to tend, to grow, to share with the world.”  Everyone has a spark.  Many of us have forgotten what our spark was or have not thought about it for a while.  But pursing our sparks could mean the difference between merely surviving rather than thriving. The Search Institute asserts that youth need to find and pursue their sparks in order to survive. If we would all be thriving, our world might be a better place for all of us.

In our society, we are more concerned about what will allow kids to make it in life than what will help them thrive in their lives.

While I was on my trip out east a month ago, I spent a day in the village of Rockport and enjoyed poking my head into many a shop.  One of the shops I ventured into was called The Wishing Well – a shop filled with products by a variety of artists including paintings, quilts, and ceramics.  The shop also had some supplies to help young people pursue their interests in these areas.

Pictured above is a colored pencil set in a woolen sock puppet case.  What a great idea!  If I had a young child who had shown an interest in are, I would have considered buying this as a gift for him or her in order to support the interest in art.

Sparks may not be what career a child pursues in order to pay the bills.  In fact, my own Spark – writing blogs – will probably never pay the bills.  But Sparks enrich our lives, allow us to thrive, and take us to where we long to be.  We need to support the young people in our lives as they discover their Sparks, enrich their lives with their Sparks, and learn more about their Sparks.

As adults, we should care about the future of all youth.  This could mean that we have to buy some art supplies, pay for soccer camp, or drive them all around town.  We might need to help them with research, connect them with a mentor, or give of our time

How can we support a young person’s passion today?  I would love to hear stories from readers about how someone supported them in their younger years to pursue their Sparks.  Please, please – share in the comment section!

So Glad That They Share

In a post last week, I detailed an experience that I had with signs that kept me out of a place that I thought I really wanted to see.

No trespassing.

Private.

These are signs to keep others out when we think we have something to protect.

What if we had something really great, and we chose to share it?  Not 200 feet from a sign that kept me out were two signs, though hidden initially from my view by foliage, that welcomed me in and took me somewhere that I longed to see and that I loved to experience.

The word “public” comes from the Latin word meaning of the people.  “Public” places do not exclude for any reason…they are open to all.

I could not have dreamed that anyone, given the choice, would choose to share what I saw on this public foot path!  I am not sure if I would have shared, but I am glad that they did.  When others share, we need to respect and care for what is theirs so that we honor them for sharing what they have no need to share.  This is pure kindness.

The view in the photo above is the house protected by the “private” sign from the previous post.  Although I am sure that the view from that home is amazing, this view is also amazing.  There is actually little difference, and this is just the beginning of the marvelous along the public foot path.

There is beauty when we share.

I climbed over these rocks for hours.  I saw few people, and I had a great time. 

The smell and sound of the Atlantic Ocean cannot be replicated anywhere else. 

For me – they are sanity, comfort, and healing.

And there is a whole lot of fun when we share.  I really am as close to the water as this photo suggests. Behind me is a beautiful home of someone who has chosen to share.

If by weird chance someone who owns a home along this footpath is reading this post, I thank you.  Though words will never express what a gift this is, I thank you.

As I think about how impactful the “simple” act of sharing by these people was on me, I have to ask myself what I should share with others.  I doubt that I will ever have a view such as this to share with others, but – as I learned – I do have.

And what I have, I should share.

Results of a Racing Mind

When a mind races, it needs to be helped.  That is what I have learned.  I did not always get the help that I needed, and sometimes – in the past – I had been wrongly medicated which only made the mind racing worse.  This blog stems from my need to help my racing mind.

And one of the ways that it has helped me is that it lets me have many blog worlds.

I started blogging on a regular basis (nearly daily) just over a year ago after a dear friend’s daily blog challenged me to join her.  She has been an encouragement ever since.  She blogs using Wordpress, so I thought that was the right choice for me too.  I had set up my original blog using Blogspot, but I moved it to Wordpress. 

One day, another friend mentioned to me that the Fargo Forum was looking for bloggers who wrote about women’s issues.  I do not write exclusively about women’s issues, but I thought, “I am a woman.  I can write about woman stuff.”  I contacted the peeps over at the Fargo Forum, and they encouraged me to set up a blog using their site – Areavoices. 

I did not get any featured spots on the women’s stuff site, but…things have been great with Areavoices, and I love interacting with people from Jamestown, Fargo, Duluth, Willmar, and all of the little towns in between.

Recently, I contacted the Fridley Patch with information about the musical that my kiddos are in this weekend.  From that email conversation, I set up a little blog on their site as well.

I am blogging in a lot of places!

Fortunately, I have one software piece that allows me to post to multiple sites with a click.  I can maintain the multiple locations without much work.  The cool thing, though, is that I get to have a variety of looks to the blog.  The Fridley Patch hosts their own software, so I have little say in how that looks.  But the others – I have full control!

This past week has been a racing mind week, so I made some changes…

Check them out, and enjoy the multiple creative sides of my personality.

• Wordpress
• Areavoices
• Blogspot

I wonder how long this will last…

 

Other blog posts/pages about this blog and my racing mind might interest you.

• Obsessive Mind or Racing Mind?
• The Girl With the Racing Mind

Seuss! Seuss! Seuss!

72 actors + a full pit crew + a lot of techies = a smash hit for Fridley Community Theatre!

Combining the characters from over ten of Dr Seuss’s beloved books with the main plot lines of favorites such as Horton Hears a Who, Horton Sits on an Egg, and The Butter Battle,  Seussical – The Musical adds a fun and family-friendly fantasy to the musical genre.  Whether you are 2 or 102, you will have a hard time not enjoying yourself.

Musical theater has a place for just about everyone, and this show in no exception.  Whether playing an instrument, sewing costumes, or standing center stage, just about anyone can play a supportive part.  Fridley Community Theatre’s production would not be possible without the endless hours that over 100 people have put in.

The pictures show you how great this show is.

And yes – for those of you who know me personally – both of my kiddos are in the show!  The boy is pictured to the right of Horton above; the girl is pictured on the left of the picture below.

Oh, the thinks you can think…

Fridley Community Theatre would love for you to attend shows on Friday, Aug 3, and Sat, Aug 4, at 7 p.m.  There is also a 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Aug 5.  Tickets may be available at the door, but calling ahead might still be a good idea: 763-502-5100.

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Photographs provided by Mary Carlson and Tom Larson.

Story Street

I have always loved anything that involves a good story.  Good books, good movies, good theater, and even – when I was much younger -  good radio plays. Before you get any ideas, I am not ancient – these memories are from the 80s!  I remember that there was a radio drama that came on about once a week about a chicken-man who would save people from things. I’m pretty sure it was a spoof on super hero comics, but it was awesome.  The only thing that I really remember is when they would announce that the hero was on his way to someone in despair.  The booming voice-over would say, “Chicken (pause) man! He’s everywhere! He’s everywhere!”

We all have a story to tell…

While girls seem to have the market on the chatting, all of us have something to say.  The fact that Wordpress has 374,607 of blogs with over a million posts each day says that a lot of us have something to say.  We seem to want to share our stories.  And we should! Stories are what draw us closer to one another in deep and meaningful ways.  When we open up to another person (or the world – thank you, blogosphere) with our story, we can connect on a different level than what we could before we shared.

When I found Story Street in Rockport, I was immediately challenged.

It seems that I am sharing my stories all the time through this blog.  I write when I am sad. I write when I am happy.  I write when I am angry.  I write when I feel victorious.  And I talk a lot (I am Italian…).  But am I really sharing stories?  Am I really and truly opening up and delving down beneath that shallow shelf of the “safe” stories?  And should I go any deeper?  Does my public sharing of my one-sided perspective of how my life has gone provide an accurate telling of any of the stories?

Sharing stories must be done with care.

My story may contain someone else’s story, and it may not be my place to tell that story.  When that is true, I need to take a minute and consider before I just blurt it out to the world.  This is how I attempt to move forward with my blog.  I try very hard not to share something about someone else without having received permission.  I did not do this when I shared about my own adoption.  Even though it is a great story, it has a lot of other people’s stories in it.  There is really no way to share that story without other stories being involved.  I need to get better at this.  After a year of blogging, I still struggle with this.

As I move forward, wanting to share my story, I need to keep all of this mind.  I want to be authentic.  I want to share my perspective with others.  And I want to share what I have learned so that – maybe – others can skip the lesson and go right for “what I learned.”

But if my story crosses over into your story, I want to intentional about allowing you room to approve of my use of your story.  I realize that it takes a bit of humility to ask someone’s permission before I post something.  If I do not get that permission from you, please call me out and let me know that I have crossed a line.

Lastly, I want to encourage others to share their stories.  Whether you start a blog and write every day like I have or not, your story is important.  Finding a way to share your story is important.  Others will connect with you, and you will feel blessed by their stories as well.  Sometimes we just need to listen; other times, we need to share.

A friend and fellow blogger had series called So. Many. Stories. through which she hosted the stories of others.  What a great concept!  Without totally stealing her idea (I have credited her here!!), I have been considering doing something similar.  To a certain extent, I have done this a few times when I have allowed others to share their thoughts via this blog.  As I consider how I could do that more, I ask you to consider how you could share your story either in writing or in person with others.

We all have a story to tell…

If you liked this post, you might like some of the others that have come from my vacation to the east coast:

• A Perfect Vacation
• Lobsta!
• Salt Water Taffy – Yum!
• What Do You Have?

An Obstructed View

I find nothing more frustrating than having my view blocked.  To only be able to see a bit of something wonderful is quite possibly something that could me over the edge.  I remember as a child attending a MN Vikings football game and having an obstructed view ticket.  This did not bother me that much because the conversation with the women around me was much more exciting than the game in front of me.  Side note: this has nothing to do with the Vikings themselves -  though, now that I am an adult, I might have to say that was the root of the problem.

However, if this had been a University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux hockey game, I am quite sure that I would have been upset.  I love the Sioux!  And I love hockey…so missing any of that game would have been a tragedy (side note again – mostly for my son’s amusement): I realize that using tragedy in relation to a mere hockey game is an exaggeration, but I do love hockey!).

In the same way, I love the ocean, and missing any of that view makes me upset.

On my trip to the east coast a few weeks ago, I spent a few days alone in Rockport, MA.  I did a lot of walking, and I saw a lot of great views.  I also saw a lot of views through gate doors and between houses.  I found that my view was obstructed often, and that bothered me.  I like to be able to see what I love.

Sometimes the only thing to do is to move so that I get what I want.

Very often, we forget that we are the mobile ones in most scenarios.  If I wanted to see the ocean better, I just needed to move.  The ocean was not going to go anywhere, and the Blue Gate had no intention of letting me inside.  I needed to move if I had any hope of getting what I wanted – a view of something beautiful.

I realized some things as I stared through the Blue Gate and contemplated this.

• I tend to focus on the door (or something/someone who seems like a door).
• Sometimes I do not think about the fact that I am the one who needs to move in a situation or relationship.
• Quite often, I refuse to do what is necessary to move beyond a road block in a situation.
• I miss out on great things because of this.

In this particular situation, it was pretty obvious that I just needed to get moving in order to get a view of the ocean.  However, for those times when it is not so obvious, I need to consider how I can change and make a situation better.  When not-so-physical doors get in the way of great opportunities, I need to step back and consider how my “location” in a situation or relationship could change in order to bring about an excellent result. 

In what way will I need to move today?  In what relationship might I need to be the one who makes a step around a barrier?  How will I focus less on the door and more on the view?

When Bridges Fall Down

Yesterday – August 1 – marked the fifth anniversary of the Minneapolis 35W bridge collapse which took the lives of 13 people and marred the emotional lives of many more.  As a city and as a nation, we consider this a tragedy, and many wonder if it could have been avoided.  Since then, stricter regulations have been put into place, and bridges around the country have been updated in order to avoid a similar outcome.

When tragedy occurs, we tend to come together.   Years after tragedy, we remember, we memorialize, and we hope to avoid that same tragedy in the future.

Yesterday – August 1 – marked a day of difference and misunderstanding in our nation as it relates to the issues raised by the information about the CEO of Chick-fil-a.  As a nation, we are divided, and many misunderstand the real issues surrounding the comments made by public officials in response to comments made by Dan Cathy.  We are a nation who reacts without thinking when “hot topic” issues are at play.

When differences occur, we tend to become more divided.  Perhaps the downfall of our Constitution is that we can all speak our minds when we should spend a bit more time listening and understanding.

When literal bridges fall down, we reach out our hands and help people to be survivors.  When figurative bridges fall down, we tend to turn our backs and open our mouths.

As I watched my Facebook feed yesterday, my heart was truly broken.  Well-intentioned people on both sides of the issue of same-sex marriage posted harsh comments and, at times, name-calling or doctored photos.  But the heart of issue with Chick-fil-a is not their CEO’s stand on the same-sex marriage issue.  Rather, the issue at hand is whether or not mayors can block a business from opening due to the beliefs of its leaders.  Even the ACLU is saying that city mayors have gone too far with these statements.

When is the last time you can remember the ACLU being friendly with conservative Christians?

It might be time for everyone to cool down a bit, to close their mouths (mine included), to stop calling each other names or claiming that others are not intelligent because they disagree with us, to listen a bit, and to pray – a lot.  I wish that our First Amendment rights came with a handbook about how to be nice, how to be in conversation when we disagree, and how hold to our positions without tearing down the bridges between us.

I need this lesson as much as anyone.

Our country may always be divided on issues, but we are still one nation.  To the outside world, we must look a little nutty now and then.  What an oxymoron our country’s name must be to those who do not understand how we can be the United States of America when we remain divided on every issue facing our country.  As the campaigning continues and election time approaches, we can only hope that bridges are built for the good of our entire country.

What unites us is our freedom.  May we use it responsibly, with compassion, and in ways that build bridges rather than tear them down.

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Note: the bridge pictured in this post is the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis.