"Creativity keeps me sane!!!"

Creativity keeps me sane!!! What a loaded statement... It keeps me sane through the world of stress, anxiety,puberty, menopause and deciding what to prepare the evening meal... I enjoy writing and blogging .. it seems to open up more and more ideas all the time. I guess there comes a point in every Mom's life where they need to rediscover themselves so that they can still maintain the process of maintaining everyone elses life. Being a Mom is a huge job. I have spoken to so many women that have had major professional "real" jobs, so to speak and now they are home raising their children .. and they totally admit that being a Mom is the most difficult job there is and that they will ever have. But, the most rewarding and irreplaceable.

After discovering this way to express myself through writing I have been able to explore and investigate other artist's work as well. I have found sooooo many creative talent

ed people here through our blogs and websites. It is truly amazing, encouraging and completely inspiring as well. I thank all of you talented folks out there ... you

all keep me going !!! This is truly a wonderful artistic connection with people throughout the world!!

I am thankful for these times when I get to write and express myself through my art especially thr

ough these difficult economic times where everything in the news, national and local seems to be getting worse by the minute. It is truly an outlet for

my frustrations, trials and tribulations of life. I am thankful for the gift of the internet and all that it offers us. After all lowly starving artists like myself can now post their artistic creativities live on the web... and who knows... maybe the statement that an artist only gains fame after they have passed will change!! I surely hope so....Aloha for now... Have a wonderful day!! and Treat yourself like company!!

Thought for the Day...

He is our hiding place when we are fearful, and He is our confidence when we are doubtful. Our trust in His love and strength is indispensable to staying on course in the race that is set before us!

On a lighter note....

I have been working on some of my pet portraits... and kind of got on a roll here lately... of which I am totally elated about because I truly thought I lost my touch... these are some of my latest portraits of some of my beloved furry friends... !!! Drawing, painting, designing.. color.. I love it all and have always tried to keep it apart of my life. I truly feel more of myself.. when I am creating.. like in my writing... and hope to keep expanding my creative horizons..

I truly believe that our furry friends are really just special people in fur coats.. the fact that they continue to give unconditional love at all times.. is truly a special and unique trait... I find myself even when enjoying a wonderful vacation.. missing my special loving furry friend ("Thunder", the portrait just above in the center) its a special, completely undescribable feeling ... of his unique snore, breathing and even dreaming... I feel completely safe feeling him next to me or at my feet... a feeling that cannot be compared to anything else..

We need to be good to our furry friends.. they are truly a special creation from God.. Thank you God for this truly wonderful creation.. Have a great day & Aloha!!

"THE POWER OF THE INTERNET!!!"

Well, I just had a lovely experience and wanted to let all of you in on things!! Its truly amazing what people think they can get away with these days... and what makes me even more disgusted is that in these "economic downturn" times.. with tons of people getting laid off and out of work, factories closing, banks closing, bankruptcies, tourism numbers down, even school tuition up but enrollments down... and tons of people really looking for serious work there are people out there just ready to get you involved with something ridiculously stupid... but yet intriguing in the beginning.

I have been searching the internet looking for a way to be able to earn an income from home for quite some time now and have tried a bizillion ideas... and supposed job opportunities online.. which require start up costs, registration fees, one time fees, membership fees... you name it .. there are ALWAYS FEES!! NOTHING IN LIFE IS FREE!! But I must say, this last wonderful experience taught me a bit of a lesson.. but has also made me even more skeptical of things. They say one of the things we can do to find this recession's silver lining is to "rethink your career"... many of these situations that are happening to us may be just a "kick in the pants" or a just plain "wake up call!!"... Lets face it we are all in this boat together.. and I believe that all of this "downturn" stuff is pulling us all a little closer and making us realize what really are the important things in our lives...

So hopefully we can avoid some of the scum and scam out there... and one thing I just experienced.. was a MYSTERY SHOPPING SCAM... everyone BEWARE.. !!! I answered an email regarding a Mystery Shopping assignment .. and there was no cost up front so I figured, what the heck.. I'll try it.. The gentleman that sent me the email.. including assignment instructions.. also forwarded me info to track the check he was sending me through UPS.. I kind of thought it was too good to be true ... since the check was for $3,600.00 and he wanted me to cash it and complete the assignment as soon as I received it. I emailed him with the common rules to cash an out of town check.. and verifying funds.. etc.. He told me that I should be able to cash the check as long as I had good standing with my bank. DID HE REALLY THINK I WAS A TOTAL IDOT or what...!!! Anyone knows that they have to verify the funds!! With that in mind after receiving the check with prompt delivery from UPS .. I saw that the check was from an entirely different company and bank than he mentioned in his email... so being as skeptical as I was I proceeded to contact the company the check was from.. and they thanked me over and over and even had me speak to their company attorneys with my information as this was indeed a FRAUDULENT CHECK!! Additionally, this company verified that all the info on the check, like account numbers etc... was indeed correct, BUT it was NEVER ISSUED BY THEM!! Needless to say I sent a congratulatory email to my Mystery Shopper friend.. and thanked him for giving me yet another wonderful informative subject to write about!! Pretty sad what people will lower themselves to do... not to mention that they must not have too many other important things in their lives to do... there are SO MANY WAY to be helping each other rather than trying to ruin each others lives... anyway, this is exactly why I am writing today... to inform all of you to BEWARE of these internet scams!! They are truly out there...

Dont get me wrong.. I really do love the internet.. if it didnt exist.. I wouldnt be able to be writing to all of you today and warning you!! Also, I wouldnt have been able to find out all of my info about where this check was from, what bank etc... or find long lost friends and or relatives... or shop and save on different items.. with the special convenience that it offers...but like everything in life... there are goods and bads with everything..

So my advice is keep truly enjoying the internet and all that it offers... learn, write, read and explore. It is truly filled with loads of valuable information .. but please, trust your gut .. be careful of all of these internet scams.. use it to research and investigate and protect yourself.. and please let others know as well ... so we then can all learn from experience.. and dangerous situations out there.. after all we're all in this together... lets think and help one another.. life is too short !! Thinking of all of you!!! Be safe.. Aloha!!

"B F F!!!!"..

Good Friends, true blue friends...or BFF's are a very special cherished miracle of life. These Best Friends Forever (BFF) are special but a very rare species and very difficult to find. Like I always say... if you find at least one good friend through school, marriage and life... you are doing exceptionally well... good friends are the ones that stick with you through thick and thin.. help you through the rough spots, celebrate with you through the fun times and sob with you through the sad times.

I never made any lasting friendships through school... pretty much had friends at that time.. went through your typical ups and downs.. but no one really kept in touch. It always seems that, not to be proud of myself.. but I really tried to call, stay in contact, write letters... the old fashioned snail mail... but it really never seemed to stick... just lost touch. Or, maybe, THEY just never thought it was worth it. Each relationship and friend I have come to love and cherish fit together in our puzzle of life. I always tried to remember fun times and great memories... ones that I thought we could continue to share... well, alot of times this supposed lasting relationship just never materialized. I did think I had a really great friend once.. and the friendship did last for quite sometime... but it just never survived. Alot of petty things and stupid circumstances got in the way and deteriorated this friendship. Fortunately, at an older age .. I was able to make some really lasting friendships. Friends that I know now will last forever. These friends .. I made through having a wonderful daughter and met them while us Moms were going through the same things in life. Things like extreme weight gain and swollen ankles through pregnancy, Mommy and Me classes, potty training, chasing toddlers, birthday parties, homework and uniforms, dealing with school projects and out of the park teachers with crazy ideas... , family crisis, Halloween costumes... and now puberty... a very trying time, I must say myself and just plain old "what am I going to make for dinner, AGAIN... you name it.. and Moms stick together. This strong "Motherly" bond.. I think outlives any other type of "friendship bond". Its like two day old oatmeal stuck to your mug that you forgot in the car yesterday... cause you were already on the run trying to get the kids to school... work out, keep up with the housecleaning, laundry, dusting... and yes... how am I supposed to be able to get all of this done... still make a delicious economically sensible meal.. and be able to throw that black teddy on.. and still entertain the evening troops!!! Only a Mom knows ... and can really relate to another Mom on this ... soooo with this in mind.. this is why I truly believe that the Mom to Mom bond is a very unique and special bond.. In this stage of my life... with my daughter heading through the teen years.. and myself.. well lets just say she is getting on the bus and I'm definitely getting off the bus! These are very trying, tiring, stressful, fun, exciting and adventurous years.. and you definitely need good friends... its just too tough to go this alone. Don't get me wrong... our husbands are our best friends too.... another very special once in a lifetime bond... that can never be replaced. But, the Mom Bond... is a whole other ballgame entirely!!! I am truly in love with my husband... but I totally cherish my "Mom" friends. In my lifetime so far, I have only been able to make five really great Mom friends... five totally different personalities, Mom styles, backgrounds, interests and takes on life, but all five have great big hearts full of love and caring. One quality that I pride myself on as well.. I have been fortunate to have learned great things from all of them... and will always enjoy and learn every moment I spend time with each one of them and I hope they do as well with me.

Friends in life are very important.. vital part of our lives. We learn, we laugh, we love, we cry, we lean on them and they lean on us, and we have fun.. with our friends..especially these "Mom" friends... I thank God everyday.. for my friends and we all should as well as our spouses, children and family. Life is too short my friend... enjoy your life and enjoy your friends...my love to all and as always Aloha!!!

With the passing of these extraodinary icons.. Michael Jackson, a mere 50 years old...what a change he made to the music world... I remember the old songs.. and dancing to them.. when I was having sleep overs in junior high, Farrah Fawcett... whom I and I'm sure many others wanted their hair to look exactly like hers... , Ed McMahon Jr.. whom we all watched on Johnny Carson ... and they made us laugh... with crazy humor... and even Billy Mays...who could forget such a character... no one will ever be able to replace that shouting voice ... screaming at us.. to buy OxyClean or Orange Oil... boy another 50 year old what a shocker as I head to that 50 year old ground myself in another six months or so... none of us really know how much time we have here on this ever changing earth...

All of this should make us think .. and take notice that our time here and know that it is very precious ....always remember the simple things in life... the ones we take for granted...

Special and cherished friends.. memories... curling up and reading a good book... giving the dog a bath... watching the ocean... in these complicated times... and terrible economic state... life should be treated as a priceless event...during these times... we should cherish every day... and what it brings to us good and bad .. learning from every event. Through our lives our families go through life changes. We hope that most of these life changes will enhance and enrich our lives individually and our family as a whole.. but there are sometimes.. when life throws us a curve ball as it were and we experience a death, illness, or other family tragedy and the family goes through bending, breaking and severe stress on our relationships. We should always remember... that everyday is a gift and we should treat it as such. Our lives change with every moment, every event... even as much as every breath.. we can only work on the future.. what is done is done. Excellent and fun memories are fun... the not so fun ones... well we just hope we can learn from them and become a better person..... Carpe Diem ... " Seize the Day" from the Latin poem by Horace.... take each day, enjoy it to the fullest... Have Fun and most of all Love each other!!! Aloha & A Hui Ho!!

What is GOOD ADVICE?

ADVICE - An opinion or recommendation offered as a guide to action.

I think "Good Advice" is something that I can REALLY use!! I think personally the worst advice I have ever gotten was before I had to do a presentation and speak in front of alot of students and teachers. The advice.. that I'm sure that ALL of use have received in the past .. is "Picture the audience naked or in their underwear." WHAT!!! That has to be the most horrible, disgusting, repelling scene I could imagine in all my life!!! Why in the world would I want to picture that!!! Large people, skinny people, small, old, young, wrinkles, no wrinkles, hair and no hair, just a horrible picture!! I dont think I could say a word much less finish and entire paragraph or speech for that matter..!!!

I also think that it totally matters WHOM you get your advice from... its always good to go by a respectable source.... spouse, family, teacher... just like you wouldn't be likely to buy an ACME TV but you would definitely be sold on a SONY!!! Especially if the advice is going to affect or change an important decision. Sometimes advice is similar and .. goes hand in hand with "old wives tales.." or "urban legends" as it were.. stories and sometimes truths that have been handed down.. through families, generations etc. The most important thing about advice is to know when to take it.. and when not to... along with knowing in your mind if it really is good advice for YOU. This is something that you will only know yourself... but often times.. unfortunately find out if it was either good or bad only after you have taken action. Another one of life's gambles.. which there are many.

Advice is a funny thing...Some people give it, some people take it, some people question it, and some even make fun of it... But advice is a tricky thing. Its like a chameleon, it changes with whom it resonates.. Even so, sometimes after you receive it .. you think to yourself.. "Why did I ask for that?" I think its really a matter of your state of mind, how you are REALLY feeling, when you are in fact, thinking that you need this advice. Most of the time, you yourself know the answer or what to do in a certain situation but your are just looking for some type of "something" to confirm your thoughts and decision. Thus the infamous "SECOND GUESS" comes into play. When a simple decision.. or task is in question... your thoughts are rocking your confidence.. then BAM!!! THE SECOND GUESS!!! Maybe I should have this ... maybe that? could have been this? we could have tried that...AHHHHHH!!! even the simplest task is in question.. and your mind is racing with all of these answers... Could all of this been prevented??? Why am I going through this?? But when you really sit down .. and think, its all about you and how you handle each situation.. I have to go by my "GUT FEELING"... if you feel it in your gut, you know it in your heart, it's right!! TRUST YOUR GUT... no matter how big or small... TRUST IT!

So, ADVICE.......... TAKE IT, GIVE IT, LIVE IT, UNDERSTAND IT... THINK ON IT ... decide for yourself... then its usually your initial feeling, then TRUST YOUR GUT.. !!!

Aloha a hui ho!!

To Blog or not to Blog ... that is the question.

DEFINITION: Blog - an online diary; a personal chronological thoughts and/or experiences recorded on a webpage sometimes called a Web Page. Typically updated daily and often reflecting the personality of the author.

To Blog or not to Blog .. this surely is the question.. but why do people blog anyway?

Personally, I love to write, to journal, to create, to research and investigate anything to get the creative juices flowing. I also like to make people laugh and find the humor in things... it feels good to get the feelings out ... out on paper or the web for that matter. Secretly, I have always wanted to be a writer/journalist. Maybe more like a humorist ? (sp?) (NOUN - A person skillful in the use of humor, as in writing, talking and acting. A person with an active sense of humor.) I like to think that I am a HUMORIST. I also find that blogging is a great way to express your "Freedom of Speech". Only in America... but by now I'm sure everyone has gotten taken by the "Blogging Craze". I am now an official "Blogger" or "Bloggerist" not to be confused with a Journalist! Although I have only published a few blogs.... my ideas are churning constantly creating... and now I just have to make it point to sit down and make my thoughts known DAILY!! They say its takes twenty one (21) consecutive day of completing a simple task (like blogging) for it to become a habit. Easier said than done, I say. But I must admit, actually writing something for the real "public" to read and digest is kind of a rush! Now I just have to wait for the comments and followers to start to form. More importantly come up with some interesting stuff.

But seriously now, have you ever really tried to FORCE A HABIT, even a good habit? Just the word HABIT to me always seems to be linked to the word BAD... thus forming the BAD HABIT! Something that ALL of us have and secretly do not want to divulge for fear of ostracization from your peers... and try desperately to break them and not to pass them on to whomever may be in the way. On the other hand ... isn't it nice when someone says... "Thats a really great habit to have." For some reason, I don't seem to have as many of thoooseee habits. But I totally plan on turning my BAD HABITS INTO GOOD HABITS... as a part of my Mid Year Resolutions. There is such a thing you know ... Mid - Year Resolutions. These "Resolutions" are for people like me who really go through the trouble to make a list of New Years Resolutions really good ones too... but then, somehow have reasons (sometimes called excuses, a total other story) for these particular New Years Resolutions to be Post Poned! (sp? is this a real word?) which now I know is another wonderful word for PROCRASTINATION ..... ahhhhhh that sounds awful!!! That word seems to be worse than these others that we have been discussing... PROCRASTINATION - sounds like something you are diagnosed with when you are just going in for a simple exam.!! ANYWAY.... good habits - bad habits... we all have them... we just have to keep EACH of them in check... making sure one doesn't flow into the other..

All of this and many other things about each of us is what makes the world go round. All of us are very unique and querky in our own ways, which in turn, makes the world interesting. The same as when we enter an ice cream or donut shop and there are soooo many flavors to pick from no two being the same. This is the same as all of us. One is not worse or better than the other just different, just lending a different accent, flavor or spice, if you will, to the situation. I used to feel less worthy than the rest because I was different. More geeky or querky, but over the years ... I began to realize and learn that each one of our qualities are special and very worthy. We all play a special part to the world and to each other. We must always remember that. No matter how big or small our positions in life are ... EVERYONE IS IMPORTANT. It is when we lose sight of this .. is when things start to crumble. Our personalities, self esteem, all of it... it could also include our lives and relationships.

As EVERYONE is important and unique and what makes us .. US.... so are our thoughts and dreams and hopes for our futures.. we are all special, different, or you could even say exclusive to ourselves...

Knowing all of this we should be again POSITIVE.. in our views and understanding of one another whether we like chocolate or vanilla or we could go as far as even some of like SUV's or a Mini S Cooper Convertible... this is all what makes the world go round!!! Like what you like and ENJOY!!! Enjoy you life!! Aloha!!