How's your 4th of July going? Me, I'm celebrating by taking it easy....still in pj's. During the month of June I bought a house, changed carpet in the 3 bedrooms, remodeled a bathroom, painted, and did a business trip to LA and a fun trip to NYC. Over 3 days in the Big Apple I visited Southside Seaport, the site of the Twin Towers, the Guggenheim, the Metropolitan, Chinatown, Tiffany's, Chanel, Grand Central Station, and more. It's been fun and crazy. I know your life is similar....a lot of good things going on. At times it feels like too much of a good thing.  Read more »

This move/minor house remodeling has been more of a challenge than I expected. I'm not handy person, opening a can is about as handy as I get. My idea of crafting is painting by number or needlepointing, which is almost the same thing. My crafty friend Sally has an easier time teaching my daughters to craft than she does working with me! Anyway, I had the goal to buy a house that I could add value to as my entree into real-estate investment. I can tell you the term sweat equity has a whole new meaning for me these days! And the thought of standing in full razzle dazzle right now seems a bit remote, but I know I'll be fine with just a bit of sparkle. Read more »

The other night I was talking to my grandmother, a remarkable woman. Think of a red-headed Zsa Zsa Gabor and you have a feeling for my grandmother's charismatic personality. My grandmother, however, was only married twice, in contrast to Zsa Zsa's 14 or so husbands. Anyway, because my grandmother is 92 years old, each time we talk, I try to extract a piece of her amazing wisdom. She always resists and says she doesn't have any. Which is ridiculous. What she will do is answer any questions I have. So, I asked her how she did she manage to ALWAYS stay in state of warmth, enthusiasm and optimism. Here's what she told me..... Read more »

One day last week while I was swimming, I realized I was living a perfect moment. The water felt great, I was swimming with ease (sometimes it feels like a struggle when I swim.) I could see the sunny sky from the water, and the palm trees. Yesterday was perfect from the moment I woke up until I went to bed last night (thank you, kiddos!). Almost every day I give enthusiastic thanks for the privilege of living in such a beautiful part of the world. I can tell you, though, for most of my life, it wasn't like this. A "normal" life is mostly tedium and disillusionment, punctuated by brief moments of happiness, don't you think? There is a way out of this cycle!

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This is one of the many techniques I've learned to relax and move forward in my life. It's truly made a HUGE difference (ask my kids!) I learned it from coach Christine Kane, who used it as part of the process of healing her bulimia. It works if you're overwhelmed, confused, tired, or if you feel awry and you're not sure why. It's a question you ask yourself:

What do I need to do to feel better in this very moment? That means right now. Read more »