Fascinating Womanhood by Helen Andelin

Here's a little treasure I stumbled across while doing some research on "femininity".  This book supposedly consists of tidbits from women of the 20s as well as it's author Helen Andelin who wrote it in the 50s.  It's very OLD SCHOOL but priceless.  I must admit that there are parts that made me cringe but at the same time, because I believe at the core of our humanity men are men and women are women, our basic relational desires don't change. 

The author expounds on the beauty and feminine power that women possess and how much men admire, need and cling to it.  

WARNING: Extreme feminists might find it offensive but hey, chew the meat and spit out the bone.  I'm sure there's something in it every woman can use.

Mini Vacay!

A few of my girlfriends and I went away for a long weekend to Destin, FL.  The weather was PERFECT! It wasn't that smoldering summer heat, nor the freezing beach breeze (until evening of course).  We laughed, danced, ate, sipped and slept! It was a great trip and an amazing way to say good-bye (for now) as one of our friends moves away this coming week. 

I left that weekend thankful for great friends, new and old, that have enriched my life in so many ways.  I'm grateful for the different perspectives, experiences, gifts and love that they each bring to my life.  I asked Love to help me maintain and expand an open mind and an accepting heart toward others because it continually fills me with compassion and empathy, and to be as much of a gift to my friends as they are to me.  Choosing to say YES to life, love, adventure and my personal truths rewards me immeasurably.  

There were many "lessons" revealed over the weekend but one message that stuck with me after chatting about our life experiences thus far is "I realize that I don't know anything...and I'm ok with that".

Cheers to LIFE and LIVING IT!!

Tofu Scramble-licious!

I LOVE tofu scramble, especially as a breakfast dish.  I accidentally came across a really simple recipe today and decided to make it for dinner.  I didn't have the yeast, lime and thyme.  But I did add zucchini, red and yellow peppers and fresh spinach at the end.  And although it was dinner, I made grits to eat with it. Yummy-yum!!

Check out the original recipe here: Tofu Scramble

It's Not Working

If people hear me say anything over and over again it’s “do something different”. Why? Because when we want something different but keep doing the same thing we’re use to doing, producing the same outcome, isn’t it obvious that we need to do something different? Mm, probably not so obvious. It’s hard to admit we are the cause of our own unhappiness or lack of success but much easier to blame someone or something else. The problem is we are the common denominator in a trail of broken relationships, health issues, financial woes and the like. Might as well face it, own it and confess “ok, I’m the problem here”.

Mistakes are normal, we’re human, and they come with the territory. It’s when we make the same mistakes over and over and over that gives us grief. To change we must be honest and insightful about who we are, what we are choosing to do and why. Yep, we choose it so that means we can choose something else, opening ourselves up to learning new skills, equipped with new tools and able to choose from new options.

I hate to see people give up on good and happiness in their lives as if it’s not for them. They settle into some existence of “this is the best I’ll ever have”. Often they’ve missed the possibility of happiness eluding them because they’ve maintained the same philosophies and behaviors that create dissatisfaction and unhappiness. Then they complain about how awful life is.

There are some things that I don’t get to cry about (sounds pretty harsh huh?). Mainly when I know I’m back into an old habit of behaving and choosing. Sure, it hurts when I get the old unwanted outcomes but I save my tears and complaints because I already knew what I was doing. On the other hand, I freely shed tears, grunt and sigh as I change. Change is hard and often very uncomfortable. But those tears are worth it!!

I can’t tell anyone exactly what needs to change, it’s a self work. But here’s a simple, to the point thought to help get you thinking:

“…believe in what works. What you are doing now is not working. Why not try something else?” – Dr Gordon Livingston