Remember the old adage: when life gets tough, the tough get going?
Well, even better than that is to have a plan in your arsenal to get you through the tough times. And if you’ve lived long enough, you’ve likely gone through tough times more than once, and you have some idea of what works for you.
Some things have to be out-waited — and maybe out-witted — just to get you through, and I don’t want to discount those times. Try to make it easier on yourself.
When the storms of life blow, whether actual or figurative, is there something that warms you up?
Once again, Ayala has included a group of us in listing what works for us.
What brings you comfort?
It’s likely different for everyone, but try to add to your life those things that bring you comfort, when life is especially rough. Take time for yourself, not only to process, but to be good to yourself.
A cup of tea, alone or with a friend … Starbucks! … a new book — or finish one you haven’t taken the time to get around to … fresh flowers … prayer and meditation … quietness … a spritz of your favorite comfort scent … write in a journal … add to your list of gratitude … do something to take your thought off it … do something nice for someone else … see a movie … listen to music … contact a friend … send an email … do some beading … take a walk … jog … ride your bike … do some yoga … a warm bath (and light some candles) … hot chocolate … your comfort food … window shop … spritz a fragrance in memory of a loved one …
Whatever works for you! It doesn’t really matter what works for someone else, if it doesn’t work for you.
I always feel close to my folks, who are gone now, if I window shop. My mother and I used to window shop each Christmas season, and our family business was in retail. I like to wander around by myself, just window shopping. I like seeing what is new, and it feels comforting to me.
But it might not be comforting to you.
Finding comfort in comforting scents
I have two ways of dealing with difficult moments: either I don’t wear perfume at all (I know, you can hardly believe it!) or I choose whatever scent is calling me at the moment and that I think would make me happy/happier. If I were going through an extended hard time, I would definitely rotate fragrances so I didn’t associate one fragrance with the difficulty.
I find that scents can wake me up enough that I think of the scent and not the problem, if that makes sense. So I might choose something I don’t normally wear, just to break through my thought process and give me a break.
I’d likely not wear a fragrance, or wear it lightly, if I were going to the dentist, for example, but I would spritz myself when I got out. Somehow that seems kinder to the hygienist too.
Here are some scents I am enjoying right now. They make me happy, and seem right for this in-between season when it is still cold here (for us) but I am ready for spring (but not the heat of summer):
Guerlain Moscou — this has just enough of a gourmand that it smells of chocolate on me, though it’s not listed as a note, but isn’t cloyingly sweet.
Notes: Musk, fruit, wood…vanilla, bergamot, red currants, absinthe, lemon, plum
Guerlain 68 — this one has a little more punch, must be all that citrus, than Moscou — I sometimes layer the two after one has dissipated.
Notes: green tangerine, lemon petit-grain, limette, star anise, coriandre, cardamom, pepper, immortelle, opoponax, and cedar.
or: bergamot, green mandarin, lemon, clementine, orange peel, blood orange, sweet lime, grapefruit, basil, fennel, star anise, lavender, bay leaf, cypress, elemi, thyme, myrthe, bigarade, mandarin, petit grain, lemon petit grain, pear, violet greens, lierre, gentiane, seve, blackcurrant, freesia, lily of the valley, hazel leaf, cyclamen, cardamom, coriander, black pepper, pink berry, nutmeg, ginger, jasmine, frangipane, magnolia blossom, orange blossom, peony, rose, carnation, ylang-ylang, lychee, fig, blackberry, immortelle, lentisque (mastic), opoponax, amber, benzoin, vanilla, cistus, heliotrope, iris, tonka bean, sage, musk, patchouli, agarwood, cedar, sandalwood, vetiver, vegetable musk, praline, myrrhe and lichen.
Guerlain Tonka Imperiale — this is a little headier, a little warmer, and leans me towards Kilian Back to Black, but less so.
notes of tonka bean, amber, vanilla, rose, orange blossom and rosemary.
Kilian Back to Black — this adds tobacco to the mix. It reminds me of a favorite uncle’s pipe.
Notes: bergamot, nutmeg, saffron, cardamom, coriander, raspberry, blue chamomile, honey, olibanum, cedar, oak, tobacco accord, patchouli, vanilla, almond and labdanum.
Yves Rocher Ispahan (1982) — it reminds me of a dear friend who brought it back from Germany for me, because I loved it on her, when YR wasn’t sold in the States. Sadly, sadly, no longer available. It always reminded me immediately, without having to wait for it to go through stages, of what YSL’s Opium smelled like after it had dried down on me, but it had more pizazz on me than Opium ever did. I’m wearing it and loving it today. And it was so inexpensive for how great it was. Some of the notes are no longer as good as they once were, but as soon as that burns off, it is just as great as it ever was.
Notes: Citrus, jasmine, patchouli and rose
Top: Lime, clove, sandalwood
Body: Rose, Amber
Base: Patchouli, jasmine
Soon I will break out my more floral and springtime fragrances — some lily of the valley; some green chypres; my Guerlain Chant d’Aromes and Chamade; my E. Coudray Nohiba; my citrus and sweet oranges … and celebrate the once-again newness of Spring!
How about you?
I want to hear what you find comforting. Please leave a message below.
E. Coudray Nohiba E. Coudray Nohiba is one of the most interesting fragrances I own. I bought it a year or so ago, unsniffed, on the strength of recommendations at POL, judging from the sounds of it, knowing...
Review Guerlain Tonka Impériale Once in a while a really beautiful new perfume comes on the scene. Guerlain Tonka Impériale is one of them. It is destined to be a classic. Part of the L’Art et la Matière collection,...
When only orange will do I got to thinking about the favorite summer fragrances I recently posted and realized I have a number of sweet orange fragrances which I have talked about in the past. I decided to update it....
Review Vetyver Vanille by Le Jardin Retrouvé It's no secret that I like vetiver, so I was very happy to receive a bottle of Vetyver Vanille from Le Jardin Retrouvé. This is a scent for which they have no samples. I reviewed...
Pocket Guide to Women's Fine Fragrances pt 2 This is a pocket guide to women's fine fragrances. There are hundreds of high quality perfumes out there, and knowing a little about each one...
Pink Sugar Perfume Review This is a review of the Pink Sugar perfume, a perfume intended for use by women that was designed by Aquolina. The Pink Sugar perfume...
SAHM vs. Working Mom's In today's world there is a HUGE battle that women are fighting. It's the battle between the stay at home moms and the working moms. I...
How to Buy Cologne for a Man If you want to buy cologne as a gift for your father, brother, boyfriend, husband or any man on your list, it's probably easier than...
Walk A Mile In My Shoes Do you remember your last shoe purchase? I do. It was a pair of New Balance trail shoes I found on sale marked down from...
How’s this for a feel good story to start the day with!
In late 2008, a couple from South Africa crossed the Atlantic aboard the beautiful Queen Mary 2 and alongside the Queen Elizabeth 2, during the latter’s final voyage across the pond. While taking pictures of the QE2’s historic crossing, their camera slipped and disappeared into the deep blue sea.
In January of this year, fifteen months after the camera was lost, a fisherman trawling the ocean floor found the camera in his fishing net. The camera was inoperable but the memory card and photos were intact.
The fisherman viewed the photos, which included a picture of a woman standing on the deck of a ship with the QE2 at sea in the background. The fisherman contacted the BBC, where a correspondent determined that the passengers had been aboard the QM2.
Cunard was notified and the company was able to identify and locate the couple and reunite them with their photos, plucked from the bottom of the sea. Vacations to Go
Many years ago, I lost a camera in a taxi in Guangzhou. I still hope that somehow the pictures will get back to me, because they are irreplaceable. This was before I had a digital camera. It’s possible! If a camera, pictures intact, can be plucked from the sea, then anything is possible!
Sometimes you hear that still, small voice, but you don’t realize it. The day I lost the camera, when I removed everything from the taxi, the thought came to me to double check, but I didn’t follow through. I thought I had all my bags. That was a hard lesson, but one I hope not to repeat. I had my bags, but the camera had slipped out. The memories of that precious day are engraved in my heart, even if I don’t have the photos.
Have you ever had a lost item found in an unusual way or after an unusual amount of time?
Sometimes I think the best way is not to look for the item past a certain point, but wait for it to surface. I’ve found things in places I would never think to look. And I’ve also been able to replace an item several years later, after I wasn’t actively looking for it or a replacement. So where is the latest item that has gone missing! Perhaps in the same place that individual socks go.
Henna Henna everywhere Here's the update, 10 days into it The design is pretty much off my hand except for the middle of the back of my hand. It is still going strong -- perfectly -- on my...
Airbrushing celebrities In case you ever wondered how much airbrushing takes place in the unreal real world, you might like to see this. It's apparent that what sells to the public, whether it is advertising or not,...
The Oscars I enjoyed watching the Oscars last night. Many of the presenters were cleverly funny. Robert Downey, Jr's, aside about himself was wonderfully drole. So many of the dresses were beautiful. I didn't care for the...
Review Flipping Brilliant A Penguin's Guide to a Happy Life Flipping Brilliant is a short little inspirational book based on penguin life, but it is filled with wonderful, wonderful pictures of penguins. It is also available as a Kindle book for $6.39. But I'm not...
Chinawood What an interesting article! This is the first I've heard of it. If you can believe the article, it all started when one former farmer wanted to put his village on the map. Major stars...
Charitable Contributions - End Of Year Preparations The beginning of December we look to complete any charitable contributions for the current tax year. We give monetary donations throughout the year, and the...
Digital Camera Photography Family Photography Tips Congratulations for buying digital camera. Now it is time to learn to take good photographs of your family. Here are a few...
Lost in Delhi; Found in Manhattan I was fortunate in the taxi driver I'd hired for a day-long tour of New Delhi highlights chosen from my guidebooks and research. First of...
Recently I had the privilege to hear renowned pianist Brooks Aehron. If you ever get a chance to see him, you will have a good time, whether you like piano music particularly or not. He is quite a showman. He makes music fun!
One thing he asked the audience at one of his three concerts was: what is a pianist’s greatest fear? His answer was not forgetting the music, but the loss of a hand. Then he played an entire piece using just his left hand. You can imagine how difficult that is, especially if you are right handed.
This story of Hee Ah Lee takes it even farther. Born with serious birth defects, she has mastered piano with the use of only 4 fingers, some of which do not function as normal fingers. It makes many difficulties most of us might face seem very small in comparison.
It moved me to tears. I was also moved that her mother resisted family pressure to abandon her to adoption to Canada or the West. To her mother, Hee Ah Lee has always been beautiful and perfect.
She has given more than 200 concerts and loves to perform. If you watch the second video to the very end, you can see that she knows how to interact with the audience.
Here’s a short piece played by her:
And a longer story:
You can find other videos featuring her also.
The lesson here, to me, is find a way. If something seems impossible, yet our talents are leading us to do it, find a way.
There is a unique way for each of us to accomplish most anything, if we truly desire it, work toward it, and have our own vision that we keep in sight. It also helps to surround ourselves with others who will help forward our vision or even lead us to it. Eliminate naysayers! Work towards the end we are trying to achieve.
The world needs our music, whether we are playing music or living the music of our lives. Each of us is needed.
Giovanni Sollima - Sogno ad Occhi Aperti (Daydream) PART 1 Imagine yourself on another planet where people have 6 arms -- then imagine the kinds of instruments and music one person could make. This is quite beautiful! Karin Directed by Lasse Gjertsen Copyrights: Casa Musicale...
What's your favorite music? Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without. Confucius I pretty much like it all, but I get tired of country, at least at times. Though, I have to admit, one...
Singing in the rain with Sammy Davis Jr. He is so fluid! And one of my favorite songs...and how good to see Johnny Carson again, no wonder we loved him. The interview is a little poignant as he speaks a bit about being...
Troll Beads Pandora Beads Chamilia Beads Beads Beads Beads Do you have a serious love for these little suckers? It can be addictive and expensive. More so if you are into collecting any of the all gold ones. Sometimes it's good to be a...
Elder role models I'm always on the lookout for role models, male or female, who are older than I am. But there's something about a woman who is living an interesting life that does, in fact, interest me....
The Emperor's New Clothes Ananda Sukarlan is an Indonesian composer and pianist living in Spain. This is an article he wrote for a magazine which has been published a...
Learning the Acoustic Guitar When learning how to properly play the acoustic guitar, versatility is a major goal that you should work towards as best as you can. It...
Musician Profile for Yo-Yo Ma Yo-Yo Ma grew up predisposed toward music. Both his parents were active in the performing arts and influenced his musical background. His mother, Marina Lu,...
Travel Writer This is the beginning of the latest writing by Peter George Mackie. Please contact him if you want to know more about his works. The...
APPT Sydney Satellite Qualifying It's exactly three weeks away to the Sydney, Australia, APPT satellite over here and things are going nicely for me at the Japan Poker League...
Of all the gifts my mother gave me, not the least of which was an excellent childhood, I’d have to say that ‘enthusiasm’ was by far one of the most valuable. She taught me not to miss the parade, if you know what I mean. You don’t always have to actually JOIN the parade, if that’s not your personality- but you should SHOW UP and cheer and laugh and sing along, if only to yourself. -c
I simply love this quote, not much else to add to that. I like it for me as both the parent and the child I once was, but still embody. I too had an excellent childhood, or at least a plenty-good-enough one, but I wasn’t taught the rest of this. I had to pick it up for myself in the parades of life. And I have to encourage my children in this direction.
As an adult, once when I was going through what might possibly have been a difficult situation, someone said to me to view it as if I were sitting in a parade stand. I should think of it as if I were (or had been) watching it pass by, not as if I were in it. I thought that was very helpful to remember. I had sort of felt that way at the time it was happening, not exactly removed from it, but not within it either. It helped me feel freer of any repercussions. And it seemed a kind of grace.
Karin
A mother should give her children a superabundance of enthusiasm, that after they have lost all they are sure to lose in mixing with the world, enough may still remain to prompt and support them through great actions. Julius C. Hare (1795-1855) English Cleric
The real effects of adoption Ann Landers, or was it Dear Abby, had a column a number of years ago about parents who wished they'd never had children. The percentage was astonishingly high, I thought, and so did she. Mostly...
Living a passionate life What is the purpose of this life? Do you keep living until you have had all the best experiences? When is life complete? How many years would you want to keep living? Or do you...
Conquering the mountain What an idiot! I'm laughing here, because obviously the guy knows what he is doing. My question is why. It's not what you think. He isn't mountain climbing. He's descending the mountain at umpteen mph...
Trees, part 2 "Imagine if one of these trees fell on your house," said a visitor one day, his head awkwardly tilted upward, his face screwed up like a man facing into a strong wind. "I'd rather not...
Taming the tiger I learned through years of parenting that usually there is one of three things behind a child's tantrum: either they need food, they need sleep or they need love. That's such a truism for life,...
Is Shopping Online For Insurance A Myth? I’m sure most of you remember what the internet used to be like. My family got our first computer in the mid-1990’s – and it...
Is It Serious? Let’s look at these serious situations. Seriousness, hmm. What use is that idea? I do these talks because I am completely willing to be foolish....
Grace Kelly Memorabilia -> Celebrity Grace Kelly, who became Princess Grace of Monaco, is a film legend and one of the most recognizable names the world over....
Lucinda Williams, Joy A three-time Grammy Award winner, she was named "America's best songwriter" by TIME magazine in 2002. I noticed that she was featured on my site, even though I had not put any of her music...
Jane Porter speaking about life I'm happy to share this online interview with Jane Porter. She was gracious to spend some time with us. I think you'll agree that she is a voice we'd like to hear more of. Jane,...
Eye techniques to make your eyes look larger My 13 yo asked me this morning how you use eye makeup to make your eyes look bigger. That seemed a perfect opportunity to post on the subject. She knew enough to ask because we...
Leave people feeling better about themselves A valuable principle to keep in mind is: Leave people feeling better about themselves as a result of having met you. Some people take pleasure in putting others down. It makes them feel more powerful...
Life holds surprises History is a vast early warning system. Norman Cousins, 1915-1990 Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. Ralph Waldo Emerson I think these two quotations need to...
Save Time, Money and Space in Over 80 Ways If you're looking for handy gadgets, tools and various items that can save you time, money or space (or all three!) this list of more...
Marc Jacobs Basil Perfume Review This is a review of the Marc Jacobs Basil perfume, a perfume designed for use by both men and women by the Marc Jacobs design...
Creative Notions - Unleash Your Creativity /caption]People seem to have the misconception that only a select few are able to unleash a steady flow of creative genius. That is not true...
If kvetching is second nature to you, I heard today of rubber bracelets to be worn to help you stop complaining. I guess even Oprah talked about it on her show. I’m behind in finding out about things.
It is worn on one wrist, until you complain, then you move it to the other wrist and begin to count again. The hope is to get to 21 days without changing wrists. Thankfully, it doesn’t register complaints in your mind, only spoken complaints.
And I don’t think it counts for legitimate complaints (though we should be honest with ourselves which are and which aren’t, LOL)
It’s spreading around the world. So far, more than 3.5 million have been ordered, going to 78 countries. If you want to read a story about it, go here; or to order bracelets and read more about it, go here.
See my later post on this here. I added pictures from this post below:
My bracelet
I thought about making a bracelet with the words No complaint, but for me, I wanted a positive reminder of what I hope to bring.
I was playing around with alphabet beads to see what letters I had to work with. It isn’t necessary to put much money into making a bracelet like these. I made two bracelets that I alternate wearing. If I find I really enjoy them, I will remake them in silver beads. I added crystals and carved beads to make them more interesting.
Create-Imagine-Appreciate
Bring Joy-Love-Pax
What do you do if you find yourself chronically complaining? What do you want to bring to situations? How do you keep resentments and complaints from sizzling?
The amazing power of beads I received this from Beading Daily. I could not find a link, but if someone provides me with one, I will be glad to change this post. Karin The Amazing Power of Beads Topic: People...
Find happiness within It seems like everyone and their brother is jumping on the bandwagon with inspirational sayings. I was surprised this morning to see the words on the side of one of my girl's Marble Slab ice...
E. Coudray Nohiba E. Coudray Nohiba is one of the most interesting fragrances I own. I bought it a year or so ago, unsniffed, on the strength of recommendations at POL, judging from the sounds of it, knowing...
Making a ring out of three Troll-type beads The back story is that years ago my great-aunt brought me back lovely charms from Scandinavia. I had put them permanently on a bracelet. Lately I wanted to make it more Troll-friendly. It was just...
10 reasons -- or 100 -- for loving Troll beads 10. They make you happy. 9. They are easy to transport 'cause they're small. That is, until you collect several drawers full as some aficionados have at their finger tips. 8. It's nice to be...
How To Make A Button Bracelet Themed Button Bracelet employing a Stretch Cord In making stretchy themed button bracelet all that you need are your selected themed buttons and Stretch Magic...
Honda Increases its Commitment to Hybrids As automakers are unveiling plans for battery-operated, plug-in automobiles, Honda Motor Co. released news that is will increase its commitment to the movement by working...
Snowboarding 101 - Carrying the Snowboard Another one of the most important things that you can learn how to do when it comes to perfecting the art of snowboarding is to...
Web Hosting Survey Results Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to complete the web hosting survey. It's not to late to send us your feedback, so please,...
Just when it seems like a bit of good news would be exceedingly welcomed, comes this true story (I’ve checked it with Snopes) about a woman hand feeding hummingbirds.
Isn’t it great that with the Internet we have a way to easily share these experiences that we might never hear about otherwise?!
Thanks to Cathy for sharing with me in the first place!
It’s a reminder to me that “God’s in his heaven; all’s right with the world.”
from “Pippa Passes”
The year’s at the spring
And day’s at the morn;
Morning’s at seven;
The hill-side’s dew-pearled
The lark’s on the wing;
The snail’s on the thorn;
God’s in his Heaven -
All’s right with the world!
Robert Browning (1812-1889)
Is it possible that in these difficult times we could trust more deeply that God will feed and clothe us, as he does the birds and the lilies? Whether we are literally in need of food, shelter, clothing, water, health, employment or any of a myriad of other needs, the most basic need is for the ideas that will lead us in the right direction and out of limitation.
Ideas are always limitless! (This goes along with the short movie I posted earlier.)
Not too long ago while pondering how I should schedule my day, though my first inclination the night before had been to get on down the road and back home, I felt it was all right to meander a bit. In doing so, I had a number of interesting conversations with strangers, some welcome time with a friend, and a bit of fashion enjoyment, including some time with perfumes.
After I’d been back on the highway for a while, an electronic sign informed me of an accident 26 miles down the road. One lane was closed. (I learned later that it had only cleared about an hour before I got there.) If I had hurried my way home, I would have been stuck for hours while they cleared the road. I was able to get past it without any lost time.
Sometimes we do not know what we or others are protected from, but this time it was apparent. And it could have been far worse, but thankfully wasn’t. On this busy stretch of road, many more could have been involved in this accident but were not.
That’s just a small example of how ideas will clear our day for us. Expect ideas today and always that will help you!
Ah, sweet licorice in tea and chocolate and perfumes I'm not one to eat a lot of black licorice, but I do like it. When our son was five, we had one of our most beloved exchange students from Finland. He came when he...
Review: Turn Coat by Jim Butcher, Dresden Files series Jim Butcher has another hit on his hands with his latest in the Dresden Files series, Turn Coat. Once again, Harry Dresden, the last wizard in Chicago is pitting his wits against the dark forces...
Wasting a life The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life. Muhammad Ali Well, this challenges us, doesn't it! I did a lot of...
Thinkin' about forgiveness and giving up resentment I woke the other morning thinking about forgiveness and asking/praying/thinking about how to give up any resentments that were lurking around...and trying to get a handle on it. I've heard it said that forgiveness is...
Review Love Happens Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart star in the film Love Happens. It is not a romantic comedy, but a romantic drama. There are moments of humor breaking the seriousness. And a really cute bird. The...
Land and God Zionism is both political and spiritual. It has been going on for a long time, and it even translated into other cultures. In America it became...
Interesting Facts: Volume 1 [/caption] WORLD FACTS Who Made The Marree Man? facts 60 km out of the town of Marree in South Australia, there is the figure of...
Sentimental Gifts Men There are many gifts one can give that have sentimental value. These gifts bring back memories from a special time and place. The following are...
Review: Guerlain Boisé Torride Boisé Torride is a powerhouse of a fragrance. In some ways it reminds me of Paloma or of Estee Lauder's Knowing. It starts off with a bang and hours later ends up with a sigh...
The things of this world The things of this world Always, there is far more beauty in this world than we are aware of. But enter the prodigious talents of someone like Jarbus Agnelli who transcribed the notes represented by...
Thinking of an adoptee's rejection by her APs "In every dispute between parent and child, both cannot be right, but they may be, and usually are, both wrong. It is this situation which gives family life its peculiar hysterical charm." - Isaac Rosenfeld...
LOTD L'Oreal 630 Sea Fleur with Beauté Technique First alone: L'Oreal 630 Sea Fleur This is a really beautiful, dimensional fuchsia. Another view: Now with the Beauté Technique Rimmed with Bonnie Bell Lip Shox Fuchsia Flash Go here to see the technique in...
Singing in the rain with Sammy Davis Jr. He is so fluid! And one of my favorite songs...and how good to see Johnny Carson again, no wonder we loved him. The interview is a little poignant as he speaks a bit about being...
Things to Do Besides Skiing Just because you are visiting a ski resort, then that does not mean that you can only ski. Here are some things that you may...
Retuning Of Last Love It should be finished. There was no way to the world, I will ever receive mine excluding a back. When we broke, I have gone...
Florida Gators Apparel The right Florida Gators apparel can really go a long way when it comes to showing other people just how much team spirit you have....
Here’s a story from the world’s oldest blogger, of how she was bullied and how she solved it.
Olive is 107 and as feisty as my grandmother was. I think I’d like her! What a gal! (I miss my grandma!)
I was once told by my older daughter’s school that bullying is just a natural part of junior high and high school. I think not! was basically what I said.
Now, of course, they take a no-bullying stance, but it was sure a long time coming. And I’m not sure they can solve what takes place after school.
Have you ever been bullied? how did you solve it? (Me, I left quickly the place where I should not have been alone. I never told my mother either!)
Poignant comments by kids Trying to resurrect this conversation: Just prior to having Chinese New Year dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, our 10 year old said something to the effect: I'm Chinese, right? [Yes.] Then she remarked...
Happily ever after...and then some! What do you think about happily ever after? does it exist? does it exist only in fairy tales? do we make a lot of our happiness by at least looking for it, if it seems...
A story of remission/healing I was telling a friend about another's diagnosis and how it is known to sometimes go into remission, even permanently. Here's what she wrote in reply: It really struck me what you said on the...
Thinking about friendships What is said in the chair, stays in the chair. My hair stylist. To have a friend, you have to be one. Karin Yesterday I found myself thinking about what constitutes friendship. Why are we...
Review: Geste Geste by Humiecki & Graef can be found at Lucky Scent $220 for 100 ml or $4 for .7 ml. Notes: soft amber, musk, soft violet petals, soft fir resin This fragrance is interestingly different....
Obama Speech to Kids You've probably heard about Obama's planned speech to kids or to school children and it has caused uproar from different parts of the society. To...
Save Time, Money and Space in Over 80 Ways If you're looking for handy gadgets, tools and various items that can save you time, money or space (or all three!) this list of more...
Friends' Influence and Money: A Two Way Street I often write a lot of words on saving money. Cut out this expensive item... consider substituting this other item... Sometimes I write about making...
Kiss and Tell: Elaine Lowe on Her Hero by Elaine Lowe, guest blogger My husband is my own personal hero. On the inside of his wedding ring, I engraved, "My Hero", and that...
I only recently heard of Irena Sendler, a Polish Catholic 97 year old woman who rescued 2500 children in the Warsaw Ghetto from the gas chambers in 1942-3.
After getting the children out, she arranged ‘adoptions’ by non-Jewish families (I admire them too for the risks they took) to protect them, documenting their names in a jar which she buried, so that one day she could tell the children their real names.
She was captured and tortured, eventually escaping, but she did not betray what she had accomplished.
She was up for a Nobel Prize in 2007 which she did not win, but she won a far more nobler prize.
Chinese adoptive child finds her family in China I was watching one about a young boy. But the one that finds her Chinese family is a 10 yr old girl. The video is in Dutch. Scroll down the left side to: spoorloos. The...
What it's like to be a teen in China/choosing an English name For those of us who wonder what it might be like if our Chinese child were still in China in their first family, here is an interesting article. I also thought it was interesting that...
Living with things of beauty Whether people are fully conscious of this or not, they actually derive countenance and sustenance from the 'atmosphere' of the things they live in and with. Frank Lloyd Wright To me, this is similar to...
Parameters of spacing children Having one child is like having one child. Having two children is like having 3. The two children and the relationship between them. Having three kids is like having 6! The three children and the...
Flirting with Forty by Jane Porter This book is a coming of age book for the forty- or fifty- or sixty- year olds. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Not only was it entertaining, it was affirming and real -- or as real...
The Project As the season quickly faded from fall to winter last year, my family had an unexpected visitor. She came to our window one afternoon and...
Fun Facts about... Babies 1 baby is born every 8 seconds in the U.S. 105 boys are born for every 100 girls - worldwide The population of the world...
Gulbis First Latvian to Win in ATP Ernests Gulbis defeated Ivo Karlovic on Sunday at the Delray Beach International Championships at Delray Beach, FL, on Sunday, making him the first Latvian to...
At first dreams seem impossible, then improbable, then inevitable. Christopher Reeve (1952-2004)
…destination, determination, deliberation…[the 3 D's important to know in learning to apparate**] J.K. Rowling
In re-hearing these 3 D’s, it struck me that these 3 D’s are important in bringing good into our lives. What is our destination — what are we aiming for (or dreaming into being)…are we determined enough to move it from the improbable to the inevitable…and then do we add the quality of deliberation of truly thinking it through — realizing it is not self-will, but that it is expectation and self-openness that speed our progress?
If you have read the sequence where Harry Potter and his friends learn to apparate, you know it doesn’t always work as planned on the first try. (I say this about the transporter in Star Trek — I’ll want to make sure the apple gets to the other end in one piece before I try it.) If their train of thought is broken, they don’t apparate correctly. Perhaps that is the way it is with dreams. Some dreams are inevitable because we dedicate our thought to them. Some other dreams we let go of, because other dreams are coming into being or a dream simply isn’t dream-worthy.
It was a long haul to the adoption of our first Chinese daughter. A lot of doors shut before we found China, and it took so long, it was as if it had shut too. It is tempting to give it up, but if it is truly to come into being then we mustn’t quit, we just keep on doing what needs to be done as it needs to be done, never discounting the courage to keep going.
Three people come to mind who never gave up: Winston Churchill, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Helen Keller. I’m sure there are others. They faced and mastered obstacles greater than I’ve ever been called upon to face. And persevered.
Face your deficiencies and acknowledge them; but do not let them master you. Let them teach you patience, sweetness, insight. Helen Keller (1880-1968)
Karin
**Apparition (A-pa-RI-shun)
Apparate, Disapparate
nonverbal spell
from “appareo” L. to appear
Advanced spell used by fully trained witches and wizards to disappear from one place and appear almost instantly somewhere else. A person who uses this spell is referred to as an Apparator.
illamasqua UK Make-up for your Alter Ego Oh my, this website could be addictive. If you have some time and just want to surf a really great site with some wonderful ideas, this just might be it. Unfortunately, I don't think they...
Talkin' about circuitous thinking Sometimes circuitous thinking just gets us, well, in circles that may deepen into ruts. Another definition I heard once was to think of life not as a ladder, where we climb rungs, so someone is...
Blocking society's erosion of competence Julius Segal (educator): Children often have a desperate need on the home front for a defender who will block society's erosion of their sense of competence, who will keep them from beginning to live as...
If you love perfume If you love perfume, be sure to check out perfumebloggers. My son, the computer guy, worked this up for me to keep track of various perfume bloggers he found. He asked me to give him...
Living a passionate life What is the purpose of this life? Do you keep living until you have had all the best experiences? When is life complete? How many years would you want to keep living? Or do you...
Overnight Train Delhi to Varanasi This was not the deluxe train I'd expected. The carriage was probably 40 or 50 years old. Everything was the same shade of pale green...
Daily Deal on iRobot Roomba Vacuum I don't normally promote products on my blogs but this one-day only deal on a Roomba robotic vacuum from Amazon is too good not to...
Tonight We Dine In Hell I know, it's a bit dramatic. In my defense, I was watching 300 and that line in it is so damn good that I had...
Ginger Cures for Colds and Flu In honor of the flu that knocked me completely out of commission last week, I'd like to share two of my favorite cold and flu...
My ex freaked me out last night? I'm going freakin crazy with this situation. I don't know what to do. I feel so numb right now. Please help. This will be long...
One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture and, if it were possible, speak a few reasonable words. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, poet, dramatist, novelist, and philosopher (1749-1832)
I think I live by this philosophy. I bring into my life the elements I need for happiness, things of beauty.
Even fragrance exists outside the bare utility of life. It adds to life; it does not subtract. Recently someone remarked that because her month had been hectic, stressful and hard, she chose to wear scents that she felt would anchor her when dealing with the issues — scents that felt either grounding or comforting. I thought that was very astute. I also choose my scents by how I feel on a particular day. Her remarks made me think again of the mood altering effects of perfumes. We can change the way we feel by the elements we bring into our days.
And when I am happy, it brings happiness not only into my experience, but lightens those who know me.
Contrast this to the following:
One of the indictments of civilizations is that happiness and intelligence are so rarely found in the same person. -William Feather, author, editor and publisher (1889-1981)
What is happiness, anyway? I believe it exists entwined in the rest of life, including intelligence, which presumably would lead us to the things that bring us happiness, such as Goethe suggested.
Perhaps happiness is also entwined with a degree of solution-thinking. If we believe that a solution exists or could be brought to bear upon the difficulties we face or see, then we are less apt to sink into despair. I don’t have to be the one to find a particular solution. It may be enough for me to acknowledge that a solution can be found. I like to think this makes it easier for the one who is searching for a solution to find it.
I don’t think happiness is ignoring the world. Rather it is refocusing on what is beautiful in the world.
What brings you happiness? Do you make a conscious effort to include more in your life?
The joys of spring I love spring. I was out bike riding with two of my girls today and thought about how much I love spring -- and so, not in any particular order, here are 10 reasons: 1....
Review Guerlain 2009 Cherry Blossom Oh, this is a nice fragrance! And it's even better that it's priced at only $57, from the Aqua Allegoria line. Cherry Blossom is being billed as a floral green fragrance (Frangrantica). It also has...
Jane Porter speaking about life I'm happy to share this online interview with Jane Porter. She was gracious to spend some time with us. I think you'll agree that she is a voice we'd like to hear more of. Jane,...
Realized and unrealized (yet) dreams I came across this quote after I was thinking about what dreams the older women might have held or what the younger women expected from life. I loved the idea of nourishing and protecting our...
Subha Patel International Flavors & Fragrances Whether you like artificial means of producing scent or whether you prefer natural ingredients or a combination of both, this article gives a little insight into the director of one of the top producers in...
6 Ways to Be Happier Happiness is a state of mind. People can choose whether to be happy... or not. It's a feeling that radiates through your entire being but...
Online Addiction of Second Life Many people complain of being addicted to the online virtual world of Second Life (SL). There is a simple reason. You don’t come here and...
Exercise Your Way to Better Blogging It seems to me that you can hardly go one day without hearing health related news. There are new miracle pills developed on a seemingly...
Speaking of interesting older women I just heard about the oldest woman blogger, Olive Riley, aged 107 in 2007. [Unfortunately, she has now died. 2009] Her blog The Life of Riley is being typed by a younger friend who believes...
Get Smart If you want to have an enjoyable couple of hours with laughs galore, head on over to your nearest theater and take in this movie. I went with my girls today, college age, 12 and...
How not to look or be old Recently I've been thinking about the subject of youth and age and what constitutes beauty. Is beauty cookie cutter, the way some plastic surgeons make their patients? Does everyone have to look the same? Is...
A little crochet story from Italy's earthquake Have you read the story of the 98 year old woman rescued under the rubble of her house after Italy's recent terrible earthquake? When asked what she did alone in the dark for 30 hours?...
FOTD Compare Covergirl to Maybelline Foundation Eyes: Base: Beauticontrol Pink Revlon Lilac Shimmer Perle (has sparks) This will be my alternate to Queen Phyllis (which is off white.) Milani #06 Royalty, also wetlined lower (remember the spark on this is only...
Oak Valley Golf Course, Beaumont, CA Oak Valley Golf Course is located in: Beaumont, CA Phone: (951) 769-7200 Website: http://www.oakvalleygolf.com/pages.asp?pid=33 Course History: This gorgeous golf course is home to several PGA...
Determining Your Target Heartbeat Rate There are a bunch of little ways to mathematically figure out how you can improve your diet and exercise, and one of these ways is...
How do I find my wife? I mean, how do I find the right one for me? I am so confused? I am 22 years old I am a male in...
Welcome Energi Gal It's my pleasure to announce an addition to Lazy Man and Money. The elusive fiancee that I've talked about in passing is going to be...
2009 was a good year. Any time one’s health is good, and that of one’s family and friends, it is a good year. Then throw in a few good times, a lotta good perfumes, some good books and movies, and it becomes a very good year indeed.
It’s always nice to put some thought into those things we love.
Best Perfumery Trends in 2009:
It has to be oud, which is everywhere, suddenly for us in the west, but always a presence in the east. I am not located in a place easy for access to many of these, so I’m personally limited in knowledge to the ones I’ve sampled.
First, perfumes.
As for perfumes, remember I’m in the back of beyond as far as easily sniffing some of the lines, so if you have a favorite or are a favorite, if I have samples, I’ll be glad to add my voice.
Best expensive niche:
Andy Tauer Une Rose Chyprée: A wearable rose, with vintage aspects, not quite dirty.
Anything by Ormonde Jayne or Andy Tauer or Ayala Moriel or Neil Morris or…
Best less expensive niche
Anything by Sonoma Scent.
Best in fragrances more easily found, some niche: Kilian Back to Black Kilian Pure Oud
Guerlain exclusives, take your pick. I like a number of them, including Moscow, Double Vanilla, 68, Chypre Fatale, La Petite Robe Noire…then there’s also Mon Precieux Nectar…I buy from Guerlain @ Palazzo in Las Vegas, ask for Claire. Call (702) 732-7008 or email: GuerlainPalazzo.STORE@lvmhuspc.com. Be sure to tell him that you heard it from me. (I saw them recently on a trip more locally, but the sales agent blew the sale with me. That’ll teach her, LOL!)
Serge Lutens, take your pick.
Prada, the original, and L’eau Ambree.
Chanel exclusives — I like Coromandel.
Best surprising fragrances Le Jardin Retrouvé should be more fully known. I was glad to get a chance to review them.
Best inexpensive fragrances
Make Me Smooth
Bathed and Infused
Skin care that really works:
These are not new for 2009, but they still are going strong, and more importantly, work.
Best Moderate to expensive
Arbonne products RE9 or FC5; RE9 for the body is terrific.
Estee Lauder New Perfectionist CP+
La Prairie Cellular Anti-wrinkle Firming Serum; Cellular Hydrating is good too.
Best inexpensive skincare
Avon Ultimate Gold or Anew Alternative Intensive Age Treatment
Best cosmetic trends 2009
Minerals, everywhere. Some much better than others in texture and look.
Best color products, Not Mineral High end
Chanel
Less expensive
Arbonne
Aromaleigh
Maybelline
NYX
Best lip gloss
MAC dazzlers comes in first
Beaute
Arbonne
Chanel
Best mineral niche
Aromaleigh or Fyrinnae
Best new product
Kindle 2 International — would be made better if it incorporated the ease of reading library ebooks, if our library had any. Please send us a free wireless download to add this in order to be competitive with Sony’s ereader. (Elena, you will really enjoy yours! Congrats on receiving it as a gift this Christmas.)
The best things in life are still free
You can find a gazillion free ebooks to read on your Kindle or other ebook reader before you even consider buying any ebooks.
Don’t forget to take time to view sunrises or sunsets or enjoy seeing bodies of water, free to all if we but take the time.
Internet friendships that become RL friendships. This is an amazing time we live in, when we can be instantly connected to friends around the world. You know who you are! I regularly keep in touch with friends in Europe and China, as well as at home from coast to coast. Not to mention checking in on blogs and yahoogroups I love that originate anywhere.
The qualities of hope, inspiration, gratitude, happiness, safety…
Don’t forget prayer…
What are your favorites?
I’m sure I left something out…
If I think of anything amazing, I will add it as the day goes on…
L'air du desert marocain by Tauer Perfumes I've heard a lot of good things about Andy Tauer fragrances, originating in Switzerland, and I was excited to finally be able to try several of them thanks to a friend at POL. I will...
Jero singing Enko part 1 Thanks to my friend Gordon: Joozu da na, Jerome san. Natsukashii mo. Umi Yuki - Jiro Music Fair (12 Apr 2008 ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w9t8TuF2Eo&feature=related Jero - Echigojishino Uta His story in the news. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/music_enka_star Japanese enka...
Guerlain's Plus que jamais I hear good things about this fragrance, but I have not yet had a chance to smell it. I live in an area that gets things later, but also never gets fragrances such as this....
Jero singing Enko part 2 More from Gordon: Jerome interviewed by Kyung Lah of CNN/TalkAsia. She lives there too. This reporter is so into this interview. She gets it too, in her way. Jero: American Enka Singer 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3gdVIc2x4Y&feature=related Jero:...
Are you addicted2trollbeads and more? If you are, you might like to check out the new list serv at yahoogroups: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Addicted2Trollbeadsandmore/ I'm hoping it will be a great resource for many of us. So far, there are several artisan glass...
Annick Goutal Perfume Grand Amour Review This is a review of Grand Amour, a Annick Goutal Perfume. When it comes to perfume fragrances, how can you exemplify the scent of love?...
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-10-25 Win Lunch For 2 With Mark Hamill http://bit.ly/4CrUs6 # Unlocked Verizon Droid available for sale on eBay http://bit.ly/9M9En # Selling On Ebay Why Paying Your...
It’s Not Just About the SEX! by Terry Spear, guest blogger I work in a library, and recently, we’ve had a lot of middle-aged women coming in looking for Zane Grey...
This was shared at another group I’m on, and I thought it was inspirational!
Hazel McCallion has been mayor of Mississauga, Ontario, for 11 terms with a 92% approval rating. She is hard to keep up with! What a gal! It is the 6th largest city in the country.
Are you going to watch the Oscars? I like to watch the Oscars as much for the glam as for the host and the presenters, not to mention the winners. I never wanted to miss any of Billy Crystal's openings. Ellen DeGeneres...
Keeping score in life This quote came across my computer this morning, and it got me to thinking about how we keep score(s) in life. Money is a way of keeping score in life, says T. Boone Pickens. But...
Singing in the rain with Sammy Davis Jr. He is so fluid! And one of my favorite songs...and how good to see Johnny Carson again, no wonder we loved him. The interview is a little poignant as he speaks a bit about being...
Ocean's 13 College Girl, one of her friends, and I went to see Ocean's 13 last night. It isn't Tolstoy, but it's fun, as we knew it would be. It's worth it to see Matt Damon's disguise;...
Living by verbs This is my living faith, an active faith, a faith of verbs: to question, explore, experiment, experience, walk, run, dance, play, eat, love, learn, dare, taste, touch, smell, listen, argue, speak, write, read, draw, provoke,...
I finally checked out The Total Money Makeover After hearing two friends talk about Dave Ramsey (one about Financial Peace University, the other about the radio show) I decided to check out some...
History of Top 10 Banks of the United States [/caption] The year 2009 was not a very promising one as the global recession wounded the financial conditions of the world. The economic slowdown of...
Citi On Life Support, Gets A Double Bypass Let's get this out of the way first, the automakers still do not deserve a bailout. Citi has been in some deep doo-doo ever since...
Visit Australia: The UN-Official Guide [/caption] Australia is the largest island in the world and a continent to itself. Before European settlement, it was inhabited by the Aborigines (or Kooris)...
Spiritual State I have experienced a spiritual state. A variety of issues sort of gave me no choice. I used to suffer seizures, irregular theta waves. Those are what...