A Busy Summer

Like many of you I'm sure, mine was a very busy summer. All three kids were home for awhile, and we spent a lot of time together, but their schedules were so different that we never managed a family vacation. It gets harder with every passing year. Thank goodness for the holidays.

We did manage a trip to King's Canyon and Sequoia National Parks with our youngest son and his friend. We were treated to sights of gigantic trees, cascading waterfalls and rushing rapids. We encountered no end of wildlife, including: quail, roadrunners, deer and (due to the strict usage of bear lockers at the campground) the skinniest squirrels I've ever seen. Oddly enough, we heard more French, German and Italian spoken at the touristy places than we did English.

We closed out the summer with a milestone. My husband Bruce and I celebrated 25 years of marriage on September 8th. It was a chance to look back and marvel at the wonderful life we've had together, including the many blessings we've shared.

Here's wishing you had a healthy and fulfilling summer and that autumn will be even better!

Happy May Day!

It's a lovely spring day today, the kind of day that fills one with hope and the feeling that anything is possible.

With all the negative news that surrounds us in the world today, I hope you will take a moment to consider the blessings you have. Are you in good health? Are your children healthy? Are they happy? Do you still have your job or prospects for work? Do you have a roof over your head? Enough to eat? Clothes on your back? Not everyone does.

Take a minute to be thankful for all that you have and all the good times you've experienced. The gratitude you feel will fill your heart with joy.

I was visiting the blogs of some of my fellow writers today when I happened on a post by Terri Forehand (heartfeltwords4kids.blogspot.com) about a book titled A Talent for Quiet.

It made me think about what I loved most about growing up. Some of my best memories are of times when we didn't have to be anywhere or rush to do something. Those long, lazy days of summer when I could just settle down with a good book or sit outside and enjoy the smell of fresh cut grass or feel the warmth of the sun on my face. We need to learn how to do that again.

We rush around so much these days, taking the kids to ballet or baseball, to clarinet lessons or soccer practice. There is so little time left just to relax and enjoy this beautiful planet, to watch a sunrise or see the sunset, to observe a colony of ants hard at work or to follow a butterfly as it flits around the garden.

We need to turn off the TV and get out of the house, stop playing the computer games and go for a bike ride. Life is too short to spend it sitting in front of a screen, asking someone else to entertain us.

Literary Orange

I had a wonderful opportunity this past Saturday to meet several talented and successful authors at an event called Literary Orange. It was sponsored by the Orange County Public Libraries and the UC Irvine Libraries.

I listened to presentations by three great keynote speakers and attended Q & A panels that featured some wonderful writers. They were very honest about their experiences and shared their thoughts about the writing life with those of us lucky enough to attend.

Writing is a difficult profession filled with unique challenges, but most of these authors admitted that, even though it isn't always easy, they feel compelled to write. It's part of who they are; it's their calling. Their need to share their stories with the rest of us takes precedence over everything else.

If you would like to participate in Literary Orange next year, mark your calendar for April 10, 2010. I'll be there!

New Beginnings

Today is the first day of spring. Even though the weather's a bit dreary in So. Cal. today, the birds know it's spring. They are chirping away like mad, eager to celebrate new beginnings, as the flowers come back to life and cherry blossoms abound.

Spring is my favorite time of the year. The weather is mild, but there could still be a rain storm or a heat wave around the corner. I like not knowing which extreme (if either) we'll get. I love the sense of hope and promise that comes with spring.

It's a good time to try new things, to set out on an adventure. The possibilities are endless. So this year, why not try something new? Learn a language or take up a new hobby. Paint a picture, plant an herb garden, learn how to play the piano.

Go ahead. Try something new. What have you got to lose?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

My dad emigrated from Ireland to the U.S. in the 1950's. He was one of 13 children, so we have numerous relatives in Ireland, as well as England, Australia and even Malaysia. I have about 75 first cousins on his side of the family alone.

St. Patrick's Day has always been one of my favorite holidays. Oddly enough, my dad had never heard of corned beef and cabbage as a traditional St. Paddy's Day meal until he came to the states.

When my kids were little, we had fun with the holiday, dying their apple juice green and serving other "green" foods. We also made Leprechaun traps the day before and left them out, only to find little footprints leading away from the trap. Somehow, they always escaped, but they often left a gold coin or two behind.

What fun we had with a bottle of green food color and an old shoebox and some string. It really is the simple things in life that are the best!

De-Clutter and De-Stress

Ever notice how calm you feel when your house is in order? Everything is picked up and resting in its proper place, easy to get to when you need it. There are open spaces on the floor, clean countertops, neat bookshelves. You have a sense of serenity when you look around your home, satisfied that all is well.

Now think about how you feel when the house is a mess, clutter everywhere, the papers you need to find right now are in one of many giant stacks of paper lying around, instead of neatly filed away in the cabinet. Your pulse quickens as your stress level rises. It's hard to focus on what you need to get done, because all around you are reminders of the mess you're in.

Yesterday I made a conscious effort to clean away the clutter from my bedroom. I figured I couldn't fault my son for keeping a sloppy room when mine looked no better than his. I pushed myself to keep going, breaking the task up into small segments of time, focusing on one area at a time. At last, it was done, and I felt a tremendous sense of contentment wash over me. Now everytime I walk into that room I am happy, calm, peaceful.

Try it!

Top 100 Healthy Mom Blogs

I just found out that my blog is mentioned in the following article, Top 100 Healthy Mom Blogs. It's a wonderfu l source for moms (and dads), so please check it out.

Reducing Stress in Difficult Times

News about the economy is troubling and it's likely to get a lot worse before it gets better. Here are some tips for reducing stress during these difficult times.

1) Limit your exposure to news - While it's important to stay informed, you will go crazy with stress and worry if you tune into the news multiple times during the day. Get the headlines and get on with your life.

2) Take what is said with a grain of salt - Remember that the line between the news and entertainment divisions has blurred in recent years. Ratings rule the day and the more "dramatic" the news, the more the ratings increase. Don't believe everything you hear. Be an informed viewer and draw your own conclusions from the verifiable facts presented.

3) Be grateful for the good things in your life - Do you have good health? A happy family? Great friends? Make a list of all the things you are grateful for and you will feel a tremendous sense of contentment.

4) Focus on others - No matter how bad things get, someone always has it worse than you do. We when focus on others and how we can make their burdens lighter, it makes our lives better too.

5) Appreciate the little things - A pretty flower, the deep blue of the ocean, a baby giggling, a beautiful sunset. All these things make you feel better and ease your worries; maybe it's just for a moment, but all these moments add up to an improved sense of well-being.

6) Get out and move around - Exercise is a wonderful remedy for stress. It helps to release any pent up nerves or anxiety and it's good for your overall health too. It's a definite win-win!

Together Time

As our kids grow and become more independent, it becomes harder and harder to spend time together as a family. That's why we were thrilled when our son told us that he will be able to get away this weekend and help us to celebrate our daughter's 21st birthday. We are truly blessed to have this time together.

If I can give one piece of advice to parents it would be to cherish every minute you have with your children. It's not always easy, and parents need time for themselves too, especially when the kids are young. But they grow up so fast, and before you know it, they're gone off to college, off to begin their own lives.

Live in the moment! Enjoy the journey!

And the winner is.........Nikki!

The One World, One Heart contest has come to an end, and I have contacted the winner.

Nikki has two little girls and I'll be writing a story about them!

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to enter the contest, and thank you for your nice comments. I have visited many of your sites, and I will try to get to all of them in the coming months.

This has been a lot of fun!

Last Day

Today is the last day to participate in the One Heart, One World program. Tomorrow I will select a winner and notify that person. On Thursday, I will announce the winner on my blog.

Stay tuned!

Book on Kids and College

Greetings everyone,

My friend Judy and I are putting together an ebook about the unique experiences of parents and their college age children. Once you've toured all the campuses and filled out all the forms, you submit your applications. You wait patiently for word of acceptance or rejection and celebrate when at last a decision has been made. You think you're done. WRONG! The fun is only beginning.

If you have a story or just some thoughts you would like to contribute, please send us your email address. You can leave a comment here or contact us at TSchultz60@gmail.com. (My hotmail account is overflowing!) We will send you a list of questions to answer if you like, or you can just write down your ideas about the challenges parents (and their teens) face as their children grow into adults.

Please let us know if you wish to remain anonymous. Otherwise, we will use first names only. If selected, submissions become our property and you give us your consent to use them in our e-book. We will notify you if selected and send you a complimentary copy of our ebook.

Thanks in advance,

Theresa and Judy

Sometimes the best way to de-stress is with a game or quiz - something silly and fun. Try this one out. And...don't forget to enter the contest! See previous post!

Take the Quiz here!

One World One Heart - Free Giveaway

I've just signed up to participate in the One World One Heart campaign. To learn more about this program, go to http://oneworldoneheart.typepad.com/one_worldone_heart/.

Between now and February 11th, leave a comment on this post (including your email address) and let me know if you would like to be entered in the contest. On February 12th, I will randomly select a winner. The prize? Well, since I am a writer, I will write a short story for you. The story will star your favorite child or children as the main character(s). I will ask you some questions about your child and fashion a story wherein he or she saves the day.

Good luck and don't forget to leave your email address so I may contact you.

An Historic Day

Today history was made as Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States. Once again, our country experienced a peaceful change in power, unlike so many other nations where change occurs only after a bloody coup.

We have much to be proud of and thankful for in this country; however, I have always been proudest of the fact that we are always seeking to be better than before, striving to achieve the ideals of our founding fathers, to give every individual an equal opportunity to succeed, a fair shake in life.

I pray today that we all come together to be the best that we can be, to share our greatest gifts with the rest of the world, to heal old wounds and make a fresh start, united in our desire to regain our stature in the world and form a more perfect union.

May God bless America.

Off to a Good Start

Now that the first full week of January is behind us, how did you do? Did you make any progress toward your goals? If not, what kept you from moving ahead? Did you lapse back into the same old bad habits? What can you do differently to avoid falling into that trap again?

I did pretty well this week. I made a plan for writing a certain amount of time each day and I stuck to it. I promised myself that I would not use my writing time for laundry, dishes, cleaning or any of the other distractions I face working at home. I fell short in a couple of places too, mainly because I had a vague objective with no plan to achieve it.

For example, I want to master this social networking thing. I have pages on MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Live Journal, CafeMom, etc. I signed up for these to promote my writing, but I find I am overwhelmed by the thought of dealing with so many websites and constantly updating each. So this week I will visit each site and evaluate which sites are worth keeping and which to chuck. Then next week, I will post a blog or comment on each site I decide to keep. I will set aside a specific time each day to do this and I will succeed.

This week try setting a specific task for yourself and make a plan to accomplish that task. Write it down - committing something to paper can be powerful - and check your plan each day to see how you are doing. Drop me a line at the end of the week and let me know how you did.

You can do it! You can eat less, exercise more, argue less, study more, stop procrastinating. You can change your life! Good luck!

Resolutions!

A few words of encouragement as we begin this new year.

I hope you have made some New Year's resolutions and I hope they are attainable. If they are realistic, but you are not sure if you will honor them, think about this. The words we use when we think or speak have tremendous power. If we say, "I'll try" or "I will if I can" or "hopefully," the odds are good that we will not succeed. However, if we use the words "I will," "I can," and "I am going to," we have a far greater chance of succeeding.

So here's to a new year full of possibilities and positive language.