Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Taking Back Control

We're already three weeks into the new year.  I stopped making resolutions long ago. Goal setting on the other hand has been very important to me over the years.  It's been a little over two years since my career life dramatically changed due to this recession and it hasn't been the same since, although I emerged a changed individual.

You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive...I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

image from www.TheKingCenter.org
Where in years past my goals have been focused on what I perceived would make me happy - financial security - this economy & the circumstances that followed has made me place emphasis elsewhere.  Financial security is still very elusive for most & I don't foresee it truly being within our grasp for a few more years to come.  The choice I made was to shift my energy inward - onto anything & everything entirely within my control.

"We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline." 
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Building on achievements in a tough 2010 are the building blocks for my 2011 goals.  How many times do we say to ourselves, "I'm going to work to build better me?" It's not all about the physical, although a more fit body contributes to a more positive thinking mind.  I'm talking about traditional & non-traditional learning opportunities.  Continuing education is a major key to ongoing happiness & future successes. As we age, learning, whether in a classroom setting or not,  broadens your perspective, helps you problem solve more effectively & ultimately keeps your mind active & healthy.


A couple of my goals for 2010 were completed at the University of St. Thomas, my alma mater, though the Opus College of Business.  I took the leap with an Internet Essentials class & once I got the bug, I completed a Mini Masters of Medical Technology Management.

For 2011, I have another list of related courses to fit into my busy schedule. My non-traditional learning comes via my massive reading list, which continues to grow by the day.

 
Two new books, which I've pre-ordered & am most excited to read are: 


and
aka @TheBrandBuilder



Goal setting & taking back control of one's life seems to be a common theme among people in my circle of influence.  The best part of making realizations that you can take leaps & bounds towards improving your work or other personal situation is the high that you get knowing that you can move the needle & make a huge difference in the quality of your future. 

Being off of work for the 1st time ever on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, so many people were reflective of the sacrifices & struggles that finally allowed both African Americans, and to an extent - women, to have freedoms, opportunities and dreams never before believed possible. We must continually look forward to a better future, while not dwelling on the bumps & hurdles once thrust into our way in the past. Our responsibility is to continue fanning the fire that fuels the legacy that Martin Luther King Jr. left for us - to make strides to change & improve ourselves & our communities... ultimately for our children.

  
If you liked this post, you might also enjoy: My Lens Into The First Ever MN Blogger Conference

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Finally Post #100... A Blogger Tradition

So I did it in less than a year.  I made it to my 100th post.  So much has changed in my life since I set up this blog & decided to take this journey & in my mind I know  it's only just begun.  

In true Blogger tradition, I've been told I must write the obligatory "100 Things About Me" post, so after days of noodling about what secrets to divulge I've decided to cover many bases.  Hopefully you'll learn a lot about the chick you've known for years, tweeted with daily or even met once in person. Above all, you've got to promise to stick with me through the end... this is going to be a long one!
 Food & Beverages:
1. My favorite foods growing up were Eggs Benedict, French Toast & Shrimp. 
2. I've literally eaten those foods all around the country. Still love them today.
Lunch recently at Manny's
3. I don't like Brussel Sprouts or Peanut Butter.
4. I don't like Indian Food.
5. I love Thai, Italian, Mexican, Carribean, Cajun & Creole Foods.
6. I love Sushi & all other types of seafood.
7. I'm not a Chardonnay or Merlot fan, but all other wines are fair game
8. I don't drink beer & can honestly say I don't enjoy the taste.
9. I don't drink Diet Pop & only drink regular Pop a few times a year - usually at family gatherings.
10. I don't drink Coffee.
11. I love Tea - especially Chai Tea
12.  I don't like Shredded Wheat.
13. My favorite hot cereals are Cream of Rice, Cream of Wheat & Oatmeal (In no particular order)
14. I won't eat chocolate cereals, but I will eat plain old Dark Chocolate (at least 70% Cacao)
15. I do eat & like Grits (After all, my Dad is from Louisiana)
Photo from MyRecipe.com
16. I love to cook & bake & have since I was a child watching my Dad cook.  My parents gave me lots of leeway to practice my skills in the kitchen.
17. I own 4 crockpots & endless service pieces & a buffet server since we host very large family gatherings a few times a year. 
18. I collect cookbooks.
Travel & Heritage: 
19. I am a Northwest Airlines brat.  My father worked there almost my entire lifetime.
20. My 1st flight was when I was 2 weeks old from Chicago, IL to Minneapolis, MN.
21. My last flight was to NYC back in the fall of 2007. (I know I need a vacation.
22. I've traveled by plane, train, automobile, bus, & ferry, but have never been on a cruise ship.
23. I've traveled to over 24 different states in the USA.


24. Outside of the USA, I've been to: Mexico, Nassau & Bahamas, Trinidad & Tobago, St. John's, St Thomas, London, Paris, Hamburg, Negril Jamaica, Winnipeg Canada & British Columbia Canada.

25. I would love to travel to Greece, Italy, Australia, Ireland & back to France.
26. I have a fear of snorkeling - can't keep my head under the water with goggles & the snorkel mask on.
27. I've taken an ride on an elephant in Tampa , FL.
28. I've fallen asleep on a raft & floated out into the ocean in Florida - floating far, far from shore & woke up to people screaming wildly & waving their arms to get my attention. Luckily no hungry sea creatures dined on me while I briskly paddled back to shore.
29. I've never been to New Orleans during Mardi Gras.
30. I have Native American & Irish Blood on my Mom's side of the family - most African Americans are usually Multi-racial.
31. I love Ancestry.com and have been researching/building our family history for a couple of years.
  The Two Northwests in my Life:
32. My 1st job (where I payed taxes to Uncle Sam) was with Northwest Airlines as a file clerk for Central Baggage Services.
33. I typed lost baggage claims on Rolodex Cards and filed them in order of airline hubs.
34. I also inventoried contents of lost baggage & saw the results of people packing food in their suitcases & it wasn't pretty (rotting food = bugs).
35. I'm paranoid to check bags to this day even though I've only lost baggage once & it wasn't lost by NWA.
36. I worked for Northwest Athletic clubs & held various jobs & met a lot of people over my 13 years tenure.
37. One of those jobs: Group Fitness Instructor & I still have an extensive collection of custom aerobic music mixes to show for it.

 Random Facts:
38. I've only been bitten by a bee once.
39. I have a fear of falling from high places - but not a general fear of heights.
40. As a kid I had a fear of jumping off a diving board - fortunately that didn't last too long.
41. I'd love to have a new car - the one I drive is 13 years old.
42. I've only colored my hair once & hated it.
43. I'm not afraid to rock gray hair one day.
44. I had a fear of the dentist as a child & am hoping my child doesn't take after me in that regard.
45. I was my own wedding planner.
46. I love interior design & remodeling our home has been a labor of love.
47. I designed custom windows to go into the 1st custom townhome that I owned.
48. I am very sentimental.
49. I've saved every writing journal I've every had.
50. I love shoes, especially heels since I'm short - you'll rarely see me not wearing heels.
51. I've always wanted to be tall.
52. I hate camping - I am spoiled - It's either a cabin or a hotel room, or I don't go.
53. I don't like swimming in lakes, but the ocean is fine.
54. I remember 45 records & LPs
55. I remember 8-track tapes
56. I was in the sixth grade before I was allowed to wear jeans (nothing resembling Pajama Jeans either)
57. I got my ears pierced for the Jr Prom - I was 15 yrs old.  
58. Since the birth of my son, I rarely wear earrings, but pull them out on special occasions.
59. I loved the sense of accomplishment the morning after promoting a successful bodybuilding/fitness competition.
60. I always wanted to have 5 kids - What was I thinking?!
 Music & Theater:
61. I played clarinet for 5 years.
62. I recently took a guitar I've had since my 6th birthday to get re-strung so I can re-learn to play & then pass the guitar on to my son one day.
63. I love all kinds of theater & have seen a tremendous number of productions in my lifetime.
64. Some of the more memorable were: Yul Brenner in "The King & I", Nell Carter in "Ain't Missbehavin", Matthew Broderick & Nathan Lane in "The Producers" & Donny Osmond in "Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" & 6th row seats to "Rent".
65. My favorite local production was "Fiddler on the Roof" during my childhood at Chanhassen Dinner Theater. We saw it 3 times.
66. I was in a traveling performance singing group in high school & our favorite music to perform was from "The Sound Of Music".
Sports:
67. I learned to swim at the Blaidell YMCA as a child - It wasn't a scary part of town to be in back when I was growing up.
68. I hated playing basketball & quit after 1 year and became a cheerleader instead (Don't hold it against me - It was a ton of fun.)
69. I competed in Track & Field for eight years & competed in all of these events at some time over the years:
  • Hurdles ( 100m, 200m, 300m)
  • Long Jump
  • 200m Open
  • 4x100 relay
  • 4x200 relay
  • 4x400 relay
  • Heptathalon (100m Hurdles, Long Jump, 200m, Shot Put, Javelin, High Jump, 800m)
70. I learned to play Tennis as a child, but don't ask me to play today as I much prefer to just watch the game.
71. I learned to play Golf as a child...my 1st set of clubs were powder blue.
72. I still love to play Golf today - I've met some awesome friends through Executive Women's Golf Association leagues.
73. I do not play games on Facebook - please don't ask me to join in.
74. The longest road race I've ever run is a 10K.
75. I have no desire to run a marathon.
76. I would like to compete in a Triathalon one day.
Allergies & Pets:
77. I am allergic to cats & first discovered it in college. I was never around cats growing up.
78. I love dogs, but have no desire to own a dog again.
79. I once saw a rat on the subway tracks in Chicago that was the size of a small cat. (Not Kidding) I called it a cat & my Dad quickly corrected me.
Famous Encounters:
80. I met Prince's mother years ago at the Riverview Supper Club.
81. I wish I had met Prince himself instead of his mother.
82. I was asked out once by Evander Holyfield at the downtown Arena Club & of course I said no.  I knew he was married & I was also married at the time (True Story)
83. I was in a music video with The Commmodores (Brickhouse '94 - A Remake on the Commodores XX- No Tricks album) - the experience was a blast, but the single, however never got any air play.

84. I've met Alex Haley, Rosa Parks & Carl Eller - they all came to speak at the College of St. Thomas while I was attending. 

85. I was in a Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Readathon movie in the 3rd grade with crazy Mn Viking Carl Eller & the photo I had of the kids who were in the movie with him is what he signed the back of for me. 
More Random Facts: 
86. I love almost every genre of dance & love watching professional dancers.

87. I do not enjoy watching "Dancing with the Stars".
88. I do enjoy watching "So you think You Can Dance"
89. The Biggest Loser is one of my favorite network TV shows.
90. I love HGTV - period.
91. I love being a Mom , even more so at this late stage in my life.
92. I love being a Wife.
93. I am very competitive, but also very compassionate & empathetic.
94. I love volunteering at the Crisis Nursery (Cook For Kids) - even if I have to wear the "Lunch Lady" hair net.
95. I love the feel of real hard & soft cover books.
96. I love Coach handbags.
97. The 1st Coach handbag I ever had was only $45, bought from the Powers Department store on the Nicollet Mall.
98. I am a great listener & have a nurturing personality.
99. I don't show my munchkin's face on my blogs.
100. I realize after 11 months of blogging how difficult it really is, but I'm looking forward to the next 100 posts.

Friday, December 24, 2010

A Christmas Eve Tradition

There's absolutely no doubt that we will have a White Christmas. After staying up late wrapping all munchkin's presents & a couple for hubby, we woke up to yet another fresh dusting of snow. 


 
Every year my munchkin gets more & more into the tradition of the holidays & I try to think of ways to make lasting memories.  Last year we made the Rolo pretzel cookies - far too many of them. I was still eating them a week later.

 
I also started the making cookies for Santa & leaving carrots for his reindeer tradition & it was a huge hit. Of course I had to munch some of the cookies & the carrots to make it believable & by the surprised look on his face it knew it was very convincing.


So this morning the first thing munchkin wanted to do was to make cookies for Santa. So I cleaned up the kitchen & we started baking. Now I have to admit I totally cheat & buy the package cookie mix - what can I say? My sister-in-law T is the reigning queen of cookie making in our family & I'll never try to "out do" her, so I keep it simple.  I just added my own butter & egg & off we went.



We made a batch to be frosted
& then decided that decorating, then baking was the yummier way to go so we made pan 
 after pan,
 after pan,
 until we were finally done.
Thankfully mommy's tester approved!

Whatever the tradition on Christmas Eve morning is in your home, I hope it's always fun & memorable. Sending wishes of love, peace & hope to all of you - from our home to yours.

~Merry Christmas 2010 & 
Have A Happy & Healthy New Year 2011~

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

My Holiday Wish for this Wordless Wednesday

Were only days away from another Christmas celebration.


Where did the year go?
So many blessings. So many wishes that have been granted.

So much time to think about those who continue to struggle.
So many people who may spend the holidays alone.

My prayers go out to those who have far less than we.
That they be blessed with hope & some peace of mind.
To endure another second, another minute, another day 
- one day at a time.

My Holiday Wish? 

To those that have the means 
to help someone less fortunate 
- please raise a hand.

Not just now - during the holidays, 
but throughout the coming year.

Take those opportunities to give something back.

Because tomorrow isn't guaranteed 
& you never know when you might need 
someone to return the favor.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Not so Delicious After All


I hadn't paid much attention to Social Bookmarking Services in the past, but that all changed on Friday. Social Bookmarking been around for several years, however I've been very happy with the "old fashioned" & private way of just creating folders of bookmarks on my PC. I haven't seen a need to make my library of web resources public. But there are many people that do & rely on this resource which can be readily retrieved from anywhere ~ especially when you're on the go.

But seriously hard core Delicious users are suddenly shopping the competition & rushing to move their libraries of data to a more reliable source.

Competitor Diigo is already capitalizing on the rumors of the future of Delicious being in flux:

 Just in case you're not familiar, here's a quick & dirty download on some of the Diigo features including:
  • "My library" for doing web research, sharing on-line content & collaboration
  •  The ability to annotate w/highlighting, highlight & clip images, and even a "post-it notes" tool
  •  Use of a cloud online archive so you don't have to worry about web pages or .pdfs not being there when you use traditional bookmarks to find them again
  • Ability to download content for off-line browsing
  • Means to organize data w/multiple tags or lists which you can elect to share with others
  • Multiple back-ups of your online library
  • "My Network" - the means to create personal learning networks
  • Option of establishing group collaborative repository networks
  • Accessibility via mobile with ease
Instapaper is also a more simple option, without all the bells & whistles of a Delicious, Evernote or Diigo. According to the site FAQ, "Instapaper isn’t optimized for keeping track of thousands of pages. This isn’t the right tool to collect, categorize, tag, filter, and search the contents of every web page you’ve ever found."

Evernote is a recommended Delicious alternative as well for capturing organizing & finding saved items you're looking for fast. With this service it's not quite as easy as downloading a toolbar, you're downloading a desktop client application.

My question is does it make sense to have all your treasured bookmarks in one basket? Redundancy may be the sensible answer - although it's time consuming, it may be better than stressing about the what if scenarios of the future. It would be nice if someone could come up with a self hosted alternative that allowed you to back-up your library to your own personal cloud - perhaps even to the same place that you store your personal files like MozyHome.

In a volatile economy, especially one where in the same week Yahoo announced 600 layoffs, nothing is certain & no product is guaranteed to last forever.  Instead of sweating the possibility of being a victim of circumstance - get your disaster recovery plan in place & stay proactive with your options.  You'll be glad you did.

More posts inspired by Delicious Paranoia:

Web Uproar As Yahoo Shuts Down Delicious

Delicious is Dead. Now What?

17 Reasons Delicious.com Users Should Head to Diigo

10 Alternatives to Delicious

Yahoo Claims It’s Not Killing Delicious

What's next for Delicious?

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy: Inner Struggles

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Season of Gratitude

Thanksgiving is the time of year that gets most people thinking about everything good that has come their way in the months past. For me the quickly approaching year-end truly solidifies thoughts about where I've been, where I'm headed & all that I'm thankful for.

We live in a time where so much that many of us take for granted & think of as necessities are pure pipe dreams for others.  Just read the headlines from the past week & you'll see that you never know what tomorrow will bring or how much you could literally lose in an instant.
  • A man's home burned down in the city next door from ours & he perished along with it.
  • A driver racing to flee the police crashes into another vehicle, taking the life of a Mother & her two children.
  • A soon-to-be-homeless 50+ long term unemployed 99er writes a suicide note after being on the brink of despair & hopelessness, not knowing what to do next or where to go.
  • A woman contemplates placing her kids in foster care so that they don't run the risk of being homeless along with her, seeing no other options or saving grace.
I consider myself to be one of the lucky ones. After a lifetime of taking the ability to quickly find good jobs & maintain them for many years with great pay, bonuses, benefits & good opportunities for advancement, I found myself & a number of close co-workers suddenly displaced. There was no advance knowledge of exactly how far the economy would slide downward...no clues that this would not be a short-term situation.  Days turned into weeks, then months, then a year & several months of unemployment & no real "good news" coming from hiring circles in the industries I knew so well.  


"An overnight sprinkling of snow - our doubts, chased away by morning as faith climbs even wintry skies." - Modern haiku from Paris, France

Thank God for severance, savings, then unemployment checks, not to mention realigned priorities and expectations forever changed.  Twitter & Linked In has kept me in touch with people experiencing similar challenges, including some tweeps which I've yet to meet IRL, but certainly plan to. There are those I follow on Twitter because of their intelligent thoughts, positive messages & magnetic personalities. Others I look forward to reading in my timeline because they resemble who & what I am very proud to be - a working mother.

We all get excited for the holidays & do what we can to make memories & long standing traditions for our families.  We adopt families & play Santa, buying them gifts.  We contribute to gift causes through our churches, or bring food so that the homeless can be fed.

"Eternal goodness, you want me to gaze into you and see that you love me.  You love me freely, and you want me to love and serve my neighbors with the same love, offering them my prayers and my possessions, as far as in me lies..." 
- St Catherine of Siena ( 1347-1380), Italy

I'm thankful that contract work can turn into full time work - as so many others are still looking for something - any type of work to help them get back on their feet. I am fortunate.

I'm grateful for discounts offered to alumni that put me over the edge & gave me the justification to spend money on continuing education, so that I can continue to work towards bigger & better career goals. I appreciate the opportunity to get to know the people in my class - some employed but the majority still are not. All are very intelligent, highly educated individuals that deserve some peace of mind & the means to be able to support their families. 

One in particular is soon to be a 99er & hasn't has a single face-to-face interview in almost 2 years & is terrified of what tomorrow won't bring. He desperately just wants to work - he'd move his family anywhere in the country to do it. Every week we have tried to encourage him not to lose hope.

I'm thankful to have a supportive husband, extended family & good friends, who had faith & said prayers that kept me from giving up.  I'm grateful for my child's unconditional love & the fact that he's resilient & at his tender age, never really knew all that he missed out on while I was out of work.  

Things could ALWAYS be so much worse & the light at the end of the tunnel, though it still seems far away at times - it still burns bright.

We've all been guilty of "doing our part" when the decorations are up & the holiday music plays, & then we quickly become self absorbed in our own personal goals & resolutions for the new year. My holiday wish for you is to find a way to extend yourself - volunteer, well into 2011 & be a champion for a worthy cause. You truly can extend this season of gratitude & keep others hopeful in the process.

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Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Wordless Wednesday - Fun is the Mother of all Inventions


Who says you need a monster snow blower
to get the job done clearing the snow from the driveway & sidewalk?



All you need is a little imagination & the desire to have a little fun & you've got a Munchkin & Daddy-powered snow plow. 
What could be better?