Toot, Sweet.

Everyone has the opportunity to walk through a "fart" or have one themselves at some point or another. For example, walking through a store. We have all walked through one and made the face and scurried through it to avoid any length of time smelling it and worse yet, that someone might think you did it. And you know most of us have polluted the air in some franchise chain and before you could leave the isle, someone enters. Yeah, not good. If you are with a kid, blame is the only option. "Jeez, Joey, do you have to go to the bathroom?" Mind you, do not say this to a kid over 6 years old. They are on to you and will let everyone know it was you. Not me of course.

  Regardless from where it comes, they are uncomfortable. Some smell for a while and some are brief. It is how gracefully we can get through them. Shawne Duperon, www.shawnetv.com , says that in life, we also have "toot" like situations that are uncomfortable and that we would gladly like to remove ourselves from.  Small toots might be slipping in front of a group of people. Bigger ones might be being called into the school for your child's misbehavior. They are uncomfortable.

Let me share one today. I was in line at the cashier. There was a young man that was clearly new at the job and looked terrified. Behind him was an older woman (compared to his young age) peering over his shoulder. There was another veteran cashier within 2 feet and the bagger who was a bit older than he. Then, there was me and a line of people waiting. Uncomfortable shift-long toot for this kid. I felt bad. So, I said, "Do you ever feel like someone is looking over your shoulder?" He smiled and said yes. The woman behind him smiled and laughed. The young man continued checking out not knowing what most of the produce was so I continued to make light of the situation. I said it was a good place to learn what all this stuff is. I also told I'd be back to test him. The woman said I could tell him how to cook it. Microwave? So we all chatted and made light of it and he smiled and was happy to let me join his toot. The customers behind me heard everything and they were smiling. I was sure they would help him out too.

That young man is going to have a very uncomfortable day and I hope the five minutes I spent with him will help him be more comfortable. I had empathy for him and compassion. Share some with someone today and help them through their "Toot." :)

Masterpiece

Last week, I received the illustrations for my book. It was an emotional moment sitting in front of my screen, one by one, downloading the files. Each one popped up covering up the one behind it only giving me a brief glimpse of their whimsical scenes. As I carefully looked at each one, my emotions began to surface.

Backing up, when I received the emails, I was nervous because I knew this would be one step closer to the final masterpiece (I like to call it that).  It is possible that its success will be minimal but at least I can say that i did get one of my many books published and I can share that with my family. I am proud of that. Or, it will be wildly successful and I will have to figure out how to balance my family and my book.  I'll eat an elephant one bite at a time.

While I was looking at them, I started to cry. I was crying out of relief that they are completed and then, most of all, because Denise gave my story life with delightful characters and charming detail. It is a dream come true. I can only hope she feels the same way. I have not met her nor talked to her so our only communication is through my editor and publisher and through my written words and her paintbrush. We are a match. She captured my words so well and added her creative touch. I hope she will want to do more of the Flip Side Stories. www.deniseclemmensen.com

So, the illustrations are approved and she will send out the originals from California. We have sent her some cover ideas for her to sketch. We will have to approve those and she off to painting again.


The last steps are layout, proof and print. Print, print, print. Then I hope everyone will want to share this book with their children. I hope to encourage a more empathetic, caring, compassionate and tolerant world.

Here's a sneak peek.

Toast to Jelley

Today, I had the honor of attending the celebration of a man's 83 years of life. Ok, I could say a funeral and the end of his life but it's all in the "Power of Words", right?

He was the Father and Grandfather of dear friends of ours and I had the opportunity to spend some time with Grandpa Jelley at a couple of joyous family events over the past year. The one thing I remember about dear Grandpa Jelley was his HUGE smile. He always seemed happy. At least when he saw me. ha ha. Not really. Everyone says the same thing about him. What I loved most about spending time with him was his spirit that escaped through his smile. At the times that I was able to sit with him, he had some difficulty getting the words out that he wanted to say. Not because he struggled mentallybut because he had difficulty getting the words to come out right.  I could tell sometimes that it bothered him but he always laughed it off. I didn't always know exactly what he was saying, but he did and he was going to try his best to convey his message the best he could.

The Eulogy was about what a happy man he was and how he lived life to the fullest. He was always smiling and bringing joy to others. He had a great sense of humor to which he passed on to his grandson. Now, we get to enjoy Grandpa through him.

During the ceremony, I thought about my eulogy. I know, sounds depressing but really it's not. It is your legacy, the mark you leave, the impression you've made on the people in your life and the world. What do I want people to say about me?  She was a grumpy, mean spirited, self-centered piece of work? Um...No.  It is a picture or portrait of you. Would you want to hang that portrait of you on the wall? I would think not. Mona Lisa is an exception but only because it worth a lot of money.

None of us know how long we'll be here but we do know we probably have this minute or an hour, a day, a week, a year or many years. What am I going to do with that time? I want to be remembered as a happy person, a caring and loving person, a person with integrity and honesty, a number 1 mother to my children, a number 1 wife to my husband, a teacher, a person who strived to make a difference in the world on a grander scale than an arms reach and a person who wanted to help people however she could. This is what I have determined my life will be. I've created a goal and I am working toward it. I don't expect to be perfect. In a portrait, you don't see the details. You see the whole person.

I want my life celebrated. I informed my husband that I would like "Lord of the Dance." played at my celebration (dance if you wish), no open casket because that wouldn't be me anymore and only wear black if it makes you feel skinnier.  Life is good. Make the most out of it and make your impression matter.

Lets learn about Empathetic Civilisation

Most of you may have seen this on my Facebook http://twe.ly/uDfb but I thought I'd post it here in case you aren't there (but I'd love to have you there too).

Book Giveaway Winner

Mommy Lady Club is the winner of the book giveaway. I used random number generator to choose the winner. Congratulations! 

Follow Mommy Lady Club on Blogger. 

Watch for more Giveaways!

Letting Go

At church yesterday, the Homily ready made me think. Monsignor Zenz told a story about how he was speaking to an elderly priest the other day and asked him how he was doing and the priest said, " I wake up every day and let go of something else." Monsignor continued to talk about letting go and giving up control. As I usually do, my thoughts drifted off and I began to ponder the words "letting go everyday".

I never thought about it before but everyday of our lives we are letting go of something in order to move forward. When we are born, we let go of the security and warmth of our mother's womb. Throughout a baby's growth, they are continually letting go of something. It may be as simple as a pacifier or bottle or the arms of their parents. They give up the cradling of the bassinet then the security (and confinement) of the crib.  On the flip side, they are growing up and learning to do things on their own. They are growing and thriving.

Kids let go of old toys, outgrown clothing and even being home all day with mom or dad to go to school. Every year, they let go of an age, a grade level,  friends, teachers and maybe letting go of a school to go to a new one.  When they go to college, they let go of the security of home, their bedroom, their hometown in most cases, their highschool friends and more. On the flip side, they are becoming independent and self-sufficient and confident. They are maturing into competent adults.

When we marry, we let go of our parents if we are still dependent on them. We let go of some of our ego-centricity to be part of a team (hopefully) if we have been living on our own.  We might let go our home where we were living, let go of some freedoms, some close friendships and some habits. On the flip side, we are hopefully joining with someone who compliments us, someone who completes and someone who we will start a family with. We don't mind giving those things up when we care about that person. It isn't difficult when we "love" someone.

When we become parents, there is gratification in being needed and helping this little person to survive. Though, every day, we have to help them become independent so we have let go of many things along the way. Eventually we give up nursing them, bottle feeding them, changing their diapers, dressing them and being their entertainment. We have to continually teach them how to survive on their own. On the flip side, it is also gratifying to see them growing up and becoming independent little people. It drives us to move forward and help our children grow and thrive.

As we get older, we let go youth, maybe health, our children (hopefully), our homes, our jobs, our minds... all of this seems negative really. It just an observation. It isn't really negative if you look at it as moving forward and growing. It is part of life. It is what we make of it. Are you letting go of things or moving forward and growing? Is your cup 1/2 full or 1/2 empty? Something to think about.

Winner of the Molly Coddle Tile Giveaway!

Congratulations Amy Simonelli!

You are the winner of the Molly Coddle Bunny Tile. You can choose from 3 colors. 

Thanks for participating!

Please check out Molly Coddle tiles. The Bunny Tiles make a great spring Hostess gift. 

There are beautiful tiles with French and Italian Flair and quote

tiles for inspiration. "like" Mollycoddle on Facebook today!

Winner was chosen using random number generator. The list of comments were used as the pool of enteries. If you entered in more than one location (ie. Facebook, Mollycoddle, blog), you were entered for each mentioned in the blog. If you entered all three, it mean you were entered three different times in the order of the comments.

I have chosen the winner of a copy of my book. 
I will announce it shortly. :) We'll give
Amy the limelight for a little while!

Book Giveaway!

I want to give something away. Sign up for my blog. When we reach 1000 views, I will do a drawing of my blog followers for one of my books when it HOt off the presses and I will personalize it for you. 

Follow my blog today! 

You're the Ace!

I almost forgot to draw a new card for this week, week 2. I drew an Ace of hearts. What shall I do with this ace of hearts. What would you do? Please share. 

Let me think...

ace |ās|noun1 a playing card with a single spot on it, ranked as the highest card in its suit in most card games : the ace ofdiamonds | figurative life had started dealing him aces again.• informal Golf a hole in one.2 [often with adj. ] informal a person who excels at a particular sport or other activity : a motorcycle ace.• a pilot who has shot down many enemy aircraft, esp. in World War I or World War II.3 (in tennis and similar games) a service that an opponent is unable to return and thus wins a point.adjective informalvery good : an ace swimmer.
I wrote the title of this post before I started it and it says it all I think. I am going to tell someone that I think they are the Ace of my heart. Couldn't do without em'!
What's your Ace of hearts?

Mission Amy KR http://twe.ly/kHib

Don't Judge a Book by the Cover-A Lesson in Regifting?

During my twitter time today, I came across an article that made me recall a similar experience that was pretty embarrassing. Some experiences are hard to bring up again because you feel shameful or plain stupid. If we don't talk about it, it doesn't exist. My story isn't all that bad but it can be eye-opening to you and it is a reminder to me. Let me tell you about it.

As a teacher, I loved my students like family and I was protective of them. Did I struggle with some students? Of course. What I didn't do was give up on them. I learned more about the family and learned more about the student to better appreciate their learning styles and personalities.  

So, I had a boy who was very sweet but struggled with academics and even stuggled with friendships. He fell into some friendships that were a bit troublesome, too.  I helped him to the best of my ability and nurtured him as best I could. 

The holidays came around and the gifts came rolling in from my students. I received ornaments and candles and treats and all kinds of things. Some more desirable than others.  That year, I got a really strange book from the grandmother of this boy. I opened it, thanked her and quizzically put it aside. It was called One Child and on the cover was a somewhat disheveled and sad looking child sitting on a chair. I couldn't understand why this grandmother would give me such a thing that looked so depressing at Christmas time. The description was even more heartwrenching. The book looked used.  Literally, it may have come off of her shelf.  A gift is a gift, I thought. It isn't how much it is or where it came from. It's the thought behind it. This one baffled me though.  

So,  I decided to give it to my father-in-law for Christmas (I know, regifter) Bad? Well, you'll see why in this case it is. My father-in-law opened the book and found this in the front cover: 

What can I say? I misjudged the intentions of his Grandmother. Never thought there would have been true thought behind it. Talk about changing my Christmas. That was the most embarrassing yet BEST gift I got that Christmas.  

Moral: 

DON'T judge a book by the cover. It may be lifechanging. 

Oh, and the book was REALLY good and inspiring. Apparently, like me? 

This is the article that inspired this quote via Sue Atkins:

http://twe.ly/_Vhb

Molly Coddle Tile Giveaway

Molly Coddle Tile Giveaway has Ended. Watch for More Giveaways from Molly and others. Please visit Molly Coddle tiles today!

Molly has offered to give away one of her beautiful Bunny tiles this week as a Flip Side drawing giveaway!

So how can you put this cute bunny tile in your home for free? (you can choose from three colors as seen on Flipsidestories.)

There are 3 ways to enter - you can do 1 or all 3 to better your chances.

1. Follow this BLOG and comment at the bottom of this post and tell us: 

    What is your favorite Easter treat?

2. Spread the word about our giveaway on your Facebook page by "like"ing MollyCoddle and tell us you did here in the comment box.

3. Tweet this blog using the tweet button on the upper right. Tell us you did. 

We'll draw the lucky winner and post it on Monday, April 18, 2011 and post it on the site.

Have fun, good luck and thanks for playing!

Don't want to miss out on future goody giveaways?  Be sure to stay in the loop by "liking" FB Flipsidestories to receive updates in the upper left side of this site.


If you'd like to have a Flip Side Giveaway, please contact me flipsidestories@aol.com

Increase Knowledge, Lower Fear (Shawne Duperon)

Last week, my kids had the week off. Spring Break. What a different meaning "Spring Break" has now. It used to bring excitement, possible travel and no school. Now it means, no sign of Spring and no break. Phfftt.

 It was a little taste of summer vacation with the kids. Minus the warmth. Minus the tanned skin. Minus the swimming. Minus camps. Minus dry ground. Ok, the only thing it had in common with summer vacation is that the kids are home 24/7...and the kids were sick of each other within the first five minutes of coming home the friday before vacation...and if I let them, they would spend all day playing video games ...and they (and their friends) trash the house...and they eat everything in the house...and they stay up past my "ME" time at night... and they wake up before I've had my coffee. And, I love being home with them and wouldn't change a thing.

I wouldn't trade being home with them for anything. Is it hard sometimes? Yes. Is it boring sometimes? Yes. Do I dislike keeping the house up everyday (which I don't keep up)? Of course. I won't even ask this question... yes, I hate laundry. But, it is what I do. I love it more than I don't. I don't judge anyone for their choices to stay home or work. You do what works for you. All that I hope for is that everyone makes their children a priority regardless. No one needs to be perfect but love your babies.

Now, this authoring thing I've started is becoming a job and balancing it with my family is challenging and I am not even in it full force yet. I have to be careful not to let it take over. Balance.  Part of my new adventure in authoring included attending a two day Media Bootcamp with Shawne Duperon (Shawnetv.com).  I didn't realize it landed at the end of my kid's vacation week until 3 days before. oops. I frantically called our parents and lined up a Gigi/Papa day and a Grandma/Grandpa day. Thank goodness we are blessed with parents who help on the spur of the moment and lovingly. I vow to do this for my kids someday.

So, I spent two days in, well, therapy. It was a Media Mastery Networking bootcamp that was created to teach us how to get the most of social networking, how to deal with the media and basically how not to look like an idiot. To start, most of us looked like idiots or at least felt like one for much of the 12 hours there.  I spent a great deal of energy managing fear. It has not always been easy for me to meet new people, go places alone or worst of all, stand up in front of people. Put me in a room of children, I'm good. No problem.  Over 10 years old, puke in the mouth. Sorry, TMI.  My blood pressure rose and fell so many times the first day, my name could be changed to Michigan (temp, rise, fall, ok, whatever). I can intellectually tell myself that nothing will happen to me but my first instinct is to panic. I am learning to control that. On the outside, you might think I am confident. On the inside, I am fighting that little girl who would rather slink back into a corner and go unnoticed. The more I am learning, the less fearful I am.

I've come a long way and I am still coming. I am determined to overcome my fears. Shawne helped us identify with those fears and manage them in different situations. It really works. We did a lot of breathing, "Breathe in.  Breathe out." We were also put in awkward and uncomfortable situations over and over which lowered our fear level and taught us how to deal with those situations when we are confronted with them.

"It's not that deep" is one of Shawne's mottos. Really, it's not that deep. The more knowledge we have, the less fearful we become. We become more in control of our emotions, situations and how we interact with people.   In the scheme of things, we are all in the same boat. Most of us don't want to admit that when we don't trust people. When we put our guard down, we realize that we are all a reflection of one another with small distortions. It only takes one person to make the first move in making a connection with another person.  If the other person is open to it, a relationship can develop. If they don't respond, you can't take it personally. It is who they are for whatever reasons. You actually may have made a connection that you will never know about that made a difference in that person. Who knows.

So, all in all, it was a great week with my family and a great week "with me". I am a better "me" for myself, my family and for you.

"Manage fear, master life. Increase Knowledge, lower fear." Shawne Duperonhttp://www.shawnetv.com

I'm Playing with a Full Deck (most of the time)!

Amy Krause Rosenthal is a wonderful author who is inspiring the world with her words spoken, written and recorded. She makes me laugh and cry because this is my mission with Flip Side Stories. I want to inspire the world with my books and Flip Side Mission. Who is Amy?

Amy has a new mission involving playing cards. For 52 weeks, she wants us to draw out one card and use it as a spring board for doing something for that day. The video explains it.
Here is my first card:

My card is six. Hmm. What shall I do with 6 clubs. I could go out to 6 clubs dancing this weekend. Um, that'll never happen. Boring me is usually bed by 10 PM.

If it was nice out, I might take the kids out to find 6 four leaf clovers. I have a week to find them, right? Let me think...

I got it. While talking to my husband just now, he said we need to enjoy time with our friends more. So I said,  "Amy says.... and we are going to invite 6 friends over for dinner this Saturday."  We get so 

wrapped up in our daily lives and how busy they are that it is difficult to invite our friends

into our day. We have so many friends that we never see. So when he gets home we are going to make a plan. There is my plan for 1/52 of my deck. What is YOURS going to be??  

Please share with me. I'd love to be inspired by you.

In the Nation of Procrasta

Book Suggestion.

I spend 1/2 of my daily energy trying to stay on task. For example, on my way to the laundry room, I am often distracted by the dog toys littering my path. As fast as I put them back into the basket, my pups are tearing them out turning it into a playful game of tug-o-war (because that's more fun) until... the arm of the toy tears off blasting fuzz and small beads all over the carpet (one of my kid's toys, too. yikes)

Out comes the vacuum which is no easy feat since it is jammed into the hall closet, stuffed between the winter coats and covered with bags of clothes that have needed to go charity for months. Watch out, those bags can change the direction of productivity as well.  Today, I shove them back into the closet.
 When I turn the vacuum on, a cloud of dust billows out because it is too full from the last vacuum event....ok, the last three vacuum runs.
Honestly, who likes to empty that cup. You have to vacuum after you empty it because half of it falls on the floor as you try to get it into the bag. Don't forget what happens when you forget its in the trash and you moosh it down. Poof! See photo to the left.

 As I am emptying the canister gasping for a breath of dust-free air, the phone rings. Thank God! (Because that's more fun) The vacuum becomes a new, no, renewed, family room centerpiece. At least for the day.  After my phone call, I cannot remember what I started out doing and nothing looks any different than when I started my attempt at productivity. Hmph.  (Oh, except there's a vacuum in the family room.)

The other 1/2 of my day is spent teaching my children to stay on task. Unfortunately, they are learning from the best of procrastinators, the best example of the ADD in action  and the best of "Quadrant 4" lovers (see 7 Habits of Highly Effective People). I often get distracted trying to keep them going in the right direction. I don't think I'm very "highly effective".

Truly, kids are natural procrastinators, dilly dalliers and slow pokes. Its a parent's job to teach them how to manage their time and set priorities. It may kill us in the meantime, but it is up to us to give them those living skills. Books are a great source for parents to teach all kinds of skills and lessons.

The King of Dilly Dally is a great book about a King who lives in the nation of Procrasta. Otherwise, known as Procrasta Nation (clever, aint it?).  He loves to have fun and has no time for work but he also has responsibility for his kingdom. His mother helps him learn how to find balance between work and play before he takes over the thrown as King. It is a great book filled with imagination and lessons about being productive, responsible and also embracing creativity and individuality. It is written poetically and is a clever and fun read.
http://www.michaeldscottbooks.com/

Fridays 5 Questions

Not sure what I am doing but giving something here a try via www.Fivecrookedhalos.blogspot.com

1. Have you ever had surgery? Yes, with two of my babies. I had an emergency c-section with my first son because his heart rate dropped. My daughter was born 8 weeks early (and fine). My third son was born 10 weeks early. After my water broke, I had to remain in the hospital for the duration of the pregnancy which only lasted a few hours. I got a HORRIBLE infection (thought I was dying) and they had to take him c-section. He was three pounds and born with a twisted intestine. He had to have surgery at two days old. It was so emergency that I couldn't go because I was so sick. My husband baptized him before the surgery. I was a wreck not being able to see him before the surgery. He was in the hospital for 3 months. All is well now.  This is Matthew's story if you are interested. I blogged for 3 months about the experience. Scroll to the bottom of the updates and choose the last update and go backwards.  Now that I look back, it was an amazing journey.  http://www.carepages.com/carepages/MHousey

2. Ever ride in an ambulance? No

3. How are you in a medical emergency? Panicked? Calm? I would say calm, especially if I have to be the one in charge.

4. Do you have a garden? Flowers or veggies? Flower garden. Looking forward to my spring flowers coming up. I planted my favorite purple pom-pom flowers. Not sure what they are called.

5. When did you move out of your parents house? I moved out when I was 19 when I got married the first time. That's a whole nother story.