Welcome 2012!

Here it is...the last blog entry of Adventure Mommy for 2011...

Well, this year has been an adventure all right.  I had this imaginary deadline in my mind that by December 31, 2011, I would be back to my old self.  Except that that hasn't happened.  What has happened instead is that I'm onto my new self.  Happier?  Check.  A little lighter in spirit?  Check.  Accepting?  Check.  Forgiving?  Check.  Still a little crazy?  You bet!  All this is what makes me who I am.  I have learned what I do like, and want from life.  At least at this point in my life...because you know what?  That may change again - and that's okay!  And the yes man is always reminding me that life is all about the journey...not the destination.  Well said - and better practiced.
Happy, healthy, lovely New Year to you all!  Can't wait to see what 2012 brings with it!
Keep smiling!

Karma Strikes Again

Funny how things happen.  Good things, I mean.  Take today.  My friend Steph and I went to Walmart.  On her agenda was to scan a Christmas photo of her kids (she didn't make enough the first time around - let me tell you, she made 100 the first time...) On my agenda was to grocery shop (I love our Walmart grocery section).  There was a small lineup in the photo shop and Steph was waiting.  There was an older lady in front of us who was having difficulty working the computer and getting what she wanted from it.  So she let Steph and I go ahead. I helped Steph with her order an in under 5 minutes we were done.  I looked behind us and there was the lady.  She was going to try again.  I offered to help her out (I'm fairly savvy with technology and people).  We scanned her photo, enlarged it and ordered it.  Voila!  She looked at me and said thank you and that I have really done my good deed for today!  I looked at it as sharing my expertise - and hey!  I enjoy it.
My story goes on...
So now I'm shopping around the store - grocery cart full.  Oops!  Forgot that I was looking for the Polar Express DVD for Steph - her's crapped out after watching it too many times.  The staff at the store said they hadn't seen Polar Express in the racks this year.  There was another customer listening in - and we started talking about how great a movie that was.   I carried on slightly disappointed.
In line, I had just paid and was loading up the cart to leave when this same customer found me in line and handed me...Polar Express!  He had dug through the racks and found it!  If that's not karma then I don't know what is!!!  He went through the entire store looking for me!!!  Well, Steph's kids have their Polar Express and I wished that man a very Merry Christmas!
And a very Merry Christmas to all of you!

Keep smiling :o)

Thank you to that man...

Beautiful

Smile.  You are beautiful.  Powerful words!  Love this one!  Sometimes the most profound quotes are the simplest.  I hope that you are smiling today.  I think about all the lovely ladies in my life when I see this.  May you smile and have a wonderful day too!

Yes. I like this quote.  My voice has been shaky a few times in my life.  Once I had so many words in my mouth that I was afraid to talk.  That the words would tumble out all on their own.  And they did.  And it was okay.  This is why I am able to smile.  For real.

Contagious

A smile is so contagious.  When I'm wandering through the mall, I smile at the people I'm passing.  Guess what?  Most of them smile back.  And know what else?  They seem surprised.  At what?  Are we so caught up in being caught up with each other that we have forgotten how to interact in person?  How to connect with one another?  Try it yourself.  Make it a mission to smile and say hello to everyone that you pass.  You may even have a little conversation with someone that is in one of those long Christmas shopping lines.  Have fun with it.  It may even make that long line a little more bearable.  Who knows?  That one act of kindness may change someones perspective today.  Maybe it will ripple through one, ten, a hundred other people...imagine that!

Keep smiling!

Not Perfect - Yup! That's Me!

This seemed like a perfect fit for today!  It is okay to not be perfect.  It's too hard trying to be perfect (which, by the way, is impossible to achieve - and not much fun in it either!)  Just try and enjoy what you have.  Be thankful for friendships, family, quiet time, a hot cup of coffee...whatever you have in your life.  I'm working on that everyday.  I remind myself everyday.  Because when I try to be perfect, guess what?  It doesn't work out so perfectly...just the opposite!

Have a wonderful, not perfect day!

Keep smiling!

Funny how connected we are.  I don't mean connected through all the latest techno gadgets...I mean really connected to one another just as humans.  Like when the phone rings and it's someone that has been on your mind that day and you answer and say "I was just thinking about you"!  Those types of moments.  See?  We are connected!  Here's another one: someone really totally wonderful just sent me the best quotes.  The thing is, just before I checked my email today, I was thinking that before the year ends, I want to put some great quotes on my blog.  You know, the ones that really make you go "ah-haaa".  I opened my email and there they were!  Hmmmmm...

So, for the rest of December, I am going to put up some of the quotes that really hit home with me...here's the first.

Keep smiling and watch for the next great quote!  Maybe you'll have an ah-haaa moment too!

Hello Dears

Well the 3 mouse-ke-teers made it back from Rochester with a load of gifts!  Not as many as Santa has in his sack, but it was a close second!
We started off our trip with a stop at Honey's (just over the border in Buffalo) and had the best pizza ever.  Angie was hesitant to add this into our jam packed itinerary, but Carrie and I threatened mutiny if she didn't!  We all agreed that it was worth the change and we have decided that Honey's will be added to our plan for next year.
Driving from Buffalo to Rochester, we passed the time talking, singing to some crazy songs which I won't name and planning our shopping strategies.  Along the highway there were the usual road signs, among them, "deer crossing" signs.  This reminded me of a story from years ago which I shared with the girls.  Nana and I were driving along the highway up at the cottage and we passed the "deer crossing" sign.  Nana wondered "How do the deer know to cross here?"  I knew what nana meant - and also that the signs are for the safety of the drivers, not the deer.
Well, didn't we check into the hotel, head up to our room and look what we saw at our door:

We looked at each other!  Wow!!!  We all were thinking the same thing.  Nana's with us!  We each touched the deer and said hi to Nana.  I should also add that every room had a sign unique to it - there was not another deer crossing!  Wonderful!


Keep smiling!