Day #21 - It all comes down to...

Gratitude...I know I spent a year on it, but it keeps coming back in many forms. My sister Melissa blogged about a book called "the Magic"...it is all about Gratitude and gives 28 days of instruction on how to make gratitude a priority in your life. Today I picked out a rock to hold in my hand at the end of each day and think back to pick the BEST thing that happened that day...EASY...I picked "lunch with my friend Louise"...She has been a friend and confidant for the last 10 years. We had a great time and it was such a good break for me.

What is the purpose of the rock?? It is based on a story, but I think the purpose is to give you a visual and physical reminder to remember...I purposely picked a rock from my flower beds since that is such a source of joy and accomplishment for me. When I brought it inside to wash the dirt off it, there was one side that was rough and pitted...I kind of like that the rock isn't perfectly smooth. It has imperfections, just like I do.

This rock is big enough to hold in my hand, feel the weight, the smoothness and the imperfections that also make it perfect. For the next 27 days I will hold it in my had before I go to sleep and pick the best part of my day to reflect on and to give thanks for.

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "I am not ashamed to confess I am ignorant of what I do not know." Marcus Tullius Cicero

Day #20 - STILL Home Sweet Home

Travis and I lived in our first home for 12 years before we decided it was time to move up in the world; that there was just not enough room in our 980 sq. ft. house; that we HAD to have a garage (ok that was 100% me); that the home we had was JUST a beginner home...MOVE ON ALREADY!!! We should be WAY farther along in life by now!!

When we did move to Summit Park 2.5 years ago, we decided to keep our starter home and turn it into a rental property...why not? We could afford that small payment in a pinch during the vacant month or two and we get another tax write off while continuing to pay down the mortgage with income received from the rental. We have not regretted it and have been exceptionally lucky with the tenants we have had in the home.

Today I met our property manager at the house to do a walk thru since our AMAZING tenants are moving out (darn that exciting prospect of owning your own home!!) and to walk a prospective new tenant thru and it was like arriving back home after a long absence. It helps that the tenants have kept the yard up, something I worked HARD to get looking good w/flowers blooming in every season; there is a LOT of my sweat mingled in with that dirt. When I walked thru the house and saw and remembered all the things we did to that small house while we were living there I felt so nostalgic.

I remember painting those doors that fantastic orange/yellow color after tacking up 5 different paint samples for days to decide which color would be most inviting. All the light fixtures we replaced...WHAT A PAIN and THANK YOU to my brother Jason and my Dad who helped Travis and I manage NOT to electrocute ourselves and kill each other in the process. Replacing the bum wall to the shed...my Dad again. Painting one wall of the exterior of the house, seeing that after 2 full days, sanding, scraping, painting 2 coats of paint and the darn wall STILL looked like crap and finally paying the money to have siding installed. Planting that row of gorgeous roses...one new bush each year, and now they are glorious! Weeding that huge garden spot - goat heads! goat heads! goat heads!!!! The bane of my existence for YEARS and finally planting grass and installing sprinklers!!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU again to my brother and Travis!!

Sitting outside on our chairs to watch the neighbors, visiting Mrs. Parrish, chatting with Larry and Debbie, waiving at Carr and Shawn, wondering what that guy next door did with his days since we rarely saw him. I keep thinking of things as I sit here...

I guess the bottom line is...I don't regret leaving that house, but I LOVE that we had the time we had there. I love that I learned so much from owning that home. I love that I am still learning from it today in a different way. I am so grateful that our tenants have been good to the home that holds so much love in it. I hope it can continue to add something lovely to the next person that lives there and I pray that person(s) will give it something positive to also be absorbed by those walls.

I apologize if I have written of these sentiments before - I probably have because I have big feelings attached to those years of memories. This evening after work, Travis and I sat on the dinner deck chatting about our respective days and I couldn't help thinking about the new memories we are creating here in this home as well. Wherever we are, there is home - did someone say that?...10 years from now...who knows what this place will be like.

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself.” Maya Angelou

Day #19 - Smudge Scrub

Travis and I spent several hours this afternoon washing down walls in the studio apartment under the garage. I really wanted to avoid cleaning that place for a few more months, but Trav seemed pretty determined to get it done...so determined, he actually did a lot of the work.

We had a great renter in there...it was a little weird it was so great. We would find the rent taped on our front door on the first of every month without fail, we would hardly ever see her and when we did see her she would just waive at us as she walked by. It was 6 months of peace and quiet. Then one day she was gone. Oh, we only had a 6 month lease with her while she was working a seasonal job for Park City, but it was rather strange.

Little did we know she was a devil worshipper...just kidding, but she must have had 50 candles burning down there because every surface was BLACK SMUDGE. We just washed down all the walls...we sprayed degreaser on the walls, scrubbed them with the rough side of a sponge soaked in pinesol, washed again with the soft side of the sponge and then used yards of paper towels drying the walls off to wipe away the dirty swirls of black water off the walls. The worst thing is...the walls still look dirty after hours of scrubbing and yet we know they look 100 times better than when we started.

I think I am going to have a contractor I know come up to take a look at that place and see how much it will cost to fix it up a little. We will be painting it at least, bit we are thinking of putting in pergo, a bigger sink (it has this tiny little gold sink that is super hard to keep clean) and taking down the hardy board on the ceiling to re-insulate up there. I would also like to install some sort of ventilation system...there is not a lot of air movement in that place. I'm sure this will all cost more than we want to spend, but it won't hurt to check out the cost at least.

Anyway, Travis made a comment about how we seem to learn something new with every tenant we have. I just wish everything we learned didn't have to cost us hours of physical labor. New rule...NO CANDLES.

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "People learn something every day, and a lot of times it's that what they learned the day before was wrong."  ~Bill Vaughan

Day #18 - The Turn Around

Over this last week I had 10 agents either stop by my office to introduce themselves or stop me on my walk to the copier to ask questions about Relocation...THIS, my friends, is progress. I received a few outgoing referrals (by the way, if you or someone you know needs a GREAT realtor, anywhere in the United States or Canada, please let me know, I can help...it is what I do), which are super important, and met one on one with all of the agents on my team.

I also brought in some of the purple Alium from my yard into the office - they are the tall spring flower with the round ball on top and I got so many comments on them today...they really do look striking. This is what they look like...

I also called a guy "Joe" SEVERAL times and found out his name is "Sam"...UGH. Oh well...names are NOT my strong suit, but I am trying hard not to mess up too bad and the BEST news is, tomorrow is the Friday before a LONG weekend. I can't say I am necessarily ready for an extra day off, meaning I am not overwhelmed or ready to take a break, but I can certainly appreciate an extra day when it is offered.

My sister gave me a book called "Go for No!" and I finally started reading it in earnest yesterday. It is just a small book so shouldn't take too much time to read it. It is actually a great time in my life to read something that talks about relentless persistence expecting abject failures to occur daily while pressing on, no matter what. I haven't felt hopeless by any means, but I do feel the need to produce results...soon!

It was fun talking to some of these agents - they have said how they don't want to work on the referral team because it eats into their commissions (referral fees) and too much paperwork, etc. I loved seeing them change their mind when I explained about leads they didn't prospect for, spin off business and the different types of referrals some requiring more paperwork than others. I think I may be able to get some agents on my team to fill in the gaps on coverage that I have now. It has been a productive week.

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "your fear of hearing the word 'no' is the only thing standing between you and greatness" from the book GO FOR NO!

Day #17 - In Home Visit

So we go an impromptu call the other night from Grant, our exchange student counselor, and he wanted to come up and visit that very night..."uh, I thought you were going out of town today" - he tells me he was, but it has now been delayed for a day and he won't be back for 2 weeks, can he come up tonight?

I was thinking this is how they try to trip people up, by making it hard for your house to be completely ready, they call you an hour before they get to your house to see how you REALLY live. My house wasn't a total disaster, but it wasn't "first impression" clean either. I don't think I have moved that fast in years. When you know someone is coming to your house to judge it, it is not the same thing as your best friend popping by for a visit and the house not quite looking the way you want it to for company. The difference is it doesn't matter, because your friend knows the BEST AND the WORST things about you and still loves you anyway.

I finally calmed down a bit and Grant called - he had gotten off the wrong exit and was completely turned around - poor guy came from Orem and was totally lost. When he finally got here, he was the most easy going, sweetest guy on the planet. One thing that struck me was how much he really cares about these kids and stressed several times that he wants them to be "part" of our family; not just a visitor staying with us.

I also found out these kids sign up for the program without even knowing what State they are going to. They just put their names in the program and host families pick someone based on a few paragraphs of data and off they go.

Anyway, the in home interview went great and now it is just a matter of getting approval from the School District...this is going to be the most interesting year yet.

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." — Seneca

Day #16 - Aging Gracefully

Some things just get better with age:

• A wheel of Gouda - aged cheeses...just cut the mold off - good as new & super delicious!
• Blue Jeans - I go so far as to patch them if need be to avoid getting a new pair that is just not quite the same as the favorite pair of jeans
• Scrapbooks & photo albums - they are more enjoyable to look at the longer we move from the days they were put together
• Leather Chairs - the day we brought home our leather chair from RC Willey 13 years ago, the most expensive single piece of furniture we had ever purchased (then or since) and the cat scratched it within the first 10 minutes, I told Travis the more worn it looks, the better it will be. Totally true!
• Cowboy boots - when you have a great pair of boots, you re-sole them before you buy a new pair.
• Tom Seleck...will he really stay awesome for all time? 
• Vocabulary - with age comes more words...it just happens.
• Patience - really do we have a choice?
• Perennials - the first year they are babies, by year 3 they are magnificent, by year 5 it is time to spread the joy throughout the rest of the yard - they just keep giving.

Another thing that just gets better with age is my sister Melissa. Today is her 40th Birthday and she seems to just get more fit, more gracious, more lively, more accepting, more creative, more ambitious...just better and better.

Congrats M! Happy Birthday! Thank you for being such a great example of how to make the best of living!

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "The years teach much, which the days never knew."  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Day #15 - What the....?

I just found out my old boss gave his notice and, unlike my experience, was asked to leave immediately. I guess when in certain high level positions the company likes to make it a clean & quick break. Of course, when things like this happen we all start to speculate on what really happened. I HOPE he has found a new and exciting opportunity and will be moving forward on a spectacular career path. Still...WOW!! Things are really getting shaken up at the old place.

My new office is very meeting heavy, but it is heavy in the kind of meetings I enjoy. I am beginning to wonder if John and George will ever run out of lesson's to share with us all...? In this morning's meeting one of the owner's asked the question "What can you do to make your life better today?" My first thought was on gratitude again, but he ended up talking about finding a mentor to emulate and learn from. It makes a lot of sense to "work smarter, not harder" and part of that is not reinventing the wheel, but taking proven strategies and using them to move forward in life or work.

He then shared a story about a mentor he worked with that changed his life 12 years ago when he was overweight and living on a family members couch...the name of his mentor was Bill Phillips. I was immediately impressed that he got to train with Bill who wrote "Body for Life" and quickly realized the "mentor" WAS the book. Many things went through my head when I realized this...I was a bit deflated, not as impressed as I was initially...then I WAS impressed by John's ability to actually DO what his mentor told him to and I think that is where I began to feel concerned...

I have been collecting ideas from other markets to utilize in my goals for the department and now I need to start implementing them. I have to admit I am feeling a little skittish about starting to send emails to ALL AGENTS and taking steps on my own. I have a department meeting every Tuesday to discuss strategy and needs and I plan to talk about who should approve my emails or if they just want me to jump in and begin implementing some of the ideas...what if I think something is a great idea and it falls flat or makes an agent mad? I have this small niggling feeling that if I show doubt in my own abilities, there will be doubt forming in the owner's thoughts as well. Then I stand back and think about their mentoring style and think I am probably just OVERthinking it.

I have read many a 'self help' book and have been inspired by many teachers/mentors out there...so where is the disconnect in actually DOING what I learn. This is a question that begs to be answered, or perhaps I just need to begin to "make my life better today" by doing what the mentors say to do. It is possible I need to work daily on my confidence (gratitude, clarity of purpose & integrity).

As I look back over the last several years my old boss was a mentor for me in many ways. He and I have absolutely opposite styles of working, but he was a pretty humble guy who cared about us and who knows a lot about the industry. I enjoyed bouncing ideas off him and was flattered when he would ask for my input as well. It will be interesting to see how things shake out over there and I certainly wish him the very best.

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "Behold the turtle: He only makes progress when he sticks his neck out." - James Bryant Conant

Day #14 - We Are Serious...

So...Trav and I have applied to host a foreign exchange student...I just got a call from the organization hosting the kids and it sounds like we MAY have an opportunity to host this year. We have not been able to have children of our own and were thinking seriously about providing foster care, but have been worried we may not have the time to devote to the kids that need serious attention and special needs due to our full time jobs. Then a lady at my new job suggested this program we applied to last week.

These are amazingly brave kids that are looking for an experience in a new Country, leaving behind everything they know, to stay in a place they are unfamiliar with; can you imagine how crazy this would be? I have to hand it to them on the courage front...it would take a leap of faith to go to a totally foreign home by yourself. I think any kid that dares to do this is a kid I would like to know and I certainly expect to learn a lot from him or her.

The man who called told me this school district has already placed the allotment of students, but he is going to try to make a space for us. He will come to do an "in home" visit and interview in a week. I will say I am a little intimidated by the whole thing. I KNOW we are good people who have a lot to contribute, but at the same time I feel stupid answering some of the questions like "what do you like to do"....UH...Travis likes to mountain bike and I like to garden & read..."what do you do on the weekend"...UH...Garden and Mountain Bike...I sort of feel like we are totally boring, but we want to expand our experiences and this would definitely motivate us to help the student experience our culture.

I really hope it works out...it would mean eating dinner every night at the table instead of in front of the TV, planning our days and weekends to include things like bowling and free concerts at The Canyons and this group wants the kids to be involved in the Community, which we talk a lot about but don't do much to make it happen.

When I was a teenager my parents took on a foreign exchange student from a family that was having a difficult time adjusting to having her in their home. Sandra Sinder...Don't know if that is the correct spelling, but I have photos of her in my scrap book and remember her clearly. She was in my sister Amy's grade and they were pretty decent friends. She was tall, very pretty and fit fine with our family - she was funny and I don't remember any serious problems while she was staying with us. I remember attending a Catholic Mass with her and I haven't taken or had the opportunity to do anything like that since. It was so different from what I was used to and a super interesting experience.

I will say that knowing I have a super support system in my parents and siblings is encouraging and a relief to me. I am proud of both Trav's and my families and will be happy to share that relationship with anyone who comes into my life. The exciting thing is our families will also be excited to open their homes and hearts to anyone I bring into their lives...am I blessed or what!!??

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live." Flora Whittemore

Day #13 - Spice it up!

I have not been blogging as much lately because I have been going to bed earlier than usual and I have been less than inspired on what to write about lately - then, today, I have about 5 things to write about. I think it is so strange when that happens.

Today Travis and I were actually pretty productive (more on that tomorrow) and decided to do a late lunch at Chabasco's - a Mexican Diner w/a fresh salsa bar. The first time I went there I saw the Mango Salsa and it had a picture of 5 peppers by it - this means it is VERY hot - how hot can it really be? I tried it and the initial impact is sweet and the next thing you know, your tongue is numb and you can't taste anything else until you wait a few minutes for the hot effect to wear off. It is still one of my favorites.

Normally I just get a burrito - they are huge and packed with tons of meat, but today Trav and I both got "Shrimp Diablo". Now, I don't know Spanish, but I believe "Diablo" means "Devil"...yes? Travis got this dish the last time we went there and it was DELICIOUS so I wanted to try it this time. My mouth was already on fire with the Mango Salsa explosion and this dish was much hotter than I remembered. After just a few bites I could feel sweat start to bead on my upper lip and Trav's face was starting to turn red. THEN my eyes started to sweat...I can't say they were tearing up because it was like sweat was just pooling in the corners. I actually had to wipe dripping sweat off my neck and I looked at Travis one time and saw drops running down his cheek. Of course, we had to wipe our noses several times during the meal as well, but the best and strangest part of all was when we left and got in the car I was thinking how my ears felt like they needed to be q-tipped...MY EARS SWEATED!!! What the...?

I couldn't help thinking of my parents and how this meal would probably have killed them it was so spicy. A few weeks ago several of us went to eat Mexican food in Farmington and I got the "spicy" Chili Verde....it was weak, barely a kick to it, but my Brother Jason also thought it was hot and was sweating pretty good by the end of the meal. Today is Jason's Birthday and I am thinking he and Mel should ride the motorcycle up here and we should take them to experience the Devil Dish...I bet Jason will sweat so hard he'll need to change his shirt.

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: “If confusion is the first step to knowledge, I must be a genius.” ~ Larry Leissner

Day #12 - Ra Ra

I committed to attend a Monday morning meeting that happens at 7:30 a.m. I've been doing pretty good getting to the office by about 8:30 a.m. every day, which is much better than my 9:00 a.m. average at my old job, but 7:30 a.m. is pretty early for me. This is a motivational meeting that is held EVERY morning at 7:30 a.m. and involves affirmations, short mediation (silent consideration and writing of goals & gratitude for the day) and a short daily lesson.

Today the lesson was on building your confidence. There were 3 key elements that make up natural confidence builders (as opposed to faking it) - 1) Gratitude, 2) Having a clear purpose and 3) Integrity (doing what you say you will/no excuses).

I, of course, related most to the Gratitude element. If you can imagine going to a stranger's door to ask them if they would be interested in listing their home with you, there may be some nervousness and fear associated with the task. What if you approached the door with gratitude for the opportunity that you will be offering to help someone who may need it and you will be meeting someone new in the process.

Wow, I just nodded off :) Guess I should go to bed. \

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "Do not be too timid and squeamish in your actions. All life is an experiment!" Ralph Waldo Emerson

Day #11 - Happy Mother's Day

I love my Mom - you all know that, but I cannot float by Mother's Day without writing it down here. Today, those of us in town, went to our parent's house for dinner. Mel and Amy brought lasagna, Chuck had the french bread, Keri brought Caesar AND garden salads and I brought desert. I chose to bring a "fake" cheese cake because every time I make it, it reminds me of my Mom.

I remember Mom would make graham cracker crust and then blend up cream cheese, eagle brand sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and vanilla together for the filling and us kids would take turns doing our best to lick the left over filling out of the blender. We'd practically stick our whole arm down there to get to the good stuff and pull our hand out covered w/sticky filling on our finger, the back of our hand, our wrist and forearm...yes, we would lick it all off. I loved that stuff and I always felt "licking the bowl" was the best part.

I like the idea that there are certain food items/dinners, etc. that remind us of people we care about. My Grandma Strong ALWAYS made O'Henry's for all the family parties. It was sweet to anticipate that treat we all LOVED and I don't remember ever being disappointed - they were always there for us to enjoy. Many of us have tried to replicate the treat and I think Melissa has come the closest, but it seems when making Mom's lasagna or Grandma's O'Henry's - it just isn't the same thing as eating the "real" thing, but the memory is still there and cherished.

I am sorry to say I neglected to bring my camera today and did not get any photos to post (BUMMER). There is one specific thing that I will need to visually document at another time, but I thought it was brilliant. My sister Amy, creative genius extraordinaire, makes fabric dolls. Lately, she has started personalizing them to look like people she knows and she made one to represent Mom - it was so awesome and a perfect representation from her famous red pants, to her sweet white hair wings at her temples and the blue t-shirt she loves and refuses to throw away. I wish I could have a photo to post here for you, but I promise to get one soon.

All-in-all the afternoon was lovely. Travis and I are both lucky to have such wonderful Mother's to love.

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new." Rajneesh

Day #10 - May Day

It is May again & Mother's Day weekend. This is my weekend to give the gift of labor to my lovely Mother-in-law Joleen and help her plant flowers. I am pretty excited about tomorrow because Trav's step-brother's kids will be there to help...I hope it will be helpful - ya never know, but I do love these kids. I think there are 4 that will be there tomorrow - Bethany, Spencer, Josh & Natalie...Kyle is the oldest and I do not believe he is in town. I don't usually hang with the boys much, but the two girls are a kick. Bethany is a total book worm, wears glasses and has a book in hand wherever she goes. Natalie is a tough girly tom boy...So cute and energetic and I plan to put them to work tomorrow.

My own yard is growing, but I usually wait until at least the end of May before I plant annuals up here, but the perennials are coming up as well as my transplants of Lillies, Poppies & Peonies - super excited about those last two transplants since I have never done them before. I think it is going to take another 5 growing seasons before I have my yard put together the way I like it with blooms for each new month in the Summer and Fall, but eventually it is going to be AMAZING and it is fun figuring out the best plants to grow up here in the thin crisp air of Summit Park.

I suggest you plant one new plant in your yard this year - choose something you haven't worked with yet and enjoy it over the next several months and in years to come if you plant a perennial. I am looking for new perennials to replace the annuals I had last year...shouldn't be too hard.

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "If you're still hanging onto a dead dream of yesterday, laying flowers on its grave by the hour, you cannot be planting the seeds for a new dream to grow today” Joyce Chapman 

Day #9 - Auld Lang Syne

Today I met my old co-worker for lunch. It was so good to see her and fun to hear about the old office and how things are going. The place is really pretty drama free as far as personal relationships are concerned, but the office politics do sometimes get a bit harry there. No State secrets were exchanged by any stretch of the imagination, but it was just fun to hear how things are going, to reminisce about old times and talk about our ultra exciting lives.

The even better part of the day was the flowers she brought me...how sweet was that? I will post a picture of them tomorrow if I can remember to bring my camera with me. It was such a sweet thing for her to do and it will bring some brightness to my drab little office.

I have enjoyed meeting the people in my new office. I am beginning to get to know the Agents on my Relo Team and they all seem like wonderful agents and willing to do a great job. I have put together some new systems to keep myself straight, I have written out ideas and things I need to follow-up on with experts in the franchise, I will be doing my first presentation to the agents on Monday (yikes), my voice mail actually got set up and I only have a zillion and a half things left to review and read...I'm on my way baby.

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "Great thoughts speak only to the thoughtful mind, but great actions speak to all mankind.” Unknown Author

Day #8 - Strengths Finder Facts

In the book "Strengths Finder 2.0" there are 34 different talents outlined for review. When you buy the book, you get a code so you can take the test and find out what your top 5 strengths are.

The overall idea of this book is to focus more on developing your talents rather than overcoming your weaknesses. I know I am constantly setting goals to do better at "this" and "that" and I don't often set goals to make my good parts better - I have always just assumed those good parts are already good and probably don't need much work like my lesser parts do. This test is designed to help recognize your strengths so you can build your job and life around those instead of forcing yourself to constantly strive to overcome your weaknesses.

My top 5 talents are:

1) Strategic - quickly spot relevant patterns & issues to create alternative ways to proceed.
2) Connectedness - have faith in the links between all things, believe there are few coincidences and every event has a reason.
3) Learner - desire to learn and continuously improve - the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them.
4) Input - crave to know more, often like to collect & archive all kinds of information.
5) Ideation - fascinated by ideas, able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.

At first glance all these words seemed pretty similar to me, but there are differences. Taking this test and reading about the traits that go along with the "talents" makes me want to have my brother's and sisters and my husband take the test just to see what their words are. I bet Trav and I would probably not have very similar words - his would be something like:

Competition, Activator, Significance, Athletic, Discipline...? I might have to buy him a test...hmmm. I wonder if you can just buy another code for the test. I will check it out.

I think about my Dad and how mad my Brother gets when they talk about politics - Jason recently stood up in the middle of my Dad "sharing strongly" about something, said "good bye" and walked out of my parents house. I can't understand why my Brother always reacts so strongly...sure, I don't always (ok almost never) agree with my Dad and his political views, but I am always able to listen without reacting too strongly. I think this is a direct reflection of my strengths listed above and it makes me wonder what Jason's talents look like.

Crazy, Stubborn, Joker, Angry, Crazy (yes, Crazy is there twice...there are many kinds of Crazy!!) - but I kid, of course.

The best part of this whole thing is I get a copy of all the other Staff's Talent Reports. They figure it is a good way to get to know each other and find ways to work together more efficiently since we all have varying talents and different ways of relating to the world. I can't wait to read the Boss's Talent Report.

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "All the world is a laboratory to the inquiring mind.”  ~Martin H. Fischer

Day #7 - It IS Brain Surgery After All

I took the Gallup test I was to take this weekend and got my results back...they are interesting, but tonight I find myself wanting to write about today instead.

Late last night I received a text message from an old friend asking Trav and I to join them for lunch today. This is unique because we have talked about getting together, but very rarely see it through, not because we don't want to, but life keeps getting in our way. This text said they would be coming up to Park City (very unusual occurrence) and I immediately said "of course we will be available"!! This is the same friend whose girlfriend of 10 years and our long time mostly on again, but sometimes off again friend, who had the brain aneurysm at age 37 recently.

I was so happy to see D looking so healthy when they showed up this afternoon. We were able to see her a few times in the hospital and it has been a few months now since she had surgery. When she went to her last Dr.'s appointment a few weeks ago, expecting to shut the door on this lousy experience, they informed her they were ready to prep for the 2nd aneurysm surgery..."the what?" - long story short, she had two aneurysms, but they only dealt with the one that burst first and now need to go in and take care of the 2nd one so it does NOT burst.

In listening to their story today I can tell it has really taken a toll on them both. Matt said it was like getting to the finish line victorious just to be stopped short by a punch to the gut. They were both devastated. In essence D will be going thru the exact same surgery she just recovered from only this time there is no blood on the brain. This is MAJOR brain surgery, more shaved hair, more scalping and numb head, more confusion and hospital food, more months of missed work, more worry and concern for her parents, Matt and her daughter....and this last part concerned her the most. D told me the worst thing of all was thinking about calling her mother to give her the news that she would be going back into surgery.

As we were eating lunch today, I asked D what was the most profound thing she has learned from this situation? Is there anything she felt she would never take for granted again? I asked the question thinking about all the daily things we do that we take for granted, from work, to cooking dinner, to walking the dog and she said, "I will always remember the friends and family that really came through for me during this time. I know how much I matter to those people and I will never forget what they did for me."

D's surgery is on Tuesday...please think of her as you go about your day on the 8th of May. I pray that her surgery will go as planned without complications, that the Doctor's hands will be steady and sure, that she will wake up with a clear mind, experience a quick recovery and that her family will feel confident and comforted during her stay.

I am so glad they thought to call us and that we were able to spend the afternoon with two of our oldest friends. Our friendship is full of memories - we were laughing hard as we reminisced about the good 'ol days. On the drive home Travis basically kidnapped them and made them drive up Guardsman's pass to see if the snow had melted yet and then we drove them around Summit Park for a bit...it was almost as if Trav didn't want to let them go...it was so good to see them.

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "Hmmm, how to "can a day?"  You know, those days that seem just perfect you want access to them whenever the need arises.  ~Jeb Dickerson

Day #6 - A Moment of Weakness

I know better...WHY oh WHY did I do it? It was just there...for DAYS...and it looked so official. I didn't touch it for weeks, just closed it down, moved on...but it is there EVERY day...maybe there really is a problem...shouldn't we find out what it is? So...I did it...I CLICKED on it. Que computer virus, idiot complex and irritable husband. Sigh.

How is it that we...I mean "I" get worn down so easily? Tonight we got a pizza delivered instead of making the stir fry we planned to make with lots of fresh veggies and left over grilled steak because I decided I didn't want to clean the kitchen and I might as well just start tomorrow since the rest of the day was crap. Now I am sitting here thinking how full I still am, even though we ate hours ago, and I can't help wondering if I have more "moments of weakness" than "moments of strength"?

Don't get me wrong, I am not feeling melancholy, depressed or sad...perhaps a little frustrated, deflated and underwhelmed with myself (if I must pick 3 descriptive words right this moment, which apparently I must). I'm just wondering what the next step is...how do I go backwards & start all over, make different choices years ago or even this morning...wait, not possible...I guess the only choice is to move forward.

In what I think of tonight as a "moment of strength" I dared to quit my job of 15 years and start an adventure at a new company. I am now 2 days into the job and understand how very big a decision this was in both good and unexpected ways.

During my first day on the job I was given a homework assignment by one of the partners. He asked me to read a book called "Strengths Finder 2.0" by Tom Rath and to take a test as per the book's instructions. Once I get the results back, I will email him a copy and set up a meeting next week to discuss how the strengths outlined by this test, strengths specific to me and my personality, should best be utilized to succeed in my new position. I found this request more intriguing than surprising since I got to know these owners pretty well during negotiations.

I feel this is just what I need as a person struggling with a large quantity of moments of weakness that need to be overcome and I am excited to see what my biggest strengths turn out to be...certainly "resistance to constant nagging until you give in" is not one of them. I know the trick to beating the "moments of weakness" is in recognizing and building on the "moments of strength" - I am looking forward to the experience.

I Am Grateful,
HB


Diva Quote: "In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” - Albert Camus