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Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Getting Ready for 2012: How much can we really change about the New Year??

As the years fly by, I wonder sometimes, what kind of a mark have I made in this world during my somewhat chaotic life. So many choices, too many decisions, a few, ... well maybe more than a few regrets and the question remains, with each New Year, I ask myself, would I do it differently if only I could? Traditionally, this is the time for change, boot those bad habits and adapt a new lifestyle. Or maybe we should all have a few practice runs before life's harsh reality finally sets in.

Without hesitation I say "give me that magic wand", I will gladly leap back a few decades for some revisions so teach me the bewitched twitch for a magical lapse in time, but our planet is spinning so fast, even as I type, I realize that the majority of blog readers have probably never heard of Bewitched, a TV show that I watched growing up starring Elizabeth Montgomery. The housewife/witch with the magic nose wiggle, trying perhaps not that hard, to give up her witchy ways to please dorky husband Darren and fit into their mortal hood. I always wondered why she chose such a mundane existence when she had the powers to morph into anyone, anytime, any place. Which leads us to the real question...

If given the choice, how many of us would really do life differently? Knowing what we know now. Hmmm...Should I have taken another path, another flight, another trail? Think of the possibilities! It is an endless array of  "if I only" or "if I only didn't". Or, perhaps our lives are predetermined as so many profess, and events - good or bad, happy or sad, all happen for a reason! There just may be a master plan at work that we don't have as much control over as we would like to believe.

Personally, I have to go with  "All of the Above". Although I do subscribe to the workings of  karma, I also come across so many unexplained and rather bewitching circumstances. So you see a magic wand seems like a splendid little gadget but how would we ever monitor it's use. Well, I guess that is another movie of the week isn't it?
Let's just enjoy another year of mere monotony earning the rewards of doing the "right" thing.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Hidden Moments of Holiday Happiness: Found in Redwood City's The Main Gallery



This Holiday Season find unique treasures made by some of the best local talent in the Bay Area. The Main Gallery, is an artists’ cooperative with some 23 members, and is currently showcasing an inspiring Holiday Show 2011: Season of Giving. An unforgettable collection of special original creations that renew hidden moments of Holiday hope, wide-eyed children and the ultimate happiness that comes from that perfect gift. 

Holiday Flower by Nancy Terrebonne
Uptown by Elfi Altendorfer
Mosiac Tumblers by Doris Fischer-Colbrie
Mistle Toe by Irene Carvajal














The Gallery is located at 1018 Main Street at the corner of Main and Middlefield in the historic yellow Victorian Cottage in Redwood City.  Open Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. For more information, please visit our website at www.themaingallery.org or call the Gallery at (650) 701-1018.



Saturday, October 15, 2011

7 Steps to Health and Happiness

Many of us have kicked our bad habits to curb, whether it's cigarettes, excess alcohol, drugs or food, saying good bye to these health zapping tormentors is never easy, especially if you have not replaced them with anything positive. Call it a new beginning, if you like, you must clean up your act by swapping your unhealthy addiction with a healthy one. Here are a few tips to jump start your new and improved life-
Move it! Exercise will be your salvation:
Don't take my word for it, try for yourself!. Whether you run, walk, ride your bike or work out at the gym, there is actually more to it than staying fit and trim, although that is not bad for starters!  For me it was having control - no longer a slave to things that made me feel bad physically, just because I thought that this was what I needed to do. I also felt guilty, so the justification process starts, denial and all sorts of little tactics that allow one to continue participating in unhealthy behavior. All your energy is spent on disguising your life instead of celebrating it.
For sanity's sake, get those endorphins circulating and you will feel a natural high like none other. You will also look great too!

Don't Resist the Urge to Rest:
It is unfortunate that some people associate naps with laziness, because these days, most of us are simply not able to get straight eight hours of sleep. Instead of feeling frazzled and unproductive, take a well deserved time out. Grab your favorite pillow, cushy throw, cuddle up and catch up on some midday zzz's.  It will seem like the greatest luxury in the world! When you emerge, you will feel refreshed, rejuvenated and will, not doubt, be more efficient at whatever it is you are trying to accomplish!
We have only just begun ~ click here to complete your journey and learn the remaining steps to improving your life. Balancing the ups and downs is something that we all confront so be proactive to get an edge on your health issues now for a happier ever after!

Hang your purple ribbon, San Jose: October is domestic violence awareness month

Hang your purple ribbon San Jose: October is domestic violence awareness month

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Furniture Forever: One of a kind quality that will be around for generations

I didn't seem to notice this when I was younger, decorating my own place and buying my own furniture but I must say that cost was a factor -- the primary factor. In fact, I am confessing here and now that my first piece of furniture was some kind of black plastic end table and it came from the local Thrifty Store (kind of like an old school Walgreens). It meant everything to me, this mass produced cube represented my budget bound independence and newly found freedom, at a discount no less...

My how things change! Fast forward a few decades and now, I savor the quality craftsmanship found in my Grandma's favorite wooden chair, reinforced to last generations reads this rocker's resume. Rhythm ready and reliable is she, a one of a kind wooden wonder - hand carved, beautifully embellished, created and assembled with the utmost care! This old wooden gal has a story to tell, a history as colorful as the lullabies that she danced to night after night.

Witness the pride and care delivered to each detail of forever furniture. It's the kind of quality that will never go out of style. Sturdy and strong, this smart decorating trend has taken hold everywhere. Antique furniture fiends actually go on estate sale outings - scheduled shopping sprees, on the hunt for the finest new classic furniture finds! Whether you like to refinish your own furnishings or buy them ready to go, you no longer have to sacrifice quality for price. You can get solid furniture for any room in your home at incredibly reasonable prices! Next time you are out and about in the Bay Area, check out the Estate Sale Showroom in San Carlos!

Saturday, May 21, 2011

The Evolution of Tattoos: Getting Inked


Despite the social sciences' growing fascination with tattooing, and the immense popularity of tattoos themselves, and the evolution of tattoos, there is not much of a definitive historical record. The history of tattoo began over 5000 years ago and is as diverse as the people who wear them. The process of early age tattooing was long and painful. Some of the first tools used in tattooing were made of bone, stone, or wood. There were mainly two types of tools used in the process of making most tribal tattoos: a small rake-like shaped tool, and another plain rod with a flat surface. The rake-shaped tool was used to make the design of the tattoo. It would first be dipped into its ink or dye, and then punctured into the skin by being tapped by the flat tool. Other processes consisted of scratching the skin and then rubbing in the ink.

A far cry from the more advanced tattoo parlors today.
Nowadays, tattooing is used as a form of expression, or rebellion. It is be completely voluntary for someone to get a tattoo and in fact harder to find individuals that do not have a tattoo of some kind. The cultural status of tattooing has steadily evolved from that of an anti-social activity in the 1940s to that of a trendy fashion statement in the year 200s. First adopted and flaunted by influential rock stars like the Rolling Stones in the early 1970s, tattooing had, by the late 1980s, become accepted by mainstream society. Today, tattoos are routinely seen on rock stars, professional sports figures, ice skating champions, fashion models, movie stars and other public figures who play a significant role in setting the pace of contemporary culture.

During the last fifteen years, two distinct classes of tattoo business have emerged. The first is the "tattoo parlor" that glories in a sense of urban outlaw culture, advertises itself with garish exterior signage and offers less than sanitary surroundings. The second is the "tattoo art studio" that most frequently features custom and fine art designs, all of the features of a high end beauty and "by-appointment" services only. Today's fine art tattoo studio draws the same kind of clients as a jewelry store, fashion boutique, or high-end antique shop.

My own feeling about tattoos is that unlike most fashion statements, this one is around forever. It is not seasonal or even an era, it is embedded ink that will be present when you leave this world, like it or not. Unless you don't mind scars or have the finances to get a good cover tattoo job, that fashion faux pas is there to stay, whether you are 15 or 80. Make sure that the tattoo that you have decided to get is something that you love, for better or worse, through sickness and health, til death do you part, and even then, as witnessed in several recently unearthed tattooed mummies, tattoos are quite literally forever!

Saturday, April 30, 2011

In Search of Serenity


We all know that there is more to happiness than finding a certain degree of serenity by reducing the stress in life, but it no doubt helps! While I don't think that I know anyone without a certain amount of chaos in their household, it does appear to me that some people are equipped with a built in madness meter which allows them to manage their lives and associated challenges in a more rational and productive manner. I always marvel at their level-headed approach to balancing such a hectic life without breaking a sweat. Do they just have a low-key relaxed personality? Do they meditate? Take Xanex? Drink? What is their secret? They must have inherited a calm, cool and collected gene, that's it, the DNA, of course.
Perhaps some of the above may hold true, because generally speaking, in life, there is usually more than one contributing factor to any state of mind or condition - including happiness! I truly do not believe however that removing all the stress in life would necessarily create happiness, boredom maybe, but stress can also act as a great motivator. Like most emotions, a certain amount of stress is vital to the supreme balance of things. How do we know what relaxed and balanced feels like if we have never encountered its frazzled foe?

The key seems to be found in the way we view our universe. I know this sounds cliche but the old adage about viewing the glass as being half full or half empty seems to ring true here, confirming that if a positive attitude can somehow overshadow its negative counterpart then you may have a stress-less era ahead. It truly is all a state of mind, not that this insight makes it any easier to realize in your own life! Some people seem to have the ability to take control of their life: as proactive masters of their own fate, rather than victims of their own self-designed failure.

Don't misunderstand - I must confess that I have never been known as a Positive Polly, and it is for that very reason that I was driven to understand why. I spent hours and days trying to figure out why God chose me to experience such challenges. Quotes such as Samuel Warren’s “Triumphs without difficulties are empty” however wise, did not really make sense until now.

Gradually, I started to take more responsibility for my misfortunes, writing in a journal each day helped me to discover how completely pessimistic I was. Sometimes you become so caught up in your own cycle of defeat that you don't even realize how you are sabotaging your life...as the years fly by. Then I had to slowly force myself to look at my actions through a more positive lens. And I do mean force! I have heard it said that it takes 21 days or so to break a habit, but I think it takes a lifetime of effort to refocus an attitude and learn to believe in yourself because it is a constant test, ongoing and continuous learning. When you view the stress in your life as a challenge rather than a threat, you tend to come up with more effective, albeit creative solutions and feel more exhilarated rather than drained as you tackle these circumstances one at a time.