♫ Perfection ♫

It Does Get Better

I love the campaign for gay teens

entitled

''it gets better'

meaning there is a whole new world out

of high school

where they won't be bullied

treated badly

or
feel alone

I wish someone would put together

another onslaught

of  videos

 reassurances
and

success stories

for the rest of the kids
gay and straight

because

even if you shine 

in high school

there is still so much 

self doubt

insecurity

pressure

it would have been so nice

to know you aren't alone

in your anxiety

and there's a whole new
open, beautiful, perfect
world
out there
after you take off your
cap and gown

Better in Time

Over the years

I have seen many couples split up

whether it be 

divorce

friendships

close relationships

 I'm certainly no expert

but

from what I've seen 

and experienced myself 

leaving the intimate circle of being a couple
is a process

almost a reversal 

of how they melded together in the first place

and as they 

unravel

untwist

unwind

there is a certain selfishness
that must occur

instead of the ''we'' 

there must be a ''me''

because

to do otherwise

would mean neither party could

move forward

onto their new

path

Comic Relief

I've always thought Eddie Izzard was brilliant.

He is one of the most intelligent comics I've encountered.

Enjoy!

Thinking Outside The Box

We are all guilty of thinking too much

especially when it comes to the negative stuff

letting our imaginations run wild

unchecked

For me

it happens the most when I've had 

a setback of some sort

an upset

and sure enough

late at night

I find myself laying with eyes wide open 

staring at the ceiling

envisioning the worst

feeling too much

presuming the most atrocious scenes
entertaining awful thoughts
and
all those ''what-ifs''

so

when daylight finally comes

I've had a cup of tea

gathered my wits again

it finally dawns on me

all
I have accomplished
in my angsty state

is to cheat myself

out of a good night's 

sleep

''I told you so...''

Is there anyone more annoying

than the person who relentlessly advises

even when you don't ask for their opinion

then

watches you 

fall

all the while saying

"I told you this would happen''

Somehow

their obvious glee in the wake 

of your failure

makes a bad situation

even worse

as if that's even

possible

Inspiration

Inspiration is a funny thing

sometimes if you find yourself going through

a rough patch

all inspiration seems lost
the world appears to be shades of grey
hopeless and flat

I've found

if you dont feel safe

you cannot be open to inspiration

feeling inspired means 

 allowing yourself a certain vulnerability

I see it almost like luck

opportunity meets readiness

so

the big question

isn't 

''are you feeling inspired?''

the question of the day 

is 

are you feeling safe enough

?

Once a Mom.....

It doesn't matter how old your kids are

how independent

how far away they live
how cool

let me tell you

when they call

alone
and in excruciating pain

from a hospital

and tell you

they are about to have

emergency surgery

I can assure you

THIS

Mama Bear will move mountains

and a mere

2712 miles 

sure as hell
isn't going to
stand in her way

Sometimes...

sometimes you have to ....

 go the extra mile without thought of fame, fortune and glory

 get dirty

realize living mindfully and with intent takes sweet, precious time

allow others to shine

 keep a difficult relationship on track by sheer will and effort

speak eloquently and thoughtfully

work a job that pays crap, but makes you happy

laugh at yourself

admit your mistakes and take the lumps

practice being an optimist

take a day off from your life

stop being the rescuer

face the truth

love a person who seems unlovable

lose a battle on purpose

believe in Karma

say goodbye and mean it

cry

The Idea

I was encouraged 

quite some time ago

to 

write a screenplay

on an idea I had

and

after a couple of years

of mulling over the idea

settling it in the back of my brain

developing characters

tickling feelings long forgotten

seeking meaningful words

interesting plot twists

and

completing serious research
regarding
bawdy romantic scenes
(HA!)

 ...
I 

have to say

the writing is coming along

nicely

Be Yourself...Everyone Else is Already Taken

Be who you are 

and 

say what you feel

because 

those who mind don't matter

and 

those who matter don't mind 

~Dr. Seuss~

Stop the Insanity !!!

She may be abrasive

She may be annoying

She may be one note

but
I believe

Susan Powter has had it
right
all these years

to lose weight
is simple
all 

you have to do 

is to 

eat low fat
excellent quality food

breathe
and 

move

is it any wonder the

$59.7 billion dollar

diet industry

absolutely
hates her

?

Salt and Pepper

Have you ever been lumped 

in a negative way
with someone

just because you're 

the best of friends

?

as if you are
 a set

a pair

incapable of having 

independent thoughts and actions
of each other
because of your friendship

I think it's completely unfair
to bear the brunt of that assumption

especially if dialog hasn't taken place

both separate viewpoints haven't been explored

reasoned with

talked through

but 

I suppose some people

are too caught up

in their own pain

to realize

standing before them
are two completely
different
individual people

and furthermore
how can you explain
to a person who has already
made up their mind
''we''
were never part of a package deal
in the first
place

One Goal...One Dream

The Circle

When my friends lament 

about their friends

I always ask them the same question

''who are you surrounding yourself with?''

if the answer is 

negative people

needy people

whiney people

users and abusers

maybe it's time to let the friendship go

maybe the relationship has run its course

maybe they have changed

or 

(gasp!)

you have

just step away

look at yourself and them with clear eyes

think about a few things

such as 

''if this person doesn't change their behavior, can I do this for 2 more years?'

or 

the most important query

of all

''Do I even want to?''

Coastal Cravings

Helping Hand

Sometimes you find out

how your words or actions 

have affected someone

good or bad

 a huge responsibility

to be sure

I have decided 

with a new year in mind
a new me in mind

I need to do a few things to give back
for my good fortune
not just write a check
or
make a few well-placed phone calls
And so
in
2011
I am working as a volunteer
hygienist
for
low income and disadvantaged kids
one day a week
by my calculations
I will directly touch the health
of
788 children
by year's end
have some laughs
get a few hugs
feel good about who I am

and
in other venues
beyond the dental world
I will be moving anonymously
undercover and stealth
working behind the scenes

the best part

 most won't even know

that it's me playing

behind the curtain

  because my silly rules are

that

giving someone 

a helping hand

doesn't count

if you get caught

doing 

it

Thar be WHALES!

I'm off to the beach house

the place I feel the best

where the water laps the sand

the breeze is honest

and 

the sky infinite

It's 

whale migration time

great beasts 

frolicking and playing

giant flukes

majestic sprays

adorable plucky babies

I feel so fortunate to witness 

their journey
from the deck
a cup of hot cocoa in hand
a smile of contentment on my lips

and
you can bet

my camera will be nearby

at all times

Strange Bedfellows

I don't get too overly involved

when it comes to politics

people who get themselves
completely worked up

seem to be the exception

rather than the rule 

in my world

however

every once in awhile 

someone 

will send me a political message 

hate filled

cross hairs on certain individuals

(as if that sort of thing doesn't incite a problem)

usually drowning in racism

blind Christianity

and fear

Instead of looking away 

saying nothing

as I have done in the past

I have started sending out a form letter 

to those people

asking them to cease and desist

discussing this subject with me

since we will never ever agree

because one thing I cannot tolerate

is seeing how divided my country has become

or

how ignorant about true facts

people can be

 and if you must know
my political leanings
let me sum them up
into a neat little package
I'm pro-choice and pro-death penalty
I'm against giving benefits to 
illegal immigrants 
but 
have fought for gay marriage
I've voted for 
Democratic candidates 
and 
Republican candidates
Am I a liberal or a conservative? 
I'm neither
.....
What I am is a politician's worst nightmare
I am
 a voter who pays attention and thinks for herself 
Imagine that

(A warning--this video is hard to watch. These are real people, apparently)

Lipstick

So 

the other day

a friend of mine

turned to me 

and in a serious way

said 

"I'd love to kiss you just once''

how odd

I was taken aback
a bit uncomfortable
sorta flattered

this is the third time

a heterosexual woman

has said this exact thing

to me

I admit 

my mouth is one of my better features

 but I'm not sure

what would provoke this comment

we were both

stone cold sober

it came out of the blue
unprovoked
and I'm not one to follow
the ''let's experiment'' trend

the
problem with her request

is

I just cannot bring myself to kiss a girl

or even consider it

because I kinda like 

boys

100%

Processing

Every once in awhile

I have to step back

process information

think it over

look at something

scientifically

remove my emotions 

from the equation

 no drama

just the facts

ma'am

Office prank gone wrong!

Support with a Twist

I have some VERY talented friends

I have no qualms supporting their 

interests

plans

hopes 

&

dreams

the problem I get into 

is when I'm asked to help promote

someone who is downright terrible

an affront to all 

writers, photographers and musicians

when it's a hobby

I can be the most enthusiastic person

but 

when they want to take the next level 

(with my assistance)

I just can't do it

I see it as losing my own integrity

and not helping them
with their dreams
makes me feel really
awful

Open World: Open Heart

I believe

the less one has traveled

the less exposure 

to

new thoughts

cultures 

differing opinions

ways of living

the smaller your world

the smaller your mind

I've seen
that
after time people become

less open to new adventures
resisting change

this is ignorance 

not stupidity

 because you don't know 

what you don't know

until you know 

it

European Adventures

(if you click on these, they will enlarge so you can see better detail)


I went to Europe in September

took 

a few weeks

to enjoy myself

shake off the past year or so

discovered grappa in Tuscany

cooked in Paris

walked my legs off in Rome
was overwhelmed by the Louvre

had my camera stolen in Barcelona

(along with 2500 pictures, I was just sick)

but
of the photos I was able to save

these two

are my favorite
straight from the camera
no photoshop program used
it really was that beautiful

Italy

sunrise over Pompeii

a lone fisherman

and below
the stunning harbor view

of 

Naples

Checkmate

 

 

I've learned

one of the ways

to win a game

is to simply

not play 

at all

Unvarnished Truth

It's been said

that women play at sex to get love

and 

men play at love to get sex

however

I believe after the age of 45

the complete opposite 

holds true

Chain of Fools

Have you ever noticed

there is always one lazy person 

in a workplace

the guy who does nothing

accomplishes little

 rarely gets into trouble

points fingers at others

lets everyone down

and strangely enough

is usually the blowhard 

braggart of the group

the ridiculous part

is that this person

drags everyone down to his level

morale suffers

everyone around him
has to work harder

to make up for his incompetence

It's my opinion
his stalwart co-workers
are just as responsible
a chain of fools

who say nothing
because

heaven forbid the lazy one
becomes ''upset'' and pouts
so
they have learned to
feed his ego
stay out of his way

make it work

the
sad part to me

instead of a company soaring
growing strong and respected

everyone doing their respective parts
they are left
with
morale depleted
limping along

exactly at his level

Peanut Butter Cup Truffles

                                                  (made these for a party, aren't they yummy looking?)

Peanut Butter Truffle Cups

• 2 cups whipping cream
• 2 pounds white chocolate, melted
• 2 cups peanut butter

Scald whipping cream in a saucepan. Cool
Mix peanut butter and white chocolate. Heat 30 seconds in the microwave (stirring often) until melted
Mix in whipping cream
Allow to chill

Fill chocolate cups* with peanut butter mix.
Dust with cocoa powder

Alternate Truffle: Instead of chocolate cups, melt a good quality chocolate bar (semi sweet or bittersweet is great) and roll balls of peanut butter filling until covered .Allow to cool on wax paper. Keep in fridge.


*These can be found in a grocery store, or it's easy to make your own with molds and a melted chocolate bar.
**I've found it's important to eat the imperfect ones. It's a sacrifice all cooks must make for presentational purposes.

New Year Party Girl...not.

I know myself really well

and yet

in my zeal to broaden my world

I stilll push myself

into situations that clearly 

make me uncomfortable

I'm talking about New Year's Parties

for 29 years

I've never gone out on New Years

When

you're married to a cop

New Years Eve 

doesn't exist

We went out last night

to a friend's house

a ton of people

98% were doctors

talking about cases

or trying to drink their 

stress away

dark, tight quarters

lots of kissing at midnight

small talk

I bolted

at 12:01

I figured I did my part

  ate enough calories to make Jenny Craig weep

made the rounds

took pictures

hugged strangers

 And today

I'm getting back to center

breathing a little

jeans and a button down

sequins kicked into the corner

doing mundane things

and planning goals for 

2011