I never thought I could like a body lotion as much as I like Lubriderm. It was recommended to us by a doctor and Oh My! it's better than any body lotion I have ever used. No fragrance, no oily or sticky feel, just soft moisturized skin. Highly recommend!

I want to be happy; you too?

It's seems like I've been seeking all my life for what will help me to feel happy. This blog post is simply a compilation of those resources that help me to re-direct myself from despair to happiness. Enjoy!

The video below was sent to me by a dear friend (Nancy Opgaard). I think it explains some of the reason that the "pursuit of happiness" can be a fast track to nowhere and that the pursuit of gratitude and compassion can lead us directly to happiness.

I can't remember when I first came across this video or even who recommended it to me, but I LOVE it and return to it periodically when I need a reminder of simple steps to being more happy.

Yale University's Dr. Laurie Santos has a course on Coursera on The Science of Well-Being that is excellent and FREE. ​

I was visited by both my parents the other day, which wouldn't be the least bit strange, except they are both deceased. One of the unfortunate consequences of parenting is that the things we say get embedded into the internal voices of our children and those voices persist.

I am heading toward my wise-woman years and some of the parental voices are just as loud as ever. Unlike some who have one harsh or negative voice and one kind and loving, I unfortunately have both my parents voices as negative and judgmental. With the result that I have been cursed with voices that shame me and drag me down. I always know that I am headed for emotional trouble when I can hear in my head, practically in their exact intonations, "What's WRONG with you?" How can this be overcome? I am not entirely sure, but I feel it has to do with naming the voices and even perhaps dialoging with them to find out why in the name of all that's holy they are still plaguing you decades after the actual words were spoken.

Maybe next time my parents visit, they will have something nicer to say.

I have been keeping a journal (off and on) since I was 10 years old (that's a long time!) I had them in boxes in the attic and they've been through several moves with us. I decided to take them out and put them in my "writing cave" to see if they can inspire me or offer me any wisdom from my past self. Here's something I found that I wrote in 1984.
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If I only knew how to give power to the words.

If I only could utter some magic and make the words become real. They would stir your emotions. The words could make you cry in despair, laugh in joy. They would make your heart pound in anticipation, your palms moisten with fear. Words are lifeless without a creator. They are lines of symbols pressed together randomly on a page.

If  I only knew how to make the words speak to your soul. Make them fit together and blend as the threads of fine linen.

If I only knew how to give the words substance, I would no longer be powerless. My words would shake your soul, move your heart, inspire your actions. My words would live. 

If I only knew how to make my words speak.

So, that's what I wished for.

I recently subscribed to an online Word a Day calendar that feeds a word a day to my Google calendar. The idea was to expand my vocabulary. Above, you see today’s word: graphomania. Who knew there was a word to label my inclination to write excessively (obsessively?). After watching Dances with Wolves, my Dear Husband (DH) gave me the nickname “Writes with a Pen.” I guess it’s true, I’m a graphomaniac.

Anylist is an amazing list keeping and recipe archive app that works across all platforms (with an individual paid subscription of $9.99 a year). The app alone works on iPhone and iPad without a subscription. You can keep a grocery list:
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If you find a great sounding recipe online and have forever to scroll to see the actual recipe, you can use the Anylist add-on for the browser and directly import a recipe into your archives. Then you can look at it at your leisure and decide if you want to keep it.

The recipe section allows you, in one view to quickly add items to your grocery list and in another view, focus on one step and your ingredient list (with built in checklist)

Super-helpful app free or at a very reasonable price per year. It's been a real help for me, you can even get Siri into the game and program her to automatically add items to your Anylist shopping list by creating a short-cut. You can even export your list to email or text so you an add a grocery stop to your "Honey-Do" list as needed. Love this app!

The path takes another turn. After AskJoanne.com, after MrsMarkets.com and after leaving the corporate world for the second time the path has turned inward and I have almost finished my formation process to become a Spiritual Director. I am learning to be more quiet both within and without, learning to listen with my whole being, learning to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit before replying. Seeking to find and answer to the questions Who am I? and Why am I here?