Wonderingwoman

How many times have we said those words or similar ones to someone who is hurting or in some sort of crisis? How many times have we heard those words? When someone is hurting, they don't need to hear platitudes such as above. They want to know you understand their pain. Deep down we all know that eventually, "It will be alright!" But, in the midst of pain, sorrow, and/or suffering those words sound hollow and meaningless. I don't want to be told that, "it will be okay." I want someone to reflect back to me that they understand I'm hurting and that it's no fun. Imagine this conversation: You: I just found out my best friend has cancer. Your friend: That's awful! But it's going to be okay. Everything always works out. Compare that with this: You: I just found out my best friend has cancer. Your friend: Oh, that's awful. You must feel so much sorrow and helplessness right now. You probably feel pretty scared, too. Which reson...

The bandage was wound around the wound. The farm was used to produce produce. The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse. We must polish the Polish furniture. He could lead if he would get the lead out. The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert. Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was to present the present. A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum. When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes. I did not object to the object. The insurance was invalid for the invalid. There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row. They were too close to the door to close it. The buck does funny things when the does are present. A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line. To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow. The wind was too strong to wind the sail. After a number of injections my jaw got number. Upon seeing the tear in the painting, I shed a tear. I had to subject the subject to a series of tests....

I found these in some old paperwork and thought I would post them for others to use. Here goes: Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips. Use a meat baster to "squeeze" your pancake bater onto the hot griddle--perfect shaped pancakes every time. To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes. To prevent egg shells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling. Run your hands under cold water before pressing Rice Krispies treats in the pan--the marshmallow won't stick to your fingers. To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room temperature and roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before squeezing. To easily remove burnt-on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stove-top--skillet will be much easier to clean. Spray your tupperware with nonstick coo...

I posted a blog awhile back on decision-making and I came across another article about the topic and thought I would post the thoughts since they, like the previous post, are very good. This summary appeared in the May, 2011, edition of O Magazine written by Catherine Price. Here goes: Identify your goal.  As David Welch, Ph.D., professor of political science at the University of Waterloo in Ontario and author of Decisions, Decisions: The Art of Effective Decision Making,  explains, "People who aren't self-reflective are going to end up making bad decisions because they don't really know what they want in the first place." Before you switch jobs, ask yourself: Do I really want a different career? or do I just want a different boss? Don't make a decision based on the wrong problem. Eliminate choices by setting standards.  If you're trying to buy a digital camera, list the features you'll actually use. Any camera that has them is therefore good enough f...

Every so often I go on binges and I'm not referring to a diet binge. My binges center more on projects. My latest binge has been to clear stuff out that I've been carting around forever and finish them. In the last month I've completed 4 large jigsaw puzzles, finished an afghan, started another, emptied crates of yarn to sort them out, and finished a counted cross-stitch piece. All this on top of working, resuming playing the bass and taking lessons as well as playing in community orchestra and being gone over Labor Day. I listen to audio-books while I'm doing projects so I feel like I'm getting two things done at the same time. It feels really good to get stuff done and out when I've finished. I still have a lot of projects to finish up but it definitely feels good to get stuff done and out of the way. What causes these binges to perk up in me? I've always been occupied with projects and stuff, but why does a "binge" start? I never know how lo...

I've been to several workshops on Stress Management over the years and I'm not alone in attendance. They are always one of the most popular sessions around. The topic is appropriate for almost everyone and it also gives conference attendees a chance to focus on something besides the career topic (in my case education). It truly is a break which is always like a sigh of relief. Besides that, most of the people who attend these sessions are looking to have some fun at a workshop and there's usually lots of laughter and good-natured discussion. One session I was at several years ago brought up the topic of comfort food for stress relief. I had never consciously thought about comfort food being a stress reliever but since that session I've thought about it quite a bit and realized how true it is. The workshop stated that the top 4 comfort foods were chicken soup, mashed potatoes, grilled cheese sandwiches and mac & cheese. I don't know where the session presenters...

A few post's ago I entered something I read from the book God's Abundance. Here's another one that is too good not to share by Carl Westling. Decisions can be complicated enough, even when a crisis is not at hand. Regardless of the pressures, it helps us to think like a chess player. This is another brick in the foundation of our abundant life. Tournament class chess players pride themselves on their ability to think five, six, seven or more moves in advance. This preplanning allows them to avoid potential pitfalls that would not show up in just a few moves. The winner of a tournament is generally the one whose moves are planned farther ahead than their opponent. This same logic can be used in daily activities that involve making multiple decisions. One simple way of doing this is by building a decision tree. You may choose to experiment with this concept before applying it to real life. Here is how it works: Let's assume you have been offered a job in another ...