My Rant

Okay, time to take off the “NICE” mask for a few moments.

I just got done reading an article in which a convicted murder and death-row inmate wrote a taunting letter to his hometown newspaper about his life of “leisure” in prison and making a mockery of the legal system. He wrote of his leisurely life of watching color TV in the AC, reading, taking naps at will, eating 3 well balanced hot meals a day and receiving round the clock free medical care 24/7.

WELL, how disgusting is this? BUT, guess what folks…HE’S TELLING THE TRUTH!  The truth is he will probably die in prison before his death sentence is ever carried out! Guess who is paying for his life of leisure…us the tax payers! It cost approximately $45K a year to house these hardened criminals.  I know of many great programs that can use $45K for their cause much more than supporting a death-row inmate. If he is sentenced to death, then DO IT! Stop the bureaucracy and get it done! His victims did not get a chance to live a leisurely life! Their lives ended at his hands. So, I say, flip the switch, give him the injection and good riddance!!

Do you realize how many hard working people that have been hit hard by this economy are just scraping by? Not to mention that health care is a luxury many cannot afford when they are trying to feed a family and keep a roof over their heads. How many are homeless are in this country and how many children are hungry? Don’t even get me started on the financial waste within our own government!

Okay, I will stop my ranting for now as I can go on and on about the injustices of this world, but I will make a point. What can we do?  Well, we may be mere individuals, but together we have a voice. Write to your government leaders, get involved in a good cause and for heaven’s sake…VOTE!  Know who is representing you from a local level all the way to the White House. No, I don’t have the answers to how to fix a system that is so broken and filled with corruption, but I can get involved in a positive way. I can work hard, live a life of integrity, be a positive role model to the next generation, contribute to my community and stand up for what I believe in and be accountable for my actions.

We can all sit around and discuss and banter about the wrongs and injustices, but how many of us are going to contribute to the solutions?  Sometimes you must remove the “Nice” mask and face some ugly truths and ask yourself, “What can I do to make a difference?” That is exactly what I am asking myself today!

Just Sayin’,

Christina

Groundhog Day

Do you remember the Movie “Groundhog Day”?  This 1993 comedy starred Bill Murray as a disgruntled weather man covering the annual Groundhog Day event in Punxsutawney only to find himself repeating the same day over and over again.

Do you ever feel like your life is the movie Groundhog Day? I DO! I even refer to my life often as “just living in the movie Groundhog Day”! Let’s face it, life can get monotonous! As one of my best friends refers to it, “Wash, Rinse, Repeat”! Funny, but so true!

The week typically goes like this…Get up and ready for work, make coffee & lunches, out the door for the commute to work, work 9-10 hours, back in the car to head home (providing I don’t have to stop at the gas station or food store), walk through the door, drop purse, put on apron and start cooking dinner. If I am lucky and well-planned, I will already know what the night’s meal will consist of. Cook dinner, eat, load dishwasher, hand wash all other dishes, & make a fresh gallon of sweet tea (yup, that’s southern). After getting changed out of the work clothes, prepare clothes for the next day, get the coffee pot set up for the next morning, pay a bill or two, reply to a friend’s text or voicemail, get about an hour of down time watching tv or catching up on the computer or on a very good day, a 30 minute walk on the tread mill!  Now throw in a sporting event or function at the kids school every once in a while or any other mishap and the week gets quite full. By Friday night, I am deserving of a glass of wine!

This brings me to the weekend…Saturday I try to sleep in but sometimes the internal clock wins! Get up, make breakfast, clean the house, catch up on laundry, food shopping, run miscellaneous errands and try and fit in my writing somewhere as well as quality time with the family. Occasionally I will get a chance to go out for a bite to eat or get together with a few friends. Sunday is the day to finish all of the things I didn’t fit in during the week or on Saturday and hopefully get a little bit of down time (whatever it may be) and of course, get ready to start the new week tomorrow!  Etc., etc., etc…  SOUND FAMILIAR?

No, I am not complaining!  I am very grateful for having a job, a home, food on the table & a wonderful family! I truly try to live from a foundation of gratitude. I am just merely saying that when we get to the point of feeling like our lives are being filmed for “Groundhog Day 2”, perhaps it is time to take a break, change things up a bit, or take time to do something fun and out of the ordinary!  I often write about all of the “have-to-do’s”. These are all of the things that we do to get through our week and keep our lives running responsibly, effectively and smoothly. But, it is vital to remember to take care of yourself, be kind to yourself, stop and smell the roses and nurture YOU! Sometimes that can be defined by visiting with friends, having a date night with your sweetheart or simply putting on your snuggly pajamas and sitting on the couch watching a favorite movie or reading a great book. Whatever it is that takes you to a place of fun, relaxation or out of the monotony! Yes, it is great to have routines and an outline to follow, but it is YOUR life.  Re-write the rules sometimes! Be flexible so you won’t break and live in the moment! Perhaps it is time to scratch an item off of the bucket list!

As in the movie, Groundhog Day, the character that Bill Murray plays doesn’t get out of the “loop” until he re-examines his life and priorities and uses the opportunity to improve himself.  He learns to use his time wisely by helping people and learning new things and thus breaks the cycle in which he is stuck.

So, if you are stuck in your own version of this cycle, choose to re-examine, learn and get off the hamster wheel. Do something that gives you a sense of joy, adventure and a renewed sense of wonder at the life you are creating for yourself!

Just Sayin’,

Christina

LAUGHTER

Live, Love, Laugh…

What a great saying that hangs on the walls of many homes and offices. We all know the importance of really “living”. Taking time to smell the roses, being authentic, being present in the moment is all part of living well. To learn to love deeply, unconditionally and purely is a wonderful place to dwell. BUT, today I want to write about the importance of LAUGHTER. I believe without the LAUGH part, the living and loving part cannot be done completely & fully. Who ever said laughter is the best medicine knew what they were talking about!

Do you know that in 2005, the researchers at the University of Maryland Medical Center reported that laughter causes the dilation of the inner lining of blood vessels and increases blood flow?  Laughter has also been shown to lead to a reduction in the stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine. When you laugh, the brain also releases endorphins that can relieve some physical pain and boosts the number of anti-body-producing cells and enhances the effectiveness of T-cells, which leads to a stronger immune system. These are all positive effects of a good old laughing, and let’s face it, we could all use a few laughs a day!

Last night I had the pleasure of going to see a fabulous comedian at our local Comedy Zone. Julie is a local Carolina girl with a southern twang, extremely tall (6’2”), drives a Harley and funny as hell! It must have been a great feeling for her to perform to a sold-out, home-town room after traveling around the country the last few months. I first saw Julie at a fund raiser run by and for my friends/neighbors. Well, she was funny then, but last night I got to see the whole act that was filter-free! As we would say in the north, “she is a PISSER!”

The great thing about comedians is that they make us see the humor in the truth; the truth about everyday kind of “stuff”. Whether it’s making fun at human relationships, or like George Carlin used to do, question why we drive on the parkway and park in the driveway. They take the mundane, state the obvious and give us a chance to ponder and see the humor in it. To sit back and belly laugh at the real, the stupid and the ridiculous. To make us think and take a light-hearted look at life through their eyes, is a moment of vacation for the soul. What a gift they have to share with us! 

Would it be a challenge to look at something that would normally annoy the heck out of us and find the humor in it? If I make someone chuckle I always ask, “Did I make ya laugh?” When they answer yes, I respond with, “Then I have done my job for today!” For me, laughing is my coping mechanism. It is a great coping skill for many situations and immediately takes away those “bad feelings” and replaces it with happy endorphins. Life is full of “stuff” that we need to be serious about. But, illness, jobs, bills, taxes, government, idiosyncrasies and crappy drivers will all still be there after we are done laughing!  Most importantly, besides laughing at others, remember to laugh at yourself. If you don’t I’m sure there is someone that will! So, for your own sake, lighten up and just keep laughin’! Besides, it will really piss off the haters!

Just Sayin’,

Christina

Terroir

According to Wikipedia:Terroir (French pronunciation): [tɛʁwaʁ]) comes from the word terre "land". It was originally a French term in wine, coffee and tea used to denote the special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place bestowed upon particular varieties. Agricultural sites in the same region share similar soil, weather conditions, and farming techniques, which all contribute to the unique qualities of the crop. It can be very loosely translated as "a sense of place," which is embodied in certain characteristic qualities, the sum of the effects that the local environment has had on the production of the product.

I had forgotten about this word and the conversation in which I was introduced to it until I was reminded the other night. I was watching a show on the travel channel and they were in Brittany, France. This beautiful peninsula was filled with history and culture and fabulous foods. They used the word “TERROIR” several times during the episode.

I was first introduced to this word by a friend from high school. “Molly” (I will always change names to protect the innocent or guilty!!) and I were standing outside in front of a “local haunt” in the wee hours of the morning following our High School Reunion. “Molly is a beautiful woman that is intelligent, sophisticated and extremely well spoken. I was speaking about the dynamics of our graduating class and my amazement of how comfortable it is to see people from high school, how we haven’t skipped a beat and that the common ground we share makes the years past seem like mere weeks. We are fortunate to live in a time with social media making it easier to keep up-to-date with each other, our family status and living locations. Although years have passed and some still reside in the town we grow up in, or adjacent towns, or out of state, there is “something special” about where and when we grew up; a commonality that is only understood by those from that particular area in that particular region. We somehow have an unspoken understanding of each other.

Yes it was the 80’s! Big hair, neon colors, parachute pants, capezios, lacy gloves and flashy make-up were all the rage. Whether you were a jock, burn-out or in the band & chorus, we all interacted with others from the other “labeled” groups. Many of us had gone through school together since elementary school and our Moms were on the PTA together. Several others were related and had other family ties with each other. Still others had parents that worked for the town together. Many of us still share close friendships with these same childhood friends. Our lives in that wonderful town in which we were raised were woven together by so many threads.

As I was explaining the dynamics to Molly, she said, “It is TERROIR!” I had to admit that I have never heard of the word! In all of my worldliness, this word was foreign to me and I had to ask Molly to explain the meaning of this sophisticated French word! She went on to explain the meaning similar to the definition above (I told you she was intelligent!). We agreed that there really is something special about being surrounded by the familiarity of the area that you grow up in, the sights and tastes, the aromas that get the olfactory activated and people that jolt so many positive memories. I felt a sense of home and belonging even though I had not even lived in the state for over 17 years. She was definitely right! It was TERROIR.

We had developed into the fine wine of where we come from, the climate & geography of where we were raised and we are very much a crop, embodied by wonderful characteristics and qualities!

Just Sayin’,
Christina

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all! I hope that this year will bring you a renewed sense of purpose and an excitement for the adventures that await you.

I had the pleasure of ending 2011 on a high note.  For the first time in 7 years I got to spend the Christmas holiday with my parents and 2 days later most of my siblings arrived to join the festivities. Since we all live miles apart and states apart it was a wonderful opportunity for us to get together. A wonderful time to share our gifts & talents, to reminisce of the past, share our dreams for the future, pass on stories to our children and be surrounded by unconditional love.  I so appreciate that each one of us is a unique individual that contributes so much to our family dynamics. We all have our own families and get caught up in daily life, but to stop and make the effort to reunite at this special time of year was magical and good for the soul.

For me the past week was like a warm, welcoming hug; a respite from the rest of the crazy world.   I could take a deep breath and exhale completely. I felt safe and relaxed and NO masks are on when I am surrounded by the people that love me the most. I can simply “just be”!  Whether it was seeing my parents taking in the awe of the moment, having a deep conversation with my brother, sipping tea with my sister-in-law, trying on clothes with my sister, watching the cousins interact with each other, or sharing a meal together, I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to be a part of it all. I think I can speak for all of us when I say that just being together was a tremendous gift. I loved creating new memories.

I speak from my heart when I stress to you the importance of surrounding yourself with amazing people. Whether it is your blood family or the family of friends that you create, it is vital to be with people that support you, encourage you & lift you up.  I always tell my kids that while you are in our home, we are all special and we should treat each other the best because once you leave our four walls, the world will not always be kind. Our home should be the safe place in which we take off any masks we wear and be our haven of comfort and peace.  Just as you would not want a thief to enter your home and steal your belongings, you cannot let those that will steal your joy and happiness into your life. You must protect yourself from people whose intentions will never have your best interest and do not add positivity to your life.  Let’s face it, life is busy & short and after we get all of the “have to do’s” done, there isn’t much time to waste. Make the choice to create memories & moments and share quality time with those that inspire, encourage, have the ability to love deeply, laugh loudly and embrace you just for being YOU!  You are worth it!

If you have good people in your life, remember to let them know how much you appreciate them and take the time to spend some quality time with them and create new and wonderful memories! Even if miles separate you, there is such comfort in knowing that when you do have the opportunity to reconnect, that you are able to pick up where you left off and not skip a beat.

Just Sayin’,

Christina