Beyond Words

Pretty generous, pretty patient, pretty polite, pretty decent.

Happy National Handwriting Day everyone!

 

I can hear you now. Yawn. Zzzzzzzz. Boring!

 

But wait (in that annoying infomercial voice), not everyone is as interested in handwriting as me, but what about if it affects your children’s learning abilities and your memory as you age?

 

Maybe I have your attention now. Maybe not.

 

 

Either way, today is National Handwriting Day and I’m all over it. Especially the lost art of cursive writing, which in my opinion is a shame. I distinctly remember the white on green cursive ABC letters that hung in my childhood classrooms and I treasure recipes I have of my mom’s written in her handwriting. Printing out a recipe off the computer just doesn’t have the same sentiment. And what about historic documents like The Declaration of Independence? They just wouldn’t look the same typed out. On a more current note and considering all the personal data protection concerns we face, what about forgery? It is waaaay easier to forge a printed signature than a cursive one.

 

Still, think about it: when was the last time you actually wrote something? I still write thank you notes. I still write out my grocery list. And, I’m handwriting all of my student assessments. I’d bet the house that most people email thank you’s, enter grocery lists on their phones, and print work materials off their computers. All this, even though putting pen to paper is proven to help kids learn to read and helps adults learn new concepts.

 

 

The Lost Art of Cursive

But, cursive is fast becoming a correspondence relic and what some consider a 21^st century skill. The writing may be on the wall for cursive, and it’s not pretty. Do we really want future generations to be unable to read our country’s historic documents? Remember shorthand? Well, cursive may not be far behind even though the physical act of writing helps students improve fine motor skills that help them get through life. It also develops letter recognition, which is a strong predictor of reading success. The spill-over between writing and reading is undeniable and yet it seems the keyboard is taking over. So is Common Core.

 

Oh Common Core, the set of uniform (and controversial) educational standards that have been adopted in most states and that do not support the teaching of legible writing after first grade. After that, it’s all about keyboard proficiency. It’s an effort to improve America’s schools, but not everyone is on board the keyboard only trend.

 

 

Get it Write

Psychologists and neurologists alike warn educators that learning cursive is an important tool for cognitive development and that it is way too early to eliminate handwriting curriculum. A New York Times article reported that children read better when they learn to write by hand and that writing also makes them better at generating ideas and retaining information.

 

Apparently the brain likes handwriting so what’s not to love?

 

A study at Indiana University proved this by showing a letter to children who had not yet learned to read or write and asked them to draw or write it down. They could either trace the letter, write it freehand, or type it on a computer. While doing so they were placed in a brain scanner, which showed that those who wrote freehand exhibited increased activity in three key areas of the brain while those who typed or traced the letter showed no similar brain effect. In short, when they wrote the letters they used brain regions known to help reading skills but they did not use these areas when they typed or traced the letters. Mic drop.

 

The brain is also affected by handwriting in that seeing a letter written in various forms is way more beneficial than seeing it the exact same way every time we read it, like on a computer despite the many font choices. No two letters are the same every time we see one and yet if all kids see are typed versions, their ability to distinguish variations diminishes.

 

There is also a difference in how the brain relates to cursive and printing and the distinctions are leading some researchers to believe it may even lead to a potential treatment for dyslexia. In alexia, or impaired reading, some people who are unable to process printing can read cursive and vice versa. In addition, students with difficulty reading may develop difficulty with writing, part of what’s known as dysgraphia. Everyone focuses on dyslexia, but alexia and dysgraphia should be equally researched and developed.

 

So much is being discovered, that a whole new field of research called “Haptics,” in which the interactions of touch, hand movements, and brain function are studied.

 

And it’s not just school-aged children who benefit from handwriting and who may be in jeopardy if it’s eliminated. A UCLA study showed that college students learn better when they take notes by hand rather than on a laptop and other research showed that writing by hand allows a student to actually reflect on what is being taught, which in the end helps them better understand the lesson as a whole. In adults, memory and learning abilities are greatly enhanced with handwriting.

 

Another benefit of handwriting something is ownership. Personal style and individuality results in a sort of “I did this” attitude and a proud, confidence-building moment. Everyone can type something in Helvetica but not everyone can artfully write and illustrate. In addition, writing is said to be something akin to playing an instrument and while not everyone has access to an instrument or can afford music lessons, everyone has access to pens and paper.

 

So, although keyboarding may be fast and efficient, it may also diminish our ability to process new information, and as Yale psychologist Paul Bloom told the New York Times, “With handwriting, the very act of putting it down forces you to focus on what’s important. Maybe it helps you think better.”

 

Sounds like something “we the people” should be thinking long and hard about. Maybe cursive is the “write stuff” after all.

 

Snowstorm Jonas is currently wreaking havoc in America’s south and mid-Atlantic and is climbing its way north and east, bringing with it crippling snow, heavy icing, damaging winds, coastal flooding, and “thundersnow.” Businesses are encouraging staff members to head home early and airports up and down the eastern seaboard are cancelling flights. If you do get on a flight, you might want to stock up on flu medications.

 

Although this winter has been what experts call a “slow” flu season, it’s storms like Jonas that can tip the flu scales into high mode. Here’s why: when blizzards hit people stay inside. When people stay inside they spread more germs. No, you don’t “catch” a cold because it’s cold outside. You get a cold or the flu through viruses spread by germs. Days spent inside allow germs and viruses to spread more readily and easily and THAT’S why more people get sick in colder months. Schools also come into play as they are now in session; meaning kids are together and probably not so worried about spreading their germs. Viruses also spread more easily in dry air and cold weather has dryer air, so do heated homes. In warmer months, we tend to be outside more but “summer colds” are not uncommon, especially during rainy seasons in tropical places when people stay indoors.

 

So far the U.S. has not seen a scary flu season like we have the past three years. Last year was especially bad as the flu vaccine that many received was not effective against the strain of flu that was going around. Although very rare, it could happen again.

 

 

 

Most doctors agree that your best bet against getting the flu is getting the flu shot. You want to get the vaccine before flu season hits, as you become protected about two weeks within getting the vaccine. Prevention is key. As an added bonus, the flu vaccine may reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke for a whole year. Here’s how: when you get the flu your body produces inflammation to fight it but too much inflammation can make your blood vessels unstable, which can result in heart attacks or strokes.

 

 

 

If you do come down with the flu, drink plenty of water and get lots of rest are what most doctors “prescribe.” And although Tamiflu may relieve symptoms and even shorten your flu cycle, most doctors reserve it for patients who are really sick, vulnerable, or weak, such as those with immune disorders, the elderly, or pregnant women. The rest of us will most likely leave our doctor’s office without a Tamiflu prescription. As for how much water you should drink, most physicians say to divide your weight in half and get that many ounces of water each day…even when you’re not sick.

 

In addition, even though grandma may be wrong about “catching” a cold if you go outside with wet hair, she is right about using a humidifier. Humidifiers help by keeping the mucous membranes in your nose moist, which relieves congestion. They also moisten the air, eliminating the aforementioned and dreaded dryair that viruses thrive in. I also like to use peppermint oil when I’m sick. Peppermint has menthol, which gives it that minty smell, and sniffing it is believed by some to “unstuff” a stuffy nose. It’s also relaxing.

 

And from the TMI department, doctors interviewed by Redbook magazine say keeping your nose moist also keeps the tiny hairs inside of it called cilia, moist. These little hairs actually fight off viruses by preventing them from entering your body. They literally move around and act like a shield and they work best when they are moist. Who knew?

 

Since colds and the flu are passed by contact between people, please people, stay home as long as you can if you get sick and keep your kids home if they come down with something. No one wants someone hacking and moaning in the office or sniffling and sneezing in the classroom. Stay home and stay away from people.

 

Once you are on the road to recovery, be sure to clean and replace. Clean your bathrooms, your sheets and towels, and replace things like toothbrushes and water bottles. Even though once you catch a particular strain of the flu you become immune to that strain for the rest of the season, others in your home could be infected and you could catch something else.

 

 

It goes without saying that you should always cover coughs and sneezes with the inside of your elbow (not your hand, which in turn will spread the germs) and wash your hands often. That commercial currently on TV that shows someone sneezing out a blue cloud of air gunk in an elevator really demonstrates why. Think about it, everything that’s touched by someone has the potential of harvesting germs. This, of course, includes door knobs and elevator buttons, but also credit card machines at stores, pens to sign checks at restaurants, and seat pocket reading materials in airplanes. Yep, we’re back to the airplanes. So what about the seats themselves? I’m not even gonna go there.

 

If Snowstorm Jonas has anything to say about it, millions of flyers may not go anywhere this weekend.

 

Stay safe, stay warm, and stay healthy.

 

While sitting in the chair getting my hair cut recently, my fabulous stylist Priscilla shared some interesting information about hair styles and the whole time I was thinking, “I feel a blog coming,” so here it is!

 

Did you know that, despite the plethora of hair styles out there, there are really only three basic types? In essence, whatever style you have right now is very well a take on the Bob, the Crop, or the Shag. Yep, that’s it.

 

Call Me Bob

Let’s start with the Bob, the classic women’s style shown in photos above in which the hair is cut above the shoulders in a blunt and uniform cut with no layers. It’s clean, classic, and easy to style. Think Anna Wintour or Doris Day.

 

 

 

A distant cousin of the Bob is what InStyle magazine called “The haircut that works for everyone,” the Lob, which is longer than the Bob but still blunt and layer-free. It’s known to longate the neck and have more versatility than the Bob and, with the proper cut, can make stringy, fine hair appear fuller.

 

 

More recently Victoria Beckham made “The Posh Bob” the trend of the moment with her asymmetric cut. Featuring hair that is longer on one side than the other or shorter in the back than the front, the Posh Bob was all the rage a few years back.

 

 

Then there’s the Pageboy, popular in the late 1950s and 1960s and making a vintage resurgence today. Never one of my faves, think Toni Tennille or Uma Thurman in “Pulp Fiction,” but Rihanna and Coco Rocha slayed it in the two photos here. Its most notable feature is a thick bang, made famous by ’50s glamour and fetish model Bettie Page. This  association was not acceptable to women’s magazine editors however, so it was sold to the public as the hairstyles worn historically by English pageboys.

 

 

Just Crop It

 

From there, let’s visit the Crop. This is a short hairstyle made so elegantly famous by Robin Wright’s character in “House of Cards” and in which the hair is cut very close to the head but sometimes long enough to tuck behind the ears. Pieces of a modern crop often go past the bangs, which are also known as “fringe.” Think Kris Kardashian or Princess Di. I’ve had a version of a “Kris Crop” for years now and am pretty sold on it although I have let it grow out a bit.

 

 

 

The Pixie is the “now” version, with everyone from Jennifer Lawrence to Kaley Cuoco chopping their long and glamourous hair into this short and sassy style. I love it and wish I could pull it off. Sharon Stone pulled it off and then some when she showed up at the 1998 Oscars with a new pixie cut and her husband’s white shirt with her Vera Wang skirt. It was insanely elegant and memorable. Twiggy is also a Pixie legend. Her 1960s version is still popular today.

 

On men, what’s called the “Quiff” could maybe be considered the male version of a crop. Members of One Direction have sported the style as has Bruno Mars. It’s trendy and traditionally pompadourish at the same time.

 

 

It’s In The Shag

   

Finally, there’s the shag, the choppy and layered style created  by the barber Paul McGregor. Most commonly layered to various lengths and feathered at the top and sides, this unisex style was made popular by many a celeb, including Joan Jett, Rod Stewart, David Cassidy, Jane Fonda and Florence Henderson back in the ‘70s and ’80s. Henderson’s Carol Brady shag will forever be considered one of the worst styles ever and was “this” close to being a mullet. Don’t tell Billy Ray Cyrus.

 

 

The shag resurfaced in the ‘90s with Meg Ryan’s messy version, which I love, and Jennifer Aniston’s “The Rachel” from the hit TV show “Friends.” The Rachel had a following all of its own and is one of the most popular hairstyles in history. Flattering yes, but low maintenance it was not. I tried it several times but could never quite achieve Rachel Green’s “friendly” cut.

 

It’s interesting to note how all these celebs grow their hair out and to look at all the different styles they’ve had. Granted, extensions and an on-call stylist help, but here are some different looks and “growing out” stages of just Halle and JLaw:

     

 

   

 

 

The Men Behind the Hair

You could say Shag designer McGregor was a visionary, and so were Vidal Sassoon and Jose Eber.

 

Vidal Sassoon was not only a talented hairdresser, but a brilliant businessman and charitable philanthropist as well. Tired of the “set” and stiff styles of the 1960s, Sassoon set out to design efficient but fun hair that incorporated the basic angles of cut and shape.His vision was modern and low-maintenance hair that was shiny and straight and he is who chopped off Mia Farrow’s hair into her trademark pixie. By 1963 Sassoon had created what we know as the “Bob,” most notably worn by Dorothy Hamill in a severe wedge version at the time. The in-demand style was actually done for the gold medal ice skater by stylist Suga, but the wedge itself was invented by Trevor Sorbie in 1974 while he was working under Sassoon at his London shop. Sassoon went on to become one of hair styling’s greatest and complemented his customer base with his own line of hair products, gloriously tagging “If you don’t look good, we don’t look good.” Sassoon looked good until his death in 2012.

 

French-born Jose Eber will also forever be linked to a celebrity: Farrah Fawcett. Eber wanted to create sexy, carefree, and unstructured hair that was easy to maintain and in Farrah he found the perfect muse. I’m sure neither of them at the time had any idea that her feathered long blonde locks would go down in history as one of the most iconic styles ever. The Charlie’s Angel took her hair straight to the top of fame infamy and lived up to Eber’s motto of “Shake your head darling.” Eber is also credited with bringing the round brush into salons everywhere, allowing full and flawless blow drying to be accomplished in homes across America.

 

 

I don’t know about you, but I just loved learning all of this. Whether we’re talking Beehive or Bouffant, French braid or French twist, Chignon or Bun, Buzz or Bowl Cut, Corn Rows or Dreadlocks, Updos or Wings, Mohawk or Payot (those curly locks near the ears that many Orthodox Jews wear), they will all forever be in the dictionary of common terms and symbolize generations uniquely their own. Perhaps newer terms like “extensions” and “blow-outs” will join them someday or maybe they’ll be replaced by trendier terms just like “frosting” became “highlights” and “bangs” became “fringe.”

 

Whatever the case, here is my “Hair Style Hall of Fame” and “Hair Style Hall of Shame”

 

Hall of Fame: Halle Berry, Meg Ryan, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston (always has great hair!), Kris Kardashian, Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Patrick Dempsey, Bradley Cooper, Anderson Cooper

 

Hall of Shame: Kate Gosselin, Donald Trump, Crystal Carrington, Carol Brady’s shag, Keith Urban, Donatella Versace

 

Hall of Fame Icons – The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

Dorothy Hamill

Farrah Fawcett

Cher

Kelly Clarkson (“skunk stripes” during her “American Idol” season)

Bo Derek (corn rows in “10”)

Jennifer Aniston (“The Rachel” from “Friends”)

Halle Berry

Twiggy

 Crystal Gayle (remember her hair for miles?!)

Princess Di

Kate Gosselin

 

Me with different hair styles courtesy InStyle on line. Which do you like best?

              Bob                                 Lob                                Shag                             Crop

   Pink!                                          Catherine                            Katy Perry

 

“The bigger your career gets, the smaller your life gets.”

 

 

I came across that quote while reading an interview with Adele, and it caught my eye.

 

Big career = small life.

 

Hmmmm…pretty prophetic and troublesome yet in many ways, true.

 

At very young ages we are told to strive for the top and go for the best. We are rarely told to go for life and not just make a living. As a friend said last night at a dinner party with friends, “no one rings the bell at the top telling you it’s the top.” He was referring to the real estate market, but I believe it also rings true about careers and goals…and life. At what point do we tell ourselves, “I’ve done it. This is good?”

 

When do we ever have enough?

 

When are we ever satisfied?

 

Look around, all ages are almost always wanting more. Toddlers want more toys. Teens want more freedom. Twentysomethings want more technology. Seniors want more time. Last night’s Power Ball would have (supposedly) made someone’s life much better. I won’t argue with the fact that money can make for a better life on many levels, but exactly how much money is enough money?

 

We also talked about this last night and as we went around the dinner table asking each other what they would do if they won the lottery, I loved one friend’s answer of “I’d make a lot of people happy.” Bingo. He gets it. (For the record I said a private plane and chef.)

 

As I mentioned in a previous blog, there’s now a condition called “destination addiction,” in which one constantly strives for the next perfect place or the next big thing, never slowing down to appreciate where or how he or she is. It’s sad really and it’s fairly prevalent.

 

 

January is the month we all make our New Year’s Resolutions and I’m right up there with the masses listing all the things I’m going to do and accomplish in 2016. Here’s where I today am firmly applying the brakes, altering plans, and changing my mind.

 

Rather than doing something new this year, I’m going to do something less.

 

What about making a resolution list of things I’m NOT going to do?

 

How about taking things out of my daily routine rather than adding to its already jam-packed state? Besides, most days I’m pretty fulfilled so why mess with that?

 

Will I really benefit from all the things I said I wanted to do at the beginning of this month or will they just stress me out?

 

Those books and daily devotionals I said I was going to read every day? Just the sight of them stacked up next to my bed indeed stresses me out. I feel like I’m back in school and they are my assignments. So, each morning I’m back to my original two from years passed and will read the others when I feel the urge. That gives me peace. The peace I thought I would find by making sure I read several of them every day, at various times of the day, in various rooms in my house.

 

Walking 30 minutes every day? I have done that some, but not daily. I’m okay with that though. I’m trying and I’ve enjoyed doing so. I sometimes also prefer to sleep in the mornings or come home from work and read a book or simply “be” rather than go for a walk. I’m okay with that too. Sure, am I envious of friends who have a daily work-out routine, genuinely enjoy doing so, and have the bodies to prove it? Of course, but I’m not them and I want to be okay with that. I’m Carla and Carla does not love exercise. This might make Carla heavier than she’d prefer to be but it doesn’t make Carla a bad person.

 

In all honesty though, if there is one thing I would like to do is looking forward to exercising and taking the time to do it. I just don’t. Never have. Don’t know how. I was doing yoga at our club and loving it but they changed the classes and now they don’t fit my schedule. I did the personal trainer thing but even though I know it was a healthy thing to do, I didn’t lose any weight or see changes in my body. I refuse to do any of those weight loss and/or diet programs because everyone I know who has just gains it all back. The other problem I have: I love to eat and sadly I do like bad foods. Kale or kale chips? I’ll almost always chose the chips. I also don’t enjoy cooking and especially the prep that goes with it (hence the chef answer to “if I won the lottery) and as an empty nester it’s easy to go for what’s easy and as we all know, what’s easy is rarely what’s healthy. I will continue to search and strive though in hopes of finding that one thing that motivates me and moves me, both literally and figuratively.

 

In the meantime, I’m going to think about what Iris Murdoch once said, “One of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats.” That I can do: small and joyful treats…getting them and giving them.

 

I’ve also decided I’m officially removing the words “should” and the phrase “have to” from my vocabulary and replace them with “want” and “get to.” No more “I should go to yoga” but rather “I want to go to yoga.” Instead of thinking “I have to go grocery shopping” I will work on realizing “I get to go grocery shopping.”

 

I kinda wanna do less, not more.

 

I’m done with guilt and I’m done with assignments.

 

I’m done with checking things off a list.

 

I’m too old for that and I’m too bold for that.

 

“Collect moments not things, earn respect not money,

enjoy love not luxuries.”

Aarti Khurana

 

Rather than doing the right things for the wrong reasons (I have to, someone else does it, I always have done it), I’m going to focus on doing things for the right reasons (that book inspires me, that activity enhances my life, I actually enjoy it) and hope for the best. As with anything – a job, a marriage, a hobby – your heart has to be in it in order for it to be successful and satisfying.

 

You could say I’ve had a sort of epiphany about my life (and coincidently the Feast of the Epiphany was this week). I don’t want my life so full anymore. I almost want it emptied out so I can fill it back up with the right things. I am ready to be “filled up” and I am willing to have something poured into my life that’s life giving, not life taking. Busyness does not bring happiness and happiness needs reflectiveness.

 

I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in these feelings of being overwhelmed and under fire. Many of you probably feel empty too at times and maybe it’s because we are all trying to fill our lives with the wrong things: titles, achievements, busyness, activities, bigger and better possessions. You know because….we’re supposed to want those things cuz they will make us whole and happy. Not!

 

So, I resolve to…

Decide what I envision myself and my life to be and work on obtaining that vision through positive and enjoyable steps.

Have fresh flowers in the house year ‘round.

Call my mom more often.

Live by my values regarding respect, relaxing, and rewarding myself.

Live each moment and treasure the doing, not the getting it done.

Be kinder to myself and kinder to others.

Don’t expect too much of myself.

Accept me.

 

After all, the future is not some place we are going, but a place we are creating. Remember, life is about balance and our real wealth is what we invest in for eternity.

 

 

I’ve always believed in how the above four things are prioritized and although the Vatican released what’s called Pope Francis’ official unofficial New Year’s Resolutions (see below) he also sent sent his staff a list of 10 things he’d like them to do and amazingly, they also put God and Family first and second. Hmmmm…

 

 

So, whether you work for the Pope or you work for yourself, I believe we can all learn from following his requests, so here they are:

 

1. Take care of your spiritual life, your relationship with God, because this is the backbone of everything we do and everything we are.
2. Take care of your family life, giving your children and loved ones not just money, but most of all your time, attention, and love.
3. Take care of your relationships with others, transforming your faith into life and your words in good works, especially on behalf of the needy.
4. Be careful how you speak (was he listening to me during the OU-Clemson game?!). Purify your tongue of offensive words, vulgarity, and worldly decadence.
5. Heal wounds of the heart with the oil of forgiveness, forgiving those who have hurt us and medicating the wounds we have caused others. (I like this one A LOT!)
6. Look after your work, doing it with enthusiasm, humility, competence, passion and with a spirit that know how to thank the Lord.
7. Be careful of envy, lust, hatred, and negative feelings that devour our interior peace and transform us into destroyed and destructive people.
8. Watch out for anger that can lead to vengeance; for laziness , for pointing the finger at others, for pride, and for complaining.
9. Take care of brothers and sisters who are weaker…the elderly, the sick, the hungry, the homeless and strangers; because we will be judged on this.
10. Make sure your Christmas is about Jesus and not about shopping.

 

What I love about this list and what I’ve read about it is that, although it’s clearly rooted in Catholic teachings, it consists of things non-Catholics can easily embrace as well. Many of them scream my name and others inspire and encourage me. How about you? Pick one or two you need to work on or that you want to improve on and get going. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and have faith!

 

Here’s to a blessed and happy 2016 filled with all the things that bring peace to you.

 

 

 

It’s New Year’s Eve and you know what that means. Champagne, noise makers, and legendary par-tays. I don’t have any of those plans (okay, maybe the champagne part) as I’ll be a nervous wreck watching my Sooners in this afternoon’s Orange Bowl, but I will be with all of you in spirit as you ring in the new year with toasts and verses of Auld Lang Syne.

 

Then, it will hit you. Like a train, and I’m not talking hangovers.

 

Time for those blasted New Year’s Resolutions.

 

Ugh.

 

Lose weight. Eat healthier. Be more positive. Save more money. Be nicer. Exercise.

 

We’ve all heard them and we’ve all tried them, sometimes with stunning success and sometimes with epic fails.

 

It’s time to start anew though, and according to professional coaches and bloggers Marc and Angel Chernoff, the best way to do so is to start each morning off the right way.

 

 

According to their “Hack Life” website, the happiest and healthiest people have effective morning rituals that improve their lives and renew their purpose. Sounds like a good New Year’s Resolution to me. Let’s get started!

 

 

Every morning in 2016 I will try my hardest to:

• Wake up with a sense of gratitude. The more grateful a person is, the less likely they will be depressed, anxious, lonely, envious, or even neurotic. Every morning think about how fortunate you are. Count your blessings. Every morning.

 

• Begin anew. Good or bad, yesterday is over. Start each new day refreshed and ready to do something different or better.

 

 

• Use self-inquiry to affirm a purposeful start to the day. Say what? Steve Jobs and Benjamin Franklin were both famous for waking up each day and essentially asking themselves, “what good shall I do today?” That’s what we’re talking about here. Come up with your own mantra. Just make sure it’s genuine and encouraging.

 

• Read something positive. The Chernoffs say happy, healthy people often read scripture, inspirational books, article, or quotes; or some form of self-improvement literature. They call it “creating your own sunshine” and I plan to do just that! Every morning I try to read “Jesus Calling” and I have a daily calendar of scripture and quotes in my bathroom that I read as I brush my teeth. Being the book lover that I am, I’m ahead of the game on this one and have stocked up on new inspirational daily devotionals that I hope to do, including:

 

“Savor. Living Abundantly Where You Are, As You Are”

by Shauna Niequist (this one also includes recipes!)

“A Year with Mary. Daily Meditations on the Mother of God” by Paul Thigpen

“Positive Quotes for Every Day” by Patricia Lorenz

“Daily Dose of Bible Knowledge” (read the bible in one year!)

I also want to start my Prayer Journal.

 

 

• Follow an effective morning routine. These apparently are critically important as they help you focus and build momentum for your day. Rushing is never good or healthy, but exercising and smelling the coffee is. Savor your java, reduce the number of decisions you make each morning, and slow down!

 

• Eat a wholesome breakfast. Okay. Guilty here. I rarely do this and if I do, that healthy breakfast is a hard-boiled egg and a banana…on the run…after I’ve had my coffee…as I’m headed out the door or onto the computer. Bad, I know. I’ll try harder. I promise.

 

• Move on gracefully to what’s important. The word that initially caught my eye in that sentence is “gracefully” because it’s such a pretty word but, the real meat of the sentence is “what’s important.” Focus on the right things right off the bat and the rest of your day may just fall into place. Panic and focus on progress rather than process and your day may start unraveling before you’ve even had time to think about it. Again, slow down.

 

So there you have it: how to start your mornings in 2016 the right way. But, what if you get off track? What if those mornings start becoming just like the crazy mornings of 2015 and it’s only February? Well, we all want to be happy so here are some things “Hack Life” and others suggest you can do and choices you can make that are sure to improve how you feel and impact how you think:

 

 

• Keep growing. Learn something new. Go somewhere new. Do something differently. Take risks. Look at challenging situations as opportunities for growth, not pockets of struggles. Every year one of my New Year’s Resolutions is to learn something new. I’ve taken Italian classes, cooking classes, ice skating classes, and have learned to cross-stitch and golf. I’m not a big risk taker, but just this year I went zip-lining and jumped into freezing Barton Springs Pool for Austin’s annual Polar Bear Plunge on New Year’s Day. What will I do this year?!

 

• Filter the noise in your life. Don’t just listen to the loudest voices. Listen to the truest ones. Get rid of the Negative Nancy’s in your life and surround yourself with uplifting and supportive people not toxic and critical ones.

 

• Don’t dwell so much on your “perfect” future that you forget to live today. Find ways to be satisfied rather than constantly striving for bigger, better, and more. Realize that “having it all” is not possible.

 

• Work on being “wealthy” in your marriage, with family time, and with good friendships rather than just in your bank account.

 

• Don’t hold grudges. They do no good and only hold you back.

 

• Develop healthy habits and stick with them. What you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while.

 

 

• Start choosing differently for your well-being. Take care of yourself. Little things can make a big difference and it’s time to start tweaking where you are. Think and care about others but don’t focus on being a people pleaser.

 

• Start being more productive than just busy. Don’t confuse motion with progress.

 

 

• Dedicate time to meaningful activities and find a passion. What you do every day matters but why you do it matters even more. Do what you love, even if it’s just for 15 minutes.

 

• Master the art of handling rejection. You will get it so become resilient at it.

 

• Run toward something rather than away from it. The best way to move away from something negative is to move toward something positive.

 

 

• Learn how to say “no” and mean it. Set your boundaries and respect them. If you do, others will too.

 

• Be genuinely happy for others. Envy makes us blind to the goodness of God and results in sorrow. Get rid of it in your life.

 

• Give without expectations. Not everyone has the same heart as you so don’t expect others to do for you what you do for them. This will only lead to constant disappointment. Give more but expect less. Plant the seeds and be happy with what blooms.

 

• Let grace have the last word. You don’t need to win every argument or always be right.

 

• Show your loved ones what they mean to you. Don’t just utter words; live by them.

 

• Replace “I have to” with “I get to.” So many activities we complain about are things others wish they had the chance to do and what we take for granted others are praying for. Realize this.

 

• Let frustrations go and focus only on what you can control. Everything else is not worth your time or energy.

 

 

• Turn the pages that need to be turned. This isn’t always easy but may be vital to your happiness.

 

• Measure progress everyday…no matter how small. Each day may hold a proud moment that you didn’t but need to pay attention to.

 

• Embrace uncertainty. Don’t let not knowing how it’ll end up keep you from beginning.

 

It’s time for a new beginning with the new year beckoning. Embrace it, take it on, and be the person you’ve always wanted to be. I’ll be rooting for you!

 

 

Do you believe in angels? Are there angels among us?

 

I recently read that the word “angel” comes from the Greek word for gospel, euangelion. “Eu” means good and “angelion” means tiding or message. An angel then, is a messenger. Since their roots are in the gospel, they are truly God’s messengers.

 

I’ve never been someone who’s infatuated or interested in angels, but I have known them to be in action and I count on them to guard and guide friends and family. In my mind, they are unseen protectors and dependable companions in the storms of life.

 

Angels protected my sister and her family when they were T-boned last week the day before they were leaving to drive to Austin to see my niece’s new baby.

 

When Kristen’s car got stuck in flood waters last spring, Angels were there to get her out safely.

 

And if anyone can convince me that my guardian angel hasn’t walked beside me through my whole life, a life of good choices and bad ones, I’d like to hear your arguments.

 

 

Angels We Have Heard on High

Christmas is a sort of angelic “high season.” Every nativity scene includes one and you see them everywhere. In churches, cars, and caroling you sing about them. I have a collection of them that I put out each Christmas and they played pivotal roles in the Christmas story. In short, you can’t escape angels during this time of the year even if you try!

 

An angel told Mary she was with child. Interestingly enough, this angel was probably a little scary to poor, young Mary. Not the message she was thinking she’d hear but she nonetheless saw the Godliness in the angel and its message and said “yes” to God.

 

Angels also announced Jesus’ birth, telling the world:

 

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest.”

Luke 2 8:14

 

 

Angels were created good by God and serve Him as His messengers to humankind. Catholics believe there are nine choirs of angels: seraphim, cherubim, thrones, dominations, virtues, powers, principalities, archangels, and angels and we tend to favor the three Archangels, Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael who are the only angels named in scripture. There are also our guardian angels.

 

 

“He will shield you with His wings. They will shelter you for He orders the angels to protect you wherever you go.”

Psalm 91:11

 

I love Guardian Angels, those heavenly created spirits whose job it is to help those they have been assigned by interceding for us, guiding us, and protecting us from harm. I’m forever asking God to “put your angels around” someone I love. It’s almost like I can physically see an angel protecting Kristen’s car as she drives or a doctor’s hands as he operates. It’s both powerful and soothing.

 

 

The above image is one I remember from my childhood. We all had one hanging in our bedrooms and each night we would say “The Guardian Angel Prayer.”

 

 

 

Whether you believe in angels or not, author Joan Wester Anderson of the bestselling book “Where Angels Walk,” which my mom gave me years ago, writes that “there is overwhelming evidence heavenly beings are very much with us combating evil, bringing news, warning of danger, and consoling us in our suffering.” I prefer to consider these “beings” angels, and I’m pretty sure they walk beside me.

 

 

“Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.”

Theophrastus

 

 

Wise words from Mr. Theophrastus and right in line with an email I received today. The internet “life lesson” was from a business I frequent. I loved it and thought I’d share it with you and elaborate on its message.

 

Lesson of Time

When a bird is alive, it eats ants but when the bird is dead, ants eat it.

One tree makes a million match sticks but only one match stick is needed to burn a million trees.

Time and circumstances can change at any given moment.

Don’t devalue or hurt anyone in life.

You may be powerful today, but remember, time is more powerful than you.

Be good and do good!

 

For some reason this really hit home today. Maybe it’s because we are smack dab in the middle of the holidays haze and time is something none of us seem to have enough of. Even as I write this, I feel rushed and I don’t like that. Breathe Carla, and write. Simply write.

 

 

“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.”

Jackson Brown, Jr.

 

 

Time was on my mind over the past few days, as my husband and I travelled to Buffalo, NY to visit his mom who is in an assisted living home. We had a great time seeing his brother and sister-in-law as well as several childhood friends of his, but “enjoy” is not the word that comes to mind regarding his mom.

 

She is where she wanted to be, but my heart tells me it’s not what she’d hoped it would be. As Smitty himself said, the place is full of the “forgotten people.” Lined up wheelchair to wheelchair and most with blank looks on their faces, these moms and dads wait for the next activity, meal, and visitor. Yes, the facility itself is top-of-the-line and offers everything from a hair salon to art classes, but like many people I know, the outside looks pretty but inside it’s full of pain and loneliness. It broke my heart. I wish I could fix it, but I can’t. Time has passed these people by and my only hope is their memories are full of joy and love.

 

It made me think of my dear friend Ann who just recently lost her mom. It made me think of my own mom and the time I have left with her. Time to love her and be patient with her.

 

 

Maybe it’s time we slow down.

Maybe it’s time we truly appreciate those who love us.

Maybe it’s time to stop looking for the “pretty” and start looking for the “devoted.”

Maybe we should stop trying to hard to please everyone and instead do the things that please those we love.

Maybe it’s time to eat less and exercise more.

Maybe it’s time to unplug and detach.

Maybe it’s time to stop worrying and start appreciating.

Maybe it’s time to criticize less and laugh more.

Maybe it’s time to take less selfies and enjoy more of what’s out there.

 

A favorite author of mine is “The Happiness Project’s” Gretchen Rubin who also wrote one of my favorite quotes:

 

 

Scary true, right? Don’t years fly by but some days just drag on and on? It seems like just yesterday I was visiting cute shops with my mother-in-law and today she cannot walk. At the same time, I have accomplished so much today and there’s still hours to go!

 

So get out there and burn your favorite candle, buy nice sheets, and use the good china. Treat your family like guests and your guests like family. Be nice and be there for them. Be a giver and be a helper. Today. You never know how many tomorrows you’ll have to do so.

 

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is to watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas” at least once. I adore the simple story of a simple boy wanting to bring simplicity back into Christmas. Yep, that’s really what the legend is all about. Sure it includes Snoopy’s silly dancing, fun piano riffs, a Christmas pageant, and what is undoubtedly one of the holiday’s most enduring symbols: the infamous Charlie Brown Christmas tree; but ultimately the script reminds us what the real gift of Christmas is.

 

In the tale, Charlie Brown is bummed because all his buddies…Lucy, Sally, even Snoopy…seem more concerned with presents and money than what Christmas is really about. Commercialism has run amok and it’s taken the Christmas spirit out of one Mr. Brown. When Lucy suggests he direct the Christmas play, Charlie Brown agrees and all seems to be going well until it’s time for him and Linus to pick out a tree. There’s peer pressure from the cast to choose a shiny aluminum one, but Charlie Brown chooses a small, sickly tree that he innocently believes only needs some tender loving care. Others laugh at it and at him, but the laughter stops when Linus gives a speech of all speeches in which he quotes Luke 2:8-14.

 

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Then Linus turns to his pal and says, “That’s what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown.”

 

 

End scene. Amen. Hallelujah.

 

It was 50 years ago this year that “A Charlie Brown Christmas” was first seen on American televisions. No one knew at the time that it would become a classic and you probably didn’t know that many thought its quoting of the bible should maybe be rethought. Some even went so far as to ask creator Charles Schulz to omit any and all scripture. Thankfully Schulz refused to do so. I can’t help but wonder if that would happen today…not with Schulz, but with today’s television producers and writers. Sadly, I don’t think we have to worry about that today as any network program wouldn’t include bible verses to begin with for fear of offending viewers.

 

The chorus of sweet-voiced children sings, “Christmastime is here,” but it took Charlie Brown, Linus, and a droopy tree to remind everyone that unlike a shimmering aluminum tree, Christmas is not about tinsel and glitter. It’s about a King born in a barn in front of animals. You don’t get any more simple than that. Jesus could have been born anywhere, but He chose to be born in front of the lowly. If there was a tree in the manger, I’m guessing it was more like Charlie Brown’s than any color-coordinated or perfectly adorned tree.