I drove to Borders Bookstore today to look at book covers as I near the end of the writing of another book. Or so I thought that was what I was going there for!
I entered the store and headed for a quick trip to the bathroom and noticed a pleasant looking man sitting comfortably in a chair reading a book about Computers for Dummies.
When I came out of the bathroom I made a comment to this man (Steve, I would soon find out)about my need for a pre-Dummies book on computers. He chuckled and we started to talk.
He told me how he was writing a book; I told him about my latest project. He inquired as to whether or not I would reveal the name of my upcoming book. Of course I would: Breaking the Food Chain: Freedom from Bottomless Hunger.
He asked where I get my information and I told him about my compulsive eating disorder, and he had tears in his eyes. He was shaking his head and pointing his bent finger back at himself.
I began to explain how this book shines the light on food disorders; that have very little to do with eating.
As I continued Steve was shaking his head faster and faster.
When I finished he asked for my card and asked when this book would be available for purchase.
We were exchanging contact information when a man walked up to me and said he was listening and he wanted me to have his card. He was also writing a book and didn't know why, but he was supposed to connect with me.
We stood there in Borders - three strangers that now felt a connection, not knowing why; just knowing that something had happened in that store.
When I got home I signed Steve and Byron up for my monthly newsletter and right away Byron e-mailed me back and told me that his wife is reading the newsletter.
When I walked into Borders I thought I was there to look at book covers; little did I know that there was a bigger plan at work. I can't wait to see how it plays out!
Life's Daily Surprises!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Live moments...with who you can...while you can...
Weekends...we look so forward to them and then ZAP! Before we know it they are gone and Monday comes - way too soon!
This weekend my friends, Bruce and Gail, came to spend some time with me in Nashville. I met these two wonderful people when they were passing through Nashville months ago and a friend wanted us to meet. Thinking it would be a five-minute introduction we agreed to say Hello!
There was an instant connection.
Last Thursday I answered the phone and Bruce was on the other end.
"Sandy, what are you doing this weekend?"
Ah, music to my ears!
So Bruce and Gail spent the weekend at my house.
It was sharing, laughter and eating together. It was bonding in its purest form. It was adding other people to our circle...and laughing and loving them too.
It does not always work out that you get along with both people in a couple, but this was a friendship made in heaven. There is a feeling of mutual admiration, love and fun. To add to the mix they introduced me to their wonderful friend, Robin, and we all felt an instant kinship. To add to the fun Robin and I talked fast and a lot, and at times rivaled the best comedy routines in the comedy clubs.
Gail and I sat on my bed until 2:00 in the morning, growing closer as only 'real' sisters can. When she retreated to bed we were 'pinky swearing' that we would keep in our hearts all that we had shared.
A month ago I met a young man that is a son of a speaker I know. He stayed at my house the night before a flight out of Nashville (he is from Mississippi), and he was in Nashville again this weekend and stopped in and slept in his old bedroom.
Lauren - my charming daughter - came over and added to the house busting at the seams with fun, love and laughter.
Moments - that's all we have...yet we let time pass and forget to savor the moments!
Whoever you are with - cherish them - every touch, each look that is passed between you, every chuckle...tuck this all in your heart!
While you are still able - enjoy the moment, laugh and love - all that you can with everyone you can!
This weekend my friends, Bruce and Gail, came to spend some time with me in Nashville. I met these two wonderful people when they were passing through Nashville months ago and a friend wanted us to meet. Thinking it would be a five-minute introduction we agreed to say Hello!
There was an instant connection.
Last Thursday I answered the phone and Bruce was on the other end.
"Sandy, what are you doing this weekend?"
Ah, music to my ears!
So Bruce and Gail spent the weekend at my house.
It was sharing, laughter and eating together. It was bonding in its purest form. It was adding other people to our circle...and laughing and loving them too.
It does not always work out that you get along with both people in a couple, but this was a friendship made in heaven. There is a feeling of mutual admiration, love and fun. To add to the mix they introduced me to their wonderful friend, Robin, and we all felt an instant kinship. To add to the fun Robin and I talked fast and a lot, and at times rivaled the best comedy routines in the comedy clubs.
Gail and I sat on my bed until 2:00 in the morning, growing closer as only 'real' sisters can. When she retreated to bed we were 'pinky swearing' that we would keep in our hearts all that we had shared.
A month ago I met a young man that is a son of a speaker I know. He stayed at my house the night before a flight out of Nashville (he is from Mississippi), and he was in Nashville again this weekend and stopped in and slept in his old bedroom.
Lauren - my charming daughter - came over and added to the house busting at the seams with fun, love and laughter.
Moments - that's all we have...yet we let time pass and forget to savor the moments!
Whoever you are with - cherish them - every touch, each look that is passed between you, every chuckle...tuck this all in your heart!
While you are still able - enjoy the moment, laugh and love - all that you can with everyone you can!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Yesterday Hope Was Born
I woke up this morning with a light heart. Then I remembered. We inaugurated a new president yesterday.
I am not saying that the outgoing president was not good; I am not saying that I agree with all of the promises of the incoming president.
But there is a change taking place, and there is a feeling of HOPE.
Hope: the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best
As our economy started to go down at a rate of a toboggan heading down an icy Minnesota hill, we allowed our hopes and dreams to slide down with the shrinking numbers on pieces of paper.
It seems you cannot be in a conversation more than ten minutes without anyone talking about foreclosure, job layoffs and rising food costs. Fear has enveloped this country like a coat that people are not willing to take off and hang up on the rack.
Yesterday as we watched the gavel of leadership being passed from one powerful leader to another, words were being spoken among the masses that had been tucked in the archives of dictionaries from by-gone days: proud, grateful, trust, choices, greatness, prosperous, powerful, journey.
Words of a future, words of hope.
You may feel that an era has ended - which it has - and the winds of change that are blowing across this mighty country of ours will be the whirling dervish that envelopes the world in anticipation of better things to come.
Start to pay attention to the sounds and sights of hope: laughter, hugs, playfulness, excitement, promises, enthusiasm and faith.
Faith for things we cannot yet see, but trusting that they will be there; faith that when we take our next step without seeing the staircase, the step will materialize. Faith in taking chances with your dreams, trusting that when you take that giant leap of faith, the net will appear.
Today I woke up with the dream of a day, a year, a life filled with light. And then I realized that the bright light was coming from within.
Let your light shine...dare to hope...it's yours for the taking.
I am not saying that the outgoing president was not good; I am not saying that I agree with all of the promises of the incoming president.
But there is a change taking place, and there is a feeling of HOPE.
Hope: the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best
As our economy started to go down at a rate of a toboggan heading down an icy Minnesota hill, we allowed our hopes and dreams to slide down with the shrinking numbers on pieces of paper.
It seems you cannot be in a conversation more than ten minutes without anyone talking about foreclosure, job layoffs and rising food costs. Fear has enveloped this country like a coat that people are not willing to take off and hang up on the rack.
Yesterday as we watched the gavel of leadership being passed from one powerful leader to another, words were being spoken among the masses that had been tucked in the archives of dictionaries from by-gone days: proud, grateful, trust, choices, greatness, prosperous, powerful, journey.
Words of a future, words of hope.
You may feel that an era has ended - which it has - and the winds of change that are blowing across this mighty country of ours will be the whirling dervish that envelopes the world in anticipation of better things to come.
Start to pay attention to the sounds and sights of hope: laughter, hugs, playfulness, excitement, promises, enthusiasm and faith.
Faith for things we cannot yet see, but trusting that they will be there; faith that when we take our next step without seeing the staircase, the step will materialize. Faith in taking chances with your dreams, trusting that when you take that giant leap of faith, the net will appear.
Today I woke up with the dream of a day, a year, a life filled with light. And then I realized that the bright light was coming from within.
Let your light shine...dare to hope...it's yours for the taking.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Laugh at Anything You can
Happy National Chocolate Mint Day!
I had two of my three daughters, Jacki and Lauren, with me in Nashville for the weekend. Jacki drove from St. Louis with her girlfriend, Karen, who happened to have a birthday while she was here. Lauren lives in Tennessee, about 30 minutes from where I live.
Sometimes life get so busy and we forget to laugh and have fun. And then we get together with the people that bring out the giggles in us and we remember how good it feels.
And this was one of these times.
We headed to downtown Nashville on Saturday night to enjoy some of the amazing music the city offers. For those who have not experienced this city I encourage you to make this a priority.
The talent in the city is incredible, but along with the tunes comes the spirit of fun and enjoying life: the laughter, the sunging, the dancing, the feeling of enjoying life when the world is struggling.
We walked along Broadway – the main street in Nashville that visitors frequent – and walked into the places that had loud, fun music blaring through the open doors. As soon as we walked into the establishments of music and celebration our feet started moving, heads started bobbing and it was not long before we were on the dance floor. The dance floor being anywhere we could move our body between the tables. We felt alive and were ready to enjoy that fact!
As we neared Paradise Park – a replica of a trailer park, complete with plastic chairs and old tires lying around - we looked in the open windows to check out the activity when some guys invited us in – through the big, low open windows. Without thinking Jacki, Karen and Lauren grabbed their hands and crawled in through the open cavity in the wall. It was only a few seconds before the bouncer, a has-been from his WWF days - ran over to escort them to the front door to have their ID’s checked.
“We do have doors, you know. That’s what they are for!”
After that the laughter continued for the remainder of the night. This was not a catastrophe but a story to be told and retold, always culminating in bales of laughter.
People come to Nashville for the music and stay for the fun and the laughter.
The dancing continued, the giggling never stopped and a good time was had by all.
Nashville, Los Angeles, Olive Branch, Wheaton, Elgin…wherever you live is the place to chuckle and have fun. Don’t wait until you get older, make more money, have nicer clothes or less stress. That day will never come. There will always be something more to strive for.
Make a conscious decision today that you are going to laugh at everything you can today. Laugh at the little things. Laugh at mishaps. Just laugh.
And watch the whole world laugh with you!
I had two of my three daughters, Jacki and Lauren, with me in Nashville for the weekend. Jacki drove from St. Louis with her girlfriend, Karen, who happened to have a birthday while she was here. Lauren lives in Tennessee, about 30 minutes from where I live.
Sometimes life get so busy and we forget to laugh and have fun. And then we get together with the people that bring out the giggles in us and we remember how good it feels.
And this was one of these times.
We headed to downtown Nashville on Saturday night to enjoy some of the amazing music the city offers. For those who have not experienced this city I encourage you to make this a priority.
The talent in the city is incredible, but along with the tunes comes the spirit of fun and enjoying life: the laughter, the sunging, the dancing, the feeling of enjoying life when the world is struggling.
We walked along Broadway – the main street in Nashville that visitors frequent – and walked into the places that had loud, fun music blaring through the open doors. As soon as we walked into the establishments of music and celebration our feet started moving, heads started bobbing and it was not long before we were on the dance floor. The dance floor being anywhere we could move our body between the tables. We felt alive and were ready to enjoy that fact!
As we neared Paradise Park – a replica of a trailer park, complete with plastic chairs and old tires lying around - we looked in the open windows to check out the activity when some guys invited us in – through the big, low open windows. Without thinking Jacki, Karen and Lauren grabbed their hands and crawled in through the open cavity in the wall. It was only a few seconds before the bouncer, a has-been from his WWF days - ran over to escort them to the front door to have their ID’s checked.
“We do have doors, you know. That’s what they are for!”
After that the laughter continued for the remainder of the night. This was not a catastrophe but a story to be told and retold, always culminating in bales of laughter.
People come to Nashville for the music and stay for the fun and the laughter.
The dancing continued, the giggling never stopped and a good time was had by all.
Nashville, Los Angeles, Olive Branch, Wheaton, Elgin…wherever you live is the place to chuckle and have fun. Don’t wait until you get older, make more money, have nicer clothes or less stress. That day will never come. There will always be something more to strive for.
Make a conscious decision today that you are going to laugh at everything you can today. Laugh at the little things. Laugh at mishaps. Just laugh.
And watch the whole world laugh with you!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Weight a minute, Oprah!
You would have to be living under a rock if you don't know that Oprah's weight has escalated again. I have heard people ask again and again, "Why doesn't she just quit eating?"
"She has so much money - she can afford cooks, personal trainers and counselors."
As a recovering over eater, compulsive over eater, I know what it is like to have a relationship with food.
Let's give Oprah a break. Let's look at the good that she is doing for the world: Habitat for Humanity, her schools for girls in Africa and all of the numerous charities that we never hear about.
Oprah...food - her drug of choice. OR, Oprah...a lover of humanity.
It seems that the more we focus on food the more that we gorge ourselves. The more we focus on the outside world - the less we focus on the inside world.
Oprah, give yourself a pat on the back!
To everyone who reads this: Focus on the good that you are doing in your life. Watch the Oprah show and listen to her words and change the world right along with her.
When you hear someone berate Oprah for her weight gain, change their focus: don't even make a comment on her weight, start singing her praises for her heart...her HUGE heart that she shares with the world!
"She has so much money - she can afford cooks, personal trainers and counselors."
As a recovering over eater, compulsive over eater, I know what it is like to have a relationship with food.
Let's give Oprah a break. Let's look at the good that she is doing for the world: Habitat for Humanity, her schools for girls in Africa and all of the numerous charities that we never hear about.
Oprah...food - her drug of choice. OR, Oprah...a lover of humanity.
It seems that the more we focus on food the more that we gorge ourselves. The more we focus on the outside world - the less we focus on the inside world.
Oprah, give yourself a pat on the back!
To everyone who reads this: Focus on the good that you are doing in your life. Watch the Oprah show and listen to her words and change the world right along with her.
When you hear someone berate Oprah for her weight gain, change their focus: don't even make a comment on her weight, start singing her praises for her heart...her HUGE heart that she shares with the world!
Thursday, January 1, 2009
So how was YOUR New Years's Eve?!!
After the hangovers subside and the last of the beer bottles are picked up, people will recant the evening they spent saying - or is it slurring? - good-bye to a year grown old, and welcome in new stories in the numbers of 2009.
My New Years Eve was fun...quiet by most people's standards, but just the way I needed it to be.
I went out with my dear friend, Vance, and his sister, Marcia, who drove to Nashville to join in the festivities. We met up with some of his co-workers who I also happen to love spending time with, and we went to a bar with 80's music. I just knew that it was going to be a good night when the bouncer at the door carded me! I even had Vance take a picture of that! That hasn't happened for...well, anyway, that was a great start!
After being hit on by a young man, we headed downtown to our favorite hangout. What a nice surprise - my friend, Daniel, was up on the stage playing the guitar and rocking the place. We sat at the table closest to the stage and sang and laughed and watched the hmm! crazy people, getting more out-of-control by the minute. I just knew that I never looked like they did when I was younger and drank a lot...I was a much more mature drinker!
A young girl was standing by our table and as I started singing - quite loudly - with everyone else to the song, "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue' she kept trying to get me to dance. My instinct not to dance with her proved to be a good one as she leaned down by our table and proceeded to get rid of her breakfast...and lunch...and dinner... on the floor and on Marcia's pant legs...poor Marcia! Then I noticed that I was wearing a meal and a half on my pants!
After we cleaned up, Vance joined in with his own story as a young couple danced by the table, knocked into it or maybe just lost their balance as they tried to prop each other up, and left Vance sitting in his chair with a lapful of beer...someone else's drink conveniently set on our table.
We laughed some more and decided the fun was over. We had watched the ball drop an hour earlier and decided to call it a night. When we were walking back to the car we passed a middle aged gentleman who obviously could not find a restroom and was watering the frozen flowers in a planter in a very public area. From the length of time he stood there he must have thought the flowers were really thirsty!
As Vance drove toward my house to drop me off we laughed uncontrollably as we recanted the whole evening, and it was soon apparent to all of us that we had a great time with great stories.
As we turned onto my street the sweetest vision greeted me. Someone - I have NO idea who - had decorated my mailbox with fun Silly String and had a Happy New Year hat perched on top of the mailbox pole. I jumped out of the vehicle and immediately got my camera out, took a picture, and turned to Vance and Marcia in the car and said, "Someone likes me; they really like me!"
With that I went in to the house with a big smile on my face and plopped on the bed. What to other people could seem like a boring night was to me a evening filled with one story after another, and no hangover.
So...how was YOUR New Years Eve?
My New Years Eve was fun...quiet by most people's standards, but just the way I needed it to be.
I went out with my dear friend, Vance, and his sister, Marcia, who drove to Nashville to join in the festivities. We met up with some of his co-workers who I also happen to love spending time with, and we went to a bar with 80's music. I just knew that it was going to be a good night when the bouncer at the door carded me! I even had Vance take a picture of that! That hasn't happened for...well, anyway, that was a great start!
After being hit on by a young man, we headed downtown to our favorite hangout. What a nice surprise - my friend, Daniel, was up on the stage playing the guitar and rocking the place. We sat at the table closest to the stage and sang and laughed and watched the hmm! crazy people, getting more out-of-control by the minute. I just knew that I never looked like they did when I was younger and drank a lot...I was a much more mature drinker!
A young girl was standing by our table and as I started singing - quite loudly - with everyone else to the song, "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue' she kept trying to get me to dance. My instinct not to dance with her proved to be a good one as she leaned down by our table and proceeded to get rid of her breakfast...and lunch...and dinner... on the floor and on Marcia's pant legs...poor Marcia! Then I noticed that I was wearing a meal and a half on my pants!
After we cleaned up, Vance joined in with his own story as a young couple danced by the table, knocked into it or maybe just lost their balance as they tried to prop each other up, and left Vance sitting in his chair with a lapful of beer...someone else's drink conveniently set on our table.
We laughed some more and decided the fun was over. We had watched the ball drop an hour earlier and decided to call it a night. When we were walking back to the car we passed a middle aged gentleman who obviously could not find a restroom and was watering the frozen flowers in a planter in a very public area. From the length of time he stood there he must have thought the flowers were really thirsty!
As Vance drove toward my house to drop me off we laughed uncontrollably as we recanted the whole evening, and it was soon apparent to all of us that we had a great time with great stories.
As we turned onto my street the sweetest vision greeted me. Someone - I have NO idea who - had decorated my mailbox with fun Silly String and had a Happy New Year hat perched on top of the mailbox pole. I jumped out of the vehicle and immediately got my camera out, took a picture, and turned to Vance and Marcia in the car and said, "Someone likes me; they really like me!"
With that I went in to the house with a big smile on my face and plopped on the bed. What to other people could seem like a boring night was to me a evening filled with one story after another, and no hangover.
So...how was YOUR New Years Eve?
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