When to offer constructive criticism

I saw these in the Sunday Star Ledger, 2 pieces of sage advice -

When to offer constructive criticism: "If it can't be fixed in five minutes, with the materials at hand, then don't mention it. So, an unzipped zipper, donut crumbs on your shirt, parsley in your teeth - all fair game to bring to someone's attention. Height, weight, stain on clothing, size of nose - off limits."

How to tell if one is gossiping: "If I'm not part of the problem and/or I'm not part of the solution, then there is no need for me to discuss it with anyone."

Back from Florida

We had a nice, relaxing week on the beach. Weather was perfect. Lots of walks. Lots of catching up with H&B over delicious dinners, cocktail hours on the beach and lazing in the sand.

Here's H&B and I on a pier overlooking the Intercoastal:

This is Thursday morning after Carolyn & Don joined Bryan & I on Wednesday night. Going to the Sailfish Marina for breakfast is a family tradition.

This is our little boat ... NOT! This boat is worth more than our house!

We spent most of our time at the beach but I didn't take as many photos there. H&B are doing great and it was a really good visit.

We arrived back in NJ yesterday afternoon, just in time to catch the state semi-final high school hockey game. Kinnelon won, so now they are off to the state finals at The Rock, home of the NJ Devils. Two years in a row! Very exciting! Then Carolyn went to the Britney Spears Circus concert. Said it was good.

Today was a day of laundry and saying good-bye to Bryan again as he went back to school. He'll be back next weekend for the state championship game. Last year's seniors have all made it a priority to be back to cheer the team on for another year! (And to heckle the opposing team.)

Off to Florida

I'm off to Florida tomorrow morning with Bryan who is on his spring break. Carolyn and Don are joining us later in the week since Carolyn has school. Her break isn't until April. I'm looking forward to seeing H&B again, and enjoying the beach.

Looks like it has warmed up down there after a few weeks of cold weather. Its in the 60's here in NJ today after a week that started out with temps in the 20's (sry, I'm speaking in the archaic "degrees F", but when in Rome ...).

The news is so bad these days. I feel like this trip will be an escape from reality, where I'll just think about the positives, like being alive and healthy. I just heard that our town lost another wonderful parent to cancer today, after a 5-year battle. We are a small town so we get to know each other or know of each other, without it being claustrophobic! I am sorry for the loss of this mom who I met once at a fundraiser.

We're off to the quarter final state game for the high school hockey team tonight. Bryan and all the other past seniors who are off this week will be going too. It'll be great support for the players. They are doing really well this year and have a good shot at going all the way again! Such an exciting game that hockey!

Back to packing.

Wish List success

It works! This first-time experiment worked well with two out of three wishes coming true.

We had a wonderful day in NYC on Sunday, saw Ali at the Kraine Theater where we enjoyed her mom's play immensely and had delicious appetizers in Little Italy. We didn't encounter any bad weather until Monday morning when we woke up to about 10 inches of snow! That after having lost all our previous snow. Back to a winter wonderland. Wish #1 - check.

On Monday, after shovelling the driveway, our cleaning people came! Yah! We were overdue. Wish #2 - check.

Still looking for the perfect part time marketing job but I have faith. In the meantime I'm enjoying my freedom! Wish #3 - pending.

More Wish Lists to come. The Wish List Mom is onto something.

Believing is seeing.

I stumbled upon a blog called Wish List Mom. The author of this blog creates a wish list every Wednesday consisting of simple things she hopes happens. Not "world peace wishes" although I'm sure she's for that, but little things. She said in today's blog that most of her wishes come true. I agree with her. Believing is seeing. It sounds corny but I believe its true!

Anyways, I thought I might try it. Here's my Wish List Friday:

I wish that ....

1. the sleet & snow predicted for Sunday will wait until the evening because we'll be in the city (NYC) meeting up with my Canadian friend, Ali, who's mom was chosen to participate in the Frigid Fest! We're looking forward to her play, Camouflague, on Sunday afternoon. It will be much more fun if bad weather isn't beating down on us.
2. my cleaning people come on Monday!
3. the perfect job (PT Marketing) turns up soon!

That's enough for today. May all our wishes come true.

Transitions update

Still doing my Transition Lifestyle classes - very informative and fun. We've got a great little group. Of course its easier to do this kind of thing when you have company, AND when everyone is reporting success!

We got weighed and measured at the 4th week class, and compared these figures with our 1st class. For myself I was about 2 inches less in my waist and in my hips. And had a nice reduction in body fat % which is also being tracked. Just into week 6 now and the weight and inches are still coming off. This is done with a combination of eating much differently (for me), stepped up exercising (although I had gotten much better about regular visits to the Y before this class) and supplements. We eat normal food - no pre-prepared boxed meal plans - whether at home or in a restaurant.

My goal in starting this program was to just be more comfortable in my clothes, without going up a size, because I'd already done that, and to reverse the trend of adding a pound or two a year. I am feeling good about this program, and I've met a new group of great people!

The Uncommon Reader

A friend recommended this great little book - perfect for those who enjoy reading. Its written by Alan Bennett who wrote 'The History Boys' which was also made into a great movie.

The title is perfect. It is a story about the Queen accidentally discovering the joy of reading and her journey as she expands her thoughts and observations on life.

Here are some of my fav observations from the book:

"Pass the time? Books are not about passing the time. They're about other lives. Other worlds." (pg 29)

"The appeal of reading, she thought, lay in its indifference: there was something undeferring about literature. Books did not care who was reading them or whether one read them or not. All readers were equal, herself included." (pg 30)

"Authors, she soon decided, were probably best met with in the pages of their novels, and as much creatures of the reader's imagination as the characters in their books. Nor did they seem to think one had done them a kindness by reading their writings. Rather they had done one the kindness by writing them." (pg 52)

"You don't put your life into books. You find it there." (pg 101)

I highly recommend this book!