The Noticer by Andy Andrews

Andy Andrews is one of my favorite writers/speakers.

I first became acquainted with him when we were doing the Amway thing.

I since have become one of his biggest fans. He has a great gift as a motivational speaker, and writer.

Andy has written several books, but 3, no, now make it 4 , are some of the best ever if you need some guidance and motivation. The Travelers Gift, Mastering the Seven Decisions, The Choice, and now

The Noticer.

All are great motivational books. Gary and I have had our children read them, and they have liked them. I have recommended them as reading for my book club and the ladies also enjoyed the books from the story telling to the ideas generated. Gary has used the seven decisions from the The Travelers Gift in his business meetings and often recommends it to his associates.

I have used Andy's ideas and methods in my personal and business life. The ideas from the books really seem to guide me in the right directions. He also writes some great stories.

If you go to Andy's web site you can find all kinds of information about him, his books, a look at his blog, and some free downloads...the first chapter of "The Noticer" is there for you to take a peek at as well. http://www.andyandrews.com/

..............enjoy!

MCC

Wednesday Weigh In

Lost another pound....I hope it never comes looking for me again.

Losing one pound a week is real slow weight loss, but it is a loss.

As a family we have all commented on how we are feeling better eating more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, and eating less meat and dairy.

In my reading lately I have come upon a similar suggestion two times.....Wake up with the sun.

In one book this early wake up was to help you expand your mind, free from the everyday pressures of the world. To get you brain in gear and write down ideas that may make you happy and possibly wealthy. In the other book you wake up early so to help with the weight loss and energy. In the latter book it discusses the need for you body to start up slowly and stress free, and rising early will give you more time. It also suggest that you turn on a lot of lights, and stretch your body slowly. All this to set your metabolism on the right course for the day.

"Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy wealthy and wise."

There must be some truth to this old adage when you consider that my information from the first book was to help me become wealthy, and wise, and the second books information was to help me be healthy.

This morning I was up at 6:30am....I don't have to be up until 7:20am, so almost an hour early. It was nice. I seemed more alert and I got my day started off a little bit better.

I guess tomorrow I will have to incorporate the ideas from the books and see if I can make myself, healthy, wealthy and wise.

MCC

Spring Cleaning

Spring is full upon us. It is my second favorite season. I like it because of the smells and the friendly weather, or to put it like the girl in the movie "Miss Congeniality" when asked "What is your favorite date?" Her reply: "April 16, it's not too hot or cold you can wear a light jacket."

So it is light jacket weather, at least in the mornings and evenings. I don't like spring becasue it is time to clean, clean, clean.......i know, I have to clean now because come summer it is too hot and I get too distracted.

I supposedly have been cleaning for months now....I have but I haven't finished ...I am too distracted, and now I only have 3 more weeks to finish my projects, and then Hayden will be out of school....the start of summer......I will want to play not work....I hate being a grown up, especially in the summer.

The Spring cleaning projects left on my list aren't many...just BIG.

1. Complete cleaning the loft and re-paint and decorate it.

2. Yard: Front flower beds, and make back yard nice and livable.

I know the loft has been on going since February.... I am ready to trash it all, but as soon as I do that, Gary will want something that is long gone......I really need to give him a deadline with this clean out project and stick to it. I am going to paint the loft with one dark brown wall and light tan for the other walls. Hayden also has a plan for the arraignment of the loft....a new game room for the pool table, gaming consoles, a TV and couch, craft/sewing room space for Mom, and the family office....does anyone need a large used desk?

As for the yard...it comes around every year.....The front yard flower beds need some reorganization/transplanting, and a lawn barrier/border. All of this will take some muscle and time. The Backyard....I would love it to look like a magazine spread about back yard living....nice furniture, cool umbrellas or canopies, new grill, maybe a rug, and great area lighting. I would also like the flower beds in the back to look fab. The ultimate dream would be to have a swimming pool and all that includes......but out of the neighbors sight, out of my mind so it always falls to the bottom of the list. Wow, a pool would be so nice....I'll keep dreaming.

MCC

Hello New Zealand

Yesterday was wonderful...
Elder Call sounded fabulous! I wanted to talk to him forever but he only had 1 hour.....ah, until Christmas.
He doesn't have an accent, but he has picked up some slang and some words have an accent/different pronunciation to them.
Slang-- she'll be right= okay, fine
heaps = lots
sweet as = nice
Words that sounded different- Tomato =Tamato, Trainer =Tranah, Transfer = Transfah. He is softening his "R's".
He also uses what we would call "English slang/terms"- cheeky, tea, post, flat, mum (which I like him calling me).
We asked about food, what he has found, can't find and likes....He loves the Ice Cream. He claims that they have the best in the world even if they don't make Mint Chocolate Chip which is his favorite. Flavors that he likes Hokey Poky, this is like Butter Finger bar insides but taste more butterscotch, Carmello, that is like the Carmello candy we can get here, and Chocolate Eclair. He told us that most missionaries get fat on the Ice Cream so he won't have it in his flat.
Milk and meat are expensive. Butter and Margarine are sold only in tubs. No good peanut butter unless you like ground nuts with no sweetener.
He has found a cookie he loves called "Tim Tams." Hugh Jackman brought them from Australia to Oprah when he last visited so we at least knew what he was talking about.
All the talk of food added up to a request list...especially since I had sent him some Skippy Chunky PB and individual instant chocolate pudding mixes.
The sky is amazing...the clouds move through quickly and he especially loves the sunsets and the Purple Sky.
Winter is on it's way there so he is now looking for gloves and scarves...his coat has been great.
Photos are on there way!
He told us that he has lost the 80 lbs., but the missionaries usually gain up to 80 lbs. while there so he is unusual.

I Love all the kids, but like Grandma Butters always says "you worry most about those not present."

MCC

Mother's Day Eve, Eve

I am so excited for Mother's Day....why you ask? Well, I get to talk to my baby boy in New Zealand......I will finally get to hear if he has developed an accent.....everyone keeps asking me if he has and I laugh at them because for some reason I can only read/see his letters, I haven't developed the skill of 'hearing' a letter....

Mother's Day
I usually think Mother's Day is a big bunch of hooey....no, not when it's about my Mom and the moms in my life, but when it is about me. Don't get me wrong, I love the presents and adoration, but I hate the feeling of failure, and underachievement when I think of myself in the glowing terms that are tossed out in abundance about me this one day....
I think most mothers feel this way. .....as a mother you are supposed to love your family, you are supposed to encourage and support them, you are supposed to nurture them, you are supposed to put your family before you, you are supposed to you are supposed to cook dinner, clean the house, have the laundry done, be the chauffeur, the gardener, the best friend and the whipping post, the centerfold of the June Clever Monthly, etc.....
On Mother's Day we feel a sense of underachievement when we compare ourselves to the glowing icons most children make their mothers out to be........I wasn't home everyday after school with a home baked treat. I didn't make them play the piano. I didn't keep them home form school just for fun. My child didn't get into an Ivy League school. Etc...,etc...etc....
So why all the guilt, and the hate of Mother's day in regards to our selves?
I think that this comes because we all know that there are times when we don't particularly act in ideal mom like ways. We think we must be superhuman, we have this need to be perfect in always and at all times. We look at ourselves as failures to our children because we didn't have the socks matched or bake them cookies?......It is crazy!
We don't expect this mom like perfection out of anyone else, so why do we expect it out of ourselves? Why do we get hung up on the things we don't do, the things we haven't become perfect at, 'ideals' that are out of our control?
If we really looked at the Mom things we do in life, we would realize that we do the right mom things more often than not. We can only be our self. We can't be and shouldn't try to fit into the mold of another mom....We all have our own abilities, gifts and strengths. We are powerful wonderful women.
So this year for for Mom's day I think I will cut myself some slack and enjoy the adoration. I will I will enjoy the day. I will be a happy mother and not dwell on the negative...if one of your children acted moody and had these feeling you would give them a pep talk and tell them not to dwell on the negative. You would remind them of how truly great they really are..... Because it is Mother's Day I will be happy with the messes made in my honor. My heart will be touched with the macaroni card, odd gifts, and flowery words that I receive. I will act like a mom is supposed to act everyday even if I have to do things I don't want to do and hear things that may make me uncomfortable. I am the best mom I know how to be and that is good enough! My Family loves me for me.

...and to My wonderful Mother and all my surrogate mothers out there...Thank you, for being your most wonderful selves. You are all remarkable. You have the power!
My gift to you this year ..... I will try to be more grateful for the everyday things you do for me, everyday. I will try to be more vocal to you about the gratitude I feel for you, maybe that way Mother's Day won't bee such a shock to your system. You are all such great examples of motherhood to me.
....now, you all cut yourselves some slack and enjoy the day. Find happiness in the doing the mom things. Take a little comfort knowing that someday, somewhere there will be a child extolling your virtues and making some other mother wish she were more.....You are the best, you are a mother and you have a great power.
MCC

The Garden

It is almost completely planted....it is the garden. I am still waiting to put my tomatoes in and a few other warm weather veggies....but hey it is in and growing... I will have to post a photo.
Anyway....my biggest problem with the garden is my dog...he doesn't dig it up, but he likes to lie in the dirt, on top of my new little sprouts.
I guess that this means I will have to fence it for the time being.
It is kind of exciting to know that you are growing good food for your family to munch on this summer/fall. I know it is not much, but I feel like I am doing my part. After all seed only run about $2.00 a package and the labor isn't much so the return can be phenomenal.
MCC

Wednesday Weigh In

I am down 3 pounds. I am weighing less than I have in years. FANTASTIC!
I know I must now look like I have been loosing weight because I have had several people in the past week comment on my weigh loss. And if that were not enough, getting dressed on Sunday became quite a chore. Most of my Sunday/Dressier wardrobe is 2 sizes too big. I have a couple of dresses and skirts that fit okay, but I like variety. After changing my top 3 times I finally landed on the blouse that looked least baggy....what I problem, why am I complaining.
I'm not really complaining or trying to say ha ha look at me...I guess I am just frustrated. I have all theses really nice clothes that I can no longer wear and I feel real guilty getting rid of them. Gary suggested that I talk to one of my neighbors who understands tailoring and ask her if any of the garments are salvageable. Great plan, now how to fit it into my life.

On the diet front.....Following the Word of Wisdom as a a diet plan has me eating more whole plant based foods and less animal based foods. This past week has been a real eye opener. I feel full all the time, almost too full, I have a lot of energy, and I lost some weight. The mind change that I Incorporated this past week was, when making a choice on what to eat choose a vegetable or fruit first, followed by whole grains. Animal based foods should be the last choice, and make up 10% or less of your diet. I am really trying to avoid all processed foods...which is a challenge in this crazy world.
The biggest challenge so far with this eating style is to find menus that my family is happy eating....If mom does this every one has to participate. I think they would be happy with almost anything for dinner, but I am still very uncertain how to cook this way. We had organic brown rice with stir fry (no oil) vegetables for dinner the other night. It was great, and tasted delicious, but I don't feel like I can do this for dinner everyday.....Gary asks why not, Asian families eat that way....he has a point. I will figure this thing out. Eating this way will have long term health benefits for me and my family so it is worth it.
Interesting fact I recently read...eating a plant based diet can actually repair some of the damage done to our bodies from eating an animal food, refined diet....damage to our heart, veins, pancreas, liver etc....
I guess following the manufactures guidelines on fueling my body is the best choice.....you wouldn't give your car the wrong fuel so why do we do it to our bodies?
MCC

Celebrate...It's today!

So yesterday was Star Wars Day---May the 4th be with you. I guess you could call it geek day. My boys loved it and all said to me when I told them May the 4th be with you - "Mom you are such a geek". Today is Cinco de Mayo---a Mexican holiday celebrating Mexico's defeat of the French around 1860. So let's pull out the sombrero and nacho it up.
I look at it this way, any day should be a celebration, or we should have reason to celebrate.
May is a particularly good month to have celebration days for us...between, the regular noteworthy holidays and family birthdays, May is usually one big party!

But you don't have to wait for someone to declare it a holiday.

In the musical Mame, there is a song called "It's Today" This song invites us to make the most of everyday because after all It's Today!

It's Today

Light the candles,

Get the ice out,

Roll the rug up,

It's today.

Though it may not be anyone's birthday,

And though it's far from the first of the year,

I know that this very minute has history in it, we're here!
It's a time for making merry,

And so I'm for making hay.

Tune the grand up,

Dance your shoes off,

Strike the band up,It's today!

And we're living

In the world game,

So this whole game's

What we make.

Call the cops out,

Raise the rockets,

Pull the stops out,

Pull out the stops,

It's today!

Light the candles,

Fill the punch bowl,

Throw confetti,

It's today.

Life can also be lived on a weekday,

So don't depend on a holiday date,

If you need New Year's to bubble,

Then order a double and wait.

There's a "thank you" you can give life,

If you live life all the way.

Pull the stops out,

Hold the roof down,

Fellows watch out,It's today!

It's a time for making merry,

And so I'm for making hay.

Tune the grand up,

Call the cops out,

Strike the band up,

Pull the stops out,

Hallelujah! It's today!

...and if that is not enough.....

I have a couple of books that give a reason to celebrate almost everyday or tell you what "month" it is.
Here is the May list:
May is- American Bike Month, BBQ Month, Better Speech and Hearing Month,Flower Month, Hamburger Month, Physical Fitness and Sports Month, Salad Month, Strawberry Month, Older Americans Month, and Transportation Month just to name a few....as for the days,
We all know about May Day, Mother's Day and Memorial Day, but we can also celebrate--May1, Hawaiian Lei Day & Mother Goose Day. May 4, Weather Observers Day. May 5, Cinco de Mayo. May 8, No Socks Day. May 9, National Teacher Day. May 10, Human Kindness Day. May 12, Kite Day & Ocean Day. May 13, Tulip Day. May 14, Help Clean Your Street Day. May 15, Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood & Chocolate Chip Day. May 16, Wear Purple for Peace Day. May 17, Pack Rat Day. May 18, International Museum Day. May 19, Neighbor Day. May 28, National Hamburger Day.

There, if you don't have or want a reason to celebrate you can find it....and I didn't even google this on the Internet. I am sure if I had I would have found even more.

Everyday is a miracle! We should make it a celebration.
MCC

Tra-la it's May!

It's May, it's May, that lusty month of May.

I love the looks of May day flower baskets, and May poles. My Grandma Butters tells us that she was Queen of the May when she was in High School. She has never really told me much about the event except that the honor went to the most popular girl in school.....the 1920's, those were the days!

One year Gary and I were in Baltimore Maryland for May Day and the flower baskets on almost every door were a sight to behold.

There is something cute about a May Pole dance in photos. It is usually little girls in wonderful dresses with flowers in their hair, looking very enchanted, however if you have to watch elementary school kids dance the May pole dance it is not so cute...it gets long and very boring for the participants and the audience.

.....I know, I know, May Day is International Labor Day, that it is celebrated in Europe, and that it comes from pagan traditions, but hey, any reason to celebrate.....I guess the May Day celebrations that seem so wonderful to hear about and to look at photos of is a thing of the past.

Maybe I'll start my own new/old May Day traditions!

MCC

Friday is a Favorite...like lime

Yeah for today!

This week I have been obsessing about the right diet.....So I am now trying to eat more whole fruits, vegetables, grains, and animal based foods sparingly....It all comes with a a great promise!

Here are some of my favorites of the week:

Laurie's Jayne Call my sweet daughter-in-law. Today is her her birthday. You know when you think about spouses for you children...well I could have only dreamed that Jordan would end up with someone as wonderful as Laurie. She keeps him in line, takes all his blustering crap, and she loves him! She is also a perfect fit in our family. Laurie will hate this photo , but hey it is what it is!


Blossoms on the trees...I love spring with the blossoms out everywhere. One of my favorite sites...and I still don't have a great photo of it, is Bountiful's Main Street when the blossoms are out in full. It only last a week if we are lucky.

Good book- When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin. This is our book club selection for May. It is a good read. I will reread it for its colorful descriptions...it also is a good story.

Another book I recently finished is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer. I know I am late on this band wagon...but I loved the book. The characters seemed like friends. I also learned a lot about other WWII happenings.

another favorite is grape....

MCC