Carrie Underwood - *** How Great Thou Art *** - featuring Vince Gill [HQ]

Friday night was going to be just another boring night, but as I was clicking through the channels, I stopped to listen to a country music show (Girls Night Out) with Carrie Underwood singing "How Great Thou Art." As I listened, tears welled up in my eyes and starting falling down my cheeks and as the camera panned the audience, I wasn't the only one. The star studded audience was wiping tears, too.



Now I am not a huge country music fan, but I do love Carrie Underwood and as I listened to the angelic clarity of her voice, it took me back to my childhood. My dad was a singer (he sang with a group called "The Gospel Tones.") I grew up listening to the old gospel songs that were staples in church on Sunday in our little country church and have heard "How Great Thou Art" probably hundreds if not thousands of times.



There is something magical about being immersed in music from as long as I can remember. It was always there...a constant in my life. Daddy would bust out a song and say, "Come on Bondie...don't know what he did with the l ... harmonize with me as he would put his head next to mine and make me sing with him. I tried, but I just never had the gift that he had. He had a clear, beautiful, perfect pitched tenor voice. There was never a day in my life...in our modest little house that it wasn't filled with music. We didn't have much, but there was the piano, the guitars and the voices...the beautiful voices I was lucky enough to grow up with.



One very special Easter Sunday when I was really small, maybe 4, Daddy took me to the radio station with him. In the old days, singers did a lot of live work on the radio and I went to the station with my dad and he sang his heart out with his quartet broadcasting to thousands of listeners and his live audience of one, me. He always carried a pitch pipe in his pocket, and although he really didn't need it, he always blew into it, got the note and the small group of four would put their heads together to create an amazing harmony and the music would start. The station was powerful and broadcast throughout much of the Midwest and with their increasing notoriety, they started making records.



"How Great Thou Art" was one of my dads very favorite songs, and on this Easter I am dedicating this to my dad up in Heaven because I know he would listen to Carrie Underwood, his head bent down a little, listening to the pitch of every note and keeping time, tapping his foot to the beat.



My childhood was a blessing, surrounded by a family that sang as much as they talked. When we got together for any event there would be the impromptu song, the melodic sounds coming from the front porch or the kitchen. When I was about 8, I was really sick, and was awakened by three of my cousins standing at the bottom of my bed playing guitar as my dad sang to me.



Not much has changed. He left a legacy. There is a lot to be said for genetics. My son, the aspiring rock star, has his grandpa's stature, his love and gift of music (daddy died when Alex was 3). Just the other night, I had just dozed off, and my son woke me sitting at the bottom of my bed, playing a gorgeous rendition of Donna Lee...an incredible (and my favorite) jazz tune.



How blessed I am I to have been given the gift of not only a father with an amazing voice that lives on, on some old 78's, and a son that is an incredible musician trying to find his own way in a very difficult industry. And how blessed we all are for such an inspiring singer as Carrie?



And yes, I think it's fabulous.Carrie Underwood singing one of my favorite Hymns, "How Great Though Are"

The Memoirs of a Yoga Virgin.

The Memoirs of a Yoga Virgin. 

I have a love-hate relationship with my new found obsession...yoga.  I must confess that  I'm not quite sure why I'm there.  I have many reasons, but frequently, in that moment of zen, I open my eyes wide (everyone else's is closed) , and ask myself, "Now why am I here?"    

Exactly one month  and 20 sessions ago, I walked into a yoga studio, a virgin.  I was a yoga virgin.  I immediately loved being there, as the studio smelled of eucalyptus and I got to do something physical without shoes.  This was a big WIN.  I hate all forms of workout shoes (and workouts), so my heart was singing as I had found my space.  This particular studio offers Hot Yoga.  Okay, I'm in.  If cold yoga is good, Hot has to be better.  So, alone, with about 30 new found friends  I ventured into a room that literally took my breath away.  It was 105 degrees and I moved slowly and hesitantly around the room, looking for a breath of fresh, cool air, so that I could sustain myself.  It didn't exist.  Every single crevice of this room was HOT!!!! Really hot!!  I laid down on my rented mat, as I didn't own a mat or any of the required Lulu Lemon yoga clothes. I wore an old pair of leggings and a stretched out pink tank top that my assistant gave me, as she informed me I really shouldn't wear a long sleeve shirt to hot yoga. Good point. 

Downward Dog!  Okay, I've got this.  How the heck do you do a downward dog...in 105 degrees?  I peeked and watched the guy next to me.  I was hoping he had good form because  I certainly didn't want anymore embarrassment, especially since I  already was in violation without Lulu.   Downward Dog, Warrior One, Child pose and "don't forget to breath", the yoga Nazi massaged the directions with her calming voice.  An hour seemed like five, and the only time I ever remember being that wet (without taking a shower) was in a torrential downpour.  I was drenched to the lighted center of my core, not to mention my hair drenched to my scalp and my clothes were attached to my body like a suction cup. I was dripping and the reflection looking back at me from the full mirrored wall was not a girl I knew.

I laid on my mat in exhaustion just wishing for one little breath of cool air.  Nope. Nothing! I pulled myself up slippery and dripping to make a mad dash to my car, when someone said, Hi Susan, how long have you been coming here.  I felt like I was living in an old Seinfeld rerun, and I tried to wipe away the sweat, without the aid of a towel.  It was futile.   So, as black mascara and eyeliner dripped down my cheeks and my hair was stuck to the back of my neck and my bangs glued to my forehead, I had a conversation (I think) about what else, Real Estate.  Really?  All I wanted to do was run outside and drive dangerously away to wring out my clothes and get into a shower.

I survived, took  shower,  fell into bed in exhaustion and humiliation, and decided to study the enhanced benefits of HOT yoga.  According to most reports, there is none. None!!!  It feels good.  It just feels good.  It supposedly doesn't burn more calories, as everyone will tell you, or sweat out the toxins.  The amount of toxins that are sweated out really are not as big a benefit as the damage of dehydration. I did lose an almost instant five pounds that first week.

Is this what "going to the top of the mountain" is supposed to be like?  I wasn't sure.  But I am not giving up.  I will try Hot yoga again . . . maybe in a few years.  But for now, I decided to try a more civilized form of Yoga . . . next session Ashtanga.     I can't wait to tell you about my Ashtanga experience, as it was just fabulous.     

   

I have had many discussions with women lately, especially young women, who are just getting their "sea legs for life".   I have had casual conversations and long, in depth conversations with these beautiful young gals and it makes me reach inside myself to see how I would have handled certain things....how I do handle certain things.  The funny thing is, I have had the same kinds of conversations with my older friends.  At the end of the day, we are all just girls... whether you are 21 or 51!  And the things that distress 21 year olds also distress 51 year olds.

The years pass, and hopefully with that, women gain a certain maturity.  Confidence comes more easily as you realize you can "do this", whatever your this is.  I believe confidence and self esteem increase as we become comfortable in our own skin.  But how do you get there?  What can you do?  There are thousands of books that will tell you how.  I am  no authority...I am not a doctor or a psychologist or therapist. I'm just a girl . . . a girl who has had the incredible good fortune of living a life that I would have only dreamed of, when I was a curly headed 5 year old with bright eyes and a lot of curiosity.  The curls  straightened, but the bright eyes bursting with curiosity never changed.

I have always followed my dreams, no matter how crazy they seemed to everyone around me, and believe me, they seemed crazy to most.  But I tried things....lots of things.  I still try things.  When I was about 20, I bought the most adorable MG (if you're too young to know what it is Google it), and the crazy thing wasn't that I bought a car.  The crazy thing was I couldn't drive it!  It was a five speed and I could barely drive an automatic that I didn't have to shift, so before I drove that car off the lot, my sales person taught me to shift a 5 speed!  Challenging?  Yes!  But I wanted that car so much, it just didn't matter to me that I couldn't drive it. I knew I would learn . . . get the hang of it and I did.  I almost had whiplash driving the 20 miles to my house that night with all the jerking and bouncing from my inexperience, but I made it!  I've had so many cars through my life, but that is the one that will always make my eyes twinkle when I think about it!

Between the age of 23 and 30 I started and ran (ultimately sold each one) a few businesses.  The first big challenge was when I was hired as the manager for an electronics store...the owner knew I had no knowledge of   electronics whatsoever, which was driven home, when an employee asked me where a solar cell was, and "I said, I don't think we have those."  He flicked a somewhat angry finger toward a blister pack on the wall and said , "This is a solar cell."  Embarrassed?  Yeah, maybe. Intimidated?  No!  I decided I would learn every product in that store, and I did!  Within two weeks, I knew every product and could assemble a component system in no time at all.  (No, don't call me!, I have retired from Electronics, but I can still make "it"  work, when my guys cant. :)  Since electronics really weren't my passion, I moved on and opened a lovely little plant store where I was at one with the earth and wore jeans and dew rags everyday.  Talking to my sweet little bloomers as they brightened up my and everyone else's world was one of the great pleasures of my life.  Moving on, I opened a Bridal Store and worked with the best group of guys and gals that I could ever have dreamed to bless my life.  We all look back at this as a pinnacle of sorts, because we had SO much fun.  Everyday!!! Everyday!!!  When just dressing brides became not so exciting, we decided, over a bottle of pink champagne, and some very rough sketches to start designing and manufacturing "things" and we did.  We put together a line...walked into Saks Fifth Ave on Fifth Ave in NYC and was dismissed rather quickly, as "we were not what they were looking for".  We didn't give up.  Hell NO!  We persevered and ended up hanging in some of the most expensive and stylish boutiques of their day and some of our fans were....Rod Stewart, Roberta Flack, and Miss America contestants.  Fun?  You bet!! Everyday.

My point is find your passion. Whether you are 21 and just looking towards the future of what you are going to do after college graduation or 51 and finding something to do after having been out of the workforce for years, you can do this. You can!  You can do anything you decide to do, if you want it badly enough!  Anything!  I promise you can!

I was with a young woman the other evening.  She graduates with a BS on Saturday.  She's not sure what she wants to do after graduation.  A lot of her friends are having their after graduation "summer weddings" and that may feel a little ostracizing to someone who doesn't have that on her horizon.  What did I do? Applaud her and go into my you can do whatever you want; you don't need a guy speach!!!  She has no obligations, no real commitments, and she can use this time to find out who she is and what will make her eyes twinkle everyday.  We all have to eat!  I am not saying don't go to work, until the perfect scenario comes along, but I am saying, it's okay to take an interim job for food and gas, while you figure it out.  If it doesn't make your eyes light up and your breath become a little shallow when you think of the excitement of what's coming, then you probably should think long and hard before you go down that path, as it becomes harder and harder to turn around and go back, as real life hits us.

Girls, Reflect . .. think what makes you happy.  Forget what your mom wants, your boyfriend wants, your roommate wants (even if it's a husband) and do what brings smiles to your face.  You are the only one that will ever live your life.  It's your life...no one else's.  Take control.  This is the hardest part.  When you tell your parents they paid for a 4 year degree in microbiology, but you really want to write the next great novel, they will look at you like you are crazy!  They will be upset and try to talk you out of it.  The same thing may happen when you tell your husband of 30 years, that you have decided to start your own business, because that's what you want to do.  Remember this is you....this is your life . . . you get one chance.  That's it.  One!!!!  Do what will make you smile everyday and your eyes twinkle.

MEN?  I love men!  And I wouldn't consider myself a "women's libber."  Do they still use that term?  (There are better ways to get what you want).  ;)  Do not plan your life around a man!  Plan your life around YOU and find a man who loves you enough to fit into your life and you into his, not someone who wants to change you.  He should love you for who you are...with all of your idiosyncrasies and all the craziness that comes with being a girl. That goes both ways, girls. He has to be accepted for who he is, too.

Find a man that will love you as much as you love him (I always said if I could find a man who adored me as much as Jack Benny, my Pappillon,  life would be perfect.)  Find a man who will embrace your being . . . who will tolerate your taking risks and making your own mistakes, but will be there to pick you up...not one who will hold you so tight that you won't ever fall down. Relax and take time...you don't need to be the first gal down the aisle, or the first one to have kids.  Take time for you . . . to get to know you.

Take Risks....they may reward you with more than you ever wished for.  Take Risks in love, life and business.  I can say that when everyone was saying I shouldn't do certain things, I kept going forward, a lot of times against advice and even demands.  I don't regret one minute of it, and I'd do it all again.  Was I scared?  Sure, but I did it.  Was I scared when I drove that teeny MG off the car lot.  You bet, but I did it!

To a young woman I love, who is graduating this week, I reach my hand to her and congratulate her on such a huge accomplishment!  Most start college at 18, and you are supposed to figure out your whole life's future in the course of a few short months and declare a major .  Impossible for most?  I think so.   At 21, you're just starting to blossom (and at 51 you could be too.)  You are just beginning to figure out who you really are, and what you might possibly want out of life. I know, that if you want it badly enough, if you want it so much nothing will stop you,  it will happen.  Take a few risks, while you don't have much to lose.   Take time while you still have plenty of it.   You deserve that.  Slow it all down and just live. Now is the time.  Your time.  I promise you that it will be fabulous.

Dedicated to all the girls I love....and one who is very special to me.



      

The Power of Positive Thinking…

It’s been a great week and maybe today (Sunday) is the time for Susan’s (fabulous as it may be) Sermon.

I woke up this morning and looked at my nightstand.  And there, I saw an old friend.  It has been with me through ups and downs and has been moved too many times to recall.  It has lived with me at home and has lain on my desk in my office.  And in really highly productive and calm times in my life, I have had to actually go look for it, as it would somehow slip away from me and be put into a bookcase or box.    All through the years, though, I always dig it out and try to keep it close to me, because it is inspiration as its best. Discovered by me in the 80’s my copy is tattered and yellowed, but the message and its impact remains the same.  It is Dr. Norman Vincent Peale’s “The Power of Positive Thinking.”  This is my go to book on pretty much everything pertaining to what do I do next?  It’s a roadmap, advice, inspiring stories, all in a neat little bundle.     

Do you remember being a child and your parents or teachers said “You can do whatever you put your mind to”?  Or you went to Sunday School and your teacher said    “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” (Matthew 21:12) And if you were like me, you looked at her quizzically with a "huh"?  Dr. Peale explains it all.

Chapter 1 – Dr. Peale says merely, “Believe in Yourself”.  That is his first lesson…yes believe in you!  But it doesn’t stop there.   He goes on in the first chapter to give us an action plan, which is required with any idea, which includes faith not only in you, but God.  He tells us to “stamp indelibly on our mind a picture of us succeeding.”  Your mind, Dr. Peale continues will “develop the picture.”  So thinking positively about whatever you want to happen in your life is a necessity.  I firmly believe that if you think positive things will happen, they will.  If you think negative things will happen, they will. 
If you are like most of us it’s likely that negativity will creep in there . . .into that deep, nearly unexplored place called our brain.  The most important thing and the common thread among people like Dr. Peale and others writing about success, is to stay positive and believe you can do it…whatever it is.  Maybe it’s a life’s desire of starting your own business or creating the perfect pan of   lasagna for your family.  Whatever it is, it starts with the belief that you can do it and filtering out the people and thoughts that say you can’t.  If you think you can and truly believe in you, you can do it.

I am the mom of overachievers.  (They come by it naturally as their parents also have that tendency).  They would become so frustrated sometimes, with their progress in certain areas, whether it be school, sports or girls, and I would always tell them. “ When you go to bed tonight, first say your prayers and then close your eyes and visualize yourself with the golf swing you’ve always wanted or visualize yourself playing your music to a coffee shop or arena.  It’s your visualization, so whatever you choose is great.  Just remember, though, your mind will make it happen for you, so visualize carefully!”

Of course you have to have skill.  If you’ve never held a golf club before you probably won’t hit a hole in one the first time out…you may be lucky to hit it off the tee.  But visualizing the hole in one every night before you hold a golf club and as you progress your skill, is okay, because it will program your mind and chances are you will be able to accomplish that goal.  Believing you can and visualization will give you whatever your heart desires.  

Why am I expounding on this today? First you teach your children and then they teach you.   I was given some incredible teachings (by my 25 year old this week) and he doesn’t even know how he has impacted me.  I was thinking about his accomplishments and the payoff that is here for him after years of training in his art and glanced over and saw my very worn book by Dr. Peale, which reminded me of life’s lessons. When those around my baby boy encouraged easier paths, he didn’t deviate from him path ever, because this was his dream.  What I re-discovered from him this week, is to never stop believing in yourself, because that big success you’ve been waiting for may be waiting for you tomorrow.   It was waiting for him on Friday and it happened almost exactly as he had visualized it.   

My kids were raised with the teaching of Dr. Peale…although, not being readers, I don’t think they ever read his book.  They have lived by his principles and guidance, unknowingly, and I think that’s fabulous. 

The Price of Beauty

Last night was a night of pure luxury.  Why?  I had my hair highlighted at “my house” by an amazing stylist, Casey Schlachta.  We talked, laughed and had a blast and the whole time I’m getting foils put in my hair to give me that perfect blond to carry me through one more month.  What? You thought those blonde strands came naturally.  Oh yes, you’re right.  They do…really.   I felt very diva like and fabulous as dear, sweet Casey did Madeline’s (my son’s girlfriend) and my hair.  This was totally decadent and ultimate fabulousness.  Casey is the stylist for my son’s group, Cinema Sleep and she wanted to put a little champage pink (oddly enough there is no pink involved L) in Madeline’s hair for a photo shoot and stopped by to do so.  My house was the rendezvous point.  I was the lucky recipient of a spontaneous highlight( which is definitely better than spontaneous combustion).  It was so incredible!!   All I can say is thank you Casey.  My blond is completely fabulous thanks to you and I am all good for one more month.

I am a girl.   Maybe I should say that a little louder. I am a girl!! And with me come just a few maintenance items.  Do guys really think girls just naturally fall out of bed gorgeous.  Well most girls don’t.  Yes some do, but I have yet to see the most natural beauty who couldn’t be helped with a little “something”  When I look in the mirror I see this person staring back with things that needs….. well help…a lot of help.  The good news is I am armed and dangerous!  I have an arsenal…not even a small arsenal of beauty items.  If my beauty products were guns I would have enough arms to decimate a small country.

Speaking of hair, let’s start there…got to have the color.  That is my number 1 necessity.  When I was younger I had to color because my hair got a little too dark and well now, it’s a little too light, if you know what I mean.  So color once a month (for me; a lot of gals can go much longer).  Just for hair alone, not counting any other product to keep us fabulous,  every girl needs  product… shampoo,  conditioner,  gel, root lifter, and what I call hair glue.   You need a round brush (2 sizes), a flat brush, a regular comb, a rattail comb…Nice and Easy root touch up for that in between time when your stylist can’t just stop by.  J You need a hair dryer, a flatiron, a curling iron, hair rollers (Velcro and hot).  Oh and hairspray….I used to spend a ton of money here and found out that Auqua Net for $1.99 on sale is just as good as Shaper (over $15). Oh I almost forgot we also need bobby pins for that occasional French twist and  hair  ties because who can sleep with that hair going everywhere and hanging on your neck?  Those are just the necessities…not including items for the occasional need.

Here’s a little Susan Secret that is just fabulous.  I almost always do my own hair  color….(having Casey do it was completely luxurious).  Clairol Colorsilk does a great job and for the low price of $3.99.  I usually buy it when Walgreens puts in on sale for $2.50…add a coupon and it’s almost free. 

So is maintenance  required  or a luxury?  My answer is that it is required.       Imagine you’re a car owner …like me…who hates to do maintenance on it.   It’s expensive and worse yet, it’s a time suck!  How long does it really take to do a once over on  a car.  It should surely not be any longer than the time for a highlight.  Regardless… cars, girls, guys (even you guys need it)  all need maintenance.  Just like a car, if you don’t get maintenance things will start to fall apart.   So as a girl all my life who loves all things girly, take care of yourself.  It doesn’t have to be expensive.  Walgreens and coupons can keep you fabulous for less than you could ever imagine.

Every now and then, though, treat yourself.  Go to Casey and let her give you the best color and cut this side of Bumble and Bumble , NYC.  Her color is as good and it’s a fraction of the cost.

Great hair is a blessing (and work).  But remember great hair and makeup doesn’t make you who you are.  That comes from within.  No amount of color, no great cut can change who you are inside. That is where true beauty begins.  Happy Thursday!

If I Had a Daughter

If I had a daughter, what I would say to her...





Be Happy!

Use your brain and not your heart to make decisions.

Don't buckle under pressure, whether the pressure is from someone you love or  peer pressure.

Trust your gut.  It will never lead you wrong.

Listen...to others but mostly to the little inward voice that seems to be on your shoulder.

Never make a decision in a fit of anger or without walking away and thinking about what you're doing.

You have a very important voice.  Use it.  Don't ever be silenced.

Take risks.

Be a vixen in the bedroom and a siren in the Boardroom.

Use Sunscreen (and botox if you should need it :).

Follow your heart, but don't let it get you lost.

Don't ever let anyone make you think your opinion doesn't count, because it does.

Find a man who loves you for you and doesn't want to change you.

Love a man you don't want to change.

Travel and inhale deeply to enjoy all in life you can.

Don't try to save the world.

Put your oxygen mask on first. 

If you reach the glass ceiling, break it.

Keep your independence and never allow co-dependency.

Buy one great pair of shoes and love them, because every time you put them on you will be fabulous.

Stay true to yourself and don't ever lose yourself, because you may never get her back.

Smile!  It takes fewer muscles to smile than frown and you will grow old gracefully.

Be strong but not hard.

Be empathetic but own only your problems.

Love with all your heart, but don't give it away.

Most of all love yourself because you are unique and beautiful.



Dedicated to the young women I love and appreciate everyday.

Seeing the World through Rose Colored Glasses

Some people think the sky is blue.  Mostly I see it as pink.
.   
I have often said that if I could paint the world pink, I would. I think Pink is the  most fabulous color in the universe and just looking at my  pink board on Pinterest makes me smile and brightens my morning.  I wear pink when I can, use pink accessories, and  have also been accused of seeing the world through rose colored glasses.    I shared one of my favorite photos this morning….my pink pig adorned in lipstick and pearls.
Now there is a lot that could be said about that picture and why on earth I like it so much.  First of all, you already know that  I love pink and this is a pink pig….she also has pink lipstick and as a bonus, she’s wearing pearls.  I’m also imagining those hooves are painted in a very bright pink OPI color to make her even more stunning (if that’s possible).  And she’s wearing rose colored glasses and I think she's fabulous.   OMG this is me as a pig!

I was involved in a very tough real estate negotiation a few years ago.  The other Broker used every form of degradation and intimidation trying to get me to "back down" and do it his way.  I'm tough in negotiations and always look out for the best interests of my client and wasn't going to budge!  He became so frustrated, he said, "Well you are going to lose, because you are looking at this through rose colored glasses."  I sort of chuckled knowing he was just trying to strong arm me and I said (with a huge smile on my face) , "Well yes I guess I am wearing rose colored glasses".   Of course we got the deal accepted as presented and I won for my client; I didn't lose.  And I thought to myself, "Rose colored glasses are fabulous."

I grew up on a farm.  I was a scrawny little thing with a tassel of long blond curls, big eyes and evidently a pair of rose colored glasses.  Farm life was brutal.  The house was small, the summers long and hot and the winters long and cold.   But the thrill of the farm was the animals.  . . All of  them, especially the pigs.  I loved the pigs because they always seemed so interested in everything you did or said.  They'd look at you like a spellbound audience and retort with their loud snorting and an occasional squeal, prepared to give you the standing ovation, if they could only figure out how.  They were an amazing, adoring audience and they were mine… always waiting for words of wisdom from a 5 year old.  
 
Somehow we ended up with a little orphan pig.  She was pink, small and precious and I loved her at first sight.  Pinkie’s future was in jeopardy.  You know what happens to pigs on a farm…..well let’s not discuss that.   I must have been about 5 or 6 at the time and decided that the only thing that would save this sweet little pig was for me to kidnap her. I knew I had to.  It was not an option.  She had to be saved and I was the only one who could do it.  I went to bed that night hatching a plan to save the pig. 

I image that little girl waking up the next morning with a tuft of curly blond hair going everywhere, wide eyed and a little scared.  She would carefully put on her boots and reach over to the bedside table, grabbing those rose colored glasses and putting them on, to start her mission.  I see her, so tiny, climbing into that pig pen and maneuvering through the other pigs to get to this poor little pig. This seems a risky mission for such a tiny little girl, but the mission was a success.   And a pig was saved.

 Now what on earth is any farm girl going to do with a baby pig that still needs to nurse.  Of course, you would move her right into your bedroom and somehow come up with a baby bottle to feed her and be the mom!  Getting a pig to nurse a baby bottle the first time is a challenge, but once we got the knack, we were a pretty good team.  Luckily she was the recipient of warm, freshly milked cow's milk every day. (I didn't think of the impact of a pig being raised on cow's milk, but it worked out)     Pinkie resided in my bedroom under my bed until she grew too large to hide and too loud to keep quiet.  My parents were furious with me but Pinkie ended up having a good life, becoming Queen Pinkie and living to an old age.

Lessons Learned!  First of all everyone needs a little help now and then.  Sometimes it just is very clear that it's "your job".  You were the one chosen for that particular task.  Sometimes these tasks make you feel good and sometimes they are just painful. It also proves that you can do whatever you put your mind to.  There really are no limits.

Sometimes you just have to take a risk.   And you may need to put on "your" rose colored glasses to see the world, your world in a different light. Maybe a little pink cast is all you need to make something bad, look good.   It may change your outlook and may help you to see things more clearly. It may even help you to make a difference in your life, someone’s life, even if it is a pig.

So  today, as I continue my adventure…my journey,  I will be dressed in pink. When I open my bag, you will see the pink lining and you may or may not see the rose colored glasses when you see me, but be assured, they are there and I think that's fabulous!