Miss Angel’s Box In The Alley…

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My blog today comes from a close friend of Valley Girl Talk, Katie Wenthur or as she’s come to be known as, “Miss Angel”.

Katie Wenthur

Katie Wenthur

I live in the middle of the historic part of downtown in my little part of the world. And I would be the first to tell you that in my world it is all pretty much about me.

When I went out today to get my nails done, (money in my pocket for nails ((With me, Christie…I do Katie’s Nails)) AND coffee), a homeless man was carefully rummaging through a box I keep on the corner filled with out grown but still good clothing, socks, underwear, jeans and sweatshirts. I asked him if he was looking for something specific and he said “No, I found some jeans that will fit and I just took two pair of dry socks.” He was in the process of carefully refolding the clothing neatly and putting it back into the box. Then this man, who obviously had been sleeping outside at worst or wrapped in newspapers in a cardboard box at best asked me if I was “Miss Angel”.
Angel with heart Christmas decoration

Ask ANY of my friends, family or co-workers and they would all emphatically say, “Katie? Miss ANGEL? Are you kidding? Miss Biotch is more like it!” ((No it’s NOT)) But for this man and dozens of others, I make it my business to drop off my recyclables in small bags so they don’t have to dig thru the trash. It is bad enough to be homeless and broke to add insult to injury to be grubbing around in dumpsters.

I go through my closets every week and just leave a little out. The homeless have no place to keep a wardrobe. The best they can do is get some clean dry clothing for today.

Right now, there is a real need for socks….any size and they do not have to match. I have a box on the corner of my building, which is right across from Huggy’s bar. It is private enough so that they can look for a hand up without being on display. So if you have mysterious socks in search of mates in a basket on your dryer, think about dropping them off. Sweatshirts? Jackets? It is not only grown men who are homeless.

WSS Web DonationsBox-2.jpg

I am by no means rich, but even I have about 90% of my closet filled with stuff I never wear. Why hang on to it for the mere pleasure of tossing it on the bed so I can say “Hate it! Doesn’t fit”, Never liked it”, “What was I thinking?” when there are people in town who do give every stitch of their pride to wear my castoffs. These are not people who can afford to go to a thrift shop. They are saving what cash they have for food.

So if you have small bags of items please give generously, The box is small, so it cannot handle ALL of your closet failures. Just a little at a time. The box is located in the parking lot right behind Deluxe cleaners, on a metal gridded box to keep it off the asphalt.

It is so little to do that it is practically nothing. But someone’s child will sleep with warm feet tonight if you can just take a minute to drop off stuff you really have no use for.

Keep in mind that it is not only men who are homeless. Some families are sleeping in cardboard boxes. There are mothers with small children who are sleeping in doorways wrapped in newspapers.

If you want to give in a larger way, ask ANY grade school teacher, they know which children are living right on the edge. When I taught school (and I always taught in at-risk schools, I kept a box of outgrown socks for anyone who happened to have soaking wet socks from recess or no socks at all. I kept box of clean underpants, too…because it is entirely possible to be playing outside in the wet and end up with wet underpants….or to have come to school with no underpants at all.

I also kept changes of clothing in boxes because it is entirely possible for an active child to end up totally soaked before the first bell rang. It was NO BIG DEAL. My son often outgrew his jackets and they would find themselves on the back of the chair of a little boy who had none, never mentioned it, never drew attention to it. It was enough for me to have been entrusted with this precious cargo. Did it make a difference? All I know is that it made ME different.

This is not a flag waving “look at me!” project. It is small and quiet and all but invisible. The people who benefit you may likely never ever see…but you might see one of your outgrown jackets waking down an alley, pushing a grocery cart, and that, my friend, is the moment you will feel wings sprouting on your back.

Homeless man guardian angel

For more information on how to donate to Miss Angel’s Box In The Alley you can contact Katie Wenthur on Facebook or any of us Valley Girls.

Family Homelessness in the U.S.

How bad is the family homelessness problem in America? It’s bad enough that 1.6 million American children are now homeless, 38% of the entire homeless population, compared to 1% in 1988.

 

Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping them up.
~Reverend Jesse Jackson

 

Have a Great Wednesday!!!

 

Cookie baking time

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Last month my daughter and I went to an ornament and cookie exchange. I wanted to make something that was easy and different but that I also knew everyone would enjoy. So I went online to Pinterest so I could get some idea’s. I’m always finding new recipes on pinterest, you can call me a ”Pinterest Junkie”.

I found this recipe for making chocolate chip cookies.  Truthfully you can use any recipe you have for the ingredients but the key is in the baking part of this recipe. So put on your cute apron,

And get out your bag of chocolate chips & other ingredients and your waffle iron…. YES you read it right ”WAFFLE IRON”… Are you thinking that’s weird? I know, I did too, but I’m glad I tried these cookies out and I guarantee you will too…

Go ahead and mix together your favorite recipe for Chocolate Chip cookies and then drop by spoon full on each section of your waffle iron (mine has four sections), close the top as you would when making waffles….

Now here is the key… Don’t over cook them… it should only take 2 to 3 minutes to cook each batch… take them off waffle iron and let them cool for a few minutes on cooling rack and ENJOY :)

Don’t forget your tall glass of ice-cold milk…

Happy Thursday Friends :)

The Customer is always right…RIGHT?

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Last weekend my family and I, accompanied by my parents, traveled to Morgan Hill, California for my son’s Soccer Tournament.  Well, getting there was a breeze.  Then we stopped at my husband’s all-time Fav. fast food restaurant for dinner, In and Out, which is located in the parking lot of 1 side of the infamous Gilroy Outlet Mall, so the weekend was off to a wonderful start…Right?

All I can say is whoever put together the Executive Inn website in Morgan Hill, California is a Magician, because we what we checked into was NOT what was featured on that site! Immediately after walking into our “room” a call comes from my parents, “We’re NOT staying here!” and they’d already moved up the road to The Hampton Inn and had reserved us a room.  I had already called the office with a complaint about our room.  There was trash on 1 of the chairs, the carpet was filthy, the beds were as hard as rocks, and we were suppose to have adjoined rooms with my parents.  100% Unsatisfied!  I was told I’d be charged a cancellation fee because we’d “Settled In”.  Really?  I was Unsettled if anything!  After a heated discussion with my husband, I threw on my Parka and stormed to the office in my Jammie Pants determined to get my money back and “Move on up”.

Behind the counter I found a young, greasy haired man who kept telling me he couldn’t give me my money back, he’d have to call his manager, he’d made a mistake by not charging my parents…


I called his bluff and told him to get his manager on the phone so I could talk to him.  He did.  The manager told me, “He made a mistake.”  To which I replied, “I don’t care!”  Then the manager hung up on me.  I told Grease Ball to call his manager back on the phone!  He tried but no reply!  I was LIVID!  I started asking the Grease Ball to answer some questions for me, “Why isn’t the room we have the rooms that are featured on the site?”  ”Why were we told we’d have adjoining rooms?”  ”Do you leave trash in all of the rooms and expect people to clean for themselves?”  At this point the young Grease Ball told me, “I’m going to call the cops if you don’t leave.”  To which I replied, “Hello, I’m staying in your hotel and you won’t give me back my money so I CAN LEAVE!”  Holding the phone he warned me again, “I’m going to call the cops.”  So I leaned toward him and said, “The number is 9-1-1.  Do you need to call your
manager to make that call too?”  He called and what happened next will go down in history!”
Young Grease Ball is on the phone with dispatch and he says, “Yes, I have a woman here in my lobby with Mental Issues.” HAAAAHAAAAHAAAA, What!  I purposely spoke loud enough to be heard by the person on the other end of the phone, “I don’t have mental issues! I have ROOM ISSUES! Clearly there’s a difference!”

After Grease Ball hung up, completely satisfied with himself, he tells me, “Go ahead and continue talking to yourself until the cops arrive to haul you away,”  and he walks into what I assume was their “Make-shift office”.

Not 2, but 6 police officers arrive at the Executive Inn at 9:30pm last Friday night expecting to see a Crazy Woman throwing a fit and I guess tearing up the joint.

What they found was me, sitting on the corner of yet another filthy chair in the lobby waiting for them to come help me get my money back.  One of the officers asked, “What’s the problem Ma’am?” and I told him the entire story with Greasy trying his hardest to interrupt me, only to have my finger thrown up in his direction and told, “Not until I’m finished.”  I’d had it with this idiot.  He had offended me and now it was time to take him down!

I told the officer mine and Greasy’s whole conversation informing him that we had not “Settled in” nor did I understand there was any such thing as a “Settling in Period” when one is unsatisfied!  The officer asked to see ours and my parents check in paperwork…Grease Ball said, “I can’t do that.”  In unison we all asked, “WHY NOT?”  At this point I wanted a show of hands, “How many of us here have worked retail to get ourselves through school, the holidays, etc?  And am I correct in retail and the hospitality industry The Customer Is Always Right?”  They all agreed which prompted one of the Officers to ask to see any paperwork we’d signed and read it thoroughly informing Greasy that nowhere on that form does it say anything about a fee…”Yes it does, Right here, ” Grease Ball pointed his greasy finger.  The officer re-informed Greasy that’s not what the form says and it would be against the law to NOT refund my money.  Let me point out the cops have tried at this point to reach his manager 3 times…No Answer!


Reluctantly, Grease Ball accepts defeat.  All 6 of the officers step outside until I have my money in my hands.  Grease Ball starts pulling $1′s, $5′s, $10′s and $20′s out of everywhere but a cash drawer and shoves a wad of bills toward me over the counter.  I put my hands in the air and demand he count the bills out before I take them (I’d already had enough drama with this YaHoo, I didn’t need any more, Thank You!)  An officer sees my display and walks back inside the “lobby” asking if everything’s ok.  I tell him what Greasy just did and demanded he count the money out before I accept it.  SURPRISE!!!!  Greasy didn’t know how to count money!  The Cop asks why the money is disheveled and unorganized, then asked if I paid in small bills.  ”NO!”  The cop and I exchange looks and by this time I’m sick to death of Greasy’s attitude and incompetence, so I grab the bills, rearrange them, and give him a crash course in Customer Service 101 starting with the proper way to arrange money 20-10-5-1′s, then proceed to count my money back fanning it across the counter.  Grease Ball huffs and rolls his eyes and the cop tells him, “Son, maybe you need to pay attention and learn something.”  I think we’d all just about had our fill of Grease Ball and how Right he thought he was!

With my money in my hand, I thanked all 6 officers who came to my rescue against the incompetent, and I rushed back to our Pig Sty, grabbed Eric and the kids and we headed up Condit Road to The Hampton Inn.  With all that drama behind us, we settled into a Clean, newly remodeled room and actually enjoyed the rest of our weekend only 2 doors down from my parents!

 The boys one 1 game, lost 1 game and looked great out on the field!


It was cold in Morgan Hill, but our games were finished just before the 1st rain drops fell.


The Hampton Inn was Comfy and Cozy.  All weekend it was buzzing with soccer players rushing to and from games.  The lobby was the hub of excitement, stocked with complementary snacks and fragrant with the smell of freshly brewed coffee.  And, the staff was friendly, attentive and professional.  No Grease Balls in sight!


There was plenty of time for relaxing (or doing homework) on beds as soft as clouds before heading to the Outlet Mall for some SHOPPING!!!

 And I even found Lavonna Moonbean something at Converse…

 She’s always on my mind!

On the way home I made Eric stop by Starbucks and brave the rain, because I’d earned a Vanilla Spiced Latte!  I was happy the weekend had ended well, that the boys had played well, and that I’d been able to introduce my daughter to the Gilroy Outlets, but that beginning really made me rethink…”The Customer is always right…RIGHT?”

 

Posted in Fun

Breaking Up with Football

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In less than a month millions of people around the world will be tuning in to watch the  Superbowl.  Last year 111.3 million people tuned in to see the Giants beat the Patriots.  And while some people will be tuning in to see the commercials or Beyonce at half time

many people are just die-hard fans that truly love the sport.

My husband loves the sport and has been a faithful Broncos fan since he was a small child. So you can imagine that he wasn’t very thrilled when I shared an article with him from Reader’s Digest “Breaking Up With Football”.

You see, when watching a football game, there are two types of plays that always elicit excited, nacho-spilling outbursts. The first is an incredible, physics-defying catch that no one saw coming and the second is a bone-crushing hit that knocks a guy out of his cleats.  It’s that bone crushing, head-on collision that made the sportswriter decide he was done with football.  It made me wonder if others should be done too.

I’m not trying to talk anybody out of watching their favorite sport any more than I want to be talked out of watching my soap opera or favorite reality show, but I think everyone should know a few facts, especially if they have children playing youth football.  As I researched this subject more on the internet I found out it’s a huge topic of debate, with very strong opinions and it can get pretty nasty.  Wow!  Almost like the whole presidential election we just went through.

So if you’re interested, here are a few facts that really blew my mind and below is the actual article I read in Reader’s Digest.

1.  Football hits pull the brain like Silly Putty, stretching and shearing nerve cells. – While one doctor proves that football-related head trauma causes chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a mind-ravaging disease associated with repetitive head trauma, others disprove it – much like how the Tobacco Industry tried to keep us believing cigarettes were safe for many years.  Fact:  The Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy has released test results for the brains of 20 deceased football players. Nineteen showed evidence of CTE.

These are the words (the scientist) uses to describe the clinical symptoms of CTE: Impulsivity. Disinhibition. Volatility. Problems with depression and emotional control. And this is how Mike Webster, later diagnosed with the disease, spent his final months: living in his truck, squeezing Super Glue on his rotting teeth, shooting himself with a Taser gun to sleep, and sniffing ammonia to stay awake.

2.  Currently, more than 3,500 former players and surviving family members are suing the NFL, essentially attempting to hold the league liable. – And the argument most often is, “Those money-grubbing, ambulance-chasing ex-players knew what they were getting into. Now they’re complaining? Tough luck. Why can’t they just leave football alone?”  But my question is, did they really know what they were getting in to?

3.  Boys and young men—whose brains are still developing—are more vulnerable to football-induced head trauma.  According to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, only 42 percent of high schools in 2010 even had access to a certified athletic trainer educated in concussion care.  Robert Cantu, MD, a leading sports concussion expert, says in a new book that children under 14 years of age shouldn’t play collision sports under current rules, an argument he suspects will “tick some people off.”

And another popular argument is this, “You can suffer a concussion driving a car. Or riding a bike. Life is risky. Football is risky. Sure, we should minimize the risk. But doing so is enough to keep on enjoying the sport, right?”

I guess my questions is, “Is it enough?”  All I know for sure is I’m glad my son isn’t playing football.  And for those of you who love the sport, I guess that’s your choice.

Reader’s Digest Article:  Football Safey:  Why I Broke Up with the Sport

Football Safety: Why I Broke Up With the Sport

http://www.rd.com/true-stories/football-safety-why-i-broke-up-with-the-sport/

 

Life Worth Living

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Our dear friend, Katie, has written something fun and useful and we wanted to share it with you.  What a great idea to start off the new year.

She wrote:

Today, I am giving you a DAILY SURVIVAL KIT to help you each day…………

Toothpick … to remind you to pick the good qualities in everyone, including yourself.

Rubber band … to remind you to be flexible. Things might not always go the way you want, but it can be worked out.

Band-Aid … to remind you to heal hurt feelings, either yours or someone else’s.

Eraser … to remind you everyone makes mistakes. That’s okay, we learn by our errors.

Candy Kiss … to remind you everyone needs a hug or a compliment everyday.

Mint … to remind you that you are worth a mint to your family & Me.

Bubble Gum … to remind you to stick with it and you can accomplish anything.

Pencil … to remind you to list your blessings every day.

Tea Bag … to remind you to take time to relax daily and go over that list of blessings.

This is what makes life worth living every minute, every day.

Posted in Fun

A New Year, A Detoxed and Super You

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Today, January 1st, I invited my parents over for some homemade Turkey Noodle Soup.  After we ate my mom asked me if I knew any Detoxing/Cleansing treatments, because after the holidays she felt she needed to be cleansed from all the holiday eats and drinks.

 champagne, cute, drinks, new year, pink
Of course, I jumped at the chance to research hydration and detoxing.
Only 2 days ago I was out and about, and found Coconut Water on sale…

I loaded up…

 The Ice Cold Water is not only refreshing, but has many nutritional qualities including:
  • electrolytes
  • cytokinins (e.g., kinetin and trans-zeatin), which shows significant anti-ageing, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-thrombotic effects
  • beneficial to dehydration
  • Rich in sugars and amino acids
  • Enzymes that help in the digestion and metabolism: acid phosphatase, catalase, dehydrogenase, diastase, peroxidase, RNA-polymerases
  • Composed of minerals like: calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium, and zinc
  • A very good source of B-complex vitamins such as: riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pyridoxine, and folates
  • Contains a very good amount of electrolyte potassium
  • Water has a small amount of vitamin-C (Ascorbic acid): provides about 2.4 mg or 4% of RDA. Vitamin C is a water-soluble ant-oxidant
I can remember my dad cracking open fresh coconuts and draining the water out for us to drink.  I loved the taste then and I love it now.  Candie was with me when I stocked up and she decided to be supportive and try Coconut Water for the very 1st time…

I don’t think she was as crazy over the taste, though I prefer it straight I made sure to tell her she can enhance the taste by infusing it with fruit syrup mixes, mix it with any other fruit juice, add it to any mixed rum punch etc.
All of this information interested my parents, but my mom was more interested in detoxing from the holidays than rehydrating, so I found her Dr. Oz’s 48- Hour Cleanse Recipes, because like me my mom doesn’t believe in dieting, nor does she have time for long regimens and she’s also convinced Oz will only lead her down the Natural Road.

Detoxing revitalize you from the inside out.  The key to detoxing is eating certain “detoxifying” foods that will keep these systems running smoothly. The bodies Liver, Colon and Kidneys are our natural  internal detoxification system.  Detoxing boosts this system function more efficiently as well as promote weight loss, energy levels, unfortunately detoxing diets which  involve extreme low-calorie fasting robs the body of nutrition, slowing  metabolism.   Other downsides of detox diets include: dehydration, fatigue, dizziness, nausea and even colon damage.  So, to detox properly you need to maintain these three key organs by nourishing your body with the right nutrients.  Here’s everything you’re going to need for 48 Hours of Detoxing that Holiday Body…

Breakfast: Quinoa With Chopped Prunes
Ingredients (Makes 1 Serving) 

1/2 cup quinoa, rinse.
1 cup water
1 pinch nutmeg
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tbsp flax seed oil
1/3 cup chopped prunes
1/4 cup rice milk
Directions
In a small pot, stir 1/2 cup quinoa, a pinch of nutmeg and 1 tsp of grated ginger into a cup of water.
Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir in the prunes and rice milk. Cover again and cook another 5 minutes.
Before serving, stir in 1 tbsp of flax seed oil.

Before you ask What is Quinoa, I researched that too, because I had no Idea myself…
Superfood: QuinoaOften referred to as the supergrain, quinoa (KEEN-wah) is high in fiber and high-quality protein. In fact, it contains more protein than any other grain while also packing in iron and potassium. One half cup of quinoa has 14 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber. This superfood is classified as a whole grain and is naturally gluten-free. Quinoa is a tiny grain that cooks up like rice and has a mild, nutty flavor and a light, fluffy texture similar to couscous. You can find it next to other grains in health-food stores and your supermarket.  I can’t wait to pick up some Quinoa and try it in several recipes I found while doing research for this blog.

Kale, Pineapple and Ginger Detox Drink
Ingredients (Makes 4 Servings; Drink Throughout the Day)
1/2 cup pineapple
2 large cucumbers
1 bunch kale without stems (4 cups chopped)
1/2 lemon, squeezed
1/4 inch of ginger
1 bunch of mint (1/2 cup)
Directions
Combine all ingredients and blend in juicer.

Alternative: Pineapple, Lemon and Pomegranate Blend-Free Detox Drink
Ingredients (Makes 4 Servings; Drink Throughout the Day)
3/4 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
1 lemon
1 cup unsweetened pomegranate juice
3 cups water
Directions
Combine all ingredients and mix in a cup. Enjoy!
You can consume as many of these snacks as you’d like throughout the day.

Lunch: Fruit Smoothie
Ingredients (Makes 1 Serving)
1/2 cup almond or hemp milk (plain/unsweetened)
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed or chia
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 banana
1/2 cup ice
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Dinner: Vegetable Broth Soup (Makes 5 Servings)
Ingredients
2 red onions, roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
1 fennel bulb, fronds and stalks included, roughly chopped
2 tsp caraway seeds
2 tsp sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup sliced shitake caps
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 cabbage, roughly chopped
2 quarts water
2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
8 sprigs parsley, chopped stems and leaves
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
Directions
Combine all ingredients, except for the chopped parsley, in a pot. Add 2 quarts of water.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Simmer covered for about 1 hour. Adjust seasoning.
Remove whole parsley sprigs and serve topped with some freshly chopped parsley.
Serve with a side of traditionally fermented sauerkraut and chopped apples (warm or room temperature).

Alternative Snack: Fresh Veggies
Ingredients
Celery
Radishes
Cucumber
Green beans
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Salt
Pepper
Directions
Cut up celery, radishes, cucumber and green beans.
For dressing, combine olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix well.
You can consume as many of these snacks as you’d like throughout the day.


While dropping my daughter off at her friends for the night I was listening to the John Tesh Radio Show and he gave a list of the most effective Super Foods: Quinoa, Broccoli, Eggs, Yogurt and Green Tea.  I was intrigued because I’d already been doing research, so of course I had to add this information as well.

  • Broccoli - boost the anti-cancer effects, antioxidant delivery, detox, digestion
  • Eggs – Boost eye health and tackle obesity.
  • Yogurt – Probiotics support weight control or regularity
  • Green Tea – Contains Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) a phytochemical that slows irregular cell growth.
I love to cook.  I love to eat.  I hate to diet.  I like the idea of exercising.
But, lets be honest, I have a degree to finish, a license to acquire, a career to ready myself for, and a family to raise.  If I can do healthy things like drink Coconut Water

and get this Detoxing thing down, I’ll feel better every time the wagon drives by and I fall off on my way through the kitchen!

Eating, feeling and living healthy is beneficial for the body and the mind.  With all of the processed, hormone enhanced and fast food plans out there sometimes we need to remind ourselves, “We are what we eat.”  I’ve researched 48 hours of Detox Trivia to spark your curiosity and let John Tesh inform me of Super Foods.  Hopefully, I’ve inspired you to spend a little more time in the Produce Section of your Super Market this year.  I plan to give detoxing and super foods more than a 2nd thought, who knows they may become a ritual for me, but I’m still not making any resolutions!
Have a great day, be healthy, and Stay Sassy!

 

 

 

 

Posted in Fun

Resolutions or Changes…let’s live it up in 2013!!!

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Here we are at the end of yet another year, despite the threat of the end of the Mayan Calendar and the end of the world as we know it!

I tempted fate and bought my 2013 calendar early and…
Calendar 2013, Beautiful Examples Of 2013 Calendar (8)
have already started filling it with important 2013 events…such as my Graduation – April 29th, Our 18th Wedding Anniversary – July 15th, and my 29th Birthday – August 4th, as well as my kids birthdays, husbands birthday and my puppies b-days, (it’s not completely All About Me, well kind of)!  But, lets be honest this is the time of year when we start thinking about our New Years Resolutions.

But, have you ever been successful at keeping your resolutions?  A study at the University of Hertfordshire showed that the people most successful at keeping their New Year’s Resolutions did at least three of the following things:

* broke their goal into smaller steps

* rewarded themselves when they achieved one of these

* told their friends about their goals

* focused on the benefits of success

* kept a diary of their progress.

http://www.diabetesmine.com/2010/12/getting-smart-about-your-diabetes-new-years-resolutions.html

About.com Pittsburg has a list of the Top 10 New Years Resolutions http://pittsburgh.about.com/od/holidays/tp/resolutions.htm

  1. Spend more time with family (I’m unemployed, they want to get rid of me)
  2. Fit in Fitness (Candie works out enough for both of us, so I’m good)
  3. Tame the Bulge (as I’m sitting here eating BBQ Potato Chips)
  4. Quit smoking
  5. Enjoy life more (I hear having jobs help increase the pleasure of life)
  6. Quit Drinking
  7. Get out of debt (I keep telling myself “School is an investment not a debt”)
  8. Learn something new (I’m finishing up a degree I’m tired of learning)
  9. Help others
  10. Get organized (My degrees in Organizational Leadership, I’m educated in OCD)
I personally don’t make New Years Resolutions,  I used to, then I had a real heart to heart with myself and came to grips with the fact that New Years Resolutions and I don’t mix, so no more self-deception!
I guess when I attended college the 1st time around I was just too young and immature to grasp that life is a learning process, this 2nd go ’round has really opened my eyes and made me realize that every person and situation has something to teach me if I’m willing to learn.   For me learning self-respect, gaining confidence and self actualization meant humbling myself and letting go in order to hold onto yourself.  Life can be a gamble and full craziness, which reminds me of a song…
My Life Long Resolutions are to look at situations from other points of view, listen, be open minded, keep moving forward, and never have expectations in anyone but myself! Someone told me one time, “I don’t want you to get your hopes up…” and I told her, “I’ve learned not to have expectations in anyone but myself, because you will always fail me. However, if I fail in my expectations of myself, then I’m disappointed in myself, not you!”
That said, Candie has a similar perspective and she call her’s LIfe Changes (however I’d like to point out they are still numbered like New Years Resolutions…Just Sayin’):
1. Back on track with working out
2. Giving my new job a 101 percent
3. Enjoy the simple things in life more
4. Follow my heart more instead of doing what everyone else wants from me 1st
5. Cherish every moment of my daughters last year of high school
6. Run a marathon
7. become a spin instructor
8. lose 15lbs
9. Eat healthier
10. Have a girls weekend at the coast
My comments are:
#2 – Congrats
#4 – AMEN
#6 – Alone
#9 – Wine is made out of Grapes, so it’s healthy
#10 – Better happen at least 12 time in 2013!!!
Lavon got a LOT carried away with her New Years Resolutions:
1. Forget the past and concentrate on the future (or however I worded it this morning)
2. Paint. Paint a picture or two for my walls. I always see “art” and say to myself, “I can do that!” but it’s time to DO IT!
3. Get into photography and make something worth framing.
4. Do some crafty things. (Are you seeing a pattern here? It’s cuz I feel happier when I’m using my right brain and I haven’t in awhile.)
5. Take a week’s vacation in nature and do next to nothing, except read.
6. Read. Well, read more anyway. I download all these free kindle books and they just sit there. Need to read ‘em.
7. Make my garden amazing. I always do pretty well but I want an AMAZING garden this year. I’ll buy some flowers and then when it looks full, cram double the amount in there. Then it will be amazing!
8. Be perfectly organized with bills, filing and all paperwork. Or… be somewhat MORE organized than I have been in the past and be content with that.
9. Continue to make new friends and have fun with my besties because laughter is the best medicine for life!
10. Find a way, somehow, some way, some trick, something sneaky maybe to get my husband to agree to take me to see Donny Osmond. Hey, some things never change and it’s been 18 months now!
Here’s my comments:
#1 – I’m pretty sure she told me she was going to Forget Everything, making me smarter!
#5 – She’ll have to take 12 vacations because of Candie’s #10
#8 – She’ll need my help organizing, because soon I’ll have my degree in OCD
#10 – What we haven’t told her is Donny Osmond has a restraining order against her, she’s not allowed within 10 feet of him!
 We had a good year!  A year of 1st for Valley Girl Talk.  A year of new friends, new experiences and a lot of FUN!  Regardless of what we call them, Life Long Resolutions, Life Changes or New Years Resolutions, we each have the opportunity to grow, change and start new in,
In 2013, be yourself, accept others for who they are, not who you want them to be, and always, not matter what you do…STAY SASSY!!!  Happy New Year from The Valley Girls, Candie, Lavon and Christie

 

 

Merry Christmas from Valley Girl Talk

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“Tis The Season To Be Jolly Falalalala Lala Lala”….. Christmas carols, friends, family, fun & cheer is exactly what us “Valley Girl Talk” gal’s enjoyed doing this past Friday night with the “Downtowners” group here in Hanford.

Our good friend Ken Silva picked us up in true Christmas style in his retro red fire truck in front of Superior Dairy.

Us girls hopped in the back of the fire truck and Lavon’s husband Meik sat up front with Ken and we drove to our first stop, the L.T. Sue Tea Room in China Town where our Downtowners friend Steve Rogers was waiting for us.

We went inside to spread our holiday cheer and to get a hot tea to go….

We climbed back into our fun christmas time fire truck with our hot tea’s in hand and headed back over to pick up the rest of the “Downtowners”

With Christmas music playing on the fire truck we drove off for a fun-filled evening of laughter & wishing others a Merry Christmas

And Christie singing Christmas Carols of course. :)

We even sang and wished all the last-minute shoppers at Michael’s, Target and Wal-Mart a Merry Christmas.

We made our last stop riding in the fire truck on Irwin Street in front of Castaways Consignments and Cosmic Corral.

 

We headed into Castaways where our friend and owner Jan was waiting for us with refreshments.

Do you see something missing in this picture? I’m guessing our friends Mark & Joe are behind the headless gingerbread man…. LOL

Oh and while we were there Christie and I had to shop and take pictures of course…

Christie and I caught up with the rest of our group at Cosmic Corral…

While Christie was busy “Bonging” (yes I totally just made up that word) on the gong, I decided to relax in my favorite pose.

After we finished shopping and visiting at Castaways and Cosmic Corral we walked over to Superior Dairy to finish the evening with the best banana split in the Central Valley.

A big THANK YOU to Ken and Nancy Silva for helping ”Valley Girl Talk” and ”The Downtowers” spread Christmas cheer around Hanford in their decked out fire truck.

Also to our amazing downtown stores, L.T. Sue Room, Castaways Consignments, Cosmic Corral and Superior Dairy for opening up their businesses so that we could enjoy the Christmas season with them. These are memories that we will treasure forever.

Wishing you all a blessed Christmas…. Love, Peace & Joy to all :) Candie, Lavon & Christie

Hope

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1hope – verb \ˈhōp\ : to cherish a desire with anticipation

This week on my favorite show “Parenthood” Zeke, played by Craig T. Nelson, sat the children down and told them a story about believing in Santa and miracles.  He had their attention, big eyes staring, as he shared a story of how he saw Santa himself when he was a child. He gave them hope.

As he told his story, I couldn’t help but think of when I was a young girl and my grandmother came running into the house exclaiming, “I just saw Santa!”  I remember us questioning him, “What was he doing? Where was he going?” and totally believing her and everything she said.  That was probably 40 years ago and I remember it like it was yesterday.  Maybe I remember it so vividly because it brought me a wonderful feeling… of hope.

With the recent tragedies, changes in politics and the talk about the end of the world, I have to wonder what happened to Hope.  What happened to gratitude and love and peace and friendship and community and joy? Why have we turned to debates and discussions about guns and politics and arguments about religion and rights?  Why can’t we just focus our energy on Hope?

So on that note, I’ve decided I will try my best not to participate in debates on social media anymore.  I’ll try even harder than ever to keep myself surrounded by good people who love to laugh.  And I’ll find a way to spread my hope with others; hope for a better tomorrow, good wishes for all, peace and love and the end of all things bad.  And while I may seem like a silly dreamer, I’m still going to focus on Hope.

And I hope you all have a Merry Christmas! Who knows, maybe Santa really will visit this Christmas.

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