Thriving....

Thriving, according to Dictionary.com is defined as:

1. to prosper; be fortunate or successful.

2. to grow or develop vigorously; flourish: The children thrived in the country.

The question is, does it take money to thrive?  Look at children; especially babies; do they need a lot of money to thrive?  No, not really.  There are some that believe that by relaxing often and breathing deeply you will find the thriving feeling you may have lost as a child.  I think kids in most everyday, minimally dysfunctional families thrive naturally.  Most kids provided with the essentials do very well for themselves and thrive.  Take, for instance, the kids pictured here from one of my last trips to Ecuador. 

This is the their school bus.  They were so happy, chatting along, squished together, on their way to school.  It was drizzly that day and my heart went out to them.  "Poor kids," I thought as they drove away to their destination....but were they really poor?  It puzzled me when I first saw these kids (granted, that was about 20 yrs ago) how these kids were able to thrive in such underprivileged conditions, but thrive they did (or it least it seemed that way to me.)  

Sometimes, the nature to thrive seen in children is contagious if we are conscious enought to notice.  Boy, do I need to slow down sometimes...but then again, maybe my inability to sit still is just a derivative of a strong will to thrive! (Yeah....that's the ticket!)

Loudly yours,

Alicia

Hello All!

Here are the five questions for today's Five Question Friday! Brought to us from http://www.friday5.org/

1. Where have you been that could best be described as a winter wonderland?    

The most beautiful winter wonderland was right here in my town on my Wedding Day.  It had been snowing the night before and on the big day, the whole place was covered in glistening snow; it was breathtaking.  The trees sparkled and everything was covered with snow, all things made pure by Mother Nature's perfect blanket of snow.

2. In what way might you describe this as the winter of your discontent?    

The only way I could think it would be a winter of discontent is that I really don't like being cold and the snow makes things uncertain in business....sometimes things get postponed, etc.

3. What was the last wintergreen-flavored thing you tasted?    

The last wintergreen thing I tasted was a life saver.  Not my favorite, but I must have wanted something sweet and that was the only thing around.

4. Is there anyone in your life who could be nicknamed Old Man Winter?    

No one I know intimately, but there is a neighbor close to me who would personify that nickname. (Don't worry neighbor friends, if you are reading this, I am sure its not you!)
 

5. Now that the holidays have passed, is there anything good about the winter that remains?

Oh yeah! My Anniversary!!  We celebrate 20 years together this year. Boy, did it go by fast!!  I also love to take the kids sledding whenever I get the chance, so I am looking forward to that again.

All the best,

Loudly yours,

Alicia

Mullings over Pastina...

 

Mullings over pastina

This morning as I was preparing the kids’ lunch, pastina; I was mulling over some things.  I put the pot on the stove and began to boil the water under the highest heat setting so it would boil fast.  Now, I have put this setting on before, only to be burned with burnt Pastina, doing no one any good.  This time, I stayed there stirring the pot as much as I possibly could; watching it, stirring as needed, adding the ingredients; whatever it needed.  It then dawned on me that maybe my kids were crazy fast kind of people like the flame beneath the pot and if they were left alone for too much time, there would be some burnt people….for instnace;  We were almost burnt out of our home the other day when our five year old went upstairs to do my older son a favor and get him one of his Ds games.  He found a lighter, lit an incense, dropped it a couple of times on the rug, burning it, then finally threw it in the garbage can, where it smoldered until I smelled its smoke during dinner.  Ahrg!!  Thank God I found it before it caused more than burnt items in a can and smoke!  I guess it is in my best interest to keep on the pot that is my family so that no one else gets burned.  They are all so crazy active and run so fast, sometimes it's hard for me to catch up with them and have a life of my own. Thank God I do know how to juggle pretty well.  If I could only duplicate myself!  Life would be so much easier....but I have to teach myself to love their perfect imperfections. Lord knows I am far from perfect.

Loudly yours,

Alicia

New beginnings....

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

There is nothing like a new beginning, especially the New Year.  This year, it is also the beginning of a new decade. Twice as nice.  This is the time of year that most take a moment to decide where the rest of their life will head.  For it has been proven that a person with goals is more on task to complete those goals than those who have no goals at all.  I have, over the years, kept "goal posters" and sometimes, to my complete surprise, the things I post on my goal poster come to fruition, maybe not the same exact color, but it does come to pass.  I choose to keep going in that very path. 

Recently, within the past year, I got my dream desk, almost to the letter of my goal poster picture.  I still have the picture around the office to remind me that dreams can come true.

( I am still expectantly waiting for my Mercedes) :0)

 

Here are some more pictures from my goal poster, which I changed from an actual poster to a virtual one, in my original blog.  There are way to many to post, but here are some shots from my virtual goal poster. ( Which I am hoping works as well as the physical one!)

  My RV:

My NJ Summer Home:













I will no longer bore you with my "wild" expectations, but will leave you with some quotes from one of my favorite authors; Napoleon Hill:

Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.

Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.

The greatest achievements of men, were at first, nothing but dreams of the minds of men who knew that dreams are the seedlings of all achievements. A burning desire, to be and to do, is the starting point, from which the dreamer must take off.

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Napoleon_Hill   

Loudly yours,
 and Happy New Year!

Alicia 

WOO HOO!! Actually have a 5 question Friday on a FRIDAY!

Wow! I actually made it here on the right day!  Awesome.  That makes me feel good about the new year that is about to show its face!!  Here we go!

1. How long does your Christmas tree stay up?

 

Our Christmas tree usually stays up until after our Anniversary, since we got married with Christmas decorations on the altar.  Our Anniversary is January 12th...this year, we will celebrate 20 years!!!  Amazing how fast it went by.

2. Do you have plans for New Year's Eve?

 

Yes, I have plans to go to my parent's house...not sure how late we will stay.

3. Do you have any New Year's resolutions?

 

To be more fit, spend more time with my hubby, save more $$, live more frugally, to be free of credit card debt.

4. How did you spend New Year's Eve when you were younger?

 

I would be at a relative's house, usually, or have people over.  Usually always with family. :0)

5. What was the best way you've ever spent New Year's Eve?

 

The best way I've spent my New Year's Eve was the year we were in Ecuador for New Year's.  It was so amazing to see the way another country celebrate their New Year's Eve.  It was almost like Halloween, in that people dressed in masks and did funny things, like throw pots and pans out the windows.  It was wild....kind of scary, too.  They have scarecrow like "Viejos" (like old man...signifying the old year) and they dance with them, parade in the street, dress up like old women, beg for money...it's crazy.  I am grateful my parents took me to see it all in person!

For a better description, click here: http://www.examiner.com/international-travel-in-boise/new-year-s-eve-ecuador

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Loudly yours,

Alicia

Blizzard!!!!!!! The great time halter....

Every year, we usually get the chance to be snowed in for at least one day.  I have to say, that I truly look forward to these days for many reasons.  Firstly, to take a true break from work,  and to get a chance to leisurely go about the house and deep clean closets with the kids or to organize parts of the house.  It also serves as a great reason to put all the electronic individualized distractions away and come together for a family movie.  This Christmas break has been nice in that we have had the time to squeeze in 3 or 4 movies in between family visits, (which thankfully, are very local.)  I am so grateful for some "down" time.  Now, for me, down time is relative, since my down time might be a full work load for others, due to the size of our family.  I am just happy not to be on a time schedule that has me running, running, running. Snow is good for that...slowing down everything.  Death has a way of doing that as well.  Did you ever notice, that when someone close to you passes on to the other side, nothing else matters and everything literally stops?  Rightfully so, it just stops. Nothing else compares to the immediate obligation to hold anything else routine and your only goal is to take care of what matters....the other person and everyone else left behind.  Another great reason to stop and linger a little more with the ones you love.

Happy Blizzard.

Loudly yours,

Alicia

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Christmas afternoon.....ahhh....the craziness is over, the clean up begins (and never seems to end!!)
It's hard to believe that one day I might actually miss all this craziness, but I think there is a chance I just might.  PLEASE note....I am not an expert at filming, so please forgive me for I am still learning!!  The unsteadiness of the camera adds to the craziness of the morning and gives you a feel of what its like when you are actually there!! :)
Loudly yours,

Alicia