Keep the faith Boston

"And I think to myself.....what a wonderful world"

It's rather hard to see it that way these days, isn't it? The world.....this awesome, gigantic, wonderful world that we live in, isn't always a perfect one.

Sometimes I want to go to the farthest corner of the universe. Outer space. Or, an island, or just a remote beautiful place, and sit there, and stare at beautiful colors in the sky and ocean tides rolling in. But I know deep down, that no matter where we are, there we will be. If that makes any sense at all. Everything we are and have within, goes with us wherever we go. It wouldn't erase what happened in Boston, or Sandy Hook CT, or any of these other senseless tragedies that seem to happen, that I wish wouldn't.

They bring a fair amount of perspective though. I don't complain about much anyway, but you can bet that I especially don't after something like what happened in Boston occurs.

I would be thrilled if I were a cape wearing superhero that could save us from all of this tragedy. But even Superman gets sad sometimes.

So, since I don't have all of the answers. I'lll defer back to Louis Armstrong. I do still see" skies of blue..... and clouds of white. Bright blessed days....dark sacred nights"

And I still think to myself. What a Wonderful World.

Keep the faith Boston.
And you too, friend.

See you soon,
Tiffany

PS Breakfast on the patio has been awfully quiet these last few days. But the birds still sing, and the sun still rises, so there's hope. Always.

Should we be labeled?

Some things require labels. Like this soup can for instance.

If the label wasn't on the can, how would we know what was inside? We might be hungry for chicken noodle soup, but open the can and get this instead:



And I am all for vegetables, but who wants green beans when the craving is for chicken noodle soup?

So labels are important for such things.

But what about people. Do we need to be labeled? I'm not sure that it's fair actually. Oftentimes we are labeled by our actions, so fairness doesn't come into play if the label comes from what others see us do, or say. It would stand to reason.

I think we need to be careful labeling people though. If the label comes from past actions, but this person is genuinely trying to become a better person, they won't feel they're getting very far if we can't see past the old label.

Getting to know someone is key.

I've talked about the art of conversation many times, I'm in love with it. Just simple words, strewn together in a string of sentences to accentuate who we are and how we feel about various subjects. Life. Love. How we treat others. How we treat our own family. Or our friends. What's important to us, what we're inspired by, what our passions are. What we aspire to be, and where we've already been. From favorite activities to work lives, to how we play, we could probably go on for hours talking about mundane things.



Maybe even with sharing our lives there are still labels being mentally printed out. I'm not sure.

But really, I don't think they're that necessary. I did wonder though, what would my label read if we were to wear them everyday on our clothes, for others to read, therefore eliminating the need for conversation.

"loves to read, take walks, help turtles cross the road, insert humor at every turn, take photos of the sunrise or sunset, watches movies, loves music but easy on the country genre please, fights for her friends,(metaphorically speaking), proud of her large extended family, is mesmerized by Fall and all it entails, loves the sound of a football game, and Starbucks, and gratitude, and text messages, and Breakfast At Tiffanys".....well I want to go on, but I dont think I have enough label room do I?

It cannot possibly be spelled out, everything about us, on a label we wear as sleeves every day, can it? We have to talk to each other to learn more.

Getting to know someone, asking questions, allowing the answers, listening. Rather than making assumptions on who we think the person is, or what they stand for.

Yes?

I'll see you soon friend,
Tiffany

PS Spring has sprung over North Texas, I'm sure we'll be seeing blue bonnets pop up everywhere soon. And you know what that means. Breakfast on the patio!

Just keep swimming

Can I just begin with, whew! Okay good. I haven't been holding my breath or anything. I think I'm just out of breath. Set alarm, wake UP! stop pushing snooze already! shower, be glam, well, as glam as one can be on a weekday morning before the sun rises, make the lunch and do the lists! and find the car keys and go to work, oh and don't forget the Starbucks on the way, and drive safely, and go through the big gates, and sign in to the systems and do all the things, and YES, of course I can do this project, yes SIR you can count on me, and ....my GOD where did the day go, it cannot be five p.m. and go back to the car, and drive through the big gates! and be in AWE of the traffic and drive safely, and please dear God tell me I don't have to stop for anything, and oh yeah, relax, I'm at home, and should I yoga? of course you BETTER yoga you silly girl, and shower and stop trying to do all the things! and sit down.......wait. It can't be time for bed yet.
Please.
Tell me I have a little more time for you, you crazy long day. You promised me I would have more time. You fickle, fickle day. Sigh.

And then January came and went like a kite, billowing on a very windy, Winter day in North Texas.

I believe I've had this thought before, but when working on this project at work, I realized that a little encouragement goes a long way. And I mean a long way.  I try to do this for my friends, and my coworkers (which are one in the same, and I'm lucky for that), that whole, "you're doing such a good job with this" thing. I say it. I email it. And, I mean it.

I was sitting in my managers office the other day, hashing out, (what I am sure were), ideas that were to be the equivalent to us running this company one day. baHA! Oh I'm kidding. I glanced up and noticed a hand drawn picture that his daughter made for him, hanging on the wall. Now if you're familiar with young children at all, sometimes it's difficult to make out what they've drawn or said. It's very whimsical to me, to see their ideas pop out onto that construction paper, with their own words, or lack thereof, and their drawing of that idea. I happen to know this little lady and she is definitely whimsical. Very infectious smile, and attitude.
I couldn't really make out much, other than it looked like a round doughnut and her running behind it, and "Daddy helpd" and "tir".

So, I asked him what it said.

"Oh, that was field day at middle school. Are you familiar with that?"
Of course I was, I told him. Those days were always so fun. Sort of like competitions but I never felt pressure, just had a lot of fun hanging out with my friends and teachers, doing the fabulous things outside, instead of inside, sitting at a desk, in a classroom.

"Well, they were doing this tire (tir) roll and she was having a little bit of a hard time with it, bless her heart"
I said, "you helped her didn't you?" I fully expected him to say yes, because that is how I know him. If anyone needs help or is struggling, he will jump right on and not let that person drown.

"Well, no. But I encouraged her to the finish line", he said, so seriously.

BAM there it is again. He didn't do it for her, he encouraged her to not give up, keep going, she's almost there and she CAN do it, and ....she did do it. Of course she did, she had encouragement.

These are the thoughts with me today.
If you're given a project to do, that could seem impossible, or not fair, or annoying....stop and remember that you would not be chosen for it, if the person didn't believe in you. They are giving you a vehicle to stretch your mind, and show yourself that you can do anything. Given the chance.
If you see your friend, or teammate, or coworker, having a bad day or maybe even a good day, and they are working diligently on something, it takes a few seconds to praise them. A pat on the back never hurt anyone, trust me on that. I don't think I know anyone that doesn't like to hear, "you're doing such a great job!". I don't know about you, but that's fuel for me. It just makes me keep going strong. It makes me want to keep going strong.

As Dory says in Finding Nemo: "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.....swimming....."

And Dory, after all, is one brilliant little fish!

I hope things are going well for you friend, remember, you're doing a great job.
See you soon,
Tiffany

PS Breakfast on the run can be just as tasty as sitting on a patio, relaxing. I just prefer the latter most of the time. At Tiffany's anyway.

Better

Better.

That's my word for the coming New Year, 2013. I saw a few posts in social media where people were asked to pick three words. Well, see, you put me in a position much like the one I find myself in when asked what my favorite movie is, or color, or song. I can't possibly answer those questions with just one answer. I don't think I can pick just three words that would encompass how I would like 2013 to unfold. I can pick three great words, yes. All day long. But they won't be enough, and they will cheat the other, hundred-or-so, fabulous words out there.

So I chose one.

I don't know that I've ever seriously done New Years resolutions. I doubt that I will start now. What I do know is that I resolve to do better. Not just on New Years Eve, in preparation for January 1. But all year, I find myself wishing this. This idea, that graduates from a tiny seed of hope to be better in all things, slowly evolves into a grandiose statement that I sometimes want to shout from a rooftop somewhere.

"I WILL BE BETTER! I WILL CLIMB THIS MOUNTAIN! I WILL MAKE THIS WORLD A BETTER PLACE! I WILL HELP ALL THE PEOPLE AND DO ALL THE THINGS!"

It's a huge world out there, and I am one small speck of a human, on the grid. But, remember that butterfly effect? One small good deed, can send shockwaves across the oceans. I've always believed this.

So what I propose to all of us, are these:

Be kind. Be MORE kind than you ever have been. To complete strangers, and to your own. Sometimes the latter is harder, and I'm aware of that. Try. "we'll take, a cup of kindness, yet....for auld lang syne"

Don't take more than your share. And I mean this. From anyone, from the universe, from the person passing you the plate of food, from the candy dish, from the grocery store, to the sale table in your favorite store. Just take what you need. Pull back a little on what you don't. And if you really believe in me, pull back a lot.

Stop, and take the time to go out of your way to help. If the woman in the wheelchair can't reach the green bags hanging above the celery, help her. Get her a bag, and help her pick out the freshest celery. (I had to add this in, it just happened to me at Kroger, so real life must occur in the blog post).

Call your parents. Every week. If you don't have them here with you anymore, call a family member and just ask them how they're doing. Share your life with them too. It makes their day when you do that. Trust me.

Slow to anger, and slow to judge. Or how about not at all, especially on the judging part.

Listen. To anyone that is taking the time to talk to you. It may be drivel to you, while you're busy working or doing all of the things, but stop what you're doing and listen. Look at them when they're talking to you. Be interested in what they have to say, whatever you're doing can wait a few more minutes.

Eat fresh fruit and vegetables every single day.

Remove one thing from your life that is causing more harm than it's worth. You don't have to tell me or anyone else what it is. Maybe it's a who. Or maybe it's a thing. But do it.

When you go to sleep at night, be grateful for the day.

And finally, have a little faith. In yourself, and others. If that doesn't make 2013 better, well, I don't know what to tell ya.

For the sake of old times, (auld lang syne) and new one's, I'm wishing you a safe, peaceful and prosperous New Year.
With lots of happy in it.

Much love,
Tiffany

PS And I wasn't kidding about the fruit and vegetables! Even Breakfast at Tiffany's will have them!

You.Are.Here.

I stood out on my patio tonight, listening to very little sound, a few leaves rustling with the gentle breeze, in this very warm weather Dallas has been having of late.
I live close enough to the airport that I can always see a few planes going by at any given time of day, and then of course at night I can really see them. It appears that they are flying fairly slow, drawing a line of lights as they ease across my view. But I live just far enough from the airport, that unless they are flying right above me, I can hear no sound.
I was thinking that it looked like the beginning of a movie, no sound, but you see the plane coming in for landing, all lit up so they can be seen as they fly in. I often wonder, who is on the plane, and are they coming home? Or are they visiting family, or coming to the Lone Star State for work? All of those stories, on one plane. It would probably take a while to interview the passengers and write down their words on paper.

So.many.stories.

Patio time, with night sky-watching, always brings deeper thoughts than what I normally have during the day. The world is so vast, so populated, but yet we all share the same moon, and the same sun, and the same constellations. There are probably many people doing the same thing  I am doing, looking up at that night sky, searching for the Big Dipper. But not everywhere. In Paris, it's almost four o'clock in the morning, for example. (It's also 42 degrees there right now, but I won't whine about them being able to have winter weather, while I have the air conditioning turned on). No, really.

Many of us wonder how we matter in this big world that we live in.



I've come to find that we do matter, and not just in our little corners of the world. We might write a few words, or say a few things, to people across the globe, that totally changes their day. My friends and family in Missouri always think of me when the leaves start to burst with those gorgeous Fall colors, because they know it's my favorite season. I'm not always there, but they think of me anyway.

And of course, they think of me when their forecast has snow in it, especially given that I'm not sure that N. Texas will have the kind of winter that I like so much, this year.

During the holiday season, I notice a gentler side to people as a whole. I know it can be a hard time for some. They may not have family around, or have had hard times recently. My wish is, and always has been, that there will be a gift of some kind bestowed on them when they least expect it. It may not be the kind that's wrapped in colorful shiny paper, topped with a big bow. It could be something simple, like a friend calling them to chat, or to have them over for dinner. These small gestures are how we matter.

Giving to our favorite charities, whether it be time or money, is how we matter. Helping a friend, or a co-worker through a rough time, is how we matter. Giving the usually chatty, elderly neighbor, a few extra minutes of our time, even when we're in a hurry, is how we matter.

I encourage all of us to find ways to help those in need this holiday season. Trust me, you will get more out of it than the receiver.

See you soon friend,
Tiffany

PS Breakfast has returned to the patio in the mornings. I might as well enjoy the warm spring-like weather while it's here, yes?

And what I say to that is, Amen

A little giving of thanks is lovely this time of year, but it's also wonderful if it's incorporated all throughout the year too. Think about it folks, we have many things to be thankful for. Even the miniscule, doesn't-seem-to-count-as-much stuff, matters.
Like many others, I have a large bird defrosting in my refrgerator right now, in preparation for the annual feast on Thursday. There are those that don't have that, some don't even have a refrigerator because they don't have a home of their own.

When I woke up this morning, I had coffee while I got ready for work, thinking about the fact that there are so many people looking for jobs right now. The woe-is-me Monday haters that post in social media about their lack of enjoyment for their current positions at work make me shake my head at times. It's okay to have a bad day every once in a while, I mean, I don't want to, but it's allowed, because life is not always perfection. But I will never complain that Monday arrived and I have to go to work. I'm grateful that I woke up today, and that I have a job to go to, I certainly don't wish for the alternative.

I really DO think the holidays are the "most wonderful time of the year", but I know that many don't agree with me. I always wonder, what has happened in their lives that made them lose the magic of it all?
I chuckle at this quote, because I love Charlie Brown and the whole Peanuts gang;

"We've got ANOTHER holiday to worry about. It seems Thanksgiving Day is upon us" -Charlie Brown.

Of course I will be watching The Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special this Wednesday night, I never miss it, and I HAVE the DVD. Aside from the humor in his statement, I think many people feel this way about the holidays. Another something to worry about. It makes me sad, but I know that everyone has their own story so I don't try to force my feelings about the subject on them.

The same way that I don't force any of my other beliefs on anyone (religious or otherwise). All I ask that I am treated the same way that others that don't share my beliefs, expect to be treated.

Linus tells the Thanksgiving story quite well I say:

"In the year 1621, the Pilgrims held their first Thanksgiving feast. They invited the great Indian chief Massasoit, who brought ninety of his brave Indians and a great abundance of food. Governor William Bradford and Captain Miles Standish were honored guests. Elder William Brewster, who was a minister, said a prayer that went something like this: 'We thank God for our homes and our food and our safety in a new land. We thank God for the opportunity to create a new world for freedom and justice."

And what I say to that is,
Amen.

Happy Thanksgiving to you my friends,
Tiffany

PS I'm brining the turkey this year, should be quite delicious. But Thanksgiving Breakfast at Tiffany's shall be homemade cinnamon rolls, coffee and juice. I suppose I could add my moms mimosa recipe in there.....oh twist my arm why don't you.


 

A Day In the Work Life

During the workday a very dear friend (who happens to also be a coworker) and I have great conversation as we go about our days of ridding the world of all injustices, one internal customer at a time. We talk about everything under the sun. Humor is always involved, and we usually learn a few things along the way too.
Sharing an excerpt of todays conversation, you might like dill pickles and want to try these!

B: Say, have you tried these: 

T: uh, no and want!


B:: Quite tasty, at least the dill spears, haven't tried the other. And the bonus is that the jars are actually really pretty. I kept mine out on the counter for a bit before I actually got into them and had to refrigerate.

T: I rather like the packaging myself, it's very quaint

B: Those are carrots and red bell peppers at the bottom. Possibly the picked peppers that Peter Piper picked. (Yes, had to go there.)

B: dang it, pickLed

B: Can't even type out a dang nursery rhyme correctly.

T: ha!
T: did he really pick a peck of pickled peppers? how much is in a peck?

B: I could have told you that at one point in my life. Things have decayed since.

T: A peck equals 8 dry quarts. A bushel is 8 dry gallons (4pecks).

T: thank you google

T: he did some serious pickin of pecks there

B: So did I, back in the day. Although I was doing something else entirely.

T: mmm hmmm

T: you know, curds and whey is really just cottage cheese

T: but I guess little miss muffet sat on her tuffet eating her cottage cheese sort of takes away from it all

B:: lol

T: but they could have said along came a spider who sat down beside her to give her a little squeeze, I'm just sayin  

See you soon,

Tiffany  

PS Dill pickles could be eaten for breakfast at Tiffanys. So could curds and whey, but I prefer watermelon!