Fanny's "Outing"

Many thanks to Rob Velella of The American Literary Blog for re-running my guest post about the "outing" of Fanny Fern by her ex-editor William Moulton.

If you are tired of reading about the Kardashians, but still want to feed your craving for a bit of juicy scandal, click on the link below to read about Fanny's horrible almost-New-Year's-Eve in 1854.  I wish you a much better New Year than Fanny faced 159 years ago!

Fanny's "Outing"

 

 

 



Tee hee

 

Special thanks to Glenn McCoy (and www.papyrusonline.com) for his take on "Christmas Group Therapy."

Funny!

 

A Word from the Wise

Jiddu Krishnamurti

“No expectation, no judgment.” ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti 

This is one of my favorite quotes and one I try to remember when faced with life’s “grand” events.  (Now, whether I’m actually successful in remembering this sage advice is sometimes another story.) 

Do you have a favorite tidbit of wisdom to share this holiday season?  Well, don’t just keep it all to yourself – do tell, do tell!

 

Must Listen

Pentatonix is an American a cappella group of five vocalists – Scott Hoying, Kirstie Maldonado, Mitch Grassi, Avi Kaplan and Kevin Olusola – originating from Arlington, Texas.  Pentatonix is also amazing.  Check out this infectious rendition of “Little Drummer Boy.”  It’ll make your day!

 

Click on this song title (link) to view/listen to Pentatonix's "Little Drummer Boy."

Now, smile.

 

 

 

Gratitude

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and I know I'm not the only one who feels that way.  We spend a lovely day feasting and holding our dear ones close and then . . . we dash full steam ahead into holiday mode.  Keep that Thanksgiving feeling alive a little longer by taking a peek at these famous/infamous gratitude quotes.  Today, I like the Proust one the best. What about you?  

1.  " Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others."  ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero

2.  “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” ~ John F. Kennedy

3.  “Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.” ~ Aesop

4.  “Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.” ~ Henry Ward Beecher

5.  “Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” ~ Melody Beattie

6.  "Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." ~ Marcel Proust

7.  “At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” ~ Albert Schweitzer

8.  “Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.”  ~ A.A. Milne  (Winnie-the-Pooh)

9.  “When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” ~ Maya Angelou

10.  “We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” ~ Thornton Wilder



Take Five

Meditation.  I know, I know.  You don’t have time.  You’re too stressed.  It’s weird.  But, before you roll your eyes and zoom off to Black Friday sales, take five.  Why?  Because a recent neuroscience study reported that just five minutes of meditation a day can reduce anxiety by up to 22 percent, not to mention reducing stress levels and increasing immune function.  Just the ticket for these super-charged weeks coming up.

So, quick – how do you meditate in just 5 minutes?  First, set a timer for 5 minutes so you don’t have to worry about time.  Then follow the steps below.

Step #1:  Breathe.  Get into a comfortable position (no, you don’t have to sit cross-legged) and simply breathe in for a count of 4 and out for a count of 6.

 Step #2:  Breathe at your natural pace.  Stop counting your breaths.  Try to experience your breathing from nose to belly.

Step #3:  Stay focused on your breathing.  If random thoughts zip through your head, refocus on your breathing.  You will have the rest of the day to think.

Step #4:  Relax tight muscles by focusing your breath into tight areas.  Concentrate on typical tension zones:  jaw, neck, shoulders, stomach.

Step #5:  When the timer goes off or when you are ready to transition out of your meditation, think about something or someone in your life you are grateful for.

 

Step #6:  Tackle everything else.

 



Stop the Princess Machines

Just in time for the holidays – a kick-butt, fun, alternative to “pink stuff” and Barbie.  GoldieBlox is a toy company that makes construction sets and other cool engineering-inspired toys geared toward girls.  The company was started by Stanford-educated engineer Debbie Sterling, who was frustrated by how few women there were in her field, and by how few options there were for girls to fall in love with engineering through their toys.

Check out this powerful GoldieBlox ad (that is going viral) Click here , and visit the GoldieBlox website Click here to order some amazing toys for the girls on your list. 

Then, sit back, all smug, and drink a toast to future gender equality in EVERY professional field.