Ok - I have totally slacked on this, and I am going to fix it starting now. This week I have been working on an amazing project for the CARE Center of Akron Children's Hospital and I have also set the date for next year's picnic. Pending hospital approval, we will have it Sunday July 9, 2017 at Hudson Springs Park from 1p-5p - you don't have to stay the whole time, but we hope you'll stop by and support us. Other changes based on feedback will be announced once we start finalizing things.

Monday Matters - 21 March 2016

Spring has sprung, which can only mean this particular Monday makes me hopeful to see some sunshine soon - as unlikely as that can be in my little corner of the earth- on to making today a little brighter.

So many people I know are visiting destinations sunny this week, which makes the traffic around here much more bearable. One of my favorites is Costa Rica, not that I've been, but my awesome cousin is bringing me back currency with a sloth on it- stay tuned for a picture of her paying Speedy (my sloth) to be nice. If I were going to go to Costa Rica, I'd be going here: http://www.slothsanctuary.com. Most of the baby sloth video clips people tag me in come from this wonderful sanctuary. If, like me, you have no travel plans, take some time to check them out and watch some sloth videos this week. You could even donate, if you were feeling all sorts of gooeyness inside from all of their hard work and the utter cuteness of all things sloth, like Speedy here on my stairs. 

I'm not going to lie. I'm what they call a sun worshipper and always have been. I don't need to get super tan; I just love the feel of the sun. Sunblock is one of the most touted products of the last few decades, and I really try to give it a chance. Sadly, I'm allergic to most of it and have been exploring mineral sunblocks in preparation for working outside as much as possible this summer. If you're like me and want to work or play outside, this Wall Street Journal article might help http://www.wsj.com/articles/a-guide-to-the-best-mineral-sunscreens-1403293319. If you already know a lot about sun products, you may want to skip right down to the product reviews. The WSJ article had several choices, but for those of you who don't mind a little powdering, makeup stores have all sorts of mineral powders too. If you try any, make sure you read about your choice, since some of them are not water resistant and/or need to be reapplied regularly. 

Lastly, we come to what's bringing some sunny hope to me heart lately. You'll be hearing more about this throughout the months. My very own Grace Initiative FT LLC, has a save the date for an awesome event. We call them GIGevents, the GIG carrying varying acronyms dependent upon our current plans. This one is a Grace Initiative Get-together, and it involves a lot of fun and fundraising whether you're in this area or not. It's the Caring Points Picnic benefitting Akron Children's Hospital C.A.R.E. Center (the Children At Risk Evaluation Center). This is where children suspected or known to have suffered from abuse or sexual violence can get help. As a survivor of both, I'm so filled with hope to begin a journey of helping them with this event. There will be both local and virtual tickets, so please stay tuned for more? For now, maybe you'd like to save the date, wherever you are. 

Monday Matters - 14 March 2016

Not only is it Monday but it is π/Pi day too -woohoo. So let's make it all about Pi today, whether that's irrational or not (pun unabashedly intended). I just wish there were a Fibonacci day.

Here's a Pi "ditty" from Greg Ristow made possible by our great universe http://youtu.be/o4HcvgiMlPE. It's really quite nice. 

The film π (here's a link for the whole film right on YouTube) might be a way to spend part of your evening. Pi is included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die" which was edited by Steven Schneider. Darren Aronofsky acquired funding for the film by telling his friends, neighbors, and relatives (and likely anyone he could) if each would give him $100, he would give them back $150 if he sold it, raising $60,000 for the film's budget. His mother performed craft services for the cast and crew. Not only did Aranofsky sell Pi at The Sundance Film Festival, but he also won the award for Best Director. All of this leading to his other intense films such as Requiem for a Dream and Black Swan. 

Speaking of Pi, obviously the last matter for Monday must be pie. Truthfully, I love making pie, but I neglect it since no one ever eats much of it around here. Since it is π day, I probably should get busy putting one together. It was recently my son's birthday, so I would like to go with his favorite: a lightly caramelized apple and pear pie. Or I could be lazy and make dark chocolate cream pie so I don't have to go to the grocer. If that's not sounding good, try what does. I found a new site http://www.everythingpies.com, and it has great problem solving ideas, tricks, and recipes. I look forward to getting inspired by the offerings. 

I couldn't find a recent picture of a pie I've made, but here I am with chef, Roland Mesnier, who cooked at the White House under many administrations and has epic stories. This was a cupcake class, and his life story is awe inspiring. 

Anyway, happy π/Pi day and happy Monday however you spend it. 

Monday Matters - 7 March 2016

Monday again, and I am so relieved. I love weekends too, but I get sidetracked and can't wait to be more focused at the start of the week. I put up a great front, but I am just one of those people who finds peace with finding purpose, meaning, and seeking rather than thinking i must have a certain thing to have happiness - its the journey, after all. I have three journeys for you to consider this week: one of happiness, one of history, and one of mystery.

1. I've had several research themes and interests lately. One of them is discovering how I feel about meaning, purpose, and happiness, but in a new way than I've examined it before. Until I recently read an article, I never considered my need for purpose as a personality trait. Yeah, I can be slow sometimes.  I have three articles varying in length and style reading meaning and purpose as a focus. One of them mentions

In 1991, the Library of Congress and Book-of-the-Month Club listed Man's Search for Meaning as one of the 10 most influential books in the United States. It has sold millions of copies worldwide. Now, over twenty years later, the book's ethos -- its emphasis on meaning, the value of suffering, and responsibility to something greater than the self -- seems to be at odds with our culture, which is more interested in the pursuit of individual happiness than in the search for meaning. "To the European," Frankl wrote, "it is a characteristic of the American culture that, again and again, one is commanded and ordered to 'be happy.' But happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue. One must have a reason to 'be happy.'" ---http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/01/theres-more-to-life-than-being-happy/266805/

I wanted to include that quote because I put the book on my To Read list and because I think the penultimate sentence says it all.  I worry so much about people trying so hard to be happy instead of just letting themselves be who they are and seeing how it feels.


http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/01/theres-more-to-life-than-being-happy/266805/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-time-cure/201301/happiness-vs-living-life-meaning

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-health-life-purpose-happiness-story.html

and you can find Frankl's book here: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_13?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=man%27s+search+for+meaning&sprefix=man%27s+search+%2Caps%2C162


2. Speaking of journeys, beginnings, and endings. There is a bittersweetness to the death of Former First Lady Nancy Reagan, who will be buried at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library this week. On one hand, any death saddens; on the other, there is a feeling of a fleeting inner smile when one imagines she will finally be with her husband again in some way. I try to keep this blog away from politics as much as possible, but it seems the end of an era for me. I never really had grandparents nor a father, and as a child, Ronald Reagan was one of the people I fantasized was mine. Whether you are a fan of his presidency or not, I think watching and reading about the Reagans this week will provide myriad contexts to explore. Whatever interest you have in people, presidents, celebrities or other news, there is a probably a Reagan story with which you can empathize: Ronald and Nancy's love story of the ages, family drama, Hollywood craziness, political intrigue, quotes from bawdy to brilliant and more. The tapestry of the Reagan history offers much if you can set aside judgement and political preferences. Humans are only people, you know. Besides, I think the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is a wonderful, beautiful place.


image © getty images



3. Our last journey themed is a lot more fun. I am so thoroughly enjoying The Mysterious Package Company, I am writing about it months earlier than planned. I encountered this company through a Facebook ad "“We tell you stories you can touch: unannounced deliveries of a strange and otherworldly nature.”, and it seemed interesting. It far exceeds my expectations in ways too numerous to explain here and, in the theme of it all, too secret to share in such a public manner. The style, attention to detail, story telling, and more appeal to my love of literature and history as well as my long addiction to the values and beauty inherent in almost anything historic or Steampunk. Regardless of what kind of journey you take with The Mysterious Package Company, the Curator will make sure you are accommodated. First, you have to become a member - don't worry it's free but it is a secret society (I may have to redact some of this). Then begin exploring to see where you may or may not want to begin an adventure or even send someone else on one. Prices vary for different things, but I do have one in mine for my brother. I am super excited to try it.You never know what you're going to get and within it what conundrums you will encounter and to what end. There's a quarterly newspaper with multitudes of mini mysteries layering clues upon clues to get you through the year. Then there are experiences. Experiences mean multiple mailings. What will it be this time? A letter? Newspaper clippings from long ago? A package of procurements? A box? Why is this box nailed shut? What's inside?

Whether it's for you or a gift, I can safely say there is no end to the thoughtfulness, planning, execution, and quality from this wonderful company. Alas, I may have revealed too much. One last thing: if you become a part of The Mysterious Package Company, will you be the one who opens the Vault? Only one person per year can open it and see what hides within.

Here is a tiny sample: Actually I am happy if you figured this out and are able to read it, but I am to going to give away any secrets. I will say. even though I knew I was eventually getting something, the first letter arriving in the mail confused me at first. I fell for it completely. I can understand people thinking certain aspects are too pricey, but if you actually bothered to figure out his redacted section, I am guessing you will find it worth every penny.  

Yes, you should apply for membership straightaway https://www.mysteriouspackage.com

Another review for you: http://thenerderypublic.com/shameless-plug-sunday-mysterious-package-company/


*** So the redacted part just won't work in this format, sadly - sorry it was not much fun, but maybe one of these Mondays, I will throw in a conundrum for you :)

Monday Matters - 29 February 2016

It's Monday, it's Leap Day, which also makes it a prime number day, and this makes it the start of another great week. So here's what's on my Monday mind.

1. "Til it Happens to You" made a huge leap in exposure on the Oscars stage last night. I share a lot about sexual violence  and work with crisis intervention at RAINN.org and other places, so until I received an inundation of texts after Lady Gaga's epic performance, I didn't realize so many people were unaware of it. Not only do I agree Lady Gaga won the oscars

http://news.yahoo.com/lady-gaga-won-oscars-last-150000539.html, but I believe she brought many more people into the war against sexual violence, which we need. If you haven't seen the original video, it is a must see http://youtu.be/ZmWBrN7QV6Y.

2. I recently got involved with a journaling app called Stigma · Personal Journal, Gratitude Diary & Mood Tracker by Stigma Inc. https://appsto.re/us/6MS75.i. I am excited about the app as it is and what it will bring to the future. Each entry is super fast and easy to make, but it ends up being a powerful tool to analyze trends in your location, time, and other analytics. I believed in the app and its potential and had it on my phone for a few weeks. Then I decided to give it a try in anonymous mode, because I wasn't sure I wanted to join a group or make friends until I learned more. What amazed me the most was how I felt when people "hearted" my simple comment. Even though I was anonymous, some people took time to think about what  I had said and let me know they appreciated it. I hope anyone who I gave a heart to felt as great as others made me feel. How is this different from a Facebook like or a retweet? I think it's more authentic and genuine. It's a tiny moment that packs a giant dose of meaning and purpose. Take a moment, take hours, but you'll be glad you participated in Stigma.

3. Of course, I can't skip over the latest trend: rice cooker pancakes. 

I don't really like pancakes, but I absolutely have to try to make them this week. You can use any pancake recipe, although I'm thinking chocolate cups could get messy? I can follow up after some experimentation. You just pour the batter into the rice cooker bowl, set it to your normal setting and gently coax it out when it's done - for me that's 43 minutes later. So I'm definitely making these and considering what other foods I can experiment with in my rice cooker. If you need a basic recipe, here's one:  http://www.food.com/recipe/petes-scratch-pancakes-5170

Monday Matters - 22 February 2016

Monday Matters

I love the fresh feeling of a new week. I try not to pick my three Monday Matters in advance, so I can really start Monday with a clean look forward. I tried to make the Apple versus the Fed one of this weeks musts, but I like to keep things shorter. So here we go . . . 

1. The Scalia replacement argument, which I think will be (should be/better be) a real battle. A lot of people are focused on elections, but this is a true title fight and a check/checkmate tool for candidates as well as those in office. #SCOTUS appointments always terrify me.

2. Uber. Seriously there's not too many news breaking issues I didn't expect to occur at some point or other, but they're hitting them all fairly regularly. The pros and cons of Uber are pretty much immediately apparent, but the interesting part is seeing who says or does what and whether Uber ends up being out vehicle to a better way or a road to nowhere.

3. The Intern (@TheInternMovie). I really tried to pick something else, because it's been out for a while, but I can't help it. I just watched it (four times last week), and this is a great movie. I'm fairly certain that no matter how much I admired and respected Robert De Niro, I never expected to say he was completely adorable, but his character is inspiring - #lifegoals stuff. Anne Hathaway and her relationship with him make me feel content and hopeful. The locations and color are wonderful and so much more. I think JoJo Kushner may be a superstar and can't wait to see that happen if so. Go, watch The Intern - like now, tonight, or soon. There's something there for everyone, including the best man-closet ever. 

Monday Matters - 15 February 2016

Running late today but things which you might find awesome for this week:

1. The Grammys - who knows what crazy insults and drama will wow us this year? If you're like me and not a fan of awards shows, you'll still have all week to see who wore what, said what, and did what. Fun fun.

2. The documentary "For Grace" http://www.forgracefilm.com/. For me, the story of Curtis Duffy and the opening of Chicago's Grace restaurant was seriously fine viewing. How can you go wrong with this chef? I don't think you can, so I'm making as many friends as I can watch it this week then I'm figuring out how quickly I can get reservations and go to Chicago. 

3. Incompetench.com Royalty Free Music. I found out recently that many of the royalty free songs and albums on iTunes actually cannot be used on YouTube. Additionally, even the songs in the phone apps I use to do my silly pet videos are copyrighted. Hence me posting late since I kept getting shut down uploading my latest video. It's Karma and Nessie playing a year ago.

https://youtu.be/bRftOSK4Bdo I like the Incompetench choices a lot, though I can't seem to add it to video from anywhere but my computer. There are different options that fit any budget, which helps immensely. I'm in love with the song from the video:

https://incompetech.com/music/  

"Fluffing a Duck" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) 

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/