A Job Is What You Do, NOT Who You Are.

Today at Kinko's, while standing over the self serve copier waiting as my copies copied, my eye wandered over to the book rack. Books all about jobs. How to get jobs, how to get out of jobs, how to deal with unruly co-workers and bosses. After 20 years in Retail management, I was fascinated.


The titles have been altered to protect the innocent, and are listed in bold italics. Then, I've given my best management opinion to save y'all lots of time reading and to save expense.

• How To Work For A Complete Idiot: Chances are, if you are working for someone you think is a total idiot, you should probably look for another job. How can you ever respect your boss who you think is an idiot? How can they respect you, if you do not respect them? Mutual respect is a 2 way street. The respect vibe floats in the air, yet, is as thick as peanut butter on a sterling silver spoon.



• Can I Wear My Nose Ring For The Interview? Yes definitely, if you plan to become a Tattoo artist, or an entrepreneur or Studio Artist in the East Village. Probably not if you want to get into Harvard and become an Investment Banker on Wall Street. Also, probably not if you want to work in any kind of Food Service!



• 9 Clowns Do Not A Circus Make: Well, you can run off and join the circus, if you want to, but they probably better have more than 9 clowns or it will not be much of a success. My husband's brother did run off every summer in High School to join the circus, which is probably why it took him 7 years to graduate from High School. At his graduation, he received a standing ovation! His circus was a success because they had more than 9 clowns.



• Working With You Is Killing Me: Personally, I have had one job like this and worked under tremendous stress for four years. Sweat, pride in this work I adored doing, and tears. A wonderful loyal staff of 5, moving my boutique store up in sales and rank to #1, and putting up with nasty owners and district managers that knew little about the business or the local climate. They could have cared less about me, and my customers. They only saw the money and wanted more. Even moving my store rank to #1 was not good enough. Always more. Always complaining. Never good enough. Never, never, never. The stress took a serious toll on my health. You just must get transferred to a different department if possible, get a different supervisor if possible, or leave the job. Even if you love the work, and excel at it, get a similar job. Just make sure you have another job to go to and that you have arranged for one week off in between jobs so you may go on vacation, or at the least, have a "stay cation," and rest, sleep, pamper yourself and poke around your humble abode for at least one week. My Sister is a Hospice RN and sees people with Cancer in their forties ALL the time. Stress is a killer, for real.

Jobs are what you do, NOT who you are. Be sure to try and find a job you are content to have most of the time. Jobs, just like family and relationships, are not fun every single day, all day long, all the time, but should be satisfactory to you and for you most of the time. Take care!

Handy Gardening Tips For Hard Working Gardeners

Here are a few summer fun gardening tips for gardeners. Hope they may help your garden grow!

1. Place tomatoes in the kitchen window. They will ripen faster and warm up the aura of your kitchen. A friend's grandmother once said "Tomatoes, (pronounced "toe-mot-toes"), are worth a half-a-penny more than tomatoes." It's true! :)
2. Place bitter cucumbers in the kitchen window for 1 day, flip and sun for another day to sweeten them up! Works every time! Promise!!
3. Soak bitter greens in a sink of cold water and baking soda for 1/2 hour to a full hour to sweeten them up. A drought or simple lack of rain will make greens bitter. Watering with a sprinkler does not even seem to work. A rain dance may work... :D
4. Wash all greens in a sink of cold water and salt for at least 15 minutes. The salt will get rid of all the dirt and parasites from your garden vegetables and greens. Remember, sinful amounts of salt!
5. Work on plucking the "suckers" from your tomatoes. Leaving them on will siphon the energy from the plant. In plucking the suckers, you will have larger, more colorful, tastier tomatoes.

These few tips will make your fruit luminous and your greens sweet! Enjoy!!

Rejection - Are You Trying Hard Enough? LOL!

Last night on the way home from Book Club, I stopped by my favorite store, Barnes & Noble, for a cup of coffee and to peruse the new books out for summer reading.
Crowded around one book table were three young women actively looking at one book, consistently turning the pages, giggling, laughing, interacting, and exuding Oohs and Ahas. I was curious. What were they reading that was so involving?
It was a book compiled with nothing else other than copies of rejection letters**. Letters from personal relationships to job interviews to living situations and artistic endeavors. These actual rejection letters were real pieces of peoples' lives, and it got me thinking about rejection.
These people had put themselves out there in life personally, creatively and professionally. They were trying. They were doing. Actively living life, constantly taking chances with their hearts, their creative talents, their ideas, their souls.
My Mother's boyfriend of 35 years always says: "If you do not fail at least three times in your life, you are not trying hard enough." It is true!
We have all heard the story of Alexander Graham Bell. Seventy two rejections before being successful at inventing the light bulb. Have y'all heard the story of Ted Turner? Everyone told him 24 hour Cable news was stupid and would fail because they thought no one would ever be interested in watching 24 hour news. Have y'all heard the story of first time author, Katheryn Stockett? She sent 45 publishers the manuscript for her book: "The Help" before one publisher agreed to publish her now best selling book.
Myself, I was single for twenty years before marrying a great man! Yes, 20 years of 20 questions. Absolutely had to constantly actively participate in meeting and dating men, keeping in mind my state of mind, trying to remain positive and fun along with maintaining integrity and a good sense of self worth. One of my roommates in New York (a model for Elite Agency) every morning, with coffee in hand on the way to the shower would say: "It's not easy," and would laugh out loud.

Laughter is definitely the key, LOL!!

**"Other People's Rejection Letters: Relationship Enders, Career Killers, and 150 Other Letters You'll Be Glad You Didn't Receive." Edited by Bill Shapiro. Clarkson Potter Publishers, New York.

Could Cursing Be The New Cool?

Uncle Jim and I had to have a talk with our 14 year old Nephew about using curse words on Face book a few months ago. He was using the "D-word," and as a gifted student, of course, he wants to go to Harvard. We told him that not only will prospective colleges be looking at his Face book page, but that Harvard students should indeed posses a lovely and creative, varied vocabulary. Not common curse words.
Speaking of Harvard, am I hallucinating, sounding like an old etiquette lady, or did our President use the "A-word" in an interview with Matt Lauer last week, and mouth the f-word in his sentence: "This is a big f-ing dinner," at a White House Correspondents Dinner last month? So sorry Harvard, but this is not higher learning.
At the MTV 2 hour awards show last Sunday night, MSNBC reported the f-bomb was dropped 47 times. Forty-seven. Pardon me? There stood our teenagers' role models, rising singers and up and coming movie stars, up on the awards podium saying: "I love 'so-in-so' so much, I want to f*** her/him." Lower learning for sure.
Dude, did I miss something? Could cursing be the new cool?
Yes, times are a bit tight, and perhaps tough lately. We are more cautious with our money, saving a little more and holding onto our jobs. Yes, agreed. We need to burn off a bit of steam, but when did we become so crass? Yes, we also know that "Jollywood" does not always turn out the brightest or most mannerly talent, but has our society been so "dummed down" that Harvard graduates know no other words save curse words?
I am sure I sound like an old fuddy duddy or mercy me, like my Mother, but maybe we as a country need more Mothering. Maybe we need to remember or have our Mothers remind us of who we should strive to be and how much we can accomplish with a higher learning and a higher purpose.

Summer Travel Tips for Long Distance Travelers

What is the difference in traveling in my car for business for years and now traveling long distance on a plane for pleasure? Not much. The following are a few tips to help the long distance traveler.

• Whether in a car or on a plane, dress in plain, classic Navy or Black jersey material and layer. Hot cars and hot planes are par for the course. I always wear a matching shell and a Jacket with pants and have a matching skirt packed. Jersey material needs no ironing, is light for packing, comfortable and always appropriate. Bring a pair of white cotton footie's with you on the plane in case it is cold.
• In your car, bring a small cooler filled with water and some cheese sticks, or raw, unsalted nuts in your car (almonds are my favorite) using those re-usable freezer packs so you do not have to fret about melting ice. This way, you do not have to stop and pay exorbitant prices for drinks and you have healthy snacks.
• On a plane, bring some crackers for air sickness and unsalted, raw nuts for protein with you. Be sure to purchase water for your plane ride once inside your gate. Very often today, flights cannot be counted on to serve everyone. Hydration is the key to plane travel. Do not drink too much caffeine or alcohol as they increase dehydration.
• Seated stretching and deep breathing exercises are helpful. On the plane, try to get up and walk around at a minimum every hour. Walk to the restroom to wash your hands, or go to the back of the plane and stand a bit with the stewardesses.
• Preset your watch. Eat when you are hungry.
• After a long flight, go outside A.S.A.P. Research suggests sunlight helps reset the natural body clock. Walking outside in natural light does help your body clock too.
• Jet lag is worse going from west to east. Do not take a nap. Try to stay up until 9:00 or 10:00 pm. A shower or bath will help relax you if you cannot fall asleep.
• Aerobic exercise can also reduce jet lag. Try to stay in a hotel with a fitness room and schedule some of your time for exercise.
• Be alert, walk deliberately, dress conservatively, travel lightly, and never announce your name, address and phone number in public. I always hand the desk clerk or concierge my business card with all pertinent information.
• Do not bring valuable or sentimental jewelry that you will be crying in your soup if you loose, photocopy your passport and bring 2 extra passport photos, use covered luggage tags, book non-stop flights if possible, and take only officially marked taxis.

Plan a Bit and Travel Safely!

Back In The Day Can Be Today...Women Used To Never...

From my book: "Forget-Me-Not, Forget-Me Never, Remember The Fun We Had Together"

Gratitude is the fairest flower that springs from the soul, and no man knoweth any more fragrant.
Catherine Mills
January 29, 1906

Just a quick, fun fact posting today. Did you know women used to never do certain things, rather they had gentlemen do these certain things for them. Ladies, you can still graciously have these things done for you. It's good for the men. It gives them a simple task to perform that makes them feel important!

• Ladies, DO NOT stand at a bar in a bar, restaurant, nightclub or wedding reception and order your own drink. Ask a gentleman or your date or husband to order a drink for you. Nicely tell them what drink you would like. Thank them graciously. Enjoy!


• Ladies, DO NOT light your own cigarette (for those few who still smoke). Ask a gentleman, your date or husband for a light. Even, pull our your cigarette, place it in your mouth and fumble for a lighter in your purse, and see what happens! Thank them graciously. Enjoy!

Just a few simple tasks Men can enjoy performing for ladies and it's nice! Simple pleasures in life we all can enjoy!