New Experience #130: Visit Santa

Yesterday after my annual Christmas lunch at The Walnut Room in Marshall Field's (don't tell me it's Macy's because it's not) with Tony, Christopher, and Lyletta, I did something I haven't done since I was a kid.

I stood in line and had a one-on-one chat with Santa.

I should have known things weren't going to go well for me. The signs were everywhere. Notice that Chris and Tony are on the list, but my name is missing.

No matter what the List said, I had a few things to discuss with Santa.

First, I asked about the Easy Bake Oven he promised me when I was 5. His reply was that now we cook with microwaves and why in the world would I want an oven that runs on a lightbulb. Not the point, old man.

Second, I asked about the Man I asked for in 2007. He acted like he wasn't familiar with my written request. I really should have brought my letter, but I forgot it. I swear to you, he must be getting senile.

After we took some pictures, I got down to my real business. I explained how good I've been all year and when he asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I had no problem telling him.

1. A job promotion;
2. A salary increase to match the promotion;
3. A husband;
4. A man for Chris (but not the one who will be my husband);
5. The Easy Bake Oven I have waited 37 years for; and
6. A pony.

He told me he couldn't help me with items 1 through 4, but he could bring me a My Little Pony or a unicorn. And then he gave me a button.

REALLY?

So what Santa basically told me was that I have a better chance getting a mythological horse with a horn sticking out of its forehead than a husband. Awesome.

Although the chat didn't go exactly as I'd imagined, I'm glad I had a chance to visit with Santa.

My favorite part of the whole visit came when I was flipping through the pictures later last night and realized that the picture above looks almost identical to the picture of Santa and me when I was four and he showed up at my Christmas party. I sat on his lap and counted off my Christmas Wish List on my fingers, after walking right up to him and declaring, "Welcome Santa! I just want to shake your hand!" Yep, I was a little precocious. I'll have to get the pic from my mom's and then you'll be able to see how 38 years later, not much has changed in my life.

Today I'm Grateful For . . .

This has been a crazy week. There's been a lot of work drama. I've lost count of the people I've personally known who have died this week or people I'm close to who have lost someone significant. I'm working through some tough personal stuff.

Through it all, however, what I'm focussed on is all that I'm grateful for. The list is long, so you might want to get comfortable.

I'm grateful for the ability to laugh at the outrageous. Sometimes the options are to laugh or cry and I find myself choosing "laugh" more and more these days.

I'm grateful for the Affordable Care Act. Because of it, mental health care now has parity with physical health issues. What does that mean? Your insurance company can't set crazy lifetime limits on care or say that you can only seek a certain number of treatment sessions if you're depressed. Treating mental illness is not "one size fits all." Thanks also to the ACA, women's health care now includes guaranteed coverage for reproductive care. This is a huge step forward.

I'm grateful for my health. Yes, I have hypothyroidism and yes, I've got a certain amount of weight to lose, but in the overall scheme of things, I'm healthy. And when I get ill, I can go to the doctor and not worry I'm going to go bankrupt or choose between paying medical bills and my mortgage.

I'm grateful for my family. Well, most of them. I'm grateful for my mom, my dad, my brother, and most of my extended family. They're pretty awesome and supportive. Hell, I'm grateful for the rest of them too. I'm grateful that they taught me what love is not.

I'm grateful for my friends - the new ones and the ones I've had for years. They love and support me all the time. They are witty and keep me in stitches. They are fun and adventurous and never let me take myself too seriously. These are the folks who make sure I never get too big for my britches.

I'm grateful for Sammy and Zoey. There's just something about pets that brings about immediate calmness. I give them full credit for my blood pressure remaining constant in the healthy range. Without them, the crazy Type A side of me would win.

I'm grateful for Betsey and Ross before them. They taught me how to love unconditionally. They broke my heart when they died, but I needed the lesson on how to recover from it, in that moment. Without it, I would never have survived the Summer of 2012.

I'm grateful for my job. Each day is an adventure and interesting. Today was one of the really good days.

I'm grateful for my presentation skills. They say that one of the greatest fears most people have is public speaking, but I've never been afraid to present to groups of people. I freak out about preparing my presentation, but actually presenting doesn't faze me in the slightest. That played out today . . .

I'm grateful for the mentorship my friend Tim has given me over the past six years. He's helped me grow into the alumni relations professional I am today by challenging me at every step and always demanding better of me. We've known each other for almost 25 years and he's always believed in me and seen more in me than I've sometimes been able to see in myself.

I'm grateful to be able to finally see myself through the lenses my forever friends have been looking through for many years.

I'm grateful to finally be learning how to better handle my stress and anxiety through yoga, mindfulness, journalling, and therapy. It took me 42 years, but I finally figured out that asking for help is not a sign of weakness.

My Friends Say the Darndest Things

Over the past couple of days, my friends have said things to me that, 36 hours later, still have me laughing so hard my sides hurt.

First up, Tony. He posted the following description of his day on Facebook.

"I feel like I have been standing all day in a room filled with 111 flying monkeys flinging feces at me."

Yep, I feel you, Tony. I had that day yesterday too. It was hard. But you put it into words far better than I could.

Next up, Amy. She'd been out late the night before and I sent her a text yesterday morning asking how she was feeling. About six hours later, I received this text in return.

"Like I got eaten by a coyote & shit off a cliff."

Oh, honey. That perfectly describes how I feel sometimes too. I hope you hydrated and good hangover food to ease your pain.

Holy cow, I have some damn funny friends. I just wish I could think of such witty things at the drop of a hat. Without a doubt, I'm going to find ways to incorporate these fantastic sayings into my everyday vernacular. When you hear them, you'll know the origin.

I must keep these people in my life. Thank you for being my friends and for keeping me in stitches.

The House That 23 Built aka My New Home

You may have recently seen in the press that my beloved Michael Jordan has put his Highland Park, Illinois home on the auction block.

When this news hit the media last month, I posted it on Facebook inviting my friends to join with me and form a coalition to purchase the home. We only need $250,000 between us. It's 56,000 square feet on 7+ acres of property, with an NBA regulation basketball court, infinity swimming pool with private island, PGA regulation putting green, tennis courts, a lake, a full beauty salon, 500 bottle wine cellar (that's enough to get through 2014), and much more. The house has 9 bedrooms, including a 3 bedroom guest house. Plus, it's being sold furnished. This is a bargain.

I figured that if a number of us chipped in, we would easily have enough money for the winning bid and with 9 bedrooms, there would be plenty of space for all of us to live in the house simultaneously. Obviously, we'd need to do this in order to afford the monthly upkeep on it and the property taxes.

Friends came out in droves and, in the end, we formed a Facebook Legal binding agreement through the status and comments among six of us.

One of the new homeowners, Anthony, posted the video below providing us all with a tour of the inside of the house. I don't know about anyone else, but I think it's pretty move-in ready. MJ seems to have been a fairly responsible homeowner and the house is fairly updated.




The auction is on November 22nd, so we'll be in by Thanksgiving. It's going to be the best Thanksgiving ever.

The 30 Day Plank Pose Challenge

Almost two weeks ago, my friend Kristin posted the 30 Day Plank Pose Challenge on her Facebook wall saying she was going to do it and asking if any of her friends wanted to join in. Without stopping to think of all the reasons why I couldn't possibly do it, I immediately said, "I'm in!" And then I posted it to my own wall asking my friends to join me. Six of them did.

Today is Day 10 for me and I'm now holding the Plank Pose for 60 seconds. I started out at 20 seconds and in 10 days, I've tripled it!

If you've never done Plank Pose, it's hard. It burns. My body sometimes shakes afterwards, although that has decreased.

I know you're wondering why anyone would be crazy enough to take this challenge if it was so miserable. The answer is simple: It makes me strong and builds my Core. Just look at all the muscles that are in use when I plank. From upper arm muscles to core muscles to thigh and calf muscles, plank pose has something for most sections of the body.

Care to start your own Plank Pose Challenge? Here's the schedule:

Day 1 = 20 seconds

Day 2 = 20 seconds

Day 3 = 30 seconds

Day 4 = 30 seconds

Day 5 = 40 seconds

Day 6 = REST

Day 7 = 45 seconds

Day 8 = 45 seconds

Day 9 = 60 seconds (1 minute)

Day 10 = 60 seconds

Day 11 = 60 seconds

Day 12 = 90 seconds (1 ½ minutes)

Day 13 = REST

Day 14 = 90 seconds

Day 15 = 90 seconds

Day 16 = 120 seconds (2 minutes)

Day 17 = 120 seconds

Day 18 = 150 seconds (2 ½ minutes)

Day 19 = REST

Day 20 = 150 seconds

Day 21 = 150 seconds

Day 22 = 180 seconds (3 minutes)

Day 23 = 180 seconds

Day 24 = 210 seconds (3 ½ minutes)

Day 25 = 210 seconds

Day 26 = REST

Day 27 = 240 seconds (4 minutes)

Day 28 = 240 seconds

Day 29 = 270 seconds (4 ½ minutes)

Day 30 = PLANK FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE

Day 31 – Forever = Keep Planking to Keep Getting Stronger

Thanks to the Health Matters Facebook Page for creating this awesome challenge.

If you want to get more out of your planks, check out these great tips my friend Wini sent me.

Words of Wisdom

Two good friends sent me these pictures last week. I needed these words of wisdom because it was a tough week, both personally and professionally.

The good news is that none of it took me down. Both experiences were momentarily tough, but I bounced back faster than ever before. That's growth.

I'm really blessed to have good friends who celebrate life's victories with me and lift me up when life gets tough.

Thanks ladies!

100 New Experiences: I'm Half Way Done!

As you know, I set a goal to have 100 new experiences between April 11, 2013 and April 10, 2014. I'm thrilled to share with you that over the weekend, I reached the six month mark and I've also completed 50 of my 100 new experiences. Yay for me! And yay for my incredible time management skills!

At the halfway mark, I can tell you that I've become more confident, less scared, less self-conscious, more adventurous, probably more fun, and I'm definitely thinking outside the box to push myself. I've even been told by a few people that my adventures have inspired them to step outside their comfort zones and try new things. That's the best compliment in the world.

Thank you Amy Guth for inspiring this incredible year of adventure and growth!

In case you were wondering, here's what I've done so far:

2. Vacation by myself and take care of only me. - DONE April 11 - 15, 2013 (Read the blog post) 

3. Vacation in Nashville - DONE April 11 - 15, 2013 (Read the blog post) 

4. Go on vacation and leave work 100% behind (i.e., don't check email or voice mail) - DONE April 11 - 15, 2013 (Read the blog post) 

5. Stand in the center of both the Grand Ole Opry and Ryman Auditorium stages - DONE April 12 and 14, 2013 (Read the blog post) 

6. Play Elvis's piano at the RCA Studio B - DONE August 12, 2013 (Read the blog post) 

7. Sit on the stage at the Civic Opera House during a performance - DONE June 16, 2013 with Christopher; saw The Second City Guide to the Opera 

8. Play with the beluga whales at the Shedd Acquarium - DONE May 18, 2013 

9. Take a cooking class - DONE May 21, 2013 at David's Bistro in Antioch 

11. Climb the main dune at Sleeping Bear Dunes - DONE August 17, 2013 with Dave 

12. Learn a new skill - DONE April 24, 2013 Learned how to make a floral centerpiece 

14. Max out my employer match for my 403(b) in 2013 - DONE Increased my contribution to max out the match May 2, 2013  

21. Take the ferry from Milwaukee to Muskegon - DONE August 16, 2013 & August 24, 2013  

40. Have High Tea at the Peninsula Hotel - DONE June 2, 2013 with Lisa and Kim 

44. Attend the Book of Mormon - DONE October 6, 2013 with Laurie  

48. See Oklahoma at the Civic Opera House - DONE May 3, 2013 

50. Pet the stingrays in the Stingray Touch exhibit at the Shedd Aquarium - DONE May 18, 2013 

51. Use my Passport - DONE July 6-7, 2013 with Christopher  

52. Sit in the 3rd row for the Joan Baez and Indigo Girls Concert at Ravinia - DONE June 9, 2013 (Thanks Jeff!) 

53. Have drinks at the Trump Tower Terrace Bar - DONE June 16, 2013 with Christopher 

54. Visit Niagara Falls - DONE July 6-7, 2013 with Christopher 

55. Make homemade Granola - DONE May 27, 2013 (Read the blog post) 

57. Kayak to Camp Lookout and all the way across Lower Herring Lake (from the southern most tip to the northern most tip)- DONE August 18, 2013 with Dave 

58. Kayak on Lake Michigan - DONE August 24, 2013 with Dave 

59. Kayak from Lower Herring Lake through the inlet to Upper Herring Lake - Attempted August 24, 2013 with Dave, but unable to complete because the Inlet was too shallow, the current was too strong in the opposite direction we were going, and there were trees blocking the Inlet; will not try again 

61. Have a reunion with my cousin Ginny (have not seen her since 1998) - DONE July 7, 2013 

62. Have a reunion with my friend Christy (have not seen her since 1984) - DONE July 21, 2013 

63. Have a reunion with my cousin Sharon (have not seen her since sometime in the 1990s) - DONE August 2, 2013 

65. Get my work email inbox to ZERO - DONE May 24, 2013 (Read the blog post) 

67. Attend the Randolph Street Market - DONE June 29, 2013 with Tony 

68. Have a booth at the Allstate Arena Flea Market - DONE August 11, 2013 with Christopher (I made $212 profit!)  

71. Have a reunion with my friend Kalee (haven't seen each other since the late 1990s) - DONE April 11 and 14, 2013 (Read the blog post) 

72. Meet Crystal Gayle - DONE April 12, 2013 (Read the blog post) 

81. Win a game of Words With Friends by more than 400 points - DONE August 19, 2013 (it was less satisfying when I learned I had just played a 10 year old) 

83. Visit South Manitou Island - DONE August 21, 2013 with my dad 

84. Have dinner at Lovell's of Lake Forest (DONE July 2, 2013 with my dad) and meet Captain Jim Lovell. 

85. Attend the First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest Rummage Sale - DONE May 4, 2013 with Tony 

86. Use a Port-a-Potty - DONE May 4, 2013 

87. Teach two LinkedIn classes at work - DONE July 23 (LinkedIn 101: Building Your Profile) and August 7, 2013 (LinkedIn 201: Advanced LinkedIn) 

88. Take Amy Guth's Crane #693 on adventures - had cocktails at the Trump Tower Terrace Bar, sat on stage at the Civic Opera House, gone to Niagara Falls, rode the Ferry from Milwaukee to Muskegon, climbed Sleeping Bear Dunes, visited South Manitou Island, watched the Watervale sunset, Richardsons Adventure Farm, so far. 

91. Recover gracefully from a very embarrassing work faux pas - DONE August 2, 2013 (trust me, this will be a great blog post) 

92. Visit the Mars Cheese Castle - DONE August 24, 2013 

94. Visit the Shedd Aquarium - DONE May 18, 2013 

100. Complete a corn maze - DONE October 12, 2013 with Chris, Alan, Jen, Katie & Steve 

106. See the band Alabama in concert - DONE August 30, 2013 at Ravinia  

111. Invent a holiday - DONE September 19, 2013 International Stay In Bed and Read A Book Day 

112. Eat dirt - DONE September 23, 2013 (Don't ask how or why) 

113. Drive a Tesla - DONE October 9th, 2013 Thanks Bobby!! (Read the blog post.) 

114. Have pneumonia. DONE September 25th - October 6th, 2013. 

116. Play on a Jumping Pillow. - DONE October 12th with Chris, Katie, Steve, Alan, & Jen. 

117. Have a new experience that cannot be shared on Little Merry Sunshine. - DONE August 16, 2013

50 new experiences in 6 months. Damn. I'm good.

I also have another 14 new experiences scheduled or in progress now:

13. Increase by savings account by 2 months worth of expenses - In Progress 

15. Try 20 new foods: Pork (DONE May 2013), Milk (I've just never liked the tastes), Eggs (I ate them up until 6th grade home ec class) (DONE August 18, 2013), White Fish Pate (DONE August 16, 2013), Cabbage, Kale, & Leek Soup (DONE August 20, 2013), a 7-11 Slurpee (DONE July 11, 2013) (National Slurpee Day), Tim Horton's Donuts (DONE July 7, 2013), Chocolate Cheese Fudge (DONE August 24, 2013), 14 Year Aged Sharp Cheddar Cheese (DONE August 24, 2013), Cheese Curds, Poutine, Ethiopian Food

29. Reupholster my dining room chairs - In Progress 

37. Give up Diet Coke (and all soda) for 30 days - This re-starts November 1st! 

38. Drink a minimum of 64 oz of water each day for 30 days - This re-starts November 1st! 

56. Visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum in Springfield, IL - Scheduled November 2013 

69. Open and stock an Etsy store. My store name is Vintage Frances. Look for it by December 1, 2013. 

73. Make at least three new friends - In Progress (2 new friends made) 

74. Attend the Chicago Architecture Foundation's Open House Chicago - Will be done October 19-20, 2013 

76. Host a Navy sailor from Great Lakes for Thanksgiving - Will apply October 2013 

82. Fly a kite - Attempted August 23, 2013, but failed (will try again) 

95. Create an awesome list of new experiences for April 11, 2014 through April 10, 2015 (started the  list August 25, 2013) - In Progress 

97. Complete Hike Lake County with my friends Jen and Alan (see August 12, 2012 blog post; we did not do it last year; best intentions, blah blah blah) - Scheduled August 15 - November 30, 2013 (Hike 1 done 9/8/13 at Independence Grove; Hikes 2 & 3 done 10/14/2013 at Old School Forest Preserve)

108. Take a glass blowing class - Scheduled for November 3rd with Marci

I'm feeling pretty confident that I'll make 100 new experiences before the year is up. Are there any experiences you want to join me in? Just let me know. Life is more fun when it's shared with friends. If you've got ideas for additional new experiences I should have, I'd love your ideas.

Reason, Season, & Lifetime Friends - Not a Repeat, a Three-Peat

I originally wrote this post on February 12, 2008. I published again, almost exactly 12 months later, on February 1, 2009.

Tonight, I'm publishing it for the third time because it still resonates so deeply with me and remains one of my absolute all time favorite blog posts. Five and a half years after its original publication on Little Merry Sunshine, I find myself going through a Season change. Yes, we are literally transforming from Summer to Fall, but some of my relationships are also transforming. Some are ending and others are just beginning. I see it quite clearly; perhaps more clearly than I've seen it ever before in my life.

So it's through the dual lenses of grieving the relationships ending and hopefulness for the ones just beginning, that I share with you my most fundamental beliefs on relationships of all kinds.

-----


I have always believed there are three types of friends: Reason, Season, and Lifetime. None of them is bad. In fact, they are all equally important.

Reason Friends come into my life for a specific reason - to help me grow, to help me learn a lesson, etc. Once the reason is over, the friendship comes to its natural end. Sometimes work friends fall into this category. We may become very close to Reason Friends and share many intimate details from our lives, but they are still Reason Friends. I usually mourn their departure, but sometimes it's so gradual neither of us notices until it's too late. I also usually hope that our paths cross again.

Season Friends are in my life for a period of time. Some of my friends from college fall into this category. They were there for those 4 years, but after that Season in our lives was over, we went our separate ways. I always mourn when these friendships end because it means a significant time in my life is over, but it is also a time of exciting opportunity. Like Reason Friends, I hope my life path will cross again with my Season Friends.

Lifetime Friends, however, are my touchstones, my lifeblood. Without them, my life is empty. They are there through the thick and thin, exuberance, and sorrow. No matter what happens in our lives, our friendship remains. Sometimes we aren’t as close as others, but we always come back together. The thing about Lifetime Friends is that we can be apart for a decade or more, but when we finally come back together, it's like time has stood still and we pick up right where we left off. Being a Lifetime Friend has nothing to do with when the friendship began. It could be a 40 year old friendship or a 4 week old friendship.

Please don't misunderstand me. I don't treat any of my friends differently. Most of the time, I don't even consciously know which category they fall into.

Because February is the season of Love (and not just the romantic kind), it reminds me to tell my friends how much I love them. I know I don't say it often enough. But I do really and truly love each of my friends. So this Valentine's Day, I'm sending big hugs and kisses your way.

100 New Experiences in 12 Months

Over the past few months, I've come to realize that I've stopped being as adventurous as I used to be. Once upon a time, I picked up and moved to Washington DC where I knew no one. That was just a few weeks after I flew out and spent a week pounding the pavement and knocking on doors until someone interviewed me and then gave me a summer internship working for someone else.

Almost three years ago, I created my Bucket List. I've made some progress on it and I'm proud of that progress. The items on my Bucket List still excite me. But my Bucket List lacks one thing: urgency.

Do you know the difference between a dream and a goal? Dates. Goals have dates attached to them. Dreams are "some day" things. Goals have a begin and end date. 

Because I need to find my adventurous side again and I want to live more fully than I have been in the past year, I'm taking some inspiration from Amy Guth, Social Media Manager at the Chicago Tribune. If you don't follow Amy on Twitter, you're missing out. Trust me. She's tough, smart, witty, and one of the coolest women on the interwebs. Amy has decided to spice up her life by doing 1,000 new things in one year. How cool is that?

1,000 new experiences feels completely overwhelming to me, but 100 feels daunting and exciting at the same time. In fact, since I had this idea early last week, I've flown out of bed each morning with new ideas. Some of the ideas listed below are from my Bucket List and some are new. 

Here are my ground rules: "New" is defined as something I've never done or have not done in more than 10 years. My list is ever growing. I will share stories and pictures of each experience. The year kicked off on April 11, 2013 and will conclude on April 10, 2014.

1. Attend a taping of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me
2. Vacation by myself and take care of only me. - DONE 4/11 - 4/15/2013
3. Vacation in Nashville - DONE 4/11 - 4/15/2013
4. Go on vacation and leave work 100% behind (i.e., don't check email or voice mail) - DONE 4/15/2013
5. Stand in the center of both the Grand Ole Opry and Ryman Auditorium stages - DONE 4/12/2013 and 4/14/2013
6. Play Elvis's piano at the RCA Studio B - DONE 4/12/2013
7. Sit on the stage at the Civic Opera House during a performance - Will be done 6/16/2013
8. Play with the beluga whales at the Shedd Acquarium - Will be done by June 30th
9. Take a cooking class - Scheduled for May 21st at David's Bistro in Antioch
10. Swim 1 mile without stopping
11. Climb the main dune at Sleeping Bear Dunes - Will be done in August
12. Learn a new skill - DONE 4/24/2013 Learned how to make a floral centerpiece
13. Increase by savings account by 2 months worth of expenses
14. Max out my employer match for my 403(b) in 2013 - DONE Increased my contribution to max out the match 5/2/2013
15. Try 20 new foods
16. Lose 50 pounds
17. Attend a concert in Millenium Park
18. Ride a mechanical bull
19. Sing karaoke
20. Attend a baseball game at Milwaukee's Miller Park - Will be done August 15th
21. Take the ferry to Muskegon or Ludington - Will be done in August
22. Run a 5K
23. Take a golf lesson
24. Have a full spa day - massage, mani/pedi, facial, and anything other fancy spa treatment I can find
25. Take an Ivy League Class
26. Stand on the sky deck ledge in the Sears Tower (don't tell me it's called Willis Tower now, I don't care)
27. Visit Mt. Rushmore
28. Do a polar plunge
29. Reupholster my dining room chairs
30. Visit the Museum of Science & Industry
31. Visit the Museum of Contemporary Art
32. Visit the National Museum of Mexican Art
33. Visit the Adler Planetarium
34. Visit the DuSable Museum of African American Art
35. Visit the Field Museum of Natural History
36. Visit the Notebaert Nature Museum
37. Give up Diet Coke (and all soda)
38. Drink a minimum of 64 oz of water each day
39. Have High Tea at The Drake
40. Serve meals in a soup kitchen
41. Tour the Chicago Tribune
42. Attend the Blue Man Group
43. Attend the Book of Mormon
44. Visit Chicago's Chinatown
45. Visit the Illinois Holocaust Museum
46. Reread my favorite books from childhood: the Little House on the Prairie series, Little Women, the Anne of Green Gables series
47. See Oklahoma at the Civic Opera House - Will be done 5/3/2013
48. Visit Galena, Illinois
49. 
    

Putting these ideas down on "paper" was the easy part. Now, I need to get to living life as fully as possible.

Do any of my ideas inspire you? Want to join me on my journey? Let me know and let's team up. Life's more fun when it's experienced with friends.

Gratitude List March 10, 2013

What am I grateful for today? The list is long, but here are a few of my favorite things today.

I'm grateful I didn't have to wear a winter coat today. I anticipate I'll wear it again tomorrow and I was wearing a long sweater over a turtleneck sweater, but I was without a coat today.

I'm grateful that today's precipitation was rain and not snow. Mid-March in Chicago can be pretty iffy. I'm ready for Spring. That's not to say this was was difficult. It wasn't. In fact, it was another pretty mild winter. It was never brutally cold and I think it was mid-January before we saw our first inch of snow, but I love Spring.

I'm grateful the 2013 Ravinia schedule is out. And it's divine. I'll spend some time in the next week studying it and purchasing tickets for the best shows. It's going to be a great Summer.

I'm grateful for brunch with my friends Tim and Michael today. Tim and I worked on our 20th reunion planning. Yes, that's right. It's been 20 years since we graduated from Lake Forest College. What a 20 years it's been.

I'm grateful for dinner tomorrow with Tim and Michael. Thirty-three years later, we're going to once again learn the answer to the important question: Who Shot J.R.? As you probably know, Larry Hagman died earlier this year when midway through shooting the second season of the new Dallas. There's really no better way to kill J.R. Ewing. I think it's either Kristin or Kristin's daughter. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, read this.

I'm grateful for my friends who always check-in with me to make sure I'm okay. I'm also grateful they are so damn funny and keep me laughing.

I'm grateful for a clean house and two kittens who do everything in their mighty powers to ruin that for me.

After reading an article in the New York Times today about how people are letting their lives be controlled by their stuff, I'm grateful each day that I have a mortgage less than half of what I qualified for and that I never worry about being able to pay my bills because I live within my means.

I'm grateful that not only have we successfully sold Nana's house in Crystal Beach, but as of Friday, Dave and I also sold the lot she and my grandfather purchased many many years ago. We sold it to a man who is eager to build a home for him and his family. I wish them all the happiness in the world.

I'm grateful for my great insurance that allows me to sleep at night knowing that if I have any medical issues, they will be covered and I won't be bankrupted by them. I'm also grateful my thyroid disease is finally being treated and that the medicine to treat it has no side effects. Eventually, I'll feel better. So they tell me.

Although it made "springing forward" a bit more difficult today, I'm really grateful for the very long late night conversation I had last night with one of my best friends. I love the conversations we get into late at night, even when it means we're both dragging the next day.

As always, I'm grateful for my family. Yes, they're a bit crazy, but they're my family and (most days) I wouldn't trade them for anyone else's. Truthfully, I don't think my family is any crazier than anyone else's. Well, mostly. Still, I'm incredibly grateful for them and I love them a whole lot.

Happy Birthday Sammy & Zoey!

Sammy and Zoey turned one today.

They celebrated by playing with their new toys and receiving lots of love from their "Uncles" Christopher, Tony, and Michael at a very fun brunch.

To honor the occassion, I've compiled my favorite pictures of their first year. Enjoy.

Happy Birthday Kittens.

LMS Gratitude List - Thanksgiving 2012 Version

I have so much to be grateful for this year and am not entirely sure where to begin. I guess the best way is just to dive in.

I'm grateful for my family. For my mom, my dad, Dave, my cousins, and my aunts and uncles. It's no secret I think my family is pretty crazy, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

I'm grateful for my friends, who I believe are the family I choose. My friends are my rocks.

I'm particularly grateful for one friend who took a desperate phone call I made to him one Friday in late May.

I'm grateful for the broken heart I experienced earlier this year. And I'm even more grateful to say I'm on the other side of it now.

I'm grateful for my health. That's no small thing. The last few months have been a bit scary. I'm also incredibly grateful for my health insurance. Not having to worry about how to afford medical tests, doctor visits, or possible surgery is priceless.

I'm grateful for a job I love and that I'm really good at. Really. And I'm grateful for the opportunities that didn't come to fruition this year. If they had, I might not be in such a good place now.

I'm grateful that I got to be Betsey and Ross's mom for almost 16 years and for the past 6 months, I've gotten to be Sammy and Zoe's mom. I hope we have 16 wonderful years together too.

I'm grateful that after only 35 days on the market, we accepted an offer on Nana's house and that the sale closed today. I'm grateful for an incredibly smart broker who priced the house well and actively marketed it.

I'm grateful for you, the readers of Little Merry Sunshine. You kept reading Little Merry Sunshine even when I wasn't writing. You commented when I did. You showed concern, but never pressured me when I didn't.

By no means is this list all inclusive. My heart is so full of gratitude that it's a bit overwhelming. The bottom line is that even during the tough times, I'm incredibly blessed and when I focus on life's blessings the tough times are easier and the good times are even better.

I hope your cup runneth over with gratitude this Thanksgiving and that you're spending the day with those you love.

More LMS Life Lessons: Don't Bite Your Friends

Yesterday, here on Little Merry Sunshine, we learned that, despite what the good folks at Disney tell you, being a princess is not a career. That's an important life lesson.

In fact, one of my blog readers and real life college friends, Sonya, wrote to me this morning to tell me that after watching the yesterday's video, her lovely and smart daughter decided to become a veterinarian when she grows up and she wants to be Sammy and Zoey's vet! She even promised to give them healthy treats after each check-up! Talk about awesome customer service. Sonya's amazing daughter is going to be the best vet in the world.

Today, we need to focus on another important life lesson: Don't bite your friends.

And, by the way, you can substitute "obnoxious little brothers (or sisters)," "co-workers," "enemies," "family members," "teachers," "police officers," "bosses," or "pets" for friends and it still applies. Do not ever bite any of those people.


I know, it really should go without saying, but biting is not nice. In fact, biting someone is a quick way to lose friends, your job, or even wind up in jail (I've heard). It's also rude and gross..


Bottom line: Just don't bite people.

To help us remember this important life lesson, we've got a song and video that you'll want to watch and share with everyone you know. As always, if your email of Little Merry Sunshine didn't include the video, jump out to the web and watch the video. It'll make your day.



Special thanks are in order to my high school friend Portia for posting this on Facebook earlier today and inspiring my blog post.

Watervale Mail!

You'll never guess what I received yesterday from my friend Shari! Watervale Mail!!! Yay!

Okay, okay. I suppose the title of this post did give it away. Trust me, just because the title gave it away does not diminish the value of Watervale Mail.

You'll recall that a little over a week ago, I posted about how I couldn't go to Watervale this year and made a plea for my friends and family to not only have an extra great time for me (I even gave them a custom Watervale To Do List), but I also requested Watervale Mail in an effort to ease my pain.

Shari came through. She sent me the best letter I've received in ages and it sounds like she had an incredible time.

This is the card Shari sent me. It's a picture of the Outlet looking North to Frankfort.

During Shari's three weeks at Watervale, she hiked Baldy, watched the sunset, canoed to BooHoo and swam from the Point to the Millsite, water skied a couple of times each week, played in the surf, savored the creme brûlée, read, slept, wrote, drank wine, laid on the beach, stayed up to watch the Perseids, enjoyed Honey Oatmeal bread at dinner and toast with blackberry jam at breakfast, hugged many family members and friends, told ghost stories about the Farmhouse, visited Sleeping Bear Dunes. I think she also biked the Betsie Trail to Beulah and around Upper Herring Lake, had a beach fire and at s'mores, hung out at the Outlet (that's not a mall for the uninitiated), climbed BooHoo, hiked Green Point Dunes, and visited the Upper Herring Nature Preserve.

She was busy. No wonder she needs 3 weeks. Maybe I can do some of that when I do the Lake Michigan Circle Tour in October.

Even though I was at home, I had a great week too.

It started with a mani-pedi on Friday. Sunday shifted into high gear when I spent an awesome day with my friend Vincent at the Art Institute's Roy Lichtenstein exhibit, lunched at the Park Grill, had my breath taken away with one of the best secret views of the city, and enjoyed a day full of phenomenal conversation about many topics, including his new play, Venus Envy. Monday evening I attended my condo association board meeting. It was 2 1/2 hours. In the middle of it, my dad sent me a text message saying he was watching a Watervale sunset and my brother called to rub it in. They obviously love me. My work week was filled with alumni events and work lunches. On Thursday, my department enjoyed a summer outing to Arlington Park and I stopped to visit my mom. Finally, last night, I was seranaded by Tony Bennett at Ravinia with my friend Robert and a few thousand of our closest friends. The Chicago Tribune and I agree that he nailed it.

Take a look at my week. I think you'll agree it was terrific.

All in all, a solid week, although to paraphrase myself, the worst week at Watervale still beats the best week at home. At least I've got Watervale Mail to help get me through the next few months. Thanks Shari!

Take a Hike

No. No. No. I'm not telling you to get lost. Well, maybe I am, but I'm NOT telling you to go away and leave Little Merry Sunshine. That I can tell you with certainty. I like that you are here and I like that you keep coming back.

The other night, my friend Jen posted a link on Facebook about Lake County Forest Preserve's annual Hike Lake County Challenge looking for friends to join her and her husband, Alan (who is one of my co-workers), for this fun way to get fit this fall.

Lake County has a number of beautiful forest preserves and hiking through them you can see all kinds of wildlife and plant life. One of the things I love about Lake County, and Lake Forest in particular, is the commitment to open lands and the preservation of nature. Within a 5 minute drive from my house, I can be out in the middle of the country and away from the hustle and bustle of suburban sprawl. It's heavenly.

To participate in the Challenge, you simply need to hike 7 of the 12 designated trails (each less than 3 miles), record them using the Travel Log or the mobile phone app, and send your hiking log to the Lake County Forest Preserves. Plus, there's a scavenger hunt to add to the fun.

No matter where you are in Lake County, there's a trail near you:

• Des Plaines River Trail (North) in Wadsworth
• Des Plaines River Trail (North) in Gurnee
• Des Plaines River Trail (South) in Libertyville
• Des Plaines River Trail (South) in Vernon Hills
• Fox River in Port Barrington
• Herron Creek in Long Grove
• Lyons Woods in Beach Park
• McDonald Woods in Lindenhurst
• Middlefork Savanna in Lake Forest
• Nippersink in Round Lake
• Ray Lake in Wauconda
• Rollins Savanna in Grayslake

Jen, Alan and I are going to get out on the trails this fall to enjoy the beauty of Lake County and get in some easy exercise. In fact, I've heard Alan is already planning his hiking stick. Ya, we take this seriously.

Interested in joining us? Send me a message here or on Facebook and we'll make a plan.

It's Official: I'm Not Going to Watervale

A classic Watervale sunset over Lower Herring Lake.

I've been procrastinating officially making this announcement, but it simply can't wait any longer because I'm supposed to be headed to Watervale in less than 18 hours.

For a variety of reasons, I'm not going to Watervale this summer.

Yes, I know. I've spent at least part of every summer at Watervale for three-quarters of my life. That's right, I've been going to Watervale for 30 years. And I'm not going this year.

This summer has flown by and although I haven't been able to get away, I have had quite a bit of fun. An awesome Cubs game rooftop party on Memorial Day. A great dinner cruise on Lake Michigan on my birthday. Colbie Caillat and Gavin DeGraw concert at Ravinia. Kenny Loggins concert and fireworks in Lake Forest for the 4 of July. The Blues Brothers movie at Wrigley Field. An amazing evening at Place de la Musique where I even rode the carousel! James Taylor concert at Ravinia. Fabulous lunches, dinners, and movies with friends. This weekend I'm going to the Roy Lichtenstein exhibit at the Art Institute and next weekend I'm hoping to see Tony Bennett at Ravinia.

It's been a good summer. But it won't feel complete because it lacks Watervale. Watervale is my touchstone. It brings me back to me. I arrive stressed out and leave rejuvenated. I sleep. I read. I write. I swim. I hike. I play in the surf of Lake Michigan. I lay on the beach and let sand run through my fingers. I drink wine with friends. I watch sunsets. I kayak. I stay up late hoping to see the Northern Lights. I count the meteors I see each night during the Perseids Meteor Shower. I swing on the swings. I eat good food.

So why am I saying all of this tonight? Am I complaining? No. I'll take a vacation later this fall, but it won't be the same as going to Watervale in August.

I'm writing this tonight because I need your help.

How can you help? I'm glad you asked.

You can . . .

• hike Baldy
• watch the sunset
• swim to BooHoo
• kayak daily
• play in the surf
• see a movie at the Cherry Bowl Drive-In or at the Garden Theater
• savor the creme brûlée
• read, sleep, write
• drink wine
• lay on the beach
• stay up in hopes of seeing the Northern Lights or the Perseids Meteor Shower
• enjoy an extra piece of John Hultman's Honey Oatmeal Bread for me (preferably toasted with cherry jam and no butter)
• hug your Watervale friends and family for me
• tell ghost stories about the Watervale Woman
• visit Sleeping Bear Dunes

You can also do one more thing for me . . . send me some Watervale Mail.  That's right. Fill my snail mail box with Watervale postcards. Need my address? Ask my dad for it or send me a message on Facebook and I'll send it to you.

Above all else, savor your time at Watervale for all the poor souls (like me) who can't be there this year or who have never experienced it for themselves.

LMS Exclusive: Super-Secret James Taylor Playlist for Ravinia

It's a big weekend in my world. James Taylor is coming to Ravinia. I'm going on Saturday night and believe you me, it's took all my willpower not to buy tickets for both Friday and Saturday night, but that seemed a little, well, stalker-ish. So I'm going on Saturday night, but if anyone wanted to gift me with tickets for Friday night, I'd gratefully go and behave myself. Yes, I would behave and yes, I had to think about that.

I've never seen James Taylor live, but he's in my list of Top 5 Musicians I Must See Live, so I'm going on Saturday. You see how this works. It's not important who the other four are; this is about James Taylor, not them.

Fortunately, just like I did with Kenny Loggins a few weeks ago, I have once again snagged the super-secret James Taylor playlist for Saturday night. Well, okay, I only imagine that I've snagged the playlist. I hope James performs the songs below. Hearing them would make my night. No, that's not true. Hearing them all would make my summer. Trust me, my summer could use the boost.

You've Got a Friend

Carolina on My Mind


Something in the Way She Moves


You Are My Only One


Shower the People


Mexico


Copperline


Country Road


Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight


And as an encore . . . Fire and Rain

James, there's no need to thank me. Really. All I really need is for you to bring me up on stage while you serenade me all night long. That will be thanks enough.

As always, this blog post is better if you can watch the videos. If you read LMS via email, click over to the blog and watch the videos. You'll thank me.

Loyalty Matters

This is what loyalty is all about.

From The West Wing, "Noel", Season 2, Episode 32

The most powerful part of the video is the story Leo tells Josh:

This guy's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out. 

A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, 'Hey you. Can you help me out?' 

The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on. 

Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, 'Father, I'm down in this hole can you help me out?' The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. 

Then a friend walks by, 'Hey, Joe, it's me can you help me out?' And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, 'Are you stupid? Now we're both down here.' The friend says, 'Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out.'

Josh later refers to it in the third season in Bartlett for America.

Loyalty matters. And it's a two-way street.

Receive LMS via email? Visit the site to watch the video to experience the story in the most powerful way.

Playlist for Kenny Loggins

So one of the great traditions of my new town is the fantastic Fourth of July celebration it puts on. (Sorry, Arlington Heights, Frontier Days is great, but I think Lake Forest and Lake Bluff do the Fourth of July much better).

Each year, they have a great musical talent perform at Deerpath Park followed immediately by fireworks so big you feel like you could reach out and pull them out of the sky with your bare hands. (NOTE: Do not try this. Fireworks are very dangerous. I've known people who were involved in a freak fireworks accident. You don't want to be in their shoes. Trust me.)

Last year, Rick Springfield played. This year, it's Kenny Loggins. That's right. Kenny Loggins of Loggins & Messina, for those of you of a certain age, and the guy who sang the theme songs to Caddyshack, Footloose (the original), and Top Gun, for those of you in my generation. Previous concerts have included The Village People, KC & the Sunshine Band, Eddie Money, and others. Completely awesome. I know. The entire community comes out for this event. It's like a night at Ravinia with people bringing picnics and wine, although you can purchase food from Lovell's, if you'd prefer.

I don't know if Kenny Loggins reads Little Merry Sunshine or not (but if not, why the Hell not?), but I thought I'd take it upon myself to create his play list for him. These are the songs I'd love to hear. He can perform others too, but at a minimum, I hope he sings these songs. No need to thank me. It was a labor of love.

For the First Time


Footloose (the original will always be the best)


Danger Zone (By the way, what are the odds we could have the hottest guys from LFPD and LFFD playing sand volleyball shirtless while Kenny Loggins sings this? I'll pick the players and no, I don't need anyone else's opinion. I'm fully qualified to make this decision.)

This is It


I'm Alright (because everybody needs a little Caddy Shack)


Meet Me Halfway


Return to Pooh Corner (I prefer this to the original, House at Pooh Corner. He must sing this because who doesn't love Winnie the Pooh and all this song represents?)


Forever


The Real Thing


I'm Free (Heaven Helps the Man)


Rainbow Connection (The only thing better than Kenny Loggins singing this would be Kermit joining him to sing it.)


Danny's Song 


Finally, for his encore, he should perform Conviction of the Heart. 

Because I'm so easy going and not controlling at all, Kenny can feel free to do these songs in any order he wishes. I would encourage him not to do all the mushy love songs together because I may just end up in tears. Honestly, I'd forgotten how many wonderful love songs he'd written. But Conviction of the Heart should be last.

Of course, if you received this blog post via email, take a stroll onto the inter webs and watch all the videos. It's worth an hour of your workday. It's the 3rd of July, the day before a holiday. You're probably not doing anything anyway.

Happy Birthday Jon Bon Jovi!

Happy Birthday Jon Bon Jovi! Damn, 50 looks good on you.

I first fell in lust for Jon Bon Jovi when I was in high school and that lust has continued for over two decades. My high school boyfriend took me to see Bon Jovi at the Rosemont Horizon during the Slippery When Wet tour. We were in the 6th row.

Since then, I've seen live Bon Jovi a couple more times, including four years ago. And in 20+ years, Bon Jovi just keeps getting better and better.

Here are a couple of my favorite Bon Jovi songs:

I'll Be There for You because of a different high school friend and all that he meant to me during my senior year.

Hallelujah - such a beautifully haunting song. One of my most favorite songs ever.

Wanted Dead or Alive

It's My Life

(You Want to) Make A Memory

Finally, You Give Love a Bad Name - because of the first man to break my heart.