Some days things just need to be kept short and sweet.
Sometimes we don’t need to say a lot, we just need to BE.
I hope you have a fabulously fantastic Sunday!
Just Be and Feel the happiness in you!
Keep hope alive my fabulous friends!
my thoughts
Happy Birthday Elvis and have a fabulous Friday!
We have made it! The first Friday of the 2016 work week is officially here! If you are reading this that means you made it and you are alive!
Speaking of alive, Happy Birthday Elvis!
In case you have no clue, today would have been Elvis’ 81st birthday. Being from the south, Elvis is a big deal and I know many people who will be making their yearly pilgrimage to Graceland to celebrate The King’s Birthday. To those folks, I wish you safe travels and one a heck of a party.
If you have never been to Graceland, I suggest you take the time out to go. It is an experience! It’s strange and a bit weird to me; however I thoroughly enjoyed my adventures there. It was one of those, “Well we’ve never been why not go?” kind of trips and it turned out to be a fun experience. Seeing how well preserved everything is and how much went into making Graceland a true iconic landmark makes the trip worthwhile. I mean the man was creative, I will give him that! You can see the extravagance lavished on his home and grounds. Of course there are areas that are closed to the public and of course I wanted to go into them. Of course access was denied. Party poopers! But I do recommend a trip to Memphis to visit Graceland and heck, a trip down Beale Street for some fabulous food and spirits. I mean if you’re there, why not?!
This feels like an adventure Friday no matter what responsibilities may be placed upon you. It’s like one of those going-into-the-unknown-but-I-know-it-will-be-fabulous Fridays! Yeah, that feeling!
The Keep Hope Alive No Matter What kind of day!
Not going to let stress or drama get me down, today is going to be a fantastic day! And after all, 81 years ago today a King was born.
Happy Birthday Elvis Presley!
*may I advise that you Google Elvis Presley videos, they are awesome! There were too many for me to choose just one from. He is the King of Rock & Roll!
Fabulous Creative-ish Sunday
Happy Sunday my Fabulously Graceless Friends!
I hope your New Year holiday weekend has gone fabulously and that today you get rest, as Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest!
I know that I will get some rest and of course my OCD self will finish at least one more project! But really, I am working to make my Sundays a day of rest, spending time with loved ones or something creative. It can be all three as long as it’s relaxing!
I am really working with my creative/creativity being my daily motivation. One of the fabulous bloggers I follow suggested that I do a vision board. At first I wasn’t sure, but the more I think about it, positive reminders and reinforcement could only make it better.
I will say that just choosing to take action in my life and Be Creative daily has already made a difference for me. Yes, I know we are only 3 days into the New Year, but for me, it’s working! I will keep you all updated as to how it works out for me.
For those new to my blog, I don’t do New Year’s resolutions. I was however, very motivated by a lovely lady, to choose a word/phrase in lieu of the resolutions. I chose Creative/Creativity.
I have read a few “creative” phrases and written the words out. For me, that’s like bringing something to life. I feel like I am chanting it in my head, like a meditation of sorts. Like I am turning and observing from every angle possible.
Creativity can be used in every aspect of life from personal to professional. I like thinking of using it when I get into a situation that I would rather not face and knowing I already have the heart of creativity running through my veins – it means I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I will find a way to get through it. Creatively and productively.
Of course I always Keep Hope Alive!
It’s just how I roll.
I hope you all have a fantastically, fabulous Sunday!
Mentally get ready for the first full week of 2016… we are going to rock this year!
New Year, no resolutions but facing life with Creativity!
Recently I stated that I wasn’t going to do New Year’s resolutions or challenges. I then read the fabulous CandidKay and how she chooses a word or phrase instead of doing New Year’s Resolutions. Honestly the lady inspires me to be a better human and helps me see that I Can pull things off and I Love her views and writings and there I go rambling but yeah, she inspires me check her out! http://candidkay.com/
Because of reading, contemplating and of course reading research, it became clear to me I needed to find a word to focus on for 2016. I follow some amazing authors and they have all been inspiring… in fact it’s on the list of topics for 2016…and there I scurry with the squirrels again.
Do you know how many words there are out there and OCD me needed to pick just ONE, but how hard it is for me to choose just one to describe and get through a year?! I went into a little overload and then BAM it came to me.
Creative.
Creativity.
It just lights a fire in me on pretty much everything that I am passionate about.
My boy. My loves. My mind. My life. My health. My writing. My career. Me.
The things I want to improve upon and also those things I need to change in order to be a better human being.
I was flipping through a magazine when I said it. “I need to make lists of all of the things that I want to change and/or improve upon… starting with my health cause this magazine is inspiring to me to look at new healthy ideas.”
The notebooks, all shapes, types and sizes, have been brought out and are being organized and compared for which ones work best to blend my personal with my work.
My life is all intertwined in itself.
I can’t pretend things that happen at work do not affect me at home and vice versa. Yes, I can make sure I am taking care of life in the moment and not “mix and drag” work and home. However, the bottom line is I am the one handling both and since I dealt with the split personalities years ago, it’s still all me dealing with both sections of my life and being very cautious about my mixology. Let me tell you I am one damn fine cocktail mixer too! Sometimes things are bit to strong and others they may not be strong enough but I can guarantee I will work to get the balance just right.
I’m so excited if affects me All The Time! Like being on drugs but not. High on endorphins, yeah! And if I am honest right at this moment, Coca-Cola as in “Have a Coke and a smile”. Okay maybe a few too many of those but sadly no mix with it other than the evil antibiotics treating the alien infestation of a sinus infection I was gifted with this holiday season. But see, even that isn’t getting in the way of my being more Creative and thinking more Creatively and putting that Creativity into Action in my life. It is, of course, working out fabulously! After all, I am the Queen of Keep Hope Alive!
I am feeling that 2016 will be better than ever!
I am feeling the blending and clinking of life finally coming together the way I have seen it in my mind for far too long but the dreams are finally coming to reality. Slowly. Surely.
That I am moving forward and facing life with Creativity and Hope. Alive and with a passion I was missing a bit of but have found again.
I am sending out a prayer of HOPE and CREATIVITY for each and every human out there. Starting with the fabulous faithful following FabulousGracelessness and spreading out like peanut butter into the world. That every human on the planet finds moments of hope, creativity, peace and compassion this year. That we find more tolerance, not only for ourselves and our loved ones, but those we don’t even know.
I am asking everyone to Keep Hope Alive!
It’s going to be a Fabulous 2016!
My inner creative graceless maos Knows it!
New Years 2016
All is quiet on New Year’s day…. because I am sleeping in and relaxing!
I realized about mid-year last year that once I “let it go” and kind of let things happen as they will, that my life seemed to get so much better. I can’t push for things and some things just take time to work themselves out.
I decided that for 2016 I am going to take things as they come and see what I can make happen.
I wrote earlier this week about how I don’t do new year’s resolutions or challenges. It just doesn’t work for me. I was reading another amazing author’s work and she said that she would choose a word or phrase to use going through the year. I believe she is onto something here. That is something I can get behind! So my word for the year is Creativity! Yes, I am going to be more creative in every aspect of my life. This will definitely be more interesting that resolutions and challenges!
So for this first day of the new year, I will be chilling out doing whatever suits my fancy. I am going to take it easy, probably be on call but definitely am going to enjoy life in some form of creative fashion.
As always, I will Keep Hope Alive! For I will never give up my mantra of hope!
Cheers to a fabulous 2016!
No call, no show… can we please grow up!
I work to take care of others. Myself and those in my chosen field, caregivers, are vastly underpaid and often time unappreciated. It isn’t easy work and not everyone can do it. I know there are plenty of jobs I can’t do and have no problem admitting it.
Recently I worked out in the field for 2 days caring for a lovely couple. She has advanced Alzheimer’s and he has mild dementia. He would tell you “it’s no big deal, we can handle it” but that isn’t the case. They have been clients with my company for nearly a year. Last week their main caregiver walked off the job because she was frustrated with the fact they “get confused.” It isn’t the first time she had “issues” with them but I can guarantee it is her last job with us! Then we thought we found the ideal candidate. She was eager, ready to work and compassionate. She passed her background check and came in for all of her new hire paperwork. She didn’t show up or call us to let us know she wasn’t showing up.
I just don’t get it. I have seen more people the last three weeks claiming they need to work and want to work. I set an appointment for an interview and then the day of, nothing. No call. No show. Nada. 90% I have had lengthy conversations with on the phone prior to calling them in for an interview as to try and screen if they are serious about working.
Either my radar is off or people these days do not do as they say they will do. It is sad.
I remember when I was 18 and took a job at a fast food restaurant. I worked all of a day and a half and realized I was not cut out for what they had me doing. I was honest. I went to the manager and told them I was sorry but please take me off the schedule because I knew I wouldn’t be happy doing the work and wouldn’t be productive. He thanked me for telling him. I didn’t understand then that a lot of people just don’t show. They don’t call. They just don’t feel it’s important enough to tell their employer they don’t want to work anymore. It is so rude and disrespectful.
People like this need to grow up, grow a pair or something! Who do you think that you are wasting someone’s time who is trying to employ you?! Have you never heard of karma? Come on people! Seriously!
The next time you set a interview or are scheduled and can’t make it, short of an emergency, please show the decency to call someone to let them know you can’t make it. Don’t just not show up. It is beyond rude.
In the meantime I will keep hope alive as always. There will always be someone better who wants to work and loves to care for others!
Resolutions and challenges…. fooey!
It’s 4 days after Christmas and we only have 2 days left of this year.
Yeah, I am still finishing up one of my Christmas projects and I recently read we should make New Year Challenges instead of New Year Resolutions. Really? Like every day there isn’t some sort of challenge daily? That now someone is going to post/publish/write up their New Year Challenges and the rest of us are supposed to get on board for that fast-track-psycho train? No thank you! Please feel free to list, publish, write, post you “Challenges” for the New Year! I commend you. I respect you. But please don’t judge me for Not participating!
So me being me I went and looked up the definitions. Very interesting.
Resolution: Noun. 1. a formal expression of opinion or intention made, usually after voting, by a formal organization, a legislature, a club or other group. 2. the act of resolving or determining upon an action, course of action, method, procedure, etc.
Challenge: Noun. 1. a call to summons to engage in any contest, as of skill, strength, etc. 2. something that by its nature or character serves as a call to battle, contest, special effort, etc.
Remember when New Year’s Resolutions we more along the lines of “be a better person” “work harder” “get a new job” “lose a few pounds and get healthy”? Now they’ve become some contest of who has the “best” resolutions, or excuse me, challenges.
Personally I kind of stick to the: be a better parent, friend and person, do better in my job, save some money – I try to not get to many on there because I don’t want to feel like I am overburdening myself. I also feel like being better and doing the right things are things I should be doing anyways.
Right now I feel like I just want to get by day to day. Of course it could also be the seasonal/unseasonal crud that has taken over my body. I feel alien like and I have to keep tissues and am sure I sound like I am under water. I generally feel like caca and I have to pretend it is all good. I seem to be pulling it off but I get caught just staring into space. I have no idea what I am staring at. Thus is the way of my mind when I get the crud. Or lack thereof! I know I can make it through today. Hope is with me! And lots of meds so I don’t seems so craptastic!
Anyway I hope you all have a fabulous day!
Think about if you want to make New Year’s resolutions or challenges. Or if you just want to try to be a better person each and every day. To me it seems more doable.
Always, always Keep Hope Alive!
Happy Birthday to Me!
Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday Fabulous Gracelessness, happy birthday to me!
45 years ago on a cold winter’s morning I made my debut into this world at 3:42 AM.
Being born 2 days after Christmas I used to get a lot of “here’s your birthday and Christmas gift. We consolidated into one.” NO. Just No. It is 2 separate days/holidays! Note my parents never did to this me but others did.
In fact, one of my very fabulous friends as well as one of my younger cousins share this fabulous day! She and I agreed that it just needs to be made into a holiday. I mean we have Christmas, our birthday then New Year’s! Perfect right?! We think so!
I was born on Sunday it’s fitting my 45th birthday is on a Sunday.
I don’t know why this year is a bit challenging for me. I mean 30 was awesome, 40 I was a new mom (literally my miracle was 3 months old I was going on no sleep and the thought of going out wasn’t even there) and I have been fine on the rest. I guess it’s the “downslide” to 50, which is crazy as I don’t think of myself as “old” and I remember thinking 50 was old. I no longer see a number as old. I had a call from a 90-year-old lady the other day. She wasn’t seeking care but to work and be a caregiver! Talk about an inspiration!
I have learned so much throughout my life. I keep learning daily. I remember my GrandMaMa telling me once you stop learning, there is nothing else. It can be big or small. It can be life changing or something as simple as a new recipe or way of doing something. Just never stop learning.
So today I spend with my loved ones and celebrate. No wild party or all-nighter! I no longer want or need that anymore. Going to bed at a decent hour is appealing to me. Not being in a crowd is more my speed. I haven’t ever enjoyed being in the middle of large crowds so I have no problem with a low key day. Of course it will be fabulous!
Here’s wishing you an amazing Sunday!
Celebrate and Enjoy!
Keep Hope Alive
Recovering the Saturday after Christmas
Recovery from the holidays, specifically Christmas, can be a challenge. It seems so much goes into the planning and presentation. After every one oohhhhs and ahhhhhs it appears to get devoured within minutes. Everything that was so pretty and organized is demolished within such a short period of time. I always mean to take before and after photos but forget.
I am usually helping make part of it and I always seem to be cleaning up.
Of course I am also all up in it with the boy, a big kid myself. I cut back on the Santa as well as what I was giving him, but he still had so much! Of course family and friends add to the bounty he receives so he is not wanting for anything. It’s funny to see him tear through gifts, say a brief thank you to the givers and rip into another gift. It’s funnier as he’s soooo excited because, hey let’s be real, it’s usually toys.
Then it’s happens… clothes. My sister-in-law and I laughed so hard because he went in for the grab with excitement on his face and he just stopped. He was instantly perplexed. Why would he get clothes? Grant it cool looking clothes but yet not toys? It’s Christmas who gives toys besides parents and grandparents? Well, aunts, uncles and friends but it always throws him!
The joys of being young and saying what you are thinking. “Mommy this food is nasty! I am so not eating this!” Not the discretion I have been working with him on, but at a table with 7 adults and his cousin. Did I mention his aunt, bless her as she teaches kids and she knows how they can be but still, is the one who’s food he deemed “nasty”?! She and I were trying to not laugh while another cousin and new spouse looked mortified.
They have no experience with children, as was evident throughout the night! Or shall I say smaller children. The boy is 5 and his cousin, whom he calls his little brother, is not quite 2. It was asked, how we “make them eat.” Words like behavioral and eating habits were used to ask about our children. Also, when they offered to play with the boys, they quickly learned rules changed and organization and order were not on the schedule! Seriously, give a five-year-old Lincoln Logs and a remote control car and things are going to be demolished. Your “follow the directions” log cabin you built for him? Maybe you understand when I said it’s like your favorite character on the “Walking Dead” or “Game of Thrones”, it will die so don’t get attached! Yeah, I meant that! It wasn’t just pretty words or me being nice.
Recovery is a nice word for it. Today we recover from the maos of the Christmas holidays! I hope you all do have a fantastically, fabulous Saturday and get to relax.
As always, keep hope alive!
Merry Christmas from Fabulous Gracelessness!
We wish you a Merry Christmas!
We wish you a Merry Christmas!
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!
I hope that everyone gets to enjoy this day in some way. Near or far it doesn’t matter, just that you find some happiness, some peace just for a moment.
I hope that those children that believe in Santa wake up to find that Santa came! I hope the children that don’t do Santa wake up happy and healthy.
I hope that everyone who takes the time out to read my blog will stop, just for a moment, and find a memory, or reflect on this holiday season, and find just one memory that makes you smile. The warm, fuzzy inside kind of smile. The kind of smile that lights up your whole being! Keep Hope Alive! It’s Christmas! Miracles happen!
I realize and understand that not everyone celebrates or even enjoys Christmas. Some don’t even recognize it. I am perfectly okay with that.I am sharing how Fabulous Gracelessness does Christmas.
Here in Sweet Home Alabama it is a holiday that the majority of folks Celebrate!
It’s a day we get together with family and friends. Often times we see folks we don’t see throughout the year for whatever reason. People sometimes put away their differences to enjoy time with family and friends. Some make new traditions and others blend the old with the new.
Before I had my son, I always got together with my family, but I also would get together throughout the holiday season and visit with friends that I didn’t get to see as much. Several of us agreed that gift giving was way overrated, in fact we call it Giftsmas, due to those that tend to over give and expect the same in return. We decided that we would always buy for the kids, but for us, just all getting together, eating good food and having a few spirits were all that we needed.
Since the boy came into my world, I still try to get together with friends, though it isn’t as easy or frequent as I would like. I do still enjoy the festivities but it has changed a bit. I have made more traditions that I did in my own childhood with him. I have created new traditions with him too. We love finding new things to do. Apparently, we are now adding make a gingerbread house to our things to do! We also drive around and look at the lights. Not necessarily on Christmas night but close to Christmas. Even in the rain we go. It is so much fun to see the joy of lights and decorations through the eyes of a child.
It is also bittersweet. There are so many that are no longer with us. It can be so damn hard to put on a happy face when the tears are falling like rivers inside. You don’t want to make everyone else sad or put a damper on the festive times. But I can’t help but think about how much my Daddy would enjoy his grandsons. How much my Grandparents would love to play with their great-grandsons. How truly amazing it would be to have everyone home for Christmas. How much it hurts knowing that can’t happen. How much we still love and miss them and always will.
It’s why I love making new memories. To bridge the past with the present and look forward to the future.
This year I haven’t felt the Christmas spirit like I have in the past. I am so thankful for the boy as he pulls me from the abyss just knowing how much joy he has and his love for the holiday. I love that he has an elf named Jerry that magically found us and how he watches throughout the year and shows up after Thanksgiving. He comes with a letter and a tiny gift and moves about the house during the season. He doesn’t make messes or sit on a shelf. He is a different kind of elf. I love that we call Santa every year and he talks to him on the phone. We make reindeer treats as well as treats for Santa. I love the pure joy and glee in his eyes when he sees that Santa came. It isn’t the volume of the gifts it’s the magic of Christmas. It’s everyone getting along for the day when he goes from Mommy’s to Daddy’s house knowing he is loved by so many and it is a day where everyone is present. No distractions just the enjoyment of those around him.
Through the eyes of a child is how I wish everyone could see Christmas.
Keep Hope Alive my fabulous friends!
And may all of your Christmas’ be bright!
*Fabulous Gracelessness does not want to offend those who do not celebrate this holiday. I hope you enjoyed reading how me and mine celebrate Christmas. I hope you understand that for us, Christmas isn’t just gifts and decorations. It is a time for us to come together. It is a time when we feel everyone should share their joy and their compassion for others. Be kind. Be patient. Remember everyone does not get to enjoy it like we do. Even if some years it isn’t as “lavish” as you would like it to be, but that you may be blessed with peace and joy.
fabulousgracelessness 