From My Mom's House

My mom, my sister, and I are at the two-year mark of moving my mom from her home of twenty years with my stepdad, to Oak Crest Retirement Community. 

Have you ever had to help your parent clean out their house and decide, from all of the comfortable and cherished items, what's good for her to keep, for you and your sister to keep, and what to sell and donate and toss?

I'm talking multiple generations of collections.

Pink and gold china.  Blue and silver china.  Cooking utensils.  Glass dishes and cake platters and decorations and furniture.  These are all things that you associate with growing up.

Since our world situation happened, I've been finding new uses for the things that I received from my mom, to actually USE.  She gave me several silver plated platters and dishes.  I've put my glass jar candles on them, and it looks so pretty with my crystals.  An antique wooden thread box now houses office supplies.  Crystal sugar bowls contain every day items such as individual lens cleaning packets for our glasses, and other sundry items.  I have a cute little glass bowl on my desk that has memory cards and bobby pins. 

Here's the thing.  If I have it put away for a "special occasion", I'll probably never use it.  That's why it's so important to me to use it; then I see it, and it reminds me of my mom.

My mom is 82 years old.  I had the opportunity last week to drop off groceries to her at Oak Crest, and they have a very strict drop-off procedure.  My  mom told me she'd come down, but when I got there, I thought, there's no way they'll let me see her any closer than across the street.  Well, not only could I get 2 feet away from her to look at her well-worn, beautiful face, but we got a photograph of us together. 

It was really emotional for me to see her.  When I left, I pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store down the street, and I cried for 20 minutes.

I miss my mom.  I know she misses me and my sister.  However, I'm grateful for the strict protocol and procedures that they have at Oak Crest, and I'm grateful for the 5 minutes that I got to spend with her.  And I'm grateful for the things that I have from her house.

Bee in love with the heartwork of your life.

Above my desk

I'm a huge believer in using the Law of Attraction (LOA), positive affirmations, and meditation in my daily life.

Recently, I started taking my favorite quotes and making my own printable memes to hang up on my walls in my office.  I switch them out every couple of weeks.

I've had EGBOK:  Everything's gonna be OK.
I've had Recognition is the greatest motivator.
I've had It will never rain roses.  When we want to have more roses, we must plant roses. 
And Be the energy you want to attract.

This is what I currently have on my wall:

I printed out the one that reads "I am meant for this" last week.  I can't even remember why it struck me so poignantly, that I had to print it.  I was looking at it this morning as I stood there, drinking my coffee and getting ready for what seemed like the millionth Zoom meeting since March.

I said it out loud, like so:  I am meant for this.

Wow, whatever "this" is, I'm meant for it.

I am meant for this.  The word "am" is a conjugation of the word, "to be".  As in "I exist for this moment".

I am meant for this. In this sentence, "meant" conveys "to have in mind one's purpose or intention."  As in "This was the purpose all along, and it has to do with me".

I am meant for this.  In this, the emphasis is "to obtain, gain, or acquire".  As in, "This is something I am supposed to gain from". (not the quarantine 15, though.  Not that!)

I am meant for this.  The word "this" pertains to indicate a person, thing, idea, state, event, time, remark, etc., as present, near, just mentioned or pointed out, supposed to be understood, or by way of emphasis.  As in, This is the exact TIME that I'm supposed to be here.

Where do you put emphasis on your life?

Bee in love with the heartwork of your life.

What DOESN'T Drive You Crazy?

A lot of times, people love to talk about what drives them crazy.

For instance, people speeding on crotch rockets on the highway, weaving through traffic in between the lanes, drives me crazy.

Loud, repetitive patterns of chewing drive me crazy.

I mean, I drive me crazy sometimes.  I keep doing stuff that I know I shouldn't be doing, like snacking incessantly, or complain about the weather.  I know it's going to be hot in July, it isn't like it's a surprise!

I want to reflect for a moment on what doesn't drive me crazy.  First, let's define the word, "crazy", from dictionary.com

Well, those definitions are definitely extreme!  None of these feels right for something that irritates a person.

Let's look at synonyms.

None of those feel right either.  It seems that when "something drives you crazy", it's a cause-and-effect situation.  Speeders on Route 50 don't drive you nutty... but they sure are heck irritating!  They could cause an accident! 

These are all words that are about something that comes from within.  

So did you ever write a blog post that started out as one thing, only to twist halfway through?

So here are the antonyms for the word "crazy".  Let's test this out.  Yoga drives me balanced.

Ummmm no.

When my children are playing in the backyard having fun, it drives me calm.

Hmm.  

So it seems that the phrase, "drives me crazy", really doesn't make sense.

Just something to think about.

Bee in love with the heartwork of your life.

Is Your Heart's Desire In Your Back Yard?

It's been an interesting time, hasn't it?  Being in #lockdown, folks all over the world have been able to reconnect with their loved ones, and rediscover what they love about each other.  Some have been struggling.  Some have done a lot of introspection, and taking the time for self care and discovering what they really want in their lives.

One thing that I think has happened is that people have been finding ways to appreciate their lives at home.  We're a busy society, and it's always a rush. 

• Get up early
• Get the kids up and ready for school
• Go to work
• Work
• Go home
• Take kids to activities
• Make dinner
• Clean
• Bedtime routine
• Sleep

Do you see any time for savoring time with family?  Enjoying your home, which for many people is a symbolic sanctuary?  

I believe that we've been given this time, as hard as it has been for so many people with health issues and financial loss, to be able to rediscover what exactly is in our own back yard.  That's where our heart's desire is.

So as you mow the lawn, work in the garden, and tend to your patio, look around your back yard.  Watch your pets as they lounge around in the sunshine. Watch your kids as they play tag, laughing and jumping in the sprinkler.  With every stripe of grass you mow, see it as releasing the stress of your "old life", and realize that your heart's desire really is in your own back yard.

The lesson that Dorothy learned in the movie, is that she really is smarter than she thought, was more compassionate than she thought, and was more courageous than she thought.  And in doing so, discovered that her heart's desire was in her own back yard, with Auntie Em and Uncle Henry, and their farm hands.  And of course, Toto.

Bee in love with the heartwork of your life.

The Psychology of Old Photos

"Those were the good ole days!"

"They don't make things like they used ta!"

"Back when I was a kid, I walked a mile uphill in waist-high snow both ways to school!"

Did you ever wonder what that looked like?  

Well, the third one about walking was always an exaggeration; it's to tell kids that they really have it easy these days with school-buses and car-lines for drop-off and pick-up.

We are really lucky to be living in today... because most families have at least 100+ years of photographs of their loved ones, when they celebrated life, got a photo in the corner of the yard against the flowering bush, and the hunting photos!  It seems that even with how bulky and heavy cameras were back then, people knew the value of photographs.  It was a record to them of good times, brought joy, and helped them to remember that exact moment in time.

When you go home for the holidays in December, do you lug out the old photo albums?  I mean the ones with the black pages where the black and white and sepia photos were encrusted with corners that had been licked and placed to keep the photo in place.  I mean the ones with the sticky backs, that had so much acid in them, your photos turn yellow.  I mean the ones with the static pages that when you ripped open the film covering on the page, your hair would fly up!  

Do you sit on the sofa or on the floor with your mom and grandmom and peruse the albums? Do you ask questions about who is in the photos, and what's going on?  Do you try to insert yourself in the moment to discover what that day might have been like: the warm sunshine, the cool breezes, the smell of the flowers, what the colors actually were, what their voices sounded like?

I encourage you to dig out an album or the shoe box of photos, and get on Zoom with your grandma, and ask her about the photographs.  I bet you'll hear stories that you never heard before, and gain an appreciation of exactly how easy we do have it these days!

I mean, anti-perspirant and washing machines/dryers! 

Bee in love with the heart-work of your life.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood ™

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood

Do you have listed somewhere, "Top Ten Moments of My Life"?

I do.

Mister Rogers was my hero when I was a young child.  When I heard the piano music during his opening credits, I would jump for joy.

His songs were a part of my life.  I remember singing along to all the songs, and felt his love right through the television screen.

The Neighborhood of Make-Believe was truly magical to me.

At the end of each episode, I actually kissed him goodbye on the TV screen. 

We moved to Pittsburgh to start a new chapter of life.  When I found out that our apartment building was just around the corner of WQED, where his studio was, I was astounded.

One day, coming home from school with my stepmother and sister, there he was.  He was walking right in front of my apartment building.  I ran towards him, calling out, “Mister Rogers!  Mister Rogers!”.  He stopped and smiled at me.  Here was my hero, standing right there.

“Hello, there”, he said, and he reached out his arm to shake my hand.  His touch was very gentle, very loving.  He asked me my name. “I-I-I’m Megan”, I stammered.  “It’s very good to meet you, Megan.  Do you watch my show?”  And I proceeded to tell him how I loved his whole show, in great detail.

He chuckled and said, “I’m so glad you love my show.  Do you want to sing a song with me?”

Did I want to sing a song? Do pigeons fly?

We sang his opening song together, and I’ll tell you, it was the most amazing moment in my young life.

It’s one of the top ten experiences in my life. EVER.

I just watched the movie, “Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” with my mom.  I thought it was well done, and of course, I sang along with all the songs.

What’s amazing is that even though I’m about 45 years older than I was when I watched his show, I can tell by the lyrics that his messages have stayed with me all these years.  

There are many ways to say I love you
There are many ways to say I care about you.

It's great to know you're growing up bigger every day,
But somehow things you like to remember, are often put away...There are lots and lots of people

Who sometimes feel like this.

It's not easy to keep trying, but it's one good way to grow.
It's not easy to keep learning, but I know that this is so...
.

I'm proud of you
I'm proud of you
I hope that you're as proud as I am

As a child, these were songs of empowerment.  As a parent, these songs are empowering to us, because the message is clear:  our children will grow up faster than we realize, and as much as we want to hold on to the now, we can’t because, well, they're growing.

The reason I’m sharing this with you is that I know life is busy.  Parents deal with things all day long, and sometimes, we mechanically go about our evening routines before bedtime.  If you have extra curricular activities, then your routines are more complex.  Sometimes, after 9 pm, is the when your entire family is under your roof, and they’re sleeping.

Mister Rogers suggests that we stop, be present with each other, and discover new things about ourselves and the ones we love.

Your photography experience is so important to me.  To be trusted with your family and to photograph you authentically, to create artwork of who you all are… that’s what this is about.  To remind you of all those things that makes your family special, and your heart sing.

It’s a new year.  Go do the new things.  Go play with the kids.  Find reasons to unplug and have fun. The dishes can wait.

Lyrics and music by Fred Rogers.  All rights reserved.http://www.neighborhoodarchive.com/

Purrs & Pooches with Smooches

Purrs & Pooches with Smooches

We are working with Bowie CLAW once again to bring you photographs that capture your sweet fur baby’s personality just in time for Valentine’s Day!

For those of you with fur babies, this is an opportunity to show off your “sweet baby gurl” or “good boi”, get adorable photographs done, and create something really special for cards that you send out, or share on social media! 

Now, if you love those kisses, we’ve got fun up our sleeve!  It’s a kissing booth set, just for your fur baby, to show off his or her chonky self, and if we can get a tongue out, or better yet, a little drool… you’ll know that your sweetie knows exactly what to do!  Imagine adorable cards that you send out to friends and family, or get allll the likes on Facebook and other social media platforms…  your sweet kitty or pup will be the talk of your circle of loved ones!

We have a few surprises, too, but we can’t say what it is right now!  Just know that we’ve added to our set, and we’re looking forward to giving you that WOW experience with it.

Here’s what you’ll receive for your $20 donation:  a phone call to discover your dog’s personality so we can choose what you might want to bring to make your photographs really special; a 10 minute session that is sure to ensue hilarity; and a lightly retouched digital file that is perfect for social media, cards, and small, sentimental gifts.  You’ll receive your digital file by Feb 1.  For an additional $10, you’ll receive a 4x6 print of the matching digital file, and $5 will go to Bowie CLAW.

Print packages from this will also be available at volume pricing, starting at $49.00.  10% of the proceeds will go back to Bowie CLAW.  This is a huge opportunity to help a wonderful cause, and have beautiful photographs that you can enjoy all year long, as they aren’t too “festive”.  We’ll do a couple with the kissing booth, and then a few others that will make you swoon.  You’ll receive your prints directly from the printhouse by Feb 5.  We also have a couple of digital packages for sale, which will be ready for you by Feb 1.

This event will be held at Calvert Brewing Company, located at 15850 Commerce Ct, UM.  They offer lots of delicious brews, and there’s a food truck there every Saturday.

For more information, please feel free to contact Megan at 240-766-8966.  To find out more about Bowie CLAW and all they do, please visit their Facebook page.

Ask about our flat cards, perfect for sending out, or using as your child's Valentine card at school! They come in packs of 25-4x5 cards, with envelopes, for $70.  Each additional set is $50.  This includes your set up fee. 

Here's 2 samples: