Mar 31, 2013 | Author, Books & more that inspire!, Good book club books, Good books for moms, Queen of Damn Good Advice, Southern Women Writers, What's new
Be empowered, encouraged and equipped to command & rule your life!
My new book offers the kind of inspiration that will cheer you on!
Queen wants to…
Teach you how to find a good man
Share her secret to having marital bliss
Show the best way to cope with change
Enhance your communication skills
Provide time management tips
Give you bountiful advice that will help you reach your goals and oh….so much more!
Click on the book image and you’ll be taken to Queen’s new home on my website where you can read a book summary, read what some early readers have to say, read an excerpt and find out where to purchase!
Mar 22, 2013 | Cheer up empty nester
There have been many times in my life when I’ve not “seized the moment.” I’ve always had my reasons, of course. But later, after moments have come and gone, I would wonder whether or not my reasons for missing some opportunities were good enough.
What is it that keeps us from “seizing moments” when they come along?
Hoping to learn that I was not the ONLY person in the world who has struggled with missed opportunities, I asked several friends what kept them from “seizing the moment.” Below are the top 5 excuses….oh…I mean “reasons” they shared with me.
- FEAR: Fear of what may happen, fear of failure, fear of change, fear of risk, fear of disapproval…
- UNCERTAINTY about a decision – questioning if it’s the best thing to do or not – often makes us afraid to act and so we don’t
- PROCRASTINATION: We put off thinking about “something” only to realize later what should have been done or said
- TIME EXCUSES: Our schedule is already too full. There are too many demands on our time.
- WE HAVE AN UNWORTHY VIEW OF OURSELVES. A focus on our limitations that determines what we can or can’t do. We don’t believe we have the ability, skills, talent needed.
Do you have different reasons you could add to this list?
♥
Savoring each moment of our lives brings joy and thankfulness for each life moment. Let’s be willing to explore new territories, go places we’ve never been before. Life is fresh, exhilarating and full of limitless possibilities when we live fully and mindfully in the moment. Our comfort zone may be comfortable, but it also offers nothing new. As singer Lee Ann Womack sang, “And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.”
Mar 19, 2013 | What inspires you? |
Wearing flip-flops inspires me!
I admitted long ago that I was a flip-flop-oholic. For me this has meant, besides owning a few dozen pairs of these foot-loving treasures, taking life a bit slower and easier as well as taking most matters less seriously.
But recently a friend shared a new term that I believe better describes my approach to life. So now I say I’m a flip-floptimist! This me is more adaptable and flexible, more carefree and relaxed, more lighthearted. This me spends less time fretting and stressing and more time being content and happy.
While I would agree that I’ve not always lived by my flip-flop philosophy, it has been my life-long goal and these days I’m much more successful at implementing it.
Living in your flip-flops is about being in the moment as well as taking the scenic route (and a few detours) as you travel your life journey. And sometimes it’s about reinventing yourself into a new you. As Sandy Gingris writes in her book, How to Live in Flip-flops, “Think Cinderella absolutely transformed by her shoes…”
Sandy points out that one definition of flip-flop is a verb meaning “to suddenly reverse direction or point of view.” By the way, a change of direction is sometimes necessary and quite appropriate when reinventing your self. Flip-flopping can be a good thing!
A few tidbits of Sandy’s flip-flop wisdom that I especially appreciate include:
“When we open up our feet to the sun, our lives seem to open up also – to the stars and the moon, to the sky, to the possibilities of the horizon.”
“We are never as far away from our flip-flop selves as we might feel. If we just give ourselves a moment, we can open up to the flip-flop self within.”
“Life shouldn’t be the story of how we lose ourselves.”
Indeed, living in your flip-flops is about finding yourself – your true self, otherwise known as your flip-flop self. It’s about taking those precious needed moments for self-discovery and fulfillment.
Since I want all sisters, daughters and mammas to benefit from the power of the flip-flop, I’ve included the essay, “When your glass slipper is a flip-flop” in my upcoming book, The Queen of Damn Good Advice. I don’t want any of us to ever forget to have fun and enjoy what we’re doing. And ladies, flip-flops can help you with this endeavor.
Mar 15, 2013 | Favorite Mamma Recipes
Recipes shared in this blog are part of a growing collection featured on my website in Mamma’s recipe eBox! I hope you enjoy trying some of her treasured dishes. And you’re invited to share your mamma’s prized specialties and delectables here, too. Of course, our mothers are not the only good cooks, but we don’t tell them that. So do feel free to include yummy treats beloved and cherished by a grandmother, mother-in-law, sister, daughter AND your own. Click here to go this new page and look for “Submit your recipe here” to participate! I would be super tickled to hear from you!
Here’s 3 new favorites I just added to Mamma’s eBox:
Heavenly Lime Jello Salad
My Mamma loves this fruity salad with her holiday meals, but she treats herself and others with it anytime she can – most every month!
1 small package lime jello
1 cup pineapple juice
1 small tub whipped cream cheese
1 small can crushed pineapple (drained)
1 tub whipped topping
1 cup pecan pieces (optional)
cherries to top with after jelled
Bring pineapple juice to a boil and add jello mix. Let set until begins to thicken. Mamma usually puts in the freezer and keeps a close eye. You want to remove from freezer when it is beginning to thicken just a little bit. Using your electric mixer, add cream cheese and mix well until creamy. Then add crushed pineapple, pecans and whipped topping. Chill in refrigerator until firm. Decorate with cherries and more pecan pieces if you like.
♥
Black-eyed peas
2 onions slicked thin or chopped
1 yellow bell pepper
1 bag black-eyed peas (soaked as directed on package)
1 T. soy sauce
1 can mild rotel tomatoes
1 t. dry mustard
1 t. chili powder
1 t. black pepper
1/2 t. red pepper
1 T. parsley
2 pieces of cooked bacon – crumbled
1 small jar picante sauce
1 small can green chilis
After soaking bag of black-eyed peas overnight, they should be ready to cook. You probably need to use your large dutch oven size stovetop pot. Of course, after draining peas from their soaking water, put them into your pot and add the rest of your ingredients. Mamma doesn’t add additional water until she gets all the other ingredients mixed with the peas and only adds water as needed to keep the peas well-covered. I don’t know how long it takes for the peas to actually be done because Mamma cooks them all day long!
♥
Sweet Potato Casserole
Warning: The amounts of these ingredients are approximated because Mamma and I don’t really measure with the appropriate and proper measuring cups and spoons!
6 – 8 sweet potatoes – sliced, cooked then mixed with electric mixer while still HOT
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 brown sugar
1 stick butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1 T. vanilla
4 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 t. nutmeg
1 T. cinnamon
3 T. pumpkin pie spice
In large bowl, mix together all ingredients with electric mixer. Important to mix while potatoes are still HOT. Pour into a butter greased 13x9x2 baking dish. Bake at 350° for approximately 45 minutes, possibly longer. My Mamma’s oven bakes faster than mine! Top with mini-marshmellows. This is a family tradition with our Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners! Taste like dessert, but it’s not!
♥
Mar 12, 2013 | Southern Women Writers
The Southern Belle’s Handbook
By Loraine Despres
Honestly, I don’t check out the birthplace of lady authors before I buy their books. So I don’t limit my reading to only southern women authors. But, I can sometimes guess where a woman has grown up by the way she writes. I must admit, I do enjoy the flare and wit that often shines through in the writings of a girl raised in the south.
This is probably why Loraine Despres’ The Southern Belle’s Handbook put a smile on my face the first time I read it. Mind you, Ms. Despre was not born in the south, but she was only a wee babe months old when her family moved to Louisiana, so the south is where she was rooted and grounded. This darling little handbook is along the lines of a quote book but the quotes are rules that make up this “survival manual for women.” The introduction describes this handbook as “a foolproof set of timeless wisdom that can help every woman accomplish exactly what she sets out to achieve in any realm of her life…”
Some of my tabbed pages include the following rules:
- A Southern Belle picks her fights…there are so many other ways to get what you want. Rule #26
- When you get to be a certain age you realize that the only thing you have time for is doing exactly what you want. Rule # 56
- Forget his stomach. The surest way to keep a man happy is to become his cheerleader. Rule #33
- Men fantasize about being a knight and rescuing a maiden in distress. Encourage this, it’s a good thing. There’s no reason for you to have to struggle while pushing a heavy bag into an overhead compartment. Rule # 73
- Men will say anything. A Southern Belle pays attention to what he does, never to what he says. Rule #79
- Throughout history, men have drooled over beautiful women. But there’s no point obsessing. There are plenty of misguided women who starve themselves to perfection, work out to exhaustion every day, and sit home alone every night – while at the supermarket you’ll find lots of women who are fat, feisty and married. You’ve got to keep things in perspective. Rule #87
Happy reading! If you have a favorite southern woman author, do tell me who and why you like her and I’ll share your scoop in a future blog.
