Thanks for rocking–here’s some money! Pic from TaxCredits at Flickr Commons.

Last week, I wrote about how some of us push money away because, subconsciously, we can’t reconcile having money with being good, happy people. And our subconscious beliefs control what we allow into our lives.

This week, I want to talk about how we can have money and feel like good, happy people.

On the surface, this seems very obvious. I don’t know many people who would seriously say, “Money sucks. I don’t respect people with money and I never want to be one of them.”

But this is what many of us believe.

And while we might not be so direct, that subconscious belief might come out in phrases like, “Look at that rich jerk in his fancy car. What, he thinks the speed limit doesn’t apply to him?” (Because I always drive the speed limit in my ’98 Subaru.) Or, when we can’t pay a bill on time, “Ugh! I hate money!”

That’s the thing about subconscious beliefs. We don’t come out and say them, because we’re not aware of them. (Once we’re aware of them, they become “conscious.”) But all that time, they’re running our lives.

One reason money and happiness have trouble coexisting is that we see money as a bribe.

We were taught that we only receive money for hard, unenjoyable work.

But money isn’t a bribe. It’s a “Thank you.” When we pay for something, we’re saying it adds value to our lives.

“You raise the cleverest sea monkeys on the east coast! Thank you.”

“You make such beautiful music for the world to dance to, with lyrics that really speak to me. Thank you.”

“You make awesome coffee, and you let me sit in your coffee house for hours on end so I’m not stuck in my house alone all day with only the clacking of my keyboard for company. Thank you.”

I can’t think of an instance in which money doesn’t equal Thank You. Even if you’re paying off the mob, that money still contains an element of gratitude for them not breaking your hands.

The next time you pay for something, remember that money means Thank You. Think of all the places that money is going. (In my case, it’s going into the cash register to support the coffee shop. Some is going to the barista, some into supplies.)

Start to see your own income as your boss thanking you for your work and your time. Even this gentle shift can make you feel more valued. And feeling more valuable is a big key to getting more money in your life.

Value = Happiness

“Who needs that much money?”
-- Me, you and everyone we know (probably)

“The purpose of our lives is to add value to the people of this generation, and those that follow.”
– Buckminster Fuller

“Your life is not just about you. It’s also about contributing to others. It’s about living true to your mission and reason for being here on this earth at this time.”
– T. Harv Eker

Do you see how the first quote boxes our minds into thinking that anyone with a lot of money is selfish? It comes from a selfish mindset.

Do you see how the second two quotes align generosity with money? It’s almost like they think we have the responsibility to create value and enrich peoples’ lives.

The last time I really, deeply, intensely wished I had more money was when my friend Lara, an independent singer-songwriter, was doing a Kickstarter campaign to create a full-length album. Lara’s music has enriched my life, and I just knew it would enrich every ear that heard it. I wanted to fund her whole project! I funded her as much as I could.

She’s met her Kickstarter goal just a few days later. Surpassed it, actually. You know why? People were thanking her for her music. They were saying, “Thank you, more please!” in a BIG WAY.S

Congratulations to @LaraRuggles !

Lara is learning to accept money and gratitude for the value her talents bring to the world. She is learning to believe in her own value, and to stand up for it. Good for her! The more she understands her own value, the more she’ll put herself out there–and the more people will value her.

On the other hand, when we don’t feel valued (make money), we can’t extend much value (money) to the world.

Doubting this? The next time you eat out, try saying to your server, “I’m sorry, I can’t tip you, but I really value your service!” See how much your server values that.

Actually, don’t do that. Tip them.

Appreciating Rich People (instead of subtly hating them)

“Money can’t make you good or bad. It can only make you more of what you already are.”

- Somebody smarter than me said this.

One of the most memorable, generous, admirable people I’ve ever met is rich. He’s the kind of person who tips 100%. The kind who surprises everyone at dinner by picking up the whole bill. The kind who starts writing a check before I get through describing the charity. He was always generous and kind. But his money sure does bring it out in amazing ways.

When I see him drive up in a fancy car, I think, “He deserves it all. He’s amazing.” But if I didn’t know him? “Rich jerk!”

If you like to eat out, having more money will let you eat out more. (Heh heh…)

If you’re afraid of losing what you have, getting more money will make you more afraid of losing bigger sums.

If you are a generous person, guess what having more money will let you do? Be more generous.

We can cultivate beliefs that rich people are kind and happy, and that money is a good thing. But some of us will have to work at this. In some cases, there’s a lot of subconscious BS we have to work through, but it is very possible to program ourselves to believe certain things.

Here’s an exercise from T. Harv Eker’s “Secrets of the Millionaire Mind”:

He suggests mentally congratulating people who have money–or anything else you’d like to have.

Don’t be jealous. Being jealous is basically the belief that there isn’t enough for them and you both. It means you don’t believe in abundance, and that belief will manifest in your life.

But congratulating them expresses a belief in abundance, and starts to ingrain respect for rich people in your mind. (Your mind only wants you to be something you respect, remember?)

So practice seeing money as “Thank You.” Practice appreciating people who have it. Do this enough, and it starts to seem like society runs on gratitude instead of money. It’s a good place to start.

And listen to “Don’t Worry.” Lara passed her Kickstarter goal. Take a listen and find out why.

***

L. Marrick is a historical fantasy writer and freelance copywriter. She waxes poetic about swords and the Renaissance Faire at her author blog. She looks all professional-like at her copywriting site. She eats too much chocolate and still doesn’t believe downward dog is supposed to be a restful yoga pose. You can connect with her at either of her websites, and follow her on Twitter @LMarrick.

There is such wonder in the color of water for it “…takes on the image of the entire world without ever losing its essential clearness,” whether it is a drop in an ocean, a riffle in a mountain stream, a puddle newly born of rain. (Mark Nepo).

In any given moment, the color of water is steel-gray, sky-blue, moss-green or dirt-brown for water easily embraces the colors of any obstacle anywhere, as the nature of water is to embrace, while its essence remains ever clear.

Washing over stones, roaring over a cliff to drop thousands of feet, or raining in torrents, it is the nature of water to take on any landscape for as long as necessary, even eons to fill a desert basin as a great salt lake. The nature of water is transparency for no one color ever stays, and no one outcome is preferred.

Like water, our essential nature is to “…embrace everything clearly without imposing who we are and without losing who we are” (Mark Nepo). It is the nature of human compassion to take on any event, no matter its color, for as long as necessary.

“The highest good is like water.
Water gives life to the ten thousand
things and does not strive.”

~Lao Tsu~

It is not easy for us to take on the color of any experience for our nature is not the nature of water, even if our bodies are more water than tissue and bone.

We are concerned with the image we present to the world—whether or not it reflects our true nature—for it is an image thoughtfully prepared, somewhat opaque, designed to reflect certain colors in certain situations. It is how we survive in the larger current of human nature.

Often, it is easier to remain within the current of human nature, whether or not that is who we actually are, for we are not water gouging the landscape, unaffected by changes in our lives. Yet the nature of water is compassionate for it does not strive but “gives life to the 10,000 things” as the Tao teaches us.

Water is constant to the current that flows through all life–whether as a stagnant pool or massive flood—in all, water remains true to its essence, its role, which is so much more than any color it takes on or change it makes.

Like the nature of water, we are more than any image we reflect or action that we take. In each moment, we have the opportunity to be just as we are—our true essence—reflecting an embrace so similar to the nature of water.

Unlike the nature of water, we are not always totally present in our lives. Our levels of consciousness are not the same for we are aware of the flow of our individual natures within the current of human nature. We have the ability to think and plan.

We tend to attach to extraordinary or ordinary obstacles but the nature of water teaches us not to stay the color of those obstacles but ultimately run true and clear to who we are in the current of human nature.

“Beneath the clouds, water desires only to flow, and beneath our tensions and problems, the human spirit wants only to embrace and soften” (Mark Nepo).

The nature of water is a compassionate one, reflecting as colors of the day. We are and are not water. Like water, we embrace our world; unlike water, we choose the nature of that embrace.

*******************************

KM Huber is a writer who learned Zen from a beagle. She believes the moment is all we ever have, and it is enough. In her early life as a hippie, she practiced poetry, and although her middle years were a bit of a muddle, she remains an overtly optimistic sexagenerian, writing prose. She blogs at kmhubersblog.com, may be followed on Twitter @KM_Huber or contacted by email at writetotheranch@gmail.com.

© 2013 KM Huber. All content on this page is protected by copyright. If you would like to use any part of this, please contact me at the above links to request permission.

Image via Flikr Creative Commons via FaceMePls

By. Kristen Lamb

When the news broke about Abercrombie & Fitch’s CEO Michael Jeffries and his elitist comments, I was compelled to write a post on my author blog about how Abercrombie & Fitch’s CEO Michael Jeffreys’ message hurts us all. Like many, I was hurt and outraged. Jeffries’ comments struck me as cruel, shallow, misogynistic, and misguided. But then, after publishing my post, I had time to calm down and think. Maybe Abercrombie & Fitch wasn’t evil at all. What if this company has revolutionized fashion and society and done us all a HUGE favor?

What if A&F logo-emblazoned hoodies and sweatshirts are the secret to world peace? The shining light in the darkness that guides us toward more meaningful relationships? What if Jeffries’ is less troll and more visionary than we ever could imagine?

Give this man a NOBEL!

Bear with me.

The Birth of Fashion

At one time, early in human history, clothing served to protect humans from the elements and keep them warm. But, what many of you might NOT know was that everyone looked the same, running around in somewhat smelly saber-tooth outerwear.

It was really Ug who came up with the first line of saber-tooth necklaces to accessorize these early, boring designs. Ug later inspired Og to use the teeth of a boar as bracelets. Not only could one look smashing day OR night, but boar-tooth bangles gave the wearer the opportunity to brag and take credit for killing said object of accessory.

Og, being  brilliant entrepreneur, soon realized men of the tribe could also give gifts of HATS made of feathers to their mates for more nookie.

This was the beginning of fashion status, because any dude who could find a basket of clamshells and heaping handful of shiny rocks to trade Og for a feather-hat had a happy mate (and, of course, more nookie). Wifey could look better than all the other females while chewing on mammoth hide to make blankets…and maybe even some more fashion.

Og noticed that deerskin dresses were NOT exactly slimming, so the invention of the “belt” soon followed. The “belt” was just what human males needed to tell which of the tribe’s women had the best birthing hips.

Original image via Cliff 1066 via Flikr Creative Commons

Fashion For the Ugly

As centuries passed, fashion was a privilege of the wealthy and helped distinguish between classes. BUT—and this is WAY more important—fashion was made to make ugly people pretty. See, the “blue-bloods” (royalty) believed it was best to keep everything in the family  *wink, wink* and, within a few incestuous generations, the royal families looked like they needed a banjo and some moonshine to go with the crown and scepter.

How else could the King Charles II of Spain distract from his face long enough to make more ugly royal babies? FASHION.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

Fashion Evolves into Art

As time went on, fashion still had the purpose of distinguishing social status and that hasn’t changed. It also had the purpose of making ugly people, regular people, pretty people and even gorgeous people look WAY BETTER. Why be pretty if you could be STUNNING?

In fact, the mark of a real designer is the clothes can make anyone look good.

But some fashion designers decided that the use of lampshades, mousetraps and Slinkies in clothing design was under appreciated. These designers couldn’t use models who looked like Marilyn Monroe or Sophia Loren to wear these designs, because we’d be too distracted by these models’ beautiful faces and curvy bodies and wouldn’t see the strategically placed Vita-Mix in their hats.

Thus we see models evolve into poofy-lipped coat hangars. We wouldn’t be looking at the 6’3″, 110 pound model and so we’ll appreciate the use of tin foil and paperclips as a skirt as art.

Ice Bag Hats are All the Rage

Thus far we can see fashion has had numerous purposes:

Shelter from the Elements

Status

Beauty Enhancement

Art

And this is Why Jeffries is One of the Brilliant Minds of Our Times

Jefferies has used his company Abercrombie & Fitch for an entirely new purpose, previously unexplored in fashion (more on that in a moment). First, let’s see how A&F stacks up on the “Fashion Litmus Test.”

Protection From The Elements

Since all clothing protects from the elements (even the hat made with a pipe wrench, Saran Wrap and deer antlers) A&F fits this purpose. Wear an A&F hoodie to keep warm or an A&F hat to keep from burning your nose at the beach. Fair enough.

Status

Okay, with their ridiculous prices, it does limit the demographic of people who can purchase said items to those with money (or to those willing to lose their hearing to purchase a tank top). Thus, it’s safe to assume that A&F fits the second purpose of fashion. Being better than other people.

Ah, but the third….

Beauty Enhancement

By his own admission, Jeffries’ admits their designs have no power to make average people look better. He contends that A&F seeks only beautiful people to wear A&F clothes, that he wants “models” in their “fashion.” Plain, ugly, boring, unpopular, fat, shy, individualistic, or poor people need not apply.

Straight from the horse’s….mouth (FB meme)

Art

I think we can all agree that A&F is not going to give Chanel, Prada, Versace, or Bulgari any real competition.

A&F and Its “Models”

First of all, Mr. Jeffries’, in case you are unaware of this fact, models are supposed to be PAID to wear the clothing for a designer. Thus, freeloading off the beautiful people is just in poor taste. For the beautiful, popular people out there, I sincerely hope you will see how you’re being used (and at least demand a discount).

And…make sure I have this correct.

Since A&F clothing can’t make regular people look better, and Jeffries’ doesn’t want over 67% of the United States wearing them, essentially what Jeffries’ wants is for gorgeous people with six-pack abs and killer bodies…to PAY exorbitant prices TO HIS COMPANY to model for them for FREE.

Man, that is pretty sharp. And to think, all these other designers have been actually paying models all these years. Wow, I sure hope the other designers don’t catch on to this indentured servitude business model.

No, Really, Jeffries IS a GENIUS

Aside from figuring out a way for beautiful, popular people to pay his company to model for free, Jeffries has given a new purpose to fashion…one never properly used before.

Fashion As WARNING Label

Hey, we have warnings on cigarettes, alcohol, and even food. There are warnings on medications and even a warning not to blow dry our hair while showering. Yet, to this day, we’ve had no proper way to label narcissistic jerks with the emotional depth of a sea cucumber.

A&F is here to help humanity.

Think of all the time and money we will save!

A&F Fashions will Revolutionize Dating

Guys, you won’t have to waste time taking a gal to a $100 dinner to watch her treat the staff like they’re dirt on her feet. Her A&F blouse was an easy warning label to take her for a quick $4 Starbucks coffee instead…until you can pretend your dog died and get the hell out of there.

Gals, no more wasting weeks or months to see if a guy is kind and has a good heart, thus boyfriend material. If he’s still sporting A&F after all this? Probably going to be a tough relationship. There won’t be enough room in the front seat of his car for him, his artificially inflated ego, and you.

So prepare to move on and date other good-looking popular guys who refuse to be used as free models. OR…get used to riding in the back seat…and walking three steps behind…and sharing all the mirrors. And if a huntsman knocks on your door holding a box and a knife? Your date’s realized ur prettier than him and it’s his way of “breaking up.”

RUN.

Abercrombie & Fitch Making Life Simpler for Us All

Think how easy it will be to spot the mean girls in high schools, the jerks at sporting events, the bullies in bars? Since the attitude of A&F is clearly, “We wear this because we are better than you” we won’t have to waste any time or emotional energy dealing with self-deluded @$$hats.

Three Cheers to Abercrombie & Fitch!!!

Thank you for making our lives SO much easier. We are so busy these days and so much is expected with balancing work and school and family. It really does take a lot of emotional energy to weed out the narcissistic @$$clowns in our lives, but you….you *sniff*…you have saved us.

If we now date some guy or gal with a wardrobe from Abercrombie & Fitch, we are no longer going in blindly. Thank you for your contribution to humanity. Sure, we could give a Nobel to someone who cured CANCER, but Jeffries’ figured out how to properly label jerks.

Tough choice, I know.

CAUTION:

Use of this clothing has been known to cause extreme swelling of the head, an unusual paranoia about gaining weight or being seen without makeup. Wearing these designs can cause bullying and a consuming need to feel better than everyone else. A&F designs are merely articles of clothing and are not meant to fulfill emptiness in your soul. If you choose to wear A&F clothing and experience any of these symptoms—mocking of fat people, picking on poor people, over-obsession with level of popularity—please stop wearing immediately and consult a friend or acquaintance who wears Wal Mart clothes for a reality check.

All right, I am finished picking on Jeffries’. At least this has been good for important lessons in life and a good laugh. We all can use more laughter.

I always liked A&F clothes, but this stinky attitude that’s now been attached to them? BOO! HISS! We can want to look beautiful without throwing others under the bus. Beauty is all around us, and hopefully more companies will start seeing that.

***

Kristen Lamb is the author of the #1 best-selling books We Are Not Alone–The Writer’s Guide to Social Media and Are You There, Blog? It’s Me, Writer. Feel free to follow her weekday blog or find her on Facebook and Twitter. Kristen is the C.E.O. of WANA International and the founder of the social site for creatives, WANATribe.

We Are Not Alone!

Photo via Catie Rhodes ~ WANA Commons

by Jenny Hansen

Back in a previous iteration of my career, I was in sales. We call that “The Dark Time” at my house. Sales was a terrible job for me and I needed a TON of pick-me-up every day.

Why did I hate it? Besides the crappy boss, the endless hours and all the paperwork?

I’m a trainer and a writer, both in equal measure. In fact, writing is easier if I teach often and teaching is better if I write often. I love to interact, to watch people learn, to see the light bulb go on. And I love to tell stories.

My life got a lot better when I realized this and left that sales job behind me.

It takes a lot of motivation to keep doing a job you hate and the guy who could keep me hopped up was Zig Ziglar, one of the greatest motivators of all time. He passed late last year, and he is sorely missed.

Zig was ALL about people, as the best sales and motivational people are, and he could keep me fired up. He still keeps me fired up.

This was the Zig advice that got me out of bed this last week while I fought the flu:

“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”

Another of my fave motivators, Harvey Mackay, put out the following collection of Zig quotes in one of his newsletters. I’m positive the quotes below will help perk you up as you prepare for your weekend.

As Ziglar said, “People often say motivation doesn’t last. Neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.”

Ziglar realized the important truth: in order to educate, you need to entertain. And he knew that stories and thought-provoking quotes could be great teachers, which is why he collected them and wrote them down.

On marriage:

• “Many marriages would be better if the husband and wife clearly understood that they are on the same side.”

On success:

• “There are no traffic jams on the extra mile.”
• “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time”
• “Outstanding people have one thing in common: an absolute sense of mission.”

On failure:

• “Failing is an event, not a person. Yesterday ended last night.”
• “Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have 24-hour days.”
• “If you learn from defeat, you haven’t really lost.”

On character:

• “Every choice you make has an end result.”
• “If you go out looking for friends, you’re going to find they are very scarce. If you go out to be a friend, you’ll find them everywhere.”
• “It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through.”

And my absolute favorite Zig quote EVER:

“You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.”

Who is your favorite motivational person? What quote helps you keep going when you want to quit? Be sure to tweet them to me!

~ Jenny
@JennyHansenCA

About Jenny Hansen

By day, Jenny provides training and social media marketing for an accounting firm. By night she writes humor, memoir, women’s fiction and short stories. After 15 years as a corporate software trainer, she’s delighted to sit down while she works.

When she’s not at her personal blog, More Cowbell, Jenny can be found on Twitter at JennyHansenCA or at Writers In The Storm. Jenny also writes the Risky Baby Business posts at More Cowbell, a series that focuses on babies, new parents and high-risk pregnancy.

© 2013 Jenny Hansen. All content on this page is protected by copyright. If you would like to use any part of this, please contact me at the above links to request permission.

WHEN LIFE INTERRUPTS…

By

Vicki Hinze

A few years ago, I underwent a series of eye surgeries, and learned a lot more than I ever wanted to know about living and writing in a life bombarded by interruptions.  Since all lives are interrupted by one thing or another, we all deal with them.  Constructive coping strategies shared can prevent upset, anxiety and help diminish acid churning in the stomach spurring ulcers.

Here is an article I wrote at that time:

Warning: I’m typing blind, so please pardon errors and read in the spirit written, not the form…

No one likes to have their routine or rhythm interrupted. It’s disturbing, throws a person off-stride, irritates and annoys. And then things get really nasty because other obligations don’t go away, good fairies don’t sweep in and take care of everything, and the disabled person watches a clear desktop disappear and “Do me Next” piles appear and multiply and you can’t do one thing about any of it.

The first few days are the roughest because you’re still geared to keep up with everything: production, promotion, email and other correspondence, research and workshops. (Today, add marketing, social media, publicity, and all that entails to your to-do list.)

You try to work anyway but soon discover that you just can’t do it. Then anger and resentment set in, and eventually you mentally work your way through it all to resignation. I wish I could say that this realization is arriving at a graceful acceptance, but the truth is that it is not. It is resignation on-demand and not by choice, and there’s additional resentment at that. “I’m a good person. I work hard, try to help others when I can, do my best to live a life with purpose and all this ‘stuff’ happens to me that I can’t control and I’m sick to death of it. I’m sick to death of being sick.”  (Maybe in your case, it’s incapacitated, or having diminished capacities.  Insert your adjective—you’re working at less than at your normal.

That is a more accurate depiction of the process. However, when railing against the injustices in life does absolutely nothing to improve the situation—in fact, it grows worse—resentment can’t get any stronger, and so other things—ones you have slowed down now long enough (by force, yes, but still you’ve slowed down) to notice—capture your attention and your concentration.

And then you begin to think.  To ponder on things you’ve not stopped to ponder on for a while. You find other ways to communicate, other ways to work, if only in your mind. And you find yourself working on other things—things you have neglected for some time or you’ve never before considered. You even find yourself reconsidering and redefining that which you thought was steadfast and certain, and quite suddenly, it hits you that this interruption has given you an opportunity. A chance to pause, reflect, and reconsider. An opportunity to change something significant to you for the better.

Your resentment falls to your discovery. The interruption provides a new vista. And you’re grateful, if not graceful.  Acceptance swells and you finally relax, stop worrying and have faith that everything will work out exactly as it is supposed to work out.  Then . . . then you accept that this interruption too has purpose.

At that point of enlightenment, something magical happens. It’s as if your receptors open wide because you’ll be doing something totally unrelated to anything (like sitting in a rocking chair with an empty mind) and unexpectedly a title pops into your head. You whisper it, letting the syllables roll over your tongue. It interests you, intrigues you, fascinates you, and you repeat it aloud. The moment you do, in a glorious flash, the entire story materializes in your mind. The premise, the characters, the events—and the purpose all are crystal clear.

A new dawning comes.  This isn’t a story you would have written without the interruption, and yet there is something distinctly right for you in it.  Something that nudges at you, niggles at something so deep down inside you that it ignites a knowing:  this is your story to tell.

In its raw form, you realize this story is different.  So you pitch it to your critique partner, unsure of his/her reaction, which sets your teeth on edge because you know this story matters.  S/he loves it; suggests you develop it. You’re reassured but uncertainty remains, so you then pitch the story to a trusted friend with a closed mouth and keen eyes. She gets chills; agrees you must go for it.

Still remnants of uncertainty persist.  So you pitch it to a second trusted friend (it’s so different, you need the affirmation before further investing), and that feedback too is overwhelmingly positive. So with the raw form vetted, you pitch the story to your agent, and again you get a green light . . . with a little caveat.

All systems are go, and because this isn’t your usual kind of book, this book is also open to being worked on in unusual-for-you ways. And so you do that, too. You think, you run the movie of the story in your mind. You work, but you also play, and your limitation due to life’s interruption doesn’t seem so limiting anymore. In a sense, it’s become liberating.

You ponder that for a time—the liberation—and realize that you’ve been functioning in a rut. You’ve been less enthused and more intent on just getting this-or-that done.

You also realize that you’ve been writing someone else’s vision more than your own, and because you have, you’ve enjoyed the work far less and witnessed the magic in it being tamped if not snuffed out.

More wake-up calls. Constructive wake-up calls.  And more and more of them keep coming, and none of them would have come or had the opportunity to surface had life not interrupted.

I guess the moral of this article is to share that truth.  Sometimes you need to not see to see things clearly.

When all is done, I guess we need those life interruptions to encourage us to stop and take stock and revisit what we are doing and why, and to either determine our commitment to what we’re doing or to change things so that we can again be committed.

While I’m still in my little life interruption—predictions are two weeks more—I’m convinced that there are more lessons to be learned during it. For me, the interruption was a little eye surgery complicated by an abrasion. The abrasion requires antibiotic ointment that knocks out vision in my left eye. It’s healing, but not yet healed. The right eye is healing from surgery. (This is what happens when goggles worn to bed to protect your eyes slip during sleep and scratch the good eye.) Anyway, I’ll be back to normal in short order. For that, I am grateful.

But I am also grateful for the interruption. It’s enabled me to take a look at my life and work and reassess. It’s enabled me to recommit to the writing and writing only with purpose. It’s given me the time and incentive to think.  And a cool new project, which compared to all else, is a nice perk.

Isn’t it strange? Sometimes you have to temporarily lose to gain that most valuable.

That’s what I wrote then.  Now I’m in yet another life interruption—we gutted the kitchen—and it’s happened again!  Taking the core of the house down to studs and slab doesn’t make for creative conditions in which to write, but it’s an interruption perfect for welcoming an interruption—and then come the best ideas.  This time, it’s a new series I’m calling Down & Dead, Inc., and I totally love it.  It’s different, but so far three books have played like movies in my mind.

I’ve learned the constructive benefits of life interruptions, and I hope through this, you’ve discovered them, too.

———————

Vicki Hinze is the award-winning bestselling author of nearly thirty novels in a variety of genres including, suspense, mystery, thriller, and romantic or faith-affirming thrillers. Her latest releases are: Torn Loyalties (romantic suspense), Duplicity (mystery/thriller), One Way to Write a Novel (nonfiction). She holds a MFA in Creative Writing and a Ph.D. in Philosophy, Theocentric Business and Ethics. Hinze’s website:Facebook. Books. Twitter. Contact. www.vickihinze.com

Representative Donald Payne, Jr. Hosts ELIMU Event for Many Hopes in Washington D.C. Washington D.C. — May 15, 2013 — Many Hopes, a fundraising organization that helps to rescue, house, love and educate orphaned and abandoned girls in Kenya, will have a cocktail reception on Thursday, May 16, at 6:30pm at Fathom Gallery, hosted by Representative Donald Payne, Jr. and Founder Thomas Keown,  and Kenyan Ambassador Jean Njeri Kamau will be in attendance.WHAT:    ELIMU Event with Representative Donald Payne, Jr., Kenyan Ambassador Jean Njeri Kamau, and Many Hopes Founder Thomas KeownWHEN:    Thursday, May 16, 6:30-9:00pm EDT

WHERE:    Fathom Gallery, 1333 14th Street NW, Washington, DC  20005

R.S.V.P.:    https://www.facebook.com/events/574985035859896/

Many Hopes is providing a long-term strategic solution to the corruption and poverty that exploits the most vulnerable children in coastal Kenya.  The organization invests in sustainable community development on five related fronts, one community at a time: girls’ homes, quality school, boys’ homes, medical facility, and community water.

ELIMU is the next phase of Many Hopes’ mission to support children’s education in Kenya – university education. Equipping those who have suffered the worst with confidence, education, and a network will create a revolution of positive change in Kenya.

Follow us on twitter @Many_Hopes and tweet about this event or like us on Facebook.

About Many Hopes
Many Hopes was founded in 2007 by Kenyan journalist Anthony Mulongo and British journalist Thomas Keown.  Originally launched as One Home Many Hopes, it has grown into a global community of local staff, volunteers, sponsors, and investors who raise money to build homes and schools for girls and boys in Kenya, while developing local businesses to sustain them.  For more information about becoming a volunteer or to give a donation, please visit www.ManyHopes.org.

A Review of the Syfy Series “Warehouse 13” by Tiffany A. White

Throughout history, government agencies have built secret warehouses around the world to house and protect magical artifacts.  These warehouses are overseen by the Secret Service and a group known as the Council of Regents.

Warehouse 13, the current warehouse designed by a team including Thomas Edison, is hidden deep in the mountains outside of the fictional town of Univille, South Dakota, also known as the middle of nowhere.  As a part of their cover, the Secret Service agents claim to work for the IRS, and therefore the townsfolk snub them.  After all, who likes the IRS?

Dr. Arthur “Artie” Nielsen (Saul Rubinek) is the agent-in-charge of the warehouse.  Artie has a hard time trusting others with the artifacts, and he is oftentimes frustrated with his two lead agents, Myka and Pete.  Artie isn’t very personable, although he does have an ongoing crush on a visiting doctor played by Lindsay Wagner, who comes once a year to remove his regenerating appendix (it’s a magical show, remember?).

Viewers learn that Artie’s mysterious past includes his unknowingly trading magical artifacts to the Soviet Union in exchange for the release of his imprisoned family members, an act that was considered treason by the United States.  Once he turned himself in, the US government assigned him to the warehouse where he has been ever since.

Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly) is the traditional, play by the rules, Secret Service agent working at the warehouse.  Like most women, Myka pays great attention to detail, and her professional style clashes with her goofy partner, Pete.  On a personal note, Myka has a pet ferret (that she named Pete) and she loves Twizzlers.

What “special power” does Myka bring to the table? She has a photographic memory.

Pete Lattimer (Eddie McClintock) is the other side of the partnership.  He’s a former Marine and a recovering alcoholic, yet he still has a goofy and fun side.  Pete loves sports, collects comic books, and craves junk food.

What “special power” does Pete bring to the table? He’s a master at reading lips and he can sense when something bad is about to happen.

The two partners share a cute relationship—it’s clear that they love each other, but more in a brotherly/sisterly kind of way.  Pete dated the town veterinarian for a little while (until an artifact possessed her and she tried to kill him), while Myka managed to kiss the boy she crushed on in high school at her reunion.  Other than that, the Warehouse 13 agents rarely have time for any romantic interludes.

The Warehouse also employs Claudia (Allison Scagliotti), a young techie-genius who went to work for the team after breaking into the warehouse…

A few other recurring characters include: Mrs. Frederic (C.C.H. Pounder), the director of the warehouse and liaison between the agents and regents; Helena “H.G.” Wells (Jaime Murray), an agent from the late 1800’s, who bounces back and forth between good and evil; and, Steve Jinks (Aaron Ashmore), an agent brought in after Myka temporarily resigned.

A huge bonus to working at the warehouse is the access to very cool gadgets.  The agents communicate with one another visually and telephonically via a “Farnsworth” in lieu of cell phones.  Instead of using real guns, the agents fire a “Tesla Gun”—a weapon that shoots lightning bolts and stuns the bad guys instead of killing them.  The agents also use caution when in public by capturing the magic of the artifacts by sealing them inside metallic “flash” bags.

Warehouse 13 has featured many historical artifacts throughout the seasons including Lewis Carroll’s looking glass, Lizzie Borden’s compact, Marilyn Monroe’s hair brush, Harry Houdini’s wallet, Marie Antoinette’s guillotine blade (well, the one that killed her), Ben Franklin’s lightning rod, and Edgar Allan Poe’s quill pen.

Not personally big on most shows featured on SyFy, I find Warehouse 13 very enjoyable.  I read somewhere that W13 has over 50% female viewers, maybe for the very same reasons that I watch—it’s fun, magical, and an escape from reality.

*****

Tiffany A. White is the author of the YA mystery “Football Sweetheart” series. She blogs at The Ooo Factor and is available for contact via Twitter at @Tiffany_A_White, Facebook at Tiffany A. White, or by email at tiffany@tiffanyawhite.com.

© 2013 Tiffany A. White. All written content on this page is protected by copyright. If you would like to use any part of this, please contact us at the above links to request permission.

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Morning Readers,

You know what I love more than Strawberry ice cream with chocolate sauce?

Nothing.

Ok, I’m kidding.

No, I’m not kidding. That gloriousness is the pinnacle of dairy confection perfection.

But, today, running a close second, is the attic fan. Do you have an attic fan? I’m not sure if they’re like the noble salmon, migrating and enriching the ecosystem wherever they go, but I do know that these types of fans, snugly embedded in hallways ceilings, are extremely prominent in the Midwest.

Pulling cool air through one’s home, the attic fan is the ideal compromise between turning on the air conditioning, or spending eight dollars on An Apprentice Sorcerer’s Guide To Coaxing the Colder Air On the Outside of the Home to the Inside: Volume I.

With shipping, it can be kind of a rip-off sometimes.

Anywho, last year, ours broke with a grinding halt, prompting me to fall out of my chair and stop working on a blog post that was ten times worse than this one.

Husband stormed out of his room like a discombobulated rabbit who’d just had dynamite thrown down its burrow. “What’s going on?”

I threw my hands in the air, dropping my ice cream spoon. “I didn’t do it.”

Sadly, Husband and I repeatedly clicked the switch back and forth, finally admitting defeat after the sound that came out suggested it would fall out of the attic and eat us. What would it cost to fix it? If we carefully lowered each other on top of it, could we sort out the problem, or would one of use be parenting with only one hand? No one knew.

Until last week.

With a bow, I let all three repair men in the door and led them upstairs. Sundance briefed them that the fan was, “broken and you need to fix it,” while I pointed at the ceiling and prayed that none of them noticed the hole in the wall where the dog had gotten bored, or the damage to the bedroom door where the children had gotten bored.

Ninety-five dollars later and both hands still in tact, the fan is up, running, and cooling the house as I speak.

Enough with all the fanfare though (slaps knee because she’s hilarious). Off with you. And enjoy your day. I’m out of Mike and Ike’s, coffee, and socks …it’s getting a little cool in here.

—

Paige Kellerman blogs about marriage, babies and gin at www.paigekellerman.com, and is the author of At Least My Belly Hides My Cankles (June 2013). You can reach her at paigekellerman@gmail.com.

She also hides out on Twitter and Facebook.