MoxieLife

Sad Day

I haven't been posting because my father passed away on Saturday and although we knew this was happening I am just so sad. I loved him so much and I can't believe he is gone. I am writing the obit and it is just crushing. When I am done I'll post that and the mythic story behind his actual death. Really quite incredible for this die hard Atheist. Love to all of you.

More Ideas Then Time? A Solution

I have thousands of ideas that percolate around in my brain. I used to think that I would remember them all, but now I realize that I am not that good (or I am just getting older). I hate though that they disappear. Even if they never get acted upon I like to know that I thought of something fantastic. I am now working through a way to keep ideas. Something simple. Something low tech. Something cheap.

There are important things to consider: ideas come at any time, ideas do not have to be fleshed out, is indexing ideas important, what happens when and idea becomes a project, and how do I store my ideas are just a few.

I have three concepts for idea storage that I am working through. I don't know which is better, and I have not tried any of them. I hate to commit to a system only to abandon it for a better/different one in a month. How do you keep track of your great ideas?

My Current Idea Ideas:

Idea 1: 3x5 cards - Each idea, as it happens, is written on an index card. These cards are then indexed into groups within an index card box with tabs. Further indexing could be done, but may not be necessary.

Pro: 3x5 cards are cheap, easy to get, portable, nice to write on, and easy to file.

Cons: Could be hard to put source material with index card (where would the article that inspired the idea go?). Not very glamorous in a high tech age. Would I really put only one idea on each card or would they end up as scratch paper?

Idea 2: Circa Notebook from Levenger. This would have tabs and I could add pages as I saw fit to each tab adding to easily expanding a concept.

Pros: Can use any paper and ideas can be be longer then an index card. Source material can be punched and placed right along side the ideas. Ideas can be moved from "idea to project" within the same notebook. Comes in a variety of sizes.

Cons: Expensive. The initial set up is very expensive. It would need to be a commitment because the punch and paper are expensive. Although you can use anything after you have the initial set up. Worry that the pages would slip out.

Idea 3: 3 Ring Binder: Write on any piece of paper and place in a 3 ring binder in the correct category.

Pros: Cheap, easy to use, have all the pieces at my disposal. Can move ideas around, they can be limitless in size, and any paper can be punched and put in the book.

Cons: Paper is really big. Is it practical to carry this kind of book around with you? Does it feel to academic?

This may seem like a ridiculous problem to some people, but I literally have ideas that I want to capture and go back to at some point. I have tried journals, my Palm, and random scraps of paper and those aren't working. I have book ideas, work concepts, craft ideas, party ideas, recipes, art concepts, installations, letters, etc. I realized several years ago that my real gift was ideas. I am a master planner, but I am even better at creating new ideas... so if I can't capture them I am losing what is most important.

And Now We Have Mono

Well, I don't have mono but my 17 year old princess does and she is just wiped out. She went in Thursday and they diagnosed her, Friday she went back and got a steroid shot because Friday night was the prom. Saturday she had to be on a float in the May Artrageous parade and the rest of the weekend was spent sleeping. So much for the last weeks of her senior year... she is down for the count and I can only hope she gets better soon.

Remember when I said I was mostly happy, I still am, but gosh I am tired of all the chaos!

A Bit of Friday Fun: Celebrity Sightings

Have you ever been close to or actually talked to a bonafied celebrity? Growing up in Orange County, California (before it was kind of cool and sparked TV and Movies) we didn't get the celebrity flow that they do now, but I have had my few close encounters with the celebrity kind. LobbyLu wanted us to share this with you:

1. Jerry Brown: I saw him when I was just a little kid at a rally for his dad.
2. Billy Barty: I had a thing for small people. Just thought they were the cutest things. Probably from years of watching Fantasy Island. Anyway, I was at some Mormon event and he was on stage and came down and talked to me. I remember NOTHING from the moment because I think I was a bit shocked to have been talking to him.
3. David Crosby: I followed him for 6 blocks in San Francisco. Not on purpose in a stalking kind of way, more like he was going the same direction that I was going.
4. Grizzly Adams: What was his real name... anyway I saw him at Disneyland. I turned to ask a lady next to me if that was him and she said it was but he didn't want to be talked to. Like I would have cared to talk to him. Geesh.
5. John Stamos, his band played at our school. He went to Cypress High School and I went to Western High School... I think we are the same age. He was a cutie.
6. Cindy Sheehan: She gave a talk and I talked with her prior to the event for quite sometime. She is an incredibly strong woman.
7. Well, while I was working at the Auditorium in Eureka Springs, Arkansas I met Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss, Keb Mo, and a host of other musicians. Nice people doing a job.

That is my little list of celebrity sightings. My husband sat on the same plane as 3 Dog Night, went to school with Blondee I think, Oh and I went to the same High School with Tiger Woods, but I didn't know him. Oh, and somehow I think I met Rebecca DeMornay... but that might not have been her. You would think I would keep better track of all of that. I guess celebrities are just people to me. If I could meet someone now it would be people like Ira Glass, Jimmy Carter, or Yoko Ono. They interest me, but I would want to have coffee and talk, not just get an autograph.

Are You Happy?

I have been going through a lot lately as you all know and yet I find myself mostly happy. How does this happen? Why do I, in the midst of chaos, get to be happy and you don't? What do I have that you are missing?

There are no easy answers to personal happiness and everyone gets there in their own way, but I thought I would share some of the things I know about being happy.

1. Do things that you want to do: don't always run around doing things for other people. Take time to look around the garden center, read the book on the side of your table, ignore the phone when it is ringing off the hook. Your time is, in my opinion, the most valuable thing you have and sharing it is precious... don't always share it.
2. Look at what you have and not what you don't have: this is the simple one. If I don't worry about not having the latest thing I can be happy with what I do have. No one really cares what I drive, wear, or listen to... and if they do that is their own problem... I can just keep up with what I have and not always acquire more.
3. Laugh: a lot. There is nothing funnier then the mess you find yourself in. Laugh at yourself everyday because, trust me, you are a fool. Once you figure that out you will lighten up a bit and feel better about making mistakes or missing the mark.
4. Smile: I once did this experiment where one day I wore lipstick and smiled while walking to my office from the train and one day I didn't wear lipstick and didn't smile. Two things happened, on the lipstick wearing day people smiled back and I felt fantastic and on the other day I felt as if I was alone and trudging through the crowd of people. So, either wear lipstick or not but try to smile.
5. Start over everyday: everyday is a new chance to do it better. You might not (most probably won't but with #3 that is ok), but you get the chance and realizing that is a gift larger then any other... and perhaps the real key to happiness.

I don't have any real solutions to your problems (or mine at the moment), but I do know that when I relax, take time for me, and am grateful for the things I do have they are dwarfed remarkably. What are you keys to happiness?