Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Happy 7th Day of Xmas

This is where I'm not. My Ellen friends are freeeeeeeeezing in Times Square tonight and having a v. fine time. I am in my jammies, having successfully failed to get a timely post on this last day of 2008. I'm going to eat gluten free mac 'n' cheese, have some tea, and have a movie fest with Mum. It's a rockin' night! :-) H.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

6th Day of Christmas

On this 6th Day of Christmas, I offer the word penultimate. It means second-to-last.

e.g. Today is the penultimate day of 2008.


I'm looking back at 2008 and I'm ready to say goodbye and welcome 2009. I don't really do resolutions. They seem to have a built-in failure to them, like you're not really expecting to have them work. Look at all the gyms on Jan. 1st. To quote U2: nothing changes on New Year's Day.

Years ago, Doug O'Brien had a newsletter in which he said something like,
Instead of resolving to do something different, perhaps you can resolve to feel something different. Food for thought.

What are you feeling that you want to let go of now?
What do you want instead?
How will you begin to make that happen in 2009?

Monday, December 29, 2008

Happy 5th Day of Xmas

Today I forgot until I remembered that I have a blog. Mostly when I reference my boss-friend John Morgan, it's as the philosopher and author of Grasshopper Notes. However, today I've been v. busy getting together interviews with radio stations as we start our seminars next week.

STOP SMOKING FOREVER

OR LOSE WEIGHT & KEEP IT OFF.

It's pretty amazing to see a room full of die hard smokers throw away their cigarettes at the end of 2 hours-- cheering. Yes, CHEERING!!! The weight-loss seminar doesn't have as dramatic an ending, but the results can be v. dramatic. Both are life-changing & life-enhancing. Click here for the seminar schedule, and give yourself the gift of health, on this 5th Day of Christmas.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Day of Rest: 4th Day of Christmas


I've been working on a blog calendar. This is for December: a photo of my Christmas bay window last year with some ornaments I made. Light dusting of snow outside, with pretty lights inside. LOVEly.

Saturday, December 27, 2008

On the 3rd Day of Christmas . . .

give a house. You may remember Mum's Habitat adventures in Hungary. Habitat for Humanity is another teach-to-fish organization. AWESOME. Check them out. :-)

Mum's Habitat friend, Jack, literally gave the shirt off his
back.

Friday, December 26, 2008

Happy 2nd Day of Christmas

The 12 Days of Christmas isn't just a song, there really are 12 days. I like this idea because it spreads it out. How was your first day? Merrie? Let me tell you what I did yesterday--wait, back up to Christmas Eve Day: mild weather, perfect for . . . cleaning out gutters? Really, Mum? This is how we're celebrating? Hehhhhh . . . . here's a little tip about gutter cleaning: if you wait until it's been freezing, then the gutter stuff comes out in convenient, icy chunks and it goes relatively fast. I also split my first log for the woodstove. First and last. Now I know I can do it if I have to. My Pioneer Sister is a regular lumber jack with a real ax. We used some wedgey-splitter thingie. Yeah, I'm a wimp.

On to Christmas! It was another mild day and Mum was looking out the window. You know what would be good to do today . . . .

Really, Mum? Wash the cars? That's how we're celebrating Christmas???

But we decided to have a Bones Fest. She made a big pot of veggie soup (YUM!) And then, THEN! Mum stabbed her hand getting an avocado pit loose. That's all right, I'll be fine. Just a minor flesh wound. And she wanted me to stitch it up. But then she found some steristrips from 1978 in her first aid tackle box. Once I knew she was OK, I immediately called Brother D to make fun of the situation.

When we were growing up, he cut his finger and Mum stitched it up at the kitchen table. When Brother D winced in pain, Mum told him to "think of England." So of course, that was the first thing he said, after recommending super glue. We didn't have any, but apparently it works v. well, tho it stings. Well, just think of England.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

MERRY CHRISTMAS, Mr. Bailey

Favourite movie of all time.

My first memory of this movie is when I was 8 and I was getting over a cold. I don't know where the sibs were, but Mum & I were watching this movie and I was drinking lemon-honey tea and she was giving me a foot rub. I loved the whole concept of this movie, that you could have an alternate ending--a redo, to your life.

Buffalo Gals about to get wet tonight!


I don't want any plastics and I don't want
any ground floors . . . .


I can quote this movie by heart.

George: I see it still smells like pine needles around here.
Mary: Thank you?

I love the old-movie-proper-diction accents:
Mary's mother: Marrrry, Marrrry! Who's down there with you?
Mary: It's George Bailey, Mother!
MM: George Bailey?! What's he want?!
Mary: I don't know? To George: What do you want?
George: Me? Nothing. I just came in here to get warm.
Mary: He's making VI-O-lent love to me, Mother!

Lessons from It's a Wonderful Life:

The power of one person.
You can touch hundreds of lives and your influence ripples out. You never know what impact you may have on a person. You can be a George or a Mr. Potter. The choice is yours.

You can have plans for your life, but in the meantime, your destiny awaits.

George wanted to build skyscrapers. He wanted to travel. He got to build homes for the people of Bedford Falls. He thought himself a failure because his idea of who he wanted to be didn't match up with who he thought he was. The desires in your heart can manifest in more than one way.

You are part of a community
Your friends, family, co-workers, strangers at the store. We're in this society together.

When disaster hits, ordinary people become heroes.
Natural, bank, whatever. There are angels everywhere, waiting to give and be of service. Not just the Clarences-in-Spirit, but people. There is a saying that God doesn't have hands, so He uses ours. We see the best of humanity when we are tested with adversity. It is our calling to be of service.

LOVE wins and life happens.
What do you want, Mary? Do you want the moon? Here, I'll lasso it down for you.

Observations from someone else give new perspective.
Clarence was able to point out all of George's accomplishments where he saw none.

When you know the truth, it doesn't matter what other people gossip about.
You know it's all over town that you've been giving money to Violet Bick, says Mr. Potter to George. It doesn't matter, he knows the truth. Now wipe off the thank-you lipstick from your cheek, George.

On this first day of Christmas, I'll leave you with:
Merry Christmas, Bedford Falls.
Merry Christmas, one and all!

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Last Minute Gifts

The only poverty is poverty of the heart. ~Mother Teresa

I like creative and caring gifts. Years ago I learned about The Heifer Project from a woman who donated part of a cow on my behalf. Cool! It's an organization that teaches people to fish instead of handing them a fish--except fish isn't in the catalog. That's kind of ironical, innit? $10 will buy one rabbit, or you can buy the whole trio for $30. That's less than a cup a coffee a day. Well, unless it's Starbucks, but you know what I mean.

Heifer Project Poem for the Day
Goats and chicks
and geese and cows
End hunger on earth
this is how
If you're veggie
buy some bees
If you're vegan
buy some trees
Sheep and goats
llamas and pigs
all sort of choices
for Christmas gifts.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Getmas


The above comic is from last year's Brewster Rockit. I was sending a gift to John, which I would reveal here except that he hasn't opened it yet. Well, he'll know it's a book--there's a surprise! Anyway, I thought I'd include some gifty-thingies for the other members of the House of Morgan, so I emailed & asked what I could get for his son. He replied, Something from the heart. D'oh! I was looking for tangibles. It's so much easier just to get a gift card or some generic trinket, but how much more meaningful when we put some thought and care into it.
I love Christmas and I've rebelled against the consumerism of the season. All the STUFF. And all the rushing about that accompanies the getting of the stuff. Watch out for those stressed-out rushing people in the parking lots. They'll take you out.
Perhaps things are a bit different in these economic times. Perhaps we are putting more time and energy and thought into our gifts this year. Perhaps it really is the thought that counts. That's what a thoughtful gift is all about. From the heart.

Monday, December 22, 2008

HAPPY Birthday, Princess


May you chase butterfly dreams
Ride rainbow moon beams
Hold LOVE in your heart
with ones near or far
Take smiles and laughs
and put them inside
to shine in your eyes
for all to find.
HAPPY Birthday, dear one.
HAPPY Birthday, my sweet.
May today bring JOY
and lots of FUN treats!

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Day of Rest


OK, I'm at Mum's and there's so much going on, but I will endeavor to slap up a post. The above picture was taken from a Sample folder, but I thought it looks appropriately frosty. Mum is doing the crossword puzzle and Brother D says my quote this a.m. should be:

I am the grammarian about whom your mother warned.

He is, too. He's the reason they created a Grammar Award at Wakefield School. Yesterday we did Xmas. One of the funniest parts of the day was when Brother D was re-enacting the woman in the parking lot who was freaking out. "I done lost muh teeth!" she said while digging down her shirt. Hahahaha

Chiro-sister is celebrating the fact that we have real Q-tips here and not "the daggers" from a previous visit. None of us can leave the house without cleaning our ears. Yeah, TMI. All right, have a GREAT day-of-rest, back tomorrow.

P.S. Here's another quote:
"Marlene, that snowflake is for looking . . . I said LOOKING, not licking!"

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Will Smith has got it goin' on . . .

Yeah, THAT Will Smith. How many Will Smiths do you know? Except for Mum. She's thinking, Will Who? He was on Oprah yesterday. [Side note here: I love DVR! You can zip thru all the commercials and watch Oprah in half an hour. Watching TV in real time is now excruciating.] Back to Will: he was so quotable yesterday. So here's my favourite:

Now this is the story
all about how
my life got flipped,
turned upside down . . .


Kidding. But it's amazing that he has come from this:


. . . to this:


I'm at a point in my life where I've made a decision that nothing in my life is going to be without purpose. I've grown to a place where I realize that the only true happiness, the only way to really be happy, is to live in service to humanity.


I want my life, I want my work, my family--I want it to mean something . . . and if you're not making someone else's life better, then you're wasting your time. Your life will become better by making other lives better.


Makes me want to work with orphans somewhere. :-) Back tomorrow.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Belated Mum Post

Mum has been and come back from Scotland, but I promised to share a bit of her trip. I would like to credit much of my writing talents to my v. fancy education. However, the greatest influence has been from Mum, who writes the BEST letters and is a wonderful storyteller. I have told her she needs a blog, but she thinks she has nothing to say. Ha!

She went to The Orkneys to visit my cousin J and help her finish painting rooms in the new home. She packed her paint brushes. Well, you have to have the proper tools! [Side note here: on Mum's last visit, she spent all day winding up & down a narrow spiral staircase bringing down boxes of cousin's Hubby K. Mum thought they were books. There were not. They were his ROCK collection. I thought they were a bit heavy, said Mum.]

The Orkneys are off the northern tip of Scotland, v. remote, windy & COLD! When my husband had asked her if it was cold, she said it wasn't that cold. "Not cold?! My SIL was wearing a hat & winter coat with gloves in June!" So then Husband got an atlas. The Orkney's are one degree difference in latitude to Alaska. Yeah, not cold . . . .

You may remember that I shared her first email to me, detailing how she hitchhiked up the coast of Scotland to make her ferry. Here are a few excerpts from her emails:

Dec. 1st
Haven't heard from you for ages ? I did get a very brief note from D but other than that not didly squat from anybody.Hope you had a great thanksgiving. I am making decent progress but the days are SO short ; it is dark by 3-30 and it isn't bright enough in the morning to get started before 9am. J's cooking is incredible .I shall definitely miss all these catered meals. lots of love Mum

I wrote back, Haven't heard from ME??? Who's in the arctic??? Hahahaha
Dec. 9th
J and I are going in to Kirkwall this morning and my comment last night was that we were going to shop till we drop and K and J burst into laughter and and said hey ,yes , this is Kirkwall you're talking about. It takes all of half an hour to get around ALL of the shops .I'm hoping for good sailing weather on Fri.and not the same fiasco as getting up here. Yesterday we had lunch with the local air-traffic controller who said he would guarantee good weather and no cancellations .I shall attempt to keep you informed and I will have my cell on when I get to Dulles.See you Sat. Lots of love,Mum


Dec. 10th
I have put coat no. 3 on the stairs today and now I am going to relax with some knitting which I am doing for J. She completed a sock over a year ago and started on the second one and it was just waiting for me to come along and finish it.I walked across to the pub a few minutes ago to mail some stuff for J (the PO is in the pub) [Oh, come on, Mum. We know you were slugging back a few pints! Hahahahaha Kidding.] It is only a few yards away but I was very glad that I had my quiltty coat ; I could easily have frozen from the wind and sideways rain. TTYL L.M.

Dec. 12th
The sun is shining over Scappa Flow and it is like glass.Looks good for a ferry run tomorrow. Not that it s a guarantee. [insert family stuff here] OK , back to the sock!!!! just have the foot left. Love mum

Dec. 13th
This is probably the last e-mail I shall send before I embark on the return journey.I am gearing up to get on line and get my boarding pass and a seat. As I glance out of the window Scapa flow does not look so calm today ; I see white horses and I see a boat which is tossing about. There are a few hours before sailing and one can hope that it will calm down before the evening.I won't be taking pictures ; we sail at midnight.See you soon. L.M.
As it turns out, the ferries weren't running due to rough seas. Cousin J helped her book a flight to London, so she managed to make it back. And now we are gearing up for the Xmas family gathering tomorrow. I'm going to make a prediction: Mum is going to say, "What's that postcard illustration on this post?" I wanted to do something because Mum didn't take any pictures. Hehhhhh . . . . [This is where she says, "Well! The battery was dead!" Yeah, I know.] Anyway, I wanted to do a some sort of graphic and when I was getting clipart for Scotland, this one showed up. I don't know if Kilt Guy is golfing [Mum will set me straight on this] but I thought it was a funny picture. So that's why. This is where she'll say, "Oh you and your brother are so much alike!" Hahahahaha
P.S. Mum emailed me:
Scottie guy is participating in the Highland Games (that has to be capitalized!) and swinging the shot-put which weighs a ton.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Should

I was at FedEx sending my XBox from Ellen to Ex-XM Radio Guy. FedEx Guy measured the box and then taped up a cardboard box to put it in. When he placed the XBox in there, he couldn't close the flaps. It was too big for the box.

I don't understand it. It should fit, he said. And then--THEN! He took the XBox back out and measured it again. Then he measured the empty box. It should fit, he repeated. Back it went into the box. I stood there watching this. This was an amusing case of Shoulding vs. Reality. He couldn't quite believe that it didn't fit because it was supposed to fit. The tape measure said so. The evidence suggested otherwise. He needed to get a bigger box. Which he did. Begrudgingly.

We create a lot of disharmony when we hold on to what we think something should be. Jerry Stocking has said that the definition of a problem is anything you think shouldn't be the way it is. Hmmmm . . .

John Morgan had a v. elequent quote in yesterday's blog:

We always say no to peace when we continually piece together the reasons it shouldn't be the way it is.

Some food for thought. What am I shoulding about that I can let go of? Now there's a resolution for the new year!

P.S. Sorry for the late post. Am v. busy-and-important with John Morgan Seminars. I endeavor to be more consistent . . . that's right . . . I should be.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Oprah Doesn't Get It

I am late-ish with the post because I have been v. busy with John Morgan Seminars. I'm booking our weight-loss & smoking cessation seminars around the country. T'is the season to get healthy!

What about Oprah? you ask. Well. I was reading O Magazine about her weight. Again with the weight. No matter what other accomplishments, it is her lifelong challenge. [Side note here: A couple years ago, I was actually heavier than Oprah. It gave me a kick into gear. Really? I'm bigger than Oprah? How can this be? Oh, it be. But not anymore.]

This is what I notice: there is no attention paid to the subconscious, or Other-Than-Conscious, as Dave Dobson calls it. It's the part of us that drives our behaviour. Wouldn't you want to get in rapport with that part of you? Wouldn't you want to work WITH your subconscious instead of trying to strong arm it with "willpower." Dave used to say that it was like holding a beach ball under water. Eventually, it will pop back up. What if every part of you was in alignment for your highest and best good? What if all parts of you--your beliefs, your body, your feelings were all congruently working together? Wouldn't it be nice to stop fighting with yourself?


We could hallucinate all sorts of reasons WHY Oprah is fat again. She has. Reasons can keep us stuck where we are. As long as she fights her body, she will continue the struggle. John says that 95% of the women in his programs come up to him and say, "I hate my body." If you had someone in your life that you were openly hostile to and more than that, told anyone who would listen how much you detested that person, how receptive would your enemy be to a request? That's what's going on with your body when you hate it and fight with it and create a weight struggle.

So here's my prescription for Oprah:

Perhaps she'll get this part: acceptance. Really, it's very Eckhart Tolle. And John is a huge Eckhart fan. My wish for Oprah is that she finds some peace within herself, and that she discovers a new, easier way not to lose weight, but to create balance, harmony, and health for the new year.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Day of Rest

WELCOME HOME, MUM!!!

Here's a flower for Mum. I picked her up at the airport last night. You may remember our past airport disasters, but we've worked out the glitches. Anyway, with her permission, I will have an EXCLUSIVE Mum post tomorrow. The above photo comes from a v. sweet email from my friend Pam with a bit about her adventures in Puru, and it was too good not to share. So here you go:

If you are someone who loves garden design or if you are looking for a Holiday gift for a gardener..check out Carol Cumes’ brand new Chakra Garden book.

In October I stayed at Carol’s retreat center, the Wilka Tika in Peru and experienced her incredible garden creations. Carol was just back from a US trip when we arrived and she gave us the very first sneak peak at the book. The photography is beautiful and the book is abundant with information on building your own healing gardens.

While in Peru, Carol also invited us up to the remote Andean mountain school that her Children’s Fund supports. To met these amazing little spirits and actually SEE where the money goes was life changing for me. I saw firsthand how these children benefited from Carol’s big heart and all the people who have supported the fund.

I was delighted to learn that through a donation you can receive the Chakra Garden book as a gift…or you can just purchase it directly. All the info is on the website and you can take your own sneak peak at some of the pages. Also see info from Carol’s email attached below.

Here are two of my photos from the trip..one from the chakra gardens at the retreat and the other of some of the boys that we met at the school. It was an extraordinary experience and thank you for letting me share a little bit of it.

Puruvian school boys.

And this is from the author herself:

The seed of the Willka T'ika Children's Fund began over twenty-four

years ago, as my way of giving back to isolated mountain communities

high above the Sacred Valley. Our mission is to foster self-sufficiency

in remote communities in the Peruvian Andes and to that end we raise

funds to improve educational facilities, build libraries and schoolrooms

for primary and secondary education, provide supplemental nutrition and

hot meals for children, and provide emergency medical attention.

Together we can all have a positive impact on the Earth by finding our

way back to the Garden. Together we can have a tremendous positive

impact on the lives of Quechua children. Some of the ongoing projects

funded through the Willka T'ika Children's Fund include the building of

a secondary school, funding for a Young Women's Academy and the creation

of an extracurricular program in art, music, English and business skills

for gifted and talented children. These are ambitious programs that can

only succeed with funding provided through donations and book sales.

HAPPY DAY OF REST, everyone!

Saturday, December 13, 2008

City River, Country River

I never gave a proper THANK YOU to my friend Maryann for telling me about Oakwood. I had a whole studio apt. with a kitchen, so it was really nice to be able to cook & not worry about hidden MSG or Gluten. PLUS there was my favourite Trader Joe's that she took me to for groceries when I first got there.

Here's a shot of the L.A. River on my way to Warner Bros.

You call yourself a river?

Any fellow Blogspot bloggers out there? Do you upload in a particular order only to have them randomly reshuffled? Hehhhh...So this is spozed to be a shot of my river:

Except it's not. This is yesterday from my front porch. It rained a lot and you can see the mountains are all icy. The next pic is taken from the other side. This is the only time you can see my house:

Now this, THIS is a river:


Beautiful. I actually took this with Aida in mind because we were both joking about the L.A. River. Oh you City People with your fancy concrete-against-nature rivers. ;-)

Friday, December 12, 2008

Holidaze

This post was inspired by The 12 Daze of Christmas. Go see, I'll wait.

It's almost a cliche, this hustle-bustle of the holidays. I look around at the mad-dash of people securing STUFF. Ex-XM Radio Guy has always said that he doesn't like the mandate of gift giving. His family got rid of it years ago. Nobody needs anything, and if they do, they can buy it themselves. We just get together and eat. I always liked Thanksgiving, not just for the yummy yams, but because it was a fun family gathering without the gift pressure. Every family has traditions and rules. Here are some rules I've observed for the Holidaze:

1. Matriarchs who insist her entire set of children, grandchildren, etc. MUST be at their homes ON Christmas Day. Followed by:
2. Nothing starts until the entire family is there. Just eat the chips on the side board & watch TV for 3 hours until Sister-brother-so-and-so can get there.
3. Mandatory Gift Giving for everyone in the family.
4. Assigned seating for gift-opening. (I am not making this up).
5. Opening one gift at a time with 50 people wedged into a room. Sweater in the wrong size & colour that I won't wear? Returnable. 3 hours of my life: priceless.
6. Co-workers who insist you eat the shortening-icing store bought cake because "it's Christmas." [side note here: for some hilarious cake mistakes, check out Cakewrecks]
7. Anyone who uses the excuse Because it's Christmas.
8. More stuff = more love
9. Expensive gift = more love

In my family, Christmas has evolved. These days we keep it pretty simple. We all do something homemade. We go for funny or smart or delicious. We have Christmas the weekend before or after Christmas. That way all the nieces and nephews can spend Christmas morning in their own home in their jammies. When my stepsons were growing up, we had the 3 Gifts Rule. That's how many Jesus got, so that's how many they got. They still got lots of other stuff from all the rellies.

Here's the beauty of being an adult: we get to choose how we want to celebrate. Just because "that's the way we've always done it" doesn't mean you have to continue that way. You can turn the holidaze back into happy holidays. Or in the case of our family, from Hollidaze to Hollidays.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Rula Lenska is in the House

When I was growing up, I would get laryngitis every once in a while. Apparently, I still do. I woke up in the airplane somewhere between Burbank & Dallas at 32,000 feet with a cold. Or something. My alter-ego when I have laryngitis is Rula Lalenska. She was a "famous English actress" back in the 70's because the Alberto VO5 commercial said she was. She has this deep, husky voice and she says:

Iiiiiiiii'm Rula LENska. Friends are here from Ameri-CA, and I'm going to show them LONdon.

And then you see her navigating the drippy-wet streets of London with this Helmut Hair that doesn't budge. I looked for the commercial on Youtube, but they only have this one.

But I found this other one that is equally entertaining.



Not stiff or sticky???

Helmut Hair: Ozone Layer

Connection?

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Touristy Stuff

Yesterday my friend Henny came & picked me up and we did some touristy stuff. So we went to the mecca of cement hand & footprints. Here's Henny with John Travolta:

*sigh*



It's a WONDERFUL life!

I love this. She wrote "hand & foot prints" with her initials in case there was any doubt. Thanks for breaking it down for us, Gloria.


Sunset.

Blogger shuffled the pix. Anyway, after the handprints, we went to an art gallery. It was an odd experience, mostly because we were followed around by the guards. I think Henny's one-year-old made them nervous. Plus, I imagine there's not really that much for them to DO except tell me I can't use a flash with my camera. And no pix of things not on permanent display. Oh, and not to touch the art piece that had a knob on it. Oops. It was really cool. Of course you're supposed to OPEN it, that was the whole point! Why else did the artist put an knob on it? And the inside was this awesome display of intricate lines. . . . Here's a shot of Ganesh, hundreds of years old:
You're not allowed to touch this one either, but you can see the patina where centuries of hands have rubbed him. For luck, in worship. It was odd walking around this particular room with Indian deities--it all seemed so sterile and dead. Not like that sense of the sacred that you would feel in a temple. After the gallery, we went out for Indian food. I had the BEST chai! The BEST, Jerry!
Today I am heading back to VA. A day of travel, woo hoo. Back tomorrow. :-) H.





Monday, December 8, 2008

Creativity


I received a HARO query about Creativity from Gary Unger. He was requesting thoughts on creativity from both experts & laypeople, and to list which one you are in the subject line. Hmmm . . . what are his qualifications for an "expert?" I consider myself an expert, would he? I was thinking about how creativity to me is like breathing. I NEED IT. The best creative endeavors come from stepping aside and allowing creativity to flow through you.


So I had all these thoughts about creativity and then I hopped over to check out this a.m.'s Grasshopper Note . . . about creativity. Brilliant. Here's a quote:


The main purpose I see in life is to co-create with the life force that lives you. This creative force is with you your whole life. It doesn't sleep, take sick days or vacations. The only way to stop its flow is to believe it's not necessary, not in abundant supply, or not available to you.


I couldn't have said it better. So today is my last day in Burbank . . . and I'm wondering what FUN I can create today . . . .

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Day of Rest

I've been thinking about luck, because I consider myself a v. lucky person. It's really just a belief that gets reinforced by evidence in my daily life. I could easily ignore all the great stuff and reinterpret myself as unlucky. But that wouldn't be as much FUN, would it?

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Greetings from Sunny CA

Well. Here I am again in Burbank. How was Ellen? you say. Lemme tell ya! AWESOME, of course, what else? The show airs on this Mon. Guests were:

James Spader~ post Boston Legal visit.
Brian Williams~hysterically funny AND a dog-lover; literally tongue-kissing his dog. You'll see. She's 15 so you know she's not around much longer. It made me think of Barkley & Remi, of course. *sigh* Ellen's theme song does, anyway because Remi would trot into the living room when he heard the show starting because that was his massage time. Sweet memories...
Beyonce~OK, so she wasn't actually on the show. They just announced her & we had to cheer. Then they drop in her segment in post. See, those are industry technical terms in the biz. ;-)

During a commercial break I look over at Ellen and--she's waving at me! Wow. So I wave back. She was waving at me except she wasn't. She was waving to a woman near me. Has that ever happened to you? What do you do? So then I pretended not to be waving? How can you take a wave back? Hahahaha BTW, if you're facing the audience, I'm one in from the far left wearing a red shirt & black jacket, about 4 or 5 rows up. That's Jennifer on the far far left next to me.

No, no, what I want to know is what kinda Christmas loot did you get?

Oh...right. That. Well. An XBox 360. 380? What? Anyway, it goes to XM Radio Guy. How could I choose which family member it goes to? So now they can all just seethe at him. Stoopid XM Radio Guy, they'll say. So I Fed-exed the XBox to (ex)XM Radio Guy. Hahahaha I also got a new Canon camera, Netflix for a year with some gadgety-gizmo that I can download movies onto (cool!) and an Amex $100 gift card.

That's all the STUFF. So what was cool was getting to hang with my Ellen friends from San Diego. We were at the later taping because there's 2 on Thurs. so we went for Mexican. What a bunch of great gals! Unfortunately no pix to upload now.

I met a v. sweet young woman with fibromyalgia at the show. 3 months ago she was in a wheelchair. Of course I was all Blah Blah Blah Brimhall. This has almost become a cliche, but she said, " I think I came here to meet you." It happens on airplanes, seminars, everywhere. 4 years ago I would not have even thought it possible to be here. It would take me 2 hours just to get out of bed. So when I meet someone who is in a similar boat, I'm inviting her to switch to a different boat. Things that get worse can get better. And when you feel better, you do better.

Today is a day of Reiki, so I'll sign off here. Sending out SMILES & good vibes . . . .

Monday, December 1, 2008

December, already?

I would say that I'm temporally challenged. I lose track of time. It's a characteristic of being left-handed/right-brained. Still. Sometimes I look up at the clock or the calendar & think, "Woah! What year is this?" Hahaha No, I don't. Yes, I do.

Tomorrow I head out to Calif. again. Already! There was so much I was going to DO before I went--oh, the hazards of living in the present moment! I'll prolly blog from out there, altho, not everyday. Just sayin'.

I'll be at the Ellen show on Thurs. (don't know when it's airing yet). And I'm going to be teaching a one-day beginner Reiki class this Sat. in the Burbank area. Email me with REIKI in the subject if you'd like to come . Here's the info:

"Reiki" means healing energy. Learn this Japanese healing art to learn healing techniques for you and your loved ones. Included in this one-day seminar:

*Reiki Meditation
*Connecting to you intuitive guidance
*Pain alleviation techniques
*Toning, tuning forks & other healing tools
*Energy exercises
*FREE* Reiki handbook:
History of Reiki~ Myths & Fact
Reiki Journal

SATURDAY Dec. 6th 10 a.m.~5 p.m. in Burbank
Class investment: $108

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Day of Rest: Mensa Girl


You may remember my niece Marlene from her YouTube classic, Marlene Goes down the Stairs. As I posted yesterday, she was sitting on my lap. She saw my blog and said, "Hey! There's a labyrinth!" pointing to my profile picture. Then she said, "Hey! There's another one!" pointing to the one in the blog header. Then she explains, "You can trace it with your finger."
Still only 2-years-old. Wow.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

What is Real?


Last night Remi came to me in a dream. It was so sweet. We had a nice visit. Was it real? What is real?
LOVE is real.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Post T-day Food Coma

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz . . . .

We had an AWESOME Gluten Free T-day at chiro-sister Ruth's. And yes, this will be a Hair Wash post because I'm at Brother D's with the nieces. Marlene has just informed me that she has snot. "It's yucky." Hahahaha Speaking of Brother D, last night was the typical lose-it-during-grace. He is the Instigator, but my BIL didn't make it v. easy. He led a v. sweet grace but then added a moment of silence.

*snort*

I keep my eyes closed so I don't see Brother D biting his lip and shaking with silent laughter.

*snort*

Doesn't help because I can feel the table shaking. Hahahaha

It's not funny. Except it is.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Yam Season

For a thoughtful, insightful T-day blogpost, go read The Grasshopper. Go see, I'll wait.
I like yams better than sweet potatoes.

Do you do this? On hollidays & family celebrations, you think of all the others? Good times. And then there are things that are funny NOW that were a bit, er, awkward at the time. E.g. The Year of the Accidental Kiss. Go see, I'll wait.

OK, back to me: when we were growing up, I claimed at ONE dinner (T-day or X-mas, I don't recall) that I liked yams better than sweet potatoes. Um, I may have repeated it a few times. Anyway, Mum claimed there was no difference. (Yams are lighter in colour, longer & not as sweet from what I could tell). One year, Brother Daniel sent me a link with: There really IS a difference! So this has been the running joke with the fam. Last year I sent the above cartoon out as my X-mas card to everyone.

I always liked Thanksgiving. It's all the family fun & food without the gift pressure.

Plus, you know, yams.

HAPPY day of THANKS & GIVING, everyone!

P.S. Just as I was posting, Seth's Thanksgiving post zipped into my inbox. Awesome.

P.P.S. One of my favourite quotes for today & everyday:

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more....It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. ~Melody Beattie

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

The Day Before

Tomorrow begins the season of family dramas. I once had a family counselor friend who said that he had clients who began medication a month before Thanksgiving so that they could get through the holiday season. Others scheduled "business trips" to avoid them. I am fortunate to enjoy my family. Families are the microcosm reflecting the macrocosm. It is the time to see conditioned patterns run themselves without our awareness.

OR

perhaps we begin to notice...

It usually starts with noticing it in others. It's almost a cliche, but Zig Zigler used to say that whenever you point your finger at someone, you have 3 others pointing back at you. Hahaha

I'm going to mention one pattern that is common in so many families: drinking. Dave Dobson used to say that saying "alcoholic" sanitized the person's pattern. He would say, "Well, this patient was a drunk." Because he was. I bring this up because John Morgan did a v. elegant and insightful Grasshopper Note about this topic that went beyond the obvious reasons. He also talked about the role of willpower. If you have been struggling with addressing the pink elephant in the room, this post will remind you of Uncle Bob or Aunt Mary. There's one in every family.

I'm also reminded of a couple quotes from the Open Letter blog post:

Your secrets are transparent. Everyone knows them at some level. Stop hiding.

People who help keep your excuses alive are not true friends.

Clean up your life and let everyone see your light.


And what can you do as you go into the family drama? Something different. Namaste.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Stoopid Spammers

Last night I clicked on an invitation from a friend for Reunion.com.

BIG MISTAKE.

It sent an "invitation" from me to all my contacts. This is prolly how I got the initial email in the first place. I spent the next hour sending an email out to everyone warning them not to click. I'm trusting that peripheral acquaintances will say Hali Who? and hit delete. The worst is that it went to Seth Godin, the King of Anti-Spam. YIKES! Speaking of, here's quote from his blog today:

Some bosses don't want to hire people who have a vision, a personality and a shtick. That's okay. You don't want to work for them anyway.

This is so true. When I've gone on an interview I've asked myself Do I want to spend my time like this with these people? It's more like I'm interviewing them. It's nice to be appreciated for being something other than a drone. And it's nice that I have a boss-friend-mentor John Morgan who really does appreciate my schtick. Yes, I'm schticky. But so is he. Whenever he fills out paperwork he puts "philosopher" for occupation. Hahahaha I guess it's not a hot occupation like it was a few centuries ago, Kierkegarde, Plato, & whatnot. Still, it's an apt description. His Grasshopper Notes are AWESOME! Insightful, witty & wise.

Well. I'm just rambling, now aren't I? My head is swimming with a To Do List, so I'll sign off here. :-) H.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Quote-of-the-Day


Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened. ~Anatole France


I made a mistake. No, I didn't make a mistake. I was going to get a new-to-me dog, Haley. She belonged to a friend and Wife didn't want her. She was crate-trained (good) & had a cushy garage gig. But she wanted company. You see where this is going? I picked her up on Sun. p.m. in NJ on my way back to VA from NYC. I found a pet-friendly hotel to stay in somewhere in PA. Here's the lesson:
You can take the dog out of the garage, but not the garage out of the dog.
Well, maybe I could with the help of the angels & The Dog Whisperer. There was so much wrong, tho. The biggest thing was that she wasn't Barkley or Remi. And she so different--smaller, barkier, with a tail. *sigh* It just made me miss my dogs. It was a long night of pacing (her, not me--she'd settle & then any little noise & she was up again with a bark). So the next a.m., I headed back to NJ to drop her off.
Just as I was thinking that perhaps I just needed to give her more time...she peed & crapped all over the back of my car. Thank you, Universe. If I'd had any doubts, that was the confirmation I needed.
Sometimes it helps to have something you don't want to help define what you do. And sometimes it's useful to recognize when something's not working and quit, instead of making it work. I could have. I'm glad I didn't.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Day of Rest: Note from Mum

Read with proper English accent:

I just managed to get into my mail and hope I am able to remember where I clicked ! I didn't get here until Fri.evening .The ferry from Aberdeen was cancelled because of bad weather.The short version of the story is that I hitched-hiked north to Thurso to catch the Scrabster ferry.They run 3 a day and I would have been stuck in Aberdeen for two more nights .It was about 200miles and so stayed in a Band B on FRi. only one ferry ran and it went a different route to avoid really rough seas.and took twice as long as usual .From way up north the ferry ride is only about one and a half hours.I arrived in a fierce hail storm which later changed to snow .Ah.Orkney in the winter!! Anyway I am having a fine time .and will write again later. L.M.

CLASSIC QUEEN ANNE. Here's what we'll be joking about around the T-day table:

And then the ferry driver had a heart attack so I simultaneously resuscitated him while maneuvering around a treacherous iceberg in the dark, but good thing I carry a flashlight.

Hahahaha LOVE you, Mum!

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Cash Machine Report

I have doctor-friend who teases me about my dissertations after I've attended a seminar. It's true, I get v. excited when I learn new things. And I get doubly excited when it's in the arena of healing or personal development. Loral Langemeier falls into both those categories, I think. Her Cash Machine workshop is 3 days of financial empowerment and more. So much of what she was saying reminded me of Bruce Lipton. She's growth and expansion-oriented. Just as Bruce says we respond according to our environment, Loral teaches you to create a financially prosperous environment in which you can thrive. And just like Bruce, she's one of the most joyful, FUNny people you'll meet. She's all about breaking through limiting beliefs and past programming to create the life that you've always wanted:

The life that is waiting to live you.

I'm going to give a few classic Loral quotes:

SO WHAT? NOW WHAT? It doesn't matter what happened in the past. It doesn't matter what excuse you have. It doesn't matter. Because you can...

Say YES & figure out how. Because...

It's not difficult, it's different.

Carry the story of your life, or can change it.

No one's going to give you permission to be rich.

Interesting that these concepts are universal and can be applied to any area of your life beyond finances, isn't it? I watched her work with a woman and she said to her, "You're a very powerful woman. You just don't know it yet." This woman was having a hard time getting congruent in presenting her product. She was shy and feeling awkward and battling against some poverty patterns. Her transformation at the end of the seminar was remarkable. She was a completely different person: powerful, indeed.

There are many reasons that people go to Cash Machine. Some people want financial freedom. They want to get out of debt. Some people want to have financial security. Some people have always dreamed of having their own business. Some people want a big house and a more luxurious lifestyle. Whatever your goals are, this seminar is the doorway to all of that and more. The part I appreciate is that I don't have to know it all before I start. There are people available to put on your team so that you can do what you do best, and they handle the rest. One last quote:

Focus on your strengths, and hire your weaknesses.

...and start earning money before you leave the seminar. How cool is that?

Friday, November 21, 2008

The Way I See Me

I got these AWESOME photos yesterday from Moriah Diamond, creator of the The Way I See Me photography. I watched her leap around (and encourage others to leap around!) with a huge SMILE the whole time. Here enthusiasm is contagious! You know those inspirational photos with little captions underneath? She makes YOU the inspirational photo and you can create any caption, quote, or affirmation that you want. So go check her out and tell her I sent you!


On the last day of the seminar, after we've learned all about marketing and selling our services and products, we have a Market Place where we mill about and do just that. We tape a sign to ourselves front and back:

Your muscles will melt...
because I'm a massage therapist. But if you don't have time, or you want a relaxing meditation, you can listen to my Virtual Massage CD--with built-in muscle-melting hypnotherapy. Yummy. Back tomorrow with the full Cash Machine Report!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Many Busy's Today

I'm going back into the studio to re-record one of my nap meditations. I finally just rewrote it. So it will be out for the Christmas holiday--stay tuned! Speaking of staying tuned, I'll be on a radio show tonight getting interviewed about holistic wellness and how I used it to address migraines.

Wow. I just had a flood of GRATITUDE wash over me as I think about that v. dark time in my life. Ah! Life is WONDERFUL. My personal motto is A merrie heart maketh glad the day and there you find your treasure. A new one has emerged for my professional life:

When you feel better,
you do better.

Have an AWESOME day!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

NOT Ordinary

I'm taking Mum to the airport today for her trip to the Orkney Islands to visit my cousin. She just got new luggage and wanted to do something besides the red ribbon that everyone else ties onto their suitcases. She was so taken with her friend Jack's Habitat for Humanity T-shirt that we used that. I took a picture of it and printed it onto a T-shirt transfer. Simple, right? Except it wouldn't stick. So we transferred it onto a cotton pillow case to glue it. It wouldn't glue. So Mum sewed it on. With dental floss. That did the trick!

Hey, everyone! I'm Queen Anne & this is MY suitcase!


We call this the dental floss blanket stitch. She tried it out on a smaller suitcase first before this one. However, she'll go back and redo it because she rounded out the corners with this one. It's killing you that they don't match, isn't it? I asked. She just gave me that Oh, Shut up! LOOK. You know the one.

There is so much that I admire about my mother. One is her spirit for adventure. Long before Nike ever came up with the slogan, Mum has lived a Just Do It life. And yet.

She thinks she's just ordinary. Ordinary?! This came to light when I asked if I could read her letters that she had written as a young woman living out in the Yukon. Oh, I threw those away.

WHAT????

She thinks no one would be interested in a young woman living in the arctic wilderness in 1961 working with Eskimos where she met my chiropractor father. They weren't Eskimos, they were Indians. Whatev, Mum! Quit throwing away the family history! But it's not just that, it's all the other things she does that she takes for granted: amazing multi-tiered, wedding cakes that taste good. She routinely reupholsters furniture. She sews, knits, hangs drywall, and sings in the church choir. She has inspired generations of nursing students. She has mentored midwives and brought 2000 babies into the world. She raised us living in a dome. Ordinary?

One person's ordinary is another person's unique.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

6 Quirky Things

I'm at Mum's & my brain is FULL of all my adventures. So in lieu of doing a huge post, I'm going to give myself some integration time. In the meantime, Duchess Dreams tagged me, so here we go with 6 Quirky Things:
1. Latest favourite food: sardines with ketchup. Hurray for Omega-3's!
2. I grew up in an old boyscout camp-turned-commune.
3. I went thru a purple-hair phase in my younger daze, still my favourite colour.
4. I adore my mother & feel sad for other women who are angry with theirs. Thanks for all the lessons, Mum. Intentional and otherwise. This a.m. she was telling me she found a snake in the garage. I don't know what kind it was, it was very long & the width of my thumb. I told her it was prolly a garter snake. "What did you do?" I asked. Well, I got my brush & dustpan...." Really? How did that work? Well, it just zipped off SO FAST! Hahahaha
5. I am often alone, but never lonely.
6. I'm a pathological learner--always reading, taking classes, etc.

I'm pulling a Margot Potter here: if you're reading this, TAG, YOU'RE IT!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Did I get into to Ellen?

No ticket, not even a stand-by ticket. But I went to Warner Bros. with the intention of getting in:

Standing by...

Danny, the Gate Keeper said that I wouldn't be able to get into the show, but he'd see if he could get me into the Riff Raff Room. I said, "That's great! Then at least I can buy some Ellen underwear!" There were these 3 AWESOME gals who overheard my story (cuz you know, I was all yackity-yack) and they had an extra ticket. I went back to Gate Keeper Danny and he said as nice as that was, he'd have to offer it to a standby person. OK, Riff Raff Room here I come! 10 minutes later . . .

YAY, meeeeee!!!!
Because I was just one person & everyone else was with someone else, YES, I got in!!!

3 AWESOME Chicas: Aida, Stephanie, & Jennifer

The show featured Hugh Laurie & airs next Tues. I sat in the middle, toward the back, right across from Ellen. As I was sitting there, part of me was thinking, I can't believe I'm here. AND the other part was thinking, It's just as I saw it.

ICING-ON-THE-ICING:
Ellen invited everyone in the audience & Riff Raff Room BACK for one of her 12 Days of Christmas shows. I'll be back on Dec. 4th. THANKS to my new friends & Gate Keeper Danny & Ellen for a FANTASTIC show!!!

P.S. I'll be heading to NYC to see THE Doug O'Brien for his Down the Rabbit Hole seminar, AND I get to see Jerry Stocking, too! Back to the wilderness next week, where I will settle in for a coupla weeks and blog everyday again. I want to give a full report on Loral because WOW WOW WOW is all I can say!!!

Monday, November 10, 2008

Hello, Burbank!!!

First of all, WOW WOW WOW!!! Loral Langemeier ROCKS!!! I will have a full report when I get back to VA. But let me just say this: if you ever dreamed of creating a *successful* business, and even if you think you don't have the skills, Loral shows you how. She doesn't tell you to quit drinking your a.m. latte. She says, "Just make more money." I've never gone to a seminar where I made money--until this one. I was trying to figure out how to get from Costa Mesa to Burbank yesterday and then John suggested a limo & googled for me. I had made enough money to pay for it. How cool is that?! And the ride was AWESOME. The owner, Mike & I chatted the whole way. I referred him to Loral. He shouldn't have to drive!

So right now I am at a copy center checking email and waiting for Ellen, er her people, to call me.

And on a sad note: My dear friend, Bill Hutton, a.k.a. XM Radio Guy to readers of this blog, said goodnight to his XM Sat. Night radio show last Sat. :-( I know he'll be back with something new, but it's doubtful that it will be with XM Sirius. Idiots. Hehhhhhh...anyway, he sent me a link to download his last show, so you can hear it here.

OK, signing off until Wed. Wish me luck! :-) H.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

PLAY

Never underestimate the importance of having fun. I’m dying and I’m having fun. And I’m going to keep having fun every day, because there’s no other way to play it….Having fun for me is like a fish talking about the importance of water. I don’t know how it is like not to have fun…Never lose the child-like wonder. It’s just too important. It’s what drives us. Help others. ~Randy Pausch

I'm leaving you with this, because I am off! I will endeavor to check in from the road, but am pulling the BWO (Blogging Without Obligation) card until my return. Here's Randy's Last Lecture:

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Earth's Lullaby from the Labyrinth


Standing in the center
looking out to see
more leaves on the ground
than on the trees.

A twilight time
between waking and sleep
lullaby to Earth
to dream a new dream.

Of LOVE and PEACE
FAITH, not fear
CONNECTED to ones
that we hold dear.

Earthly scent
Heavenly EMBRACE
Deep in PRESENCE
of this SACRED place.



Monday, November 3, 2008

Make a Wish



The above quote comes from one of my all-time favourite books, Illusions by Richard Bach.
Yesterday I had one of those v. creative days. I woke up with a flood of ideas and images. I was downloading a deluge of information, not just for myself but other people. The rest of the day was spent creating. It flew by! XM Radio Guy says that he always knows when he's on track with his work and he looks up and sees the clock and hours have gone by. Conversely, we've all sat in a class or a job, where time creeps by.
Do you think the traditional school setting prepares us as drones to do the same thing with our work? So much of it is a waste of time. I say that as a student AND as a former teacher. I'm getting ready to go to Loral Langemeier's Cash Machine workshop this week. She has a different approach from the Suzi Orman Club:
You can have your latte and drink it, too.
Her attitude is if you don't have the money, MAKE it. And then! she shows you how. Yes, negative programming and beliefs hold us back. However, we don't have to go into financial psycho-analysis to start making money:
We don't ask you how you grew up, or what you think about money, of if you truly believe you can be wealthy. We prompt you to take immediate massive action in order to change your situation and move forward. You will believe it when you see it.
In her book, The Millionaire Maker, she takes different families and guides them out of debt, out of life-sucking jobs, and into the world of the entrepreneur and financial freedom. Even if you've never had a job and are just a mom. We all have skills and talents that have a market somewhere. What did you like to do as a child? What did you want? What would you do for free? What's your hobby? What gives you juice and enthusiasm? That's a clue.
MAKE A WISH.
P.S. For those of you who will comment on the layout of this post (you know who you are), I have successfully failed to create s p a c e between paragraphs. Hehhhh . . . . Stoopid Blogger.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Day of Rest: Sometimes

Sometimes the cows are in the barn when you expect to see them in the field . . .


Sometimes you want it to be spring . . .



when the reality of autumn is all there is . . .

Il fait frais!

"The degree to which you suffer is proportionate to your resistence."
"Acceptance is the catalyst for transformation. Willingness is the catalyst for acceptance."
Wishing for spring keeps discomfort locked in place. Accepting the season, the event, the feeling--no matter what it is, is the key to moving through to the other side into peace. I wish you PEACE on this day.


Saturday, November 1, 2008

Ellen has not called me yet

Political Pumpkin. YUM.


Isn't this a cool pumpkin? It was taken somewhere in Atlanta by a friend I've recently reconnected with, thanks to Facebook. It's taken with an iPhone. None of the fancy cameras could properly catch it because their flashes kept going off.

So I mentioned I'm voting, right? And it was in part thanks to Ellen for deciding to do my duty as an A-MER-ican citizen. Hahahaha I said do my duty. [I think I'm channeling my brother]. Anyway, back to Ellen: I'm going to a Loral Langemeier seminar in CA this week. And since I'm traveling all that way, and I dance with Ellen everday, I'm extending my visit a coupla extra days and going to Burbank with the hopes of getting into her show. I wrote for tickets. I got nothin'. I got crickets, as XM Radio Guy says. So I'm going on faith. Afterall, I managed to get into David Letterman back in the 80's when he had a 2-year waiting list . . . . so this shouldn't be so hard, right? Well, we'll just put The Secret to the test, shall we?

In any case, I know I'm going to have FUN no matter what. I get to see my best friend from my Skymont days, Henny. She's the reason I finally joined Facebook. I'm really getting EXCITED about this trip--everything will be icing on the gluten-free cake after Loral!

Friday, October 31, 2008

Every Day is Halloween

On Saturday Night, I always email XM Radio Guy & request The Goo Goo Dolls. He always plays The Cure. But this Sat. p.m. he played my request; the Boppy Song a.k.a. Everyday is Halloween by Ministry:
I dress this way
just to keep them at bay
cuz Halloween is everyday
hay-hay-hay
Boom boom boppy boppy boom boom

It's one of those Death Rock anthems. You see, Billy. Back in my day we called it Death Rock. You youngsters these day call it Goth.

3 sisters.

Around about this time, Mum would say to me, Oh, Halimah. You're so beautiful on the inside, why cahn't you look like that on the outside? This was interchanged with the other phrase, Oh, what a surprise. You're wearing black.
But as you can see, she has a sense of humour:


She let us dress her up.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!