So, here I am sitting in my blanket fort.......

So, here I am sitting in my blanket fort......

No really, I totally am! I dropped my youngest off at Young Life in Grants Pass 

so he go be a kid and have fun. I came home to get a little more work done and go to bed early.

Then I was sitting at my computer starting to work and I thought “Blanket Fort!

 I want to build a blanket fort!” So, I did.

And why not? Just because I am an “adult” does not mean I should not have fun doing

some of the same things I enjoyed as a kid. I LOVED blanket forts growing up. Then when I

had kids, who do you think was the first person to suggest “the kids” build a blanket fort?

Now the kids are too old (or so they think) to do silly kid stuff anymore.

A grownup is a child with layers on.  ~Woody Harrelson

I spend a lot of time being serious.  I attend meetings, wear suits, hold people

accountable and I am the person that others come to for help much of the time.

 I enjoy all of those things. I am that person...most of the time.

 The other part of me loves to laugh. I love to be completely silly. I have

even been known to roll around on the floor with duct tape stuck to my rear end trying to

be the one with the most q-tips stuck to me. You should try it, it is harder then you think!

Some of my most creative and productive ideas come from my not caring what anyone

else thinks and just going with my gut.  Having a little fun with my inner child.  There are

some very serious people in this world shooting at each other with marshmallows through

PVC pipes thanks to my inner child.  Imagine what barriers could be broken down if we

just let our hair down and let people see the softer or silly side of us now and then. Imagine

if no one was intimidated by anyone else, what we could accomplish.

So, as I sit here alone in my fort,

 (except for the two dogs a cat and the squeaky toy that is now under my left leg)

 I encourage you to peel back some of those adult layers this week, do something you loved as a kid,

Just don't hurt yourself.

Ride on a shopping cart though the parking lot of your local grocery store. Skip down the

street instead of walking. Invite some friends over and play monopoly or to do each others hair.

 (Those of you who no longer have hair, let your wife draw a pretty picture on your head. 

Just a suggestion to my husband Dave!)

Watch old cartoons or eat whipped cream straight out of the can (my personal favorite).

Life is too short to always be serious, to always be working.  I could have gotten some

“work” done tonight, but I think my soul needed to sit in my fort instead.

I would love your comments below with some of your favorite child like things to do.

YOU'RE IT!

+Sara Riechers 
+dave kelly 
+Tama Meister
+Lisa Pepper Satkin
+Bethany Kelly 

Grateful

  I am feeling especially Grateful this week.  For most of you who know me, you now that I am a fairly positive person.  I don't like to focus on the negative.  But, I have to admit 2012 was a pretty tough year for me.  Yes, I lost my father at the beginning of the year.   I also however, was hurt by someone that I loved and trusted.  It was then that I started to lose faith.  I started to lose faith in humanity really.  I had this thought that no matter what I did, people were always going to try and take advantage of, or hurt me in some  way.  

    Luckily I signed up for a 6 month long “Train the Trainers” course through a company called Productive Learning and Leisure.  I have been taking weekend courses through PL&L for about 3 years now and this was the logical next step.  Thanks to PL&L I was able to start sorting through and challenging my unproductive thinking.

     I also started to be thankful for the little things and some not so little things.  I was Grateful and thanked God for my children.  Grateful for my mother, my husband, extended family and friends.  I even started being thankful for my soft bed, fuzzy pajamas and our dogs that drive me crazy.  What I found was, the more grateful I had become for the small things, the more wonderful the world around me became.

     Today, I am grateful to live in a community full of people who are so willing to give.  I am grateful for some of the best clients in the world and for all the wonderful people I met last month.  I am in awe that we could throw out an idea about a food drive and have such an overwhelming response.

     Thank you to all who participated in the “WIPE OUT” hunger event at Kelly’s Automotive Service.    Some of you donated more than your fair share, some helped with publicity and others offered to help make this an even better event next year.  Most of all, thank you for reminding me how wonderful people can be.  Thank you for helping to restore my faith and reminding me that if we work together anything is possible. 

“Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.” 

― Maya Angelou

     My hope in writing this blog is that you can learn from the lessons I have already been given.  I know for sure my learning is never done and I hope I can pass something useful on to you.  

I'm in Violation of what?

This is actually something I wrote a few months ago and forgot to post!  Enjoy!


Why don't all dentists include a glass of wine BEFORE your appointment and a foot rub WHILE you are getting your x rays and exam? This could be a whole new income stream.  We could all go to Le Dentist for a relaxing Molar removal or Root canal. :)   Although I must admit after a glass of wine, I might be a bit talkative, which could  make the job for Le Dentist a bit difficult.  Then there is the whole alcohol thins the blood thing....okay, so maybe it is not such a great idea.  One can dream.  I am still pulling for the foot rub.

So, I am sitting there in my dentist's chair ( who also happens to be my friend) and I am hearing things like, "Inclusion, watch, m/o, deposit, Oclusa"l (which sounds very accusatory to me) and a lot more that sounded like Slovak to me.  ( All of the a fore mentioned terms are most likely wrong and just my warped sense of interpretation) Then came the big one "Violation of biologic width".  What?  I am in violation?  Is there a dental police officer  nearby who is going to write me a ticket?  How do I pay for that?  Will there be an arraignment?   Will the tooth fairy bail me out?  Will I have a chance to make an Oral argument?

Once we are done with the exam, my friend the dentist breaks it down into terms I can understand. "Flossing is a good thing."  Yeah, I say,  I know....I started flossing almost every day two weeks ago because I knew I was coming to see you.  (Insert a  big Aren't I a good girl? look here) "Pretty sure, you had all these cavities before two weeks ago."  Cavities!  I have cavities?  Can't be.  

I actually went in because I broke my tooth. Well, to be honest my friend called me when she got back from vacation and said "I have an appointment for you on Wednesday for your broken tooth."  I thought I would go in, get my exam and x-rays, my cleaning, a crown for the broken tooth and be on my way.  But Nooooo.  Apparently there is this stringy thing called floss, that I should have been using every day!  Even before two weeks ago!  My friend says "It is kind of like my saying I will bring my car in for an oil change every two years."   I say.... And, you can get a new engine while you are there!  Then,  I get the look....She made her point.  Okay, okay, flossing is good.   (But so are foot rubs...just sayin) "Flossing" she says. Yes ma'am. I say  "Flossing!"  Yes DOCTOR (Insert sarcasm here.)

While I was lying there in the chair looking up at the ceiling, I thought "This would be a great place to put a testimonial  about the shops!   We could put a sign up there that says ...WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR VEHILCE SERVICED?  I ONLY TRUST KELLY'S AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE WITH MY VEHICLES".    I didn't bring that up yet.  I think I might need to give her some of that feel good gas first....But I did leave with two follow up appointments and a tub of prescription strength fluoride toothpaste and a renewed determination to use the stringy thing to the best of my ability....So help me God.

+Sara Riechers
+Bethany Taylor Kelly
+dave kelly