GOTTA GET YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE... Not the finish line!

Barbara Ward-Finneran

I've been told, "You have it all together", "You inspire me", "You handle everything so well"... 

Most times I feel pretty secure in handling life and all it's curve balls day in and day out.  Then there are the days that it's an effort to breathe. Occasionally, a day like that can meld into a stretch of time.  Only those closest to me might notice the heaviness of heart.  There are "airs" to put on when you are "the inspiration" the one who always keeps it together.  Ms. Mary Sunshine shouldn't have thunder rolling in.  Ironically, the last few weeks has not been clear skies.  Geez, talk about feeling like a fraud! Lately the constant struggle to keep all the balls in the air has ruled my life.  When all you do is keep tossing one up - do you really handle anything? Are you just stuck in a wicked cycle of keeping balance, of keeping up appearances, ...never able to forge ahead or climb up?

Plateaus stink.  Professional, personal, relationship, and life/health style ones (any kind at all!) all stink.  No really, they suck. When more then one smacks you in the face at a time, "Forgetaboutit"!  Being "stuck" in one place can be a torture that is the epitome of spinning your wheels in the thick nasty mud when you had the potential to win the race!

Spin, spin, spin.... that's what it's been.  So much energy and jubilation pointed towards the end of school and summers arrival.  The limitless list of all that would be easier, personally and professionally, once school was out on May 27th.  All the "to do-s" that would and will get done.  All the time that would be had to catch up and move on. (Side note: A prime example of not to convince yourself it will be better "when"...!)

Silly me.  All that spinning ended in a wicked stall out! Almost a month later. No closer to winning that race.  No closer to smashing any plateaus.  Reasons matter not.  They were not earth shattering - just challenges in my little corner of the world. But enough to suck the air from my lungs and my motivation right along with it!

What matters is not days past - but NOW.  What matters was Monday.  Monday I declared my own personal "re-do". The restart of summer and all the goals that I have intertwined with the anticipation of it's arrival.  Dusting off that motivation and digging deep to move forward.  Practically forcing myself.  Amazing how even though you want and need to move forward - at times you have to force it into being - even just the start of it. Nothing just gets you nothing, nothing but more spinning! It's a difficult cycle to break at times.  Starting can be the hardest, but doing something is better then doing nothing. Start! Start something, maybe not all of it, or even the most pressing of the issues - but, START SOMETHING!

So, I've started! (Again, FINALLY!)  Not everything.  But, the wheels are in motion and gaining mileage.  I'll keep juggling the balls, keeping my eyes strategically on "myself","family" and "faith"- the rest can bounce if needed.  I'll catch them when I can.  Admittedly - as much as I wanted it - it took days to force the start. I cannot completely even explain why, in writing or even in my own mind.  I have however come to acknowledge the problems with keeping all the balls in the air you tend to ignore the ones that are about you.  That always leads to trouble.  After more then two years of embracing my own mantra of "Keep the promises you make to yourself" I dropped that ball and let it roll out of reach.  Somehow thinking I'd fix the other things and get back to me later.  Doesn't work that way.  HOW DID I FORGET THAT?!?!?  You have to take care of YOU to take care of the rest. 

Do you need to be starting something?!?! 

Do you need to remember to put yourself on the list? 

I highly recommend it! 

LUNCH TIME POLL

Dawn Boyle
What do you feel is the most OVER PAID profession?

What do you feel is the most UNDER PAID profession?

I feel that I might be the most UNDER PAID person in the world.....

SCREAMS HEARD AT NIGHT

Dawn Boyle

Many of you are aware of the Serial Killer(s) here on Long Island that have been littering our shores with people. So far there have been over 10 sets of remains recovered on the shoreline of our South Shore beaches, to be honest it is right in my own backyard. I have to admit a few times I have gotten freaked out about this, but nothing like what happened this past weekend.

Friday afternoon was stormy. We had strong gusty winds and torrential rains. Around 8:00 the rain subsided and we heading over to our boat. Last minute plans to sleep over for the weekend were in full swing. My daughters had a friend joining us. We waiting 'til the sky was clear and pink to push off. We arrived to very distant lightning up in the clouds and a rainbow that stretched clear across the bay. It was beautiful. We pulled in to our usual spot and said hello to a few of the diehards. These guys will ride out anything, and apparently that day it was wind gusts of 60mph. We settled in and joined our friends for a cocktail on the dock. It was about 11:00 when I was standing with two friends, talking about how we needed school to be over and how our children were fried from the year and how the boat basin was unusually empty, being Fathers Day weekend and we figured the nasty weather had kept many away, when we heard a blood curdling scream, followed by two other shrills.

STICKY SWEET

 THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY

Patty B.

If life is like a box of chocolates, then its time for me to buy another box, I seemed to have already devoured all the good ones!

Chocolate in the morning is what makes moms get through their day!

Chocolate: luscious, lumpy. load of love......

If chocolate equals heaven, I’m an angel

*** MY FAVORITE THIS WEEK*****

Worried about how your chocolate consumption will affect your bikini body? 

Then get rid of the bikini!

SUMMER SOLSTICE 2011 - BRING ON THE HEAT!

"The summer solstice occurred today at 1:16 p.m. EDT, the time the sun is at the highest point possible in the sky. In the Northern Hemphisphere, June 21 is the longest day of the year and marks the official beginning of summer.

Today, the North Pole is tilted toward the sun more than any other day in 2011. The summer solstice is a result of the Earth tilted on its axis 23.4 degrees in the direction of the sun, exposing most of the Northern Hemisphere to sunlight.

Solstice is derived from Latin words meaning, "sun stands still." The summer solstice occurs when the sun is directly overhead at noon at the Tropic of Cancer.

For the Southern Hemisphere, everything is opposite. Today is the actually the beginning of the winter solstice and the shortest day of the year for the Southern Hemisphere.

Wherever a person is on the earth today, solstices occurred at the exact moment across all global time zones.

Even though on June 21 is the day that the Northern Hemisphere receives the most sunlight in 2011, it is not necessarily the hottest day of the year. Since it takes several weeks for the earth to release the heat from the sunlight, the hottest days in summer are usually in July or August."

Facts as reported at: Interesting Facts for the Longest Day of the Year 

CASEY ANTHONY TRIAL: Jail Mate May Testify & Kronk May Be Morally Bankrupt

Earlier Today, Baez complained to Judge Perry that  prosecutors had given him an indication that a conversation Anthony heard from jail mate, April Whelan, in an adjacent cell.  The scenario Whelan spoke of bears a  striking similarity to the claims made by the defense that Caylee drown and then the death was covered up.

The defense has conceded that Casey was a habitual liar and that her claims have often been laced with a crumble of truth.  The judge has left the door open for Whelan to testify, however there is no indication that prosecutors will choose to bring the jail mate to the stand.

Defense expert, Dr. Richard Eichlenbloom was on the stand talking about test performed on the duct tape found near Caylee's skull.  He said there was no trace of DNA on the tape.  Prosecutor Jeff Ashton has tried to discredit this "science".  (The jury is not privy to the information that Ashton was among the first prosecutors in 1988 and 989 to fight DNA science as evidence.)

Dr. Jan Bock, forensic botanist,  testified about the vegetation at the site where the body was found.  Under questioning by Prosecutor Jeff Ashton, Bock admitted her opinion has changed ad to the length of time the child's body was in the woods.  She now states no less then two weeks which contradicts her earlier deposition where she stated that it was impossible to tell.

Defense attorneys may use this information to debunk testimony by Roy Kronk, the utility meter reader who found the body, hoping to extend the insinuation that Kronk was after reward money and may have had a role in hiding Caylee's body.

WANNA LAUGH?!?!?!

A man and his wife were driving through the country on their way from New York to California when the man noticed he needed some gasoline. He spots a Mobil station in the middle of nowhere and pulls over to the high octane pump. 

"What can I do for y'all?" asks the attendant. 

"Fill `er up with high test," replies the driver. 

While the attendant is filling up the tank, he's looking the car up and down. "What kinda car you got here" he asks. "I never seen one like it before. It sure is perty." 

"Well," responds the driver, his chest swelling up with pride, "this, my boy is a 1999 Cadillac DeVille." 

"What all's it got in it?" asks the attendant. 

"Well," says the driver, "it has everything. It's loaded with power steering, power seats, power sun roof, power mirrors, AM/FM radio with a 10 deck CD player in the trunk with 100 watts per channel, 8 speaker stereo, rack and pinion steering, disk brakes all around, leather interior, digital instrument package, and best of all, a 8.8 liter V12 engine." 

"Wow," says the attendant, "I'll be!" 

"How much do I owe you for the gas?" asks the driver. 

"That'll be $30.17," says the attendant. 

The driver pulls out his money clip and peels off a $20 and a $10. He goes into his other pocket and pulls out a handful of change. Mixed up with the change are a few golf tees. 

"What are those little wooden things you got there?" asks the attendant. 

"That's what I put my balls on when I drive," says the driver. 

"Wow," says the attendant, "dem Cadillac people think of everything!"

LUNCH TIME POLL

Dawn Boyle

A New Jersey School has banned photographs of students from their school being posted on ANY social media network. This is to avoid a number of issues we now face in this sexting, bullying, harassment world we are now living in.

Do you feel this is a smart move or does it take away from our freedom?

HE SAID... Bad Boys, Bad boys... WHY?

Tony Walker

Heather Locklear/Tommy Lee

Robin Wright/Sean Penn

Beautiful women marrying bad boys. I'm sure you could add so many couples to this list. I'm also sure you have seen this in real life. The "good ones" always going for the jerks. Why is that?

In 2008 I went to my high school reunion. We were celebrating 20 years since graduation. My wife came with me. A woman who was one of the most popular & beautiful girls in our class ran up to my wife and asked, "Do you know how lucky you are to be married to Tony Walker"? I almost sh*t myself!!! I would've done ANYTHING to date this girl back then! But back then I was a nerd and a dirtbag... not a bad boy.

Bad boys...
They'll cheat on you.
They'll demand you make them a sandwich while they watch the game.
They'll tell you you look fat.
They'll make you cry.
You'll still go out with them.
You'll tell the nerds that you like them as a friend.
Yet the nerds will grow up to become better men than any of the bad boys.

Ladies explain this to me.
What makes the bad boys so attractive?
Do you enjoy being treated like sh*t?
Is it an image thing?

Feel free to comment on this, share your own "bad boy" story, or attack me and "The Lounge" like last week.

SCHOOL'S OUT FOR THE SUMMER!

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

The school year is at an end here in the south, and close to finishing up north as well. As our children pack away their notebooks and school uniforms for the summer in favor of bathing suits and flip flops, let’s take time to remember the gifts their teachers have given to them throughout the year. Teaching isn’t just imparting facts and figures as some people think. Teaching is the gentle molding of a mind and soul, the passing on of knowledge, yes, but of so much more! It’s caring for each child’s physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual growth and development  for 10 month of that child’s life. (And most of the teachers I know never stop caring or thinking of those children even after they’ve moved on to the next grade and beyond.) Any child I’ve ever taught knows that he or she will ALWAYS be my “little chicken” and that I’m still here for them (and many have grown children of their own by now!)

Take a moment to reflect on just what a teacher does, as written in a letter from Abraham Lincoln to his son’s teacher.

He will have to learn, I know, that all men are not just, all men are not true.
But teach him also that for every scoundrel there is a hero;
that for every selfish Politician, there is a dedicated leader...
Teach him for every enemy there is a friend,
Steer him away from envy, if you can,  teach him the secret of
quiet laughter.
Let him learn early that the bullies are the easiest to lick...   Teach him, if you can, the wonder of books...
But also give him quiet time to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky,
bees in the sun, and the flowers on a green hillside.
In the school teach him it is far honorable to fail than to cheat...
Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if everyone tells him
they are wrong...
Teach him to be gentle with gentle people, and tough with the tough.
Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd
when everyone is getting on the band wagon...
Teach him to listen to all men... but teach him also to filter
all he hears on a screen of truth, and take only the good
that comes through.
Teach him if you can , how to laugh when he is sad...
Teach him there is no shame in tears, Teach him to scoff at cynics
and to beware of too much sweetness...
Teach him to sell his brawn and brain to the highest bidders
but never to put a price-tag on his heart and soul.
Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob and to stand and fight
if he thinks he's right.
Treat him gently, but do not cuddle him, because only the test
of fire makes fine steel.
Let him have the courage to be impatient...
let him have the patience to be brave.
Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself,
because then he will have sublime faith in mankind.
This is a big order, but see what you can do...  
He is such a fine fellow, my son!