These are some recent Joys of Delight...
1. Discovering who made that loud call - the cardinal in my tree
2. Extra quiet time
3. Watching a movie uninterrupted by kids
4. Finding matching socks
5. Seeing the first pea
6. Brea's new sandals as a gift from Grandma
7. Finding out the reunion might be near by so we can definitely go
8. The happy face of pansies
9. A good conversation
10. Having the cat lay and cuddle with me

6/22/2004 09:35:56 AM|||Beth Dargis|||

I have updated my 4th of July Page from my personal site. I have so much fun doing that. And check out the Colonial Williamsburg link - tons of things to do.

I also updated 52 changes.

|||108791167717986977|||Independence Day6/21/2004 03:13:29 PM|||Beth Dargis|||

From The Nine Modern Day Muses by Jill Badonsky. What would it mean to you to artfully live your life?

My List:
Artfully Living a Life
dancing in nature
creating from what you see and experience
rocking in a chair
PAYING ATTENTION
gardening
observant walks
passionate loving
enjoying the nurturing of a home
puttering
writing
journaling
sitting on the porch
music- listening, playing piano, singing, concerts

"Wake up to the present moment! In the moment, a glorious profusion of sensation, emotion and stirring thoughts translate themselves into the form of a luring inspiration. You have the freedom to weave these inspirations into dreams, into art, into a reality you can step into with celebration. Why would you pass this up? What's that all about?"

Aha-phrodite in The Nine Modern Day Muses

|||108784652930327930|||Question of the Week6/21/2004 03:09:22 PM|||Beth Dargis|||

Friday morning we went to the farmer's market. The sugar snap peas looked excellent and we got some tomatoes and corn. We had to pass by the delicious looking strawberries because we were going berry picking in the afternoon.

I love the smell of the fresh berries. The sun was out, but not too hot. The kids were having the best time picking berries. They kept saying, "Hey Mom, look at this one!"

We stopped by Jeff's parents on the way home. The kids made a terrarium out of an old wagon. They put rocks and sticks with the wagon, then filled it with some water. They hunted for frogs and had about 3 in there when we had to leave. They dissappointedly put the frogs back and emptied the wagon.

After dinner and dishes we worked on the berries. We bagged some up for Father's Day for Jeff's Dad, froze most after taking the tops off and put some out in a bowl. They had an excellent time playing outside with the cousins playing an elaborate role playing game my kids made up.I finished the berries while the in-laws were upstairs playing with the computer with hubby. Then SIL came down and we chatted awhile before they had to leave. Kids were going in and out and we gave them milk, leftover raw sugar snap peas from dinner and by the time they left the strawberries were gone. We were exhausted by then. I slept good and hard for the first time in a few days.

Saturday was spent at in-laws. Jeff and I went out to dinner with his brother and sister-in-law as anniversary presents from my mother-in-law. A more expensive restaraunt than we've gone to in awhile. She also watched the kids. Wasn't that nice?

|||108784514246808572|||Berry Picking6/15/2004 08:20:37 PM|||Beth Dargis|||

What is a repeating roadblock, obstacle or pattern for you?

|||108734528685795265|||Question of the Week6/15/2004 08:14:41 PM|||Beth Dargis|||

At Home Depot Kids' Workshops, you can bring the kids and that can learn to make projects with their hands.

Lowe's also has kid's clinics where kids learn to make things like toy cars and wooden birdhouses.

|||108734524148335054|||Ideas for the Kids6/14/2004 10:43:12 PM|||Beth Dargis|||

I have been reading a little bit at a time of Simple Days by Marlene A Schiwy. She is journaling on her experience with simplifying her life. I love reading how her thoughts bounce around as she tries to clarify what is important to her and what needs simplifying. I love what she wrote on April 22nd because I see this often:

"Perhaps, too, I suspect that nonstop professional activity can become a means of avoiding one's own inner life, just as working long hours of voluntary overtime, according to a recent article in the New York Times has become a means of avoiding tensions at home. (Apparently the workplace has become "home" to many Americans, while dealing with dirty dishes, needy kids and messy emotions "has become work.") Endless meetings can serve as one more item on the already overloaded list that demonstrates our importance, indeed, indispensability, to the world around us."

Keeping busy is much easier than dealing with feelings and needs. That is why so many people run away from simplifying and taking control of their time. Who knows what they will find in the silence?

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Today my focus was the question, "Will this bring me closer or further away from my goals?" I woke up on time instead of sleeping in as I remembered that question. I clicked off a messageboard to get to work. I ate a peach instead of a cookie. I turned off the TV. Along with other small changes throughout the day. I am moving towards my goals.

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Today I am grateful for:
a compliment from Terry
a bike ride with the kids where we stopped to take pictures at things we liked
that Brea doesn't need new frames, just new lenses
going out to lunch at this fantastic little restaurant here called Kadoolie's with Brea while Jonathan was learning to weld
Insight from Simple Days

|||108726835215221273|||Busyness as avoidance6/13/2004 10:54:19 PM|||Beth Dargis|||

I had an active Saturday. While I've never been athletic, I've always been active. Some of my favorite memories are hiking and biking with my family, running with some buddies and doing the 20-min workout with my best friend. I'd take long walks around the neighborhood. I loved to swim every chance I could. I discovered weights in college.

There have been times when I have stopped exercising, usually do to illness. And it takes a bit to remember why I like it. The starting can be intimidating. But, I notice I feel stiffer if I haven't done yoga in awhile. Jars become harder to open if I haven't lifted weights. And running with the kids leaves me out of breath if I have forgotten my cardio.

Saturday morning I lifted weights and did yoga. Later the kids wanted to go on a bike ride with me. So we dusted off the bikes from winter and headed out. I had forgotten the wonderful feeling of cool breeze and feeling like you are flying. When my husband woke up we ventured to two different beaches. One with a large set of stairs. We took a new road and discovered we could get to his parent's town from the beach much faster that way.

We played at the park. The swings are my favorite, though they have these new plastic huge button looking things that swing as you walk on them.

Afterwards we went to a friend's house for a bit before going home. He has a enchanting pond with tons of frogs and fish. And birds fly all around. My daughter caught one of the frogs and had to send her brother in the fetch me so I could oo and ah over it. I remember catching frogs when I was younger, too. I was always disappointed we couldn't take them home with us in the car. But, for some reason my parents always said no :)

Today was more relaxed with making chocolate chip cookies, reading and planning.

|||108718216150425973|||Active6/12/2004 11:22:06 AM|||Beth Dargis|||

Look to this day!
For it is life, the very life of life.
In its brief course
Lie all the verities and realities of your existence:
The bliss of growth;
The glory of action;
The splendor of achievement;

For yesterday is but a dream,
And tomorrow is only a vision;
But today, well lived, makes every yesterday
a dream of happiness,
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.

by Kalidasa

|||108705398148522509|||Look to This Day6/11/2004 11:27:17 PM|||Beth Dargis|||

My Great-Grandparents
Adventurers...travelers...
fearless...didn't care what other people thought of them
Grandma ate sweets with abandon never worrying about her waistline
Always with a smile, candy or a penny
Lived in their own place until they died in their late 80's. Oops, I
think Grandma was in her 90's, she had lied about her age.
Still cooking, playing the piano and ukele, camping, fishing
Inviting people over, taking walks, enjoying life.
I have never had a fear of growing old, because my great-grandparents
and grandparents have shown me how to grow old with an excitement about life,
learning and people. I can't wait to be like them when I get older.

|||108701143782433487|||My Great-Grandparents6/10/2004 11:41:24 PM|||Beth Dargis|||

Working from home leads to some challenges during summer vacation, especially if your husband works 3rd shift. I wrote up a draft copy of our summer schedule. Since I have don't have too much that has to be done at certain times, that is a lot of time just floating around. Without my schedule I would look at my long to do list and not know where to start. So, my basic framework is:

6:30 am quiet time, exercise (sometimes those are combined)
Morning grooming and cleaning routine
Check kid's morning chores
Send E-courses
Coaching
E-mail
Design work
Lunch with kids (picnics are especially fun)
Marketing
Basic Weekly Plan - weekly chores
15 min zone tasks - monthly chores
Time with family
Dinner, evening chores with family
More family fun
Time with hubby, then say bye
Evening routine - getting me and kids ready for bed
Read in bed
Lights out 10:30

Of course it is almost midnight and I'm not asleep yet. Storms have been keeping me awake and my sleep has gotten out of whack.

Rarely does my day go exactly as scheduled, but a time framework keeps me more productive.

Above is my actual office on a typical day.

|||108692586422724886|||Summer Schedule6/10/2004 12:00:51 AM|||Beth Dargis|||

I did lots of work this morning and early afternoon. I felt focused and on fire. After an early dinner my family and I spent a couple hours at the beach.

Do you want a great way to track your health, exercise and food? Life Clinic is free.

|||108684017123471848|||Work hard, play hard6/07/2004 10:49:54 PM|||Beth Dargis|||

I have some big projects going and have been working more than usual. Tonight, my hubby invited me outside. He set up the hammock and some chairs. I laid down in the cool, evening breeze. We listened to the birds and saw some overhead. One was a robin getting worms to feed her baby who was following after her. My daughter climbed up into the hammock to cuddle with me and my son came outside to see what all the chatter was about. We laughed and talked. Our neighbor stopped by to chat. Then the kids went on a bike ride around the block. Brea a little nervous since she hadn't been on a bike all winter. She thought she forgot how. But, I guess the saying is true because she made it back home in one piece.

The newest 52 changes is up.

|||108666335479869474|||Relaxing6/06/2004 09:19:27 PM|||Beth Dargis|||

Today I was planning on a retreat day, but the sunshine was calling me. So, instead I went to the lake with the family. The water felt like stepping into cold ice tea at first. After falling backwards in, it was more refreshing than cold. When the kids were done swimming they found fossils, shells and a snail still in its shell.

We got hungry so we heading to Jeff's parents' place. During our stay the kids excitedly came in to show us a snapping turtle they had found. Remember a couple weeks ago we found the baby. This one must have been the daddy. Biggest one I have seen that close. The long, curved claws and sharp hook-like mouth were menacing. My mother-in-law saw a crack in the back of the shell and touched it. The turtle twisted around like a whip, mouth open wide. My mother-in-law flew back to get away. I stayed with my daughter as we watched a long time. She took notes on the claws, the beady eyes, the shell and other observations. After the snapping turtle ran off into some long grass, she came into the house with a large painted turtle. She pouted when we told her we couldn't keep it.

|||108657210024410434|||Snapping Turtles6/05/2004 02:11:10 PM|||Beth Dargis|||

I just finished watching the movie Miracle. Such an important movie. At the time of the Soviet - American Olympic hockey game, America was feeling negative and downtrodden. I see this attitude in our time now. The movie shows how if you are willing to work and if you believe you can do it, you can beat the odds. You can win. So true. The successful people aren't always the ones who are the smartest or most talented. They are the ones that do the work and feel they can do it. We are all so much more capable than we think we are. Our potential is astounding. We are the biggest barrier to success. We think the work is "too hard" or "I'm not good enough." We think there is a ceiling over us keeping us down, when the ceiling is really in our head. I'd love to see an America where we all do our best and work hard, not wait for success to drop in our lap. Where we all work in integrity instead of seeing what we can get away with. Where we are full of postitive energy instead of negative complaining. I see the future and it is grand

|||108646213064399781|||Miracle6/03/2004 06:47:08 PM|||Beth Dargis|||

Question of the Week:
What color nail polish would you like to be?

|||108630284257023045|||Question of the Week6/03/2004 05:34:33 PM|||Beth Dargis|||

Living Like Your Nail Polish

I've been reading a book called Bodacious Woman by Mary Foley. In it she writes that she wants to live like her nail polish : Wild Berry. I had to laugh when my daughter asked me to paint her nails. Her fingernails in bright blue with gold dots. Her toes sparkled with alternating gold and silver. Her big toes she wanted stripes. Gold on the silver and silver on the gold.



I remember when I used to paint my nails with polka dots, stripes, squiggles and other outrageous designs. Now I rarely wear nail polish, much less wild nail polish. Hmm, I wonder if I can borrow my daughter's bright purple?

P.S. The new 52 changes is up: http://www.encouragingcoach.com/projects-52changes.htm

|||108630108093497147|||Living like your Nail Polish6/02/2004 10:49:05 PM|||Beth Dargis|||

Almost 60 people signed up for the new habits course. I am so excited to be working with all these motivating people.

Today was the grand opening of our newly redeveloped downtown. We had a reopening ceremony and an open house. Most of the downtown shops had free food out or little things to give away. We ran into tons of people we knew and stopped to chat. The bakery cookies were the best. Along the walk were easels with before and after pictures. Tomorrow is the carnival and there will be live bands all day Saturday.

Since our garage sale kept getting rained out we took all our stuff to Goodwill. No money, but it was a good lesson for my daughter as she learned the goodness of giving generously. She had really been looking forward to that garage sale money. It took awhile to get her to be at peace with our decision.

Here is a site with lots of free printables: http://www.thefrugalshopper.com/printables.shtml

|||108623136564996042|||Fun in a small town Go to the Archives, and click 'republish all'.