Returning with a Roar

As many of you know (sounds like I'm pretending to have LOTS of readers!), I've been in the role of a "Returning" woman. When Cupcake graduated 2 years ago, I thought "Okay, now what do I want to be when I grow up?" I've owned a number of businesses over the years (I call myself a serial entrepreneur), but I embraced a term called career convergence and decided that it's time that my passion, gifts, talents, experience and assignment all converge for my glorious fifties.

The result is I've been building my client base with LifePoint as a Merchant of Hope & Executive Business Trainer. I'm loving it. One thing I've done this year is teamed up with Becky Harmon of Success Not Sabotage Coaching. We're doing team-building in Tele-Classes, Workshops, Retreats and such. Right now, we're working with a team of 10 Christian Businesswomen & Ministry Leaders who've dubbed themselves the Grace Girls. This has been an amazing experience and of course I've learned more from them than they could have possibly learned from me. I just want to let you know Becky and I are organizing our last Tele-team (location doesn't matter) of 2010 on October 13 on Creating a Team that Roars: Magnetizing and Cultivating a Team that Gets Results. If you want to know more, details are HERE .

One of the Grace Girls, Jane Falter, is an Encore Coach that I'm joining with next week to present a Free Tele-Seminar called Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life.
A survey I participated in as a blogger about a year ago revealed that 80% of women over 40 live with a sense of disappointment. (And you thought you were alone.) Consider joining us next Weds. Oct 6th. Details Here

So now you know where I've been and what I've been doing! I've got more to tell you and am excited about a trip to California later this week. Catch you soon!

House of Tomorrow

I've been reflecting on the gifts that the generations hold, both young and old. My dad treasured the words of Kahlil Gibran and when I was a teenager, often comforted both of us with the image of himself as the archer me as the arrow.

"Your children are the sons and daughter of Life's longing for itself. They come through you but not from you...You may give them your love but not your thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth..." ~Kahlil Gibran

Friday Friends

I met Shelly of Chicago a couple of years ago when she helped me with ideas for a trip we were planning. We share a love for travel, food, Jesus and blogging, for starters. She's started a Friday Favorite Food meme and I decided it's the perfect time to point you in the direction of Amanda's new WTFrills Blog. She is an amazing cook. Simply amazing. For recipes, themed party ideas, crafts and endless creativity, she's the go-to girl.

To digress from food for a sec, I have a confession. Some days I'm told I'm brilliant. And that's good to hear because other days I'm exceptionally slow. For example, Shelly's blog is called Life on the Wild Side. That puzzled me for years with it's incongruence to her quiet nature and distinctly not wild lifestyle. JUST last month I realized her last name is Wildman. Ding! That's the Wild side of her! And then there's Amanda's "WTFrills". I saw her recently and said, "Do tell what the WT stands for!" With the Frills. Duh.

Just knock me in the head- I'll be okay.

Since everybody is watching football these days, I'm sharing this fabulous Spinach Artichoke Dip recipe that Uncommon Blonde served recently when I was there. Oh. My. Goodness.
This came from Amanda's keyboard, to Uncommon Blonde's kitchen, to my hips. These calories come under the category of "worth every bite."

Spinach Artichoke Dip
2 pkgs. frozen creamed spinach, thawed
1 can artichoke hearts, quartered, drained
1 small carton heavy whipping cream
1 pkg. shredded parmesan cheese
1 pkg. shredded monterey jack cheese
1 pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
garlic powder to taste
tortilla chips for dipping

Add all ingredients (less chips) in a crock pot and heat thoroughly. Serve with chips and enjoy!


Be sure to do something this weekend just because you want to. Not because you have to.

The Sound of Joy

We had a marvelous long weekend with a houseful of laughter. Enjoy this short clip of the sound of joy. The message you can't see is that our son and daughter-in-love (pictured below) are expecting in March. I am deliriously happy.