At this very moment, my husband and I are in the path of Hurricane Earl.

It is eerily quiet.  Even though we are a mile away from the Atlantic Ocean, I can hear the waves pounding the shore.

“Red sky at night, sailor’s delight; red sky in the morning, sailor’s warning.” I took this picture at 6AM today.  A sign of the storm that looms.

The uncertainty of what will happen has been rather disconcerting.  And, yet I must admit I have enjoyed the intense focus and change of pace this week as I prepared for this monstrous storm.

I feel ready.  (Fingers crossed!)

But first…

Woman on Fire Jamie Eslinger and I were discussing how to handle our pets – their dog Pup and our cat Wilber — in this potentially devastating storm (neither of us has ever been in a hurricane), when she said something rather profound:

“Isn’t it funny how we have to be faced with a crisis in order to make a plan?”

Jamie wasn’t talking “funny” as in “ha ha ha,” but rather “funny” as in “911.”

She was talking about more than a storm.  She was referring to why anyone would attempt to live an extraordinary life — without a plan. It is akin to facing a hurricane without knowing what you will do if things turn ugly!

From the day I started coaching clients in 1995, I noticed the key that defines people who live extraordinary lives are those with clear, inspiring, up-to-date plans for their work and lives.

You wouldn’t build a house without a blueprint!  You don’t want to live your life without one either.  That is you don’t, if you want to be extraordinary!

Because I am not sure how long I will have power and the Internet right now, I will make this quick.

Simply put, your plan needs to lay out your gifts, strengths and talents and the actions you are taking to express your gifts in the world.

I will write more about this in the future, but for now, if you already have a plan, good for you! Perhaps you can dust it off, if need be, and give it a good updating.  And, if you don’t have one, let’s get one going for you!

I encourage you to get started by writing down your answer to this important and provocative question:

What is the love you have to give to the world before you die?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments section below.

OK, here we go.  The wind is picking up, the lights just flickered, and the rain is quickening its strike against the house.  But inside our house I feel safe and secure; our plans are in place should the storm turn ugly.

Both Pup and Wilber are “hurricane ready.”

Pup stands guard to protect his family!

Wilber practices duck-and-cover!

Thank you to the many Women on Fire who’ve experienced hurricanes — Rosemary Nickel, Diane Torrisi, Marissa Nelson, Shannon McCaffery, Janette Barber,  Jamie Foster, Michele Woodward, Sharon Harvey, Carla Rae Gerardino, Blue Cullen and Debra Gaines — and shared extremely valuable and practical information that allowed me to create my hurricane plan this past week.

In addition, Woman on Fire Melissa McClain referred Jamie and me to this site to get our pets ready.  Wilber’s emergency kit and carrier contains food, water, identification, medical records, leash, picture of us together (important to prove ownership if we were separated) and a disposable litter tray. (‘Cause a kitty’s gotta do what a kitty’s gotta do!)

I will see you after the storm.  Have a great Labor Day weekend.  And, if you, too, are in Earl’s path, may you be out of harm’s way soon.

I am wrapping up a week’s vacation today with my mother who came to visit me on Martha’s Vineyard.   It was our longest stretch of time together alone in my adult life and it turned out totally relaxing and fun!

Last day of vacation — my sweet mom and me

And, we weren’t the only ones on the island taking it easy – POTUS (President Obama) and FLOTUS (First Lady Michelle) were also here.  And, in a moment, I’ll tell you about how we missed actually seeing them everywhere we went!

But first…

Congratulations to Christine Wagner who last week hosted another successful Women on Fire Tea Party in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  I love her Southwestern twist on traditional tea party fare. Azadero cheese with salsa and goat milk flan for dessert were on the menu.  Yum!  I’ve got to get out to New Mexico and experience this myself at one of Christine’s teas!

Glowing faces at the Women on Fire Tea Party in Santa Fe!
Front row: Cecelia Dardanes, Cynthia Savage, Sienna Steiner
Back Row: Sue Wetsel, Anna Molitor, Sandi Reeder,
Christine Wagner, Amy Winn, Barbara Wilder

While the tea party food may vary, some things, however, at Women on Fire Tea Parties stay the same no matter where you attend:

The inspiration, strategies and support of fabulous women connecting with each other and sharing what they are “on fire” about in their lives.   Those elements are always present, and I hope you can go to one soon!

Last week many of you commented and shared your own stories about your mother or loss of your mother in response to my spending a week with my mom.  Thank you.

I so treasured this time with my mother knowing how precious these memories are.
It was the easiest, most stress-free week I’d had in a long time.  We simply did what we wanted to all week long.

We:

• Ate
• Baked
• Napped
• Reminisced
• Created greeting cards with Women on Fire Blue Cullen and Nancy Rogers
• Hosted an afternoon tea party for a dozen women friends, all Women on Fire:-)
• Took the ferry over to our neighboring island Chappaquiddick and had a picnic
• Went to see the movie Eat, Pray, Love. (I loved it. My practical mom’s take on Elizabeth Gilbert’s travels to Italy, India and Bali to find herself: “Well, that’s sure different.”)

Even though we were tangled in traffic a number of times to accommodate the President’s visit, it was no big deal at all.

He and his family vacationed a mile or two up the road from us.  Everywhere my mom and I ate or traveled, we always seemed to be right behind them by a few hours, minutes or seconds.  We went to breakfast at our favorite State Road Restaurant, and the staff was abuzz because the Obamas had eaten dinner there the night before!

Here is a little video I took of my sweet mom so you can get a feel for her funny, delightful personality.  She’s talking to you from the same location in the restaurant where the President ate lobster tempura 12 hours earlier.  She’s feasting on a Limpopo (If you know what it is, please write me because I’m still not sure!)

If the Video Of Debbie’s Mom does not show above click this link to play

And, now it is time to say goodbye to her until the holidays (sniff, sniff). It’s back to work for me with much exciting work ahead.

Soon, I will launch an audio series interviewing inspiring women to address many of the issues we struggle with as women.  I am so excited about sharing these powerful women with you.

I hope you, too, are about to make the transition of summer-into-fall with great hope and promise.

Please check out the calendar for some ways you might take your interests and work to the next level.  As always, feel free to share what you are looking forward to in the comments section below.

Can you feel the summer coming to an end?

And, were you able to do what you wanted to this season?

This week I am wrapping up August by fulfilling a long-held desire.  I’m spending a week’s vacation hosting my mother on Martha’s Vineyard.

My mother and I on the ferry boat to Martha’s Vineyard for a week of vacation!

In my adult life, I don’t ever remember having a whole week together – just the two of us — on vacation.   Not sure why.  Maybe life got in the way?

She is an amazing woman, my mother.  In the past year, she’s endured two major surgeries and extensive recoveries, and yet continues to run her own company in Huntsville, Alabama.

Her energy puts me to shame.

When my father died six years ago, I so worried how my mother would cope.   I should not have been surprised when she emerged even stronger and more powerful and independent than I’d ever imagined!

Her own mother died at age 56 and her mother’s mother at age 50.

So you can imagine how deeply grateful I am that I still have my mother, youthful at heart and full of gusto, at age 76.   I savor these times, and I ache for all women who have lost their mothers or are losing them to illness or aging.

Growing up, my mother was the kind of mom who scratched my back every night; told me every day she loved me; taught me how to put on make-up; and cheered me on to learn to iron my clothes (despite my pleas that I was left-handed and ironing was difficult!)

Today, less than 24 hours into our vacation, my mother and I fell into the pattern of our life as mother and child.

She couldn’t wait to share a new cookie recipe, and I couldn’t wait to make her proud that I am an expert baker!

She sat in my kitchen today, calling out the instructions for Ranger Cookies and tutoring me in some brand-new-to-me baking techniques.  I dutifully followed her directions.

Mom and I trying out a new cookie recipe

And, just as it has always been together — as mother and daughter, teacher and student, mentor and mentee — we created something fun and delicious and wonderful.

I’m gonna so love and cherish this week ahead.  (I only pray my mother doesn’t find out I no longer own an ironing board;-)

Do you have a long-held dream or wish such as the one I had about going on vacation with my mother?

What would it take for you to make it happen by the end of 2010?  Please feel free to share your dreams and hopes on in the comments section below.  (You’ll also find the Ranger Cookies recipe there!)

As summer winds down, I hope you have a glorious week and that I get to see you soon!

Love,

Debbie

RANGER COOKIES

~ A twist on chocolate chip cookies

Recipe from my sister Lori Gagnon to our mother Mary Lue Phillips

1 ¼ cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) softened butter

½ cup sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

2 cups Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds cereal

1 cup chocolate chips

½ cup coconut

Use electric mixer to beat softened butter for 30 seconds.  Add sugars and beat until fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla; mix together well.  Add flour, baking soda, baking poweder, salt and mix together.  With large wooden spoon, stir in chocolate chips, coconut and cereal.

Drop by teaspoon about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 375 degrees.

I just walked in the door from having brunch with some of my very favorite women!

They are a group of nine wine enthusiasts who are friends and call themselves Divas Uncorked.  This year they celebrate their 10th year together as “sisters who sip!”

What I love about the Divas is how they embody what it means to be a Woman on Fire.  They have a passion (theirs just happens to be for wine), and they live full out in connecting with others to share their joy and knowledge of being “wine savvy, not wine snobby.”

They travel the world, host wine dinners and events, and even have their own private label wine.  By joining forces in such a dynamic way, they also have been able to support issues important to them and give back to others.

The nine partners of Divas Uncorked (with a couple of admirers) always look so chic when they wear matching outfits at their events. (Photos by Jamie Eslinger)

The Divas many causes include the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the slow-food movement.  They are even sponsoring a young woman who is training to become a sommelier, and her goal is to become the first African American Master Sommelier.

It all began when one Diva – Stephanie Browne – invited her friends to start “what looks like a book club, only we talk about wine.”

Divas Uncorked Founder Stephanie Browne and I chatting at the brunch

Their mission soon became to urge vintners and sommeliers to pay more attention to women and African-Americans in their marketing of wine.  Today, the Divas inspire other women to start their own wine groups and even have a guide for how to do that on their website.

I love these women.  They are such women on fire!

With one of my cherished Diva  friends Carolyn Hebsgaard

I first met the wonderful Divas several years ago when Woman on Fire Laurie Forster, the Wine Coach®,  and I attended one of their inspiring events.  I saw right away that they were women who uplifted each other and all those around them.

In turn, the Divas introduced me to their dear friend Jamie Eslinger, who has become a Woman on Fire and now plays an integral role in our organization.

Here I am with Jamie Eslinger toasting our connection to the Divas

I say “cheers” to what women connecting with each other in inspiring and positive ways can accomplish!  Thank you, Divas, for being such a shining example.

As the women discovered in creating Divas Uncorked, do you have a passion that could flourish by starting or joining a group?  Feel free to tell us in the comments section below.

And…

If you live in the Santa Fe area or have fabulous women friends there, be sure to tell them about the Women on Fire Tea Party coming up there on August 26.  A tea party southwestern style is quite a treat!

May your week ahead be filled with great cheer ~

Love,

Debbie

It’s Sunday.  And, I have a confession.

I haven’t gotten out of my jammies yet today. (Wearing my favorite ones that Woman on Fire Rosemary Nickel sent me from PajamaGram!)  Oh, does this feel good – and ever-so-slightly naughty;-)

Rob left before dawn today for Mara Glazer’s Social Media seminar in Baltimore.  Wilber and I are home alone.  And, because he lies around himself and naps all day, I think he loved having a pal to do nothing with.

I ate when I wanted; skipped making the bed and unloading the dishwasher; yakked on the phone to Shannon McCaffery and to my mom; read Rolling Stone and World Pulse magazines; brewed a pot of hazelnut coffee (which Rob doesn’t like because it makes our house all smelly); and even drank a diet Coke, which I rarely, rarely do anymore.

In short, a Heavenly day of nothingness and everything-I-love-ness.

Hope you get the same chance every once in a while. I’d love to hear on our blog what you do when you have time to do absolutely nothing!

Today’s SPARK! is a strategy for what to do when you are faced with a major transition.   I am borrowing from the wisdom of Women on Fire book co-author Shannon McCaffery.

You see Shannon was laid off from jobs in the corporate world FOUR times in nine years before she found her true passion and became an entrepreneur.

She is uniquely well-qualified to talk about what an upheaval it is to unexpectedly lose your job!  

(Although you may have a hint your job is on the line, it’s still a shock when it happens.  You need a strategy to work through the loss and regain your balance.  This holds true even if you didn’t like your job.)

The results from the recent Women on Fire survey revealed that a large number of you are going through a major transition and that many of you have experienced job loss, whether of your own choice or not.

When I was compiling the Women on Fire book, I invited Shannon to share her experience of repeated job loss. I was inspired to see how she coped through some very tough times and how well it all turned out for her.  She wrote an excellent, strategy-filled chapter called “Breaking Loose From Corporate America” – 7 Secrets To Being Let Go From Your Job.

In Shannon’s words, here are her seven secrets to surviving a major transition:

1)   Surround yourself with support – “This was a lifesaver for me: having a coach, therapist, friends, family and my dogs. It was incredibly helpful to know I wasn’t alone.”

2)   Tame your mind – “My mind was my worst enemy. I took up the practice of meditation and learned how to calm and quiet my mind.”

3)   Take yourself on vacation – “Taking myself to Peru and experiencing Machu Picchu with a group of spiritually inclined people was just what my workaholic soul needed to open up to my life.”

4)   Feel your fear; it’s OK – “I was so scared about not knowing how I was going to pull through. I faced my fear and created a mantra that I repeated 40-50 times a day: ‘I will find the perfect home and perfect job for me and my dogs by Nov. 1.’” (And, she did!)

5)   Reach out to experts – “I can’t say enough about having a coach, a therapist and any other specialist you need to see your way through a transition. Yet, it’s not enough just to have them in your life, but it’s about picking up the phone and asking them for help.”

6)   Indulge in self-soothing – “There are many things you can do to make yourself smile, laugh and feel good inside. From aromatherapy (candles, incense, soaps) to baths, body lotions, flowers and ice cream.”

7)   Comfort your body – “Your body keeps a lot (bound up) during major transitions and change. You need to take extra good care of it with rest, exercise and a massage…or two or three.”

Today Shannon is happy, healthy and successful in her life and work in her own business.  She’s gone from being down-sized to “right sized!”

As The Marketing Implementer, she helps other entrepreneurs successfully launch their products and services into the world.

For more details about Shannon’s experience, you can read her entire chapter in the Women on Fire book.  She also has an excellent, free monthly newsletter of marketing tips that I highly recommend.

Do you have your own experiences of going through a transition? Please share by going to the blog.

Well, that’s it for today.  I love having you here.

And, by the time you read this, I might…I’m just saying I might…have taken a shower.  On the other hand, Wilber hasn’t meowed a complaint.  So maybe I won’t:-)

Happy Summer to you ~

I  just spent the most wonderful weekend celebrating my birthday!

My birthday dinner complete with hydrangea centerpiece
(thank you, Andrea Dowding!)

I love being born on June 25 and here are three of many reasons why:

1)   I share my birthday with at least two other fabulous Women on Fire – Sandra Carlson and Lauren Wuscher.  This year was Lauren’s golden birthday — 25 on June 25!

2)   It’s the height of strawberry season in Ohio where I grew up and Massachusetts where I live now.  Instead of birthday cake, I blow out candles on strawberry shortcake. Someone is always kind enough to make for me. My mother made it when I was younger — and now my goddaughter Julia Celeste usually does the honors and tops it with her special whipped cream (sweetened with vanilla and a touch of maple syrup).  YUM!

3)   June 25 = summer!  Casual, relaxed, warm, sunshiny, flowers and flip-flops.

My favorite “birthday cake” is strawberry shortcake! This year made by my
dear friend and colleague Blue Cullen

My mother and my husband Rob both laughed when I requested that I only wanted one gift for my birthday this year – new bath towels.  Yes, really, truly, seriously — that is all I wanted.

Long ago, I learned how creating a home and an environment that works best for each of us supports our well-being and success.

Surrounding myself with beautiful towels and sheets and fresh flowers are special comforts of mine.  So are having “house rules.”

House Rules posted in home of Woman on Fire
Maria Dolson-Verroye, mother of eight

While I shy away from being a big “rules” person, I have come to recognize that having “house rules” creates a structure that allows our homes and lives to run so much more smoothly.

To keep our own home clean, sacred and peaceful, Rob and I invite everyone to leave their shoes at the door.

During my years of individually coaching hundreds of clients, I have seen so much pain, anger, anxiety and frustration from people putting up with behavior from family and friends that could be changed if only there were “house rules.”

So recently I asked a number of Women on Fire what makes her home run happily and efficiently … what truly makes her home a home sweet home.

Here were some of the inspiring responses:
1.  We have two rules in our house and they seem to cover everything: 1. Safety first. 2. Don’t make more work for mom! – Linda Sinoway, Bexley, OH

2.  I have a self-cleaning kitchen … if it’s clean, leave it that way. If you mess it up, you clean it up. – Anne Child, Rhosllanerchrugog, United Kingdom

3. Whatever goes on in my teenagers’ rooms — their clutter, whether the bed is made, whether their clothes are put away  — is their business. My only real rule is No Food Up There. The result is: a measure of respect for the way they choose to live their lives; no arguing about how it “should” be; they clean when they want to (no nagging). – Michele Woodward, Washington, DC

4. House Rules. 1. Smile 2. Be happy 3. Listen to others 4. Speak kindness 5. Be happy with what you have. These expectations have been invaluable in raising our 8 children (for both we parents and for the kids). – Maria Dolson-Verroye, Gaithersburg, MD

5. My son can’t watch TV in mornings and per his request I won’t use my Blackberry during dinner. And absolutely no use of profanity or negative words by residents or visitors. My kid thinks I’m old-fashioned but my house rules make us more efficient and respectful.  – Sai Jimenez, New York, NY

6. Put things away after you use them…in their proper place. Saves hours looking for “lost” items.  – Gayla Saneholtz Price, Sarasota, FL

7. My husband and I both have large volumes of phone calls daily therefore when eating dinner we don’t answer the phone. – Margo Frazier, Spring, TX

8. We created a sign for our front door, which reads:
“Only Positive Attitudes Allowed Past This Door
In the Process of Experiencing: Peace, Clarity, Joy and Happiness…a Focused Life.
Do Not Disturb!” – Sandra Smith, Portland, OR

9.  Comfy clothes. – Carin Channing, Austin, TX

10. When you come in, you have to greet the artist-in-residence (hug is the preferred form of communication)–so when things are a little less busy, she’ll make cookies for you (or brownies). Be kind. No name calling even if it’s just kidding around during an intense round of board games. – Debra Bachelder, Mount Gilead, OH

11. The U.S. mail is sorted, business handled, and most of it shredded every day. – Patricia Wynn Brown, Columbus, OH

12. I have two rules. Don’t bring drama to the house. It keeps our home peaceful and happy.  Second is every time I catch someone leaving on lights, TV’s, etc when not in the room they have to pay $.50. Keeps them more aware of wasted energy, high energy bills, and keeps me from going behind them all the time shutting things off! —  Angil Tarach-Ritchey,  Ann Arbor, MI

13. Our rules are very simple. Gratitude (no sense of entitlement) and kindness.  As a result, the words “it’s not fair” have not been spoken in our home. – Andrea Dowding, Dresden, OH

14. My best rule, by far, is to hire a housekeeper. Even if it is only once a month. After years of trying to share the housework with my husband, we have decided that just doesn’t work. And the housekeeper is cheaper than therapy! – Michelle McClure, Columbus, OH

15. No surfboards in the living room. – Cathy Cook, Bolinas, CA

Tell us the rules that make your home run best! Please share it with us all in the comments section below.

Have a terrific week.  I’m off to spend my gift certificate at Pottery Barn for towels. (Thanks. I love you, Mom!)

Big hugs to you,

Debbie

Not sure who said it, but I love this quote:

“If you don’t travel, it’s like reading one page of a book.”

I am back home on Martha’s Vineyard after nearly two weeks on the road  (and two inspiring Women on Fire Tea Parties!) in New York City and Columbus, Ohio.  After being on the go, I feel so enriched from the Women on Fire I met and talked with.

Here are the phenomenal women who shared their aspirations at the tea party in Columbus hosted by Andrea Dowding and Jerry Browning:

Receiving support from fabulous women can move you forward!

I love to travel and I know many of you do, too.

These are five of my favorite strategies I use to get the most out of my business trips:

• When I can, I stay with friends in the cities where I’m working because it gives me a sense of family and allows me to catch up with people I love. (Thank you for hosting me Holly Getty in NYC and Nancy Kramer in Columbus!)
• I seek out what I can’t find anywhere else (on this trip Jeni’s for ice cream and the Polarity Center for bodywork in Columbus and the YELO napping/reflexology station for relaxation and Lee’s Art Shop for unique cards and gifts in NYC.)
• I double my self-care and schedule manicures, pedicures, haircuts, massages and other treatments in between my meetings and events to bolster my energy and ease any weariness.
• I pack a travel candle (I like The Naked Bee® beeswax brand because it’s small and burns so nicely) and bring along an inspirational book such as Marianne Williamson’s prayer book Illuminata.
• And, my favorite strategy of all is that I meet as many Women on Fire as I can.  It energizes me to meet you in person and to hear what you are “on fire” about! It also gives me ideas about who I might connect with whom.

In New York, for instance, I met chef and entrepreneur Elizabeth Ann Foster who is launching MacHealthy’s, a soon-to-be franchise with a twist — healthy fast food!  I can’t wait to introduce her especially to the many Women on Fire moms who are frustrated to find quick and healthy eating options.

In Columbus, I met up with Kacy Cook, who has published three books in the past year, including an acclaimed children’s novel Nuts.  A brilliant writer and editor, Kacy is in her mid-50s as she experiences this astounding and exciting success.  (It is never too late to turn your long-held dreams into reality!)

There were many more Women on Fire I loved meeting these past two weeks, and I returned home energized, inspired and with many new ideas.

For those of you who travel:

• What do you do to get the most out of your travel?
• How do you take care of yourself when you are on the road?
• What activities leave you feeling the most energized and inspired?

Please share on the blog with the hundreds of women who read The Spark! each week and would love to hear from you.

I wish you an absolutely terrific week ~

Love,

Debbie

PS  More snapshots from the Women on Fire Tea Party in Columbus!

Bobbie Celeste and Jerry Browning

Jenn Bajec, Susan Rosenberg and Connie Hieatt

I am in New York City after another fun, inspiring and unforgettable Women on Fire Tea Party.  There were so many wonderfully talented women attending for the first time.  And, they were joined by regulars such as Holly Getty who has attended every single NYC tea party and Shannon McCaffery who has photographed nearly every tea since 2004!

As if I couldn’t get any luckier, I’m now on my way to Columbus, Ohio for a tea party there hosted by Andrea Dowding and Jerry Browning!

Check out the energy and beautiful faces from the New York tea party:

The reason everyone looks so happy is because we’d just spent three hours talking about our lives and what we are “on fire” about!  It was a chance for each woman to speak from her heart and to receive support for her struggles, her triumphs, her plans for the future.

After more than a dozen years coaching women individually, I wish I had a dollar for each time a woman said to me, “I wish I believed in myself half as much as you believe in me.”

(Guaranteed we’d have enough money I could treat each one of you to a spa weekend!)

When other people authentically believe in you, it helps you to see how far you’ve come and what is possible — and it provides much-needed fuel for you to move forward.

During the year and seven months I was compiling and writing the Women on Fire book, I read the praise of Janette Barber’s foreword nearly every single day to stay motivated and on my path.  Her belief in me inspired me to live up to what I wanted to be capable of!

The power of getting together regularly with women who will listen to your dreams and cheer you on (Women on Fire Aspiration #2) will greatly boost your confidence and belief in yourself.

I know from experience being surrounded and supported by warm and caring women has — and continues — to keep me strong and accomplishing much more with their support than alone on my own.  Something to consider:

Who believes in you?

What does that do for you?

Can you think of a time when someone’s belief in you helped you move forward?

Who do you believe in?  (Have you told her lately?)

You know I love hearing what you think.  Feel free to share your answers and thoughts in the comments section below.

It’s a holiday so I will be short and sweet!

On this Memorial Day weekend,  I was honored to be invited to celebrate the baptism of our neighbors’ darling baby granddaughter.

Cora with her mother Rebecca Barclay

Following 13-month-old Cora’s christening, the minister gave a sermon entitled “Stop and Smell The Roses.”  And, he asked us, “What are your joys today?”

This was just the question I needed today to remind myself to stop and smell the roses.

As the sun filtered through the upper story windows and into the sanctuary of this 17^th century whitewashed New England church, I could feel myself relax and breathe in that I felt so much joy this holiday weekend for:

• Having neighbors who treat my husband and me as family
• Being in the company of Women on Fire Holly Getty, Melissa McClain, Sandra Carlson and Jamie Eslinger (and a surprise hug and visit from Jan Orosz, a Women on Fire coaching group member from Columbus, Ohio!) who came from far and wide and shared their lives and talents with us
• Living in the beauty of Martha’s Vineyard and feeling a sense of belonging
• Being clear about my life’s work
• Having the world’s best big, white cat who provides endless hours of love and enjoyment!

Our bundle of joy ...Wilber Philber

So, on this holiday weekend I invite you to reflect on your own life.  “What are your joys today?”  Do you stop each day to know?  You are most welcome to share the happiness that fills your soul by making a comment below.

May this holiday weekend spill over into a joy-filled week for you.

Love,

Debbie