Tick Tock!

The countdown begins in a few hours!  The year 2011 is knocking on the door.

Consider your growth pattern for 2010, and you will likely see areas where you have grown.  Maybe it is  a habit, an attitude, an action, a re-think, an act of  forgiveness, you likely have made progress this year.

That is a blessing.
I hope to talk to you next year!

Peace,
Sylvia

At the Mall

I learned something new at the mall today.  First of all, I was there to fulfill  a promise to my teenager: two hours to shop and spend the money she received as holiday gifts.  I said goodbye for now to her as soon as we left JC Penney.  I began my stroll to find Dansko clogs; she took off like a rocket for Forever 21.
After about an hour or so of strolling, I found my clogs and  then stopped at the food court to nourish, get water, and get off my feet. I sat where I could watch the two side by side flat screen monitor/television screens that were mounted high above the bustling food court.  There were so many people;  lots of teens in the area where I sat!  Probably because the screens continuously played  music videos.  Here is the new thing I learned today: the screen on the left instructed  "Play your favorite music videos free.  Text the code to -----."  There followed about three letters and four digits of code, a different code for each video.  The text was charged to the user's  phone as a regular text fee.  The screen on the right played the selected videos.  There was also a message to Tweet requests for desired music videos.  In essence, the audience in the food court could enter the codes on their phones and direct which music videos we all watched.  I watched videos of Janelle Monae,  Rihanna, Nelly, Neo,  MC Hammer, Nicki Minaj,  Jay-Z,  and several others while I ate my sandwich. 
What a concept!
Back in the day, we had these little jukebox devices at the booths in some restaurants.  You'd put in money, select the song, and it played.   No videos back then.  Now,  we can text both the video and the music.
Wow!
TTYL,
Sylvia

Two Thoughts

Two thoughts for today:

"Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate, so stop before the argument gets out of control."
This is from Proverbs 17:14, God's Word version of the Bible.   I  am happy to say that this counsel came in handy for me today!
We often have the drive to get in the last word during a  "discussion."  That does not work if you and the person you are talking to have that same desire to have the final say.  Sometimes it is best to be quiet.

Read the first page of my novel, Behind Church Doors.  It is posted on my website at www.nikkimacproductions.com.  It is on the "Inside the Novel"  page.  Free read!

Take care,
Sylvia

Rituals for a New Year

It is hard to believe that the year 2010 is almost over.  I clearly remember when it began.
Some people have rituals for the end of the year and the start of a new one. 
Some clean their houses so the new year will not find them with untidy homes. 
Some do all their laundry so the new year will not start with dirty clothes in their clothes hamper.
Some make resolutions. 
Some travel. 
Some throw or attend parties.
Some go to NYC to see the ball drop at Times Square and some watch all the festivities on television.
Some go outside and shoot  into the air at midnight. 
Some light firecrackers at midnight. 
Some refuse to let a female cross first over their door threshold on New Year's Day; they believe a man has to be the first in order to have a good and prosperous new year.
Some attend church services on New Year's Eve; they give praise and celebrate with song and sermon and activities.
It is a sound idea to reflect and plan for personal growth in the coming year.  It certainly is a time to think of others, and to give thanks for bring blessed to see 2011. 
Wishing you all the best,
Sylvia

Good Times

I spent the weekend joyfully surrounded by family!  I am blessed to be from a loving birth family and to also be the wife and mother of my own.  Most of my adult brothers and their families as well as my sister were in  attendance.  Some of them came from far away; it was wonderful to be with  them all.  We spent one day at the home of my parents, where Mom was the centerpiece of our affection.  We gave thanks for this season and for all things from God.  We prayed and remembered loved ones who have gone to their rest.  We took time to enjoy one another's company.  We ate.  Mom cooked or baked chicken, ham, sweet potato souffle, collards, peas, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, stuffing, sweet potato pie, banana pudding, German chocolate cake, biscuits.  One brother brought a strawberry cheesecake from Juniors in Brooklyn, NYC, because he knows I so enjoy great cheesecake.  Yum!
On December 26th, we worshipped at morning church service.  One of my brothers taught Sunday Bible Class, and my visiting brother, who is a minister,  preached the morning sermon.  My nephew was scheduled to preach the evening sermon, but a snow emergency caused our local minister to cancel evening worship service.
This morning, I helped shovel snow.  I did not do much more than the mouth of the driveway; my husband did most of the work.  I had to do something to burn some calories, because there is another slice of that strawberry cheesecake left.
Best wishes to you!
Sylvia

Children and Chicken Pot Pie

I enjoy children.  My professional career as well as my personal life involves teaching and guiding them.   I especially like to work with children of preschool and elementary age. 
However, when I go out to a restaurant for a meal, I would rather not be exposed to little children who are in charge of the adults who brought them out to eat.
Last night, I was enjoying a freshly-made chicken pot pie at a diner.  It was delicious!  The conversation with my two dinner companions was quite pleasant.  Before we were seated,  I  heard the sounds of two little children coming from the booth to my left, but since we were separated by a wooden divider, I could not see the people  in the booth.  However, I could hear a verbal tug of war between the adults and the children.
Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something move!  I looked up into the cute face of a  2 or 3 year-old  child. She was standing in the seat, ignoring the adults with her, who kept asking her to sit down.  Well, not to be outdone, the other little child stood up and attempted to hang over the divider also.  For a few minutes, they played the peekaboo, wave food around, and ignore the adults game. I thought I was going to have to gently speak to the adults, but when they finally realized the children would not listen to them, they got up and left.
Sometimes situations just work themselves out.
I continued on with my chicken pot pie and pleasant conversation.
Enjoy your holidays!
Sylvia

No Harmful Side Effects

Here is a prescription.  Just for you.  Free, with no harmful side effects or disclaimers.

When you wake up in a cranky mood, with a sour disposition, not having the desire to speak with anyone human or animal, take a dose of this prescription.
It says "BIBLE" on the container.  Turn to Psalm 118, verse 24.  "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Next, pray.
Try it.
It works.
Have a great day!
Sylvia

Left Behind

You know the sinking feeling you get in your gut when you realize you left something behind in a place and you have left the place?  It is not quite the same thing as when you lose something; it's that you know where it is and you are not there.  What if someone else picked it up?  Maybe they took it to the lost and found.  Maybe they decided to keep it for themselves.  Maybe someone  tossed it in the garbage.  Maybe...
I am thankful and pleased to report a positive ending to a recent experience like this:
After a routine exam, I was driving down the highway after leaving my doctor's office.  For the exam,  it was necessary for me to take off my watch, my gold earrings, and my gold necklace with pendant.  All of these items hold sentimental value to me, and I wear them almost every day.  Anyway, ten minutes later, I was driving down the road away from the doctor's office when the light bulb went off in my head.  I visualized the three items, right on the floor where I'd left them in the exam room.  Of course, I turned the car around and headed back, my thoughts  racing.
I reentered the office, explained why I was back, went to the room, looked on the floor in the corner- and there they were.  Right where I left them.
I so enjoy happy endings.
Wishing the same for you!
TTYL,
Sylvia

Things That Get Under Your Skin

During a conversation, the topic of Things that one get under one's skin came up.  There was much passion and laughter, but two things were clear: people really are serious about what they don't like, and what bothers one person doesn't necessarily bother another person.
Some of the problem behaviors mentioned:
the sound of fingernails against a blackboard
the sound of chewing gum being popped in the chewer's mouth
the sight and sound of someone spitting in public
the sight of low hanging pants, especially when underwear or skin is visible
the sound of conversation peppered with curse words
the sight and sound of children being disrespectful to their parents
the sight and sound of people having loud cell phone conversations in public
the sight of drivers throwing trash out of their car windows

For now, this is all I can remember of that conversation.  Perhaps you can think of something to add to the list.
TTYS,
Sylvia

Security and Nosy Neighbors

I saw a notice from a popular home security service company. The company wanted customers to know about a scam that some folks are using. They knock on doors, and claim to be from the security service company. When they are invited in, they check out the homes and examine the alarm systems. When homeowners, who are fooled by these folks, give out confidential info about their security systems to the scammers, the security of the home is compromised. The scammers can later shut off security systems and break into homes.
My first thought on hearing about this was, "Are you kidding me? Now the security company has to alert customers about the security of the security system?"
When I was growing up in our old neighborhood, the number of people living in your house and your neighbors were your best security system. We used to have some neighbors who could tell us who came by our house, the time they came by, and what they wanted. Day or night, there was always some neighbor up and watching out. Sometimes we children were annoyed by these neighbors; we thought they were nosy, especially when they told our parents on us for something they saw us do.
I just had a flashback! LOL!
Take care,
Sylvia

Giving Gifts, Receiving Gifts

I was late in starting this writing task today because I was near the tv when part one of Oprah's Ultimate Favorite Things came on. It was a repeat, but since I had not seen it the first time, it was new to me. Oprah Winfrey gave away outstanding and largely expensive gifts to her audience, who in this case, were people who had given back to others.
I was fascinated. I did not know what to look at first - the gifts, the excited faces of the audience, or Oprah's apparent joy at giving the gifts. The giving started out with a special edition diamond watch, a designer tote bag and matching shoes, a Nikon camera, a famous designer special edition cashmere sweater and scarf, a designer pair of earrings, and Oprah's hairdresser's new line of hair care products. Oprah has hair that always looks great, so those products got a lot of favorable audience response from the ladies.
Everyone in the audience received each of these gifts, brought out to them by special "Santa's elves", who looked happy to be delivering the gifts. The retail price for each of these items was hundreds of dollars. The excitement level was so high that the show had medics standing by if audience members required medical assistance. There was much laughing, crying of joyful tears, calling out God's name, fanning, squealing, clapping, jumping, and shouting going on.
I walked away from the television after about fifteen minutes, because my mouth was open in amazement, and my writing was calling me. I am clear that life is not all about material things, and that good spiritual and physical health is more important than expensive gifts. However, I admit that I would not have declined if I had been given a chance to be part of that audience. I'm just saying.
TTYS,
Sylvia

For No Good Reason

Here is the gist of a recent conversation I had with a young person:

Sometimes, a person or persons will dislike you "for no good reason." You have not done anything to them, to the best of your knowledge. At least, they have not said to you that you did anything to offend them, and they won't discuss this with you. The person may be someone with whom you do not even have that much interaction. They may be jealous, they may be siding with someone else who has a problem with you, they may believe a lie someone has told them about you or something you did.
Because of these no good reasons, they may influence others to ICE you out. That means no one in their group will interact with you. They may look at, around, and through you, but not interact with you.
Here's how you turn this into a victory: do not retaliate. Ignore and do not feed into the negative behavior. Pray for them, and for the grace to move faithfully through the situation. Keep your joy. Let God handle it.

Sadly, the negative behavior is not limited to children and teenagers. Sometimes adults who are old enough to know and to do better behave in negative social ways.
The same Christian advice applies. It works!
Take care,
Sylvia

A Sweet Tooth

When I was a young girl, I had a sweet tooth, which means I liked candy and lots of sweets. Actually, I still have a sweet tooth, but now I have more discipline about it. The reasons for discipline involve keeping nice teeth, watching sugar intake, watching calories, watching the example I set for my teenager. All that serious stuff you have to do when you are what they call a responsible adult.
But that does not mean I can't mention some of my favorite candies from my childhood. Some of them are:
Peppermint Patties, Now and Laters, Squirrel Nuts, Sugar Daddies, Sugar Babies, Payrolls, Peanut Chews, Mary Janes, Milky Ways, Good and Plenty, JuJubes, Mike and Ikes, Charms, Charms Pops, Jaw Breakers, Jelly Beans, Black Cows, Butterfingers, Strawberry, Raspberry, and Cherry Licorice. Even though I am not finished, I must stop this list, because it is making my mouth water. Maybe you can think of some of your old favorites...
Wait a minute! I think there is a Peppermint Patty hidden in the veggie bin at the bottom of the refrigerator!
Gotta go!
TTYL,
Sylvia

Don't Forget All the Old Ways

Sometimes, I have to shake my head at myself!
I prepared to mail get well cards this morning. I wrote positive messages inside the cards. I wrote out the mailing addresses by hand, using my elementary school teacher neat manuscript penmanship. I attached my SUNDAY FUNNIES stamps from the post office. Then, I reached for my pre-printed return address labels, and could not find them. I spent several minutes searching for them before I realized something. There was a time when I did not have pre-printed adhesive address labels, so I WROTE out my return address just like I wrote out the mailing address!
What a concept!
Sometimes, I get so used to a more modern method that I forget I used to do it another way. So, I printed my return address on all the envelopes. It did not take that much time, and it looked really neat!
Resourcefully yours,
Sylvia

A One-Way Trip to Mars

Last month, I read a newspaper article about one-way trips to Mars. It seems there are scientists who believe Mars could become colonized faster and better if more astronauts would volunteer to go to Mars and not expect to return home to Earth.
I guess one way to look at this is like settlers coming to a new, undiscovered country, planning to make a life for themselves there, without planning to return and live in the country they left. One could argue that this is how North America was discovered, except there were already people living here when the settlers arrived.
Silly me, I did not know that some scientists had a real plan for people to actually live on Mars. I thought it was just about exploring the planet, maybe visiting.
I would not volunteer to take a one-way trip to Mars, although some other people who are also not astronauts might volunteer to go and not come back to Earth.
I am sure some people have ideas about who should take that one-way trip to Mars.
Be nice...
TTYS,
Sylvia

A Little Bit of Hassle with a Smile

I belong to a book order club. This is the way I purchase most of the books I read. The club sends you brochures about the featured selections, along with a response card. If you don't want to order the featured selections or alternate books, or anything else from the brochure, you mail in the response card marked NO by the deadline. If you do not respond, the 2 featured selections are mailed to you and you remit payment. This usually works quite well, so I have been doing business with this company for years.
This week, they sent me 2 books, but I had already mailed in the NO response card. At first, I was going to keep and pay for them. I did not want the hassle of mailing them back to the company, but they were not books I was interested in reading. Anyway, I have a stack of unread books that I plan to read.
Then, I was going to try and make the books "fit" someone on my holiday giftlist. It was too much of a stretch, so I took them to the post office today, waited in line, and mailed them back. I made a sound financial decision, because the cost of the two unrequested books was about forty-one dollars. The cost to mail them back to the company was less than five dollars. I will ask to be credited for that, too. Sometimes, you have to deal with a little bit of hassle in order to get what you want. You can even do it with a smile.
Happy reading!
Sylvia

It Is Right Under Your Nose!

One of the many magic tricks children can perform is to lose something without getting out of their seats.
When I taught in an elementary school, I would marvel at how we would be working on a group assignment when at least one student would raise their hand and say, "Ms. Brown-Roberts, can I get another pencil?"
"Bruce, didn't I see a pencil in your hand a minute ago?"
"Yes, Ms. Brown-Roberts, but I can't find it. I know I had it in my hand, but I don't know where it went!"
"But Bruce, you have been in your seat during the entire instructional period. I know you did not throw it anywhere, or I would have seen that. Plus, I know you know better than that. It has got to be here; look for it."
After a few minutes of searching with sincere bewilderment, the student would usually find the pencil, or eraser, or sharpener, etc. It would be in the desk of the student, or on the floor under the desk, or in a closed textbook, or even in a clothing pocket. I used to shake my head and wonder...

However, I find that I have unexpectedly learned this magic trick also. This month, I have lost the scissors, a roll of tape, and a pen in the same way. I had not moved from my chair! Each time, when I searched, I found the item on the floor, or in between the chair cushions, or in my jacket pocket.
I have become my third graders.
It's magic!
TTYS,
Sylvia

Go the Other Way

This morning, I did a Bible study in Proverbs 4. Verses 14-15 tell us to stay away from evil people, avoid their path, and go on our way.
This wisdom proverb reminds me of what my parents used to say to us children when we were growing up. If we saw a crowd of troublemakers, we were instructed to go the other way instead of attaching ourselves to the crowd.
When I taught elementary school, I told my students the same thing. On the playground, many of the students had a tendency to rush over to a crowd where a fight was brewing. They wanted to encourage the fight to happen, laugh at the fighters, cheer on one of the fighters, get a few licks in, or see who won the fight. We teachers encouraged the students to alert an adult and let adults handle the matter. That is wiser than joining a crowd which supports violence.
When some of the onlookers got punished along with the fighters, they would protest, "But I wasn't the one fighting. I was just watching!"
The response of the school disciplinarian was often, "You knew it was a fight. You should have gone the other way."
Take care,
Sylvia

Feral Cats and the Headless Mouse

For the last couple of years, we have had feral cats in our neighborhood and now on our street. At first it was one or two, but then someone started feeding them and making them feel comfortable. Now there are probably three or four of them. I read that they don't like to make contact with humans, and that is fine with me. When one of them sees me coming in or out of my house, it moves away. They are awesome in appearance, like housecats on steroids. They have big heads and shoulders, and they must be heavy, because when one jumps on or off my front ledge, (where they like to park themselves), there is a thumping sound.
This summer, I witnessed one of them chase a squirrel up a tree. The squirrel was faster, but I was surprised that big cat could move so fast!
Also this summer, I saw a dead field mouse that had no head on it. It was on the ground near the garage. I think one of the cats bit the head off and played with the mouse body. I covered the headless mouse body with some grass, but when I checked a few hours later, it was gone. Maybe the cat came back for it.
Anyway, the feral cats have staked a claim and we have not been able to make them go yet. In fact, I think I heard one snoring on my outside front ledge last night. That cat has some nerve!
TTYS,
Sylvia

Situational Friends and Meatloaf

The older I get, the more I appreciate the company of mature women. Maturity is not always measured in years, but in wisdom. I have a close circle of women friends, but there are also Situational Friends who are important to me. I use this term to describe women with whom I share an activity on a regular basis: like at the Curves gym I attend, or fellow authors, or at the hair salon. These ladies are not quite the same as Best Friends, but they are more than acquaintances. With continued interaction, even stronger friendships grow. This has happened with me and 4 ladies from the gym. We gather for dinner several times a year and keep in touch by email. I had a lovely lunch last week at the home of a fellow author I met this year at a book signing event. Another fellow author and I keep up with each other via Facebook and email. All of these women have become a part of my fabric. I learn a lot from them.
For example, I have been learning tasty and simple cooking recipes from some of my lady frends at Curves. This one is from Ms. P. It is meat loaf in a crockpot! You mix the meat loaf mix with desired seasonings. Use an egg to bind it. Place the loaf in a crockpot and pour a can of tomato soup or cream of mushroom soup over the meatloaf. Cook on low for 2 to 4 hours, depending on the size of your meatloaf and crockpot. Ms. P preps the individual meatloaves and freezes them ahead of time.
I tried this recipe and the meatloaf was so moist and flavorful! It was so easy, which I like. My husband enjoyed it,too.
In time, Situational Friends often become Close Friends when we cultivate the relationships.
I am thankful for positive and wholesome interactions with nice friends. And for meatloaf.
Smiles,
Sylvia

Sweet Words

Yesterday, I took a senior citizen to the doctor's office. When she went into a room for a consultation, I took out my notepad as I usually do, and prepared to write while I waited. Patients came in consistently, and what caught my attention was the pleasant smile, helpful voice, positive spirit, and respectful nature of the receptionist. Some patients came in and spoke broken or little English. The receptionist took time to find out what they needed. At least two patients came in without an appointment. Instead of turning them away, or showing exasperation, the receptionist walked them through the appointment process. One man did not know the phone number of his referring doctor; the receptionist looked it up for him before calling his doctor for him.
This was a young woman, she must have been in her middle or late twenties!
I was so impressed. At the same time, it is sobering to note that one does not often meet extreme patience and assistance when seeking some service.
When we were about to leave the office, I said to her, "I must commend you on your wonderful manner with the patients."
My senior citizen chimed in, "You certainly are the right person for a patient to see when they enter the office! You put us at ease!"
She smiled even more brightly and thanked the two of us.
It feels nice to say sweet words to people. It feels nice to hear sweet words from people, too.
Take care,
Sylvia

My Book Club Sisters

For many years, I have been a member of a book club. I think it was 1991 when we started; our first novel was Waiting To Exhale, by T. McMillan. Most of us are teachers; at one point the group was about twenty readers strong. Now we have about seven regulars. We meet four or five times a year, usually at each other's homes. We enjoy lunch at the home of our member host. We eat and have lively discussions. Sometimes the discussions are mostly about the chosen novel. We often talk about education issues. We catch up with each other. We have been known to talk at the same time, yet everybody gets an understanding of the points made. We have good conversation rhythm. It is fun, sisterly, and intellectually stimulating. Our book club meetings strengthen our bond of sisterhood.
One member makes sure we know about the meetings and secures the novels. She is very analytical. I keep notes. One member rarely reads the novels but has a lot of conversation about them. She likes to rewrite our bylaws. One member reads every novel before we confirm the reading list because she reads voraciously. One member is the newest one and we think we will keep her because she is just as opinionated as the rest of us. One member selects books that we get on her case about, but she does not mind that and keeps suggesting books. One member is so dedicated that she tried to host a book club meeting while she was recuperating from surgery. We overruled her on that one.
I am thankful for my book club sisters.
Happy reading!
TTYS,
Sylvia