Do you get confused by political issues,

or are you a well-informed voter when you head to the polls?

God bless America, but God help the uninformed voters!

In the state of Washington, our Secretary of State sends out a Voter’s Manual before every election. It’s quite thick, probably a hundred pages at least. In it you can read about and better understand the candidates' positions, ballot measures and issues, if you’re a Yale graduate of the law, that is. Take ballot measures for example. Here’s Wikipedia’s definition:

A ballot measure is a piece of proposed legislation to be approved or rejected by eligible voters. Ballot measures are also known as "propositions" or simply "questions."  Ballot measures differ from most legislation passed by representative democracies; ordinarily, an elected legislature develops and passes laws.

I’ve never read an explanation of a ballot measure on a ballot, that I’ve clearly understood. And if you’re the average citizen, it’s my “proposition” you’ll be wasting your time trying to understand what they’re writing about. If they want us to understand, why don’t they make what they write understandable? Do you think it’s because they want us to be confused? Using big words is just another way to show off one’s education, not one's IQ. There’s also power in knowing more words than the masses. You get to use words with each other and make the masses feel stupid.

Praise 101

Giving and receiving compliments is truly an art that needs to be practiced if you want to become proficient at it. Praise is such a beautiful way to spread joy.

Do you like praise? When you get a compliment how do you react? Do you say something like, “Oh, this ol’ dress? I got it on sale ten years ago,” or do you accept the compliment gracefully? Do you love to give honest compliments and look for positive things to say that are true not only with your friends and family, but with strangers too?

Have you ever given a compliment to a friend and received no reaction? One time I raved about something to this guy who was responsible for doing a great job and I received no reaction; not a thank you, not a smile, nothing. (I’m glad I don’t give compliments to receive positive feedback.) I had to assume he was embarrassed and didn’t know what to say or perhaps he’s not comfortable with giving or receiving compliments. I guess I could ask his wife.

If you're like my friend and you want to improve on the art, I have a great idea for you; start complimenting yourself. Praise yourself when you do well, when you stick to your resolve and when you do the right thing especially when it’s a hard thing to do. Have you notice how interesting it is that often the right thing to do is hard to do? What a life lesson though. When you look back, those decisions to do the right thing when it was very difficult have always been filled with blessings. For instance, my decision to end a relationship that meant the world to me at the time has returned to me such power and joy that it tickles me to think the decision was so hard to make in the first place.

Looking for Praise in all the Wrong Places

I remember when I was losing weight for the Mouth Trap book, I wanted praise from Terry. When I didn’t get it, I had to think about it and realize he’s not a complimentary person. He’s not critical either and I think the two must go hand-in-hand. The other thing I had to figure out was why do I need a compliment from him? I realized I really don’t. My opinion of myself is enough.

Okay, this ratio is not scientific, but in the 40 years I’ve been helping disorganized women, I’m pretty sure it’s very close – maybe 11 to one.

I believe for every BO (Born Organized) there are at least ten SHEs (Sidetracked Home Executives) and I know the reason why God did this. If it weren’t for us SHEs, the BOs of the world wouldn’t have much to do and they’d get depressed and start re-washing stuff.

 I’m smack in the middle of starting an exclusive, new club for the disorganized (no BOs allowed) and I’m calling it CLUB ORGANIZED. (Well, actually, I’m just changing the name of my website from www.makeitfunanditwillgetdone.com to www.cluborganized.com but in the excitement of being able to get this perfect name for my website, I started thinking about having a real club for us!)

CLUB ORGANIZED

Because you subscribe to my blog, you can be one of my charter members! Of course we won’t have meetings (we’re all too busy) and there won’t be dues or uniforms or secret handshakes, but we’ll all know we belong.

We’ll be a sisterhood of SLOBS (remember SLOB stands for Spontaneous, Lighthearted, Optimistic and Beloved so don’t go getting a kink in your hanky because I called you a SLOB).

Oh and I just might start planning for an annual retreat and you can join me in Woodland, Washington!

A Clean Kitchen Sink Can Bring World Peace

I received an email from a dear friend in Indiana, telling me about a woman in her state, Elinor Ostrom, who received the 2009 Nobel Prize in Economics. What caught my friend’s attention was this comment by Elinor: "The family is a governance unit. And the kitchen sink is a commons." My friend is a journalist who wrote a feature story in the Los Angeles Times about Sidetracked Home Executive: from pigpen to paradise, the first book my sister and I wrote together. She is very familiar with my work helping homemakers get organized. That’s why the comment grabbed her. She sent me the article (which I read) and it linked me to Elinor’s talk at Indiana University (which I listened to).

The Crotchety Watch

One of my New Year’s Resolutions was to quit complaining and judging in 2014. But that was over two months ago and although I’ve cut way back, I’m not very proud of myself, especially because of what happened to me today; I had a wake-up call from CW (Crotchety Watch). It’s sort of a software program installed in my mind (upon request in prayer) on New Year’s Eve. It stands guard, monitoring my thoughts and although it doesn’t censor what comes out of my mouth, it sends a communiqué (and a small electric shock) which is supposed to train me to be aware of my thoughts and ultimately be nicer. Perhaps after today I should ask for the Deluxe Crotchety Watch which actually stops tetchy talk from leaving my lips.

Dance for Your Supper

One of our New Year’s Resolutions a few years ago was to dance more! Our excuse had always been that the places to dance were smoky and we don’t smoke. We’d taken a whack at ballroom dancing lessons at a Jr. College, but only went once because I just wanted to dance with Terry, my husband, and ended up having to dance with a bunch of other sweaty, old men in whom I didn’t know or care to dance with. So when my husband saw line dancing lessons advertised in our local newspaper, he signed us up! The classes were held at Jolly’s, a local tavern/restaurant and since Washington State prohibits smoking in all bars and restaurants we knew we’d be spared smoky air.

Be Happy Now!

It takes practice living every moment of now and being content with it. Yes there are troublesome experiences, but the key is not to be troubled. Can you think of an adult that lives this way? 

For most of us, life seems to whiz by and before we know it another day, week, month, season, year has passed and we know we've missed a lot because we were thinking about the past or the future. 

It's time to be happy NOW, not when our circumstances are different!

When you deepen your relationship with YOU and take the time to look at yourself with new eyes every day and truly honor the holiness within you, your circumstances change in beautiful ways. Your problems give you an opportunity to learn to know yourself better. So, whether you're living in a mess at home, in a relationship that's frustrating, feeling a financial crunch, in a body that weighs too much or all of the above, let solving your problems start with going within in gratitude for your life (the only one you've been given) and sensing the truth that you're not alone and all is well.

Self-improvement is a lifetime path, but it's a pursuit that doesn't lead to a place where everything is perfect. When you reach what you thought was your final destination, you'll find that you have farther to go. Yippee skippee for that! Think about how fun it is to "want" something you "know" you'll receive. Don't you think that's why it's so fun to fall in love? You want that person and you know you're going to get him because he wants you too. Then you get him. (That's fun too, but never as fun as the getting part.)

You love teachers that let you know in a loving way that having what you want is doable. Having a home free of clutter and confusion is doable. If my sister and I could get organized so can you. Because we got organized that can give you hope. Get excited about the possibility. I can tell you, when you get organized and your home is peaceful, clutter-free and an oasis from the hectic world, it will just be a platform for you to do and be more.

A wonderful gift: YOU!

My Declaration of Independence

It was 2 am and I sat sniveling in my pajamas at my computer. I had decided to call my sister in the morning before our families got together for the fourth of July festivities and tell her I would not be writing a "humorous" book about organizing household finances with her.

The reason was simple; I had no business telling anyone what to do when it came to money. At the not-so-tender age of 59 I had no retirement, no savings and I was $26,000.00 in credit card debt! The book we were to write together would absolutely get me out of debt, but my ethics would not allow me to be part of a lie. No way could I write a do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do book.

That was July 4, 2002 and one of those major pivotal moments in my life. I know how George Bailey in the movie It's A Wonderful Life, felt standing on the bridge contemplating suicide although I was never even close to doing that, I sent out a major request, "Help me God, help me."

Breezes from God

God breezes can come in strange ways. My God breeze came in the form of a question.

Water!

A couple of years ago when we had just returned from a much needed vacation, we were greeted by one of our worst nightmares. Coming home with two suitcases filled with damp and smelly clothes from being in the tropics for two weeks had kept my mind focused on a marathon laundry session. There’s nothing worse than a tropical Mt. Washmore!

Walking into our home after being gone so long is always a joy to me. I love my home and I couldn’t wait to cook (after I booted up the washing machine). It’s fun to go on vacation and eat in restaurants, but for a cook-at-heart, there’s nothing like playing in the kitchen when you’ve been gone a while. Before we had had a chance to empty our suitcases I’d headed for the sink, with some vegetables to wash while Terry prepared the Weber to barbeque some hamburgers. “Hi you shiny sink!” I said in a tone I use for only my best friends.

I turned the handle to the faucet and it said, “spokusssh quut, quut, spitchhosssssh schpauchhossssh.” (That’s Faucet for “There’s no water!”)

August 2012

Fat Head!

When my husband Terry and I decided to change what we eat and that diet was going to go against both our physicians who promote a low fat, high carbohydrate diet, I searched out a physician in my area by using Jimmy Moore’s list of low carb docs www.livinlavidalowcarb.com.

Thanks to Jimmy, I found Dr. Ann Childers a child psychiatrist who also works with people like me who need encouragement and knowledge that we are doing the right thing, even though it’s against what the mainstream medical community tells us is right. I’ve said this before, “we’ve been told what’s wrong to eat is right for so long that when we hear what’s right to eat it sounds wrong.”

It was scary at first to eat chicken with the skin on, steak with the fat on, to cook with lard and have four eggs a day if I want to. At first I couldn’t believe I could eat butter, sour cream and mayonnaise (up to four tablespoons each a day) and to shun anything with a “low in calorie” or “low fat” label! The thing I discovered, using my own body as an experiment, was I am so much healthier today than I was a year ago. The list of changes is so long I’d bore you to list them.

Fat Head is a documentary about what’s wrong with what we’ve been told is the healthy way to eat. I interviewed Tom Naughton who produced and starred in it. We were on a cruise together and he was kind enough to give me an hour of his time. (His interview will be on my Make it Fun website very soon.) If you haven’t seen Fat Head and you’re interested in learning more about all the fuss you keep hearing about low carb this and low carb that, it’s available on his website (www.fathead-movie.com). You can also purchase it on Amazon, but if you want to rent it, it’s available through Netflix.