AFP.com Life Blogs: Sunday, Feb. 14
- Dad’s Point of View: Marriage – it’s complicated
- The Dinner Diva: More veggies
- The FlyLady: Make it fun, and the family will help
A Dad’s Point-of-View: Marriage – it’s complicated
Column by Bruce Sallan
www.brucesallan.com
My wife took me to see Nancy Meyers’ new movie, “It’s Complicated,” which stars Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, and Steve Martin. She had seen it a day or two before and wanted to see it with me saying, “It would be good for us.” Honestly, I do tend to like what is typically labeled “chick flicks” but don’t like director Nancy Meyers’ perfect world, perfect rich characters, perfect looking people, dressed and coifed just perfectly. But, for the sake of marital harmony, I agreed.
I didn’t expect what followed. Throughout the movie, my wife was jabbing me in the ribs whenever she wanted me to notice a point being made that she felt related to me or us. So, I left with bruised ribs, which ached even more toward the end of the movie during the one, truly hilarious scene. I really enjoyed laughing that hard, in spite of the pained ribs, which I’ve totally exaggerated for sympathy anyway.
Without a doubt, the best thing about the movie is that comic scene near the end. “It’s Complicated” is also that rare movie title that really works and has so many other relevant meanings related to life, marriage, raising kids, and even a facebook status. Read more
How to save your Saturdays!
Column by Marla Cilley
www.flylady.net
Our whole lives, we have played “Catch Up on the Weekends”!
This put a sense of dread into our daily life. We no longer looked forward to a wonderful weekend filled with fun with our friends and family. This all started when we were children. It is how our mothers did it! We would have to spend all day Saturday cleaning house or we were banished to our rooms for the evening. I truly believe this is why we despise cleaning house. It has always been a punishment for us. I want you to have a reward for your Home Blessing Efforts! A Saturday to play is a great gift for you! Read more
Cabin fever
Column by Marla Cilley
www.flylady.net
This time of year, we all start getting cabin fever. This sickness is fueled by the neverending flow of our junk mail filled with gardening and seed catalogs. I am a sucker for them. The thought of a beautiful garden filled with fruit trees, butterfly attacking bushes and perennials makes me smile.
When we first married, the patch of dirt in front of our home would not grow anything. We are surrounded by a forest. The only open spot is just above our home and where a maple tree had to be removed. Direct sunlight only happens at noon. I spent a whole winter plotting and scheming.
When I moved into Robert’s home in 1996, I was determined to make it mine, too. I was not going to move in and not unpack! This went for the yard, too! The first thing I needed to do was to figure out what I liked and what I didn’t like about the front yard. Read more
Is your armor keeping you down?
Column by Marla Cilley
www.flylady.net
Have you been wearing your heart on your sleeve? Do you perceive that you have been wronged in some way by others? Are you wearing all the wrongs like a cloak of armor? Have these wrongs been the foundation for your whining?
Are they what have kept you from FLYing? Armor is heavy stuff!
When we blame others we need to look closely at our own actions. This is why we tell you that this is a NO WHINING ZONE!
Tribes used to sacrifice a poor innocent goat for their sins. They would heap all their sins on the scapegoat and send it out into the wilderness. Have all the wrongs been heaped upon you? Do you feel like the scapegoat? Are you acting like a martyr? Read more
Bridges from the past to the present
Column by Marla Cilley
www.flylady.net
As I look back on the past year asked my members what was one of their Go Me Moments. I had to ask myself the same question. What had happened that was an accomplishment for me, and what had changed my way of thinking?
The biggest accomplishment for me was when Leanne and I went to Utah and read our book, Body Clutter, aloud. I have never been comfortable reading out loud. Spending a week with Leanne as we read was the turning point in my oral skills. She taught me how to read. Well, I knew how to read, but not without awkward pauses. Her simple analogy of scallops gave me the visual I needed to make the words flow from my mouth. I learned to read to a conjunction or a comma, then pause slightly and proceed. Thanks, Leanne, for helping me to overcome a fear and giving me the gentle coaching while making me laugh. I will never forget it. Read more
The Most Precious Gift
Column by Marla Cilley
www.flylady.net
All of our lives we have spent putting out fires. These fires were started by our perfectionism and our procrastination. Along with panic of these fires come the squeals of martyrdom and yells of dissatisfaction. We have all done this, and it is our family who have had listen to it.
Why do we torture our family with hurtful words? I can tell you why! You are so stressed out and feeling like a martyr! This has got to stop! I can help you get rid of the stress, but it us up to you to curb those angry words. The first step is to follow our directions for your routines, getting dressed to shoes, hair and face. Read more
FlyLady: Food, music and family traditions
Posted by afp on June 29, 2011 · Leave a Comment
This afternoon I had the pleasure of spending time with someone else’s family! For a couple of weeks, Jack Tinsley has been in our hometown filming what makes living in Transylvania County, North Carolina a special place to live. Jack grew up here. I had the pleasure of choosing to live here in 1994. As the finale of the two weeks of filming, Jack brought his family together for the last part of his film.
I knew back then that this was a great place to visit. When I had the opportunity to move here, I jumped in with my fishing waders. In fact I moved to Transylvania to fly fish. Over half of our county is Pisgah National Forest, The Blue Ridge Parkway, DuPont State Forest and Gorges State Park. From any point in our area you can be sitting by a stream in just a few minutes.
This year we are celebrating our sesquicentennial. Not only is this a great place to live but it is an even better place to work and build a business. Our community is supportive of people who turn their ideas into jobs for our residents. We work together to help one another.
If you are reading this essay from our local newspaper, The Transylvania Times; you are truly blessed to live in our wonderful community. If you are reading this someplace else; then take some time this summer to come join us as we celebrate our 150th anniversary.
If you can’t make it to our neck of the woods check your local newspaper and websites to find out what is happening for your family to enjoy. Plan a pot luck get together for your family or better yet one for your neighborhood. The one thing I loved most about today was the music. Get your friends and family to bring their musical instruments. The mountain string band called Crooked Pine played for us today. I used to work for Marion at Earthshine Mountain Lodge and Frank and I worked together at the Brevard Music Center. If you get a chance, check out their music – www.crookedpineband.com. It is music that makes our heart sing!
When you have that pot luck, ask all those wonderful cooks to share the recipes with everyone. Today I watched as these great cooks shared the history of their favorite dish. Many of them had been handed down for generations. I got to share my Heart Attack Baked Beans with the Tinsley Family. They were a big hit! http://www.flylady.net/pages/flycrew_recipes.asp
Have a safe holiday weekend! Please take some time enjoy establishing some family traditions of your own!
For more help getting rid of your CHAOS, check out her website and join her free mentoring group at www.FlyLady.net or her book, Sink Reflections, published by Random House and her New York Times Best Selling book, Body Clutter published by Simon and Schuster. Copyright 2011 Marla Cilley Used by permission in this publication.
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