Author Archives: maryo

GET OUT!!!

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The weather it becoming nice (and we’re SO ready for it!) so it’s time to get out and enjoy local events – most are free, some might have a small charge/donation. Either way – Have FUN!

APRIL

And remember, Indy has lots of walking & bike trails and parks on every side of town to enjoy. So, GET OUT!

Just Us Girls!

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I send cards and notes all the time, via snail-mail just because it’s almost a lost art. Also, it’s nice to get something in the mail that’s not an ad or a bill. I like adding a quote that fits the occasion to my personal text.

In celebration of International Women’s Day (I thought that was everyday!) here’s some inspirational quotes from women:

– Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.  Ella Fitzgerald

– God made man and then said ‘I can do better than that’ and made woman.  Adela Rogers St. Johns

– Celebrate what you’ve accomplished, but also raise the bar a little higher each time you succeed.  Mia Hamm

–  Whoever established the high road and how high it should be, should be fired. Sandra Bullock

– Grief is the price we pay for love. Queen Elizabeth II

– I used my imagination to make the grass whatever color I wanted it to be.  Whoopi Goldberg

– People fail forward to success.  Mary Kay Ash

– In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different. Coco Chanel

– I don’t want my wrinkles taken away – I don’t want to look like everyone else.  Jane Fonda

– If you judge people, you have no time to love them.  Mother Teresa

– My idea of a superwoman is someone who scrubs her own floors.  Bette Midler

– Life loves to be taken by the lapel and told: ‘I’m with you kid. Let’s go’  Maya Angelou

– The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.  Julia Child

– God gave women intuition and femininity. Used properly, the combination easily jumbles the brain of any man I’ve ever met.  Farrah Fawcett

– Beauty comes from a life well lived. If you’ve lived well, your smile lines are in the right places and your frown lines aren’t too bad.  Jennifer Garner

– It is only when you see people looking ridiculous that you realize just how much you love them.  Agatha Christie

– I have witnessed the softening of the hardest of hearts by a simple smile.  Goldie Hawn

– You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.  Mae West

– How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.  Anne Frank

– The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it’s all that matters.  Audrey Hepburn

– Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about learning to dance in the rain. Vivian Greene

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Ways to Say “I love you” all the time:

  1. Say “please” with your requests.
  2. Meet a person’s eyes when you speak to them.
  3. Say “thank you.”
  4. Say, “I trust you”.
  5. Speak kindly to everyone..
  6. Cheer proudly for your kid always.
  7. Keep a confidence.
  8. Discipline in private.
  9. Let your “no” mean no.
  10. Let your “yes” mean yes.
  11. Ask, “Do you want to talk?”
  12. Listen. Listen. Listen.
  13. Be ready to be there.
  14. Make free time.
  15. Allow mistakes.
  16. Laugh out loud and often.
  17. Ask, “How can I help you?”
  18. Give and respect privacy.
  19. Welcome your child’s friends.
  20. Say, “I’m proud of you.”
  21. Set boundaries.
  22. Set attainable goals and expectations.
  23. Say, “I’m sorry,” and ask forgiveness when wrong.
  24. Tell the truth.
  25. Say, “I don’t know” when you don’t.
  26. Smile.
  27. Ask, “How do you feel about…?”
  28. Give freedom.
  29. State limits and consequences clearly and implement consistently.
  30. Acknowledge feelings.
  31. Ask for ideas and suggestions.
  32. Celebrate success.
  33. Cry when you are sad.
  34. Explain why you are angry.
  35. Accept responsibility.
  36. Use a soft voice.
  37. Hug often.
  38. Make “I love you” the last thing you say every night.
  39. Say, “Good morning!” cheerfully every morning.
  40. Accept no excuses, bargaining, or whining.
  41. Keep your promises.
  42. Say “I love you.”

Likes & Dislikes

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What I LIKE

  • Hearing “have a nice day” from the shoe shine guy.
  • Having someone hold a door open for me – chivalry still exists!
  • Please and Thank You, Excuse Me, Go ahead, you only have a few items.
  • Smelling the baking aroma from the ‘flavor factory’ as I drive past I465 and Park 100.
  • Catching up with old friends.
  • Hugs, kisses & phone calls from grandkids.
  • Unexpected mail (not a bill or ad).
  • A funny, clean joke.
  • Not-for-profit employees – they do it for the benefit of helping others.
  • A ‘loaner’ in Euchre.
  • The library.
  • Rest stops along interstate highways.
  • Baby pictures – any baby – they’re all cute.
  • Post-it notes.

What I DON’T Like

  • Drivers that tailgate – I’m going the speed limit – Back OFF!
  • Co-workers that take the last drop of coffee from the pot and don’t make another one; my usual response is a quote from ‘ The Old Man’ from A Christmas Story: “sons ‘o bitches!”.
  • Spit on the sidewalk – at least do it in the gutter.
  • Smelling the  ‘s**t factory’ smells when the wind blows up from the south.
  • Loud cell phone talkers – we don’t need to know your business.
  • TV news ‘teasers’ – just give us the news, NOW!
  • Politicians – most of them are crooks one way or another.
  • Reality shows; drama in real life is enough for me.
  • One-ply toilet paper.
  • Litter/trash along the road/sidewalk.
  • The word ‘like’ 20 times in one sentence.
  • Dirty snow.

Shop Local – it will give you a glow!

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It’s time to pick a gift for that special person and you need a SPECIAL gift. Find something unique and keep your money in the neighborhood. If half the families in Indiana shifted $6.25 of their weekly budget to buy locally, this would provide an annual contribution of $300 million to the local economy. Everyone can go to Wally World and the other big box stores but you’ll find something one-of-a-kind and made from the heart if you look around your area for a local merchant. Of course, Mass Ave is a great place to check out but there are all kinds of local shops all over Indy: Fountain Square, Lafayette Road, Broad Ripple. Or venture a little further out into the ‘burbs: Zionsville, Avon, Mooresville, Greenwood. You’ll never know what you’ll find. Here’s some links with info on shopping local:
http://indianamuseum.org/visit/events/eventview.asp?eventid=2543

http://www.yelp.com/events/indianapolis-yelp-shops-local-pledge

http://shop.indianaartisan.org/

https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/Shop-Small/

What’s on YOUR desk?

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I recently relocated to a new cube in our office. Gone are the days when building/facility folks would bring up the carts to help you. I even moved my own technology and phone! That was the most manual labor I’ve done in a long time.

Since I’ve been with the same company for 30+ years I’ve learned to give up ‘stuff’ and only had two boxes to move – including hard copy files (I know there’s an e-copy but there’s some things you just have to keep). I have a few work mementos: a conference room sign from the first building I worked in, my notary certificate, a 30-year achievement award, pix of kids & grandkids, a few favorite Dilbert comic strips, IU memorabilia and my “Whatever!!!” plaque.

And then there’s this little vignette in the corner:

The candy dish is for when I’m feeling generous and actually buy some; rarely chocolate ‘cause it’s too expensive, I go for the old stuff: fire balls, orange slices, Werthers, cow tails, etc.

The crown and scepter are for when co-workers call me ‘Queen of . . . . “ – it’s usually nice and in fun.

The Louisville Slugger mini-bat would come in handy if those pesky HR policies would let me use it.

The Flip-Flap flower is there because it’s just soooooo cute!

The picture of Sean – well it makes me smile and remember all the great movies he’s been in.

Feeling Craft-y?

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Want to find the perfect, one-of-a-kind gift that Wally-world doesn’t have? Spend your time (and $$) at a local craft/holiday show. You’ll meet the nicest people, smell wonderful scents and no telling what you’ll find. Grab a girlfriend, sister, niece, DIL and hit the road. Here are some upcoming craft/holiday bazaars:
Nov. 10:
Avon United Methodist Church http://www.avonumc.com/
Faith Presbyterian Church http://www.indianapolisfaith.com/ click on Specials, Upcoming Events.
Calvary Lutheran Church http://clcs.org/2012/10/calvary-lutherans-45th-annual-holiday-bazaar/
Northview Church of the Brethren http://www.northviewcob.org/
Hollydaze Boutique at Hamilton 4H Fairgrounds http://www.fisherspointecoop.org/
South Harbour Clubhouse in Noblesville http://www.southharbour.org/Calendar/tabid/56/Default.aspx
Edgewood Artsy Partsy Bazaar http://www.edgewoodpreschoolcoop.org/event-calendar.html
St. Luke’s United Methodist Church http://www.stlukesumc.com/
Stonegate Elementary School

Click to access HolidayBazaar.pdf

Nov. 16-17:
Our Lady of Grace >http://www.ologn.org/images/stories/PTO/flyer2012_Holiday_Bazaar.pdf
Westfield Band Boosters http://www.westfieldbandboosters.org/craftshow.html
Garfield Park Autumn Art Fair http://aroundindy.wordpress.com/2012/10/22/garfield-park-autumn-art-fair-nov-17-18/
Lawrence Central Performing Arts http://www.lcpaa.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=147&Itemid=96

Spooky stuff scares me.

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I do believe in ghosts – good ones, like an angel watching over us but not the scary kind. No siree. Don’t wanna look at them at all. I don’t like uncovered windows after dark – there might be someone looking in and I’ll see their reflection. Keep the sound of rattling chains away from me too– that’s spooky.

But this time of year it’s all over the place. I read that the amount of Halloween decorations are second only to Christmas. Driving through my son’s neighborhood on the west side – I can believe it! Makes my little jack-o-lantern w/electric light look bad.

I only took my kids & grand-kids to the un-spooky hours for the Children’s Museum Haunted House.  But when they got older they all went to the ‘real’ ones in Greenwood and Beech Grove. Having some guy chase me around the parking lot with a chain saw is not my idea of fun.

We used to do a haunted house for the younger kids at Sunday School (pretty lame by today’s standards I’m sure). The older kids got a kick out of scaring their siblings. And I did dress up in a witch’s outfit and play spooky music one year giving out Treats. My costumes are usually the kind you have to think about, a play on words; like the year I went as the tv show ‘Lost’ with pieces of maps and a compass attached to my shirt.

You’d think kids would learn by now how to get away with the pranks too. But a group of boys were stopped in a Walmart when security cameras saw them purchasing large amounts of toilet paper- they were not arrested, just didn’t get to buy it.  We stored it up for months just waiting for October 31.  I only did the TP thing a couple of times; once at my English teacher’s house – but he turned the porch light on so we had to lay in a cold, damp ditch for a long time. Then once at my Uncle’s house in Kentucky. They’d never heard of TPing so I showed my cousins how to do it.  Well, my Uncle was not amused and made us go out and take it all off the trees before we left for church. So much for my hooligan days!

Happy Halloween!

61 Revolutions Around the Sun

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Yes, I celebrated a birthday recently and am still celebrating! My boss said he’s never seen anyone stretch out a birthday as long as I can. But, hey – it only comes once a year so I enjoy it to the max.  I was going to wax eloquent about the passing of another year but decided to keep it simple.

It’s been an interesting year – ups and downs as usual but nothing earth shattering until March & April. That’s when I found out several co-workers were being severanced (we don’t use down-sized anymore).  I’ve been at the same company for 30+ years and this happens as it does everywhere in corporate America. But maybe because I’m older and looking at the autumn of my life, this time is different.

I’ve worked with most of the folks for six years and made some lasting friendships. Some were long distance since we’re a global company but nonetheless, we became fast friends. We had meetings twice a year or so and they’d travel to Indy so we got to meet face-to-face and spend time together. Several work in the same building and we shared lunchtimes, discussing life problems and last nights DWTS results. I know their birthdays, kid’s names, favorite foods and drinks. We’d do things outside of work too: Girls Night Out, concerts, movies, holiday parties and volunteer events. Another difficult aspect is that I have to process their ‘termination’ (off-boarding in corporate speak) so yes, it’s hard on those staying behind.

One of them has been a friend for over 30 years – we’ve been through a lot together: divorces, re-marriages, re-locations, kids, grand-kids, health issues (human and animal) but always there when needed even from a distance.

It’s going to be a change knowing they’re not here every day. Yes, I know we can communicate through all kinds of technology, but not being able to see them every day will be different. So, I’ll take a deep breath and put those friendships in another category. It will be an effort but I’ll certainly try to keep in touch ’cause I want to be able to celebrate next year’s birthday with them!

Looking for fall events?

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Ah, cooler weather – haven’t we all been waiting for this? Perfect temps to get out and enjoy Indy and nearby locations.  Hopefully something will catch your eye:

  • Sept. 13  The Jackie Look – film & conversation at IMA
  • Sept. 15  Speedway Spectacular with a Parade!  Also Sister Cities International Festival at City Market
  • Sept. 19-22 Sullivan Corn Festival w/The Wright Brothers band
  • Sept. 21  Oktoberfest Downtown on Circle 4:00 – 11:00 with Polkaboy
  • Sept. 28-29  Avon Community Festival at Washington Twp. Park with a Parade!
  • Sept. 28 – thru Oct: Kelsay Dairy Farm tours in Whiteland
  • Oct. 5-7 Bloomfield Apple Festival with a Parade!  Danvile has a film festival and it’s the Popcorn Festival in Brazil
  • Oct. 6-7  Cataract Bean Dinner Festival
  • Oct. 11-14  Martinsville Fall Festival with a Parade!
  • Oct. 13  Highland Scottish Games at Garfield Park
  • Oct. 19  Reschedule America We Remember Concert at Garfield Park
  • Oct. 21-27 Irvington Halloween Festival with a Parade!
  • Oct. 27 Fall Harvest Festival at Bradford Woods

Add in all the local football & soccer games and the calendar is full.  Then before you know it – it’s Halloween! Heard a stat the other day that almost as many Halloween decorations are sold as Christmas decorations.  Scary thought, huh?