It’s been a while since I’ve reported on my (oh I mean my son’s) pet chickens.  Life on the “farm” is quite good.  We get 6-8 eggs daily from our chickens, and they are far closer to having dogs as pets than I ever imagined.  We’ve relaxed our inhibitions regarding free ranging – and when we’re home, let them roam the yard – despite threats from a neighboring hawk.  They clamor to get out of their pen – and are so happy when they get to roam.  And my son only needs to walk into the backyard and let out a little whistle, and they all come running and follow the pied piper back into their coop.

They were roaming in the backyard a couple of weeks ago when we glanced out the kitchen window and saw a deer grazing in the middle of the pack, each and every chicken and lone deer totally minding their own business.  It was quite a funny site.

Another funny site would be a chicken wearing a diaper.  A friend recently forwarded to me a Wall Street journal article about the ongoing trend of chicken ownership, and the burgeoning side industry that it has created for chicken entrepreneurs.  And yes, diapers, are one of the new hot products for those folks who prefer to give their chickens free reign of their home.

The scary thing, as I mentioned to my friend, is that I actually know or have had conversations with three of the folks highlighted in the article.  But at least I do not have chickens in my house, and don’t have a need for chicken diapers.  My friend then did subtly remind me that I had six chickens (1 chicken and 5 roosters to be exact) living in my basement, for about 4.5 months, and then one chicken (who did not get along with the other chickens) who lived in my pack and play for a few days in my family room.  Thank God I did not know about the chicken diaper at the time, because who knows what that knowledge would have led to?!

Anything for a farm fresh egg, right?

I like to think I have a green thumb, although I really think I have more of a green mind…very grandiose visions of what I’d like my yard to look like, but no time or money to perfectly execute it. My thumb tends to be greenest at the start of the season when I’m gung ho and the temperatures aren’t hovering around the 100 degree mark.

My vegetable garden this year looks rather ho hum.  The tomatoes, in particular, aren’t terribly hardy looking.  So you can imagine my surprise and delight when we caught sight of a large obtrusion emanating from our compost bin.  Large green leaves, bright yellow flowers, vines extending for about 10 feet.  Wow, I’ve never grown anything that looked that good…and I had absolutely nothing to do with it.

Granted, this plant is perfect testament to the rich soil and nutrients residing in my compost bin, which includes a bit of chicken manure.  Nothing could be finer for a humble squash plant.

So my anticipation was growing.  What type of squash would we be enjoying later this summer?  Maybe spaghetti, maybe acorn?  Even pumpkin would be fun.  Well, I finally have my answer.  Gourds!  Anybody ever cook a gourd?  Well, my home grown gourds will be the centerpiece of my Thanksgiving table, as long as they don’t rot by then!

From Guest Blogger Sonya:

Recently, a friend/co-worker told me about a challenge that he and his sister gave each other to grow and do things that have always been on their never-ending to-do lists, yet never seem to make the time for.  I’m sure this sounds familiar to many of us.  Life has a way of sucking up time in the most routine daily life matters.  I was intrigued by Brendan’s journey, particularly when he told me that this month his sister challenged him to put together a “flash mob.”  Flash mobs are events displayed in public places that appear to start and end in a totally random fashion yet are actually coordinated and organized.  You may recall seeing an event in Grand Central Station several years ago that made it’s way to YouTube.  Suddenly at a precise moment hundreds of people in Grand Central froze for a  minute and once the minute was over, resumed what they were doing and where they were headed.

This past week was Gay Pride week and to honor this, Brendan, who is also an accomplished dancer, organized his own flash mob in Union Square of NYC.  He choreographed a central dance for a group of friends and had several others randomly join in during the 5 minute event culminating in a large group effort.  Once the music ended, everyone moved through the square as if nothing had happened and people watching were left looking for more and wondering what had just happened.  Many people applauded the impromptu entertainment.   To orchestrate this event, Brendan provided many participants with training videos on line and rehearsals with his core group.  You can see his efforts in the link attached (Click here).

What out there is important to you that you are putting off until tomorrow?

Do you remember that Coca Cola song from the 70’s, “I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony?”

Well, this guy Matt Harding, a self-described “32 year-old deadbeat from Connecticut” has taken that refrain to a new level: He’s teaching the world to dance.

To get your Friday off to a good start, watch his charming 2008 video. Read  how he finagled his way around-the-world and recruited people from every corner to join him in his unique dance. His website, Where The Hell Is Matt, chronicles his quirky journey.

Talk about living life outside of one’s comfort zone! But, what I most like about Matt’s story is that his version of living on the edge does not require grand ambitions or daredevil risks. He just does his silly, little dance and ends up sharing a simple joy with thousands.

It’s summer time, Wise Women. Time for us to kick up our heels and “dance like nobody’s watching.”

“Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one is listening. Love like you’ve never been hurt and live like it’s heaven on Earth.”

~ attributed to Mark Twain

As I sit here at almost 11PM staring at a blank screen, wondering what I can write about, I turn to Wise Hubby for suggestions (and also pour a glass of limoncello….hmmm, which one will be more helpful?). He recently went through an interesting exercise with his piano teacher (Wise Woman Stacy).  She challenged him to compose songs and write his own lyrics – which started with the task of coming up with song titles about his life.  So Mark spent a couple of weeks writing down titles that had the possibility of developing into an interesting story line (or song for that matter).

Some of his titles included:

Sailing Nowhere Fast

Sunset on the Trees

My Grass is Green Enough

It’s an interesting challenge.  If you were going to come up with a song title for your life, what would it be? Off the top of my head, I might title my song “Running out of Gas.”

Time to put this tired body to bed.  Have a good weekend!

Ahhh, it’s Memorial Day weekend – a marker of the start of summer, hopefully relaxing warm days, and time to casually catch up with family and friends.  The pace of life slows a bit, we extend ourselves to all those who have been in hibernation over the winter, and look forward to connecting on the back deck with the grill fired up.

As for me, I’m off to my sister’s for the weekend, four kids, one husband, and one Dad (grandfather) in tow, and am looking forward to relaxing, unwinding, and just not having anywhere to go or be (except to all the NCAA Final Four lacrosse games my kids want to attend over the weekend!).

The Chairwoman of PepsiCo, Indra Nooyi,  recently wrote a blog for the company website - which I thought was worth sharing.  While we all know how important it is to cherish those around us, it never hurts to be reminded.  Seasons pass so quickly and it is always too easy to get caught up in the hectic pace of every day life:

Dear Fellow Associates,

I thought I would write to you now, as we fast approach the summer months here in the Northern hemisphere, and reflect on the passage of time. Every day I look out at the PepsiCo gardens and I see more trees and flowers in full bloom, though I know that many of you in the Southern hemisphere are pulling out the coats from your closets and starting to feel a chill in the air.
 
But regardless of which hemisphere you call home, this change in seasons, which is becoming so obvious now, marks another year passing us by. For me, summer 2009 feels like yesterday, but in truth, I know time is marching on. And as a mother, I can see the impact of this across the generations quite clearly. As I look down, I realize my youngest daughter Tara is now in her junior year of school, and will be going to college soon. And as I look up, I find that my mother is another year older, and her steps are a little bit slower. I notice that I am a year older too. More wrinkles. More grey hair. The same goes for my husband.

I am sure many of us still feel as young as we did a decade ago, and, with the pressures of work and immediate concerns of our everyday lives, it’s easy to think of those around us as suspended in time too. And we don’t often stop to check.

But I would urge you to stop and take a moment to look around at your children, your parents, your loved ones. They are all growing up, growing older. Like the trees outside my window here in New York, they are constantly changing and aging. And this passing time, and the changes it brings, isn’t something you can get back.  Anything I might have missed with my loved ones over the course of these years is gone forever. So my one request to you today — spend time with your families. Make sure you don’t miss anything.

A special note on parents or anyone who has played an active role in your life … I wonder how often you call to talk to them. Once a week, once a month, once a day? No matter how often you call them now, perhaps you should call them just one more time. Tell them that you love them. And, when you are on the phone with them and you feel the demands of work and daily life pressing, stay on the phone just one extra minute. It will cost you so little but mean so much to them. And, if they complain about the many aches and pains they have, know that sometimes they do so just to keep you on the phone a bit longer. They want to talk to you, they miss you. Your family and our family will be better for it.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the South African activist and Nobel Prize winner, once said: “You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them.” Family is a wonderful, precious thing. Go home and cherish it.

So with keeping those thoughts from Indra Nooyi in mind, make the start of your summer special.  Enjoy your weekend!

Following is another installment of “Samisms”  - a few sound bytes uttered by Sam (age 5) over the past few months.  Just when I think he’s getting beyond the age of saying the darnedest things, he pops out another. He keeps me laughing…

1. Sam was working on his invitee list for his 5th birthday.  He ended up inviting mostly boys his age, plus a 3rd, 4th and 5th grade girl.  I said:  ”You know some of these kids are quite a bit older than you.”  He looked at me and replied:  ”Mom, age doesn’t matter.”

2. On Yom Kippur, Sam started inquiring about the Jewish holiday.  He then said: “Does being Jewish mean that you have a lot of jewelry?”

3. Sam having stayed home from school one day given a purported tummy ache and on the verge of throwing up, was playing on the computer.  I said, “Sam, I think you’re well enough to go to school”.

“Mom, I’m in a game right now.”

4. As I was driving Sam to school, I was asking him a number of different questions.  Finally he said, “Mom, just concentrate on your driving.”

5. “What’s a billionaire?”  Sam asked his babysitter.  ”A billionaire is someone that has a billion dollars”, she replied.  ”Oh, my parents don’t have a billion dollars”, replied Sam.  ”They actually don’t have a lot of dollars either; they just have a lot of cents.”

Have a great weekend!

It reminds me of the Croc craze (not to mention the jibbitz craze).  A rather unattractive shoe with holes in it, but colorful.  Comfortable and easy to put on.  And you can make them your own by adorning them with jibbitz.  Who would have thunk it?

Now it’s the silly bandz.  God only knows where they came from but they have come crashing onto the scene just recently – literally a handful of weeks. Colorful plastic bands to wear around your wrist, with the beauty being when they are off your wrist they assume various shapes…. hearts, dolphins, dinosaurs, sun….the list goes on and on.

As noted by my 16 year old, the amazing thing about these silly bandz is that teenagers are wearing them … and five year olds are wearing them.  (I must admit that I wore them one day too).  My two little guys went off to school with about 20 bands on their wrist.  Trading bands at school was the thing to do….and of course the principal quickly put the kibosh on them.

But when do you ever come up with something that has such a broad range of appeal?  Quickly doing research, I couldn’t find where these have originated from.  Like the Crocs, I’m sure it came from some wise woman who had the idea and turned it into reality.  Taking that step is what takes courage.  So Kudos to whomever that is, and go treat yourself to a pack of silly bandz if they haven’t already taken over your household!

Getting a puppy this spring was something we had tentatively discussed a few months back … but as life continued to be busier than ever this year, I quietly put that “to do” on the back burner.  Unfortunately, I believe Sam is still expecting a puppy to arrive at some point, and as I’m learning, Jack, my seven year old, is trying to take matters into his own hands.

Driving home from his baseball game with Dad this week, Jack had a great idea.  ”Let’s get mom a puppy for Mother’s Day.”  Dad quickly dismissed that idea, much to Jack’s disgruntled dismay.

So he tried again.  During Jack’s lengthy “morning constitution” on Wednesday morning, where I must admit a bit of conversation goes on as I’m getting ready for work as  he sits on the toilet, he began to interview me:

“Mom, what kind of dogs do you want to get again?”  My response to him was that I had always liked Portuguese Water Dogs, Wheaten Terriers and Goldendoodles.

“And where would you get these dogs?” he asked.  I replied that I had talked to a couple of breeders and had also looked at rescue leagues.

Then he replied, “I want Dad to walk me to the bus stop today.”

“OK,” I replied, “let’s see if he can do it” (as typically the walk to the bus stop is my job!).

So on the walk to the bus stop, Dad and Jack had a tete-a-tete.  Jack said, “I asked Mom what kind of dogs she wants …. the only one I can remember is a goldendoodle.”  ”Hmmm,” Mark replied.  ”I think she also likes Portuguese Water Dogs.”

“Yes” exclaimed Jack – “that was another one.”

“And I can’t really remember where she wants to get it, but  I think maybe somewhere in Maine….”

While there may be some disappointment on this Mother’s Day due to the fact that this young boy can’t deliver on his desire to give his mom the perfect present, I do applaud his planning efforts.  And I’ll need to continue to wrap my mind around the possibility of adding a dog to the family at some point.  But maybe next year!

Happy Mother’s Day to all you wise women.

“So What if I’m a double amputee below the knees.  I can still run that race.”  There’s nothing more enabling than the power of positive thinking, the ability for all of us to face great challenges and fears with a will to figure out how to conquer them.

I had the privilege of hearing Aimee Mullins speak this week.  Actress, model, one of People Magazine’s Top 50 Most Beautiful People, track star & world record holder, Olympian, and, oh yeah, double amputee.

Born with a genetic defect, Aimee lost both legs as a toddler, and learned how to adapt with her new prosthetic legs.  She was dealt a tough card at the beginning of life, but approached life as a matter of course.  Did she have a disability?  Not at all.  She was just a bit different, just as any person has their own unique differences.  Whether Catholic vs. Jewish, white vs. black, Italian vs. Polish, she was the one with her legs made just a bit differently.  And these legs did not stop her from doing anything.  She was just as much of a contender in her large family’s sporting events as anyone else.

When Aimee went off to Georgetown, a person she met asked if she had ever considered competing in sports as a disabled person.  Initially affronted (again as it wasn’t her mindset to be disabled), she took it into consideration, and signed up to compete in an event at MIT.  So now it was time to figure out just what she would do.  She tried the 100 meter.  By the time she went to the event, she had tried to run the 100 meter three times.  Not one of those times was she able to complete the distance.  Arriving at the event, she immediately took note of the competition.  Their prosthetics were technologically advanced (think Robo Cop) compared to her traditional wood and rubberized legs.  The whistle sounded and she was off – picturing a big hairy monster behind her.  She won, beating by a nose the current national record holder.   A year later, she was the world record holder.

Amazing story.  Her challenges and experiences have created an extremely wise woman.  The primary premise of her speech was on leadership – how to face obstacles and creatively overcome them.  As she noted, successful people train themselves to see adversity differently.  It’s not a road block, but just maybe a bumpy turn in the road.

Below are some of Aimee’s wise thoughts.  They’re worth taking note of.

1.  Know thyself – it is the cornerstone of integrity.  Self reflection is key.  Remember that you are no good to others if you’re not good to yourself first.  Think about what you want to change about yourself.  What is your disability?  Always remember not to overlook the advantage of being different.  Be proud of yourself.  Your best self celebrates all of your triumphs and challenges.

2.  Our greatest creative fuel is facing our challenges.  We survive when we move forward and adapt.  Don’t figure out the ending before you’ve run the race.  Hold onto your imagination and creativity – the regiments of adulthood can present huge barriers for progress.  Never stop thinking like a child.

3.  No one achieves greatness alone.  Bring others along and make them feel great as well.  Be determined.  Be disciplined.  And dream.

4.  Embrace change and discomfort.  Nothing else can make us grow as much. True to Darwin’s theory, it’s not the strongest or the most intelligent people that succeed; it’s the ones that are the most adaptable to change.