It's a Matter of Faith

I've been having a lot of conversations about faith lately. 


After all, 'tis the season. 


Last night I was talking with an old high school friend about her church. She was telling me how her church, located in downtown Indianapolis, works very hard to be inclusive of people from all walks of life. Genuinely inclusive, not saccharine sweet inclusive. Her example was of the large percentage of homeless men and women who attend services. And then she said something that really struck me. She said she hoped the church was able to give the homeless men and women "hope - hope that these people could overcome the challenges they faced." I'm undoubtedly butchering this a little bit, but the sentiment and the earnest manner in which it was said really struck me. It struck me as one of the most caring, yet clear-headed, statements of faith I had heard in a while.


I was moved. 


And then we come to today. 
I opened up Facebook only to discover multiple people having posted notes on their walls saying things like "Merry Christmas! And if this offends you, God bless you anyway." 


Here's the thing. I am not a Christian. That's no real secret. Yet I celebrate Christmas as a time to come together with my family, celebrate our togetherness through old traditions and the creation of new traditions. We hang stockings. We decorate a tree. We have a champagne breakfast, filled with foods made from recipes from when my parents and grandparents were kids. We laugh. We tease. Occasionally we (mostly my mom) cry. But regardless of where we are or what we are doing, we spend Christmas as a family. And I value that. 


Obviously, I am not offended when someone wishes me a Merry Christmas. I wish you all one as well. What I am offended by is statements like the ones I saw on Facebook today that are antagonistic about how an individual may approach this season. The seeming "I don't give a f@%$ if you're offended" statement is what's offensive, not the holiday greeting. Honoring someone's faith and their beliefs, even if they are different from your own is not a punishment. It's not censorship. It's genuine inclusiveness.


So thank you to my friend from last night. Sometimes I can get so bogged down in all the antagonism that I forget to acknowledge the good. My friend gave me a genuine sample of what I think of as the spirit of this season. And for that, I am grateful. 


In return, here's wishing all of you a magical season, filled with family, friends, faith, and hope. 

Gobble Gobble...

Gobble Gobble, Mother Fu%#@r! This tagline has been taunting me since I first saw it in September. I was on my usual late September quest for scary movies to sustain my October scare-factor, when I came across a true B-horror gem: Thankskilling. Five co-eds, each filling a specific stereotypical niche, on their way home from college for Thanksgiving, encounter a homicidal turkey... How could this not be golden? 


Not wanting my friends to miss out on what was sure to be a new holiday classic, I organized a small afternoon screening party - a pre-Thanksgiving party, if you will. Everyone was asked to bring some kind of Fall-themed finger food to contribute to the merriment. Malbec flowed freely, washing down the turkey sliders, butternut squash pizza, cauliflower-potato tacos, two types of fall soup, and some delicious pumpkin bars. And while the food was delicious - and mostly in keeping with my "Reclaim Me" philosophy of healthy eating - and the company delightful, the true star of the party was the homicidal turkey. How could he be anything but?


The movie is rife with one-liners, puns, and two, no make that three, terrible jokes about the Jon Benet Ramsey case. It's so unapologetically cheesy and cliched that it is absolutely hilarious. 


Now, you may think having a party just to watch what could possibly be the worst movie ever made is a lame idea. But you would be wrong. The idea is unique - I've never even heard of a Thanksgiving movie where the turkey strikes back before this one - and the opportunities for conversation as bountiful as the ever popular "Horn of Plenty." After all, the plot is neither complex nor deep so you can talk over the entire movie and not really miss anything. 


Most importantly, this party marked a pretty important step in my work towards "Reclaiming Me." I promised myself when I was no longer working the crazy nights and weekends my old job had me working, I would be more social, spend more time with friends. Throwing parties used to be something I loved to do. Since moving to Indianapolis, I really haven't done much partying of any kind and certainly haven't hosted anything of consequence. I have been slowly, but surely, reemerging as a social being. This party, as hokey and ridiculous as it may seem, was an excellent step in the right direction. I think it is often all too easy to forget just how important time with friends - new and old - really is. We get caught up in the daily minutia of life and forget to take some time for the relationships in our lives. 


So with Thanksgiving right around the corner, I encourage you all to make the effort to reach out to those people who have picked us up when we were down, laughed with us over stupid jokes and too much wine, commiserated with us when we couldn't walk after a particularly brutal personal training session, and been but a phone call, an email, a Facebook post, or a short walk away whenever we needed them. 


Take a minute to be grateful for your friends. 
I know I am eternally grateful for mine. 

Going Bananas

I hate to bake. I mean, I really hate to bake. But, after watching bananas go bad on my counter time and again, I decided to teach myself how to bake banana bread. In the spirit of my Reclaim Me principles, I decided to make the recipe as healthy, as organic, and as local as possible. 


Here's my recipe for outstanding (and super healthy) banana bread:


6 overripe bananas
1/2 cup ground granny smith apples (or no-sugar-added apple sauce)
1/2 cup raw honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup flax seeds
1 tsp coarse sea salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda


1. Mash bananas in a large bowl. Mix in applesauce, honey, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. 


2. Fold flour, flax seeds, baking powder, and baking soda into wet mixture. 


3. Spray mini loaf pan with vegetable cooking spray. 


4. Divide batter into six equal parts and pour into pan. 


5. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until an inserted knife comes away clean. 


6. Remove from oven, cool, in pan, for 10 minutes. 


7. Remove loaves from pan, place mini loaves on cooling rack. 


8. Enjoy!! 

Loose Change - a brief departure

The content of this post is a departure from my usual "Reclaimed Self" theme but I thought it important enough to write and I hope you find it important enough to read. 


On the off chance that you missed the news (because you most likely live in a hole), Facebook changed it's layout this past Wednesday. These changes were followed by a series of announcements at the F8 on Thursday about new apps, interfaces, and general opportunities for world domination, which Facebook will begin integrating this fall. Naturally, as these changes and announcements took place Facebook and Twitter blew up with people commenting about how they hated Facebook's new layout, they hated the potential violation of privacy the new apps presented, they hated the "over-sharing" taking place in the new timeline, etc. 


Well, here's the thing, Facebook is a social media website. If you don't want someone to know that you like your friend's comment about wearing an eye patch to work in honor of "talk like a pirate day," then don't like it. Or, better yet, take advantage of the new Facebook options and create a special "pirate enthusiasts" list and make sure you share all pirate-related online content with only that list. 


Yes, the changes Facebook has made in the past week - and will continue to make as it evolves into the world's first gabillion dollar company - will force you to change how you read your news feed. It will also give you new opportunities for connecting with friends, family, and pirate enthusiasts. 


I know change can suck. It's hard. But it's necessary. The whole "if it ain't broke..." thing doesn't really apply to today's fast-paced global communication networks - just like it really hasn't applied to anything tech-related since the 1970's. If you doubt me, look at your phone, your computer, and your TV. Unless you're feeding punch cards into your computer to make it run this blog, while simultaneously talking on a Zach Morris-esque phone and watching Modern Family in black-and-white, you probably embrace technological evolution. And with good reason. 


Also, let's reserve words like 'hate' and 'enraged' for things like genocide, injustice, discrimination, and douchebags that don't use their turn signals, and not throw those words around simply because you have to scroll a little farther down a page to see if your friend had a good time at Noodles and Company an hour ago. 


Here's my final thought on the matter, and a recommendation to any who will take it: When you go to one of your many social sites and you see a note at the top of the screen that says "Facebook/Twitter/Blogger/LinkedIn/YouTube/Hulu/Pandora/PirateFriendster has been redesigned, would you like to try the new layout?" say yes. Give change a try - for more than ten minutes. You may just see the potential outweighs the initial inconvenience. 

Get Moving.

Do you ever wonder where the energy from our youth has gone? Well, I've found mine again and I want to help you find yours. All you have to do is make a commitment to leading a more active lifestyle. I know, easy to type, not so easy to do. We're busy. We're overcommitted. We can always think of something better to do. Or at least that's what I thought. 


While I always enjoy the end results of working out, I need help with the whole motivation thing. So I did a few things. First, I thought about what exercises I enjoy. That was easy. I love to swim. I also enjoy biking, yoga, pilates, and jogging/power walking. With this list firmly in mind, I began looking for a gym that would provide me with facilities and classes to support these interests. I finally settled on the JCC in Northeast Indianapolis. I fell in love with the facility for a few reasons. First, the fitness center is amazing - full of every kind of machine you could possibly want, a full compliment of free weights, and surrounded by an indoor track. I spend 3-4 days a week in this fitness center and have slowly worked my through most of the options. Second, the pool. The JCC is home to both indoor and outdoor competition pools - making it somewhat of a mecca for swimmers. I LOVE swimming laps in an outdoor pool - the sunshine just makes it more fun. But enough about the gym. After all, I've joined gyms before, but the shine wore off rather quickly and then all I was left with was a membership fee and no motivation. 


So to help with motivation, I invested in a personal trainer. I say invested for a good reason. Trainers are not inexpensive. I had to do some creative accounting and make some sacrifices in order to afford my trainer but she is the best thing that has ever happened to my exercise routine. She challenges me and helps hold me accountable for my weekly fitness plan. While I only see her once a week, I always go home with the "noodle-y" muscle feeling that comes from a good workout. I also go home motivated to workout more. Thanks to my trainer I have resumed an bedtime workout routine - something I haven't done since high school. I've also gotten creative about my cardio workouts. I swim. I bike. I run. I dance. 


The results of my commitment to physical activity are numerous. I feel better. I am more alert and more energetic throughout the day. I get new cloths. My clothes are all getting to be too big for me. Ergo, I must shop for new clothes. Rough, I know. I'm meeting new people. If you go to a gym at the same time every day, you start to meet the other regulars that are on the same schedule as you. And I'm learning new things. For instance, doing lunges with an extra special twist makes me hobble like I'm ninety-years-old. I love it. 


So I thought I would share a workout with you. This is a circuit workout, mostly designed to work on core strength. It should take about 60 minutes. 


Leg extensions (3 sets of 12, weight should be a challenge after 15-20 reps)
Leg curls (3 sets of 12, weight should be a challenge after 15-20 reps)
Squats with swiss ball and 10 lbs. medicine ball (3 sets of 12)
Swimmer (2 60 second intervals)
Low row (3 sets of 12, weight should be a challenge after 15-20 reps)
Shoulder press on Bosu (3 sets of 12, weight should be a challenge after 15-20 reps)
Chest fly (3 sets of 12, weight should be a challenge after 15-20 reps)
Overhead triceps extension on swiss ball (3 sets of 12, weight should be a challenge after 15-20 reps)
Triceps pull down (3 sets of 12, weight should be a challenge after 15-20 reps)
Biceps curls on Bosu (3 sets of 12, weight should be a challenge after 15-20 reps)
Reverse fly on Swiss ball (3 sets of 12, weight should be a challenge after 15-20 reps)
Plank (2 60 second intervals)
Side plank (1 30 second interval on each side)
Bicycle with 6 lbs medicine ball (3 sets of 12)
Russian twists with 6 lbs medicine ball (2 30 second intervals)
Crunches on Swiss Ball with 10 lbs medicine ball (3 sets of 20)
Leg lifts with Swiss Ball (2 sets of 5)


Good luck readers! I'm going to keep on reclaiming me and I hope you are all out there reclaiming you. 

I didn't make my bed today...

I didn't make my bed when I got up this morning. I was too excited to get my day started to waste time on a mundane chore. A little shopping, a trip to the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and a snack of pineapple and mint-infused water and an apple in a beautiful garden were all on the day's agenda. As I shopped, and admired art, and enjoyed the sunshine, I kept thinking, this weekend will make a great, light-hearted blog post.

Then I got an email from my mom and my perspective of the weekend shifted dramatically. After Mom's email, it occurred to me, so much of what I do is informed by my network of friends and family.

You see, I went shopping today to pick up a swimsuit I had ordered for the mother-daughter-grandmother trip I have planned with, who else, my mom and grandmother. The Indianapolis Museum of Art visit was made possible by a gift of museum membership from a dear friend. Last night at the Simon Fashion Now fashion show, which I attended with a relatively new friend, my dad was texting me about deer invading his garden, which made me want to spend some time outside. My brother emailed me a hilarious video of some Illinois fools, as a proposed new family hobby. My best friend and I had a quick chat about my news and her news. I made plans to meet up with a friend for coffee and another group of friends for dinner.

So you see, what I do and, indeed, who I am is informed by my family and friends.

And for that, I will be eternally grateful.

When I started this blog, I mentioned one of my goals was to reconnect with old friends. What I didn't think about then is how lucky I am to have friends who are still willing to reconnect after years of neglected relationships.

As I look back over my life, I had the unconditional love and support from my amazing network of family and friends. When I moved to a new place and didn't know anyone, my friends would spend hours on the phone with me, talking me through my lonely times. When I was struggling with depression, my friends and family were there to support me and help me reverse the tailspin. My work is overwhelming? I can talk to my parents. School is rough? I can call on my friends. Humphrey vomits in his crate - again. A sympathetic ear is only a phone call or text message away. No matter what the hardship, be it big or little, I know I have a network of people who love and care for me and for whom I love and care.

For this I am truly lucky. To all of my family members and friends, I love you and thank you for being there for me when I need you most. I'll always be here for you.

As I work to reclaim me, please know that I am also reclaiming you.

The Gizmoidian Ooze

There is a series of sayings, one of which is: "If a butterfly flapped its wings in Beijing, there will be sun in Central Park." This saying illustrates The Butterfly Effect - the idea that a seemingly unrelated event can have significant impact on reality as you know it. Well, after the past ten days, I would like to submit a new iteration to The Butterfly Effect: "If you watch your mom's papillon for ten days, will you ever be able to get all the dog hair out of your house?"

For those of you that do not know, a papillon is a long-haired, small dog with absolutely no impulse control or personal space. My mom's papillon, and my charge for the past week, is named Gizmo. I love dogs, have one of my own, and, honestly like Gizmo. But this dog, in all his neurotic glory is worth taking the time to write about.

As I mentioned, Gizmo is a long-haired dog. A really long haired dog. He walks into a room and literally explodes hair. While I have never seen Gizmo shake, my entire apartment is covered in his hair. I get dressed for work. There's dog hair on my clothes. I open my laptop. There's dog hair covering the keyboard. I pour a bowl of cereal. There's dog hair in the dish. Even as I sit here typing, I am fighting with an elusive strand of dog hair that is currently on my face.

My dad once compared Gizmo's shedding to flesh-eating bacteria. While the comparison is apt, it is probably a little too harsh for such a cute little dog. Therefore, I have named it the Gizmoidian Ooze - a name which was inspired by my recent rediscovery of the Ghostbusters movie franchise. Ooze aside, to fully appreciate my past week, you need to appreciate the character named Gizmo.

Gizmo is neurotic. He's shifty. He skulks and scrambles as close to buildings as he can.

Gizmo doesn't like to get his feet wet (think about Indianapolis weather over the past ten days for a minute). He does not mind using the restroom in the tight space under a bed.

Gizmo cannot go more than 30 minutes without hearing the sound of his own voice. Day or Night. Day. OR. Night.

Gizmo loves to dance. Hula is his favorite type, Lady Gaga and the Black Eyed Peas are his jam.

Gizmo is afraid of Roombas and the stick you use to open and close blinds. Gizmo is not afraid of moving vehicles, strange people, or large, aggressive dogs. Therefore, if you vacuum or open/close the blinds, he will hide. If you are walking down the sidewalk, he will dart into the road after motorcycles, large dogs, and intergalactic invaders only he can see.

Gizmo is unable to eat unless someone is watching him. Gizmo is unable to focus on one task if someone is watching him.

Gizmo has no personal space. Absolutely none. Showers and pillows mean nothing to Gizmo - he shares and shares alike.

Gizmo only wants to play with the toy another dog has. He thrives on drama.

Gizmo's problem solving methodology always starts and stops with incessant barking. His tones are less than dulcet.

Gizmo's ears are roughly the size of and have the reception of large satellite dishes. He hears everything. And feels the need to then add his two cents. Always.

If he is ignored for too long, Gizmo develops a limp.

If he gets overly excited, Gizmo begins to snort like a pig.

If he is around lots of people and dogs, Gizmo turns into limping, snorting lunatic.

The hour between 9:30 and 10:30 p.m. is the "Giz-ing hour" and is marked by frenzied playing and even more barking than usual. He might be able to tell time, his mania is so precise.

So in answer to my initial paradox: Will I ever be able to get all the dog hair out of my house? Probably not. Would I trade watching this neurotic, lunatic of a dog for a cleaner house? Absolutely not.

As I close, Gizmo has opted to steal yet another toy and incite a small riot on the floor and that damn strand of dog hair is still somewhere on my face.

Bluebells and Cockle Shells

Spring sprang for a beautiful few days this week. The flowers began to bloom, the grass shot green shoots, birds sang, the sun shone - everything was beautiful. And warm.

Inspired by the dewy breezes blowing through my open windows, I spent this week developing a plan for my "get healthy" goal. So here it is:

Ride my bike to class.

I have classes two nights a week at IUPUI for my IU Masters in PR. At the end of this month, downtown street parking is changing and I will no longer be able to park on the street and walk a couple blocks to class. My options are now to either pay for a parking permit or pay weekly parking garage fees. Neither option is acceptable and I like to bike. So I choose the bike. My sweet little hybrid bike, named Bluebell, is just what I need to conquer the new downtown Indy parking debacle and help me establish a healthier lifestyle. And besides, with the cultural trail completed in my neighborhood, I can see me and Bluebell zipping all over the place this summer!

Connect with my inner Gumby.

My brother and I loved Gumby and Pokey when we were little. They stretched, they bent, they flowed - and they could walk in and out of any book they wanted to, at any time. While book walking will have to be left to my imagination, I have started doing yoga - in very small increments - to connect with my inner Gumby (or more likely, Pokey).

I do 10-15 minutes of yoga in the morning when I wake up and another 10-15 minutes of yoga in the evening before I go to bed. I love the endorphin rush I get from that early morning session and I feel so relaxed and warm after my evening session that I am sleeping more soundly at night. I am certainly a yoga neophyte and more than a little self-conscious about my abilities, so yoga classes were always tough for me. As a result, I went searching on Netflix, Hulu, and iTunes for instructional yoga videos that would fit my requirements. Not surprisingly, I found several. My favorite routines, so far, came from a program on Exercise TV called "Anytime Yoga." The sessions are super gentle and great for a beginner like me. They get you moving and warm and, best of all, explain to you why each pose is important.

Check it out:

As with anything, I anticipate that as I continue to practice yoga, I will continue to improve. In the case of me and yoga, there really is no where to go but up.

Keep it fresh (and local).

I few weeks ago I mentioned that I had started to receive produce delivery from Green BEAN Delivery. Well, now I am a few weeks into the service and I can tell you I absolutely love coming home to my green box of goodies. I have fallen in love with cooking again and find myself scouring the internet for healthy recipes for all the amazing produce and grains. This weeks challenges include fennel, broccolette, and quinoa.

Tomorrow I am heading to Goose the Market to check out some fresh meats and their amazing selection of lentils (my favorite type of legume). While I doubt their bacon of the month club is for me, I think I will be able to find a nice protein source to add to a stir fry or curry this weekend.

So, that is my health plan, at this point. I know I will have to make additions and changes, pending weather and the apocalypse but for now it seems like a good start and it makes me feel like I am finally taking my health back into my own hands.

With health and wellness in mind, I am on my way to do my evening yoga routine and settle down for an early night. Tomorrow brings new challenges and new adventures and my happier, healthier self will be ready for them.

Don't forget to take some time to reclaim yourself this weekend.

Namaste.

Changed Perspective

Two months ago, when I accepted my new position, I worried about the difficulty in letting go of the CSAPPB, a group of incredible young women with whom I had spent the better part of the last four years. Today was the first CSAPPB meeting since I had resigned my role as advisor. So I was rather surprised when I received a call from one of the group's volunteer advisors, asking me a question about the meeting, and I realized I had completely forgotten it was a CSAPPB weekend.

How is it that in less than four weeks my life's focus has shifted so much that what was once on the forefront of my "radar" had faded to something I had to be reminded of? And, of course, that makes me a little sad. After all, this is a group of teens of which I am immeasurably proud. The group (and the individuals therein) is perhaps my singular greatest source of professional pride. Each member of the group is so incredible and as a team they are absolutely astonishing.

So on this cold, sunny, almost Spring day I have spent some time reflecting on what it means to move on.

Moving on is not about forgetting. It is not about caring less. It is about celebrating what was and creating the opportunity for future growth. And while I am applying these thoughts to a professional arena, I can't help but think they could also be applied to a more personal one.

So moving on is essential. But it isn't easy. And it certainly isn't without some emotional investment.

And, in the spirit of getting me, and some of you, through an emotional time, I would also like to share something else I learned today - a new recipe for delicious (and somewhat healthy) comfort food (see picture above).

Tortellini and Broccoli with Creamy Pesto

Ingredients:

1 cup 2% milk

1/2 cup basil pesto (either bought in a store or made at home)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or other dry, pungent cheese)

2 cups steamed broccoli florets

2 cups cooked tortellini (could also use linguine, if you prefer)

3-5 basil leaves - chiffonade

fresh cracked pepper (black or white)

Directions:

Cook tortellini until al dente. Using a bamboo steamer (or other steamer), lightly steam broccoli just until bright green. In a sauce pan, wisk milk and pesto together and simmer. When it begins to thicken, add cheese (reserving a couple pinches for garnish). Stir together until smooth. Toss with cooked pasta and broccoli. Garnish with remainder of cheese, pepper, and basil. Enjoy!

Some other foods I am excited to try this week include a mango-mint smoothie and a pork and green bean stir fry. Comfort food all the way, but all with a healthy twist!

So dear friends, when you move on - whether it's from a job, a relationship, or a favorite pair of shoes, remember to celebrate the old, anticipate the new and, while making the journey, take a minute to enjoy some comfort.

Life as I know it

When I started this blog, I was worried that the content would be very self-serving and a little vacuous. This whole thing started as a way to help me reclaim my life and sometimes that seems a little selfish to me. After all, there are far bigger problems in the world than my lack of free time. And then a couple of things happened today - which forced me to realize that when I say that I am reclaiming me, it is so much more than finding new places to drink coffee in Indianapolis or doing well on a paper for school. I really am reclaiming a healthy, balanced outlook on life. And the last 24 hours have reaffirmed just how important that really is.

Last night, through a series of emails with an old friend, I found out that a young woman with whom I have worked for the past four years, and who I have known since she was about five, attempted suicide. A girl who seemingly had it all actually felt so helpless and so alone that a handful of sleeping pills seemed to be her only viable option. As I sit here typing this, she sits in a hospital under supervision, her family reeling. And I am having trouble reconciling the image I have of her - vivacious, enthusiastic, upbeat - with her current reality.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health and the Indiana State Attorney General's office, suicide is a leading cause of death in teens. Suicide is preventable. The first step to preventing suicide is talking about it.

This morning, an article I wrote for the United Way of Central Indiana about the correlation between teen suicide and self-esteem programming was posted to their blog and sent out in their agency newsletter.

The article (which you can read here) talks about my work with a specific girl named Allie. Over the past four years, I have watched Allie grow from a shy girl, unsure about herself and her place in this crazy world, into a confident and self-assured young woman. Now, I absolutely cannot take credit for the transformation - Allie had this in her all the time. What I can take credit for is providing Allie with a series of opportunities and forums in which she felt comfortable expressing herself and respected for who she is. Allie's story is one of my favorites from my time in direct service because it really does illustrate the impact my organization's program can have on young women.

Personally, the two stories I shared tonight have helped reaffirm that the work I did was good, and the programs I now work to secure funding for are still relevant and much-needed. As I close this entry, my young friend is beginning the process of reclaiming her life. Not in the way that I am, but in a much more rigorous and essential manner. I am so thrilled that Allie's story, which is really her journey towards claiming her life, has been shared and I hope people read it (and this) and are inspired to talk about, offer help to, or even give to one of the many amazing youth-serving organizations in central Indiana. After all, these are the organizations that will help girls like Allie blossom and girls like my young friend in the hospital recover.

Word.

I love words. When I was studying for the GRE I joined an obscure word of the day group and everyday a new word and its corresponding definition would appear in my inbox. My goal was to use that word at least five times that day in conversation. Words like "myriad," "chicanery," and "regardless" invoke special memories for me and make me smile. Others remind me only of the tedium of standardized testing. Regardless, the power of words is indisputable.

The picture I have included with this post was taken at a little diner in Astoria, OR last summer. My friend, Jen, and I had stopped there for lunch. The diner was not your typical greasy spoon. It was eccentric and artsy and completely Astoria. This sign was hanging in the restroom. I loved the way the owners chose to address the vandalism by stringing a few short words together. The message is upfront and informative and ends with a dig at the person who stole the print. What a great way to respond to the crime!

As a grant writer, words are what I do. I am learning that certain words "buzz" for certain markets. When I write for some of the more rural communities in Indiana, my writing is laced with words like "tradition" and "values." On the other hand, when I write for communities with a strong academic base, I tend to use words like "innovation" and "change-makers." By tailoring my language to my audience, I am better able to convey my message and establish report.

So imagine my excitement when I came across an article about the power of words while perusing one of my LinkedIn groups. While the research behind the article as well as the purpose of the article is pure marketing, I can see so many other uses for this research.

Here are the words:

1. You

2. Results

3. Health

4. Guarantee

5. Discover

6. Love

7. Proven

8. Safety

9. Save

10. New

The words are, for the most part, short and sweet. They are words that the average adult will not only recognize but understand. Perhaps their simplicity is the reason for their success?

Now, instead of simply using these words for marketing purposes, how interesting would it be to apply these words to interpersonal relationships? When talking with coworkers, friends, the lady at the grocery store, try to use some of these "power" words. That will be my experiment for the week.

I may end up sounding like a maniac, or I may just end up becoming a more convincing individual. I'll let you know. Either way, I GUARANTEE YOU will LOVE the RESULTS.

Hidden Treasures

Part of my plan to reclaim me was to get to know Indianapolis a little better. After all, I have lived in Indy for about four years and really haven't taken the time to explore.

Here is what I have learned so far...

Indianapolis does art - well. From the Indianapolis Museum of Art to the little galleries on Mass Ave, art is all around Indianapolis. This year a dear friend of mine gave me a membership to the IMA and I have been truly enjoying the perks of being a member. I visited the Warhol exhibit, toured Madeleine Albright's pin collection (twice), took advantage of a Winter Night's movie, and have already planned several more visits for the coming months. I also have been enjoying art by local artists, displayed in restaurants such as the Mass Ave Wine Shoppe, Agio, and Henry's on East. Finally, I visited the Indiana Art Fair and the Indiana State Museum last weekend where I had fun browsing works by local folk artists. Being the daughter of a potter, I couldn't help but buy a fun ceramic sippy cup in vibrant shades of green, orange, and blue.

Indianapolis, it seems, has a burgeoning arts community and I cannot wait to see more!

Ballet? In Indy? Did you know we have a school for ballet? Last week I took advantage of an opportunity planned by Indy Hub and hosted at the Indianapolis School of Ballet. This event was an opportunity for the community to become better acquainted with one of Indianapolis' hidden gems - and to see special performances by many of the school's third and fourth year students. Many of the performances came from Sleeping Beauty - a beautiful ballet - and some were originals. The students are very talented and the artistic director, Victoria Lyras, is incredibly passionate about her students, her school, and her art. The school has a Spring performance of Coppelia at the Scottish Rite Cathedral Theater in May and I am working on keeping my calendar clear so I don't miss it!

You'll never go hungry. I've already mentioned a few great places to eat in Indianapolis - of which there are many - but what I am most excited about discovering this week is Green BEAN Delivery. Fresh, organic produce delivered to your home every week or every other week for a very reasonable price! Top that off with the ability to add groceries from local farms and vendors (like Scholar's Inn Bakehouse, Traders Point Creamery, and Farm to Kitchen Foods) and you can do a week (or two) worth of grocery shopping - with healthy and local foods - without having to drive all over town to find them.

I always suspected Indianapolis had a lot of potential as a little city. I've defended it to friends who want to make it seem like less than it is. Thank you, Indianapolis, for living up to your potential this week.

How Routine is YOUR Routine?

Sometimes life is like one big balancing act. Looking for a balance between work, school, and personal time has led me to decide that I need to establish a daily routine. As this is the first time in my adult life that I have had the opportunity to have some sort of routine,I'm struggling. So I'm looking for tips. An old high school friend, Andy, shared an interesting page with me:

Daily Routines is a website, which shares how writers, artists, and other interesting people organize their days. What I love about this site is the posts vary from interview excerpts to short articles about a person, to personal anecdotes. Surprisingly, Stephen King's post about his morning routine was my favorite - probably because it sounded most like something I could manage. I've copied and pasted it below, so enjoy!

“There are certain things I do if I sit down to write,” he said. “I have a glass of water or a cup of tea. There’s a certain time I sit down, from 8:00 to 8:30, somewhere within that half hour every morning,” he explained. “I have my vitamin pill and my music, sit in the same seat, and the papers are all arranged in the same places. The cumulative purpose of doing these things the same way every day seems to be a way of saying to the mind, you’re going to be dreaming soon.

“It’s not any different than a bedtime routine,” he continued. “Do you go to bed a different way every night? Is there a certain side you sleep on? I mean I brush my teeth, I wash my hands. Why would anybody wash their hands before they go to bed? I don’t know. And the pillows are supposed to be pointed a certain way. The open side of the pillowcase is supposed to be pointed in toward the other side of the bed. I don’t know why.”

~Stephen King (taken from Haunted Heart: The Life and Times of Stephen King, by Lisa Rogak

Surprisingly, Mr King's routine is organized, ritualized, and structured - and not crazy. All are criteria that I am striving for in my own daily routine.

Now how to accomplish that...

I found a nice blog post with tips on establishing a routine. Here are the tips:

The key steps to establishing routines are to:

1. Focus on them. Keep your routine as your foremost goal for one month, focusing on nothing else. Having too many habits at once spreads your focus too thin, and makes success less likely.
2. Make them rewarding. I’ve written about establishing a calming routine, and that’s what I’m doing with these two routines. In the morning, I have running, coffee, reading, writing, and showering as part of my calming routine. In the evening, I quietly prepare for the next day, review my day, shower and read. They’re both very satisfying routines.
3. Log your progress. Reporting your progress every day on the Zen Habits forum is a great way to log progress, but you could also do it in a journal or some other type of log, or put up stars on a calendar. The key is to keep track of it and see how well you’ve done over the course of a month.

So here are my daily goals:

To work by 8 a.m.

Out of work by 4 p.m.

1-2 hours of homework

45 minutes - 1 hour of exercise

45 minutes - 1 hour walking Humphrey (can split between multiple times - the bulk being an afternoon walk)

Cook dinner

Update social media (blog, Twitter, Facebook, etc)

Catch up on current events

Time to read, watch TV, stare at a wall, etc - dedicated Holly zone-out time

Two days a week I have classes - so nights are dedicated to them.

So, with all of my ideas on how I would spend my day, and my ability to multitask like a maniac, I still can't figure out how to get everything accomplished and not lose out on a solid night's sleep.

My progress towards establishing a routine will become part of these posts. Hopefully, things will go well.

Thanks for reading. Any tips or ideas you might have, would be greatly appreciated! Have an amazing weekend!