The Nerd Quiz

I found this site on one of my blog hops. It's an interesting diversion if you've got the time...I found out that I'm not a nerd but definitely not hip, either! 67% of the people who have taken this test were nerdier, 1% were the same, and 32% were less nerdy than me.Good to know. Have some fun and see how you stack up! By the way, this site has other test as well: There's the REAL personality test-crackpot? Egghead? find out for sure! You can find out if you're stupid, sexy, a loser, hot, a computer geek, or a spoiled brat! Check out whether you're a Star Trek expert or how much you remember from High School Chemistry-ugh!See what your W.Q. is-that's weird quotient. Is your love for money excessive? Test it out with the Lovemoney quiz! Find out when you'll die with the Fatal Quiz. Or, take the Space Test to see what you know about the Universe and if you're a real space cadet! These were a lot of fun and just my style...The kind of stuff I trawl the Internet for!Let me know what you find out about yourself-IF you dare :)

I'll never wash this book again!

Here I am, holding my well-worn, extensively used, and NEWLY AUTOGRAPHED copy of Keith Ferrazzi's book, Never Eat Alone. OMG! I am geeked X10! Last year I was fortunate enough to win a coaching call with Keith and I have continued to reap the benefits of his advice~which, by the way, included starting this blog!The class I am taking currently for my masters degree is Career Counseling and Development. We've been doing a lot of assessments in class, such as the MBTI, the Holland Index, and the Harrington-O'Shea, among other instruments aimed at pinpointing strengths and aptitudes. The class puts us in the role of the clients so that we can see these tests from their perspective and also learn how to use them to the best advantage. I had to tweak my resume for an assignment last week and this week we are exploring career related sites on the Internet. Besides the text, I've been re-reading What Color Is Your Parachute? It's interesting to note that both the Parachute book and my instructor have stressed the importance of relationships and networking to finding your niche in the career world. My instructor also acknowledged Keith's book as one of the best he's read in the course of his 30-year career helping others find meaningful life's work. If you are interested in excelling at networking skills, there's no better source than Never Eat Alone. I have read this book during at least three different phases of my personal evolutionary process and have referred to it on many other occasions-specifically before and after high-profile events when I need to psych myself up or recharge my confidence in meeting people OR if an event hasn't gone quite as well as I had hoped, I look at some of the suggestions in the book for ideas on how to handle future events better. All of life is about networking whether you are looking for a job or not. There's a lot of truth to the old adage, "It's not what you know BUT who you know!"

I did not like Ike!

This weekend was wet, dark, dank and dreary! That sort of weather makes you feel tired! It was hard to motivate myself to get anything done! I know that all of us in Michigan got off easy compared to the folks in Texas and Louisiana. Still, I shared, in a very small way, the anxiety one feels as the water creeps closer and closer to your home. Once again, we had water nearly up to the side of the house. I had the two lakes in my backyard, a mote around the side and front of my yard, and water over the driveway and into the natural depression which I hope someday will be an actual pond to help drain our low-lying areas. It's a helpless feeling when the water is rising and the rain keeps falling! I moved as many things off the basement floor as I could. The sump pump was running like crazy. I had visions of having to get a wet vac and clean up the entire lower level of the house. I've had to do that once in the 12 years I've lived here. Not a pleasant job!! When things began moderating I breathed a big sigh of relief! Thankfully, the weather reports say that the rain will be done by noon and the rest of the week is going to be warmer and no chance of rain until at least next weekend so that things will have a chance to dry up around here. Better hurry up and get that pond dug before the next round... There was an actual tornado that touched down near PawPaw. We had some strong winds also. Nothing like the severity of the areas who felt the full blow of Ike's wrath. Having just experienced a fraction of the aftermath of Ike, my heart really goes out to those who are now faced with the prospect of having to start over with nothing. The force of nature is not always kind.

Maroon Mania

Not a parking space to be found in the entire lot! Not a seat to be had in the bleachers!
The Holland Christian Maroon Platoon was in full force tonight as our beloved Maroons hosted Byron Center. Final score was HC 36, Byron Center 24. This is the third win for the Maroons already this season and no signs of slowing down!They were a powerful presence and it couldn't happen to a better group~the coaching staff has worked so hard to build up this fairly new program into a force to be reckoned with! Being at Holland Christian brought back such great memories. Trevor was nice enough to let me wear his old jersey-the spirit of 76! Many of our happiest memories as a family happened right here on this field. There is something magical about being out at a football game on a Friday night! I didn't run into as many familiar faces as I had hoped to see but there were a few and I know that it doesn't take long after your kids graduate that you lose touch with the current group. Guess I'll just have to wait for Jayden to grow up a bit! Trevor noted that many of the players now are the younger brothers of players who were on his team so some of those Dutch names were still very familiar! I did run into the Jelgerhuis'. They both did some pretty convincing Republican stumping but I'm on the other side of the fence this time...nice try Jane and Drew! Kathy Slenk told me that her younger son is now wearing the #1 jersey that belonged to his older brother Mike who played with Trev. I also saw Matt Yount from VPM. He was nice enough to take a photo of Trev, Court and I. Otherwise, nothing but a sea of Maroon...

Holland Christian also had an open house to show off all the renovations that have been progressing on the campus. Really beautiful. 

The hollowed halls of HC have a brand new look to them... 
Pretty classy joint, don't you think?



This doesn't even look like the same place!
A new stadium would be nice...hope that's next! However, it was well worth the walk from our distant parking space and the game was so exciting that I honestly didn't mind standing even though I'd been on my feet all day!Note to self: get there early!! The Maroons were well worth the effort~GO HC!

Remembering 9/11

Several clients every day ask me what the date is. Thursday, no one had to ask. It was impossible to view the day as a normal, "just like any other" day. I'm sure that everyone who was around at the time,  remembers the bombing of Peal Harbor or the day that President Kennedy was assassinated, or when Dr. King was shot, the Oklahoma City bombing-and the same is true for 9/11. Many of us remember exactly where we were. I was just coming out of my first massage of the day at Body Perfections. Everyone was talking about the first plane and speculating because no one had information at that time. One of our bosses quickly returned home and brought in a TV to the shop so that we could get the news casts. We were all in shock and felt paralyzed. It was impossible to focus on anything else. So many tears were shed. It was a terrible feeling of loss and grief~everyone took it personally. We all felt threatened and unsafe. We all went through the motions of conducting business as usual but nobody had their heart in it. I'm glad that those who were lost have been remembered with love and dignity on this day and those who sacrificed of themselves to help, including the brave passengers of Flight  93, have also been honored in befitting ways. We have learned some hard lessons and some things will never be the same, never be back to "normal". I also choose to pay tribute to the memory of 9/11 by living a life that is full of gratitude for the many blessings we enjoy in this life and in this country. Even with all the problems we face as a nation, we are afforded many liberties not found elsewhere. It is good to remember and not ever forget.

The KNOW-DO Gap

My know/do gap looks strangely like the Grand Canyon at the moment!


In the Fall I always get recharged to set some year-end goals. I have September, October, November and December to work with. Seems like a nice big chunk of time!

With school starting and the weather changing, life slows down and gets into a routine. Nothing like the fast-pace and spontaneity of Summer!  With Fall comes the opportunity for reflection,  course corrections, and directional changes.
It seems like the natural time for all this change. The leaves are changing, so why not me?

There are some areas where I've been stuck for awhile and NOT for lack of information! I am an expert in some of these areas. I've read so many books, I could write a book about most of this stuff!  I know-I just don't do! Why is that?? I'm an intelligent woman. If I have enough awareness to ask that question, I should be able to process a reasonable answer! These goals are things I really want! Or as Randy Pausch asks rhetorically in his book, The Last Lecture,  "do I want it enough not to let the walls and the obstacles, stop me?" Do I? If I did, wouldn't I have gotten what I set out to get by now? I have a certain vision of a life that I am trying to create and a future that I want for myself and yet...I don't get there somehow. It's like being in the desert, seeing the oasis up ahead, but never quite reaching it! I know but I just don't do. It's maddening! It's crazy! It's nuts!  Some of these items show up again at New Years when I write down my list of things I want to accomplish. Some of those things have been on my list for decades! In all fairness to myself, I do get quite a bit done on a day-to-day basis. I work two jobs and go to school full-time. I try to keep up on my house. Key word: try!  I have a great relationship with my sons and grandson. I save time each week to do something with my friends. I participate in my faith community through church and life group. I blog, of course! I fit in other things like riding my bike or working in the yard or pursuing other hobbies and interests. The odd cooking lesson or seminar, workshop, pilgrimage... To be honest, I DID get a lot of things done this summer that I've wanted to do for a long time-like skydiving and finally making it to Shipsi, getting to the Farmer's Market and out to Crane's Orchard and local parks and restaurants and movies, hikes, etc. I had a nice visit with my family in Oregon. I am moving forward but sometimes it doesn't seem like it or else it seems like everything is soooo SLOW in coming! There are other character flaws that I have but this is one that I'm aware of: I always think I can get more done in a certain time frame than what is actually humanly possible. So, some of it is that! But...there's more to it than just that. This has been bugging me lately-probably because 50 is coming up and that seems like such a benchmark-I feel like I need to blast myself into action. Get off the dime already!Time's a wastin'~the clock is ticking! The answer really is action. Finding actionable steps that I can take to making some of these things happen in my life. I KNOW that the way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time and that the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. I KNOW THIS!!! I think that inertia is the culprit. Inertia can take the form of fears, procrastination, insecurity, exaggeration of the difficulty of something, self-limiting beliefs, letting finances or circumstances be an issue, list ad infinitum! It's like trying to get a car started by pushing it. At first it doesn't want to budge. You push harder! Then you get it moving ever so slow. You push harder! Then a bit faster. Then faster...then all of a sudden it's easy to move and you're really making progress, moving right along towards your destination. But that first effort is a killer! I'm always amazed by how much easier stuff turns out to be once you get going. I think we build a lot of things up in our heads until we just feel too overwhelmed to even get started. Once we get rolling, it's not too bad! I have also learned that it's a good idea not to stop once you've got momentum because it's a real bummer getting started again once you've stopped. Better to keep on truckin'. So, there's my little pep talk to me! I need to figure out small actionable steps I can take to get things moving~then just stick with it! Anyone else there feel like this? I find this to be especially true of weight loss, exercise, handling money, getting clarity about career moves and doing things around the house and yard. Even getting paperwork and legal matters in order. Even putting all your pictures in order in albums! On and on...Ok, Lana, be reasonable! There are four projects I'd like to get done before the end of the year. Get going, Lana! Kick some butt! Work hard! I hope I can summon up the courage to take that first BIG BITE of the elephant!

Or take the first step on that journey of a thousand miles...

Stand up to cancer...

One in every two men and one in every three women will have cancer in their lifetime. Now there's a cause that should interest all of us-no one will leave this life unscathed by either directly battling this disease or by having a close friend or loved who is engaged in that fight for life. Friday night, September 5th, all the networks and a host of celebrities all collaborated in an effort to raise funds for and raise awareness of cancer. There was a lot of great information too about what research has turned up in the quest for weapons in the arsenal. There were many touching stories and rememberances of loved ones lost to this disease. Cancer has taken far too many wonderful people out of this world. Let's work together to stop this disease! If you've never taken the time to watch the Brian Reynolds Memorial Documentary, please do so by clicking on the link below or going to the sidebar of this blog. It's a touching recount of the sort of fighting spirit so common to those diagnosed with cancer. It's about an hour or so long but has a heartwarming message and is a good investment of your time. I loved the song they put together for this event. Take a listen~it's great!



You can still make a donation via the website:
http://www.standuptocancer.org/

If you would like to view Brian Reynolds' Documentary, click on this link:

http://www.briandocumentary.com/