Black Bottoms Up

They say, "You have to hit rock BOTTOM." Who are "They?" What is bottom? If we've hit it, will we know it? How many times will we hit it, just once, twice, seventy times seven? My son said this phrase recently...and I am afraid to say that yes, we do have to hit the bottom in life sometimes. How hard and how often, no one knows, and...I suppose it is all a matter of what life deals us and our perspective. Ahh, the old perspective thing again.

It matters NOT how many times we hit bottom really, for how can we compare ourselves with those who lived to tell about the holocaust, Vietnam, slavery, the depression? What matters is that we always get our bottoms back up. This is what makes the man or woman.

I wonder sometimes about the huge smiles that are on the faces of those who seem to have so little, yet find joy. I love that.

White Lines of L.A.

I am riding in my car watching the white lines zip by anxious to be home, maybe 10 hours from now. I also am thinking about the last two weeks of being on the road...

L.A. has a personality of its own. There is not the electric feel in downtown L.A. like Manhattan where we were in January earlier this year.

We have been carefully assessing and reviewing many lines of handbags, belts, jewelry, clothing etc., for our new Internet business. But the lines on the freeways or what fashion lines to carry are not what is foremost on my mind.

My sister has had the opportunity to travel and meet a wide variety of people. She is always gracious and poised in all situations. I have traveled very little and kept to a close knit circle of friends. We are both naturally outgoing and try to be loving and accepting of everyone.

With that being said I find myself at this time in my life having to make the lines very clear as to what I will and will not do. As for me, I am a people pleaser and if I haven't drawn the line clearly beforehand, it can be erased rather quickly. That has proved to be a detriment.

I find I am an adapter. I am also a grey person and it is time for me to draw the white lines.

A Different Sort of Black Dog--A Happy One

Today is Sunday and I have spent the day rejuvenating in my hotel in L.A. while my sister spent some time with friends. I was cleaning up one of my email accounts from my laptop and came across a note I had sent to myself a while ago. When I read it to Sherry (my sis) she encouraged me to post it. I shall.

How many Judges do you REALLY have Lori? One--yourself and you are hard and difficult. Why? Now that you know, get rid of that judge and replace it with a protector.

The whole world can love me, but what really makes me happy is when I share the love inside of me and share it with the world.

I am only responsible for my half of any relationship. I cannot and do not try to change people, to try to is futile and disrespectful. If my relationships are not working I explore other possibilities within the relationship based on respect and love.

Open and honest communication is key, based on respect and love for myself and the other person. Without it the relationship will falter, especially for me. I need depth and closeness in my relationships.

I will recognize the difference between FEAR and conditions, and expectations, and the ease of LOVE and no drama.

There is an interconnectedness in all things. As life unfolds we see one event leads to another, one feeling leads to another. We realize or at least we hope we come to accept that things are as they should be. Have we kicked against it and let ourselves be miserable martyrs, have we done the right things, have we followed our hearts?

Has and is my suffering necessary?

Yes, until I get my ego in check I will always suffer. Humility calls come frequent, I learn something (insight). But there always seems to be more...

If I could be as care-free, fun-loving, non-assuming, non-judgmental, easy going as my dogs...I would be as care-free, fun-loving, non-assuming, non-judgmental, easy going and happily uncomplicated as they are too!

Dogs and Brown Butterflies

I try, I try very very hard at what ever I do. I never give up easily, actually I don't give up, I think of things as shifting positions...just as a dog would do if he was chasing butterflies.

I get attached to things, symbols, they become reminders to me. It's not the things themselves, it's the feeling that goes with them. Recently I have taken a liking to butterflies and so in the process of creating a cosmetic line for our new business we will be launching on the Internet soon, I named all of the lipsticks, eyeshadows and blushes after flowers and butterflies. It was quite a process but one that was meaningful and fun for me. This business has been brought about by love, through love, during some very trialsome times for my sister and me. We have laughed our way through most of it! Cried our way through some of it and our patient, no kidding, military colonel background partner has supported us 100% through it all. The guy is a non-emotional genius that now says he is very aware of color coordination and PMS.

Our new company is called "Never Forgotten Statements"! It's a mouthful and it says a lot! It says a lot about what a women should, could and wants to be when she walks into a room. She does not want to be forgotten. The worst thing in life is to be ignored, it equates to you mean nothing. Every man, woman and child means so much and we can reach out and make someone feel special by recognizing them with such little gestures. Maybe that is why I like Dogs and Butterflies...they do it so easily...

April Showers Bring Yellow May Flowers

There are some things I seem to be eternally drawn to since I was a teenager, Spring because it brought Summer. Flowers, especially Daisies. Groups like America and Three Dog Night, and songs like Something in the Way She Moves by James Taylor (love his clear and simple voice), and the classic, Pieces of April by Three Dog Night. This video is sappy and I love it.

Words from Pieces of April:

April gave us Springtime and the promise of the flowers and the feeling that we both shared and the love that we called ours.

We knew no time for sadness that's a road we each had crossed We were living a time meant for us and even when it would rain we would laugh it off.

We stood on the crest of summer beneath an oak that blossomed green.
Feeling as I did in April not really knowing what it means.

But it must be now that you stand beside me to make me feel this way. Just as I did in April but it's a morning in May.

I've got pieces of April I keep them in a memory bouquet, I've got pieces of April but it's a morning in May.

I'm 45 now, no longer that carefree teenager. My memory bouquet is large, beautiful and colorful, but it is sick of the rain and is in need of some fresh mountain air and maybe I can find some of my Sunshine there too...

I hope you find your bouquet of flowers in the sunshine of your life, sprinkled with a little shower...now and then.