The Good Life

There’s nothing like Thanksgiving and a four-day weekend with family, good friends, and good food to remind us how fortunate we are in today’s world.

Like last year, I enjoyed two delicious Thanksgiving dinners, the first with my parents and the second with my god-kids, one of my best friends, and her family. I’ve learned to pace myself, have small portions, and leave room to at least taste everything at both dinners.

Kudos to Sophia for not only adapting chef Paul Prudhomme's Turducken recipe to Turken, but also creating one of the most delicious turkey dishes I’ve ever had.

In addition to great food, one of the best parts of these get-togethers is the people we spend time with. It doesn’t matter that I see almost all of them every week. Holidays aren’t the same without them.

Growing up, we always had large holiday gatherings with most of my mother’s family. I have great memories of my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and extended family laughing, enjoying great food, and relishing the moments. These memories will stay with me forever, even as new ones are created.

Having Friday off was tremendous — not only to recuperate from devouring two complete Thanksgiving dinners. I was able to get the car inspected, have the oil changed, and do all of my errands without any pressure. Since I wasn’t considering even looking in the direction of any retail store or trying to take advantage of Black Friday sales, I enjoyed a relaxing, productive day.

As an added bonus this year, one of my best friends, who now lives halfway across the country, visited over the weekend. We got together with a couple other friends and enjoyed a relaxing Saturday afternoon of girl-talk and catching up.

As I get ready for the big 4 – 0 and beyond, I’m glad to be reminded of what’s important and how I’m truly blessed. I’ve been fortunate to live a good life and am forever grateful.

Thanksgiving: The Complaint Department Is Closed

Why do people complain so much?

Because they can? Because there’s always someone to listen? Because in our culture, people prefer to hear about negative things instead of positive?

Everyone can't be as unhappy as they seem. Can they?

Every year, I look forward to Thanksgiving. It’s always been my favorite holiday. There’s so much about this day to like: family, friends, food, time off. Did I mention food?

But, what I love the most about this day isn’t about any of that. I love what this occasion does for people. Somehow, it opens our hearts and minds to see the good in our lives and give thanks for our blessings.

For some, this feeling will only last one day. For others, it will last at least through New Year’s.

It’s perhaps the only time of year that people realize that no matter what they’ve been through, there are so many others who have had a more difficult time.

Lisa-Michelle’s Top Ten Reasons To Be Thankful

I'm alive.
I'm healthy.
I’m free.
I’m employed.
I live without want.
I'm blessed with great friends and family — both near and far.
Technology helps me reconnect and stay connected with people I care about.
My dad survived three small strokes, which probably saved him from having a major one.
My year has been filled with love, excitement, and new experiences.
I learn something new every day.

I’m also thankful to be able to share my journey to the big 4 – 0 and beyond with all of you.

Thanksgiving Prayer

May this time of year find you and your family in good health and good spirit, as we come together to thank God for our blessings.
May the years ahead be your best and brightest, filled with good health, happiness, love, success, and prosperity.
May we have the strength to pursue justice and peace, especially for those who cannot do so themselves.
May we cherish the holiday season, enjoying the company of good friends and family.
May your Thanksgiving tables overflow with scrumptious dishes and be surrounded by warm hearts.
May we remember to give thanks and count our blessings throughout the year, focusing on all that is positive and good.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

What are you most thankful for this year?

Cats, Bees, and Sulfur! Oh My!

Add another allergy to my list. This time it’s to sulfur, or at least sulfa antibiotics.

Finding out I’m allergic to sulfur/sulfa was just as much fun as finding out I’m allergic to cats and bees. All three times, I found out by having dramatic reactions.

OK, discovering the dust mite allergy was no picnic, too. But, the reaction wasn’t anywhere in the vicinity of life threatening.

Why do some of us have allergies and others don’t? Why are some serious and others not? I have no idea.

The cat allergy hampers my life the most, and the dust mite one is the most annoying.

I can never go to someone’s home that has a cat. I miss out on parties and get-togethers, can’t visit certain friends and relatives, and sometimes can’t pay shiva calls (visit mourners’ homes).

I’m not sure why, but it seems that a lot of people have cats these days. I tried desensitization, but the cat allergy is so severe that I would need an indefinite amount of time to continue treatment without any guarantee of success. For nine months, I received weekly shots and almost always had allergic reactions during the treatment without making any progress. I gave up . . . at least for now.

Relatives, friends, and camp counselors were more afraid of my allergy to bees than me. After the first reaction, during a hike at sleep-away camp, a doctor told me these calming words, “Don’t worry. Do what you need to do, and if you’re not dead within the first two minutes, then you’ll be fine.” Sure, you may think this was a little bizarre to tell an 8-year old, but it worked.

Now, I can add sulfur/sulfa to my list. What a painful, ugly way to find out that one’s allergic to something. Swollen, burning lips. Burning eyes. Shortness of breath. Coughing. Wheezing. Aches. Fever. Chills. Rash. Blotches. Lightheadedness. Muscle pain and weakness. You name it; I had it.

For those who know me, it’ll come as no surprise that I always read the pharmacy instructions and precautions with every prescription. It doesn’t matter if I’ve already had that particular medication or how mundane the situation. I read every word on those slips. During the time I was on the medication, I was able to decipher between common side effects and serious reactions that required medical attention.

Don’t get me wrong, I also owe a great deal of thanks to my mom, my boss, and some good friends and colleagues for pushing me to get urgent care. Thank you all!

And, what’s another allergy at this point? At least it’s not to ice cream, cheesecake, bread, steak, or potatoes.

I’m adding this to the strange chapter of health-related concerns of 2009, which I hope to close and never revisit. I’m fortunate each incident ended well, but I’m looking forward to a healthier, uneventful 2010.

Who loves a Monday morning quarterback?

No one!

Do you come in contact with people who always know better than you?

These same people can’t wait to give you their opinions and negative feedback . . . after a project is complete. They’re also scarce when you need a hand or advice.

I like hearing people’s suggestions before and during a project. I truly believe in the Chinese proverb, “When three people walk down the street, one is always learning.” (Thanks, Francis.)

I also enjoy growing from constructive criticism and feedback about areas for improvement. There’s always room for growth and achieving better results.

I’m sometimes challenged by what to do with those people who are involved with a project, don’t share their ideas and suggestions during its implementation, and only offer negative criticism when the project is complete.

After seven months of hard work, the Long Island Coaching Alliance held our first major, public event on Sunday, November 1. So much of the event was a great success and, at the same time, there naturally was room for improvement.

The chairs, three other members of the Executive Board and I, all dedicated much of our free time for seven months to ensure the event would be as successful as possible. We also tried to enlist the help of others and were thrilled that so many people stepped up to the plate.

Many thanks to my fellow event chairs, members of the Executive Board, keynote speaker and award recipient, panelists, and all of the Long Island and New York City coaches that participated in the event.

As it was our first event on this scale, we met with several bumps in the road during our journey. That said, most of the feedback was better than I expected, and I’m grateful to those who shared their positive remarks and constructive criticism.

I am, however, surprised and disappointed by the response I got from one of my thank you notes. The person found it appropriate to point out the things he decided we didn’t do.

I guess he forgot that these were the things we asked for his and everyone’s assistance. I guess he also forgot about the other things he agreed to do, but never followed through on. I guess he didn’t feel it was necessary to share suggestions during the several months he was involved in the event preparation.

Maybe he’s the kind of person who prefers to stand by the sidelines and watch others fumble, instead of offering valuable input during the game. 

Well . . . another Monday morning quarterback isn’t what any of us need.