(8861,1,'2011-12-30 13:28:02','2011-12-30 20:28:02','<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/samchurchill/4182826573/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-8132 alignnone\" title=\"Gold top 10 winner\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/4182826573_3c20158212.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"347\" height=\"346\" /></a>\r\n\r\nAs I mentioned yesterday, I originally intended to list my Top 10 Favorite Blog Adventures on Day 365, the final day of this journey.  A <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/26/day-365-a-love-letter/\" target=\"_blank\">Love Letter</a></strong> upstaged the list.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have to confess that it was quite a challenge to pick only 10 favorites.  This insane-yet-gratifying project contained so many highlights, surprises, and life lessons which I will wax philosophical on at another time.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: large; color: #008000;\"><strong>Today, here are my Practically-Impossible-to-Pick Top 10:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n10.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/23/day-57-we-saw-dead-people-or-if-you-want-to-be-technical-orbs/\" target=\"_blank\">Day 57:  We Saw Dead People (or if you want to be technical, \"orbs\")</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe Adventure:  Three friends and I checked into the Jerome Grand Hotel, considered one of America\'s Most Haunted Places.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nReason why this is a fav:  Because I have 3 friends who are as zany as me and agreed to this nonsense.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n9.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/15/day-168-its-more-than-complicated/\" target=\"_blank\">Day 168:  It\'s More Than Complicated</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe Adventure:  I teamed up with a fellow male blogger for a He Said/She Said cooking project of chocolate croissants.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nReason why this is a fav:  I laughed so hard throughout the day from Todd\'s texts and emails that my stomach hurt.  And the Lady of the Lake (long story -- you\'ll need to read the post) showed up in the comments section.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n8.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/16/day-50-uncle-keek-needs-you/\" target=\"_blank\">Day 50:  Uncle Keek Needs You! </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe Adventure:  I attempted to my make my beloved great uncle into a YouTube star.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nReason why this is a fav:  I made my uncle (whom I have adored since I was a baby) very, very happy.  He\'s currently at 1,146 views!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nTied with ....\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n8.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/10/day-347-guest-post-from-worlds-most-precious-niece-2/\" target=\"_blank\">Day 347:  Guest Post from World\'s Most Precious Niece</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe Adventure:  World\'s Most Precious Niece volunteered to give me relief for a day (at the suggestion of a reader) by posting her own music video blog.  If you haven\'t checked it out yet, please watch WMPN as she delivers a PSA on bullying, followed by singing and playing guitar like a mini Taylor Swift.  She was 9 at the filming, peeps!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nReason why this is a fav:  Because she\'s World\'s Most Precious Niece!  And I, as well as her teachers, think she\'s brilliant.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n7.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/05/03/day-215-you-know-what-happens-on-whale-watching-tours-right/\" target=\"_blank\">Day 215:  You Know What Happens on Whale Watching Tours, Right?</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe Adventure:  Ever since I can remember, I have wanted to catch a glimpse of whales in the wild.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nReason why this is a fav:  Wish fulfilled.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n6.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/07/18/day-28-70s-and-chicago-slideshow/\" target=\"_blank\">Day 289:  70s Party and My Kind of Town</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe Adventure:  After a long day penned up in a business conference, Britt and I escaped to an impromptu tour of downtown Chicago.  Britt teased me that I was like a kid -- excited about <em>everything</em>!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nReason why this is a fav:  Because this was <em>a business trip</em>!  And I was <em>still</em> able to Carpe Diem in a Top 10 kind of way!  We\'re never too old to discover sights with child-like eyes and find the wonder in what could be the most mundane of days.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n5.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/06/day-342-reliving-my-first-concert-ever/\" target=\"_blank\">Day 342:  Reliving My First Concert Ever</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe Adventure:  I found a friend to go to Def Leppard with me.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nReason why this is a fav:  Heart opened the show, and blew us away.  We witnessed a living legend that night -- arguably the best female voice in the history of rock and roll.  One of my most memorable concert experiences.  Ever.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n4. <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\"> Day 252:  Soul Explosion </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe Adventure:  Mondo Beyondo rocked my world at The World Domination Summit in Portland, Oregon.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nReason why this is a fav:  I subsequently signed up for their online class about dreaming BIG.  And BIG dreams are seemingly coming true.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n3.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/09/23/day-351-siena-ti-voglio-tanto-bene/\" target=\"_blank\">Day 351:  Siena, Ti Voglio Tanto Bene</a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe Adventure:  My cousins and I visited Siena, Italy for the day.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nReason why this is a fav:  If towns could be soulmates, Siena would be mine.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n2.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/13/day-357-tuscan-coast-van-tour-and-montebelli-sigh/\" target=\"_blank\">Day 357:  Tuscan Coast Van Tour and . . .  Montebelli.  Sigh. </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe Adventure:  I sat out a day of my cycling tour in the support van because of the previous day\'s crash-boom-splat.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nReason why this is a fav:  Because spending the day in a van with a hot-blooded Italian male has its perks.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n1.  <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2010/11/13/day-47-let-the-puppy-worshipping-begin/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Day 47:  Let The Puppy Worshipping Begin! </strong></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe Adventure:  I found myself in the midst of an unplanned puppy rescue.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nReason why this is a fav:  Because my heart and home are once again filled with furry love.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Extra Credit Day 366:  Top 10 Most Curious','','inherit','open','open','','8120-revision-22','','','2011-12-30 13:28:02','2011-12-30 20:28:02','',8120,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/8120-revision-22/',0,'revision','',0),(8862,1,'2011-06-24 23:05:10','2011-06-25 06:05:10','<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/tsand/4701556247/\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-6244\" title=\"4701556247_e71555f4e5\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/4701556247_e71555f4e5-222x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"222\" height=\"300\" /></a>The other day, we learned that <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/19/day-264-dream-analysis/\" target=\"_blank\">I am a Dream Analysis Expert</a></strong>.  For a limited time only, I offered my services free of charge, and a couple of you of were brave enough to take me up on it.  Thank you for entrusting your psyche with me.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHeh heh heh.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><del>Victim</del> Dreamer #1:  Little Michelle </span></strong></span>(Another Michelle.  She\'s even littler than me.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<em>I couldn\'t find my car.  I was in a field, like at an event or a concert.   It was scary.  We used an app to try to find it.  I could hear the alarm, but we could never find it.  We then learned that aliens had just landed on the moon. </em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: medium;\"><strong>Madame Michelle Speaks: </strong></span> Little Michelle, I asked if you had seen any sci-fi movies this past weekend, and you responded \"no\", BUT ... you did overhear a conversation about someone\'s wish to visit the moon.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhen we think of \"the moon\", we then think \"outer space\".  When we think \"outer space\", we then think \"aliens\".  (Am I right?  You\'re shaking your head and agreeing with me, are you not?)  Anywho, all of these morphed into an alien moon landing.  Once aliens take over the moon, they\'ve seized control.  They immediately started beaming up what suburbanites absolutely can\'t live with out:  our cars.  (Your iPhone and chocolate were next on the list, sister.  Aren\'t you relieved that it was only a dream?  Life without facebook would be a NIGHTMARE!)<em>\r\n</em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #008000; font-size: medium;\"><strong><del>Victim</del> Dreamer #2:</strong> <strong>Anonymous</strong></span> (Not to be confused with Anonymous Male Reader, although something tells me he would dream something wacko like this.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #ff6600;\">Warning:  This Dream is rated PG-13 for a bizarre visual.</span></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<em>My nipple was projectile squirting EVERYWHERE!  I couldn\'t get it to stop!  So embarrassing...</em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Madame Michelle Speaks: </span></strong></span> Anonymous, I asked if you had seen naked chests within the past 24 hours.  You sheepishly confessed to me that you watched <em>The Bachelorette</em> pre-bedtime, and this week\'s episode involved a bunch of shirtless hunks boxing.  (I\'m sorry I missed it.)  Apparently, many of these shirtless hunks received blows to the chest.  If it were possible in our waking lives for nipples to explode, nothing would bring this oddity on more quickly than a testosterone-filled boxing exhibition.  <em>\r\n</em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><del>Victim</del> Dreamer #3: Little Michelle again</span></strong></span> (She was overly zealous about the free dream analysis and turned out to be the perfect zealot for me because she dreams often and recalls everything.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Actual email from Little Michelle:</strong> <em><span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: Arial;\">I went in and got my  haircut.  I wish I could draw you a picture but imagine it was a little like a  party in the back and business in the front!  I had a fricken  mullet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It was super short like boy short and then  had long hair in the back.  LOL </span></em>\r\n\r\n<em><span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: Arial;\">\r\n</span></em>\r\n\r\n<em><span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: Arial;\">Then it switched and I  was in a wedding party.  I can’t remember all the details of that but my hair  was long again.  The photographer wanted me to model for some beer  advertisement. </span></em>\r\n\r\n<em><span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: Arial;\">\r\n</span></em>\r\n\r\n<em><span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: Arial;\">OK dream interpreter –  interpret that!!!!!</span></em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Madame Michelle Speaks: </span></strong></span> This one is so easy that I could have analyzed it in my own sleep.  You had \"country\" on the brain after <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/20/day-265-two-stepping-into-the-final-100-days/\" target=\"_blank\">my two-stepping tales from the past weekend</a></strong>.  Nothing screams \"COUNTRY\" like mullets and beer.  Lots and lots of beer.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWow, I\'m good.  :-D\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIf you happen to remember your dream from last night, post it in today\'s comment section, and I will analyze for you on the spot today.  I am happy to oblige one final time.  I am then officially retiring from Dream Analysis.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Day 269:  Madame Michelle Analyzes Your Dreams','','inherit','open','open','','6227-revision-19','','','2011-06-24 23:05:10','2011-06-25 06:05:10','',6227,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/24/6227-revision-19/',0,'revision','',0),(8863,1,'2011-03-13 11:03:00','2011-03-13 18:03:00','&nbsp;\r\n\r\nfun, fun, fun, fun, FUN!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIt all started with a birthday invitation for Laney\'s soon-to-be 7 year-old\'s birthday party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/P3130199.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-4504\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/P3130199-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhen I heard that Laney was renting a bouncy castle for the event, I knew immediately that I could talk her into it.   :-D\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_4505\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Maybe if I stood still for the only photo of the bouncy castle, it would have been clearer.  Sorry, peeps. \"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/P3120176.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-4505\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/P3120176-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_4506\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"I tried not to think of the germs lurking in this thing after 3 hours of bouncing sweaty 1st graders (and a few bloody noses.)\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/P3120177.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-4506 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/P3120177-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIt was all fun and games until someone got hurt.  Be careful with the balls in the bouncy castle, kids.  You could shoot your eye out with one of those things.  \r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" width=\"480\" height=\"390\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/J-WL8Z4eycc\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen></iframe>\r\n\r\n','Day 167:  Tiggers are Not the Only One Who are Bouncy, Flouncy, Trouncy, Pouncy','','inherit','open','open','','4500-revision-14','','','2011-03-13 11:03:00','2011-03-13 18:03:00','',4500,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/13/4500-revision-14/',0,'revision','',0),(8864,1,'2011-01-20 21:57:06','2011-01-21 04:57:06','<p>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_3452\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the memories, Jimmy! \"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/P1170179.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-3452\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/P1170179-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n</p>\r\n\r\n<p>I\'ve finally done it.  I joined a cult.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>On Day 113, I bowed down to the Altar of Mac.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>After sampling their <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">magic kool-aid</span> MacBook Pro, I forked over hundreds of dollars more than I would on a PC to join their ranks.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>I love that my new cult is both Super Geeky and Uber-Cool at the same time.  I dig dichotomy.</strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I\'m not normally brainwashable.   I unethusiastically defended PCs for years.  In fact, just you wait!  Kim C. is about to pop up with a fiery \"told you so\" in the comment section below.  (You know how obnoxious my fellow cult members can be about their precious Macs.)  We\'ve bantered for years about Mac vs. PC!  YEARS!</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Kim C., pop a chill pill and welcome me to your cult.  You won.  **Hugs**</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Dell et al, WTF?! </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I give up. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I\'ve grown weary of throwing the f-bomb at my PC every night while it slows down my blogging with its ridiculous anti-virus software updates and who-knows-what else.  Cursing incessantly at my computer is unhealthy and unladylike.  I am better than that.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>I\'ve decided that I must now insist on stability, reliability and performance from my computers. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong><a href=\"http://latebloomerdiary.blogspot.com/2010/02/baby-you-can-drive-my-car-but-only-if.html\" target=\"_blank\">(And my cars.) </a></strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"http://latebloomerdiary.blogspot.com/2010/02/baby-you-can-drive-my-car-but-only-if.html\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>(And my men.) </strong></a><strong> </strong></p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong> </strong> </p>\r\n\r\n<p>PC, I bid you adieu. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong>My best friends/fellow cult members assure me that my new Mac will rock my world.  <br class=\"spacer_\" /></strong></span></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>It will wow me with its design and its speed. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>It will comfort me with its reliability. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>It will keep me safe from nasty bugs. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>It will coddle me through the transition from PC world to Mac world with its intuitive functionality. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>My Apple Store Geniuses will meet with me one-on-one for a year. <span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #800080;\"> I can bug my Apple Store Geniuses as much as I want, and they will always be chipper, smart, and geeky-cool because they partake of the magic kool-aid on a daily basis.   </span></strong></span></p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Someone will soon teach me how to tap into the grooviness of the guitar icon at the bottom of the screen that I drool over every time I gaze upon it. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Mac, I think I\'m in love. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>Please pass the kool-aid. </p>\r\n\r\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" /></p>\r\n\r\n<p>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_3453\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Magic Kool-Aid Gives Me a Permagrin\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/P1170181.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-3453 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/P1170181-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n</p>','Day 113: I Drank the Kool-Aid. I Joined a Cult.','','inherit','open','open','','747-revision-29','','','2011-01-20 21:57:06','2011-01-21 04:57:06','',747,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/01/20/747-revision-29/',0,'revision','',0),(8865,1,'2011-10-27 20:14:00','2011-10-28 03:14:00','&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Soul-scintillating Highlights from My 2nd Day at World Domination Summer Camp:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>\r\n</strong></span>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Hefty doses of inspiration from another round of SuperMojo speakers: WDS Crew Improvisation Extraordinaire, <strong><a href=\"http://www.superherodesigns.com/journal/\" target=\"_blank\">Andrea Scher</a></strong> &amp; <strong><a href=\"http://jenlemen.com/blog/\" target=\"_blank\">Jen Lemen</a></strong> of <strong><a href=\"https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?cl=121586&amp;c=ib&amp;aff=175709\" target=\"_blank\">Mondo Beyondo</a></strong>, <strong><a href=\"http://www.johntunger.com/\" target=\"_blank\">John T. Unger</a></strong>, and <strong><a href=\"http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/\" target=\"_blank\">Jonathan Fields</a></strong>.</li>\r\n	<li>I was feeling camera shy, but <strong><a href=\"http://samfrancisco.me/\" target=\"_blank\">Sam</a></strong> convinced me that I needed to film my blurb in the bloody confessional.  (Sam is a Brit, and I love an excuse to throw around Brit-isms.)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_5929\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Not shy for long.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Michelle_Portland-1-2.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-5929\" title=\"Michelle_Portland-1-2\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Michelle_Portland-1-2-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>A never-ending supply of <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/11/day-251-camp-for-grown-ups/\" target=\"_blank\">Magic Kool-Aid</a></strong></li>\r\n	<li>More new friends:  <strong><a href=\"http://smallplanetstudio.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Cate</a></strong>, <strong><a href=\"http://vardy.me/\" target=\"_blank\">Mike</a></strong>, <strong><a href=\"https://twitter.com/#!/leekypeeky\" target=\"_blank\">Lisa</a></strong>, <strong><a href=\"http://tinyseedsgrow.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Helen</a></strong>, and even more!</li>\r\n	<li>I never win things, but I won a copy of Michael Bungay Stanier\'s book <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.domoregreatwork.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Do More Great Work</a></em></strong> which just so happens to be a favorite of <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/01/20/day-52-revisited-seduce-men-from-20-feet-away/\" target=\"_blank\">Brettesy\'s</a></strong>!  (Technically, I won <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.getunstuckandgetgoing.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Get Unstuck and Get Going</a></em></strong>, but I purchased that one a few years ago and asked if I could substitute.  Michael graciously humored me.)</li>\r\n	<li><strong><a href=\"http://zenhabits.net/\" target=\"_blank\">Leo</a></strong> and another Kind WDS Stranger came to my rescue and found my purse.  Long story.</li>\r\n	<li>More free food and coffee/tea at Snack Time (We established in yesterday\'s post that I am orally fixated.)</li>\r\n	<li>After party with an appearance from the VooDoo Donuts food tuck (Ditto.)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohocheese/5612368014/\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-5930\" title=\"5612368014_f902225ae6_b\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/5612368014_f902225ae6_b-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">My Eureka!/Aha!/This is so me!/I want to be just like them when I grow up! Moment:</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe Dynamic Duo behind Mondo Beyondo lit a fire in my soul!  A fire, I tell you!  Beyond soul-scintillation!  Soul EXPLOSION!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat the heck is Mondo Beyondo, you ask?  Find out for yourself <strong><a href=\"http://www.mondobeyondo.org/\" target=\"_blank\">here. </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy mom has always said that I\'m the eternal dreamer, and Mondo Beyondo is all about living your BIGGEST dreams.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYep.  Sooooooooo me.  Sigh...\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter an activity where we shared a story of a pivotal moment in our lives with another, our partner was asked to reflect the 3 values that resonated throughout our story.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMine were:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>feeling alive/awake/enthused</li>\r\n	<li>connection</li>\r\n	<li>play</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nWe were then asked to write one of the values somewhere on our body with a Sharpie.  Hey -- when in Portland, do like the natives and tattoo!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG00446-20110605-2309.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-5936\" title=\"IMG00446-20110605-2309\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG00446-20110605-2309-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nLater that evening...\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhile meeting <strong><a href=\"http://thecravecompany.com/cravingsuccess/\" target=\"_blank\">Melody</a></strong> on the shuttle back to downtown, she asked about my blog.  When I explained that I was in the midst of a 365 Days of Living Curiously project, she showed me her tattoo.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG00445-20110605-2042.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-5937\" title=\"IMG00445-20110605-2042\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG00445-20110605-2042-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat is your \"word\"?  Care to tattoo you?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Day 252:  Soul Explosion ','','inherit','open','open','','5921-revision-16','','','2011-10-27 20:14:00','2011-10-28 03:14:00','',5921,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/5921-revision-16/',0,'revision','',0),(8866,1,'2011-12-31 21:32:13','2012-01-01 04:32:13','&nbsp;\r\n\r\nfun, fun, fun, fun, FUN!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIt all started with a birthday invitation for Laney\'s soon-to-be 7 year-old\'s birthday party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/P3130199.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-4504\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/P3130199-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhen I heard that Laney was renting a bouncy castle for the event, I knew immediately that I could talk her into it.   :-D\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_4505\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Maybe if I stood still for the only photo of the bouncy castle, it would have been clearer. Sorry, peeps.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/P3120176.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-4505\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/P3120176-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_4506\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"I tried not to think of the germs lurking in this thing after 3 hours of bouncing sweaty 1st graders (and a few bloody noses.)\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/P3120177.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-4506 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/P3120177-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIt was all fun and games until someone got hurt.  Be careful with the balls in the bouncy castle, kids. You could shoot your eye out with one of those things.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/J-WL8Z4eycc\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"480\" height=\"390\"></iframe>','Day 167:  Tiggers are Not the Only One Who are Bouncy, Flouncy, Trouncy, Pouncy','','inherit','open','open','','4500-revision-15','','','2011-12-31 21:32:13','2012-01-01 04:32:13','',4500,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/31/4500-revision-15/',0,'revision','',0),(8868,1,'2011-12-31 21:34:37','2012-01-01 04:34:37','&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Soul-scintillating Highlights from My 2nd Day at World Domination Summer Camp:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>\r\n</strong></span>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Hefty doses of inspiration from another round of SuperMojo speakers: WDS Crew Improvisation Extraordinaire, <strong><a href=\"http://www.superherodesigns.com/journal/\" target=\"_blank\">Andrea Scher</a></strong> &amp; <strong><a href=\"http://jenlemen.com/blog/\" target=\"_blank\">Jen Lemen</a></strong> of <strong><a href=\"https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?cl=121586&amp;c=ib&amp;aff=175709\" target=\"_blank\">Mondo Beyondo</a></strong>, <strong><a href=\"http://www.johntunger.com/\" target=\"_blank\">John T. Unger</a></strong>, and <strong><a href=\"http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/\" target=\"_blank\">Jonathan Fields</a></strong>.</li>\r\n	<li>I was feeling camera shy, but <strong><a href=\"http://samfrancisco.me/\" target=\"_blank\">Sam</a></strong> convinced me that I needed to film my blurb in the bloody confessional.  (Sam is a Brit, and I love an excuse to throw around Brit-isms.)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_5929\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Not shy for long.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Michelle_Portland-1-2.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-5929\" title=\"Michelle_Portland-1-2\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Michelle_Portland-1-2-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>A never-ending supply of <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/11/day-251-camp-for-grown-ups/\" target=\"_blank\">Magic Kool-Aid</a></strong></li>\r\n	<li>More new friends:  <strong><a href=\"http://smallplanetstudio.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Cate</a></strong>, <strong><a href=\"http://vardy.me/\" target=\"_blank\">Mike</a></strong>, <strong><a href=\"https://twitter.com/#!/leekypeeky\" target=\"_blank\">Lisa</a></strong>, <strong><a href=\"http://tinyseedsgrow.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Helen</a></strong>, and even more!</li>\r\n	<li>I never win things, but I won a copy of Michael Bungay Stanier\'s book <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.domoregreatwork.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Do More Great Work</a></em></strong> which just so happens to be a favorite of <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/01/20/day-52-revisited-seduce-men-from-20-feet-away/\" target=\"_blank\">Brettesy\'s</a></strong>!  (Technically, I won <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.getunstuckandgetgoing.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Get Unstuck and Get Going</a></em></strong>, but I purchased that one a few years ago and asked if I could substitute.  Michael graciously humored me.)</li>\r\n	<li><strong><a href=\"http://zenhabits.net/\" target=\"_blank\">Leo</a></strong> and another Kind WDS Stranger came to my rescue and found my purse.  Long story.</li>\r\n	<li>More free food and coffee/tea at Snack Time (We established in yesterday\'s post that I am orally fixated.)</li>\r\n	<li>After party with an appearance from the VooDoo Donuts food tuck (Ditto.)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohocheese/5612368014/\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-5930\" title=\"5612368014_f902225ae6_b\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/5612368014_f902225ae6_b-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">My Eureka!/Aha!/This is so me!/I want to be just like them when I grow up! Moment:</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe Dynamic Duo behind Mondo Beyondo lit a fire in my soul!  A fire, I tell you!  Beyond soul-scintillation!  Soul EXPLOSION!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat the heck is Mondo Beyondo, you ask?  Find out for yourself <strong><a href=\"http://www.mondobeyondo.org/\" target=\"_blank\">here. </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy mom has always said that I\'m the eternal dreamer, and Mondo Beyondo is all about living your BIGGEST dreams.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYep.  Sooooooooo me.  Sigh...\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter an activity where we shared a story of a pivotal moment in our lives with another, our partner was asked to reflect the 3 values that resonated throughout our story.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMine were:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>feeling alive/awake/enthused</li>\r\n	<li>connection</li>\r\n	<li>play</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nWe were then asked to write one of the values somewhere on our body with a Sharpie.  Hey -- when in Portland, do like the natives and tattoo!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG00446-20110605-2309.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-5936\" title=\"IMG00446-20110605-2309\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG00446-20110605-2309-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nLater that evening...\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhile meeting <strong><a href=\"http://thecravecompany.com/cravingsuccess/\" target=\"_blank\">Melody</a></strong> on the shuttle back to downtown, she asked about my blog.  When I explained that I was in the midst of a 365 Days of Living Curiously project, she showed me her tattoo.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG00445-20110605-2042.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-5937\" title=\"IMG00445-20110605-2042\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG00445-20110605-2042-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat is your \"word\"?  Care to tattoo you?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Day 252:  Soul Explosion','','inherit','open','open','','5921-revision-17','','','2011-12-31 21:34:37','2012-01-01 04:34:37','',5921,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/31/5921-revision-17/',0,'revision','',0),(8869,1,'2011-10-18 11:02:43','2011-10-18 18:02:43','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/P9180115.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-7863\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/P9180115-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>I mentioned previously that I consumed a bit too much (half a bottle) of my new favorite wine on Night 358.  This wine is indeed fab, so if you ever come across it, then cin cin!  (That means \"drink half a bottle\" in Italian.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nRocket scientist that I was that day, I also chose to celebrate my \"feel the fear and do it anyway\" bike moment with a mojito at lunch.  And a nightcap later that evening.  And I think I may have tasted someone\'s homemade beer.  I don\'t even like beer.  But I\'m a gracious guest.  I would rather take a few sips than insult someone\'s pride and joy.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDid I mention that I really don\'t drink too much or too often?  I\'m that girl who always orders water.  It drives my friend, Sarah, nuts.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nCombine the day\'s sloshfest with only a few hours sleep, and you have a woman who has no business boarding a bus headed for Rome.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_7926\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"You know you&#39;re hungover when...you&#39;re at an autogrill in Italy and the only thing you can even think about stomaching is Pringles.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/P9200208.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-7926\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/P9200208-300x263.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"263\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nShame.  On.  Me.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI am an embarrassment to all Foodies across the good ol\' U.S. of A.  I misrepresented our kind, and I am truly sorry for my actions.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIt gets worse.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: medium;\"><strong>What I <em>really</em> wanted more than <em>anything</em> that day was Taco Bell.  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThat\'s right.  I would have sacrificed an entire week\'s worth of cappuccinos for two Crunchy Taco Supremes (hold the tomato, please).\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHorrific, isn\'t it?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As fate would have it, I was SOL because tacos don\'t exist in Italia.  I believe they are banned.  </strong></span>Along with any other ethnic cuisine that isn\'t Italian.  Except for Pringles.  The CEO\'s grandmother more than likely hails from Italy.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter the longest, bumpiest, and most nauseating bus ride of my life, we arrived in Roma.  Upon exiting the bus, I kissed the ground.  (Not really.  I added that for dramatic effect.  My parents, however, <em>did</em> suffer through a nightmare of a plane trip once from Cancun.  After vacating the plane, the passengers actually kissed the ground before racing to the nearest restroom.  I suppose that I should be thankful for small miracles.  It can always be worse, my friends.  It can always be worse.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy cousins and I discussed lunch.  Bill voted for McDonald\'s.  Apparently, a junk food demon possessed my body that day.  I heard myself uttering, \"I\'ll have McDonald\'s!\"  I don\'t even like McDonald\'s.  But I am a gracious cousin who supports my kin when he needs me.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Rhonda gasped.  I thought she might grab the nearest crucifix (we were a block away from the Vatican) and shout, \"Begone, vile junk food demon!!!!\"</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nInstead, she put her foot down and insisted on a trattoria, God bless her.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI scoped out the menu.  \"GRILLED CHEESE!!!!!\"  That would suffice as hangover cure.  Another small miracle.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBill carefully studied every menu item as he always does.  \"FRENCH FRIES!!!!\"  A miracle of biblical proportions!  It must have been our close proximity to the Vatican.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nTime passed.  And passed.  And passed.  Italians enjoy leisurely meals.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe waiter arrived with our lunch.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThis is what grilled cheese in Rome looks like:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_7927\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"You got it! It&#39;s a piece of cheese that is grilled.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/P9200229.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-7927\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/P9200229-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBill immediately looked around for our waiter.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThis time, it was I who gasped, \"NO!!!!\"\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI am by no means going to insult an Italian because his grilled cheese is different than my grilled cheese.  I am not going to be one of <em>those</em> Americans.  I AM A GRACIOUS GUEST!!! Even when I\'m nursing one of the worst hangovers of my life and want to cry at this point.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nInstead of crying, I turned lemons into lemonade.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_7930\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Or, if you want me to be literal, I turned a piece of cheese that is grilled and a hunk of bread into an American grilled cheese sandwich.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/P9200230.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-7930\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/P9200230-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWith a full belly, I was ready to conquer the Ancient World!  I had only the rest of the afternoon.  (I would leave for the airport at 3 a.m. the next morning!)  Rome wasn\'t built in a day, and I had only 1/2 a day to explore.  Not ideal, but neither is a lack of a Taco Bell nor a piece of cheese that is grilled slapped on top of a slice of bread.  When in Rome, you make do.  It\'s Roma!!!  It\'s magnificent!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWe descended upon Ancient Rome, and I stood transfixed.  I started to cry.  Not from my throbbing head and iffy stomach, but from a sense of awe that I had never experienced.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI am from a baby country.  Since I had never been outside of North America, I had never witnessed anything of such historical depth.  Sure, I had just seen medieval villages all over Tuscany, but those remains were <em>new</em> compared to these!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIf you\'ve never been you <em>must</em> go.  Please leave more than 1/2 a day.  In the meantime, you can cyber-visit through my photo portal.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/P9200250.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-7933\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/P9200250-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/P9200254.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-7934\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/P9200254-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/P9200302.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-7938\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/P9200302-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/P9200307.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-7939\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/P9200307-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/P9200322.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-7940\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/P9200322-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/P9200319.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-7941\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/P9200319-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/P9200269.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-7935\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/P9200269-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/P9200333.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-7937\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/P9200333-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYou\'re probably wondering about the final photo.  Remember when I mentioned in Day 358\'s post that Italians graffiti <em>everything,</em> and I do mean <em>everything</em>?  I learned in the coliseum that Italians have been graffiti-ing since the beginning of time.  Yes, there\'s <em>ancient</em> graffiti depicting gladiators in the coliseum!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe graffiti above is modern day <span style=\"color: #000000;\">Texas A &amp; M</span> graffiti.  Not in Texas, but in Rome.  IN THE COLISEUM!!!  Where my cousin just so happened to be wearing his Texas A &amp; M shirt.  Oh, the oddities and surprises of life!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nA couple days of sightseeing packed into 1/2 a day made us hungry.  Italians eat all the time, so why shouldn\'t we?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWe stopped at a bar (translation:  sidewalk cafe in the States) for a light supper.  Bill and I decided to order french fries for a SECOND time that day at dinner, much to Rhonda\'s horror.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/P9200334.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-7942\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/P9200334-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThere was no ketchup to be found.  Italians eat their french fries with mayo.  When in Rome, do as the Romans do.  Since we are gracious guests, we ate our french fries with mayo, too.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Day 359:  When In Rome...Eat French Fries with Mayo! ','','inherit','open','open','','7878-revision-27','','','2011-10-18 11:02:43','2011-10-18 18:02:43','',7878,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/18/7878-revision-27/',0,'revision','',0),(8870,1,'2011-12-30 13:42:56','2011-12-30 20:42:56','&nbsp;\r\n<h4></h4>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000; font-size: large;\">365 or Bust!</span></h4>\r\nHerein lies the story of the year in which I had an <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis and took on an insane 365 day blog project.  You can locate all 365 days, spanning from September 2010 - October 2011 under the \"Archived Adventures\" section on the righthand side of the blog.\r\n<h4></h4>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4></h4>\r\nYou might also get a kick out of the<strong> <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\">Top 10 Most Curious</a></strong> and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/lessons-learned-from-my-year-of-living-curiously/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Lessons Learned from The Year of Living Curiously.</strong> </a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n********************\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4></h4>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Welcome to my existential crisis.</span></h4>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Recently, I fell into the mother of all ruts.  In an attempt to hoist myself out of this Funk, I am on a mission (and I do choose to accept it) to try one new/inspiring/interesting/uplifting/provocative/\r\n</span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">or curiosity-injected thing each day for 365 days.  I will then blah, blah, blog about my experiences.  </span></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Some might call this insanity.  </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I call it salvation.  </span></p>\r\n\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>\"Do one thing every day that scares you.\"</strong></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>  <span style=\"color: #993300;\">                                                    --- Eleanor Roosevelt</span></strong></span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I would love to, Ms. Roosevelt, but with all due respect, I don\'t necessarily want to be scared every day.  That sounds to me like high blood pressure waiting to happen.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">But I really dig your point, Eleanor.  Instead, may I take a healthy dose of artistic license and change this to...</span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>\"Do one thing every day that scintillates your soul.\"</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                                                                           -- Late Bloomer</strong></span></blockquote>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span></h4>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\">What Brought on \'Da Funk </span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Last year I celebrated my 40th birthday and promptly freaked out like every other American woman who turns 40.  How very cliché of me.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Mid-life crises lead people to crazy and outrageous acts such as buying an expensive sports car, cheating on a significant other, or packing up one\'s life to run away across the country.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I started a blog.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Granted, this was neither particularly outrageous nor crazy, but nevertheless indicative of the 40 year-old undercurrent bubbling, \"What is next?\" and \"Where has all the time gone?\" and \"I need some sort of change or I will surely go insane!\"</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I turned 40, and I suddenly felt like the hourglass of time was half empty.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Of course, when I flipped both the hourglass and my perspective upside down, I noticed that the hourglass was half full.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">This reminded me of the quintessential Late Bloomer.  Late Bloomers don\'t acknowledge societal timelines in life.  They bloom whenever the hell they\'re good and ready.  They focus on the sand in the hour glass, not the empty space.  </span>\r\n\r\nI can live with that.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I have always sensed that the Late Bloomer seed was planted in my childhood and has been sprouting ever since.  This seemed like a natural focus for my blog:  musings and ramblings of a Late Bloomer.  You can see my embarrassingly green (literally and figuratively) first attempt at a blog at <a href=\"http://www.latebloomerdiary.blogspot.com\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>www.latebloomerdiary.blogspot.com</strong></a><strong>.</strong>  </span>\r\n\r\nAnd then...\r\n\r\nLife got in the way.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Big time. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I will spare you the details, but to give you an idea, \"Life Got in the Way\" involved: Internet Dating Hell, swine flu (yes, I survived), run of the mill job stress, horrific insomnia, an unrequited mongo crush, and a very sick little doggie. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Life Got in the Way evolved into Life is Downright Cruel when after doing everything in my power to help Woofie, my constant companion of nearly 14 years, I finally had to say goodbye.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Every animal lover knows how saying goodbye shatters your heart and soul.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">And so I plummeted into a Funk.  Life seemed like one buzz kill after another.  The Late Bloomer seed may have still been in there somewhere, but my petals wilted.  Needless to say, my blog withered away as well.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I felt disappointed, disenchanted, and in general, dissed by life.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I hate to say it, but I even started to flip out about my upcoming 41st birthday.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Side note:  Why do we women torment ourselves with this aging crap???  Oh, yeah -- the media and its obsession with Hollywood.  I also happen to live in a city of Mr. &amp; Ms. Skin Deeps.  But I digress.  Back to \'Da Funk...</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Funk pushed me into the abyss of the aforementioned mother of all ruts.   I was on auto-pilot cruising at same old, same old altitude.  </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span>\r\n<blockquote><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"If you are tired of the same old, same old, then try something different new, different new.\"</span></strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>            -- Late Bloomer</strong> </span></blockquote>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span></span></h4>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Funk Begone! </span> </span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Shortly after life dissed me, it threw me a few bones, as it always does.  Sometimes you have to go digging through the dirt for the bones, but they are there if you are willing to get your hands dirty.  </span>\r\n\r\nPathetic as it sounds, I somehow rediscovered  <a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl005muyttQ\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>\"Dark Road\" by Annie Lennox</strong></a> and listened to it over and over and over again.  It became my personal anthem.\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>\"I wanna come in from the cold\r\nAnd make myself renewed again.\"</strong></span><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                                            -- Annie Lennox, Rock Goddess </strong></span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Then one night -- on facebook of all places -- I came across an old Fast Company article that a friend had posted.  The article highlighted a few Late Bloomers with an \"it\'s never too late\" attitude.  Powerful reminder.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Who knows how these things happen upon us, but at that very moment, I was compelled to watch <a href=\"http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Elizabeth Gilbert\'s TED talk</strong></a>.  I had only been meaning to view this since she mentioned it...oh...6 months prior at her book signing.   (I tend to be a bit of a procrastinator.)</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Liz uttered the magic words: </span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"Check it out.  I am pretty young.  I\'m <em>only </em>about 40 years-old.  I still have maybe another 4 decades of work left in me. \"</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">                                                           -- Elizabeth Gilbert, author </span></strong></span></blockquote>\r\nWow.  Well...when you put it <em>that</em> way, Liz.  Thank you.  You are officially my idol.\r\n\r\nIn fact, I was so jazzed by Liz\'s Late Bloomer mojo that I ran to my kitchen and furiously began jotting notes on a new blog project.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">When Liz found herself in crisis, she heeded her inner voice, ran away and traveled the world.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">While I certainly have entertained the escape fantasy, my inner voice tells me that I can create my own little adventure right here, right now.  </span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"Carpe diem and all that jazz. \"</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                          -- Horace and Late Bloomer</strong> </span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">How many times do we say \"carpe diem\" and then actually seize the day?  We say it wholeheartedly, but do we truly <em>live </em>it?    </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Curiosity Revived this Kat</span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">So here I am ready to live curiously for 365 days.   My goal is to \"Carpe Diem\".  For real.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">It\'s time to get out of my head and into life.  (I am an <a href=\"http://www.personalitypage.com/INFJ.html\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>INFJ</strong></a><strong>,</strong> so this in itself is a challenge.)</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ultimately, I hope that this blog inspires women (and my 3 token male readers) to break out of their own ruts and Funks.  Just say \"no\" to \'da Funk!   Instead, let\'s get funky in a good way.  Let\'s inject a little curiosity into our lives and get on with it! </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I would love for you to join me in my quest.  <a href=\"http://feeds.feedburner.com/latebloomerdiary\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Subscribe to my (almost) daily updates through email or RSS</strong></a> .  (If you don\'t know what RSS is, just click the email option.  I didn\'t know what it was either a year ago.  It\'s o.k.)  You can also follow me on <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/pages/Diary-of-a-Late-Bloomer/155985501079157?ref=sgm\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Facebook </strong></a>or <a href=\"https://twitter.com/latebloomer365\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Twitter</strong></a><strong>.</strong>  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Go ahead and make my day by <a href=\"http://diaryofalatebloomer.com/submit-a-365-idea/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>submitting your own 365 idea for me to try</strong></a><strong>.</strong>  I may just take you up on your offer.  Wouldn\'t that be uber-cool?  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Better still -- maybe we could try these ideas together and create an entire tribe that exudes Late Bloomer Mojo.  </span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"If variety is the spice of life, then this year is going to be <a href=\"http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_muy_caliente_mean\" target=\"_blank\">muy caliente</a>!\"</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                                                                                                        -- Late Bloomer</strong> </span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Are you ready to get spicy with me?  I look forward to spending the year with you.  </span>','Chapter One:  The Year of Living Curiously ','','inherit','open','open','','103-revision-44','','','2011-12-30 13:42:56','2011-12-30 20:42:56','',103,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/103-revision-44/',0,'revision','',0),(8871,1,'2012-01-01 09:19:59','2012-01-01 16:19:59','&nbsp;\r\n<h4></h4>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000; font-size: large;\">365 or Bust!</span></h4>\r\nHerein lies the story of the year in which I had an <del>mid-life</del> existential crisis and took on an insane 365 day blog project.  You can locate all 365 days, spanning from September 2010 - October 2011 under the \"Archived Adventures\" section on the righthand side of the blog.\r\n<h4></h4>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h4></h4>\r\nYou might also get a kick out of the<strong> <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/27/extra-credit-day-366-top-10-most-curious/\" target=\"_blank\">Top 10 Most Curious</a></strong> and <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/30/lessons-learned-from-my-year-of-living-curiously/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Lessons Learned from The Year of Living Curiously.</strong> </a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n********************\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSeptember 15, 2010\r\n<h4></h4>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Welcome to my existential crisis.</span></h4>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Recently, I fell into the mother of all ruts.  In an attempt to hoist myself out of this Funk, I am on a mission (and I do choose to accept it) to try one new/inspiring/interesting/uplifting/provocative/\r\n</span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">or curiosity-injected thing each day for 365 days.  I will then blah, blah, blog about my experiences.  </span></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Some might call this insanity.  </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I call it salvation.  </span></p>\r\n\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>\"Do one thing every day that scares you.\"</strong></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>  <span style=\"color: #993300;\">                                                    --- Eleanor Roosevelt</span></strong></span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I would love to, Ms. Roosevelt, but with all due respect, I don\'t necessarily want to be scared every day.  That sounds to me like high blood pressure waiting to happen.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">But I really dig your point, Eleanor.  Instead, may I take a healthy dose of artistic license and change this to...</span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>\"Do one thing every day that scintillates your soul.\"</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                                                                           -- Late Bloomer</strong></span></blockquote>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span></h4>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\">What Brought on \'Da Funk </span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Last year I celebrated my 40th birthday and promptly freaked out like every other American woman who turns 40.  How very cliché of me.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Mid-life crises lead people to crazy and outrageous acts such as buying an expensive sports car, cheating on a significant other, or packing up one\'s life to run away across the country.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I started a blog.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Granted, this was neither particularly outrageous nor crazy, but nevertheless indicative of the 40 year-old undercurrent bubbling, \"What is next?\" and \"Where has all the time gone?\" and \"I need some sort of change or I will surely go insane!\"</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I turned 40, and I suddenly felt like the hourglass of time was half empty.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Of course, when I flipped both the hourglass and my perspective upside down, I noticed that the hourglass was half full.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">This reminded me of the quintessential Late Bloomer.  Late Bloomers don\'t acknowledge societal timelines in life.  They bloom whenever the hell they\'re good and ready.  They focus on the sand in the hour glass, not the empty space.  </span>\r\n\r\nI can live with that.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I have always sensed that the Late Bloomer seed was planted in my childhood and has been sprouting ever since.  This seemed like a natural focus for my blog:  musings and ramblings of a Late Bloomer.  You can see my embarrassingly green (literally and figuratively) first attempt at a blog at <a href=\"http://www.latebloomerdiary.blogspot.com\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>www.latebloomerdiary.blogspot.com</strong></a><strong>.</strong>  </span>\r\n\r\nAnd then...\r\n\r\nLife got in the way.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Big time. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I will spare you the details, but to give you an idea, \"Life Got in the Way\" involved: Internet Dating Hell, swine flu (yes, I survived), run of the mill job stress, horrific insomnia, an unrequited mongo crush, and a very sick little doggie. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Life Got in the Way evolved into Life is Downright Cruel when after doing everything in my power to help Woofie, my constant companion of nearly 14 years, I finally had to say goodbye.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Every animal lover knows how saying goodbye shatters your heart and soul.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">And so I plummeted into a Funk.  Life seemed like one buzz kill after another.  The Late Bloomer seed may have still been in there somewhere, but my petals wilted.  Needless to say, my blog withered away as well.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I felt disappointed, disenchanted, and in general, dissed by life.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I hate to say it, but I even started to flip out about my upcoming 41st birthday.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Side note:  Why do we women torment ourselves with this aging crap???  Oh, yeah -- the media and its obsession with Hollywood.  I also happen to live in a city of Mr. &amp; Ms. Skin Deeps.  But I digress.  Back to \'Da Funk...</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Funk pushed me into the abyss of the aforementioned mother of all ruts.   I was on auto-pilot cruising at same old, same old altitude.  </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span>\r\n<blockquote><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"If you are tired of the same old, same old, then try something different new, different new.\"</span></strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>            -- Late Bloomer</strong> </span></blockquote>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"> </span></span></h4>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Funk Begone! </span> </span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Shortly after life dissed me, it threw me a few bones, as it always does.  Sometimes you have to go digging through the dirt for the bones, but they are there if you are willing to get your hands dirty.  </span>\r\n\r\nPathetic as it sounds, I somehow rediscovered  <a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl005muyttQ\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>\"Dark Road\" by Annie Lennox</strong></a> and listened to it over and over and over again.  It became my personal anthem.\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>\"I wanna come in from the cold\r\nAnd make myself renewed again.\"</strong></span><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                                            -- Annie Lennox, Rock Goddess </strong></span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Then one night -- on facebook of all places -- I came across an old Fast Company article that a friend had posted.  The article highlighted a few Late Bloomers with an \"it\'s never too late\" attitude.  Powerful reminder.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Who knows how these things happen upon us, but at that very moment, I was compelled to watch <a href=\"http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Elizabeth Gilbert\'s TED talk</strong></a>.  I had only been meaning to view this since she mentioned it...oh...6 months prior at her book signing.   (I tend to be a bit of a procrastinator.)</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Liz uttered the magic words: </span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"Check it out.  I am pretty young.  I\'m <em>only </em>about 40 years-old.  I still have maybe another 4 decades of work left in me. \"</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">                                                           -- Elizabeth Gilbert, author </span></strong></span></blockquote>\r\nWow.  Well...when you put it <em>that</em> way, Liz.  Thank you.  You are officially my idol.\r\n\r\nIn fact, I was so jazzed by Liz\'s Late Bloomer mojo that I ran to my kitchen and furiously began jotting notes on a new blog project.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">When Liz found herself in crisis, she heeded her inner voice, ran away and traveled the world.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">While I certainly have entertained the escape fantasy, my inner voice tells me that I can create my own little adventure right here, right now.  </span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"Carpe diem and all that jazz. \"</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                          -- Horace and Late Bloomer</strong> </span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">How many times do we say \"carpe diem\" and then actually seize the day?  We say it wholeheartedly, but do we truly <em>live </em>it?    </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> </span>\r\n<h4><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Curiosity Revived this Kat</span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">So here I am ready to live curiously for 365 days.   My goal is to \"Carpe Diem\".  For real.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">It\'s time to get out of my head and into life.  (I am an <a href=\"http://www.personalitypage.com/INFJ.html\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>INFJ</strong></a><strong>,</strong> so this in itself is a challenge.)</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ultimately, I hope that this blog inspires women (and my 3 token male readers) to break out of their own ruts and Funks.  Just say \"no\" to \'da Funk!   Instead, let\'s get funky in a good way.  Let\'s inject a little curiosity into our lives and get on with it! </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I would love for you to join me in my quest.  <a href=\"http://feeds.feedburner.com/latebloomerdiary\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Subscribe to my (almost) daily updates through email or RSS</strong></a> .  (If you don\'t know what RSS is, just click the email option.  I didn\'t know what it was either a year ago.  It\'s o.k.)  You can also follow me on <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/pages/Diary-of-a-Late-Bloomer/155985501079157?ref=sgm\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Facebook </strong></a>or <a href=\"https://twitter.com/latebloomer365\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Twitter</strong></a><strong>.</strong>  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Go ahead and make my day by <a href=\"http://diaryofalatebloomer.com/submit-a-365-idea/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>submitting your own 365 idea for me to try</strong></a><strong>.</strong>  I may just take you up on your offer.  Wouldn\'t that be uber-cool?  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Better still -- maybe we could try these ideas together and create an entire tribe that exudes Late Bloomer Mojo.  </span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\"If variety is the spice of life, then this year is going to be <a href=\"http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_muy_caliente_mean\" target=\"_blank\">muy caliente</a>!\"</span></strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>                                                                                                        -- Late Bloomer</strong> </span></blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Are you ready to get spicy with me?  I look forward to spending the year with you.  </span>','Chapter One:  The Year of Living Curiously ','','inherit','open','open','','103-revision-45','','','2012-01-01 09:19:59','2012-01-01 16:19:59','',103,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/01/103-revision-45/',0,'revision','',0),(8872,1,'2011-12-31 21:21:51','2012-01-01 04:21:51','[contact-form 1 \"Contact form 1\"]','Share your playdate idea!','','inherit','open','open','','108-revision-12','','','2011-12-31 21:21:51','2012-01-01 04:21:51','',108,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/31/108-revision-12/',0,'revision','',0),(8873,1,'2012-01-01 09:52:55','2012-01-01 16:52:55','<script type=\"text/javascript\">var host = ((\"https:\" == document.location.protocol) ? \"https://secure.\" : \"http://\");document.write(unescape(\"%3Cscript src=\'\" + host + \"wufoo.com/scripts/embed/form.js\' type=\'text/javascript\'%3E%3C/script%3E\"));</script>\r\n\r\n<script type=\"text/javascript\">\r\nvar m7x3s5 = new WufooForm();\r\nm7x3s5.initialize({\r\n\'userName\':\'diaryofalatebloomer\', \r\n\'formHash\':\'m7x3s5\', \r\n\'autoResize\':true,\r\n\'height\':\'546\',\r\n\'header\':\'show\'});\r\nm7x3s5.display();\r\n</script>','Share your playdate idea!','','inherit','open','open','','108-revision-13','','','2012-01-01 09:52:55','2012-01-01 16:52:55','',108,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/01/108-revision-13/',0,'revision','',0),(8874,1,'2011-12-31 20:43:52','2012-01-01 03:43:52','<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/duncan/79106711/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8818\" title=\"79106711_013cfbee7b\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/79106711_013cfbee7b-300x212.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"212\" /></a>All good things must come to an end, and <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">Chapter One: The Year of Living Curiously </a></strong>is finished.  365 curiosities lived, and 365 blog posts (+ extra credit bonus features) are completed.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe good thing going forward is that I can now blog like a normal person.  1 - 2 posts <em>a week</em> (compared to last year\'s 1 post <em>a day</em>) feels like Blogger Heaven.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s \"The Plan\" for The Year of Play:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n1 playdate a week.  That\'s 52 playdates a year.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat comprises a \"playdate\"?  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/01/21/day-113-i-joined-a-cult-please-dont-tell-my-mother/\" target=\"_blank\">Now that I\'m drinking the Magic Kool-Aid,</a></strong> I\'m just going to do what Apple tells me.  *  (See bottom of page.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI should probably set some sort of publishing \"schedule\" for blog posts.  I like the idea of Tuesdays and/or Thursdays.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd because I\'m one of those over-achiever types, expect bonus play throughout the year.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Why \"Play\"?  Isn\'t that for kids?  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHeck, no.  Play is the fountain of youth, my friends.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI used to play for a living.  For 16 years, I was an early childhood educator sharing the wonder of the performing and visual arts with young children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd I wasn\'t one of those sit-on-the-sidelines types of teachers.  I threw myself into the middle of the kiddie mosh pit and sang and danced and acted my heart out right along with those kiddos.  For art projects, I donned a smock, rolled up my sleeves, and got gooey.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy students\' parents used to marvel at my energy level.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"How do you do it?\" they would ask.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"Daily double shots of espresso,\" I would joke.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe real reason?  I was very in touch with my inner child.  Play keeps your body, mind, and spirit supple and energized.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>I used to play for a living.  Now I play for a blog.  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI \"retired\" from teaching in 2008.  As a result, my inner child stopped getting as much exercise as she used to.  I realized this when Mondo Beyondo forced my soul to explode at The World Domination Summit.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIt\'s not as gruesome or weird as it sounds.  You really should read more about it<strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\"> here. </a> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd if you don\'t feel like clicking over <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>, </strong>allow me to summarize:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe dynamic duo of Andrea Scher and Jen Lemen, founders of <strong><a href=\"https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?cl=121586&amp;c=ib&amp;aff=175709\" target=\"_blank\">Mondo Beyondo</a></strong>, led an audience of bloggers, entrepreneurs, and other creative peeps through an inspirational activity.  After pairing up with a fellow audience member, we were asked to share a pivotal moment in our lives with our partner.  Our partner then recited the 3 values that they felt were most significant in our story.  We were then asked to tattoo the value that resonated most somewhere on our body with a Sharpie.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<div><dl id=\"attachment_5936\"><dt><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/img00446-20110605-2309/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5936\"><img title=\"IMG00446-20110605-2309\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG00446-20110605-2309-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></dt><dd>Tattoo of Great Significance</dd></dl></div>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe tattoo makes perfect sense to me.  In my past life career, I <em>play</em>ed for my supper.  When I wasn\'t consumed by a 365 day blog project, I used to sing and<em> play</em> guitar.  As a college theatre major, I performed in many <em>play</em>s.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNow that I spend my days in the Cubicle Jungle, I don\'t play as much.  (Although I do telecommute two days a week.  I have it good with Noble Publishing Superpower.  Trust me.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe point is . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>I don\'t play as much as I used to, and my inner child is about to throw a tantrum.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThat\'s all about to change, starting NOW!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n********************\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSource:  The thesaurus on my MacBook Pro\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n* play\r\n\r\nverb\r\n\r\n1 <em>Aidan and Robert were playing with their toys:</em> amuse oneself, entertain oneself, enjoy oneself, have fun; relax, occupy oneself, divert oneself; frolic, frisk, romp, caper; informal mess around.\r\n\r\n2<em> I used to play hockey: </em>take part in, participate in, be involved in, compete in, do.\r\n\r\n3 <em>St. Joseph\'s plays Boston on Sunday: </em>compete against, take on, challenge, vie with, face, go up against.\r\n\r\n4 <em>he was to play Macbeth: </em>act (the part of), take the role of, appear as, portray, depict, impersonate, represent, render, perform, enact; formal personate.\r\n\r\n5 <em>get your guitar and let\'s play:</em> perform, make music, jam.\r\n\r\n6 <em>Bryanna played a note on the flute:</em> make, produce, reproduce; blow, toot; plunk, bang out; sound.\r\n\r\n7 <em>the sunlight played on the water:</em> dance, flit, ripple, touch; sparkle, glint.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Ohhhhhh, my, my, my.  I relish the thought of frolicking, romping, sparkling, and flitting.  This is going to be a fun year!</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Chapter Two:   The Year of Play','','inherit','open','open','','8806-revision-21','','','2011-12-31 20:43:52','2012-01-01 03:43:52','',8806,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/31/8806-revision-21/',0,'revision','',0),(8875,1,'2012-01-01 10:03:29','2012-01-01 17:03:29','<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/duncan/79106711/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8818\" title=\"79106711_013cfbee7b\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/79106711_013cfbee7b-300x212.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"212\" /></a>All good things must come to an end, and <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\">Chapter One: The Year of Living Curiously </a></strong>is finished.  365 curiosities lived, and 365 blog posts (+ extra credit bonus features) are completed.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe good thing going forward is that I can now blog like a normal person.  1 - 2 posts <em>a week</em> (compared to last year\'s 1 post <em>a day</em>) feels like Blogger Heaven.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s \"The Plan\" for The Year of Play:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n1 playdate a week.  That\'s 52 playdates a year.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat comprises a \"playdate\"?  <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/01/21/day-113-i-joined-a-cult-please-dont-tell-my-mother/\" target=\"_blank\">Now that I\'m drinking the Magic Kool-Aid,</a></strong> I\'m just going to do what Apple tells me.  *  (See bottom of page.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI should probably set some sort of publishing \"schedule\" for blog posts.  I like the idea of Tuesdays and/or Thursdays.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd because I\'m one of those over-achiever types, expect bonus play throughout the year.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Why \"Play\"?  Isn\'t that for kids?  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHeck, no.  Play is the fountain of youth, my friends.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI used to play for a living.  For 16 years, I was an early childhood educator sharing the wonder of the performing and visual arts with young children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd I wasn\'t one of those sit-on-the-sidelines types of teachers.  I threw myself into the middle of the kiddie mosh pit and sang and danced and acted my heart out right along with those kiddos.  For art projects, I donned a smock, rolled up my sleeves, and got gooey.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy students\' parents used to marvel at my energy level.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"How do you do it?\" they would ask.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"Daily double shots of espresso,\" I would joke.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe real reason?  I was very in touch with my inner child.  Play keeps your body, mind, and spirit supple and energized.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>I used to play for a living.  Now I play for a blog.  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI \"retired\" from teaching in 2008.  As a result, my inner child stopped getting as much exercise as she used to.  I realized this when Mondo Beyondo forced my soul to explode at The World Domination Summit.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIt\'s not as gruesome or weird as it sounds.  You really should read more about it<strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\"> here. </a> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd if you don\'t feel like clicking over <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>, </strong>allow me to summarize:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe dynamic duo of Andrea Scher and Jen Lemen, founders of <strong><a href=\"https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?cl=121586&amp;c=ib&amp;aff=175709\" target=\"_blank\">Mondo Beyondo</a></strong>, led an audience of bloggers, entrepreneurs, and other creative peeps through an inspirational activity.  After pairing up with a fellow audience member, we were asked to share a pivotal moment in our lives with our partner.  Our partner then recited the 3 values that they felt were most significant in our story.  We were then asked to tattoo the value that resonated most somewhere on our body with a Sharpie.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<div><dl id=\"attachment_5936\"><dt><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/12/day-252-soul-explosion/img00446-20110605-2309/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5936\"><img title=\"IMG00446-20110605-2309\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG00446-20110605-2309-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a></dt><dd>Tattoo of Great Significance</dd></dl></div>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe tattoo makes perfect sense to me.  In my past life career, I <em>play</em>ed for my supper.  When I wasn\'t consumed by a 365 day blog project, I used to sing and<em> play</em> guitar.  As a college theatre major, I performed in many <em>play</em>s.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNow that I spend my days in the Cubicle Jungle, I don\'t play as much.  (Although I do telecommute two days a week.  I have it good with Noble Publishing Superpower.  Trust me.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe point is . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>I don\'t play as much as I used to, and my inner child is about to throw a tantrum.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThat\'s all about to change, starting NOW!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n********************\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSource:  The thesaurus on my MacBook Pro\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n* play\r\n\r\nverb\r\n\r\n1 <em>Aidan and Robert were playing with their toys:</em> amuse oneself, entertain oneself, enjoy oneself, have fun; relax, occupy oneself, divert oneself; frolic, frisk, romp, caper; informal mess around.\r\n\r\n2<em> I used to play hockey: </em>take part in, participate in, be involved in, compete in, do.\r\n\r\n3 <em>St. Joseph\'s plays Boston on Sunday: </em>compete against, take on, challenge, vie with, face, go up against.\r\n\r\n4 <em>he was to play Macbeth: </em>act (the part of), take the role of, appear as, portray, depict, impersonate, represent, render, perform, enact; formal personate.\r\n\r\n5 <em>get your guitar and let\'s play:</em> perform, make music, jam.\r\n\r\n6 <em>Bryanna played a note on the flute:</em> make, produce, reproduce; blow, toot; plunk, bang out; sound.\r\n\r\n7 <em>the sunlight played on the water:</em> dance, flit, ripple, touch; sparkle, glint.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Ohhhhhh, my, my, my.  I relish the thought of frolicking, romping, sparkling, and flitting.  This is going to be a fun year!</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Chapter Two:   The Year of Play','','inherit','open','open','','8806-revision-22','','','2012-01-01 10:03:29','2012-01-01 17:03:29','',8806,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/01/8806-revision-22/',0,'revision','',0),(8877,1,'2011-12-23 11:41:09','2011-12-23 18:41:09','<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/mind_the_goat/310538617/sizes/o/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8535\" title=\"310538617_7eba0dc35b\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/310538617_7eba0dc35b-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>A couple of months ago, I announced that I was forming a book club.  Or more specifically, a Wishing Club.  (You can read more about it <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany girls at work enthusiastically agreed to read the book, <em>The Wishing Year</em>, as well as form a Wishing Club in which we would share our wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy plan was to discuss the book and wishes for 2012 over a Holiday Tea at a lovely and charming Tea House.  Somehow, this \"Tea House\" evolved into \"Michelle\'s House\".\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #ff0000; font-size: medium;\"><strong>Let me just say that I am not an entertainer.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOkay, I take that back.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEntertainer on the stage?  Yes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEntertainer in a blog?  Yes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEntertaining people in my humble home?  No.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhen it comes to gatherings, I prefer to be one of the entertained.  I enjoy relaxing at gatherings, not running around like a harried, hot mess.  Silly me.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEntertaining comes naturally to some people.  My friend, Sarah, for example.  She entertains effortlessly.  She appears to relish Hostessing with the Mostessing.  And I always delight in being a guest at one of her domestic goddess productions.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSo when my idea of \"Tea House\" was <strong><a href=\"http://www.thephoenician.com/dining/lounges-casual-dining/lounges-casual-dining\" target=\"_blank\">Lobby Tea Court at The Phoenician</a></strong> and the girls\' idea of \"Tea House\" was Chez Michelle, I instantly panicked.  Not only am I a Late Bloomer of an entertainer, I also don\'t decorate for Christmas.  And shouldn\'t a Holiday Tea boast a few decorations?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #008000; font-size: medium;\"><strong>No, I am not a Scrooge.  I am single.</strong>  </span>And putting up (by myself!) an 8 foot artificial tree dating back from my previous life as a smug married does not sound like fun to me.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd why go through the hassle when I will eventually arrive in H-Town and soak up every square inch of parental unit Christmas decorating.  We\'re talking a couple of trees, countless candles that could fill a Hallmark store, a heavenly host of angels, a Nativity scene, a singing and dancing Santa, an award-winning outside light display, and probably a lot more that I am forgetting but will be reminded of in less than 24 hours.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThis strategy has always worked for me.  I always delight in securing a backstage pass to the Parental Unit\'s Christmas Spectacular!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nUntil this year.  When suddenly I found myself directing a Holiday Tea.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHumbug.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #ff0000;\"><strong>And then I realized something pivotal:  Even though my 365 Days of Living Curiously project was technically over, shouldn\'t I still be Carpe Diem-ing regardless?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHumb...\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYes.  I suppose so.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI told myself that I would think myself into the Christmas Spirit!  I envisioned a manageable live tree (a first for me!) with a tasteful motif (another first!) and a few other simple decorations of holiday cheer.  I could almost smell the fresh pine scent.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI pictured myself floating around my house as Hostess with the Mostess.  I would bake scones from scratch!  I would serve them with Devonshire cream and strawberry preserves!  I would offer a wide variety of teas!  I would ask all book club/Wishing Club members to bring a dish!  (I may be a dreamer, but I\'m also a realist.  It was going to take a village to host a Holiday Tea at a non-entertainer\'s home.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Act One:  The Decorating</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs I mentioned, I\'ve never put up a live tree at Christmas, although I\'ve always dreamed of \"someday\".  Live trees somehow seem more \"Christmasy\" to me.  And this was the year of turning \"someday\" into \"today\".\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8503\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"My First Live Tree Expedition\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/photo/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8503\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8503  \" title=\"photo\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/photo-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI had never strung lights before.  I kid you not.  That job was always performed by either Dad or a significant other.  This year, it was tackled by yours truly.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI found a strand of 150 white lights in the closet.  They looked like something from one of my Christmases Past.  I found a date on a tag:  1995.  Yep.  Waaayyyyy past.  But Christmas is a season of miracles, and those puppies lit up like...well...a Christmas Tree!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/olympus-digital-camera-671/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8504\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8504 alignnone\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/PC060005-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/olympus-digital-camera-672/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8505\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8505\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/PC060003-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNext step:  ornaments in a tasteful motif.  In Christmases past, I crept down memory lane with childhood ornaments, ornaments from my former students, yada, yada, yada.  Yes, it\'s awfully sweet and sentimental, but this year I craved style over substance.  Is that wrong?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI Googled \"Christmas tree decorating ideas\" and found this:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/christmas-tree-decorations2/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8510\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8510 alignnone\" title=\"christmas-tree-decorations2\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/christmas-tree-decorations2-177x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"177\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI consulted those with decorating prowess (Dina <em>dah</em>ling and my mother) as to where I could find baubles such as these at a reasonable price.  They agreed with my \"hunch\":  <strong><a href=\"http://target.com\" target=\"_blank\">Tar-zhay.</a></strong>  Hurrah!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI popped in during my lunch hour with the above photo on my Crackberry.  I swept up and down the Christmas aisles holding my phone up to various boxes of ornaments.  I\'m sure people thought I was strange, but when you\'re a former theatre major, you\'re used to acting weird in front of people.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter approximately 30 minutes of this phone to ornament box \"method\" (I don\'t do well with too many choices), I realized that my lunch hour was quickly dwindling.  I settled on a box of 40 small ball ornaments for $6 and 20 sparkly star ornaments for $5.  Tar-zhay, I don\'t know how you do it, but MERRY CHRISTMAS!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8521\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Did I come remotely close to my target? (Pun intended.)\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/olympus-digital-camera-673/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8521\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8521  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/PC100023-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nObviously, I\'m not giving up my day job for a career in interior design, but I think I did fairly well for a clueless decorator.  (That fab faux fur skirt is also from Tar-zhay.  The family heirloom disintegrated upon removal from the storage box.  Sorry, Mom.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nExcited over my live tree and it\'s fresh pine scent, I opted to leave all Christmas chachkes in the closet and focus on decorating with more greenery.  MERRY CHRISTMAS, Trader Joe\'s!  (Members of the TJ cult are jumping up and down at their computers right about now.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8524\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Poinsettia: $2.99 Rosemary Tree: $8.99. Rosemary scent and Holiday Cheer: Priceless\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/olympus-digital-camera-674/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8524\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8524 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/PC100020-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd that\'s not all.  Because <strong><a href=\"http://www.traderjoes.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Trader Joe\'s </a></strong>has Holiday Cheer bursting out of those giant boxes outside of the store . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8525\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"My First Ever Live Wreath. Inhale...Ahhhh. (I&#39;ll never go back to artificial again.)\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/olympus-digital-camera-675/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8525\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8525\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/PC100019-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n. . . . And at the checkout for those Impulse Holiday Shoppers.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8528\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Christmas Magic for $3.99. The Trader Joe&#39;s Cinnamon Broom.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/olympus-digital-camera-676/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8528\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8528  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/PC220002-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOprah, are you still making your Favorite Things List, and if so, is the TJ\'s Cinnamon Broom at the top?  It\'s magic powers will send aromas of cinnamon throughout your entire house!  (O.k., not <em>your</em> house, Oprah, but certainly throughout my comfy condo.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThat\'s it, Ladies and Few Token Gents!  A few Gold Canyon Christmas candles that smell like Mrs. Claus\'s kitchen, and I was set for my dream of simplified, smell-good decorating!  Good thing this isn\'t a design blog, eh?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have to admit that all of this sprucing up around the house for the party and in the name of Carpe Diem-ing worked wonders.  As I write this blog post, I am looking over at my sweet little tree, and I think my heart just swelled to three times its size.  ho, Ho, HO!  :-)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Act Two:  The Holiday Tea </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have to pack for H-Town, and you have to shop (and maybe pack for hopefully a more Winter Wonderland of a destination), so let\'s cut to the chase.  The Holiday Tea was lovely.  You really can\'t go wrong when sipping tea (caffeinated a plus), nibbling on tea sandwiches, and slathering homemade scones with Devonshire cream (you don\'t want to know the fat content, girls).  It\'s all terribly civilized.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8532\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Not exactly a Martha Stewart presentation, but I do my best. The wine helped me to not care. Good thing this isn&#39;t a food blog, eh?\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/olympus-digital-camera-678/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8532\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8532  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/PC100013-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThere was the small \"incident\" of me underestimating my timeline and therefore waiting until my guests\' arrival time to start baking the scones, but hey!  I warned each and every one of them that I am not an entertainer!  No one was surprised.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll the girls coached me through the initial uncivilized, self-induced mayhem with soothing voices and gracious spirits.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd my homemade scones turned out to be the best I\'ve ever had, so all was well in my world.   (Yes, they were even better than <em>yours</em>, Phoenician!  Imagine that!!!)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Act Three:  Wishes for 2012</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nTo be continued after a brief intermission.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecause we all need to pack, travel, shop, and then share our wishes together next week in the tradition of New Year\'s.  :-)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn the meantime, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Carpe Diem!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Let Me Entertain You.  (Although I\'d Rather You Entertain Me.)','','inherit','open','open','','8498-revision-72','','','2011-12-23 11:41:09','2011-12-23 18:41:09','',8498,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/23/8498-revision-72/',0,'revision','',0),(8878,1,'2012-01-03 20:10:26','2012-01-04 03:10:26','<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/mind_the_goat/310538617/sizes/o/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8535\" title=\"310538617_7eba0dc35b\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/310538617_7eba0dc35b-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>A couple of months ago, I announced that I was forming a book club.  Or more specifically, a Wishing Club.  (You can read more about it <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany girls at work enthusiastically agreed to read the book, <em>The Wishing Year</em>, as well as form a Wishing Club in which we would share our wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy plan was to discuss the book and wishes for 2012 over a Holiday Tea at a lovely and charming Tea House.  Somehow, this \"Tea House\" evolved into \"Michelle\'s House\".\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #ff0000; font-size: medium;\"><strong>Let me just say that I am not an entertainer.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOkay, I take that back.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEntertainer on the stage?  Yes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEntertainer in a blog?  Yes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEntertaining people in my humble home?  No.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhen it comes to gatherings, I prefer to be one of the entertained.  I enjoy relaxing at gatherings, not running around like a harried, hot mess.  Silly me.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEntertaining comes naturally to some people.  My friend, Sarah, for example.  She entertains effortlessly.  She appears to relish Hostessing with the Mostessing.  And I always delight in being a guest at one of her domestic goddess productions.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSo when my idea of \"Tea House\" was <strong><a href=\"http://www.thephoenician.com/dining/lounges-casual-dining/lounges-casual-dining\" target=\"_blank\">Lobby Tea Court at The Phoenician</a></strong> and the girls\' idea of \"Tea House\" was Chez Michelle, I instantly panicked.  Not only am I a Late Bloomer of an entertainer, I also don\'t decorate for Christmas.  And shouldn\'t a Holiday Tea boast a few decorations?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #008000; font-size: medium;\"><strong>No, I am not a Scrooge.  I am single.</strong>  </span>And putting up (by myself!) an 8 foot artificial tree dating back from my previous life as a smug married does not sound like fun to me.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd why go through the hassle when I will eventually arrive in H-Town and soak up every square inch of parental unit Christmas decorating.  We\'re talking a couple of trees, countless candles that could fill a Hallmark store, a heavenly host of angels, a Nativity scene, a singing and dancing Santa, an award-winning outside light display, and probably a lot more that I am forgetting but will be reminded of in less than 24 hours.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThis strategy has always worked for me.  I always delight in securing a backstage pass to the Parental Unit\'s Christmas Spectacular!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nUntil this year.  When suddenly I found myself directing a Holiday Tea.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHumbug.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #ff0000;\"><strong>And then I realized something pivotal:  Even though my 365 Days of Living Curiously project was technically over, shouldn\'t I still be Carpe Diem-ing regardless?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHumb...\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYes.  I suppose so.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI told myself that I would think myself into the Christmas Spirit!  I envisioned a manageable live tree (a first for me!) with a tasteful motif (another first!) and a few other simple decorations of holiday cheer.  I could almost smell the fresh pine scent.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI pictured myself floating around my house as Hostess with the Mostess.  I would bake scones from scratch!  I would serve them with Devonshire cream and strawberry preserves!  I would offer a wide variety of teas!  I would ask all book club/Wishing Club members to bring a dish!  (I may be a dreamer, but I\'m also a realist.  It was going to take a village to host a Holiday Tea at a non-entertainer\'s home.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Act One:  The Decorating</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs I mentioned, I\'ve never put up a live tree at Christmas, although I\'ve always dreamed of \"someday\".  Live trees somehow seem more \"Christmasy\" to me.  And this was the year of turning \"someday\" into \"today\".\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8503\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"My First Live Tree Expedition\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/photo/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8503\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8503  \" title=\"photo\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/photo-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI had never strung lights before.  I kid you not.  That job was always performed by either Dad or a significant other.  This year, it was tackled by yours truly.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI found a strand of 150 white lights in the closet.  They looked like something from one of my Christmases Past.  I found a date on a tag:  1995.  Yep.  Waaayyyyy past.  But Christmas is a season of miracles, and those puppies lit up like...well...a Christmas Tree!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/olympus-digital-camera-671/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8504\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8504 alignnone\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/PC060005-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/olympus-digital-camera-672/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8505\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8505\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/PC060003-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNext step:  ornaments in a tasteful motif.  In Christmases past, I crept down memory lane with childhood ornaments, ornaments from my former students, yada, yada, yada.  Yes, it\'s awfully sweet and sentimental, but this year I craved style over substance.  Is that wrong?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI Googled \"Christmas tree decorating ideas\" and found this:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/christmas-tree-decorations2/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8510\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8510 alignnone\" title=\"christmas-tree-decorations2\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/christmas-tree-decorations2-177x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"177\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI consulted those with decorating prowess (Dina <em>dah</em>ling and my mother) as to where I could find baubles such as these at a reasonable price.  They agreed with my \"hunch\":  <strong><a href=\"http://target.com\" target=\"_blank\">Tar-zhay.</a></strong>  Hurrah!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI popped in during my lunch hour with the above photo on my Crackberry.  I swept up and down the Christmas aisles holding my phone up to various boxes of ornaments.  I\'m sure people thought I was strange, but when you\'re a former theatre major, you\'re used to acting weird in front of people.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter approximately 30 minutes of this phone to ornament box \"method\" (I don\'t do well with too many choices), I realized that my lunch hour was quickly dwindling.  I settled on a box of 40 small ball ornaments for $6 and 20 sparkly star ornaments for $5.  Tar-zhay, I don\'t know how you do it, but MERRY CHRISTMAS!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8521\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Did I come remotely close to my target? (Pun intended.)\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/olympus-digital-camera-673/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8521\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8521  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/PC100023-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nObviously, I\'m not giving up my day job for a career in interior design, but I think I did fairly well for a clueless decorator.  (That fab faux fur skirt is also from Tar-zhay.  The family heirloom disintegrated upon removal from the storage box.  Sorry, Mom.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nExcited over my live tree and it\'s fresh pine scent, I opted to leave all Christmas chachkes in the closet and focus on decorating with more greenery.  MERRY CHRISTMAS, Trader Joe\'s!  (Members of the TJ cult are jumping up and down at their computers right about now.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8524\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Poinsettia: $2.99 Rosemary Tree: $8.99. Rosemary scent and Holiday Cheer: Priceless\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/olympus-digital-camera-674/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8524\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8524 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/PC100020-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd that\'s not all.  Because <strong><a href=\"http://www.traderjoes.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Trader Joe\'s </a></strong>has Holiday Cheer bursting out of those giant boxes outside of the store . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8525\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"My First Ever Live Wreath. Inhale...Ahhhh. (I&#39;ll never go back to artificial again.)\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/olympus-digital-camera-675/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8525\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8525\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/PC100019-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n. . . . And at the checkout for those Impulse Holiday Shoppers.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8528\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Christmas Magic for $3.99. The Trader Joe&#39;s Cinnamon Broom.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/olympus-digital-camera-676/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8528\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8528  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/PC220002-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOprah, are you still making your Favorite Things List, and if so, is the TJ\'s Cinnamon Broom at the top?  It\'s magic powers will send aromas of cinnamon throughout your entire house!  (O.k., not <em>your</em> house, Oprah, but certainly throughout my comfy condo.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThat\'s it, Ladies and Few Token Gents!  A few Gold Canyon Christmas candles that smell like Mrs. Claus\'s kitchen, and I was set for my dream of simplified, smell-good decorating!  Good thing this isn\'t a design blog, eh?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have to admit that all of this sprucing up around the house for the party and in the name of Carpe Diem-ing worked wonders.  As I write this blog post, I am looking over at my sweet little tree, and I think my heart just swelled to three times its size.  ho, Ho, HO!  :-)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Act Two:  The Holiday Tea </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have to pack for H-Town, and you have to shop (and maybe pack for hopefully a more Winter Wonderland of a destination), so let\'s cut to the chase.  The Holiday Tea was lovely.  You really can\'t go wrong when sipping tea (caffeinated a plus), nibbling on tea sandwiches, and slathering homemade scones with Devonshire cream (you don\'t want to know the fat content, girls).  It\'s all terribly civilized.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8532\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Not exactly a Martha Stewart presentation, but I do my best. The wine helped me to not care. Good thing this isn&#39;t a food blog, eh?\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/olympus-digital-camera-678/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8532\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8532  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/PC100013-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThere was the small \"incident\" of me underestimating my timeline and therefore waiting until my guests\' arrival time to start baking the scones, but hey!  I warned each and every one of them that I am not an entertainer!  No one was surprised.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll the girls coached me through the initial uncivilized, self-induced mayhem with soothing voices and gracious spirits.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd my homemade scones turned out to be the best I\'ve ever had, so all was well in my world.   (Yes, they were even better than <em>yours</em>, Phoenician!  Imagine that!!!)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Act Three:  Wishes for 2012</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nTo be continued after a brief intermission.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecause we all need to pack, travel, shop, and then share our wishes together next week in the tradition of New Year\'s.  :-)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn the meantime, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Carpe Diem!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Let Me Entertain You.  (Although I\'d Rather You Entertain Me.)','','inherit','open','open','','8498-revision-73','','','2012-01-03 20:10:26','2012-01-04 03:10:26','',8498,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/03/8498-revision-73/',0,'revision','',0),(8879,1,'2012-01-03 20:10:26','2012-01-04 03:10:26','<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/mind_the_goat/310538617/sizes/o/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8535\" title=\"310538617_7eba0dc35b\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/310538617_7eba0dc35b-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>A couple of months ago, I announced that I was forming a book club.  Or more specifically, a Wishing Club.  (You can read more about it <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany girls at work enthusiastically agreed to read the book, <em>The Wishing Year</em>, as well as form a Wishing Club in which we would share our wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy plan was to discuss the book and wishes for 2012 over a Holiday Tea at a lovely and charming Tea House.  Somehow, this \"Tea House\" evolved into \"Michelle\'s House\".\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #ff0000; font-size: medium;\"><strong>Let me just say that I am not an entertainer.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOkay, I take that back.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEntertainer on the stage?  Yes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEntertainer in a blog?  Yes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEntertaining people in my humble home?  No.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhen it comes to gatherings, I prefer to be one of the entertained.  I enjoy relaxing at gatherings, not running around like a harried, hot mess.  Silly me.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEntertaining comes naturally to some people.  My friend, Sarah, for example.  She entertains effortlessly.  She appears to relish Hostessing with the Mostessing.  And I always delight in being a guest at one of her domestic goddess productions.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSo when my idea of \"Tea House\" was <strong><a href=\"http://www.thephoenician.com/dining/lounges-casual-dining/lounges-casual-dining\" target=\"_blank\">Lobby Tea Court at The Phoenician</a></strong> and the girls\' idea of \"Tea House\" was Chez Michelle, I instantly panicked.  Not only am I a Late Bloomer of an entertainer, I also don\'t decorate for Christmas.  And shouldn\'t a Holiday Tea boast a few decorations?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #008000; font-size: medium;\"><strong>No, I am not a Scrooge.  I am single.</strong>  </span>And putting up (by myself!) an 8 foot artificial tree dating back from my previous life as a smug married does not sound like fun to me.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd why go through the hassle when I will eventually arrive in H-Town and soak up every square inch of parental unit Christmas decorating.  We\'re talking a couple of trees, countless candles that could fill a Hallmark store, a heavenly host of angels, a Nativity scene, a singing and dancing Santa, an award-winning outside light display, and probably a lot more that I am forgetting but will be reminded of in less than 24 hours.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThis strategy has always worked for me.  I always delight in securing a backstage pass to the Parental Unit\'s Christmas Spectacular!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nUntil this year.  When suddenly I found myself directing a Holiday Tea.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHumbug.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #ff0000;\"><strong>And then I realized something pivotal:  Even though my 365 Days of Living Curiously project was technically over, shouldn\'t I still be Carpe Diem-ing regardless?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHumb...\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYes.  I suppose so.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI told myself that I would think myself into the Christmas Spirit!  I envisioned a manageable live tree (a first for me!) with a tasteful motif (another first!) and a few other simple decorations of holiday cheer.  I could almost smell the fresh pine scent.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI pictured myself floating around my house as Hostess with the Mostess.  I would bake scones from scratch!  I would serve them with Devonshire cream and strawberry preserves!  I would offer a wide variety of teas!  I would ask all book club/Wishing Club members to bring a dish!  (I may be a dreamer, but I\'m also a realist.  It was going to take a village to host a Holiday Tea at a non-entertainer\'s home.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Act One:  The Decorating</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs I mentioned, I\'ve never put up a live tree at Christmas, although I\'ve always dreamed of \"someday\".  Live trees somehow seem more \"Christmasy\" to me.  And this was the year of turning \"someday\" into \"today\".\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8503\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"My First Live Tree Expedition\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/photo/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8503\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8503  \" title=\"photo\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/photo-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI had never strung lights before.  I kid you not.  That job was always performed by either Dad or a significant other.  This year, it was tackled by yours truly.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI found a strand of 150 white lights in the closet.  They looked like something from one of my Christmases Past.  I found a date on a tag:  1995.  Yep.  Waaayyyyy past.  But Christmas is a season of miracles, and those puppies lit up like...well...a Christmas Tree!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/olympus-digital-camera-671/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8504\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8504 alignnone\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/PC060005-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/olympus-digital-camera-672/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8505\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8505\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/PC060003-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNext step:  ornaments in a tasteful motif.  In Christmases past, I crept down memory lane with childhood ornaments, ornaments from my former students, yada, yada, yada.  Yes, it\'s awfully sweet and sentimental, but this year I craved style over substance.  Is that wrong?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI Googled \"Christmas tree decorating ideas\" and found this:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/christmas-tree-decorations2/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8510\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8510 alignnone\" title=\"christmas-tree-decorations2\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/christmas-tree-decorations2-177x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"177\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI consulted those with decorating prowess (Dina <em>dah</em>ling and my mother) as to where I could find baubles such as these at a reasonable price.  They agreed with my \"hunch\":  <strong><a href=\"http://target.com\" target=\"_blank\">Tar-zhay.</a></strong>  Hurrah!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI popped in during my lunch hour with the above photo on my Crackberry.  I swept up and down the Christmas aisles holding my phone up to various boxes of ornaments.  I\'m sure people thought I was strange, but when you\'re a former theatre major, you\'re used to acting weird in front of people.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter approximately 30 minutes of this phone to ornament box \"method\" (I don\'t do well with too many choices), I realized that my lunch hour was quickly dwindling.  I settled on a box of 40 small ball ornaments for $6 and 20 sparkly star ornaments for $5.  Tar-zhay, I don\'t know how you do it, but MERRY CHRISTMAS!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8521\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Did I come remotely close to my target? (Pun intended.)\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/olympus-digital-camera-673/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8521\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8521  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/PC100023-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nObviously, I\'m not giving up my day job for a career in interior design, but I think I did fairly well for a clueless decorator.  (That fab faux fur skirt is also from Tar-zhay.  The family heirloom disintegrated upon removal from the storage box.  Sorry, Mom.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nExcited over my live tree and it\'s fresh pine scent, I opted to leave all Christmas chachkes in the closet and focus on decorating with more greenery.  MERRY CHRISTMAS, Trader Joe\'s!  (Members of the TJ cult are jumping up and down at their computers right about now.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8524\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Poinsettia: $2.99 Rosemary Tree: $8.99. Rosemary scent and Holiday Cheer: Priceless\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/olympus-digital-camera-674/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8524\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8524 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/PC100020-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd that\'s not all.  Because <strong><a href=\"http://www.traderjoes.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Trader Joe\'s </a></strong>has Holiday Cheer bursting out of those giant boxes outside of the store . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8525\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"My First Ever Live Wreath. Inhale...Ahhhh. (I&#39;ll never go back to artificial again.)\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/olympus-digital-camera-675/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8525\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8525\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/PC100019-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n. . . . And at the checkout for those Impulse Holiday Shoppers.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8528\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Christmas Magic for $3.99. The Trader Joe&#39;s Cinnamon Broom.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/olympus-digital-camera-676/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8528\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8528  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/PC220002-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOprah, are you still making your Favorite Things List, and if so, is the TJ\'s Cinnamon Broom at the top?  It\'s magic powers will send aromas of cinnamon throughout your entire house!  (O.k., not <em>your</em> house, Oprah, but certainly throughout my comfy condo.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThat\'s it, Ladies and Few Token Gents!  A few Gold Canyon Christmas candles that smell like Mrs. Claus\'s kitchen, and I was set for my dream of simplified, smell-good decorating!  Good thing this isn\'t a design blog, eh?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have to admit that all of this sprucing up around the house for the party and in the name of Carpe Diem-ing worked wonders.  As I write this blog post, I am looking over at my sweet little tree, and I think my heart just swelled to three times its size.  ho, Ho, HO!  :-)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Act Two:  The Holiday Tea </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have to pack for H-Town, and you have to shop (and maybe pack for hopefully a more Winter Wonderland of a destination), so let\'s cut to the chase.  The Holiday Tea was lovely.  You really can\'t go wrong when sipping tea (caffeinated a plus), nibbling on tea sandwiches, and slathering homemade scones with Devonshire cream (you don\'t want to know the fat content, girls).  It\'s all terribly civilized.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8532\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Not exactly a Martha Stewart presentation, but I do my best. The wine helped me to not care. Good thing this isn&#39;t a food blog, eh?\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/olympus-digital-camera-678/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8532\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8532  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/PC100013-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThere was the small \"incident\" of me underestimating my timeline and therefore waiting until my guests\' arrival time to start baking the scones, but hey!  I warned each and every one of them that I am not an entertainer!  No one was surprised.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll the girls coached me through the initial uncivilized, self-induced mayhem with soothing voices and gracious spirits.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd my homemade scones turned out to be the best I\'ve ever had, so all was well in my world.   (Yes, they were even better than <em>yours</em>, Phoenician!  Imagine that!!!)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Act Three:  Wishes for 2012</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nTo be continued after a brief intermission.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecause we all need to pack, travel, shop, and then share our wishes together next week in the tradition of New Year\'s.  :-)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn the meantime, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Carpe Diem!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Let Me Entertain You.  (Although I\'d Rather You Entertain Me.)','','inherit','open','open','','8498-revision-74','','','2012-01-03 20:10:26','2012-01-04 03:10:26','',8498,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/03/8498-revision-74/',0,'revision','',0),(8880,1,'2012-01-03 20:10:52','2012-01-04 03:10:52','<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/mind_the_goat/310538617/sizes/o/in/photostream/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8535\" title=\"310538617_7eba0dc35b\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/310538617_7eba0dc35b-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>A couple of months ago, I announced that I was forming a book club.  Or more specifically, a Wishing Club.  (You can read more about it <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a></strong>)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany girls at work enthusiastically agreed to read the book, <em>The Wishing Year</em>, as well as form a Wishing Club in which we would share our wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy plan was to discuss the book and wishes for 2012 over a Holiday Tea at a lovely and charming Tea House.  Somehow, this \"Tea House\" evolved into \"Michelle\'s House\".\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #ff0000; font-size: medium;\"><strong>Let me just say that I am not an entertainer.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOkay, I take that back.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEntertainer on the stage?  Yes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEntertainer in a blog?  Yes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEntertaining people in my humble home?  No.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhen it comes to gatherings, I prefer to be one of the entertained.  I enjoy relaxing at gatherings, not running around like a harried, hot mess.  Silly me.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEntertaining comes naturally to some people.  My friend, Sarah, for example.  She entertains effortlessly.  She appears to relish Hostessing with the Mostessing.  And I always delight in being a guest at one of her domestic goddess productions.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSo when my idea of \"Tea House\" was <strong><a href=\"http://www.thephoenician.com/dining/lounges-casual-dining/lounges-casual-dining\" target=\"_blank\">Lobby Tea Court at The Phoenician</a></strong> and the girls\' idea of \"Tea House\" was Chez Michelle, I instantly panicked.  Not only am I a Late Bloomer of an entertainer, I also don\'t decorate for Christmas.  And shouldn\'t a Holiday Tea boast a few decorations?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #008000; font-size: medium;\"><strong>No, I am not a Scrooge.  I am single.</strong>  </span>And putting up (by myself!) an 8 foot artificial tree dating back from my previous life as a smug married does not sound like fun to me.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd why go through the hassle when I will eventually arrive in H-Town and soak up every square inch of parental unit Christmas decorating.  We\'re talking a couple of trees, countless candles that could fill a Hallmark store, a heavenly host of angels, a Nativity scene, a singing and dancing Santa, an award-winning outside light display, and probably a lot more that I am forgetting but will be reminded of in less than 24 hours.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThis strategy has always worked for me.  I always delight in securing a backstage pass to the Parental Unit\'s Christmas Spectacular!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nUntil this year.  When suddenly I found myself directing a Holiday Tea.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHumbug.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #ff0000;\"><strong>And then I realized something pivotal:  Even though my 365 Days of Living Curiously project was technically over, shouldn\'t I still be Carpe Diem-ing regardless?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHumb...\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYes.  I suppose so.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI told myself that I would think myself into the Christmas Spirit!  I envisioned a manageable live tree (a first for me!) with a tasteful motif (another first!) and a few other simple decorations of holiday cheer.  I could almost smell the fresh pine scent.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI pictured myself floating around my house as Hostess with the Mostess.  I would bake scones from scratch!  I would serve them with Devonshire cream and strawberry preserves!  I would offer a wide variety of teas!  I would ask all book club/Wishing Club members to bring a dish!  (I may be a dreamer, but I\'m also a realist.  It was going to take a village to host a Holiday Tea at a non-entertainer\'s home.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Act One:  The Decorating</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs I mentioned, I\'ve never put up a live tree at Christmas, although I\'ve always dreamed of \"someday\".  Live trees somehow seem more \"Christmasy\" to me.  And this was the year of turning \"someday\" into \"today\".\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8503\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"My First Live Tree Expedition\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/photo/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8503\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8503  \" title=\"photo\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/photo-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI had never strung lights before.  I kid you not.  That job was always performed by either Dad or a significant other.  This year, it was tackled by yours truly.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI found a strand of 150 white lights in the closet.  They looked like something from one of my Christmases Past.  I found a date on a tag:  1995.  Yep.  Waaayyyyy past.  But Christmas is a season of miracles, and those puppies lit up like...well...a Christmas Tree!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/olympus-digital-camera-671/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8504\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8504 alignnone\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/PC060005-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/olympus-digital-camera-672/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8505\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8505\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/PC060003-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNext step:  ornaments in a tasteful motif.  In Christmases past, I crept down memory lane with childhood ornaments, ornaments from my former students, yada, yada, yada.  Yes, it\'s awfully sweet and sentimental, but this year I craved style over substance.  Is that wrong?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI Googled \"Christmas tree decorating ideas\" and found this:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/christmas-tree-decorations2/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8510\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8510 alignnone\" title=\"christmas-tree-decorations2\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/christmas-tree-decorations2-177x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"177\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI consulted those with decorating prowess (Dina <em>dah</em>ling and my mother) as to where I could find baubles such as these at a reasonable price.  They agreed with my \"hunch\":  <strong><a href=\"http://target.com\" target=\"_blank\">Tar-zhay.</a></strong>  Hurrah!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI popped in during my lunch hour with the above photo on my Crackberry.  I swept up and down the Christmas aisles holding my phone up to various boxes of ornaments.  I\'m sure people thought I was strange, but when you\'re a former theatre major, you\'re used to acting weird in front of people.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter approximately 30 minutes of this phone to ornament box \"method\" (I don\'t do well with too many choices), I realized that my lunch hour was quickly dwindling.  I settled on a box of 40 small ball ornaments for $6 and 20 sparkly star ornaments for $5.  Tar-zhay, I don\'t know how you do it, but MERRY CHRISTMAS!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8521\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Did I come remotely close to my target? (Pun intended.)\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/olympus-digital-camera-673/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8521\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8521  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/PC100023-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nObviously, I\'m not giving up my day job for a career in interior design, but I think I did fairly well for a clueless decorator.  (That fab faux fur skirt is also from Tar-zhay.  The family heirloom disintegrated upon removal from the storage box.  Sorry, Mom.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nExcited over my live tree and it\'s fresh pine scent, I opted to leave all Christmas chachkes in the closet and focus on decorating with more greenery.  MERRY CHRISTMAS, Trader Joe\'s!  (Members of the TJ cult are jumping up and down at their computers right about now.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8524\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Poinsettia: $2.99 Rosemary Tree: $8.99. Rosemary scent and Holiday Cheer: Priceless\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/olympus-digital-camera-674/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8524\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8524 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/PC100020-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd that\'s not all.  Because <strong><a href=\"http://www.traderjoes.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Trader Joe\'s </a></strong>has Holiday Cheer bursting out of those giant boxes outside of the store . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8525\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"My First Ever Live Wreath. Inhale...Ahhhh. (I&#39;ll never go back to artificial again.)\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/olympus-digital-camera-675/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8525\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8525\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/PC100019-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n. . . . And at the checkout for those Impulse Holiday Shoppers.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8528\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Christmas Magic for $3.99. The Trader Joe&#39;s Cinnamon Broom.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/olympus-digital-camera-676/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8528\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8528  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/PC220002-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOprah, are you still making your Favorite Things List, and if so, is the TJ\'s Cinnamon Broom at the top?  It\'s magic powers will send aromas of cinnamon throughout your entire house!  (O.k., not <em>your</em> house, Oprah, but certainly throughout my comfy condo.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThat\'s it, Ladies and Few Token Gents!  A few Gold Canyon Christmas candles that smell like Mrs. Claus\'s kitchen, and I was set for my dream of simplified, smell-good decorating!  Good thing this isn\'t a design blog, eh?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have to admit that all of this sprucing up around the house for the party and in the name of Carpe Diem-ing worked wonders.  As I write this blog post, I am looking over at my sweet little tree, and I think my heart just swelled to three times its size.  ho, Ho, HO!  :-)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Act Two:  The Holiday Tea </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have to pack for H-Town, and you have to shop (and maybe pack for hopefully a more Winter Wonderland of a destination), so let\'s cut to the chase.  The Holiday Tea was lovely.  You really can\'t go wrong when sipping tea (caffeinated a plus), nibbling on tea sandwiches, and slathering homemade scones with Devonshire cream (you don\'t want to know the fat content, girls).  It\'s all terribly civilized.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8532\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Not exactly a Martha Stewart presentation, but I do my best. The wine helped me to not care. Good thing this isn&#39;t a food blog, eh?\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/olympus-digital-camera-678/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8532\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8532  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/PC100013-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThere was the small \"incident\" of me underestimating my timeline and therefore waiting until my guests\' arrival time to start baking the scones, but hey!  I warned each and every one of them that I am not an entertainer!  No one was surprised.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll the girls coached me through the initial uncivilized, self-induced mayhem with soothing voices and gracious spirits.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd my homemade scones turned out to be the best I\'ve ever had, so all was well in my world.   (Yes, they were even better than <em>yours</em>, Phoenician!  Imagine that!!!)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Act Three:  Wishes for 2012</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nTo be continued after a brief intermission.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecause we all need to pack, travel, shop, and then share our wishes together next week in the tradition of New Year\'s.  :-)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn the meantime, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Carpe Diem!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Let Me Entertain You.  (Although I\'d Rather You Entertain Me.)','','inherit','open','open','','8498-revision-75','','','2012-01-03 20:10:52','2012-01-04 03:10:52','',8498,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/03/8498-revision-75/',0,'revision','',0),(8881,1,'2012-01-03 21:05:21','2012-01-04 04:05:21','Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie in the History of Woo-Woo Movies aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of what you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that if we think it, it will come?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThen why aren\'t we all lounging and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision','','','2012-01-03 21:05:21','2012-01-04 04:05:21','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/03/8876-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(8882,1,'2012-01-03 21:07:21','2012-01-04 04:07:21','Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie in the History of Woo-Woo Movies aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of what you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThen why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-2','','','2012-01-03 21:07:21','2012-01-04 04:07:21','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/03/8876-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(8883,1,'2012-01-03 21:14:06','2012-01-04 04:14:06','','OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA','Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.','inherit','open','open','','olympus-digital-camera-679','','','2012-01-03 21:14:06','2012-01-04 04:14:06','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(8884,1,'2012-01-03 21:16:21','2012-01-04 04:16:21','Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie in the History of Woo-Woo Movies aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of what you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThen why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nTiffany was carded','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-3','','','2012-01-03 21:16:21','2012-01-04 04:16:21','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/03/8876-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(8885,1,'2012-01-03 21:17:06','2012-01-04 04:17:06','Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie in the History of Woo-Woo Movies aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of what you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThen why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-4','','','2012-01-03 21:17:06','2012-01-04 04:17:06','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/03/8876-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(8886,1,'2012-01-03 21:19:21','2012-01-04 04:19:21','Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie in the History of Woo-Woo Movies aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of what you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThen why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWishing Club Hot Tip:  When purchasing glue\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n<div></div>\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOther girls... i didn\'t say anything.  Wishing is a very private affair.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nlook through rest of dog ears and underlines.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are your wishes for 2012?\n\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-5','','','2012-01-03 21:19:21','2012-01-04 04:19:21','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/03/8876-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(8887,1,'2012-01-03 21:19:53','2012-01-04 04:19:53','Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie in the History of Woo-Woo Movies aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of what you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThen why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWishing Club Hot Tip:  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID if\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<div></div>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOther girls... i didn\'t say anything.  Wishing is a very private affair.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nlook through rest of dog ears and underlines.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are your wishes for 2012?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-6','','','2012-01-03 21:19:53','2012-01-04 04:19:53','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/03/8876-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(8889,1,'2012-01-04 20:00:41','2012-01-05 03:00:41','','OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA','Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany!  :-D ','inherit','open','open','','olympus-digital-camera-680','','','2012-01-04 20:00:41','2012-01-05 03:00:41','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(8890,1,'2012-01-04 20:05:36','2012-01-05 03:05:36','','OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA','','inherit','open','open','','olympus-digital-camera-681','','','2012-01-04 20:05:36','2012-01-05 03:05:36','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(8891,1,'2012-01-04 20:33:38','2012-01-05 03:33:38','','OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA','','inherit','open','open','','olympus-digital-camera-682','','','2012-01-04 20:33:38','2012-01-05 03:33:38','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(8892,1,'2012-01-04 20:35:28','2012-01-05 03:35:28','','OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA','','inherit','open','open','','olympus-digital-camera-683','','','2012-01-04 20:35:28','2012-01-05 03:35:28','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(8893,1,'2012-01-04 20:36:26','2012-01-05 03:36:26','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThen why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWishing Club Hot Tip:  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n<div></div>\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If things are running fairly smoothly in your life, could you hex yourself by wishing?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI left them alone with their wishing struggle.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOn an interesting woo-woo of a side note:  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI located them in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these \"wishes\" manifested:\n\n&nbsp;\n<ul>\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\n	<li></li>\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\n	<li></li>\n	<li>a passport</li>\n	<li></li>\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong>the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts</strong></li>\n	<li></li>\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I\'m don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8891\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are your wishes for 2012?\n\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-7','','','2012-01-04 20:36:26','2012-01-05 03:36:26','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(8897,1,'2012-01-04 20:38:26','2012-01-05 03:38:26','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThen why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWishing Club Hot Tip:  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n<div></div>\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If things are running fairly smoothly in your life, could you hex yourself by wishing?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI left them alone with their wishing struggle.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOn an interesting woo-woo of a side note:  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI located them in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these \"wishes\" manifested:\n\n&nbsp;\n<ul>\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\n	<li></li>\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\n	<li></li>\n	<li>a passport</li>\n	<li></li>\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong>the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts</strong></li>\n	<li></li>\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I\'m don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone  wp-image-8891\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are your wishes for 2012?\n\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-11','','','2012-01-04 20:38:26','2012-01-05 03:38:26','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-11/',0,'revision','',0),(8894,1,'2012-01-04 20:37:44','2012-01-05 03:37:44','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThen why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWishing Club Hot Tip:  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<div></div>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If things are running fairly smoothly in your life, could you hex yourself by wishing?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI left them alone with their wishing struggle.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOn an interesting woo-woo of a side note:  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI located them in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these \"wishes\" manifested:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\r\n	<li></li>\r\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\r\n	<li></li>\r\n	<li>a passport</li>\r\n	<li></li>\r\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong>the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts</strong></li>\r\n	<li></li>\r\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I\'m don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone  wp-image-8891\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are your wishes for 2012?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-8','','','2012-01-04 20:37:44','2012-01-05 03:37:44','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),(8895,1,'2012-01-04 20:37:44','2012-01-05 03:37:44','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThen why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWishing Club Hot Tip:  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<div></div>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If things are running fairly smoothly in your life, could you hex yourself by wishing?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI left them alone with their wishing struggle.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOn an interesting woo-woo of a side note:  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI located them in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these \"wishes\" manifested:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\r\n	<li></li>\r\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\r\n	<li></li>\r\n	<li>a passport</li>\r\n	<li></li>\r\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong>the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts</strong></li>\r\n	<li></li>\r\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I\'m don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone  wp-image-8891\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are your wishes for 2012?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-9','','','2012-01-04 20:37:44','2012-01-05 03:37:44','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-9/',0,'revision','',0),(8896,1,'2012-01-04 20:37:54','2012-01-05 03:37:54','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThen why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWishing Club Hot Tip:  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<div></div>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If things are running fairly smoothly in your life, could you hex yourself by wishing?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI left them alone with their wishing struggle.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOn an interesting woo-woo of a side note:  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI located them in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these \"wishes\" manifested:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\r\n	<li></li>\r\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\r\n	<li></li>\r\n	<li>a passport</li>\r\n	<li></li>\r\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong>the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts</strong></li>\r\n	<li></li>\r\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I\'m don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone  wp-image-8891\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are your wishes for 2012?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-10','','','2012-01-04 20:37:54','2012-01-05 03:37:54','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-10/',0,'revision','',0),(8898,1,'2012-01-04 20:52:10','2012-01-05 03:52:10','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If things are running fairly smoothly in your life, could you hex yourself by wishing?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOn an interesting woo-woo of a side note:  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI located them in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these \"wishes\" manifested:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\r\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\r\n	<li>a passport</li>\r\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\r\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I\'m don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  alignnone\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong>Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>What are your wishes for 2012?</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-12','','','2012-01-04 20:52:10','2012-01-05 03:52:10','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-12/',0,'revision','',0),(8899,1,'2012-01-04 20:52:10','2012-01-05 03:52:10','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If things are running fairly smoothly in your life, could you hex yourself by wishing?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOn an interesting woo-woo of a side note:  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI located them in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these \"wishes\" manifested:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\r\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\r\n	<li>a passport</li>\r\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\r\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I\'m don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  alignnone\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong>Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>What are your wishes for 2012?</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-13','','','2012-01-04 20:52:10','2012-01-05 03:52:10','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-13/',0,'revision','',0),(8900,1,'2012-01-04 20:53:14','2012-01-05 03:53:14','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If things are running fairly smoothly in your life, could you hex yourself by wishing?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOn an interesting woo-woo of a side note:  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI located them in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these \"wishes\" manifested:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\r\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\r\n	<li>a passport</li>\r\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\r\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I\'m don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  alignnone\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>What are your wishes for 2012?</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-14','','','2012-01-04 20:53:14','2012-01-05 03:53:14','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-14/',0,'revision','',0),(8901,1,'2012-01-04 20:53:14','2012-01-05 03:53:14','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If things are running fairly smoothly in your life, could you hex yourself by wishing?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOn an interesting woo-woo of a side note:  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI located them in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these \"wishes\" manifested:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\r\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\r\n	<li>a passport</li>\r\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\r\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I\'m don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  alignnone\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>What are your wishes for 2012?</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-15','','','2012-01-04 20:53:14','2012-01-05 03:53:14','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-15/',0,'revision','',0),(8903,1,'2012-01-04 20:55:36','2012-01-05 03:55:36','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If things are running fairly smoothly in your life, could you hex yourself by wishing?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOn an interesting woo-woo of a side note:  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI located them in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these \"wishes\" manifested:\n\n&nbsp;\n<ul>\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\n	<li>a passport</li>\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I\'m don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Click once, then once again to supersize the vision board.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>What are your wishes for 2012?</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-17','','','2012-01-04 20:55:36','2012-01-05 03:55:36','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-17/',0,'revision','',0),(8902,1,'2012-01-04 20:54:33','2012-01-05 03:54:33','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If things are running fairly smoothly in your life, could you hex yourself by wishing?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOn an interesting woo-woo of a side note:  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI located them in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these \"wishes\" manifested:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\r\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\r\n	<li>a passport</li>\r\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\r\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I\'m don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Click once, then once again to supersize the vision board.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>What are your wishes for 2012?</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-16','','','2012-01-04 20:54:33','2012-01-05 03:54:33','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-16/',0,'revision','',0),(8904,1,'2012-01-04 20:55:51','2012-01-05 03:55:51','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If things are running fairly smoothly in your life, could you hex yourself by wishing?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOn an interesting woo-woo of a side note:  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI located them in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these \"wishes\" manifested:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\r\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\r\n	<li>a passport</li>\r\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\r\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I\'m don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Click once, then once again to supersize the vision board.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-18','','','2012-01-04 20:55:51','2012-01-05 03:55:51','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-18/',0,'revision','',0),(8905,1,'2012-01-04 20:59:55','2012-01-05 03:59:55','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If things are running fairly smoothly in your life, could you hex yourself by wishing?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOn an interesting woo-woo of a side note:  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI located them in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these \"wishes\" manifested:\n\n&nbsp;\n<ul>\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\n	<li>a passport</li>\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I\'m don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Click once, then once again to supersize the vision board.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI leave you with my favorite quote from The Wishing Year.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBest wishes for the life of your dreams in\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-19','','','2012-01-04 20:59:55','2012-01-05 03:59:55','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-19/',0,'revision','',0),(8907,1,'2012-01-04 21:01:36','2012-01-05 04:01:36','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If things are running fairly smoothly in your life, could you hex yourself by wishing?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOn an interesting woo-woo of a side note:  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI located them in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these \"wishes\" manifested:\n\n&nbsp;\n<ul>\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\n	<li>a passport</li>\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I\'m don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Click once, then once again to supersize the vision board.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI leave you with my favorite quote from <em>The Wishing Year</em>.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBest wishes for 2012!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-21','','','2012-01-04 21:01:36','2012-01-05 04:01:36','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-21/',0,'revision','',0),(8906,1,'2012-01-04 21:00:31','2012-01-05 04:00:31','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If things are running fairly smoothly in your life, could you hex yourself by wishing?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOn an interesting woo-woo of a side note:  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI located them in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these \"wishes\" manifested:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\r\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\r\n	<li>a passport</li>\r\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\r\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I\'m don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Click once, then once again to supersize the vision board.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI leave you with my favorite quote from <em>The Wishing Year</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBest wishes for 2012!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-20','','','2012-01-04 21:00:31','2012-01-05 04:00:31','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-20/',0,'revision','',0),(8909,1,'2012-01-04 21:02:45','2012-01-05 04:02:45','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If things are running fairly smoothly in your life, could you hex yourself by wishing?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOn an interesting woo-woo of a side note:  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI located them in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these \"wishes\" manifested:\n\n&nbsp;\n<ul>\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\n	<li>a passport</li>\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I\'m don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Click once, then once again to supersize the vision board.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI leave you with my favorite quote from <em>The Wishing Year</em>.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBest wishes for 2012!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-23','','','2012-01-04 21:02:45','2012-01-05 04:02:45','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-23/',0,'revision','',0),(8908,1,'2012-01-04 21:01:41','2012-01-05 04:01:41','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If things are running fairly smoothly in your life, could you hex yourself by wishing?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOn an interesting woo-woo of a side note:  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI located them in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these \"wishes\" manifested:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\r\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\r\n	<li>a passport</li>\r\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\r\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I\'m don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Click once, then once again to supersize the vision board.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI leave you with my favorite quote from <em>The Wishing Year</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBest wishes for 2012!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-22','','','2012-01-04 21:01:41','2012-01-05 04:01:41','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-22/',0,'revision','',0),(8911,1,'2012-01-04 21:04:19','2012-01-05 04:04:19','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If things are running fairly smoothly in your life, could you hex yourself by wishing?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOn an interesting woo-woo of a side note:  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI located them in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these \"wishes\" manifested:\n\n&nbsp;\n<ul>\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\n	<li>a passport</li>\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I\'m don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Click once, then once again to supersize the vision board.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI leave you with my favorite quote from <em>The Wishing Year</em>.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBest wishes for 2012!\n\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-25','','','2012-01-04 21:04:19','2012-01-05 04:04:19','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-25/',0,'revision','',0),(8910,1,'2012-01-04 21:03:15','2012-01-05 04:03:15','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If things are running fairly smoothly in your life, could you hex yourself by wishing?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOn an interesting woo-woo of a side note:  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI located them in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these \"wishes\" manifested:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\r\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\r\n	<li>a passport</li>\r\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\r\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I\'m don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Click once, then once again to supersize the vision board.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI leave you with my favorite quote from <em>The Wishing Year</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBest wishes for 2012!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-24','','','2012-01-04 21:03:15','2012-01-05 04:03:15','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-24/',0,'revision','',0),(8913,1,'2012-01-04 21:06:19','2012-01-05 04:06:19','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If things are running fairly smoothly in your life, could you hex yourself by wishing?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>On an interesting woo-woo of a side note:</strong>  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI located the old, dusty boards in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these \"wishes\" manifested:\n\n&nbsp;\n<ul>\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\n	<li>a passport</li>\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I\'m don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Click once, then once again to supersize the vision board.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI leave you with my favorite quote from <em>The Wishing Year</em>.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBest wishes for 2012!\n\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-27','','','2012-01-04 21:06:19','2012-01-05 04:06:19','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-27/',0,'revision','',0),(8912,1,'2012-01-04 21:06:16','2012-01-05 04:06:16','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If things are running fairly smoothly in your life, could you hex yourself by wishing?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>On an interesting woo-woo of a side note:</strong>  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI located the old, dusty boards in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these \"wishes\" manifested:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\r\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\r\n	<li>a passport</li>\r\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\r\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I\'m don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Click once, then once again to supersize the vision board.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI leave you with my favorite quote from <em>The Wishing Year</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBest wishes for 2012!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-26','','','2012-01-04 21:06:16','2012-01-05 04:06:16','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-26/',0,'revision','',0),(8915,1,'2012-01-04 21:07:19','2012-01-05 04:07:19','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If things are running fairly smoothly in your life, could you hex yourself by wishing?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>On an interesting woo-woo of a side note:</strong>  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI located the old, dusty boards in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these \"wishes\" manifested:\n\n&nbsp;\n<ul>\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\n	<li>a passport</li>\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Click once, then once again to supersize the vision board.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI leave you with my favorite quote from <em>The Wishing Year</em>.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBest wishes for 2012!\n\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-29','','','2012-01-04 21:07:19','2012-01-05 04:07:19','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-29/',0,'revision','',0),(8914,1,'2012-01-04 21:07:03','2012-01-05 04:07:03','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.  If you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If things are running fairly smoothly in your life, could you hex yourself by wishing?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>On an interesting woo-woo of a side note:</strong>  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI located the old, dusty boards in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these \"wishes\" manifested:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\r\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\r\n	<li>a passport</li>\r\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\r\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Click once, then once again to supersize the vision board.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI leave you with my favorite quote from <em>The Wishing Year</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBest wishes for 2012!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-28','','','2012-01-04 21:07:03','2012-01-05 04:07:03','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-28/',0,'revision','',0),(8917,1,'2012-01-04 21:09:19','2012-01-05 04:09:19','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIf you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If things are running fairly smoothly in your life, could you hex yourself by wishing?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>On an interesting woo-woo of a side note:</strong>  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI located the old, dusty boards in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these \"wishes\" manifested:\n\n&nbsp;\n<ul>\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\n	<li>a passport</li>\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Click once, then once again to supersize the vision board.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI leave you with my favorite quote from <em>The Wishing Year</em>.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBest wishes for 2012!\n\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-31','','','2012-01-04 21:09:19','2012-01-05 04:09:19','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-31/',0,'revision','',0),(8916,1,'2012-01-04 21:09:18','2012-01-05 04:09:18','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIf you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If things are running fairly smoothly in your life, could you hex yourself by wishing?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>On an interesting woo-woo of a side note:</strong>  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI located the old, dusty boards in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these \"wishes\" manifested:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\r\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\r\n	<li>a passport</li>\r\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\r\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Click once, then once again to supersize the vision board.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI leave you with my favorite quote from <em>The Wishing Year</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBest wishes for 2012!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-30','','','2012-01-04 21:09:18','2012-01-05 04:09:18','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-30/',0,'revision','',0),(8919,1,'2012-01-04 21:11:19','2012-01-05 04:11:19','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIf you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If life is running fairly smoothly, could you hex yourself by wishing?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>On an interesting woo-woo of a side note:</strong>  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI located the old, dusty boards in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these \"wishes\" manifested:\n\n&nbsp;\n<ul>\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\n	<li>a passport</li>\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Click once, then once again to supersize the vision board.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI leave you with my favorite quote from <em>The Wishing Year</em>.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBest wishes for 2012!\n\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-33','','','2012-01-04 21:11:19','2012-01-05 04:11:19','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-33/',0,'revision','',0),(8918,1,'2012-01-04 21:11:11','2012-01-05 04:11:11','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIf you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If life is running fairly smoothly, could you hex yourself by wishing?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>On an interesting woo-woo of a side note:</strong>  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI located the old, dusty boards in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these \"wishes\" manifested:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\r\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\r\n	<li>a passport</li>\r\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\r\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Click once, then once again to supersize the vision board.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI leave you with my favorite quote from <em>The Wishing Year</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBest wishes for 2012!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-32','','','2012-01-04 21:11:11','2012-01-05 04:11:11','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-32/',0,'revision','',0),(8921,1,'2012-01-04 21:12:19','2012-01-05 04:12:19','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIf you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If life is running fairly smoothly, could you hex yourself by wishing?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>On an interesting woo-woo of a side note:</strong>  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI located the old, dusty boards in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these former \"wishes\" manifested:\n\n&nbsp;\n<ul>\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\n	<li>a passport</li>\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Click once, then once again to supersize the vision board.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI leave you with my favorite quote from <em>The Wishing Year</em>.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBest wishes for 2012!\n\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-35','','','2012-01-04 21:12:19','2012-01-05 04:12:19','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-35/',0,'revision','',0),(8920,1,'2012-01-04 21:12:12','2012-01-05 04:12:12','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIf you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If life is running fairly smoothly, could you hex yourself by wishing?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>On an interesting woo-woo of a side note:</strong>  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI located the old, dusty boards in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these former \"wishes\" manifested:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\r\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\r\n	<li>a passport</li>\r\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\r\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Click once, then once again to supersize the vision board.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI leave you with my favorite quote from <em>The Wishing Year</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBest wishes for 2012!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-34','','','2012-01-04 21:12:12','2012-01-05 04:12:12','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-34/',0,'revision','',0),(8923,1,'2012-01-04 21:13:19','2012-01-05 04:13:19','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIf you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If life is running fairly smoothly, could you hex yourself by wishing?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>On an interesting woo-woo of a side note:</strong>  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI located the old, dusty boards in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these former \"wishes\" materialized:\n\n&nbsp;\n<ul>\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\n	<li>a passport</li>\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Click once, then once again to supersize the vision board.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI leave you with my favorite quote from <em>The Wishing Year</em>.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBest wishes for 2012!\n\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-37','','','2012-01-04 21:13:19','2012-01-05 04:13:19','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-37/',0,'revision','',0),(8922,1,'2012-01-04 21:12:28','2012-01-05 04:12:28','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIf you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <em>The Secret</em>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If life is running fairly smoothly, could you hex yourself by wishing?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>On an interesting woo-woo of a side note:</strong>  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI located the old, dusty boards in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these former \"wishes\" materialized:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\r\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\r\n	<li>a passport</li>\r\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\r\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Click once, then once again to supersize the vision board.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI leave you with my favorite quote from <em>The Wishing Year</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBest wishes for 2012!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-36','','','2012-01-04 21:12:28','2012-01-05 04:12:28','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-36/',0,'revision','',0),(8924,1,'2012-01-04 21:16:55','2012-01-05 04:16:55','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIf you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <a href=\"http://thesecret.tv/\"><strong><em>The Secret</em></strong></a>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If life is running fairly smoothly, could you hex yourself by wishing?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>On an interesting woo-woo of a side note:</strong>  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI located the old, dusty boards in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these former \"wishes\" materialized:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\r\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\r\n	<li>a passport</li>\r\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\r\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Click once, then once again to supersize the vision board.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI leave you with my favorite quote from <em>The Wishing Year</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBest wishes for 2012!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-38','','','2012-01-04 21:16:55','2012-01-05 04:16:55','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-38/',0,'revision','',0),(8925,1,'2012-01-04 21:16:55','2012-01-05 04:16:55','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIf you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <a href=\"http://thesecret.tv/\"><strong><em>The Secret</em></strong></a>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If life is running fairly smoothly, could you hex yourself by wishing?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>On an interesting woo-woo of a side note:</strong>  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI located the old, dusty boards in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these former \"wishes\" materialized:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\r\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\r\n	<li>a passport</li>\r\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\r\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Click once, then once again to supersize the vision board.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI leave you with my favorite quote from <em>The Wishing Year</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBest wishes for 2012!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-39','','','2012-01-04 21:16:55','2012-01-05 04:16:55','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-39/',0,'revision','',0),(8926,1,'2012-01-04 21:17:43','2012-01-05 04:17:43','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8892\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIf you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <a href=\"http://thesecret.tv/\"><strong><em>The Secret</em></strong></a>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8889\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8890\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8883\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If life is running fairly smoothly, could you hex yourself by wishing?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>On an interesting woo-woo of a side note:</strong>  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI located the old, dusty boards in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these former \"wishes\" materialized:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\r\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\r\n	<li>a passport</li>\r\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\r\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Click once, then once again to supersize the vision board.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=8891\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI leave you with my favorite quote from <em>The Wishing Year</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBest wishes for 2012!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-40','','','2012-01-04 21:17:43','2012-01-05 04:17:43','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-40/',0,'revision','',0),(8927,1,'2012-01-12 08:48:48','2012-01-12 15:48:48','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-683/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIf you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <a href=\"http://thesecret.tv/\"><strong><em>The Secret</em></strong></a>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  </span>When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-680/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-681/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-679/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If life is running fairly smoothly, could you hex yourself by wishing?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>On an interesting woo-woo of a side note:</strong>  </span>When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI located the old, dusty boards in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these former \"wishes\" materialized:\n\n&nbsp;\n<ul>\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\n	<li>my first passport</li>\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Want to see a supersized, readable version of my 2012 vision board? Click the photo once, wait for the photo to open in a separate page, then click once again.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-682/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891     \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI leave you with my favorite quote from <em>The Wishing Year</em>.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBest wishes for 2012!\n\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-autosave','','','2012-01-12 08:48:48','2012-01-12 15:48:48','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(8928,1,'2012-01-04 21:17:43','2012-01-05 04:17:43','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-683/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIf you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <a href=\"http://thesecret.tv/\"><strong><em>The Secret</em></strong></a>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-680/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-681/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-679/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If life is running fairly smoothly, could you hex yourself by wishing?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>On an interesting woo-woo of a side note:</strong>  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI located the old, dusty boards in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these former \"wishes\" materialized:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\r\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\r\n	<li>a passport</li>\r\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\r\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Click once, then once again to supersize the vision board.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-682/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891  \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI leave you with my favorite quote from <em>The Wishing Year</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBest wishes for 2012!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-41','','','2012-01-04 21:17:43','2012-01-05 04:17:43','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-41/',0,'revision','',0),(8929,1,'2012-01-04 21:20:50','2012-01-05 04:20:50','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-683/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIf you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <a href=\"http://thesecret.tv/\"><strong><em>The Secret</em></strong></a>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-680/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-681/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-679/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If life is running fairly smoothly, could you hex yourself by wishing?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>On an interesting woo-woo of a side note:</strong>  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI located the old, dusty boards in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these former \"wishes\" materialized:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\r\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\r\n	<li>a passport</li>\r\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\r\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Want to see a supersized, readable version of my vision board. Click the photo once, wait for the photo to open in a separate page, then click once again.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-682/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891   \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI leave you with my favorite quote from <em>The Wishing Year</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBest wishes for 2012!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-42','','','2012-01-04 21:20:50','2012-01-05 04:20:50','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-42/',0,'revision','',0),(8930,1,'2012-01-04 21:20:51','2012-01-05 04:20:51','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-683/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIf you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <a href=\"http://thesecret.tv/\"><strong><em>The Secret</em></strong></a>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-680/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-681/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-679/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If life is running fairly smoothly, could you hex yourself by wishing?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>On an interesting woo-woo of a side note:</strong>  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI located the old, dusty boards in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these former \"wishes\" materialized:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\r\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\r\n	<li>a passport</li>\r\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\r\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Want to see a supersized, readable version of my vision board. Click the photo once, wait for the photo to open in a separate page, then click once again.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-682/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891   \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI leave you with my favorite quote from <em>The Wishing Year</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBest wishes for 2012!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-43','','','2012-01-04 21:20:51','2012-01-05 04:20:51','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-43/',0,'revision','',0),(8931,1,'2012-01-04 21:21:52','2012-01-05 04:21:52','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-683/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIf you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <a href=\"http://thesecret.tv/\"><strong><em>The Secret</em></strong></a>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-680/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-681/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-679/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If life is running fairly smoothly, could you hex yourself by wishing?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>On an interesting woo-woo of a side note:</strong>  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI located the old, dusty boards in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these former \"wishes\" materialized:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\r\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\r\n	<li>a passport</li>\r\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\r\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Want to see a supersized, readable version of my vision board? Click the photo once, wait for the photo to open in a separate page, then click once again.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-682/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891    \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI leave you with my favorite quote from <em>The Wishing Year</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBest wishes for 2012!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-44','','','2012-01-04 21:21:52','2012-01-05 04:21:52','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-44/',0,'revision','',0),(8932,1,'2012-01-04 21:21:52','2012-01-05 04:21:52','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-683/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIf you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <a href=\"http://thesecret.tv/\"><strong><em>The Secret</em></strong></a>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-680/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-681/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-679/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If life is running fairly smoothly, could you hex yourself by wishing?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>On an interesting woo-woo of a side note:</strong>  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI located the old, dusty boards in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these former \"wishes\" materialized:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\r\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\r\n	<li>a passport</li>\r\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\r\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Want to see a supersized, readable version of my vision board? Click the photo once, wait for the photo to open in a separate page, then click once again.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-682/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891    \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI leave you with my favorite quote from <em>The Wishing Year</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBest wishes for 2012!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-45','','','2012-01-04 21:21:52','2012-01-05 04:21:52','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-45/',0,'revision','',0),(8933,1,'2012-01-04 21:24:27','2012-01-05 04:24:27','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-683/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8892\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8892\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230003-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Back in 2011, I formed a <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/10/25/day-364-would-you-like-to-join-my-wishing-club/\" target=\"_blank\">Wishing Club/Book Club</a></strong> and hosted an off-off-Martha-Stewart <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/20/let-me-entertain-you-although-id-rather-you-entertain-me/\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Tea</a></strong>.  (After reading that post, my dear cousin, Rhonda, actually commended me on my tea hosting skills.  This thoughtful yet obviously nepotistic compliment nearly made me snort my cappuccino out of my nose.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs promised, today I present to you Act Three:  Wishes for 2012.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOur Wishing Club decided to mimic the ritual performed by <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780812975505\" target=\"_blank\">The Wishing Year</a></em></strong> author, Noelle Oxenhandler.  As part of her wildly wishful year, Noelle -- a self-proclaimed skeptic -- succumbs to the pleas of her artist friend and builds a shrine to manifest her wishes.  (Noelle and her friend live in Northern California, so the woo-woo factor is high.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIntrigued by the woo-woo, my Wishing Club agreed to shrines or -- for those of us less artistically inclined (that would be me) -- vision boards.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIf you are familiar with The Most Woo-Woo Movie of All Time aka <a href=\"http://thesecret.tv/\"><strong><em>The Secret</em></strong></a>, then you are familiar with vision boards.  You hunt for images of that you want to manifest in your life -- mansion, sports car, hot husband/wife, 2.2 kids -- post them on your vision board, and wait for them to miraculously appear.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPersonally, I thought the movie was a bunch of crock-a-doodle-doo.  Its obsession with materialism was tiresome.  And are we really to believe that \"if we think it, it will come\"?  We don\'t have to set goals, take personal responsibility, and work towards them?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800080;\"><strong>Then why aren\'t we all living the life and sipping mai tais on a beach in Hawaii?  (You\'ve had that dream, right?)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEven though I, too, am a skeptic, I <em>do</em> like the thought of Putting It Out There (as Noelle puts it) through a shrine or vision board to remind us of our dreams on a daily basis.  Then we might actually get off our bums and take a step or two towards those dreams.  And if Lady Luck happens to smile, then good for us!  We all deserve a little bit of woo-woo luck every now and then.  We\'ve earned it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy Wishing Club gathered magazines, scissors, glue, push pins and scrapbooking decor, and met in the living room for our woo-woo art project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Wishing Club Hot Tip:</strong>  When purchasing glue for your Vision Board Building, make sure to have your ID handy if, for whatever reason, you are called to buy rubber cement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8889\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Thanks for the laughs and the PSA, Tiffany! :-D\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-680/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8889\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8889 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100018-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGlue-sniffing is for kids!  Our Wishing Club is more than of age to enjoy legal kicks at our party.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-681/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8890\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8890\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100017-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter a little bit of book discussion and a lot of socializing, we started to envision our wishes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo, practically perfect in every way, built a real shrine.  Isn\'t it darling?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8883\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"225\" caption=\"Becky Jo dreams of a cozy cottage vacation home in her home state of Minnesota.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-679/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8883\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-8883 \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC100014-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecky Jo was the only one to complete her project.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany of the women felt they weren\'t ready to begin.  They were unclear as to what to wish for.  Others were afraid to wish.  If life is running fairly smoothly, could you hex yourself by wishing?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI left them alone with their wishing struggles.  Noelle had similar internal conflicts.  Wishing is a very private affair.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI, on the other hand, have absolutely no issues with wishing.  Dreamers are in a constant state of wishing, are they not?  I simply have issues with completing a vision board when I\'m sadly attempting to hostess with the mostess.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>On an interesting woo-woo of a side note:</strong>  When <em>The Secret</em> was popular 5 or so years ago, I built a vision board with a friend.  Technically, I created two vision boards because I couldn\'t fit all of my dreams on just one.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI located the old, dusty boards in my office closet and brought them down to reinvent them at the party.  I was amazed at how many of these former \"wishes\" materialized:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>my job at Noble Publishing Superpower</li>\r\n	<li>a dog similar in look to Little Miss B</li>\r\n	<li>my first passport</li>\r\n	<li>a man and a woman walking arm in arm -- <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/12/13/gifts-from-my-man-from-far-far-away/\" target=\"_blank\">the man\'s arm loaded with bags of gifts.</a> </strong> (This was a first for me.  I kind of liked it.  I could get used to this.  :-D )</li>\r\n	<li>books with my name on them.  (I don\'t have a published book.  Yet.  But I\'m self-published on this blog.  I didn\'t even know what a blog was when I made those vision boards!  WOW, how life changes!)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI finished my 2012 vision board a few days later.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8891\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Want to see a supersized, readable version of my vision board? Click the photo once, wait for the photo to open in a separate page, then click once again.\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/05/wish-with-me/olympus-digital-camera-682/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8891\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\" wp-image-8891    \" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PC230006-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have my vision board out as a personal reminder and inspiration.  Woo-woo, if you\'d like to come my way, that\'s cool!  In the meantime, I\'m working on my <strong><a href=\"http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/2011-annual-review-the-beginning/\" target=\"_blank\">Annual Review a là Chris Guillebeau.</a></strong>  The Review involves reflection, wishing, goal setting, and follow through.  Wishes and dreams are too important to be left entirely to chance.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: large;\"><strong>What are <em>your</em> wishes for 2012?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI leave you with my favorite quote from <em>The Wishing Year</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"But what I do know is this:  our wishes do come true, <em>mais il faut s\'èlancer dans la vie.  </em>You have to throw yourself into life.\"\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBest wishes for 2012!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Wish with Me.','','inherit','open','open','','8876-revision-46','','','2012-01-04 21:24:27','2012-01-05 04:24:27','',8876,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/04/8876-revision-46/',0,'revision','',0);
