Happy New Year and Good Luck!

Posted on December 31, 2010 by Cindy

Most people I ask say 2010 was not a very good year. And, now, as I write this, we are just hours away from a new year. Prosperity, health, wealth, strength and good luck are near! BUT, only if you do the right things to prepare.

I’ve compiled a list to help you out.

First, there are all the foods you must eat. Some foods must be eaten on New Year’s Eve, a few must be eaten on New Year’s Day and other food stuffs must be eaten at exactly at the stroke of midnight! If unsure when best to eat, I recommend eating all day and night! And, if some of these ideas have not been your tradition, you might consider adding them, just to change your luck.

Eat a few long noodles for long life! (Now, it’s important to note here that you must not to break the noodle before you eat it, therefore cutting your life short, so, my advice is to be careful not to choke which is not very good luck, at all.)
Eat meat! Meat means prosperity and strength. Eating meat on New Year’s means good luck all year long. I’ve read that brisket is popular, but, many traditions include pork. Fish is important, too. Fish swim in schools and represent abundance. Whatever you do, do not eat anything with wings or your luck will fly away.
On to the greens! Greens represent wealth. Cabbage, collards, kale, green peas are all good for adding green backs to your new year. If you like sauerkraut, all the better, because sauerkraut also adds intelligence to the equation.
Black-eyed peas and lentils represent coins, indicating wealth, too.
Potatoes have roots deep in the earth. They (along with carrots, turnips, parsnips, etc) add stability.
Leave a bit of food on your plate on New Year’s Eve until after midnight to ensure a well stocked larder all year.
At midnight, eat 12 grapes, one for each strike of the clock and/or for each month of the new year. And, adding a 13^th grape assures your good luck!
It is also prudent to add a coin to your baked bread and your peas while cooking.

Here are some more “to-dos” to insure good luck.

Jingle a change purse at midnight and keep a handful of coins in your pockets, too!
Hide some money outside on New Year’s Eve. Bring the money back inside on New Year’s Day to keep that money coming in all year.
Don’t let the first guest of the new year in your house be anyone other than a good looking young man who is carrying a loaf of bread.
Wear red underwear!
Hang a pine branch for longevity, a bamboo stalk for prosperity and a plum blossom for nobility.
At first toll of midnight, open the back door to release bad luck. Close the door before the 12^th stroke and run to the front of your house to get the front door opened when the clock strikes 12 to welcome in the good luck.
Make lots of noise at midnight to chase away evil spirits.
Don’t sweep away the good spirits on New Year’s Day, but do sweep away bad spirits on New Year’s Eve, of course.
And, whatever you do, don’t forget to kiss your lover, right at the stroke of midnight.

Please share your New Year’s traditions so I can add them to my list, too!

Happy New Year and Good Luck!

Pin it

Clutter busting

Posted on July 6, 2009 by Cindy

Some people call me a neat freak! But, I’m not, really. What I am is one of those people that like to keep things organized – a place for everything and everything in its place!

I have found that keeping organized is the key to living simply and stress free. And, it’s not difficult if you make a plan to stay organized and stick to it. Here is my list of eight tips.

1. 15 Minute Rule

This is the most important rule.

Fifteen minutes is all it takes!

Spend 15 minutes everyday putting things in their appropriate places. Make it a game for everyone in the family. Set a timer. Have everyone straighten one area that is shared by everyone in the family. Or pick a specific location that needs attention (such as a drawer or closet). Do not spend more than the allotted time, but have everyone dedicate themselves to their tasks for the full amount of time. You will be amazed at what can be accomplished in 15 minutes.

Also, sometimes, if there is a good program on television, you can do your 15 minutes during commercials! This can be great fun, too. Everyone jumps up during the commercial breaks, works on their 15 minute project, then they rush back to the den to watch the show until next break!

2. Use it or lose it Rule (aka The One Year Rule)

Take stock of what is in your drawers and closets. If you haven’t used something in one year discard it. Of course, memorabilia and important documents are exempt from this rule. But, the bottom line is that to live more simply you must quit being a pack rat. If you go through four seasons and no longer use something, you don’t need it anymore. During my daily 15 minute ritual (see number 1 above) I take stock of the items around me. If I see clutter, I ask myself if I have used that thing in the last year. And you can guess what I do if my answer is no. I know this rule sounds harsh and it is. But it forces you to take a look at those things causing dysfunction in your home and provides you an opportunity to decide to keep, move or discard them.

3. Everyone Needs a Junk Drawer

Yes, indeed. This is the temporary place to put the stuff that you don’t know where else to store and you cannot waste the time right now to find an appropriate place. And it is the final resting place for those really odd items that just have nowhere else to go. Limit yourself to just one drawer, though. And remember to spend a 15 minute day going through it once in awhile to organize it. It will need it, too. Also, do not use this drawer as an excuse not to put things in their proper places.

4. Get a File Cabinet (or expandable folder or something)

Everyone should have one. You must keep your documents in order. File things as soon as you are finished with them. Throw out junk mail right away. Need I say more?

5. To-Do List

Make one everyday. Try to do some of the things on the list. Cross off the things that get accomplished. Do any of the things that did not get done need to go on tomorrow’s list?

6. Have On-Going-Donation Box

Put it where everyone can get to it. After it is filled, drop it off at your favorite charity.

7. Quick and Dirty Cleaning

We have all had days like this where guests are arriving in 30 minutes and the house is a wreck. Take a quick look at what would make the place look presentable and do only those things. Pick up dirty clothes and throw them in the hamper. Put dirty dishes in the dishwasher or stack in the sink. Take a cleaning cloth and wipe the bathroom appliances with glass cleaner. Wipe your counters. Make the beds.

8. Take it Easy on Yourself

Life is short. We are not perfect. Some days do not go as planned. So what?

Pin it

The story of the five balls

Posted on May 23, 2009 by Cindy

juggler I have been asked numerous times over the last several years why I quit my job as a newspaper editor to become a bookkeeper.

In order to give you an answer, I must tell you the story of the five balls.

The story of the five balls comes from the book, Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas, by James Patterson

This is the storyof the five balls:

Imagine life is a game in which you are juggling five balls. The balls are called work, family, health, friends, and integrity. And you’re keeping all of them in the air. But one day you finally come to understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. The other four balls-family, health, friends, integrity-are made of glass. If you drop one of these, it will be irrevocably scuffed, nicked, perhaps even shattered. And once you truly understand the lesson of the five balls, you will have the beginnings of balance in your life.

I truly loved my job as editor of two community newspapers. I thought what I did was important. You see, newspapers are vital to the life of the community. They provide useful information to their readers such as when highway repairs will be completed, or what time the band concert will be, or what day the library is holding its story time, or when the community will be holding its craft show, yada, yada.

Newspapers are also the official record for births, deaths, graduations, engagements, weddings, business openings and closings, etc.

Newspapers cover governmental meetings and police beats. Newspapers write about the crime in the area and about the little old lady down the street that skydived for her 80^th birthday.

So, I loved my job. The problem was that I had a super small staff, so I was constantly on the go attending events, writing stories, laying out pages, selling advertising, etc. I typically worked 70+ hours a week. Oh, I realized I shouldn’t have, but I believed the job was that important. I had to give it my absolute best to make it the wealth of accurate information that I thought it should be.

So, even though I knew the story of the five balls, even though Brian and I gave up corporate jobs earlier and moved to the country to get some sanity back in our lives, I neglected to heed the lesson because I loved my job. And, the harder I worked to keep that work ball in the air, the worse my health became. And, I had no time for family or friends. I neglected the people most important to me and I ignored the house and ignored the garden and rarely had any fun living.

So, after much consideration and cajoling from those who loved me, I finally quit.

And, although I still stay very busy, my life finally has balance.

Pin it