A little bit of ZEN in 2010

A few suggestions for a happy and rewarding new year

1. Be the most encouraging person you know
2. Listen with your eyes
   
3. Take the statement, "I don't have enough time" out of your vocabulary. We all have exactly the same number of hours each day
4. Use the good dishes
   
5. Say "I'm sorry." And be forgiving
   
6. Return everything you borrow and consider things you loan out a gift
   
7. Write down your hopes, aspirations and dreams. And start taking the steps to make them happen
   
8. Donate blood
9. Take lots of pictures
10. Read more. Dance more. Sing more. Really listen to music
    
11. Stop blaming others and take responsibility for your life
    
12. Take "I'm tired" or "I don't feel good" out of your vocabulary (and never tell someone else they look tired!)
    
13. Remember people's birthdays
14. Recycle everything possible
    
15. Exercise and drink water like it's going out of style
    
16. Tell your kids how great they are
17. Get out of debt. It's not about making more money--it's about spending less.
    
18. Lose the weight and be done with it. And stop talking about it
    
19. Use people's names when you talk with them. Read name tags
    
20. Don't top a friend's story with one of your own
21. Be kind and give lots of compliments
    
22. Be positive and enthusiastic
    
23. Laugh out loud. Smile
    
24. Be a hard worker and praise the work of others
    
25. Learn from past mistakes...and move on
26. Don't gossip or whine or nag
    
27. Be happy for other people
28. Your home is a reflection of your life--keep it clean, organized and in good repair
    
29. Remember that there is no elevator to success...you have to take the steps, one at a time
30. Say thank you. Be grateful
31. Wear sunscreen. And a hat
    
32. Have a good attitude. Seek out the bright side
33. Get up as early as necessary so that you never have to be in a hurry
    
34. Don't miss the magic of the present by focusing on the future
35. Call your mother
    

It was a very good year...

Here's to more JOY, more HAPPINESS, more PEACE...
--and many more smiles--in 2010

Top three events of 2009

Being chosen Montage Master--for the second time--
and taking my beautiful daughter to the award dinner.

Going to Camelback Ranch--the Dodgers Spring Training Facility--
with my Diamondback-loving cousins Sherri and Robin!

Being with all four of my sisters--and my parents--
on Thanksgiving night.

Happy New Day

One FINE day

Good coffee (along with a low fat muffin and great conversation with my friend, Stephanie...)
Bookstore shopping (yes, I did INDEED need more books!)

Excellent Movie ("Up in the Air"-- highly-recommendable!)

Great Lunch (Voluptuous Veggie Pizza at Native Foods!)









Awesome Workout (STEP class with Kelly-{I'm hurting!})

Delicious Dinner (post-gym salads, of course...)

{Enjoying the days off more than I thought I would...}

It's a beautiful day for a ballgame!

...though it's a few months away, it's now officially on the books.
I'm headed to Arizona mid-March for my
annual pilgrimage to spring training.
Let me know if you wanna come.

Oh my, how I love this...

Keep Going!

I don't go back to work til New Year's Eve. If I've never mentioned it before, let me admit it now--I am not good with days off. I like to be busy...I like to keep going.
Three days off in a row means my house is immaculate, I've ironed everything I can find, and that things in the garage are now arranged alphabetically.
You can only imagine what five days off means....
In addition to everything above, I've had breakfast and dinner with friends. I've seen FOUR movies. I had lunch with one sister and dessert with another. I've finished two novels...I've even been to the gym three times for God's sake!

When I sit down, I feel like there is something I should be doing...
and my mind starts going...
and I feel like I'm giving up.
Actually, sometimes, I want to give up.

And I can't do that. I have to keep going.
I figure I have at least forty years left before they put me in the grave. And I still have a lot of hopes and dreams waiting to be fulfilled! There are too many things I haven't done yet!
I want people standing at my funeral saying, "Man, I can't remember one day that Julie wasn't enjoying her life..."!!
And, more importantly, I want it to be true.
I can't give up. I have to keep going.

So, today, I'm gonna plan my trip to Spring Training. And maybe even book another trip abroad.
I'm thinking about joining a book club. And a wine tasting group. I might even start writing a book.
And, in the mean time, I'm gonna go make some breakfast and have another cup of coffee. I'm gonna turn the music up and dance around my kitchen. I'll probably go see another movie and start another novel.
Yep, I'm gonna keep going.

'A' for effort...

Happiness is a choice that requires effort at times...

-Aeschylus

Had myself a merry little Christmas...

Let your heart be bright!

from now on our troubles will be out of sight...

Through the years, we all will work together...

Faithful friends who are near to us, gather near to us...once more!
Hope you had YOURSELF a Merry little Christmas too!

The DiLallo HO HO HO Down

Let your heart be light

Through the years we will be together...if the fates allow...
Until then, we'll have to muddle through--somehow--
Have yourself a merry little Christmas now...

It's December 24th!

Happy Birthday to my amazing cousin--and life long FRIEND--Robin!
Life is good...and the best is still yet to come!

Dinner and a movie...and quite a surprise!

Each year, for as long as I can remember, Allison and I have met (my former sister-in-law), Tiffany and her (fabulous) kids for dinner and a movie to celebrate Christmas! Tonight we met over at the Spectrum at CPK...and the night just got better from there!

Delicious food, great Christmas gifts...

Lots of catching up and enjoying the time together....

Oh, and strawberry cheese cake...!

But the SWEETEST part of the night came when we walked out from the movie. THIS is what we found...HUNDREDS of people standing around Tiffany's boyfriend, Greg. He had been waiting out there to SURPRISE Tiffany and ask her to marry him!

The whole place was silent when Greg got down on his knee and took out the ring. And they CHEERED like CRAZY when she yelled, "YES!"

Greg had brought a limo to take Tiffany home. (I even got to go for a ride in it!) Yep, once again, I had a feeling it was going to be a good night. And this one's gonna be a tough one to top!
CONGRATULATIONS TIFFANY & GREG!

Wine and CHEESE!

Last night was our second annual
"Eat, Drink and be OH so Merry--in your Pajamas" holiday party!

With my friends from high school, Elisa, Kelly and Sharel!

Our "eating" consisted primarily of products from Trader Joe's frozen appetizer section...and everything was delicious! Our "drinking" began with champagne and was quickly followed by a fabulous Cabernet. Talk about JOY to the world!

And, as far as being merry...NO problem with that! It was such a great night! (And, attempting to take photos with the self timer is always way more fun after a few glasses of wine...)

Here's to life!
And AMAZING life long friends!
(PS We have decided to make this a monthly event rather than annual...)