Old lady stalks USMNT at Stanford...

So, we happened to be at Stanford, in the parking lot just outside the football stadium when the USMNT let out of it's practice.   Chris Wondolowski and Brad Davis were the first to emerge....   They had walked up the hill from the locker room.   They fully engaged the fans.   They took photos, they signed autographs, they answered this 12 year old boy's (in  a nearly 50 year old woman's body) questions.   Confirmation, Wondo will sew his extra W in the same spot as he had before.   No, he doesn't know what number he will be wearing.  Yes, he and Brad were going to go support their teams at Buckshaw, and were on their way there as soon as they left the parking lot!....   But there was time to show the fans some love first!



Next came Tim Howard!   Yes, he would try to Shut 'em out.   He stopped, and signed an autograph for the young aspiring keeper from Chicago, who after touching the hand, was going to try out for his local travel team.   He posed for photos.  He smiled.  He gave the fans some love!



Dempsey came out and he was all Texas polite, full of yes mam's.   Thanks for coming to the MLS in your prime,  Do you love Seattle....  "Yes Mam", Represent well....  "Yes Mam!"  Such a gentle super star.



Out came a golf cart of bad boys.   They did not make eye contact with the large group of fans.   But whizzed by.   I am told they did stop later, but I must say I was a bit disappointed by their reaction.



Damarcus Beasley, and Jozy had time to be adored, as did young gun, Deandre Yedlin, who acted genuinely thrilled to be recognized and called out.   He seemed much more mature with his two tone hair gone, replaced by a close cropped do.   I am so proud of his composure.   Happy to see his effort rewarded.



I think this could be the soccer equivalent of the Miracle team in US Hockey.   So proud of these men as they venture out into a heck of a tough bracket.  May they advance!

2014 MLS Season

I am not a betting woman (literally went to Vegas and put less than $20.00 down on a table).   But, I am a woman with opinions, and I certainly have a few about the coming MLS Season.


First off, I love the Seattle Sounders and the San Jose Earthquakes.   Those are the teams that I have held season tickets for, and look at as My Teams!   When they play each other I imagine myself to be like Jackie Harbaugh at the 2013 Superbowl, proud of both teams and what they have accomplished.  But this season, I am also looking in a different direction, I look to the land where first I heard of soccer.  A place where once my local team was The Sting.   Yep, this year, I will keep a close eye on the Chicago Fire!   It seems that maybe old Mother Leary's cow has been at it again.   So here is my armchair analysis of the coming season.   Blogged for prosperity, so I can look back and gloat at my prediction, or humbly walk away with my tail between my legs.

Why do I think there will be a "Hot Time, in the Old Town"?   CHEMISTRY!   I think Frank Yallop is that coach/ chemist.   He lets the boys play.   He sees who gels with each other, and notes the magic that they can create.   He is starting with one of the best reagents in the league, Mike Magee.   That man makes any team better.   He appears to have a knack for building a team.  LA suffered when they lost him, Chicago came alive!   I love him for stepping in and playing keeper from a field position when he had to (6/29/2011) .   I was so happy when Mike won MVP for 2013, simply because he is!   He is not as graceful on the ball as Thierry, or as talented as Robbie.  He engages the whole team, and makes it happen.   I love the name Dilly Duka,  I want to hear it called out even more- it is just fun to say.... DILLY DUKA!   and rivaling him for the best name on the team is Hunter Jumper.   Who writes this stuff?  Now back field, you have Sean Johnson, who I have always felt must be related to Magic-great hands.  And two guys with amazing chemistry, Patrick Ianni, and El Presidente....  John Kennedy Hurtado.   THIS IS A TEAM.    I predict they will take it this year!  FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!

Now to the teams I love the most.  Seattle Sounders and the Quakes.

Sigi is NOT a chemist, but a statistician, unfortunately.   I believe this will be the last year he coaches the Sounders.   The Sounders are perhaps the most successful franchise in the MLS, and Sigi is a great coach, but I think they are not the right match.   He brings in guys with great stats....  and great egos.  Great egos do not make great teams.   Clint Dempsey only seemed to have mojo with Eddie Johnson, and now Johnson is gone.   Sigi traded away almost all that was good and right in the reactive world of the Sounders.   Can Brad Evans and Osvaldo Alonso be the glue?  The sounders secret weapon might be Obafemi Martins.   He is brilliant.  I would like to see Sigi keep a consistent line up over several games.  Overall, I think this is a re-building year, we will see some home grown players come on strong.   I have watched Aaron Kovar since he was juking around players in fifth grade!   I can't wait to watch what I hope is his meteoric rise to grandeur.   He is a nice, smart, VERY TALENTED player.   I have always seen a lot of Landon Donovan type play in him, unlike Landon, he is not a prima donna!   He is passionate about the game, and just gets it done!  I also love our home boys, Deandre Yedlin and though he is not technically a home grown, in my eyes Lamar Neagle qualifies.   It is those young players that give me hope that the Sounders might achieve some greatness this year!  But ultimately, I think it is a building year.  Watch for them coming on strong under a new leader in 2015.

Mark Watson, impressive.   To me, Mark seems a lot like Frank.   I think he is the strong silent coach who sits back and watches the team develop, sees where the chemistry is, and positions it to make more.  This truly seems to be a building year for the Quakes.  The new blood that they acquired in the off season is young.   There are many reasons to be optimistic about this team.   WONDO being the biggest.  Like Mike Magee, he creates a team.  He is scrappy.  Not necessarily so skilled, but man, this man is in the right place at the right time.   He is a true clinch player.  Mike Fucito is the hidden treasure on this team, in my humble opinion.   It is the right team for him to make a name for himself on after a few years of bad luck and injuries.   Look for Mikey to come on strong!  There are the bash brothers, who I sort of wish would bash less, and The bull in the back line, Big Vic aka Muma (Victor Bernardez).  These guys are really nice off the field, but BEASTS on the pitch.   Look for them to really come alive in 2015 with their new stadium.  I expect the same type of energy that Sporting Kansas City experienced...  Only more cause it is Silicon Valley.

Other teams to watch include:

Portland Timbers, Merritt Paulson seems to have his Dad's eye for sustainable growth...   In my eyes, his 2013 team worked together better than any other in the league.

New England Revolution, Young guns having some fun!

LA Galaxy, as a Sounder and Quakes fan, I just can't like them.   But Robbie Keanne is probably the best individual player in the league.

New York Red Bulls, Thierry Henry is the most beautiful ball player in the league, thank God the Quakes have grass so I can witness his grace live on the pitch!

So, one more week until my weekends are filled with MLS LIVE, and home games struggling to squeeze into the mis-labeled seats at Buck Shaw Stadium.   I can't wait!

Deerfield High School Class of 1983 Yearbook Pages

Welcome Warriors!

Rich Berkshire has asked me to post these yearbook photos.

Please enjoy them.   Don't forget the DHS 30 year reunion will take place on September 21, 2013.

Also, Lesley Picchietti has started a page to raise funds for Mike Buccola, who is waiting for his third liver transplant.   If you have some money to spare, send it Mike's way!....  If not at least make sure you are an organ donor, such an important gift to give, recycle yourself!

DONATE TO MIKE BUCCOLA

A Lesson in Impermanence...They flew the coop!

Over the last month, I have watched a hummingbird family grow.   I believe I witnessed the courtship and mating.   Definitely saw the sweet little nest.  Missed seeing the eggs (too hidden), but saw Momma sit there, and finally observed her feeding the two little guys, and watched them grow!   This weekend, they flew.   We missed the maiden flight of the first sibling, but got to see the second guy flit from branch to branch as he tested out his wings!  

I felt like Mamma hummingbird was there to teach me a lesson.   She backed off as the birds grew up....  becoming more and more scarce.   She never seemed to mind how much they soiled the nest, and pushed it out of shape and to it's limits.   What started out as a tidy little pad, ended up pretty messy.   Then one day, no one was there!....   Not mama, and not the kids!   My kids crave that same independence and space that mama "H" gave her kiddos.  

Impermanence is part of life.   Detaching from those we love, a necessity that will only cause suffering if we fail to do it!  With a 17 and an 18 year-old testing their wings, I must watch from a bit further away than I would like, as they soil the nest, and ultimately fly off to their own life.   

Behave As If This Is The Day You Will Be Remembered

I love Dr. Seuss!   So much wisdom, packed in a fun little rhyme!   As I embark on my job search this week, I will keep in mind that companies should be measured by lesson number 4.   I encourage all to examine your life and make sure you are behaving as if this is the day you will be remembered!

Invitation to the Tea Party!.... Not the political kind.

TEA TRAY 

for Chiara's Party

When I was a stay at home mom, and Chiara was a little girl, tea parties were a very regular occurrence.  Sometimes it was just Kiki and her stuffed animals.   Sometimes it included dear friends.  As Kiki became Z, and I began to work full time, the tea parties all but stopped.   We did have high tea together at Harrods, her answer to having to sit through an live Arsenal match, but other than that tea parties were few and far between.  Shortly before we left Seattle, Chiara asked to have a tea party.  I was thrilled!  Home-made scones, cucumber sandwiches, fresh berries....  I love everything about a tea party!

Tea is so civilized.  It is yummy food in reasonable portions.  It is a moderately sized beverage, that comes naturally sugar free that you can't guzzle down.   It is mostly a chance to gather with friends and enjoy their company.   Also a great excuse to wear awesome hats, dress to the nines (if you are so inclined), and share electronic free time together (who could possibly leave their cell phone on for tea!)

In this era of electronics, we are forced to be a bit less civilized.   Friend's blogs, and facebook photos and personal anecdotes have to serve as my substitute tea party.   Today, I invite you all to virtual tea at my place!

The View 

From Chiara's Most Recent Tea Party

Happiness Is a Choice!

Last night, I listened as Chiara interviewed Chauncey about happiness for a school project (Click to see her website).

It was such an awesome experience.  His words are still with me this morning:

..."So you know how you would do something over and over again if you want it to become a habit?...  I think the same thing applies to positive thinking in order to attain happiness, 'cause happiness is just a choice in a single moment.  And if you make a habit of choosing to be happy, then you will be consistently more happy.   And I guess, my goal is to be choosing to be happy so frequently that it becomes such an intrinsic like habit, that it just becomes a part of who I am and I am just happy all the time."....

Oh, I wish I were as wise and creative as my kids!   I am a proud mama!

Chiara's Freestyle Website

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!.... and Share!

I have always loved the sentiment:

REDUCE!

REUSE!

RECYCLE!

Somehow I think Share needs to be there too!

So I will share some of my favorite ways,  that I see these concepts at work...

1.  Nancy is the Queen of Recycling!   She has made an incredible recycled haven in her backyard...  including her decking, and even a room in a recycled container, that I believe she is using as a bed and breakfast.   Here is a link to her very cool blog!

RE: Place in PDX

2.  Anna, my new friend here in the bay area.   She is the amazing recipient of a set of new lungs.   Anyone who knows someone with Cystic Fibrosis can appreciate just what an incredible new lease on life that a set of lungs can provide!  I am in awe of her!   She kicks butt at U-Jam and is training for the World Transplant Olympics in South Africa.   She designed a T-shirt with an incredible message...  (front) Go Green....   (back) Recycle Yourself.....   Become an Organ Donor!   Check them out on her blog.

Anna Bananas Variety Show

3.  Finally there is my daughter, Chiara- I am in awe of her.   She is a die hard shopper at Goodwill.   She finds cool clothes, and then embellishes them.   Some have been graced with images that she stencils and spray paints either onto patches, or directly onto the garment.   Other items have been enhanced with other fabric details from material that she has accumulated. Then there are studs!   

She encourages us to save any glass jars that our food comes in.   Every day she brings coffee to school in recycled peanut butter jars!   She is so cool!

I am blessed to live a life where there is abundance.  Plenty to reduce, reuse, recycle and share!   

Please share any ways you are inspired to go green!

If It Is Important to You, You Will Find a Way! If Not, You Will Find an Excuse!

This is my truth for the day.   Until someone had decided to make a change there is no way that you can  convince them.  As I examine my own life, I find this particularly true...especially when it comes to raising kids.   What are some examples in your own life where this is the case!   I love to see comments pop up!

REMEMBER- YOUR FOCUS DETERMINES YOUR REALITY

Your focus determines your reality.   This has been the tag line on my personal emails for as long as I can remember.   It is a classic line from Star Wars' Episode I, spoken by Qui Gon Jinn.  It has been the mantra that we have fed to our kids since they were young.

Craig moved to the bay area in September of 2011.   We knew that I would follow, but with two kids in high school it was unclear when that would happen, but at that point Craig encouraged me to focus on what I wanted when I got to California.   Craig's intention was for me to focus on my career.   I knew  I wanted to take a bit of a sabbatical, so my focus was on finding a great group of women to surround myself with at our new home.

Mission accomplished.  My sister Ruth and dear friend Sue were already in the area, so I had a head start on this.    Within months of my moving here, my mom decided at nearly 80 years old, she would leave the state she where she had lived her entire life, and join us in the Bay Area!

I started working out at the YMCA, and  found an amazing group of women.   Younger, older, from all around the world, it is amazing.   I love this group. They are kind and supportive.   They believe in themselves and each other to make the world a better place.   I feel so fortunate to be surrounded by their energy!

Next, I knew I wanted a neighborhood book club.   Poof!   All it took was putting that intention out there at the community picnic, and a book club was formed!   Another great group of women, all within a block of my home!   Yep, your focus truly does determine your reality!

Anyone who knows me, knows that my passions are:  my family, books and soccer!...   Guess who won the Supporter's Shield last year?....   THE QUAKES!  -my new club (yes...still an enormous Sounders fan too).   Okay now proof positive of your focus determines your reality....   One of my all time favorite Sounders is now sporting the kit of the San Jose Earthquakes!   Mike Fucito is here!

Settled, I am.   The kids are acclimating.   Craig is loving his job.   One "little" detail remains, my career.  So it is now with intense focus that I am thinking of all the characteristics that I want in my next position.    I look forward to letting everyone know soon, where I end up!

Thanks for reading this post to the end.   As you can see, I believe it is one of the most profound lines ever to appear in a movie.  Please comment and share your favorite movie quotes and how they have impacted your life!

Good, Better, Best....

GOOD

BETTER

BEST

NEVER LET IT REST

'TIL YOUR GOOD IS BETTER

AND YOUR BETTER IS THE BEST!

I will forever hear this little mantra in Mr. Brawder's voice, my high school chemistry teacher.   I may not be able to tell you any atomic weights, or recite the periodic table, but that life lesson stuck.   

It is my wish for you to uncover your life's passion, so that it is easy to put this wisdom into practice!

Today! My Favorite Day.

All that truly exists is the present moment.   The past is gone, it can never be relived.   The future is indefinite, who knows what will happen.   But you have this moment.   What you choose to do in this moment defines who you are.   Enough past moments that are consistant build a reputation.  Enough well lived moments can lead to a healthy, happy future.  But all that we have is Today!   Winnie the Pooh was so wise!

Words are Powerful!

I had a plaque that bothered my husband.  It read:

NEVER

NEVER

GIVE UP

I thought this a motivational tid-bit of perseverance.  He read it as three negative sentiments.

I think he is right, the focus is not on the positive.  Words are powerful, choose them wisely.

So today, I leave you with the thought:

ALWAYS

ALWAYS

DO YOUR BEST

Make it a GREAT day!

I have closed my work correspondence (voicemail and reply emails) with "Make it a great day."  for a long time.  It became a bit of a "tag line" for me.  Co-workers and clients would comment on it, or slip it into their conversations with me....  Make it a great day.   

It is so simple, and yet powerful.  You have the ability to take whatever day is before you, and make it a great day.   You choose the angle from which you view and interpret the world.   Just a change in perspective can make all the difference.  Try it today.   Make it a Great day!

Change the World with One Positive Thought at a Time

I enjoy writing.   In the past  my writing has either been highly personal, or for business.

I have decided to publish positive thoughts.   I hope you find my efforts beneficial.

Today's simple message is:

Change the world with one positive thought at a time.