Wow! Have I learned a ton from conceiving, designing and writing www.goodoodles.com! I only hope that in these couple of months, all of you who have whizzed in and out, or stopped by and meandered a bit, have also gotten something from your visit.
The world IS a good place. People ARE filled with goodness. We just forget that with all the focus on buying, having, selling, beauty, sex and violence. We are still people that go to kids’ sporting events in the cold, with a steaming cup of coffee in our hands, enjoy sharing quiet time with a good friend, and feel good when we do something that helps someone else, no strings attached. I hope Goodoodles has helped a time or two remind us of that, and that there is always a bright side, if we look for it.
Live, reside, dwell in the positive, and spread it! The world is by far a better place than we hear and read about…help share good news with more enthusiasm than the bad and maybe we can shift the focus!
As far as Goodoodles…I’m signing off for a bit. Not necessarily a permanent sign off. But some time to go out and make a lot of goodoodles, I hope. But, Goodoodles isn’t over. Far from it. It’s just beginning. And, really, it’s been there all along, in each of us.
Bless you all. And may your days be filled with good outlook, ideas, discoveries, feelings, moments and memories!
Happy March, everyone! And to you new bloggies in Rockville, Dexter, Vancouver, Bakersfield and McClean! Hope you are all having the start of a Goodoodle-filled week!
The sun is shining on Madrid (and on the magnificent El Escorial palace, below left)! What a winter we’re all having on both sides of the Atlantic and beyond, and an oppressive summer you in the southern half are suffering through! Yet, Spring and Fall are creeping ever closer. Today, I took a long walk in the brisk morning sunshine in my challenge of renewing our Social Security Medical Cards here in Spain, where paperwork is always an adventure. Last week, I went to present all the documentation and they informed me that I was, of course!, missing something they hadn’t previously mentioned. The señora more or less told me where and how to get it. This morning, I made the arrangements, got there, waited a half hour, only to be told that to get the form I needed with its necessary stamp, I first needed my husband’s signature on it. Fortunately, the whole convoluted, ridiculous process made me laugh! Last week, I was disgusted. Today, amused. Laughing it off helped restore my smile and, as I hiked back uphill the fifteen blocks to the parking lot I’d finally found a spot in, I was able to celebrate all my goodoodles. The setback, in perspective, really wasn’t an important one in the scheme of things. Laughter and putting things in perspective… goodoodles and onto today’s:
There is old story a Zen teacher told me “In the Zen temple at the time of evening meditation the cat that used to live there made too much noise. So the Zen teacher asked a student to tie the cat up each time they would meditate. After years had gone by, the teacher and the student passed away and so did the cat. A new cat was brought to the temple and the tradition of tying the cat was maintained. 100 years later, many Zen philosophies were written around how important it is to tie a cat at evening meditation…” As you see, sometimes we do things and we don’t know the real reason we are doing it for.
The importance of the field of philosophy is to clarify things, make sense out of it all so we needn’t blindly follow the guy ahead of us. Who are our Modern Philosphers? Certainly, many of us have studied Aristotle, Plato and Socrates. Maybe some of us even remember what they believed?? However, who’s doing all that thinking now? (If you’re interested in researching for yourself, check out the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (http://www.iep.utm.edu/wittgens) and, if you have any good leads for the rest of us, please comment and share them.
One of the great philosophers of the 20th century I read about was John Dewey, an American from Burlington, Vermont who contributed in most fields of philosophy and psychology and was a major proponent of pragmatism (being practical). Dewey, who believed that people get knowledge by interacting with things (e.g., experimental logic), helped shape much of 20th century education in America. In School and Society, published in 1889, Dewey wrote, “Democracy has to be born anew every generation, and education is its midwife.” Now, I lived many years in Argentina, where public schools are pathetic and the poor masses uneducated, and have seen how democracy indeed suffers when public education is purposefully neglected. Philosophers that help us understand ourselves and our society, Dewey and his hands-on approach to learning, and the imperativeness of creative, well-funded, sound, public education…all important Goodoodles.
2. On-line Brain Gain. Internet resources to help keep us thinking, while we are in, or long past, our school days, are worth checking out when you feel your neurons need a work out. Investigate the mental gym at www.luminosity.com for a good exercise session, a Goodoodle for your brain.
3. Really good books for kids. My kids are avid readers, thank goodness and all the hours and dollars, pesos and euros invested in bedtime reading! For our family, finding good books can be a challenge, just because they are devoured so quickly. So, I’m always on the lookout for researched reading lists. Suggestions welcome! One source I’ve come to depend upon is the fantastic recommended reading lists for fiction, non-fiction, history, fantasy, mystery, etc., for lower, middle and upper school at the Greenwich Country Day School library in Greenwich, CT, USA. (http://gcds-lib.gcds.net/cataloging/servlet/presentviewpubliclistsform.do?l2m=Resource%20Lists) They have been kind enough to leave their reading lists open to public access, and while the school is private, the generosity of sharing their researched reading lists and the service they provide to their community and the internet community around the world to promote a more educated future is invaluable. Thanks GCDS! YOU are Goodoodles!
Hey there! Happy Middle of the Weekday, everyone! It’s taken me a few days to recover from jet lag and another to deal with a new version of Wordpress which is not working like a charm. But, back from the U.S. with a few new goodoodles! How are goodoodles with you? I’ve missed blogging and missed your comments! Hope today finds you discovering the bright side in life, and that these Goodoodles somehow help.
1. Unexpected patterns. Okay, so I told you I was a sometimes artist, at least for now. And I can’t help but see art in everything. I guess that’s why I am a huge camera addict! And while I won’t barrage you with cute photos of my kids with Minnie and Pooh, I did want to share these… patterns which were fun to spot and catch on film. Challenge yourself to see patterns around you. Some patterns may be momentarily stressful, like the crowds at Magic Kingdom!, at right, but others may be relaxing… particularly those found in nature.
Did you know that there is a field called ecopsychology involving therapies to reconnect people with nature …taking us humbly in the direction of the Na’vi of Avatar? According to Project Nature Connect (http://www.ecopsych.com/index.html),
As demonstrated by a quiet walk in a natural area, the grace of nature’s flow corrects, restores and balances life. In contact, it also does the same with the thoughts and feelings of our psyche.
So, look around, see if you enjoy finding patterns, and while you’re at it, listen to a roaring brook or breathe in the scent of wildflowers…it can’t hurt (unless you are allergic to pollen, in which case, skip the flowers.) Taking a moment to find unnoticed art all around us; communing with nature; and, Disney, on its uncrowded days!…Goodoodles.
2. Black swans. A very good friend gave me a fantastic book, albeit a studied read, called The Black Swan, The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Taleb asserts that the great events which have changed the world have been those which we have not been able to predict, primarily because we tend to look at the past, at the normal, at what lies within the bell curve, rather than the extremes which we ignore. The result is that, by focusing on the normal, the known, the abnormal throws us for a loop. I remember as a kid in Arizona, how real estate agents showed us residential lots with the positive selling point that they lay on 100 year flood plains…flooded only once every 100 years..now that’s reassuring, right? Or at least it might be, provided you aren’t in year 100, or worse still, when statistics are based upon historical and not future rainfall…not much comfort as your home and worldly goods go floating downstream…a sad lesson learned in New Orleans. The good side is that we can try and alter our thinking. The Black Swan gives guidance. Taleb notes “read books are far less valuable than unread ones.” Except perhaps in this case. Helping us think out of the box, Nassim Taleb, and the black swan which no one believed existed until one was first spotted…NEVER say never. Goodoodles and a fabulous day!
Hi everyone! Happy Monday! This is THE post this week. I’ve scheduled it in advance because we are visiting Disneyworld!!! Gotta love the Magic. At all ages. It’s BIG goodoodles. As is the time we are able to spend with family in Florida that makes it like coming home.
Preparing all our suitcases last week got me thinking about trips and hotel stays and I thought I’d share one simple goodoodle:
1. Sleeping under the stars. Back in my banking days, one of my clients was Caesar’s World and for our bank meetings at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, we used to be awed by the fantasy suites, like the Pompeii suite. Here, the high-rolling guest would arrive to find his or her rooms filled with all his or her favorite flowers, food and drink, etc. Then the lights would dim and a deep recorded voice would welcome the guest by name to the times of ancient Pompeii when lava flowed across the earth, and thus began a sound and light show, giving the impression of lava flowing down the rock staircase leading the guest into the living room of the suite overlooking the Las Vegas Strip. It was really fantastic…extraordinary, really.
Whether it’s special hotel experiences like these, a simple inn on the beach, a rustic cabin in the mountains, a clean motel room to rest a weary body while on the road, or a tent under the stars, getting away from home for a bit can be very regenerating.
In our family, our four year old is the most passionate about hotel stays. For her, that IS the vacation. She had the luxury this past year of sleeping under a five star roof in a Spanish beach resort near Cadiz. The other day, when we passed a hotel sign with five stars, she commented ¨Mommy, you know why the hotels have five stars, don’t you? ” No dear, why? “Because they give you chocolates by your bed!” Right you are. Sleeping away under any kind of star that you can afford, just for the break; creative, over-the-top Las Vegas, and little girls who have it all figured out. Goodoodles and a great week, everyone!!
Happy Thursday! Wow…snow is being dumped on the Eastern U.S., and is on its way to Spain. Winter is still here! Yet the crocuses (a goodoodleable flower if there ever was one) are preparing to burst forth through the frost on our Spanish countryside.
I had my site analytics checked and was thrilled to see that with all the growth in readership of Goodoodles, there’s also been a huge geographical expansion. Not only are you reading Goodoodles from spots all over the U.S., but from Europe, Asia, Australia, South America and even the Falkland Islands! That’s incredible! If you are from one of those exotic places…or from lovely Seattle, Garden City, Cabot, Mountain View, Scottsdale, Luxembourg, London, Toronto or Tokyo, let us know! This Madrid-based blogger is amazed that you’ve found your way here! Yay! So, wherever you are hailing from, here are today’s goodoodles and I hope they inspire: Read the rest of this entry →
I’m getting lots of positive feedback and emails from around the world about how good Goodoodles is making everyone feel. Good feelings and positive thinking. Inspired and inspiring.Keep up the good work! If you’re enjoying Goodoodles, please help spread the word. Share www.goodoodles.com …the more positive energy we generate, the better off we all will be!
1. Lobbying to save unforgettable faces. Okay, so imagine yourself anchoring a gleaming white sailboat in a quiet cove off the Australian coast. It’s a glorious summer day. You peel off your scant layers of clothing down to your bathing suit or swim trunks and dive in to the sparkling blue waters, instantly refreshed. Upon opening your eyes, you come face to face with:
“You can’t see the forest for the trees!” came the call from behind. I stood staring up at the giant redwood towering above. Dwarfed. Humbled. Small and insignificant. A tiny toddler at the feet of a centuries’ old giant.
I’ve felt just like that entering those awe-inspiring, dark groves of redwoods in Northern California, and I’ve felt like that ever time I wander lost and helpless, with a daunting task or tasks ahead, when I can’t fathom what the bigger picture might look like, or see any light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.
We all have our own ways, often many different ways, of pulling ourselves up and out, taking a step back for a better view. Blogging, I’ve come across some fantastic personal improvement websites which offer helpful tools for trying situations. I’ve added some of them to my blogroll at right. If you’re feeling lost deep in the woods or just want to stock up your survival kit for the next time you are, give a few a look through.
Over dinner this weekend, a friend gave me very interesting insight into Goodoodles. She told me that she enjoyed reading the blog, that the content was thought-provoking, well-researched and beautifully written. “Nonetheless,” she added, “if you are looking to create an interactive blog, you need to make it a little more accessible. Goodoodles,” she concluded, “does not invite comment.”
Now, I was a bit surprised by this, but in reflecting, I somewhat sadly realized she may well be right. I do want to give you guys good things to think about, enough mind-opening facts to give you the basics and links to more info if you’re interested. That is how I see my end of goodoodles.com. Yet, I’ve received emails in which readers have told me that they love to read the blog, but don’t have wise, witty, worldly comments to post.
And it’s here I’ve failed. This blog ISN’T about standards or expectations or formats. It’s about sharing good things, good ideas, good outlooks, good views, good news. I share them in my way and I enjoy thinking up new goodoodles and researching them for all of us. But, it was and is my hope that you’d feel comfortable, at home enough at goodoodles.com, to share your goodoodles in your way. Goodoodles are goodoodles…unresearched, simple, straight from the heart….however you want to share them. How about: “Hey!…
I’m happy because I studied hard this weekend and I aced a test I thought I never could.
Got a promotion!
Got a raise and boy, did I need it!
Saw a really cool looking cloud with sunlight on it today on my drive home and it made me believe tomorrow will be a better day!
Baked a cake and everyone loved it, especially my dog, Fido, who ate half of it when no one was looking!
Gave a speech and people applauded. It made me feel good!
My cat had kittens!
Helped an old lady down her front stairs!
Took some quiet time today to think about things. It helped ease the pain. So did the note my friend sent. And the phone calls. Knowing I’m not alone…goodoodles.
So, just for today, I’ll give you my simple, straight from the heart, list…no research to ponder and no links to pursue: Read the rest of this entry →
We awoke again this week to Madrid blanketed in white. After decades of living in milder climates, and although Spain hardly resembles my childhood Connecticut,snowy lanes conjur up all kinds of happy Read the rest of this entry →
When I started writing this post it was Friday and I was, of course, going to start with a “Happy Friday, everyone!” Today, it’s Monday, but it makes me happy to think about Friday TGIF! How do you celebrate your Fridays? For me, its changed over the years… In my teens and 20s it was going out with the girls to meet boys; and, in my 30s, relaxing with my husband after a busy work week. During our years in Puerto Rico, I adopted the practice of Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa (http://www.barefootcontessa.com), and concocted a different happy hour cocktail each week from our Pottery Barn BAR book. It was fun for me to hunt up a new drink and it was fun for my husband to come home and be surprised with a “drink of the week” and coordinating tapas to share out on the patio while the macaws squawked above us in the date palms. In Read the rest of this entry →
Hi there! It’s mid-week and I’m knocking out a blog draft in the minivan while the kids are in tennis and while the sun isn’t setting in front of me on the Seine, I’ve got that sunset in my mind’s eye!
Today, while my brain activity accelerates to churn out a goodoodle or two, I thought I’d share the mental exercise and give you a goodoodle challenge! Here it is: can you find a goodoodle in spam? A daunting task? Here’s why I ask:
Goodoodles, everyone, and thanks for the continuing positive feedback! It’s really true…good feelings breed good feelings and we’re proving it! By the way, if I’m a blogger, what does that make you? I couldn’t find a single word that meant blog reader. A bloggie? Is there one? If not, we need to invent it…now! Feedback!!!!
My tweak (hopefully meaning “positive change”) of the week, to improve the site and make it more inspirational and digestible, is to limit the blog to two or three posts a week. Time for me to ponder, investigate and write it, and time for you to read it, think on it if you choose, be inspired, smile, comment if you’re inclined. So, check in every few days and there ought to be a new goodoodle or two! Will that work for everyone? Thanks for your feedback and guidance! Read the rest of this entry →
Monday was a great snow day, with snowballs, snow angels, igloo building and the creation of our very own snow family. We all agreed I should take a photo of them for Goodoodles. The kids, especially our almost thirteen-year old, are really excited that Mom is a blogger. It’s right up there with when Mom joined Facebook’s Farmville game to gift avocado trees and hay bales to everyone. Cool, Mom. Thanks! I do my best.
Life has its ups and downs, its challenges, successes and failures. Personally, I’ve had moments of greatness and others of deep despair. I’ve collapsed into bed exhausted, sure I could never get up again. But, each day, no matter what the odds are, I try to find the sun. It’s hard to read the news and see how children are used as soldiers in Africa, how women are enslaved into networks of prostitution, how disease takes away good guys and gals, and violence and degradation abound, but as long as we ARE, there IS hope.
“Happy Monday!” I can personally confirm that the ”moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow gave the luster of midday to objects below”…we had a lovely luminous night here in Madrid! And, as you can imagine, we also had a great deal of consternation and regret this morning in our household that the snow had caused schools to be cancelled! “Snow days,” as we used to call these kind of days in Connecticut…without a doubt one of my very favorite goodoodles from childhood! Here in frigid, cloudy Spain, we’re planning to build a snowman and have a raging snowball fight, but first, my other goodoodles for today: Read the rest of this entry →
