Fight Like Hell

Rules for Boys

Buy this book now—if you have (or plan on having) sons. I must thank Walker for advancing me a copy of his much anticipated book Rules for My Unborn Son. Gleaned from his popular blog, “the book of rules and accompanying quotes is quite simply an instruction manual for becoming a Good Man—industrious, thoughtful, charming, and of course, well-dressed.” It’s a book for the ages. Intended to be passed down from one generation to the next, it’s timeless in its wisdom and delivery.





















I’ve curated my top ten rules I’ve been steadily instilling in my two sons.


• Make sure your clothes fit properly.

• Nothing good ever happens after 3 A.M. Promise.

• Spend time with you mother. She’s cooler than you think.

• The key to good photography is not timing. It’s editing.

• Socks are not necessary in the summer, no matter how formal the occasion.

• Learn to tie a bow tie.

• When shaking hands, grip firmly and look them in the eye.

• Don’t be afraid to ask out the best-looking girl in the room.

• Surprise your dad at the office. Trust me, whatever he's doing is not as important as you.

• Never side against your brother in a fight.

Enjoy!

T

Do It While You Can

One day a woman's husband died, and on that clear, cold morning, in the warmth of their bedroom, the wife was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't "anymore."

No more hugs, no more special moments to celebrate together, no more phone calls just to chat, no more "just one minute."

Sometimes, what we care about the most gets all used up and goes away, never to return before we can say good-bye, say "I love you."So while we have it, it's best we love it, care for it, fix it when it's broken and heal it when it's sick.

This is true for marriage .....And old cars And children with bad report cards, and dogs with bad hips, and aging parents and grandparents.

We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it. Some things we keep -- like a best friend who moved away or a sister-in-law after divorce. There are just some things that make us happy, no matter what.Life is important, like people we know who are special.. And so, we keep them close!

Suppose one morning you never wake up, do all your friends know you love them?

I was thinking...I could die today, tomorrow or next week, and I wondered if I had any wounds needing to be healed, friendships that needed rekindling or three words needing to be said.

Let every one of your friends know you love them. Even if you think they don't love you back, you would be amazed at what those three little words and a smile can do.

Live today to the fullest because tomorrow is not promised.

from Live Passionately

Every Woman Should Have

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
...one old love
she can imagine
going back to...
and one who reminds
her how far she has come...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
...enough money within her
control to move out and
rent a place of her own
even if she never wants
to or needs to...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
.. something perfect to wear if
the employer or date of her dreams
wants to see her in an hour...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
.. a youth she's content
to leave behind...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
...a past juicy enough that
she's looking forward to
retelling it in her old age....
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
...a set of screwdrivers, a
cordless drill, and a black
lace bra...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
..one friend who always makes
her laugh ... and one who lets
her cry...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
...a good piece of furniture
not previously owned by anyone
else in her family...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
...eight matching plates, wine
glasses with stems, and a recipe
for a meal that will make her
guests feel honored.
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
...a feeling of control over
her destiny...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.......how to fall in love without
losing herself...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
..how to quit a job,
break up with a lover,
and confront a friend
without ruining the friendship...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
...when to try harder ... and
when to walk away...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
....that she can't change the
length of her calves, the width
of her hips, or the nature of her
parents...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
...that her childhood may not
have been perfect...but its
over...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
...what she would and wouldn't
do for love or more...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
..how to live alone... even if
she doesn't like it...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
...whom she can trust,
whom she can't,
and why she shouldn't
take it personally...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
...where to go...
be it to her best friend's kitchen table...
or a charming inn in the woods...
when her soul needs soothing...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
.. what she can and can't
accomplish in a day...
a month...and a year...

FALL

There's something about my favorite season. The colors seem to magically change over night and the smell of Fall is in the air. Starbucks brings out the Pumpkin Spice that I get a shot into my white mocha with one sweet 'n low, because if you're gonna die, you might as well go into diabetic shock first. I can't get enough of the fall foliage in the Pac NW. Texas doesn't get colors like this. For some reason the leaves go from green to dark gold then brown in, I swear, a week. I've traveled to New York in the Fall a few years ago...8 to be exact and was struck by the beauty of what surrounded me 1 month after tragedy struck our Nation. I had no idea that there was a competition between the West and East coast for the most beautiful foliage. I don't know about you, but this time of the year also puts my soul at rest. I feel a little more relaxed, a little more patient. Perhaps its my soul gearing up for the hibernation of winter, better yet, it's probably the Xanax that's doing it.

It's Not My Fault!

Gone are the days of forever sunshine and warmth upon my face. Gone are the nights of running 2 miles at 9:30 PM in pure sunlight. Gone are the days that my boys play FOREVER outside and come in sweaty and physically exhausted from playing 18 freaking hours of pure sunshine. Now I feel as though I am racing against the clock to beat the last ounce of sunshine from disappearing behind the mountains before I arrive home. They tell me that this coming weekend I. WILL. LOSE. It has started to turn cold and all of a sudden I just got the blah's. It doesn't help that a certain you-know-who has ventured off to Thailand for 18 FREAKING DAYS! I will forgive him for leaving me in about 10 years or so. Ugh. (Dramatic sigh inserted here. You can even go as far as imagining me throwing myself to the floor for full effect.) After my courageous send off yesterday at the airport and one step shy of screaming to security that they needed to check the bomb in his backpack and 2 steps from declaring an International crisis in Bangkok to prevent him from going, I slowly turned my attention to work...not really. OK, kind of. I ran to several accounts to talk about, you know, work stuff, and, oh? Am I boring you? Me too. Somehow I discovered the cutest little store while I was out and about. What a coincidence! I parked right in front of it and it just amazingly SCREAMED my name as I got out of the car. I didn't take my purse with me as I grabbed my work stuff to visit the office NEXT DOOR. As I walked by, its magnetic force field pulled me right through that there door. "I'm safe, no purse!" I walked around the store...touched everything, TWICE, became best friends with the girl who worked there as we talked about increasing foot traffic for the cutest store in the world. I found a few things as my gaze kept glancing towards the car which holds my purse just through the huge window. I'll just try on a few things. How innocent is that? They were perfect and as I put my coat back on and I slipped my hand into my pocket, I found my bank card resting peacefully, almost shivering from lack of usage. I am the luckiest girl in the world!!! I have NO need for these cute, adorable clothes. It's too close to the holidays! What about that trip to Scotland coming up in December? Perhaps someone shouldn't have left for Thailand! I am so blaming him!

Field Trip

I recently accompanied my 10 year old on his class field trip into the wilderness, where they not only got an educational learning experience, but they also did some team building exercises. It was also a look at why I don't need more children. I stopped to take a few pictures to share with you. Enjoy.




































































T

Knock You Down

T

Go Girl!

You can have anything you want

if you want it desperately enough.

You must want it with an exhuberance that erupts through the skin and joins the energy

that created the world.

~Sheila Graham

I think that wherever your journey takes you,

there are new gods waiting there,

with divine patience... and laughter.

Wake up with a smile and go after life....

Live it, enjoy it, taste it, smell it, feel it.

~Joe Knapp

Life is a great big canvas;

throw all of the paint on it you can.

~Danny Kaye

Creativity is inventing,

experimenting, growing,
taking risks,
breaking rules,

making mistakes,

and having fun.

~Mary Lou Cook

You've never seen the Alhambra?

Or the walls of Toledo?

Or Venice? Ayers Rock?

Machu Picchu.

They are there,

waiting for you.

The places other

people have been.

Now it's your turn.

~Pam Brown

If I had to live my life over ~

I'd dare to make

more mistakes next time.

I'd relax. I would limber up.

I would be sillier than

I have been this trip.

I would take fewer things seriously.

I would take more chances.

I would take more trips.

I would climb more mountains

and swim more rivers.

When I'm old

I'm never going to say,

"I didn't do this" or "I regret that."

I'm going to say,

"I don't regret a damn thing.

I came, I went, and did it all."

~Kim Basinger

....There is no obstacle
that you cannot surmount,
no challenge that you cannot meet,
no fear that you cannot conquer,
no matter how impossible
it may sometime seem.

LOVE BRAVELY, LIVE BRAVELY,

BE COURAGEOUS.

THERE'S REALLY NOTHING TO LOSE.

THERE'S NO WRONG

YOU CAN'T MAKE RIGHT AGAIN.

~Jewel Kilcher

Go for it!

T