F Is For Fajita Moment #AToZChallenge

 Have you heard the expression "She had a 'Fajita Moment'"? It's basically a very embarrassing event, something that usually happens in front of a lot of people. It became an expression when observers noticed shy people ordering fajitas in a restaurant. They become embarrassed when the waiter brings them in. The fajitas generally come with lots of steam emanating from them, lots of plates with extra add-ons, which attracts lots of attention. Shy people don't like attention.

 A Fajita Moment isn't necessarily humorous. It can actually be mortifying at the time. I can think of one such fajita moment. It wasn't so much fun!

As I have stated before, I work at a remedial high school in a self-contained classroom. I was on a field trip with my gang of high school, SpecEd, Mild-Moderate, Self-Contained boys and my 2 other male co-workers. It was toward the end of the school year, in May. The weather was starting to warm up very nicely and fashion diva that I am (not), was wearing knee-length peddle pushers, my first foray into summer attire. My legs are neon white until they get a bit of sun and so I thought I'd be considerate and put a little self-tanner on that morning. I was in a rush, as usual, but thought I had done a fairly thorough job applying it.

Apparently not! As we were walking back to our bus after the activity, I noticed that the tanner hadn't soaked in very well in some spots and was a bit blotchy. I mentioned, casually, that my tanner was rather blotchy to one of my co-workers. He started inspecting my legs and blurted out, "Wow, Helena's blotchy!" I couldn't believe he threw me under the bus like that. Now I had  8 males checking out my less-than-perfect self-tanned legs. Definitely nothing I wanted attention drawn to! Sure enough, they all start making comments like, "Orange you glad it's Friday?" "She may be blotchy, good thing she isn't b*tchy too!" It was humiliating, but I lived through it!

So with that experience and several others in mind, here are my suggestions for getting through a Fajita Moment:

1) Now that everyone's attention is on you, make the most of it. Laugh and smile as if it is the least of your concerns.

2) Is there something you'd like to bring to everyone's attention? Now that you have everyone's attention, it's the perfect time to have the floor. Request a General Pay Raise, more food in the break room, reminder that it's your birthday next week, request your favorite meal, etc. Always have something ready to pull out of your pocket for opportune moments such as this!

3) Create some fun conversation. Divert people's attention from yourself by asking about others' Fajita Moments. Everyone has had one or two and they could prove to be very entertaining!

4) Acknowledge that this was indeed a Fajita Moment and store it in your 'Fajita Moment Story-telling Bank' to draw out for future re-hashing. It may not seem funny now, but later on, it may prove fun to reminisce on. You just need to have it ready to serve up - like a steaming, hot, plate of fajitas!
What Fajita moment comes to mind for you? Care to share?

2 Secrets For Happiness + Motivating Monday

I ran across this familiar happiness formula and decided to think on it more in depth. The first secret says to use things and not people. I feel like we need to qualify that statement. While children are growing and trying to get all of the nourishment, wisdom, and knowledge they can get, they use their parents as much as they can and it's supposed to be that way! For so many reasons. 

It's when that child grows up that we start to run into the problems. I have a friend who swears that her husband didn't get enough love and attention from his mom when he was young because he is so needy, even more so than her own kids. He constantly needs assurance, needs money, needs attention and needs to be right. She feels like she is drained of energy because her husband is unable to give back, emotionally. Hopefully she will be able to help him understand that while it's OK to lean on her, she needs to be able to lean on him too, in order to keep her emotional strength and energy so she can continue to serve her family.

The second secret says to love people and not things...That is true for the most part. What I think it should say, however, is love people MORE than you love things. I think everyone loves a thing or two. I love books, flowers, holidays, art, and music. Am I not to love these things? I think yes, I can, should, and will! But should these things overshadow the love I have for my fellow human beings? It shouldn't and if it does, we have a problem. The 1st and 2nd commandments of Christianity are: 1) Love God with all your heart, might, mind and soul.  2) Love thy neighbor as thyself. 

 I don't believe that laws are given just to make humans miserable. I believe that there are blessings-if you will-to each law of God obeyed. So when you love your neighbor as yourself, when you look for ways to serve and help your fellow man, you will actually be getting your own gifts for doing so! And whether you believe in God or not, it's OK, these are Universal Laws, that apply to everyone. If you obey the law, you will have a blessing attached to it. Maybe you aren't in a place to believe in God, so you can't honor the first law. But can you love your neighbor? If so, do it! You will see that in the doing you'll be happier!
 
Today is Motivating Monday!  We all need a little motivation!  I, for one, love to explore other sites for motivating, mostly non-sponsored posts, tips, pictures and videos!  If I happen to find a great one, I'll link it up and share it with you on Twitter via the #MotivatingMonday hashtag!  It's like being featured!  Sometimes I miss some amazing posts.  So, in addition, if you'd like to link up yourself, you can do that too!  I'll visit your site, comment, promote and publicize! Don't be shy--I'm really very supportive!  Remember, any link to your posts helps your blog numbers increase!  This week I will be featuring a lot of the A to Z Challenge participating bloggers! Have a great week! 

E Is For Eggshell Art #AtoZChallenge

I don't have a lot of time to do art, but when I do, I'm going to do some eggshell art! It looks so fun, cool, and certainly no two art pieces are ever the same. So I've decided to do a collection of references to some really cool sites that feature eggshell art!

Here is a really great way to make a pendant simply from a domino and eggshells and some clear drying glue! You can 

make some really gorgeous pieces with this technique!

If you have a surface that needs decorating or salvaging, why not do an eggshell surface? It resembles old marble!

If you are searching for a fun and interesting children's craft project, here it is! Use clay as the adhesive for the colored egg shells!

Finally, this looks so fun! An eggshell mosaic! This is actually done as a craft for kids, but this would make anyone feel like a crafty person! 

Now that you've seen some basic ways to use eggshells, take a look at a pro's work, it's not just the novice that works with eggshells! This is some eggshell art by RedHongYi, a Chinese artist living in Shanghai, who creates amazing art out of ordinary things! This is from her '31 Days Of Food Creativity' Series.

D Is For Downy Chicks! #AToZChallenge

Tomorrow is Easter and little downy chicks are part of the celebration. So cute and sweet! Lately I've been watching some other kinds of downy chicks...little owlets of the Great Horned variety. Technically not chicks...but close enough! They were born about 22 days ago in Arizona!

When I lived in the country in Virginia, many nights I heard the at first haunting, but over time, familiar and comforting "Hoo, H'Hoo Hoo Hoo" I didn't know what kind of owl I was hearing, but now know it was the Great Horned Owl, the most common owl of the Americas. Living in Utah I live very close to a large equestrian park and in the evenings, when walking, I'll hear that call as well. But to see them in real life, raising a nest of young ones is really fascinating. 

From what I understand the owl cam has been up for a couple of years now. Last year the mom laid 3 eggs but only two made it. 

This year all 3 owlets have survived so far. When they first hatched, they were all white, and the most downy things you ever saw. Unfortunately the camera decided to malfunction soon after that and was down for about 2 weeks. The babies are almost a month old and wow, have they ever grown! 

I like to check back periodically and see what's happening at owl roost central. Before long, the babies will be venturing out on their own, helping in the huge task of feeding themselves. Mom and Dad have been so good, taking turns bringing in food. It's a 24 hour job! I haven't yet seen a feeding time and I'm hoping to catch one.

Facts About Great Horned Owls:

• The most common owl of the Americas. 
• Have tufts of feathers on the head, resembling horns
• Monogamous parents take turns feeding their young
• Fiercely protective parents - have been known to attack humans in defense of their young.
• Female lays 2 -5 eggs. 2 is typical
• Efficient night time hunters. Strike from above with powerful talons that kill and carry animals several times their size.
• They regularly eat skunks and may be the only animal with such an appetite.

If you'd like to join the fun, here is the link to the Owl cam!

The CAT Scan That Told It All

 
 I was at work on a Thursday in February. It was unseasonably warm, temperatures in the 60's. My husband, who works from home, decided to take a lunchtime bike ride through town. He has biked for awhile now, about 10 years. He doesn't do cold, but when a warm day comes along, he revels in it and that day was one of them. 

He hopped on his bike, after pumping up his tires, and took off. It was a little unusual because that day he had an ominous feeling, like something might happen. So, he changed his route and he let some air out of his tires that he had just pumped up. And then off he went, enjoying the day. 

Meanwhile, it was almost time for me to be off work when I received a phone call from the Fire Department. I was told that my husband had been in a biking accident and that he was waiting for me at Emergency.  He assured me after my questioning that everything was fine and he was just there for observation and check-up, standard procedure after one LOSES CONSCIOUSNESS!

Long story short, dear husband was probably thrown off his bike when going over a curb. He has no recollection of what happened but he had sustained multiple fractures on the left side of his face, along with the concussion.  

Thanks to the CT Scan, the doctors were able to put together a team to get his face back together again. If they were to leave his face the way it was, the left side of his face would cave in and he would be disfigured for life. It is amazing what these modern medical devices can do and in turn, allow the talented physicians to do their jobs, which included putting 3 titanium plates in strategic places to stabilize the bones.

Check out the CAT Scan of the damage that was sustained to my handsome husband below!  You can definitely see the damage in comparison to the unharmed right side of his face. Basically the left side of his face had a section that was detached from the rest of his skull! Plus his left cheek bone was smashed in, with multiple fractures and crushed bone.

It has been about 6 weeks since the accident and my husband has been back to get his post-surgery check-up. The doctor's were beyond pleased with the success of the surgery and stated that he is one of their top 2% of successful surgeries. 

I can't go without acknowledging all the prayers that were offered up in his behalf and how thankful I am that he came out as well as he did. Aside from a few forgetful moments as he is still recovering from a concussion, he is back on his bike and will be enjoying the warm weather once again!

B Is For Bacon #AtoZChallenge

Today I saw a fun meme and shared it on my Facebook page. The word that came to me instantly for today's subject was bacon!

Then, as I am wont to do, I got busy hopping around the net and came upon the A - Z Bloggers Challenge. Oh not another blogger challenge, I muttered to myself. But then I got to reading some of the great posts and the topics ('cause it started yesterday and of course I'm always a day late and a dollar short). There are almost 2000 participants and from many different countries! So of course, now I want to participate too and throw my keyboard into the ring!

So bacon, huh? I have a few things to say about it. 

My Grandma lived until she was 92 and every day for breakfast she had bacon and eggs. She loved her breakfasts, being from Tennessee and all. Do they make bacon differently today? Maybe, maybe not. But I think, were she alive today, she would be happy with the recent fad of making everything with bacon, from bacon donuts to bacon muffins to bacon-wrapped hot dogs. 

Back to my Facebook page, a few weeks back I posted another post that I thought was epic! It's Kevin Bacon, finally doing a video 'mercial about, what else, eggs!  If you haven't seen it, you need to! I like Kevin Bacon! I guess most everyone in America does. because everyone has a direct line of association that can be traced back to him. It's called the 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon!




Even still, bacon gets a bad rap in a lot of circles. It's just too indulgent and it's contributing to the heart attacks and obesity of millions of Americans, or so they say.  Why can't they pick on something else, like diet Dr. Pepper, or Diet Coke? I've heard that stuff will dissolve gunk off a car engine!

I was driving the other day, behind a large pick-up truck. I wasn't really paying attention, but the license plate caught my eye. It said B4CON. Upon further inspection, I saw decals for the Local Fire Department and the Local Sheriff's  Office. This was the heat in front of me! I had to chuckle that the guys who are called by a very similar derogatory name actually have the processed meat form of it on their license plates! Good for them!

One of my all-time favorite movies is Charlotte's Web, and the cute relationship between Charlotte and Wilbur, the pig. I'm afraid that if I thought too long and hard about where bacon comes from, I might not have quite the appetite for it, especially if I had a pig for a pet and that pig was as cute as Wilbur!

But alas, I'm my Grandma's Granddaughter, and like her, I love my bacon. Am I wrong? Share your thoughts with me!

Transcending Setbacks + Motivating Monday

Don't even take me there, thinking about the many setbacks I've had in my life. I know, we all have them. And have you ever wondered why they happen? I have. I agree with the above saying, that setbacks don't last forever. But I do believe that how you deal with setbacks can have lasting impact on the outcome of your life. 

After all, is it the actual event or achievement in life that matters or is it the eventual person you become that matters? What about the many men and women who achieve amazing things in their lives, but then crash and burn at some point? Was it because they weren't able to deal with those temporary setbacks constructively?

 "In your life there have to be challenges… they will either bring you closer to God and therefore make you stronger, or, they can destroy you. But you make the decision of which road you take.” --F. Enzio Busche
I recently read a post about how a young boy was sexually abused for a period of time by an uncle whom he trusted. Of course he went through horrible torment, even after he was able to finally tell someone, see him convicted, and get counseling. But he decided that he was going to be the author of his story, and not let a series of unfortunate and tragic events dictate what happened to him. He is an example of transcending setbacks and not letting the setback dictate who you are. Don't be fooled. It is hard work and even the most gifted and intelligent people can't seem to let their setbacks go. We like to hang on to them, nurse them and actually use them as excuses for bad behavior. I'm thinking right now of Michelle Rodriguez, who is a star in 'The Fast And Furious' movies. Apparently, she went on a partying spree that lasted for months. She used the death of Paul Walker as the catalyst for that whole rampage. OK....but on the other hand, just today, Vin Diesel, who was most likely closer to Paul than anyone on that set, showed another way to deal with that loss.

Another example is that major money-making, famous series, 'Twilight'. Apparently it was rejected 14 times before it was ever published. Talk about setbacks! 

So remember, the next time you go through a rough patch, know that you can choose how to deal with it and that it can either help you grow or can be your eventual un-doing!

 
Today is Motivating Monday!  We all need a little motivation!  I, for one, love to explore other sites for motivating, mostly non-sponsored posts, tips, pictures and videos!  If I happen to find a great one, I'll link it up and share it with you on Twitter via the #MotivatingMonday hashtag!  It's like being featured!  Sometimes I miss some amazing posts.  So, in addition, if you'd like to link up yourself, you can do that too!  I'll visit your site, comment, promote and publicize! Don't be shy--I'm really very supportive!  Remember, any link to your posts helps your blog numbers increase!  Have a great week! 

Knowing What Goals To Pursue + Motivating Monday

Have you seen this picture? It is powerful in that what we see onstage are those graceful and gorgeous ballerinas floating around on the stage. What we don't see is the intense work they have to do in order to make themselves appear like weightless nymphs! But look at those poor feet, do they not just make you say ouch?  I think I'll stick with the Zumba myself! 

Even with less stressful forms of dance, you still feel the pain. For a couple of years I explored the world of middle eastern dancing and we weren't even close to getting on our toes, but I ended up getting Plantar Faciitis, an extremely painful foot condition. So even my minor success was met with some pain from the work I did put in. After I stopped doing it so much, the pain went away. I don't miss it, either!

What we need to ask ourselves is are we willing to make the types of sacrifices that it takes to see specific kinds of success? For instance, when we become a successful business person, are we aware that it will take many hours outside the home, away from our families? We have to know what sacrifices there will be. Many times it is worth it. But maybe there are certain times in our lives where those sacrifices can best be made and other times when we need to let them go.  

I play both the piano and the violin. When I was younger, if I had wanted to be more successful at these instruments, I probably should have spent more time then, practicing, and less time pursuing leisure. Now, it's not a priority for me to get better than what I am already, even though sometimes when I see Lindsey Stirling playing her violin and dancing dub step, I feel a twinge of something....regret, maybe? I am content with playing fairly simple pieces and not having the technique and quality that I might have had if I had practiced and sacrificed more. I need to be content at being an appreciative audience member at concerts and performances, because I personally won't be on the stage, and that's OK! 

And what does it take to create a successful relationship? What does it take to raise a caring, socially responsible child? Those things also will take every bit as much sacrifice as any successful musician, dancer and business person. And are those things worth it? I think they are. I feel that certain relationships can be and are meant to be lasting. The family, the friend, and the partner all can bring intense joy and satisfaction. But sacrifices must be made--like time, sharing, selfless service, listening, and thoughtfulness.  Some sacrifices should never have to be made, however. For instance, you should never have to sacrifice your dignity, your freedom to choose what's best for you, or your friends and family in order to maintain a relationship with someone else.

Sit down and figure out what it is that you really want in life. Then decide if it is worth the sacrifice. And if it is, work at it every single day and know that your dreams will come true!

































Today is Motivating Monday!  We all need a little motivation!  I, for one, love to explore other sites for motivating, mostly non-sponsored posts, tips, pictures and videos!  If I happen to find a great one, I'll link it up and share it with you on Twitter via the #MotivatingMonday hashtag!  It's like being featured!  Sometimes I miss some amazing posts.  So, in addition, if you'd like to link up yourself, you can do that too!  I'll visit your site, comment, promote and publicize! Don't be shy--I'm really very supportive!  Remember, any link to your posts helps your blog numbers increase!  Have a great week!

Your Best Smile #Giveaway

 Have you been meaning to whiten your teeth? Have you tried and the results have been less than stellar?  Everyone has teeth-dulling habits like drinking wine, coffee, tea, chewing tobacco, constantly eating blueberry pie, not brushing, being over the age of 40--life happens! If you can relate, then check out this great giveaway! You can read the review here! We're accepting entries from March 19 - April 6th! 

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We are excited to announce that 1 winner will receive a $139.95 credit to Smile Brilliant, which is enough for 2 Teeth Whitening Trays + 3 whitening gel syringes and 3 desensitizing gel syringes OR the Teeth Whitening Trays + 6 whitening gel syringes! Enter in the Rafflecopter below! Open to U.S. and Canada. For complete Terms and Conditions, see Rafflecopter form.

 Please consider liking each and every one of  the participating bloggers on Facebook when you visit!  We work hard to bring great information and giveaways like this to you!

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FLASH #Giveaway! $50 Cash - Amazon or PayPal!

For THREE Days ONLY we are offering this Flash Giveaway!
One lucky reader will receive $50 USD Paypal Cash or Amazon Gift Card!!
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Remember, this giveaway ends at 11:59 pm on March 15, 2015! Tell your friends so they can enter, too!
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Enter here at A GAL NEEDS... and your valid entries will be counted at the time of the winning draw!  Good luck!

Entry-Form

 

Disclosure: The participating bloggers were not compensated for this post.We are not associated with any of the companies named above. No purchase is necessary to enter. Void where prohibited by law. The odds of winning are based on the number of entries received. Must be 18+ to enter. Confirmed Winner(s) (by Random.org) will be contacted by email. Winner(s) have 24 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.  My blog is not responsible for product shipment/delivery. This event is in no way administered, sponsored, or endorsed by, or associated with, Facebook and/or Twitter, Google, Pinterest. This disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements. Entrants must only enter with either one email address, IP address and/or Facebook account, anyone found violating these rules will be disqualified. It is at the sole discretion of the admin of the giveaway if the winner has met the rules or not.
If you have any questions about this giveaway please email Tina at branchpropromotions@gmail.com.