Too Busy for Life…

We all have had those moments where we feel swamped.  We feel like we cannot take a moment off to truly relax under the sun or perhaps enjoy the gorgeous weather before the world starts drifting toward fall and the arch-nemeses of the CatMan (GASP!) winter.  I think I just vomited thinking about it!  Don’t mind my lack of appreciation for the season…sigh…ANYWAYS, yesterday I had this waking moment as I peacefully drifted in the pool, “It is AUGUST and this is the first time you have put your suit on to swim?  What is wrong with you?”  I laid on my raft and stared up at the clouds…I always loved looking at the clouds even when I was little.  It amazed me that one moment you could be looking at this fluffy translucent wonder and the next second it could be in transition to becoming an elephant….or a T-rex…or disperse completely.  They are whimsical just perfect for a woman with an imagination and a great sense of wonder!

http://bonjourmisterbun.tumblr.com/post/24457951918
SEE THE ELEPHANT!!!!

The next thing I noticed was how large the trees look from this perspective, especially this one in particular.  What a beautiful creation!  It was as though I was laying below a sleeping giant and at any moment of freak disturbance it could come to life and take this bathing beauty out!  No such thing occurred on that note.  The tree stood tall with all of its pine needles proudly displayed.  This was a tree of great dignity you see having been one of the oldest on the property.  I was careful not to disrupt this little moment that I was witnessing as the rhythm of nature continued.

http://michiganexposures.blogspot.com/2010/06/tahquamenon-grounds.html

There was a slight breeze and the sun shined as bright as ever even though it was later in the evening.  It was unreal, serene really.  Who would have thought that a Sunday afternoon could bring such joy?!  And then the cousins arrived and all peace flew out the door as quickly as it had shown up.  Once everyone was suited up, let the games begin!  From noodle wars to raft wars, whirlpool creation to floating on the lazy river…we had a bit of everything.  When it got to be chilly later on, we moved on to the trampoline and played volleyball.  It was nice to enjoy my siblings and cousins.  There was no work obligations, no pressure to leave at a certain time, and for sure just some good old country time fun!

Because we have had such dry conditions lately, our surrounding counties have been under a burn band.  Yes, no cookouts…no bonfires…no fireworks on the 4th of July!!!  Lame, I know.  Burn band ended a week ago so we also christened the fire-pit.  We ate “s’meers” and “s’mores” by the fire.  It was awesome.  Seriously, the “fat kid” was in heaven last night!

Now, if you are wondering what a “s’meer” is let me tell you it is even more delightful than the original “s’mores”.  Let me educate you….(clearing my throat)…

“Ladies and Gentleman, boys and girls!  Step right up to hear about the most exciting thing you will ever hear in the world (lie #1) next to the man walking on the moon!  (lie #2) This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the creation of something so original it will knock your socks off!  (lie #3) You will be so amazed at the complexity of this item as it took YEARS upon YEARS to perfect!  Feast your eyes upon the “SMMEEERRR”!”  OK, literally a “s’meer” was an accident…when my Aunt and Uncle were dating in high school, they sent my Aunt to get chocolate for the group.  Well she got Nestle’s Crunch bars instead of Hershey’s Chocolate bars…that is really what happened. (ABSOLUTE TRUTH! NOTHING BUT THE WHOLE TRUTH I PROMISE!).  A “s’meer” is no more than a s’more using Nestle’s Crunch Bars instead of Hershey’s chocolate.

I have to remind myself from time to time, ditch the calendar and rigid schedule and just enjoy life.  Enjoy every little moment as it could change at any point of time.  Nothing is guaranteed.  Enjoying the little things is such a fantastic little pleasure.  Will you choose to be too busy for life or choose to enjoy every ounce of it?

❤ The CatMan

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Fingerprints…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuGda8jIR7Q&feature=endscreen&NR=1

OK I would be lying to you if I told you this was an amazing week.  There are some things that I say “why did I have to go through that, no but seriously?”  It’s like being caught off guard unexpectedly without a moments notice and yet you are still supposed to remain composed at the very moment to which this sneak surprise attack occurs.  Some times we might not know and others well….are pretty blatant.  Lessons learned…this was a rough week.  When dealing with a rough week that you wished it was over at Monday, just take everything in stride.

http://bigdealtome.blogspot.com/2010/09/case-of-mondays.html

Tonight for whatever my heart, mind and soul cannot settle in…one last push before Easter Sunday?  Perhaps.  I suppose my hear is listening too intently to all that surrounds me.  Well what does it hear?  It hears music.  As I close my eyes, I curl up next to my computer.  I am comfortable.  I am alone.  It feels good to have some me time.  I feel like my mind needs to sort out the voices and such…you know when it just all gets to be too much and that adds to an already rough spot in the day.  I am almost comatose at the comfortable state.  For whatever reason, I am in the “remember this?” mood.  One where as weird as this sounds, I wish I was sitting around a campfire and just laughing about all the things we used to do as kids, as young adults and in contrast to our “big kid” lives how much has or hasn’t changed.  I wish I could say that this is a good mood (and it is a good mood, don’t get me wrong!) but it’s bittersweet!

I am emotionally carrying a lot right now.  Why?  Partly due to myself and my thinker, but the other part of me is feeling the depths of the scars and impressions people leave on me.  I feel their smears and fingerprints.  Heard of the term “life’s messy?”  I clearly remember them (I think the fish oil is working!)  I am forever changed because of simply meeting these people.  I have learned so many lessons and just over all how to live!  I learned how to be a confidant.  I learned what it was not to care what anyone else thought except to be myself.  I can think of a handful of individuals that if they would have never stepped foot in my life, I would not be the person I was today.  I feel blessed.  I feel so thankful.  These people whether they understood the amount of impact they had on me or not are the ones that made CatMan who she is today.

I have a friend that is dealing with a hardship of a sick grandparent.  This is a feeling that I know all too well.  I sit here not necessarily stunned as I have been through it.  It is a horrible and helpless waiting game.  You never have certainty of the moment but all you can do is hope you have the chance to say good bye.  This situation brought back so many wonderful ones of me getting picked up by my grandma and us playing card games and eating Taco Hell….or waking up for Saturday Cartoons while she made us pancakes.  Or my grandpa….oh my poor grandpa…we used to give him so much grief!  We used to lick our hands and make his hair look like a troll, or while he was relaxing reading the paper….flick his paper and startle him!  🙂  We weren’t ornery at all…Or Herb my pseudo-gramps…oh so many fond memories of assisting that old cuss.  So much laughter and fond memories.  It was all OK because Herb said so.

My only living grandparent I have left is my grandma (mom’s mom).  Since Herb passed (which hit me really hard) I have been trying to soak up as much time with the people who are important to me.  This really puts things into perspective.  My grandma is a saint.  She gave birth to 12 children she seriously is amazing.  She is a simply the best.  She would do anything for anyone.  She will pray for you if you need prayers and whether you have a lunch date or not she has one already packed because she is up at 4am and “couldn’t go back to sleep”  And her dog-dog, don’t even get me started there…sigh…that stinking dog of hers….and good ole grandpa and his pipe.  Their house always smelled of pipe!  That smell to this day just really makes me feel at peace…he was one that left this world way too soon.

I wish I would have appreciated them more when they were still around.  They were amazing people who simply  gave everything they had/have to enjoy our time together.  Grandparents are something so cherished.  And if you don’t cherish yours then you got issues.  They will always hold a special place in our hearts.

The “remember this?” mood is not as much fun being singular as usually it helps to have at least one person who has these persons or events in common with you then they could relate.  😉

http://weheartit.com/aninhafitt

Who is it that you cherish in your life?  Who is it that really made some fingerprints or smears for better or worse?  What fingerprints are you feeling from others…just something for you to acknowledge.

❤ CatMan

“Lowly” Pasta Salad

My Grandma Mi-Mi and I have been hanging out lately.  Both of us needed a friend so we are just companions for the time being.  It has worked out rather nicely all things considered.  We eat frequently and well.  Neither one of us really “hate” on any food and we like experimenting.  So when it is time for her “daily feedings” usually that means I get fed too!  So I have a short story and recipe to share with you all.

One thing you should know about my Grandma Mi-Mi….she likes to eat.  She is skinny and eats a ton.  She is notorious for coming over the day after a holiday just to see us grandchildren (and steal our left overs!)  She has single-handedly started 3 civil wars over food at my house alone.  Imagine that….us fighting over food?!  What heathens!   Well survival tip #7 for surviving at my household:  learn to hide what leftovers there are or else you would have to sleep with one eye open!  Family will kill for food.  You know going back to the whole hunter-gatherer…thing.

Source: http://photos.igougo.com/pictures-photos-p259158-Grandma_eating_at_Cantina.html

Grandma Mi-Mi, she is a feisty lady.  I will give her that.  Having 12 children, I guess you would have to be!!  Well long story short, Grandma Mi-Mi had some whole wheat pasta that she didn’t know what to do with…so I made the executive decision that we would create some pasta salad.  I really didn’t know where I was going with this one except to say it would be eaten and delicious simply because I said so!

My mom and I went to the store and she gave me some pointers on flavors.  It was rather fun exploring the fresh produce section for goodies to include in this salad.  We lost her grocery cart once or twice thru the process, but either way it was a laughable excursion and we came out of the store under budget.  Surprising enough, we ended up picking and agreeing upon similar items.  Mother/daughter bonding all while picking up some “fruit”.  Sounds delightful to me!  😉

Needless to say, any pasta salad makes enough for a small army to be fed.  Well this made enough for Grandma Mi-Mi and I to be fed two ample helpings and not be overstuffed.  AND we even had some for our next daily feedings!   This large bowl ended up being downsized to a dinky Tupperware.  How dare I even suggest that we might have to “freeze” half of it for later!  I should have known that it was a silly comment AND HOW was I to under-estimate the hunger power of Grandma Mi-Mi….bad move.

Well to satisfy the hunger of Grandma Mi-Mi and myself we created this “Lowly” Pasta Salad.  I hope it brings you as much laughter and “satisfaction” as it did for us!

“Lowly” Pasta Salad

You will need:

1 box whole wheat pasta

1 to 1-1/2 cup fresh-cut pineapple

1/2 cup crushed walnuts

1 small skinned and sliced cucumber

1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped green peppers

2 chopped Roma tomatoes

1/2 bag Craisens

1 bottle of Lite Balsamic Vinaigrette

All you have to do is boil, drain and cool your whole wheat pasta.  Chop and prepare your vegetables. Keep the tomatoes, green peppers and cucumbers in larger chunks.  You aren’t going to be cooking any of them…but it just works best.

Once noodles are cool, pour them into a large mixing bowl.  Saturate your noodles in Lite Balsamic Vinaigrette.  I used about 3/4 a bottle to get them good and covered.  Use more or less as you wish.  Then, start by adding the ingredients in one by one and lightly turning them.  You could add a pinch of salt and pepper if you would like a little seasoning.

Another item that I paired this with was seasoned chicken.  I like the ones that are already baked that you can get from Kroger or Meijer.  They are roasted and I would stick with the original flavoring.  Basically, I pulled enough chicken off for my serving and stirred it in to my mix.  Gives you a little more protein and sustenance.  You probably wont want to mix the chicken all together unless you were bringing it to a party that way.

If not, preparing a seasoned grilled chicken breast is not difficult either.  🙂

Enjoy!

❤ The CatMan

An Eventful EXTENDED Weekend…

This weekend has been far from ordinary.  It is strange when life takes it course the laughter just seems to seep out of everything.

Making it on the list of things that occurred:
1.  Grandma’s house caught on fire
2.  Herb is in the hospital
3.  No fun in the sun really at all this weekend except for what I got in the car
4.  No house cleaning attempted; no house keeping claimed
5.  Slept in at the cost of missing breakfast….it was worth it though!
6.  Trying to freeze off a small but pesky little plantar wart….grrr…
7.  Got a great chance to catch up with Sassy Sis and had some good humor with her children

Friday:

Get a call early in the morning, Herb was having a hard time breathing so they took him into the hospital.  Went to see him at lunch-time and we shared his meal because he just wasn’t all that hungry.  He seemed lucid and with it.  Good sign.  I left work early to help judge a cheer try-out for a friend.  I was planning on going over to Sassy Sister’s house right after.  At approximately 6pm I went over there.  She fed me wine and pizza and then we talked for a good 4 hours.  Her 2 very smart beautiful little boys made me laugh so hard.  They have so much energy!  The best comment, just as I was walking out the door was “Here Ms. Cat! Don’t forget your baby wipes for your baby!”  I looked at Sassy Sis and was completely puzzled!  They made us both laugh to tears.  Sassy goes, does he know something that we don’t know?  HAHAHA.  Nomad didn’t laugh as hard as we did about the situation…

Saturday and beyond:

I was up talking to Herb and I thought you all would get a kick out of this one.  A few nights ago, he tried escaping.  Uh huh….like the determined man he is, tried to get up on his own.  He pulled his catheter and IV out.   OUCH!  When I got there, he just rolled his eyes.  The one nurse said as he was trying to pull his cords out again, “you don’t want to pull your penis off now do you?  Because that’s what will happen!”  He just rolled his eyes and we just laughed.  Hearing aid battery went dead.  He seemed to be getting confused.  Less crisp as the days progress.  He still needs some paperwork to be signed and such but that I don’t think is going to happen.

Needless to say every family is dysfunctional, but Herb really doesn’t get along at all with his true blood family.  This is not new news.  It is such a shame.  He has suspicions that their intentions are not from the heart….well I cannot speak on their behalf but, I can say that I agree with Herb 100%.  This has been a hard process for me.  It is very humbling seeing him go thru this…it also really sucks.  I have done a lot of praying and discerning.  I had to lift him up, witness him flashing me accidentally, him trying to escape and me actually holding him back and helping feed him.  It has been a really hard process.  To see a man who was completely independent and going thru this “damit, I need you to do this for me…” frustrated stage is a true bitch.

In my heart, I know he is tired of it all.  I am hoping this is just a phase and he will bounce back once his medicine gets regulated.  I truly never thought at 25 I would ever be walking with a friend thru this stage of his life.  I know that he appreciates it…but he too feels as helpless as I do.  Yesterday, was a rough day and that was hard.  Today was especially hard because he was getting more confused.  The nurse told me it was from carrying fluids on board…but you know when the joking gets less and he just is sitting there is simply enough.  He keeps asking about his cart…”where’s my cart?” I would retort “Herb, It’s safe at the apartment for you.”  Herb would then reply with a hesitance, “Ok…alright I guess.”

OH OH OH!!! I didn’t tell you!!!  Thursday, Herb’s NEW motorized cart was almost accidentally stolen by another lady eating at the Cafe’.  It looked similar enough to his, yet settings were different enough that yeah.  He yells from across the room “hey HEY HEEEY”  (progressively getting louder)…I simply walked up to her and told her I thought she had the wrong cart….she agree’d and that was that.  It was flipping hilarious!!!

http://www.myspace.com/bschwebs

Well so that is that.  Nomad is to be calling soon so I must jet!  Love you all and remember (as Herb always says!)  Life’s a bitch, then you die!  (fingers crossed on the second part that isn’t the case this time!)  Please keep him in your prayers!

Love your family.  Be merciful and compassionate to them.  We know not the struggles they face and we know not how much time they have left.  Make sure to kiss and sincerely make up at the end of everyday.  Do not let a moment waste!  Tell them what they mean to you daily…they may get sick of it but, at least they will know!

 

Ho, Ho, HO!

 

You'll shoot your eye out kid! Merry Christmas! HO, HO, HO!

 

 

I love Christmas for the very reason, there is Church opportunities to see friends and family that you haven’t seen for years, family comes from all over to see you, and plenty of food is provided to feed a small army…and then some!

How fortunate and blessed we are to have such a great and wonderful feast.  I also must think how spoiled we are in such a nation that we can pay NFL players millions of dollars for a starter season, yet we have people who are struggling to make ends meat.  It seems a little back words to me.

This Christmas, we started off with a trip to the Redi-med to get my Anut stitches. (This is a very typical start to a Holiday!  For an instance, I cut my hand pretty badly day before Thanksgiving…so TAG Anut…YOU’RE IT!)  No stitches from a Red Ryder BB gun…She somehow managed to trip on carpet and gash her head.  6 stitches later…sigh…we could start prepping for Children’s Mass.  We ate Italian Beef for Christmas eve and then relaxed as Santa came.  My siblings told us that they were going to wait until 9:30am to wake us up for presents…they actually stuck to their bargain!!!   As a family gift we received the game “Just Dance 2” for Wii.  I must say it really brought the family together!  We played it for hours on end and everyone was laughing and carrying on to the point that we forgot poor grandma was still eating in the kitchen!  It was my two sisters and I, my littlest brother, cousins–mostly their wives though, my parents, and Anut.  (Anut is how I used to write my Aunt Cathy’s cards and notes out because she is a school principal with an english background…she used to get so irritated! I am not the best speller; however I did that one on purpose.  It stuck with her now for years and years!)

When people get over the fact that you look stupid while you’re playing the game, you tend to have a lot more fun.  No joke we were probably burning so many calories from laughing and dancing that it really wouldn’t matter what we ate!  Life is too short to count the calories anyways!

Family is an interesting dynamic.  Sometimes it is easier than others to tolerate certain members but all in all they are what they are.  “Families are like fudge – mostly sweet with a few nuts.”  ~Author Unknown.  (Couldn’t have said it better myself!)   You were chosen by God to be with your family and embrace that!  They are the only family you got!

How was everyone else’s Christmas?  Any funny stories to share?

Just one of those days…

Today friends has just been one of those days.  In celebration of Christmas, I have worn my ugly Christmas sweater all day today with out anyone saying anything!  What the heck?  Do people seriously think I have this bad of taste?  Oh I sure hope not!

 

Just an example of my beauty today 🙂

 

Today is also the day we had our white elephant gift exchange at work.  I just wanted to say my gag gift of ikky wine went solid and was traded several times before I remained in the hands of Suzie-Q.  It was delightful.  I know that she appreciates it.  Unlike other people…sigh.  People can’t appreciate cheep booze…

Tomorrow is our company Christmas Party!  Followed by a B.Y.O.B (bring your own bum…duh!) Corn-hole tournament.  It will be intense I am sure!  I cannot wait to see everyone dressed up.  It is a great change of pace compared to the usual jeans and t-shirts I am used to seeing.

I wanted to also inform you that I have picked up a second job!  YAY, get excited!  I am stuffing cookies for a customer of mine.  They are good people!  If you ever want to taste the best cookies in the world (next to your mom’s of course!)…visit www.cookiecottage.com.  They are a local company that was started by a pair of sisters.  Local and family owned and operated…it’s fantastic!  Please support  🙂

I feel so unprepared for Christmas!  I have cards sent out, but I need to get my gifts in order!  YIKES!  SO MUCH TO DO SO LITTLE TIME!!!  7 days…

Merry Christmas to you all!

xoxo

CatMan

Being honest with yourself…

Have you ever had someone who has helped your personal growth or development blossom despite all odds?  I have had a good handful of them.  Herb would be one of them and its fabulous.  He has helped teach me a few things about myself and life that I think would have taken me a lifetime to figure out!

For Herb, a giant reason he is so knowledgeable about life is because he has been around since 1914!!  December 5th, 1914….you do the math!  Well Herb is also a recovering alcoholic.  He claimed sobriety in 1960 and joined AA.  His story of how he quit was a funny and sad one.  One day he was at a pub and had been drinking all day.  He ended up drinking to the point of blacking out, jumping on a train and waking up in New York City!  He was so confused as to what happened that for him, it was his turning point.

He has been so touched by the AA 12 Step Program that he has taught me some of the lessons he learned the hard way.  What an awesome program!  The best piece of advice yet, was about being honest with yourself.  That is the start.

Being honest with yourself is a hard thing for humans.  It allows one to critically look at themselves, critique and accept their faults and failures.  Build upon where they fall short of the Glory of God.  We all fall short but, it is how we handle our short comings, what perspective we keep, and how grounded we can accept ourselves for who and what we are.  Each of us was designed differently.  Uniquely.  Special ordered with a designed mission.  If we are really being honest with ourselves, we realize what matters the most in our life–because that becomes very apparent.  We realize what can be eliminated because in the end it is only fluff.  We also may not know what mission lies ahead, but that is alright because we are secure with ourselves.

I know where I stand.  I know WHO I am.  I know what possibilities lie ahead and most of all I have complete faith in God and myself to know I place my own limitations on what I can and cannot do.  God challenges them daily.  I never thought that in certain circumstances I would be doing all of the stuff I am doing and still surviving!  Coaching, volunteering, working full time…finding time for spiritual growth and family time, social time, and rest and relaxation.  It’s an interesting dynamic.  All about balance.

 

EEPPP! Importance of balance....

 

When you finally are honest with yourself, things become very clear.  I have been so blessed to have many people helping me grow in all facets of my life.  Being grounded, being honest with yourself, and realizing your worth are the first steps to finding that balance.  Next step saying no!  🙂

Now, today is Tuesday.  I am a one woman wrecking crew.  I may be super honest with myself in saying this but I feel like I am drunk!  I am taking everything out in my path.  I slipped and almost fell on my butt walking out to start my car, dumped my drink all over my notebook and desk, Herb called at 8:30am, I was told by a friend that tonight was the only night before the new year that would work for him to get together (I have to work and his gift isn’t ready yet!), and I really wished my voice was solid.  🙂  My case of the Munday’s came a day late…about par for the course!  Today I smile at the chaos going on and thank my lucky stars I am alive!

Song of the day:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOZuxwVk7TU

Have a great day!

CatMan

My date…with Billy and Herb!

Ok.  So I just got home from my date with Billy.  It was fabulous.  He really knows how to work me right!  😉  Yes he is ripped! and man after about an hour that’s about all I can handle!  Well….Billy Blank’s Work Out DVD’s are fabulous in helping a girl who has been literally eating ice cream and cake ONLY the last 72 hours straight.

OH man something funny happened today.  I was assisting my 95-year-old friend (Herb, you remember?) today for approximately 5 hours.  We had several things that needed to be done that he needed my help for….First off, we had to get all of his business in order (2 hours) then I had to follow him over across town to take his car into the body shop.  That was a nerve-racking experience and let me tell you we pulled several illegal u-turns as well as ticked a lot of people off.  Try a u-turn in a Cadillac….yeah not so much.  He was slightly disoriented, but in his defense…the streets around this part of town are definitely confusing the way they are laid out.  Well after about 15 or so minutes driving around, he pulled over and let me lead.

You can just imagine....I felt like I was his second guardian angel!

5 minutes we were there.  He takes his car in and comes waddling out to my car.  As he sits down, he boldly states “Well that was an adventure, wasn’t it?”  All I could respond was “Yes Herb that was…”.  I totally shook my head at him in disbelief!  I shouldn’t be surprised!  This was Herb we were talking about!!  We proceed to go to lunch and then back to his place so I could put his laundry away.

I at times might get frustrated with Herb, but that is only because he demands that I drop everything to help him.  His level of expectation is to the sky and beyond!  I must say I learned a lot and am continuing to learn a lot from this man.  He has so much life experience it’s not even funny!  Herb was as he puts it “partly cloudy” yesterday.  He wasn’t really all with it.  I don’t think he is feeling well personally.  Another hard thing that he has confided in me is that because his family is the way it is, he is going to have all of his possessions auctioned off.  He thinks this would be best.  I do too.  His family doesn’t deserve to have him.  Such is jealousy.  What a monster destroyer!  This has affected him mentally a ton.  It is so sad to see that affect him the way it does.  It just swallows him up….like Jonah and the whale!

Well on his adventure of life, no matter if he is groveling, laughing, crying, or hurting he always knows how to connect with people.  He always knows when something is up and when something more importantly is bothering them.  He is good like that.

Today I urge you to call an old friend up and tell them how much they mean to you.  Tell them before it is too late.  Notice those little things and learn to appreciate them because that is what matters.  Caring about people and letting them know how much the mean to you really is important.  Promise.  🙂

Back to reality, OP!, there goes gravity…

Back in the office after a really great week in Orlando.  I am back to reality.   Stacks of papers and projects line my desk and work area.  It is funny how being gone for 4 days will do this to a person when she comes back:

See what I mean???

Last night, I realized that I am a connector person.  I have a way of affecting people just from being around them, and I realized to that this is all the more reason I need to be more positive.  This week was about discovery.  Self discovery, self exploration, and business.  It was through the trade show interactions, airport random conversations, and most of all getting to know the people I was surrounded with that I realized I live for connecting with people.  🙂  It really makes my soul burst!  I also came to the conclusion that I cast a lot of judgements.  I need to not do that.

I was reminded to sit in observation mode.  Who am I to tell others how to conduct and live their lives?  Who am I to say that the outfit so-and-so is wearing doesn’t match and definitely doesn’t flatter their body type?  I am not the one to say that.  I need to be in observation and discernment mode.  What I can tell you is this:  By looking at how a person acts, dresses, and carries themselves you can learn a lot about them as a customer, client or just a passer-by.  Everything they do whether they recognize it or not, has an indicator about them.  Someone who smiles all the time, are they genuinely happy?  OR, are they a great actor?  Sometimes the phrase, “you can see it in her eyes” holds so true.  You can tell a lot from looking someone directly square in the eyes.  Try it and watch for a reaction!  Do they turn away or do they look right back?  🙂  Peer into their soul!  Find out what makes them tick and just take it all into account.  Why are they so happy? or sad? or just looking like they could use a hug?

Observation mode is one of the most interesting positions to be in most of the time.  You sit, non judgmental and just watch.  It’s actually more enjoyable than a movie!  This is why I love traveling!  What a great eclectic culture of people in such a concentrated area!  It is just so fabulous to me and brings me great joy.

"don't judge us!" hehe

You can learn a ton about a person just from observing them.  It is not being creepy….well…….

(Not like this!) 😉

It is just literally a better way to reach out to others when you are a little more informed.  🙂  You may find that you enjoy people more when you stop looking for their flaws and just go with it!

The CatMan