Prepare yourself: long post today!
During the 80s, hubby and I, and eventually our daughter, enrolled in some self-help classes in San Mateo, California. A friend loved them and introduced us to them. So we thought we'd sign up for the introductory class. Hubs went first. These weren't cheap classes either. I cannot remember the exact amount each class cost but I'm thinking a couple of hundred in the beginning and up from that depending on the class and where it was. (Some were in Hawaii and some were in Southern California, some were in Arizona at a ranch, and cost in the thousands of dollars.) I went to one in L.A. and enjoyed it. But I digress.
Hubs went to the first one and when he walked in the door from the class that night, he grabbed me and pulled me out of the chair and hugged me like never before. He was so excited. I don't recall him ever being so excited as to do something like that and he's a very caring man.
Anyway, he told me he couldn't wait for me to go. I was to go in the next couple of weeks as that class was 2 days on a weekend. I went to the class and on the second night nearing the end they told us we had to perform a skit. Each one of us. I was mortified! I am not a demonstrative person and certainly not an actor nor have I ever in my life wanted to be on a stage.
We were given boxes full of props and about 15 minutes to figure out what we wanted to do. We each had to do something by ourselves alone or could team up with one other person. I didn't know anyone else in that room! I'm not the type to run up to a stranger and ask if he/she would want to be in a skit with me. I wanted to cry and run from that room. I got through it but to this day I don't remember what I did though I think I told a joke. But...and this is a big BUT...
As they gave us "rehearsal" time and then called time on us, they said they had another surprise. They opened up the 2 doors into the room and our "sponsor/sponsors" were invited into the room, which would have been hubby and my friend. I almost cried and left the room. If I was going to make a fool of myself, I certainly didn't want hubs and Pat to see it. I even muttered under my breath to him and it wasn't nice. I asked him how he could not have told me what was going to happen. I was angry/livid/furious!!! He just smiled. I got through it but I hated making a fool of myself. (I'm sure there's some psychologist out there that would have fun with this story but I don't want to hear it.) Pffffft!
However, I did take more classes and the two that helped me the most were a video class, where we all viewed ourselves as others see us, and a public speaking class.
Now, you would think the public speaking class would have frightened me and it did. We could choose our topic but we didn't know when we'd be called on to speak. The tension was almost unbearable. My heart pumped frantically that whole evening. The classes had different instructors and they could be brutal. This instructor was a very good looking man who I'd seen rip apart some class members. And then my name was called. I walked up on the stage, which was a simple raised platform and stood there. To my disbelief and relief, he was extremely gentle with me. I think I had just radiated fear! I did well as I remember and critiqued by everyone in the class. But as I stood on that stage, my heart returned to normal and I was at ease. I realized then that public speaking was about the anticipation of going up on stage. After that anticipation dissipates, all would be well. To this day, I love public speaking. It doesn't bother me at all, especially when I know my speech beforehand. All the money I paid for all the classes was worth it with just that one class. Oh, I'm sure I got some benefit out of the other classes but that one was the most beneficial to me.
I got rave reviews on my legs! That floored me. I also heard one man say I was a leader. That threw me for a loop as I've never, ever wanted to be a leader. And I have friends to this day that tell me that, but I truly don't care. I'd much rather just be a sailor instead of captaining the sail boat when we belonged to a yacht club. But I knew one man in class had a red pencil and when I viewed all the comments put on a table I knew he was one who said I had great legs. I was a bit intimidated looking at him after that. But I had on a skirt just above my knees and sexy high heels of about 2 1/2 inches. After all, I was the mother of 2 teenagers and I've always dressed modestly but that night those statements made me feel that I really did look exceptionally good.
*
During the 80s, hubby and I, and eventually our daughter, enrolled in some self-help classes in San Mateo, California. A friend loved them and introduced us to them. So we thought we'd sign up for the introductory class. Hubs went first. These weren't cheap classes either. I cannot remember the exact amount each class cost but I'm thinking a couple of hundred in the beginning and up from that depending on the class and where it was. (Some were in Hawaii and some were in Southern California, some were in Arizona at a ranch, and cost in the thousands of dollars.) I went to one in L.A. and enjoyed it. But I digress.
Hubs went to the first one and when he walked in the door from the class that night, he grabbed me and pulled me out of the chair and hugged me like never before. He was so excited. I don't recall him ever being so excited as to do something like that and he's a very caring man.
Anyway, he told me he couldn't wait for me to go. I was to go in the next couple of weeks as that class was 2 days on a weekend. I went to the class and on the second night nearing the end they told us we had to perform a skit. Each one of us. I was mortified! I am not a demonstrative person and certainly not an actor nor have I ever in my life wanted to be on a stage.
We were given boxes full of props and about 15 minutes to figure out what we wanted to do. We each had to do something by ourselves alone or could team up with one other person. I didn't know anyone else in that room! I'm not the type to run up to a stranger and ask if he/she would want to be in a skit with me. I wanted to cry and run from that room. I got through it but to this day I don't remember what I did though I think I told a joke. But...and this is a big BUT...
As they gave us "rehearsal" time and then called time on us, they said they had another surprise. They opened up the 2 doors into the room and our "sponsor/sponsors" were invited into the room, which would have been hubby and my friend. I almost cried and left the room. If I was going to make a fool of myself, I certainly didn't want hubs and Pat to see it. I even muttered under my breath to him and it wasn't nice. I asked him how he could not have told me what was going to happen. I was angry/livid/furious!!! He just smiled. I got through it but I hated making a fool of myself. (I'm sure there's some psychologist out there that would have fun with this story but I don't want to hear it.) Pffffft!
However, I did take more classes and the two that helped me the most were a video class, where we all viewed ourselves as others see us, and a public speaking class.
Now, you would think the public speaking class would have frightened me and it did. We could choose our topic but we didn't know when we'd be called on to speak. The tension was almost unbearable. My heart pumped frantically that whole evening. The classes had different instructors and they could be brutal. This instructor was a very good looking man who I'd seen rip apart some class members. And then my name was called. I walked up on the stage, which was a simple raised platform and stood there. To my disbelief and relief, he was extremely gentle with me. I think I had just radiated fear! I did well as I remember and critiqued by everyone in the class. But as I stood on that stage, my heart returned to normal and I was at ease. I realized then that public speaking was about the anticipation of going up on stage. After that anticipation dissipates, all would be well. To this day, I love public speaking. It doesn't bother me at all, especially when I know my speech beforehand. All the money I paid for all the classes was worth it with just that one class. Oh, I'm sure I got some benefit out of the other classes but that one was the most beneficial to me.
I got rave reviews on my legs! That floored me. I also heard one man say I was a leader. That threw me for a loop as I've never, ever wanted to be a leader. And I have friends to this day that tell me that, but I truly don't care. I'd much rather just be a sailor instead of captaining the sail boat when we belonged to a yacht club. But I knew one man in class had a red pencil and when I viewed all the comments put on a table I knew he was one who said I had great legs. I was a bit intimidated looking at him after that. But I had on a skirt just above my knees and sexy high heels of about 2 1/2 inches. After all, I was the mother of 2 teenagers and I've always dressed modestly but that night those statements made me feel that I really did look exceptionally good.
*
This little bottle is definitely my kind of decorated bottle.
I also love this little vignette with that darling striped cushy sofa and slipcover.
If I carried little clutch bags, this would be one of them. But I like one with a strap I can put over my shoulder for hands-free shopping.
Something I wish I had. It's so beautiful.
More ruffled bed covers. I actually love gray a lot but not so much for my bed.
Yes, I know. It would be wonderful to step outside your door and right into your boat on a pond.
Another birdcage froufrou-ed up.
Now, isn't this clever? A beautiful formal home with a rugged outdoorsy picnic table dressed up fancy.
Yes, I love this little pink sun porch!
And, of course, who wouldn't love this little princess haven for our very own?
When we lived in the California southern desert, this is what we awoke to in the spring time. There truly is a beauty and serenity about the desert I love, despite the summer heat.
I collect perfume bottles but when I have to buy them I make sure I like the perfume. One of the prettiest bottles ever is the Lolita Lempicka bottle. Just exquisite. It's blue and silver with the most wonderful fragrance ever.
Simply roses, hydrangeas and other gorgeous flowers for you. I cannot resist flowers!
I'd love to have this chair for hubby. He like arm chairs at the dinner table; I don't.
And this little table would go well in my house, too! ;-) Plus the little poof is adorable. And then there's that exquisite rug! Sigh...
*
Tidbit:
The telescope on Mount Palomar, California, can see a distance of 7,038,835,200,000,000 million miles. [We can't even fathom that distance! And yes, that's the way the miles were stated in the book I got it from. That's a long, long way!]
~*~
Linking up with NMH Open House Party.
Tidbit:
The telescope on Mount Palomar, California, can see a distance of 7,038,835,200,000,000 million miles. [We can't even fathom that distance! And yes, that's the way the miles were stated in the book I got it from. That's a long, long way!]
~*~
Linking up with NMH Open House Party.
