Optimist or Pessimist?

You Are a Realist

You don't see the glass as half empty or half full. You see what's exactly in the glass. You never try to make a bad situation seem better than it is... But you also never sabotage any good things you have going on. You are brutally honest in your assessments of situations - and this always seems to help you cope.

Are You An Optimist or Pessimist?

Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow

This has been sitting in my draft folder for so long that I don't even remember where I originally saw it but I'm sure it came from one of the Blogs that I read on a regular basis. If you are reading this and recognize it as something from your site, please let me know so that I can credit you. Now onto the important stuff a glimpse at Jewells from yesterday, today and tomorrow.

==========

Where were you in 1987? In school? Working? Single? Married? Attached? What was important to you? What were you doing creatively? Tell us a bit about your life then.
1987 found me in the 8th and 9th grade and Churchill Junior High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. I was in the midst of the awkward *ugly duckling* stage of my adolescence complete with braces, glasses and zits. I liked school and got good grades and was involved in numerous extra-curricular activities including competitive swimming, girl scouts and church youth group. I loved being a "big sister" so when my mother asked me to do extra chores around the house like assisting my brothers with their homework and preparing family meals, I was thrilled. Some immediate things come to mind when I think about 1987, in no particular order they include:

• My bedtime was 8:30 p.m., yet I was desperately trying to convince my parents that it should be later.
• My hero was Janet Evans who broke numerous world records that year.
• I had my first kiss with the boy next door that summer.
• I went to Girl Scout camp for a total of 4 weeks that summer including a 2-week Mariner camp. My camp name was Fruitchew.
• I wore red glasses.
• I got my first CD player for Christmas and the first CD I owned was Phil Collins No Jacket Required.

Where were you in 1997? What would you like to share about the nineties?
In 1997 I was living in Salt Lake City, Utah and working as Business Manager for my mother's Speech Pathology private practice. I had been back in Salt Lake (from Oregon) for a little over a year and remember being frustrated in finding the right group of friends. In February, my parents ended their 29 year relationship in a bitter and ugly divorce that I was far more involved in that I would have like to. I March, my maternal grandmother passed away after years of living in a nursing home. Some random things about 1997 include:

• My salary was $18,000 a year.
• My car was a 1992 Honda Civic with TONS of miles on it.
• My Mom and I celebrated Mother's Day by exploring Gardner Village for the first time. It was a day I will never forget.
• I got my first set of golf clubs and lessons.

Where did you plan to be or think you'd be in 2007? Have you realized your goals? What is one thing about your present life you love and one you'd like to change?
I guess it depends of when the question was posed. When I was younger I always thought that my thirties would be the time in my life devoted to starting and raising a family but I have learned that life doesn't always turn out the way you plan it. But even though my life may not have turned out like I pictured it many years ago, in many ways I think it's better and really can't imagine being in any other place than I am right now. Some things that I love about my life right now:

• My career has gone in a direction that I would have never picked but am really pretty good at.
• I absolutely love Seattle and feel that I have finally found "my home" here.
• I am blessed with wonderful people in my life who support me, love me and encourage me more than I imagined possible.
• I have concurred cancer and will soon reach the 5-year milestone which seems so far away, not so long ago.

Some things that I would like to change:

• Identify my passion and work towards a career doing it.
• Lose some weight, get in shape and be more healthy.

How do you see your life in 2017? Do you have any goals or dreams for your future?
Life in 2017 seems really far away, yet it will be here before we know it. Some things I know that I want for the future:

• To be healthy and cancer-free.
• To be working in a job/field that I am truly passionate about so that work is pure joy in my life.
• To have a home that is nurturing to my soul and a place to share with others.

Weekend Wrap-Up

I had a relaxing weekend which is just what I needed after the holiday craziness of last week. The highlights:

• Played pool with Don and watched the OSU Beavers finish their season with a win over Maryland in the Emerald Bowl.
• Put all of my Christmas gifts away in their new homes.
• Did 3 loads of laundry.
• Enjoyed what will likely be my final Egg Nog Latte of the season.
• Saw the movie Juno (a recommendation of my little brother Jimmy) which I thoroughly enjoyed for it's witty writing and classic one liners. Allison Janney's performance was awesome as no one can deliver shocking and hysterical lines with the finesse that she can.
• Cleared the rest of the cheesy holiday movies off my TiVo.
• Slept, a lot!

I make the weather!

This has been one of my favorite quotes since I heard it for the first time a few years ago. Enjoy!

I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather.

I possess tremendous power to make a life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a person humanized or dehumanized.

If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming.

–Goethe

Please excuse my mess

I am in the process of making some changes and much need updates to my blog/website. However, in order to do so I need to clean up the many items that have accumulated in my "draft/ideas" folder over the last couple of years so you may see so somewhat random things appearing in the next few weeks.

Stay tuned for more news on the upcoming changes as I will be ready to tell you all about it in the next couple of weeks.

My perfect cocktail recipe

The Recipe For Julie Anne

3 parts Savvy 2 parts Love 1 part Brilliance Splash of Naughtiness Serve over ice

What's the Recipe for Your Personality?

Only a little weird

You Are 24% Weirdo

You're a little weird, but you'd be even weirder if you didn't have a few quirks. You are just strange enough to know it, but nobody else seems to notice your weirdness. That's because, deep down, everyone is a little freaky!

Are You A Weirdo?

Spam of the day

Received this morning. I have no idea what they are selling. Do slot machines use chips?

==========

From: "Holly Shafer"
Subject: slot machines sale

US$ 999 bonus with every new signup! limited time only,

Poker chips, numbered poker chips, personalised poker chips ,
The alluring Welcome Bonus is set on $500

Celebrating Christmas in front of the fire

Fire thanks to TiVo, which thankfully requires very little maintenance. :-)

A bit of Christmas Spirit

Your Christmas Sprit Level: 70%

You have a lot of Christmas spirit, and it's evident to most people who know you. You love most things Christmas, and you do your best to make sure everyone has a great holiday. While you like the more commercial aspects of Christmas, you truly know what the spirit of Christmas is about. You're all about giving, being kind, and sharing the spirit of Christmas with everyone you know.

Do You Have the Christmas Spirit?

Which Peanuts Character am I?

You are Lucy!
Take this quiz!

What color Christmas tree should I have?

You Should Have a Gold Christmas Tree

For you, the holidays represent a time of optimism and wealth. You definitely have a generous spirit, and you give a lot during the holiday season. You really go over the top for Christmas. Everyone on your list gets a great gift. Even if you don't have a lot of money during the holidays, it's the one time you pretend like you do. Your gold tree would look great with: All kinds of metallic decorations You should spend Christmas Eve watching: Miracle on 34th St What you should bake for Santa: A ton of cookies, cupcakes, and candy. You would enjoy spoiling him.

What Color Christmas Tree Should You Have?

Cinderella's Castle at Christmas

Tonight is our last night at Walt Disney World. :-(

I took this picture on Wednesday night when we attended Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Cinderella's Castle is lit up like a "glass slipper" just as she requested of the Fairy Godmother. It was absolutely breathtaking.

What the holidays mean to me

What The Holidays Mean to You

For you, the holidays are about celebration. You enjoy all the fun and fellowship that the holidays bring. You celebrate the holidays in a minimalist style. You are likely to only give one great present and decorate your house with a few special items. During the holidays, you like to feel cozy and comfortable. You're happy to stay inside with a roaring fire and a warm drink. You think the holidays should be decadent and indulgent. You never mind gaining a few holiday pounds... it's worth it! Your favorite holiday memories strongly evoke your senses. You are vividly aware of all the tastes, smells, and sounds of the holidays.

What Do the Holidays Mean to You?

Apparently I know quite a bit about Christmas

You Know a Lot About Christmas

You got 7/10 correct You know tons about the history and traditions surrounding Christmas. When you celebrate the holidays, you never forget their true meaning - or all the little fun details. Random Christmas fact: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer was originally a promotional gimmick for Montgomery Ward.

How Much Do You Know About Christmas?