Every Thursday a special group of ladies meets to share about their lives including everything from children to business ventures.  We recently switched our venue to a charming place called  Secret Attic Tea & Café.  It is a welcome respite from the rush of our daily lives.

We can have a full lunch or a scone.  Everyone gets their own individual pot of tea after choosing from at least 20 different flavors.  This week I ordered a Raspberry Scone and Raspberry Tea.  Here is a picture of my scone.  It was so pretty, I had to take a picture before I could eat it!

This charming tea house is located in Marysville,Washington.

Raspberry Scone

As we think about 2014, it is time to plan, dream, and cast our vision for the new year.  What do you want to accomplish in the new year?  Take some time to write down your goals.

I am looking at my calendar and setting out major and minor goals for each month.  If you are in business, maybe you will want to do a SWOT Analysis as Whitney Keyes reminds us in her book, Propel.  This acronym reminds us to take stock of our Strengths, Weaknessess, Opportunities and Threats.

When I thought about this, I realized that we can also do that in our personal lives as well to see if we are getting the balance between work and family life that we desire.  Maybe we can get more family time by tweaking our business schedule.

As I look back on 2013, I am thankful for my family and friends.  I am excited for the opportunities and adventures to come as I look ahead to 2014.  I wish you all the best in the new year!

This Thanksgiving, 2013, as I reflected back on the day spent with family at my aunt’s house, I thought about what stood out the most for me.  It was a 20-minute walk that I took with my father prior to dinner.

The weather was crisp and sunny, one of the best walking days we have had lately in the Pacific Northwest.  We walked by Bitter Lake and let the sun shine on our backs so much that I had to move because I was too hot.  The ducks were engaged in their rituals of preening themselves after diving for their dinner out on the lake.

This year has been a very exciting year for me.  Travel and the escalation of the business venture I started writing the Sammy the Centipede series on wellness topics for children were the main highlights.   My father got to hear all of the details on our walks.

He is not usually near as he travels a lot and so I found myself walking with him on the beaches of Kauai in the summer for two and a half weeks.  And then, not again until he returned to the mainland in October.  Now it is November and on Thanksgiving I was able to tell him of my goals and opportunities regarding the business.

My Dad is very wise.  He moved and shook in the financial world before he retired at 45, something that not many people get to do.  He still works on his own terms, watching his investments in the stock market.

He now gives me advice about finances and talks to me of his travels and adventures in learning the German language.  He has studied German since he was in his twenties when he met my mother while in the Air Force stationed at Ramstein Air Force Base.

The best thing about these walks is that I not only get information, I get affirmation.  Yes, that a woman is able to do incredible things if she puts her mind to it. That dreams are for doing and if you take steps in a logical manner, good things will happen.

Isn’t  that what fathers are for?  Encouragement to pursue your goals.  Consolation when things don’t work out quite the way you planned.  Advice for the next part of your journey.

Yes, the best thing about my father is that he continues to listen to me as we go for walks on sunny afternoons.

Please write and tell me your favorite stories about your fathers.  I would love to hear them.

Sammy the Centipede is becoming famous in his own right so it is only fitting that he has a Facebook page of his own.  When you “Like” Sammy the Centipede on Facebook, you will receive nutritional tips and valuable information for healthy living.

Sammy is from the Seattle area and is a big Seahawks fan. He is always trying to cheer on the team with the occasional “Go Hawks!” sprinkled in the conversation.  Right now, he is looking for his 100^th fan so that person can win a Sammy the Centipede Shopping Bag.  Go  to Facebook right now, it could be you!

Today I need to organize my desk and clear the living room table.  While thinking about this,  I remembered a game I  taught my children when they were young that we used to pick up the house.   The game is called Where Does This Go?

There are three questions to ask:  Can I put this away?, Can I throw this away? and Can I give this away?  When you apply these  three questions to your organizational needs, they will revolutionize your household, your work space, and your life.

Fall is definitely here and a sure sign is the beautiful fall foliage in New York State.  I visited my good friend, Maria Singh, and her family in Syracuse where we went to a Farmer’s market and even found a farm and a 91-year-old farmer with the last name, Luchsinger.

Luchsinger's Farm in Syracuse, New York

This year was our twentieth year of friendship and so we travelled to New York City to celebrate.  There we attended a brilliant musical production of Once, a love story with many instruments and great actors.  We were also were privileged to attend a free piano concert at the Juilliard School of the Arts. Instructors played two pianos at the same time.  They played selections from Rachmaninoff and Bartok.  The packed auditorium was thrilled by their performance.

Outside St. Bernard Theater at "Once" the Musical, New York City

A trip to New York City would not be complete without sampling the great food.  We were delighted by the Spring Rolls with plum sauce for dipping, at Breeze, a restaurant serving food described as French/Thai fusion.  We also had Junior’s famous cheesecake and pizza at John’s Pizzeria.

We try to do something different when we go into NYC. This time we found the Highline, a stretch of railroad track above the city that has been made into a walking park. This perspective gives an interesting view of the city.  We made our exit to the edge of the Chelsea District on 23rd street, a pleasant place with brownstone buildings where people were going out for coffee and a paper on Sunday morning.

As we travelled home to Syracuse, we again had the great views of fall foliage to keep us company.  I never tire of visiting New York, but it is always great to come home to the Pacific Northwest!

Fall crispness is in the air as we head into October.  The leaves have begun to change and it’s time to enjoy apples and preserve apple goodness for the winter.

Apples are great any time.   Right now you may have some apples from a tree in your yard like we did.  We have a Granny Smith apple tree and so I cooked some apples to make applesauce.  Applesauce can easily be put in freezer containers for the winter.   Don’t forget that kids love apple chips that they help you make in the oven.   If you are ambitious, you may even make apple cider.

A family favorite is an Apple Crisp recipe that I have made since I was young:

3 to 4 large Granny Smith or tart apples

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/3 cup each of flour, oatmeal and brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup melted butter

1.  Peel, core and slice applies into 8″ x 8″ glass pan.

2.  Mix apples with lemon juice

3.  In another bowl mix remainder of ingredients until crumbly.

4.  Sprinkle mixture over apples.

5.  Bake at 375 degrees for approx. 30 min and enjoy!

If you have a favorite apple recipe, please let me know.