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Hi guys,

I have written this crazy thing twice and lost it both times due to some computer issue. I am also still dealing with my problem with Yahoo letting me send to this list. So with the new job and poison oak (yes, still!), I'm taking a week off!

Love you all!
Kathy

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

I am approaching the final sprint before I can take a rest. It has been a mad few weeks with Operation New Release and several other volunteer missions. On Tuesday, we roll out our Partnership with Tower Records for all of Northern CA and Reno. In case you forgot, Tower has decided to promote ONR and let people buy DVDs to send to our library in Iraq. They are also going to be donating all the proceeds from the sales to ONR. The promotion runs from November 24-December 25, 2004. I have attached a copy of the press release just because I think it is SO cool! I am certain we will be on News 10 on the 23rd and it is possible we could also be on Channel 7 (KGO) in the Bay Area. If you would like to hang a few posters, please let me know and I will get them in the mail to you!

Dave seems to be in good spirits. I think reaching the one year mark has been good for all of us. The holidays I am sure will have their challenges but we are just so close to the end of this deployment, that alone keeps us going. I mailed him a Christmas tree and some traditional holiday goodies.

Mason and I will be celebrating Thanksgiving with Lauren and Julie on Tuesday and then we will have some company on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be three days of rest, play, walks and turkey sandwiches before I start my new job on Monday. Have a great holiday and since you all give thanks everyday, this day will be a piece of cake (or pie as tradition would have it)!

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble!

Kathy

*Note - the photo in this post is NOT my table! Just in case, on the slim chance you thought it was, it's not!

Being Of Service

Survival is acting in your own self interest, and there are times when that becomes necessary. Yet there is so much more to life beyond mere survival.
True prosperity comes from going beyond your own limited interests. The more you take into account the interests of others, the more prosperous your own life becomes.

Prosperity comes not so much from having the right job or having the right contacts. Prosperity comes more from having the genuine desire to be of service.

Think of someone whom you consider to be truly and consistently successful. That person has found an effective way to be of service.

The more valuable you can make yourself to others, the more value you'll see flowing into your own life. That holds true no matter what your circumstances may be.

Go beyond the mere survival dictated by your own narrow self interests. Fill your moments with service, and you'll fill your life, your world with real richness. Ralph Marston

from The Daily Motivator with permission www.thedailymotivator.com

Mason Is Teething. Ick.

Hello and good night.

That is an odd greeting I know. It is just the one that is the right one for me. I am pooped. Mason is getting big teeth and just miserable. We spend our whole day with him walking the house crying, coming to me to be held for less than 10 seconds, getting down, following me to anywhere I go, grabbing my leg and hanging and then back to walking the floor all with tears falling and the volume on high. As tried and tired as I am, I never seem to be angry with him. That makes sense logically but not emotionally. I was very glad that bed time came early tonight.

I am still dealing with my roof saga and for all those inquiring minds, Dave and I did not have the roof inspected before the purchase was finalized. It is poor business indeed however, we were working on very strict deadlines, many of the powers that be were not interested in accepting the Power of Attorney that we paid for and we signed all the final papers less than 12 hours before Dave boarded a plane back to Iraq. As trying as it is to deal with the roof scenario, we are still in a far better situation owning this home building equity even if we have to pay for a new roof. the final verdict is that we only need 1/2 a roof and I have someone to do it for me next weekend.

Operation New Release is going to kick off the holiday promotion with Tower on the 23rd of November. It is all good but there is a change. Tower will not be creating a web link so when I put this out to all of you outside of CA, you will need to get the word out along with my address for the ship to if anyone wants to buy on line. It is still a great way to support this project, you just have to have my address so the DVD gets to me and then to Iraq. the other change is that Tower will not be making any money form this promotion. They will be donating all the proceeds to ONR for more DVD's and shipping. One more thing, if any of you out there have the knowledge and resources to create a website for ONR, I can pay for the monthly on it but I need a donation of the creation of the site. It has reached a level that I think this is a good thing to do. Can you help me with this?

On a final note, Toby Keith is in town this week and Chris Teresi at Northridge Music donated a Fender acoustic guitar package that KNCI will have Toby sign to auction off for ONR. I am planning to go to the concert and who knows, maybe if I am at the right place a the right time, I could find myself backstage, too! I'll let you know next week! I like this Motivator, I hope it is as appropriate for you. Lots of love!

Kathy

Judgment

Certainly there are times when it is essential to exercise good judgment. There are also many times when judgment needlessly gets in the way.

Get beyond the need to make a judgment about every little thing, and rise to a higher level of awareness. When your energy is not consumed with constantly making judgments, you are free to be more positively effective.

Instead of contemplating whether the moment is good or bad, helpful or hurtful, accept that it simply is. Instead of fighting for or against something that doesn't matter anyway, simply live the reality of it.

Letting go of your need to judge does not diminish or impair your ability to make worthwhile judgments. In fact, when your judgment is an intentional choice instead of a habitual reaction, it becomes more meaningful.

Spend less time and energy judging and categorizing every little thing that comes your way. Enjoy how much more aware and alive you feel when you get beyond the need to judge.

Make judgment something you use wisely instead of something you crave endlessly. And free yourself to fully live each moment.
Ralph Marston from The Daily Motivator with permission www.thedailymotivator.com

Mason's First Snow!

WoW! I have so much to tell you that I just don't think I can do it all in one Motivator! It has been a very busy week that has culminated into a wonderful weekend. Where do I start?

Operation New Release is going to be moving to the next level. Tower has agreed to pick up my proposed holiday program to put signage in their stores (N. CA and Reno) to let people know they can buy a DVD to donate to ONR and they will get them all to me for shipping. Now keep in mind, there are 23 stores AND they will be making this available through a page on their world wide web site. I will be sending posters to all of you who live anywhere asking you to hang up as many as you can in local schools, businesses, churches, coffee houses, you name it! Even if you can only hang one, that is one more for a few people to see! Even more cool is that the posters will be printed with a photo Dave took of his guys holding movies gathered round their Humvee. They will also be accepting cash donations that will be issued to me at the end of the promotion and then I will in turn buy more new release DVDs for our soldiers! We kick off the promotion on the air first with KNCI radio in Sacramento, then off to a Tower store to do a press release with News 10 and the other local media and possibly in San Francisco with a family in that area and Tower. The promotion runs from November 15 - December 25, 2004.

If that isn't enough keep me busy, Mason got 3 more new teeth this week and we went to Truckee this weekend with David and Lisa Anderson. We had a blast! Mason had 3 "firsts" on Saturday alone. He took his first walk all by himself down the street in Historic Truckee, he clapped his hands for the first time while experiencing snow for the first time. The best part of being in Truckee was being with David and Lisa and being able to really visit. No schedules, or time lines, just whatever, whenever, how ever. It was just short of perfection only because Dave was not with us.

So Tuesday is our anniversary, 3 years already! Hopefully this will be the first and last that we have to spend away from each other. Dave bought me a beautiful diamond wedding band to replace the one I lost the day he got his orders. It is absolutely gorgeous! So I am going to try to send a picture or two of Mason in the snow. If you do not get it, it is because I am having computer issues. Have a great week and let me know how you are! Lots of love!

Kathy

Get Going

Don't let all the things you need to do get in the way of all that you're able to get done. Instead of worrying that it won't all get finished, get busy doing it.

Do yourself a big favor and put yourself into action. Even if you don't get it all done today, you can certainly make significant progress.

When you let yourself become immobilized by the feeling of being overwhelmed, what happens? You end up becoming even more overwhelmed.

The way to break the cycle is to step forward and take action. Even when the task is enormous, you're much better off moving forward than standing still.

Look at each task not as a burden, but as an opportunity to make a positive difference. Look at each task not with resentment and resignation, but with an eager anticipation for getting it successfully behind you.

In an instant you can go from feeling overwhelmed to being in positive control. Get busy, and get life going your way.

Ralph Marston from The Daily Motivator with permission www.thedailymotivator.com

Fall Back = Extra Hour Of Sleep

Well, I don't know about all of you, but I got this extra hour of sleep this weekend and I am still tired! It is 9 PM and I still have so much to do before I can go to bed, the least exciting being reading and deciding my ballot to vote tomorrow. Now, I know friends are not supposed to discuss politics and religion. You all know from Dave's previous e-mails that he has cast a vote for John Kerry. I feel comfortable telling all of you I am not voting for George Bush. I am also not voting for John Kerry. So, Dave made a point to tell me that if I don't vote for one of the main parties my vote doesn't really count. In fact, I see it more as taking a vote away from one of the two big guys thus putting a slight ripple in the water. I just don't want to feel forced to vote for a candidate I don't believe in and I don't believe in either Bush or Kerry to do the job that needs to be done. Enough of that!

I have been quite busy. Mason had a wonderful Halloween. He and I dressed up on Friday to do the downtown Auburn trick or treating. I was Cruella and Mason was a dalmatian. Mason was supposed to be a crab and I fully intended to dress him and take him to our neighbors homes to trick or treat. Well, Saturday we went to a party and again he was a dalmatian and I went as "MOMMY: An Army Of One." I wore Dave's fatigues with a binky attached to my lapel and dirty burp cloth over my shoulder and butt paste in my pocket in addition to the baby on my hip and his bottle in my hand. Now, this was the first time Mason became Mr. Social! He was visiting with everyone, playing with the kids, eating cheese and crackers and dancing with the grown ups....laughing all the way! It was a hoot to witness. With all of this, by the time it was time for the real Halloween, we were plum tuckered out. He doesn't like the crab costume, the wind is blowing and I am ready to hunker down and pass out candy. This he liked! The kids coming to the door and us putting candy in their bags...again, all giggles and grins!

So here we are at November one and I am ready to roast a turkey, celebrate the holidays, ring in the new year and welcome my husband home! Mason and I went for a long walk today and took pictures of the turning leaves. Next week will be equally exciting when we spend the weekend with David and Lisa in the snow in Truckee. I will be sure to include pictures of Mason either loving or hating the white stuff his daddy longs for! With lots of love, welcome to November! Enjoy the changing season and embrace your changing life!

Love Kathy

Changes come

You cannot know precisely what tomorrow will bring. Yet there is one thing about tomorrow of which you can be certain. You can be sure that tomorrow will be, in many ways, different than today. Things will continue to change, as they always do.

Life itself is a process of change. Night follows day, spring follows winter. Some things grow, while others fade. Styles change, markets change, opinions change, and through it all, life moves forward, changing from day to day.

When the changes don't go your way, take heart. For even the changes are subject to change, and if you're down, the next change can bring you back up.

Learn to weather the changes, to roll with the punches and to run when the wind is at your back. And as the changes continue to come, you'll move surely and steadily ahead.
Ralph Marston from The Daily Motivator with permission www.thedailymotivator.com