Who's Going To Tell You?

 Who's going to tell you when you're growing up that you can explore the desires of your heart 

and  create your own business

and

do anything you really want to do?

And,

if someone does tell you

are you going to remember it

and take it to heart?

We are more likely to be pressured into choosing a major in college,

and then,

following through on that because,

after all,

all that money was spent on our education

and we 

NEED

to be doing something in whatever field we chose to spend money being educated.

Or,

we grow up and get married and begin creating our home and family

and

get a little bogged down 

with the daily stuff that makes up life...

and when we look for a job,

we take the one that fits our schedule

and is easy to drive to 

and

oooohhhhh

so many other parameters that make sense at the time.

And so it goes . . . 

the artist is doing data entry

and the dancer is working for a bank . . . 

and

 YOU KNOW 

what I'm talking about here!

So,

we dream a little . . .  and wish we could jump careers

and be what we always wished we could be.

We ponder and we scribble a plan on the back of an envelope

and we talk to our best friend about how we really

wish

we were able to live our dream

but . . . 

"maybe in a few more years . . . "

But we've grown up to be responsible adults with people depending on us and reputations for being reasonable and dependable and careful.

So,

we keep on keeping on

and 

count the years till retirement and pension.

Maybe

 THEN

we will take off and lead mountain climbing expeditions

or

open that Bed and Breakfast

or

antique shop.

Even then we look at the things that bring us our real joy

and know that there are

  perils and dangers and risks

oh my!

There are statistics about how many people start businesses and see them fail in the first two years.

We don't know where to start.

We aren't certain we can do it.

What if????

And so . . . . we don't.

We weigh the pro's and the con's and let the naysayers tell us we are too inexperienced

or too old

or too something.

I'm here to encourage you.

I'm here to cheer you on.

I'm here to lay out before you the questions you should ask yourself

if

you're debating whether

 you can follow your heart,

if

you dare to dream

if

you can begin to do the things you've always wanted to do,

if you can find your

 real joy

Let's take a preliminary quiz to see if you have the entrepreneurial spirit : 

1. Have you daydreamed about the thing you'd be doing if you didn't "have" 

    to be where you are?

2. Have you taken pencil to pad and actually tried to sketch out the desire of your heart?

3. Have people told you, "you should be doing" that certain something instead of what you                

    ARE doing?

4. Do you find yourself sharing this interest/dream with other people?

5. Do you teach others what you know?

6. Do people ask you to teach them about your interests?

7. Do you get energized just thinking about this desire?

8. Would you rather be doing this activity than anything else you can think of?

9. Are you an expert or set on becoming an expert in this field?

10. Are you hesitating because someone has convinced you you can't succeed?

11. Are there fears about the mechanics of proceeding?

12. Are you a problem solver?

13. Do challenges weary you?

14. Do people like you and enjoy being around you?

15. Do you have a reputation for being honest and trustworthy?

16. Can you work long hours?

17. Do you have a need to prove that you're right, or can you concede a point with grace     

     even when you know the other person is wrong?

18. Are you good with money management?

19. Are you willing to wash the windows, sweep the floor and clean the toilet in addition to  

      doing what you love?

20. Are you organized?

21. Are you a smiler or a frowner?

22. Can you keep your personal opinions to yourself?

23. Do you have a knack for reading people's body language or verbal clues?

       (are they healthy, depressed, sad, happy, anxious, scared, excited?) 

24. Are you a happy, vivacious, outgoing person?

25. Are you a good listener?

I don't think I really need to give the correct answers - but 1-9, 12, 14, 15, 16 and 18-20, 22-25 should be a happy, vivacious YES!  

13 and 17 should be a resounding "NO"!  

10 and 11 are designed for contemplation. 

 I hope 21 is "smiler" - cause that's what people are counting on from you!

If you took this preliminary quiz and feel you have most of the marks of an entrepreneur, then I think you're on your way. 

Continue on our journey

 and learn more about finding your

Real Joy

Aging Your Terra Cotta Pots

If you've ever bought terra cotta pots and they seemed too pristine, 

there is a simple process for "aging" them and achieving that sweet patina many of us insist upon. 

 I've heard of several "recipes" for mellowing the clay, but this one is simple.  

Take a piece of sandpaper and lightly scuff the pot - not all over, but here and there. 

 Soak it in water for a few minutes.  (While you scuff the next ones.)

Place them in a container and pour buttermilk or yogurt over them. 

 Make sure you smear them up well.

Cover the whole smelly mess and place it outside for a few days. 

 The pots will soak up the acidophilus and it will grow in the nice moist clay.

Voila: aged pots!

Springtime in the Rockies

What a beautiful Colorado day, and how the sun shone . . . just before the big storm blew in!Springtime is unpredictable in the Rockies with sunshine one minute and snow the next. Saturday may very well be a "snow day", with people staying home because navigating in the snow is too risky. That's a nice feature of Denver - there is a certain latitude for snowy days and safety factors. A number of businesses will be closed depending on where they're located, and others will operate with a minimal staff because some employees will be snowed in. It's all O.K. because customers will stay at home, cozy and warm, enjoying brunch with their families or nestled in their flannels with a favorite book. There will be those who brave the storm to make it to the ski slopes, although they couldn't possibly have made it in to work! Soon the snows will be gone, and there will be no weather excuses for a day off. I say, "enjoy this one - it may be our last snow of the season". It's just too bad it didn't wait until Monday morning to hit!

It's springtime in the Rockies and we're just itching to

plant our flowers. Try starting your seeds in cardboard egg cartons, or in these little, (biodegradable), newspaper rolls.

Using a cookie sheet, lay a foundation of small gravel, then

place your soil in the paper rolls, and plant. In six weeks

they'll be ready to transplant.

Wait until Mother's Day to put them in the garden though, so you'll be safe from those killer frosts!

I wouldn't mind receiving some little mint or herb or ivy starts like these as a Mother's Day present . . . so environmentally friendly!

Paper white narcissus are one of the easiest and most delightful bits of greenery you can grow in your home. Bulbs are easy to deal with, and very inexpensive. Use any container you have that fits the bulb. Fill it 3/4 of the way with gravel. Place the bulb on top and add water, just up to the bottom of the bulb. The trick is to not over water. Make the roots stretch downward for their drink. Place the bulbs in a sunny spot, or under a lamp, and watch them grow. They will eventually form a little bud which will burst into a fragrant bloom.

Enjoy the beginning of springtime, wherever you are . . .