DrDeClutterBlog.com

Just a fun story. Some cows just think they’re dogs. If it works… keep it up!

 (Sorry, I tried to get the video right here, but it won’t stick)

Click here and see a great story from Boulder, CO… Only in Boulder… County!

You will have to listen to a very short commercial first.

http://cw2.trb.com/video/?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=2815996

Don’t you just hate it when there’s some cool or amazing photo or story that is emailed from a friend and then, you forward it to your list, and then . . . someone, like my brother Dave who always corrects me! sends me an email with the link that tells me it’s a hoax?

99% of the time I’m ahead of that curve. I check out the hoax sites and dump it if it’s a scam.

I missed one today. Almost want it to be true maybe! But alas… not to be.

Still kind of interesting, but not a true story of “NY couple buys farm and find $36,000,000 worth of cars in barn.”

Whenever your guts know that something’s fishy, that somethings “too good to be true”, go to  www.snopes.com or www.hoax-slayer.com and find out!

Here’s the story on the car/barn one, just in case you missed it! http://www.hoax-slayer.com/barn-cars.shtml

Tim Russert died today. It’s so sad to lose smart, funny, honest, honorable and noble people from the ranks of human kind, like Russert. Blessings to his family in their grief.

Please take time to listen to him reading a powerful excerpt from his book Wisdom of Our Fathers, so close to Father’s Day.  (mp3) http://is.gd/x2u

May 11, 2008 is a unique Mother’s Day! It is, we are, celebrating 100 years of making Moms feel special.

1908: Anna Jarvis is credited with beginning the Mother’s Day celebration with special events held in Grafton West Virginia, and Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Jarvis handed out flowers at her Methodist church in honor of her late Mother.

During the Civil War Anna’s mother - Ann Marie Reeves Jarvis - was instrumental in saving thousands of lives by teaching women the basics of nursing and sanitation which she had learned from her brother, physician James Reeves.

After the war, Mrs. Jarvis soothed ill feelings among opposing families by holding a service for soldiers and their families and uniting communities torn apart by the war. It was her wish that a day be set aside to honor all mothers.

Her daughter, Anna Jarvis, established the first internationally celebrated holiday - Mothers Day - in her honor, using the anniversary of her mother’s death as its date.

1914: Congress made Mother’s Day an official US day.

2008: This year, to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of Mother’s Day, think up something extra special to celebrate your mom.

Don’t have a mom close, or anymore? Take time to send a card or call or visit other moms who have supported and cared for you well at times in your life.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

©2008 Kim Wolinski, MSW “Dr. DeClutter”Stress, Change and Organizational Skills Expert

Editors and publishers are free to reprint blog articles as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and the signature line remains intact.

Not all horses have to be “put down” for leg problems! They won’t be running, but they’ll be around.

Click here and see the story of Molly the horse who got a second chance at life after Katrina, with a new leg! A very cool story!

What a splendid way to honor your family, ancestors and heritage.

My friend Donlyn has created a beautiful blog honoring her family as well as the land and towns they helped develop.

This is a great example of how to use, show and tell the wonderful stories you have about your family as well as share it around the world with long lost relatives who can send you their photos by email and add their story to your site too.

Visit Homestead Origins now, click around and find scrumptious old recipes, see her beautiful family photos and great stories.

I LOVE good stories! I saw this story on the national news tonight and applauded. In May, Greensburg, KS was pretty much scrapped off the map (literally) by a mile and a half wide tornado. There’s about 5-10% of the town left. Of the 1,500 residents, about half remain in trailers. Ten people died.

But… they’re rebuilding. And… how cool are they?!… they’re rebuilding “GREEN.”

Greensburg, Kansas was a Tree City USA. The trees are now gone. But rebuilding and replanting “green” is going to make this city come back together in more ways than anyone can imagine.

Trees will take time to grow, but they’re going to do more than plant trees, they’re rebuilding the town! The people in charge - at this point that means about everyone! -  are taking advantage of the towns name “Greensburg” and rebuild “green”.

“Bold new ideas are taking shape here. Greensburg is thinking green,

seeking to rebuild the town as a showcase of environmentally responsible living.” 

CLICK HERE to donate to help the town’s people.

CLICK HERE if you’d like to help donations for trees.

Have you ever had to rebuild your life? I have. A couple of times.

©2007 Kim Wolinski, MSW “Dr. DeClutter”Stress, Change and Organizational Skills Expert

Editors and publishers are free to reprint blog articles as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and the signature line remains intact.

He didn’t fly through the air, though I suppose over the radio and TV waves he did – for over 30 years – right into our homes. He didn’t run faster than a speeding bullet, but his humor was very quick. And he didn’t have problems with kryptonite, only small groups of people due to being shy and feeling out of place.

Johnny Carson died this week, as you may of course know. Being a native Nebraskan, and University of Nebraska Alumnus, I always appreciated his helping keep a heartland state on the map. I sure miss him. But certainly beyond that, I will miss his kindness, gentle nature and laser quick humor blanketed in humility. Who’s going to forget those puppy eyes and that “ah-shucks” face after a joke? That’s Johnny Carson to the bone. Unique – human - a star. I can still watch clips of his shows and laugh like it was the first time – fresh and new – classic.

A man who saw what he wanted and kept his eye on the mark all his life. How many of us can say that? And, a person who as he climbed the ladder invited so many others to step up behind and beside him.

Did you know that Carson was also a very big philanthropist? At least to the UNL, the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. As an NU alumnus, Johnny Carson just a few months ago donated $5.3 million to support UNL’s Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts’ Department of Theatre Arts. The gift supports the renovation and expansion of the Temple Building. The gift also creates an endowment to keep performance space equipped with the latest advances in lighting and sound technologies and assists students and programs in the department.

In recognition for this and past gifts, NU will rename the Department of Theatre Arts in Carson’s honor. Yes, Johnny has been giving for years with the stipulation that it be kept quiet. As he lived his life in all other ways, including in death he did not have a funeral for others to attend, he didn’t want fan-fair about his giving.

“I got my start in the Temple Building and have never forgotten the impact of my academic studies at the University of Nebraska on my life and career,” he said. Carson received his bachelor’s degree in radio and speech in 1949. His senior thesis, “How to Write Comedy for Radio,” was recorded on a reel-to-reel tape in the basement of the Temple Building.

So, I want to say thank you Johnny for being such a wonderful human being and for showing us all how to be successful and brilliant, while being funny, happy, creative, friendly, humble, giving and supportive to others in very big ways. You are a Super Man, Johnny!

©2005 Kim Wolinski, MSW

I don’t know who Bill Winch is, but what a great essay! Thank you Bill for sounding my sentiments!

KEEPERS — Recycle Queens and a Time for Fixing Things: Guest Article

I grew up in the fifties with a practical parent — a mother, God love her, who washed aluminum foil after she cooked in it, then reused it. She was the original recycle queen, before they had name for it.

A father who was happier getting old shoes fixed than buying new ones. Their marriage was good, their dreams focused. Their best friends lived barely a wave away. I can see them now, Dad in trousers, tee shirt and a hat and Mom in a house dress, lawn mower in one hand, dishtowel in the other.

It was the time for fixing things — a curtain rod, the kitchen radio, screen door, the oven door, the hem in a dress. Things we keep. It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy. All that re-fixing, reheating, renewing, I wanted just once to be wasteful. Waste meant affluence. Throwing things away meant you knew there’d always be more.

But then my mother died, and on that clear summer’s night, in the warmth of the hospital room, I was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn’t any ‘more.’ Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up and goes away… never to return.

So… while we have it…
it’s best we love it…
and care for it…
and fix it when it’s broken…
and heal it when it’s sick.

This is true… for marriage… and old cars… and children with bad report cards… and dogs with bad hips… and aging parents… and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it.

Some things we keep. Like a best friend that moved away — or — a classmate we grew up with. There are just some things that make life important, like people we know who are special…..and so, we keep them close!

Good friends are like stars….

You don’t always see them, but you know they are always there.

Thank you Bill. Yes, love is a verb.

The holidaze are fast approaching. But, don’t use this time of year, like a must, have to, should or excuse to be extra nice — do it all year long.

Organize your time, thoughts and energy to make sure as often as possible, and then again, to thank people in your life; to acknowledge them with “actions” of love, gratitude and affection as well as compassion, care and kindness.

©2004 Kim Wolinski, MSW “Dr. DeClutter”Stress, Change and Organizational Skills Expert

October 10, 2004. Superman died.

Just a few weeks ago I watched an interview with Christopher Reeves. Energic, hopeful, positive as always, he said about his paralyzed body, “I think it’s very possible that I could walk again ~ or not. You play the hand you’ve got. Sometimes you get more face cards than not.”

Since his tumble in a horse back riding accident in 1995 he has become more than Superman to so many people who deal with similar disabilities, fears, depression and frustrations — and for even more of us that don’t.

The disability and early death of this courageous, intensely positive and generous man is so very sad. But more important, the life he lived before and after this accident is a life of powerful lessons and triumph.

The bottom line for each of us is to learn from Reeves and people like him — maybe even a neighbor who has this same internal reset button for optimism and groundedness — to keep us anchored in positive thoughts, decisions, actions and forward moving focus on faith, hope and courage.

In another interview with actor, Michael J. Fox regarding his life-process with Parkinson Disease, he said, “This is going to be interesting — it won’t be boring!”

A friend of mine, W Mitchell, author, TV host, business leader, conservation leader and international speaker defied two near fatal accidents in his life that left him paralyzed from the waist down and burned over 80% of his body. He sums it up in a simple sentence, “It’s not what happens to you, but what you do about it that counts.”

Reality is we don’t have total control over all the things in our lives. But, we DO have control over our attitude and the choices about what we’re going to do with what is happening in our lives every moment.

We can ORGANIZE our Inner Clutter every second. We can grab our chaotic and distracting unhealthy thoughts and emotions that take us into a downward spiral in seconds and stop it in its tracks.

When you become conscious of your thoughts and attitude stop and ask yourself, “Is this true?” Choose to let it go right there and then. Then, choose again. Choose a new way of looking at your situation. There is always more than one right answer.

Change your mind about your feelings, attitude and thoughts. Change the direction and focus of the energy they give. Change the vibrations of this energy from negative, fear-based and closed to positive and open.

Spread light, not darkness.

Events are just events. Whatever is happening is just happening. Learn to detach from your emotions and rambling thoughts about your ‘circumstances’ right now, … and now, and now, and… .

You never know what role-model you are for others. What do you want others to learn from you? What are you spreading?

Christopher Reeves’ physician, Dr. John McDonald, said about Reeves’ life:
“Before him there was really no hope. If you had a spinal cord injury like his there was not much that could be done, but he’s changed all that. He’s demonstrated that there is hope and that there are things that can be done.”

No one is exempt from “bad things happening.” We all have challenges, limitations, and weaknesses, problems, tragedies and disasters… sometimes very serious ones.

Learning to organize your thoughts, emotions, attitudes, choices and actions are the core of what it takes to transform your circumstances from dark to light, from down to up, from negative to positive, from fear to faith. Take your focus off what doesn’t work and put it on what will, can or might. It’s a choice.

Be an ever increasing positive contributor to your world, our world.

W Mitchell puts it this way, “Before I was paralyzed there were 10,000 things I could do. Now there are 9,000. I can either dwell on the 1,000 I’ve lost or focus on the 9,000 I have left.”

You don’t have to think of course that you need to rally and make your frustrations into some national cause. No. In your everyday personal life make higher choices for yourself that will change your life for the better. You will automatically be an inspiration to those around you. Even if you inspire no one else, you will have a better life, and that’s worth it! You’re worth it!

Be courageous today. Don’t nurse your doubts or disappointments. Don’t pick your emotional scabs. We all have them. That’s life!

Focus on what is good, what is possible, what can change and what you can do about it. Work with what you have, leverage it, and build on it.

One more great example of an everyday person who made an extraordinary life for herself by re-organizing her frustrations and circumstances from the negative to the positive, using creativity and love to help and bless so many needy others. It’s called Locks of Love.

When Mrs. Coffman was in her 20’s she developed Alopecia (loss of all body hair) after receiving a hepatitis vaccination. With medications, she recovered. 15 years later, her 4-year old daughter developed alopecia and lost all her hair. Madonna said her hair loss was difficult to deal with but her daughter’s was ten times harder. It was at this time that she quit all the other charity work and took on Locks of Love as a full time volunteer cheered on by her daughter’s recovery as her inspiration.

For some time the contents of Mrs. Coffman’s garage contained bins of mail and hair donations. After finally securing donated office space from a local hospital and locating a manufacturer of the highest quality prosthetics, LOL was off and running. Since the beginning the charity has received a great deal of support by both the media and its volunteers throughout the country. LOL has been featured or mentioned on television shows like Oprah, 20/20, The View, Jay Leno, Maury Povich, Good Morning America, CBS Good Morning, CNN Espanol and Inside Edition and in national publications including USA Today, The NY Times, People, Seventeen, Glamour, CosmoGirl, Self, Redbook, Woman’s Day, ElleGirl, Child Magazine, and Ladies Home Journal.

Over 2,000 hair donations are received through the mail each week. 80% of our hair donors are children.

The number of hairpieces produced has increased significantly since its inception, from 21 the first year to over 1,000. Locks of Love has recipients in all 50 states and Canada and is working towards its goal to help every financially disadvantaged child suffering from long-term hair loss.

“We either make ourselves miserable

or we make ourselves strong.

The amount of effort is the same.”
~ Carlos Castenada

©2004 Kim Wolinski, MSW “Dr. DeClutter”Stress, Change and Organizational Skills Expert

Editors and publishers are free to reprint blog articles as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and the signature line remains intact.