Color Me Red

I find them everywhere: spelling mistakes and grammatical errors; they glare at me from social media, signposts, you name it. I find them everywhere except in my own writing, and THAT, my friends, drives me crazy! I would be completely lost without spell check. But the problem I encounter so often is that I will inadvertently spell a word I had not intended to write. Of course, that word I spell correctly. Spell check cannot tell me, "Hey, knucklehead, do you REALLY want to say that?"

Sometimes this has hilarious consequences.  Take my last post example: now, before you quickly look for the error, another writer friend pointed it out, and it is now corrected.  In my case, I wanted to say "paint that as well"; instead, I said, "paint that ass well." One little letter and a totally different meaning. Embarrassed? Yes, but I also found it funny.

I once had a proofreader spot on my college's newspaper. What a mistake! Yes, I caught quite a few errors, but honestly I was down there because I had a thing for one of the guys who also worked on the paper. Let's just say my attention to detail was lacking a bit when he was around.

I remember a mistake that my boyfriend in college made. It was such a great blunder that it made the list of best mistakes for that professor's class. The paper was a well-written piece on George Washington. However, one little typo changed history. The final sentence read, "This is why George Washington will go down in the 'anals' of history." Again, one little letter makes such a big difference.

So I invite you to share with me some of the best (worst) mistakes you've made and didn't catch in your writing. How did you end up finding it?

Don't Say I Didn't Tell You.

Lisa

See Here

Today I had an eye doctor appointment. I was so excited because that meant I was getting new glasses! Whoopee! New glasses, new glasses, I get new glasses! Why am I so excited about this? I hate wearing glasses but I love changing my look. When I turned 40 I decided that life was too short to have boring glasses. That year I went with a whole new shape for me, kind of a granny rectangle but they were magenta with these little stripes. When I got home with them, my family stared in shock. I loved it.

Next time I got glasses I went with a similar shape by the same maker, but that time the colors were black and clear with a touch of silver. They were pretty cool but in my opinion a bit too tame to hold my interest. I am not one of those people that needs the validation of other people in order to be comfortable with what I am wearing, I certainly don't mind shaking thing up a bit. Lets just say I was having an off day when I picked them out.

This time around I went a bit nerdy. The frames are tortoise shell on the outside and Vera Bradley's "Happy Snails" on the inside. Now I am not a huge over the top Vera fan. But I have to say, having worked with the Vera Bradley products, the stuff grows on you. And come on, "Happy Snails?"  The name alone makes me happy.

So I am looking forward to getting the new glasses, but for me this is a bit like when you start a painting project. Do you know how the project starts with just painting a few walls? Then you notice that the trim looks a bit dingy so you paint that as well. But with the walls and trim painted the ceiling is really looking bad so that must be done. By the time you finish, you've gotten to the point where you are looking at carpet and checking out catalogs for furniture.

That is where I am, if I have new glasses then I am bound to get my hair cut. If I get my hair cut then maybe I should think about changing the color. And so it goes, I love reinventing myself, who knows where this will end? I may even start shopping for a tattoo!

By the time I get settled, it will be time for new glasses.

Don't Say I Didn't Tell You.

Lisa

Your Memory Muscles

I read an article once that was written by a daughter whose father was in the latter stages of Alzheimer Syndrome. One of the things that stands out in my memory was when she would go to see him she would mention golfing and he would stand up and show her his swing. As his muscles remembered the action they used so long ago, his mind would begin to show signs of memory as well. This amazed the writer, and it amazed me as well.

I have been endeavoring to exercise and eat right in order to get my body into a healthier state of being. Let's be honest, I'd love to feel confident wearing shorts this summer in addition to the better health. Today, I had a glimpse of the memory that your working muscles can spark.

As I was struggling through my last reps of my bench press, tears came to my eyes. I felt exhaustion for sure but I also was hit with a long repressed memory from my past. I was at once in my own basement, and back in time in my parents' garage. Both times exercising to the point of exhaustion, but in that garage so long ago, there was nothing healthy going on. Back then I thought I was in love with a misunderstood young man I will call Mr. X. I thought that if I could just love him and sacrifice enough for him, Mr. X would turn his life around, and he would love me in return. Sadly I was wrong. I thought if I exercised and lost weight, then Mr. X would love me, so I went on yet another diet and allowed him to be my "trainer."

It was one of these training sessions that came back to me. This particular time, Mr.X put me through a grueling workout, in fact pushing me to the point of exhaustion and beyond. When I admitted I could do no more, my muscles were twitching from the exertion. I remember the feeling of being crushed as he went out with his friends and another girl that night. In the days that followed, the pain and soreness were a mocking reminder that you cannot make someone love you.

Though the memories were painful today, I'm glad they were brought to the surface as a reminder of that lesson I had long forgotten. You see, sometimes we start out with the best of intentions, only to have our motives and priorities subtly twisted. Each time I make healthy choices in my eating, or exercise my body, I must remember the reason must be to show love for MYSELF, and the one who created me. To do these things for anyone or anything else would be pointless.

I am glad that I am in the present, though I may be heavier than I was then, I am so grateful that I am also wiser.

Don't Say I Never Told You.

Lisa

Slice Of Life 2012

Here is a lesson for you. Never get so comfortable with technology that you trust it to always work. Case in point, my friend Pamela sent this blogging link for Slice 2012 on my wall on Facebook. Now I have my Facebook account set up to notify me of comments and messages. For the most part it works pretty well, in fact, it almost seems like someone can burp in my general direction and Facebook tells me about it. I can even reply back and the person gets my message,well usually it does anyway. But just when you get good and comfortable, BAM! "Oh that message about blogging everyday? You were actually interested in that? So sorry."

Anyway, I got it today so I suppose blogging 30 days in a row will have to be good enough. It's definitely better than my previous track record of bi monthly posts. I need a lesson on diligence and this is going to be the least painful of all the ways of which I can think. Believe me, I can think of some pretty painful teachers, and almost none of them are fun.

So here is a slice of life in March 2012.

Don't Say I Didn't Tell You.

Lisa