It’s no news that Boomers are the “sandwich generation.” You all feel it, don’t you? You’re squished between all of your duties and responsibilities.

Many Boomers are finally coming out of the child-rearing age, and now we’re hit with having to help our parents as they become older and more frail. Some of us are still supporting children. And we might be working full- or part-time, juggling volunteer responsibilities, trying to manage our own health, and still get more than just a few hours of sleep each night.

Whew! I don’t know about you, but it’s no wonder I’m tired. And my parents have all passed on.

For those of you who are either just beginning to deal with helping your parents in their elder years, or those who are deep in the throes of it, there’s a book for you. It’s called Unwrapping the Sandwich Generation. The author is Susan L. Cunningham, CSA, of Senior Resources Group in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

In little, easy-to-read vignettes, the book will help you come to understand the issues of managing your senior’s care and show you that you are not alone in these issues. I highly recommend it.

~Lois

My online friend, Priya Shah, has a terrific blog (actually 2)! Why don’t you go visit? She posted this article today: Mind Your Blogging Manners

Read her posts on the Law Of Attraction, too.

~Lois

I found an interesting blog that y’all might enjoy. Lisa McLeod is a bit like Irma Bombeck. Take a look and listen.

Lois

~Lois

Creating a Consciousness of Health & Wellness

Please sign up 24 hours prior to the start of the event.

DATE: March 8, 2007
TIME: 4:00PM PST
PRESENTED BY: Miluna Fausch, founder of Making Wellness Fun®

To register for this free teleclass, click here.

~Lois

Eliza Hoover, a local activist, lawyer and artist, will be our speaker this month to tell us all about the Peace Pole project. Valley Friends Meeting in Dayton recently put one up. Learn what it is, how they chose the languages, and how you can participate in the process.

Date: Thursday, March 8
Time: Registration, 11:45AM; Lunch and program, 12N-1PM
Where: Spotswood Country Club, Harrisonburg
Fee: $12 Members/$15 Guests

Please reserve no later than Tuesday, March 6, noon.

lcf@marketingideashop.com or 540.820.3840

~Lois

“Loving is not just looking at each other, it’s looking in
the same direction.”

~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Wind, Sand, and Stars, 1939

~Lois

It’s been snowing and sleeting here for a couple of days.
The roads are pretty bad. We might just have to make dinner
at home and cuddle up to watch a movie for Valentine’s Day!

Madeline, our granddaughter, turned 4 last Friday. She was
SO excited; she practically screamed on the phone. We sent
her several new outfits for school. “I’m wearing the pants
you bought me,” she said. “Which ones?” I asked. “The ones
you got me.” “What color are they?” “Pink!” (We had sent her
at least 3 pairs of pants so I didn’t know which one she was
wearing.)

I hope you are having an awesome 2007!

~Lois

Today’s Valentine’s Day, a time to remember your sweetie.
Have you blown it already? I hope not!

Did you know that marketing YOURSELF isn’t so different from
marketing YOUR COMPANY or PRODUCT? “Oh, come on,” you say.
“You’ve gone too far.”

Well, I don’t think so. If you don’t promote your product,
you won’t make any sales. If you forget to market your
company, you’ll soon be out of business. And if you forget
to admire your sweetie on Valentine’s Day (or any other day,
for that matter), you’ll soon be bankrupt in the love
department, too. Won’t you?

So, here are a few last-minute Valentine’s ideas for you:

• Write your sweetie a love letter and have it translated
into French. Use a pretty script font when you write it.

• If you’re not much of a writer, create your love letter
in AUDIO. Buy him or her a new MP3 player and record a
special message for your sweetie.

• Put a happy note in your sweetie’s lunchbox.

• Call your sweetie at work and in your sexiest voice,
say, “I can’t wait to see you!” Then hang up and see how
long it takes him or her to call you back.

• Pay attention to DETAILS. Don’t buy just any flowers.
Give her (or him) her FAVORITES (yellow roses).

• Rent a romantic movie and cuddle up together on the
couch.

Keep your love alive. Do something fun and unexpected.

Keep your business alive, too, by learning how to not only
keep in touch with your customers and prospects, but to get
them to WANT to hear from you. You can even get them to send
you referrals for more business. In a teleseminar we did
awhile back, Adam Urbanski explained how to do just that…
“Secrets of Successful Networking: Proven Methods to Meet
More Qualified Prospects, Generate Referrals and Get
Business from Every Meeting You Attend.”

~Lois

A distinguished young woman on a flight from Switzerland asked the
priest beside her, “Father, may I ask a favor?” “Of course, what may
I do for you?”

“Well, I bought an expensive woman’s electronic hair dryer
for my mother’s birthday that is unopened and well over the Customs
limits, and I’m afraid they’ll confiscate it. Is there any way you
could carry it through Customs for me? Under your robes perhaps?”

“I would love to help you, dear, but I must warn you: I will not lie.”

“With your honest face, Father, no one will question you.”

When they got to Customs, she let the priest go ahead of her. The
official asked, “Father, do you have anything to declare?” “From the
top of my head down to my waist, I have nothing to declare.”

The official thought this answer strange, so asked, “And what do you
to declare from your waist to the floor?”

“I have a marvelous instrument designed to be used on a woman, but
which is, to date, unused.”

Roaring with laughter, the official said, “Go ahead, Father. Next!”

~Lois

Being a veterinarian, I was called to examine a ten-year-old Irish wolfhound named Belker. The dog’s owners, Ron, his wife Lisa and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn’t do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for the four-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker’s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker’s death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.

Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, “I know why.”

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, “People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life—like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?” The four-year-old continued, “Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.”

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

SMILE with your Eyes.
LAUGH with your Heart.
LOVE with your Soul.

~Lois