Mary Pierce

Listen in and laugh along…

TODAY’S LAUGH: Last year the doctor put me on calcium supplements to strengthen my thinning bones. Now a study in New Zealand shows increased heart attack risk for women who take calcium supplements.

My first thought? GREAT! I’ll have a heart attack, but at least I won’t break a hip on the way down…

I’m doomed if I do, and doomed if I don’t!

TODAY’S ENCOURAGEMENT: Isn’t that just how it is these days? One study shows that coffee is good for us. The next study says it’ll kill us. Hormone replacement was what we needed until another study scared us half to death. Makes for anxious living, questioning everything we do.

What are we to do? Take a deep breath. Moderation and common sense are the key. Yes, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. And that applies to everything: supplements, hormones, coffee and yes, even chocolate. (Click here before your common sense kicks in.)

So whatever’s got you worried, do your research, consult the experts, and make your decision. YOUR decision.

Don’t be blown about by every passing wind. Don’t let the today’s headline determine your tomorrows.

What’s on your mind today? Ask your questions. Make your choices. It’s your life. Live it well.

Thanks for blessing my life. Now go be a blessing to somebody else today.

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THANKS to all who helped celebrate the HAPPY BLOGAVERSARY. Your notes were so uplifting and encouraging to me and I appreciate your support! Winners of the book giveaway are: Susan Engebrecht, Cheryl Reznick, Joanne Woodman, Joanne Fimreite, Mary Robinson and Sarah Maples.

Use “CONTACT MARY” and let me know which book you want and where to send it. Enjoy!

Listen in and laugh along…

TODAY’S LAUGH: Improv Part Two started this week. How did I feel, as a seasoned veteran after eight weeks of Improv Part One, including that public performance?

Scared. Not quite as scared as I was before, but still scared. Especially when we danced the chicken dance in class. (Before this I was the one person in America who had never danced the chicken dance.)

It’s the potential public humiliation that’s scary. (It’s why we always dance the chicken dance in groups–never as a solo.)

But doing improv means trying to purposely humiliate yourself in public. And I did. I faced my fears. I humiliated myself. YES!

TODAY’S ENCOURAGEMENT: We all face fearful things. Even if we have voluntarily undertaken the task, we can still be afraid. The good news is we can feel the fear and go ahead and do it anyway.

It takes courage to risk, to fail and to try again. It takes courage to be less than perfect, to learn and to grow.

A paraplegic man learned to ride his horse again. He said, “I fell 500 times before I got it right.” It takes courage to get back on the horse.

It takes courage to try again. It takes courage to forgive. It takes courage to forget. It takes courage to love.

“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is that little voice at the end of the day that says, ‘I’ll try again tomorrow’.” (Anne Hunninghake)

So true. Courage doesn’t always roar.  Sometimes it clucks like a chicken.

What scary thing are you facing? “If I were brave, I’d…”  Feel the fear and do it anyway.

May you be blessed for your courage today. And encourage someone else to be brave, too.

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HAPPY BLOGAVERSARY celebration continues: As my THANK YOU to you, I’m giving away  SIX BOOKS to six winners- your choice of my titles.

If you haven’t already entered the drawing from September 15 to September 28, 2009, use “Contact Mary” with “HAPPY BLOGAVERSARY” in the subject line.

If you’d like to include a note about your favorite post of the past, or just how “Today’s Laugh” has helped you, I’d LOVE to read that!

Enter for yourself and please pass the word to your friends. THANKS!

(One entry per verified email address. US Mailing addresses only. Winners will be drawn on Monday September 28, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. (CDT) and announced on the website on 9/29/09.)

Listen in and laugh along…

TODAY’S LAUGH: Who’da thunk it? This old girl entered the blogosphere two years ago this week. And now I’m FaceBooking, Twittering, YouTubing… whew! What a ride!

Thanks to DaHusband first-he’s the one in charge of all things tech around here. And thanks to CatBoxBoy, who brought my website—and his mother—into the new millennium. And thanks to DaMama and the rest of the fam for so much material.

But most of all, thanks to all of you who visit week after week. The list has grown, thanks to your forwards to friends. I’m so honored every time you do that.

I looked back to find a favorite post from the past to repost today. The November 2007 post “AS SEEN ON TV” (featuring the late great Billy Mays, who I think would agree) sums it all up. Here’s the replay:

TODAY’S ENCOURAGEMENT (from November 3, 2007):

“What matters most is what lasts in this life. Faith. Family. Friendships. What matters is the connection we make with our fellow travelers.

“Take time today to connect, to turn away from the transitory things and give thanks for the things that matter most. Enjoy that baby’s smile, that friend’s hug, that loved one’s laughter. Be a blessing to someone else.

‘As Seen on TV’? Nope.

‘As Seen in Real Life.’ Much, much better.”

(Couldn’t have said it better myself… )

Thank you for sharing two wonderful years of “real life” with me.  You are a blessing to me!

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HAPPY BLOGAVERSARY: As my THANK YOU to you, I’m giving away  SIX BOOKS to six winners- your choice of my titles.

To enter the drawing from September 15 to September 28, 2009, use “Contact Mary” with “HAPPY BLOGAVERSARY” in the subject line.

If you’d like to include a note about your favorite post of the past, or just how “Today’s Laugh” has helped you, I’d LOVE to read that!

Enter for yourself and please pass the word to your friends. THANKS!

(One entry per verified email address. US Mailing addresses only. Winners will be drawn on Monday September 28, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. (CDT) and announced on the website on 9/29/09.)
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P.S. If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the Twister video trailer!

P.P.S. We’re walking on Saturday September 19, 2009 in the local Memory Walk to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. Click here to support our efforts on behalf of DaMama. Thank you!

Listen and laugh along…

TODAY’S LAUGH: Here’s a picture of my desktop inbox from last week. Quite the pile, huh?

After I took the picture I noticed two copies I bought of my friend Cheryl Kirking’s Christmas gift book in the pile. Her title jumped out at me:  “What Can I Give Jesus?”

I knew the answer. I closed my eyes and prayed. “Lord, how about if I give you this whole pile?”

I opened my eyes. The pile was still there. Darn. I hate it when he says, “No thanks.”

TODAY’S ENCOURAGEMENT: Okay. So no miracles, no quick answers. I’d have to just plow through, one thing after another, making those decisions I’d been avoiding.

Clutter is deferred decisions. It’s a pile of “I’ll decide later.” I’d obviously been deferring a lot of decisions lately. I blame summer.

I set my timer and tackled the pile. Forty-five minutes later, everything in that stack had been decided. (“Deciding” takes a lot less time than “doing.”)

The quick actions (less than two minutes) I did on the spot. I scheduled the things that would take more than two minutes. And I filled the trash can.  (What? There were things in that pile I didn’t need to keep? Shocking!)

Check out the “after” effect. I wanted to be sure and capture the moment. (Because it will only last a moment…)

Have you got a pile of deferred decisions somewhere? Ready to tackle it? Set the timer and GO!

You can thank me later. (Seriously, I’d love to hear about YOUR pile. Honest.)

Meanwhile, thank you for blessing my life. Be a blessing to somebody else today!

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COMING NEXT WEEK: HAPPY BLOGAVERSARY! Next week marks the second anniversary of the Today’s Laugh blog. What fun it’s been to connect week after week with all of you. I’ve got something special in mind to celebrate. Check back next week for details.

NEW VIDEO TRAILER: Yes, we’ve “gone Hollywood”! Check out the When Did My Life Become a Game of Twister? video (also under “BOOKS” at left). Let me know what you think of it and feel free to forward it to friends who need a little lift. Thanks! (And I’m on YouTube, too!)

It’s official. The local orchard is open. Just made my first apple pie of the season. Autumn (my favorite time of year) may commence.

Happy Fall to all! I’ll be back on September 8th with more laughter and encouragement.

Meanwhile, enjoy the change of seasons, back to school, or whatever this brings to your part of the world.

Thank you for blessing my life with your friendship!