Keep those cards and letters coming

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Community, Family, Life, love, Memories

In the days of cell phones, email and text messages, letter writing can seem hopelessly outdated. My son recently informed me of his refusal to support the greeting card industry so I should not expect a Mother’s Day card.
Fortunately, I’ve saved a drawer full of handwritten notes from him as well as from his sister:
“Mom, I feel like lately we’ve gotten to be really close and I can talk to you about almost anything.”

To their father:

“I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have you as my dad. I hope you can come and visit me often in Chicago.”

I have no idea how to convey to my child that writing and receiving letters will always offer an experience that modern technology cannot touch. Twitter is fine for broadcasting what you’re eating for lunch, and email is fantastic for quick exchanges of pertinent information. But when it comes to sharing your true thoughts, sincere sympathies, ardent love, and deepest gratitude, words traveling along an invisible superhighway will never suffice. Why?

The impact of handwritten cards and letters lasts far longer than any text or email offered in our high-tech world. Years after they are written and sent (and even after their senders and receivers are gone), letters remain to be read, appreciated and preserved. I love seeing the familiar handwriting of my late grandmother and grandfather on old documents. Letters protect our memories in a way that technological communication cannot. They are tangible, personal and real, in every sense of the word.

Computers and smart phones may prove more efficient, but they can never take the place of this kind of sentimental history.

Letters create lasting memories.

 

 

Look for inspirational home ideas in her book, “Sweet Beams: Inspiring everyone who lives under a new roof,” available on amazon.com

Comfy on a couch

Tags

Architecture, Community, decorating, Design, Family, Florida, Home, Homeowner, Houses, Humor, Memories

When you live a short drive from “Mickey and Minnie’s house” in Florida, you have overnight guests at least once a month. In the event of a big crowd, a few may even stay on your couch. Here are a few ways to make guests feel comfortable and welcome, even when they’re bunking on a sofa bed:

1. Replace end tables with dressers: Being able to unpack is key to feeling at home. To avoid mysterious piles of clothing in your living area, use a small dresser in place of a traditional end table to give guests space for their things.
2. Clear out closet space: Luggage can take up valuable real estate in tight quarters, so making room for your guest’s luggage in your closet helps both you and them feel better about sharing a small space.
3. Arrange an amenity area: Whether it’s your coffee table or end table, make sure your guests have useful items such as a small fan, an alarm clock and a table lamp within arm’s reach.
4. Stage a plug-in hot spot: Set up a designated charging area for phones, laptops and tablets. That way, guests can recharge at the end of a long day without having to hunt for outlets. Don’t forget to leave your WiFi password.
5. Provide bedding storage: Carve out a place where bedding can be stored during the day so that your sofa can be used while you are entertaining your guests. Try a chest, closet or storage ottoman.
6. Stock the liquor cabinet: Your guests won’t mind their accommodations at all.

 

Look for more inspirational home ideas in Renee’s book, “Sweet Beams: Inspiring everyone who lives under a new roof,” available on amazon.com

No sunscreen necessary

Tags

arts, Community, Construction, Florida, Florida architecture

Water, wildlife and magnificent palm trees…I spent an afternoon admiring the most extensive collection of Florida art in the world.
When the collection they started in the late 1990s mushroomed to the thousands, Cici and Hyatt Brown decided they wanted to share with the public 2,600 oil-and-watercolor paintings that cover a 200-year span of Florida dating back to the 1700s.
Hyatt is Chairman of the Board of Brown & Brown Insurance Agency and former speaker of the Florida House. His wife, Cici, is an avid volunteer and supporter of the arts. That support may be even more impressive than the canvases hanging inside their museum.
Working with local government leaders, the couple was able to put the new building on a wooded piece of land in Daytona Beach that the city donated. The Browns, in turn, donated $14 million for construction of a Florida Cracker-style structure which is owned and run by the Museum of Arts & Sciences. (Ever generous, the couple contributed another $10 million toward an endowment to cover operating expenses.)
I’m one of 23,000 visitors who enjoyed the collection during its first year. But the museum doesn’t only attract local residents. Art enthusiasts and scholars mingle with tourists who want to add a bit of culture to their beach travels. With Bike Week roaring to a start tomorrow, it’s nice to know that visitors can participate in cultural activities, along with traditional tourism offerings, here.
Who says you can’t mix some Wyeth with your waves?

Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art, 352 South Nova Road, Daytona Beach, FL is open Monday-Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM and Sunday: 11:00 AM-5:00 PM

The challenge of downsizing

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aging, children, Community, Family, Home, Houses, Life, lifestyle, thoughts

If you read the definition of “Down·size  (doun’siz’)” in the dictionary, it sounds easy: To reduce in number or size. To simplify (one’s life, for instance), as by reducing the number of one’s possessions. To become smaller in size by reductions in personnel or assets.
But for me, “downsize” means both a logistical and emotional challenge. It isn’t simply about getting rid of physical things: It’s also about releasing the emotional attachment that comes with them.
It recently took an entire month for me to move from one house to another. Children’s report cards, letters and photos require sorting and savoring. Friends who sell large homes and move to smaller ones appear equally unable (or unwilling) to dispose of their memories. We’re all saddened by adult children who are dismissive of childhood trophies and memorabilia that don’t blend with their current decorating scheme. We know one day, they will regret it.
When my friends ask, I offer one piece of advice: Get outside help.
I turned to my sister when the reality of needing to downsize finally settled in. A pragmatist, she honed her skills with a move to Brussels, Belgium followed by the sale of a large home in McLean, Virginia before downsizing to a townhouse in Annapolis, Maryland.
She ruthlessly attacked my closets and garage with the empathy of an avenging warlord.
Guided by the mantra, “When in doubt, throw it out,” we packed 14 carloads of household items and clothing – including my 1977 boxed wedding gown – and donated everything to the Neighborhood Center of West Volusia County. (The organization provides emergency and transitional housing for families in need.)
When we were finished, I felt no regrets – only relief. Actually, I felt a bit of satisfaction, too: The manager of The Neighborhood Center thrift store confided that our donations had boosted their revenues for more than a month!

In this case, less is definitely more.

Check out Renee’s book, “Sweet Beams: Inspiring Everyone Who Lives Under a New Roof,” available on amazon.com

No shoes – great service

Tags

"One day without Shoes", children, clothing, Community, dress code, fashion, TOMS

Participants of the One Day Without Shoes event walk barefoot through Amsterdam.
to raise awareness for children without shoes, on April 10, 2012

One of the growing movements in business, today, is the emphasis on giving back. More and more companies realize they can make a difference in people’s lives while still improving their bottom line.

Here’s a terrific example: The shoe company TOMS designated “One Day Without Shoes” in 2007. Since then, their efforts have resulted in 2 million pairs of shoes donated to children in more than 50 countries. April 29, 2014 is this year’s designated day.

It began when TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie — who also answers to the title Chief Shoe Giver — traveled to Argentina in 2006. He saw just how many challenges children face when they grow up without shoes, from infections and injury to reduced education opportunities (since many schools require children to wear shoes.)
So no shoes, no education, no future.
The TOMS tagline, “Leave Your Footprint,” reflects how much we, as individuals, can be part of something bigger than ourselves.
This week, why not skip the pedicure and buy a child a pair of shoes, instead?

For more information on raising awareness visit http://www.onedaywithoutshoes.com.

The power of place

Tags

Architecture, Community, environment, Memories, mood, motherhood

Driving through Hyde Park recently, I passed the Methodist Church where I once enrolled my 3-year-old daughter in “Mother’s Morning Out.” For a nominal fee, children played from 9 a.m. until noon, under the supervision of an elderly couple (probably my current age, but without benefit of hair color or moisturizer.)

My darling Katie cried for all three hours – no amount of cajoling from the couple could stem her tide of tears. After three unsuccessful attempts, they suggested I keep her at home. In disbelief, I stood outside the playroom one morning and listened to be sure their claims were true. Her whimper escalated to a wail and, when neither of us could bear it any longer, I rushed in to retrieve her.

Sitting in my car at the stop sign, I felt the same raw anguish in the pit of my stomach. It could have happened yesterday – the pain was so real. Oddly, my daughter is now 31 and contemplating a child of her own.

I am continually amazed by the power of place: so strong, it can transport you to another time. Sheer geography – bricks and mortar – can elicit memories so vivid they can bring you to a smile (or a sob) in an instant.

Have you ever experienced it (or should I contact a mental health professional immediately?)

Remember this!

Tags

Brain, Community, Family, Memories

Need to remember your shopping list at the store? Clench your right fist for about 90 seconds before memorizing it. Then, when you get to the store, clench your left fist to recall the items.

Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? But a new study out of Montclair State University in New Jersey suggests fist-clenching activates brain regions associated with memory formation, and a right-left sequence worked best.

Why have I been using “Post-it” notes all these years, when the answer was right in my hand — or rather, my fist?

Have you found anything else that works?

A Green Thanksgiving

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Celebration, Community, Green, Home, Thanksgiving, thanksgiving dinners, Tree

Thanksgiving dinners take weeks to plan, hours to prepare and roughly 15 minutes to consume. The average half-time show during a football game lasts 15 minutes…

This is not a coincidence.

Consider getting out of the kitchen and into the yard: Celebrate Thanksgiving by planting a tree. It may seem trivial at first, but it’s one of the simplest things we can do to help nature. Trees absorb about 26 pounds of carbon dioxide each year and provide enough oxygen a family of four may need in a year to survive.

Invite your neighbors for a joint celebration and multiply the good effect. Have a green and Happy Thanksgiving!

Photo by Julie Whitney

Give your home a name.

Tags

abode, Community, Culture, golf clubs, Home, Name, possession, tara

Give your home a name.  (Tara has already been taken.)

 

 After all, a person’s name is their dearest possession.

 The challenge is to know your abode as subject – not as object.  If you were to name your place, what name would fit its character?  (Certainly both you and your home will change through the duration of this relationship.)

• Consider the other things you have given a name to.  Pets? Golf clubs? Cars, perhaps?

 

• Make a list of the homes or buildings in your community that have been given names. Is there any apparent meaning to them?

Home: Celebrating the Spaces of Yourt Heart

Inside and outside

Tags

Community, Homes

 

Here’s a revolutionary thought: Why not patronize merchants within walking distance of your home?  And yes, walk there!

The information age has reversed the concept of inside and outside… private and public. Television and the Internet give us access to the world inside our homes.  But we must go outside to reclaim the spirit of our community.

Photograph by Jamieson Thomas

Home: Celebrating the Spaces of Your Life