Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Rising Energy Costs Getting You Down?

Skyrocketing mortgages. Gas pump madness. Is it any wonder we're stressed, cranky and depressed?
 
I have a new book out. It’s called Due to Rising Energy Costs, the Light at the End of the Tunnel Has Been Turned Off. But it’s not as depressing as it sounds! It’s about how to have a happy, fabulous life even when circumstances look dim.

I wrote it when my own circumstances were dark and gloomy. Big bills, broken heart, bad hair month … trust me, whatever COULD go wrong in my life had done just that!  I figured it was the PERFECT time to write the very book I so desperately needed myself, meaning a book filled with practical ways to free our emotions from the tyranny of our circumstances.
 
Inside scoop: At that very moment I was SUPPOSED to be writing a book on parenting but I called my publisher five weeks before deadline and said, "I can't write a book about parenting right now! The thing I'm PASSIONATE about--the place I've been living in for months--is figuring out how to experience hope, happiness and peace even when circumstances are a mess! THAT's the book I want to write! Can I? Can I pleasepleaseplease?"
 
Obviously they said yes.
  

I was thrilled. Grateful. Energized, even. 

 

I'm STILL energized by the subject.

 Which is a good thing.

It means SOMETHING in my life is pumped up. Because with gas over four bucks a gallon, it’s probably not going to be my 4Runner.



Contact Karen, buy books or schedule speaking at www.karenlinamen.com
Posted by Karen Linamen at 09:35:45 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Monday, June 23, 2008

A Fitting Goodbye

Buddy's dying.

Our little Boston Terrier of seven years has a tumor growing on the side of his head and there's nothing we can do.

At least that's what it felt like when I came home from the vet's office last week and broke the news to Buddy's best friend in the universe, my 13-year-old daughter.

Kacie cried. I cried. Buddy licked himself and begged for a doggie cookie.

If I thought there was nothing we could do in the wake of the bad news, I was mistaken. In the days since then, we've been busy indeed. We've been playing catch, going for walks, watching movies, having canine slumber parties with Buddy and TJ, our other doggie. We've also done our share of reminiscing ("Remember when Buddy was eight weeks old and you snuck him in a blanket into Kaitlyn's high school Christmas concert and everyone thought you were holding a baby until he started barking?") Finally, we've had to keep up with all the non-dog-related living that keeps going on because, well, it just has to.

We thought we had another couple weeks with the little guy, but we don't. The tumor's getting bigger every day. Buddy's starting to act sluggish. This morning I told Kacie it was time, that I'd made the appointment with the vet. 

Her bottom lip quivered but then she squared her chin and said bravely. "I want us to make him steak for dinner."

I said, "Of course."

"And mashed potatoes." 

"We can do that.

"And I want him to be able to eat in the dining room. On TOP of the table."

"On top of the table?"

"And eat off the good china."

It wasn't only a dog's life, but the last meal of a dog's life. It seemed like a fitting request to me.

That was many hours ago. Now it's nearly midnight. Dinner's over. Dishes are done. Kacie's asleep upstairs, Buddy snoring at her side, and I'm sitting here thinking about goodbyes. 

Sometimes when endings are near we feel a little lost, like there's nothing left for us to do. But endings can be busy times. There's grieving to do. Memories to make. Honor to give. Love to celebrate. Goodbyes to say. Comfort to give and receive and sometimes even potatoes to mash.

We'll miss you, Buddy.

Contact Karen, buy books or schedule speaking at www.karenlinamen.com
Posted by Karen Linamen at 09:42:45 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Monday, June 16, 2008

Facial Hair Fashions for Women?

If there are two little words that can strike terror into the heart of any woman, it's these:

Facial hair.

Not on our men. We like facial hair on our men. Five o clock shadow can be sexy on a guy. A goatee can be sexy. On a guy.

We don't mind seeing this stuff on our men. Seeing it on the face we see in the bathroom mirror every morning can be surreal.

I looked up facial hair on the internet. I had NO IDEA there were so many styles of beards and moustaches! So far I've counted 74 STYLES OF FACIAL HAIR! Everything from five-o-clock shadows to bushrangers, which are wild long full face beards accompanied by moustaches and sideburns. You want handlebars? Vandykes? Fu manchus? How about Dalis, Door-knockers or Don Littles? Everyone's heard of a goatee, but have you ever seen a marooned hulihee?

All of which gives me hope.

If I can't win the battle against facial hair, maybe I can at least name it something interesting.

I went back over the men's styles looking for anything that sounded vaguely feminine, but I came up short. Almost every style there sounds really masculine, like The Iron Jaw or Viking beard, for instance.

I don't know. Seems to me if I'm going to adopt an actual style for my facial hair, I want it to sound airy. Enticing. Pretty, even.

Like The Velvet Fuzz. Or The Butterfly Wing. Or The Chiffon. Something that implies a little texture without going overboard with the testosterone.

Although there was one style on the men's list that sounded kinda fashionable. It was The French Fork. But I don't recommend it. I wore one for a month before giving up and calling an electrologist. When she answered the phone, I said "I'd like to have a French Fork removed from my chin." She told me to dial 911.
Contact Karen, buy books or schedule speaking at www.karenlinamen.com


Posted by Karen Linamen at 17:01:53 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |