Baby Boomer Bites Back

Better Than Moving

2011-02-23T11:30:00.000-08:00

Mikey

I may be on to something here. See, Mikey likes to hammer and saw. He lives for it and should not be denied. He likes big projects, remodeling projects. I like the results, but NOT the noise, dust and inconvenience. It interferes with my beading, quilting, knitting and general peace of mind.

So the solution....acquiring rental property nearby where he can easily go hammer and saw. And we end up with income. Here is the latest. A lovely family moved in last weekend.


Cute new rental

So my plan for long-term happiness is to keep on beading and look for a few more projects for Mikey. Life is good.


Twisted herringbone necklace with big amethyst Swarovsky button.

Happy Trails
MJ

Last Minute Plans

2010-05-07T17:13:00.000-07:00

Hiya!
Sometimes the best laid plans of mice and men can go asunder. Take this weekend for example. The grand plan was for my daughter (the Amazing Kristin), her hubby ( Captain Marty) and their youngest (The Morganator) to arrive at my place. Then Kristin & Marty would go off for a few days of R&R while I spoiled Morgan. Then when they got back, Marty and Morgan would go off hunting wild creatures and Kristin would hang with Da Mama.

Marty got sick. He's all better now, but plans had to change because no sailing vessel can be without its captain for long. The vacation is postponed.

This means Mikey and I are heading to Florida to party with our friends as we fling open the e-doors of their new company. Watch for the video and get updates of when & where at:

http://lockyourspot.com/maryjo

Carpe Diem.
MJ

Everything is relative

2010-02-24T20:27:00.000-08:00

How much snow is too much?

An inch? Yes, in NOLA. They have no idea what to do when it snows.

A foot? Yes, in Asheville. Mountain roads are trecherous in ice & snow.

A Mile? Never a problem in McKeesport PA...OMG

This is my old neighborhood....and why I am "FROM" there.

Gotta Love it!

Fantastic stuff from a Sister, somewheree

2009-06-24T14:39:00.000-07:00

I can't take credit for this, but I do not know who the author is. Still it is wonderful.
MJo

BEST POEM EVER
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ... enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own, even if she never wants to or needs to...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .. something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE . a youth she's content to leave behind....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .. a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...

A WOMAN SH OULD HAVE .. one friend who always makes her laugh.. and one who lets her cry...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ... a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .. eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honored...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE a feeling of control over her destiny..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... how to fall in love without losing herself..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without; ruining the friendship...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... that she can't change the length of her calves, the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..

EVERY WOMAN SHOUL D KNOW... that her childhood may not have been perfect...but it's over...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.... how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.. whom she can trust, whom she can't, and why she shouldn't take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.... where to go... be it to her best friend's kitchen table.. or a charming Inn in the woods.... when her soul needs soothing...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.. What she can and can't accomplish in a day... a month...and a year...

AND REMEMBER: GOOD FRIENDS ARE LIKE STARS. YOU DON'T ALWAYS SEE THEM, BUT YOU ALWAYS KNOW THEY ARE THERE!!!!!!

Be yourself...everyone else is already taken

Sometimes a girl just needs a new hat.

2009-05-10T15:57:00.000-07:00

I am not a big hat wearer. This "Chia Pet" hair of mine does not respond well to multiple squishings. Occasionally frigid weather forces me under wraps, but mostly I just go bare-headed.

So last week a little box arrived in the mail from my dear friend, Carolyn In Colorado. It was my birthday present. OK, so I know my birthday is in January and last week was May3 thru 9...so what. A.) MY birthday is a season; B.) I never turn down a prezzy.

The box contained a beautiful, old, perfect china tea cup and saucer. My "good" china is an ever growing set that is made up of one-of-each pieces, all different,.................AND THIS HAT!

Sweet Mother in Heaven where did she find this thing! I laughed until milk came out my nose. I laugh every time I look at this hat. Who could not.

Sometimes we take ourselves too seriously and we have to be reminded to stop and smell the flamingos. Thanks Carolyn

Love you

MJo

What is a Tar Heel, anyhow?

2009-04-06T20:57:00.000-07:00

Tonight's championship basketball game was amazing. UNC dominated, as they have all year. It was basketball ballet. Bravo Michigan, and any team that makes it to the finals. Tar Heels RULE!

So what exactly is a Tar Heel? Well it seems that somewhere along the way some folks from North Carolina found themselves in a conflict. I am not sure of the nature of the conflict, perhaps a battle in the War Between The States or maybe something less official, IDK. Anyhow, a comment was made by the other side that the North Carolinians would not budge. They held their ground like their heels were stuck to it with tar; Tar Heels. Stubborn, unyielding, tenacious.

I am a recent transplant to North Carolina. We have only been here 3 years, and I have heard people with 20 year residency records called "newcomers". Still, to live here ya gotta be a Tar Heel.

Getting drunk for the cops

2009-03-21T07:49:00.000-07:00

Oh this is good! Kristin my beautiful, brilliant, sexy daughter went to Colorado last week to visit her BFF Tamira. They have been friends since toddlerhood and they do bring out the best in each other.

Tam works as a dispatcher for the police department up there in the Rockies. She knows ALL the cops and ALL the perps, and who's doing what to whom in that rarified air. She is exceptional at her job and she loves it. So of course whenever she is asked to help with police training she is happy to oblige.

Well, the stars aligned in such a way that during Kristin's visit Tam had agreed to help the new police recruits learn how to conduct sobriety tests. Kristin, being the BFF (best friend forever), volunteered to join the training. So these two magnificient mommy's got drunk for the cops!

Oh, to have been a fly on the wall watching this take place would have been priceless. Both of these women are "two-drink tip overs" and they get so silly. Kristin was amazed at how impaired she was when the brethalizer test showed her alcohol level at only a moderate reading. Fortunately, a ride home was provided so the Drunken Divas could recover in the privacy of Tam's house in front of only God and family.

Watching Paint Dry, Part II; Just Get 'Er Done

2009-03-12T11:34:00.000-07:00

Will this remodeling and moving NEVER end??? I am sorry if my impatience is showing like a black slip under a white eyelet dress but could we just get this wagon train on the trail??? I feel like I have one foot in each house at all times. If I want a cookbook...oops, it's over at the house. Need the vacuum? Well I can just about guarantee that where ever I am, the vacuum is at the other residence. Uncanny, that vacuum.

So, it seemed that all the dust created in this shift of life had settled in the living room carpeting at the new house. It was gross. Since the carpeting is only a year old there was no way I could talk the finance Department (that's Mikey) into tearing it out in favor of hard wood. I vacuumed. Mikey Vacuumed. The vacuum choked and took itself over to the other house! We decided it was time for something a little more in depth.

On my way to rent the Rug Doctor I ran into a couple girlfriends and told them what was up. They freaked out. One said "You can't shampoo your own rug. It's too hard to do. You have to rent that ugly machine and lug it home and push it around. You'll hurt yourself". Another said " You can't shampoo your own rug, you don't have time. Think about how much your time is worth. You should call a professional and have them do it".

All of these things could have been true, and maybe it was their truth and I know they had only the best intentions in mind, but I was on a mission and I had a plan. I pushed on, with their negative comments ringing in my ears, and... $25.00 and 30 minutes later I had a clean carpet, without incurring bodily injury (but I did break a sweat so it counted as cardio for the day)

Sometimes there is nothing more important than just getting the job done. Mikey is magnificient at this. He puts his head down and plows through the day's work until the job is finished. I learn from him everyday about perseverance and achieving goals. Remember, it was he turtoise who won that famous race.

Watching paint dry

2009-03-05T07:25:00.000-08:00

There are just times when we need to step back from the intensity of the lives we lead and think about things. Maybe "think" is not the right word. "Think" implies that you will be mentally dwelling on a particular topic or issue with the intent of coming to a solution or conclusion. I am talking about the act of allowing all those thoughts we have had lately to sort of settle into their place of most usefulness, sorting themselves out into coherent patterns and meaningful action steps.

Now, maybe some people already think in linear, logical "Mr.Spock" methods, but I do not. I have a gazillion thoughts every day that interconnect and follow circuitous pathways and sometimes end up in the Roundhouse of Stored Stuff, never to be encountered again. Some of them were really good thoughts that need to be rescued and that takes meditative activities. (Now there is an oxymoron if I have ever heard one)

There is absolutely nothing better for mining lost thought gems than painting the walls. With Mikey busy on relocating doorways and plumbing, it is obvious that if I want the new kitchen any color other than primer white I should paint the walls. The minute I opened the paint can and started the process the world slowed down. There is no way to rush a paint job, and it will take a second coat, and it has to dry in between. These are laws like gravity. Flaunt them and you will pay a high price. You must surrender to the time it takes.

Now that is "The Grand AHA". Success requires that we surrender to the time it takes.

Oh, there is no "kitchen" in the kitchen yet, but... the kitchen is now purple.

Comments on Slumdog Millionaire

2009-03-01T09:38:00.000-08:00

I had the special treat of going to the movies with my 21 year-old grandson, Brandon. We went to see Slumdog Millionaire. Yes, I recommend it; yes, it deserved Best Picture; and yes, I will watch it again.

So much impressed me, and Brandon as well. He's pretty deep for a 21 year old. There is one image, however, that is seared into my brain. It has to do with wanting things. How badly do you want....whatever? A better job, a new home, better income, good health, better relationships...whatever!

My friend and mentor, Art Jonak ( http://www.mlmplayers.com/ ) tells us that we are too comfortable. If we really wanted - REALLY WANTED - something we would go after it. I thought I knew what he meant until I saw the outhouse scene in this movie.

No one has ever wanted anything as much as that little boy wanted an autograph from his favorite movie star. He saw an opportunity and he did whatever he had to do to get what he wanted. It was an amazing scene and now I know what Art Jonak really means when he says "ya gotta really want it".

Now when one of my Vitamark Team Members ( http://www.mjo.vitamark.com/ ) tells me they want to become a Diamond Affiliate I have a new image with which to evaluate their level of want. Oh and that outhouse scene is forever burned into my own vision of what I want.

Thank you Slumdog Millionaire for so many "aha" moments, and thank you Art Jonak for all you do.

The Morganator

2008-08-05T18:41:00.000-07:00

Those of you with grandkids will really understand this. Our 11 year old grandson, Morgan, came to spend a week with us. It was his idea, he really wanted to visit even though we have moved out of our spacious house into a small condo during construction. No yard, neighbors, close quarters, but still he wanted to come.

Here's what, as a Grandma you don't get that for too many years so ya gotta enjoy it while you can. Soon he will be way too cool for this ol' Grandma, but for now, I'm "Da' Bomb".

We had a blast doing...nothing! Who knew how much two people could laugh over simple things? We found ourselves in his bed saying goodnight, but instead giggling madly and taking pictures of each others feet with our cell phones and texting the pictures to whoever we thought might still be awake at midnight! Thank Vitamark for Limu Plus www.mjo.limuplus.com giving me the energy to keep up with Morgan.

Well, he had to go home yesterday because we were running out of food (LOL - man, can he eat!). Actually he had plans with a friend back home. I miss his energy and his wacky giggling and I can't wait to see him in Texas in September. It's his Daddy's 50th birthday party at the beach right after Vitamark's Convention (wouldn't miss that)!

WooHoo
c ya
MJo

Head 'em up; move 'em out!

2008-06-18T11:15:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's moving time again. This will be our 5th move in 3 years! I did not know I was a nomad. Each move has been with purpose and benefitted us financially, so I am not complaining. This one feels even better.

We found the lot of our dreams. It has the seclusion, Southern exposure and out side the city limits tax assessment that Mike wants; and it is less than 2 miles from the mall...for me! Mike has drawn awesome plans and our new home will be exactly what we want.

One tiny little problem has cropped up. Our present house sold very quickly so we have to shack up in a condo for a few months while the house gets built. This is a good problem to have.

So, I am off to pack boxes and sort through stuff for storage with joy and excitement.

The best part of all this moving is that I can take my Vitamark business with me without missing a beat! Of course, everyone's favorite products, Limu Plus, Crave, Appetizer Diet Cookies, VitaOne Vitamins and everything else, are always available online at www.vitamark.com/846790

Happy Trails

MJo

Learning Something New Every Day is Different than Doing Something New Every Day

2008-05-03T08:48:00.000-07:00

Hi Fellow Babies,
I absolutely seek out something new to learn every day with the hopes of preserving my brain well into my twilight years. After all, my Mom was sharp as a tack until her final breath! All this learning is fabulous, but I have also discovered that acting upon the knowledge is a key element of success. Especially in the financial arena.

So late last night my friend and associate Anna told me about redirecting a domain name I owned to my marketing web site. Who knew???? Well, now I know and furthermore...I did it!

Check it out...just type in www.maryjoleonard.com It's magic!

The Perfect Purse, a check up from the neck up.

2008-04-29T13:18:00.000-07:00

My favorite purse finally died. Before I relinquished it to the trash I had to find a replacement. There is NOTHING I like better than a real reason to shop. I have an apparently genetic ability to shop for exercise, training, warm ups, because its Tuesday....very much like those people who climb the mountain because its there. I shop because its there.

At the mall I found the perfect purse. It was a good size with the right number of pockets. The design was nice and the color(s) were great. It had the right "feel" and the straps were comfortable. So why didn't I buy the purse?

Well, ya see the last purse I bought was at some super sale and I walked away with that bag for 12 bucks. Now, somewhere in the far reaches of my twisted brain was lurking the belief that I was only worth a purse that cost $12 and this purse was more than that (ahem, considerably). Have you ever heard such stinkin' thinkin' in your life? Not only that, without analyzing what was actually going on upstairs I found myself for the next 2 hours in 3 other stores looking for a suitable bag for 12 bucks.

So let's take a look at what is wrong with this picture! If I had just bought the purse I loved, I could have gone directly home and gotten on the phone to some of my contacts from the http://info.mycashcrave.com website and made back that money (and more) in a New York minute. Not to mention how bad I felt, defeated and cheap and poor, because I denied myself The Pefect Purse. Broke is a temporary condition remedied by work, poor is a lifestyle. Dammit...I AM NOT POOR!!!!!

This morning I went directly to the mall and bought The Perfect Purse. I deserve it, I am worth it, and the old one was worn out. Now I feel rich and victorious.

Oh yeah...that's what I'm talkin' about

2008-04-28T14:23:00.000-07:00

Now that's a way better picture! LOL

This would be Mike P, Little Me, My Main Squeeze Mikey, and Tiff gettin' funky for the Vitamark Atlanta Summit 70's party last year. Check out Mikey's wig! OMG we really looked like this. What were we thinking? Oh well, it was a blast...both the party and the actual 70's!

Too bad Crave Energy Drink wasn't out yet last year. I would have stayed at the party longer. I'm ready for them this year. Our Diamond Dinner is going to be huge this year because of all the new people achieving Diamond status and also because they are letting the VIP winners come to the Diamond dinner. It is going to be late when we get back to the hotel in those gigantic Hummer Limos! We will all be suckin' down the Crave!

Cyber Boomer Boogies Down

2008-04-27T17:20:00.000-07:00

hiya,
So maybe that's my new alter ego..."Cyber Boomer". After all, I blog now. It wasn't that many years ago when I could have been convinced that a "blog" was someplace they grew genetically altered cranberries! I also have a website - actually 7 Vitamark websites at last count and my Cash Crave site, ads on Craig's list and Backpage (Kijiji kicked me off for marketing. HELLOOOOO...that's what ads are for) AdWords clacking around out there and solo ads blasting through cyber newsletters....see, I toldja I'm a Cyber Boomer.

Anyhow today was a rainy, low energy, read-the-paper-all-day kind of Sunday. The only problem with that was all the stuff Mikey and I needed to get done. I had all sorts of emails to catch up on, a conference call this morning and we wanted to go take some measurements on our new home site.

Well the easy answer is just drink a Crave and get on with it...but it's Sunday and we still wanted some "mellow time". So my smart guy suggested we just drink half a Crave! Waddya know it worked like a charm. I don't even think they know about this theory over at http://info.mycashcrave.com or on the product site www.mjo.cravedrink.com
But then maybe that's what "customize your crave" means...duh.

later days
MJo

Day 1...take a small bite

2008-04-22T19:56:00.000-07:00

Hiya
Having often bitten off more than I could chew, and being way too oral for my own good, I am starting out by nibbling at the edges of this whole"blog thingy" before I actually sink my teeth into it. Wish me luck!

Speaking of biting off more than you can chew, AdWords has me completely confued. My guy who rescues me from computer disasters, "Saint Herbert", has often commented that some people should not be alowed to buy computers. He means me!!!...well this Baby Boomer is biting back! I will use AdWords, dagnabbit!
MJ