It seems as if I have recently heard the word "chaos" used more frequently than ever. We are in the middle of the US presidential primary election season and the battle for delegates is won and lost via both elections and caucuses. I majored in Political Science when I was in college, yet I cannot recall spending a lot of time learning about the caucus process. The simplest explanation is that caucuses are private events that are directly run by the political parties themselves. It is hard to make a great case for their use when all we hear about is how much chaos they have created, that they are extremely time consuming, they are not easy for voters to access, the ballots are not private and that they do not use a popular vote system. Retaining the caucus system rewards passionate activists and diehard party members willing to take part in the often time-consuming process of selecting a candidate. This leads to the biggest disadvantage which is low voter turnout with less than 10% of registered voters participating. After the extreme chaos and lengthy delay (of the results) that developed during the Iowa Caucus process as the result of coding problems with the new smart phone app, some lessons were learned and a back-up system was built into the state of Nevada's primary caucus. Thank goodness for that since there was such a lengthy "hold time" when results were being phoned in to Nevada's "secure and dedicated hotline" and there were also problems with their new digital tool, the "caucus calculator". The paper and texting back-up plan that had been put into place actually came in handy. Yes, there were improvements, but the process could still be defined as extremely chaotic.   We are all familiar with the definition of the word CHAOS. Years ago, I read a book written by a popular professional organizer who defined the word CHAOS as Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome. I thought this was the perfect description since the last thing you want when your home is in complete disarray is for the doorbell to ring. One of my friends told me last week that she recently had unexpected family drop into town for an extended visit. She had just completed the process of getting her house in order and she was extremely grateful that she had done so. She said that the initial panic she felt when she opened the door to her well-intentioned relatives was quickly replaced by a sense of calm knowing that her house was no longer Chaos Central.   Read More

It's back! Season 18 of American Idol started on Sunday night. While I am unable to name all the winners in chronological order, the show has been "must see TV" for me through the years. Idol has undergone many changes over the seasons, including a revolving door for judges who have come and gone as well as a television network change. One of the things that I have enjoyed watching is the inclusion of celebrity coaches/mentors who have nurtured, encouraged and supported the contestants. One of the newer coaches is Bobby Bones, who is an on-air radio personality, musician, comedian and author. You may recognize his name as one of the recent winners of Dancing With the Stars. Bones has a no-nonsense yet compassionate approach to mentoring the American Idol hopefuls. He shares his personal experiences in the business as he imparts his advice and suggestions. His personal mantra is now the subtitle of his latest book: "Fight. Grind. Repeat." In the words of Bobby Bones himself, this is what the expression means:     Fight: Deciding what it is you really want; setting your goals; and strategizing and taking the first steps toward those goals.   Grind: Never missing a detail; always being ready and on call; and doing the work no matter how tired, sick, or 'over it' you feel.   Repeat: Having the patience, resources, and resilience to keep doing the same thing over and over until you get what it is you really want. Read More

Much to my delight, it is Honeybell Oranges Season! Oh, how I look forward to this time of year! The Honeybells are only available for a short period of time, typically from mid to late January until the beginning of February. They are, in my opinion, the most incredible citrus fruit. They are a grapefruit/tangerine hybrid which are known for being incredibly juicy and having the most wonderful honey-sweet flavor and freshness. They are filled with so much juice, that they actually come with a bib for you to wear to protect your clothing! When you eat one, you will want to be sure to squeeze out every precious drop of delectable juice. When the boxes with my annual supply first arrive, I am very generous with them, sharing them with my family and friends. As the supply dwindles and the season sadly comes to end (which means I know I cannot get my hands on any more), I start hoarding and hiding these valued little jewels! I thoroughly enjoy each and every delicious Honeybell and am sad when the short season (as well as my supply) comes to an end. I really have to make sure to squeeze the most out of my inventory every year! Read More

Several years ago, there was an overnight sensation that took over classrooms and playgrounds. All of a sudden, little plastic and metal hand-held spinners showed up everywhere! They came in various colors and different sizes and were in such high demand, that they were sold out across the board. It shocked me at the time, because I recall wondering how something could become so popular, in all parts of our country, without any advertising or promotion. How was it that school kids in Texas were as obsessed with these little devices as their counterparts on the east coast? The Fidget Spinners created such a distraction in schools, that almost as quickly as they appeared on the scene, you started hearing about them being banned. I am not sure what my sons have done with their Fidget Spinners, but I know exactly where my cute little pink one is (yes, I got one too)...it is kept in the top drawer of my desk.   Whether you followed it closely or not, you were probably aware that recently there was an impeachment trial going on. The Senators were under a strict no-talking policy and a ban on electronics. One of the things that you may have heard is that the legislators had trouble staying awake and focused during the many hours of testimony. In an attempt to rectify this situation, Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina got a hold of a large supply of Fidget Spinners and passed them out to his colleagues. Cameras were not allowed during the proceedings, but sketch artists released drawings of the fidget spinners which took up residence on many desks. Some legislators were seen spinning them on their desks, others were using them as they were designed to be used, spun between the fingers to relieve stress and/or boredom and to improve concentration. As I mentioned earlier, schools all across the U.S. banned the toys after they proved to be a distraction among students.    What do you think? Do you think that fidgeting helps to keep you focused or does it lead to distraction? Read More