I said: “WHAT!?” I looked around, thinking it was the Manager, or the server, or another server – since they know me from dining there frequently.

Then the server indicated towards an empty booth near the window. She said: “It was the family who had been dining over there.” She was smiling.

I said: ‘WOW! My heart is TOUCHED!’ … ‘I wish I could have thanked them! … I’ll have to BLOG about it!’ She smiled and nodded, a warmth in her eyes as they twinkled.

WOW! I told her: ‘I have to laugh! People see me dining alone and sometimes feel sorry for me. I LOVE to go places on my own! I like meeting people! I’ve gone on a cruise and other vacations on my own; because I enjoy meeting people and am a free spirit!’ She agreed, and said she is the same way.

I had been ‘playing’ with customers with kids as they came in the door of the restaurant, by putting on my clown nose as they walked in.

I had to laugh! I had ordered a SENIOR menu item (they allow it at this restaurant, even though I’m 52). The cost is less and I don’t eat a lot. I had just ordered a FISHAMAJIG! But, I have to tell you – it’s the MOST PRICELESS Fishamajig I’ve ever had!

I am truly heart-warmed by THE THOUGHT that went through this family’s mind and heart as they MADE THAT DECISION. I noticed they had a little boy with them, around age 6 to 8 years. What a WONDERFUL lesson, a priceless lesson they taught that child!

What a WONDERFUL gift of WARMTH and GOOD-HEALTH they gave themselves by this PRICELESS act!

I was ‘where I wanted to be’, ‘doing what I wanted to do’, ‘being, where I wanted to be’ …freely being me – and I GOT MY MEAL FOR FREE! TEE HEE HEE!

I’m sending out a positive thought, positive prayer and gratitude and warmth towards this beautiful, kind family.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.COM
Outlook Shift Engineer! Hear! Here!

As a young child, in school, there was a holiday gift exchange. After the class picked their gift packages, another girl in the glass announced to the teacher: ‘I GOT MY OWN GIFT! THE ONE THAT I BROUGHT!’ Without ‘skipping a beat’, ‘without asking’ – the teacher told the girl to ‘JUST TRADE YOUR GIFT WITH (my friend’s name omitted). My friend noted she opened her gift to find A FRUIT CAKE! The girl who had FREELY given up the gift she brought in, got a wonderful, creative kit to play with and have fun!

My friend notes that THAT moment (jokingly) defined her life. My friend has a HIGHLY CREATIVE mind and EXCELLENT WIT!

OUTLOOK SHIFT ENGINEERING, now starts …

As an adult – we wonder WHAT the teacher was thinking!? I often note, just because a person is of a certain age, doesn’t mean they are able to ‘act as an adult’. Not always because of mental/emotional ability. Was the teacher Frazzled? Exhausted? Just wasn’t thinking… ??? who knows? Too bad we can’t ask “WHO” … BECAUSE “WHO” seems to be the one WHO knows the answers … now that I think about it! *smile Wonder where ‘WHO’ lives? Gonna have to look into that. Seems just like SANTA – maybe WHO lives at the South Pole?

As an adult – we look back and see that the ‘Other Girl’ might have known that her gift WAS the FRUITCAKE, and in no way wanted it! Maybe not, maybe her parent didn’t tell her what had been wrapped and she was trying to BE HONEST? Who knows … (I’m being fair in my outlook shift engineering view.)

So we fast forward in life, you have the girl that gave up the fruitcake …
you have my Creative-Minded, Beautiful, Witty ACTRESS friend who is GREAT with seeing life from an INTERESTING perspective, and being able to write and chuckle about it.

We all play these roles in impacting one another’s lives. I had MY instances, as a child, where ‘the other girl’ got the good stuff. I could share many stories. One of those girls in MY childhood, who seemed to ‘have it all’, lost her older brother to drugs in College – so even though she was an Honors student, she went into a clerical field seeing that College does bad things to people. Interesting how life turns out.

These FRUITCAKE Life Lessons – give us the opportunity to look back at this time of year and be GRATEFUL. Even if we are FULL of FRUITCAKE and sick of it.

I’m thinking my friend DIDN’T NEED the CREATIVE FUN KIT – because she was already Witty, and Beautifully Creative! Maybe the other girl needed the kit to boost her creativity? Maybe it helped her parent to see a different take on a gift versus a cake for a kid. Then again there are all the other scenarios that could come into play. I can think of MANY coming from a challenged family, with a mom who couldn’t drive, money being an issue, etc.

Another way of looking at it – it’s not always so bad to KNOW what’s in the package! This applies if you are the type to PREFER A SURPRISE be unwrapped!

Here’s to a new year, a new you and FRUITCAKE LIFE LESSONS! No matter WHAT you GET in LIFE; I think when you are able to do an OUTLOOK SHIFT ENGINEERING process on it all – in the end – you see it actually worked out perfectly!

Ha Ha Helen of LAFOLOT.com
Outlook Shift Engineer! Hear! Here!
Live Life! Laugh Often!

I don’t believe in the once-a-year stress, mega-shopping, mega-debt, shock of seeing family members where one can’t relate and adjust, where addicts get into their mega-use to avoid it all, etc.
NOW for my OUTLOOK SHIFT ENGINEERING approach … AH! HA! HA HA!

I BELIEVE in LIVING LIFE! LAUGHING OFTEN!
I BELIEVE in LIVING in the SEASON and SPIRIT of Christmas year round! How does THAT SOUND?

My laughter leader trainer, Dr. Steve Wilson, wrote a wonderful book called: ‘GOOD-HEARTED LIVING’. We’ve seen these values and traits written and spoken about many times over: COMPLIMENTS, FLEXIBILITY, GRATITUDE, KINDNESS, FORGIVESS, and having fun and relaxing (CHOCOLATE).

I don’t DO Christmas … but I did awake this morning to the EXPECTATION, APPRECIATION of a BEAUTIFUL NEW DAY! I didn’t run out to find a tree with wrapped packages… I found the SUN streaming through my bedroom window! YES! A new PHresh Day! A new, PHresh Outlook on Life!

What a GIFT, this NEW day, this NEW start to a NEW outlook. ‘Pick myself up, dust myself off, start all over again!’ as the song says.

I get to LIVE LIFE! in AH! MAZEMENT! Each day I get to practice GOOD-HEARTED LIVING! I can awake to realize a NEW FORGIVENESS!

I look out my window as I prepare my healthy breakfast filled with GRATITUDE and see the MIRACLE OF LIFE as BIRDS flitter from branch to branch.

I get to PRACTICE this SPIRIT OF THE SEASON on a MOMENT to MOMENT basis … living in the GIFT of the PRESENT … constantly seeing a NEW SURPRISE … a NEW LESSON … a REASON to be GRATEFUL!

I get to EXCUSE, FORGIVE, RELEASE a minor irritation by a fellow DRIVER or SHOPPER when I am out-and-about.

I get to PRACTICE ‘A Little Kindness…’ and live in AH! MAZING! EXPECTATION of each new occurrence and miracle in my life!

Why only do this for a brief time each year? LIVE LIFE IN AH! MAZEMENT! LIVE LIFE! with EXPECTATION! on a moment to moment basis. LIVE, LIVE, LIVE IN the SPIRIT of the SEASON!

No need to wait for ‘once a year’ to SPEND TIME WITH THE KIDS, or a MISSED family member to BAKE SOME COOKIES or make some Ginger Bread Houses. It’s all about the SPECIAL QUALITY TIME … be creative! This translates to sandcastles and group gardening projects.

No need to wait for the ‘HOLIDAY SEASON’ to make donations or take food to a needy family.

No need to wait for the Holiday Season to take some time for YOURSELF, to ‘take a ME-DAY’ from work and CELEBRATE THE GIFT OF LIFE!

As MAME said: ‘We need a Little Christmas, right this very minute …’ – in life, on a moment to moment basis … living in the moment, in the MIRACLE of each new day and minute … seeing the JOY, LOVE, MAGNIFICENCE around us.

The SPIRIT of the SEASON is about:
EXPECTANCY,
BEING IN THE MOMENT
GRATITUDE and THANKS
FORGIVING
Being a little KIND, a little FLEXIBLE
Enjoying those TREATS
Spending time with someone
SHARING those GIFTS …

Play the HA HA HELEN SMILE CAMPAIGN - GAME!, DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY!, take TIME 2 LAUGH … LIVE LIFE LIKE IT’S The Christmas Season!

THAT’S THE SPIRIT! L I V E IT! and share a Healthy Laugh or Smile while you’re at it!

Ha Ha Helen of LAFOLOT.com – OUTLOOK SHIFT ENGINEER, Hear! Here!
Live Life! Laugh Often!
A little kindness goes a long way …

It’s been a year of challenges, frustrations, and dissapointment – HOLDING ON – knowing that SEEDS have been planted and are GERMINATING – ready to BLOSSOM and grow my LAFOLOT.COM business. I AFFIRM THIS!

I have newly title myself: OUTLOOK SHIFT ENGINEER! If the TITLE fits, WEAR it!

Heres the AH! MAZING! NARRATIVE of KONTAGIOUS KINDNESS events and OUTLOOK SHIFTS since yesterday!

I had a dental appointment yesterday morning at which I received a coupon attached to an 8 1/2 inch sheet of paper. I was ‘dissapointed’ because I thought the dental hygenist said she would give me a coupon for anti-bacterial mouthwash – all I saw was a coupon for dental floss. But I chose to be grateful.

OUTLOOK SHIFT: I took the coupon sheet to the grocery store, and when I went to fold and tear the coupon at the perforation; I FOUND OUT THERE WAS PRINTING ON THE BACK – and THAT’s where the mouthwash coupon was! SILLY ME! It just took an OUTLOOK shift to discover THE GIFT! When I used the coupon, the grocery store DOUBLED it’s value and the coupon maching SPIT OUT (no pun intended re: the mouthwash) – ANOTHER $1.00 off coupon for the same produce – not expiring for 3 months! Woo Hoo!

Last evening, after leaving my mom’s hospice room and having to help her eat (this is not easy for me emotionally nor physically) – I stopped at a local 7-11 Convenience store to pick up a Hotdog and Fritos for dinner. The owner of the store knows me as a frequent customer. HE GAVE ME THE HOTDOG FOR FREE! What a kindness! We never know what people are experiencing in their lives – that GESTURE was PRICELESS!

I got up this morning and sang my own made-up song, chants about everything I was grateful for. The shower, the water, my hair-blow dryer, etc etc.

When I went to visit my sister in her nursing home I found an older couple sitting near the lobby front door. Even though it was 10 A.M. – he kept greeting everyone with GOOD AFTERNOON because he thought it was funny! I had my clown nose with me – so I put it on and he and his wife laughed!

When I went down the hall towards my sister’s room – the PHYSICAL THERAPY staff were helping a senior woman go through Plastic Cones – to learn how to maneuvre her walker. They said: OH NO! YOU CAN’T JUST WALK BY! YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE CONES! I slipped my clown nose out of my pocket – put it on my face and OBLIGED! They laughed and thanked me.

I found my sister, relaxed, content and resting on her bed. She was happy to get her wristwatch back after a recent stay in the hospital. We had a nice visit.

On my way out, I told her PHYSIATRIST that I ‘VALUED’ his intentions and actions in trying to assist my sister with her mobility, etc. I hear THE HOKEY POKEY being played on a piano and followed the music into a senior/group event being held by two women (one singing, one playing the piano). With my clown nose, I entered the event and they stopped and smiled. They allowed me to join in and physically do the hockey pockey for them – while it was replayed.

I left the building feeling good about having entered with a positive outlook shift – my family having been challenged recently re: my sister’s care.

When I got to the grocery store after that – I saw A FANTASTIC deal on a HUGE SIZE box of cat litter. I’m really hurting financially – so it would have been a good buy – but TOO HEAVY for me to lift. I said that out loud in the aisle – JOKINGLY – and another woman shopper – without skipping a beat – LIFTED THE HUGE BOX OF LITTER INTO MY SHOPPING CART!

I told her I have on my website: A LITTLE KINDNESS GOES A LONG WAY! She had done a great service and unexpected kindness for me! I gave her 3 LAFOLOT bookmarks. She was thrilled because she had just bought a book at a 2nd hand book store! Since I work at this store, I mentioned HER KINDNESS to one of the management and they said they would offer her a discount coupon for having helped me!

KINDNESS IS KONTAGIOUS!
You never know when THAT SMALL GESTURE is helping someone with BIG BURDENS in their life.

Thanks to ALL THE ANGELS that presented themselves to me this past week! Sending thoughts of healthy laughter and smiles out to all!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.COM
OUTLOOK SHIFT ENGINEER!

I had stopped into a local SUBWAY owned by a business connection, Kathy George. For a Sunday, there was a crowd! I frequent this SUBWAY because Kathy’s manager, Alicia, put my HA HA HELEN of LAFOLOT picture on an 8 1/2 x 11 poster to help promote HEALTHY LAUGHTER along with SUBWAY’s Healthy Eating!

There was a couple with their daughter and her friend, in the line in front of me. The ‘girls’ were having fun picking out their sandwhich combinations. The daughter had on fun toe nail polish and had painted one foot! They were fun, free spirits! I loved it! They were SO POLITE! The daughter took time to ‘apologize’ to me for holding up the line! WHAT A GREAT SOUL! A TEENAGER! I said: ‘No problem! I’m in no hurry! Besides – THAT’S MY PHOTO UP THERE ON THE SIGN BY THE DOOR!

I pulled a couple bright yellow, LAFOLOT bookmarks out of my purse and gave one to the girl and her friend. I noted: I’m HA HA HELEN and on the back of the bookmark, it explains my SMILE CAMPAIGN! I told them: Whenever I give a smile and someone smiles back, I GIVE MYSELF A POINT! They smiled/laughed/thanked me and moved on.

After they paid, I made sure to tell ‘the mom’ I had given them bookmarks and gave her one so she would know where they got theirs, etc.

They family sat down to finish their sandwhiches. As they got up to leave, I smiled at the girl who smiled back. Her friend was directly behind her. The young girl stated loudly: I GOT ONE POINT!

W.O.W!!! My whole world lit up! My whole day had been turned around! I sat there in AH! MAZEMENT! with the BRIGHTEST SMILE ON MY FACE!

Without going into detail – I and other members of my family are very stressed at the moment dealing with a mom in hospice as well as an older, brain damaged sister in crisis.

This PRICELESS, SPECIAL MOMENT TURNED IT AROUND! I just SAT there in AWE!

I sometimes question, struggling financially at the moment, whether I should just CHUCK it all and go back to a cubicle job to pay off debt, bills, etc.

Then – something like this happens and I realize I’m following my PURPOSE!

As I walked to my car (LAFOLOT MOBILE) – I had to walk past the family’s SUV as ‘the mom’ was getting in the vehicle. I saw ‘the dad’s’ face and I SMILED! He smiled back. The back windows were open where the two girls were sitting.

I ANNOUNCED: ONE POINT!

As I made my way around the vehicle to get to my car – the back window rolled down and the daughter smiled at me announcing: I’M UP TO FIVE POINTS!

What can I say! I HAD SOLD HER ON THE BEAUTY OF THE IDEA! SHE APPROVED OF THE HA HA HELEN SMILE CAMPAIGN – POINTS GAME!

I told her: Do you want to know what I do with all my points? On a day when I can’t find my smile; and someone smiles at me first – KA CHING! I CASH THEM IN! She smiled broadly at the idea as they drove away.

ONE POINT! I THOUGHT! – and I let out a loud YES! YAHOO! YEAHHHH! WITH A BIG SMILE – AS I DROVE AWAY!

HA HA HELEN Szollosy of LAFOLOT.COM – OUTLOOK SHIFT ENGINEER!
Live Life! Laugh Often!
Lighting up the world – ONE SMILE AT A TIME!
Join HA HA HELEN’S SMILE CAMPAIGN! E-MAIL ME AND TELL ME ABOUT YOUR RESULTS!
IT DOESN’T COST ANYTHING! JUST SHARE YOUR SMILES!

I also learned how to Entertain – by watching my dad do ‘silly Vaudeville act’ and ‘slapstick’ moves and phrases.

In honor of DAD’s day, I recalled a priceless moment. I used to like to go ‘fishing’ with my dad. The funny this is, we never caught any fish. The ONE time I caught a fish, I brought it home and put it in a bucket and watched it swim around. I COULD NEVER HAVE KILLED IT! My dad knew this and ‘took care of it’ when I wasn’t looking. I think my mom cooked it for him.

Because of the above, one time, when WE WENT FISHING, he just put an OPEN, Large Safety Pin on the end of a string attached to a stick. He let me sit on a bridge in Highspire/Middletown area – over the CANAL. He knew I ‘just liked the ACT of fishing and sitting’. Well, a man came walking towards us across the bridge at one point. The man inquired: ‘catch anything?’ I naturally started to pull the ‘makeship fishing apparatus’ out of the water.

NO! NO! my dad said. Just keep it in there. The man looked oddly after we said, ‘no’ and kept on walking. I realized, later – my dad KNEW I didn’t care to catch anything – so just to keep me happy – he rigged a fake fishing line and JUST LET ME SIT.

I would JUST SIT a lot – with my dad – there was no need for words. It was VERY EFFECTIVE communication. When he was ‘passing on’ – I would go to the hospital and JUST SIT. It’s how we communicated. Sometimes – there isn’t a need for words.

I was driving today and saw the personalized bumper display: 1AMB1C 1 (IAMBIC 1) Per Wikipedia: Iambic rhythms come relatively naturally in English. Iambic pentameter is the most common meter in English poetry; it is used in many of the major English poetic forms, including blank verse, the heroic couplet, and some of the traditional rhymed stanza forms. William Shakespeare used iambic pentameter in his plays and sonnets. [I notice these things and started a: DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY! campaign via LAFOLOT.com by 'getting people to enjoy the GIFT of the PRESENT moment - by noticing interesting license plates while driving. This was ANOTHER GAME I learned from MY DAD! He would make funny words out of the 3 letters in the beginning of license plates.]

I figured the driver was announced that they were A POET! Another form of Communication in ART.

Sometimes, ACTing or ACTions speak louder than words – such as in a play or a relationship between a father and daughter.
Sometimes, adding a LITTLE RYTHM with an IAMBIC Pentameter or RAP beat helps to get the message across. When my dad passed on, I was the only one in his hospital room, and I told the young nurse on duty – the story about the SAFETY PIN FISHING LINE. It makes me smile – it has DAD written all over it!

I personally feel, the way to bring PEACE to the WORLD is to put an EMPHASIS on: THE ART OF COMMUNICATION

Whether it’s WRITING, SPEAKING, SINGING, POETRY, ACTING, JOURNALING – communicating with one’s self or with others. But, I feel there is a REAL NEED for THE WORLD to EXPRESS its needs, feelings, wants, desires – IN A HEALTHY WAY.

I think – like my dad – sometimes – we just need to SIT IN THE SILENCE and ponder life – through fishing – even if it’s with a safety pin.

The ART of Communication and NON-Communication – a priceless gift/skill to HONE.

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.com
Living Life! and Laughing Often!
Living in AH! Mazement of it all! … and LEARNING A LOT – from DAD!

I thought, ‘how sad’ – this Crow has ‘something to crow about’ and no one – not even another crow, is able to hear.

I then thought, how many times in life do we have ‘something to crow about’ and WE aren’t heard nor noticed.

I am passionate about what I do, ‘Outlook Shift Engineer!’, Laughter Wellness (Healthy Socialization) and Healthy interaction through smiling and kindness – but so many times – I feel like this Crow – in the middle of a busy intersection, not being heard nor noticed.

I was cleaning my office this morning and noticed all the ‘THANK YOU NOTES’ and ‘NOTES OF APPRECIATION’ I have ‘salt and peppered’ around my desk. These ‘PRICELESS FORMS OF COMMUNICATION’ are highly cherished! I keep them around to ‘keep me going’ when I ‘FEEL LIKE THE CROW WHO WAS NOT HEARD.’

The ART of communication is a wonderful, priceless thing!
The ART of listening.
The ART of a kind word, a smile, a simple FREE-ly giving gesture.

I was driving along the road and saw a woman in the lane to the right of me, her window halfway down – and a cigarette in her hand. Normally, I would get very annoyed, because of not wanting to breathe in the smoke and I would be judgemental.

I did an OUTLOOK SHIFT at that moment, put on my CLOWN NOSE – looked to the right in the woman’s direction (my car window was up) and I WAVED and SMILED!

The woman instantly waved and smiled back at me. I felt good that I had ‘changed my outlook’ and chosen to SHARE A HEALTHY SMILE AND A WAVE with this soul – traveling on the same road of life as I.

May you have a day filled with ART-full, Kind, Free-ly given beautiful communication -

and while ‘THE MASSES’ may not HEAR you nor I – perhaps, like me – being the only one noticing the CROW ‘CAWING’ out its message – you, too – will have ‘one special soul’ with whom to share your message.

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.com
Outlook Shift Engineer!
Live Life! Laugh Often!

Little bird, little bird
did you hear me
as I thanked you
for having blessed this Earth with your presence?

Little bird, little bird
Little bird, little bird
I’m sure you heard. Peace.

As I walked towards SUBWAY at Windsor Park shopping center, today – I thought I saw a dark rag or paper on the ground. As I got closer, I realized it was a little black bird, with orange accents on its wings. It was about 2 feet from the sidewalk curb, perfectly in tact. I reached down to nudge it, it didn’t respond. It looked like it was asleep on its side. I slowly started to reach around it – in the event it was alive. There was no movement. I realized it was dead.

I didn’t want the beautiful creature’s body to be run over by a vehicle. I slowly, gently picked it up and took it over to a small cement-curbed island in the parking lot. It had a tree and two spirea bushes on either side. I placed the bird gently in the shade of the one spirea bush and said in my mind a little prayer: ‘Thank you little bird, for having graced this Earth with your presence.’

I felt the bird deserved a proper burial. A woman was walking towards me and asked, ‘Is it a bird?’ I let her know it had died. She immediately started to tell me how her children had been upset to find a dead bird in their driveway, and they had decided to give it a proper burial to make them feel better.

When I was taking a photo after feeling I wanted to write about it – another woman came over to ask what was up? I let her know I had found the bird and placed it by the bush, and was going to write a story about it. She said: ‘That was SO NICE of you to pick it up and bring it over here. She reached out to gently touch my shoulder.’ I told her I had said a blessing for it.

Just then, a young couple came walking by and asked what was going on. The woman told them and the guy called over: ‘Make sure you say a prayer for it!’

AH! MAZING! how much attention ‘little black bird with orange accents on its wings’ was getting. The 2nd woman that talked to me had noted: ‘ISN’T IT SUCH A PRETTY BIRD! What kind is it?’ I let her know I wasn’t aware, but also thought it to be so pretty.

It’s said that LIFE imitates ART. I say ART and ENTERTAINMENT imitates LIFE! Songs, plays, paintings are all done from FEELINGS about LIFE; about EXPERIENCES and HOW we VIEW Life situations! Life and Death are written and sung about all the time. Sometimes it’s a COMEDY, sometimes it’s written as a Tragedy. Sometimes, the audience is caught off-guard and feels AWKWARD that they are LAUGHING about the play topic of Life or Death. Isn’t it interesting?

Death, itself can bring up awkward feelings. I met a woman while working at a parttime job, yesterday. She was looking for a card to celebrate an elderly couple’s wedding anniversary – but the problem was – they had just lost a 2nd daughter to Lupus! The comedy/tragedy of the situation was – the daughter had been found dead in the garden. The wonderful thing was – the daughter did not have to go into a nursing home; she died doing what she loved, gardening. Can you see this scene in a play? Can you see and feel the awkwardness of the audience? Can you see how it could be done as an awkward-dark comedy or a tragedy – depending on how it is written?

A woman shared with me, that she was at her mother’s funeral. Her mother really HATED one particular song often sung at church. So WHAT did they play at her mother’s funeral? THAT SONG! What happend? The woman said she could HEAR her mother talking about it and the woman started to shake so strongly from laughing (at her mother’s funeral), that those around her thought she was CRYING and tried to console her, which made her laugh more!

The comedy and tragedy of life! I went to see the show SYLVIA at Little Theatre of Mechanicsburg, last Sunday. I sat there with my JAW DROPPED as I realized: ‘THIS PLAY IS EXACTLY HOW I’VE BEEN DEALING WITH MY LIFE THESE LAST FEW YEARS – with menopause and change of life!’ I sat in shock and laughed at the same time!

I’m GLAD that I was there today, to remove little black bird with orange wing accents from the road, before an unknowing vehicle would remove its identifiable form from site. I’m glad I got to see this beautiful creature, take it to a proper final resting place; and say a blessing of appreciation. I had just read a meditation magazine moments before; about appreciating everyone and everything I would encounter this day – and then – there it was LITTLE BLACK BIRD!

So little black bird inspired me to take its photo (ART), to WRITE a BLOG, and to WRITE a little poem at the beginning of this BLOG. What an INSPIRATIONAL Life and Death this little bird had on this Earth!

Thank you, little black bird – for CREATIVELY INSPIRING me! This one was FOR THE BIRD.

Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.com

Living Life! Laughing Often! and always remembering … ‘a little kindness goes a long way’ *tweet

My tank was on empty, we had a couple ‘dumps’ of snow last evening and earlier in the day; I have a mother and sister in nursing and hospice care -

so what do I encounter when I finally get out to fill up my tank?

A man stops and smiles after paying for his fuel. He says: Are you a speaker? I answer ‘yes’ and ‘smile’ as I see that he’s noticed my magnetic car advertising.

To make a long story short – in addition – I’ve haven’t been able to keep up with my business handlings as well as I would have like; due to a lot of family needs surfacing (relocating my mom, closing down an apartment, closing out an assisted living apartment, etc.)

WHAT? Do I find in the small container I keep on the floor near my passenger seat (for business supplies) – A FULLY PACKED PAMPHLET about what I do! Miracle of Miracles! So he got to take a lot of information with him; in addition to what I shared face-to-face.

Somebody is watching out for me through all the ‘not fun stuff’ going on (which is one of the things I teach – how to work through or should I say RIDE through, more easily!)

AH! MAZING! Oh! Yes! and due to my radio commercial station forgetting to contact me regarding continuing my AD – they automatically offered me a FREE WEEK of Advertising!

AH! MAZING! Go figure! I certainly DO Live Life in AH! MAZEMENT! Have to shake my head side to side and smile and laugh over this day and this week!

AH! Yes! I can’t forget to mention the DRIVE MYSELF HAPPY moment I encountered, when I stopped at a shopping plaza parking lot; afterwards, and saw the license plate: JOYN-LIFE ‘Joy In Life?’ or ‘Join Life’ – no matter how you SEE it; it was a message gratefully received!

Full of it – GRATITUDE and AMAZEMENT, that is!

May you find – amidst some of the ‘overflowing piles of laundry of life situations’ – that you are being entertained by angels, unawares.

Highlighted Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.com

Just in case you need a smile – I’m sharing one with you right now.

Well! it’s been hellish dealing with family challenges these last 2 and 1/2 years (and prior – but it’s all growth opportunity!). The past two years, my brain damaged sister Dolly (hit by a drunk driver at age 19 – now 63) started to fail. I became her Power of Atty and worked with other family members – dealing with hospitals, vacating an apartment she had (what a mess), more hospitals, doctors, social workers, etc etc etc. Then my mom – the last 8 years – but more recently – failing fast. The last month – hospitals, rehab, vacating an apartment, moving her to assisted living, back in the hospital, rehab, hospital and now hospice. Now, vacating both the apartment (finalizing that) and vacating the assisted living. WHEN WILL IT STOP!? Is what you want to scream at times – but you keep on going!

Thank God for my 12 Step Program background, one on one and group counseling, self-help and Ah! Ha! moments! GRATITUDE and recognition of growth amidst it all is a blessing.

Well, while walking out of my mom’s apartment where I had just finished helping my younger sister finalize the cleaning. I was walking across the parking lot and this is what I saw! LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN! (www.LAFOLOT.com) on the back of a BIG, SHINY, NEW, YELLOW PICK-UP TRUCK parked next to space number 21! (that’s my birthday in February).

LAFOLOT Bumper Display

Moments before, I ran into a resident at the Assisted Living building. I complimented her on her RED jacket, telling her it was HER COLOR! She said: When’s your birthday? I said: the 21st of next month. She said: Mine’s the 22nd! George Washington’s Birthday! WHAT A COINCIDENCE!
Was an ANGEL sent to put a smile on my face?

Then to see the bright, black and yellow magnetic bumper display for my motto and business on the bright yellow truck! WHAT A GIFT!

WHY? Because I had taken it off my mom’s refrigerator and placed it in the low income apartment housing’s social room for WHOEVER to take. I figured it would end up on someone’s refrigerator – not giving me advertising – but at least making someone happy.

WELL! I COULD HAVE CRIED TEARS OF JOY! It’s been tough – letting go EARLY of a very lucrative State Government job due to stress of dealing with my sister’s needs. It’s been tough trying to get my business off the ground.

Then, to see where my business advertising bumper display had ended up!

I have to shake my head in AH! MAZE-MENT! It’s truly a W.O.W.!!! World of Wonder!

BIG THANK YOU OF GRATITUDE for whoever is ‘looking out for me out there.’

Highlighted Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.com
SPEECHLESS
LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN!