LAFOLOT

These are my “personal thoughts and observations” on SMILING.

What I’ve come across in my training and research is that SMILING has many wonderful health benefits. One of them is opening communication between the left and right hemispheres of the brain! A smile naturally UPLIFTS and LIGHTENS not only the face, but the heart, soul, spirit, health, and demeanor of a person!

Before I became a Certified Laughter Leader, WLT; people would pass me and ORDER … SMILE! I would wonder why they were doing this? It instantly made me ‘irritable’, having the opposite effect of the intention of the sender. I would say, ‘What? This is my face, I’m just thinking, what’s wrong?” I have one of those ‘small mouths that naturally turns down’. I would say: ‘This is my God-given face, what’s wrong with it?’

Then, I figured: ‘Well, If they WANT me to walk around with a smile all the time, I will!’ So, whenever I passed someone, I would INSTANTLY put a frozen GRIN on my face, then close it. Some people started to say: ‘WHAT’S WRONG?’ ‘Gheesh! I thought. They’re never happy!’ Some people would say: ‘DO YOU HAVE GAS?’ I couldn’t win! Nothing seemed to make people happy with the look on my face!

So, once I learned more about the mental, spiritual, physical health benefits of smiling, I started an experiment! EVERYONE I met at work, or grocery shopping or at Stop Lights while waiting at a busy intersection got a close-mouthed smile from me. SOMETHING MAGICAL HAPPENED! I started to get automatic, mirrored smiles in return! “Wow! I thought! This is amazing!” I started to make a game of it. If I gave a close-mouthed smile and received an automatic one in return from whomever I was passing, I gave myself ONE POINT! Something MORE MAGICAL started to happen! I realized I not only got a REFLECTED smile back at me; but I would sometimes receive a verbal ‘Hi! or How Are You?’ “WOW! I once again thought, now I’m going to give myself TWO POINTS!

So, I started totalling my points whenever I went out anywhere. I started to notice something even MORE magical! Total strangers would be walking with their head down, look up, see my closed-mouth smile, and 1) Smile Back at Me 2) Say Hello, and ask how I was doing, 3) START TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH ME! Besides the previous three reactions, I would VISIBLY NOTICE 1) Their posture got taller, 2) Their face lit up, and 3) They were still smiling when they passed me!

I went from: Irritible, to Faking a Smile, to Experimenting and Playing a Game with Receiving a Smile to, seeing the VISIBLE WARMTH and ENLIGHTENMENT that was produced by acknowledging a person with a look and smile!

I started to get a warm, fuzzy feeling and couldn’t wait to go out and share smiles! I started to call this my: HA HA HELEN’S SMILE CAMPAIGN and posted it on my website! I made buttons that read: ‘I JOINED HA HA HELEN’S SMILE CAMPAIGN!’ I started to incorporate the observations and experiment in my: ‘Laughter? Let’s Get Serious!’ talks and programs!

I started to notice more and more, how our bodies NATURALLY use SMILING and LAUGHING as natural responses to:

HAPPINESS
EXCITEMENT ABOUT LEARNING and DISCOVERING
FEAR
HESITATION, etc.

For example, watch a baby when it first smiles or giggles; they don’t understand language but they smile and giggle with EXCITEMENT at NEW things seen or NEW self-discoveries. I started to realize; if smiling opens communication between the left and right brain hemispheres, then this act of a baby must be helping the child to learn, about these new discoveries!

I met a young girl in a Sunday School class who talked to me about a fear of riding a roller coaster, but her friends were insisting. In relaying the story, she sucked in her breath to show me hesitation and fear; made a frozen grimmace or grin, released the sucked in breath, letting all the air out and released the frozen grin or grimmace. I WAS AMAZED as I OBSERVED this! The girl was using NATURAL body functions of DEEP BREATHING, pulling the mouth back and up to OPEN THE MIND AND RECEIVE and then RELEASE THE FEAR!

I started to realize another action when a person is entering a SCARY situation in a horror movie. I noticed they would walk low, stealthily and PULL THEIR MOUTH OPEN AND UPWARD in a FEAR / CAUTION produced GRIN or GRIMMACE! What was happening? I thought. Well, from what I’ve learned, they were in HIGHTENED reaction mode and they were INCREASING the communication between their left and right brain hemispheres with this action, to be READY TO RECEIVE THE INFORMATION and REACT!

Think about the Holiday story ‘The Grinch That Stole Christmas’. Did you notice whenever the Grinch had a clever idea; he PULLED THE CORNERS UP on his face into that GRINCH CLASSIC SMILE! How appropriate! Did you notice how Dr. Evil (Austin Powers), or Vincent Price would LAUGH DIABOLICALLY when they had an EVIL idea? Isn’t it interesting how laughing and smiling would apply to THE CREATION OF AN IDEA – in opening communication between the left and right brain hemispheres?

The health benefits of laughing and smiling are NEUTRAL when it comes to causing many physical, mental, emotional reactions in the body in order for us to develop an idea, deal with fear, deal with stress or express excitement and joy!

I invite you to continue your own research and continue your own observations with how smiling and laughing are used in your own, daily interactions. I invite my workshop attendees to prove me right or wrong by going out and SMILING to see what they observe. I am a natural, nervous laugher and use it to deal with life situations. I have become an AUTOMATIC SMILER.

I now use SMILING before I answer the phone or door. I use smiling to CAUSE me to PAUSE; so I don’t over react, and allow myself time to be OPEN and PROCESS what I am ABOUT TO RECEIVE.

Try it and let me know what you think or observe… you may like it and find it fascinating. Either way, join my smile campaign and see how many points you earn! It makes shopping and other chores go a lot faster; and brings in the FUN!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Live Life! Laugh Often! … and SMILE, too!
www.lafolot.com
[this blog can also be found at Vibrant Nation under Blog Circle Name: Helenoflafolot]

A Ha Ha Helen Szollosy, happy I got myself to this place, moment!

I’ve shared many ways to ‘turn the beat around’ in run on thought and emotional, thinking – out on on website blog. I’ve shared about turning negative worrisome thoughts to affirming/positive/repetitious thoughts; seeing negative blocks as ‘building blocks’ etc.

So …

I received a letter on my door (as did all the other condo owners) this afternoon. My first thought was, don’t open it, it’s another crazy letter from the Board!

Of course, the more I focused on NOT opening it, the BIGGER THE PROBLEM WITH THE LETTER appeared in my mind. Ha Ha! I ‘could’ see this and LAUGH at myself (this was a great growth moment!)

So, I approached the letter, took a deep relaxing breath and opened it. *pfew (such power this letter had over my emotions and mental health!)

Must have been printed on HEAVY BOND WEIGHT CARD STOCK, ya think?

So, it was an announcement of the newly elected Board members and a reviewing of the basic condo rules, yadda yadda yadda. I was familiar with a majority of them, but they threw in a few new ones.

Without going into details, this condo association has been a whirlwind of emotional, high flying activity for the past two years. Being a new owner and condo member, I was disappointed to have moved into such an emotionally unstable environment. Doorbell ringing due to board member resignations, two petitions going around with more doorbell ringing; condo neighbors coming to my door to tell me about parking space rules when it wasn’t me or my company in their spaces, etc etc

I renamed the place: Loony-fields Condominiums! (Hey! It makes me LAUGH to relieve the stress!)

So, I resolved the stress from my body being JARRED everytime one of the Loonie-field petitioners or board members would come BRINNNG BRRRRINNNNGING at my door bell. (They don’t seem to comprehend these are small, 2 bedroom units and the bell can be heard quite easily the first ring, thank you very much!) I started to place a little piece of paper between my screen/storm door lapping over the door bell button. It read: Please do not disturb.

Ahhhhh! Sweet peace! For the entire winter, I finally had a peaceful home environment. Well – LAUGH OUT LOUD here – they included in the new rules: No signs are to be placed on or near the units (AH HA HA HA). I’m thinking they were going through door bell ringing and petition ringing withdrawal. Maybe they need a mindfulness meditation group or Prozac?

So, I went out and dutifully took down my PEACE BRRRRRINGER. *smile

The other new note was: Please remove birdbaths from patios. Yep – I had a birdbath and was enjoying watching a fat Robin splashing around in it yesterday. So, out I went to remove the bird bath from my patio.

I should note here, prompt attention was needed due to a threat of a $50 fine for non-compliance.

WELL! How did I practice what I preach? I brought the beautiful, metalic-chip lined birth bath bowl into my home and thoroughly washed and disinfected it. The base is heavy wrought iron. The edge of the bowl is a rusty metal look. This all went very well with my Interior Design scheme.

I set the birthbath near my sliding glass door, filled it with water to create a reflective pool, and placed a large vanilla candle in the middle with five smaller candles encircling the larger.

As I sit here typing this blog, I am relaxed, smiling, and enjoying the candlelit, reflective, peaceful focal point I have created.

Ahhhhhh….*sigh and smile. THANK GOODNESS I ‘turned my thinking around’, let go of my fear of the enormous, monstrous letter and read it!

I NOW HAVE A BEAUTIFUL ACCENT to my home interior!

Glad I practiced what I preach!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Living in the moment … of peace… for the moment *smile
LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN!
It’s not just FOR THE BIRDS!
www.lafolot.com
helenoflafolot@yahoo.com
[this blog may also be seen at Vibrant Nation under blog circle name: Helenoflafolot]

Allow me to introduce a character I created called: Bea Gaude’ (pronounced Gaw-day), Fashion Consultant.
Bea was created when Ha Ha Helen was invited to a Halloween party and she didn’t have a costume. Helen threw together mismatched items from her closet, put on cat glasses, created business cards went to the party. Bea was a big hit!

Perhaps it was her floral print skirt, with her plaid jacket and woven tapestry print purse. Either way, Bea came to BE!

Bea is PURE PERFECTION!

What IS perfect, anyway? Bea is here, in my latest video blog, to set you on the path to BEing the YOU, you were meant to be.

If someone approaches and tells you, ‘You Don’t Fit In!’ respond: THANK YOU!

Be a trend setter, be yourself! P-E-R-F-E-C-T, perfect is what it means to ME, says BEA!

If needed, copy and paste this web link: http://www.youtube.com/Helenoflafolot#p/a/u/0/SRmvc6RtxoY
Otherwise, just click HERE to watch it!

BE with BEA and BE FREE…
“STAY SWEET!” Mary C. [one empowered business woman of integrity with a free spirit!]

Ha Ha Helen of LAFOLOT
Live Life! Laugh Often!
Living Life in a-MAZE-ment!
www.lafolot.com
[this blog can also be seen at Vibrant Nation under Blog Circle name: Helenoflafolot ]

Are you having a little trouble staying focused?
Does your mind wander?
Are thoughts flying in and out of your head due to your Busy Bee schedule?

Well, try; I said TRY to get centered and focus on this day’s Highlighted Helen of LAFOLOT Motivational Moment video:

FOCUS ME.mp4

Inspired by the likes of: Professor Irwin Corey, Lily Tomlin and Robin Williams

SEE, if you can, THE MESSAGE – wrapped within the collage of movement, rambling and messiness. Stay focused, now!

I’ll bet the message will work itself into your busy thoughts, and at some point in the day, come out as a laugh or a giggle. Then, you’ll get focused!

My video motivational messages are MEANT to be imperfect. IMPERFECTIONS are remembered!
Think about LIFE in general. Don’t people look for the 4 Leaf Clover vs. all the 3 Leaf Clovers?

Do you stay FOCUSED on a Picasso painting trying to figure it out vs a landscape that gives a feeling of ahhhh.

My intention is to motivate and inpsire others – MY METHOD is with messiness, mayhem and getting you to remember the thougth due to the imperfections.

HAVE FUN STAYING FOCUSED!

Live life in A-MAZE-ment … even if it’s a little out of focus!
Live Life! Laugh Often!
Highlighted Ha Ha Helen of LAFOLOT
www.lafolot.com

Did you ever notice how you can be having a perfectly beautiful day, an easy going, ordinary day; and one little thing goes wrong that puts a splotch of ink on the page making THAT all you can think of? OK, maybe it’s just me?

I read an article, recently by: Waldman and Newburg (University of Pennsylvania Center for Spirituality and the Mind)
The article dealt with how our mind (logic and reasoning) and heart (emotions) can impact the amount of focus/intensity on our life experiences.

They talked about the intensity of emotion that gets added to thought, when a negative experience happens in our life. It was mentioned that the feeling, thought going into a common-everyday occurence or the enjoyment of a pleasant moment, isn’t as intense as a stressful, negatively perceived moment.

This goes in line with worrying about something that was stressful on the job, an embarrassing moment, a tragedy, etc. We’ve all heard the phrase YOU’RE GOING TO WORRY YOURSELF SICK!’

Well, as I read their article, I thought – ‘Why not worry myself healthy, happy, and successful?’ If I’m such a WORRIER to begin with, why not use it to my advantage?

As I stated earlier, I can be having a perfectly fine day – then I do something embarrassing, get caught up in an emotional moment, and THAT’s where my focus stays – worrying worrying worrying.

SO – I decided I was going to feel and use that intense emotions we have available as well as how GOOD I’ve become at worrying – to MY ADVANTAGE!

How do we do this? Think about what you do when you worry; the thought keeps POPPING back into your mind no matter what you are doing.

Here’s the HA HA HELEN METHOD of worrying yourself happy, healthy and successful!

SAMPLE WORRY STATEMENT NUMBER 1: “I just KNOW I’m going to get that job I applied for, I just know it! *sigh… there’s nothing that can be done, this stuff happens to me all the time! It’s inevitable! I’m going to get that new job and promotion; because that’s just the way my life goes!”

SAMPLE WORRY STATEMENT NUMBER 2: “I just KNOW I’m going to lose all these extra pounds I’ve put on (in a healthy way); I just KNOW it. What can I do, I just know how to live and eat healthy, so it’s inevitable that I’m going to lose the weight in a healthy way *sigh… what are you gonna do… that’s just the way things are for me.”

SAMPLE WORRY STATEMENT NUMBER 3: “I just KNOW I’m going to be successful at my business! I just know it! *sigh… that’s JUST the way things are for me, there’s nothing that’s going to change it – I’m going to be successful and that’s that…”

HA HA PROCESS:
CONSTANTLY REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT
FEEL, FEEL, FEEL
WORRY those positive thoughts into reality!

HECK! If you’re going to WORRY about stuff, why not WORRY about GOOD stuff you WANT to happen!

This has been a Highlighted, Ha Ha Helenof LAFOLOT worry-FULL brainstorm! OR, just another Ha Ha Helen of LAFOLOT HAIR-BRAINED IDEA? (oh gosh! which is it? now I’m worrying…)

Live Life in Amazement!
Live Life! Laugh Often!
and worry yourself healthy, wealthy and successfull…
GOSH… I HOPE THIS BLOG IS OK… ;o)
www.lafolot.com
[this blog can also be seen at Vibrant Nation Blog Circle: blogger name Helenoflafolot]

Feeling the love…

On my way to singing the music for a Sunday service UNITY Church in Palymra, PA (just outside of Hershey, PA) – I spotted a ROBIN!!! hopping around in a stream along with some starlings! What a thrill! Spring is just around the corner!

What a welcome relief after two weeks of 18 inches or more of snow! We’re expecting another 3 to 6 inches Monday and Tuesday; but that’s a ‘walk in the park’ after the dumploads we’ve received!

So if the Robin’s are feeling it is safe to come back to the area, I’m ‘feelin’ the love!’ ahahaha on Valentine’s Day!

I love singing at this Palmyra, PA Church because they are so warm and receiving of my music! I sang: ‘Perhaps Love’ by John Denver and ‘Love’s Divine’ by SEAL – both beautiful songs about giving, receiving and accepting/opening one’s self to love!

I felt like the moment in the GRINCH Christmas Special where it notes: ‘His heart grew so many times bigger, that day…” – because of the warm compliments and sharing of how the congregants felt hearing me sing! I felt like my heart was swelling with love and there was a golden glow radiating around me! I allowed myself to ‘FEEL THE LOVE’. One woman said she enjoyed hearing me sing; because my songs are personal and I share how they have impacted or express my own life experiences. THAT made me smile!

So here’s a plug for ‘Giving the GIFT of a Compliment’ as noted in Steve Wilson’s ‘Good Hearted Living’ principles.

During the service, a little boy didn’t want to leave his mom’s side to go to the Chidren’s Sunday school event. So, I gave him one of my Smiley Face LAFOLOT bookmarks and a popsicle stick with the words: ‘Reflect a Smile’ written on it along with a little round mirror glued to one end. It’s my latest promotional item to promote my talk called: REFLECTIONS

After the service, I headed out to lunch. The booth I was sitting in had an ‘open window’ looking into another booth. At one point, a toddler’s grandmother had corrected the little girl who was trying to get her hands on the salt and pepper shakers. I handed one of my bookmarks and Reflection popsicle sticks through the window opening into the other booth, for the grandmother to give to the little girl. A bit later, the little girl started to play ‘peek a boo’ with me into my booth. Guess she was: ‘Feeling the love!’ HA HA

Then, off to go grocery shopping. I keep my grocery list in my head by making up words out of the first letter of each item needed. I get a kick out of making up silly words. Today, it was: B BLAND ;o)

B=Berries (Cranberries)
B=Bananas
L=Litter (cat litter)
A=Apples
N=Nuts (slivered almonds)
D=Dressing (Salad dressing)

So – as I go shopping (something I don’t enjoy) I have to laugh or smile due to the silly phrase or words I make up to remember my grocery list! Guess I’m ‘saving a tree’ in the process as well as exercising my brain cells!

Then, on to fill up my gas tank, which was great because I had earned the 100 (plus) shopping points from the grocery store which got me 10 cents off per gallon (since the store sells gasoline, too!)

Due to the cold winds howling by the gas pumps (and, me not having worn ear muffs or brought a scarf) – I was standing there using my: ‘PORTABLE EAR MUFFS’ aka holding my gloved hands up to my ears to keep them warm! This made a man, who was putting air in his tires, look over and laugh at the silly pose I was striking at the gas pumps!

On my way home, I was sitting at the long traffic light, caught a young boy in an SUV looking over at me. I put on my clown nose and looked back over, he turned, saw me and tapped his mom on the shoulder. She looked over and started to laugh – just as their turning lane light changed.

So, for Valentines Day, I guess you could say I was ‘Feeling’ and ‘Sharing’ the LOVE!

This has been a series of HA HA Helen of LAFOLOT moments…
thank you very much!

www.lafolot.com

I read a wonderful comment by a beautiful soul from New Orleans, Louisana (USA) on Facebook!
Heidi Heyns noted that we can use STOP signs today, as reminders to Stop, Breathe in, Breathe out, Smile, and Imagine something that makes you smile!

Well! When I read this, my creative mind just started swirling! I immediately made use of the suggestion!
Being over 50, menopausal, and prone to mood changes at the ‘drop of a hat’, I was THRILLED to have a suggestion to keep me Focused, Centered and Staying Present.

So, what did I do? When I left my home in my car, I started to practice Heidi’s suggestion. Every stop sign I encountered, I had the attitude of being THRILLED it was there! Yes! I got to take a pause, relax, breathe in, breathe out, Smile and know how grateful I am!

I found myself taking ‘the long way home’, or going to shopping plazas that had an abundance of STOP Signs – allowing customers to walk freely/safely to their cars, so that I could STOP, breathe in, breathe out, Smile and know how grateful I am!

I found that I was much more relaxed while driving. I was no longer In A Hurry to get to where I was going. I was no longer agitated, that the person in front of me wasn’t MOVING FASTER!!!!!!

I applied the practice at every stop light, as well as STOP signs. Allowing myself the opportunity to STOP and THINK and FEEL how grateful I am, along with relaxing with a deep breath and a smile!

I thought to myself, ‘WHAT A WONDERFUL WAY TO DEAL WITH ROAD RAGE!’ What if EVERYONE did this when driving TO or FROM work, events, appointments, etc. We would all be in such a place of imagining, thinking, being grateful for something that makes of happy or smile – PLUS we’d be healthy and relaxed due to all the deep breathing, stress releasing activity –

1) when we encountered other drivers, we’d be smiling
2) when we got to work or our appointment, we’d be smiling
3) when we got home from work at the end of the day – the more backed up the traffic, the MORE RELAXED we’d be AND the more PRESENT and RELAXED and GRATEFUL we’d be for our families and partners!

I feel this would make a GREAT CAMPAIGN for the Department of Transportation or the Local Police Departments.
Wouldn’t this be GREAT to place on billboards? STOP and SMILE!

We’re given the technical, safety instructions for behavior at a stop sign … why not give an instruction that causes the healthy/safe STOP, but allow it to have a healthy, relaxing thought associated with it?

SPREAD THE WORD! STOP, RELAX, BREATHE, SMILE, IMAGINE….

Ha Ha Helen of LAFOLOT
Check out my SMILE CAMPAIGN at my website: www.lafolot.com
[This blog can also be viewed at Vibrant Nation under the Blog Circle Name: Helenoflafolot]

Well! I tend to mainly share ‘the good stuff’ ;o) But, while this ends, ‘Good’ it starts out yucky …

I got to make use of my 12 Step Program ‘amends step’ as well as Good Hearted-Living ‘Forgiveness and Kindness’ – today.

Besides being HA HA Helen, I have also been Hollywood Helen (when I sing and act), Highlighted Helen when I’m having an AH HA! moment, Healthy Helen, when I’m making positive strides with healthy eating, etc.

Well – just before the December Holidays (however you celebrate) – I had stopped in to my local Olive Garden Restaurant. It just happened to be a bit busy and the service was slow. The awkward thing is, they ‘know’ me there – mainly as a pleasant soul.
But – this particular time – being into Menopause…
I had become…
no – not a super hero – but
HORMONAL Helen! Needless to say – I did not handle myself well. I couldn’t seem to get out of the MODE of ‘making my point’ to the ‘pleasant but slow/inefficient’ ;o) server – that I was unpleased with her service.
She was trying her best to appease me and I just couldn’t ‘let it go’. Is that what menopause does to you?

Anyway – I left there feeling like crap – because I felt like such a foolish jerk. I certainly had the right to speak up about the service, but didn’t do it effectively. I thought: ‘Gheesh! I’ll never be able to go back in there, they know me and I just made a jerk of myself!’

Well! As ‘fate’ would have it, my younger sister had gotten me a Gift Card for… you guessed it – Olive Garden Restaurant! She laughed, after I told her my story and trying to now avoid the place. But – I took it as a sign I needed to ‘get back in there’ and work through it.

So – it’s been awhile, I hadn’t seen the server, but as luck would have it – TODAY – even though it’s a cold, rainy, gray day outside – there is sunshine back in my heart!

I happened to see the server when I stopped in for an appetizer. I called her over, addressed her by name and apologized. I told her she didn’t deserve to be treated the way I had treated her and I wanted to apologize. The great things with apologies is: both people benefit! She thanked me, said I didn’t have to do that, but it was nice that I had!

So – we had shared both forgiveness and kindness. I was feeling like a load was taken off. On the way home, I encountered a Big, Beautiful Blue Heron just taking off in flight near a marshy area.
I felt light as a feather and the bird was sending the same message back to me.

So, having let go of Hormonal Helen, I can once again be Ha Ha Helen in a Healthy, Highlighted way!

While I hate going through these ‘icky’ moments, they always give me something to share when I do my programs, to allow people to see that I’m not perfect, and show them how to practice Good Hearted Living.

‘Thanks for letting me share…’ ;o)
Ha Ha, Healthy, Highlighted Helen of LAFOLOT

It’s been an interesting week filled with mini-Ha Ha Helen moments!

Leaving the frozen zone and heading into Spring-like weather, earlier in the week I decided to go out for a brisk walk on Tuesday. I got about 1/8 mile out of my condo development and turned my right ankle, falling to my left knee, and using my right wrist to stop myself while…. trying to avoid a steep handicap access ramp! Oh, the irony of it all! (The sidewalk has many dips, due to constant driveway access and corner handicap access ramps – it’s actually a bit treacherous!) So – in pain – I forced myself into a standing position and gave the OK signal to a couple passing cars. Once they were gone – I turned around and headed back home. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY! ha ha

The middle of the week, I went grocery shopping and opted to use the ‘speedy self-scan’ checkout. The automated, voice-prompt on the unit to my right was speaking in Spanish. So, being friendly and enjoying meeting people from all over, I said to the guy using the unit: NO COMPRENDE’ (smile). He responded, “I don’t understand it either. I just get sick of the English prompts so I turn on the Spanish, so I don’t understand what it’s saying.” Then, he promptly left. HA HA – what a moment!

The third thrill for the week was when I was walking past a women’s clothing store window. I saw a woman in the window, standing at the glass. There was a cell phone to her ear. I had to do a double-take. It was a sales associate trying to get good reception on her phone! I did the double-take, took a couple steps back, stopped, stared … SHE DID A POSE! We both laughed – as she continued on with her call and me with my walking.

LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN! Look for and savor those moments that bring smiles and laughs and good health! Sometimes it helps to add a little quirkiness to the day.

Live life in amazement.. and make your own special moments!
HA HA! Helen … of LAFOLOT

GIFT OF THE TINSEL HEADBAND DEELY BOBBER
December 22, 2009

Heading over to one of my favorite business supply stores: A.C. MOORE Crafts; I parked at the far end of the parking lot. I was wearing my SKECHER SHAPE UPS and wanted to get some exercise, walking to the store.

I also like parking farther out in the lot, because of the shore birds. Yes! Even though we live ‘in-land’, shore birds hang out in the parking lot in the winter! They have food and a creek, nearby – so this has become their ‘chill out’ place. I love watching them interact with each other. They are used to the shoppers, as well as get excited when one of the residents of the area brings bread and stuff for them.

So, I start my trek towards A.C. Moore Crafts, hearing the familiar ding, a ling, a ling of the Salvation Army Holiday bell; getting the attention of shoppers to drop a donation into the bucket.

As a Certified Laughter Leader, my ‘yearly’ uniform headdress is a ‘tinsel deely bobber headband’. This is because I have stick-straight, fine hair and it doesn’t mess up my hair like a hat would. Being the Christmas Season, at the moment, I’ve been wearing it when I go food shopping or any other shopping.
Actually – I don’t need a reason, I wear it in the middle of the summer into restaurants! Ha Ha

So, as I approach the store and the Salvation Army volunteer sees me, she starts to smile and laugh. She calls out, ‘WHERE DID YOU GET THOSE?’ I walk closer and let her know, Oriental Trading Co., but would YOU like them, even though I have worn them?

She said YES, and smiled. I said, ‘Here, let me put them on for you!’ She had her hands full and was busy doing her volunteer work, so I didn’t want to interrupt her! She was a cute, a bit unkempt; her hair seemed as if it hadn’t been washed.

As I placed the Tinsel Deely Bobber Headband (it also has bells attached) on her head, I stated: ‘I now pronounce you QUEEN!’ She smiled and laughed, wore them with pride, as she rang her volunteer bell!

When I was exiting the store, I called out loudly as another customer was going by her: ‘Where DID you get that wonderful tinsel headband?’ She smiled and laughed, saying: ‘I WONDER!?’ Her eyes were sparking.

I teach the gift is in the giving. I love wearing those headbands because people give me a lot of smiles and laughs and odd looks while I’m wearing them and catching people off guard. I didn’t mind giving that up so this young girl could experience some of that herself. People tend to run in the opposite direction of the Salvation Army Bell ringers. Hopefully, the headband will draw more smiling, laughing face to her, this season!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! PEACE AND PROPERITY TO ALL, THIS SEASON AND INTO THE NEW YEAR!
HA HA Helen of LAFOLOT
Living Life in Amazement!
Live Life! Laugh Often!
www.lafolot.com