LAFOLOT

I was blessed with a singing gig at a local assisted living center, this past St Patrick’s Day. While my last gig there on Labor Day had a ‘robust’ audience; this one was subdued. Being a performer, THE SHOW MUST GO ON!

So, I gave it my all! After I was done, I mingled with the senior residents a bit and met a woman named MAXINE. Yes! Maxine! I could have SWORN she was the MAXINE the cartoon is modeled after! What a W.O.W! Woman of Wonder!

I note at the top of my website: ‘A Little Kindness Goes a Long Way …’ Well, MAXINE was not only a spunky, W.O.W. woman; but full of compliments and kindness!

Maxine was just visiting for the day. She had come by to spend time with her husband, who is a resident there, and to ENJOY THE Helen of Lafolot show!

Maxine informed me she had taken piano, and voice lessons for a good many years and later BECAME a voice teacher. So, when I walked over and Maxine FREELY piped up: ‘You have a BEAUTIFUL voice! You have a very BROAD range!’ I was dumb struck!

I said to Maxine – WOW! YOU not only MADE MY DAY – you MADE MY LIFE! She responded with a smile and further affirmation. When she told me her background; I told her about my ‘little kindess goes a long way’ affirmation. I told her I had been feeling doubtful about my talents and struggling with ‘getting gigs’. I told her it meant SO MUCH that she had felt free to TELL ME how she felt about my singing.

Then she said: ‘I TELL IT LIKE IT IS!’ A TRUE Maxine!

I told her of other meetings I had with people where I had only met them for a matter of seconds or minutes; and how they had GREATLY impacted my life. I told her about Mary Cop – the Cart Lady from Harrisburg – another W.O.W.! woman I talk about in my Bea Gaude’ video. I told her about another woman I had met, who recently died of cancer. When I had met this woman months before, she never mentioned she had cancer. She was full of kindess and praise and booked me for an event! I didn’t find out till December that she had passed. I wrote a blog about her. She left a lasting impression on me, just from a few minute meeting!

I let her know I would never forget her. We talked about how we can go through our entire lives not knowing how STRONGLY we impacted another life. I wanted her to know she had made a big impact on me!

Here’s to all the MAXINE’s in the world who TELL IT LIKE IT IS!

May you be FREELY FLOWING with your compliments and have an instant impact on all those you meet, in a positive way! Just like MAXINE!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.COM
O.S.E. – Outlook Shift Engineer
Living Life in AH! MAZEMENT!
Live Life! Laugh Often!

I was doing my usual, inefficient food shopping trip … (I go frequently; because I love to mix and mingle with people when I shop!)

I was maneuvering my cart up the Pet Food aisle when I heard a woman give the COMMAND to her husband:

STAY! there (he was in charge of the oversized shopping cart)

She turned and saw me and I said: ‘I’m sorry, I’m laughing and smiling – what an appropriate COMMAND for the Pet Aisle!’ She laughed as she whizzed past me to get an item she had forgotten; and her husband turned, saw me and laughed and smiled also.

I LOVED IT! Is THIS the secret to a long healthy marriage? Able to HAVE FUN while shopping and laugh with one another?

I told them, ‘Oh My!’ I’m a laughter wellness instructor and a humorist writer; you just don’t KNOW all the stuff that’s running through my head right now!’ We went in different directions with our carts.

Oh, YES, she DID release her husband from the STAY! command.

So I headed for the Self-Scan checkout. All the stations were being used. A nice gentleman saw me with my 3 items and pulled his slightly more filled cart back and said: Here, you can have this one.

I started to moved forward, thanking him, when I saw there was a woman there who had JUST PRODUCED her store SHOPPER CARD for discounts. She looked up momentarily confused; I looked and then he said:

‘I DIDN’T KNOW HOW LONG SHE WAS GONNA TAKE SO I FIGURED YOU COULD GO!’

She had a VERY LARGE-OVERSIZED purse and must have been DIGGING for the discount card for awhile.

I stopped, laughed and said: ‘OH, messing with me were ya!?’
She looked then, laughed and said: ‘IS HE STARTING AGAIN!’ LOL!

I told them what had JUST happened in the Pet aisle with the SIT! STAY! command.
They laughed. I said: Must be the day for SILLY SPOUSE SHOPPERS in the store!

So, I’m wondering, being single … is THIS the SECRET to a happy marriage?

The SILLY SPOUSE SHOPPER METHOD? Hey! It’s worth a try? I’m not DEAR ABBY – but it seems to be working for these couples! I’m just sayin’ … ha ha

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.com
Live Life! Laugh Often! and do some silly shopping once in a while .. it’s healthy!
Live Life in Ah! Mazement!
Attention shoppers, attention shoppers… MOOD PICK-YOU-UP in aisle 5!

I had the PLEASURE of being the Wal-Mart Greeter, uh I mean the Indoor Yard Sale Greeter at a church this past Saturday! Besides advertising my LAFOLOT wellness and motivational speaking services; I brought some items to sell and assigned myself as ‘official greeter’ and ‘buyer motivator!’

As time went on, some of the children came over to meet me due to my Tinsel Deely Bobber Headbands I wear and my colorful LAFOLOT display. One child informed me she was in 1st grade! Could have fooled me! I thought I was speaking to a college woman!

This child (youn lady) was amazing! Her command of the English language, grammar, choice of words and thought process had me feel I was speaking to a young woman in college! I was SO impressed with her, I let her know! I also gave her a complimentary stress-reliever pinwheel! OK, to her it was a toy.

Well, she brought 3 of her ‘friends’ back with her; they comfortably SMOOSHED themselves onto the church lobby sofa across from my display. They THEN announced: ‘You don’t have to greet anyone any more, WE’LL take over!’

LOL! I smiled and said: OK!
Well, Ms. College Level 1st Grader AMAZINGLY coordinated their routine! It was wonderful to watch. They started to announce V E R Y L O U D L Y, everytime someone walked through the doors: (think megaphone in unison)

‘WELCOME TO THE YARD SALE!’ The person would be KNOCKED OFF THEIR FEET, then laugh and smile.

Then, as the people were exiting, the girls started to announce: BYE BYE TO THE YARD SALE!

I wanted to help out, so I kindly offered a different phrase such as: Thank you for shopping at the yard sale.

WELL NOW! LOL! Ms. College Level 1st Grader replied: ‘Sure! But BYE BYE TO THE YARD SALE is A LOT FUNNIER and ….

(and I call MYSELF a certified laughter leader!)

she continued … and LAUGHTER IS GOOD FOR YOU!

Well shut my mouth! From the mouth of babes!

You never know where you’ll get the wisdom of the ages –
sometimes it’s from a 7 year old going on 19!

Open your eyes and open your ears – you never know what your gonna hears!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.COM
Live Life! Laugh Often!
Living Life in AH! MAZEMENT!
Learning from the MASTERS of the Universe – Children!

While at a ‘quick checkout’ at the grocery store, after a young gentleman noted to his buddy that he needed a penny to finish his payment, he said: ‘Pennies don’t have any value any longer, I wonder why we still use them?’

Being openly friendly when out in public, I turned, smiled and said: ‘Ohhh! But they have GREAT value! When you FIND a LUCKY PENNY, and you give it away to someone else the penny becomes PRICELESS!’ The gift is in the giving.

He smiled, agreed with me and repeated as he wheeled his cart out past me, PRICELESS!

Value, worth, of ourselves or an object – it’s all in how you LOOK at it.

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.COM
Specializing in rePHRESING thoughts and New Outlooks!
Live Life! Laugh Often!
Live Life in AH! Mazement!
www.lafolot.com

As part of my DRIVE YOURSELF HAPPY and SMILE CAMPAIGN, whenever I come to a stop at a long intersection traffic light, I put my red clown nose on, roll down the car window and stare at the car to the left or right.

Sometimes, I get a smile, sometimes I get a laugh, sometimes I get a straight, nonresponsive stare. All responses are OK! I encourage people to BE themselves!

Well, I need to make a personal note NOT to do this AFTER DUSK!

I came to a long traffic light intersection, saw a teenager sitting in the back seat with his parents in the front seats. I put on my red nose, rolled down the car window and looked at ‘the kid’ since their car was pulled up a bit farther than mine.

Uh oh! no response! I scared the young guy! The dad looks over and I SMILE with my clown nose on. He just looks flatly at me and alerts his wife! She looks over from the driving seat – the light changes and THEY TAKE OFF!

Laugh out Loud! Oh my! I guess they didn’t see my LAFOLOT.COM magnetic advertising sign on the side of my car; due to being pulled up farther than my car!

What can I say! I wonder if they were thinking, as they drove off into the sunset …. ‘Who WAS that Red-Nosed Woman?’

note to self: play drive yourself happy and smile campaign BEFORE the sun starts to go down.

Oh well …. it’s a DEEP subject!

HA H Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.com
Live and Learn and LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN!
Living life in AH! Mazement!
Silly me …

Guess what? I just realized my AGE now equals my HEIGHT! That’s RIGHT!

I just turned 52 and my height is 5 feet 2 inches!
Reminds me of the phrase I heard as a child: ‘Oh! Act your AGE, not your SHOE SIZE!’

Being creative minded, the minute I told someone about my age and height being equal, I realized – I am now on the opposite side of the 1/2 decade mark!

FROM NOW ON – *Drum Roll

My AGE will INCREASE and my HEIGHT will gradually DECREASE!

Isn’t that the UPs and DOWNs of life? Early on, we are:

Growing in Height and Age -
Then we stop growing in height but our age continues to increase –
Then are age continues to increase and our height diminishes!

It’s kind of like those Birthday Noise Makers that Roll Out and Roll Back in (retract).

Oh my, now I’m getting depressed. My life has been reduced to a Birthday noise maker.

Wait a minute! HOW WONDERFUL! MY LIFE IS LIKE A BIRTHDAY NOISE MAKER!
WHAT FUN!
Blow out – make a *woooooooo! noise and retract. It’s like the EBB and FLOW of life!

Forget about: Life is like a box of chocolates.

For HA HA Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT – Life is like a birthday noisemaker –

It’s all about the UPs and DOWNs of Age and Height and the INs and OUTs of the Birthday Noisemaker! The Rise and Fall, the Ebb and Flow – when it stops, you never know – SOOOOOOOO ……

LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN!
Live Life in AH! MAZEMENT!
Live BOLD and in Italics!
As I told my 85 year old mother the other day: Ya’ keep on LIVING until you’re not LIVING anymore! She responded: THAT’S IT!

I am ‘SO’ honored! For my 2/21/2011, Monday birthday – all State and Federal Offices are closing and stores are having MEGA Sales in honor of ME! I feel SO SPECIAL!

It’s TRUE! It’s ALL over the newspapers, on the radio ADs and I see the SALE signs in all the stores! I guess it’s HA HA HELEN SALES DAYS!

I guess we never truly know how SPECIAL, UNIQUE and WORTHY we are until we see this type of celebration in honor of our birthday?

You’re not buying it? WHAT? YOU DON’T THINK I’M THAT SPECIAL! (mimic Lucy from the cartoon PEANUTS)

What about YOU? Don’t you think you’re special enough to have State and Federal Government offices shut down and MEGA SALES DAYS at businesses?

WELL, LET ME TELL YOU – YOU ARE! I say YES! Y.O.U. ARE GRRRRRRREAT!
You don’t have to be ‘TONY THE TIGER’ to realize THAT!

Just because YOU are YOU! I hand out CHEERING FLAGS at my talks. I invite people to wake up, go to the bathroom mirror, get out their cheering flag and say: YEAHHHH! Y.O.U.!!! YOU – ARE – GREAT! WOOOO! HOOOO!

YES! YES! YES! OWN IT! KNOW – DEEP DOWN INSIDE! YOUR VALUE! YOUR WORTH!
YOUR SACRED SELF THAT KNOWS – YOU DESERVE THE BEST THAT LOVE AND LIFE HAVE TO OFFER!

As one of my favorite mentors – Mary Copp – Cart/Bag lady said to me years ago (with a smile): STAY SWEET!

and DON’T FORGET TO GET OUT THERE AND CELEBRATE HA HA HELEN SALES DAYS (a.k.a. President’s Day)!! For all those State and Government Employees out there – TAKE THE DAY OFF ON ME! HA HA HELEN of LAFOLOT.COM!

*SMILE! YOU’RE GREAT!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT
Live Life in Ah! Mazement!
why? because you’re Y.O.U. YOU! YEAH!

Well, now! I KNEW I was special but …

I was at Olive Garden restaurant for dinner the other evening. The staff know me well, and call me by my first name: YOUR MAJESTY – uh .. I mean Helen. eh hem.

Since it wasn’t crowded, I got to sit in what I call ‘one of the COMFY chairs.’ They are the broad seat, arm rests on wheels – chairs. The seat available was in the middle of the dining area near a ceiling air vent – but I was happy for the COMFY chair, so I took it!

Before I got waited on I realized there was a booth available behind me. Not being a stranger to the place, I hopped out of my chair and found one of the hostesses with the NEW OLIVE GARDEN, ELECTRONIC HEADPHONE-HEADPIECES – they use to communicate more effectively on available seating.

She ‘GAVE ME AN AFFIRMATIVE’ on the booth being available. So as she and I started to transfer my napkin, silverware and menu over to the booth – she repeated into her headpiece-microphone:

‘HELEN IS MOVING FROM TABLE 85 TO BOOTH 83 … HELEN IS MOVING FROM TABLE 85 TO BOOTH 83′

I LAUGHED OUT LOUD – and said: GOSH! I FEEL LIKE THE CIA TALKING ABOUT THE LOCATION OF THE PRESIDENT! I talked into my wrist like a CIA agent saying: The president if moving, the president is moving. LOL!

They KNOW me and HUMOR me! What can I say?

When I was at a Thai restaurant I frequent – the other day at lunch- another frequent customer came over to joke (re: I always order off the menu and they make my food ‘just the way I like it’ – Thai Hot and spicy!) – he said: WHAT? Is she SPECIAL or something?

I laughed and said: YES I AM! YES, I AM, SPECIAL! The owner chimed in and affirmed: Helen IS Special! LOL!

So, with the PRESIDENTIAL TREATMENT at the Olive Garden and the Thai Palace affirmation –

I AM SPECIAL! I AFFIRM! I AM DESERVING OF THE BEST THAT LOVE AND LIFE HAVE TO OFFER! – - as we ALL are!

Here’s to all the people in the world – all the SPECIAL people – everyone! YOU’RE GREAT! AND DON’T YOU EVER FORGET IT!

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.COM
Living Life in AH! Mazement! BOLD and in ITALICS!

I do A.D.D. morning exercise routines.

I start by stretching and then focusing on stuff I need to clean and organize,

I get into BALANCING-the checkbook &

then I start to rearrange the furniture and *pfew! what a workout!

Maybe I should write a book? )

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.com’s morning unroutine?

Live Life! Laugh Often! and have a FREE-SPIRIT – go with the flow kinda day!

HEY! HEY! ;o)

Happy Valentine’s Day to all! As well as Happy RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS week!

What a FABULOUS day of LOVE this has been! No, I AM NOT in a special-relationship with anyone.

When parking to go to my Laughter Wellness event at a local Department Store community room, today – I happened to see a ‘DADDY’ unpacking his little boy and girl toddlers from their vehicle. Then, they all LINKED hands and started to walk SAFELY towards the main entrance!

I had to LAUGH and SMILE to myself! I INSTANTLY ‘felt the LOVE!’ There they were, in LOVING embrace and I thought: Aw! It’s the LOVE CHAIN! then the song came to mind – GET ON BOARD THE LOVE TRAIN! ha ha What an endearing moment! Perfect for VALENTINE’S DAY!

As I approached the main entrance, I mentioned it to another woman walking along. She ended up Holding the Door FOR ME! I said: I used to have a fun friend who would RUN THROUGH the door whenever I opened it and announce: THANK YOU! What a fun memory. When the woman opened the 2ND door for me – I ran through and announced: THANK YOU! We both laughed. I just LOVE playing and letting the little kid out!

So then I saw an employee walking down the aisle with a clip board in his hand. I said to him: Are you TAKING NAMES!? He ‘played along’ and said: YES, I am! *smile

When I approached the elevator/stair area the back of the stoor – a tall, business-suit looking woman HELD the stairwell door for me! Not only THAT! she held the ELEVATOR door for me! I announced: THANK YOU VERY MUCH! and followed up with HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! She thanked me and wished it back to me!

Wow! Random Acts of Kindness and LOVE being SHOWERED all around me!

When I conducted my Laughter Wellness program – my BRAVE group of souls – now in their 3rd session – fully participated and FREELY gave COMPLIMENTS on my worth! WOW!

The day continued on in this manner!

What a FANTABULOUS VALENTINE’S DAY FILLED WITH LOVE, KINDNESS, PLAYFULNESS AND GIVINGNESS! No cards, no flowers, no chocolates – just a DAY FULL OF LOVE!

What more could I ask for?

Ha Ha Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.com
FEELING THE LOVE …
LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN! and Live Life in AH! MAZEMENT!