LAFOLOT

So – as the story goes – Charles Fogarty walks into a SUBWAY and a woman sitting at the front window table says:

‘Are you John Fogarty?’ (she noticed the JOHN FOGARTY … Custom Homes cap he was wearing).

He responds: “Why yes! How do you know me?’ (as he walks towards her to shake her hand.

She responds: “I’m Psychic! Plus, I saw it written on your cap!’ (she smiles)

I ‘YAM’ HA HA Helen of LAFOLOT, and I love talking and interacting with total strangers in a fun way.

I later found out, per this man, he calls himself a: ‘FUN FINDER!’   Can I spot them or what?

I found out ‘he’ is CHARLES Fogarty, very PROUD brother of THE LATE ‘JOHN FOGARTY’ who donated money to a BOY SCOUT Camp in Sunbury, Pennsylvania; to allow for a ‘dining hall’ to be built!

He was accompanied by another gentleman who had been a local troop scout leader for almost 20 years!  I learned they had stopped by to pick up two dozen cookies to take to the DEDICATION of the DINING HALL which his brother had made possible!

Another wonderful thing; one of the sandwhich artists at the SUBWAY got to let Charles know that HE was an EAGLE SCOUT!  What a coincidence!   I also live a couple homes away from a proud father of an Eagle Scout!

I let Charles know that I ‘YAM’ a Certified Laughter Leader who present laughter wellness to folks.  He seemed to feel he had heard of me from some friends in the area!  I started to explain the AH-LO-HA ha ha ha laugh to Charles, when, I didn’t have to even finish!  He had never heard of the ALOHA LAUGH EXERCISE, but he just let the laughter flow out of him, easily!  I told him he was a natural!

That’s when he told me he was a FUN FINDER!

Well! What do you know!  A whole lot of HEALTHY, FUN, APPRECIATIVE, PROUD people walked into a SUBWAY today – and accidentally/on purpose – ran into eachother!

That’s the SPIRIT!  The Spirit of Laughter!  Drawing folks together in HEALTHY SOCIALIZATION!

That’s what I do …  DO WEAR IT OUT!  HA HA HA HA HA …   it’s healthy!

What a great GIFT for this man’s brother, John Fogarty, to leave behind for the SUNBURY BOY SCOUT camp!

Enjoy the fresh cookies!

HA HA Helen of LAFOLOT (Outlook Shift Engineer! Hear! Here!)

Live Life! Laugh Often!

WOW! Today, here in Central Pennsylvania, we are having a TEASER-SPRING Day! We had a few days of cold, March winds. But, AH! YES! today, the sun is shining, it is high 40 degree fahrenheit weather. The birds are chirping, just a gentle breeze. SIGH … what a blessing!

I went to a local SUBWAY I frequent. While I was sitting there, a tall man came in with a cute toddler girl. He greeted the restaurant owner by name and talked warmly with him. I helped direct him to the MILK and JUICE in the refrigerator at the end of the service line. The little girl picked out her prize juice and carried it proudly to the checkout counter.

The man continued to talk warmly and compliment the owner. He then sat down with his daughter or grand-daughter. He made sure she was safely tucked into her chair, having her juice and a cookie for a snack.

As they got up to leave, he voiced thanks and warm wishes to the owner for a good day and much success.

Then, a mom came in with her pre-teen daughter. As they stood in line, I noticed the girl had the most beautiful, natural blonde hair. Her mom had dark brown hair. You could tell they were mom and daughter by their similar facial features. I said out loud: ‘Wow! She has the most beautiful, blonde hair I have ever seen!’ The girl smiled and thanked me, as well as her mom.

I then said: ‘OH! I shouldn’t just focus on an external attribute; I’m SURE she is BEAUTIFUl INSIDE AND OUT as well!’ The mom smiled and laughed, thanking me, and said: ‘Yes! She is!’ The daughter smiled.

On this BEAUTIFUL DAY in Central PA, it appears it is a DAY of BEAUTY – both INSIDE and OUT! Not only weather-wise.

Get out and SPREAD SOME SUNSHINE – with words and actions and appreciation of the beauty of it all.

Stay sweet!

Ha Ha Helen of LAFOLOT.com

Look at LIFE from a PHresh Outlook! That’s the message I share; because I care!

Sometimes you need to just ‘take a moment’ for yourself. To just be you!

Sometimes you need to get away from it all, and rePHresh!

That is the message I was reminded of, today, while walking and driving through a grocery store parking lot.

The FIRST personalized license plate I saw was: JUST BU
The SECOND one I saw noted: GO AWAY
The THIRD one I saw noted: LIL BIT

I like to encourage people to BE AWARE, STAY ALERT and BE SAFE when out on the roads by TAKING NOTICE of what is going on around them.

Today’s message for ME was: GO AWAY for a LITTLE BIT and JUST BE YOU!

SPIRITIUAL? RELIGIOUS? Just a SMART THING TO DO? Maybe ‘get out to the dessert, or beach, or just be aware on the road and STAY IN the GIFT of the PRESENT. No matter HOW you approach it; NOW is the TIME to DO IT.

TAKE some TIME for yourself right now.
For a LITTLE BIT.
JUST BE YOU.
*breathe in – breathe out – SMILE.

LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN!
See LIFE from a PHresh Outlook.

HA HA Helen of LAFOLOT

OMG! You just don’t UNDERSTAND me!

LOL! OMG! I can just HEAR this new TEEN CALENDAR YEAR 2013!

No WONDER the MAYANS thought the world was going to end! It’s the start of the TEEN years of the 2000s!

No WONDER they were seeing the year STORMING out of the UNIVERSE, because WE JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND IT!
(Insert foot stomp here.) HA HA

No WONDER the Mayans were seeing EARTHQUAKES? Could it be from the Calendar Year FOOT STOMPS and EYE ROLLS!

OMG! We JUST WON’T UNDERSTAND THIS YEAR! … or the next 7 years of THE TEEN YEARS!

No need to ‘LIVE IN FEARS’ … it’s just that TEEN DRAMA!

The next 7 TEEN calendar years 2013 through 2019 will JUST HAVE TO GET INTO SELF-DISCOVERY!

Don’t TRY to UNDERSTAND it! Just LOVE the TEEN years, and eventually, they will realize you were there, being ACCEPTING and SUPPORTIVE through it all.

ROLL with the TIDES
Go INDOORS during the STORMS
if you’re on SHAKY GROUND – go somewhere SOUND.

All we can do is BE SUPPORTIVE of ONE ANOTHER while the CALENDAR YEARS go through their TEENS!

If you know what I MEANS! Ut! Oh! I feel an EYE ROLL coming on! HA HA HA HA

HA HA Helen of LAFOLOT.com
having PHreshOUTLOOK on the MAYAN OH! MAYAN!!!! theory!
Hear! Here!

There’s a familiar phrase from a song: ‘Do you SEE what I see? Do you HEAR what I hear?’

I am self-title an O.S.E. (OUTLOOK SHIFT ENGINEER!); because I choose to SEE and HEAR things from several sides, angles and views.

During a self-awareness, AH! HA! moment in my life – I was gift with the mantra/phrase: ‘I CHOOSE TO FEEL WHAT I NEED TO HEAL; I CHOOSE TO FACE WHAT I NEED TO REPLACE.’ Meditating and visualizing life occurrences with this positive affirmation, allowed me to MOVE FORWARD in life and get UN-STUCK.

I now invite people I talk to and meet to SEE and HEAR things from a PHresh Outlook. reNEWed, reVIEWed, rePHRESHED …

When I went grocery shopping this just a bit ago, I was in the checkout line. As the checkout clerk processed my groceries for purchase, a fellow employee came over to help her bag the groceries for me. He said: ‘HOW WAS YOUR CHRISTMAS CANDY?’

My mind immediated processed it as I have type it above: ‘How was your Christmas Candy?’ I instantly thought: ‘I guess she brought some Christmas Candy to work and had it for lunch or break?’

THEN! I rePHreshed my HEARING and MENTAL PROCESSING and realized her name tag noted: CANDACE

The young man was asking: ‘How was your Christmas, Candy?’ AH! HA! It’s all in how you SEE it with a COMMA or not, all in how you HEAR it, with the PAUSE!

It’s the same in LIFE, with life occurrences and situations. It’s about THE PAUSE! Taking a MOMENT to PROCESS and SEE ALL the POSSIBILITIES!

I let Candace know what I had thought, and originally assumed. She didn’t have any other customers, so she bent forward, SMILED, LAUGHED, PAUSED and said: ‘THAT’S FUNNY! I NEVER THOUGHT OF HEARING IT THAT WAY!’

As I drove home, passing a local BOWLING CENTER (TRINDLE BOWL); I had to laugh as I drove by their advertising sign. The sign read: ‘CELEBATE NY EVE WITH US!’ No! I DID NOT mistype that word.

I had to laugh. Once again, I was getting the message, it’s all in how you SEE it or READ it! Did you automatically include the missing ‘R’ for the word CELEBRATE?

Sometimes, we READ THINGS INTO a situation; make assumptions.

Being menopausal, I tend to make quite an iteresting spectacle of myself, out in public, from time to time. This is mixed in with my healthy, positive moments. I guess it’s all about balance and imbalanced! HA HA I work at MAKING AMENDS for the UN-BALANCED moments. It’s all about THE PAUSE … taking that MOMENT to SEE, FEEL, HEAR, PROCESS and QUESTION for CLARITY.

GRATEFUL for TODAY’s AH! WARENESS! … to be AH! WARE! of the MOMENTS today, that are teaching me more lessons.
GRATEFUL to be able to CARE and SHARE!

I teach what I need to learn, I share because I care. SO THERE! HEAR! HERE!

LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN! and … see and hear it with a PHresh Outlook!

HA HA Helen Szollosy of LAFOLOT.com

As I stepped out my back door to place refuse into my trash can; my eyes caught something odd on the lawn next door. My brain didn’t immediately understand what it was seeing. I ‘THOUGHT’ I saw a neighbor, face-down, working on some issue with their home. Then, I noticed the bare feet (in Winter). Some people do interesting things like that, so I was going to go over and ‘joke’ with the person. I could only see the pant legs and feet from where I stood.

Then, my mind started to awake. ‘WHAT IF THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG? I didn’t see any movement.’ I ran back into my home to get my cell phone to take with me, as I walked over to ask if they were okay?’ After taking a few steps towards the lawn of the home next to me, I immediately started to dial 911 emergency.

I am excellent in crisis situations. I think clearly, I handle things, I get things done. The other side of the coin is, I am deeply feeling. As I gave clear address, name, found dead body, face ashy, soiled pants, eyes dead stare information to the 911 operator; I felt instant sadness that someone may be worried or looking for this woman. The LADY ON THE LAWN.

I have dealt with many challenges and trauma in my life, so I knew what to do to take care of myself and get on with living life. I stayed physically active, and called friends to talk about it. I was grateful when the police noted they knew who she was, from a home in my development. I was grateful I had found her in time, before her body was further harmed.

It’s one week before the celebration of CHRISTMAS, and just finishing Hanukah. I wrote my own eulogy for this LADY ON THE LAWN. I like to think that her final GIFT to the world was the AWARENESS of the fragility of LIFE! This is the same week that many lives were taken from school children. More angels making us AWARE of the GIFT of LIFE!

When I exited my home around Noon, today – I saw ANOTHER SIGN of THE GIFT OF LIFE! A Central Pennsylvania BLOOD MOBILE! A traveling medical unit used for persons to DONATE THE GIFT OF LIFE to someone dealing with blood loss.

It’s interesting that something like BLOOD, that can make people squeamish and pass out; gives the GIFT OF LIFE!

There are SIGNS all around us, they don’t always come in PRETTY, FESTIVE, WRAPPED PACKAGES. Sometimes these signs come from a person expression rage or confusion (via senseless acts); or from a neighbor who lived alone – and wouldn’t have been found for days – if she hadn’t wondered out of her home and expired on my neighbor’s lawn. Sometimes, it comes in the shape of a mobile blood unit.

To the ANGELS that come in all disguises, as well as THE LADY ON THE LAWN, the Loss of Life of Children in school … the blood mobile unit workers …

Thank you for the WAKE-UP CALL … the 9-1-1- CALL TO LIFE! SEEING THE LIGHT this Hanukah and Christmas time.

Blessings and awareness to all, and to all a VERY AWARE LIFE!

Helen

I have always had a ‘nack’ for being funny, without realizing it!

First example: When my dad retired after 42 years with the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, as a Crane Operator; the family threw a retirement party for him at the Steelton VFW 710.

Coming from a family of 7 children, I was given assignments to assist with the event. I was asked to ‘go over and label the punch bowls.’ Being a dutiful, type ‘A’, do-gooder … I went to my task! I labeled the one punch bowl ‘NON-ALCOHOLIC’ and I labeled the other punch bowl ‘ALCOHOLIC’. I did this by using a black pen to write on the white, paper tablecloth on the table.

At one point, my one Aunt came over to my older sister who was coordinating the event. She noted that, “uh … no one was drinking the ‘spiked’ punch due to the labeling on the table in front of the bowl.”

Not until it became an issue, did I realize the uncomfortable/awkward situation I had caused. FUNNY I should use LOGIC to label the punch bowls; also interesting, since many family and relatives struggled with alcoholism.

EXAMPLE 2: I was packaging items to take to a CHURCH YARD SALE event of a ‘different kind’; it was known as ‘EXCHANGE DAY!’ My church in the suburbs had teamed-up with a church in the INNER-CITY. The idea was, bring items to the parking lot; if you needed an item you took it, if you no longer needed an item, you gave it away. No money was exchanged. It was a beautiful event! Well! HERE I GO AGAIN! HA HA. Being an organized, efficient person, I labeled my one box of books appropriate for children: CHILDREN’S BOOKS. I labeled the box of books of a more serious, intellectual nature: ADULT BOOKS. Enough said? What can I say? We were set up in a CHURCH PARKING LOT! Once again, I used LOGIC. Made sense to me! Not until someone pointed it out, did I realize the stir I had caused. It got a LAUGH nonetheless!

Being an outlook shift engineer (O.S.E.), I have a THOUGHT! What if we labeled products that are bad for us, or addictive, with the facts! The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that products be labeled to inform the public.

So, for the candy and carbonated beverage aisle with high sugar and cafeinne, why not put a big sign: IN DENIAL? STAY OUT OF THIS AISLE! Same for a liquor store? ‘HAVE TO KEEP DRINKING MORE? STOP AT THE DOOR!’

What can I say? It’s DARK HUMOR, and AH! HA! HA! WAKES! the mind to RE-LOOK.

FUNNY, I should write this. hmmm….

HAVE A HEALTHY, HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON! PAUSE for the CLAUS (Santa, that is!) … or however you celebrate.

Take a moment, and RE-LOOK at those ACTIONS or INTENTIONS – just to MENTIONS … be WISE and GET OUT AND SOCIALIZE, in a HEALTHY way!

LOTS OF LOVE and HEALTHY LIVING to YOU and YOURS!

Helen of LAFOLOT

There is a lot (I mean A LOT) of mega, road, sewage, water-line work being done on the roads in the area where I live. Much of it is occurring directly outside my living development; as well as a quarter mile up the road. The community was notified and pre-warned of long delays. Sometimes, it’s a 10 minute wait while traffic is slowly allowed through one-lane driving.

Being human, not everyone deals with it well from day to day. I am human. I can honestly say I got annoyed twice, during the process. Then, I have to laugh at myself. I have used different Outlook Shift Engineering (LAFOLOT.COM Style) processes to help me adapt. One of the highlights was riding down the road (having to drive slowly, anyway) – and holding one of my PINWHEEL STRESS RELIEVER TOOLS out the window as I drove. This helped me, and may have helped folks waiting in in the long, stopped line of traffice, heading in the opposite direction.

TODAY! As I turned a corner to pass the 2nd of two roadworkers who hold the SLOW and STOP signs on a pole – the TIMING WAS PERFECT!

I happened to be the last car through the line that was being let through the single lane of traffic. The temperatures have been in the mid-40s (fahrenheit) – so it’s been chilly for the road workers to stand outside.

As I turned the corner to encounter the 2nd road worker – STOPping the traffic coming in the opposite direction; I saw him standing with his head down and back to me.

THE TIMING allowed me to:

1) Roll down my car window
2) Quickly call out: ‘AWWW… DON’T CRY.’
3) The road worker heard me, LIFTED his head, SMILED as he said: ‘IT’S A BAD DAY.’ (But, the break in his routine from my comment and noticing, allowed him to put a SMILE on his face.)

About an hour and one half later, I was heading back in the opposite direction to return home.

THE TIMING WAS PERFECT! There was no one in front nor behind me on the road!

1) I was able to electrically roll down my PASSENGER side window, this time.
2) Driving slowly through the construction zone; I was able to PUT ON MY CLOWN NOSE!
3) I ‘JUST HAPPENED’ to have 2 PINWHEEL STRESS RELIEVER TOOLS on my passenger seat!
4) I HELD THE PINWHEEL OUT THE WINDOW – wearing my clown nose – and handed it to the road worker!
5) HE REMEMBERED ME … HE TOOK THE PINWHEEL … HE GOT A BIG SMILE ON HIS FACE …
6) As I continued on and looked in my rearview car mirror – I SAW HIM HOLDING IT, BLOWING THE PINWHEEL, WITH A BIG SMILE ON HIS FACE!

WHAT TIMING! PERFECT TIMING! A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY to be able to ‘take the TIME to TURN someone’s day around!’

HA HA Helen of LAFOLOT.com – happy to be able to make-up for the TIMES I wasn’t smiling going through the construction zone.

Had to share this AH! MAZING! sequence of events that just occurred when I went out to pick up a sandwhich at Windsor Park SUBWAY.

1) I was sitting in the window seat, looking out the window (a lot of interesting stuff goes on in the parking lot!)

2) I saw two women stop at the curb’s edge; after exiting the tobacco/lottery shop next door. I could see the one woman crouched down; her purse on the ground; taking out her wallet and putting it on the sidewalk; and searching into the depth of the oversized purse.

3) I saw the one woman rise, and talk with her friend as they head for a vehicle. (At this point, I’m thinking she lost or forgot something – possibly her keys. I was going to invite her to come into the SUBWAY sandwhich shop, and use one of the tables to more effectively search her purse.)

4) Just then – a man exits the tobacco/lottery shop and enters the SUBWAY sandwhich shop. I say to him: ‘I think that woman can’t find her car keys.’

5) The man does an about face, hold open the door and calls out to the women:’I JUST FOUND A SET OF KEYS INSIDE AND LEFT THEM AT THE CHECKOUT COUNTER!’

6) I see the women turn and quickly head back towards the tobacco/lottery store. The man re-enters SUBWAY to head back to the restroom.

7) I see the women head back to their vehicle, and I see the vehicle lights flash as the woman deactivates the locks and security feature. SUCCESS! THEY WERE HER KEYS! YES!

8) The man exits the restroom to head back out the door. He says: ‘WHAT ARE THE ODDS? I JUST WENT IN THERE AND FOUND THOSE KEYS!

TIMING IS EVERYTHING! IT’S THE KEY!

I was the CATALYST … observing the women and sharing the information with the gentleman.

There’s a line from the play: ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ Blanche Dubois notes she relies on the kindness of strangers.

So! 3 strangers’ paths unite on a dark and ‘almost stormy night’ – with DOUBLE-KINDNESS bringing about a HAPPY ENDING!

Isn’t life interesting? ‘A little kindness goes a long way …’ HA HA Helen of LAFOLOT.com – Outlook Shift Engineer! Hear! Here!

This gentleman is now an honorary member of the WORLDWIDE EVOLVED DO-GOODERS ORGANIZATION! (WE-DO!)

OH NO! IS IT THE END OF THE WORLD?

or

is it the DAWNING of a NEW DAY!

This THURSDAY is October 10, 2012

In ‘American’ … that would be:   10-11-12           How GREAT is THAT!

If you look further … THAT date is sandwhiched inbetween:    October  10, 11, 12, 2012

So … there is a 10-11-12   inbetween  October 10th, 11th and 12th!

END of the WORLD or the BEginning of a NEW DAY!

Synchronistically, I just think it is FUN and AH! MAZING!

Maybe it’s a day to get all your DUCKS in a ROW … or all your NUMBERS in a ROW?   :-)

Either way!  Have a HAPPY, NEW D.A.Y!   (Dance And Yodle!)

HA HA Helen of LAFOLOT.com

OUTLOOK SHIFT ENGINEER!