GLORY GOT KIDNAPPED

Glory got kidnapped. On Sunday. While I was in church.

The church garage was full. The lot next door had plenty of empty spaces.

I left Glory B (my car) in the lot. Signs were nailed everywhere saying RESERVED SPACES. YOUR CAR WILL BE TOWED. CALL 262-2100 TO FIND IT. "What the hey - I'll push the envelope and take a risk. It's Sunday, these people won't bother Glory while I'm in church. There're plenty of spaces. I've done it before." I say as I lock her up and walk away.

Several hours later, I walk briskly to the lot to get on with the day. The space is empty. Glory B has been kidnapped.

OK. I pushed the envelope and now I have to pay ransom. Lord only knows how far away the lot is where she's secure now and how much it'll cost to bet her back.

Time for a 911 call and I don't have my phone (pushing the envelope again). Rescuers arrived in the form of George and Nelly, friends I'd just chatted with at church. With their phone I call the kidnapper. Over the TV blarring the game of the day and children screaming I hear the disgruntled dispatcher tell me how to spring Glory B.

George and Nelly are great rescuers. They brought me home to get my debit card, to the bank to get the money, and to the lot to spring Glory B.

Five crisp $20 bills and 40 minutes later ransom was paid. Glory B was free. Sweet success and synchronicity saved the day that Glory got kidnapped.

What do you share with friends?

How many times did I say I was going to write a book? 50x? 100x? Finally I'm working on my book. It's one huge project.

I'm proud to say it's in progress. Progressing slowly is more accurate. It's titled SMART WOMAN MAKE THEIR OWN RULES. It's about women and living life on their terms with full permission to do so.

Friends are encouraging me and holding my feet to the fire to get it done. This morning I was writing about friends - who they are, how they are, how we love each other and traditions we share. My friend Jean and I go to the Urbanna Oyster Festival every year. For 3 years now we've enjoyed seafood, shopping, people watching, dissing. You know the girl stuff we share.

I want to know what you do with your friends. What are some ways you and your friends share and live life together?

Do something good every day.

A time windfall happened today.
Sounds odd,doesn't it - a time windfall. We're all time deprived at work and home. Toss in holidays, parties, shopping, etc. and color us frantic. How does a time windfall happen?
Show up 30 minutes early for an appointment. Wanting to maximize this found time, off to the nearby Starbuck's I went to write.
Of course, I have to get a cup of tea to make writing better. The counter was packed with CDs, gift cards, biscotti, etc. In the mix was the best reminder of the day - do something good every day.
In the new How To Survive - And Thrive - in Hard Times class starting in January
homework is do something good for yourself or another daily.
What are some good things you do?

Surprise bounty

This day after Thanksgiving was a day of fun and plenty. Don, my beach friend and pilot, and I went to the Va. Air Museum to see some amazing airplanes. Don never met a staranger and started talking to a volunteer guide there. The next thing I knew he was climbing into a tiny Vultee aircraft built about 1930 and used as an executive plane for passengers like Clark Gable, Carole Lombard and Randolph Hearst. I followed. It was quite plush inside and complete with a bathroom about as big as an elf room.
Afterwards a short auto tour of Richmond covered historical sites. As we headed home we drove around some trash in the road. On second glance it was tomatoes and mushrooms, almost ready for a salad. On Don's insistance, we gathered enough for us to share and use ourselves. They'll go well with our Turkey Day leftovers.
Life is good and bountiful. Just look around. There's bounty in the least expected places.

Heart moments

Over the weekend I delighted in visiting a long time friend, Sherri, over a bowl of hot homemade soup on a very cold windy Saturday in her home. As women do, we talked about everything in no particular order - business, easy foods to fix, unexpected flurries in November, trips to Africa, and boyfriends. While we ate, we watched birds eat and were entertained and awed by the hummingbirds. They darted around, chased each other away from the food, returned one at a time to perch on the feeder and drank heartily.

Sherri and I connected at the heart, ate and loved the moment. It's the best of smart woman heart moments. What are some of your smart woman heart moments?

The safety patrol

'Today's my 10th anniversary as a school crossing guard!' the lady in the middle of the street yelled at me. She's on my early morning walking route, stopping traffic at the busy intersection for the elementary school children and me to cross the street safely.

Seeing her in the yellow vest and white cross straps marking the safety patrol took me back to my days on the safety patrol. This was an honor we could apply for in the 5th and 6th grades. And such an honor it was to be chosen to be in the select few.

The rewards were my draw to be there. Forget that I had to be there at o dark early to suit up to begin. After duty we got to go to the corner drug store and get orange juice on a hot morning and hot chocolate on a cold morning. We got to look important wearing the cross straps. We stopped traffic, including buses.

And the best part was that we got to be late to school.

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL CARLY?

Last Thursday while guesting on It's Your Job radio show about employment issues Carly called in. Here's her situation.

"My co-worker doesn't speak to me. When I ask her for help, she won't and refuses to acknowledge that I've talked to her. There're projects we have to do together. I need her help and I don't know what to do. What should I do?"

What would you tell her?