Well, after reading my last blog, I decided that I really need to look at my current situation with a better attitude. Attitude is everything---or at least that is what one of those motivational posters that I saw had to say about attitude.

I figured something out, thanks to a great night's sleep last night. There is a reason that I am going through this process: I am being forced to practice patience. Awhile back, I prayed and asked God to help me become more patient, and to help me become the best that I can be. Well, alas, ask and you shall receive.

Literally, every day, since I have begun this new career has been a test of my limited patience....and as challenging as it has been, I have to say that my capacity for being patient has improved. It had to. I was forced to be patient or throw in the towel, so I am chosing to be patient. I have had to be patient with myself, with my co-workers, with clients, with the process of the extra long sales cycle, etc. etc. My boss even reminded me that "Rome was not built in a day" and was gently reminding me that I needed to relax a bit.

I asked my husband what my worst quality was, and he didn't even blink. He said that I am extremely impatient. Obviously, this is something that I need to change or at least, work on changing about myself. I am hopeful that I can set a better example to my family in the future.

So, I decided to go back to work this year. I was lonely at home, and missing my part-time job, and so, a dear friend of mine knew of an opening at her company, and the rest of history.

I am getting a taste of what it is like to be a full-time working mom, not that I don't think being a mom is a full-time job in itself. I now just have reports to fill-out, sales goals to make and lots of extra emails to answer. The best part is getting a paycheck, but it comes at an exorbitant price. My sanity is tested on an hourly basis, and I am not being sarcastic.

Today, after working at a trade show for the last few days, I finally left San Francisco, came home and realized that I need to figure out childcare for Monday. The kids are out of school, and I have to be in Modesto at 9 AM. Mitch will be traveling, so now comes the super-juggling of schedules and the guilt of having to leave my kids in the first place.

Why am I doing this again? Oh, yeah, I have to keep reminding myself that I needed this new challenge in my life, and the truth is, I actually like the work, for the most part.

I am also learning that I am a prideful person, and I am pretty sure that is not a good thing. I am resolved to stay at this for at least a year. I just can't bring myself to quit, and I get a sick stomach even entertaining the thought. Every time I shake my head at myself on "why I took this on", and perhaps I should go back to my old life, a very loud voice in my head tells me to "quit whining, be grateful for this opportunity, get to work, and finally, you need to give this a chance."

So, as my brain wrestles with itself, please forgive me if I seem aloof, forgetful, and distracted...the voices in my head are in the middle of a heated argument, and I am not sure who is going to win this one. I pray for a resolution every night.

Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing. ~Mother Teresa

Jane Murphy. If you ever want to see anyone's face light up, say those two words. The first thing Jane greets everyone with is an electric smile, and in all honesty, it is the most beautiful smile that I have ever seen. Rain or shine, she does not let anything get in the way of communicating her love for people and deep respect for life. It is my belief that Jane conceives that every day presents new astounding opportunities to embrace, and will not entertain otherwise.

Ask anyone that knows her: "When you think of Jane Murphy, what do you think of?" These are the adjectives (verbatim) what her friends had to say: Warmth, kindness, huge smile, amazing sense of humor, joyful, fun, adventurous, beautiful; and these are just a few of the words that will come to their lips.

I could spend several paragraphs on her excellent ability to multi-task, keen intelligence, rib-splitting humor, love for her children, and how she can literally do anything, but what I really want to explore is how she is one person who touches every heart, and even the iciest soul is immune to her warmth.

As George Elliot said, "Wear a smile and have friends; wear a scowl and have wrinkles." Well, it is apparent that Jane is not lacking in having friends, and her face is wrinkle-free, by the way.

Anyway, back to the point: I don't care where we are---in the park, hole-in-the-wall establishment in the Bay Area or at a rodeo in Oklahoma, (Just kidding...never been to a rodeo with Jane, but I wouldn't discount that we could end up there sometime), there are people flocking to her. It is not rocket science why this is the case, but I will state the reasons anyway. Besides being gorgeous, superior conversationalist, and intelligent, Jane is not afraid to let you know that she is glad to see you, and deeply pleased that you are a part of her life. There is not a better feeling in the world than to feel loved and appreciated, and Jane is a master at letting all in her life know how important they are to her. If we could all emulate this skill, imagine what the world would be like.

Yep, I have yet another couple of friends who have joined the four decade mark. It has been a fun ride, the last few years, to celebrate all of these birthdays. I have watched people struggle with the number, embrace it, take it with a grain of salt or have a mixed reaction of everything previously mentioned. I just read a quote: “No one becomes forty without incredulity and a sense of outrage” and I believe this is universally true. However, both Karin and Lynn have managed to make it look easy, as both are two of the most grounded people that I know.

Karin celebrated her birthday on the water, looking stunningly beautiful and serene. Her sense of humor could make a day picking-up trash in the dirtiest back alley seem like a rockin' good time. Intelligence, keen wit and vintage Hollywood movie star looks add to her unique beauty. With class, she tells it like it is, and in this day and age of superficiality, it is a breath of fresh air to be around a woman confident enough to speak her mind.

To celebrate her four decades on the planet, Lynn decided to host a toga party, and I had just as much fun as I did back in the keg-soaked college days. She wore a gold toga, which is befitting in so many ways. Lynn is truly an old soul, with years of wisdom bottled inside her gorgeous self. She radiates warmth, love and constant compassion. With Lynn, I can discuss any philosophical or spiritual ideas that I am pondering or struggling with, and she will intently listen, never judge and gently offer her opinion with depth and quiet assurance. I always enjoy talking with her, as I know I am going to learn something new, interesting and thought-provoking.

It is no surprise that Lynn and Karin are good friends, as they both are fun-loving, intelligent, kind and loyal. They both have the ability to bring clarity to any situation, and this insight is invaluable. I will never be able to walk on a beach without thinking of them, as we have had a lot of good times strolling the Carmel beaches with sand between our toes, and share an appreciation of the sea, and of nature itself.

I wish you both the happiest of times with your respective families during this upcoming decade, and many more beach hikes, laughs and wine-sipping great times.

Besides the fact that she is from Georgia, the nickname Peaches is perfect for her. Her skin is flawless, perfectly colored, just like a peach. Her southern drawl and sweet personality take you in, and you feel lucky to be a part of her world.

Fiercely loyal, fun to be around, wonderful sense of humor, (I am talking knee-slapping funny), quick witted, intelligent, honest, generous, adventurous---these are just a few of the hundred adjectives that describe our dear friend.

One of my favorite memories of her is her standing on a hay bale (looking fabulous in a Hooters Girls costume) at one of my Halloween parties and asking the crowd if they "want any weeengs?" (wings) The plate was devoured in a few seconds.

As one poet put it: "Joy in one's heart and some laughter on one's lips is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life"--and this describes Peaches perfectly.

Peaches and I take weekly walks out in the state park, and they are some of my favorite hours of the week. There is nothing that we can't discuss with startling openness, and I know that I can count on her to willingly listen to anything that I am grappling with and she will give me straight-forward advice, as well as a good dose of humor. I can trust her implicitly, with confidentiality and to provide thoughtful words of wisdom. These are what I consider trademarks of a true lifelong friend.

She is off on another adventure in about a year from now, and even though I am happy for her, I am going to miss her terribly. In the short time that she has been here in Benicia, we have had a ton of good times.

Happy Birthday, my wonderful friend, and I hope your upcoming year in Benicia brings you extraordinary memories, the best of times and the knowledge that you are adored by many. I would wish for everyone to have such a friend as you.

I am going to attempt to write two blogs tonight, in honor of two friends that had birthdays within the last 30 days.

There was once a famous author who was quoted as saying,"Don't hang out with people who are not where you want to be." I think this is sound advice, and it serves as a mantra in the back of my mind whenever I meet someone.

When I started to get to know Robyn, I was in awe of how sunny and positive she is about life. I have yet to hear her utter an unkind word about anyone. She walks with light, and goodness. Even if someone has wronged her, she carries no animosity toward them, and always gives even the most undeserving person a break. Little did I know, this is just the tip of the iceberg in the depth of her kindness.

Robyn is a nurse that works with cancer patients. Along with raising children, she helps people in their greatest hour of need. I can't imagine the energy and strength that her job must take, and I have the greatest admiration for her, and all of those in healing professions.

On top of this, she has served as a nurse to close family members with terminal illnesses as well. To help a loved one transition from life to death is perhaps one of the most difficult challenges any person faces. I don't mean to be macabre, but I want to paint the whole picture here of just how amazing she is. It is easy to be altruistic and congenial when life is going our way, and I am certainly guilty of allowing my circumstances to affect my mood, but this is not the case for Robyn. While she was truly doing God's work, she would always manage a smile, an encouraging word for someone and maintain a softhearted disposition.

I would venture to say that she truly gets "it." Life is precious, delicate yet hardy, and worth putting a smile on for, even in the toughest of circumstances. She values her minutes here on earth and seems to realize that pettiness is a waste of everyone's time. I have learned a lot by watching how she handles it all with such grace, and I can only hope that some of her amazing-ness rubs off on me.

Happy Birthday, Robyn! I hope this new decade brings you nothing but more of your gorgeous and magnetic smiles!

The first time I met Angie I was having a "crafty lady" meeting at my house. My hair was probably a disaster, and in general, I was most likely a disheveled mess. I will skip the irony about me hosting a "crafty lady" meeting, but I will delve into my overall state, at that time.

When my girls were little, I had difficulties in getting myself together. My friend Jane calls those early Mommy years "the frump years" and nothing could describe it better for me. I swore off any pants that did not have an elastic waste band, my hair was always in a wet ponytail and I always felt frenetic, like I forgot something important but I didn't know what it was. I was sort-of like a modern-day Lucille Ball without the style.

This background information has a point, I swear. You see, I am now going to do a compare-and-contrast analysis.

Angie is one of those people who does it all, and looks fabulous while doing it. She runs a successful business, is active in the P.T.G., church, various organizations, is participating in the 3-day walk for the cure, and I have yet to see her flustered or even slightly ruffled. Ever. She is always well-dressed, perfectly groomed and never snippy. Oh, did I mention that she has two beautiful and well-mannered little girls and she is a hands-on Mom? How does she do it?

As if her accomplishments weren't enough, she also has amazing attributes, and while there are many, (good looking, honest, intelligent, wonderful sense of humor), my favorite is her quiet and non-boastful way of going about life. Her wry and self-effacing manner make her even more endearing. (By the way, I hope you do not mind too terribly that I am "tooting your horn" for you.)

Moreover, she is a great friend. With her hectic schedule she manages to make time to be there for her friends and in her unassuming and calm way, she can always be counted on. Her promises are never un-kept, no matter how difficult or trivial, for that matter. This last year, she helped my sanity when I was trapped at home sick, and even took the time out of her overloaded schedule to bring me a cheeseburger because I had a "wild craving".

I look around me, and if I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by great people that I appreciate, then I need to acknowledge this. Angie, I appreciate your ability to make us all laugh, how you always come through with quiet action and for being an all-around class act.

Happy Birthday, Pal! I hope this year brings you all the best. You truly deserve it.