I've always found this quote to be true and the reason I have spent so much of my life in Plan B.

This holiday weekend is no exception. My plans were to enjoy the beach and stay off the crowded highways. Unfortunately, loved ones have had health emergencies and Plan B is to leave this afternoon and drive to East Tennessee to see how I might help.

My prayers go out to those that are suffering and wish them complete and speedy recoveries. As for my plans to relax and enjoy the beach, I am blessed that I enjoy long drives and I think 16 hours in each direction certainly qualifies as a long drive (smile). It will be an adventure.

To all the people kind enough to read my blog, may you enjoy a safe and happy weekend with your friends and family. Honk and wave if I pass your way.

Happy 4th of July

Today I met with a gentleman who is certainly more than a CPA when it comes to business. In listening to him share some of his exciting plans for a business concept he is creating, I felt I was with a visionary. Thankfully his company is taking care of all the details to give Ideas Unlimited validity as an LLC.

I came home to work on some pending projects and found this Horoscope in my e-mail:

Dear Judy,
Here is your horoscope
for Wednesday, June 28:

Talent is a gift, but talent alone won't get you where you want to go. Commit to your plans. Fuel your ambitions with hard work. Perseverance plus your natural gifts will produce spectacular results.

Wow, I like the timing (smile).

If I could, I would send you encouragement across the miles on moon beams or sun rays that you break free of anything that causes you to hesitate from pursuing your dreams. It's time to be -- and express -- who you truly are. Your true colors are turning dull from trying to disguise them. It's now or never. Live up to your highest ideals. I believe everyone deserves to give themselves permission to break free of excuses, procrastination and life's roadblocks and dare to have the adventure of a lifetime, freeing the you inside.

Our Greatest Fear

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Summer has officially arrived. I hope you have a spectacular day.

Sometimes you come across poetry or words that say eloquently what you feel but stumble to express in words. This is such poetry.

As I read it, I thought it would make wonderful lyrics if set to music. You can read this and other fantastic "Posts" on the Applied-Wisdom blog, just Click Here

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I believe in magic and my greatest fear is to be forgotten. Hmmm, little wonder that I should consider magic moments as realities stored in my memory.

Wishing you a day that creates a magic moment that you will treasure in your memory. Wishing that you will take a moment today to think of me as I take a moment to think of you and smile.

Magic Moments

Take a moment to think of me,
As I took a moment to think of you.

And remember that magic moments of the past,
Are reality stored in memory.

But magic moments of the future,
Are dreams to be fullfilled and yet enjoyed.

I was listening to Jack Welch, renowned for his book "Winning" and his amazing work at GE, when he said something that caught my attention.

"You can only live life forward and understand it backwards."

Father's like everyone may not always know best but the best ones try. I was blessed to have the dad I did. I miss him everyday. He was smart, creative, energetic, caring and downright fun.

It would have been awesome if he could have witnessed firsthand the dads that Tom and Jim have become. No doubt in my heart, he miraculously knows and is very proud of each of them.

I know I am proud. Tom and Jim care unconditionally for their families and they too are smart, creative, energetic, caring and downright fun.

Happy Father's Day!

Sometimes I think I am caught in a maze. When I was in Tennessee, I enjoyed finding my way out of a maze at the Renaissance Festival with Hope and Noah. We would come to deadends and have to double back and go in another direction.

I think sometimes I am caught in a maze as I maneuver my life adventure. "I thought" I would go to college after high school. It didn't turn out to be my through road.

"I thought" I would live happily ever after when I got married. "I thought" I would have a home that my children would come back to with their families year after years. It didn't turn out to be my through road.

"I thought" I wouldn't be able to survive the end of my marriage. I did.

"I thought" at various times that I was in a loving relationship that was going to last forever. Some have, some haven't but none have unfolded as I would have predicted at the beginning. Life has given me worse than I could have imagined and life has definitely blessed me with better than I could have ever imagined or felt I deserved.

"I thought" at various times that I was employed in jobs where I would work for many years and retire with a nice retirement fund. Companies were sold or dissolved and life created changes in my professional world so non turned out to be my through road.

I have seen places and met people that I never thought I would have the opportunity to experience. I have learned more and tried more things than I ever imagined.

I have learned that being curious has kept me going whenever I have hit a wall in life's maze. Curious about what lies ahead. Curious if I can meet the challenge. Curious about possibilities beyond my current imagination.

According to aerodynamic law's, the bumblebee cannot fly. Its body weight is not the right proportion to its wingspan. Ignoring these laws, the bee flies anyway. I am blessed by the grace of God to not let the "realities" of life STOP me.

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, by continuing to explore, I believe anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.

Good luck in your maze. Please don't ever give up.

"Vitality shows not only in the ability to persist, but in the ability to start over."
F. Scott Fitzgerald

My sister is terrific and about to open her own yoga studio in Tennessee. Like so many of us enjoying life's adventure, she has faced many challenges and keeps on going.

I saw the video, "Honey", last night and the following song was playing during the credits. I love Yolanda Adams' voice. This song spoke to me as I am trying to find my way and it made me think of all the people who are struggling to reach their goals and make dreams a reality.

Written lyrics lose some of their oomph but I hope this inspires you to keep believing and working to make your dreams a reality. Congratulations Wendy, I know your studio will be awesome.

Artist: Yolanda Adams Lyrics
Song: I Believe Lyrics

They said you wouldn't make is so far uh uh
And ever since they said it, it's been hard
But nevermind the nights you had to cry
Cause you have never let it go inside
You worked real hard
And you know exactly what you want and need
So believe and you can never give up
You can reach your goals
Just talk to your soul and sayÂ?

(Chorus:)
I believe I can (I can)
I believe I will (I will)
I believe I know my dreams are real (know my dreams are real)
I believe I'll chant (Oh yea)
I believe I'll dance
I believe I'll grow real soon and (That's why)
That is what I do believe

Your goals are just a thing in your soul uh uh
And you know that your moves will let them show
You keep creating pictures in your mind
So just believe they will come true in time
It will be fine
Leave all of your cares and stress behind
Just let it go
Let the music flow inside
Forget all your pain
And just start to believe

(Chorus:)
I believe I can (I believe I can oh yea)
I believe I will
I believe I know my dreams are real (All of my dreams are real)
I believe I'll chant
I believe I'll dance (I gotta dance)
I believe I'll grow real soon and (ooo)
That is what I do believe
Whoa oa oa YEAÂ?

(Music break)

Nevermind what people say
Hold your head high and turn away
With all our hopes and dreams
I will believe
Even though it seems it's not for me
I won't give up I'll keep it up
Look into the sky
I will achieve all my needs
I will always believeÂ?.OoOo

(Chorus 2x)
I believe I can
I believe I will (I can)
I believe I know my dreams are real (I got strength)
I believe I'll chant
I believe I'll dance (I gotta dance)
I believe I'll grow real soon and (watch me watch me watch me)
That is what I do believe (I do believe in me)

I believe I can
I believe I will (oh yea)
I believe I know my dreams are real
I believe I'll chant
I believe I'll dance (I gotta dance)
I believe I'll grow real soon and
That is what I do believe (I do believe! yayeeyay

Once the rain stopped today, I went for a walk on the beach. It was nice to see the sunshine again and know that damage here had been minimal.

Usually, the Gulf is calm and gently caresses the sand, little or no wave action. Today the water was filled with a restless spirit. The surfers were out and ready to take advantage of this rare opportunity. The only surfing done here regularly is wind and kite surfing when the breeze cooperates.



Today the call is "Surf's Up." People have come from around the area to enjoy the challenge of staying upright and riding the waves to shore. It was fun to watch as I walked up the beach happy that everyone is safe. I hope Mother Nature will be gentle this year but she is certainly off to an early start.

All orders for mandatory and voluntary evacuation have been rescinded for this area. It was a wild night with lots of tornado warnings and upwards of 60 mile wind gusts battering the windows.

I am fortunate to have power. Once again we have been blessed in the St. Pete Beach area. High water, flooding, debris on the roadways and some power outages is all we have. The winds are still providing strong gusts as far south as Key West and Ft. Myers. Caution will be the name for today until the high tides come and go later this afternoon.

Schools and most businesses remain closed as they wait to see what happens throughout the day as the water is pushed ashore. Feeder Bands, southwest off our coasts, may add to the flooding. I am on the fourth floor and as long as I remain safe and sound here the danger for my home has passed.

An unmanned construction barge broke loose around 2:30 this morning and hit into the side of the Howard Franklin Bridge. It appears the damage is mostly cosmetic but one northbound lane is closed.

The worst side effect from the storm in our area so far has been the soothe sayers. They are saying that because the Gulf is so warm this early that more storms are likely to come into our area. They are fast to point out that if there had been a massive evacuation the lane closure on the Howard Franklin would have put many people in jeopardy trying to leave the area. Hmmm, is it a requirement to think in terms of doom and gloom if you want to cover the news? Is it a boring story to celebrate that no one has been hurt and so far there has been no major damage?

I will heed the request to stay off the roads today so the power company and emergency workers can do their work. My heart goes out to those who are suffering from the flooding and those who live north and are still to receive the wrath from Alberto.

Thank you to all who took time to check-in and make sure I was safe. Your kindness is met with heartfelt appreciation.

Questions, questions, questions

Why is there fuzz on a tennis ball? It is there to help with velocity and makes it react better with the strings of the racket. It effects the balls performance much like the strings on a baseball.

List five words that describe your character? This is truly personal, it is interesting to see how people see themselves and for me it was very interesting to read words that people thought described my character. Thank you very much. I think everyone should have the opportunity to see themselves through someone else's eyes.

How many times do a clock's hands overlap in a day? Most people realized that the answer has to be 24, give or take. The issue is nailing down that give or take part. I imagine that engineers and others with a tech background have formulated that there is actually 11 overlaps in a twelve-hour period. Doubling 11 gives 22 overlaps in a twenty-four hour period. Twenty-two is the answer unless you want to split hairs and count the overlap at midnight that begins the day and the midnight that ends the day, then the answer is 23. Ouch! My brain hurts.

How would you weigh a plane without scales? I recieved several suggestions for this one. I liked this one. Place the plane on an aircraft carrier and then mark the water line on the side of the ship. Remove the plane and add weights until the ship once again has the same water line. I think there would be tons of variables to contend with to actually make this work however the theory sounds good.

With your eyes closed, tell me step-by-step how to tie my shoes. This one is especially difficult. In most cases the descriptions were too complicated and wordy. One said that is why Velcro was invented.

Tell me 10 ways to use a pencil other than writing. My mind reels at the variety of ways people can use a pencil.

I think each of these questions and the new trend towards "puzzle interviews" is to see if people can think out of the box and to make sure that imagination is still alive and well in the world. Personally, I am not sure whether these questions or exercises help to match the candidates to the job but it is more interesting than the standard questions used during interviews.

The man is of such small stature that he cannot reach the button for floor 10. When he is not alone, his elevator mate pushes 10 for him. When it’s raining, the man has an umbrella he can use to extend his reach

It is fun to stretch your mind and explore answers to questions that at first boggle your brain.

A man lives on the tenth floor of a building. Every day he takes the elevator to go down to the ground floor to go to work or to go shopping. When he returns, if he is alone in the elevator he takes the elevator to the seventh floor and walks up the stairs to reach his apartment on the tenth floor. When he is with someone, he rides all the way to ten. When it’s raining outside, he also rides to ten, whether he is alone in the elevator or not. He hates climbing stairs so why does he do it?

Do you know the answer? I didn't at first and then when I got it, duh, it was simple. Enjoy. I will post the answer tomorrow. Please either add your answer here as a comment or e-mail me at mzdavinci@aol.com

I enjoyed playing "follow the leader" when I was a little girl. Then I had fun playing it with my sons and now my grandchildren. I love being the follower as much as the leader. It is fun to walk on curbs, walk backwards, hope on one foot, make crazy motions and exploring funny movements.

This morning I recalled an adult version of "follow the leader" as we drove the back roads near Savannah trying to find the highway. It was awesome the way the moss hanging from the trees created a canopy over the streets. I guess for adults, "follow the leader" is more about a caravan of cars or motorcycles than traipsing around the neighborhood.

One of the best things about being an adult is when you get to have childlike fun. Tomorrow I am going to unleash the child in me and maybe eat a sundae for breakfast or build a sandcastle or ride my bike.
I hope that you can find time in your day to enjoy playing like a child.

After miles and miles and more miles, I have new walking/running shoes. The ones I had served me well but the inside support had vanished and the outside tread was lopsided.

To celebrate I walked 8 miles. That equates to 16,000 steps for my stride.

My feet are so happy.

I saw this sign on a local church and thought it said alot...

"If you feel further from God,who do you think moved?"

The first day of hurricane season. Good news we received some much needed rain. Bad news the power went out with a strike of lightning.

Happily the lights returned within an hour and the ground and flowers got a much needed shower.

Why is there fuzz on a tennis ball?

List five words that describe your character?

How many times do a clock's hands overlap in a day?

How would you weigh a plane without scales?

With your eyes closed, tell me step-by-step how to tie my shoes.

Tell me 10 ways to use a pencil other than writing.

This is a sample of some of the requests and questions I have been asked as I have been interviewed for various contractional programs and freelance opportunities. Creative yes, on the spot stumblers, definitely. If you have any suggested answers, please share. My e-mail is mzdavinci@aol.com