Just what a bag needs

Deb's zipper pull is just what my accessory bags needed. Added bling and a finished look.

If you're looking for beautifully crafted zipper pulls just email Deb at journeyofseven@aol.com.

Don't Make Assumptions

The camera club which Peggie and I belong to is holding a Tri-Club Competition. This competition allows each member in each of the three clubs to submit an image in each of twelve categories. One winner of each category is selected from each club and that image is sent to the finals; so twelve chances to be in the finals. Then the three finalists in each category (one from each club) is in head to head competition...and one winner is drawn. In other words, both Peggie and I have the chance to win twelve out of twelve times. Sounds pretty awesome, right? 

Well, we have known about this since last September...yet neither Peggie nor I did anything toward submitting images into the competition...until now. Just yesterday I finally sent in five, I have two more almost ready to go and will work on the others. Peggie, before last night, had not submitted any...but after we spoke at the E-Board meeting, she will be submitting images. The deadline was 3/12 but was extended to 3/19...so there is still time. But the point of this post (which was supposed to be written last night and not this morning...in support of my 30 Day Challenge to post on JOS every day for 30 days....is not that we are submitting images into the competition...it is 'Why didn't we do it earlier' and 'Why didn't we think we had images that could compete'?

I almost didn't bother because the images needed to be taken between Oct 15 and Mar 15 (well now the 19th) and I, as was stated in an earlier post, have been lying low for 3 months. Lying low means I didn't pursue any of my passions to any meaningful degree...so 'assumed' I did not have any images worthy of submitting. When I finally got out of my stupor and looked at my files, I realized that I took a trip to Martha's Vineyard late in October, I took a walk down Duxbury Beach in December, I went into Boston the day after Christmas, went on a lame ghost tour in Newport and I always take my camera to my grandsons' hockey games, etc. In other words, without realizing it, I was pursuing my passion...just not deliberately. I'm sure when Peggie does some research, she will see that she does have images she can submit that fit the criteria and that will be perfect for the competition. 

Sometimes we don't give ourselves enough credit. If we are really passionate about something (as Donna C is about her design, as Donna H is about her baking, Debbie with eBay, Margie with Reiki and Dianne about financial and physical fitness, it is woven into the fabric of our lives, we are living it each and every day. It is a part of our being. We know it is real when we pursue it without consciously thinking about it because now it is not another aspect of our lives (like work and paying bills and cooking and cleaning) it IS our life.

Retirement

While I was working on my Boston Harbor book tonite a recurring thought invaded my progress; retirement. If I were retired I could spend all the time I wanted on my book and not have to worry about going to bed at a decent hour...so I can get up in time for work. I love writing and my poetry and that is what I should be spending the majority of my life on. And when I'm retired I will. For now I guess I'll have to squeeze in the hours I can when I can.

The Passion Is Still There

So today I took a quick ride to Webb Memorial Park...just to get out with my camera and get back into the swing of things. My photos aren't so great; it was late afternoon under cloudy skies. But the fact was, I took my camera and made the effort to get out where it was possible I could have caught a sunset. I didn't...but I did see a little red bird in the thickets... I wasn't able to get a decent photo but I had fun scouting his hiding place... and had the pleasure of talking with two other women who were doing their daily walk (both asked what I was chasing LOL ). It felt good to be out with my camera. Although the day was fruitless in the sense I got not one decent photo, it proved to me the passion is still there and all I need to do is feed it.

Handcrafted appliques by Donna Capozzi Designs

Here are a few of my appliqué designs. Didn't  realize I liked polka dots so much until I put these photos side by side. Each appliqué is hand cut from 100% cotton, backed with permanent iron-on adhesive. It's easy! Check out my Esty site for more of my handcrafted items.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/DonnaCapozziDesigns

Back On Track

I think I am finally 'back on track'. I had some downtime for a while...well almost 3 months...25% of a full year!! That is a long time to not be pursuing any of my growing list of goals. Hopefully that is all in the past...now onward and upward.

Top priority is my book on the Boston Harbor Islands. I'm not sure if this will be the cover of my book, but I needed to start putting something together so that I could see how it would lay out. I'll be making many adjustments along the way as I've never pursued a project of this magnitude. By pasting up some possible layouts, I can zero in on what the final product will look like. I have to re-visit a few islands and I have more writing to do, but I'm feeling really good about finally seeing this come to fruition.

This is one goal I am committed to completing...and in the not to distant future.

Finally Figured It Out

This morning I was checking my mail when an online 'teaser' article grabbed my attention. The article was titled, "How To Tell If A Woman Is Going To Be Successful In Business". In a nutshell, "...new science has revealed that the size of a woman's ring finger can predict her entrepreneurship, career interests, and a host of other traits essential to success in a high stakes, high tech career." 

The article gives some stats on hi-tech businesses owned by women; a dozen companies in the Fortune 500, 4.3% of venture funded companies are owned by women, that the thousands of businesses owned by women are supported by credit cards and personal loans, etc., not investment money.

What did this scientific study find? "... that analysis of the photos found that the more successful the entrepreneur, the longer the ring finger compared to the index finger. The most successful entrepreneurs had ring fingers 10% to 20% longer than their index finger." 

So, what did I immediately do? I looked at both my ring fingers! And guess what I found? Both are SHORTER than the index finger; 2.75" compared to 3.00"! All this time I thought it was me...and, well, it is but the answer to why began in my mother's womb over 56 years ago!

I will put the link to the article so you can read it yourself as there is scientific proof, all based on  the testosterone and estrogen hormones in the womb. But basically it is as follows:

1. The limbic part of the brain (emotion / memory) develops at the same time that the fingers lengthen

2. Testosterone lengthens fingers, Estrogen stops their growth

3. The index finger has less receptors for these two hormones than the ring finger

4. Testosterone and Estrogen play a huge part in how the brain develops/functions

5. The more testosterone in the brain, the stronger your body is to react to the everyday fluctuations in testosterone in your bloodstream

6. The better you can handle the testosterone in your body, the more you can stand up to the non-females in the corporate world because you are working on a more level playing field (testosterone usage)

7. In short (no pun intended) shorter ring finger, less able to handle corporate mumbo-jumbo.

Okay ladies, get out the rulers!!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/po-bronson/women-men-judging-risk_b_2741781.html?icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl6|sec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D276843