You say 'goodbye'. I say 'hello'.

You say 'goodbye' (2010), I say 'hello' (2011)!

With the smell of bleach and other cleaning products on my hands, I have rolled up my sleeves and set about the work of clearing the way for a new chapter to unfold in my life. Inspired by one of the wonder women in my justice league whose super powers happen to be in the art and mastery of feng shui, I find myself bustling around my house gently and thankfully ushering out the Old so that the New feels welcomed by a warm and comforting environment.

There are two words that seem to be finding themselves perfectly snuggled in to conversations of late. AUTHENTIC and ORGANIC. Being authentic is honoring the true ME. Doing what feels right for me right now. It means being present. Authenticity recognizes the magic of simple things. Authenticity is simple. It is true. Humbly seeking to remain in my authentic self lends itself to embracing life as a LIVING, breathing, ORGANIC process. The mixture of the elements of life are all here. Some ingredients need a bit of shaking and stirring to be primed for success. Other ingredients need a little heat; maybe some spice. But eventually, by trusting the natural flow of the grace around me, organically, the balance of my life is as it should be.

May health, happiness, and prosperity be yours as you say 'hello' to 2011.

Adventure awaits...

Let your heart be light.

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,
stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons.
It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags.
And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.
What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.
What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

Dr. Seuss

What is "a little bit more" for me? A roof over my head. A soft bed. People I love. Food to eat. Love in my life. Peace in my heart. The smile of a stranger. Re-connecting with an old friend. Making new friends. Embracing challenges. Gaining strength from challenges. A job I love. Doing what I love. A husband whom I adore. A daughter that is a miracle. Love in my life. Peace in my heart. In my minds eye, the prettiest bow would pale in comparison to the gifts I already have in my life.

Hollie. Revisited.

Chip faced.

I had a rotten day at work. From the word "go" as walked through my office door, I could tell today would be one for the record books. To sum up: I was yelled at by a patient on the phone. I was spoken to in a stern manner from my supervisor. I was in a couple counseling session when a wife told her husband he had an hour to pack and leave the house. That was fun. I could not even get monosyllabic responses from a difficult patient who I thought was coming out of her shell. Apparently the world is just too scary a place. Admittedly, I tend to agree with her. My rescue fish died. My daughter likes to eat dog food, and she snacks with our dogs on a regular basis. My husband reminded me that if The Girl Wonder wants to eat dog food, it's okay. It's not like I am feeding her dog food.

So tonight I get chip faced. I drown my sorrows in the dark oooh-y goodness of Nestle Tollhouse Cookies. Being off the wagon tastes good.

Here's the recipe for your next relapse:

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

12 oz. package Nestle Tollhouse semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts (I like pecans)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.

Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in a large mixer bowl until creamy.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Gradually beat in flour mixture.

Stir in morsels and nuts.

Drop by rounded teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes.

The Girl Wonder.

All I need is to see her face when she wakes up in the morning. A glimpse of her hair that rivals the best Albert Einstein-do keeps a smile on my face all day long. All I need is to see her face when she goes to bed at night. Just long enough to whisper, "I love you".

All is well.

The Girl Wonder makes things well in the world. Especially in my world.

Social security.

I have come to realize that I find comfort and security in social media. I have been able to find and reconnect with so many people who have made an impact in my life through the power of the minds of the creators of Facebook.

I learned of a friend who took his life last year. I guess reading articles in the newspaper about suicide survivor support groups is an occupational hazard for me. I didn't expect to have such an up close and personal experience with the Trib at nearly midnight Saturday night. All I wanted was the score to the football game. What I gained was so much more.

Friends and family of my deceased friend created a Facebook page in his memory. As I read the entries, memories came flooding back of him, and other people and places. I began to wonder... Would I find Roo here?

Tentatively, I typed a message to another of the Wonder Women in my Justice League. Oh how I wanted to hear from her! I told myself that I would be "okay" regardless of whether or not I got a response.

Roo responded. My heart leaped. My social security blanket once again wrapped me in the warmth of a message from a dear friend.

I feel stronger today knowing that my Justice League is more complete. I feel more love in my life today. I feel more confident today. I feel more silly today.

It's been too, too long, Roo.

My cup runneth over...

Kryptonite.

Iron Girl encounters kryptonite: the common cold.

It's kind of a funny story.

I am reading a really good book right now. It's kind of a funny story. I often question my sanity (not really question, maybe inquire is a better word). But is it so wrong to fantasize about a vacation to a place that has arts and crafts, plenty of rest, prepared meals, regular sunshine and exercise, or maybe even a good water fight? Note to self: Taking mental vacations are much different than mental breaks.

2:53 a.m.

Cupcakes are the official food of 2:53 a.m.

Wanted.

Blame it all on my roots I am back in my boots. It feels like home.

Dark and twisty.

Why do I have to hide my dark and twisty side? Super villians have a bright side and super heros have a dark side. Who we are is who we are. All of it. The bright side and the dark side. I have a feeling that this blog may be a reflection of the dark side of Iron Girl Hollie. Dark can be good. Even Luke Skywalker had a dark and twisty side and he turned out alright.

Post one.

A place for me to write. Sometimes I just need a place to hang my cape, take off my mask, let my hair down, take off my bra and let it all hang out. A place for me to be me. A place where I know I will be heard and validated. A place where I will not be questioned or second guessed. Even Wonder Woman needs a Bat Cave.