WHEN DO YOU START A NEW YEAR? CHANGING YOUR LIFE WITH WORDS - DAY 95

Today is September 1 here in the United States.  For me this date has always seemed like the start of a brand new year because when my children were growing up it was the start of a new school year for them.  The lazy heat-filled days of summer would be over, and the cool crisp days of fall would be welcomed as the prelude to all of the holiday celebrations.  January 1 never seemed to me like the start of a new year except for the date changes.

As adults when my son and daughter talk about things which happened in the past they identify the timing as what grade they were in school.  They don't refer to a calendar year but rather to 3rd Grade, 6th Grade, or junior high or high school years.  September is the month when families get organized, clean closets, make master calendars to keep up with all the activities, enjoy the start of football season, and see trees turn from green to orange and gold.

September is a new beginning so what plans do you have?  What changes will you make?  Will this be a memorable year for your children or grandchildren?  Although times have changed and the world is in great turmoil, life still goes on so make the most of it

YEAR BY YEAR

Life Is What Happens When We Are Making Other Plans

Whoever coined that phrase knew about what he or she was speaking.  I have always been a person who plans, makes lists, utilizes planners and calendars and schedules.  Although since my surgery I have tried to resume those habits, I seem to be lagging behind in getting back on track.  I make a plan, and then I have to change it because a medical appointment must be kept.  I make a plan, put it on the calendar and find I must cancel it or reschedule it.  I now write things in pencil because I have to change plans for various reasons.  Unexpected visitors, too many phone calls from pollsters and/or telemarketers, as well as other interruptions have totally discombobulated my plans.

All that being said, however, I know it is really up to me to take charge of my time and get back to business.
I have begun listing new items on our website www.malcolmfortots.com and our ETSY shop www.malcolmfortots.etsy.com so please check back on both sites frequently to see what progress has been made.

The holidays are rapidly approaching so my mind swirls with ideas and plans for the various special celebrations of the season.  As I add them to my ever-lengthening lists, I also am thinking of new things to include in my blog in 2013.  I so much appreciate the thousands of page views my blog has had since its inception, and I hope to broaden its appeal in the New Year with the changes I am contemplating adding.

Thanks so much for continuing to read my posts.

What The World Needs Now Is Love, Sweet Love

Happy Valentine's Day! Perhaps some of you remember the song What the world needs now is love, sweet love. It's the only thing that there's just too little of....... When I see all of the Valentine cards, flowers, candies, toys, and jewelry displayed on line, in print, and in brick and mortar stores I must admit I smile and think love is a wonderful thing. It is what makes life worthwhile. If you are fortunate enough to have someone to love and someone who loves you, be thankful. If you have children to love who love you, be thankful. If you have friends and neighbors to love who also love you, be thankful. Love should be a 24/7 thing 12 months a year so don't forget to keep spreading love even after Valentine's Day. It will make the world a better place for everyone with whom you come in contact.

Celebrating Holidays During Tough Times

Halloween is now over, and immediately our thoughts turn to Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannakuh, Quanza or the New Year. During tough economic times being faced all over the world, how will celebrations be handled? Please share your suggestions and ideas for how you plan to enjoy the holidays and acknowledge the occasions without having the financial means to do what you may have done in previous years. I know that many of you have great ideas, creative suggestions, and positive attitudes that dictate making the best of everything despite the circumstances. If you share your thoughts in the comment section below I will be glad to publish them so they are available for everyone to read. Thanks for participating! Who knows? Your ideas may help another family celebrate in ways they would not have thought of, thereby making the holidays more enjoyable for them.

Christmas and Chanukah Before Halloween? Greed or Efficiency?

A local newscaster mentioned earlier this week that there were only 95 days left before Christmas. That made me snap to attention. When my mother was alive she would start reminding me at the end of May of the number of days left until the December holidays. Since I spent 20 years in retailing there were many times I was not happy to hear her do her annual count down. I much preferred when I was growing up and September meant Labor Day signaling the end of summer and our return to school (in that order). Halloween was not given a thought until October when creative ideas for costumes started becoming paramount in our minds (of course, then costumes were not big business as they are today). In November we all started looking forward to Thanksgiving which was absolutely a marvelous holiday in so many ways. Growing up in the Midwest we always wished and hoped for the first snowfall to coincide with Thanksgiving (we had a long weekend off from school when sledding, making snowmen, and even ice skating could be enjoyed). Sometimes our wishes came true but usually not so then we began wishing for a White Christmas. We never saw a Christmas ad, a Christmas tree, decoration or Chanukah ad until after Thanksgiving. We always had time to shop and to savor the holidays, the music, the traditions, the food, and the excitement. I have always been annoyed by the huge newspaper ads placed by a major upscale retailer saying that they would not have Christmas decorations in their stores until after Thanksgiving (they neglected to mention that they required employees to work over the Thanksgiving holiday to install the Christmas decorations). With every passing year it seems that retailers in brick and mortar stores and/or on line are desperate to capture holiday sales earlier and earlier. This year I have actually seen Christmas merchandise sharing space with Halloween goods, and it was only the end of August. What do you think? Is it pure and simple greed that makes it necessary to compress all the holidays into one mass sales effort? Is it efficiency that makes it a good idea to capitalize on possible economies of scale by getting all holiday goods out in one fell swoop? Our children are little for such a short time, and it seems to me that to allow each holiday its own special time period might motivate families to shop for each special occasion and to appreciate their local retailers more and more. In the present economy retailers could spread a lot of enjoyment and hope by making each occasion a special one. They might even increase their sales by reminding customers that our country and our world have experienced tough economic times before and came out on the other side to prosper once more. What better public relations tools could there be than enjoyment and hope for the future? With the unemployment rate being so high it may very well be a lean year for retailers, but the good will they can provide in their communities can be an investment in future business when once again we recover and prosper.