Bumps along the road

     Easter Monday, and I'm not at work or in a sugar induced coma brought on by these, but that's another story.

Erica's picnic friendly birthday cake

Chocolate cupcakes,

Chocolate butter cream frosting

Decorated with marshmallow fondant flowers,

With sparkles

     Today's topic up for listing, the road. There are so many ways to spin this and I really wanted to do a great, life changing, inspiring piece. It's Easter weekend, the weather has been gorgeous, a friend's birthday picnic on Saturday, with croquet no less. Great, inspiring and life changing was way too much work. Besides, I'm making cupcakes right now.

All that from 4 little bulbs 2 years ago

Bloodroots, a little piece of the farm here in the city

Phlox just beginning to peek out

Croquet anyone?

      I'll go with the road to the new 'do. You all seemed curious to see the new look. Nah, that means looking though a couple hundred pictures of old hair cuts, getting semi presentable and taking pictures of the new one. Styling and primping? Who has the time, I'm making cupcakes right now.

     I'm gonna go with this instead.

     One of the great things about reading all of you out there is what it sparks in this demented brain of mine. Over a year ago I had read a piece about getting better at failing. I, of course, failed to keep the link to the post so..... nothing there but it's been on my mind a long time. Then I read this over at Taradactyl. Made me laugh, made me think, made me want to expand on it. So here goes. Bumps along the road. Of life. Just so you don't mistakenly think I'm talking about speed bumps or potholes.

     As we travel on down the highway, we inevitably encounter a road block or two. Being the resourceful creatures we are, we've come up with an amazing array of platitudes to trot out for every occasion. It starts early and many of these stay with us for the whole trip.

     If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Or perhaps you heard, You can do anything you set your mind to. I blame that frickin' little engine that could, I think I can, I think I can. Yeah, whatever.

     This little pearl follows us right from childhood. LIES. You heard me. If I decide I want to become an Olympic gymnast, no amount of trying or sticking to it is going to make that happen. I'm 47, 25 pounds over weight and astonishingly clumsy. The Olympics are not in the cards, until they put in a falling  down event, I'm a natural there. There would have to be a whole lot of Showgirls, tripping the competition  down the stairs, action going on to get me on the world stage. Would that stop me from trying? Where would the fun be in that? The only way to find out if you can't do something is to try it out in the first place. And another thing, so maybe I'm not Baryshnikov, I can still like to dance. Who ever decided you can't love to do something your terrible at? I still paint, draw, sing, play sports, dance, write, so what?

     This of course leads to, It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game. Really? I actually agree with this but, do we practice what we preach? Sportsmanship, just having fun? Ever watched a kids game of anything?  Seen the parents go mental on each other or their kids or both, watched Dance Moms, maybe Toddlers in Tiaras? Craziness. We also have, To the victor go the spoils, or For every winner there has to be a loser. Is our only measure of our self worth, beating some one else down? And we do, physically, intellectually, spiritually and emotionally. Can there not be a win, win situation? Let's face it, no one gets the goal, makes the research breakthrough, leads their company to prosperity alone, ever.

     Always put your best foot forward, that has to be the one I'm not tripping over, or You only get one chance to make a first impression.  The pressure. Being me is not always a pretty thing. Sure I have lots of great days. I also have those not so great days. Then there are the days neither of my feet are eligible for best foot. It happens. And it's okay. Pull the toe tapping, full missy with both hands on hips. Get it out of your system and move on. Yourself, au naturel,  may not work in absolutely every situation, we do of course occasionally have to Rise to the occasion, or Bite your tongue, but still Honesty is the best policy.

      Unless of course your BFF asks if those jeans make their ass look fat, and yes guys do actually ask that too. We're just way more on the DL. So that brings us to, Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels. But wait, then how does that stack up to It's what's inside that counts. Inside my jeans? (Stop giggling) Because You're beautiful just the way you are. Except for those 25 extra pounds, I guess. And for the record, my cheesecake brownies taste way better than any amount of self denial to conform to a stereo typical "norm". And skinny does not equal healthy, inside or out.

      You can be the bigger person. Seriously are you saying these jeans make my ass look fat?, Sticks and stones make break my bones but names will never hurt me. That fat ass comment kinda stung a little. Turn the other cheek. Not in these jeans.  This hurts me more than it hurts you. It sure will if you don't shut up right now. The truth shall set you free. Right after I do the dime for assault.

     Besides, If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. Or come sit by me. Lord knows we don't gossip. Surely there is not a whole industry devoted to it because we all know Nobody likes a tattle tail. Unless of course we want that little tidbit you're withholding.

     After all, We control our own destiny, we all live in a bubble and You can choose to be happy, cuz nothing gets into that bubble. Let a smile be your umbrella because Every cloud has a silver lining, Uh yeah, a smile is always the right response when life is pissing down on you. No door closes with out opening a window. What, wait, why am I crawling out the window?

         Neither a lender nor a borrower be.  You're not renewing my mortgage? A penny saved is a penny earned. Of course I earned the penny how do you think I got it in the first place. One in the hand is worth two in the bush. What's in the bushes, a velociraptor, two? What the hell is on my hand? Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and boring as hell.

     Okay, that kind of got away from me. As you can see, there is a  less than helpful saying for every situation. Having been on the road a while, Just be yourself. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence because there is more crap over there to fertilize it. There is only one of you, that's priceless. Live your life, fail spectacularly, shine brilliantly, try everything. I'm off to try a cupcake. I can always buy bigger jeans.

You know you want one

Happy Easter

     Head on over to Stasha's and see where the road took the rest of us.