If you don’t recognize the name Sir Arthur Doyle, I bet you’ll recognize the character he created in his writing that made him famous:  Sherlock Holmes.

He also wrote poetry, historical novels, plays and romances and he was one of the earliest writers of science fiction.

And guess who his mother was?

Mary Foley!!  LOL!

No kidding, just found this little factoid online.  The article also said that his passion for books and story telling came from his mother.  As I write my new book I’m hoping by being her name sake I can channel some of her talents in boatloads.

More importantly, it just goes to show the impact moms can make.

Another factoid I found online is that people are spending about 11% less this year on Mother’s Day gifts because of the economy.  Which may not sound like a lot but since it also happened last Mother’s Day, the trend means a lot to retailers, especially.

But, here’s the silver lining, as stated by Steve Kerch of Market Watch:

“These sorts of retail surveys, though, don't measure the noneconomic value of what we might substitute for those store-bought gifts: a handmade card that will land in the treasure box, a homemade dinner that the family will enjoy around the kitchen table, a boulevard stroll or nature hike that will provide plenty of conversation time.  Why, if we calculated those things, we might see these hard times are really the good old days.”

What a great reminder that money doesn’t equal meaning!

In that spirit here are some funny quotes about motherhood on my blog that you could use in a homemade card.  All you have to do is find a blank card that’s in your stash, or create one using your word processor. 

Just pick a quote, add a photo of you and your mom, and write a few words about what she means to you.  Voila, something she’ll keep and remember a good while.

Even if you have the card thing already covered, check out these quotes and get a good laugh:

"Mothers of teenagers know why animals eat their young." ~ Author Unknown

"I want my children to have all the things I couldn't afford. Then I want to move in with them." ~ Phyllis Diller

"There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it." ~ Chinese Proverb

"The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found." ~ Calvin Trillin

"My mother's menu consisted of two choices: Take it or leave it." ~ Buddy Hackett

"A suburban mother's role is to deliver children obstetrically once, and by car for ever after." ~ Peter De Vries

"A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie." ~ Tenneva Jordan

"My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it." ~ Mark Twain

"Mothers are all slightly insane." ~ J.D. Salinger

Happy Mother’s Day!

Cheers,

Ever wonder how April Fool’s Day got started? 

Me too, so I did a little research.  Turns out that it started in 1582 in France, the year when the Gregorian calendar was introduced and New Year’s Day was moved from April 1st to January 1st.  However, being that there was no real media back then, word spread s-l-o-w-l-y of the new calendar.  In fact, some people didn’t know about it for several years and continued to celebrate the New Year on April 1. 

These folks we can thank for April Fool’s Day.  They were ridiculed as not the smartest tack in the box, often being called fools and the butt of practical jokes.

About 450 years later and we’re still keeping this holiday alive!  Maybe it’s because it’s like what John Updike said:

“Looking foolish does the spirit good.”  (No wonder I’ve been feeling so good, LOL!)

In my searching I also found the top April Fool’s Day jokes of all time.  They are hilarious!  Here are my 3 personal favorites.

Instant Color TV
In 1962 there was only one tv channel in Sweden, and it broadcast in black and white. The station's technical expert, Kjell Stensson, appeared on the news to announce that, thanks to a new technology, viewers could convert their existing sets to display color reception.

All they had to do was pull a nylon stocking over their tv screen. Stensson proceeded to demonstrate the process. Thousands of people were taken in. Regular color broadcasts only commenced in Sweden on April 1, 1970 (8 years later!).

The Taco Liberty Bell
In 1996 the Taco Bell Corporation announced it had bought the Liberty Bell and was renaming it the Taco Liberty Bell. Hundreds of outraged citizens called the National Historic Park in Philadelphia where the bell was housed to express their anger. Their nerves were only calmed when Taco Bell revealed, a few hours later, that it was all a practical joke.

The best line of the day came when White House press secretary Mike McCurry was asked about the sale. Thinking on his feet, he responded that the Lincoln Memorial had also been sold. It would now be known, he said, as the Ford Lincoln Mercury Memorial.

The Left-Handed Whopper
In 1998 Burger King published a full page advertisement in USA Today announcing the introduction of a new item to their menu: a "Left-Handed Whopper" specially designed for the 32 million left-handed Americans. According to the advertisement, the new whopper included the same ingredients as the original Whopper (lettuce, tomato, hamburger patty, etc.), but all the condiments were rotated 180 degrees for the benefit of their left-handed customers.

The following day Burger King issued a follow-up release revealing that although the Left-Handed Whopper was a hoax, thousands of customers had gone into restaurants to request the new sandwich. Simultaneously, according to the press release, "many others requested their own 'right handed' version."

Are you howling?  Tell me which one you like best!  Click on "comments" below and type away.

Enjoy your April Fool’s Day!  “The first day of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year.” – Mark Twain

cheers,

Wow, I’m overwhelmed!  So many guys and gals, friends and family wished me a Happy Birthday #44 yesterday that I couldn’t keep up!

Thanks to Susie, Helga, Trina, Royce, Teri, Kristie, Casey, Cecilia, Sheila, Kathleen, Lisa, Jana, Ginny, Robin, Judy, Jennifer, Chris, Mary, Sharon, Jenny, Paul, Kim, Elizabeth, Art, Tracy, Stephen, Sara, Janet, Cindy, Wilma, Chee, Jennifer, Carol, Colleen, Amy, Leslie, Mom, Dad, Charley, Angeline, Abigail, Len, Nhat, Christine, Ann and Eryn!

Phew!  If I missed a name I apologize. You know I love ya!

Yes, LOVE.  It’s the best thing of all.  Yesterday I was reminded of that.  Here's a photos  of me and my Dad blowing out candles on our mutual birthday cake.  His b'day is today!

At the anniversary of my latest 365 days around the sun I got to thinking about how FAST my adult life has been.  I compared what was going on in my life today to 10 years ago and to 10 years before that.

No matter if it’s your birthday or not, you can do this simple reflection and be encouraged.  Here’s what I mean:

At 44 years old, I’m an author of 2 books and am about to write my third.  I speak all over the country inspiring women and never thought I’d be creating nail colors with companion CDs about how to live like that nail color, but I am and I love it.  I live with a man who is crazy about me and I’m stuck on him.  I’m more comfortable with myself than ever and between my family, Crazy Glue, terrific neighbors, and fun friends, my life is filled with love and support.

Ten years ago I was 34.  I had just gotten divorced and ended an abusive marriage.  At the same time I left a successful 10 year career at AOL and started grad school.  I called it being bodacious.  I was making major changes in my life that were good for me.  And, dang, I was exhausted!

Ten years before that I was 24.  Fresh out of engineering school and living in the big city for the first time.  All I really knew was that I didn’t want to be an engineer, that I wanted to do something I loved, and that I had bills to pay.  So, when I was offered an $8 an hour customer service job at some unknown computer start-up I accepted.  When I started working at AOL I fell in love with their contagious enthusiasm.  I thought my time there would be three months.  I stayed 10 and a half years and had the career ride of my life!