When I look up unusual "National" days on the internet, there are usually 3 or 4 things happening on any given day. So I pick and choose one that looks fun to write about on my chalkboard.  Today is National Bologna Day!  How fun is that?  Growing up in East Los Angeles among Mexican and Jewish people (we're talking 1956), I was embarrassed to bring rice balls wrapped in black seaweed for lunch.  I'd beg my Mom for peanut butter and jelly or just plain bologna sandwiches.  It was a struggle but eventually Mom caved and made me "normal" sandwiches on white Wonder Bread.  The Helms Bakery trucks would arrive on our block and I loved running to see what goodies were aboard. Donuts, pastries and all kinds of bread!  What a delight it was! I'd hear the clinking of bottles early in the morning and the milk would magically be at the back door in the morning. I'd get slapped in the head if she noticed that I had licked the cream of the lid of the bottle (that is if she could catch me). So let's enjoy some nostalgia and have a yummy sandwich of the past...

Good to do this once in awhile...

So every few years it's good to reevaluate your life to see where you are.  We all have dreams about what we'd like in our lives, but we don't always "make things happen" by our own intentions. When things get hectic in our lives, it's easy to just go with the flow, isn't it.  Not enough time to do this or that. So Monday's board on my door was...

Take a few moments to think about your life and dream up a better one or one with better fringe benefits. It's only a thought, right?

It makes me think about when I started A Stamp in the Hand.  I was still with my handsome Iranian boyfriend at the time.  I was wishing and wishing for a van so we could take our wares to weekend sales.  Well, I wasn't very specific, so it happens that my boyfriend bought a very unattractive V-dub van for next to nothing.  He proudly showed up with it one day and I was distraught.  It was the kind of van you think a serial killer drives.  The guts were pulled out and it was a very dirty beige color.  No matter how many times you washed it, it always looked the same... UGLY!  So off we went for our weekend sales with the smell of exhaust coming into the van.  So I started dreaming up a NEW VAN which I couldn't afford and in a rather short time, I was able to lease (something I'd never done before) a brand new Toyota cargo van (we're talking the 80's now). I was in heaven.  I've dreamt up the next two vans as well.  When I look back on my life, I've done this time and time again without really thinking about it.  Somehow, once you get in the habit of doing it, it becomes automatic.  So get in the habit please.  You'll be amazed at the results...