Giving thanks to past and present.. Happy Thanksgiving from Ixtapa

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think Thanksgiving? I think most would say  family. Time of re connection. For me it was a chance to be able to see my extended family that I didn't see for most of the year.

Thanksgiving is a big deal in my family.Before I can explain the significance of  Thanksgiving,  I need to give you a little bit of family history.

 My father, Monroe as he was lovingly referred to by most, was one of 4 Quick brothers. He legally changed his name from George Washington Quick (being born in 1919, you can take a wild guess what day he was born) to James Canfield Monroe.  All the rest of the family, have the last name Quick, except for the 14 children my father, um fathered. Yours truly is the youngest. Yes, you did read correctly, 14.

My Aunt Bobbie and my Uncle Blaine(youngest of the brothers) would host Thanksgiving every year. I'm not sure when the tradition started,taking on the huge feat of feeding the masses but I am thankful that Thanksgiving is her favorite holiday. Thanksgiving was the day when you were able to see all the cousins,second cousins aunts, uncles, close family friends, from near and far all under one roof.

 I have so many memories that put a smile on my face of craziness that happened on Thanksgiving. I want to thank Bobbie Quick for all the years of cooking amazing food and the many memories you gave all of us by opening up your home.

This is one of my favorites, because you can see my dad in the far right corner with his huge mustache .This happened to be my dad's final Thanksgiving. My cousins and I are in the moment.

As you can see in this picture the tables were always beautifully decorated for the occasion. When I see these pictures I giggle at what we wore oh and we cant forget our hair....

As I've gotten older and circumstances change, the hosting of the Quick's continue to remain the same. Bobbie has handed over the torch so to speak to my cousin Geoff and his wife Arie. Last year was my first year back in CA and introducing Steve and Lucas to the crew. This year I believe the head count is 38 and I cant wait to see the great family photo for 2014!

While I am going to be missing seeing these crazy Quick's, I'm writing today from Ixtapa Mexico.  We are here for the week celebrating  Thanksgiving with the Roger's family. With our new family 5, Steve and I  are fusing traditions and holidays while making new ones along the way. Ixtapa is just that. Changing it up and making many new memories for all. We took family photos yesterday,  here is a behind the scenes look from my phone of all the kiddos 

It is my hope that you all are able to spend quality time with your family this holiday making plenty of memories. If you happen to away from your family during this time of year, it is my prayer that you will be home soon. But in the mean time, make some good memories where you are and keep your loved ones close to your heart.

I want to personally thank you all for your support reading my blog. I am humbled by reader response. It is my intention to continue to write about my life, I am overjoyed that people want to read! I never had any expectations with my blog, so this is beyond anything I could have imagined.  I am looking forward to all that Bliss with Mac brings, but for today, I am thankful  for your support.

All the best,

p.s. we are having a family competition today, ending with a big color powder party on the beach.... photos next week... making memories ......:)

a very special week

There has been lots going on in our little  neck of the world. I have held off writing about our next home until now. Tomorrow is closing day for The Roger's resort Agoura.

this will be our view from the backyard...

I am thankful that I have watched enough remodeling shows to know about a house having good bones, all the rest can be modified....
                      oh and...
                                                                    Location, location, location

When Steve and I blended our families we moved into his house. His house was fantastic, except that with our growing brood, we needed another bathroom and most importantly, to live in the school district....We knew it was a  just a matter of time before we would put his house on the market. One month short of a year from the boys and I moving to CA the house went on the market. Thankfully, it was only 4 days before we were in 20 day escrow. Every realtor that previewed the house, said the same thing... " do you know how hard it is going to be to get this in Agoura?" We knew it was going to be challenging....

What I can tell you today is this, we close tomorrow, then permits are immediately being pulled for demo....Yup, a project and to say I'm excited is a bit of an understatement. To say this has been a long haul is also a huge understatement.

I am a firm believer that everything really does happen for a reason. There was a reason that we have been in our cozy bungalow since Aug. There have been many teaching moments woven throughout our time in the rental (that could be another separate blog  post)I know that all of us will have a greater appreciation for living closer to schools, friends and extra curricular activities.

Tonight, I have a thankful heart thinking about how much we have to withstand these last couple months. To be able to have gotten  the boys to their respective sports practices, games and  appointments was head spinning on occasions. My steno notepad was my guide. If you follow my bliss with mac Facebook account or instagram you would see my posts of my daily 3 that started when we moved into the rental. I personally needed to find things to be appreciative each day. That is how my #daily3 pictures of appreciation began!

I came across this great quote that I think of often and have  read it on occasion in my yoga class.

Sometimes yoga is fitness. Sometimes yoga is prayer. Sometimes yoga is on a mat, sometimes it is in the middle of rush hour. Sometimes yoga is very bendy and photogenic, sometimes it is very messy and private. Sometimes yoga is choosing peace under pressure or gratitude over grievance. Sometimes it is a hug, a high five or just being present to the miracle of right now... -Kara Egitto

I know that although closing happens tomorrow, moving will not be happening immediately. It might be after the new year before we actually are in the new house. I am looking forward to the process of watching the house become our home. The other exciting news is that we are leaving on Saturday to go to Mexico with Steve's family for Thanksgiving! Living with 3/4's of our possessions in storage has been interesting.... Let's just say, I am thankful to know the exact location of my passport (check #daily3  a couple weeks back)

Although I am going to miss my entire extended family's Thanksgiving silliness. I am looking forward to spending some quality time with Steve's family this year.  With every holiday we celebrate as a family, we are creating  new memories that will last a lifetime.

Wishing you all the best,

the rule of 10-10-10

10 minutes, 10 months or 10 years...


I know the first time I heard this concept. It was after we had bought the truck and I had free XM radio. Oprah has a station (I don't have XM radio any longer but guessing she still has the station). Her long time friend  Gayle King had a show that somehow was always on while I was driving. She mentioned this concept specifically about when making decisions dealing with her adult children. I'm certain  she mentioned the author etc, but I have to admit, I was having a light bulb moment and all that sunk in was 10 minutes, 10 months, 10 years.

Ever since that first day I heard the concept, I have used this in making decisions. I decided to do some research to see where in fact this idea had originated from so I can give the author rightful acknowledgement. Suzy Welch wrote the book and devised the concept. Suzy Welch, thank you.

I decided  to write about 10-10-10 today because  I can say that at the age of 44, I have learned many life lessons. One of most important, is that that I will continue to have an issue or situation arise until I learn what lesson I need to learn. I am a firm believer that you will be put into or given situations where you are there to learn a valuable lesson. If you don't learn the lesson, it will return. Maybe not looking exactly the same, BUT the lesson remains unchanged. It is simply wrapped up in a different package.

 As a young girl I was never told this sage advice. As a parent I have been very intentional about planting seeds of  this concept in the boys.'Trust me boys, learn your lesson the first time or you will have the issue re-visit you again and again'. I use these times during these life lessons as teaching moments. It helps them to not wallow in the poor me mode (the pity party must be brief) and focus on what they are supposed to be learning from the given situation. Some are more significant lessons that need to be learned, while others are the smaller irritating ones of teenage boys growing up learning life skills.

It is my experience when raising kids, there are lessons being learned left and right.  I look at difficult decisions keeping 10-10-10 in mind. The concept allows me the ability to make decisions with far less deliberation. I think of times where the boys acted as though it was THE MOST IMPORTANT thing.... yeah, not really. When you project out 10 minutes, yes, they will be upset, 10 months, probably not, 10 years, not a chance they will even remember.

The issue arises when the lesson has not been learned. When you being to feel like you are having a Groundhog day moment.  You know what I mean, you are thinking to yourself, or maybe verbalizing  out loud, 'you've gotta be kidding me'. Again? As parents we have all been there. It is not a comfortable place to be. As far as the  kids, I don't know if they see it as the same lesson coming back  for another go at the lesson, or that they are simply in  a crappy place.

I know that we all have been given 10-10-10 moments in life. Turning points that last far longer than 10 years. Moments that will stay in our gray matter until our last breath. They create who we are and what we become. I believe that these moments and how we learn and proceed mold us into the beings we are meant to be.

I welcome you to try 10-10-10, notice if it changes your decision making process.

All the best,
Mac

10,000 hours

In the fall of 2013 I was introduced to the author Malcom Gladwell. I had never read any of his books until last fall. Technically, with all the driving I was  doing, I listened to him on audio book while shuttling boys.

The first book I listened to was Outliers. Amazing read if you haven't read. Among many topics that he writes about is the idea of 10,000 hours. That a person needs to dedicate 10,000 hours to a given sport, musical instrument etc. With those 10,000 hours comes honing of skills where a person  could achieve a certain level of mastering or success. 

I am a firm believer that some people are blessed with God given talent. Musically, there are prodigies. Athletically, there are people that walk this earth that can do amazing things without too much effort. For the rest of us, it takes time , patience, perseverance and more importantly a mindset to never give up. 

So when looking at my own life, I think about how many hours I have worked with patients in physical therapy. I knew when I graduated back in 1999, I was new and had much to learn beside what I was taught in class and  read in books. The real learning for me happened on the clinical floor. I have put in my 10,000 hours. Am I an expert? Heck no! But what I can tell you is that I am confident in what I have learned and know. I believe that when you stop learning you stop living. My dad always taught me that I should learn 3 new things each day.(Interesting to think about now as an adult..)

 I too have been given a gift. This gift comes in the form of being able to communicate and connect with people. I have a true sense of my own calling at this point in my 44 years on this earth. I am here to help others, in whatever form that takes. Earlier in my life it manifested in physical therapy. Now,  it is health/wellness coaching and yoga They all fall under the umbrella of making a positive difference in peoples lives. 

.

So today as I write this blog. We are coming to the close of football and water polo season. Mitchell has never played polo before this summer. He is a strong swimmer. He was on a huge learning curve in Agoura since most boys he is playing with have been playing as long as he has been swimming laps! It has been interesting to watch him develop and learn from coaches and other players. As a mother, I have had to remind him on a few occasions ,that he is playing with boys that have put in their hours.

Jack played football for the first time this year. As a mother, I really didn't want him to play. Jack on the other hand was all about the idea.... Steve thought it would be a good structured environment for him to learn about the game and accountability.  Being the second to the smallest was tough as a mom to watch while he was on the line.. I knew I needed to learn from the experience as much as Jack.

So both my boys have put in hours in something new this year. Not even close to the magic 10,000 hours. As the season ends, it is the time where decisions need to be made about winter season. What sport will be next... Mitchell will continue with water polo in club until swim season begins for high school in the spring. Jack? Maybe water polo is next on his list of sports to try.  He is more of a team sports kid... who knows, maybe being a lefty could be helpful.

Have you heard the song by  Macklemore 10,000 hours? 

Before Fall of 2013 I had never used the reference 10,000 hours in conversation. Now? you guessed it... plenty... 

What have you done in your life for 10,000 hours?

Wishing you all the best,

apparently I am more traditional than I thought

I wrote this original blog in 2014.
I read it today and decided to repost for any who might not have read the first time around.

Many things have changed, yet many remain the same. 

As I have grown and learned so much as a mom of highschool boys. The lessons have been a mix of laughable, painful but most of all memorable. I'm sure that there is plenty more in store, I'm just gonna get in the lazy river as best as I can and roll with whatever comes :)


Many of you might be able to relate.

I have been tossing around a few ideas to write about this week. I kept coming back to one general topic. Homecoming,traditions and emotions.

What I am realizing is that as a 46 year old woman and mother, I appreciate some of the traditions and chivalry that I had grown up with.  I want to clarify some thoughts before I go further. First, I understand the circle of life. I understand that my boys are going to grow up and experience what life has to offer. This includes girlfriends, lovers and wives.  Secondly, I also know that as a mother I am here on this earth to guide and teach them to be decent productive members of society.To borrow my 84 year old mom saying, "to launch them". To teach them about having a  solid moral compass and demonstrate respect for women.

 I have always told my boys to be kind to girls. I explained that as boys become interested in girls, they start doing things to gain the attention of these girls. Boys in general want ANY attention girls will give them be it positive or negative.

 Typically, girls will remember the negative before they remember the positive.It is just the way the brain is wired.  I always use Phil L. from 6th grade snapping my bra strap as my example. He probably was really nice to me but I will always think of the bra snapping incident first.

With that being said. I feel as though I had planted enough seeds about respect into Mitchell to be ready for homecoming. I also know that I have the fear of God in him about taking pictures that could haunt him later in life. That is a whole other blog entry. I am thankful I grew up before the internet ..... lets just say that....

In the days leading up to Homecoming, I was experiencing similar feelings to when he was getting on the bus the first day of  middle school. He was going to come back a different boy. Some change was going to happen, one step further away from innocence.

  Last Saturday Mitchell and I were in Santa Barbara at a water polo tournament for the day. We had time to discuss the idea of him going up to her door and meeting her father, shaking his hand firmly(just as my dad said should be done) and looking him in the eye. He was ready.

The texting began in the car ride home, she did not want him to come to the door. She didn't want him to meet her father. As a mom, it made my heart sink just a bit. I have to be honest. I wanted  him to have that quintessential first date experience of meeting the parents, corsage , photos, dance..... clearly that was not happening...

We were able to get a few photos at the school before they were off into the sea of teenagers and loud music. My heart was a bit sad. Although I was happy for him, I knew he was going to get back into the car a different boy... Steve laughed and said how he was happy to see that Mitch had 'game'.  I was a bit sick to my stomach and needed a glass of wine.

Steve posted on Facebook that he wanted to go full 'Damone' in the car  while chauffeuring but played Physical Graffiti with a huge smile on his face....Maybe this is just a mom thing I was thinking.... What I didn't mention was the fact that 2 weeks earlier at the dinner table, Mitchell announced that he was planning on having his first kiss on Homecoming.... yup....it happened.


Now that a few days have passed. I am able to think about my sweet boy turning into a young man. I finally asked if he went 'full soap opera kiss'( you know what I mean,very dramatic) for the first time... he said no, it was a bit more awkward than he anticipated. It was a brief  but meaningful exchange. The joking started pretty quickly,when Mitchell said ,' well, by the 23rd time' .....

Today as I am typing my thoughts for this blog. I am thankful that Mitchell is growing into an amazing young man. That he felt comfortable enough telling us us what his plans were, although it caught us all off guard that night at the kitchen table. I must acknowledge that we are doing something right with this parenting gig.

I know Mitchell is just the tip of our iceberg, we have two more in the wings waiting patiently for their turn. I am thankful for being able to witness these boys staking small  steps forward shedding their innocence. I know I am not the first, plenty of mom's before me have experienced this same feeling. Here is to enjoying the high school years..

.

Getting in the lazy river

My original post from 2014...

Many things have changed since I originally wrote this post, but what remains the same is my belief system. I do believe that everything happens for a reason and getting in the lazy river is a perfect analogy some days...


Have you heard of the lazy river?

I'd like to tell you a funny story of the lazy river becoming a great analogy. For my 40th birthday, my two best girlfriends and I went to the Bahamas. We stayed at a very shwanky hotel that is part of The Atlantis. The story I am going to tell  needs a disclaimer, many vodka tonics were consumed before and after this adventure, after all it was my 40th birthday.

We made the  decision to  float in the lazy river, sounded like a a great idea...

 Once we settled into these giant tubes, the feeling of allowing the current to navigate you was very enjoyable. That was until the lazy river turned into  roaring rapids!.... I look over and see Tiffany who is 6 feet tall getting thrashed around, then, FLIP OVER! she acted as though she was going to drown! All Cindy and I could manage to say was "stand up, stand up!" laughing hysterically.The water was maybe 3-4 feet deep at best.

 As I think about this story today, it still makes me  laugh at how dramatic she was! She was pissed her eye lashes were coming off and she lost an earring! All Cindy and I could do was belly laugh. I'm thankful I was able to get a few pictures...

Tiffany was pissed that Cindy and I were not taking the pounding like she was. We kept saying 'go with the flow', don't fight the current! She ended up with scrapes on her elbows and knees from the ride.oh, and lashes were gone....

This morning I listened to a post a dear friend put on Facebook of  the Leo King , an astrologer.  He was speaking about a huge  energy shift happening , how the heavens are making the shift to right the wrongs,or something to that effect. Lots more astrology lingo that I really didn't understand  about planets/energy etc. What I took away from this video was that this week was going to get nuts, and just to hold on tight while the extreme energy makes the shift.The goal of keeping inner peace while everything else feels very off. It was interesting video to watch while I was sipping on my coffee waiting  for the caffeine to kick in... I went on with starting my day, taking the boys to school.

Have you ever had those days, when things don't seem to go as planned, or even better, nothing is easy?  You feel like a salmon swimming upstream.These are the days, I tell myself to get into the lazy river.... This week is showing itself  (I know it is only Tues night) to be a lazy river kinda week. My days are typically scheduled, without much wiggle room.  That is until days like this happen and all I can do is laugh and be thankful I have a good sense of humor about how my day unfolds. I will just say without going into detail, that my day was nothing like  I had planned. I might also add, that not nearly as much was accomplished but plenty of energy was used trying.

I am a believer in Karma. The boys asked the other night why I don't honk at people that cut in front of me while I'm driving.  I even go as far as to wish them  a good day. The boys think I'm weird.I told them it isn't worth honking unless it could have caused an accident. They didn't understand... Then the teachings of Karma showed itself.... the car that had cut me off, got stuck and I continued moving forward and without any red lights while they were stuck in the thick of traffic far behind. I explained to the boys that was Karma in action. They thought it was luck and coincidence, I begged to differ.

So as I look at my schedule for tomorrow, I know there will be changes that will happen. I am aware that I must get in the lazy river and go with the flow. I know what comes before me is there for a reason. I simply must continue to have a good attitude and keep smiling.  

Life is about perspective...

Tiffany thought she was drowning  but at 6 feet tall, all she needed to do was stand up in the 3 feet of water.......

When life gets overwhelming, try getting in the lazy river friends...
have peace in knowing you are exactly where you are supposed to be. 

 all the best, mac

homecoming to freshman boy? = no planning

Homecoming is next weekend. Mitchell has asked a girl and she has said yes. We have been hearing from other boys about their crazy ways of asking girls to homecoming. I give these boys credit but I'm thinking, wow, they are  setting the bar high for the rest of their high school years!

My Mitchell didn't go for any of the hoopla, he went right up and looked into her eyes and asked. He did say he was yelling a bit because he was so nervous.... 

So why the blog you ask? Well, as some of you know, Mitchell is my absent minded professor. He is so in the moment,  he hasn't thought about the next phase, planning. I explained to him that he needs some information. Basics..

• is he going with a group of friends, if so, who?
• how is he getting to the dance? are we driving?
• what color is Sofia wearing so he can coordinate and buy a corsage

I have seen so many photos of friends sharing their kiddos homecoming pictures. Love them and got me thinking, Mitchell what your plan?.... in his 14 year old head he hasn't even thought of these questions.

... I told him jokingly that the school asked for volunteers, the theme this year is "Galaxy" thought Steve and I could have a great time with that one. I told him I could get some Princess Leia hair, Steve could be Obi-Wan Kenobi and have a great time at the coat check in... he was not a fan of that idea....

Starting in Middle school, there have been meetings with the educators discussing the idea allowing kids to take responsibility, decrease the 'helicopter parent' mentality.  I am a firm believer in allowing them to fly, with a net underneath just in case. As far as Homecoming goes, I would say let him figure it out, but I feel a bit bad for Sofia if he didn't have at least minimal  things in place. 

It is so interesting to witness how each boy has such different brains. Jack is my planner, he is packed 2 weeks before we go on a trip. He was dressed for his Bar Mitzvah 3 hours before he had to leave. Mitchell, well, planning is not his strongest attribute at the moment. I cross my fingers that as his frontal lobe matures certain things , like planning, executive function type activities become more second nature...

This next week should be interesting to see how this unfolds. The family truckster will be cleaned and ready to go just in case..... Maybe I could find a chauffeur hat.....