newbuzz...How is it that a woman who taught herself to knit, crochet, cross-stitch, embroider, and sew Halloween costumes is not able to operate the television remote control? Those fore mentioned pursuits involve reading complex instructions and following intricate patterns. I do that and my crafting accomplishments are blue ribbon worthy, so I know the brain is working. Why then, is this same brain having no success with the remote control? It is because the instructions for the remote control do not make sense, the labels on the buttons are not intuitive and there are no pictures to check my understanding. I am a visual learner. When knitting or working on crochet, if I do not understand the instructions printed in text, I can look at a picture of what the stitches should look like and copy it. Needlework and sewing patterns come with pictures of the finished project that offer clues for placement of stitches. The instructions for the remote control do not include pictures showing me what will appear if I press the button. I get quickly frustrated with pressing buttons until I find one that works. It seems now that the only way to make peace with the remote control is to toss the instructions, abandon my visual preference and embrace my auditory side by hollering to my husband that I need help with the remote. It works every time.

newbuzz...After a year of working in the call center, I have received a promotion. This is a welcome change and it comes with different work hours. I will leave home at 6:45 a.m. and return home at 5:30p.m. Still a long day, but now I will be able to eat dinner at a normal hour and take my little dogs for a walk after work once again. This change coincides nicely with the "spring ahead an hour" of daylight savings time which begins this weekend. At long last the winter is coming to an end. I got through Christmas and the cabin fever days of January and February without gaining a pound. In fact, the daily walks I have been taking in the skyway at work have found me healthier than I was at this time last year. The walks were borne of the sadness of finding myself in a new job with odd hours and no one to sit with at lunch time. Instead of moping through a lonely lunch, I started walking each day. Soon I was able to walk faster and added hand and ankle weights. During those 30 minute walks, tensions melted from my frame sadness evaporated from my brow. The vague feeling of uneasiness was replaced with excitement and hope. With time, I became comfortable with the work I was doing and made friends. Now I can hear the spring sunshine whispering to me that life is good and if I keep walking and smiling I can accomplish anything. The new job will offer challenges and there will be uncertain times, but once again I have learned that the road to success is paved with perseverance. Change is accomplished one step at a time and it is true that everything is hard before it is easy.

newbuzz...Not long ago, I heard someone comment that President Obama is "...a good speaker, but that's about all he's good at". Interesting. The comment was made by a right wing Republican in the spirit of cooperation after listening to Obama's State of the Union Address just after the brazen shooting of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. A week earlier this same person was bashing President Obama. Now, suddenly she was admitting that he is a good speaker. So, was she swayed by his speech or moved by an urge to be kind in the face of a tragedy? Assuming she was actually moved by the President's address, why does she think he is a great speaker? At a time in world history when we are bombarded with violence at every turn, he remains a calm, thoughtful force of inclusion and concern for all Americans. He sticks with the issue at hand, gives his opinion and reasoning, and refrains from using emotional rhetoric to make his point. He reminds us that elected officials are in office to serve all of the population, not just those who voted for them and those who agree with them. President Obama offers kindness and mindfulness in a political arena rife with anger, intolerance, and impulsive behavior. President Obama is not just a great speaker, he is also a great thinker. From great thinking, comes great action.