Here’s a couple of tongue twisters for you… triskaidekaphobia, friggatriskaidekaphobia and paraskevidekatriaphobia. Know what they are?

They are all fancy ways to fear the number 13 or the day, Friday the 13th. So if you are afflicted by any of those conditions, I’m really sorry to hear that.

But…. it’s Friday! It’s the 13th, and I’m OFF WORK! haha! luckily, it’s temporary, not permanent I’m only off for the day. And if anyone thinks that I didn’t go to work because I’m afraid, then so be it. I’m still enjoying this beautiful day away from the office!

How about you, are you superstitious? Do you fear Friday the 13th? Do you do anything different on this day? Are you more cautious?

Here are three things that people avoid doing on Friday the 13th:

Travel - many people avoid any kind of travel (by road, air or sea) on Friday the 13th because it is considered unlucky. Mariners who are already some of the most superstitious anyway, will refuse to sail on Friday the 13th because it is supposed to be a very grave omen.

Business - some people will not conduct any negotiations or transactions on this day because it’s bad luck. Well, any business except those involving taking your money. They will still sell you stuff.

Deliver – I was listening to one woman talk about how she held her baby in for as long as she could just so she wouldn’t have to deliver him on April Fool’s Day. How many pregnant women do you think are holding it in now just so they won’t have to deliver on Friday the 13th?

What would you add to the list?

This is one of my latest favorite read, recommended by my daughter. I loved it so much that I am now on my way to reading all of John Green’s other books. I’m so glad the weather is getting warmer and staying light later! I have more time to read outside now. Have you read any good books lately? Give me ideas what’s good out there.

Book Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The ‘chicken spaghetti’ as my daughter calls it! You can have a fancy name for any dish, but kids alway have a way of calling it like it is, don’t they?

Chicken in Puttanesca Sauce

Back in the days of snail mail, I received the following story and had it taped up on my refrigerator for the longest time. Then came along email and the internet and the lesson got passed along some more. I no longer have the story taped up on my fridge and I have gotten this story probably hundreds of times now, but the lesson never gets old.

After a long time (at least a couple of years) of not seing it, it just happened to pop up on me again recently and guess what? I read it through again, and still felt it resonate…

Never sweat the small stuff Have a great week, everyone!

The Familiar Lesson

“A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, rocks about 2 inches in diameter.

He then asked the students if the jar was full? They agreed that it was. So, the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. The students laughed.

The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled everything else.

“Now,” said the professor, “I want you to recognize that this is your life. The rocks are the important things—your family, your partner, your health—anything that is so important to you that if they were lost, you would be nearly destroyed. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else. The small stuff.”

“If you put the sand into the jar first (which is what we often do), there is no room for the pebbles, and the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your energy and time on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.”