<![CDATA[PassPorter Community - Boards & Forums on Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel - Blogs]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/ Discussion forums about Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel provided by PassPorter Travel Press, the ultimate Disney travel guide and book series. en Fri, 24 May 2013 17:12:12 GMT vBulletin 120 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg <![CDATA[PassPorter Community - Boards & Forums on Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel - Blogs]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/ <![CDATA[Goofy's Kitchen]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/lilianna/1335-goofys-kitchen.html Sat, 19 Jan 2013 15:25:18 GMT Made our reservations yesterday for dinner at Goofy's Kitchen exactly on the 60 day mark. Have never eaten there before so looking forward to a new experience. :dine:

Now, I just need to find out some blackout date info on our passes and Disney Downtown hours so I can rest easier! :o ]]> Lilianna http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/lilianna/1335-goofys-kitchen.html Tickets...Check! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/lilianna/1329-tickets-check.html Sat, 05 Jan 2013 19:48:48 GMT Our Disneyland tickets are bought. Actually, it is a Southern California City Pass bought through Costco.ca. It gives us a 3-day park hopper with... Our Disneyland tickets are bought. Actually, it is a Southern California City Pass bought through Costco.ca. It gives us a 3-day park hopper with one early entry morning, 1 day at Sea World and 1 day and Universal. Disney sells the same thing on their site, only we save about $50 per ticket. We won't be going to Sea World, but still the savings was worth it! It's too bad we can't use the Sea World pass later on, but it expires 14 days after you first use one of the theme park tickets.

Just waiting on delivery...should have them in my hot little hands by Monday. ]]> Lilianna http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/lilianna/1329-tickets-check.html Money...Check! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/lilianna/1328-money-check.html Fri, 28 Dec 2012 21:31:14 GMT I've hit the goal of what I wanted to save for our Disneyland vacation...plus some! And, I'm still saving! I'm so excited! Next step is making one or two ADR. Goofy's Kitchen is one of them. Never been there before, so I'm really looking forward to it! ]]> Lilianna http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/lilianna/1328-money-check.html The Book is Here! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/lilianna/1064-book-here.html Mon, 24 Sep 2012 21:50:23 GMT Chapters/Indigo has free shipping if you have your online order shipped to one of their stores. I've been waiting and waiting for my Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2013 to arrive. Finally got the email today! :thewave:
Will be reading and highlighting tonight!:read: ]]> Lilianna http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/lilianna/1064-book-here.html Let the Planning Begin! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/lilianna/1053-let-planning-begin.html Sun, 02 Sep 2012 15:33:55 GMT Okay, officially, the planning started when we booked the airline tickets and hotel. I've also been reading the 2008 version of the Disneyland Encyclopedia. (Our library doesn't have the 2012.) Very interesting stuff that has me posing questions to the forum. :p Amazon.com: The Disneyland Encyclopedia: The Unofficial, Unauthorized, and Unprecedented History of Every Land, Attraction, Restaurant, Shop, and Event in the Original Magic Kingdom (9781595800336): Chris Strodder: Books
I just bought The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2013. http://www.amazon.com/Unofficial-Gui...nd+guide+books I love Passporter, but wanted a guide book that had Carsland in it. I've gotta wait about 5 weeks for the book to arrive though.

The 17 year old got his iPhone. He's put a couple free DLR apps on there. I basically wanted something that showed the wait times of the rides. I think it's cool to know if it's worth your while to traipse to the otherside of the park. I should have an iPad by November. I plan on taking it with me, but probably not into the park. I don't want it stolen.

The savings (as you can see by the bar on my signature when I post) is almost at 60% of what I figured we needed to take the vacation. We saved 67% on our airfare using aeroplan points or miles or whatever they are called. 67%! :eek: Granted, it isn't where we wanted to fly in/out of, but can't beat the savings! Our rental car was also purchased with points/miles. So far, that has cost nothin'. The price of the guide book will come out of the savings as will the hotel, once my mom figures out how much we owe for our share. Though, I have a feeling she'll treat us on that, especially if my sister's kids come along.

So, that's another part of this. My sister recently moved to Las Vegas and is going thru a nasty divorce that has divided the kids between her and her estrange husband. I haven't brought the idea up of her going to DLR with us because she has enough on her plate at the moment. Not sure if she'll be able to come because of her new job, but maybe my niece and nephews will be able to join us. Currently they are are 8, 6 & 3 years old. Might be a handful, but it would be enjoyable as my son is also 6.

Last night I mentioned to my husband that this time around I want to break out of our mold and try some new things. Such as eating at Goofy's Kitchen and getting the family to try a new ride, like Innoventions. We always walk right past that exhibit.

I think that's it for the planning blog for now. ]]> Lilianna http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/lilianna/1053-let-planning-begin.html 800 Posts! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/lilianna/1029-800-posts.html Fri, 10 Aug 2012 18:59:03 GMT Well, it's not near as many as some, but I'm officially over 800 posts! :thewave: I wonder if I'll make 1000 before our Disney vacation in March. On may from Adventurer to Trekker! :woot: ]]> Lilianna http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/lilianna/1029-800-posts.html Compromise with the Divorced Parents http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/lilianna/1008-compromise-divorced-parents.html Mon, 06 Aug 2012 18:24:18 GMT Talked with my dad today. Since we have to fly out of LAX we plan on returning from Vegas a day or two early. (The vacation is us flying into LAX,... Talked with my dad today. Since we have to fly out of LAX we plan on returning from Vegas a day or two early. (The vacation is us flying into LAX, 4 days in Anaheim, driving to Vegas, then back to LAX to fly out. We'll be on holidays a total of 2 weeks.) So, I mentioned to him we were thinking of Universal and wanted to see if they (dad & step-mom) wanted to come along. We'll see what they decide. :question: ]]> Lilianna http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/lilianna/1008-compromise-divorced-parents.html Disneyland 2013 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/lilianna/992-disneyland-2013.html Fri, 03 Aug 2012 19:10:51 GMT With almost 800 posts, I'm still learning what the Passport site as to offer, such as a blog. I figured I could post some Disney planning stuff here. Stuff that really isn't appropriate for the forum as it's just random stuff or stuff going on in this life, but affects our upcoming vacation.

One bummer is the planning isn't as fun as it should be right now. Over is the divorced parents wanting to both take us to Disney, but not wanting to be around each. Started is my sister's divorce and awful custody battle. She is living near our mom. The same mom coming with my family of 4 to Disneyland. So, the planning stuff my mom and I would normally do is marred by my sister's problems.

Now, I don't want to appear selfish. I feel for my sister, but she has caused a lot of her own problems. Deep, soul crushing problems. The first was leaving her kids with the soon to be ex when she moved. She said it was so she could organize the house, etc. and it would give the kids time to say goodbye to the dad's side of the family. Only, moving was stressful and opened a world of hurt for her and she dug herself in so deep, that the dad decided to keep the kids. I can't go into details, but will say if I was my sister's spouse, I'd fight for the kids too.

But, I took the day off of work to stretch out an already long weekend. (Civic holiday in Manitoba.) Have a late Lammas to plan and spent most of the day doing something Disney related. Was rather nice! The kids and hubby will be home soon, but it was great to have a day to myself! ]]> Lilianna http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/lilianna/992-disneyland-2013.html Open Mouse http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/kelly66/988-open-mouse.html Tue, 17 Jul 2012 23:39:30 GMT One of the things I was able to do on my College Program was attend an 'Open Mouse' as the Wide World of Sports (I guess) transformed into ESPN. It was definitely an adventure. I honestly can't remember if I took the college program bus or if I rented a car. They had kind of a little self-guided walking tour -which was great for me because I had never really been there and I doubt I would have ever really had another occasion to go. They had a tent set up with health information too. There was a cafe that was open and I had some smallish meal. I also was able to get a commemorative trading pin!!! I do remember that I had to pre-register through the Hub, and one of the next things I was looking forward to doing was at the Wedding Pavilion, but I had to leave before I could do that.
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]]> Kelly66 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/kelly66/988-open-mouse.html <![CDATA[Driving on Disney's College Program]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/kelly66/987-driving-disneys-college-program.html Wed, 11 Jul 2012 20:03:56 GMT The rule is that if you KEEP a car at the DCP, you must get a FL driver's license. This requires changing your permanent address to your apartment at the DCP. I did not take a car there, but wanted to rent one from time to time. Every time I drove into the DCP parking lot I had to check-in with the security to register a new car. My roommate brought a car and registered it only once. They never checked her license after that. My husband understood the rule that said that if you keep a car there you need to change your license, meant that if you keep a car there, but I was not keeping a car there, I was only driving occasionally. I was there for six weeks and it is required that you change your driver's license within 30 days. Security told me that they would not let me register another (rental) car unless I changed my driver's license. But this particular security guard was very combative with everyone.
If you (or your child) do plan to keep a car there, you must plan very meticulously. Most of my training was done between 9-5 on weekdays, and then I had many other things to do, I was taking an online class from my University and an Exploration Series class with Disney that was held during the day. Seeing as I have gotten my driver's license in four different states and one of those states twice, I can honestly tell you that there was no time, other than before my Traditions Class, that my schedule would have allowed me to successfully get to the DMV, get my license and get back in time for my next schedule activity -which in the first 30 days includes housing orientation, your orientation for your specific place in the world, OSHA training and so forth. Now I must say, that outside of KY when we lived on the Gulf Coast of FL it took us the least amount of time than any other place, but still over an hour. I was trying to find a three or five hour window in order to do this, and that just didn't exist during the times the DMV was open within my first 30 days there. After thirty days, most of the times I had to work was in the afternoon and late night so it would have been fine. Also, I know that in NY as a grown adult I had difficulty proving my identity and getting enough 'points' for my driver's license because my husband had gone ahead (so my daughter could finish school in our previous state) and set up all of the electricity, water. Although I did have my name on the bank account, since I didn't have a job (I was a stay at home mom) I didn't have a W-2. I did already have a passport which counted for several points, but I had to go back to the DMV in NY four separate times and, I believe I spent over 14 hours there getting that NY driver's license. Then, after all that of NY trying to figure out if I really was who I said I was, and having to change in whose name the electricity was so that I had something that reflected my address, NY issued me a driver's license that had the address from when I had lived in NY seven years earlier 350 miles away!:crazy: Good thing I looked at it before I left the window.
I really don't understand how someone on the CP could prove their address because none of the electricity or water or sewage or cable is in your name, and even if one person in the apartment has it in their name what about the rest of the people? Perhaps the criteria in FL are much easier than in NY. But this 30 day driver's license criteria sure seemed to me to be a no-win situation.
My roommate also had to leave due to the illness of a family member. Her husband had been hospitalized. At first she was going to try to stay, but when it was clear that he would be in the hospital for quite some time, she decided to leave as well about a week after I did. What are the chances that both of us had to leave due to ill family members?
But I must say that for both of us, Disney was very understanding and said that family is important. The housing is not run by Disney, and they are not so magical. But I do still consider the housing a big perk for the program. It is clean, safe, well lit, well maintained and landscaped in a very pleasing manner. Although the job I had before the DCP paid about triple what I was making per hour at DCP, I think the many perks make the overall compensation pretty high value.
Unfortunately, both my roommate and I left before our friends and family could use the park passes, neither of us had to pay penalties for vacating the apartment early, no deposits on utilities or anything else. Thank you Disney!
All this being said, I do believe that not having a car could be a doable thing, but it would be quite helpful to have someone with a car there set up house for the first shopping trip for the household. My roommate was from the West Coast and said she thought the CP busses would be 'good public transportation' and even though she had not brought a car, she had someone drive her car cross country because she found the DCP busses to be unreliable. Myself and a few of my younger CP friends agreed that it was necessary to give yourself a three hour window to get to your work location and give time for the bus service to catch up on their routes. Watch out for shift changes in the mid-afternoon this is where there are many problems. This 3 hr window did include though time for us to get to costuming and get all the way to our gate after we got to the work location.
So these are my musing on having a car to drive for the DCP. ]]> Kelly66 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/kelly66/987-driving-disneys-college-program.html 3 weeks and 2 days http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/crazybuslady/985-3-weeks-2-days.html Thu, 14 Jun 2012 15:11:51 GMT I found some amazing iphone apps for our trip.

Disney Parks from Verizon - A must have. Has park hours, EMHs, Characters, Today's Events

Undercover Tourist - Menus, Wait times, Games

WDWMAGIC.com - Latest news, Calendar, Refurbs, Transportation

Walt Disney Work in Park - Daily updated information about the parks, wait times, GPS

WDW What 2 Ride - A fun app. Pick a Park and spin to decided what ride to start with or go on next. Great fun for Disney pros like my family. :smirk:

WDW Pics - Some awesome pictures from around the World. Great for backgrounds on your iphone.

Mouse Memo - Great place to store your trip information. Dining ADRs, Entertainment, Flight Information, Ground Transportation, Hotels, Restaurant search w/menus

Southwest - Got to have my Ding. :rolleyes: It has saved me lots of money. Tickets started at $130, I then got them for $94 savings of $36 each way. Now at $146, savings of $52. Can change flight reservations for no fee. Account credit for differance in flight prices. I will check up until I leave.

Hope these are helpful to someone else. ]]> Crazybuslady http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/crazybuslady/985-3-weeks-2-days.html 24 Days http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/crazybuslady/984-24-days.html Wed, 13 Jun 2012 22:37:36 GMT Yes. :woot: Magical Express information has arrived. I am starting to think the trip is really about to happen. I want to get on that plane now. ... Yes. :woot: Magical Express information has arrived. I am starting to think the trip is really about to happen. I want to get on that plane now. We have completed the ride and restaurant spreadsheets and everyones votes count. Time for me to tally everything and make the final list. It is just a shame that Test Track and Cape May will be closed while we are vacationing. ]]> Crazybuslady http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/crazybuslady/984-24-days.html Just a little more than a month to go.... http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/crazybuslady/983-just-little-more-than-month-go.html Sun, 03 Jun 2012 21:12:33 GMT 34 days and counting... Will July 8th ever get here? I have made all my list, checked everything twice, okay 10 times. (OCD) Started getting the... 34 days and counting... Will July 8th ever get here? I have made all my list, checked everything twice, okay 10 times. (OCD) Started getting the things I don't need at home together. I want to pack now and get there. We have are ADR's all set, Iphone apps at the ready. Packing list is attached to the suitcase. Mail delivery is stopped. Suprises for the family in bag ready to pack. I told myself, that I couldn't start packing, packing until school was out. That is this Friday... yahoooooooo:p ]]> Crazybuslady http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/crazybuslady/983-just-little-more-than-month-go.html Character Dining is a Negative http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/jelly77/982-character-dining-negative.html Sat, 28 Apr 2012 10:57:39 GMT Yowdy howdy to my regulars :crazy: actually I'm not sure I've blogged frequently enough to build any but 'shooot' that's okay (yes, our Friday night pizza and film was Cars 2 :) - I love Mater, who doesn't

Anyhow, every year that we've visited WDW with the kids, we've booked a character breakfast. On the first visit we were supposed to fly when the Hurricane hit, so went two days late and spent just over a week with empty parks, which for our first visit was greeeeat. We hadn't booked in advance for the character dining and strolled into the Norway breakfast with the princesses :)

On other visits we booked 180 days in advance. So far we've been to Cinderellas Royal Table, Crystal Palace, Hollywood & Vine, Akershus Royal Banquit Hall, And Tusker House Resturant. Of the main parks that just leaves the Garden Grill Resturant which I'd love to try, although looking at the menus, there isn't much of a selection.

We've discussed our dining plans for this years visit and we decided that as we can't guarantee how DS will cope in the echoing restaurants, waiting for the characters to get to the table (although, sure he'd be fine now he's a little older) and getting up on time, it will be best not to book a breakfast this year. I have mixed feelings about this decision, I really love character dining and might change my mind but for now, character dining is negative.

What about you, do you like character dining? Do you have child's with
Special Needs, how do they/you cope? ]]> Jelly77 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/jelly77/982-character-dining-negative.html Fading Memories http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/jelly77/981-fading-memories.html Thu, 26 Apr 2012 22:34:55 GMT Some people travel abroad to a different country a few times a year, others once a year, but a lot don’t even own a passport. I remember being told... Some people travel abroad to a different country a few times a year, others once a year, but a lot don’t even own a passport. I remember being told or reading somewhere that this is true of the majority of the American population. If you think about it, America is a huge country with so much history and culture extending across lots of states; why bother leaving and going anywhere else when you have so much on your doorstep? but I digress!

When I was younger, up until the age of about 5 or 6, my holiday adventures didn’t even extend past caravan parks in Cornwall, Cambersands or anywhere similar. Sometimes I didn’t even holiday at all, my Mum would go off with her man to Spain, along with my grandparents while we stayed with our Dad for a few weeks, who lived with my grandfather (or pops as I liked to call him) ever since our parents divorced when I was a baby!

I was lucky, my father had been to Walt Disney World and loved it enough to want to take us. He used our child savings that were given to us as a gift at an early age (he wasn’t going to use all his own money, but I don’t know what his financial circumstances were like then and I’d rather have gone to Florida so I won’t quibble) and paid for my Mum to go too. My sister had a fold out bed, my father a double and my mum and I shared the other double. It was an amazing time.

We only spent a week at Disney and a week in St Petes Beach or Miami. I remember we only visited the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Sea World and Kennedy Space Centre. My favourite rides at the time (or what I can remember) were Peter Pans Flight, The Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, Jungle Cruise, Carousel of Progress, 20,000 leagues under the sea (now being renovated into the new Fantasyland) and the PeopleMover (now called Tomorrowland Transit Authority). Tom Sawyer Island and the Swiss Family Treehouse also stand out in my memory – all from within the Magic Kingdom plus the enormous park map (must have been approximately 2 by 1.5 metres) that we asked Cinderella to autograph for us (I still have it).

Epcot: I remember the big golf ball globe ‘Spaceship Earth’, the Monorail, Universe of Energy (now Ellen’s Energy Adventure) and Journey into Imagination with the original Figment and the Dreamfinder. I loved Figment and still have my photo where I stand beside them both One other thing that stands out in my memory are the Phineas Fog balloons from the Land Pavillion food court,although I thought they were in a different food place, but that’s the last place I’ve seen them!?!

Seaworld and Kennedy didn’t leave as much of an impression as Disney; I remember Shamu and my sister being chosen to kiss and be given a rose by a sea-lion :) obviously I remember the big splashes but also walking through a weird flower garden with streams and a bridge. At Kennedy, I only remember the space rockets in the garden.

I loved every minute of my two weeks in Florida in the early 1980s; it was only the beginning of my Disney adventures. ]]> Jelly77 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/jelly77/981-fading-memories.html Done planning...now we have to wait! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/bernadettej/980-done-planning-now-we-have-wait.html Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:57:45 GMT I hate this part. Planning is over.....ADR booked. Nothing to do but sit back and wait until September. I can't stand it! ]]> BernadetteJ http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/bernadettej/980-done-planning-now-we-have-wait.html This is getting ridiculous (NOT)! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/bernadettej/979-getting-ridiculous-not.html Tue, 03 Apr 2012 06:19:31 GMT My extended family things we're crazy because we are planning another trip down to WDW. They don't see why we'd want to go back so often and so soon after the last trip.
I just look at them kinda funny and think of all the fun my husband and I had in January at the Contemporary....and how much fun our family of 5 had on the previous trip in October 2011.....when we stayed at a 5-star All Star Vacation Home house.
Or the feeling I get when I see Mickey for the first time.
Or how my room is magically cleaned and straightened when we return from a day in the parks.
Or how the CM's at WDW are always smiling and happy.
Then I think of spending the weekend with my extended family and rush to book yet another trip in Orlando....lol!:D ]]> BernadetteJ http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/bernadettej/979-getting-ridiculous-not.html Big Decisions http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/jelly77/978-big-decisions.html Sun, 01 Apr 2012 13:20:27 GMT As you already know from my last post, we booked last September, following no holiday that year, to go to WDW - even though we knew it would be paid... As you already know from my last post, we booked last September, following no holiday that year, to go to WDW - even though we knew it would be paid for mostly by credit card than savings.

We booked that holiday, not on a whim but through a lot of thought and knowing that it would be hard to accommodate our DS with his sensory needs anywhere else. At the same time, I was struggling to cope with my job, studies, all the paperwork and fighting that was needed for our sons education, filling in forms for the Occupational Therapist etc. that eventually my husband agreed that I should give up work after 16 years.

Leaving work wasn't an easy decision, but it was a much needed one and on the day I had decided to resign, I was lucky to be ill, so while I was off, the company announced redundancies.
I waited once I was back in work and about one to two weeks later, I was informed by a colleague (while out of the office) that they would accept voluntary redundancies.
I was lucky, I jumped at this chance and within seconds of being informed this, I emailed HR and asked to be considered. The Director of my department had a quiet word with me to make sure I was making the right decision, especially after 16 years of service, but they were also aware of the issues at home and the increase in stress at work through company changes.

On the 18th November, I left my employment with a little cry and and a small leaving presentation where even the Managing Director came down to give a small speech :applause: I was happy and sad: happy to be leaving behind a world I started to hate but sad for the 16 years I was leaving behind and the unknown that lay ahead.

I've managed to adapt well; it took about 3 weeks to switch off and stop myself from checking work emails (they had left my login open, so I had to eventually request they switch it off! :umm:), I tidied a couple of rooms in the house (living/dining room, bathroom) in the first two weeks but then switched off and spent a while writing blogs and not doing very much at all. Obviously we had Christmas, so I had my first full end of term holiday with the children :) when previously I'd had to book time. In the New Year 2012, I received my CRB check back which gave me the pass to volunteer at our local village Infant School; this is where I now go 3-4 afternoons a week to help with observations and reading etc.

Obviously, having given up work, the biggest question was "Can we afford to go on holiday or should we cancel and lose the £700 deposit?" :question:

We came very close to cancelling, but we are desperate for a holiday (which we have never had on our own in over 11 years :no - we have always gone away with my in-laws in the UK or taken my brother-in-law when abroad!) After the last couple of years that we've been through, we REALLY need to relax in the sun and WDW is the best place for our children. :thewave: (and me ;))
Last week we decided to go for it and if that means putting ourselves in debt with the credit card, so be it. We'll just have to work hard at cutting costs and paying it off as quickly as possible. :luck: We've now booked our holiday insurance and the airport hotel for the night before we depart. ]]> Jelly77 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/jelly77/978-big-decisions.html Do Over http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/kelly66/976-do-over.html Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:41:29 GMT If I could do it over again, I would not try to take a course (Extended learning from my own college) outside of the ones offered by Disney. There... If I could do it over again, I would not try to take a course (Extended learning from my own college) outside of the ones offered by Disney. There are way too many learning experiences and productive ways to spend your time while on the CP. I noticed many students had done the program more than once. This would give one an advantage. To me the first few days were an overwhelming (but way fun) whirlwind of excitement. Knowing what to expect would only add to the magic!:pixie:
A Word about Abbreviations - I have noticed that DCP seems to mean Disney Consumer Products, so here I try to put CP for College Program. ]]> Kelly66 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/kelly66/976-do-over.html Greater Orlando Books http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/kelly66/975-greater-orlando-books.html Sun, 15 Jan 2012 12:14:39 GMT I purchased three other books to help me out with semi-relocating to Orlando. _Fodor’s Orlando’s 25 Best_ had a pullout map, a fold out map of the... I purchased three other books to help me out with semi-relocating to Orlando. Fodor’s Orlando’s 25 Best had a pullout map, a fold out map of the theme park areas inside the front cover and a map of the iRide Trolley on the inside flap. I can’t really say the pullout map was laminated, but let’s say it is ‘glossy’ –no ripping or tearing here. The book itself is very sturdy and relatively small – all pages are glossy. It had lots of good information and pretty pictures. I think this is even where I found out about the mystery dinner show we loved so much. Moon Handbooks Walt Disney World & Orlando Incl. Daytona Beach & the Space Coast has great maps of different areas. I marked Kissimmee and Vicinity, but there are many, many other useful maps. I don’t seem to have any information marked or underlined, but it does have descriptions of attractions. Insight Guides’ Orlando Step by Step has a map on the inside cover, map of Orlando and Kissimme - St Cloud, a map of Central Florida inside the back cover, and a pouch inside the back flap for the pull out map. Let’s call this map semi-glossy, but this is the one I used the most because I found it easy to read. I think it was the colors. There is a light yellow background with theme parks, resorts, and golf courses highlighted in other colors. I found it very easy to find things. This book had classic, colored pictures on glossy pages. I didn’t mark anything in it, but judging by where it falls open I must have read the sections about EPCOT and International Drive. The book is taller than Orlando’s Best, but just as thin and nice to carry. ]]> Kelly66 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/kelly66/975-greater-orlando-books.html Pre-Trip Planning http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/kelly66/974-pre-trip-planning.html Sat, 14 Jan 2012 17:19:59 GMT I had received my 2010 Passporter-by the time my daughter went back to college (University of Syracuse). I had anticipated being able to work on a... I had received my 2010 Passporter-by the time my daughter went back to college (University of Syracuse). I had anticipated being able to work on a great deal of my Distance Learning Accounting class, but the book had not arrived even after the due date of the first assignment ☹. This was not the first problem I had with the University bookstore. Happily, the bookstore is now under new management and all is well again. I ended up dropping the Accounting class. I may have been able to do it if the book had come on time and I had started out ahead of the game instead of behind, but there were so many things to do that it would have been a time struggle. ]]> Kelly66 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/kelly66/974-pre-trip-planning.html Departure http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/kelly66/973-departure.html Sat, 14 Jan 2012 14:58:44 GMT - My Journey (departure date Sunday, February 7, 2010 –Jet Blue from San Juan, PR 6:00 AM.) - My Lodging (All Star Music), Disney College Program... - My Journey (departure date Sunday, February 7, 2010 –Jet Blue from San Juan, PR 6:00 AM.)
- My Lodging (All Star Music), Disney College Program Housing - Chattam CP Housing Complex, 3rd Floor. ]]> Kelly66 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/kelly66/973-departure.html Background on me http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/kelly66/971-background-me.html Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:37:55 GMT Prior trips to WDW-CBR ‘96 before Christmas w/ then 4 yo DD, YC (rate from a post card) August 2000 with the most wonderful Mother-in-law in the world, AKL June 2002 savannah view
POLY 2007 Dream Vacation, Oct 2009 ‘Working Vacation’ for my Audition for a (‘good friend’ of a) character role for the Disney CP (I was not selected for the Character Role, but I LOVED the audition experience) -Pop Century ]]> Kelly66 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/kelly66/971-background-me.html too -late http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/kelly66/970-too-late.html Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:35:15 GMT My daughter is finally getting better. As I write my 'trip report' I will post it here on my blog.

A Mom on the College Program? Spring 2010

- The Party (Myself 43 empty nester on the Disney College Program)
The role I received is ‘Main Gate Operations’. ]]> Kelly66 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/kelly66/970-too-late.html TWO trips in less than FOUR months!?? OH YEAH! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/bernadettej/968-two-trips-less-than-four-months-oh-yeah.html Fri, 07 Oct 2011 23:04:30 GMT My DH just told me to go ahead and book the Contemporary for a long weekend in January to celebrate our 21st Anniversary (which is actually THIS... My DH just told me to go ahead and book the Contemporary for a long weekend in January to celebrate our 21st Anniversary (which is actually THIS month). What a darling man!!!!! :D So now we are going down as a family on October 29th for 9 days....and now just the two of us will be going in January for a romantic getaway! WHOOT! ]]> BernadetteJ http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/bernadettej/968-two-trips-less-than-four-months-oh-yeah.html <![CDATA[Ha! It's just been two years (almost!)]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/bernadettej/967-ha-its-just-been-two-years-almost.html Fri, 07 Oct 2011 21:40:24 GMT :o Well....I haven't blogged....at all. Except once. Well...that is about to change. I have decided I like my PassPorter Pals way better than FB or Google+ so I will be on here more often!

We are counting down to our WDW trip starting October 29th....and this household is EXCITED!

We were down last October, but in the beginning of the month....this year we will be doing the Not So Scary Halloween Party ON HALLOWEEN!!!!! :eek: Methinks the crowds are going to be rough....but I hope not!

I am also looking forward to another round at the Food & Wine Festival....Australia here I come (loved thier wine, lamb chops and Baramundi fish!) ]]> BernadetteJ http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/bernadettej/967-ha-its-just-been-two-years-almost.html Fairly new to Special Needs... http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/jelly77/964-fairly-new-special-needs.html Mon, 12 Sep 2011 19:00:59 GMT :news: Welcome back me :woot: What can I say other than its been a looooong time :o I can tell you a little of the last years and a halfs... :news: Welcome back me :woot:

What can I say other than its been a looooong time :o

I can tell you a little of the last years and a halfs events, namely going through the various tests, observations etc incl Psychology report, for our son who was finally diagnosed with High Functioning Autism, suspected Attention Deficit and Sensory issues the week before Christmas 2010.

A couple of weeks back we managed to get the final agreement that he also has ADHD although mainly attention deficit but they rather note it as ADHD than ADD. He was also given the ADOS and a full Speech & Language test.

We are also currently waiting on a Cardiac review appointment just to be safe and rule out any heart conditions following a few callapses with his sensory issues that are, the paed said, a little extreme from what shes dealt with before but should be fine.

So, the sensory issues are mainly auditory, with the hate of various loud noises or certain sounds - such as the school hall during concerts, lunch etc. and fairly bad temperature problems - lack of ability to fully regulate how he reacts/responds to temperature change. Then he has the touching and constant tiredness, so wants carrying, the lack of ability to fully know when he needs to wee etc.

Now, just before the school broke up for holidays (they went back on Tuesday just gone!), we decided to apply and push for the Education Statement - still pending but following various issues was eventually approved for assesment so fingers crossed, but a battle still ahead on that for maximum hours.

You can see.. life has been a little hectic, stressful, none stop, rollercoaster of a yr or two and following no holiday this year, have decided to go all out, berty blow out and whack up the debt with a fun loving WDW holiday

You just can't beat it :D ]]> Jelly77 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/jelly77/964-fairly-new-special-needs.html Spreading the Magic!! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sarah_minnie/962-spreading-magic.html Tue, 23 Aug 2011 00:28:11 GMT Excited to arrive in Florida, we wanted to get back to the resort and chill for the most deserved relax ever, in preparation for the Epcot,... Excited to arrive in Florida, we wanted to get back to the resort and chill for the most deserved relax ever, in preparation for the Epcot, illuminations cruise. After picking up our suit-cases, we discovered the Disney Magical express, stepping outside of the much loved air- con, the heat hit us like a hard smack in the face. (but a pleasant one :D) Me, Mum, Dad, and John and Jacob my brothers, were jumping off the walls with excitement, and wished we were already there on the fireworks cruise!! X

Much love and more to come,

Sarah x ]]> Sarah_Minnie http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sarah_minnie/962-spreading-magic.html This is Me http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/emc0n0/944-me.html Sat, 13 Nov 2010 17:05:56 GMT Everyone has problems. Everyone has issues that they have to deal with. No one is exempt. Often it’s just the way we deal with things that really... Everyone has problems. Everyone has issues that they have to deal with. No one is exempt. Often it’s just the way we deal with things that really makes the difference. Some people treat all issues with the same level of reaction. My sister will lose a pair of pants and will react as if the world was ending. Quite dramatic. People say I’m always very positive. I don’t always feel that way but I guess I do tend not to dwell. I guess I figure if I can’t do anything about it, why dwell? Hakuna Matata? Sometimes, something may occur that will rock my existence and Hakuna Matata is no more. Those situations are usually not financially related. I can deal with money problems easier than matters of the heart. Heartbreak is the hardest to deal with. When I say heartbreak many of you will think I am referring of relationships and that is only partly true. I realize that the older I get the harder it is to deal with relationship heartbreak. Maybe it’s the fact that I am getting older and always thought I would be married by now. I guess the state of being unmarried feels more permanent as every day goes by. But the hardest thing to deal with is the heartbreak of dreams not coming true. When I was young I had so many dreams. It was hard to choose just one. But being a single mother of three has made me had to let go of many dreams. That is the heartbreak that hurts the most. That is the one that rocks my very my core. Not because the dreams were impossible to realize but because it would compromise my children and raising well adjusted children is my most important dream. The one thing I cannot compromise. Unfortunately, many of my other dreams have fallen to the wayside. The heartbreak of broken dreams is the ones that can lead me to a depression. But I guess what makes me resilient or what makes me bounce back is that I am a dreamer. God has instilled the gift of dreaming. I never feel too old to daydream on occasion. I am 35 years old and still daydream of adventures and romance. When something very serious happens or I feel overloaded with stress that I can no longer dream I go to my movie collection and pick up just about any Disney movie and I begin to dream again I can go into a fairytale like Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, or Snow White and dream of love and romance. I can pick up Incredibles and dream of saving the world. Then all of sudden things don’t feel so bad. The losses of dreams no longer feel so permanent. Anything is possible and it’s never too late. One thing I know is that as long as I know how to dream, my heart will never ever stay broken. ]]> emc0n0 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/emc0n0/944-me.html FloridaMeUp Scored http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/jelly77/910-floridameup-scored.html Thu, 13 May 2010 21:29:00 GMT :hi: Good evening, morning, afternoon... where ever you are :D Its been a little hectic at the moment, sorting our careers, training, meetings,... :hi:
Good evening, morning, afternoon... where ever you are :D

Its been a little hectic at the moment, sorting our careers, training, meetings, events, I saw Dame Julie Andrews in London :jawdrop: which was spectacular :applause: and I've even started swimming. I WILL be fit in time for my holiday ;)

We're still waiting on the July/Aug shuttle launch tickets to go on sale but I have finished paying off the main part of the holiday and only have left spending money and excursion ticket to finalise! Yay for me :smirk:

I'd love to upload all my previous Disney pics :flash:for all to see but for the time being there are sooooooooo many it makes my brain hurt! :eek: I am also waiting for my sister to finish with my mums old photos so I can dig out some more 'Golden Oldies'.

In the mean time, I thought I'd share with you the next stage of our planning process. I've attached it for your perusal :popcorn:but this is 2008s version. We are still to update it for this year including adding the Sea Worlds new waterpark. :cool:

Take your time :read: and enjoy

:bye: for now with a little extra pixie dust :pixie:
Attached Files
File Type: pdf FloridMeUp Scored.pdf (337.5 KB, 80 views)
]]> Jelly77 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/jelly77/910-floridameup-scored.html DAY 0! Finding people, staying focused, and momentum. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/909-day-0-finding-people-staying-focused-momentum.html Wed, 12 May 2010 17:39:27 GMT Image: http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/attachments/driveway-testing-grounds/41398d1273683329-sandys-wondorlando-wondorlando-182.jpg This...

This kind of thinking is so typical of Walt Disney and is most likely one of the keys to his success.

I just moved the blog every day goal to the place where finished goals are posted. at_this_link.

FINISHED! WOW! (Finally!)

This blog project was different from usual writing or journaling projects because I was trying to involve other people AND there was a daily committment, no matter what!

The fact that anyone participated was the credit of the PassPorter site, which attracts so many people. We gather in various places online and in real-time. The photo below is a small, but sincere group of PassPorters who met in The Magic Kingdom just a few weeks ago.



You should have seen how we managed to find each other from locations all over the parks before the lights went off for the fireworks! We tracked locations on cell phones until we managed to end up in The Rose Garden. Recognizing each other from photos in signatures or book bios, a stranger rushing past became an online "friend" to be called over. There was also the "I'm in a white T-shirt with an orange shirt over that and I'm waving my arms." method of locating someone. It was all very interesting.

How do you find people, anyway?

There are so many ways to attract a group and motivate people to come together.

Finding people who want to participate in a long term blog was just as interesting, especially when the blog was SO hard to find. (Sorry, I was not able to fix the remoteness of The Blog Zone Link during this project.)

So, the first big challenge was finding people in this strange place we call cyber-space. This was important because mu goal for this blog was interactive writing.

The next big challenge was keeping myself and the group of people focused over a LONG period of time on a topic that set out to be optimistic and inspiring. I suppose that, when you aren't paying attention, it is easy to miss those "BLAH" days. When I sat myself down to write in the midst of blah, tired, or cranky, I gained some insights into the less sparkly me.

In hindsight, perhaps readers would have felt more comfortable posting their "blah day" feelings here in comments instead of private messages if I'd been more honest with my own "blah"ness. Who knows?

I also learned that moving forward, even if self-doubts, exhaustion, or a headache drags at my feet is key to finishing what I've started with the same quality that I envisioned at the start. This is the focus and momentum that, I believe, I've strengthened during this project.

Well, this was, in a way, writing, but it is not the books that I dream of one day having on book shelves.

What has interfered with writing those books?

1: The concern that I won't find the people who are interested enough to read it.
2: The ability to stay focused on what, essentially must be a long-term project with the possibility of very little reward other than the fact that I've finished/
3: Keeping up the momentum when the first two issues are on my mind.

If this blog is any indication, I think I should find about 10 people to read my book :p, but I also know that I will be happy if those 10 people got something out of it. (I know, people, I'm not planning on quitting my day job!)

So, this will be my next project...to finish a book the RIGHT way.

Oh, yes, and to exercise more, and to finish my trip report and to decorate the rest of my house and to get my gardens looking nice and to finish a few articles and maybe start a doctoral degree and........

sigh........

here we go again!

Thanks for spending this past year with me! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/909-day-0-finding-people-staying-focused-momentum.html One Day to GOal: What Walt did http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/908-one-day-goal-what-walt-did.html Tue, 11 May 2010 19:10:38 GMT Image: http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/attachments/driveway-testing-grounds/41381d1273604699-sandys-wondorlando-wondorlando-031.jpg I...

I find myself humbled by what Walt accomplished.

I've learned from this blog that it isn't always easy to accomplish something, especially if you are trying to get others to join in.

As I finish this project, I wish I could ask Walt just how he managed to set his goals into motion with such momentum.

It would be amazing to have that sort of a gift.

And that is my blog entry for today. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/908-one-day-goal-what-walt-did.html 2 days to GOal: Just one person http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/907-2-days-goal-just-one-person.html Mon, 10 May 2010 11:35:31 GMT Image: http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/attachments/driveway-testing-grounds/41304d1273490962-sandys-wondorlando-wondorlando-251.jpg This...

This quote appears somewhere in the Disney parks. Do you know where?

I picked this quote for today because it shows how an attraction in a Disney Park motivated someone in some way to try and make a change.

I'm not sure what kind of a difference only one person could make in some situations, but it is possible that the difference could be significant to one other person in some way.

As I reflect on the projects, goals, and dreams that were shared during this blog, I see a very diverse group of people. We had an_adoption, a_website_to_share_travel_information, an_art_portfolio, and a whole list of other worthy projects. We redecorated our rooms with the parts of the project at these links. We have Moms who want to do the best for children, debt that is being paid down, and a whole list of other projects.

Tomorrow I will be able to move my goal for blogging every day for a school year to the "finished" list. WOW! I have to say that there were some days when I thought that would never happen!

This blog will continue to stay open, and I will continue to add member goals or move them to the finished list if members ask me to.

Yesterday's blog entry dealt with branching out and inspiring others, but today I'd like to reflect on those personal goals that still burn inside us because we will never really finish them.


There is one goal that I don't know just when I can say I've met. I want to be a writer of books or articles that inspire, teach, or motivate, but I don't know when I will have accomplished that. I suppose that will be an ongoing goal.

Did helping with the PassPorter guides accomplish that goal, if something I wrote helped a person to enjoy a vacation? Or, maybe, if I answered a question in the Special Needs Forum that helped someone, will that qualify as having met my goal? Or, maybe, if one person go something out of this blog, does that count?

We discussed creating measurable goals a while back, which is helpful when trying to mark progress.

OOPS! Ran out of time...to be finished later.......... ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/907-2-days-goal-just-one-person.html <![CDATA[3 days to GOal: Did you catch Walt's Wave?]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/906-3-days-goal-did-you-catch-walts-wave.html Sun, 09 May 2010 12:04:52 GMT Image: http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/attachments/driveway-testing-grounds/41287d1273403649-sandys-wondorlando-wondorlando-422.jpg As I...

As I reflect on my school-year of blogging, I have to ask myself why I'd dedicate this whole project to Walt Disney?

In fact, over the years, I've dedicated quite a bit of time to learning about Walt Disney, his projects, and the people and projects that have been riding Walt's Wave long after he was gone.

There are plenty of other worthy scholars, philosophers, humanitarians, or people of greatness to consider.

One obvious reason for choosing Walt as a theme for this blog would be that PassPorter is pretty much a place where people have some interest in Walt Disney.

My real reason, though, is because Walt Disney followed his heart, which is not always an easy thing to do, and I wanted to learn more about how that can be done!

There is a balance between those rules we HAVE to follow, and those personal preferences that we CHOOSE to pursue. Finding that balance, I think, can mean all the difference.

Let's consider jobs, since that seems to be what Walt is referring to in the quote. Some people get upset if they hear that having fun or doing what you want to do on the job is important. Some people stay in a job they hate with people they hate, doing what they hate to do. Some people leave job after job because they are TOO focused on what they want to do and can't accept that you can't be happy ALL the time.

Healthy balance looks different to different people. Some people make the best of their situation and appreciate a job that may not seem great to others. Some people take the risks to let adequate jobs go on the way to finding the right fit. Some people work hard to create a stream of income that allows for free time to pursue their interests. And some people are innovators, creating roles and work settings to suit what he wants to do. I think Walt made all of those choices at one time or another to get where he wanted to go.

So, why did I choose Walt Disney as the theme for a blog about pursuing dreams and goals? Probably because he has been an inspiration to me while I do just that.

Walt was a hard worker, he managed with no financial help at all, he bounced back when disaster struck, he knew how to make things happen, and he was just a normal person with no special entitlements or background.

Walt also put his energy into making people laugh, have fun, wonder, smile, and feel good. He really did create a wave that has gathered momentum and moves countless people each an every day in homes, theme parks, theatres, cruise ships...you name it!

In my mind, this blog was a job, even though I didn't get paid for it. Keeping Walt in mind helped me, especially when I didn't feel like blogging! I just reminded myself that this was what I wanted to do, even if I didn't remember that in the moment. Even if it seemed like it was a stupid thing to do.

After all, I really do think that is what Walt would have done if he believed in the project, even if he was the only one who believed.

Were you at all inspired by Walt Disney? How? Did some of that inspiration come from this blog? If not, where did your Walt inspiration come from? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/906-3-days-goal-did-you-catch-walts-wave.html 4 days to GOal: Branching out with goals and dreams. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/905-4-days-goal-branching-out-goals-dreams.html Sat, 08 May 2010 15:34:36 GMT Image: http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/attachments/driveway-testing-grounds/41249d1273330752-sandys-wondorlando-wondorlando-421.jpg ...

Housekeeping reminder: PLEASE put your ending comments here on the blog unless they are of a personal nature. I LOVE private messages, but they can't be shared with others!

These blogs will remain here and there is opportunity to read some of the older blogs and continue with comments. PLEASE comment here, not in a private message to me, though. My email tells me when there is a new comment on the blog, so I won't miss what you have to say!

Now...on with the blog!

There have been mentions of not having goals finished, not knowing where to work on goals when this is done, or not having enough time to finish before the blog ends.

While we've tried to come up with goals that could be completed by the end of the blog time, some goals go on for years and years. Some morph into something completely different.

You can, as PamelaK did, start your own blog to keep the blog-zone going. You can revisit old blog entries and bring them back to life by adding a comment. You can continue with the momentum on your own OR (this is my favorite!) see if you can't branch out and inspire a few others to do something new and exciting.

There is plenty of space and plenty of time!


I love One Man's dream in Hollywood Studios where Walt says that his parks will never stop growing. He sounds tickled when he says that even the trees will continue to grow and make the parks more beautiful.
I'd like to think that, in some small way, our work here is like Walt's trees. And since a picture is worth a thousand words, here are just a few examples of Walt's trees.


















Can you find your own way to branch out and inspire others?

And that is my blog entry for today! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/905-4-days-goal-branching-out-goals-dreams.html 5 days to GOal: What have we accomplished? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/904-5-days-goal-what-have-we-accomplished.html Fri, 07 May 2010 22:02:13 GMT Image: http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/attachments/driveway-testing-grounds/41088d1273151120-sandys-wondorlando-muchness-trip-2-490.jpg ...

When I started this blog project, it was kind-of and experiment. I really just wanted to see what would happen if I tried to attach my thinking to Walt Disney's philosophies, creations, or ideals every day for a school year and motivate a few people to play along while going after goals, projects, or dreams.

I'm not sure that I gave it much thought after that... until I was into the project.

So what have we accomplished?

I see the list of projects in progress and the list of finished_goals , and the update_list, and I think....well, that's nice.

But I'm thinking the special touch that this project had was that we were not alone. We certainly were not an army, BUT, we were definitely not all alone.

With that in mind, I won't decide what we've accomplished by myself. I'll ask you what we've accomplished.

Soooooo, who can be creative? What, exactly HAVE we accomplished now that only FOUR DAYS remain? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/904-5-days-goal-what-have-we-accomplished.html 6 Days to GOal: Boldly go where no park has gone before! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/902-6-days-goal-boldly-go-where-no-park-has-gone-before.html Thu, 06 May 2010 13:56:22 GMT Image: http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/attachments/driveway-testing-grounds/41100d1273154016-sandys-wondorlando-muchness-trip-2-402.jpg I...

I am getting ready to leave my beautiful room and go back to Jersey.

The fact that this blog is ending with a trip to Disney is a coincidence. Somehow, though, it seems fitting that a year of considering how Walt Disney’s projects, dreams, and ideals might inspire daily projects would end this way.

I spent some time yesterday with some of the most inspirational cast members, working on a story about the way that WDW uses technology to make the parks and attractions accessible. (More about this later in my trip report. It is exciting stuff, and a dream come true for me to speak to these fascinating people!)


I remember when I was a kid, enjoying the forward-thinking technology notions on the attractions. I can remember when the Kiosks for making computer reservations in Epcot were a big deal! I can remember standing in line for an hour to use a computer program that let you paint various Disney icons. Walt Disney World is, if fact, just one big technological people project that goes on for a long, long time.

Yesterday, though, I got an education on some of the practical uses of technology to keep the World accessible, all in the name of fun, entertainment, and access for all.

I saw a young man who is hearing impaired use a device to see the words that the audio-anamatronic presidents were saying in a computer controlled show! I saw modified attraction cars designed to hold wheelchairs for an attraction that also offers closed caption or audio caption to tell the story of new innovations. It was like technology squared! The layers just magnify the deeper you look!

The possibilities are endless! Today, as I enjoy the rest of my trip, I think I’ll take a few moments to appreciate the people who create, maintain, and use the technology that goes into everything from timing the monorails to ordering the meal by computer at The Contempo Cafe.

And I will also take a few moments to appreciate YOU who used the technology to read this blog today. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/902-6-days-goal-boldly-go-where-no-park-has-gone-before.html 7 Days to GOal: A guest blog by Angie http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/900-7-days-goal-guest-blog-angie.html Wed, 05 May 2010 04:30:55 GMT (This entry is by a.daley, our own resident artist who has been completing a project with the blog. Thank you, Angie, for being willing to provide a... (This entry is by a.daley, our own resident artist who has been completing a project with the blog. Thank you, Angie, for being willing to provide a guest blog!)

I went on to passporters looking for a place that loves Disney as much as I do.
I found a whole lot more! I found people that went out of their way to greet me and compliment me on my artwork. People that befriended me just to say "HI!"

I was introduced to a blog by Sandy, both a friend and a stranger. Not sure if I had much to say, and had never been on a blog before, it took quite a while to open up and to find that in many ways, the topics related to my everyday life (struggles, confidence, career)
I found a place where I could put out a thought that instantly came to mind the moment I read the daily entry.

Something clicked and I realized that I needed this outlet more than I thought! Better still... I wasn't alone! So many other people came to the blog with something to say, to get out in the open, to recieve confirmation or advice.

It wasn't just about Disney, vacations, characters, status. It was how anyone can wake up with self importance, assurance, clarity... all because they put their "magical" thoughts, ideas and beliefs out into the blog and some stranger took the time to write back.

I started getting notes and compliments on my artwork, so each day I put another piece on the blog... and BAM! people took two minutes out of their day to tell me they loved it. So I put more up, and more wrote. I wasn't looking for praise or fans... I never expected to put my work up. But Sandy found a home for me and my work within her blog. Then as quick as Sandy mentioned a future topic, I created... Like we were on the same page, same wave length... and never even met.

The topic of the blog was to set goals and possibly reach or realize those goals. Mine was to be discoered by Disney, get swooped off into the Orlando sunset, and live magically ever after... I have never felt so close to that dream / goal. But each time I post a piece, I feel I am one step closer and I have even expanded my goal into other areas. I have never felt support from anywhere in my life then here on Sandy's Blog. I am not constantly reminded of my reality and the difficulty in what i am aiming for... I hear all about the "why not" and the "keep going" from friends/strangers.

Sandy, being like the wizard of oz, took this idea and carried it out for so long, selflessly, to help people gather their thoughts, plan ahead, focus on a goal... and in time carry it out... not by the time the blog ended, but everyone on the blog is closer to their goal / dream than when they started... I hope Sandy is too...

A.Daley ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/900-7-days-goal-guest-blog-angie.html <![CDATA[8 Days to GOal: Walt's Wisdom]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/899-8-days-goal-walts-wisdom.html Tue, 04 May 2010 14:43:22 GMT Image: http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/attachments/driveway-testing-grounds/40902d1272982821-sandys-wondorlando-muchness-trip-219.jpg I’m...

I’m in a rush to get to the parks, so I just blogged off the top of my head. I hope I am not too incoherent.



I love this Disney Quote!

Exploring and experimenting involves lots of trial and error mixed with the ability to shake off those events that went less than perfectly. This photo is from the display before One Man’s Dream, an attraction in Hollywood Studios that tells the story of Walt’s childhood challenges and the less-than-magical road to success.

I admire how Walt always returned to his optimism, especially during those early years.

When you are always experimenting, though, it is easy to misplace optimism. I have to say I felt a little bit like Alice when I first arrived. My muchness was shaken and I was wishing I’d had one of Alice’s magic cakes or drinks to make me more of some things and less of others. Here’s why:

I had a presentation that was not what I’d hoped. Presenting in a novel set-up, it is almost like being an oil painter who takes a shot at sculpting or a comedian taking a shot at drama. You have to experiment!

I’d never presented in an interactive technology poster group format, but I had my plan…a powerpoint with recorded voice running on a continuous loop at one end of the table while I demonstrated some of the online tools live. The visitors were to rotate around ten stations for a couple hours.

As always with technology and me, there was a problem. The sound was not working! Let’s fast forward.

I usually walk out of any presentation evaluating strengths, weaknesses, and what I’d do differently. I walked out of this one asking myself “what was the license plate number of the truck that dragged me and some innocent bystanders along for a couple hours?”

My presentation ended at 5:00, and we scheduled the limo to Disney for 5:30. The weird energy of regret, what-ifs, and disappointment had not even sunk-in, as Tara and I bolted from the conference center to our hotel.

Brandy, our new army OT friend (see here) was there waiting to join us. I was overjoyed to see her smiling face as she gushed about the helicopter ride she had just enjoyed. This is one lady who lives life with unrestrained energy and enthusiasm!

Our driver stood looking distinguished and polished to take us away to Disney World… we flew under the Magic Kingdom gates… we landed in our beautiful room at Disney’s Contemporary to take in a breathtaking view on the balcony. Then we were off to Epcot. I’d hardly solidified any negative reactions to the presentation because there were so many distractions!

Maybe that was part of Walt’s secret. Somehow he could turn his attention in the right direction. In fact, Mickey was the product of turning his attention away from the legal theft of Oswald and opening his mind to a new creation.

Life is full of moments when you feel you need to take a bite of a magic cake or take a sip of the magic drink to force yourself to be bigger or smaller. Today I am going to reflect on how, maybe, it isn’t ME that needs to be bigger or smaller, but the strategies, beliefs and approaches I have with my goals and dreams. A project that seems like a failure is only a failure until I turn it into a springboard into something better.

Today, as my trip is past mid-point and thoughts of going home are breaking through, I’ll just imagine that Mickey is sitting in The Matrix of WondORLANDO reminding me that there is, in fact, no spoon to bend when it comes to dreams and goals.

It is just my thinking!

And THAT is today’s blog entry! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/899-8-days-goal-walts-wisdom.html 9 days to goal:oniphpne from disney http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/898-9-days-goal-oniphpne-disney.html Mon, 03 May 2010 15:45:35 GMT I have still not paid the ten dollar intrnet fee, so i am working off an iPhone. Yesterday i got to meet great group of passporters, and I will meet... I have still not paid the ten dollar intrnet fee, so i am working off an iPhone. Yesterday i got to meet great group of passporters, and I will meet them again tonight.

Today's goal is to spend time reflecting on how this blog and passporter in general have added a dimension to my life. How about you? The bus to HS is bumpy, so I am signing off for now ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/898-9-days-goal-oniphpne-disney.html 10 days to goal:help http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/897-10-days-goal-help.html Sun, 02 May 2010 12:53:41 GMT My goal this morning is to find my hairbrush My goal this morning is to find my hairbrush ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/897-10-days-goal-help.html <![CDATA[11 days to GOal: I'll be in Disney by tonight and I learned about the wonder of wandering yesterday.]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/896-11-days-goal-ill-disney-tonight-i-learned-about-wonder-wandering-yesterday.html Sat, 01 May 2010 12:08:54 GMT I'm a little rushed, but didn't want to miss a day, and I have so much to share!

The Orange County Convention Center is HUGE! If a small country decided to have a group picnic and invite everyone, this would be the place.

I spent alot of time my first day wandering around lost. Yesterday, I decided to embrace that and let it work for me.

When I walked out the door, I told Tara that I was going to just allow my "lostness" to add to my "muchness". I told her that Every time I took a different turn, it would lead me to just the right time, place, and person.

WOW! Life is amazing!

We bumped into one of my Profs. from NYU in the hotel lobby. First we talked about how disappointing the appearance of the Rosen Plaza is (so you know it is NOT just me!) . Then we had to wait for another Prof. to come downstairs. I'd just been talking to Tara about her, and mentioning how I wish I could see her again some time.

We were headed to a Breakfast With A Scholar event to hear a speaker, Brian R. Little, PhD. Guess what his topic was?

Personal Project Pursuit: Human Doings and Well Beings.

How perfect, huh? His talk was a blog entry in itself for later, but he was delightful with a sweet, sincere delivery and just a twist of Monty Python.

Getting back to the journey now. Here is the short version:

-Told Tara that the wanderings would all be wonderful
-Bumped into former prof
-waiting for other prof
-walk to shuttle
-decide to take cab instead, walk
-walk to other hotel entrance
-take cab
-a little lost finding breakfast room in new hotel
-spend time being jealous because this hotel is MUCH nicer than ours
-walk into huge room full of people at tables
-choose a table at one end
-awful table! decide to move to other end of room
-sit down
-someone new comes and asks to join us
-she tells her name and what she does

POP, SPARKLE, FIREWORK FIZZ! I tell her "Well great, We have not met yet, but I've been looking for you for a few years now!"

Turns out she is an army OT working in mental health in, of all places, Honalulu Hawaii. You can tell immediately that she is bright, enthusiastic, energetic and...well...SPARKLY!

OK, let me backtrack to another sparkly person. Remember my book about Harold, the POW?

http://www.passporterboards.com/foru...gular-day.html

http://www.passporterboards.com/foru...ng-harold.html

http://www.passporterboards.com/foru...hort-ones.html

http://www.passporterboards.com/foru...-good-day.html

http://www.passporterboards.com/foru...4-namaste.html

Well, I'd been contacting the Veterans Administration to see if they would let me do some sort of blog project using Harold's story as writing prompts for soldiers with PTSD. Let me tell you, the VA is tougher to get through than Disney AND they are much less nice about it!

Well, Brandy the Army OT who works in mental health with soldiers with PTSD in Honolulu immediately sparked to the idea and started to expand on it with her own thoughts.

Deep in my heart, I knew I'd found a new soul sister and I believe that she is going to do whatever it takes to get this project going because she can see how helpful this story would be for her soldiers.

And so, with less than two weeks left of this blog, I can already see what is ahead.

And the best thing? Brandy will be driving over to Disney with us tonight, since we will probably not be together again in real time until I fly for a visit to the base in Honolulu. (Yeh, it is tough, but we do what we have to do!)


The world is an amazing place and I am so thankful for wrong turns and the delays that force you to wait for the right things. I'm so thankful for those little things that you think are distractions or problems, but end up just pushing you like water that flows toward the next place.

I'm thankful for friends like Tara who affirm that you set out that morning to find the perfect person that you need to meet and i am thankful for my blog buddies...the small but sincere group who have been such good company on this journey.

Namaste! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/896-11-days-goal-ill-disney-tonight-i-learned-about-wonder-wandering-yesterday.html <![CDATA[12 days to GOal: One day 'til Disney:One amazing day begins]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/894-12-days-goal-one-day-til-disney-one-amazing-day-begins.html Fri, 30 Apr 2010 10:58:46 GMT I'm running out the door, but today I am going to continue to focus on sparkling toward my goals!

Can you sparkle today? How? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/894-12-days-goal-one-day-til-disney-one-amazing-day-begins.html 13 Days to GOal: Can you give just a little extra for your goal today? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/892-13-days-goal-can-you-give-just-little-extra-your-goal-today.html Thu, 29 Apr 2010 12:29:27 GMT To the people who send goal related PMs or VMs, I will be scarce there for a week. I plan to monitor the blog and the TR, but will not have time for... To the people who send goal related PMs or VMs, I will be scarce there for a week. I plan to monitor the blog and the TR, but will not have time for alot of individual reading or responses with PMs. Of course, I will read PMs after the trip is done!

Don't forget my trip report Two_Alices_fall_down_a_rabbit_hole_and_land_on_the ir_feet_in_WondORLANDO! I'll be writing here as daily as I can.

I woke up today with a great feeling of excitement for this conference and the chance to learn. There is always something great when a group of OTs, PTs or speech therapists get together.

Today I will pursue my goals like a pioneer. I want to go into these sessions looking to better myself and my skills.

Can you take a look at the goals you set:
Click_Here_To_See_Projects_In_Progress

Click_Here_To_See_Finished_Goals_Or_Projects

Post_goal_updates_here.


Ask yourself if there are any ways you can somehow make your project even better today> Something you can find, an extra mile you could walk, and extra hour you can dedicate?

Time to run! That's my blog entry for today! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/892-13-days-goal-can-you-give-just-little-extra-your-goal-today.html 14 days to GOal: I should be on my last sleep before I fly to Florida http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/891-14-days-goal-i-should-my-last-sleep-before-i-fly-florida.html Wed, 28 Apr 2010 07:11:48 GMT I've spent the night trying to deal with technical difficulties downloading my handouts to the conference site, managing packing, and dealing with the various other issues.

Oh, yes, and I need to pack for 8 days away from home.

My goal, though, was to stay in the moment.

I think that just having that goal has helped me to focus, appreciate, and celebrate.

There was a moment when I took out my PassPorter and started placing all my confirmation printouts into the pockets. I looked at my 2009 packing list from my 2009 PassPorter and thought "OK, this is easy."

But here is my main point.

I can remember as far back as childhood...a trip to the place that Walt created has been my reward. I'm a hard worker, I'd like to think, and I've managed to finish a few projects along the way.

There is something about a trip to Disney, though, that feels like a target, And that target is good.

Tonight, while I've wrestled with technology and wondered why I can't just be satisfied with the status quo, my thoughts turn toward the man who made recreation and leisure a goal.

I wonder why I am so Disney obsessed? I think it is because every goal oriented person needs to have a laughing place.

I go to God when I need a reality check. I go to my accountant when I need a dollar check. Maybe I go to any one of my room-full-of-books for an information check.

But when I need to just plain relax and enjoy, I look to Walt's creations.

Everyone needs a laughing place. After I finish with my conference, I'll be visiting mine!

So for today, as I finish my last day of work and get ready to board the plane, I want to spend some time appreciating Walt Disney and HIS dreams and goals,

My goal for today is to appreciate.

And that is my blog entry for today. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/891-14-days-goal-i-should-my-last-sleep-before-i-fly-florida.html 15 days until the end of the blog:One Sleep until Orlando http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/890-15-days-until-end-blog-one-sleep-until-orlando.html Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:48:13 GMT See the small world california clock at the beginning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APmHR2bmQgw Something has become apparent to me. I am a... See the small world california clock at the beginning:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APmHR2bmQgw

Something has become apparent to me. I am a chronic clock watcher, yet my peace and focus come when I've found a sense of timelessness.

I'm also most productive when I am neither looking forward or behind...just being in the moment.

I find myself in a unique situation right now. My attention is split between those things I am finishing up (A school year, major projects, etc.) and those things that are coming up. (My presentation at the conference and my article about a special needs invention at Disney. Oh, and also packing and closing up shop at home forr 8 days)

I couldn't find a video of this, but in WDW Small World there is a clock with hands that run in all direction.

I don't think we can be in more than one place fully, so if I am in th past, present, and future at the same time, I'm not fully here.

Today's goal is to be in the present moment, even as I am pulled between those things I am finishing and those things I am about to start.

And that is my blog entry for today! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/890-15-days-until-end-blog-one-sleep-until-orlando.html <![CDATA[16 days to GOal: Two sleeps 'til Florida]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/889-16-days-goal-two-sleeps-til-florida.html Tue, 27 Apr 2010 01:40:24 GMT Do I need to say more?

That's my blog entry for today! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/889-16-days-goal-two-sleeps-til-florida.html 17 days to GOal: Who do you want? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/888-17-days-goal-who-do-you-want.html Sun, 25 Apr 2010 18:37:00 GMT You don't build it for yourself. You know what the people want and you build it for them.
Walt Disney

Theresa made an interesting comment on yesterday's blog entry. Here is what she said:

What came to mind was - if you build it - they will come...


Posted Today at 10:30 AM by orionchika

(Here I am again!)
I love that concept, the notion that if you build it, they will come. One of my favorite movie scenes is the row of cars coming to the field in the middle of nowhere in Field of Dreams.

Well, instead of building a field in the middle of nowhere, I built a blog out in virtual nowhere.

I'm not exactly sure why, either. I think I just had some time on my hands and I wanted to see what would happen and who would come. I'm still waiting...........OH, the mystery!:p

I really didn't know who would show up. I didn't really know what to write half the time. And, when I think of the Disney quote above, I have to tell you that I really don't know what "the people" want.

All I invested was a little time and typing! Walt Disney, on the other hand, had a great deal on the line when he put his confidence in what the people want.

I'm glad for people like Walt Disney who have that intuitive sense.

I can't believe that in only three sleeps (AKA three nights) I will be on a plane to Orlando. OK, the first half of the trip is a conference, but the second half of the trip will be in DISNEY WORLD!

Every time I visit, when the car pulls under the gates, I feel in my heart that I've somehow come home. OK, there are crowds, but there are crowds because lots of people are drawn there!

Drawn to a place that, not TOO long ago, was a swamp in the middle of what many people would have called nowhere...that is until something they wanted was built there!

And that is my blog entry for today!








Quote from The Imagineers, Walt Disney Imagineering: A Behind the Dreams Look at Making the Magic Real (New York:Hyperion, 1996) 171. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/888-17-days-goal-who-do-you-want.html 18 days to GOal: Thank you! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/887-18-days-goal-thank-you.html Sat, 24 Apr 2010 20:03:23 GMT All you've got to do is own up to your ignorance honestly, and you'll find people who are eager to fill your head with information.
Walt Disney

I like the idea of being honest about the things you don't know. It is the best way to get help from others who might know more!

I like to take that a bit further, though, and say that I like to admit when I can't do something by myself. One way or another, I always seem to find people who are eager to help out.

Today, as I reflect on this blog goal, I am filled with gratitude for all the people who, in so many ways, helped me to keep going.

I was looking back on the link to Click_Here_To_See_Finished_Goals_Or_Projects
and I really felt a sense of gratitude to the people who were a part of this journey, even if it was just a short time.

I am also so thankful to the people who posted comments. That was so helpful to me.

Because my goal was to work with a group of people, I had to own up to the fact that I needed some people.

And the strange thing about this particular project was that most of the participants were COMPLETE strangers to me before the blog. I mean, not even members who I'd gotten to know in other sections of the boards.

Certainly not many people , but just enough people.

I see how, whenever I need something, if I just keep at it, the right people show up! You just have to own up to it.

So, today I am spending my time in appreciation of all the people who, in real-time or online, have given of themselves to help me out in various ways. I wish we could have a virtual party when this is all done!



Quote from http://www.quotesby.net/Walt-Disney ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/887-18-days-goal-thank-you.html 19 Days to GOal: http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/886-19-days-goal.html Fri, 23 Apr 2010 21:57:07 GMT Alice SWEET TREATS


Picture Added 01-30-2010 by A.Daley

Soon her eye fell on a little glass box that was lying under the table: she opened it, and found in it a very small cake, on which the words `EAT ME' were beautifully marked in currants. `Well, I'll eat it,' said Alice, `and if it makes me grow larger, I can reach the key; and if it makes me grow smaller, I can creep under the door; so either way I'll get into the garden, and I don't care which happens!'


When Alice first landed in Wonderland, she had to spend some time trying to be something other than what she was to get where she wanted to go. (I say WHAT instead of WHO because WHO Alice was became an issue much later, or should I say "muchness: later!)

Anyway, bigger, smaller, braver, whatever... She knew she wanted to get through that door, and she was not about to be stopped.

I like that attitude.

Where is it that you would like to go? What adjustments could you make to help yourself get there?

I'll leave it at that because I want to hear what YOU think!

And that's my blog entry for today!

Quote from http://www.cs.indiana.edu/metastuff/wonder/ch1.html ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/886-19-days-goal.html 20 days to GOal: The door behind the curtain: Hidden places, potentials and possibilities http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/885-20-days-goal-door-behind-curtain-hidden-places-potentials-possibilities.html Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:53:29 GMT

Artwork by a.daley

There are hidden places, potentials, and possibilities that are simply not in sight.

It's a big risk to step from one place into another, but sometimes it is the next right thing to do for the situation.

You just can't know what you'll find behind a door that has never been opened.

Will you open the door a crack and take a peek?
Will you decide to stay where you are and never even look?
Will you listen at the door with a glass?
Will you open and stand there for a while?
Will you step right through and close it behind you?

What mysterious doors have appeared for you? Can you spend just one day contemplating what you will do in regards to your choices with those doors?

That is my focus for the day and THIS is my blog entry! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/885-20-days-goal-door-behind-curtain-hidden-places-potentials-possibilities.html 21 Days to GOal: Without Boundaries. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/884-21-days-goal-without-boundaries.html Wed, 21 Apr 2010 11:33:54 GMT I gave a talk on Monday night about occupational therapy. There were maybe 18 college students in the room and, out of that, two were former... I gave a talk on Monday night about occupational therapy.

There were maybe 18 college students in the room and, out of that, two were former students from the class I teach as an adjunct. On the way there, I ran into another former student.

During my talk, I felt as though I could not possibly share all the great things about this career. I wonder, though...is it the career choice or the fact that I've chosen to pursue it without boundaries?

To be continued.....gotta go get ready for work. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/884-21-days-goal-without-boundaries.html 22 Days to GOal!: YOU are the muses! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/882-22-days-goal-you-muses.html Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:21:36 GMT


Art by A.Daley

The movie Alice in Wonderland has served a rather interesting purpose for me. I think I mentioned that I only went because I had a free tickets and a couple of bored friends.

I walked out thinking "WOW!".

Then I did something I had not really done before...

I included Angie's Alice artwork in a long-term theme which, interestingly enough, had already been posted on PassPorter for her blog contest. Angie had created plenty of Alice paintings just waiting to be discovered!

Then, something even more interesting happened. I'd ask Angie for a piece on a certain theme and BOOM my cell phone would beep and there would be a painting!

While I've been using the Alice theme as a discussion prompt, Angie has been dedicated to the Alice theme LONG before I even bothered to notice.



This is Angie's Alice:


And this is the mural she painted for Alice's room:



Somehow, when I added Angie's artwork to my thoughts, I had new energy! I was inspired again.

And there have also been wonderful gestures by readers...PMs, VMs, emails, FaceBook messages, that have inspired me as well. Some of you gave me the gift of encouragement when I had trouble finding an inspirational spark to use on the blog. Some of you gave me great ideas that I could use.

I'm winding down here on the blog with just 22 days to go.

Here is what I would like to do.

For the blog days that I'll be in Florida, I'd like to feature blog reader's stories about the process or their stories.

I'm asking you to send them to me in an email, private message, or word document. I'll hold onto them and post them in the morning or evening before I go out.

Today, I am going to focus on all the amazing blessings that synchronicity brings to my life. The people, the places, the stories, the events and, yes, the artwork!

That's my blog entry for today!

Namaste! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/882-22-days-goal-you-muses.html 23 days to GOal: The key to small details http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/881-23-days-goal-key-small-details.html Mon, 19 Apr 2010 10:40:52 GMT
Art by A.Daley

In the story, Alice finds a bottle with the instructions "drink me". I doubt that Alice knew just what would happen if she drank, but drink, she did!

The liquid made her very small. Small enough to fit through the tiny mysterious door that she had found behind a curtain!

Unfortunately, though. she had left the key on the table which was now out of reach!

Sometimes a great plan can be rendered useless if a few "key" points are neglected.

In the next few weeks, I'm going to feel like the white rabbit, frantically looking at his watch because he is late for an important date.

To top it off, in nine days I'll need to be on a plane headed for WondORLANDO!

Today I am going to dedicate the day to careful thought as I plan.

And THAT is today's blog entry! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/881-23-days-goal-key-small-details.html 24 days to GOal: The White Queen and a dark shadow. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/880-24-days-goal-white-queen-dark-shadow.html Sun, 18 Apr 2010 10:01:09 GMT WHITE QUEEN 1
Art by A.Daley

(Scroll to the end for some great clips of The Queen from the movie.)

The White Queen was such a subtly funny character in this film!

Apparently, she had taken vows of kindness and put a great deal of effort into making all things pretty, peaceful, and sweet, including herself.

Anne Hathaway really did a masterful job of showing how The Queen's "other" side poked through. When visitors approach the castle, The Queen floats until she knows her court is gone, then she runs awkwardly to see who is there. While making a potion, she snorts and spits. In another scene, she awkwardly shoos a fly.

I couldn't figure out, while I was watching, if Hathaway's character was a phony or had just set the bar too high.

Either way, I think the scenario could relate to our topic of goals and dreams.

What if you've created an expectation that is too good to be true?


I'm thinking back to yesterday's_blog_entry about overcoming limiting beliefs and the list of the main barriers that people have told me get in the way of their goals.

Well, OK, it is great to say that you will get over yourself, but what if you are trying to be something that you are not?

I could declare a day for just going with the status quo, but I think I'll try something else today. (I don't know about you, but I still have a big list of things that need to be completed on deadline.)

Jung talks about a shadow side of a personality, that is, in simplest terms, the part of us that we'd rather keep down. This does not need to be dark or scary. It could be the shy or doubting part of yourself! ( Here_is_a_link to an easy-to-read article on the topic.)

So, getting back to goals,

Today is dedicated to being aware of how those shadow parts of my personality might interfere with who I am trying to be. Instead of trying to ignore or squash that, though, I'll see if I can integrate a bit more.

And that is my blog entry for today.



Here are some glimpses of The White Queen:

Here is potion making- the first clip has The Queen using fingers in her potion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uXzs...eature=related


The second clip shows her using other ingredients, but still "edgy".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R0R_...eature=related

Here is an Anne Hathaway interview. This one is funny in the section where she brushes away the fly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEpvCn_1Bws

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCMXA...eature=related ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/880-24-days-goal-white-queen-dark-shadow.html 25 days to GOal! Break out of the box day! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/879-25-days-goal-break-out-box-day.html Sat, 17 Apr 2010 13:18:19 GMT



Artwork by A.Daley

There are some thoughts and feelings that members choose to share in a private message or email instead of posting in the comments here. I think that, because this is a public forum, it is wise to edit personal details as much as possible for privacy and good common sense.

On the other hand, there are trends that I think can be general, and that really would benefit from group discussion and problem solving.

I went back over a collection of the messages, and I think I see a pattern.

I see a few share-able themes in the sharing that you don't want to share:

*being stuck in a rut
*not being able to make a decision
*saying you will do something, then not doing it
*feeling that you don't have enough (time, money, resources,faith, hope, energy, patience)
*general feeling not good enough
*being shy in groups-even virtual groups
*fear of being judged on writing skills

I wonder if members who are working on these very important issues might be able to post in GENERAL enough terms so they don't disclose all their private business, BUT others can share and problem solve as a group.

Also, I am certain that no one here is going to judge someone on spelling, grammar, or sentence structure. (OK, let me rephrase that...any mean comments about someone's writing will be deleted!)

Reflecting on this has inspired me on this rainy, dark Saturday, to REALLY focus on breaking out of the boxes that keep me from reaching out comfortably.

I have several challenging events over the next few weeks, including several presentations that need to be done.

I've been to a few courses where I walked out thinking "Now there's a few hours that I'll never get back!"

Because of this, I've really been trying to make my own lectures or courses as good as possible, or at least adhering to the abstract and course goals.

Now, here is what is SO interesting! First, let me say that I wrote up the summary of private message issues a few days ago. Well, last night when I thought about what keeps me from creating fearlessly and effortlessly with my courses or writing...you know what the issues are?

THE SAME ITEMS!

*being stuck in a rut
*not being able to make a decision
*saying you will do something, then not doing it
*feeling that you don't have enough (time, money, resources,faith, hope, energy, patience)
*general feeling not good enough
*being shy in groups-even virtual groups
*fear of being judged on writing skills

Maybe these beliefs are just part of being human unless something good comes along that teaches you different beliefs. I'm sure even the most confident person felt SOME of these feelings at SOME point.

Today is dedicated to overcoming those limiting beliefs that create a small box around our big dreams and goals. Can anyone work with me on this?

And THAT is today's blog entry! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/879-25-days-goal-break-out-box-day.html <![CDATA[26 Days to GOal: Much Ado About "Much"ing.]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/878-26-days-goal-much-ado-about-much-ing.html Fri, 16 Apr 2010 13:34:01 GMT Alice SWEET TREATS


Picture Added 01-30-2010 06:40 PM
Added by A.Daley





Click_here_for_a_glimpse_into_Alice in Wonderland-The Movie

Today is what we, in Self-Employment-Land, call an office day. It is the day when you have to catch up on the business odds and ends that were neglected while running around seeing clients or doing your job.

I've started to keep detailed lists of how I spend my time on each office day because I found that I was working through, but feeling as if I'd done nothing all day when evening came.

Today, as I prepared my list of "To Do's", I had a sudden wave of enthusiasm, excitement and energy. I felt as if this day was a beautifully wrapped gift tower...you know...the kind that has a small gift on top and the biggest gift on the bottom?

I have to be honest and say that I have not been able to muster up that wonderful enthusiasm for quite some time.

Instead of enthusiasm, excitement and energy, I was bogged down with entropy, economy, and endless energy-zappers.

Here I am, though, with the same amount of time I have on any office day. I don't have any less on my plate. In fact, I have MORE crunching deadlines that need attention.

Yet, I am looking forward to this day.

THAT is a part of my "muchness", I think. It is that ability to face what needs to be done with a positive attitude.

It turns the same "to do" list into something better.

Can you try to look at today's "to do" list with energy and enthusiasm?

And that's today's blog entry! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/878-26-days-goal-much-ado-about-much-ing.html 27 days to GOal! Help me name my blog? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/877-27-days-goal-help-me-name-my-blog.html Thu, 15 Apr 2010 11:36:34 GMT Good Morning!

Dave showed me a site where I can change the long blog link to a shorter name.

Then I thought......hmmmmmmmmmm.

Is Walt's Wave the right name?

What should it be?

So, I am asking you to come up with as many possible names as you can. I'd like names that convey what we are doing, who we are, what we have accomplished, or the general tone.

So, what name would you give to us?

PLEASE post all your names here so people can share, shy readers. Remember that emails, PMs or VMs don't get shared with the community.

You can discuss the name with each other or "tweak" a posted name if you think it needs a word change here or there.

And that is my blog entry for today. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/877-27-days-goal-help-me-name-my-blog.html 28 days to GOal! Managing my muchness. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/876-28-days-goal-managing-my-muchness.html Wed, 14 Apr 2010 11:26:59 GMT Alice SWEET TREATS


Picture Added 01-30-2010 06:40 PM
Added by A.Daley





Click_here_for_a_glimpse_into_Alice in Wonderland-The Movie

The Mad Hatter:You don't slay? Do you have any idea what the Red Queen has done? You don't slay.
Alice: I couldn't if i wanted to.
The Mad Hatter: You're not the same as you were before You were much more..."muchier" You've lost your "muchness"
Alice: My "muchness"?
The Mad Hatter: [Points to Alice's heart] In there.

Sometimes your greatest strength can also be your greatest weakness.

For example, if you are kindhearted, that is a wonderful trait unless you let it get out of hand and become a push-over.

If you are detail oriented, that can help you do a great job unless it turns into paralyzing perfectionism.

If you are beautiful, that can be wonderful unless it turns into vanity.

Having lots of good ideas can be great unless you become the person with a sozen half finished projects.

It seems that everyone has a personality trait that could be a positive OR a negative depending on a combination of issues including the beliefs and the management of that trait.

Today I am going to spend some time reflecting on those traits that I have that are BOTH a positive and a negative in my life.

I'm going to see if I can't spend a day molding these traits so they work FOR me instead of AGAINST me.

I think that would be a great way to get closer to my goals and dreams, rather than running in circles around them!

Is anyone with me? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/876-28-days-goal-managing-my-muchness.html 29 day to GOal: My muchness when there is TOO MUCH! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/875-29-day-goal-my-muchness-when-there-too-much.html Tue, 13 Apr 2010 19:05:49 GMT Alice SWEET TREATS


Picture Added 01-30-2010 06:40 PM
Added by A.Daley



Click_here_for_a_glimpse_into_Alice

The Mad Hatter:You don't slay? Do you have any idea what the Red Queen has done? You don't slay.
Alice: I couldn't if i wanted to.
The Mad Hatter: You're not the same as you were before You were much more..."muchier" You've lost your "muchness"
Alice: My "muchness"?
The Mad Hatter: [Points to Alice's heart] In there.

Tuesdays are, for me, a day of TOO MUCH!

It is usually a very busy day. Top that with the fact that this is a very busy season. Finish it off with the fact that I have alot scheduled, and...well...IT IS TOO MUCH!

Two weeks from tomorrow, I will be on a plane headed for Orlando. OK, the first part is a conference, but, following that will be a trip to Disney!

I really do have too much on my plate for the next few weeks. My college students hand in their term papers and final projects. I have layers of deadlines and events.

I am on the verge of feeling overwhelmed, I have to admit. Many of the goals I've been growing are ready to be harvested in the near future.

BUT for the rest of today, as I see my remaining students and then work to cross some items off my "to do" list, I am going to work on my muchness by staying positive and energized.

Looking back over my blog,
this_very_short_and_simple_entry may have had the biggest impact on my goals.

Taking the time out to create that calendar has been an amazing help for me!

I think, though, that the 40 day timeline was too forward thinking. I need to narrow the time down a bit, especially since the next three weeks are packed, then life will slow down considerably.

So, I'm going to make a list of how I can spend my time tonight and, maybe for the next few days.

Then I'm going to create some sort of visual so I can see how the work is being completed.

And THAT is my goal for today!

(artwork by a.daley) ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/875-29-day-goal-my-muchness-when-there-too-much.html <![CDATA[30 days to GOal: Today I will be "muchier"]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/874-30-days-goal-today-i-will-muchier.html Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:10:58 GMT



Click_here_for_a_glimpse_into_Alice

The Mad Hatter:You don't slay? Do you have any idea what the Red Queen has done? You don't slay.
Alice: I couldn't if i wanted to.
The Mad Hatter: You're not the same as you were before You were much more..."muchier" You've lost your "muchness"
Alice: My "muchness"?
The Mad Hatter: [Points to Alice's heart] In there.

When I am inspired, when something sparks an emotion inside me, I am "muchier".

I really had no interest at all in seeing Alice in Wonderland. I was going to wait for the DVD. I only went because I had some time to kill on Spring Break, a free movie ticket, and a few friends who were up for an outine.

I left feeling like something inside me had sparked. This is just a movie. It resembles a strange dream after having pizza, ice cream, and beer right before bed. BUT something in all that silliness and fantasy has sparked a desire that used to be ON FIRE for me.

The desire to be "muchier" in all I do.

I love the way, in this story, those who knew Alice "before" could hardly believe that she was "the" Alice. True, she was "A" Alice, but not the special one. Not the one with the "muchness."

I've been hearing how "muchness" can be lost mostly in the private messages and emails that people send to me. While I don't want to discourage that, I'm asking those who read and respond to me privately to CONSIDER posting here so we can all share in the thoughts. You can edit some of the private details...I understand not wanting to have all your business out there!

But getting back to the topic, when life starts wearing you down, it is easy to decide to settle for "enough". Sometimes "enough" is all you believe you have to offer. In some ways, I've done that. There are some blog entries that were "enough". A few sentences, a record of the day's entry that I promised. That's "enough".

Today I am going to focus on how I may have fallen into a habit of "enough" instead of reaching for "muchness". Can you join me in this, please?






Alice quote from:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1014759/quotes?qt1145100 ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/874-30-days-goal-today-i-will-muchier.html <![CDATA[31 days to GOal!! Do you need a "muchness" tune-up to really reach your goals and dreams?]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/872-31-days-goal-do-you-need-muchness-tune-up-really-reach-your-goals-dreams.html Sun, 11 Apr 2010 20:31:59 GMT

artwork by a.daley




Click_here_for_a_glimpse_into_Alice

The Mad Hatter: The Jabberwock, with eyes aflame, Jaws that bait and claws that catch, Beware the Jabberwock, my son, The frumious Bandersnatch He took his vorpal sword in hand The vorpal blade went snicker-snack He left it dead, and with its head He went galumphing back. Its all about you, you know
Alice: I'm not slaying anything. I don't slay, so put it out of your mind
The Mad Hatter: ...Mind?
[Hatter stops, puts Alice down on a log, and continues walking]
Alice: Wait! You Cant leave me here!
The Mad Hatter:You don't slay? Do you have any idea what the Red Queen has done? You don't slay.
Alice: I couldn't if i wanted to.
The Mad Hatter: You're not the same as you were before You were much more..."muchier" You've lost your "muchness"
Alice: My "muchness"?
The Mad Hatter: [Points to Alice's heart] In there.

What a great dialogue! How meaningful!

Here some muchness comments from yesterday:
Angie commented:

I found the ending brought the same excitement... I use the term "Muchness" quite often now... as the same reminder that I shouldn't fear going after what I want...
I bought a necklace from JAPAN in EPCOT when I was there in December. It is a silver Japanese symbol with a black leather necklace... the symbol meant "NOTHINGNESS" and for me, it meant more than nothingness, I had to have it, to wear it as sort of a warrior symbol... I am more than nothing, I can be more than nothing, and this beautiful piece that I bought from the one place I want to be for life reminds me of what I must to do not be "NOTHINGNESS"



Posted Yesterday at 10:08 PM by A.Daley


Pam commented:

I am working on getting my Muchness back as well. I feel like I have done a pretty good job on that though. It took me a few years to figure out how much of my Muchness I had lost, and it is taking me a while to get it back, but get it back I am. Part of getting my Muchness back involves Disney. I truly believe I began to get it back on the day that I decided to take my DD to Disney for the first time. Since then, I have days where I get lots of it back and days where I lose some of it. (Like those days where I had recently broken up with a boyfriend and felt like no one wanted me at all.) Now I have a wonderful DD, a truly amazing DBF, and a terrific group of friends (IRL and online) and together they all support me in different ways as I gather my Muchness up around me again. I have become an in home travel agent so I can help others plan their Disney vacations. I go to school so that I can fulfill my life long dream of being a teacher. I am working on becoming a Guide for Passporters so I can give back to the community that has given me so much. I am getting my Muchness back.



Posted Today at 04:13 PM by PamelaK

(Here's me now)
These are both such great thoughts on the topic. There is something in life that can start to take away your "muchness". It is like when a bright, beautiful T-shirt gets washed too many times. It is still the same T-shirt, but it has lost it's "muchness" somehow.

When it comes to goals and dreams, my muchness has always been in my drive, my focus, and my unwillingness to give up on something I believe in.

Well, I think I need a muchness tune-up.

I love in the clip above, where Alice holds the sword above her head and says "How's this for muchness?"

That is what I'll be working toward and THIS is my blog entry for today!




Alice quote from:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1014759/quotes?qt1145100 ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/872-31-days-goal-do-you-need-muchness-tune-up-really-reach-your-goals-dreams.html 32 days to GOal!! Dealing with the duality! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/870-32-days-goal-dealing-duality.html Sat, 10 Apr 2010 17:56:19 GMT Angie posted this interesting comment yesterday:

Today my 4 yr old daughter Alice asked me... "how come you are a Cleaning lady and an Artist at the same time.
I like to call this "The Cinderella Cycle". I am a cleaning lady so I can be an artist... if I want to be an artist, I need to be a cleaning lady... and as I clean, I remind myself why I do. So I can be at home with Alice, paint and take her to Disney.
So she is at school now, I come home, open my studio door and declare to the dog "today I am an ARTIST". I make my surroundings smell of Orange (Florida of course) and it brings me back to Main st.

So now I must go be an artist!
But above all... I am a stay at home mom!




Posted Yesterday at 09:53 AM by A.Daley

(Here's me)

I can really resonate with this comment.

Right now there is ALOT of duality in the things I want to accomplish and the "person" that I want to be.

I love being an occupational therapist. It really is a great gig. I get to spend the day with beautiful children or interesting young adults as a living.

BUT, that is just not ALL of it. I really want to be a writer.

On top of that, I really love teaching my Academic Strategies and writing class at the college.

Because there are different passions in my life, I often feel as if I am headed in different directions at once.

And the, let's talk about hobbies! I love to work in the garden, I love to learn and study interesting topics, and I love to relax creatively in a spa or exotic location.

Today I am going to spend some time reflecting on how I can still be true to the different aspects of who I am and who I aspire or choose to be in the context of staying focused.

Can anyone relate to that? Has anyone figured out any strategies for dealing with duality?

And that is my blog entry for today. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/870-32-days-goal-dealing-duality.html Sad news.. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/ariel%26amp%3Balice/869-sad-news.html Sat, 10 Apr 2010 03:02:18 GMT A friend of mine & fellow co-worker's 2 nephew's were killed in a car accident in NC on Monday. The parents were released from the hospital here in Chattanooga on wednesday & their only living son is in critical condition. The two boys that were killed on the scene were ages 2 and 14, their oldest thats in ICU is 16. This is by far the saddest thing i've heard all year that's close to me. My co worker spent alot of time with her 2 year old nephew and treated him like he was her own (she doesnt have children). They were going on a spring break trip and a transfer truck rammed their minivan from behind and in turn, they rammed a jeep from behind and were sandwiched in-between the two cars. I cant even imagine how devastating this must be their whole family. To have your children taken away like that, I couldnt even relate nor would I ever want to have to. I have three children as well & we take a minivan on all our trips to Orlando. My husband always complains about putting one of the kids in the very back seat of the minivan b/c he's always nervous about somthing like this happening & you never think it could happen...but it can & does, I suppose. And you never think to watch behind you when you are stopped at a red light, but you never know who just might not be paying attention. I just really needed to unload this off my brain a little b/c it just hits so close to home & its just too terrible. Thier funeral is tomorrow. Burying two young children at the same time...wow. I hope I never have to go through that. It just reminds me to be so thankful for my 3 beautiful kids & to be aware of my surroundings all the time. Thanks for listening. ]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/ariel%26amp%3Balice/869-sad-news.html 33 Days to GOal: Be aware of the background influence as you plan your dream day. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/868-33-days-goal-aware-background-influence-you-plan-your-dream-day.html Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:05:09 GMT Good Morning!

Please take a moment to put on some nice music or to do the five minute candle meditation on yesterday's entry before you read this. Try to think of a few things that you are thankful for, then read on.

I'm blogging first thing in the morning on purpose today. I_discussed_in_this_entry how my mindset and tone vary from morning to evening. I also touch upon how music or any background entertainment changes the tone, even if I am not aware.

When I look back over this year's blog entries, I can tell which ones were completed in the morning and which were competed at night most of the time.

I can also get a feel for what I was doing just before or during my blogging time. For example, I tend to listen to the news online, clicking on stories that interest me while I work on other things that don't demand full attention. I hate to admit it, but sometimes I would multi-task while I was writing my blog.

To relate this to Disney, and I don't think this is a stretch, I think about the mornings as I walk into the parks from the Transportation Center or parking lot. A wave of sight and sound bombard me each time and I fall into a theme and a feeling. Something similar occurs in the evening as I am (always!) one of the last to leave the parks. I'm aware of a shift as I move further away from the sights and sounds of the theme park and into the real world, even if that is just to ride to my themed resort. The themes do create certain emotions in me. Sometimes I wonder if the magic withdrawal does not contribute to the crankiness in some people while waiting for transporation, but that is a whole other topic.

Life, and blogging as a metaphor for life, have worked in a similar way for me.

There were several entries here that were very Chicken Little-ish. This was because I was listening to clips about the economy and the situation in New Jersey Schools at the time. This_blog_entry and this_blog_entry_both start spinning in a direction that may be important, but is not necessarily empowering or motivating when going after goals. I was able to link it to the theme with a tangent, but any real evelopment would have been off topic.

Because I set the goal to keep this blog inspiring and goal oriented, I caught myself and tried to spin away from doom and gloom with_this_entry_about_Mickey_Mouse, but it is easy to see how a lack of awareness could have taken the whole project in a negative direction, especially if there were more people posting to get the momentum going. Also, the people who generally read, including those who prefer to keep in touch with me through Facebook, email, or private messages, tend to grab onto the more empowering entries anyway, so I'm sure that is a factor also.

I touched upon how the environment influences the tone of thinking in_this_entry_about_what_inspires_you.

So, in the time we have left, while I am thinking of my goals and trying to draw some conclusions about this blog project, I am going to make sure that I have a postive empowering environment created for all remaining blog entries.

No more news, or even TV in the background as I write. I'm going to take some time to put myself into a positive mindset before I even choose the title.

We have about a month left of our long-term blog project. Can you try to make sure that you are aware of the sights, sounds, even smells in your environment before you read the blog? Do you want to feel strong and inspired (like the theme song from Rocky) or calm and peaceful? Can you try to make sure that you are comfortable? Take off your shoes to give your tootsies a short break if that helps.

I'm planning to kick in these final days with as much power as I can punch into my computer to focus and accomplish great things.

If you work with me, I promise you will be further along in your progress towards your life goals and dreams OR I'll refund all your effort!

And that is my blog entry for today!:) ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/868-33-days-goal-aware-background-influence-you-plan-your-dream-day.html <![CDATA[34 Days to GOal! Let's take a rest!]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/867-34-days-goal-lets-take-rest.html Thu, 08 Apr 2010 23:48:09 GMT http://www.meditationwithease.com/

Click on the candle meditation. Hope you enjoy this. You earned it!

And that's my blog for today! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/867-34-days-goal-lets-take-rest.html 35 Days to GOal-The Spotlight is on YOU! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/866-35-days-goal-spotlight-you.html Wed, 07 Apr 2010 19:20:46 GMT I remember this_old_blog_entry... I remember this_old_blog_entry when I questioned how blogworthy my daily thoughts are. I realized that, for me, the best thing about this blog is the fact that other people are posting their accomplishments and comments.

When I look at the_entry_for_posting_goal_updates, I see that alot is going on.

When I look at the_entry_for_projects_in_progress, I can't believe how much activity there is.

When I look at
the_entry_for_finished_goals_or_projects, I find that we have accomplished quite a bit.

So, today I am presenting everyone who has participated in this little project. You are all blogworthy!

And that is my blog entry for the day. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/866-35-days-goal-spotlight-you.html 36 Days to GOal: The Benefits of Past Work for Growing http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/864-36-days-goal-benefits-past-work-growing.html Wed, 07 Apr 2010 02:01:05 GMT Did you ever notice that, if you keep up with things, you end up having an easier time with them?

I've been putting years of backbreaking work into planting, clearing weeds, trimming, clearing weeds, carving out little garden areas and, did I mention, clearing weeds?

Well, each year it seems to take a little less time to make the yard MUCH nicer.

This year I must have already put in about 20 hours in the front yard but, after maybe five more bags of mulch, it is going to look like something.

I also notice how, if I wait just a few more weeks to pull up new weeds and get the garden beds under control, I have almost a whole summer of weed wresting in front of me.

Another thought...one of my friends told me how her landscapers came in with their leaf blowers and blew over all the budding Spring flowers. I remember that happening every year when I had other people do my Spring yard clean-up. I'd looks at all my daffodils and hyacinth lying broken on the ground, and I'd wonder why the landscapers hadn't figured out that this is NOT what people wanted.

I've also had landscapers spread mulch in the past, which somehow meant plopping large piles of brown on top of budding flowers so they would choke.

So, I am rambling on without much of a unified point, so let me try and pull it together.

One of my goals is a trimmed, nice looking yard. I may have worked very hard these past few weeks, but I think I may have a shot at actually having a nice yard this year by anticipating the dreaded weed season and doing some of the work by myself, I just might be closer to my goal.

Sorry, but that's all I've got for today's blog entry! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/864-36-days-goal-benefits-past-work-growing.html 37 days to GOal, and I realize I like company. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/863-37-days-goal-i-realize-i-like-company.html Tue, 06 Apr 2010 02:34:56 GMT Image: http://www.thewrap.com/files/walt-and-roy-01.jpg













There are only a few hours left of this day, and I am TIRED!

Here what is on my mind...

I think that going after goals is better when you have the right kind of company.

As soon as I had that thought, the relationship between Walt and his brother Roy popped into my mind.

What an amazing blessing that Walt had Roy all his life!

Well, I'm no Walt Disney, BUT I want to say that, as I work on my much less significant goals and dreams compared to Walt, I feel blessed with VERY significant virtual and non-virtual Roys.

Thanks to you for being my virtual Roys.

And that is my blog entry for today!




First photo source here: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=...roy-01.jpghoto

Second photo source here: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=...sics03_lrg.jpg ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/863-37-days-goal-i-realize-i-like-company.html 38 days to GOal: The unsung activities for meeting goals. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/862-38-days-goal-unsung-activities-meeting-goals.html Mon, 05 Apr 2010 00:27:07 GMT I have several goals, and one main goal is to clean winter from the yard and make it beautiful.

It's been hours and hours of weeding, trimming shrubs, and clearing away brush, and it still doesn't look like anything.

I think all goals have those thankless steps that feel like putting beads on a string with no knot at the end.

So, my Easter gift to you is this:

Great job with that work you did that somehow does not look as if you accomplished much! You should feel great for all the time you put in.

And that's my blog entry for today! I've updated the list of projects in progress at the top of the blog. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/862-38-days-goal-unsung-activities-meeting-goals.html 39 days to GOal. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/861-39-days-goal.html Sun, 04 Apr 2010 00:55:03 GMT "What do you mean we can't get rid of those weeds in time? Then go over there and put some fancy signs with latin names in front of them."
Walt Disney

I have to tell you, while this is one of my favortie quotes, and I'm sure Walt was wise to tell his men to do this when it was apparent that the weeds would not be gone in time for the opening of the park, it isn't wise to just ignore weeds.

I spent HOURS today pulling up weeds from a large flowerbed. Hours diggin up violets, trying to pull up onions and grass, trying to pull out weeds that I can't even identify.

No, there is no wisdom to putting on a smileyface and ignoring weeds if you can avoid it.

This is nothing new. I think back to one of my first blog entries when I started this project.
http://www.passporterboards.com/foru...-thinking.html

And here I am, near the end and still dealing with weeds.

I think there is something new happening this year, though.

I'm attacking the weeds earlier than usual. I'm out there before they have a chance to set deep roots, when it is fairly easy to pull them all up.

I wonder if that will make a difference.

And as I finish yesterday's_goal to fill in a calendar and set a timeling for the next 40 days, I'm going to spend a little time thinking about the "weeds" in my goal garden.

They are those tiny seeds that turn into a big mess in time.

And THAT is my blog entry for today! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/861-39-days-goal.html <![CDATA[Today's goal: Set a timeline for the last 40 days.]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/859-todays-goal-set-timeline-last-40-days.html Fri, 02 Apr 2010 21:27:35 GMT Tomorrow marks 40 days to the end of my blog project. My goal for today is to do the following: 1. Prioritize my goals. 2. Set a 40 day timeline... Tomorrow marks 40 days to the end of my blog project. My goal for today is to do the following:

1. Prioritize my goals.
2. Set a 40 day timeline to complete them.
3. Write it on a calendar or some other timekeeping system.

That's it! And that's my blog entry for today. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/859-todays-goal-set-timeline-last-40-days.html Ferris Bueller day on the blog! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/858-ferris-bueller-day-blog.html Thu, 01 Apr 2010 23:41:14 GMT I just want to leave you with one thought, that it's just been sort of a dress rehearsal and we're just getting started. So if any of you start resting on your laurels, I mean just forget it, because: we are just getting started.

Walt Disney

I really like this kind of thinking, and I think it really does relate to setting goals and going after them.

To be honest, though, right now my mind is on the upcoming Easter Vacation. I'm not going away for Easter vacation, but I'll have some extra time at home. I'll still have college and my private clients, but my grade school is off, and that is something to look forward to!

My mind is also on the fact that, in less than 30 days, I'll be flying to Florida for a conference and then GOING TO DISNEY!

So, basically, tonight, I am distracted. While I like this quote about not resting on laurels, I have to say that, every once in a while, it is good to take a break on your laurels.

The fact is, sometimes there is a benefit to embracing a vacation. And sometimes there is a benefit to looking forward to a special trip.

SOOOOOOOOOO, today I am disagreeing with Walt and saying that, at least for tonight, I'm resting on my comfy laurels!

Once I sign off from this blog, I am officially taking a break from all things goal oriented for the rest of the night.

Just a full night of great TV, a comfy couch, and the knowledge that I don't have to wake up at any special time tomorrow.

I feel like Ferris Bueller, and I am taking a day (or night) off!

And that is my blog for tonight.

Quote from http://www.quotesby.net/Walt-Disney ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/858-ferris-bueller-day-blog.html Goals To Get Away From Goals. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/857-goals-get-away-goals.html Thu, 01 Apr 2010 02:36:33 GMT "It has that thing - the imagination, and the feeling of happy excitement- I knew when I was a kid."

Walt Disney

When I was reading the_comments_at_this_link, I thought of the quote above.

I'll be visiting Walt Disney World in thirty days. I can almost hear the music and smell the sweetness of Main Street. I can feel that wonderful feeling that I get when I first step into Epcot where a completely different type of music and atmosphere is presented. The same for Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.

I keep thinking back to a moment outside the front of MGM (which was the name of Hollywood Studios at the time) when a little kid got SO thrilled he shouted "I'm so excited, I want to run around in circles!!!" And that is just what he did.

Right now, I'm a little immersed in my "grown up" reality. So many deadlines, meetings, obligations, and things to keep track of.

But I know that in 30 days I'll be in a whole different place.

Today I have been thinking about how my goal is to get away from my goals!

And that is my blog for today!

And that is something to look forward to!

Quote from http://www.justdisney.com/walt_disney/quotes/

 ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/857-goals-get-away-goals.html Thanks Walt http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/856-thanks-walt.html Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:27:27 GMT Of all the things I've done, the most vital is coordinating those who work with me and aiming their efforts at a certain goal.
Walt Disney

I think this quote addresses a real important part of any goal, which is to work as a team if there is a team involved.

Sounds pretty basic, but I've found that it just isn't easy. I have a feeling that a part of Walt's ability to accomplish amazing things is the way he managed to get people working together and believing in the goal.

I like this quote. After a long day of work, with a night of work still ahead, I wasn't very inspired when I first signed on.

I find that a quick search of Walt quotes always gives me something worthy to quote. (Not always a worthy comment, but ALWAYS a worthy quote.)

I guess you could say that Walt has helped me to achieve my blog-a day goal. Thanks Walt!

That's the blog for today!

Quote from
Walt Disney Quotes ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/856-thanks-walt.html Do we have to grow up? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/855-do-we-have-grow-up.html Tue, 30 Mar 2010 02:21:10 GMT "Why do we have to grow up? I know more adults who have the children's approach to life. They're people who don't give a hang what the Joneses do. You see them at Disneyland every time you go there. They are not afraid to be delighted with simple pleasures, and they have a degree of contentment with what life has brought - sometimes it isn't much, either."
Walt Disney

Quote from
http://www.justdisney.com/walt_disne.../quotes01.html ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/855-do-we-have-grow-up.html 46 More Blog Days to Goal Met Time!!!!!!!!! My biggest lesson! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/854-46-more-blog-days-goal-met-time-my-biggest-lesson.html Sun, 28 Mar 2010 22:54:48 GMT "It's something that will never be finished. Something that I can keep developing...and adding to."

Walt Disney

208 days of blogging down (with one day missed for technical difficulties.)
46 days until I've finished my goal to blog for a school year (using the college's calendar.)

Sometimes it helps me to take inventory of where I am in a goal, especially a long-term goal.

I'm one of those who crosses off the months of my year-at-a-glance with a highlighter, just to see how far I've come.

Since I tend to run my year-ticker by a school schedule, I start with the new appointment book that I get in the summer and start crossing off each month.

Somehow, since I've been doing this blog project, I feel a little more of a sense of accomplishment at the end of each month. I am not just ticking time, I'm marking days when I've followed through with something I committed to do.

I'm thinking back to a while back when I was asking myself why I was doing this? What would happen if I just decided to stop? How about it I switched my promise to myself to blog every other day? How about every other week?

Some people asked why I was doing this when there was no money in it? Actually, there is no money in alot of the things I do. I like to have enough to get me by, but, the truth is, my most important goals are not at all motivated by money.

I had to face the question that seems to haunt most blogs with a small following. "Who do you think you are that anyone would care what you have to say?" That is a fair question and I most often asked it of myself. To that, I found the answer that, if one person cares enough that it makes a difference to them, then it is worth it for me. Besides, I care!

One of the biggest problems was my promise to myself to be "in the moment" with each blog entry. That meant no "back-up" blogs when I'm busy, uninspired, or just not in the mood. You learn alot about yourself as far as day-to-day changes. Some days, the whole Suzy Sunshine thing was too much. Still, I found that trying to stick to the topic of goals and dreams, especially when I tried to relate it to Walt Disney, seemed to create a mind-set that turned things around.

And that, I think, is my most important lesson to date. Setting aside time for a daily prayer, meditation, or journaling still left the door open for periods of aimless wandering, self-pity, or general negativity...or at least the way I'd set-up those activities.

In my life, while I tend to be optimistic, I had not figured out how important it was to SQUEEZE just some small amount of gratitude, bright-side thinking, or problem-solving out of whatever my day has brought.

I have to say that, while it is sometimes a stretch and sometimes it was hard to feel authentic, by the end of the thought process, I had some positive thinking neurons working and some of the negative thinking neurons gave up.

I decided to push through and keep going. (By the way, thanks so much to those who supported me through that decision!) I think that decision has somehow changed me in a good way.

What I'm trying to say is that I really think I've learned a lesson from this. I think I may have created a habit of turning my thoughts towards hope and growth much more quickly than before this experience because I had to try and do just that every day. It feels real on a much deeper level, and less like a bumper-sticker slogan with a smiley face.

Walt Disney had his REAL deadlines where lots of people REALLY depended on his ability to keep going. I imagine that this, in part, was how he developed the ability to accomplish the improbable and raise the bar with the next project.

I may have only had a few people following, but I'm no Walt Disney, so a few people following a blog is about all I can manage.

I'm not saying that a blog is anything like the real-life obligations that Walt had, but, since a few paragraphs a day for a few people is about all I can handle, I think I must have been just as challenged!

And pushing forward in the face of challenges is the way to get to the place where the same level of challenge becomes easy!

Those are just the thoughts going through my head right now.

And here is today's blog entry!




Quote from:
http://www.justdisney.com/walt_disney/quotes/ ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/854-46-more-blog-days-goal-met-time-my-biggest-lesson.html Goals on a roll!! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/852-goals-roll.html Sun, 28 Mar 2010 01:51:30 GMT Sometimes your goals just get on a roll!

No, I'm not talking about a goal sandwich, I'm talking about when you get that spark that helps action to move in the direction of the goal.

All it takes, really, is that one little spark. The whole process reminds me of Figment_and_Imagination.

I don't know why that one little spark can be SO hard to find sometimes but, since it is with me now, I'm off to do more work.

How has your goal spark been lately? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/852-goals-roll.html Technical difficulties http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/850-technical-difficulties.html Sat, 27 Mar 2010 01:45:37 GMT I've learned quite a few things during this experience of blogging every single day for a school year. Since this was a personal goal, I decided not to keep a few "stock" blogs in case my head was not wrapped around the topic-at-hand, which is goals and dreams in general, and "Walt's way" as much as possible.

I also wanted to be in the moment when I blogged, but right now, in the moment means internet going on and off because they seem to be working on it on this block.

SOOOOOOOOO, here's the blog...

Please remain seated with your hands and feet inside the vehicle. We will be in motion again shortly. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/850-technical-difficulties.html <![CDATA[Tomorrow's goal- LAUGH!]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/849-tomorrows-goal-laugh.html Fri, 26 Mar 2010 02:04:36 GMT Laughter is America's most important export.

Walt Disney

Today I noticed something. I can't say it was something new, but it stood out today for some reason.

During some of my sessions at school, during my class at the college, here at home, there were moments of pure laughter.

An unexpected joke from a student. The tension that breaks when someone lets go of a facade and the first honest smile trusts its way through for you. Over-the-phone giggles when grown women share some girl talk. Or just that laugh-out-loud feeling you get when you see something funny on TV.

When I look back on the day, those laughs were REALLY good.:D

So, my goal for tomorrow is to laugh as much as I can.

Short, but sweet! And there is today's blog entry!


Quote from: http://www.quotesby.net/Walt-Disney ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/849-tomorrows-goal-laugh.html The lighter side of goals and dreams. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/848-lighter-side-goals-dreams.html Wed, 24 Mar 2010 18:52:28 GMT All we ever intended for him or expected of him was that he should continue to make people everywhere chuckle with him and at him. We didn't burden him with any social symbolism, we made him no mouthpiece for frustrations or harsh satire. Mickey was simply a little personality assigned to the purposes of laughter.

Walt Disney

The lighter side of goals and dreams really does need to remain somewhere in awareness, especially when times are tough.

Just look at this clip:
http://www.totlol.com/watch/R8FzGOOQ...nd-Goofy%29/0/

(Please don't take offense and think I'm making light of the very real issues that so many people have.)

I love that Mickey, even to this day, is the antidote for many people who feel like they are being worn down by the Chicken Littles.


The last few days of blog posts were honest, I suppose, and they definitely responded to some very real issues. I also hope I was able to validate some of the much appreciated PMs that said, in different ways, that optimism was not a realistic place for the moment.

But, today I tried to redirect back to the part of the topic that I might have been straying from...what would Walt post if he were the author of this blog?

Well, I can't even take a guess on that, BUT I think I can pretty much guess the tone that MICKEY would have if he were posting.

And I think the quote and the link above tell it all.

I LOVE that Mickey is a steadfastly lighthearted personality.

I have plans to visit Disney in May and, whenever I think of it, I get a little lighthearted spot in my spirit because I know what will be there....the place that was all started with The Mouse.

I wonder if this clip was not responding to some of the economic issues from 1936, which is when Walt created it. And, just maybe, this is exactly how Walt would respond to people who are burdened by the troubles of today!

Either way, I hope this gave you a little chuckle!






Quote from http://www.quotesby.net/Walt-Disney ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/848-lighter-side-goals-dreams.html Goals in these times http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/847-goals-these-times.html Wed, 24 Mar 2010 01:09:42 GMT It's no secret that we were sticking just about every nickel we had on the chance that people would really be interested in something totally new and unique in the field of entertainment.
Walt Disney

Walt Disney decided to put all his nickels into something totally new and unique in the field of entertainment.

What a goal! Something new and unique is the hallmark of the entrepreneur.

The entrepreneur takes those risks that are just too dicey for the person who prefers a traditional situation.

But now, for so many, even traditional situations are like shifting sand. Tenure, contracts, and the retiring after so many years with a nice pension and a gold watch used to be a platform on which to build a way of life. And some people put all their nickels on that.

It seems as if, these days, everyone is something of an entrepreneur because very few things are predictable and safe.

I've pretty much lived the existence of a self-employed entrepreneur for years. I think my rewards were more in doing the jobs I love and helping people in the way I felt kept me true to my own beliefs. In other words, my company is no where near a Fortune 500 Company, but my heart and soul have been rich.

I've always loved risk, unpredictability, and challenge BUT lately, as I try to prioritize my personal and business goals, the shifting sand under my feet is leaving me a little bit unsettled.

I see that many of my goals have to be tentative. I see that things are just not as simple as they've been in the past. I see that there is concern all over the place.

But I also know that I'm going to spend my nickels keeping on top of my situation, picking up and moving on if I fall, and adjusting my goals as needed.

I know that this is not my usual blog tone, BUT that's what happens when you decide to blog every day AND you decide to be as honest as you can.

AND, there's today's blog topic! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/847-goals-these-times.html Growing strong children in a difficult economy. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/845-growing-strong-children-difficult-economy.html Tue, 23 Mar 2010 01:05:52 GMT It's a mistake not to give people a chance to learn to depend on themselves while they are young.

Walt Disney

I really like this quote from Walt. I think that one of the biggest barriers to going after goals can be the fear that you just can't depend on yourself. I see that even more in this economy, when budget cuts and layoffs seem to be picking people off like a sharpshooter from a tower.

No one on the ground REALLY feels safe.

I do notice that people who believe that they can always manage no matter what happens are calmer and generally able to think more clearly. There are some people who seem to have resilience in anticipation of a problem.

They just seem to know that, whatever comes, they will deal.

When I ask these people how they managed this, a few tell how they developed it through life experience, but most people for whom resilience came naturally tell about a childhood where they were taught to depend on themselves.

Wouldn't it be great to set a goal to help children learn to depend on themselves so they can have an easier time later?

That's all I have today and THAT is today's blog entry. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/845-growing-strong-children-difficult-economy.html <![CDATA[Reinventing yourself so it is never "too late."]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/844-reinventing-yourself-so-never-too-late.html Sun, 21 Mar 2010 22:33:45 GMT To the youngsters of today, I say believe in the future, the world is getting better; there still is plenty of opportunity. Why, would you believe... To the youngsters of today, I say believe in the future, the world is getting better; there still is plenty of opportunity. Why, would you believe it, when I was a kid I thought it was already too late for me to make good at anything.

Walt Disney

I like this quote. I remember, as a kid, getting upset because everything had been invented already. All the good songs had been created, all the good books had been written. Life was not fair and I'd been born too late!

Then, when I realized those thoughts were not facts, I got stuck thinking about how I kept missing the boat. By the time I was 16, I was too old to ever be really good at ballet. At about 20, I realized that I was just not talented enough to be a pro saxaphone player. By my late 20's I figured out that I'd missed my prime. And a big disappointment at every phase of my life was the thought that I'd missed my chance to be a quality writer. I WROTE, but I was aware enough to see that I really didn't have much of any importance to express.

Somehow, around my late twenties, I'd figured out how reinvention can create a whole new world of possibilities. I realized that you can't catch every boat, and sometimes, if you miss a boat you can decide to catch a plane.

Since then, my shelf life for status quo has been very much like the technology gadgets that are almost old before they are on the market.

The minute I AM something, I am also BECOMING something.

And I hope that, in this process of reinvention, I can prove that it isn't too late for me to make good at whatever comes next!

And there is today's blog entry! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/844-reinventing-yourself-so-never-too-late.html <![CDATA[Today's goal is to let it ALL be for me.]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/843-todays-goal-let-all-me.html Sat, 20 Mar 2010 23:05:40 GMT Today, while enjoying Saturday bowling, a party was getting started as we finished our game. We were a little behind, and, since our lane was a... Today, while enjoying Saturday bowling, a party was getting started as we finished our game. We were a little behind, and, since our lane was a center lane for the party, they put on the disco lights on our lane while the party kids waited for us to finish.


I_Described_the_light_here_in_this_entry.

Well, let me tell you, these lights are highly coveted by all the children, who ask their parents if they can have a bowling party with the lights, and don't seem pleased when told something like "Well, it isn't your birthday."

But HERE we were, no one's birthday, and we got to bowl a few rounds with the lights.

But Camille's first reaction was "But they're not for me!" with a sad face.

I said "But they are here for you NOW!"

Camille responded by brightening up, going out onto the place where the lights were casting shapes on the floor, and dancing on them, as if she were trying to stop them in place by planting her foot on them.

It was then that I realized how important it is to take every gift as if it was wholly and fully intended as a sign of love or recognition for me.
It is so easy to think that something is not mine. Maybe someone will pay me a compliment and I'll think "If only they knew!" Or maybe I'll accomplish something and think "It wasn't that great." or, my personal favorite, "I just Forest Gumped my way into that one!" Or maybe I'll be in the middle of a group of people, a beautiful place, or a happy event and find that thought "It's not really for ME," popping into my head.

Today, when I got home from bowling, I was thankful for the beautiful Spring day that was created JUST FOR ME! I went out and cleared away some of winter's shadow from my gardens, and underneath the dead leaves and brush were little teeny green sprouts that were coming up JUST FOR ME! Then I took a nice hot bubble bath with my favorite spa CD and incense, creating the perfect relaxing place JUST FOR ME. And, I think later, I'm going to go and get some Spicy Crab Rolls from the Sushi take-out place because, after all, they are waiting there...yup...you got it...JUST FOR ME!

What a great day!:) ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/843-todays-goal-let-all-me.html Are there enough nickels to get from Point A to Point B in a shaky economy? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/842-there-enough-nickels-get-point-point-b-shaky-economy.html Sat, 20 Mar 2010 03:32:30 GMT It's no secret that we were sticking just about every nickel we had on the chance that people would really be interested in something totally new and unique in the field of entertainment.
Walt Disney

I really like this particular quote and I think, while not everyone can relate to taking a chance on an innovative idea, most people can relate to the concept of "every nickle."

Whatever the goal or desired outcome may be, in these economic times, it seems as if we are really looking at a finite number of nickles!

This morning, my 1996 Saturn sputtered and died as I started it. Somehow, I managed to get the engine to turn over but, there is just no way around the fact that this car is not going to last forever! A few years ago, I was looking for something new because it would be shinier. Now, I'm thinking I just have to stick close to home until I have a few more nickles. AND, I'm not asking you to feel sorry for me because I have friends who are taking the bus, carpooling, and biking to work. When the goal is to get from point A to point B, the method can be varied.

There are also fewer nickels to be spent on schools and education. I'm used to stressed-out parents this time of year...worrying if schools are going to put finances above the true best interests of their child. The parents of the gifted children worry that funding will be cut. The parents who value arts, sports, and music worry when those programs are cut.

The biggest upheaval, it seems, is in the area of Special needs, though that may just be because I am working in that area.

This thread, started by one of our PassPorter members, is one good example.
http://www.passporterboards.com/foru...hool-vent.html

There are, though, a thousand stories and, somehow, the answers are harder in this economy.

Now, here is my personal opinion.

I can decide to keep driving a questionable car because, when it finally does die, I can buy a new one. My goal is to get from point A to point B and the day when that is no longer possible in this car, I can junk the car and get on with my life.

BUT, deciding to cut back on the quality of programs for developing children, I think, is a scary thing. We don't just junk a kid when it becomes apparent that they are unable to meet the goal of getting from point A to point B. On the other hand, if there are not enough nickels to fund the program, what do we do?

Can anyone share their thoughts on this? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/842-there-enough-nickels-get-point-point-b-shaky-economy.html 14 Days Unlimited http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/jelly77/840-14-days-unlimited.html Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:59:39 GMT :announce: Hoorah for holding out and not purchasing my park tickets with the holiday booking. Until the end of the month here in the UK, the 14... :announce: Hoorah for holding out and not purchasing my park tickets with the holiday booking. Until the end of the month here in the UK, the 14 Days Unlimited ticket is currently available for the price of 7 days.
Unlimited access into all parks including water parks for 14 days.
:tongue: Its not a great deal of saving but compared to the normal price, we've saved approx £15 per person - every little helps ;)

I've pre-booked the Charater breakfasts:dine: and was very impressed this time around - I did it online :type:
We're making the most of the early rise in the first few days, especially as it will be five hours behind in the US on our normal time. So 08:15 at the Magic Kingdom on the first morning and 09:40 at the Animal Kingdom on the following weekend. :waytogo:

Now all we need is the :news: for the shuttle launch and ticket availability. That would be soooooooo :cool: Finger crossed for that one!

I've started putting in the dates, times etc for our daily spreadsheet although I have to wait for some confirmations as not all is official. I've attached them so you can see what I do... nothing too weird :o. You wait until you see the park attraction 'FloridaMeUp Score' spreadsheet.

You can see that next time ;)

:bye: for now.
Attached Files
File Type: pdf Disney 2010.pdf (59.4 KB, 75 views)
File Type: pdf DisneyTimes 2010.pdf (29.4 KB, 72 views)
]]> Jelly77 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/jelly77/840-14-days-unlimited.html Little children have goals, too. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/839-little-children-have-goals-too.html Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:47:04 GMT I work with kids all day. There is a certain accountability that I have to stick to. There is an Individualized Education Plan. There are goals... I work with kids all day. There is a certain accountability that I have to stick to.

There is an Individualized Education Plan. There are goals and objectives. No matter how relaxed or natural I can try to be, if I am doing my job, those goals HAVE to be somewhere in my mind.

I'm not complaining because I love it, BUT I had a great break this afternoon.

I went to pick up some things at a friend's house after work. I was planning to dash right off, but her four-year-old daughter, Camille, asked me to come and see her room. The great thing about it was that I had NO agenda at all and SHE was in charge. (Which, by the way, is what Camille likes to have...charge!)

So, off we went and before I knew it, there were princesses and ponies all over the place. She was showing me magic wishing rocks and special books. I'm not sure if this was just because she knows what I like, but just about every toy she showed me was Disney related.

Then she cooked a snack in her pretend oven and served it like a mini-Martha Stewart. She fussed attentively as I ate my magic tomato soup. Then I was served some cute little cookies and chocolates which, I was told with a serious tone, were not real so don't really bite them.

As I was leaving, I was given a paper with random letters written on it, many of them reversed in that cute way that four year-olds have. I'm sure she just took it from the fridge, but, as letters can be anything at that age, she explained in great detail what the letter was saying to me.

I'm guessing my little visit lasted fifteen or thirty minutes, but I walked away with a nice feeling that lasted for hours.

It was clear that Camille's goal was to show hospitality, even if I was just looking at toys and eating imaginary food. I think her goal was to make me feel welcome.

And it worked.

I love spending time without that agenda of things that I must keep in mind in order to do my job. So much of what I do involves making people feel welcome, cared about, hopeful, energized. I've had all this school and training to learn how to do that.

But, I think, a little girl showed me up in a big way. I hope I can do half as good a job with making my students feel that special and enchanted.

I left thinking "and a little child shall lead them." The whole drive home I wondered just how special this little girl was going to be in the world because, if her goal is hospitality, she is already an expert.

And that is today's blog. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/839-little-children-have-goals-too.html When pixies prevail. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/838-when-pixies-prevail.html Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:25:28 GMT Tink Tink Wins!

This is one of the paintings that Angie completed for her goal project.

I like this one because it turns the tables on the bad guy.

This painting reminds me that sometimes going after your goals can't be all pixie dust and sweetness, especially when you are dealing with a pirate type.

Great work, Angie! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/838-when-pixies-prevail.html Why DO I do these things? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/837-why-do-i-do-these-things.html Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:45:18 GMT I'm doing this because I want to do it better.
Walt Disney

I liked this quote, and it seems to go with my general attitude regarding some of the things I do, including this blog.

I've asked myself why, and others have asked me why.

There are alot of answers but, mainly, it was because I wanted to learn how to keep an ongoing blog better than I could when I started.

And, since LOST is on tonight, there is my blog entry for this day! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/837-why-do-i-do-these-things.html <![CDATA[A goal that didn't go as planned and a blog entry that is a bit off topic.]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/836-goal-didnt-go-planned-blog-entry-bit-off-topic.html Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:49:52 GMT Did you know that Walt Disney planned to open an attraction called Mineral King Ski Resort? This was supposed to be the home of... Did you know that Walt Disney planned to open an attraction called Mineral King Ski Resort? This was supposed to be the home of The_Country_Bear_Jamborree . When the ski resort never materialized, the Imagineers found a different plan for this attraction.

Here is some history.

Well, the Jamboree may be a goal with a bumpy history, including being closed a few days before the Twin Towers fell, but HERE is a real-life bear show and, guess what...the bear's name is Lily!
http://www.wildearth.tv/static/wilde..._bear_den.html

This live bear camera is worth watching, especially if you can catch a glimpse of Lily's adorable cub.

I hope you enjoy watching Lily.

And that is my blog for today! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/836-goal-didnt-go-planned-blog-entry-bit-off-topic.html <![CDATA[Here's a new way to look at the wind and fallen trees.]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/835-heres-new-way-look-wind-fallen-trees.html Sun, 14 Mar 2010 14:48:04 GMT This_link_talks_about_one_way_to_look_at_the_wind. (http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/477-today-beautiful-day.html) ... This_link_talks_about_one_way_to_look_at_the_wind.

For the past few days, though, the wind has been doing things that are hard to see in a positive light.

Here in Jersey, we've had power outages because of fallen trees, several people have actually been killed by falling trees, and my back yard looks like a cyclone has ripped through it.

The wind combined with the soaking rain to loosen the roots of huge trees from the earth. They couldn't keep their place any longer. They toppled and fell.

The saying the bigger they are, the harder they fall comes to mind.

I suppose that just the wind alone or just the rain alone would not have caused the death of a tree that stood strong for all those years.

And, when the trees collapsed, there were consequences ranging from property damage to inconvenience to death.

A Perfect Storm occurs when an unusual combination of events creates a reaction that is much worse than expected. Like roots coming loose in soggy earth, just before a strong gust of wind sweeps by.

For me, life events can create the same type of cumulative damage. I'd like to think I've weathered my share of storms well, but some combinations just send me toppling down.

I'd like to think that no one was hurt as I fell but, like the trees, I guess we all land on an innocent (or not so innocent) bystander now and then.

Gravity and location combine with rain and wind to determine where the tree will land. Circumstance and location combine with events and choice (and other issues, I'm sure) to determine where a person will land.

At times I've been the tree. At other times I've been the squashed thing in the tree's path.

Now, here's what I've been thinking about. I've seen alot of damage from fallen trees over my lifetime, but I've never actually heard a single person curse the tree.

I hear something like "It was the wind." (or rain, or decay etc. etc.)

So, for today, here is what I'm going to try and wrap my head around...............

To all the trees that have fallen on me from time to time, I forgive you!

And, for all the times that I was the tree, I'm going to forgive myself.

The great thing about being human, though, is that, when we fall, it isn't game over. Instead of getting the saw or the shredder, we can get up, move to a new place, and plant new roots. And...if we learned something, maybe the next time will be something that can last! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/835-heres-new-way-look-wind-fallen-trees.html Set a goal to try something new today. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/834-set-goal-try-something-new-today.html Sat, 13 Mar 2010 22:35:53 GMT http://edu.glogster.com/#why-glogster-edu Check this link out! I learned about this at a conference yesterday. It may take a little effort,... http://edu.glogster.com/#why-glogster-edu

Check this link out! I learned about this at a conference yesterday.

It may take a little effort, but this is a GREAT project!

That's the blog for today!

(P.S. It is raining something fierce here in Jersey. How about where you are?) ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/834-set-goal-try-something-new-today.html Just a little reassurance. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/833-just-little-reassurance.html Sat, 13 Mar 2010 01:51:44 GMT *This will be a quick one. It has been a busy week! I gave a presentation today, which always seems to take alot out of me.* *At the end of the... This will be a quick one. It has been a busy week! I gave a presentation today, which always seems to take alot out of me.

At the end of the day I was walking to my car in the rain. I was not familiar with this particular campus, which meant that one wrong turn adds about ten minutes of wet wandering where all parking lots look alike.

I turned a corner and saw a little bit of gold glitter above the cars.


It_was_my_Mickey_Mouse_Glitter_Antenna_topper_that _I_wrote_about_here.

There was something so nice about having a little beacon that let me know I was traveling in the right direction.

It was still damp and rainy, and I was still regretting leaving my jacket in the car that morning, but I had a little extra spring in my step once I was sure about where I was going.

And that's my blog for today! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/833-just-little-reassurance.html Chopping goals into little bites for easy chewing. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/832-chopping-goals-into-little-bites-easy-chewing.html Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:10:02 GMT To some people, I am a kind of Merlin who takes lots of crazy chances, but rarely makes mistakes. I've made some bad ones, but fortunately, the successes have come along fast enough to cover up the mistakes. When you go to bat as many times as I do, you're bound to get a good average. That's why I keep my projects diversified.
Walt Disney

I like this quote because, while I've never been able to accomplish what Walt could accomplish on his worst, laziest day, I do seem to be one of those who goes to bat enough times that I've hit a few runs.

A few runs with mostly misses AND a few of those face plants that leave anyone who witnessed it saying "THAT'S GOTTA HURT!"

Anyway, I've learned a few lessons from this blog project.

I think one of the biggest lessons is that goals can seem horribly oppressive if they don't have an end date that makes sense.

I think a goal blog would make more sense if it were a few months long, not a whole school year.

So, I would not necessarily call ths a mistake as much as a practice shot.

And to those who have stuck with it...

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!:thanks: ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/832-chopping-goals-into-little-bites-easy-chewing.html The progress that really matters http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/831-progress-really-matters.html Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:45:09 GMT Some of you may know I'm a school OT.

That means that every couple of months, I have to measure goal progress with my students.

We need to write these measurable goals when, in my opinion, the most important parts of the goals are almost impossible to measure.

Self-esteem, confidence, security, ability to handle a challenge, the belief that you have what it takes to try....I could go on and on.

Today one of my students showed decent progress on a fine motor scale as far as the numbers go, but the between-the-lines information meant more to me. With a proud Mom's permission, let me tell you what happened.

In September, he said he was worried that he would do something wrong and apologized for what he believed was poor work, and really had a miserable time.

Today, he sat straight, looked confident, and made jokes during the same test.

Well, the numbers didn't jump a whole lot, but, in my book, this one has made LEAPS AND BOUNDS in the direction of self-improvement.

I think when confidence improves, everything else naturally follows.

And that's my blog thought for today.:) ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/831-progress-really-matters.html <![CDATA[A project that's been brewing even after I stopped watching.]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/829-project-thats-been-brewing-even-after-i-stopped-watching.html Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:22:53 GMT I am VERY busy right now, but here is what I've been thinking of today.

I got a PM and an actual PHONE CALL from NeverBeenHopeToGo (AKA Daniel), a PassPorter member who visits once in a while here. This member frequents another "web place" that I started years ago, also on the topic of goals. It got SO big (over 400,000 hits) and the daily posts became so tine consuming, that I turned it over to a few of the leader-types when I came here.

Daniel also gave an update on my blog Here_at_this_entry .

Well, here's why I'm blogging about this. Four people who "met" online at that other site will be meeting up in FLorida for the first time, and Daniel wanted to let me know about it.

I almost feel like these are my children finding each other after a long life of being apart! How awesome!

I'd been talking lately about goals that sleep, are frozen, or keep brewing even though you are not attending to them.

Well, this is one of those situations, and it really made me smile.

Thanks, Daniel, for tracking me down and letting me know how the kiddies are doing. I am so deeply touched to be remembered!

And that is today's blog!

Nighty night! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/829-project-thats-been-brewing-even-after-i-stopped-watching.html It feels like a Florida vacation here. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/828-feels-like-florida-vacation-here.html Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:44:51 GMT "Here in Florida, we have something special we never enjoyed at Disneyland...the blessing of size. There's enough land here to hold all the ideas and plans we can possibly imagine."

Walt Disney

I don't know about you, but for me, this winter had me driving my dreams like I was learning to drive a stick shift with the parking break on. Start, stop, hop, screech, lurch, bang my head on the dash, grind the gears.

Spring is still a few weeks away still, but it seems to have come early here in Jersey. When Spring comes, everything seems just a little bit easier for me.

Even going to work out was easier without the coat. I didn't have to scrape the ice off the windshield and there was no shivering while I waited for the heat to warm the car.

I didn't have to brace myself for the cold when I walked out of the gym, either.

It reminds me of the way I feel when I visit Florida for a break from the cold. I know that Walt's quote was referring to the size of the land for Walt Disney World as opposed to the size of Disneyland, but if I could change that quote to suit me, I'd say this:

"Here is Florida, we have something special we never enjoyed in Jersey...the blessing of a warm sunny day in the dead of winter." That's one of the reasons I love to visit so much.

The break from the coats, scarves, mittens, snow shovels and heavy shoes is like a breath of fresh air that makes driving through the rest of winter easier.

Well, I didn't get to FLorida this winter, but the amazing weather of the past few days has me feeling the way I do when I first step out of Orlando Airport and turn my face up to the sun.

I hope you are enjoying nice weather where you are!

And that's today's blog! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/828-feels-like-florida-vacation-here.html Can you tune out the goal critics? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/827-can-you-tune-out-goal-critics.html Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:28:09 GMT "We are not trying to entertain the critics. I'll take my chances with the public."
Walt Disney

I think that Walt was wise not to try to entertain the critics. I'm sure he didn't mean to ignore wise counsel, but I suspect he was deciding not to try and please everyone, especially those who take a critical view.

I had a long talk with a friend over breakfast on the topic of our goals and dreams. On a less pie-in-the-sky level, we also talked about those things that we HAVE to do.

We realized that, usually, if you share plans with people, they will be quick to jump in and tell you what might go wrong. In a group, you might end up with five or six horror possibilities that are now in your head, even when it is impossible for all of them to happen.

We decided that we can politely thank the critics, consider what they have to offer, then tune them out.

There are some awesome people who may disagree or have a different point of view, then there are those who ALWAYS have a negative tidbit to toss into the mix.

I think being aware of the difference is important.

Do you have any critics? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/827-can-you-tune-out-goal-critics.html Amazing Goals Thawing http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/826-amazing-goals-thawing.html Sat, 06 Mar 2010 13:11:06 GMT The first flowers of Spring are popping up in my yard! I planted them and forgot about them. Today is a great day for sleeping goals! Go... The first flowers of Spring are popping up in my yard!

I planted them and forgot about them.

Today is a great day for sleeping goals!

Go Spring! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/826-amazing-goals-thawing.html The Independent Study School of Hard Knocks http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/825-independent-study-school-hard-knocks.html Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:02:34 GMT I have been up against tough competition all my life. I wouldn't know how to get along without it.
Walt Disney

There is plenty of competition to keep everyone on their toes, especially in this economy.

I think the competition is anything that competes with my ability to easily get those things that I'm going after. When I am up for the challenge, this drives me.

The truth is, though, the worst competition can be the competing thoughts or beliefs that exist inside my own head.

One of the benefits of blogging on the topic of dreams and goals every day is that it kind-of forces you to face the demons that try to tell you you aren't enough of whatever it is you are trying to be. The demons of doubt, fear, anxiety or lack of confidence.

Since I've committed to blogging every day no matter what, I've had to face the truth of the days when I don't believe in myself for one reason or another.

I think I've learned something that I didn't know when I started this blog project. I AM MY OWN WORSE COMPETITION!

I compete with myself when I get in my own way. I guess I never really had to examine these moments before because they are generally brief and easy to ignore after they pass.

But when I struggle to write something from a place of honesty when I'm feeling concerned rather than inspired, I pretty much have to look at that part of me.

And, now that I look from a place of strength, I realize that my inner competition is what punches me in the gut. Fighting back is what drives me to keep going and getting stronger.

My most challenging school of hard knocks is an independent study!

Do you have thoughts that compete with what you truly hope to accomplish? Is there something you might be able to learn from these thoughts?

Thanks for reading!:) ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/825-independent-study-school-hard-knocks.html A good day for goals http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/824-good-day-goals.html Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:32:19 GMT Crowded classrooms and half-day sessions are a tragic waste of our greatest national resource - the minds of our children. *Walt Disney*... Crowded classrooms and half-day sessions are a tragic waste of our greatest national resource - the minds of our children.
Walt Disney

I'm sure that this quote from Walt is hard to interpret, since it is out of context, but I can relate to this thought in the sense that education is often not helping our students to reach their goals.

Today, after a visit to the library computer room with the skilled help of the librarian, my whole class walked out with a draft of their citation page in the proper format.

They were actually excited! The cool college dudes especially surprised me when they exchanged high fives, whooped, and commented that they'd gotten through their entire high school education without ever doing a bibliography, reference, or a citation page.

It seems that high school teachers reprimand, take a few grades off, but the librarian commented that somehow alot of students make it to college without actually completing that last page of their term paper that lists their sources.

But today the WHOLE CLASS did it! We were both just as excited as the students!

I felt great all the way home.

I think that I am reaching in all directions to see just what it is that reaches people and inspires them.

Maybe some of the ways I've tried this year have fallen like a ton of bricks. Maybe some have worked for little bits of time.

But today I got to see honest excitement for something accomplished, and it made me feel like leaving the house was pretty worth it.

I doubt that today's lesson will change anyone's life or make any real difference, but there was something about the whole class moving forward, especially during the difficult parts of the job, that was wonderful.

Sometimes the best thing an education can do is keep you moving when you are ready to give up.

If my goal is to work with others with their goals, today was a good day!:)

And THAT'S today's entry! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/824-good-day-goals.html Goal buddies http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/823-goal-buddies.html Thu, 04 Mar 2010 01:54:27 GMT Today I got to listen to one of the counselors at work do an AMAZING intervention with a couple of students. I thought to myself, I wish when I was... Today I got to listen to one of the counselors at work do an AMAZING intervention with a couple of students. I thought to myself, I wish when I was growing up I had someone who could help me make sense of it all.

Later I had an energized discussion with one of my top goal buddies, Doreen. I walked away feeling like I had better clarity on what I want to do. It's great to have an executive business coach as a friend.

Then, over Sushi, I had a wonderful conversation, with my longtime friend Sal, and I walked away feeling refreshed and renewed. It's great to have a friend who is a teacher and a therapist.

It finally occurred to me...I am still growing up! And I have plenty of wise and caring people who keep me on the straight and narrow.

And, for that, I am very thankful!

And there's today's blog!:p ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/823-goal-buddies.html When the end of your goal is in sight...even if you are the only one REALLY looking. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/822-when-end-your-goal-sight-even-if-you-only-one-really-looking.html Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:25:40 GMT I'll be honest. It isn't easy to keep up with this blog goal at times.

Sometimes it feels the way I feel when I'm doing my exercise on the bike.

Well, I've come this far, so I may as well finish the last 15 minutes of the time goal I set out to accomplish.

Sometimes it seems as if it would be so easy to shave a minute or two off the time.

Who would it hurt, and who would know?

Still, lately, as I finish every minute of the goal I set out to complete on the bike, there is something that is " worth it" as the time clock zeroes out and I finish what I set out to do... without anyone noticing but me.

Well, here on this blog, it seems as if there are a few people looking on (THANK YOU!) and that makes it nicer, but I feel alot like I do when I'm at the end of my workout.

Who would know if I shaved a few minutes off?

I would!

So, sometimes in your goals, you have to depend on your own sense of momentum.

I think I'll spare trying to tie this into Walt's dreams or ideals. Anyone who can think of a tie, please go right ahead in the comments.

So, that is today's entry!

G'night! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/822-when-end-your-goal-sight-even-if-you-only-one-really-looking.html <![CDATA[It's March!]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/821-its-march.html Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:33:58 GMT I've just finished six months of my goal to blog every day for a school year. That means I only have three and a half months left!

Sometimes when you are going after a goal, it is good to mark your progress and take note of what is behind you and what is still ahead.

I've always been a big calendar crosser. I just LOVE to cross off the days that I survived.

I think it's also important, when pursuing goals, to make sure you rest up when you need it.

Today I need it, so :snore:. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/821-its-march.html <![CDATA[YOU'RE OK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/819-youre-ok.html Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:53:34 GMT Angie responded to_yesterday's_blog_entry_with_this:

(Here's Angie)
Thanks for the props Sandy! I can hear the music!
Some people have the ability to bounce back betyter then others. I think I have gotten stronger and the jumping up and shouting "I'm OK" is getting higher and louder everytime I have to get the strength to do it.
Which sadly seems more and more over the last while.
Over the last few crashes, I have found who is there to hear me shout "I'm OK" and who answers back "GOOD, we were worried about you".
I can confidently predict that in 2010, I will not need to shout "I'm OK"... I will just know I am, no one got hurt, it was close but no permanenty damage and hopefully scar free.



Posted Today at 10:07 AM by A.Daley

(Here's me)

Sometimes just getting through the day, let alone trying to pursue dreams and goals, requires a little help.

I'm thinking of Baby Karl's four year old sister who, while bowling yesterday, cracked her head on the score console. It was one of those LOUD bangs, then the tears. My instinct was to just hug her and say "You're OK! You're OK!" until the crying stopped. Then, Baby Karl's brothers were both having trouble matching their scores from last week. Again, to the pouting and tears, my instinct was to just say "You're OK!" to the other.

I can really relate to Angie's comment, being that we are both creative types who are having trouble turning our dreams into something that others would see as "grown up." (Of course, once when Angie and I discussed how the people who think we are wasting our time spend their free time, we decided we'd rather be us BUT, I digress!)

Over the past few months, Angie and I have both had our share of bumps and owies. I realize, though, that we've been there for each other, and we usually say some version of "You're OK!"

Actually, there have been many owie's from the regular readers who post here (all TWO of them!:p) and I think we have all cheered each other on. And, on the main boards, where there is more traffic, there are hundreds of people waiting to lend a helpful hand.

Sometimes it is great to hear a "your OK" from someone else, especially someone who understands.

So, for Angie, and anyone else who is getting a little bruised on the way to their goals and dreams... You're OK!!!! Get back up and keep going! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/819-youre-ok.html <![CDATA[I'm OK!]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/818-im-ok.html Sat, 27 Feb 2010 19:39:34 GMT I always like to look on the optimistic side of life, but I am realistic enough to know that life is a complex matter. *Walt Disney*... I always like to look on the optimistic side of life, but I am realistic enough to know that life is a complex matter.
Walt Disney

Sometimes looking at the optimistic side of life is tricky. There are so many illusions out there. A positive person will tend to process an illusion in an optimistic way, while a negative person will tend to process and illusion in a pessimistic way. When it comes to life's illusions, what matters is how you first process it AND what you do afterwards.

A few days ago, I experienced a situation that was similar to the SUV event in the parking lot situation that I blogged about a while ago. (I won't repeat it...it is here at this link.)

DISASTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This situation occurred while I was driving home from work in some questionable weather. An SUV (Yes, once again, an SUV!) was passing on the other side of a concrete divider, and splashed a wave of slush onto my windshield.

I was going about 60 miles and hour in bumper to bumper traffic with a wall of concrete to my left, and I could not see. In a split second, I was able to turn the windshield wiper on and, thank goodness, I had not drifted out of my lane.

My heart was pounding, and then I just told myself the truth of the situation.

Nothing happened! It was a non-event. Not a scratch, so shake it off and calm down.

And, right there and then, as quickly as the panic hit me, it left me. And then I remembered to be grateful.

I said my thanks and drove along, thinking about how often in life, my perception creates uncomfortable feelings for no good reason.

It might be a complete misunderstanding, like the SUV in the parking lot situation. Or it might be a potential disaster that passed by with nothing but a scare.

Sometimes being optimistic means calming yourself down and shaking off the near-misses or, in this case, the hits that didn't really cause any harm.

You know those situations when someone falls and jumps right up yelling "I'm OK!!!!!!!!!!" to show that there was no injury? Sometimes you have to say that to yourself!

And sometimes you have to pat yourself down just to be sure you are still all in one piece. Isn't it a great feeling when you have proof that you are fine?

I especially like remembering to be thankful after something like that happens.

I'm hoping that this potential tidal wave that Hawaii and CA are bracing for turns out to be the same sort of thing. I'm hoping it sweeps over without any event. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/818-im-ok.html Update on Baby Karl http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/817-update-baby-karl.html Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:33:13 GMT I've collected a few PMs and emails asking for upates on Baby Karl. The amazing fact is, there is nothing left to update. There are no physcial problems, no cognitive delays, no social issues, not even crankness or fussiness!

After a week of paralysis, all is well!

Here are some photos that Mom gave permission to post, just to show you!

And, thanks so much, those who checked up!


Here he is celebrating his first Valentines Day with his family.



Here he is hamming it up for the camera.

Here is the whole story:
http://www.passporterboards.com/foru...paralysis.html

AND HERE is my blog for today. My goal was to finish my blog, so, there ya go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/817-update-baby-karl.html Looking for good stories http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/816-looking-good-stories.html Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:27:48 GMT All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.
Walt Disney

It seems as if there are alot of struggles going around as people go after their goals and, in many cases, as people just try to get through the day.

I really wonder how many people actually believe that a "kick in the teeth" could be the best thing in the world for them, as Walt said.

Sometimes a kick in the teeth just feels like a kick in the teeth. And when "Ouch" is still in the air, it is hard to move onto looking at the bright side.

So, I'm inviting any readers who might be willing to post a story where a kick in the teeth turned into a good thing.

I hope to hear some good stories!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/816-looking-good-stories.html Guest blog from Mandy http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/814-guest-blog-mandy.html Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:35:01 GMT Today I'm reposting a great comment for a guest blog:



Really, sports teach us about life. While performance and success may seem like the most important thing, your character says more about you than anything. I think this is a fantastic post, Sandy, because I believe this is absolutely true.

Sharing a bit of my own personal experience if that is alright, I just recently finished my senior year basketball season. Now I had hoped that I would have a fantasitc year, having high stats and hopefully making the all-area team. However, when a team is not compatable, or even kind to one another, it is really hard for one individual to succeed, let alone the team. Well let me just say, the season did not end the way I would have liked it to. No matter what happened throughout the season, no matter how bad things were, I always remained above the situation and was positive. As a captain, it is most important to lead by example. Just today, my coach surprised me with a Sportsmanship award to be recognized throughout the conference. I am honored, and proud to see that others recognized that no matter how bad things were, I focused most on my pride and my character.

I think Evan Lysacek did a phenomenal job the other night and I was upset to see people trying to knock him down. The Olympics are about uniting as a whole, not about one-upping the next guy because you landed a quad and it was not in his program. I admire all the Olympic athletes who keep their heads high no matter what happens because that is the mark of a true champion.

:)



Posted Yesterday at 08:43 PM by mandy1627

(Here's me again)
I asked Mandy's permission last night to post this comment as a guest blog, but what is amazing is that, today, I found myself really thinking about my character.

What do I spend my time thinking about, what are my priorities when faced with a challenge or a difficulty?

Who have I become, and is that the person I want to be.

I know the theme of this blog is goals and dreams, and, since much of what I "become" evolves through the pursuit of my goals and dreams, I think it isn't too much of a stretch to make it fit.

Thanks, Mandy, for giving me something to think about. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/814-guest-blog-mandy.html Who are you? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/813-who-you.html Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:41:26 GMT I see 30 to 40 people visiting each day, and not leaving comments. I'd LOVE to "meet" you, whoever you are.

Could you just say hello here and let me know who you are?

I know that alot of readers don't want to commit to a goal, and that is fine.

Soooooooooooo, who are you???????????????? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/813-who-you.html You Can Fly!!!!!!!!!!!!! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/812-you-can-fly.html Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:08:28 GMT http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/ass...ng+wild+tricks

I've been blogging on setting goals, going after dreams, and being inspired since September.

Here's a video of one of my favorite personalities, Shaun White, taking an amazing victory run.

This reminds me of the Disney song "You can fly!"

He mya want a new name, but he'll always be The Flying Tomato to me!

And that's all I have to say about that!:p ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/812-you-can-fly.html My new self and my new health!!! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/maryel8775/811-my-new-self-my-new-health.html Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:53:22 GMT I am starting this blog to give my life a new perspective. I am almost 300 lbs and don't want to hit over 300. I want to be around for along time and be here for my 2 wonderful children.

Let me start by saying that they are not happy about some of the changes to our house.

Biggest change: NO MORE SODA!!!!!!!

Oh yeah they are not happy about this. And from now on when we go out if they want soda they can have caffeine free soda or just get juice or milk. My son is on the heavy side at 12yrs old too. He is over 200 lbs. and he has health issues as well so I want him around for along time too. I figure if I can be healthy then so can he.

I have started the Biggest Loser and Jillian Michael's Fitness Ultimatum 2010 for the Nintendo DS. I can monitor what I eat in the system there. I also became a member of the BiggestLoser.com and am working on making healthier recipes and changes in my diet.

The exercise is going slow at the minute due to back issues but I will persevere in this change. I have started a daily vitamin which helps with energy and metabolism so that should help too. It has enough caffeine in each vitamin to equal 1 cup of coffee so the caffeine shouldn't be too much of an issue.

I want to be able to walk around WDW and not be in pain and have more energy to really give my kids a WOW of a lifetime. So I will post later on when I get the results of my MRI. ]]> MaryEL8775 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/maryel8775/811-my-new-self-my-new-health.html A busy, busy day! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/810-busy-busy-day.html Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:05:20 GMT I always like to look on the optimistic side of life, but I am realistic enough to know that life is a complex matter. *Walt Disney*... I always like to look on the optimistic side of life, but I am realistic enough to know that life is a complex matter.
Walt Disney

This says it all!

That's today's blog entry! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/810-busy-busy-day.html Classy behavior while chasing your goals. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/809-classy-behavior-while-chasing-your-goals.html Sat, 20 Feb 2010 17:19:25 GMT Today's blog is a comment I wrote to yesterday's blog.

I know I'm spinning my own blog off topic, but................

Another rant about news commentators. (I'm not even going to mention this guy's name, because his Jerry Springer approach was an insult to the other fine commentators, and there is no such thing as bad publicity with name recognition. I'm going to call him Jerry Springer because it fits!)

The background in a nutshell:
Evan Lysacek wins gold without a quad.
Yevgeny Plushenko wins silver with a quad.

While interviewing Evan Lysacek, Jerry Springer presented some not-so-gracious comments from Yevgeny Plushenko, who suggested that Evan did not deserve the gold because he had not completed a quad. Now, I don't know about that statement and, since it was delivered to the press, of course it should be reported, BUT Jerry Springer used it to try to get a rise out of Lysacek during an on camera interview.

He presents some rather snarky comments to get a reaction.

Lysacek calmly said that he would not respond to comments taken out of context, praised Plushenko's skating, and said that Plushenko had treated him graciously, shaking his hand after the scores came in.

So, Jerry Springer says "It's clear, this has been a good experience for you, as it should be, and you've been very, very gracious, but I'm just going to run a few more quotes by here, because people are interested...I'm just doin' you a favor here! Plashenko goes on to say.................................."

Oh, what a nice friend, doing such a kind favor with no selfish motives at all! Lysacek needs to know this because Plushenko, at this moment, might be gathering his friends for a showdown out in the sandbox! And, after all, it isn't like anyone with access to a newspaper, internet, or television could find these quotes!

What's next? Asking for a DNA swab to see if Lysacek fathered the child of the woman in a tube top who is about to come out from behind the curtain?

I'm surprised he didn't bring Plushenko out from behind the set and get some shots of hair pulling and shouting before calling in security to break it up.

BAD, BAD, BAD behavior! Jerry, you tried to reduce the Olympics to a brawl, but the althlete was too classy for you!

This site has the Lysacek interview and Plushenko's comments. Video | Evan Lysacek Talks to Bob Costas | NBC Olympics

Plushenko is asked, while he is still in costume and out of breath. "Did you think you had done enough to win gold?"

Plushenko gives a response describing the scoring. Then the interviewer pushes. "Does it surprise you that the Olympic champion is the champion without a quad?" Plushenko 's first response to that was to say that it surprised him in response to the direct question.

I wanted to jump up and object because the question was leading the witness!

But that isn't the issue.



TACKY TACKY!

Good for you, Evan!

(This ends this particular rant!)

BUMP! (That's me getting off my soap box!) ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/809-classy-behavior-while-chasing-your-goals.html Laughter and tears. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/808-laughter-tears.html Sat, 20 Feb 2010 01:33:11 GMT For every laugh, there should be a tear.

Walt Disney

This quote has Walt Disney saying that for every laugh, there should be a tear. Now, I'm not sure if he even said it, but I'm not convinced that that HAS to be true.

But it sure does seem as if that is the way things turn out, doesn't it?

Not all tears are the same, though.

I've been watching the medal winners fight back tears as they stand on the podium, especially if their National Anthem is playing, and I wonder what might be behind the tears. Pride? Joy? Relief?

I saw a few tears as falls or spills took people out of the competition, adding insult or disappointment to injury.

I noticed some teary eyes before competing, and I wondered, is it fear or failing or falling?
I can't tell, but I try to imagine what the athletes feel before they push off into those moments they've been waiting for. I imagine that whatever they are feeling, it must be so intense that, for some, it seems overwhelming.

I try to imagine combining high stakes with physical danger, then adding unknown elements. It makes me nervous just thinking about it.

While I don't think there should be a tear for every laugh, I think that the tears sometimes mark those experiences that shape us. Maybe the tears signal that something important is happening.

That's all I have to say about that! Today's blog finished!

Can anyone add a point to this one? I'm all out!


Quote from http://www.quotesby.net/Walt-Disney ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/808-laughter-tears.html Great job, however you did it! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/807-great-job-however-you-did.html Fri, 19 Feb 2010 01:30:23 GMT A person should set his goals as early as he can and devote all his energy and talent to getting there. With enough effort, he may achieve it. Or he... A person should set his goals as early as he can and devote all his energy and talent to getting there. With enough effort, he may achieve it. Or he may find something that is even more rewarding. But in the end, no matter what the outcome, he will know he has been alive.

Walt Disney

I'm still mixing Walt Disney's ideals and philosophies with the Olympics. (Sorry, I can really get stuck on a theme sometimes.)

First of all, my goal today was to try to wrap my head around that spirit, courage, and drive of all the athletes I saw today, ESPECIALLY the ones who crashed.

Well, it was a really good day! I went into everything on my list with the attitude that I was going for the best I could possibly do, and it was awesome!

Now, putting that aside just a bit, one of the points that I like about Walt's quote above is the acknowledgement that, no matter what the outcome, TRYING and the resulting feeling of being alive is worth the effort.

I wonder sometimes when, during interviews, I hear comments that suggest that walking away from the Olympics without a gold medal somehow makes an athlete "less than". It really blows my mind when reporters will allude to the fact that a silver or bronze is, somehow, a loss.

HELLOOO! I had trouble getting picked for kickball! Just being picked to compete is huge to me! I'm impressed with every one of those athletes!

In real life, though, we can be influenced by the words or insinuations from people who might be giving us the message that whatever we've done is, in some way, not quite good enough.

I think this kind of thinking seeps into your perception like a bad smell. It can lead to the feeling that what has been accomplished is somehow not enough.

So, in an effort to stamp out the kind of thinking that might not have given you all the credit you deserve....

YAYYYYYYYYYYYY! Awesome!!!!!!!!!!Great job!!!!!!!!!!!Here's a medal!!!!!!!!!!!:thewave::thewave::thewave: ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/807-great-job-however-you-did.html Goals, Gold and Crashing! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/806-goals-gold-crashing.html Thu, 18 Feb 2010 03:04:06 GMT A person should set his goals as early as he can and devote all his energy and talent to getting there. With enough effort, he may achieve it. Or he... A person should set his goals as early as he can and devote all his energy and talent to getting there. With enough effort, he may achieve it. Or he may find something that is even more rewarding. But in the end, no matter what the outcome, he will know he has been alive.

Walt Disney

I love the emphasis Walt Disney puts on knowing that you are alive in this quote.

As I watch the Olympics it seems as if I've witnessed an endless string of snowboarders missing a landing, speed skaters sliding into walls, figure skaters falling on the ice and at the moment, the most terrifying examples of women skiiers wiping out on an icy course. There was even a death before the opening ceremonies!

I wonder if, after seeing the athlete before you wipe out, do they wonder, even for a second, if they should maybe just walk away?

But I guess that's why I'm just not Olympic material!

I just saw another wipeout where the commentator said the woman flew 190 feet before crashing!

OK, back to blogging!

With alot of goals, there will be that point where you stand at the beginning of a challenge that seems way above you, and you have to make the choice. Actually, I guess there are any number of possible choices at the turning point of a goal.

But these athletes and, particularly, these women are going right in there. I am just It is scary to watch, but it makes me wish I could have that same spirit! I wish I could be like Lindsay Vaughn and push through, even with an injury, to win the gold but I think I'll just enjoy watching her have her moment.

I can tell you now that I am not heading to Whistler with my skis any time soon, BUT tomorrow, I think I'm going to try to wrap my head around that spirit, courage, and drive of all the athletes I saw today, ESPECIALLY the ones who crashed.

It's great to grab the gold, but sometimes knowing how to keep from breaking your neck while crashing is just as important. Luckily, at least for tomorrow, I don't anticipate a whole lot of crashing! (Or at least I hope!):p

Quote from http://www.quotesby.net/Walt-Disney ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/806-goals-gold-crashing.html Hill coaches http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/805-hill-coaches.html Wed, 17 Feb 2010 01:40:10 GMT The Biathlon is an event that has a long track for skiing and several stops for target shooting. It looks like a huge test of skill but seems to be... The Biathlon is an event that has a long track for skiing and several stops for target shooting. It looks like a huge test of skill but seems to be testing endurance most of all.

One thing I noticed was that some of the coaches would wait at the hills, right at the point where the athletes would be most painfully challenged, and they would shout, cheer, and encourage up the hill.

It looked to me as if this helped the athletes to keep their spirits and momentum going.

Very smart planning for the coaches, and very lucky for the athletes.

That made me thing about the points in a goal, a dream, or just in daily life when it feels as if you are skiing uphill. Wouldn't that be the best time to have someone jump in and cheer you on, just when you have to hustle up that hill?

This makes me really appreciate the hill coaches in my life. They seem to pop up and cheer me on when I need it.

Do you have any hill coaches who can help you when you need it? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/805-hill-coaches.html Slow ice, blinding snow, and losing the gold. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/804-slow-ice-blinding-snow-losing-gold.html Mon, 15 Feb 2010 22:00:12 GMT I suppose my formula might be: dream, diversify and never miss an angle.
Walt Disney

Sometimes, no matter how well you've prepared, conditions beyond your control are going to get in the way.

The luge track was showing the effects of the sun and melting just enough to slow the athletes in addition to the modifications that were made for safety. One athlete commented that it was not fun anymore.

The Biathlon, an event that combines skiing and shooting, was a nightmare of injustice as the weather interfered with just about anyone starting at the middle of the race. You could see the picture go from clear skies to rain to the thick snow that seems to weigh you down. Then, as quick as it started, the skies cleared up. Tim Burke, who'd hoped for a medal, ended up finishing 47th, commenting to reporters that the race was unfair.

Melting snow, rain, sun...you name it! Conditions turned some events into a gamble. No amount of practice of planning could have prepared for all the angles of the weather conditions.

I've been thinking about the way sometimes you can be lucky and sometimes you can be unlucky. When it comes to most of my dreams and goals, I've been pretty lucky, but a very few of my dreams and goals have been unfairly interrupted or complicated, like those Olympic events.

Today, I'm spending time thinking about how I just can't ever have all my bases covered. Sometimes I just have to be that person sliding on the soft ice or trying to shoot at a target in blinding snow.

I've been thinking...could I keep my spirits up if I didn't get the gold? Especially if it isn't "fair".

I'm not real sure if I'm grown up enough to do it, but it seems like it would be pretty necessary in life! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/804-slow-ice-blinding-snow-losing-gold.html Do you have any Mogul Goals or Dreams? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/803-do-you-have-any-mogul-goals-dreams.html Sun, 14 Feb 2010 21:01:26 GMT I suppose my formula might be: dream, diversify and never miss an angle. Walt Disney I was watching the Olympic Mogul Skiing events and I... I suppose my formula might be: dream, diversify and never miss an angle.
Walt Disney

I was watching the Olympic Mogul Skiing events and I couldn't help but think about Walt's quote, especially the "never miss an angle" part.

I blogged a little about being too focused on angles, but the mogul skiiers have to quickly assess and react to every angle OR ELSE.

Well, maybe not every angle. They don't have to worry about the angles that are not in their path. I like those kinds of goals-the ones where you can stay focused because you know exactly what is important to consider.

There certainly is not a straight line from point A to point B, BUT there is no doubt which shadows, hills, and valleys are meaningful to the end result.

Those are the kinds of goals that let you get in "The Zone", that place, for me, that feels just great. It is the reason why I started to set high goals in the first place.

I'm thinking about some of those goals that are difficult to plan for and anticipate steps. I wonder if they might be easier to deal with if I visualized them almost as a mogul race, complete, of course, with the big jump!

I know where I want to end up, generally, I hope I don't break a leg or get a facefull of snow, and it would be REALLY cool to walk away with the gold!

But, the fact is, only time will tell. Even if I just make it to the end in one piece, I guess that is something, right?

Do you have any goals or situations that are like the moguls? How about any of the other Olympic events? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/803-do-you-have-any-mogul-goals-dreams.html Sit down tests and fighting fires http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/802-sit-down-tests-fighting-fires.html Sat, 13 Feb 2010 22:01:26 GMT I suppose my formula might be: dream, diversify and never miss an angle. Walt Disney Today I ran into an old friend. This is a woman with an... I suppose my formula might be: dream, diversify and never miss an angle.
Walt Disney

Today I ran into an old friend. This is a woman with an amazing story that includes adopting two sons and donating a kidney to her husband, but I'll gloss right over that to get to my point.

Her son who, by the way, saved the life of a choking woman before he was legally old enough to drink, is hesitating on taking a sit-down test for firefighting because he is not the greatest sit-down test taker.

Without skipping a beat, I suggested that she just tell him to sign up, study the manual, and take the test as a "practice" test.

I tell that to so many of my students to do that with tests, and it takes the edge off enough that they can at least try it and, often, succeed!

Sometimes, in order to move forward with a goal, it helps to take the pressure off. That doesn't mean do a sloppy job, but it does mean hitting print, clicking send, or making the choice to sit down and do something on the record.

So, that is what I'm thinking about today.

By the way, only about three and a half months left of the blog! I am more than half-way through my school year of blogging every day!:thewave:
]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/802-sit-down-tests-fighting-fires.html Blog or Sushi?? Maybe a little of both? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/801-blog-sushi-maybe-little-both.html Fri, 12 Feb 2010 22:35:28 GMT I suppose my formula might be: dream, diversify and never miss an angle.
Walt Disney

I really like this quote, so I think I'll be sticking with it.

There is yet another angle to the too many angles angle. (WOW! That is alot of angles right there!)

With any dream or goal, there is also an element of lack-of-control.

You can examine every angle for the moment, then, the angles can change in a heartbeat.

So, in fact, you never really can cover all your bases while planning, dreaming, or setting goals.

For example, I sat down to write this blog and a friend just called out of the blue and asked if I wanted to go for Sushi. I said yes and I have to leave right now.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOO, that means my time for this blog is done!

BYE!

Quote from http://www.quotesby.net/Walt-Disney ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/801-blog-sushi-maybe-little-both.html How do you get from point A to point B when there are so many angles? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/800-how-do-you-get-point-point-b-when-there-so-many-angles.html Fri, 12 Feb 2010 01:53:41 GMT I suppose my formula might be: dream, diversify and never miss an angle. Walt Disney There is a balance between leaving no stone unturned and... I suppose my formula might be: dream, diversify and never miss an angle.
Walt Disney

There is a balance between leaving no stone unturned and becoming a crazy person who turns stones all day.

When it comes to some goals, I can't say I've got this all figured out. I can sometimes get so turned around in all the angles that I hardly know what direction I'm going any more.

With other things, I can be like a lazer. Moving like a bullet from a gun and unwavering.

So here's what I'm wondering today...what's the best way to choose where and when I can get that great momentum and focus?

Any tips on that?







Quote from http://www.quotesby.net/Walt-Disney ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/800-how-do-you-get-point-point-b-when-there-so-many-angles.html SNOW DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/798-snow-day.html Wed, 10 Feb 2010 23:11:58 GMT Today was a great "catch-up" day for me. I got lots of paperwork done, and I didn't feel under pressure because this was like an extra day for me.

Did you have a snow day?

If so, what did you do? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/798-snow-day.html SNOW DAY!!!!!!!!!!!! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/796-snow-day.html Wed, 10 Feb 2010 03:10:55 GMT WHO HAS A SNOW DAY TOMORROW??????????

I love snow days! Do you?

Right now all my goals and dreams revolve around relaxing and "chilling" (sorry:p) on my snow day.

How about you? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/796-snow-day.html Just a minute................. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/795-just-minute.html Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:05:52 GMT The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” - Walt Disney How much time do you spend getting ready to get started when you are... The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” - Walt Disney

How much time do you spend getting ready to get started when you are working on something?

Maybe you are trying to talk yourself into it.

Maybe you are trying to talk yourself out of something you'd rather do.

How much time do you waste on just one more computer game, one last text, fifteen minutes more of a nap, just one more cup of coffee?

If you fit this profile...don't you think you could have been finished by now? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/795-just-minute.html Smokescreen and Mirrors in Bowling Alleys or Theme Parks http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/794-smokescreen-mirrors-bowling-alleys-theme-parks.html Sun, 07 Feb 2010 22:00:42 GMT When I started on Disneyland, my wife used to say, 'But why do you want to build an amusement park? They're so dirty.' I told her that was just the point - mine wouldn't be.

Walt Disney

When I first visited Disney World as a kid, I was enchanted without understanding why. Later that year, I took a trip to another theme park, either Hershey Park or Great Adventure. I had this vision in my mind of what it would be, and I was prepared for enchantment. When I got there, I'm sure it was fine, nut it was run down in places, in need of some care here and there, and just not as magical as the Disney in my mind. I get the same feeling when I go there, even today.

Now, to the bowling alley. You may remember that I've been bowling with Baby Karl's brothers and sister on Saturday mornings. The bowling alley is nice enough, I suppose, but it seems as if each day, a group of kids has a birthday party at the end of the alley. When this happens, they dim the lights for those lanes and put on these bright disco lights and other lighting effects that make those lanes just SPARKLE. You can see the kids and, I guess, the adults all looking over, then comparing the scene with their own lanes. I especially notice a certain look of envy on alot of the kids' faces.

Now they have the same lights on each bowling lane and, if they wanted to, they could light up everyone's lane, but I can see why they don't. If I were a kid, I might just want to have MY birthday there so I could have the special lane.

That is really the ultimate "Smokescreen and Mirrors" trick. Nothing different but flicking a light switch, and you have a whole different environment.

When I think about the Disney quote above, I see that Walt did not just have housekeeping in mind for his park. I discussed my thoughts on this in the parts of the project at the links here, so I won't repeat myself.

It seems like, lately, I live in a world of cutting corners and acceptable mediocrity. Companies package smaller portions and charge more, or maybe they use cheaper ingredients, but they spend money on marketing and packaging. Some companies (hello credit cards, banks, and utility companies!) don't even try to disguise the way they are willing to slap customers in the name of a buck, but try to distract the consumer into thinking the competition is doing it even more.

And, frankly, sometimes the people, places, and things I see seem run down and neglected that you can see no one is even attemping to create the illusion that something different is going on.

But I'm hoping that the one place that so many of us call our "happy place" will hold firm. I think because the quality is at the core of the training and the philosphy, that sloppiness of all sorts won't set in.

I think when something REALLY is different, you'll know you aren't seeing just smokescreen and mirrors. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/794-smokescreen-mirrors-bowling-alleys-theme-parks.html When You Hit it BIG! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/793-when-you-hit-big.html Sat, 06 Feb 2010 18:33:49 GMT This is a story that Walt Disney told once.

I met a guy on the train when I was comin' out. It was one of those things that kind of makes you mad. I was out on the platform - I was in pants and coat that didn't match but I was riding first class. I was making conversation with a guy who asked me, 'Goin' to California?' 'Yeah, I'm goin' out there.' 'What business are you in?' I said 'The motion-picture business.' 'What do you do?' I said 'I make animated cartoons.' 'Oh' 'It was like saying I sweep latrines.' 'Some people make you mad, and you want to prove something to them even though they mean nothing to you. I thought of that guy... when we had the premiere of Snow White.

This is for the artists, the writers, the dreamers, and the out-of-the box thinkers who are misunderstood and under-encouraged.

Just think about all the discouragers when you hit it big!:D

Quote taken from http://www.quotesby.net/Walt-Disney ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/793-when-you-hit-big.html Summoning the Lion on a Regular Day http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/792-summoning-lion-regular-day.html Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:37:22 GMT The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” - Walt Disney Today I want to wrap my head around what was probably the defining... The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” - Walt Disney

Today I want to wrap my head around what was probably the defining moment in the book I just published. The book is about Harold Gantert, an American Airman who spent a year in Stalag Luft III, a POW camp, for a year.

There was a defining moment which, I think, set the tone for the whole experience. When Harold's plane was flying its last trip, in flames and losing altitude, Harold had to jump.

I can't find the exact quote, so I will paraphrase here. I remember once reading something like There is no one so brave as the one who has no choice.

When Harold's plane was going down, he had to jump into enemy territory, a situation which would leave him alone because the men jump as the plane is moving, so they land in different places.

Harold helped a few of the injured out of the plane, so he was the last to jump. Can you imagine being alone in a plane that could explode at any minute over enemy territory? Now, there is a situation that does not leave a whole lot of time for mulling things over, strategizing, phoning a friend, doing an internet search for information.

It's just you, gravity, and reality.

I was talking last night with Baby Karl's Mom about_her_experience with Karl's sudden illness, which she and her husband handled with such grace and courage.

She took Karl to the ER by herself while her husband stayed with the other three children until I could get there. In speaking with her, I got the feeling that the moment when the ER doctor told her Karl would need to be intubated before his lungs shut down, she was like Harold standing at the threshold of his plane.

Nothing but a Mom, gravity, and reality.

The bottom two levels of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs cover survival needs (water, air, food, and sleep) and safety or security needs (freedom from physical, emotional, or economic dangers).

Both Harold and Karl's Mom faced a situation that could result in serious injury, consequence, or a death, but the situation had come to a crisis point that could not be ignored.

I think that when the lower levels of Maslow's Hierarchy combine with a life or death situation that demands immediate attention, the questions and fears that might slow a person down can be swallowed by this powerful lion that was there all along.

If situations don't call for immediate action, though, we can end up spinning, churning, dog paddling in the waters of indecision. We might end up drowning anyway from exhaustion because we couldn't figure out which direction to swim.

All the time, I hear people talk about how they work best under pressure. I have to admit that I, too, seem to be at my most efficient when a deadline is looming. Maybe that is because, when the pressure is on, we have no other choice.

Do you think you could summon your courage to move forward without fear, even though you may not have a crisis? How do you think such a choice might change your goals and dreams?





Bostwick, Sandra, and Jeff Edwards. From Reveille to Appell;The Story of an American Prisoner-of-War in World War II. Parsippany, NJ: UMCP, 2009. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/792-summoning-lion-regular-day.html Taking some time out http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/791-taking-some-time-out.html Thu, 04 Feb 2010 22:35:11 GMT Sometimes you just have to let the wheels come to a stop, kick back, and relax. Well, that is what I'm doing tonight. I wanted bread pudding - the ultimate comfort food and my friend (Baby Karl's Mom) wanted Sushi.

So I am off to a Sushi Bread Pudding dinner...and THATS all I have to say about that.

Have a fun night! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/791-taking-some-time-out.html Thinking circuits http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/790-thinking-circuits.html Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:47:48 GMT The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” - Walt Disney


I'm teaching a young person who is so full of energy and life. She has this creative spark and she loves to enjoy life and everything it has to offer.

BUT she just can't seem to pull it together to write a paper.

I have some students who can't figure out how to complete a big school project.

I could go on and on, but I will summarize by saying that a big percentage of my school caseload, my private practive, AND my college students get derailed at a certain point in a paper or project and they just can't move forward.

They get all caught up in some emotion that does not empower them and, before they know it, there is no space left for anything BUT that emotion that is not empowering them.

And so, they lose their power.

This is how so many of my students from preschool to adult crash and burn. They get a short circuit and lose power. Then, as far as the task at hand goes, they are in the dark.

Think of the electrical system in your house. If every time you plug five appliances into it, the fuse blows, you'll never be able to run those five appliances on that circuit unless you make some changes.

You can decide to plug things into other outlets, which can work UNLESS you need to run all those appliances on that circuit. Then you will just need to find a way to rewire so the circuit handles more, right? (And, of course, call a trained professional for that!)

But back to learning. If you break down with the same level of thinking or organizing or whatever it may be, you will have a rough time ever getting past that if you don't do some work at the source.

Do you have any rewiring that might help you get past your little breakdowns? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/790-thinking-circuits.html Blog Building Challenge http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/789-blog-building-challenge.html Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:30:28 GMT The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” - Walt Disney Theresa had an interesting question, then gave an example of a project... The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” - Walt Disney

Theresa had an interesting question, then gave an example of a project that grew beyond the boundaries of the original plan BECAUSE more talking occurred after the first stage of doing.



Question Sandy, What if you are in the middle of doing something and the light bulb goes off that your actions can be bigger/better than what you planned? There the action came first, then the talking.... When I fed the homeless in Miami, my actions spawned me doing more... At the time I only had enough food on me to give to two people, but there were at least 15-20 other people that were there.... I had to go back and get more food.... So, I ended up starting a foundation out of my home and a "soup kitchen" and made it a weekly committment to feed people and pass out personal hygiene items and clothes .... that went on until I moved.... but that one action created something... a lot of people got fed, people saw what I did, and came to help -which led to others being helped...and so on... Just a question, LOL.



Posted Yesterday at 10:04 AM by orionchika

(Here I am again!:))

What a GREAT example of creating a movement and inspiring others...which is why I started this blog in the first place.

This is pretty much our little secret here, but I'd like to throw out a challenge to the handful of people who visit regularly.

(This is in line with the new project that Jennifer started, the PassPorter PST team to spread the work about how great PassPorter is.)

I challenge you to see if you can attract one of two new people to this blog to participate in our discussions. One of the problems I've found is that some people find the registration process a bit daunting, you might help by sitting with them, helping them register, and helping them make their first post.

Maybe you can send the link in an email with a description of what the blog is and why you think someone might want to visit, and see if anyone stops by.

You can try PassPorters, but also let's see if we can attract a few new people to the community.

So, what do you think? Is anyone with me? Can you give it a shot? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/789-blog-building-challenge.html <![CDATA[Back to Walt's Way!]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/788-back-walts-way.html Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:54:13 GMT The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” - Walt Disney I like this quote, and I think this attitude explains why Walt was the... The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” - Walt Disney

I like this quote, and I think this attitude explains why Walt was the backbone of a magical movement that lives on years after his death.

I want to spend some time looking into this particular aspect of Walt's personality.

Let's first take a look at an important fact. With most projects, there MUST be some element of talking, or planning. There HAS to be that phase where you form the idea in your mind, hash out some details, and CREATE!

That, in fact, is the best part of a project for me. I love playing with ideas in my head and watching the associations and inspirations explode like sparkling fireworks.

It is like the adult version of twirling in circles for no reason but the fun of it! It is like being sent to the dessert buffet before you learned about calories! It is like that mood where you just giggle to yourself because you are so delighted you can't suppress it! Yes, playing with ideas is the Nirvana area in my mental sandbox.

Very often, though, I'm so happy and content with the after-sparkle, that the drive to move forward and actually do the work and create that project is not as compelling.

Oh, I've managed to finish so many things that people often ask where I got the time. If there is a hard deadline, a promise to someone who is depending on me, or someone acting as a task-master, I rarely fail. But so many great projects have never quite been finished, even when just a FRACTION of time put into dreaming could have closed the deal.

What bothers me is that, I believe, the most creative and unique projects are the ones that are left undone, because those are like hacking through jungle brush to create a new trail. It is hard work and a new surprise every step of the way.

And this is where someone like Walt Disney inspires me. He created the Personal Pixie Dust Mecca for countless people from his own mental musings. I wish he were alive so I could ask him just how he managed to keep himself and those who worked with him moving?

But, maybe we can just explore that in our own lives and try to learn from Walt's example.

Are you like me? Do you sometimes have trouble transitioning from talking to doing?

Today, I am going to spend my day trying to locate the mental switch that can get me there. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/788-back-walts-way.html Snapping Out of Paralysis http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/787-snapping-out-paralysis.html Sun, 31 Jan 2010 19:18:01 GMT Today was Baby Karl's first day back to church since the day after Christmas. He was a bright, alert, healthy boy that day. Then on New Year's Eve something did not look right. His quick thinking parents brought him right to the hospital where he was soon on a ventilator with tube feeding, completely paralyzed. I mean not able to move a muscle for any functional purpose. Even his internal organs were shut down!

A smart doctor diagnosed him with infant Botulism, most likely from something in the air someplace, and ordered this special vaccine called BabyBig, which had to be flown all the way from California to NJ. We all held our breath and waited.

Finally he got his shot and, like a miracle, everything started to turn around. His crying came back, he was moving, and finally the long awaited poop that told us his insides were working again.

It seems like we blinked our eyes and he was home laughing at his brothers and sister, eating his cereal, and being exactly the same amazing baby that he was before 2010.

Here is some more info about Baby Karl in past blogs.


Baby_Karl


Well, that got me thinking. Here was someone who was TRULY in a state of paralysis. I assume his cognition was intact through the experience, so he was locked in and probably wondering why he was working as hard as he could and nothing was moving.

And that got me to thinking even more...

How can this five month old little angel snap out of papralysis and move on like nothing happened? He isn't spending his time wondering if something like this will happen again. He isn't asking "Why me?" He isn't thinking "Well, there's a week of my life I'll never get back!"

Nope, he just had an event, experienced paralysis, and moved on like nothing happened.

That makes me think of a few "stuck" areas in a few goals or projects that have just not shown much forward motion. They have fallen prey to the spinning wheels phenomena that occurs from a combination of paralysis analysis and confusion. In some ways, like Karl, there was an event or, perhaps, a lack of an event, and my movement became paralyzed.

But COME ON!!!! The events that have left me stuck are NOTHING compared to Karl's life threatening illness!

But, instead of moving on, I start to think about it. I look for a lesson. I try and improve something. I reflect in hopes that I will avoid getting stuck ever again in my life.

And alot of things stay stuck!

OK, thinking and reflection can have their place, but sometimes you just have to get over it and MOVE!

Just for today, I am going to try and be like Baby Karl. I'm not even going to think about what may have gotten in the way of my movement in the past. I'm just going to MOVE and forget about it.

Just for today.

Thanks for the lesson, Karl!

And here is some info on infant Botulism.

http://www.infantbotulism.org/

Here is Baby Karl. Isn't he cute?

]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/787-snapping-out-paralysis.html THE ALBUM PHOTOS ARE BACK! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/786-album-photos-back.html Sat, 30 Jan 2010 21:20:11 GMT Today I'm thinking about how great it is to have a way to measure your goal progress. Sometimes it can be difficult to do this.

One of the projects that alot of PassPorters work on is posting photos on the albums in their home pages. We had a glitch in the system recently that replaced all the photos with BIG RED Xs! It was so disappointing!

One of our bloggers has been using these albums to mark her progress with paintings, and it was so disappointing to see nothing but big red Xs.

Well, the glitches have been fixed and we can see the goal progress now. See?

http://www.passporterboards.com/foru...paintings.html

And that's all I have to say about that! (Forrest Gump) ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/786-album-photos-back.html Friday is a great day! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/785-friday-great-day.html Sat, 30 Jan 2010 01:52:32 GMT Friday is such a great day! It is like the big reward for making it through another work week. Even though I have an early appointment tomorrow,... Friday is such a great day! It is like the big reward for making it through another work week.

Even though I have an early appointment tomorrow, there is something so great about a Friday night!

Of course, my early appointment is a choice. I'll be going bowling with three adorable kids! I could say that I am there to be nice and help, but the truth is that I'm there because it's alot of fun!

There is not a whole lot of difference between tomorrow's time with kids and my work time with kids. Both are fun, both are great ways to spend some time, BUT tomorrow I will not have goals.

Whenever I work, even if it is the most fun activity in the world, I always have to keep goals in mind. They may be goals in a treatment plan or in an individual education plan, but if I lose track of the goals for any amount of time, I'm not really doing my job.

Tomorrow I don't have an ethical responsibility to stick to anything except having fun with kids because I am not being a therapist. Even when I play at work-which, I have to admit, is most of my job- I still have to stick to a plan.

This daily blog is based pretty much on goals. I think, though, for the rest of tonight and for tomorrow, I am going to toss all the goals out the window and let the breeze blow wherever it will.



I wonder how THAT will go? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/785-friday-great-day.html Puzzle Goals http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/784-puzzle-goals.html Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:39:23 GMT Today I finished an extremely difficult puzzle at work. It is three dimensional and has a couple hundred pieces. I was working with some of my... Today I finished an extremely difficult puzzle at work. It is three dimensional and has a couple hundred pieces.

I was working with some of my older students on finding the flat edges first, finding the most obvious details for groupings, and generally being patient.

The puzzle took almost a month because we could only spend a little time each session.

I have to say that, in the beginning, I did not have a whole lot of faith that it would ever get finished. Little by little, though, more would get completed. On some days I'd come in and I could see that one of the other therapists had added some with another student.

This was not at all just a matter of sticking to it, though. This required serious thinking and problem solving. It required the sense to walk away for a while and decide to finish another day. The organization skills needed would challenge ANYONE.

But as more pieces were placed, the combination of more information from the framework combined with fewer pieces to sort through and helped make the choices easier.

I have a few goals that remind me of that puzzle.

Some goals are just plain complicated! They almost HURT to think about.

And the belief that they will never, ever be finished feels like a ball and chain on my ankle slowing me down and making the job of getting from point A to point B even more of a chore.

I've gone through quite a bit of my life dragging those doubts just like a ball and chain, but I think I'd like to cut them loose. They get in the way of breaking large jobs into small manageable parts. The doubts distract me from the actual task at hand AND they don't make me happy at all!

So, just for today I am cutting free from the doubts and spending my energies thinking about strategies , momentum, and sticking to a plan of action. Just for today, I will be unstoppable! An Army tank! A silver bullet! Just for today I will be perpetual motion AND a bag of chips!

Anyone want to join me?:p

(Disclaimer: This is a one day committment. Tomorrow we can all return to our comfortable glitches!) ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/784-puzzle-goals.html Blank Space http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/783-blank-space.html Thu, 28 Jan 2010 02:01:56 GMT I did this exercise where I managed to just clear my mind. Not think of anything. Just be Blank. It felt like a little Zen vacation. When I was... I did this exercise where I managed to just clear my mind. Not think of anything. Just be Blank.

It felt like a little Zen vacation. When I was done, it seemed like I was MORE focused and MORE clear than after all the thinking and mental manipulation.

Here try it! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/783-blank-space.html DISASTER!!!!!!!!!! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/782-disaster.html Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:36:23 GMT I went to pick up the next 100 copies of my new book. I was sitting in the parking lot and I believed I had my car in park when SUDDENLY the car... I went to pick up the next 100 copies of my new book. I was sitting in the parking lot and I believed I had my car in park when SUDDENLY the car started rolling at what appeared to be CRASH speed.:eek:

My heart skipped a beat, then pounded a few extra beats! My foot slammed on the brakes as I looked at the car parked just a few feet in front of mine. I instinctively reached for the stick to get the car back into park.

All of this happened in a split second.

And in that same split second, my brain processed something else.

I was not moving. The huge SUV next to me was backing out very quickly and, in my teeny, sporty little car, that SUV took up my whole field of side vision, giving the impression that I was moving.

It was so real that I FELT it, but it was not real at all. Just an illusion.

But my whole body was hyper-alert and full of panic.

It wasn't even the same as a near-miss accident, when your adrenaline pumps because you had a real fight-or-flight event.

It was all in my head.

I realize that many of my goals and plans have those same illusionary dramas. It feels like a huge roadblock is in the way or I think I see a reason why I should worry.

I reality, though, I've just lost my bearing.

Today I am going to really think about the illusions that are getting in the way of smooth and comfortable progress toward my goals. I hope you'll join me and let me know what you come up with! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/782-disaster.html Secret Fun! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/jelly77/781-secret-fun.html Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:02:05 GMT Its always exciting waiting for that special time of year when you know you are going on holiday to WDW. The majority of the world are on Facebook -... Its always exciting waiting for that special time of year when you know you are going on holiday to WDW.
The majority of the world are on Facebook - myself included along with most of the younger members of my family. Following the reading of my older Passport Deluxe binder, I remembered seeing a comment on giving little tips/fun facts with the kids lunches - although admittedly not sure if it was on a newsletter or within the Passporter itself!.
I thought I would use the idea and place WDW count down secrets as my status on a daily basis (some days double if I missed a post) to treat my friends and get the rest of my family ready for the fun weeks ahead :popcorn: ]]> Jelly77 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/jelly77/781-secret-fun.html My Disney Trivia Chat Goal http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/780-my-disney-trivia-chat-goal.html Tue, 26 Jan 2010 01:37:13 GMT I decided to set a goal to run the Trivia Chat on Sunday Nights here at PassPorter. Let me tell you, that is not an easy thing to do, but the... I decided to set a goal to run the Trivia Chat on Sunday Nights here at PassPorter.

Let me tell you, that is not an easy thing to do, but the people are so interesting that it is totally worth it.

There seems to be a half-dozen conversations going on while I am trying to keep track of answers AND do the math to keep score.

To me, that is major multi-tasking! Leading a chat with six to ten people at once is not easy, but it really is fun.

The internet creates so many different ways to get people together.

And now, I have to get back to work! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/780-my-disney-trivia-chat-goal.html Seasons in the Blog Box. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/779-seasons-blog-box.html Sun, 24 Jan 2010 18:50:29 GMT *I want to revisit an earlier topic* *Blank sheet of paper. * One of my favorite books ends with what first appears to be a blank page.... I want to revisit an earlier topic



Blank sheet of paper.


One of my favorite books ends with what first appears to be a blank page. There is a shadowy image of Mickey Mouse with his wizard hat and wand. The top of the page bears the following text:

"There are two ways to look at this blank sheet of paper. You can look at it as the last page of a book, or as the greatest opportunity in the world because nobody's put anything on it. That's the way we look at it, at Imagineering. Go ahead and use it to dream, create new things and let your imagination go.

Why not? Everything begins somewhere..."

What would you fill your blank sheet of paper with? Would you draw, write, or do something else?


Walt Disney Imagineering-A behind the Dreams Look at Making the Magic Real by the Imagineers-published by Hyperion in 1996.

This was something I posted back in November. Since then, SO MUCH has happened, and there have been so many blank sheets of paper.

There have been presentations, projects started, projects finished, goals started and goals finished.

Back when I wrote that, I was only a third of the way through my goal to blog every day for a school year, and NOW I am half way there!

Every time there is a blank blog box, though, I get a different feeling. Sometimes I come to the blank blog box without a whole lot of inspiration. Sometimes I come to the blank blog box with several ideas that I can hardly sort out.

At one point, I thought that I might write up a few entries in a word document and just cut and paste them in each day. I decided against that, though, because that is REALLY not blogging every day.
I think blogging every day is teaching me things about myself because there is a natural rhythm or timing that I was not entirely aware of.

For example, I blog differently at different times of the day. In the morning, I tend to be thinking forward, while at night I tend to be reflecting back.
I also have cycles that follow a clock of days or weeks. I kind-of pick up speed, go full force, then wind down for a rest before picking up speed again.

Blogging every day while trying to keep somewhat focused on goals, dreams, motivation or growth is revealing a seasonal or tidal quality to the way my life flows.

I have not quite figured out what to do with this information, but that is where my head is today, so THERE it is, filling the blank blog box.
Have you seen a seasonal or tidal quality to the way you pursue those things you want? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/779-seasons-blog-box.html Accountability Buddies http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/778-accountability-buddies.html Sat, 23 Jan 2010 23:06:16 GMT My friend and I are working on a weekly goal follow-up project. We set our goals in writing and have a Friday check-in call to see how things are... My friend and I are working on a weekly goal follow-up project. We set our goals in writing and have a Friday check-in call to see how things are going.

We both agree that this is very helpful, BUT it is a bit of pressure. I can see why people are hesitant to actually set a goal and then, even more hesitant to tell someone else.

I think, though, there is as much to be learned from discussing the goals that have fallen short as there is from forcing yourself to move forward.

Maybe you are trying to do too much. Maybe you are setting goals that are really someone else's priority. Or maybe there is some sort of block in the road that will have to be cleared.

Can you take just a moment to reflect on the goals that you've set for the blog OR just general goals you may have.

What is getting in the way? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/778-accountability-buddies.html Imagination http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/777-imagination.html Sat, 23 Jan 2010 01:49:53 GMT IMAGINATION!

I remember the first time I saw Figment in the original attraction in the Imagination Pavillion.

I walked out inspired. I mean INSPIRED! Somehow the attraction sparked something inside me that believed in ideas and creativity.

I LOVE that feeling when something new and exciting sparks an idea. That is usually my favorite part of a goal.

One of the best parts of my job is the freedom I have to make up fun and exciting activities. I'm having even more fun this year because I have a whole room to decorate at the school. Walls, bulletin boards, you name it! The creative part keeps me moving, and seeing something like a nice bulletin board with the kid's work gives me a charge of energy.

Are you infusing a spark of imagination in your goals or dreams? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/777-imagination.html New Things http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/kelly66/776-new-things.html Fri, 22 Jan 2010 02:19:38 GMT I am all about trying new things this year. I am trying to get going on Facebook. When I search for people I know it just does nothing. What do I... I am all about trying new things this year. I am trying to get going on Facebook. When I search for people I know it just does nothing. What do I do? ]]> Kelly66 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/kelly66/776-new-things.html Space Mountain with the light on. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/775-space-mountain-light.html Thu, 21 Jan 2010 23:24:09 GMT Space_Mountain_With_The_Lights_ON

Space_Mountain_With_Night_Vision

As a little kid visiting Disney, Space Mountain was one of my bigger-than-life memories.

This was before all the high-tech dreams became part of everyday life. I remember the beautiful white mountain-ish shape with the cool projectiles.

I'll admit that I was young enough that I pretended to be a real astrounaut as I buckled the seat belt. I really got into it. I have a vivid imagination to begin with, but give it a little something to work with, and I'm just dreaming away!

I remember this intense mystery, though...just WHAT does Space Mountain look like with the lights on? There were a few spots where I could glimpse something, but in general there was only darkness. I remember riding the WedWay People Mover and peering into the mountain as we went by, hoping to see some track. All I could see was the glow-in-the-dark marks on the cars as they sped by. Maybe there were some shadows. In general, no real sight of the tracks.

Well, here is a video of just that! It does not take away from the fun for me. It just adds a little more dimension to the image.

I also had a habit, as a kid, of closing my eyes and trying to remember the Disney attractions when I was back home. Of course, so many of them got jumbled or simply made-up, but I think I stayed pretty true to the basics.

I never imagined that, one day, the technology would exist where I could view almost ANYTHING online, including Disney Attractions.

And, so, my goal for this blog is to maybe show you something you may not have seen before. Did I succeed? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/775-space-mountain-light.html My Blog http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/kelly66/774-my-blog.html Thu, 21 Jan 2010 22:32:47 GMT Just think, an old lady like I am blogging!:D What is a blog? I figure I have to do this since I am going to be in the DCP Spring Advantage... Just think, an old lady like I am blogging!:D
What is a blog? I figure I have to do this since I am going to be in the DCP Spring Advantage 2010.:cool: ]]> Kelly66 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/kelly66/774-my-blog.html You guys make this worth it! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/773-you-guys-make-worth.html Thu, 21 Jan 2010 01:21:53 GMT I've had a string of very busy days. The kind of days that leave you tired and you are still not finished.

So, today I signed on to write my daily entry with no clue where to start. And when I signed on, I saw comments! Lots of comments!

And as I read them, I thought to myself "Wow! These are awesome comments, here!"

Some days I have lots of time to blog. Some days I hardly have time to think. But signing on and seeing you guys reading and chatting...

That has made my night!:D ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/773-you-guys-make-worth.html My Mickey Mouse Car Antenna Topper http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/772-my-mickey-mouse-car-antenna-topper.html Wed, 20 Jan 2010 03:44:12 GMT I have a gold Mickey Mouse car antenna topper. It used to be on my friend Liz's car. When Liz died, I ended up with it.

I'd had a Mickey on my car, but Liz's Mickey had a bright gold tone to it. It is nice and sparkly. Sparkly trumps pretty much anything in my book!

So, I passed my non-sparkly Mickey on to someone else, and Liz's Mickey has been on my car all these years.

I can see it sparkle from the window in my school office whenever I look down into the parking lot. What is really special about it is that, when I can't quite recall where I've parked my car, I somehow always manage to spot the Mickey. It always helps me figure out where I last left the car.

And I really like that! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/772-my-mickey-mouse-car-antenna-topper.html HEEEEEEEEERE WE GOOOOOOOOOOOOO! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/770-heeeeeeeeere-we-gooooooooooooo.html Tue, 19 Jan 2010 02:05:50 GMT Expedition_Everest

Front_Row_yeti

You know that feeling when you are at the top point of a roller coaster and the motion slows almost to what seems like a stop before...............................:jawdrop::eee k::help::dizzy:

Kind of like the attraction above. It is the strangest feeling isn't it? You kind-of just wait there, all strapped in and no place to go.

Sometimes when a whole bunch of goals start rolling towards completion at once, it can feel like that to me.

I reminds me of the time I rode Expedition Everest nine times in a row with a full stomach. I was taking advantage of the single rider line so quickly that I hadn't even had time to register how much I'd already taxed my system.

So many things to do, and a head hunter called with what sounds like a really fun and interesting opportunity which, by the way, could not possibly fit in with everything.

Moderation...

It is an easy lesson to learn with roller coasters.

Not so easy when you have to pick and choose from an amazing array of exciting goals, dreams, and projects.

I am pretty sure that, if I ever have the opportunity to jump on Expedition Everest nine times in a row again, I'll know when to say when.

Well......... We'll see! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/770-heeeeeeeeere-we-gooooooooooooo.html Just got finished with Disney Trivia Blog http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/768-just-got-finished-disney-trivia-blog.html Mon, 18 Jan 2010 03:53:37 GMT Trivia ran two hours tonight and I am doing my daily blog to say I am TIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:dizzy: I got nuthin! Trivia ran two hours tonight and I am doing my daily blog to say I am TIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:dizzy:

I got nuthin! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/768-just-got-finished-disney-trivia-blog.html Future Blogs http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/jelly77/767-future-blogs.html Sun, 17 Jan 2010 23:40:00 GMT :welcome: to some of my many idea's

Following on from my previous blog, I thought I would :type: notes for my future blogs.

1. I wanted to review my thoughts for each park and maybe pay particular attention to specific attractions I've been on/seen between my childhood and then again years later with my own children as an adult. Their appeal, changes etc. Within this idea there are many sub blogs that I can expand on.

2. Post on what 'we' do when we first start to whittle down on what attractions we will visit/ride in each park - spreadsheet applicable :smirk:

3. What tips I've picked up from reading my 2008 passporter addition and what I/we use.

Ideas ideas.... from here I think I will have this particular blog as an open update on achievement :cool: When I have a new idea it will be updated onto this blog. When I complete an idea it will be ticked-off in some way - maybe with a link to that particular blog.

Its time for my sleeps :snore: now, so I bid you goodnight :bye: ]]> Jelly77 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/jelly77/767-future-blogs.html Blogging! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/jelly77/766-blogging.html Sun, 17 Jan 2010 23:12:11 GMT When I was laying in bed last night I had many ideas on what I was going to write on my next set of blogs. Following a nights sleep I can't remember a single thing :foreheadslap:; well at least nothing enough to create a worth while piece on!

Instead, for today I'll give you a small summary of events that was my Sunday :)

Following yesterdays fiasco of shelves being put into my Daughters bedroom it was inevitable that I would at some point have to start helping her put all those new Xmas toys/gifts on them. So the majority of today was spent re-positioning books and the likes on the lower shelves and re-positioning the older height adjustable shelves for the plastic tubs.

I might diverse slightly but bare with me!
:thanks:

You could say I'm one of those people who like things in their rightful place and neat. Don't get me wrong - my house can be like a bombs hit it :smash:, the majority of the time and thats what you get from having two young children; but when I do go into tidy mode, I go to town! Every kind of toy has its own specific tub. One for lego, another for puzzles, Disney speed cars, ordinary cars, Power Rangers, Barbie, Polly Pocket... etc.. so my day of arranging this particular bedroom is only 1/3 complete and will drag into another day or two!

But back to the point... ;)

Apart from the above and the usual weekend mundane task of clothes washing/drying - I've popped onto Passporter to see if I can sort out settings and work out what does what.

I can't get my pictures to show (and I have now posted my thread to get advise), although in my posting rules in the left column it shows as 'HTML code is Off' - not sure if that has anything to do with it but we'll see :(

I've created this blog as draft and yet when popping off for a moment it seems people can still view it - at least I think? I would have thought, a draft is not accessible until fully posted - is this not the case?

I've changed my blog notifications to instant email and notice that some emails are being sent for each amend to a blog - I think! :confused: but again I'm not sure.

Please all, do tell me if I've got something set-up wrong and you are being bombarded :help: because that, I think would get slightly irritating :D

I have so many things rattling in my head that, now, I seem to have finished up typing a random blog of nothing. Lets hope the next blog has a little more structure and meaning :dizzy:

Anyhow... I'm going to post this now and will have to amend my categories for this blog so it might send another notification :rolleyes2: - to which I roll my eyes at my ignorance of all the settings and their meaning and not the site!

Have a happy day ]]> Jelly77 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/jelly77/766-blogging.html What Derails Your Dream Train? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/765-what-derails-your-dream-train.html Sun, 17 Jan 2010 01:45:12 GMT qesue made this comment about an earlier blog entry: I love this question and try to remember to ask it frequently. I have to admit that I am a... qesue made this comment about an earlier blog entry:

I love this question and try to remember to ask it frequently. I have to admit that I am a person who can get so caught up in the details that I sometimes forget to see that all of these small things make up a big beautiful picture. Knowing this, however, helps me to step back and appreciate all that is around me.



Posted Today at 07:36 PM by qesue

(OK, here I am again)

I love the way that qesue, AKA Sue, shows the value of knowing your weak areas and adjusting so they don't cause problems.

One of my favorite sayings is "Hug your demons so they don't bite you in the @$$!"

Getting caught up in details or missing the big beautiful picture can get in the way of any project, but there are a million other little "glitches" that can derail your dream train.

Some of them are practical, like the resources of time, energy, funds, space, help, education, or knowledge.

Some are emotional like fears, doubts, motivation, or blocks.

What are the glitches that might derail your dream train? Can you come up with a plan to stay on track? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/765-what-derails-your-dream-train.html Walt Disney http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/jelly77/764-walt-disney.html Sat, 16 Jan 2010 23:43:45 GMT Today was a day of education on Walt E Disney, Roy O Disney and Roy E Disney. I :read: through the pages of a site not formaly known for being... Today was a day of education on Walt E Disney, Roy O Disney and Roy E Disney.

I :read: through the pages of a site not formaly known for being factually correct 'Wikipedia' it was definately informative and wet my appetite for further information.

I especially like the enthusiasm of the young Nephew who on two occassions started up 'Save Disney' which (hoping is true:question:) put a warm glow in my heart and made me ever more interested in the Disney Corporation.

Fully wetting my appetite, making me :hungry: for more; I will definately be making that additional leap and going into 'One Man's Dream' at Hollywood Studio's this year! One place on previous visits we have decided to bypass with our children due to their age. I don't see why my eldest definately won't enjoy learning a little about Walt himself giving the inspiration so many of today lack!

Heres to great, ethusiastic, memorable, remarkable human being - a true :angel: in all our lives - to WALT DISNEY :toast: ]]> Jelly77 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/jelly77/764-walt-disney.html The sunrises and sunsets http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/762-sunrises-sunsets.html Fri, 15 Jan 2010 20:45:17 GMT Theresa said: Image: http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/customavatars/avatar31237_1.gif ... Theresa said:




YOU are running(Forest) your life's race.... NO ONE can run that for you.... We can support you and hand you water and wipe your brow along the way - but the race is your own.... so when you cross that finish line.... what have you seen along the way.... did you notice the sunsets/sunrises? The flowers, friends, the walls hit, the hurdles jumped??? What will your memories look like when they are rewound????



Posted Today at 06:55 AM by orionchika

(Here I am!)

If you are trying to accomplish goals or just getting through the day, that is such an important issue to consider. I'm going to let that thought stand on its own except to ask.

Are you noticing the sunrises and sunsets? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/762-sunrises-sunsets.html PassPorter 2010-a goal in print http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/761-passporter-2010-goal-print.html Thu, 14 Jan 2010 23:29:31 GMT Today I got my PassPorter's Walt Disney World guide in the mail. I'd already seen if on bookshelves at Barnes and Noble, but, somehow getting my own guide copy in the mail is special.

As I open it up I see the familiar faces of people I've met in real life. I see the faces of people I've "met" online, or I see familiar names alongside photos. I love the photos at the end the most, kind-of like a family photo album. I especially love the photo of our NYC meet, where we were in the middle of Times Square.

The description on the cover says The unique travel guide, planner, organizer. journal, and keepsake.

Well, I have to agree with that. I think what was so unique is the number of people it took to create this book. I wonder how many PassPorters it takes to create an edition? How many tips were sorted through to find the ones that made it into the book? How many photographs were submitted? How many pairs of eyes, ears, and feet were needed to get the information up-to-date?

I think it is a real example of setting a lofty goal and making it happen. The best thing about this goal, though, is that it manages to include SO many people in so many ways, and it STILL got finished!

I bet Walt Disney would be impressed with the way his goal to create a unique theme park spun off into so many other goals, with the PassPorter books being just one of them. Some organizations spun off the theme parks to help kids with terminal illnesses have a vacation. There are organizations that collect Disney trading pins. I can't even name them all. It really is amazing.

But let me get back to the PassPorter books and goals. I'm sure these books started as a dream, which is really just a fluffy term for a lofty goal.

So many people (myself included sometimes) can be afraid to set a lofty goal or commit to a dream. It is easy to get discouraged when so few people really put time into their dreams. Unfortunately, many of the non-dreamers feel that it is their obligation to remind the dreamers that their goals are inappropriate. Dreams, in many ways, are not considered to be practical. Or. perhaps, it is self-indulgent to pursue dreams when practical options might be a little more of a sure thing.

But dreams start someplace. I'm sure before Walt created the theme parks, there were those who thought he was just a dreamer. I wonder if there were some raised eyebrows when Jennifer and Dave first told people their plans to create travel books of this nature.

I think the reactions or raised eyebrows from others can slow us down, especially if they become a part of our own thinking.

But I don't want to be slowed down, especially by my own thoughts. Some of my goals have not been met the way I'd hoped, but at least I kept at it. There may be people who think I'm wasting my time with some of the projects that I'm trying. For example, blogging every day for a school year might seem silly to some, BUT I'm doing what I set out to do. Who knows if just one of these blogs helps one person in a way that I'll never discover? Or maybe the person who learns the most from this will be me!

But back to the 2010 PassPorter. I'll bet that started with a goal that became a daily routine until something was completed.

I met Dave and Jennifer once, and they are normal, typical people. JUST LIKE ME! But they've managed to create a shelf full of books, not even counting e-books and the message board. All I know is that everything has to start someplace.

Normal people creating something special and making something happen. I want to be like that!

Can you shake off the doubters, the critical voices, the party poopers and THEN can you shake off your own negative thoughts to fearlessly pursue something new? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/761-passporter-2010-goal-print.html Feeling better! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/760-feeling-better.html Thu, 14 Jan 2010 02:43:24 GMT I think, after a good nights sleep, I should be better tomorrow. This is a short one because I am really tired, BUT I want to thank everyone who... I think, after a good nights sleep, I should be better tomorrow.

This is a short one because I am really tired, BUT I want to thank everyone who checked in. You guys are AWESOME!

Thanks SOOOOOOO much! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/760-feeling-better.html Achoo Achoo http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/759-achoo-achoo.html Wed, 13 Jan 2010 01:20:42 GMT I suddenly have come down with a cold! It was like flipping a sneezing switch. I have plenty that needs to be addressed and can hardly focus for the... I suddenly have come down with a cold! It was like flipping a sneezing switch. I have plenty that needs to be addressed and can hardly focus for the sneezing.

What do you do when you have a cold and you still have a bunch of things on your list?

Totally random, but this is a live webcam inside a bear den. This bear is not worried about getting things done. She is just snoozing. P.S. There are cubs in there with her.
http://www.wildearth.tv/static/bearden

(OK, that is the best I can come up with! Give me a break! I have a cold!):lonely: ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/759-achoo-achoo.html Illuminations 2000 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/758-illuminations-2000.html Tue, 12 Jan 2010 02:54:15 GMT "Every day we're alive on the planet is special. Every morning brings a new opportunity, a chance to move forwards, to experience new things, to better ourselves, to grow together as people. In Reflections of Earth, not only are we looking back at our history and our planet, but we are reflecting on the things that we have done and how far we've come. And we have to contemplate the future, we haev to realize that we are responsible for making each day as bright and promising as we can."

Illuminations 2000


Don Dorsey, creator and show director of Illuminations 2000: Reflections of Earth.


Quote from p. 51
Brandon, Pam. Making the Millennium; The Celebration of a Lifetime at the Walt Disney World Resort. First ed. New York: Roundtable Press, 1999. N. pag. Print. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/758-illuminations-2000.html Because I said so........... http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/756-because-i-said-so.html Mon, 11 Jan 2010 01:21:07 GMT There had to be an emotional connection, something that guests could react to, something that touches them. John Haupt, Managing Producer Tapestry... There had to be an emotional connection, something that guests could react to, something that touches them.
John Haupt, Managing Producer Tapestry of Dreams



I'd never watched the Tapestry of Dreams parade, later called Tapestry of Nations, without having a strong emotional reaction. The parade has not been available for years, but I remember it like it was yesterday.

Look and see!
Tapestry_of_Nations

Tapestry_2000

When I exercise, I listen to the music on my Ipod, and it just energizes me. I can almost see the floats and giant puppets going by in my memory. If the objective was to create an emotional connection, they had success with me.

Actually, the whole Walt Disney World Millennium Celebration CD keeps me moving. It starts with Reflections of Earth, the exciting Epcot fireworks exhibit, and includes several other selections that keep me motivated to finish.

My exercising has nothing to do with the music I choose to listen to that day, but I can tell you that if I'm not listening to something that gets me going, I'm not going to have a great workout.

So, that got me to thinking...what is it that connects me emotionally, that motivates me to keep going and work to finish a goal?

To be honest, I'm not sure I have the answer to that at the moment. For some goals, the answer for why I need to do something is "because I'm supposed to do." For some goals, the answer is "because I said I would", "because it's my responsibility", or even "because nobody else will do it".

Those reasons don't connect with the same feeling as some other more exciting reasons. Sometimes they can feel like the "because I said so" that your inner parent tells yourself while your inner child is screaming "But it isn't fair! I want to play!"

I guess the fact is, those non-sparkly reasons I mentioned above can be good reasons to settle down and work on goals, or parts of goals, that you'd rather not do if you could avoid it.

Are there any activities that you've been avoiding for one reason or another? Is there anything that might change your way of thinking and get you motivated to do them?




Quote from p. 10
Brandon, Pam. Making the Millennium; The Celebration of a Lifetime at the Walt Disney World Resort. First ed. New York: Roundtable Press, 1999. N. pag. Print. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/756-because-i-said-so.html It snow joke its almost gone! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/jelly77/755-snow-joke-its-almost-gone.html Sun, 10 Jan 2010 21:54:10 GMT :cool: A huge hello from one crazy gal to my new mad passporter family. :type: This is my first post and lets hope the beginning of many and not the... :cool: A huge hello from one crazy gal to my new mad passporter family. :type: This is my first post and lets hope the beginning of many and not the end!

You might look at the title and think 'whats that all about?'; well if you've been watching the world :news: (assuming majority of you living in the :usa: - although for us Brits there's no getting away from it) you'll have noticed that the UK has been hit by what is called the 'BIG FREEZE' :eek:. The last known occassion of such a spread of bad snow fallage and freezing temperatures for a week+ was back in 1963/4 and lasted from Dec through to March.
Now some of us here in the UK, well majority moan if no matter what the weather! It can be :rain:, sunny, windy, or icy and somewhere someone will :cry2:.
But less about us Brits and more about the subject of snow...
I've waited for years for enough snow fall to last a good few days and this last week my wish has come true. Albeit it only lasted a week and I prayed for more but :no it wasn't to be. Last night we were told we'd get another 5-15cm but nothing materialised and today the temperatures rose enough for it all to start melting.
So, for some, they are pleased; and don't get me wrong, it has caused a lot of disruption to the roads, shop supplies, schools etc - but for me, myself and I - I would have :love: a lot more.

Now, I'm not sure if this is the sort of thing you expect to be posted on a WDW Passporter blog but would assume, not having read any others as yet; that you can not ONLY post about WDW but the life of those living the dream?

On a plus note: having got half my wish, my next adventure is back in the forefront and my 2010 Disney trip :woot:is towards the top of my listing, in running with house work, caring for my children, sorting out the garden etc.. usual mundane stuff :D

I hope you come back for more of ME :blushing: but for now I say goodbye. :wave: ]]> Jelly77 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/jelly77/755-snow-joke-its-almost-gone.html Entertainment Value http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/753-entertainment-value.html Sun, 10 Jan 2010 03:12:08 GMT Walt Disney pretty much dedicated his life to entertainment. To some, that might be trifling, but I've always thought that was a great mission.

Today was just another day that supported that belief.

Today I went to see Alvin and the Chipmunks 2 with Baby Karl's two brothers and sister and his Grandma. Before I go on about the entertainment value, let me tell you, it really does take two adults to take a four-year-old, a six-year-old and an eight-year-old to the movies. From the coats, scarves, and hats to the movie treats, it is a real thrill-a-minute.

But, I digress! This movie was pretty much just entertainment. No real lesson to be learned. No deep plot. BUT, what fun it was to watch these kids be entertained.

They bopped and danced in their seats. They laughed and cheered. Their Grandma and I had more fun watching the kids than the movie.

This was not a Disney movie, but that is what is on my mind, I had a blog to finish, and here it is! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/753-entertainment-value.html Reframe and stay in the game! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/752-reframe-stay-game.html Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:19:26 GMT I was thinking today about how some goals seem so hard to reach. Others get crossed off the list, but they are lacking something. Sometimes... I was thinking today about how some goals seem so hard to reach. Others get crossed off the list, but they are lacking something. Sometimes accomplishing the things on the To-Do list can seem like such a roundabout chore.

THEN, I took a closer look at this entry from Todd.

Tood Posted:




Well to me Being in a wheelchair has a lite side to and a dark side to it. The dark side if my chair battery goes out or I get stuck in a hole hoping someone come by to help or don't transfer right to one chair to another it become a nightmare. Also the way people treat you if you are with others.

Then the lighter side is getting in my own line at WDW or DL, nice parking place, and I don't get tired as quickly if I'm zooming around.

The only place that there is advantage and disadvantage at the same time is in air traveling, one I get to go on the plane first then get off last hoping there is a chair for you waiting. They either bring your own chair to you or have something happen to it make you wait in the baggage claim area. But it is the challange that keep me going and good things always come out of the dark moments.

The Davy Jones ship Makes the Dream ship look even bigger and mightier. But the DJ ship look as it could do some really bad damage to a big ship like that.



Posted 12-28-2009 at 10:27 PM by TNTWheels
Updated 12-28-2009 at 10:55 PM by TNTWheels (correction)

(Me again)
WOW! Todd, what a way to reframe your thinking. We discussed reframing earlier here.
MrWizard,MayIHaveSomeCourage

and here

ReframingNegativeThoughts

. I won't repeat myself, but I'd like to take a reframing break before we dive into the final half of our school-year-long-blog project.

Todd's reframe dealt with looking at the lighter side of being in a wheelchair. Todd mentioned in an earlier comment that he is stuck in his apartment because his wheelchair does not handle the streets well in the rain or snow. When the weather improves, though, he is off and wheeling again.

Sometimes limitations like time, energy, focus, resources can slow down the goal process. Sometimes thoughts will keep you as stuck as when Todd waits for someone to come and help him get his chair out of a hole.

Can we take a moment to examine just what is it that keeps us from moving AND what conditions make that worse?

I'll go first. And, THANK YOU, Todd.

(P.S. remember, if you PM your answers to me, others won't be able to learn from them! Please post here if you can.) ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/752-reframe-stay-game.html Goal Roundup Time http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/751-goal-roundup-time.html Fri, 08 Jan 2010 03:44:39 GMT In a few days, we will be mid-way through our school year of blogging toward a goal. I know that setting a goal and sticking with it can be a... In a few days, we will be mid-way through our school year of blogging toward a goal.

I know that setting a goal and sticking with it can be a hard thing to do, and I think maybe that request is scaring a few people off.

STILL, I'd like to stick with those goals if we can, without turning away any readers who may not want to work on a goal.

I'm curious...for those who are working toward a goal, has this blog helped you in any way? How?

Do you need to update your goal? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/751-goal-roundup-time.html Guided by a vision http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/750-guided-vision.html Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:53:26 GMT It was Walt Disney's dream that Epcot be a place always guided by a vision of the future. This is why the most important letter in the name 'Epcot" is the 't', for it stands for 'tomorrow.' So it seemed only fitting that Epcot should be the setting for the ultimate celebration of tomorrow as we greet the millennium.
Michael D. Eisner

Only 20 minutes left of this day, and I was so busy being guided by my own vision, that I forgot to blog.

Sometimes it is hard for me to stay grounded because the 'T' in my 'today' stands for 'tomorrow.' So, somehow, when I am on a roll, I am never quite in today.

OK, I know that is totally un-Zen in many ways, BUT if you look at it in a different way, it is completely Zen.

A Zen sand garden, for example, comes with it's very own rake to keep changing the shape and pattern of the sand. Well, THAT does not sound much like being still in the moment, does it?

Tibettan Monks create these elaborate sand paintings that get destroyed almost as soon as they are completed. That sounds like embracing the lack of permanance in the moment to me.

Celebrating tomorrow keeps you from being stuck in the routines of the present day. I think that was why Walt Disney was such a visionary. He was always looking just a bit forward all the time.

So, in the final 10 minutes of January 6th, 2010, I celebrate the coming of January 7th 2010.

Sorry, but that is where my head is at the moment and, unfortunately, I still had my daily blog to finish.

I can't WAIT to see what January 7th will be like in just a few minutes!

ANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD, here it is! Happy New Day! Woo Hoo! I hope it is full of wonder and magic for you!



Quote from p, 4
Brandon, Pam. Making the Millennium; The Celebration of a Lifetime at the Walt Disney World Resort. First ed. New York: Roundtable Press, 1999. N. pag. Print. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/750-guided-vision.html Happy Anniversary to Angie-One Year as a non-Smoker!!!! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/749-happy-anniversary-angie-one-year-non-smoker.html Wed, 06 Jan 2010 02:41:39 GMT Image: http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/images/misc/menu_open_usercss.gif Total Comments 1 1. Image:... Total Comments 1


  1. well... as usual, you are reading my mind...
    Today, I hit one year as a non-smoker... so now, I am focusing on the part that comes after getting over the addiction. The rest of my health and making sure that I always know happiness is possible without the smoke. And I can get through tough situations just by taking a healthy deep breath and taking it one step at a time.
    So... I just finshed my 3 mile run... and a little bit of boxing and now I feel like I could get the best night sleep!!



    Posted Today at 08:53 PM by A.Daley
YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! HOORAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY YYYYYYYYY! Go Angie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/749-happy-anniversary-angie-one-year-non-smoker.html Sprucing up http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/748-sprucing-up.html Wed, 06 Jan 2010 01:31:05 GMT One of the truly magical elements of Disney parks is the constant cleaning and attention to detail. The parks look pretty much pristine from all... One of the truly magical elements of Disney parks is the constant cleaning and attention to detail. The parks look pretty much pristine from all angles visible to guests. Imagine if we walked in and the parks looked shabby and run-down. That would be a reminder of how much time has passed since childhood! But we go there and it looks pretty much as if it had not aged at all. The ultimate Nip-Tuck environment!

Tonight I'm spending some time sprucing up. I'm looking at those little things that need attention.

How about you? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/748-sprucing-up.html An inspired day http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/747-inspired-day.html Mon, 04 Jan 2010 14:13:24 GMT I called to reschedule an appointment first thing this morning. The person I called ended the call with "I hope you have an inspired day."

I loved that.

It kind-of reminds me of whenever you call Disney. Most likely the cast member you speak to will wish you a magical day. That is such a thoughtful wish.

I'd love to end all my phone calls the same way, but it is a bit strange, I'd think. The world would not know what to do with that.

I've heard people complain about being wished a nice day. I've heard comments about the insincerity of such a request or, perhaps, the belief that you can't honestly wish well for a stranger.

But I believe you can. So if you are someone I know or someone I don't know, I'll give you an option of two things I wish for you.

Have a magical day.
Have an inspired day.

And, if you like, feel free to have BOTH!:D ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/747-inspired-day.html Today http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/746-today.html Sun, 03 Jan 2010 15:30:18 GMT I have to go back and watch baby Karl's brothers and sister today, so I am recycling past blogs about him. His medicine has arrived and they started treatment yesterday. We are hoping that we have the right diagnosis.

Something_Really_Special

A_Seven_Pound_Angel's_First_Sunset ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/746-today.html Thanks, Walt! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/745-thanks-walt.html Sat, 02 Jan 2010 21:44:27 GMT I'm going on my third day away from home right now. I'm sitting for three beautiful children while their infant brother is in the NICU at the local hospital. It is really a scary thing to see a six month old so ill.

ANyway, I'm able to tear myself away for a moment because they are watching a Disney movie. Last night we saw another Disney movie, the Tinkerbelle one, and the smile on their faces was amazing!

(Later) Grandma flew in from Chicago and I have a rest tonight before going back. I'm really tired, but I have to say that I really appreciated the Disney and Pixar movies. The kids I was watching are 4, 6 and 8, which is a huge age span, but the Disney movies seemed to have something for everyone. Without them, I don't think I could have had time to even put the dishes in the dishwasher.

The cutest thing was the look on the middle boy's face at the end of the Tinkerbelle movie. This is a typical boy who loves action movies and such, but he was almost in tears with joy when Tinkerbelle saved Spring and all the beauty was happening.

I'm really concerned about the baby and the whole family, though.

So, that is my blog message. That Walt bailed me out today! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/745-thanks-walt.html On Behalf of Sandy! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/744-behalf-sandy.html Fri, 01 Jan 2010 22:17:44 GMT Sandy really did not want to miss a blog, but she has been tied up all day with no internet, so this is A.Daley and I am writing her on her behalf. ... Sandy really did not want to miss a blog, but she has been tied up all day with no internet, so this is A.Daley and I am writing her on her behalf.

Honestly I am not sure what to write about. I am currently planning a trip to Disney but flying alone, and staying a night or two by myself for the first time ever... I am excited to see what the "world" looks like when I am attached to nothing but my sketchbook and my journal.

I have no idea how to pack or prepare for such a trip, so I am asking if anyone has made the journey alone? What did you do? Where did you want to go first? And how enjoyable was it?

Sandy will be back tomorrow with more interesting, deeper topics.... so until then... you have to put up with me... sorry. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/744-behalf-sandy.html Todd is inviting us to a party!!!!!!!!!! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/743-todd-inviting-us-party.html Thu, 31 Dec 2009 23:47:40 GMT Todd Posted:

ONE MORE DAY OF THE YEAR:thewave:. I'll be here at home tomorrow night locked in from the Craziness. Let have a IM party!!?? Anyone have Yahoo IM or AOL IM? This may be a bit tricky since most of us are in different time zones. Can anyone from the east stay up another three hours for the west to be in the New Year?:hatplus:



Posted Today at 01:29 AM by TNTWheels ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/743-todd-inviting-us-party.html That used to be my playground. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/742-used-my-playground.html Thu, 31 Dec 2009 13:37:19 GMT disney
PassPorter's Club Passholder


What's this?
Community Rank: Trailblazer




Join Date: May 2008
Location: lynbrook , n.y.
Posts: 5,323


Re: Hi and a ??


Quote:
Originally Posted by disney
I was on the way home from the PA , meet and for some reason i had to stop at Coney Island , as you know they are closing it and re building , so i took some pictures and it was bringing tears to my eyes . Coney Island was a place that my grandparents took me a few times during the summer so it has alot of meaning to me .
I think it is hard because this is the third amusement park that has closed on me . The first one was Rockaway Playland -
and the other was a kids place that my niece i was able to take too was Nunley's .
To make along story short i was thinking of the blog about amusement places that have closed that have alot of meaning towards people .
I know i have been away for a while but the juices are following again . How do you like this idea?
Jeff:confused:


Quote:
Originally Posted by Sandra Bostwick
That idea sounds AWESOME! I can't wait to see what you come up with!:D Why don't you let me put it down as a goal and we canpost the link on my blog?



Originally Posted by disney
Be my guest Sandy if you want to re word anything feel free too. ttys
Jeff
__________________

here is a link to my FGM list to help with being an FGM !
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/k...MailerList.jpg



My CountdownCounting down to: First ever cruise and it is going to be a DREAM
604 days, 14 hours, 23 minutes

What a great message to get at the end of the year! Jeff, I know that you hadn't popped into my blog for a while, but somehow this is right in synch.

In the last entry we talked about broken treasures that had to be released of their emotional charge so we could let them go. Then Jeff (Disney) sent me this interesting idea about starting a visual photolog of old amusement or theme parks that have been closed down or reburbished. VERY COOL IDEA!

Blogging off the top of my head sometimes leads me in non-linear directions, but let's see where this goes.

The first thing that struck me was that Jeff mentioned Coney Island. I remember David, the young machine in the futuristic movie AI sitting in front of the Blue Fairy for ages, begging to be a real boy. By the time David got there, Coney Island was under water, and by the time the future machines found him, the water had frozen to ice. In fantasy or real life, time can really do a number on the things we put our hopes and faith in. (By the way, I recommend the movie. Some people thought it was depressing, but I thought it just a philosophical fable that made you think.)

OK, back to theme parks:
Does anyone remember this?
Ifyouhadwings
Going through this was one of my earliest memories. I can almost feel the imagination neurons sparking as a child going through this attraction.
And remember this one?
20,000_Leagues_Under_the_Sea

Or how about this:
Nowisthetime
I've finally gotten used to the new song, but my childhood memories of Carousel of Progress had this song. Remember the part below that had that new fangled PC where you could even look up recipes without a book? Goleeee!
Carousel_end

And this one is one of my personal favorites.

Horizons_Blog
Horizons



http://www.horizons1.com/photos.htm



This one shaped my fascination with computer communication and most likely, started me on the direction that brought me to this blog with you right now!

I think the playgrounds that hold our child-like hopes and dreams, like David begging the Blue Fairy for his wish, never really go away. I think that the fascination with Disney Theme Parks is related to that in some way. If I were a machine, I could imagine myself frozen in front of Spaceship Earth asking the animatronic figures to show me that path for that bright future that they keep promising at the end of the story. Sometimes just believing in something keeps you going! I do believe that if you just keep going, you'll eventually find some way to adapt to anything!

Because the parks have been a part of our childhoods, when we go there we can tap into that inner child easily. Disney, for so many people, is a powerful path to memories of innocence and magical thinking. Seriously! The parks touch upon all the sensory pathways that trigger memory! Hearing, smell, taste, vision, movement, touch. When I walk through the gates it envelopes me.

Interestingly enough, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom simply don't reach as deep because I was pretty much a young adult when I first visited. Epcot touches a different cord because I remember riding the monorail and seeing the mounds of dirt and the frame for Spaceship Earth as a child. I feel as if I am somehow a part of Epcot because I watched it being built. So many places in our hearts and minds!

I think the sadness Jeff(Disney)mentioned was speaking to the fact that these memory triggers ...a pathway to childhood fun won't be available.

One of the truly magical elements of Disney parks is the constant cleaning and attention to detail. The parks look pretty much pristine from all angles visible to guests. Imagine if we walked in and the parks looked shabby and run-down. That would be a reminder of how much time has passed since childhood! But we go there and it looks pretty much as if it had not aged at all. The ultimate Nip-Tuck environment!

So, as the year closes, I'm thinking about those playgrounds that can no longer be visited and those that, with a little luck, will sweep us back to childhood long into our retirement years. I'm thinking of the exciting new things to see which, unfortunately, need to take the space of old things. And I'm thinking of how awesome it is that some things change in life, while others stay the same. And someplace in our minds there is a place where we store, sort, prioritize, and attach meanings of all sorts to people, places and things.

Right inside your head is the most complex living data storage computer. The places, things, photos, videos and other memorabilia just work to spark what is stored in the old gray matter.

And if we are lucky, we've visited one of the Disney Theme Parks as a kid because, then, we have the sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and feelings encoded deep inside our hearts and minds. With a little luck, that will be a sustainable time capsule to take us back to childhood with the push of a turnstile!

Please feel free to look up and post links to your favorite attractions of the past.

HAVE A MAGICAL NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/742-used-my-playground.html Broken treasures clogging up space http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/741-broken-treasures-clogging-up-space.html Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:52:49 GMT One of the unfortunate things about blogging every day for a year is that sometimes your head is in a wierd place. I got a PM from a PassPorter this... One of the unfortunate things about blogging every day for a year is that sometimes your head is in a wierd place. I got a PM from a PassPorter this week, and it got me to thinking. Today I'm thinking about broken treasures.

I had bought all five of the Disney Christmas lawn ornaments a few years ago. Well, somehow, the Minnie was smashed to smitherines in the basement. Looked like something from the slasher movie Saw. It was kind-of a shocking sight!

I started looking for a replacement several months ago, with no success. Last night I searched ebay, but could not find one. I don't think Disney makes them anymore so that, as they say, is that.

I think everyone has dealt with broken treasures at one point or another. They are the material things that meant something to us and, for one reason or another, they ended up in pieces.

I think that the way treasures meet their demise has alot to do with how we react, though. People lose their treasures in natural disasters or fires. They might lose them when a curious cat decides to knock them over onto the floor. Maybe age just got the best of them, Maybe they are lost from carelessness. Or maybe someone destroyed treasures intentionally without thinking or to teach a lesson.

Each method of destruction carries it's own sub-message. Maybe it is to be more careful. Maybe it is to move someplace that is safer. Maybe it is to take better care of your things. Or maybe it is to remember that if you put too much of your heart into things, you are taking a risk.

I've been kind-of exploring the less sparkly side of setting and achieving goals as the year closes, and I think being aware of broken treasures is important.

The broken treasures in your goals are the ways or systems that really no longer work, for one reason or another, but you can't let go of them. Maybe you keep looking for something that is no longer there, like a Minnie Mouse statue that is not made any more. Maybe you keep useless files or broken objects around because they once meant something to you. Maybe the broken treasures are old habits or ways of thinking that are strangely comfortable because they are "you" but which don't serve you any more.

Today I got rid of an old typewriter that I had since high school. I loved that typewriter and typed my first published poems on it. It is truly a treasure to me. But it is big, you can't get typewriter ribbons for it, and I don't even think it works any more. So I got rid of it. And I like the space it created.

I'm spending the days reorganizing my systems for billing and documenting. (I am self-employed but, unfortunately, my boss is an idiot!)

And I'm going to really work to purge those old ways and things that no longer really serve a purpose or that just plain don't work any longer. I'm going to stop looking for things that can't be found like statues that are out of production. I'm going to let go of things that really don't make sense like typewriters that are obsolete. And, mainly, I'm going to try and foster even more courage, even more focus, and even more hope by sweeping out some of the broken thinking that slows me down.

I feel like that will leave more room for better ways.

As the year comes to a close, can you try to locate a few broken treasures that you need to let go of? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/741-broken-treasures-clogging-up-space.html Two days left of the year. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/740-two-days-left-year.html Wed, 30 Dec 2009 03:04:04 GMT Soooooooooooooooo, did you have a good year? Soooooooooooooooo, did you have a good year? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/740-two-days-left-year.html <![CDATA[Where is the "ick" in your goals?]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/739-where-ick-your-goals.html Mon, 28 Dec 2009 17:51:46 GMT


Remember "It's a Bugs Life" in Animal Kingdom? There is a whole lot of "Ick" in that attraction, from ideas to stinks. PEW!

Angie had an interesting comment on yesterday's blog. Here it is!:

OK... FINE!...
When I was visiting DW in March, I was in the lady's room, I went into the handicap stall with Alice to help her with the potty. I noticed the cleaner's stuff was left out, I also heard my Mom saying to someone... "be careful, if you leave it all out long enough, she may end up scrubbing everything for you!"
I realized she meant me... being a cleaning lady. So when I came out, it was a cleaning lady, and I told her that I was a cleaning lady as well back home. I told her how I would love to have her job in Tomorrowland.

She laughed and told me "The filth she has to clean up here in the Magic Kingdom is no more magical than the filth I clean up back home!"

I had convinced myself that my "cinderella" job was only respected and tolerable if it was somewhere like Disney... I am glad she reminded me that crap is crap, filth is filth, no matter who made it and where it was made.
... I'd still rather clean up crap there...



Posted Yesterday at 10:39 PM by A.Daley

(Me again)

My response was:


:rofl2:Words to live by!

I don't know why, but that story reminded me of a student. The assignment was to draw holiday wishes on a card for his parents. He drew a BIG poo, then told me it was a plastic poo. I felt bad about it, but when I told his Mom as I apologized for the card, she informed me that he was aspiring to be a comedian and, in fact, plastic poo was on top of his holiday wish list.

If I'd known that, I'd have slapped some glitter on it and let him finish the card in peace!



Posted Yesterday at 10:47 PM by Sandra Bostwick

Here I am in real life again.:

Sometimes you have to face the "ick" in your life. Sometimes you have to face the "ick" in someone else's life. Sometimes what looks like "ick" to you is really the plastic poo on someone else's wish list.


I'm not real sure where this is going, but I'm going to forge ahead here.

I think the "ick" factor is that part of any job or process that makes you feel, well, ICKY! There are plenty of different forms of "ick", but they all involve something that we'd rather not deal with.

I try to imagine the Magic Kingdom, though, if people like Angie's cleaning lady were not doing their job. I have to say that the resulting mess would certainly take the sparkle off of the pixie dust for everyone.

And, certainly, Walt's intention was to assure that the "ick" factor was managed and, when possible, hidden away. You'll never see a Disney Dumpster. In fact, we discussed how carefully all the themes were planned to keep only the magic on the surface here at the parts of the project at these six links.

But, the fact is, even if you can't see them, just like the beatles rolling along in It's a bug's life , there are important people taking care of the drudgery side of the dream.

You CAN'T manage without taking care of it.

Unfortunately, in our daily lives, MOST of us don't have dedicated support staff who will work after closing on those necessary jobs.

And, from what I hear, it seems like it is the part of a project that challenges us in some way that stops us. Maybe it is the part that is not so much fun, not so easy, or that makes us afraid.

There are a million possible emotions, but they all pretty much equal "ick!"

Is the "ick" factor in something you'd like to accomplish holding you back in some way? Can you think of some way to overcome that? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/739-where-ick-your-goals.html The drama in the dream. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/738-drama-dream.html Mon, 28 Dec 2009 01:17:51 GMT Photo courtesy of Jenny Wood (J603) Image: http://i978.photobucket.com/albums/ae262/j4goofy/Pirate_Ship.jpg Just about every fairy tale has a... Photo courtesy of Jenny Wood (J603)


Just about every fairy tale has a dark side, and Disney tales are no exception. Princesses were always dealing with some sort of seriously twisted drama, from poisoned apples to enslavement. Even innocent Mickey messes with magic and ends up flooding the sorcerers castle.

You can pick your favorite Disney Dark Deed, I won't list them, so feel free to post yours in the comments.

My point is that I think Walt Disney understood a really important truth. Brightness shines brighter against a dark backdrop.

Or, in the case of this photo, the shiny new cruise ship shines brighter behind the old, scary, fanged pirate ship.

Right now the Wicked Witch is threatening Dorothy over her sparkly ruby slippers. (On my TV in the background, of course, not in real life!) When I think about it, those slippers seemed MORE precious because the Witch wanted them so badly. I remember, as a little girl, wanting a pair of ruby slippers SO badly. These weren't just another pair of pretty shoes. These shoes had DRAMA! Why they even made lightning when the Witch tried to touch them. How cool is that?

If you look closely at this photo, you can see something is in the air. You can see a dark shadow in the upper right corner. The photographer told me she snapped it just before a big lightning storm. Can't you feel that wind starting to blow? Can you smell the electricity? Somehow the water looks as if the storm has already started in the background. If you try, can you feel that scary feeling when a thunder storm is approaching and you are out in the middle of the ocean not knowing quite how bad it will be? What a strange adrenaline rush.

I remember one cruise on the Norwegian Sea. The sauna is on the top deck, and you need to walk outside to get back into the ship. I was sitting in the sauna when I heard the most eerie sound ever. I stepped outside to find that I literally could not see my hand in front of my face. We had rolled into a fog thicker than death and, apparently, the Captain was sounding the foghorn. I was all alone on the top deck, walking blindly towards a vague light. The fog was so thick it felt like I might unknowingly step up onto it and end up walking overboard into the ocean. It was one of the creepiest moments in my life, but I decided to turn it into fun. I let myself stand there on deck, completely blinded, and smell the thick wet air. When I moved my hand through it, I could swear I could feel it just as much as I could feel the boat engine shaking under my feet. I turned a few circles and completely lost my orientation until the fog lifted enough to catch a glimpse of the light again or the big smokestack would pop out of the mist. The foghorn was SO ungodly loud that I jumped every time it sounded, but the fear was not entirely bad. It was drama of the most unique sort.

And so, I challenge you to consider how the challenges, the pain, and the darkness that you may be experiencing right now could possibly be making your story more interesting. Maybe it is making the prize more valuable. Maybe the freedom from whatever-it-is will be more sweet.

Isn't the dream somehow more interesting when you add the drama?

I know that cruise ship is much more interesting because of the scary ghost ship right in front.

What do you think? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/738-drama-dream.html Introducing Harold http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/737-introducing-harold.html Sat, 26 Dec 2009 21:08:55 GMT Blog, meet Harold. Harold, meet the Blog. Blog, meet Harold.

Harold, meet the Blog. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/737-introducing-harold.html Merry Christmas! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/736-merry-christmas.html Fri, 25 Dec 2009 13:18:18 GMT I'm sending lots of love and magic to all this Christmas morning!:D ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/736-merry-christmas.html Christmas Eve Gift to Myself http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/735-christmas-eve-gift-myself.html Fri, 25 Dec 2009 02:25:10 GMT I was looking over my book that's just been printed, and I suddenly noticed that a paragraph that I'd painstakingly rewritten to correct my awkward and amateurish wording had not been corrected. Just one paragraph.

Apparently at least part of the final five hours of my word-by-word editing had somehow not made it into the final disc that went to print. I had to give the corrections to someone else, and I knew I was not organizing and watching the progress closely enough. Any number of scenarios could have played out. Does anyone really need the blame?

So, I felt like I'd been stabbed. I called Angie, a fellow artist, who would surely understand and, as I heard how seriously she was taking it, something happened.

I told her it was not the end of the world. I told her that, basically, the important information was told, the story was conveyed, and I was just talking about semantics. It was really just pride and ego being bruised.

It was OK.

And, pretty much just like that, it was.

Maybe this was my Oswald. Remember? Walt's first creation, Oswald? He put his heart and soul into Oswald, but was not careful. If he had been careful, Mickey might never have been created, though.

My Oswald lesson was full of growth. A few sentences that don't flow the way I'd like does not take away the big picture goal.

Next time I write a book (and there wil be a next time) I'll have a better idea of what to expect, especially when ideas and edited versions are flying back and forth across the internet like lightning.

Angie and I had a great talk about clicking "send" to submit and idea or clicking "print" to make it final. Angie thought this was proof that you just can't ever know when to say something is finished.

Well, I think I had a real gift. I gave the OK to print, LOTS AND LOTS of books were printed, and editing that I'd done was somehow not integrated into the final printing BUT I am still here. I'm still alive, and I choose to keep it all in the proper perspective.

I choose to let go.

You can't ever be sure that you won't make mistakes, and the fear of being imperfect can stop you in your tracks.

I'm alot less afraid of making mistakes on big things because, well, I HAVE. Imagine how far I'll be able to go, the risks I can take, and the creativity I can explore if I choose not to be afraid of mistakes.

And speaking of mistakes, I have a whole lot of Christmas stuff to do so, guess what? I'm going to put this here unedited.

HA! I am a wild woman! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/735-christmas-eve-gift-myself.html A digital trail of kindness http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/734-digital-trail-kindness.html Wed, 23 Dec 2009 16:47:22 GMT I love looking at my yard after the snow. I learn alot about what goes on while I'm not looking.

At first I just see a few little tracks. Maybe the cat's graceful steps frozen in time. I can see where the squirrels ran around or looked for nuts.

As time goes on, I see more. The deer family hoping to find flowers to much on. HA! DEER FAMILY! You'll have to wait til Spring! The rabbits, the hedgehog, they all leave tracks!

If you look closely you can see all the chipmunks and the birds, who leave faint little impressions on the surface of the snow.

I just love looking at my snowy yard because there is no doubt that it is home to a very many creatures. The footprints tell all the story.

Well, online, we leave something called a digital footprint. This is the trail that we leave with our comments, our graphics, our photos. We leave a trail on message boards, in our email and, frankly, whenever we search the web.

I'd like to challenge all two people who read my blog (wait...could there be THREE now?:p) to leave a trail of something positive wherever they can.

You can leave random greetings on pages, you can post something nice here, you can do whatever you like as long as it is positive and kind.

Is anyone with me on that? Even if you just greet one person, you might start a digital trail that would pass on a nice feeling.

Then, just like little pawprints left behind in the snow, someone might notice where you've been! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/734-digital-trail-kindness.html <![CDATA[Disney when I'm not there]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/733-disney-when-im-not-there.html Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:54:43 GMT Somehow it seems wierd to think about Disney with all the lights, parades, and beloved attractions going on while I am sitting here in NJ.

I'm pretty sure that Disney does not just open when I get there and close shop when I leave...though I don't have proof.

I always have this strange feeling as I leave, like I am walking away from something so magical...it is a wierd sort-of sadness. The music gets more and more faint as the parks get further away.

There used to be a live Disney webcam. Does anyone remember that? It showed the castle, the hat, and Spaceship Earth. I can't recall if it showed Animal Kingdom. It was always such an odd feeling to sign on there.

I remember the strange feeling on a short trip when I did not go into the parks at all. I stayed at the Dolphin. I walked up to Epcot and looked inside. If there was glass instead of a fence, I'd have smooshed my nose. I could see France and parts of World Showcase. I could hear the music and see the people. What a strange feeling of being somehow "outside".

But when the holidays roll around, that is when Disney going on without me is even stranger. I sure wish I could be there.

So, I know that is not really related to a goal, but it is what I was thinking about when I sat down to blog, so there it is! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/733-disney-when-im-not-there.html Do you Believe? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/732-do-you-believe.html Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:05:12 GMT Image: http://polarexpressmovie.warnerbros.com/images/media/photos/photo05.jpg I just saw Polar Express! That movie will never get old for me....

I just saw Polar Express! That movie will never get old for me. This is probably one of the most relaxed Christmases I've had in such a long time. I don't feel stressed or pressured. I just feel like there is magic all over.

And the magic is just letting the spirit of the holidays take me where ever it will.

We have just a few days before Christmas. Let's set a goal to find as much magic as we can. Let's focus on the warm, good feelings and try to pass them on to other people.

So many of you have already done that for me in the PMs, the VMs and the impromptu chats.

Can you try to find one person to spread a random act of holiday cheer to? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/732-do-you-believe.html Technology Time Travel and the Virtual Time Zone. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/731-technology-time-travel-virtual-time-zone.html Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:50:52 GMT A part of my goal with the blog (and also with being a moderator of the Special_Needs... A part of my goal with the blog (and also with being a moderator of the Special_Needs forum)
os to create some sort of community. I feel that has happened nicely.

Yesterday I had a nice "chat" when I visited my long-neglected Facebook page and Jamie tapped me on the shoulder for a chat. The whole exchange seemed a little bit like worlds colliding, though. It was odd to chat with my PassPorter Blog friend on my Facebook page. What if that creates some kind of paradox that will somehow create a tear in the natural order of online organization? OK, I know that will not happen, BUT there is a real interesting time travel feeling with the internet.

Mainly, you can have a conversation with someone who is not even awake. I found myself up and fully awake at 4:30 this morning. I tried to talk with the cat, but he really didn't have much to say.

I remember years ago, if I woke up in the middle of the night, my life became like night of the waking dead. In my early twenties I was pretty much broke all the time, so there was no money for cable TV. The choices we have in the dead of night are so much better than the black and white Honeymooner reruns and the one Late Show Movie that would be available. And as far as reaching out for conversation goes, you were stuck unless you wanted to wake someone up!

With the internet, though, you can communicate with technology time travel if you can just delay the gratification of being instantly heard by a particular person.

I love popping in on the various conversations on these message board threads whenever I choose. Some of the conversations go on for tens of thousands of hits, but everyone signs on in their own time.

So, you can converse with people in virtual time zone, which means you never have to worry about waking someone up and you can instantly say what you have to say.

Now, the virtual time zone is NOT a great idea for messages like "Help" or "FIRE!" or "I've fallen and I can't get up!" But, if you want to reach out in the moment, but don't mind when someone else feels the touch, technology time travel with the Virtual Time Zone is just the ticket! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/731-technology-time-travel-virtual-time-zone.html Tech glitches and relationships http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/730-tech-glitches-relationships.html Sun, 20 Dec 2009 14:49:20 GMT Interesting!

Yesterday's blog entry did not save! My computer is still having troubles here, and for some reason it has not been sending emails or blog entries properly. I found a whole bunch of emails that had been saved as drafts.

OH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Yesterday counts as the first official day I missed since I started my goal to blog every day for a school year.

I hope all two people who read this will forgive me!;)

I have to admit, though, it makes me wonder about communication these days. My internet was completely out for several hours yesterday, possibly because of this blizzard.

I got a simple text "Help me" from a PassPorter on my cell phone. As soon as I read it, I panicked and called her to find that she was at a family party.

"Didn't you get my email?" she asked.

"No, my internet has been down," I said.

Apparently, a funny email had preceded this text, but I had not been able to sign on to read it!

And this is one way technology can create some silly situations.

I've heard of people who get all upset because they sent a friend request to someone's Facebook Page and they were ignored. Well, that assumes that the person still signs on AND that they can sort through the hundreds of gifts, requests, and pokes! But I now see people making decisions about relationships based on what happens on social networking sites. DON'T DO IT! You may be hurt over someone's visual scanning error!

Here, I've had a few people send visitor messages that get lost in all the graphics that are sent. Later, I'll hear a mention that they felt ignored. (BTW, If you send a visitor message and I don't tag you back, send it again. It was probably lost! I have over 11,500 PassPorter visitor messages in the year since the system started, not counting thousands of private messages that came in.)

Our messages can be lost in Spam, lost in the shuffle, or sent to the wrong email address altogether. It just takes one wrong digit!

And how about all these forwards! Every once in a while, I'll be guilty of forwards, but I am pretty much not doing that because it snowballs for people. I must have about 100 email contacts (at least) and if each one sends me two forwards a week, that is 200 documents to review each week. OK, lets give each one one minute, so that is 3 and a half hours a week just looking at forwards. Now, some forwards really do make my day, but AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I also have about 5 or 6 different email accounts. Some are opened less frequently than others because, well, there is just no time. So maybe I open an email account that has been neglected for a week and there are HUNDREDS of emails.

And I can't even FACE my Facebook page.

And then there was the people who might send an important message in a pack of a dozen forwards, then feel ignored if you don't respond. Sometimes you just can't sift through it all! Pick up the phone and call if you have something important to say! When forwards pile up, messages get lost and it doesn't make sense to get upset.

To me, that is the equivalent of waving to someone in a crowded room and throwing a fit because they blatantly ignored your greeting. Uhhhhhhhhhh, maybe what you thought was eye contact was me staring in your general direction without seeing you?

OK, this is starting to turn into a rant, but clearly, sometimes when you think you've reached out and touched someone online, a glitch will occur. It is a whole new layer of possible social misunderstanding.

What do you think? Have you ever had a tech glitch cause a rift in a relationship? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/730-tech-glitches-relationships.html Today http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/729-today.html Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:26:51 GMT "Think beyond your lifetime if you want to accomplish something truly worthwhile."
Walt Disney

Today I watched Harold, the subject of my book, walk out into the snippy pre-blizzard air with 45 copies of the book. He was with his daughter and he was on his way to see Avatar.

I had some sort-of strong emotion watching him go, thinking of everything he'd lived through.

He's a quiet man, that's for sure, and he is not prone to a whole lot of emotion. Maybe that's what saved him.

I wonder about all the servicemen and women who have seen more than their share of grief in the name of this thing called freedom.

I just wonder why it is that people have to fight so hard to be free from the power and control of others. I don't get why anyone would try to force their "stuff" on someone else, but there it is and, apparently freedom is something that should be appreciated.

I don't want to get political and, I'm not actually talking about countries but PEOPLE. I just think that being free is a great thing and that is pretty much where my head is right now.





Quote from page 260
How to Be Like Walt by Pat Williams with Jim Denney ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/729-today.html I am a rock, but I am no island. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/728-i-am-rock-but-i-am-no-island.html Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:08:48 GMT You just can't please everyone- but you might make everyone (including yourself) nuts if you try!

I could find some way to tangentially relate this comment to Walt Disney, but I'll let the Disney theme slide for the moment. The legend that I do seem to relate this thought to is Sisyphus, the Greek God who was cursed to roll a big boulder up a hill over and over again. Every time he got close to the top, though, the boulder would roll back down the hill. And this process would be repeated throughout all eternity.

And this seems to be how a project will go if you allow yourself toget too caught up in people's opinions or feelings about what you are doing.

Sometimes the best plan you can have when you are finishing a project is to let go of how people might respond to the final product. Then let go of your own critical voice. Just decide "I've done all I can do in the time alloted and this, respectfully, is about as good as it is going to be."

I think I learned this by watching someone's example recently, and it looks like a great approach! He said something like "OK, it looks like this is done now, and I can move on to other projects?" When he said that, I could feel a release, and I wanted that same feeling!

There is something so wonderful about saying "It's done." and feeling free to move on.

When a project keeps going in circles, it can be like a Sysyphean process. Every few steps forward would result in the big rock rolling right over you.

And, since a big rock hurts when it rolls over you, you can feel pretty stunned.

But, with this last project I just finished, I've seen what it is like to have someone help me push that rock up the hill. Maybe it starts to roll down, but there is someone else to help stop it. Or maybe that someone just gave me the "Keep going" that I needed.

Or, maybe I finally figured out that the rock that rolls down that hill every time is actually me.

Some daunting tasks really leave you feeling like you are a rock! There have been a few hills that have seemed impossible to climb, and I've felt very much like Sisyphus, doomed to failure each time I try.

I don't know what makes a task daunting. Maybe it is just hard to figure out. Maybe someone keeps sabataging you. Maybe you sabatage yourself.

But something feels different now.

I don't think I was using all my resources. I don't think I had that great feeling of finishing something well in my recent memory. I forgot that I've already pushed a pile of rocks just about the size of this one up the hill.

I think all I could remember is that rock falling down the hill over and over again. When it happens enough you forget everything else.

I forgot that I am not Sysyphus or the rock. Of course I can do it!

When you have empowering people who support the journey, any hill is possible. You may have to let someone help, though.

I may still be a rock with a few things I need to get done, but I think I am done being an island. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/728-i-am-rock-but-i-am-no-island.html Short ones http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/726-short-ones.html Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:22:59 GMT Teresa said:



That's Great Sandy, we like the short ones too! :D



Posted Today at 04:33 PM by 4Disney2

(Now It's me again.)

OK, short it will be, because I am running out to a meeting.

Today I made corrections on the proofs for my book. My co-author (the tech-design intel behind this whole thing) emailed a cover to the printing place that I had not seen yet.

When they printed it, and I looked at it, I had to fight back the tears.

Sometimes tears are the way you know something is right.

It was perfect.

Jeff copied the paper that Harold, our POW, carried with him and marked each time the men were given a break on the death march that started on a snowy day at Stalag Luft III in Germany and eventually ended, I suppose for Harold, when his ship pulled into NYC harbor. The paper is stained, folded countless times, and has scrawled pencil marks of towns and miles traveled.

As this paper made it's journey, men fell over and died in the snow and, eventually, no one even had the strength to carry their bodies. The soldiers were scared and tired. When I held that paper, I could FEEL the exhaustion and the cold, like it was somehow stuck inside the fibers.

And today, the paper was converted to a digital image, sent through the air to a computer and printed up as the background for a book cover.

Just like that!

And that makes me think, hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Oh, and I am STILL very disappointed in the flavor of Razzles, but I digress! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/726-short-ones.html Today is a quick one. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/725-today-quick-one.html Wed, 16 Dec 2009 01:15:24 GMT Today is a quick one. Today I picked up the proof for the new book. I'm so happy that it is almost done but, boy am I tired! What an ordeal!

Very happy, but VERY tired.

And THAT'S all I have to say about that!:p

OK, I have one more thing to say. For some reason, I remembered Razzles to be the BEST candy in the world. Well, you chew a dozen times and you're done! I don't know what I was thinking. Must have had low expectations as a kid.

OK, now I am REALLY done. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/725-today-quick-one.html I think this is going to be a really good day! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/724-i-think-going-really-good-day.html Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:14:53 GMT The magic is that feeling when dreams come true. The magic is real, and its spark lives in you! The Imagineers. I woke up this morning with the... The magic is that feeling when dreams come true.
The magic is real, and its spark lives in you!
The Imagineers.

I woke up this morning with the vague feeling that THIS is going to be a really good day.

I'm in the final stages of decision-making for the first printing of my book about the POW. It is just a small self-published project, so don't think it is any great shakes on my part EXCEPT that this man's unbelievable story is going to be told. His story is what is impressive.

BUT, there is something more to it.

I turned to the back of my Disney book to find a quote. I am at the end of my book project, and I wondered if the Disney book might have a quote about finishing something at the end.

I found a quote about a spark!

Finding a quote about a spark was synchronistic because I was just thanking my co-author for reigniting this spark of creative fire that seems to have been flickering on-then off-then on with every little breeze for quite some time.

The book itself is about the creative spark that POWS in Stalag Luft III kept alive when they knew they had no power to escape. This story happened right after The_Great_Escape , a stunt that REALLY annoyed the Germans. As far as future escape attempts went, Hitler would have NONE of it!

So, basically, these guys had to wait until the war was over to be free. But instead of doing nothing, the men in this story kept their "spark" alive with all sorts of activities.

Waiting for this project to be finished was a challenge. Sometimes I had to ask myself if it would ever be finished at all! But the release from this unfinished job is coming soon! And somehow, as this moves into the space of "Finished" in my mind, all sorts of room is being created for new dreams, plans, and goals.

What a burden it is to have something that seems as if I will never finish hanging over my head! There have been quite a few such things over the past few years, all going noplace in spite of my efforts, all weighing me down. It is very much like being in prison.

Like being a prisoner.

And, let me tell you, WHAT A RELEASE to believe that it can soon be finished!

Well, when I woke up this morning, I could almost reach out and touch the spark. It holds all the colors of hope, freedom, influence, choice, safety, confidence, courage, strength, assertiveness, effectiveness...the words could go on forever.

If I hadn't sat down to write a blog entry using a quote as a prompt, though, I think the thought that would have sufficed would have been "I think this is going to be a REALLY good day."

And, when you get down to it, that is really all I need to know about it, so I think this is going to be a REALLY good day.


Quote from p. 190 Walt Disney Imagineering, A Behind the Dreams Look at Making the Magic Real, by The Imagineers, Hyperion, NY. 1996. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/724-i-think-going-really-good-day.html <![CDATA[Hmmmmm, maybe I'm not as aimless as I thought!]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/723-hmmmmm-maybe-im-not-aimless-i-thought.html Sun, 13 Dec 2009 14:22:29 GMT We've been bantering back and forth about my blog being like Forest Gump, running for no particular reason.

It occurred to me today that I really do have a reason, and I think it is kind-of exciting!

I've been working on developing skills for leading all sorts of online groups or classes. Ever since I saw computers being used at Carousel of Progress and later in Epcot attractions, I've had this fascination with the concept of connecting through the air. It is SO COOL!

I have an upcoming presentation which, by the way, happens to be in Orlando, Florida!

online_communication_course

I've been trying out my wings in cyberspace here and at the college. I have to say that there is not a whole lot of excitement going on with my online college class. Most of the students are mainly concerned with the least amount of thought that needs to go into their posting to satisfy the requirement.

BUT HERE, I see some really exciting ideas and thoughts.

So, I'm mentioning this because I may be asking some of you to allow me to highlight your projects, your comments, or your opinions when I present in May.

I'll contact anyone I plan to highlight well before the presentation date and, OF COURSE, you can ask me not to use your project or your comments.

From time to time, I may post a blog entry that is a question to help me understand the group mind of a message board and the individuals who form the collective.

OK, maybe the word collective is a little borg-like.

And by the way, for those of you who were wondering why I don't post photos of myself............................

]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/723-hmmmmm-maybe-im-not-aimless-i-thought.html New blogger introduction area http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/722-new-blogger-introduction-area.html Sat, 12 Dec 2009 15:09:34 GMT Some new bloggers have had their introductions lost in the comments. If you are joining us for the first time, either as a reader, a commenter,... Some new bloggers have had their introductions lost in the comments.

If you are joining us for the first time, either as a reader, a commenter, or with a project, please put your little introduction here so we can be sure not to miss it! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/722-new-blogger-introduction-area.html What place does PassPorter have in your life? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/721-what-place-does-passporter-have-your-life.html Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:51:47 GMT I've been reading the comments here and on the main boards and I just find it amazing that daily routines and social lives have been changed by the internet.

Why, at 7:30 this Saturday morning, I signed on to the County College of Morris site, posted an assignment and handed back comments for the final term paper still in my jammies!

I'd love to hear how THIS particular message board, meaning the whole PassPorter site, fits into your daily routines and social agenda. Do you use it just to ask Disney questions or for other purposes? Have you actually met PassPorters in real life? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/721-what-place-does-passporter-have-your-life.html Uh oh! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/720-uh-oh.html Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:49:57 GMT Computer problems!:eek: Computer problems!:eek: ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/720-uh-oh.html Scott had a really good idea-the finding help area. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/719-scott-had-really-good-idea-finding-help-area.html Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:05:56 GMT SCott is always thinking! He had a really good idea, and I'll let him tell you.
scottjs
Community Rank: Explorer




Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: san francisco
Posts: 12,322


I think we need a help topic!!!
Hi there Sandy. I have a idea you may like(Or not) I think maybe we should start a topic where we come up with ideas to help each other with problems and contacts!!! Or maybe even a source of courage for what we have to do!!!

Say I need a idea to come up with money.

Or I am looking for a certain book.

Or I need ideas for a project I am

working on.

We could offer suggestions to each other. Or maybe tell somebody to go to X for a object. Is this making sense?? I do hope so. Anyway you take care. Hugs, scott

(This is me, Sandy, again!)

Scott explained that, by asking, you are more likely to get help from the resources or people around you.

Sound like a very interesting idea to me!

Let's see where it goes! You just NEVER know! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/719-scott-had-really-good-idea-finding-help-area.html Doing the legwork to meet your goal (or should we say, the WHEELwork?) http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/718-doing-legwork-meet-your-goal-should-we-say-wheelwork.html Wed, 09 Dec 2009 12:46:36 GMT I think this blog project takes such an interesting twist when watching the goals of members who have actually chosen a project that relates to Walt... I think this blog project takes such an interesting twist when watching the goals of members who have actually chosen a project that relates to Walt Disney World or Disneyland. Todd has chosen to create a website with information about wheelchairtravel , and a large part of his site deals with Disney.

In order to get what he needs, though, Todd has to approach cast members and ask them for something. Either he has to ask for information for his website or for permission to photograph rooms.

I think that takes guts! Alot of people would never be able to do that.

So, today's blog is all about Kudos to Todd. You are doing an AWESOME job and we are all real proud!

Here are Todd's latest updates, by the way.


Todd posted:

Ok Ok I'm back from WDW and I got the monorail line resort's accessible rooms photo in my camera. They will be up on the site sometimes this week. I did it all on Last Sunday and Friday when it was too wet to go to KSC that day. It was the last day to be out around in FL I got the poly last Sunday, while I was at MK with Jeff and family, about 1:00 I went over to the poly to take quick pictures of their rooms "yes they showed me two different types of Accessible rooms" then after that I jumped back to the MK to continue hanging out with Jeff and his family. On Friday I took the SOG bus over to the TTC and got on the monorail and went to each resort and got the pictures. The Contemporary were booked but they had pictures in which they were grateful to gave me copies of the room photos. Also they did email me some photos too. . It was fun seeing the rooms to bad I really couldn't really do the Contemporary with my own camera that would of been fun seeing the future of a room lol. I wanted to do FWL but it was too wet to really go on the boats. In Three year unless someone here like to help me out, I will finish the rest of WDW. I say it was a knock out of a trip with doing business and fun.



Posted 12-06-2009 at 03:10 PM by TNTWheels
Updated 12-06-2009 at 03:23 PM by TNTWheels (corrections)

Ok I will try this again, I did all three monorail line resorts while at WDW. I did the Poly On Sunday the 29th when I had a set up with them at 2 so I had to leave Jeff and gang for an hour or so to do that and then we back to the MK to join them again. Then on Friday the 4 since it rain that day I was able to take the SOG bus over to the TTC and take the monorail over to the Grand Floridian and then to the Contemporary there they were booked up but they gave me some copies of pictures of their accessible rooms that they had on file and also e-mail me some. They were very willing to help out. A friend and Co-work went to Vegas was able to do a resort there as well but most of Vegas other resorts wouldn't let her in to do any pictures. I'm not surprise with Vegas. But if they ever see that one resort and wonder why the others were not included and start contacting me I will tell them you didn't let one of us in.

I'm in the progress of making the WDW pages on my site. Then I will do the one Vegas resort. I for got to get the file from the class that she had for me I'll get it tomorrow. The so much going on at one time lol



Posted Yesterday at 11:52 PM by TNTWheels ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/718-doing-legwork-meet-your-goal-should-we-say-wheelwork.html Adding the WDW resorts to the NWT web site/ http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/tntwheels/717-adding-wdw-resorts-nwt-web-site.html Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:08:46 GMT I did all three monorail line resorts while at WDW. I did the Poly On Sunday the 29th when I had a set up with them at 2 so I had to leave Jeff and... I did all three monorail line resorts while at WDW. I did the Poly On Sunday the 29th when I had a set up with them at 2 so I had to leave Jeff and gang for an hour or so to do that and then we back to the MK to join them again. Then on Friday the 4 since it rain that day I was able to take the SOG bus over to the TTC and take the monorail over to the Grand Floridian and then to the Contemporary there they were booked up but they gave me some copies of pictures of their accessible rooms that they had on file and also e-mail me some. They were very willing to help out. A friend and Co-work went to Vegas was able to do a resort there as well but most of Vegas other resorts wouldn't let her in to do any pictures. I'm not surprise with Vegas. But if they ever see that one resort and wonder why the others were not included and start contacting me I will tell them you didn't let one of us in.

I'm in the progress of making the WDW pages on my site. Then I will do the one Vegas resort. I for got to get the file from the class that she had for me I'll get it tomorrow. The so much going on at one time lol ]]> TNTWheels http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/tntwheels/717-adding-wdw-resorts-nwt-web-site.html <![CDATA[HELP! I just don't have a blogworthy thought every day!]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/716-help-i-just-dont-have-blogworthy-thought-every-day.html Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:22:51 GMT I looked at this blog, which is now yesterday, and did something that I've been tempted to do before.

I deleted.

I have really discovered one of the main pitfalls of blogging every day. Some days are just NOT blogworthy!

There! I admitted it. What a relief.

The whole concept of blogging is new to me. Sometimes, as I write, the obvious occurs to me. "Who cares?" OK, that isn't a cry for help, it is just a philosophical problem related to blogging. I think that should occur to just about any blogger who does not believe they are the center of the universe.

I think communication is in a tail-spin in these wierd times where people tweet and twitter fleeting thoughts to anyone who might virtually pass by. Am I the only one who thinks these are REALLY wierd times as far as social communication?

I think a comment that you are sitting on the couch with a cat, though, is less of an assumption that a blog entry on a topic.

When you read about someone sitting on a couch with a cat, it's quick, painless, and does not really assume that anything worthy of sparking a whole lot of gray matter is being offered. As a matter of fact, such comments almost assume that there is nothing of substance, really, being conveyed at all. They are like a friendly head-nod or hat-tip while not even slowing your walking pace, They are just a way to say "Hey" wit a few more words and just a tad more info.

A blog, in general, has a topic and some type of opinion. Whenever I finish some blog entries, I feel as if I need a disclaimer. Here are a few:

As if anyone cares.
Don't mind me, I'm this stupid in real-life too!
Another one finished, don't mind the lack of substance.
In Sandy's blog, no one can hear you scream.
Don'tworry. I'm an adjunct in a County College, I'm used to droning on and on in front of people who wish I would disappear.

OK, I'm getting silly now, but here's the point. I think that it is kind-of egoistic to think that anyone cares to hear your thoughts in the first place, but to think anyone would care daily???? Just for the record, I'm not deluded enough to think such a thing.

BUT, I am learning something amazing with this experiment to blog every day for a school year.

I always find a worthy topic in highlighting other people's accomplishments, especially the ongoing progress of interesting people. I do enjoy writing about Walt Disney himself, but that still seems like ME giving opinions and reflections. My favorite blog entries, I realize, are the ones where I pretty much cut and paste a comment or project update from someone else and show it off. NEVER, when I do that, do I wonder if it was worth the electricity to put it here.

I'm going to continue to blog every day and, hopefully, I'll come up with something reasonable, but I want to thank the people here who give me the material that I feel is most blogworthy. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/716-help-i-just-dont-have-blogworthy-thought-every-day.html The Sun in the Morning or the Moon at Night? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/715-sun-morning-moon-night.html Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:17:38 GMT Blogging every day has taught me some things about time of day.

I've learned that usually in the morning, my brain works like the sun, all bright and full of fire and heat. (Well, after a pot of coffee, that is!) Often sharp, energetic, and excited with the potential of throwing out light and seeing what grows.

I've also learned that, at night, my brain cools down and gets kind-of cold and sleepy. Any light thrown off is pretty much a reflection from something else, maybe something I'd done during the day. Some nights I may shine brightly for a while, but I'm really just orbiting around the promise of a nice warm bed and a good night's sleep. I'm just closing up shop.

My evening blogs seem to be centered around being thankful for the day, while my morning blogs seemed to be more forward-thinking.

So, here I am with a WHOLE DAY'S worth of time to do things, and I am going to focus today on being thankful for the day in advance. I hope I use the time well.

As a completely off-topic tangent, for some reason I decided to listen to a Tom Waits CD (Big Time to be exact). I've created a wierd dissonance between blogging about the excitement of the day while listening to Tom Waits.

It is kind-of like a black hole that taps into those parts of me that suck the light right out of my dreams and goals. I LOVE Tom Waits, but there is something inside of me that resonates with this CD to take the momentum right out of my progress.

But, I digress, and I need to move on. I do believe I will change my music selections once this CD is done. I wonder if it will make a difference.

Do you notice difference in your thinking from morning to night? Do you have anything that you might really love that takes your mind from an empowered, energetic place to something slower?

By the way, I switched the music to Mainstreet Electical Parade, and I am off-and-running!:) ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/715-sun-morning-moon-night.html Namaste http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/714-namaste.html Sun, 06 Dec 2009 22:22:38 GMT I'm almost ready to wrap up a project that has been in the making for a couple years. It is the book about Harold Gantert, the Prisoner of War in Stalag Luft III.

The last time I read the draft from my co-author, Jeff Edwards, I couldn't find words.

Today he gave me another draft, which was even better than the last one, and the word came to me.

The funny thing is, it is the same word I think of as I read the updates of the blog goals and projects here. When I see the talent, the effort, and the faith in dreams of all types.

It's the word I think of when I see any sort of community sharing, teaching, or putting effort toward something good.

The word is Namaste. Some people say or hear it after a yoga class.

There are several accepted meanings of the word, including
I bow to you,
I honor the Spirit in you, which is also in me
and my favorite
The light in me honors the light in you.

Today my mind is full of gratitude for all the things that can be made better by sharing.

It can be the telling of a young POW's story,it can be Todd sharing his latest photos of handicapped accessible rooms, or Scott telling us that he got his blood pressure down. It might be Tricia sharing the joy of her adoption, Becki's disappearing debt, or Angie's artwork.

And, of course, we can't forget Aaron's goal to make the world a better place by helping others.

If I had not made the comittment to blog every day, I probably would have let this thought pass. But since I'm following through with the goal I set for myself, and this is where my head is while I sit down to blog, this is what I'm saying!

Namaste! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/714-namaste.html Click Here to see Finished Projects http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/713-click-here-see-finished-projects.html Sat, 05 Dec 2009 14:05:44 GMT A silly PassPorter group goal was to be the last guests to ride Space Mountain one evening. Tara, SuperDave and I met that goal. The cast members... A silly PassPorter group goal was to be the last guests to ride Space Mountain one evening. Tara, SuperDave and I met that goal. The cast members whooped and cheered as they boarded the car behind us and, let me tell you, I never heard a happier group of screamers as we rode the attraction together.

I had the chance to shoot this photo!



Finished Projects:
:) A.Daley(Angie)
fill my "castle" with 12 pieces_of_my_own_Disney_art.
for future motivation, inspiration and future goals.


:)christiejay (Christie)
remodel master bedroom by June (see comments for details!)


:)Orionchika(Theresa)
(Goal)I will get my finances under control by year's end - done!!!(update)Credit cards are ALL PAID OFF-(ALL 14 OF THEM - UNTIL I GO SHOPPING AGAIN!, lol)

(Goal)Try to talk Sandy into emailing or PMing me her address-hint, hint....
(update) done!
:)daddyof2princesses(Aaron)
To make a genuine difference by helping others. (Your kindness really helped me!)
:)Tricia Davids(Tricia and Roger)
The_adoption_is_final!Click_Here!
:)Sandra Bostwick
-Blog every day for a school year.
-Finished and presented NJedge courses at NJedge 6.0 and Faculty Showcase.
-Redecorate bedroom for Sanctuary theme.
-Decorate OT Room at The Calais School
-Ecotour
MY BOOK IS PRINTED! Click_here_for_article_about_the_book.
(sorry if you have to wait for the ad to finish)
-Finish Sensory Integration workshop to be presented on January 18th.
-Finish literature review for research paper and for presentation in Orlando this Spring.


:)Todd Neuman:Finished foundation for
http://www.accesstravel.org/
(The old site name is below)
wheelchairtravel
I have new Business cards. Just got the editing for the page text done for the WDW resorts on the monorail line. Next back in doing another San Diego Hotel in Mission Bay area.


:)Scottjs (Scott)
got blood pressure down to 130/80!!! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/713-click-here-see-finished-projects.html Here is a list of projects in progress-updated 4/16/10 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/712-here-list-projects-progress-updated-4-16-10.html Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:18:59 GMT Projects in Progress: :)Rhinohunter (Michael) complete an online course and take the Series 65 securities exam :)Christine43(Christine)...

Projects in Progress:

:)Rhinohunter (Michael)
complete an online course and take the Series 65 securities exam


:)Christine43(Christine)
Big goal - start working out on Monday and by 40 day mark, working out atleast 5 days a week
Entering a nursing program at 46.
Scrapbook a few pages from '08
Make cds for some memory cards and maybe even print out some pics

:)4Disney2(Teresa)
Start my scrapbooks
Get my closet under control


:)PamelaK(Pam)
My goal is to finish the guide training. (Of course I am still waiting for the instructions on how to start the guide training. LOL)

I also have a goal to finish up the training on the online booking system for the travel agency. I keep falling asleep when I go to watch the training.

And my last goal is one I can accomplish tomorrow. I need to clean my room.
(and waiting for an update on the goal below)
I have set my goal for a DISNEY half marathon, because i would be more motivated to get it done if I know there is a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth in the end.
:)Orionchika(Theresa)
To complete baby's room and get furniture in... and when I find out the sex, paint and decorate!!! Work on a few knitted baby blankets, hats and booties... Just finished a baby ensemble for a friend due in July.
Finish moving by April 30th.... Having new house set up by May 12th, (my Bday-so I can enjoy without working)...Get and read a book on hypnobirthing....this week....



I will put more time and energy in my hobbies.... knitting, painting, cooking..... in progress
I will be able to save for a nice Christmas vacation - for my family (even after going broke with the last extravagant vacay in Sept!!!) - done....
I will try to post a response to this blog at least 2-3 week- in progress....


:)Becki
pay for a Family Friendly Bachelor/ Bachelorette Party for DSil and FDBil
-pay off bills and save for Family to Disney


:)Daddyof2princesses(Aaron)
Make time for the simple things!


:)Scottjs (Scott)
save for 2010 WDW trip

:)GoofEme(Jamie)
One ofmy jobs has a huge project due by the end of April.
In May my parents will celebrate 50 years of marriage and we are all going on a cruise to celebrate. We will have a reception for them also in May. I am in charge of the arrangements for all of this.

(On hold) A den Simba would love. Possible small gas fireplace

:)christiejay (Christie)
Goal to remodel master bedroom by June is done. For now I'm happy with the changes we've made. So my focus has shifted to getting everything better organized and trying to get rid of a lot of the clutter.

:)Todd Neuman(Todd)
Finish another hotel review for website.
Get more pictures with wide lens for my Web Site http://www.accesstravel.org/
(below is the old name)
wheelchairtravel
Do speech exercises three times daily.

:)Sandra Bostwick(Sandy)

-Finish draft for journal research paper.
-Stay sane while leading Sunday Night Trivia Chat
-Get my own column in an OT magazine
-Start a blog project with soldiers with PTSD using Harold's story


:)A.Daley(Angie)
fill my "castle" with 12 pieces_of_my_own_Disney_art.
for future motivation, inspiration and future goals.

:)Disney (Jeff) post photos of Coney Island in a tribute.

:)MaryEL8775(Mary) My goal by summer is to completely have a clean and de-cluttered house. I want everything in its place and get rid of the USELESS stuff that should have gone out and been gotten rid of back in September. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/712-here-list-projects-progress-updated-4-16-10.html When you have good people around! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/711-when-you-have-good-people-around.html Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:19:00 GMT I think one of the secrets of making most dreams come true would be having good support people around. Walt, of course had Roy, Lily. When you... I think one of the secrets of making most dreams come true would be having good support people around.

Walt, of course had Roy, Lily. When you think about the parks, he had a whole list of engineers, Imagineers, writers, cartoonists, and important people right down to the guys who painted walls or helped empty the garbage cans in the parks.

When I look at the goals or dreams that we might have, we're not different. We may not have an army, but there are usually just enough good people.

I notice that I have different people for different goals and dreams. The type of people who support a project like this particular blog are a really special people.

I think, sometimes people support something because they want to be helpful, and THAT is the type of support person who is really special.

I'm running around with way too many things on my "to do" list at the moment. I know that, in a week or so, all those things will be done. There is something really special, though, about signing on to the PassPorter site and finding greetings and messages.

I am always inspired when I see questions being asked and answered or trip reports being shared.

So, I have to get back to the controlled chaos, but I want to keep up with my daily blog entries for whatever that is worth. And what is on my mind right now is that this is one of those places where I can sign on and find all sorts of good people in all different areas working together for something kind-of special. A community.

And I know that we all go back to our real lives, but isn't it kind-of fun to have a place like this site with SO many options?

I think it is really nice! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/711-when-you-have-good-people-around.html Quiet in blogland http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/710-quiet-blogland.html Thu, 03 Dec 2009 03:41:29 GMT 3 months down, seven to go. Blogging every day for a year seems a bit like a chore today.

I'm grading my student's term papers today and trying to get enough points in the book to at least pass everyone. WHEW! I'm pretty tired.

Now I have to give some serious thought to the holidays.

It's occurred to me that I really need to focus on holiday things.

I don't really have much to say, so I'm not going to force it. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/710-quiet-blogland.html Ideas, ideas, ideas! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/709-ideas-ideas-ideas.html Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:29:07 GMT "I've got a lot of ideas. I haven't worked them out and I haven't proved them out. I carry ideas around in my head for a long time."

Walt Disney

Do ideas go stale? If you have a great project in mind, are there limits to how long it should take to complete it?

When I think of Walt walking around with all those ideas, it almost gives me a headache! I wonder how he decided which ideas needed to be put on the to-do-list, and which needed to continue cooking without action.

I'm curious. Do you have any wild ideas cooking? Can you be courageous enough to share them?

Quote from p. 227, How To Be Like Walt, Pat Williams with Jim Denney, Health Communications, Inc., Deerfield Beach, Florida ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/709-ideas-ideas-ideas.html Are you a believer? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/708-you-believer.html Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:26:44 GMT I saw A Christmas Carol on Saturday night. At the beginning, when I saw the castle that tells you Walt was somehow involved in the production, I... I saw A Christmas Carol on Saturday night.

At the beginning, when I saw the castle that tells you Walt was somehow involved in the production, I felt just a little bit proud for him. For some reason, I also felt just a little proud for myself, which is kind-of silly.

It isn't as if I could stand up and say "I KNOW HIM!" I never even met the man!

I've never worked for Disney, I have no real connection to Disney at all.

Well, except that I'm a believer. And I know I'm not alone. The castle, with all the expected sparkle and magic, is a symbol. To use a phrase that I try not to overdo...you know what I mean?

Are you a believer?

Walt created a legacy with his goals. I'm not the first to say it, I'm not the first to buy in, but I'm part of it in a small way.

OK, it really is only entertainment, BUT I, personally, love being entertained well!

Walt created believers when he managed to make his dreams and goals real. You either feel it, or you don't.

I don't want to go too far into that, or I'll start sounding like I'm part of some wierd cult but, I'll ask again. You know what I mean?

Do you? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/708-you-believer.html Can you look toward the future to create a legacy with your goals and dreams ? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/707-can-you-look-toward-future-create-legacy-your-goals-dreams.html Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:38:09 GMT
"There might be a big angle on television."

Interoffice memo from Walt Disney to Roy Disney and Gunther Lessing dated October 21, 1939


One Walt's gifts was his ability to think ahead and make predictions based on trends and developing technologies. He was able to anticipate where the tide was going and use that to create opportunity.

He was probably less successful with the business end of this early on, if you consider the Oswald situation, but he lived and learned. (Or, maybe he just had Roy look over things!)

Somehow Walt managed to carve a path to move closer to his goals all the time. Sometimes, he built on past experience, always improving, diversifying and refining. Sometimes, though, he built on nothing but dreams and wishes, experimenting with technology that did not even exist yet and, by doing this, he actually had a hand in developing that technology.

I'm sure there were times that people called him a nut or asked him to get his head out of the clouds. Maybe someone suggested that he get a real job. Maybe they just didn't understand him and, since they "got" each other, decided that there must be something wrong with Walt.

Who knows?

But, when Walt saw a new venue, Television, he shifted his goals to embrace it. And we all know how that turned out!




Well, let me switch from small screen to big screen.

Last night I saw A Christmas Carol. I was amazed at the artistry. WOW!

Now, I know Walt Disney himself had no direct input on any aspect of that particular film. I also know that there are plenty of well done films out there with all sorts of effects, and I know there are plenty of great production companies. (Just so no one thinks I am saying that Disney is the only one.)

But, let's get back to Walt. When I saw the castle and his name at the beginning of the film, I couldn't help but wonder if he ever, in his wildest dreams, could have imagined the technology that followed.

In particular, the Ghost of Christmas past, with his candle head and slight stutter every time the candle flickers was BRILLIANT! But, I digress into a movie review.

Now, here's what I'm hoping you'll think about.

If you could create some sort of legacy, some sort of forward thinking movement with your dreams and goals, what might that be? Do you see any new paths that you might use to get further? Could you imagine starting something that others might continue, even after you are gone?

Would you want the world to be a prettier place? A cleaner place? A safer place? A kinder place? Or, like Walt, a more magical place?


Quote from p. 112 Inside The Dream; The Personal Story of Walt Disney, Katherine and Richard Greene, Roundtable Press;NY. 2001 ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/707-can-you-look-toward-future-create-legacy-your-goals-dreams.html Editing goals with rose colored glasses. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/706-editing-goals-rose-colored-glasses.html Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:29:17 GMT Today I finished my first -Ecotour... Today I finished my first -Ecotour trip report JUST ENOUGH that I felt I could move it to the finished list.

WOW! It was an amazing feeling!

I also did something that took alot of courage. I put "finish editing the POW" book down on my goals list. We have some orders from people who want to use it for a Christmas gift, so it is time to get moving.

This is a goal that has been literally years in the making, for one reason or another.

I just picked up a disc of a near-final draft and I'll be reviewing it now. I have to really work in spite of all sorts of fears. I don't even want to name the fears because, first, it would take too much time and, second, it gives power to them.

Today, all I am going to do is sit down with a cup of coffee and this manuscript that will be done printing in five pages.

When you edit, you are supposed to look at a document for what is wrong, what could be done better, what needs to be added, waht needs to be taken out.

Well, I've done that SO many times and, I have to say, I rarely enjoy it.

Today I think I will read through it to see what is good.

So often, when it comes to my goals, I see them through a veil of criticism and judgment. Today I'm going to dedicate the day to seeing my goals through rose colored glasses.

Do you have a pair of rose colored glasses for looking at your goals? Can you spend a day wearing them? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/706-editing-goals-rose-colored-glasses.html Barriers, Detours, and Bridges out. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/705-barriers-detours-bridges-out.html Sat, 28 Nov 2009 04:54:06 GMT A certain Passporter helped me remember that you just can't let obstacles stand in the way of the things you want to do or need to do.

Some obstacles, though, are hard to manage. Limitations of one sort or another or maybe too much of something that makes your progress more difficult.

Barriers are the obstacles that cause you to take those extra steps around or over.

Detours make you take a different, less direct route.

And a bridge out can stop you in your tracks.

Sometimes you just can't shake yourself free of the things that keep you from moving forward. Those things can definitely slow or even stop your progress, but if you don't allow them to stop your spirit, you can keep moving.

Blogging every day is tough because, sometimes, I think my general frame of mind would be best kept to myself. Sometimes I think I should sugarcoat or paint some sunshine on a cloud.

This blogging every day is also a good reality check because, if I am to be honest, I'll see some of the patterns that I might otherwise try to ignore. I'll see that sometimes life knocks the wind out of me.

Maybe I am taking myself a bit off topic, but, when I was in high school there was a special person named Monica who used to help me navigate the world. She'd keep track of schedules for me, remind me of performances, and generally keep me from losing my head. She was a good friend.

I tried to find her often over the past several years but I just discovered that she passed away on 3/21/2007.

She was the type of friend who would help me navigate the barriers, detours, and bridge-outs of life. I wish I'd tracked her down before she passed because, in all honesty, I never really thanked her.

By the time i realized how good she was to me, we'd lost track. When I finally found her, it was in a post-mortem tribute.

It seems important now to thank people, but there are just SO many!

SO, Linda, Jennifer, Susanne, Sal, Vivian, all the countless friends who help me who i did not name AND my PassPorter people, I'm thanking you now.

For the kindness, the guidance, and the help moving toward those goals. I really do appreciate you.

There are only a few minutes to post before the day is done, so here it is!

Nighty night! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/705-barriers-detours-bridges-out.html Happy Thanksgiving! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/704-happy-thanksgiving.html Fri, 27 Nov 2009 03:19:04 GMT This is going to be a short one because I am about as tired as I can be. I just got home, and when I signed on I found some PMs and some visitor... This is going to be a short one because I am about as tired as I can be.

I just got home, and when I signed on I found some PMs and some visitor messages from various PassPorter friends.

I just want to say, from my heart, how thankful I am for all the PassPorters. Especially those who've been involved in book clubs, those who are following along with this blog project, those who pop in to say "hi", and everyone else here.

And now... ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/704-happy-thanksgiving.html Taking a thankful break! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/703-taking-thankful-break.html Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:29:45 GMT Image: http://images.cheezburger.com/completestore/2009/11/25/129036541902665641.jpg This is how I feel today. Full of good stuff and sleepy as...

This is how I feel today. Full of good stuff and sleepy as can be. Sometimes it is really good to just stop and take a break!

And the break starts.........................NOW! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/703-taking-thankful-break.html Where are your goals on your priority list? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/702-where-your-goals-your-priority-list.html Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:35:32 GMT If the spark of an idea is strong, it will never fade away. Even if it travels only far enough to appear on that first piece of paper, there it will... If the spark of an idea is strong, it will never fade away. Even if it travels only far enough to appear on that first piece of paper, there it will patiently remain until the time is right for it to re-ignite. The Imagineers

Little by little, I am seeing some of the goals that people set come to pass.

The latest would be seeing Tricia and Roger finally adopt a beautiful baby after 12 years of not knowing if the goal (or dream) would ever come true.

Sometimes the biggest goals require the most faith and courage. Those goals that require someone else's participation, approval, or commitment are, for me, the hardest to put my trust into.

I like the way the Imagineers believe the spark of an idea never fades away, even if it takes time to see it through.

We've seem some disappointments with goals here. Maybe money or resources got in the way. Maybe time was the problem. Maybe the problem is just being distracted.

I think I mentioned earlier that some goals, once you get a bit further into them, get put on the "later" list. Some get put on the "never" list. And some should stay front and center until they are done.

Do you have a goal that needs to be moved to the top, to the bottom, OR completely off your list? Can you give it some thought and reassign your priorities so you are up to date?

Have you recently accomplished something meaningful?

p. 36 Walt Disney Imagineering-A behind the Dreams Look at Making the Magic Real by the Imagineers-published by Hyperion in 1996. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/702-where-your-goals-your-priority-list.html Blank sheet of paper. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/701-blank-sheet-paper.html Tue, 24 Nov 2009 01:09:57 GMT One of my favorite books ends with what first appears to be a blank page. There is a shadowy image of Mickey Mouse with his wizard hat and wand. The... One of my favorite books ends with what first appears to be a blank page. There is a shadowy image of Mickey Mouse with his wizard hat and wand. The top of the page bears the following text:

"There are two ways to look at this blank sheet of paper. You can look at it as the last page of a book, or as the greatest opportunity in the world because nobody's put anything on it. That's the way we look at it, at Imagineering. Go ahead and use it to dream, create new things and let your imagination go.

Why not? Everything begins somewhere..."

What would you fill your blank sheet of paper with? Would you draw, write, or do something else?




Walt Disney Imagineering-A behind the Dreams Look at Making the Magic Real by the Imagineers-published by Hyperion in 1996. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/701-blank-sheet-paper.html SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/700-surprise.html Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:25:52 GMT Image: http://images.funagain.com/cover/large/14564.jpg Image:...







A SURPRISE BABY SHOWER for our very own Tricia and Roger!

Please leave a wish, a virtual snack and a virtual gift in the comments.

Welcome Katelyn!
We have been trying to have/adopt a child for the past 12 years. We are proud to finally introduce you to...
Katelyn Ann
Born Nov. 20th 2009
weighing 5 lb 15 oz
18 1/2 inches long
Adopted Nov. 23rd 2009




An update on Katie!
Dear Friends,
I had a wonderful first trip to The Disneyland Resort. I just loved all the sights, sounds, characters and rides (even though I did sleep through a few of them). I went on my trip with Mommy, Daddy and Nana plus we met up with Gammy & Jack, Uncle Adam & Aunt Janai, our friends the Montgomerys, our new friends from Passporter – Minnie Jen and her family and our friends the Hills.
My first Disney ride was Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train in Bug’s Land at Disney’s California Adventure but I went on everything from Dumbo, Peter Pan, & Toy Story Mania to Pirate’s of the Caribbean. I met Mickey, Minnie, Tinker Bell, Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Pooh, Tigger, Lightening McQueen & Mater.
I was a really good girl and had a really fun time. I can’t wait to go again and take some more family and friends with me. Maybe soon mommy and daddy will let me eat some of the yummy treats I was smelling there!

Love,
Katie
__________________

 ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/700-surprise.html 29 minutes left of this day http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/699-29-minutes-left-day.html Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:40:40 GMT For some reason, blogging every day has been toughest this past week.

Today, I spent some time updating yesterday's entry and almost forgot to blog today.

I would have missed my first day since I set this goal in September.

There are now 28 minutes left of this day.

It is kind-of strange, but I don't often pay close attention to minutes unless I am working. For example, my sessions are usually 30 or 60 minutes. I pay attention to those minutes and really try to make each minute count.

In my real life, though, when I am not on the clock for someone else, I waste ALOT of minutes.

There are now 25 minutes left of this day.

We've been working on goals, being productive, being inspired with this blog.

I think I am going to set a goal for tomorrow. I am really going to keep an eye on my minutes tomorrow, and see how I use them.

To be honest, I'm only thinking of this because I am blogging at the last minute. When I first looked at the clock, I thought "Well, it's too late, and I don't really have anything in mind today."

And, for that attitude, I'd have missed that first day.

21 minutes left of this day.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm. I wonder what I can do in 21 minutes? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/699-29-minutes-left-day.html Horizons http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/698-horizons.html Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:25:56 GMT Do you remember Horizons? Click below for a bit of nastalgia. Horizons (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBxRvSG8tDM) Image:... Do you remember Horizons? Click below for a bit of nastalgia.

Horizons



http://www.horizons1.com/photos.htm

Take a look at the attraction above. This was one of the major influences in my life when I was young.

The attraction is gone now, but I still remember it as one of my favorites.



Did you get to see Horizons before it closed? Did you enjoy it? Do you know which attraction replaced it?

I just got back from a conference that put me in mind of some of the computer scenes I saw in Horizons. Here are some of the interesting highlights I saw at the conference I attended.

I met this guy and, if I am very lucky, I'm hoping to develop some projects with him.

http://blog.craigkapp.com/

Scroll down once you get there! The funniest one is the Daily show with Jon Stewart, and the cutest one is the one below it where Craig Kapp's dog is helping him.

This was the conference I attended. http://njedge.net/conference2009/
There were just countless exciting presentations and I suggest following some of the links in the program or googling to learn more.

I presented a poster and showed just a bit of the exciting things we do here online at PassPorter!

Here is my poster abstract, where you will see that I am proud to say I am a moderator here. I explained how we update the PassPorter Books online with all the Peer Reviewers while also taking the tips from the community. I also explained how we have an online place for any changes that occur after the book goes to print. There were a few oohs and aahs when looking through the books!

Sandy's_Poster

The main point of the conference, though, was teaching. The college class I teach includes several online classes or projects.

My college uses blackboard, so at the moment that is what I am using for my course. It takes a little work to put your course into the system, and it takes alot more work to get your students to really use it as a learning tool at first.

This is another interesting virtual campus/classroom that I saw.



http://moodle.com/

I met some of the most interesting people at this conference, and I saw some demonstrations of real-life scenarios like the ones I saw in Horizons when I was a kid.

What do you think about some of this information? Can you imagine what we will be seeing in ten to twenty years? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/698-horizons.html Bloggin from the heart today. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/697-bloggin-heart-today.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:04:48 GMT This goal that I've set to blog every single day for a school year has taught me something about myself. Sometimes I don't really feel like blogging!

Like last night, for instance. I was really pushing myself. Well, not tonight! Let me tell you about my day!

Actually, I need to give a little background. I'll start way back at being a little girl and visiting DisneyWorld. I remember going through some of the attractions that showed the future of computers. I remember the computer classes and the computer communication scenes from the end of Carousel of Progress to Spaceship Earth.

They fascinated me. I loved to see them because I LOVED the possibility!

Well, today was almost a whole day just listening to all the amazing ways that computers can be used in the classroom, and all I kept thinking about was how cool this is! The world that I used to love to see at Disney is right here!

And a part of that world is the fact that I can sign on to my laptop during a break and check on how my college class is doing with their term papers. (Or, NOT doing their term paper, as it were, but I was STILL able to check on that.)

And now I'm here writing to my special little computer family. And THAT is cool, too!

So, if you are reading this, thank you for being in my computer. It is a little cramped in here, though, so get out now and stretch!

G'night! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/697-bloggin-heart-today.html <![CDATA[Toto, we're not in a Disney Resort!]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/696-toto-were-not-disney-resort.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:27:58 GMT I'm sitting here in my hotel room waiting for the conference tomorrow, and I remembered I almost forgot today's blog.

I turned on the laptop and struggled to think of anything Disney related that I felt like blogging on. Nothing. Nothing in this room inspired me at all.

Then I took a good look around. Shabby carpet, worn bedspreads, scuffed walls, drab olive and brown tones in non-descript rectangles hanging in frames over the beds. The heat/air system is dented with the front panel hanging off. The plastic on the lampshade is cracked.

Then I got it! There is nothing at all magical about this room! This is not the way Walt would have done it.

To be fair, the public areas of this convention center are quite nice, with fireplaces, lavish snack areas, and very friendly staff. Oh, and cute little pillows on the bed bear the message "be well".

I'm really not a complainer, and I don't want to make it sound like this place is a no-tell motel, because it is fine, I'm sure. If I recall, last year's room in a different wing was not quite this bad.

There is just a distinct lack of attention to detail in this particular room. There is no theme to grab and inspire.

Do you think WDW resorts take care to create a total experience right down to the rooms?

OK, I'm tired, and that's all I've got! I hope someone can breathe some life into this with comments!:p ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/696-toto-were-not-disney-resort.html When goals seem to multiply. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/694-when-goals-seem-multiply.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:54:27 GMT Somehow, I can't believe that there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four Cs. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably.
Walt Disney

I am posting in between meetings and taking a break from the things on my "to do" list. Today is one of those days when lots of goal seeds seem to all be blooming at once.

I've gotten quite a few messages from blog readers (and blog peekers...one or two time visitors who's opinions I value) that deciding on a goal is a scary proposition.

Some have enthusiastically decided on a goal, only to change it or decide the time is not right.

I think a wise person avoids goals that are not really a priority. A different type of wisdom would be knowing that, even though a goal was started, that it is time to drop it.

But some times it is hard to plan ahead. Some goals get sent out into the world, and need someone else's approval to move forward. If someone else approves it, then the work starts.

I've found, with these goals, the best way to assure that you keep busy is to send out lots of little goal seeds, knowing that most will not take root.

Well, I'm in a phase where all my goal seeds have taken root and, for a time, I'm a bit under the gun.

This can happen in lots of ways. Interviewing for a whole bunch of jobs, then being offered all of them. Or maybe trying to have children and discovering that triplets are on the way. Maybe auditioning for several shows and getting them all.

I'm running out of time, here, so I'm hoping someone else will help me develop this topic.

Have you ever had a bit too much great stuff to manage? What is your number one tip for managing?


Once in a while, I see a comment that I don't want anyone to miss. This was just posted below, and I'm copying it here so it is front and center!


This is where I think my military and emergency room/ICU training would help me....I had to learn to "triage" victims/patients in a specific order... "Airway, Breathing, Circulation......" then a secondary checklist comes into play......Now, If I could only place "correctly" my goal items as such....That would be so nice....LOL.... But items that "have" to be done by a deadline, financial restrictions....then take it from there as they are based on the "whole" picture....are there any that would make other tasks easier????



Posted Today at 05:22 AM by orionchika ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/694-when-goals-seem-multiply.html Blog in progress http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/693-blog-progress.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:40:18 GMT Image: http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/images/statusicon/post_new.gif Image:...

"Oh yes, what demons may one find in their closet of anxieties....." Opus

So to help Sandra I will point out that creating "Goals" will help focus attention on something other than our closet of anxieties. If I focus on helping others I can go to bed feeling good and leave the closet door closed.



Posted Today at 06:49 AM by daddyof2princessess

Let's use Aaron's quote as a writing prompt. Please help develop this blog entry in the comments. I'll come back later when I get the time.


WOW, Aaron, scary stuff!

Aaron makes a great point that, whatever is causing you the problems, setting goals might just be the best monster spray of all!
THANKS! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/693-blog-progress.html Keeping up with the blog. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/692-keeping-up-blog.html Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:19:31 GMT "I was a little guy and I'd be up to my nose in snow. I still have nightmares about it. What I really liked on those cold mornings was getting to the apartment buildings. I'd drop off the papers and then lie down in the warm apartment corridor and snooze a little and try to get warm. I still wake up with that on my mind."
Walt Disney


Have you ever felt like young Walt? Up to your nose in snow and freezing cold?

It's easy to lose track of the fact that, at some point, you'll most likely get out of that situation.

Think of the adversity, the disappointments, and the difficulties that must have formed Walt Disney's basic beliefs about life and the world. I honestly can't imagine how he ever became the man who dreamed such dreams, let alone found the way to make those dreams come true.

What is even more amazing to me is that Walt's story is not entirely unique. There are countless examples of men and women rising above some sort of challenge to beat the odds.

WOW!

Well, today, I am working to rise above the clock, dealing with several deadlines that are hitting me all at once. Sometimes deadlines are the wall of snow and cold that cause shivers and chattering teeth.

But, not today!

One of my deadlines was right here, my project to blog every day. And here...I DID IT! I still have not missed a day since September!

Have you ever had a scary, tall wall of snow and ice that got in your way? Isn't it great when you grow up and realize it is not as tall as you thought?

How is your project going? If you are new, can you think of joining us with some sort of project?




Quote from page 9. Read more about Walt's childhood in

Williams, Pat How to Be Like Walt:Capturing the Disney Magic Every Day of Your Life. Florida:Health Communications, Inc. 2004 ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/692-keeping-up-blog.html Take out your monster spray and start spraying! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/690-take-out-your-monster-spray-start-spraying.html Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:05:46 GMT "I was a little guy and I'd be up to my nose in snow. I still have nightmares about it. What I really liked on those cold mornings was getting to the apartment buildings. I'd drop off the papers and them lie down in the warm apartment corridor and snooze a little and try to get warm. I still wake up with that on my mind."
Walt Disney



According to some authors, Walt Disney carried recurring nightmares of walking through blizzards or being punished by his father well into adulthood. Obviously, these fears did not keep him from making his dreams come true. It is hard to imagine being strong enough to overcome such a hard, scary childhood, but Walt apparently did just that.

Let's stick with being kids for a little while longer and look at one of the most common nightmares... the dreaded moster in the closet. Or was your monster under the bed? YIKES!

How scary was that!

As a grown-up, the monsters may be different, but they are just as scary. Grown up monsters are those worries that take on form in our imagination. They get bigger and bigger. We can't quite see them, but they are waiting someplace to jump out and remind us of just how small and helpless we are.

Or are they?

Grown-up monsters may hide inside our jobs, our homes, even inside our bodies. They distract us from fun, annoy us out of our peace, and scare us so that we can't ignore them.

But, the truth is, most of the grown-up monsters exist in our imaginations. Most never materialize in real life. They are just possibilities. Maybe they are worst case scenarios that look like a Yeti, but end up being more like a big rat in real life.

Wouldn't it be great if we could avoid spending Yeti size anticipation energies on what ends up to be just a big rat?

Just for today, let's take out our monster spray and spray those monsters away. You can go back to worrying tomorrow, I promise.


Quote from page 9. Read more about Walt's childhood in

Williams, Pat How to Be Like Walt:Capturing the Disney Magic Every Day of Your Life. Florida:Health Communications, Inc. 2004 ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/690-take-out-your-monster-spray-start-spraying.html <![CDATA[That's no way to talk to a child!]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/689-thats-no-way-talk-child.html Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:45:18 GMT We're just getting started, so if any of you start to rest on your laurels, just forget it.
Walt Disney

Yesterday, our theme was that we are just getting started. In a way, you can think of that as constantly learning and developing, just like a child. (ClickHere)

The challenge was to look at your areas of weakness the way a loving parent or caring adult might look at a child. If you looked at your "stuff" that way, would you be so hard on yourself?

Grown people often function in the role of self-parenting or self-teaching.

Today, let's look at the way we speak to ourselves when we need to shape up, learn something, or apologize.

What is your tone? What kind of phrases do you use? Do you call yourself names? Do you punish harshly for small infractions? Do the things you say to yourself set up impossible expectations?

When I ask some people these questions, I find that their "inner voice" often mimics that of an actual parent or authority figure from the past. Sometimes, adults don't know how to speak with kindness and respect to a child, especially when the child had made a mistake. If you grew up with one of those parents, teachers, or authority figures, be careful you aren't repeating that pattern!

For today, can you take a good look at the way you speak to yourself? Can you ask yourself...if you overheard an adult speaking to a small child with the same tone or words, how would you react?

(By the way, I am having trouble finding personal messages between all the picture messages on my home page, so if you wrote something there and I didn't respond, I am not ignoring you! It would be best if you wrote here if you want me to see it. Also, remember that my home page is public! Any member can see it!) ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/689-thats-no-way-talk-child.html How old is grown up? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/686-how-old-grown-up.html Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:45:42 GMT We're just getting started, so if any of you start to rest on your laurels, just forget it.
Walt Disney

There are all kinds of learning experiences.

You can call them alot of things: mistakes, failures, Boo-boos, owies, infringements, violations, the list goes on.

I think a risk comes when we start to identify with those things that we could have done better. When we start calling our mistakes character flaws, personality problems, ingrained habits, and other labels that lead us to believe that the mistakes are out of our control.

Another risk comes when we are resigned that something "is just the way it is". We might believe that a pattern can't be changed, or that we are stuck in a rut.

Very often, I'll hear the phrase "S/he should have known better".

Well, what if that person is still learning? What if they are taking advantage of the fact that we grow up right until the moment we drop dead?

And I mean literally! I've worked in settings where I was there for people who had no family near the end of their lives. I have to say, some of the insight and growth that I witnessed from people, even at the age of 100, was astounding. I think that is why I can always hang onto hope when I see mistakes I've made.

I'm not all grown up yet! I'm still learning.

I challenge those who may be still learning to give themselves the kindness and patience that they might offer a child.

If something is not going your way, you've made a mistake, or you are feeling stuck, think it through as if you were young enough to deserve patience, guidance and more chances to make it right.

That is what I will be doing today. I hope someone out there will join me!

Have a fun day! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/686-how-old-grown-up.html <![CDATA[Today's Blog Honors Veterans]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/685-todays-blog-honors-veterans.html Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:03:21 GMT Image: http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/attachments/driveway-testing-grounds/36310d1257923455-disney-history-making-pics-veterans-day-2009-.jpg...
Thanks to Diz (Dorie) for the graphic.


Aaron posted:


As a Veteran of the U.S. Navy myself, and the son of a retired Vietnam Era Sailor, I can assure you Mickey is still a popular symbol of "home" and all things U.S.A to our men and women abroad. In Vietnam aboard ship, at least the ones my father was on, Mickey movies were a regular favorite. Also if you watch the film Full Metal Jacket at the end they are singing the Leader of the Pack Clubhouse song. This is not a great exaggeration. It is still often sung during "working" parties, especially the foul ones, to help keep the mind busy. I remember being aboard a carrier singing it as we scrubbed garbage containers (Buffalo Soldier by Bob Marley is another favorite we had).



Posted Yesterday at 08:53 AM by daddyof2princessess

I'm asking all our PassPorter Veterans and all those related to Veterans to post a little something today. Describe your experience of decscrible someone else's. OR, just post the names of the Veterans you want to honor.

Happy Veteran's Day!

"To top it off, 1935 was the year Adolph Hitler banned Mickey Mouse cartoons from German Theaters. Later, during World War II, Mickey Mouse encouraged Americans to support the war effort by purchasing War Bonds. " Pat Williams ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/685-todays-blog-honors-veterans.html Mickey Mouse on a Gas Mask? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/684-mickey-mouse-gas-mask.html Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:55:10 GMT "To top it off, 1935 was the year Adolph Hitler banned Mickey Mouse cartoons from German Theaters. Later, during World War II, Mickey Mouse encouraged Americans to support the war effort by purchasing War Bonds. " Pat Williams

Mickey Mouse's picture was on the gas masks worn by children in the London Blitz. On D-Day, June 6, 1944, soldiers in Normandy were given the password "Mickey Mouse."

I am so excited today, and I was not sure if I'd be able to REALLY tie my thoughts into our theme of using Walt's life as inspiration. Then I opened one of my books and there it was! Mickey taking a role in WWII!

I'm excited because, last night, I downloaded the near-finished draft of a book that I've been waiting for YEARS to see finished. This draft had the photos of scrapbook memories that Harold Gantert, a POW from Stalag Luft III, carried back from Germany.

I spent hours at The Empire Diner in Parsippany, NJ, asking questions to get this quiet, humble man to tell me his story. Then I spent hours going over tapes to write his words down. I heard stories about prison concerts, theatre, gardens, parties.

By the time I was done, I could envision the camp and practically hear the shows and concerts in my mind. I was like Clara in the Nutcracker Suite, my head full of of all sorts of colorful characters in places I'd never visited. Only THIS was a prison!

After hours of writing, I took on a co-author and the reformatting began. Then came the struggle to scan the documents and place them in the book. And now, without doubt, we are just a few edits away from having something.

The story of Harold's year in Stalag Luft III sounds as if he were away at Boy Scout camp. He was captured within months of D-Day, when soldiers used Mickey Mouse as their Password.

The point of the story is that, with the right attitude, you can endure any hardship, any discomfort, any injustice, any deprivation, and come out OK. You might even have a great scrapbook, a few funny stories, and some happy memories.

I wanted to share the story SO BADLY because, if it changes one other life the way it changed mine, it NEEDS to be shared.

When I opened the document last night and saw the draft with the photos I had a moment. I'd almost given up! I thought it would never get done.

But there it was. A story that is almost ready to go out into the world.

As optimistic as I try to be, I have to admit that many aspects of today's world are downright toxic. I think having Mickey on a gas mask may have made it a little brighter for some. I'm hoping that Harold's story will do the same for a few people now.



Read more about Mickey and WWII on page 60

Williams, Pat How to Be Like Walt:Capturing the Disney Magic Every Day of Your Life. Florida:Health Communications, Inc. 2004 ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/684-mickey-mouse-gas-mask.html What about those long-shot dreams? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/683-what-about-those-long-shot-dreams.html Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:18:13 GMT We're just getting started, so if any of you start to rest on your laurels, just forget it.
Walt Disney


Trivia Davids posted:

Three short months after having all our adoption requirements completed, I got a call from a coordinator at the agency. We had been chosen by a birthmom out of the 15 families she had been presented with. In open adoption, the birthmom gets to choose the family she wants to raise her baby. Although there is no guarantee until 3 days after birth, this was a great first step. Communication was very slow at first, but after getting up the courage to call us, she decided to officially match with us. Since she lives in NV & we in CA, we had to hire legal representation in both states. In order to get to know her better & hopefully solidify her decision in picking us, we decided to make the 10 hour trip (each way) to go meet her.




Posted Yesterday at 09:53 PM by Tricia Davids

And later, Tricia posted:

So much for posting a short update - sorry! Just wanted to let you know that we had a great time with the birthmom & her boyfriend this weekend. I think the connection we were able to make was worth the time, effort & expense of the trip. She should deliver some time in the next month so if all goes well my 12 year goal will be complete soon!



Posted Today at 12:08 AM by Tricia Davids

Angie Daley posted:

I know it sounds corny, but I believe that you are that someone! For example... my store is shutting down, I quit my job as a cleaning lady and the options are endless! I can do or be anything... I'm trying to break into the School Board arena as a TA, everyone thinks this is an awesome idea and that it shouldn't be a problem for me to do... you are the only one that considered what I do, what I love to do, and what may not give me the same love and satisfaction that I get when I create and paint. Whether or not it is a fact... no one actually knows, not even myself, you are the ONLY person that looked at those factors and then challenged me to take it one step further and closer to what I really want to do without just settling. You have challenged me as an artist to create 12 new specific pieces in my portfolio and challenged me to consider other options regardless of how easy or hard it may be to achieve.
So let me be the first to say that I have called on you as my CHALLENGER Sandy! My motivator... and we have never even met... that says A LOT!!
Thanks for everything!!



Posted Yesterday at 09:21 PM by A.Daley

Isn't that interesting! Tricia is finishing a 12 year goal and Angie is starting a 12 painting goal!


This is not a huge group we have here, but we sure have alot of faith and courage! Some dreams are long-shots. You can put your whole heart and soul into them, you can struggle and do all that is in your power, and you might still walk away empty handed.

BUT! You might just get what you want.

It's hard to imagine working toward ANYTHING for 12 years without knowing if I'll ever have anything to show for it. But Tricia and Roger did that on their journey to become parents.

And Angie is making a promise to remember her true passion...becoming an artist...even if earning a living might still be a priority.

Those long-shot dreams can take a lifetime of effort.

Sometimes we might decide we've put enough time into it and give up. Sometimes we might decide we've come close enough, even though we don't have all of what we wanted. Sometimes we might feel that we've seen the required number of failures that tell us that our dream is simply not realistic.

But sometimes we keep going, no matter what.

There is no guarantee, BUT never stopping IS the only way to make it to a long-shot dream.

You can gamble with your hope, your resources and your time with NO certainty of winning.

Or you can walk away.

Do you have a long-shot dream? What are you willing to bet on that dream?

By the way, I really want to be a best-selling author one day, with a shelf full of books that make people see life in a brighter light. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/683-what-about-those-long-shot-dreams.html <![CDATA[I'd love your opinion....just agree with me.]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/682-id-love-your-opinion-just-agree-me.html Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:01:39 GMT We're just getting started, so if any of you start to rest on your laurels, just forget it.
Walt Disney

Did you ever ask someone to look something over, then get it back with a big smile and a "Looks Wonderful!"

......and not much else?

Or maybe you are struggling with a tough decision and, when you ask advice, you get a big thumbs up.

It happens to me all the time. That is such a big boost to my confidence! It pushes me to work harder. It energizes me.

But I don't learn a whole lot from that.

Later I'll discover I could have done a better job. Or maybe I'll see that a decision I made would have been so much smarter if I'd considered a few other facts.

And I'll remember to appreciate the people in my life who challenge me.

I'm not talking about those negative, abusive, nasty people who love to see you squirm.

I'm talking about those people who really do see a better way and aren't afraid of setting you straight.

I'm talking about the people who take your stuff seriously enough to do the hard work with it.

That kind of attention takes time! It's hard to be the giver, but it is just as hard to be the receiver.

Is there someone who is challenging you right now? Do you think they might have something to offer you? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/682-id-love-your-opinion-just-agree-me.html Too busy to blog? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/681-too-busy-blog.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:47:38 GMT What a busy day! I want to get to my trip report update, and I've been busy with a project. Click on the link below to find out what it is! The people in the photo are my friends Connie, and Harold who is the subject of the book I'm working on. OOPS! See, I can't keep a secret for anything!:p

http://www.parsippanyfocus.com/

Oh, and for all the people who keep asking me to post a photo, I am in that photo way in the very back! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/681-too-busy-blog.html What do I do now? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/680-what-do-i-do-now.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:23:25 GMT We're just getting started, so if any of you start to rest on your laurels, just forget it.
Walt Disney

Orionchika brought up an interesting point...What will we do when we are finished with this?

Well, that made me wonder, What WILL I do when what I've been doing is finished?

I mean, there are a couple goals that, it seems, I've been working on FOREVER, and the progress has been like my wagon has been hitched to snails. Not even fast snails, but really lazy slow, stuck snails.

Lately it seems as if some of those slow, stuck snails may be moving. WOW! What if I actually manage to finish some of those perpetually unfinished things?

What would life be like when my head is just a little bit clearer?

I imagine there would be a whole lot more space for dreams and goals.

That's all I have today.

What do you think?

Quote from Walt Disney Imagineering A Behind the Dreams Look at Making the Magic Real ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/680-what-do-i-do-now.html <![CDATA[Today's guest blog by Jamie]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/679-todays-guest-blog-jamie.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:40:07 GMT Image: http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/images/statusicon/post_new.gif Image:...

I keep wondering after a whole year of following this blog; what in the world am I going to do after the year is up and you choose to no longer blog? Sometimes I am only a lookielou and sometimes I comment, but everytime I come here I leave with something I didn't have before: An idea, encouragement, or food for thought. Thanks Sandy:D



Posted Yesterday at 10:45 PM by GoofEme

(Jamie is responding to this invitation)
This blog is special to me because of the comments, or even because I can see people are checking in to read without posting.

This entry is an invitation for anyone to blog in the comments about whatever they want to discuss.

I'm turning over the controls for today's entry.

Anyone want to give bloggin a shot? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/679-todays-guest-blog-jamie.html Guest blog by Angie Daley http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/678-guest-blog-angie-daley.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:23:23 GMT Today's guest blog by Angie Daley



Posted Yesterday at 10:40 PM by A.Daley

here goes!
So much has happened that my head is spinning! So is my "path". The folks subletting my store Angie's Attic have decided to vacate at the end of the month so I have to close my shop, atleast until after I return from Disney in December... ahhhh.... and now, me being the cleaning lady for a Boys and Girls after school program, went to work to clean n' such, find out later that everything is shut down due to H1N1 in the place... I was not informed! I found out 3 hours after cleaning toilets, garbages, tables, talking on the phone. So I walked out, later finding out that the all around feeling was that "it's my job"... which it is, but I deserve at least a warning to prepare for such a deep cleaning, putting my family, including my 4 year old at risk.
I have decided that I am better then that and deserve better then that. Especially after last week, it shut down due to Step Throat... no warning, but stayed and cleaned.
I have made a decision that I am going to prepare all I have to be a Teacher's Assistant! THIS IS MY NEW GOAL! I will fix my life and make myself proud!
Thanks Sandra... this all went down today and it was perfect you allowed me a place to vent...
I appreciate EVERYTHING you do!
That's all... I give up

Angie is responding to this invitation:
This blog is special to me because of the comments, or even because I can see people are checking in to read without posting.

This entry is an invitation for anyone to blog in the comments about whatever they want to discuss.

I'm turning over the controls for today's entry.

Anyone want to give blogging a shot? Just post in the comments! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/678-guest-blog-angie-daley.html Just what IS worth my time and attention???? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/675-just-what-worth-my-time-attention.html Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:10:31 GMT When we consider a new project, we really study it-not just the surface idea, but everything about it. And when we go into that new project, we... When we consider a new project, we really study it-not just the surface idea, but everything about it. And when we go into that new project, we believe in it all the way. We have confidence in our ability to do it right. And we work hard to do the best possible job.

Walt Disney in Walt Disney Imagineering, a behind the Dreams Look at Making the Magic Real by The Imagineers, p.
83.


I stood in front of a class today trying to get a group of students to look at their paragraphs and spend some time editing, improving, or otherwise making the work better in some way. The majority simply felt the first shot at it was good enough and, you could tell, they had NO idea what I was looking for.

"What do you mean, develop the idea more? The grammar is good enough. I can't think of any details to add! I like it fine, thank you! Can I go to the bathroom?"

The funny thing about it is that some of these students have the same spark and creativity that I'd expect to find in a young imagineer.

OK, I know that writing a term paper is not as exciting as creating a multi-sensory theme park attraction, but just where do we start developing our skills for enthusiastic excellence? If we aspire to mediocrity all our lives, can we suddenly turn on the drive to succeed later? I wish I could ask Walt when he started to care so much about his creations? Can he bottle some of that for the rest of us?

I wonder when it was that Walt Disney knew that focusing his attention on the creation of a over-the-top magical theme park was worth the effort? I mean, he must have started before he had a clue that he'd finish the job.

I'll be honest, if someone came to me with the kind of plans that Walt must have been throwing out there, I'd think the person should cut down on the caffeine at the least.

I get it that much of the Disney empire was built with the ultimate goal of making a profit, but Walt, in those early years, could never have imagined what the future would hold.

I wonder about the goals that seem like too much effort for the fact that they might fail. I think of the dream projects that really don't seem to have enough reality to deserve my full attention when there is all this daily life to contend with. I think about my hesitation to devote energy to some of my long-shot plans. Mainly today, I'm thinking of those GOOD ideas that seemed too far fetched to even try. Like getting back to my ideal weight and fitness level. Like writing my first best seller. Like believing in my dreams again.

So, I am not much different than my students, not knowing how to get my thoughts refined to really reflect the full depth of what I want to say. Or not knowing how to get my hopes to the next level of action. Or wondering if, maybe, it isn't even worth it, so I may as well just relax.

So, here I am following through, at least, with my commitment to a blog a day, for what that is worth, and wondering... what if I gave that same daily time and attention to one of my dreams? Where might I be at the end of a school year? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/675-just-what-worth-my-time-attention.html The value of knowing that someone is watching your goals. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/674-value-knowing-someone-watching-your-goals.html Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:36:59 GMT I'm one of those very blessed people who has some truly caring friends. I'm also one of those people who is pretty good at finding resource people or communities for my interests, which is one of the reasons I ended up here at PassPorter.

I have several groups of people for different interests, activities, or just friendship and, for that, I am just so grateful.

But, I have one goal in particular that has not been going well AT ALL! Like Scott posted today about his goal, there is very little progress in this one area. Very little focus, Very little commitment.

I don't think the specific goal is important, but what is important is how helpful it is to know that someone is checkin in. Especially when the checking in involves a cheery message.

I am trying to write a blog that will inspire or cheer others because I know that is the best way to energize myself. The truth is, I AM A TAKER, not a giver!:p

Seriously, though, there are times when we need to give and there are times when we need to take.

The strange thing about it, though, is that all of it seems to happen at the same time.

So, today, when I needed a boost to motivate me with my gaol, I found it in the cheery greetings of some people who are traveling the same road.

And now I am going to turn that around to whoever reads this.

Whatever it is that you hope to do. Don't give up! You can do it!:D ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/674-value-knowing-someone-watching-your-goals.html A blog can be like a message in a bottle. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/673-blog-can-like-message-bottle.html Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:33:13 GMT Somehow, I can't believe that there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four Cs. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably.
Walt Disney

...

I am two tenths of the way through my goal to blog every day for a school year. Last month at milestone marker time, I felt relief. I wasn't particularly seeing how anything I wrote could inspire, motivate, comfort, or otherwise spark anything other than the obvious question of who does this person think she is and why doesn't she just give up and stop this nonsense?

At the one month point, to be honest, I had not hit my stride and I couldn't particularly see the point of deciding to do something silly like this. I saw myself plodding along blogging to myself and getting noplace.

I wonder if all bloggers feel just a little bit self-conscious, especially a little unknown blogger. Oh, the dread of looking like the person who gives a party and no one shows!

But, all you potential little unknown bloggers, don't let that stop you.

I'm so excited to see that Todd has branched out and started his own blog. Check it out! Way to get out there, Todd!

Todd's_Blog

This month I see a few more readers, a few projects that are showing progress, and I thought to myself...hmmmmmmmmmmmm...I'm starting to believe in this.

I'm still quite often blogging to myself, but, maybe blogging is a little like setting a message in a bottle out to sea. You might never know where it went, or if it will ever read but, maybe, just maybe, on the perfect day, that message will mean something to the right person.

Several people who've started with a project, have had difficulties and I am very happy that this place was a safe place for sharing. Please don't feel that you are valuable only if your project makes progress.

Anyway, I thought of Walt's quote as I thought that I am starting to believe in this concept, somehow.

The internet gives us the option of leaving almost limitless messages, like notes in a bottle ,out in the world. Wouldn't it be great if, after reading this entry, you randomly left something that might inspire, comfort, of lift someone's spirits someplace? Maybe you can write down a not of encouragement or a joke and leave it someplace in real time for those who don't frequent the internet?

Maybe if there is someone who could use a little nod of encouragement, a little human regard, or something like that, you can reach out? A quick phone call? A card?

Or, if you want to be REALLY brave, you know that person at work or in your social group who no one ever speaks to? You know, the one who, if you are nice to them, you are breaking some sort of rule? Just say "Hi."

I don't know, and I'm moving rapidly into rambling again, so I'll sum it up.

I believe in that great feeling that happens when people connect, and I want to thank each and every PassPorter who has brought that feeling to me in so many ways. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/673-blog-can-like-message-bottle.html Sometimes you just have to complain. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/672-sometimes-you-just-have-complain.html Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:10:21 GMT "What do you mean we can't get rid of those weeds in time? Then go over there and put some fancy signs with latin names in front of them."
Walt Disney

What a great time to be focusing on that particular quote. Today's work on my Ecotour project is not going well.

For some reason, the site is refusing to download the photos, saying they are too large. I found the most well described directions, written by Lizardcop in The Garage, but after a few hours of tinkering, I am still not able to get the photos to post properly.

It seems that life is handing me what I routinely hand to others...problem based learning. That kind of learning that takes repetition, failure, repetition, more failure, trial and error, failure, following directions step-by-step and still failing.

I love to say how failing is just a step closer to getting it right. Struggle through it. Tough it out.

If one person is able to do it, that means it can be done.

If one person understood the directions, that means what needs to be explained has been explained.

It's a wonder I don't get hit all the time when I teach. HOW ANNOYING!

If I followed Walt's quote above, I'd put a positive spin on this and say how I am growing gray matter. If I followed Walt's quote above, I'd be blogging about the joys of struggling through something new or something along those lines.

Well, guess what. Right now I am behind schedule on my trip report, I've spent hours and only managed to download a few photos, and if I was two years old, I'd be having a tantrum right now.

So, I have weeds and I'm ready to take a flamethrower to them. No cute story about fancy signs with latin names here.

Hmmmmph! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/672-sometimes-you-just-have-complain.html Illusion or Delusion? Sometimes It Is All In The Way Things Turned Out! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/671-illusion-delusion-sometimes-all-way-things-turned-out.html Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:02:03 GMT One of my favorite Walt Disney stories has been told in a few different ways. I hope I have not changed the facts too much here. Walt Disney was... One of my favorite Walt Disney stories has been told in a few different ways. I hope I have not changed the facts too much here.

Walt Disney was taking a tour of Disneyland before the opening, and the gardeners pointed out some weeds that simply could not be addressed before the guests arrived. Walt Disney said "What do you mean we can't get rid of those weeds in time? Then go over there and put some fancy signs with latin names in front of them."

I was a kid when a cast member in Walt Disney World told me that story. Something about Walt's attitude stuck with me, though I still struggle daily to really apply it to life.

Walt was not one to gloss over the facts and realities. He was meticulous about keeping his parks sparkling. He hired round-the-clock workers to touch up paint, fix ragged edges, and generally keep the place looking new each morning when the gates opened.

Still, when something was unavoidable, he found a way to work around it. He found a way to keep the guests from knowing.

Perhaps a big part of The Magic is The Illusion. Illusion change the way we see or interpret something.

If he had a small space, his Imagineers used forced perspective to make the space appear larger. On a larger scale, he changed a useless swamp area into a theme park and, most likely, was a major influence on the economy of Central Florida.

And I have to mention that when Charles Mintz took control of Walt's early cartoon character, Oswald the Rabbit, Walt saw that as an opportunity to create Mickey.

I think it all started with the belief that the situation could be changed in some way. Sometimes the change was very real, but sometimes that change was just the appearance by creating illusion.

Granted, there is a fine line between illusion and delusion, but I think the line is drawn here:

If you actually manage to accomplish, create, change, or survive the long-shot...well, the belief that it is not possible was an illusion.

If you keep at it, but you just can't make the long-shot work for you, some might call your belief delusion.

And, the belief that I can keep working on this blog and not get my office work done is a BIG delusion, so I have to stop here.

I hope I am not incoherent and, please post some comments. I'll be sure to go back and edit this at a later date, and I'd love to have your ideas in my mind as I do that.

Carry on! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/671-illusion-delusion-sometimes-all-way-things-turned-out.html Bragging area...Who loves ya baby? YOU? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/669-bragging-area-who-loves-ya-baby-you.html Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:06:33 GMT Somehow, I can't believe that there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four Cs. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably.
Walt Disney

...

Quite a few readers have followed up to tell me that they are not, for one reason or another, making the progress they'd hope to make with their goal or goals.

(Remember, though, if you follow up on Facebook, on my home page, or in a PM, others can't share!)

I've worked with lots of people in schools, colleges, and worksites, and the trend seems to be that those who believe in themselves get further. To be honest, some of the people I've seen rise to the top have had less skills or smarts than those who were left behind, but they DID believe in their skills enough to keep moving.

This blog entry is saved for comments about your talents and strengths. You have free bragging privileges here.

PLEASE, those post your comments so the shyer ones will also feel free to post.

What are your strengths in general?
What are your strengths relative to your goal?
What are your areas of skill or talent? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/669-bragging-area-who-loves-ya-baby-you.html Closer than before? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/668-closer-than-before.html Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:07:54 GMT Somehow, I can't believe that there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four Cs. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably.
Walt Disney

...

Have you ever come in contact with someone who has managed to hit a bullseye? If you happen to look at the picture after they've hit it, it seems pretty quick and easy. You might even thing "Well, that was so simple, I could do it myself!"

The truth about hitting most targets, though, is that it usually takes a whole lot of practice, preparation, and misses.

That's how it is with success.

Today I had an interesting conversation with someone who has managed to hit a target and land something pretty special. Having just met the person, it was easy to lose awareness of the long road that must have been taken to get there.

More than one of the blog reader has commented on not having enough time, money, or resources to keep up with a project. Mind you, more than one is alot, by percentage, considering how many are commenting here!

I know there have been moments when I've wondered if I have what it takes with one project or another.

But when I look at most success stories from the beginning, I see a long line of failed attempts, rejection, near misses, dreadful mistakes, close-but-no-cigar, more failure, almost there, then BULLSEYE!

I think I'm going to take some time to consider that I just HAVE to be closer to my goals because I just keep plodding along.

That's all I have for today.

And I am one day closer to blogging every day!

Carry on! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/668-closer-than-before.html Practical area-cynics and pessimists welcome http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/666-practical-area-cynics-pessimists-welcome.html Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:07:48 GMT Somehow, I can't believe that there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four Cs. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably.
Walt Disney

Many readers and friends seem to be in synch with the topic of confidence.

During a catch-up call with my friend Doreen, she mentioned that the topic of her latest article was confidence. As she told me about it, I wondered how it was that, of all the topics we could have picked, we both chose confidence.

Some readers have mentioned that they lack the confidence to even set a goal.

Some posters have let me know, in one way or another, that they were overwhelmed, uninspired, or, for any number of reasons, having difficulty with the concept of pursuing their dreams. It is difficult to focus on any goal that is not necessary for survival or facing a hard time deadline, I realized that the hard facts are just as important as the dreams, especially if you want to see those dreams come true.

A while back I created a space called dream_area_no_practical_thinking_allowed.

Today I'm creating an area for those who need to complain about how hard their goal is, why things are getting in the way, why they have no time...whatever.

Bookmark this place if you think you'll need to visit often, but once you leave, you have to leave all your practical whys or why nots posted here.

Use this to think through your stuck places, do find a way over the barriers, and to find solutions for the problems that get in the way.

Be careful not to get too stuck in the "why nots", but visit here as often as you need.

Let's see if anyone takes me up on this. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/666-practical-area-cynics-pessimists-welcome.html Fabulous! I love Disney Dining! It is fun! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/ariel%26amp%3Balice/665-fabulous-i-love-disney-dining-fun.html Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:32:44 GMT *OKAY, so after some harsh thoughts about the dining system thing Disney has going on, I admit, I am super happy with the service I recieved today... OKAY, so after some harsh thoughts about the dining system thing Disney has going on, I admit, I am super happy with the service I recieved today (AFTER calling for a pure hour and recieving line busy recording, then waiting in queue for another 30 mins). The lady I spoke with was soo helpful and very friendly, amazingly..i know they've been busy! I was probably an easy one though.. I just had 3 ressie requests..but they were important to me and without park hopper, I was really relying on these specific times! You guys know what I mean:o

:pI did end up going with
:Dohana, chefs de france:applause:,and rose and crown.. very minimal, but we dont like to be swamped with adrs. I'm so excited about Chefs! We are doing lunch there:D:D

:jack:Good luck to everyone else out there wishing upon a certain restaurant/time. Hope you get what you're looking for and happy planning;) AND CALLING:phone:! ]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/ariel%26amp%3Balice/665-fabulous-i-love-disney-dining-fun.html ALL CIRCUITS ARE BUSY NOW http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/ariel%26amp%3Balice/664-all-circuits-busy-now.html Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:34:50 GMT This is all i've heard the last hour at this point today:O) No getting through to wdw ressie specialists this AM.:mad::mad: Is this A joke? Is this Disney's trick? :confused:I know its sure not A treat! I got up at 6:30 am and the website to make ressies had crashed! So upsetting! Then I cant even get thru the phone line to be put in A queue! I just wonder if this is going to be an all day thing...:crazy:

I am like, 5 days away from the 90 day mark, so this ressie bussiness switching 180 days today is also really upsetting! I f it wouldve stayed the same til nov., I wouldnt have had to deal with this overwhelming stuff today:(:(

Oh well, I am still holding out that i'll get Chefs, Ohana & rose/crown. Those 3 are really important to me!:D:D Fyi, Disney has yet to release all the parks hours 180 days in advance. Only HS has theirs up thru Feb. 9 2010 right now. I guess if there's no avail. for the days/times I want, I'll insist at the door of the restaurant that night that they seat my family, b/c this ressie business is RIDICULOUS:rolleyes::mad: ]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/ariel%26amp%3Balice/664-all-circuits-busy-now.html Can you give me a shout out when I run by? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/663-can-you-give-me-shout-out-when-i-run.html Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:15:27 GMT Somehow, I can't believe that there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four Cs. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably.
Walt Disney



I am still working on confidence today.

Can you give me a shout-out?

I'm taking a break from my dreams today to focus on the difficult, the uncomfortable, and the scary.

Today's focus is partly in response to some posters who really have some front and center "stuff" that is...well...difficult, uncomfortable, and scary. (I thank you for your honesty, those who are letting me know that life is interfering with your dreams.)

The focus is also because I have a whole day's worth of difficult, uncomfortable, and scary stuff to deal with.

Several people have mentioned the economy in one way or another, as being a barrier to moving forward. Being self-employed in a private practice and in a private school, I really do feel the pain right with you.

The truth is, though, with my business numbers cut in half, I've had the time to start this blog and to learn to do trip reports, and I really enjoy this.

I've had some extra time to plan for the students I DO have, including the curriculum for my college course. A little upgrading in the quality never hurts, does it?

I've had some time to think about what I'd want to do if I cut my losses and walk away. What if I really can't justify my office space with these numbers? What if the incoming flow continues to be so much less that previous years? Can I do something to improve that?

I've had some time to think about how much I really DO want to be a writer with a shelf of ragged paperback best sellers sitting in a library. That is my one true dream that has been with me since childhood. Could this be the time to pursue writing?

But, as many of you point out, your dreams only take you so far if you don't have the basics of life worked out.

And, working out the basics takes confidence. For me, it seems like I have plenty of courage...those bursts of energy and drive that shoot out like a sharpshooter's bullet and hit that target.

So why am I floundering? Most goals aren't completed in one shot! The whole target imagery doesn't work!

After courage you need confidence, and that is not my strength.

Let me transition from sharpshooting to running, so as not to mix metaphors. OK, I've transitioned..........................NOW!

Courage is for sprinters, while confidence, I think, is for distance. Some problems, jobs, or projects are distance runs, plain and simple. Getting through a tough economy where jobs and homes are no longer a given is a marathon. You have to keep moving, even though you can't see the finish line for the twists and turns.

Courage, I think, is that adrenaline shot that starts you out, but confidence is that calm, steady voice that says "Slow, steady, pace yourself, one step at a time, get to the finish line."

Having more courage that confidence, I think, is why I might have a whole life full of unfinished projects. It might be why some of the difficult and tedious things get pushed aside because they are, well, difficult and tedious.

I look at this blog as an example. I had plenty of courage to start this, but when I wondered if I was getting anywhere, I had to really dig deep for the confidence to keep going. I'm glad I did that because if most bloggers are honest, they are blogging for their own reasons and, for me, this is a great journey. The fact that others hitch a ride from time to time just makes it richer.

So, today is a day for confidence.

Today is a day for making those calls that take some confidence. Today is a day for making those decisions that take confidence.

Today is a day for deciding to keep moving for 8 hours of focused activity even if it seems as if the finish line is miles away. Even if the fact IS that the finish line is miles away.

Can you give me a shout-out when I run by you? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/663-can-you-give-me-shout-out-when-i-run.html Thank you! And we are just getting started! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/662-thank-you-we-just-getting-started.html Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:25:57 GMT When I first started this blog, I was not sure about what I was doing. Blogging is new to me, and I probably should have started without a promise to... When I first started this blog, I was not sure about what I was doing. Blogging is new to me, and I probably should have started without a promise to blog every day for a school year, but I probably would have dropped it by now if I had done that.

Lately, more and more people have been giving me a shout-out. Some are posting on my page or sending PMs, while others are posting here, where their comments can be shared.

I appreciate each and every comment. I really don't know if this is making a difference to anyone, but it sure is making a difference for me.

Sometimes life can leave you wondering if you can have any influence at all. There are so many struggles, disappointments, and failures.

Some people have been making progress toward their goals, and that is thrilling to me. Sometimes the silly little goals teach the skills for those BIG ominous goals we are forced to take on later. Growth has to start someplace, right?

Doing this blog every day has helped me to keep my eye on the prize, which is believing that I really can muddle through and come out into something good.

I hope it is making some little difference for you too! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/662-thank-you-we-just-getting-started.html My goals to my traveling site, complented. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/tntwheels/661-my-goals-my-traveling-site-complented.html Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:39:40 GMT Today I think I finish the foundation to my wheelchair Travel site. Now all I have to do is keep adding to it and let it grow Today I think I finish the foundation to my wheelchair Travel site. Now all I have to do is keep adding to it and let it grow ]]> TNTWheels http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/tntwheels/661-my-goals-my-traveling-site-complented.html =EATING @ DISNEY IS FUN!!??? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/ariel%26amp%3Balice/660-eating-disney-fun.html Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:34:39 GMT :hungry:OKAY, time has approached to throw on my dueling gloves, :phone:get my fingers stretched out & ready & get my ADRS taken care of.

Problem is this: We have not and probably will not get PH this time, so that means no hopping from park to park to get to that nights ADR (& really, thank God for that) & it means I actually have to KNOW for sure where we'll be that specific night 90 days or so ahead of when we'll actually be there!? :rolleyes:
OMG, thats so ridonculous:noway:

Whatever, I guess I can deal with that if I must, but what I cant deal with is this: WHERE ARE FEBRUARY'S PARK HOURS, DISNEY? How am I suppose to make these blasted ADRS without knowing the park hrs for that day:confused::confused:?
They literally have til Tuesday to hopefully post them, otherwise there are going to be A ton of planners like myself just taking A shot in the dark with these importante ADRS witch means a ton of pple are going to be canceling certain ADRS after PARK HRS. come out and they realize that place and/or that time is just not gonna work out that day resulting in there being A possiblity that family may just not get to go to CRT on A day they actually could have made res. because the day that they can go to MK for CRT is no longer available simply bc Disney couldnt post the park hours before the 180 mark came out--wait does that make sense to anyone else:jester:!!??

I actually dislike the ADR thing. We PAID for the DP last trip & wow, talk about waayy too much food! & I felt that we really couldnt enjoy ourselves because there was little to no flexibility to our days as we would rush around the parks or from resort to resort just to eat a meal for 3 hrs. We literally missed the fireworks every night (7 nights), no matter when we sat down for dinner, b/c the dinners lasted what seemed like years:O):p

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

okay, okay.. on with my din ressie prelim. list:

:facelick:OHANA(DIN)

:dine:ROSE AND CROWN (ILL. TIME)

:confused::confused:50S PRIME TIME

:toast:LE CELLIER

:tongue:CHEFS DE FRANCE

AND POSSIBLY:
:thewave::thewave:THE WAVE @ THE CONTEMPORARY

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What do you guys think of these choices? anyone have good/bad exp. to add? I want to eat at memorable places with the family! Either way, i def. think when we are seated I am going to let the waiter know I want my check DIRECTLY after we finish eating...not 3 hrs. later :mad: Who has time for that WITH THREE kids?

Anyway, keeping fingers crossed that the new hours for feb. come out in the next two days. will make my trip planning alot easier & I am assuming, many other vacation family planners... To those of you looking to start your ADR battles Tuesday morning at 6 AM ET:type:(COMPUTER RES. SYSTEM) & 7 AM ET phone system :phone:, good luck:D:rofl2:You're probably gonna need it! ]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/ariel%26amp%3Balice/660-eating-disney-fun.html Shooting at moving targets. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/659-shooting-moving-targets.html Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:14:15 GMT Somehow, I can't believe that there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four Cs. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably.
Walt Disney



Some projects require the ability to move forward, even if you are not confident. That, I think, is one of the hardest things to do if you like to feel prepared and informed.

There is only so much you can do, though, and sometimes you just can't know. When you shoot an arrow at a target, you are aiming at a spot. Sometimes it isn't that easy. Sometimes everything is moving.

Some goals seem to have targets that remind me of the_Toy_Story_Attraction_at_this_link.

There is spinning and movement and I can get sick and dizzy just thinking about it! Goals like that really test my confidence because, well, how confident can you be when there are so many variables?

A goal that involves other people's cooperation, a goal that involves input from others, or a goal where you are competing for resources or spots takes more confidence than a goal you control all on your own.

A goal that is way over your head...where you need the help of someone who is a specialist is tough because you have to place your confidence in the specialist. If your goal is to overcome an illness, it is hard if you don't have confidence in your doctor. If your goal is to file complicated taxes, it will be more difficult if you don't trust your accountant.

Needing a specialist will complicate a goal because, if it is unrealistic that you will go back to school for an MBA, a law degree, a CPA, you are really at the mercy of th specialist who is supposed to guide and educate you.

Relying on conditions can also complicate a goal. Say you are planning a picnic. You are pretty much relying on a lack of rain. If it rains, your goal may have to be adjusted. Maybe your goal is to learn to ski, but the weather is so warm all the snow has melted.

Moving targets. They can suck the confidence right out of your spirit.

Just for today, if you are being drained by the uncertainties of moving targets related to your goal. try to focus on pushing forward with as much confidence as possible.

Shoot the arrow at what you see right now. Then you have to see what happens next before you put a whole lot of thought into your next shot.

Are moving targets getting in the way of your goal? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/659-shooting-moving-targets.html When confidence requires a reality check. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/658-when-confidence-requires-reality-check.html Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:21:51 GMT Somehow, I can't believe that there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four Cs. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably.
Walt Disney



In the above quote, Walt says a person can reach ANY heights if he has the right attitude.

That is a tall order and, in all honesty, must be somewhat unrealistic if the laws of nature prevail.

For example, how many young people have aspired to become president? Only a number of people will be able to make it, plain and simple. How many young people aspire to fly into space? Only a number of people will make it through astronaut training and, then, only a small number of those will reach space. And, to get back to Walt Disney, very few people will be able to transform a set of notions into a set of theme parks and entertainment ventures, but, there it is! Somebody did it!

BUT, having that confidence is absolutely necessary to be in the running. Even if the odds are completely against you, confidence is required to take your shot, especially a long-shot that will most likely be shot down.

There are so many variables when a goal is attempted. A goal is really just a target. When you shoot an arrow at a target, there are any number of ways to win points.

Of course, a bullseye gets the biggest payout, but hitting the adjoining circles is winning also. When you practice shooting arrows, you don't walk away if you don't hit a bullseye. You keep at it, hoping you'll get closer with practice.

Today, try and think of your goal in realistic terms. If you are having trouble hitting that bullseye, can you pull back a little bit and let yourself work on just hitting the target at all?

Just don't put the bow and arrow down and walk away. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/658-when-confidence-requires-reality-check.html What do you do? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/maryel8775/657-what-do-you-do.html Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:34:45 GMT What do you do when you love someone so much that you stand by and watch them hurt themselves by not taking care of themselves at all. To the point... What do you do when you love someone so much that you stand by and watch them hurt themselves by not taking care of themselves at all. To the point where they don't take their meds, they are awake ALL hours of the night and spend 24 hours a day on the computer.

Then they land in the hospital in ICU and almost die due to respiratory failure. But yet they wake up from it and then survive to get moved to a private room, first thing they ask for is this D*MN computer. Do you take it to them so they can continue on this life of destruction or do you try to step in and save their lives.

You have already lost one parent, do you really need to lose the other? I am torn because this is my life. I want my mom around forever but she is determined to live in destruction mode.

She can barely walk. She will need physical therapy and occupational therapy but all she cares about is this computer. I want her to realize there is MORE to life then the blasted computer.

I had to cancel this year's trip because of her health. So I want to make that a goal for her for next year but I am afraid that she will have a relapse again. I can't take anymore stress. I am so sick to my stomach, that I just want to smash the computer because it has taken away my mom's life so to speak. ]]> MaryEL8775 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/maryel8775/657-what-do-you-do.html Another goal update. Can anyone else post updates? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/656-another-goal-update-can-anyone-else-post-updates.html Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:44:14 GMT OK, let's hear it? How are the goals going? Are you working on other goals? What's happening?

I have photo updates to show how I've finished my therapy room and my sanctuary room from organizing or decorating a room. (Remember? the parts of the project at these links.)

I'm still working on getting the photos up, and I'll let you know as soon as it is done.

Anyone else? Please post those updates! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/656-another-goal-update-can-anyone-else-post-updates.html Another goal update. Calais School Therapy Room Photos. Can anyone else post updates? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/655-another-goal-update-calais-school-therapy-room-photos-can-anyone-else-post-updates.html Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:44:09 GMT OK, let's here it? How are the goals going? Are you working on other goals? What's happening?

I have photo updates to show how I've finished my therapy room and my sanctuary room from the parts of the project at these thinks, but I have to get the cord that downloads the photos into the computer back. With a little luck, they'll be posted today.

Anyone else? Please post those updates! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/655-another-goal-update-calais-school-therapy-room-photos-can-anyone-else-post-updates.html Be a friend to yourself today. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/654-friend-yourself-today.html Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:51:13 GMT Somehow, I can't believe that there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four Cs. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably.
Walt Disney

Still thinking about confidence, here.

I wish I could bottle it and sell it next to Red Bull in the supermarket.

Confidence makes everything easier. Lack of confidence takes so much energy.

We all have this internal mental dialogue. Some of the things we tell ourselves can be so harsh! If I had a friend who said some of the things I say to myself, I'd seriously reconsider the friendship!

In the past couple days, my inner dialogue has been very friendly. The "I can't, I'm not ____enough, Why am I always so _____?" kinds of thoughts have been few and far between.

And, as a result, life and living is easier.

Just for today, can you try and see if you can be a good friend to yourself? Try to keep that inner dialogue kind and thoughtful! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/654-friend-yourself-today.html confidence http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/651-confidence.html Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:41:28 GMT Somehow, I can't believe that there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four Cs. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably.
Walt Disney

I just realized that confidence seems to be a byproduct of courage, at least for me.

The courage phase was forging ahead, even when the going was tough. After you do that a while, you seem to get the confidence that tells you "yeah, I can do this!"

For me, confidence is the wind you catch to make for smoother sailing. It takes the edge off of the job.

Do you need a shot of confidence to fill your sails? What could your confidence say to you today to help with that? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/651-confidence.html Magical WDW winter getaway...Coming soon! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/ariel%26amp%3Balice/650-magical-wdw-winter-getaway-coming-soon.html Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:37:59 GMT :crazy:Going crazy with excitement waiting for our 2nd trip to WDW starting Jan 31 2010! We have 101 days to go... guess we can start counting the... :crazy:Going crazy with excitement waiting for our 2nd trip to WDW starting Jan 31 2010! We have 101 days to go... guess we can start counting the dalmations!

Too soon to do ADR'S yet, unfortunately. Although we are not going on the dining plan this time, There are A few places I want to secure ADR'S at. I'm so on the fence with CRT this time. IMHO, I really enjoyed the breakfast my DD and I shared there the last time, but this time I want all 5 of us going & WOW, $200 plus for B/L OR Dinner there is just too much, right?? Ohana was awesome though & I just have to go there for din again! We had great seating and got to enjoy the electrical pageant while we ate. I really enjoy asian-inspired food, & they had some amazing tasting asian food there. I loved their peanut sauce!

Well, I must save this post for now, I have to run.. ]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/ariel%26amp%3Balice/650-magical-wdw-winter-getaway-coming-soon.html <![CDATA[It's smooth sailing when you catch the wind.]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/648-its-smooth-sailing-when-you-catch-wind.html Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:03:12 GMT Almost forgot to blog today. What a great day!

The therapy room that I've been fixing up at school is shaping up.

I actually stopped by the college tech dept. to learn how to add a new online feature to my course.

I've been somehow moving forward with all sorts of things that seemed alot more difficult to do than they really are. Once I got them started, they were done before I knew it!

Somehow, when I set my intention for the day to be mindful of when I am lacking courage, I could see when the self-doubts were taking the wind out of my sails.

And, strangely enough, it made a HUGE difference.

Is anyone else working on courage? If so, how's it going? If not, how's it going anyway?

Also, I got another wonderful surprise in the mail from another wonderful PassPorter. THANKS! I love the cat card! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/648-its-smooth-sailing-when-you-catch-wind.html Courage won over confusion. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/647-courage-won-over-confusion.html Tue, 20 Oct 2009 03:42:09 GMT Today was a day to forge ahead with a whole list of chores that seemed like they had no clear way to go. A few took some detective work, a few... Today was a day to forge ahead with a whole list of chores that seemed like they had no clear way to go.

A few took some detective work, a few took some thinking, and some just needed to be done.

But here I am so much closer to where I hoped I could be.

I want to thank the people who click and don't post, the people who post comments here, the people who post on my page, and the people who PM.

I don't know how this blog is working for y'all, but, for me, these daily entries seem to add a powerful energy to my day.

And thank you, Susan Wiggs, for sending me your new books and the yummy chocolate.

I think this was a pretty good day!:) ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/647-courage-won-over-confusion.html When courage meets confusion. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/646-when-courage-meets-confusion.html Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:58:39 GMT Somehow, I can't believe that there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four Cs. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably.
Walt Disney

Still on courage, here.

As I think about how courage relates to getting things done, I realize that I have alot of work to do.

This is a very hopeful place to be, actually, because I'm at a turning point where I realize what work needs to be done. I can see that I get blocked when my courage faces confusion.

Confusion is that point in any project when I need to find a new path, learn a new skill, or get past a self-doubt to move forward.

Confusion is that point in learning or doing when I don't know what comes next and I can't seem to figure out what to do right now to move on. It is the phase, I think, before this:

ouch

I'll take my Ecotour Trip Report as an example. That was such a huge goal for me to take on because I first had to learn how to upload photos and place them into a trip report. I'd put off completing the report, which is something I really wanted to do, because courage hit confusion.

When I set the goal on this blog, I sat down and did a little research, found simply stated directions here:

post_trip_report

To be honest, this was a little confusing at first, basically because I was sparking new gray matter, and that is always like hacking through a jungle path with a neuron machete.

Eventually, though, I got here:

garage

where guides are just waiting to assist. Try it out! Ask a question, and they come and answer it!

Now, every time I upload photos, all I have to deal with is how slow my laptop works. There really is no confusion at all. And once the confusion factor is removed for me, the other factors Walt mentioned:

curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence.

are free to create.

I can be a lion when courage meets adversity. I can be a champion when courage meets injustice. I can be a pioneer when courage meets new territory. I can even be a conqueror when courage meets a battle that I find worth fighting.

But when courage met confusion, I shrank. I'm changing that now. I've missed too many opportunities to not get past this.

They say we teach best what we need to know, so there you are!

Has confusion interfered with something you are trying to accomplish? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/646-when-courage-meets-confusion.html Mr. Wizard, may I have some courage, please? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/645-mr-wizard-may-i-have-some-courage-please.html Sun, 18 Oct 2009 13:26:29 GMT Somehow, I can't believe that there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four Cs. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably.
Walt Disney



Do you ever wonder if you have the guts to do what needs to be done? Or, do you to do what NEEDS to be done, but can't quite muster the courage to try what you might WANT to do?

Do you need just a bit more courage to really pursue your dreams?

There are so many reasons for holding back. Some of the reasons are good ones.

It's a stupid idea.
You might get hurt.
You are being selfish.
There is no way you'll ever be able to do that!
You could poke someones eye out.

Those could be valid reasons to give up on a dream. There are as many good reasons for giving up as there are dreams.

The problem is, though, sometimes just a little bit of courage can cast your why-nots in a whole new light.

Maybe a little courage could change your impossible dream into a long shot? Maybe you can use your negative thinking as a blueprint for the barriers you'll need to jump over. Maybe that image of failure is a map of the stinkin thinkin blocks that you'll have to get around?

I say maybe because there really ARE good reasons why a sane person might not pursue a dream. I'm short and not good at sports...as well as not even slightly interested. If I set a goal to become a basketball player, all the courage in the world, I'm sure, wouldn't get me there. If I set a goal to become a swimsuit model, there would be good reasons why I shouldn't quit my day job.

But, barring the obvious absolute truths, alot of the reasons why we can't go after our dreams are just a reflection of the beliefs that need a shot of courage.

So, for today, let's look at dreams. They may be related to a project or they may be general.

Where in your life could you use a little courage?

Can you find a more empowered way to view the situation? The reframing blog at the link below might help.

reframing ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/645-mr-wizard-may-i-have-some-courage-please.html Are you moving forward with your project, or is life happening? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/643-you-moving-forward-your-project-life-happening.html Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:32:21 GMT There are supposed to be 5 stages of grief Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance. Sometimes, though, facts are facts, there is no... There are supposed to be 5 stages of grief

Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance.

Sometimes, though, facts are facts, there is no one to be angry with, there aren't any deals to be made, there is no real point to getting depressed, and you have no CHOICE but to accept because, well, what you have is what you have.

If you've worked to cultivate a sort-of Zen attitude, where you try not to judge the events in your life as either good or bad, you might not go through the typical stages of loss.

If you've worked to cultivate a God centered attitude, where you believe a higher power really does have your back when you look at the big picture, you might not go through the typical stages of loss.

If you've worked to cultivate an attitude in alignment with nature, where cycles, tides, and seasons ebb and flow in such a way that you believe the universe is in balance even when you have floods, earthquakes, war, and illness in front of your eyes, you might not go through the typical stages of loss.

Well, I seem to have assimilated those philosophies and more into my thinking and, I have to say, it makes me a strange case when there is a loss.

The only situation, I think, that really makes me uncomfortable is being stuck, or when there are unknowns. I hate not knowing what is next! Uncertainty is a stage of loss, for me, that I still work hard to make peace with.

After the uncertainty stage comes the picking up the pieces stage.

That will be my project today.

Quite a bit of my routine became caretaker. It started with two cats three medications and eye drops, some two times a day. If you've ever tried to get a cat to take meds or sit still for eyedrops, I'll tell you THAT is a project. Once you get the pills into the cat, you really do need to sit there and make sure they aren't spit out. I won't even go into the end-stage regime for Smokey's constipation...sorry I even mentioned it, I know that is TMI.

For four or five days, I spent most of the day attached to a cat. She always liked to sleep on me, but lately, I also carried her around because I knew the end was near. I knew she'd want to die with me holding her, and I am SO thankful, is just the way it happened.

So what about my blog project?

I said I would add to my Ecotour trip report every Friday, an intentionally simple goal, I was able to keep up with. Here it is My_First_Trip_Report_Key_Largo_Ecotour. This is simple once I figured out how to post photos online. My other project is to decorate my new therapy room at The Calais School, which is actually going well.

Soon it will be time to raise the bar and come up with some projects that are a bit more ambitious, but first things first.

Time to put some effort into tearing down the parts of the house that started looking like a cat hospital. Time to get rid of the cat bed that is too far gone to be used by Coco, the other cat.

Time to think about what I will do with the mental energy freed up by not worrying about what to do next for Smokey and, frankly, the constant worry that I might not be home when she passed.

This Blog is actually a few projects within a project. A daily blog, which I am keeping up with, even though I tend to ramble when I suffer a loss or a crisis.

(I hope I don't get pulled over for a BWG..Blogging While Grieving)

I'm also trying to see if this blog can help people with projects but life is happening to them as well.

SO MANY PROJECTS!

Today, though, my main project is to put away all Smokey's things that need to be put away. To wash all the things that need to be washed from the ordeal. And to clear a path to move forward.

Sorry about the rambling again. I promise I'll be back to my old self soon.

Have you moved forward with your project or is life happening? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/643-you-moving-forward-your-project-life-happening.html Thanks for the Disney surprise! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/642-thanks-disney-surprise.html Sat, 17 Oct 2009 03:16:09 GMT I got Goofy Gummy bears, stickers, and a nice note from a Maryland PassPorter. WHO WAS IT?????????? Thanks! I got Goofy Gummy bears, stickers, and a nice note from a Maryland PassPorter.

WHO WAS IT??????????

Thanks! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/642-thanks-disney-surprise.html Picking up and moving on! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/641-picking-up-moving.html Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:04:56 GMT I love that every morning is a new day, full of all sorts of opportunities. Sometimes your project is just picking up and moving on. This is my... I love that every morning is a new day, full of all sorts of opportunities.

Sometimes your project is just picking up and moving on. This is my first morning in 17 years, barring vacations, that I am waking up without my cat Smokey there.

I've seen all sorts of reactions to the loss of a pet from others. I remember being so terrified that I'd fall apart when I lost Smokey, because she has been such a constant companion all these years.

What a blessing it is that, each morning, the sun rises, coffee brews, and life goes on! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/641-picking-up-moving.html Constants, perfect timing, and sleep deprivation http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/640-constants-perfect-timing-sleep-deprivation.html Fri, 16 Oct 2009 01:06:48 GMT Somehow, I can't believe that there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four Cs. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably.
Walt Disney

This is off the topic of projects and Walt Disney, but it's the topic on my mind. I can tangentially connect it to the Disney quote I've been looking at for a few days, so let the tangent begin.

My 17 year old cat died an hour or so ago.

Losing a cat that I've had that long made me wonder what lasts. So may pets and people come and go. Or maybe I come and go and the pets and people stay.

However it works, as I considered making Smokey's final vet appointment, I felt a little alone, losing a constant that's been in my life as so many other things changed.

A childhood friend from sleepaway camp read on facebook that my cat was failing and sent me a message of comfort. Something about the constant of a childhood friend DID feel comforting.

The phone rang this morning, and it was my friend Lorrie. I'd worked with Lorrie almost 20 years ago until she moved to Tenessee and I went back to grad school. She was on her way to NJ and she wanted to be sure to see me. A constant.

Lorrie and I don't often get a chance to talk with our busy lives and schedules, but we always find each other at just the right time, it seems. Once, we lost touch with each other for years, and we bumped into each other at Carribbean Beach Resort. I was staying there...she'd stopped by for five minutes to find a seasonal trading pin...I got to meet her kids for the first time as they sat in the car with their Dad, the engine still running. Then she drove back to Tennessee. Perfect timing... the kind of thing that has almost impossible odds!

The timing of some events makes you wonder....

I dreaded taking Smokey to the vet for that shot, but I was afraid she'd suffer tonight when the vet was not available.

I made the appointment for 7:15 so she could see her Daddy one more time. Her Daddy got there about 6:30, just when she was showing signs of discomfort.

Kitty and Daddy got to say their good-byes, then Smokey passed quietly and without pain in my arms at about 7:00. We got to the vet on time, and they confirmed that she was already gone. The timing was a blessing, and I am so thankful that she died at home like that.

When we got home from the vet, my high school friend called to make plans.

So, I sit here feeling blessed for a cat that was devoted and loving for 17 years, for the kind of perfect timing that connects old friends to show you that even when people are out of sight, they are not as far as you think. And, especially tonight, for the kind of timing that gives a beloved pet exactly what you know they'd want, which is to die peacefully at home in Mommy's arms.

Mainly, I am extremely sleep deprived after four or five days of round-the-clock cat nursing, and I hope this rambling blog entry is not to incoherent. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/640-constants-perfect-timing-sleep-deprivation.html A different kind of constancy. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/638-different-kind-constancy.html Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:56:55 GMT I've been nursing my sick cat for several days now. She only takes water from an eye dropper. She'll eat some wet cat food from a spoon. She needs to be placed in the litter box every few hours.

I'm running off to work now with barely enough sleep to keep awake because both cats were with me all night.

In spite of all that, I'm so grateful that Smokey does not seem to be in any pain. I'm happy to do this.

So, this is sort-of a blog about why I'm not really blogging this morning. I'll try again later!

Hug your furbabies, everyone! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/638-different-kind-constancy.html Constancy again?????? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/636-constancy-again.html Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:15:21 GMT Somehow, I can't believe that there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four Cs. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably.
Walt Disney

I'm still on the constancy "C" of Walt's quote.

I'm taking just a little time here to blog on how constancy is important when working toward a goal or a project.

I googled constancy and I found definitions like faithfulness, steadfastness, consistency. It makes me think of following through with what you say you will do and being dependable.

In the quote above, the point is made that you need to believe in a thing, all the way, implicitly and without question.

I think sometimes, what interferes with constancy, is taking on responsibilities or routines that don't really fit in with core values.

Sometimes you might have been tricked, guilted, or strong-armed into a role that you didn't want.
Maybe the concept of something being "your turn" was thrown out there. Maybe you know in your heart that this is something you should do.


Maybe you have something on your calendar that you don't really want, but there simply is NO CHOICE, and you just plain have to follow through. Doing the annual chore of taxes comes to mind, but there are a million examples.

I've found that my core beliefs about any chore has everything to do with how I feel as I am tackling that chore. How I feel as I am tackling that chore has everything to do with how long I put it off, how much work I put into it and, very often, the quality of the finished product.

Are there any aspects of your project that you don't fully believe in? Are there other obligations that are dragging your productivity down? Can you help to balance that somehow?

Carry on! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/636-constancy-again.html Still on Constancy http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/635-still-constancy.html Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:06:19 GMT Somehow, I can't believe that there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four Cs. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably.
Walt Disney

I'm still on the constancy "C" of Walt's quote.

First of all, thank you SO much, those who posted. I really do appreciate that, as it gives the illusion that there actually IS a group participating with this blog!:p (Seriously, though, I DO thank you!)

OK, I'm taking just a little time here to blog on how constancy is important when working toward a goal or a project.

I googled constancy and I found definitions like faithfulness, steadfastness, consistency. It makes me think of following through with what you say you will do and being dependable.

SO, here is my daily blog!

I am bleary eyed because I stayed up all night with my sick cat, but I'll try my best.

If constancy is all those things I mentioned above, if I am honest, the individual I fall short with most of the time is myself.

I'm constantly promising myself I'll do this or that. Sometimes the this is something I WANT to do or sometimes the that is something I SHOULD do, but I need to really think about what happens when I let MYSELF down!

Do you sometimes have trouble following through with the things you promise yourself?

Today, as I get my work done, I'm going to really think about the things I've told myself I would do. Are they really important? Do I have a logical plan? Do they empower my overall goal or just get in the way?

Should I stop blogging and get back to my stuff?

YUP!

Carry on and, again, THANKS FOR POSTING! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/635-still-constancy.html Fake it till you make it! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/634-fake-till-you-make.html Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:59:51 GMT Somehow, I can't believe that there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four Cs. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably.
Walt Disney

I think I'd like to spend a few days on this quote. Today I want to discuss constancy.

I was talking with a friend today, and we were discussing momentum, particularly the way the once you get moving you seem to keep moving, but once you plop on the couch, you tend to remain plopped on the couch.

We both have things we are so eager to accomplish today, but, at the same time, there's that couch! Oh, and did I mention the remote?

Or maybe your plopping place is in front of the computer, or perhaps it is at the kitchen table with a snack. Some people enjoy a good group plop with other people who are sitting around thinking about what they should be doing, but not really doing it.

To get something done, you need a measure of constancy. You need to unplop and get moving toward the goal.

But, my friend's dilemma was a lack of motivation. For some things, I have to admit, I have the same lack of motivation.

Here's what we came up with, though. It seems that the internal dialogue before deciding to either move or plop, it can be a toss of the coin which way you go.

What if we just err on the side of constancy?

What if we just say, I spend 30 minutes power walking every Sunday and I'm off to do it now. Or, in her case, I decided to spend some time dealing with backed up mail today and I'm going to do it right now.

To just jump right in there and cut out the hour-or-so of back and forth inner dialogue, even if you aren't sure about it.

Could that have a fake-it-till-you-make-it effect?

I sort-of went through that with blogging today. I wasn't really sure if I wanted to do an entry at all, but I decided to do it anyway and, for what it is worth, here it is! By sitting down and starting as if I wanted to, I ended up with the entry I promised myself I'd keep up with every day. Constancy, as Walt said.

And now it's time to go off to my favorite walking path by the castle to do my power walking which, by the way, always includes the Disney parade music I have on my ipod.

And, thanks Jen, for inspiring me. Hope the mail and the basement work out for ya! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/634-fake-till-you-make.html I know you can do this! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/633-i-know-you-can-do.html Sat, 10 Oct 2009 14:38:01 GMT "Walt Disney was magical. He would give you a challenge and say 'I know you can do this.' It was electric to be around him."
Richard Sherman, Disney Songwriter

Do you know anyone who gives you the boost you need to keep going with your challenges?

I've been lucky to have several people. I've actually managed to gather different people who help me with different challenges! I'm not going to start naming people because if would take too long and I don't want to miss anyone, but I love you all! Some of you are PassPorters!

When I start to run low on batteries, there are certain people who I can connect with to recharge. Walt Disney and the projects that have come about from the wave that he started long ago, are great examples for me.

When I do my power walking, I usually listen to Disney parades on my ipod. When I start planning a trip to The World, the countdown gives a charge to each day. And, of course, the interesting things that happen here at the PassPorter site are so entertaining. I've also made some great friends here...people who I'd never have met any other way, I'm sure.

Online communication, in my opinion, is a major challenge. It is a skill, or a set of skills, that is an evolving art. Online communication can be one of those challenges that requires a "boost" of encouragement or guidance from time to time.

When people send the wrong signals in real time, they have all those great non-verbal cues to let them know they need to adjust their delivery. A smirk, a bewildered look, body language, and the all-too-awkward small group laughing in the distance while glancing in your direction. I see it all the time with my kids in school. AHHHHHHHHHH! I'm so glad to be out of school!

Who am I kidding, though! I see the same thing with grown-ups. Only, online, it is hard to judge just HOW the message is coming across. And, without the non-verbal cues, the opportunities to misunderstand, mislead, be misled, or just miss the point entirely are almost without measure.

It's a challenge, that's for sure! But it appears that so much of our communication is going to happen online, so it is a challenge worth exploring.

I imagine if Walt were alive today, he'd be finding ways to make the internet a place very much like his parks. Where everyone is welcome and comfortable.

This is for those people who never know what to post, are afraid of looking silly, are afraid to put their thoughts down in writing because of spelling, grammar or vocabulary. This is for the ones who have been flamed, misunderstood, shunned, or who just plain come off wrong. This is for those who PM or email me because posting is scary.

Keep at it! If Walt were here, he'd say "I know you can do this!".

I know you can do it, too!

Happy Saturday!:)


Quote from p. 279 How to Be Like Walt ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/633-i-know-you-can-do.html Get up and Move! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/631-get-up-move.html Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:51:56 GMT Can you get up and move today to spend fifteen minutes on a long shot? What would you do? If you like, you can work longer or continue for the... Can you get up and move today to spend fifteen minutes on a long shot? What would you do? If you like, you can work longer or continue for the week-end!

Bruce Gordon, Disney Imagineer and Author, had this to say about Walt Disney:
Walt dreamed of being a Hollywood director, but there he was, stuck in the Midwest. So what did he do? He went to California with little more than the clothes on his back and some pocket change. Then he scraped and struggled and battled to make his dreams happen. The lesson is clear. If you have to get up and move to make your dreams come then then get up and move!"

I really like this thought. I think of all the individuals who were born into opportunity and squandered their lives. I think of all thr individuals who were born into opportunity and did great things with their advantages. Nothing fascinates me more, though, than someone who was able to create their own opportunity from nothing!

I'm on a roll with my EcoTour trip report, and I'm ready to make my next entry today, so that project is going quite well! I can't believe I made such a big deal about learning to post photos!

There are a few long shots, though, that seem a bit daunting. One long shot is the basement, which seems to be a magnet for boxes and unwanted stuff.

My plan is to start with 15 minutes, but probably, once I get started, I'll work longer.

This actually supports my goal because it drives me nuts every time I look at how things were just tossed down there. Sometimes you have to tackle the foundation, where you can't see, in order to keep building where you can see.

It is a real scrape and struggle job, like in the quote and, frankly, I know one day I'll walk down there and everything will be tossed in the middle of the floor again, but I'll just get up and move again and pick up.

So, today I'm looking again at the nuts and bolts, trying to get inspired about the practical stuff.

Is anyone with me?



quote from p. 33, How to Be Like Walt, Pat Williams, Health Communications, Inc.2004 ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/631-get-up-move.html Enough about inspiration for a day! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/630-enough-about-inspiration-day.html Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:07:35 GMT I've been blogging about how I seem to be attracting the word inspiration into my life. Here online, at work, in my social groups, ALL over the place.

But getting a job done takes more than inspiration!

Harriet Burns, an Imagineer said "Walt was highly creative, but his brother Roy was the left brain of the family."

To give a very short explanation, the right brain dreams and creates while the left brain plans, computes and completes.

Walt had Roy, and, when you read the story of Walt's success, you see Roy there through it all.

We've been talking about dreaming and getting inspired, but let's take some time to think about practical matters that are attached to your dreams and goals.

Just for today, can you focus on those left brain matters you'll need to address for your project? Does it involve planning, organizing, managing time, facts or numbers?

Let me know!

Brain_Test ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/630-enough-about-inspiration-day.html More inspiration http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/629-more-inspiration.html Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:49:56 GMT How's this for lazy?? I was so busy today, but I'm not going to miss a day of blogging, because I said I'd blog every day.

Here is an interesting PM exchange I had with a fellow PassPorter. One of my goals was to somehow pass on inspiration and motivation.

I'm sure I didn't change daddyof2princesses' life, but the exchange seemed somehow relevant.

Here it is...my lazy day blog!

This is a conversation between visitor message on two PassPorter's home pages.

09-28-2009 11:16 PM
Sandra Bostwick






Yesterday 09:27 AM
daddyof2princessess

Hi there! You are correct I am a new member! My DW is mommyof2princessess who has been here for a while though, so I am somewhat familiar with it all. Thank you for enthusiastic welcome though it helps inspire us new people to just jump right in!


Yesterday 09:34 AM
daddyof2princessess

Oh drat. It's momof2princessess not mommyof


Yesterday 12:00 PM
Sandra Bostwick

OK, did you use the word inspire on purpose? Were you reading my blog? It's been all about inspiring, and people have been using that word with me lately!


Yesterday 02:18 PM
daddyof2princessess

Sorry haven't read the blog yet but I will. When you think in an inspirational mind set it shows and moves others. I guess that's why it keeps popping up around you.


Yesterday 03:51 PM
Sandra Bostwick

That is so funny! Would you mind if I blogged about our conversation. It seems like the word inspire keeps popping up for me since I started that blog!


Yesterday 07:00 PM
daddyof2princessess

Use it at will. I am glad to be able to contribute in any small way to your Inspirational work. Pun way intended on that one.


Yesterday 07:28 PM
Sandra Bostwick

OH BOY! I can see YOU are going to liven the place up! Welcome again and keep in touch!


Yesterday 07:28 PM
Sandra Bostwick

PS, your two princesses are adorable! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/629-more-inspiration.html The OUCH phase of OH, I GET IT! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/628-ouch-phase-oh-i-get.html Tue, 06 Oct 2009 20:17:39 GMT A big part of my job is to create suffering.

That's a pretty harsh thing to say, but it really is true. A good therapist or teacher knows that, for most people, ouch is the stage before growth or learning.

Sometimes I need to learn my own lesson.

Let's take a simple example, which would be learning how to upload photos from my digital camera to place them in an online trip report. Luckily, there are step-by-step instructions here, but it still took a little mental muscle stretching to find the instructions and follow through.

I remember when I was trying to create photo albums on my home page a while back, and I gave up. This time, though, I'd said I would post photos by Friday for my project, so I worked through it.

I don't think I am any smarter now, so why did I do it? Because I just accepted the ouch phase of my project.

Are you putting off something you could be doing because of the ouch factor?

When I help students work through the ouch factor, I become a magnet for all sorts of negative emotional ammunition.

I assure them that they can do it. I praise them for little steps. I might give little hints, but never the answer. And I NEVER back down unless I know I'm about to go too far.

But, too often, when I am working on my own goals, I feel the burn of ouch inside my brain and I pull back like I've touched a red hot poker by mistake. In some situations, like posting my own photos online, I just give up.

I give up and lose out.

Any goal that matters is going to have some ouch in it.

Learning something new... pushing with exercise... giving up something that is not healthy for something healthier... doing those unpleasant little tasks like making sure you understand changes in the tax codes before you file...

OUCH OUCH OUCH OUCH!

But only if I push through "ouch" can I reach "I get it!"

If you are working on a project with us, do you have any ouches? How do you deal with them? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/628-ouch-phase-oh-i-get.html A little inspiration dance http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/624-little-inspiration-dance.html Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:08:36 GMT I HAD to make the comment below on a trip report by Nimros (AKA Cathy). This photo was taken by her DH, Kevin. Here is a link to the whole report,... I HAD to make the comment below on a trip report by Nimros (AKA Cathy). This photo was taken by her DH, Kevin. Here is a link to the whole report, where you can find this photo and many others.

Nimros_Trip_Report

Originally Posted by Sandra Bostwick


AWESOME!

Loved the report and the photos, especially this one! Spectromagic always makes me smile.

***end quote***


When I saw this photo, I was simply AMAZED! I think something about the bright blue sky and the fireworks fascinated me. That started an interesting series of events.

Cathy posted this response on her trip report:

I was pretty amazed that Kevin got this one, too. He said he timed it with the music.

At this point, I sent a private message. Private message is an interesting online communication that can be used for evil (to create cliques and gossip behind people's backs) or good (to bond a little more privately , to seek personal support and spread sunshine). I seem to have settled into a group that prefers the second choice.

So, anyway, here is what transpired:

(From me)
You should send that castle photo to the site where Jennifer picks the photo of the month. I'll bet that will at least be considered!

The water photos look so refreshing, too!

(From Cathy)
Okay - you've inspired me. I'm on it and I'll let you know what happens!
Cathy
(emphasis on work is mine)

(From me)
OK, this is cracking me up!

First of all, I think your photo should be self-inspiring, because it is GOOD!

Here is what is making me laugh. I am doing a blog project here on using a community to get yourself inspired, and it is TOO funny that you used that word.

Would you mind if I blogged about what you wrote? I hope not, because I am off to do JUST THAT right now!:p


(From Cathy)

Now you have ME laughing! And you know what - I KNOW you're doing that blog because after reading an entry, I remember trying to think about what was near my desk that inspired me...and I think subconsiously, I must associate YOU with the word 'inspire.':):):)

You are inspiring, you know.

(From me)
TOO funny! The blog was getting so few comments that I was wavering on if it was worth it or not. This is inspiration squared! Can I post a copy of the photo and give you credit for it?

(From Cathy)
Why not? Maybe you'll inspire a few more people!!! I've got to get over and check out the blog....

(Here I am blogging)
I really didn't set out to do this on purpose, but this is an example of JUST what I was trying to explore. The interesting way that people can motivate and inspire each other.

I'm in the process of completing my first trip report. I wonder if I'd ever have figured out how to post those photos if I hadn't made it a goal! When I first posted, it was fun enough, but when people started responsing it was like a shot of enthusiasm in my arm.

There is something so very real happening right here in this PassPorter Community. I wonder if it is the example that is set of supporting and encouraging. I'm not sure what it is, exactly, but there is SOMETHING, and this is an example.

Have an inspired day and try to see if you can inspire someone else. Please post in the comments if you were able to do that. (Remember, Private Messages keep you from sharing with everyone AND I don't want to encourage inner circle groups in this blog, where others may feel out of the loop.)

Again, have an inspired day! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/624-little-inspiration-dance.html What makes a great gathering? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/623-what-makes-great-gathering.html Sun, 04 Oct 2009 12:29:09 GMT I've been blogging lately on the theme of people. Since my goal was to tie the blog into Walt Disney or Disney related projects or places, I've been thinking about the social atmosphere of the theme parks as I blog.

Last summer I took a solo trip to the theme parks just to watch the people. I didn't do a study, but I seemed to notice something.

The families who were all decked out in Disney...theme hats, T-shirts, Mickey ears, Bibbity Bobbity Boo do's, pin lanyards seemed to be laughing and smiling more. They seemed to have more of a spring to their step.

I'm not a researcher, so I don't know why that would be. Maybe people who love Disney are just a bit cheerier than others? Maybe someone who would spend so much money on Disney stuff is a little nutty to begin with? Maybe I just noticed these people more because they stood out? Maybe they just decided to do the trip up and were immersed in the excitement?

Please don't bring out the flamethrowers if you disagree, and feel free add your own comments if you agree or have another opinion about this because, as I said, I wasn't doing clinical research here!

BUT, there was something else that I seemed to notice about the Disney Clad Happy Folk......(Drum role, please!)

They seemed to interact more with others. I saw more random greetings as people passed by. I saw more comments or giggles exchanged that were obviously related to silly hats or wearing a celebration pin. I saw lots of oohs and aahs about princesses while parents beamed.

I spent one trip wearing a pink tiara Minnie ear hat complete with veils, and I don't think I EVER enjoyed so many brief exchanges with strangers. There was something about the social tone that made me end each day thinking "Wow, THAT was a great gathering!"

Aside from standing out, maybe these little signals created a common bond that is, well, just uplifting!

Yesterday there were gatherings all over NJ for groups of people who had some common bond. Some were gatherings of people who lived in the same town and others were based around a particular theme that can touch your life and somehow marks you.

There are marks from belonging to groups, choosing certain careers, having certain spiritual beliefs, or being a fanatic of a certain TV personality or show.

Some marks are hard to see AND hard to live with, like the marks on those who have survived a particular illness, lost a loved one to a drunk driver, lived with an abusive personality, battled an addiction, suffered a trauma, or felt the strain of caregiving. There are marks from having children with particular challenges,

A group of about 8 friends joined in with what must have been over a hundred people to celebrate unity. I really only knew my 8 friends, but there was such a bond between everyone in the room. It was just wonderful!

There is something about a gathering of people who share the same hard-to-see mark that is unifying. Strangers smile more, chat in the food line, and are generally more friendly. The warmth was somehow magical, and Ic ould see everyone was happy to be there. The atmosphere reminded me of the same celebratory tone as Walt Disney World!

But I didn't see one set of Mickey ears. So what WAS it? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/623-what-makes-great-gathering.html <![CDATA[I DID IT! I started and now I'm doing it!]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/622-i-did-i-started-now-im-doing.html Sat, 03 Oct 2009 22:09:34 GMT ECOTOUR_Trip_Report... ECOTOUR_Trip_Report

I can't believe it, but I started my first trip report. Once I figured out how to post those photos, it was nothing. I'm already having so much fun with it.

I kept putting it off because I was not sure where to start and how to do it, but when I set the goal with the blog, next thing you know, I'm on my way.

I thought this was going to be a huge ordeal, but it is actually a light, fun thing to do. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/622-i-did-i-started-now-im-doing.html People still need people http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/621-people-still-need-people.html Sat, 03 Oct 2009 15:42:11 GMT You can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful place in the world, but it requires people to make the dream a reality. Walt Disney ... You can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful place in the world, but it requires people to make the dream a reality.
Walt Disney

The internet creates all sorts of social options, but sometimes you have to wonder if they are meaningful or just community flavored chewing gum...passing the time but becoming more and more pointless with every chew. Sandra Bostwick just a few minutes ago responding to Angie Daley

HE HE HE! It made me giggle to write my own quote for a few reasons. First of all, it really is a silly thing to do. Second, I REALLY do think Angie is going to be a famous artist some day. Another reason is simply that a person can, as Walt said, dream, create, and design the most wonderful place in the world here on the internet and here, in my blog, I can quote myself and pretend that someone is listening!

You really can create and modify all sorts of situations here on the internet and, if you do a good job you can attract all sorts of people.

Walt was speaking of the various projects that were produced to attract people. He created everything from cartoons to a spacious, meticulously crafted theme park, but what is it that made people visit?

I've heard alot of people comment that Disney theme parks are fantasy. Well, OK, yeah. But if people go there and feel entertained, inspired, or even just distracted from daily drudgery, isn't that real?

I know lots of people who still think that the internet is not real. I have to wonder about that myself sometimes. I hear all that internet connections don't count in the real world. Well, I suppose that depends on where you are visiting, what you do when you get there, and if that has any redeeming value in your life once you sign off.

I think the biggest point to be made when considering if an internet connection is real is this...are the people involved being who they really are? Is one or both trying to be someone different from who they truly are? In my book, that would make the connection fall into the "not real" category. Others might disagree.

Different people will also gravitate towards different internet places. Let me give an example. I enjoy popping into Facebook from time to time to check in on my page, but I don't get it. I feel lost. The page is confusing, maybe because I've set it up that way, I'm not sure.

I can't seem to track a linear conversation. I have hundreds of messages backed up that need to be clicked on and I finally get so confused that I log off and hope no one feels ignored.

I'm not big on internet games, either. I know there are entire communities built around these games and, the funny thing about that is that most of those people would think that a community of people obsessed with Disney would be nuts.

The internet is such an amazing place where anyone at all can create anything from a virtual universe to a topic oriented blog.

I've been looking at book discussions, trip reports, threads, blogs, profile pages, private messages and all sorts of internet social options. What it is all about?

The fact of the matter seems to be that if something is not clickworthy, it is much less of a reality. I don't think it is the number of clicks that matters, though. Some click have more meaning than others.

When I think of this, I think of the trip reports here. Some of the trip reports are so beautiful. The photos take me to places through someone else's eyes and it is fascinating. I've spent an hour on some trip reports.

That is a click that matters!

I have to run out to a festival now and I don't have time to edit this, so please consider it a ramble. This will be a real place with real people. How about that?

Maybe I'll come to a point later. Can you help me make my point? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/621-people-still-need-people.html Walt waved to me today! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/620-walt-waved-me-today.html Fri, 02 Oct 2009 21:18:28 GMT I woke up today without any real inspiration to write a blog entry. I asked myself if I really wanted to do this every single day for the next... I woke up today without any real inspiration to write a blog entry.

I asked myself if I really wanted to do this every single day for the next nine months?

I decided to wait and see what the day would bring. Today was a day for office work, which is not my favorite part of being a self-employed occupational therapist.

I stopped to pick up the mail on the way to the bank and, there is was! A wave from Walt! My inspiration!

A mysterious package was in the mailbox!

It had writing in both French and English. A PassPorter from Canada had sent me a surprise!

Angie Daley sent me all sorts of goodies and a wonderful note about how our blog had inspired her! I even have some beautiful drawings from Alice.

This was all I needed!

I'm going to dinner and a play with friends tonight, but I'm going to take some photos of my package and post them here later.

I think it is so amazing that Walt Disney, who was so concerned with creating gathering places for people, manages to draw people together in cyberspace now. Thank you Angie for that wonderful package, and thank you Walt, for planting a seed that brings people together in so many places and situations. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/620-walt-waved-me-today.html Why blog? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/619-why-blog.html Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:08:25 GMT I am 1/10th of the way into the goal of blogging every day for a school year about goals or projects. Since this is the first time I've tried this, I have no idea how it will go. I feel relieved that, at least, it is 1/10th over now! Bloggin is a new concept for me, and I'm not sure I fully understand it.

Some days, this blog seems to set my mind on a certain way of thinking, which gives the day a "tone". Making a conscious decision to set a positive tone for the day seems to be helpful when I need to keep my momentum going.

I'm not sure I need to blog for that, though. That can be done by meditating or writing in a personal journal.

The best part of a blog, I think, is the interaction. I especially enjoy when people respond and it feels like we are moving forward together.

So, the jury is still out on blogging, and here is my entry for today.

What do you think about blogging? Do you think you ever might try to write your own? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/619-why-blog.html Little steps http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/618-little-steps.html Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:32:42 GMT Walt accomplished great things, one step at a time. Now you can too. Some projects and people can just flow naturally and, before you know it,... Walt accomplished great things, one step at a time. Now you can too.

Some projects and people can just flow naturally and, before you know it, they are done!

Others need to be thought out and planned with little goals to mark the way.

For example, I've already contacted the EcoTour Captain to get his comments for the report, and he sounds interested in the project. I posted my first photos on a test thread last week.

Each of those little steps were pretty big barriers, especially learning the tech of uploading and posting my photos. Now that they are done, I'm on my way.

I've decided that I will post the first part of my trip report on Friday.

So, your job for today is to just think about those steps that might get in your way. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/618-little-steps.html What if you outgrow your project before you are done? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/616-what-if-you-outgrow-your-project-before-you-done.html Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:57:39 GMT "All I want you to think about is when people walk through or have access to anything you design, I want them, when they leave, to have smiles on their faces. Just remember that. It's all I ask of you as a designer." Walt Disney

What is your motivating drive as you, the designer of your project, move forward? Do you think that drive might morph into something different? Could that stop you from finishing your project?

Walt was motivated by that smile. If you look way back when Mickey was Steamboat Willie, it is clear that simple diversional entertainment was the mission.

Do you think Walt would be surprised at the number of current attractions that have been designed to teach, thrill, scare, enlighten, or enrich, especially at Epcot?

Even the expression of Walt's mission changed, expanded, and grew. It started with his drive to create entertaining cartoons, and morphed into his drive to create entertaining environments.

So often, when we set a goal or work on a project, our goals or reasons change. Sometimes this is the result of learning, and it's OK to change midstream. If we do that too often, though, we'll never finish what we started.

There really is no one answer to the questions above. I think it is something that has to be considered every step of the way with anything that takes your time and effort.

What do you think?


Quote from page 18,Walt Disney Imagineering-A behind the Dreams Look at Making the Magic Real by the Imagineers-published by Hyperion in 1996. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/616-what-if-you-outgrow-your-project-before-you-done.html DREAM AREA-NO PRACTICALTHINKING ALLOWED! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/614-dream-area-no-practicalthinking-allowed.html Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:31:07 GMT Here is how an Imagineer describes the process of dreaming up a new attraction: While dreaming and scheming, we give the idea shape, whatever it... Here is how an Imagineer describes the process of dreaming up a new attraction: While dreaming and scheming, we give the idea shape, whatever it might be for now. We ignore any obstacles it may present, for we are not yet concerned with how.

Have you ever gotten yourself all excited about a possibility? Maybe then you shared it with someone who told you it was impossible. Or maybe you shot the idea down yourself!

This is an area where you are free to dream and share those dreams in your comments without fear of being shot down.

Maybe you are hatching a new career? Maybe you hope for big changes in your life? Maybe you are wishing for a miracle?

Dream away and don't edit. You can even get silly if you want.

Sandy's Dream

When I was a kid, before Disney even started the Disney College Program, I used to dream about Disney College. It usually went along with the dream that I was all alone in the parks after closing, just running in and out of each attraction and looking behind the scenes. I used to draw pictures and write about Disney College in my journals.

Disney College first started in 1981. I'd already started undergraduate school, but, I wonder, if I'd heard about it, would I have gone? I think so.

I have a feeling, my life would have taken a completely different path if I'd known that a Disney College had actually come into existence. But I believe anything that is meant to be happens in its own time.

My dream is to somehow work as a support or an associate with Disney College. Unfortunately, the College where I am presently teaching does not offer the program, and did not seem too interested in getting it up and running.

Since I am dreaming, I wish that I might somehow work for Disney College remotely, maybe as an online support. I'd love to do what I am doing now, which is to specialize in helping students who have minor learning disabilities to settle into the rigorous routines of work, study, and young adulthood without relying too much on their accommodations.

I'd like the job to require a few trips out to Florida a year and, of course, that glimpse into behind the scenes.

There is my dream. OK, now, what's yours?



(Quote from page 40-Walt Disney Imagineering-A behind the Dreams Look at Making the Magic Real by the Imagineers-published by Hyperion in 1996.)


Post your dreams below. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/614-dream-area-no-practicalthinking-allowed.html Can you get excited about what might stand in your way? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/613-can-you-get-excited-about-what-might-stand-your-way.html Sun, 27 Sep 2009 13:27:23 GMT "All I know about money is that I have to have it to do things. I neither wish nor intend to amass a personal fortune. Money may worry me, but it does not excite me. Ideas excite me."
Walt Disney

Can you fill this quote in with your own words? What might be holding you back from your dreams and goals? Could you find a way to be excited about that barrier?

"All I know about ______ is that I have to have it to do things. I neither wish nor intend to ___________. _________ may worry me, but it does not excite me. Ideas excite me."

Here's mine:
"All I know about technology is that I have to have it to do things. I neither wish nor intend to learn how to do all the fancy tricks that are available. Technology may worry me, but it does not excite me. Ideas excite me."

Since my current goal is to complete an online trip report with photos, the first problem for me was technology. I had no idea how to upload photos to the PassPorter website, then move them into a trip report thread. The whole process seemed so daunting and, I have to admit, if I had not put my goal on this blog, for all three people who are following to see, I'm not sure if I'd have learned that new skill.

I neither wish nor intend to learn how to do all the fancy tricks that are available, but I really wanted to be able to post some photos online.

I was so excited when I realized I could post a photo of my chandelier here to illustrate my first goal.

Technology may worry me, but it does not excite me. Ideas excite me... I actually do get very excited about the way technology has added a spark to the expression of ideas. Technology has changed the nuts and bolts of daily living. Right down to the core. We are different, down to the way we do even the simplest things.

A basic drive that we, as humans, have is to communicate, share thoughts and information, look for groups where we feel comfortable, and socialize. When I think of the way technology has changed the expression of that simple drive, I have to say it DOES excite me.

So, last night I learned how to post my personal photos on a website. One small step for man; one giant leap for mankind, as Neil Armostrong said?

Probably not, if you are just thinking about me.

BUT, wait!!!!! If you consider all of us, as a group, sharing the visual details of our lives through the air. Sometimes in real time through phones while we run errands. Sometimes on video. If you consider that grandparents can live across the world and have lunch with their grandkids on a screen. How about the fact that we can earn a respectable college degree while taking a number of classes online?

I think, if you put it all together, it really is a giant leap for mankind.

Strangely enough, technology plays a big role in my love for Walt Disney World. When I was a kid, I'd visit Walt Disney World, especially when Epcot opened, and see these amazing glimpses of a future that I just KNEW would soon be here.

Here is one of the attractions that showed some of the technology that fascinated me.

Horizons

I guess if I really think about it, technology makes me both worried, as Walt said, and excited. But the fact that I was motivated enough to get over a hurdle that has been in the way of my progress, WELL, that is my giant leap.

Carry on with your magical day!

Quote from How to Be Like Walt by Pat Williams ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/613-can-you-get-excited-about-what-might-stand-your-way.html State your goal Day! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/612-state-your-goal-day.html Sat, 26 Sep 2009 13:10:11 GMT We are coming close the the end of our first month. I'm hoping people are becoming more clear about their projects.

I'd like to post names and projects at the top of the blog so we can easily see who is working on what. If you finish a project before June, you will get a gold star next to your finished project and you can start another.

Should we give a special prize to the one who earns the most gold stars?

Please post in the comments as follows:

Your screen name, your real first name.
The name you gave to your project.
Your end goal. This is how you will know you did it!

Then I can combine all your comments at the top of the blog.

I'm going to post the first project comment!

Projects in Progress:
:)GoofEme- Jamie
Project name: A den even Simba would love.
Goal: Den and adjoining room remodeled so DS(19) can move to that end of the house to feel more independent without moving out. Bedroom cleaned out, repainted and moved into. Den/French doors installed and reg. door made to a wall, new flooring, new or reconditioned furnishings in place. Possible small gas fireplace installed by next fall.



:)christiejay - Christie
project - remodel the master bedroom
goal - let's shoot for June so I can get a gold star!


:)Todd Neuman
Project name: Get more pictures of things for my Web Site Neuman's Wheelchair Bound Travel
End goal:complete my area hotel befor I go in November.

:)Sandra Bostwick-Sandy
Project name: The Key Largo EcoTour First Trip Report (The actual trip report will have a different name, I think.)
End goal: I will post photos and write descriptions of my fascinating journey through Key Largo with Boat Captain Mike Makowski and Jennifer from Dove Creek Lodge. I'll post at least weekly and I'll be done when I run out of stories, photos, or questions.

:)A.Daley, Angie.
Project name: The Magical Mission!!!.
Labour Day Weekend 2010 (Alice returns to school)

My goal is to fill my "castle" with 12 pieces of my own Disney Art.
I will create 10 more original pieces on canvas based on WDW landmarks and architecture and place the throughout my "castle". 1 in every room, for future motivation, inspiration and future goals.

:)Disney (Jeff) still coming up with a name.

Finished Projects:
:)Sandra Bostwick (Sandy)
Finished project: Redecorate and paint my bedroom with a theme.
End Result: I LOVE IT! My room is freshly painted, I have a some new art on the wall and I removed some that did not fit. The clutter is removed, and it looks just like my theme: Sanctuary. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/612-state-your-goal-day.html Give yourself one hour of wonder today. http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/611-give-yourself-one-hour-wonder-today.html Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:54:24 GMT Wonder (http://occupational-therapy.advanceweb.com/Editorial/Content/Editorial.aspx?CC=79699) The link above is an article I wrote a while back... Wonder

The link above is an article I wrote a while back about Wonder. I hope you like it.

On page 8 of How to Be Like Walt, Pat Williams quotes Walt Disney as follows:

'People who have worked with me say I am 'innocence in action.' They say I have the unself-consciousness of a child. Maybe I have. I still look at the world with uncontaminated wonder, and with all living things, I have a terrific sympathy. It was the most natural thing in the world for me to imagine that mice and squirrels might have feelings just like mine."

Can you try to let wonder into your daily routine for just one hour today? Can you let us know how it went?

Some people may say that Walt Disney had his head in the clouds, but the fact is, he was able to turn his wonder and curiosity into momentum and productivity.

The optimist might say he created a fantasy world that delights countless children and adults. The pessimist would, at least, have to admit that he created an empire that turned a pretty impressive profit.

Walt Disney's life involved challenging conditions and limited resources, but his enthusiasm got the job done...and THEN some.

Was he too innocent to realize that the odds were against him every step of the way?

Did he ignore barriers, which somehow helped him to get past them?

Did others describe him as unself-conscious because their judgments, criticisms, and doubts didn't seem to phase him?

We can only speculate on those questions now. Let's see if the hour of wonder that you give yourself today has a gift for you. Please post your thoughts here. If your project is too personal to discuss here, just tell us about your hour of wonder.

Remember, private messages to me keep others from sharing in your success!

Carry on! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/611-give-yourself-one-hour-wonder-today.html Where could your train of thought take you today? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/609-where-could-your-train-thought-take-you-today.html Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:27:39 GMT Remember our book How to Be Like Walt by Pat Williams? On page 7, Walt Disney's grandson,Walter Disney Miller, says "As a boy in Missouri, my grandpa loved the railroads because they could take you anywhere-to all kinds of unknown places. He never lost his fascination with trains."

It seems as if Walt's mind was always moving to the next project, the next location, the next new idea. Yet, he was able to stick with what was right in front of him long enough to see his projects through to completion. That is a real gift!

I live near a train that runs into NYC, and I am always fascinated when I see one speed by. For some reason, I find the double decker trains all lit up at night to be the most interesting. I find myself wondering who is riding and what adventures they are headed for. Are they happy? Do they love their life?

One of the reasons I was excited to get into NYU was the opportunity to ride the trains into the city as a routine. Can I tell you, though, some early mornings when I was schlepping in the pre-dawn darkness through slush to catch an early train, I learned that some trains are just not fun.

They were the same trains, same tracks, same places, but some days it was a thrill and some days I fell asleep standing up.

I think our train of thought can be the same way. Same people, same job, same resources, but one day it is an adventure and, another, it is nothing special.

Today is really an opportunity, like any day. What is on your agenda today? Can you try to set a path on a train of thought that would give your day just a little enthusiasm and spark? Please let me know how it worked out.

Carry on! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/609-where-could-your-train-thought-take-you-today.html Can you think of a few resource people? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/608-can-you-think-few-resource-people.html Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:09:41 GMT Walt Disney was an idea man, but he knew how to find good resource people who could carry the idea out. He also knew how to find people who would... Walt Disney was an idea man, but he knew how to find good resource people who could carry the idea out.

He also knew how to find people who would support him, motivate him, and advise him.

He basically built a city, filled with the latest technology in robotics (at the time) and added some of the most unique art you can imagine. To do that, he had to take his ideas and add landscapers, architects, excavators, electricians, plumbers...you name it, he needed it!

Walt was so good at finding help, that his ideas continued to develop long after he was gone.

When your resources are taxed, a little help can go a long way. I know none of us are trying to build a city, but even the small projects might benefit from a little help.

Who are your resource people? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/608-can-you-think-few-resource-people.html Are your computer comments getting through? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/606-your-computer-comments-getting-through.html Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:56:38 GMT *_IMPORTANT:_* If you get email notifications of blog posts, and you send a return by email, your comment will not post here on the Blog, so you... IMPORTANT: If you get email notifications of blog posts, and you send a return by email, your comment will not post here on the Blog, so you won't be a part of the group process. Please be sure to click the link and post under comments.

Technology can be a real challenge. It keeps coming at us with new gadgets and procedures like an automatic ball throwing machine set at high and fast. We can duck and cover or we can try to keep up by taking a swing whenever we can.

Unlike the automatic ball throwing machine, though, technology is not something that most people can simply decide to walk away from.

I've received a few e-vites which are cute little invitations that keep track of who responded and how. It took some thinking to figure out how to respond, and I'm still not certain if I responded correctly. A while back, I was invited to an event on an old address which I rarely open. I missed the event.

Has technology changed the way you socialize? Does technology ever get in the way of making connections?

(To be continued-I just ran out of time!)

Have a fun day! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/606-your-computer-comments-getting-through.html Reframing those negative thoughts http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/604-reframing-those-negative-thoughts.html Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:20:28 GMT The Book How to Be Like Walt opens with "When Walt Disney was just a boy, his father put him to work in the harsh conditions of a Kansas City Blizzard-then kept the money Walt Earned. Even so, Walt embraced a nastalgia for his early years while dreaming big dreams of the future."

If you read various accounts of Walt's early years, his accomplishments become even more amazing. One thing is for sure...Walt didn't let ANYTHING stop his imagination or his drive.

Can you, just for today, try to reframe any disappointments or memory grudges that might drag you down or take away your drive?


Reframing means to look at something a different way. Lets take your project, for example. If your goal is to get a better job, rather than look at past rejections as...well...rejections, you could look at them as experience in job hunting. If your goal is to organize a basement, but every time you make progress someone comes and throws more junk there, you might remind yourself that you are in better shape, at least, because of your earlier work.

Maybe Walt told himself "Well, life was tough when I was a boy, but it sure made me a hard worker and taught me to believe in tomorrow."

Just for today, every time a negative thought creeps in to slow down your progress, try to zap it with a realistic, but optimistic positive thought.

Let me know how it goes! Carry on.



How to Be Like Walt_Capturing the Disney Magic Every Day of Your Life by Pat Williams with Jim Denney, Health Communications, Inc., FL, 2004 ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/604-reframing-those-negative-thoughts.html Can You Imagine? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/603-can-you-imagine.html Sun, 20 Sep 2009 11:44:58 GMT When you can't imagine the finished project, it is hard to know where to start! I'm hearing quite a few comments that seem to suggest just that. Please don't give up!

Can you imagine what you want to accomplish when you are finished with your project? Can you write just one sentence about that?

Sometimes, you just have to give your critic a break and let your imagination get you going, even if the path will be unpredictable.

This makes me think of The Dreamfinder and Figment in the original Imagination Attraction.

Right now, working on my office, I can imagine an efficient system for files, an organization system for thousands of books, and clear work surfaces.

I'll be honest, just taking the time to imagine my final product has helped me plan my next 15 minutes!

By the way, here is an interesting commentary on the development of the original Imagination Attraction. Hope you like it!

http://www.figmentsimagination.com/mediavault.html ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/603-can-you-imagine.html What gets in the way? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/602-what-gets-way.html Sat, 19 Sep 2009 13:36:57 GMT Jeannie_Amendola (http://occupational-therapy.advanceweb.com/Editorial/Content/Editorial.aspx?CC=128116) Visit the article above to meet Jeannie... Jeannie_Amendola

Visit the article above to meet Jeannie Amendola. I had the amazing opportunity to speak on the phone with her for fifteen minutes, and just her voice energized me in a way that lasted a long time.

If you clicked on the article, you'll discover that Jeannie is legally blind. I really don't think that is anywhere near the top of the list of the traits that make her special, but it does represent an obstacle that could certainly make reaching her goals more difficult.

What stands in the way of your progress right now? What can be changed? What is temporary? What is most likely going to be with you for good?

During the interview, Jeannie made this comment:
"I've had cast members approach me and say that they'd seen me live out my dream as a Disney ambassador, and that I'd inspired them to go out and achieve their dreams," Amendola said. "That is more rewarding than anything!"

There are so many obstacles. Some are very concrete, like lack of funds. Some may involve an ovewhelming responsibility that takes all your time. Perhaps there is a physical or mental disability. Maybe you have certain personality traits like being disorganized, negative, unmotivated, or "stuck". Maybe people are holding you back, like a difficult boss or a teacher who does not understand you.

For this entry, let's just consider what might be holding you back. Take it out and look at it closely. Write down all the aspects of what is holding you back and don't start going into what you can do about it.

That will be tomorrow.

Remember, you don't want to put all your business out there! On the other hand, if this gets any bigger, the PMs are going to take so much time, that I won't have time for blogging!

If your answers are too personal to post, just speak in vague terms, please, but let us know you are with us and how you are doing.

Carry on! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/602-what-gets-way.html <![CDATA[Walt's Wave]]> http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/600-walts-wave.html Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:30:53 GMT _Jeannie_Amendola (http://occupational-therapy.advanceweb.com/Editorial/Content/Editorial.aspx?CC=128116)_ Visit the link above to meet Jeannie... Jeannie_Amendola

Visit the link above to meet Jeannie Amendola, a truly inspirational Disney Cast Member. Here are her thoughts during a ceremony at the Magic Kingdom.

"I could hear my own voice on the microphone as I was speaking to these government officials and special guests at Walt Disney World and it almost felt as if Walt Disney himself is there with you, as if he is placing in your hand his magic and his dream, and you have to cherish it and nurture it and share it with all of the cast members and with all of our guests around the world."

I can't help but wonder, if Walt had not created such powerful momentum with, as Jeannie said, "his magic and his dream", how different would my world be?

Walt was obsessed with bringing entertainment, recreation, and leisure to the world. He managed to get others to buy into his vision so that they, like Jeannie, would feel so passionate about that vision that they would "nurture and share it".

WOW! There are so many thoughts that come into my mind with this, but I think this thought shines the brightest right now for me.

All over the world, there are movements on all levels to create hatred, anger, and misery. The world is full of complainers, hackers, gossips, thieves, con artists, liars, abusers, mean people...you name it! And that's just the beginning, but I don't want to go too far into the inner loop of the dark side.

Walt created a movement that attracted people who wanted to make the world a brighter place in any number of ways. He must have done something right, because the movement is still going!

I know an adorable little Disney Princess named Camille who delights all by dancing in her princess costumes. I know of so many people who count the days by their next Disney vacation. The phenomenon of the PassPorter Disney trip report has a huge following.


Can you post the ways that the momentum of Walt Disney's ideas created a bright spot for you or someone else? Do you think it is catching? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/600-walts-wave.html I survived Open House and being in a building with my ex!!! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/maryel8775/599-i-survived-open-house-being-building-my-ex.html Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:32:35 GMT Well open house started off quite nicely til I saw my ex walk thru the door. He pretty much ignored me as we were selling 50/50 raffles and bake sale... Well open house started off quite nicely til I saw my ex walk thru the door. He pretty much ignored me as we were selling 50/50 raffles and bake sale items for the PTO. He took DS to see his teacher and took what seemed like forever, then he comes over to me and throws an envelope at me and tells me to DEAL with it. Then he takes DD off to see her teachers and ends up embarrassing her. Well that doesn't fly with me. So finally I get a chance to go see DS's teacher and she is amazing, really nice and helpful all at the same time. She is even willing to help out the PTO at dances as a chaperone. :cool:

Then finally I could go and see DD's teachers and they are all supportive and helpful too. DD isn't being bossy or very talkative which has been a big problem for quite some time in school.

I did talk to ALL teachers about the upcoming trip and they are all MAJORLY supportive. They told me to just email them and remind them of the dates that the kids will be out of school. They will work with the kids when they get home on catching up on anything they missed. DS's teacher just simply told him to keep a journal of what he does daily. .

The only bad thing about tonight was it was so hot in the school that while I was gone to see DD's teachers, DS who was helping out in the cafeteria got sick 3 times. I do believe it was from the heat as he is fine now. I might keep him home tomorrow just to make sure but I will see how he is feeling in the morning.

Well Blog, I shall bid you adieu tonight and head to bed. ]]> MaryEL8775 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/maryel8775/599-i-survived-open-house-being-building-my-ex.html Life: Some Assembly Required http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/598-life-some-assembly-required.html Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:10:25 GMT Check out this book: Walt Disney Imagineering-A behind the Dreams Look at Making the Magic Real by the Imagineers-published by Hyperion in 1996. ... Check out this book:
Walt Disney Imagineering-A behind the Dreams Look at Making the Magic Real by the Imagineers-published by Hyperion in 1996.

On Page 89, you'll find a photo of a construction site. On top of raw earth is a tangle of wooden pallets, construction materials and halved columns, lieing in a heap. A big piece of canvas, crudely attached to two sticks and stuck into the ground, announces ITALY PAVILLION-SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED.

Can we really know where we are headed during the assembly stage of a project?

The Imagineers commented on the preassembled ruins of Italy: "If we are to take the idea any further, we must prepare ourselves for a road never traveled. We know not of the challenges that await around all the unexpected twists and turns that lie ahead. Each step forward may mean three steps back. But three steps back reveals our true direction."

One of the most striking thoughts I get as I look at the photo is how, at a quick glance, the future Italy Pavillion looks like a city destroyed.

At a certain point of any project, deconstruction and construction appear very similar!

Some bleaders have let me know that they are presently in a phase of tearing things apart, losing something rather than gaining, destroying rather than building. How can they participate in a blog about creating something?

Well, I can't answer for everyone, but if you are one of those, I challenge you to consider that, even if you are being forced to take something apart, you can still travel with us because your three steps back will reveal your true direction, as the Imagineers said.

At a certain point, a snapshot in time will leave any observer wondering if things are being built or destroyed anyway.

As I prepare myself for, yet, another day, I'm going to hang a sign in my mind: MY LIFE: SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED.

Have a magical day! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/598-life-some-assembly-required.html Open House??? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/maryel8775/597-open-house.html Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:56:35 GMT Do you attend your kids open house? How supportive of your child(ren)'s school are you?

Well today I ask these questions because, I am now the school PTO President. Tonight we have our Open House and I have to be front and center in the midst of EVERYTHING. I have to find time to visit my children's classrooms and their teachers, while mingling amongst everyone else.

Because of open house however, the kids have a half day of school today. So I have to get the van in for an oil change before they get released, go to the Maintenance dept to submit forms for building usage for the PTO events. Get Milk! all before they get home, while still trying to figure out where dinner is going to fit into this evening. I am thinking bologna sandwiches for the night.

I also have to be at the school for 5pm to help set up our table for tonights presentation. I am only hoping that I don't have to make any speeches.

Luckily there is NO girl scouts to do tonight. WHEW!!!!!

So my last question to you is: How many hats do you wear in a day???

MOM, PTO President, Girl Scout Leader, Taxi, Daughter, Friend, and Parent!

Today these are my hats to wear. ]]> MaryEL8775 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/maryel8775/597-open-house.html Virtual Wave http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/596-virtual-wave.html Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:48:41 GMT What does it take to get a good virtual wave going? If this blog were a wave, what could you do to help? I mentioned in an earlier post that I... What does it take to get a good virtual wave going? If this blog were a wave, what could you do to help?

I mentioned in an earlier post that I once tried to start a wave while waiting for FANTASMIC! Here are two links that give more information about FANTASMIC! if you are interested:
Fantasmic!

Fantasmic!_Video

Getting back to the wave, the FANTASMIC! amphitheatre could seat 10,000 people when filled to capacity, so people start filing in hours before. When my boredom inspired me to start a wave, my friends were pretty mortified.

I jumped up, yelled, made eye contact as much as I could, then sat down and gave people time to process. Here and there, I could see pockets of wavers following along.

Some of the groups were so far away that I could hardly see them. I remember one gigantic rowdy group that took up a huge square of space. They looked like a huge blur of brightly colored shirts that let out a roar of "WOOOOS!" as they moved. Another group must have been a hundred people moving in straight rows, looking like a centipede crawling along.

Easily, thousands of people must have been involved in the movement, while thousands watched with varying degrees of interest, annoyance, or bewilderment. There are also always those who wish they could join in, JUST ONCE, but control the impulse for one reason or another.

These virtual communities that are popping up all over the place are just like a wave. If you look at the PassPorter site, for example, that started with Jennifer and Dave waving and ended up with a pretty large community of regular wavers.

There are ripples all over the place, as people post threads and others respond. It is actually quite interesting.

This particular group blog project involves spending a full school year creating a movement of inspiration, momentum, or enthusiasm around the ideals of Walt Disney for ANY number of projects, goals, or undertakings you choose.

Do you believe we can start a wave? Can you encourage a few people to join in?

Have a magical day! ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/596-virtual-wave.html Did you ever??? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/maryel8775/595-did-you-ever.html Wed, 16 Sep 2009 04:49:13 GMT Did you ever have one of those days where nothing seems to go right? Where no matter what you do, you can't seem to do anything right or please anyone?

Well a lot of my days seem like that. I wake up and wonder, "Is today going to get any better? Are the kids actually going to get along today?" Then I go and take a peek at my sleeping angels before I wake them up for school and remember that all of this that I am doing is for them and that I love them very much.

I was often told that I was lazy, good for nothing, bad wife, bad mother, stupid, and even pathetic.

Now to some of you this sounds pretty awful that someone could come and say these things to a person. This is what the last 8 yrs of my life has been like.

NOW I am out of that situation and trying to head into a better direction. The kids were pretty much treated the same way. So they often say things like, "I am so stupid!" I just tell them that, "You are not stupid, you just didn't stop to take the time to think clearly and think this through completely before you did the actions."

I am trying to re-program my kids so to speak and get them to raise their self-esteem as well as my own. Everyday I keep thinking that this is all for the best and that we will get through this together.

I have started to try to find new ways of involving the kids, whether it is helping me choose and cook meals, to helping me plan activities that we can all do together. I want them to feel important. I want to feel important.

I think it will take some time to get the ball rolling but everyday has a brighter outlook to it.

Just "ONE DAY AT A TIME!" that will be my motto from now on. ]]> MaryEL8775 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/maryel8775/595-did-you-ever.html A day in the life if a single mom... http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/maryel8775/594-day-life-if-single-mom.html Tue, 15 Sep 2009 22:42:43 GMT Oh boy, there is never enough time in a day when you are a mom. There is always things to be done, places to go, people to meet, and appts to deal... Oh boy, there is never enough time in a day when you are a mom. There is always things to be done, places to go, people to meet, and appts to deal with.

My usual day starts off at 6:00am. I wake up to the IPOD blaring "Crazy Train" by Ozzy. Because that is how my life feels like. One big crazy train ride that won't ever stop.

I wake the kids up and get one out the door by 6:30am and the other is in the shower at this time. Then it is time to dose morning medicine and get him out the door.

Then it seems like I might have 5 minutes to myself but NO... Dishes need to be done, laundry needs to be washed, dried, folded, and put away. Something needs to be taken out for dinner.

Then it is off to this place to speak with these people about doing these activities. If it isn't running to the school to deal with PTO business or dealing with one of the kids and their teachers, then it is running my parents around to appointments or off to the mall to pay bills or just out and about.

Then we get home just in time for the kids to do homework and make dinner. Then it is either time for girl scouts or meetings for Avon or even PTO meetings. Some nights its just let's get the kids fed and relaxed so that I can send them to bed.

But even after they are in bed things don't stop there. Because since the kids antagonize each other ALL day when they are home, I am purely exhausted and still have things to do. The kids have to brush their teeth and shower before bed and then they need to settle down, hopefully without acting up. DS has to take his meds for bed to help him with his medical situation and then finally after they are asleep, I can leave my spot at the kitchen table where for the last hour I have been sitting to make the kids stay in their beds and go to sleep without picking on each other.

Once they are asleep then I can take my own shower, relax and settle down to the radio and maybe a good book or even some time on the computer. But then I have to take my medicine to help me fall asleep even though I am so tired from all the antics of the kids.

Then maybe, just maybe around Midnight, I might, just might fall asleep only to wake up again at 6:00am to "Crazy Train" all over again. ]]> MaryEL8775 http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/maryel8775/594-day-life-if-single-mom.html How are creative ideas shaped into something real? http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/591-how-creative-ideas-shaped-into-something-real.html Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:42:49 GMT If the spark of an idea is strong, it will never fade away. Even if it travels only far enough to appear on that first piece of paper, there it will... If the spark of an idea is strong, it will never fade away. Even if it travels only far enough to appear on that first piece of paper, there it will patiently remain until the time is right for it to re-ignite. (quote from page 36 of Imagineering, A Behind the Dreams Look at Making the Magic Real, Hyperion, 1996)

On the same page, a quote from Walt Disney advises "Get a good idea and stay with it. Dog it and work at it until it's done, and done right."

While these two concepts seem to be on the same page they seem to...well...NOT be on the same page as far as meaning. The first quote seems relaxed and forgiving, while Walt almost sound like an idea task master.

If you are developing any creative ideas right now, how can your theme help you know when the job is done, and done right? Are you relaxed or a task master?

I've been spending some time looking at the trip reports on the PassPorter site, and I feel like I stumbled across a whole new world of ideas. The photos and narratives seem to reflect each author's unique characteristics to create a theme. Some writers posted clouds, some focused on hidden Mickeys, some highlighted gardens, others showed lots of characters, and many showed warm loving families.

Most of the trip reports center around a theme with a title that lets you know a little bit about what to expect. A funny title includes "Dragging Grandma Kicking and Screaming" and a sweet title included "Pumpkin Pie with Loads of Whip Cream on Top" in honor of a DD with a nickname "my sweet little pumpkin pie."

They were all about Disney, but each World looked like a completely different place.

That got me wondering what, exactly, I am trying to do with this blog? Can there be a focus, especially when I am trying to stay flexible and go with the flow of comments.

Already, the original title seems outdated and not quite right. For me, the theme is also layered because I am working on my own ideas while working on the blog itself.

I realize now that this blog is like the first quote and these entries are like that first piece of paper, waiting to be developed.

Hmmmmmmmmm, where will this blog go? Where will YOUR project go?

Any ideas? ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/591-how-creative-ideas-shaped-into-something-real.html Full Swing into the School Year http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/589-full-swing-into-school-year.html Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:57:19 GMT Today I'm required to do that which comes most naturally to me...multi-task. My attention is being forced from my Sanctuary Theme room. It's time to begin a new school year!

I opened my imagineer book and found the quote "You don't build it for yourself. You know what the people want and you build it for them."-Walt Disney

Are other people involved with whatever theme project or projects you've chosen? What reaction or outcome would you hope for? Do you know what theme might inspire THEM?

This is a time when I meet a few new students but, mostly, it seems, greet students who I know very well. This is a time when I try to figure out HOW, as an occupational therapist or as a teacher, can I possibly help these kids do better in school?

In my elementary school, my private practice, and my work at the college, I have enough of a challenge getting students to LISTEN . Then, I need them to make the effort for muscle thinking. (The term I use for the "ouch" that you sometimes feel while learning new concepts.) Through all this, I hope that I am someone they enjoy seeing. I hope they walk away with a smile and a good feeling.

Today, as I start off the school year, I'm going to spend some time reflecting on how I might incorporate The Walt Disney Concept of various distinct and well-though-out themes into my work.

Have a fun day!

P.S. Remember to post your comments here, not on my page or in private message so others can share. ]]> Sandra Bostwick http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/blogs/sandra+bostwick/589-full-swing-into-school-year.html