Ringing Out 2010… Boogie On My Friends… (Music LeBetsy)

Sometimes The Business of Life is All About the Boogie…

We’ve survived Holiday 2010.

Congrats all around. (High-Fives it.)

Looks like LeBetsy will be off  shortly to California to visit my family. As you may know, LeDad is battling Stage IV cancer, he had surgery 2 weeks ago and last Sunday had emergency brain surgery to excise 2 tumors. He’s in the best of care, Mom’s on the case, but circumstances necessitate the visit.

And for that reason it kinda bittersweet.

As Dickens’ stated, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

So it’s not all gloom, little ones. Because at these times we need to clutch onto the bits of joy that drift by. So as we close out 2010, a fave, DJ Earworm (seriously, check him out on YouTube, he’s wickedly talented) offers us the perfect boogie break.  Happiness sometimes is a few stolen moments of groove-shaking, so shake your money-makers to his mash-up “United States of Pop 2010.”

Enjoy my friends. See you on the other side.

Merry Christmas to All. (and To All A Good Holiday)

The Business of Life is taking the a week off to get ready for Christmas.

It happens.

The wrapping.

The planning.

The cooking.

The cleaning.

So not that I don’t want to be here with you, working on the The Business of LIfe, but the business of life is working on TheBetsy. And I’ve decided to come back post-Xmas.

I hope and wish you all the very merriest of Holidays, whether they’ve past or in the future. Enjoy.

Good will toward all men.

I leave you a classic, Peanuts Christmas.

Loving Janelle Monáe (Music LeBetsy)

Thanks to The Guardian UK for the picture.

The Business of Life loves, loves, LOVES being turned onto new music.

Thanks to Campbell Seaton for turning me on to the tiny powerhouse known as Janelle Monáe. The Guardian put her at the top as their #1 album of the year. Bow-tied and gorgeous,  she’s genre defying in the vein of Outcast, Prince and David Bowie. That is to say, Ms. Monáe is super funky, fabulous and totally fearless.

And she’s totally right up my alley.

So enjoy.

Take a break and dance away.

In your cubicle,

your kitchen,

the U-bahn — tell them I said it was Ok.

Really.

Janelle Monáe’s “Tightrope”.  OMG… it’s like James Brown came back. But like younger, much hotter and more fabulous, if that’s possible. With rap.

Or try on  ”Dance or Die”.  (Dare you to try and count how many musical styles are in this one song…)

Just Nifty.

The Business of Life adores clever.

Adores it!

So I had to share what my classmate Julie posted on FB … something her team put together and it’s simply charmingly clever.

And J’adore il!

It’s fun take on the usual “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” and it’s for Torani Bacon Syrup.

Yep, Bacon Syrup.

Who knew?

Thanks for sharing Julie!

Kick Ass Dad, Get Well Soon.

Sometimes The Business of Life is… worrying about your sick Dad.

Today my father goes under the knife.

Stage IV Skin cancer, he’s been waging a valiant battle against this horrible disease for over 2 years.  Chemo, radiation. Surgeries and hearing loss. Neuropathy and an early retirement. His bravery (and my Mom’s) is inspiring.  Together, they are love and hope and strength.  For each other and for their youngest daughter, who wishes them nothing but peace and lightness from the endless rounds of doctor’s apts., treatments, tests and waiting.

God bless my Dad and Mom.  God be with him and protect him during his surgery.

I love them both.

Here Comes The Sun… (Music LeBetsy)

Sometimes The Business of Life is… to groove.

Love this remix of Nina Simone’s “Here Comes The Sun.”  Super gorgeous.  Super happy.

Downloaded it to my iPhone and, as soon as I can figure how to get the sucker up on my smaht (that’s Bostonian for “smart”) hubby-designed NAS I will be able to play in the house.

On 11.

Enjoy.

Super MEGA-Attic clean out. (Cleaning Song included)

Actual picture of me. Cleaning attic. (Ok, not really.) Thanks manhattanministorage.com for the photo!

The Business of LIfe is brought to you today by… the crap I’ve accumulated.

And not the metaphysical kind.

If you’re reading this, I’ve Repunzelled myself in my attic…  probably sneezing up a store, clearing out 7 years of crap.

Why?  The clutter is overtaking my life.  What can’t fit in the attic, is in the 5th bedroom.  What can’t go in the 5th bedroom is in the exercise room (really, I have one — which means the previous owners took a very tiny room and threw up a mirror on one wall.)  What can’t fit in the exercise room is in the living room.  What can’t fit in the living room in taking over the dining room, which is my de facto office. Which the kids have asked, very sweetly, if we could actually eat dinner in the dining room.

How did LeBetsy get to this point?  Very simply, inertia and kids.  I arrived at my present abode 7+ months preggers with the twins, having moved 3 times in previous 3 years (one cross-country,) and I was done. Done with unpacking. Done with boxes. Fearful of moving yet again. The hubby and I got the basics done and left the rest in boxes in the living room and in our attic.  Now a funny thing happens with kids… they grow up.  They don’t need the prams (remember I had two!), the exersaucers, mobiles, baby linen, clothes, so on top of the “out-of-date, doesn’t-work” clutter you’ve got the kids crap to add.  And don’t EVEN get me started on the holiday decorations.

So your normally type A, super anal Le Betsy is now one step (ok, maybe 8 steps) removed from be on the show Hoarders.

So today, I’m taking it back. Take back my attic, my exercise room (just in time for New Year’s resolutions, oh goodie!), my dining room, the living room.  My attic will be ” nice, neat and super anally or it’s death” organized (hear that honey?)

Game on.

And when you think of me, Repunzelled up in the attic, I’ll be channelling, minus the rats and cockroaches, this:

Total Slacker.

Thanks Wacky Packages for the image!

The Business of Life includes looking for motivation…

Is it me or are the Christmas Holidays already stressing us out?

I look at my calendar and see days black with meetings, apts, activities.  So much to do, I’m really worried I won’t slow down to enjoy the holiday. It’s one big check off list.

As a result I’ve done nothing. Well not nothing, but the bare minimum. Yard not cleaned up. Bulbs not planted. It’s December 3rd and my house has not one Christmas decoration up.

Do I have the Christmas blues?

I wonder.

The New LeBetsy To-Do: 15 mins of reading.

This could be me. (But it's not, it's artist Zak Smith, picture courtesy of martinamisweb.com)

Sometimes of The Business of Life is… go back to the basics. Clothes. Food. Music. Education, even.

Every night the twins have to read, at least, 15 mins. Whatever they want. Silently. Focused.

Perfect, right?

I love to read.  I mean LOVE LOVE LOVE to read.  I read everything (sort of make sense that I worship all things media– I soak it in.)

But rarely do I read, unless you count sneaking in as much Star Magazine as the 17 y.o. checkout girl will give me before it’s my turn at the register…

Well no more my friends.  I am giving myself homework.

15 mins of reading. Homework or LEGO instrutions don’t count.  Emails about hockey, Boy Scouts, Brownies or the latest sale from JCrew don’t either.

I’m bring back reading for pleasure.

Join me.