Check out Picture of the Day Blog :)

need to catch up on Picture of the Day?

Check out my link:
http://helentdiehl.posterous.com/

You’re going to LOVE it……

Helcha

do what you don’t know you can’t

  “Things are only impossible, until they’re not.”                                             -Jean Luc Picard

Summer 2008 we (Me, Michael, neighbors Adam & Debbie) were planning a longish bike ride.
 (Ivyland, Pa to Frenchtown, NJ is approximately 38 miles).
The ride was scheduled for a Sunday & the plan was to attend a Wine/Beer Festival held in downtown Frenchtown.
Someone was going to meet us there to bring us AND our bikes home
so we’d be free to imbibe and not have to bike home.
On the SATURDAY before the scheduled ride, we were literally having a heat wave in Ivyland
BUT Michael & I were at the Beach playing volleyball where it was nice, cool & breezy.
{What heat wave???}  In any case — the next day – the Sunday of beer & wine festival – the forecast was for
the same weather (HOT, VERY)  so Adam & Debbie bailed (on SATURDAY for Sunday ride….)
 b/c “it was too hot”.  BUT – we didn’t “KNOW” it was HOT…
(I’m kind of thinking if we WERE home – we might have been tricked into their same thinking
 - of quitting before we began………)
We were like – well, we’re going anyway…. so we did.
We didn’t know we couldn’t do it (“b/c it was too HOT”……)
But Adam & Debbie knew they couldn’t……
We did the ride & it was my best average speed to date -
 not only did we ride in the “heat wave” but I broke a personal record!
In the end – it was NOT HOT riding – when you are biking at 15mph it creates a breeze – so you’re not hot.
We WERE hot when we got to the festival.
When you stopped moving & it was 90, sunny & humid it WAS HOT.

That was ONE story about doing the impossible/not quitting–
hope it wasn’t too convoluted & you were able to follow it……
I have others…….

Mission Accomplished

GREAT! I SAW A CARDINAL!

Below is a comic strip I sent to my brother Raymond years ago (in 2005).

When I see a comic or an article I think Raymond will like I save it.  Then I give him a big envelope of goodies that will make him (hopefully) laugh (at least SMILE

Raymond is an artist (metal/scuplture) and he loved this comic so much he hung it in his studio.     In April of 2008  his studio  burnt down & he lost EVERYTHING — all his work for the past 20 years, all his current projects, his machinery/tools, his studio — like i said EVERYTHING ….. and to make things worse — he had NO INSURANCE…..
Saying it was DEVASTATING is an understatement.

BUT — the comic “survived” … sort of….. I don’t know HOW it survived.  Metal MELTED  but the comic was only singed & charred yet still “readable” –

WHAT I DID was ~~~~~~

I wrote the comic strip illustrator/writer ( Rick Stromoski) & told him Ray’s story.  Rick sent RAY the ORIGINAL of this strip. (and signed it too).

Ray got the original framed with the “charred” one below it -
I think it is all pretty cool……because……
one -  THIS comic “survived”
two -   When i contacted the creator he graciously offered to sign & send the ORIGINAL to Ray!

I mean — we were total strangers to him – he really DID NOT have to do that…..

That’s the story -
– so EVERY TIME we see a cardinal we say

“I guess it’s a GREAT DAY…. I saw a cardinal!”

THANK YOU Rick Stromoski

http://www.rickstromoski.com/

GREAT! I saw a Cardinal

Picture of the Day for real…….

join me

Picture of the Day for real.

 What I do now is an e-mail format more like Story of the Day – as my former assistant called it.

PotD is a way to keep in touch with friends

- you can read more about it here

http://whatwouldhelendo.wordpress.com/category/picture-of-the-day/

at my blog post on that specific subject.

Do YOU want to receive the “original” Picture of the Day?

if so, e-mail me……… helcha8@aol.com

 In an attempt to write more & reach more via a website (e-mail, at this juncture, limits who i contact)   I’m going to select ONE of my Pictures from PotD and expand on it.  I’d like to act like I will do that EVERY DAY but I’m not that committed (yet).   Like I’ve been committed with PotD – I’ve written PotD for close to 4 years now.

Never missed a day.   I impress myself.

Self-discipline is #5 of the 17 Success Principles.  Betchyoure wondering what the others are………

 What this is going to accomplish I guess we’ll discover together.

 I ALWAYS like an adventure…….how about YOU???

Life is about the choices one makes!

Thank You Note

LOOK!  Annika sent me a NOTE.

Teach them young & they will learn!

Thank You

What a simple NOTE can do……

A friend of mine wrote a BLOG about Simple Ways to Network Offline.
http://www.philgerbyshak.com/simple-offline-networking-tips/

One of Phil’s suggestions was “Send out notes and postcards.”

send out notes

If you know me (and you probably DO if you are reading THIS) – you
KNOW I am QUEEN of sending notes/cards artfully adorned with a
plethora of stickers. My MAILMAN loves delivering my mail & people
LOVE receiving my mail (maybe just for the ENVELOPE EXPERIENCE?).
Does it make them feel like a little kid getting something special in the mail?

a present from HELEN!

FAST FORWARD backwards (does that even make sense???)
Last year I was “working” a wine event.
(I use quotes b/c how can something FUN be called WORK?)
Afterwards I sent a little note to the owner where the event was held saying how I enjoyed
working at the venue & how I wish I had the chance to meet up with him.
Side note — we had attended Grade School together – & haven’t spoken in 30 years.

Last night I worked the same venue &  this time I saw Jack
(the guy from First Grade & owner of the venue & catering company).
The VERY FIRST THING he said to me was HELEN!!! 
You sent me a really nice note last year after working this event. 
THAT was what HE remembered – the note. WOW.
Of course I was SO EXCITED. (doesn’t take much for me….)

Notes are omnipotent.

Later in the evening he introducd me to the banquet manager & said -
Adam  - I want to bring in Helen’s wines (to our catering company/events).
Woo-hoo.  It’s a win win. Our wines are great – they will LOVE them
& Helen gets a commission (because she wrote a NOTE!)……..

WRITE A NOTE TODAY.

Here is Help!

25 Random Things

1. I LOVE participating in sports – particularly volleyball, biking, skiing & walleyball.
I hate running & would rather bike 30 miles than run 3 miles. I also practice Yoga & Pilates.
2. Despite staying active I still stay FAT.
3. I like to cook ( but never have enough time to cook) & I like to go out to dinner
(maybe these are related to #2).
4. I was a vegetarian for 15 years ( from 25 – 40yrs….. i missed eating meat, particularly BACON!).
5. I have a wine cellar & enjoy drinking FINE WINES (NO yellow tail!).
6. I ALWAYS dated older men. Michael was 50 when we got married
(this was his first (& ONLY) marriage!).
7. I am an ETERNAL OP2MIST
8. The #8 is my favorite number. #8 corresponds to Pleasing Personality
in the 17 Success Principles.
I have the 17 success principles memorized!
9. I like ANYTHING to do with Animals.
10. I worked as a Surgery Technician at Texas A & M Veterinary College as I was considering attending veterinarian school.
11. I LOVE my dogs Weasel & Chester. I like my cat Picassa despite that fact she is a BITCH CAT.
12. I regularly feed wildbirds & I enjoy watching them.
13.I’m fortunate to have a GOOD KID – Danny Diehl
It’s great being a “young mother” so we could play sports together.
14. I started college at LaSalle University in September 1979 & finished in MAY 2000. My degree is in FINANCE. It took me four decades ( 70′s, 80′s, 90′s & 2000) to complete all my coursework – but I did it! I was committed.
15. I climbed Kilimanjaro & SUCCESSFULLY SUMMITTED. (Climbing Kilimanjaro was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my LIFE.)
16. I am planning another trip to CLIMB KILIMANJARO even though it scares me.
17.I have been to TONGA, JAPAN, AFRICA & IRELAND — all by “accident”.
18. I RELIGIOUSLY write a Picture of the Day e-mail which is sent daily to 99 people.
19. I always wear a name tag. (since OCT 2007).
20. I love driving my 2 seater CANARY YELLOW ( yellow is my FAVORITE COLOR) convertible with the top down
on a chilly day with the heater cranked up!
21. I love reading books, magazines, papers & never have enough time to read all I want to read. I will read ANYTHING – I am not devoted to one genre of books.
22. Bryan Ferry (of Roxy Music) is my favorite singer. I tend to like ALTERNATIVE music but pretty much like all kinds of music.
23. I am NOT proficient at adding CD’s to my i-pod.
24. I didn’t know I needed an i-phone until Michael gave me one.
25. Even though I am 47 years old I feel like I am about 12 (sometimes younger).