Oprah recently posted these 12 Rules for Senseless Joy. I thought I'd share them with you. Easy, Fun, and makes you smile. 

1. After all clumsy, embarrassing moments, you must curtsy.

2. Call up your best friend once a month—and play her favorite song, anonymously without one word—making sure that you hear her rustle, sit-dancing in her office chair.

3. Close your eyes when you drink orange juice. It makes it taste better.

4. Make up a lovable name for your least favorite body part. Like Irene. Nobody hates a thigh named Irene.

5. While you're driving behind a school bus with kids at the windows waving to everyone in cars, you must wave back—and honk three times. 

6. When in doubt, add extra garlic, extra butter or extra bubble bath.

Read more: http://www.oprah.com/oprahs-lifeclass/Rules-for-Everyday-Senseless-Joy-Leigh-Newman#ixzz1vheNrjzY

• Ending the Old
• Neutral Zone
• New Beginnings 

This month our entire family has gone through a major change by selling our home of 15 years. The home Zoe-Pascale was born and raised in (except when we were in France) and the home that gave us great joy. Our decision, like all changes, was mixed, but overall felt like it was the right thing to do so that we could make some shifts in our life we were looking to do. To help Zoe (and all of us) go through this transition we are moving through the process. A process that you don't have a choice to do or not, but how you do it, is the key. 

CONTINUE TO READ THE COMING OF AGE CHALLENGE #6 CHANGE AND TRANSITION

Interacting with an African Elephant

Most elephants in Africa are truly wild. Get between them and their baby or water and watch out -- a few people have been trampled. However there are a few new enterpreneurs who have figured out how to train elephants and have them help society by uncovering landmines in Angola and Mozambique and finding lost hikers. Between their sense of smell and memory they never forget!

Zoe got the opportunity to interact with a variety of African elephants such as sitting on their knee, touching their tongue, their hair, lifting up their heavy foot and taking a game trek on the elephant. 

Challenge: Big animal, small person 

Playing with a baby White lion and tiger

This baby white lion is about 3 months old and is an endangered species. In fact, white lions cannot survive by themselves in the wild  and therefore return to other game parks or sanctuaries. Just like a cute puppy until she scratches!

 TO READ THE REST OF THE AFRICAN ADVENTURE CHALLENGE 

CLICK HERE

Walking through the Game Park with giraffee, wildebeast, impala, warthogs and more is an awesome experience. Watching the wildebeast run across the golf course (no I was not playing) and seeing elephants follow our land rover as we roamed through another park you get a peak at the grandness of both the land of South Africa and the wild animals we are protecting. 

From the game parks to an elephant interacton in which we rode and got to know the elephants to nightly braies around the BBQ we understood once again what draws people to this vast open country with game parks the size of England (Kruger) and the beauty of seeing the world at its most natural. 

Check out the album on facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2958683646891.2121362.1255524597&type=3

In thinking about this, we realized it is a process that will take time, a long time as kids mature and recognize what money really does and what it means to each of us personally. 

A couple of activities we are engaging in for this challenge:

READ the rest of the challenge 

In terms of letting go, our daughter said it all,

 "I'm sad, but a house is not the memories, the memories is what we hold in our heart. I'm ready for something different as long as it has pillars."  (mmmmm....)

The good news is we get to continue to shed the clutter, detach from things that are materially and psychially burdens, and look forward to new beginnings. This is truly a time of closing one door opens many more. 

Feeling unrushed, I agreed and trotted off a 10 minute drive to the bagel store and Starbucks. 

A young man in scrubs had just ordered and I said to the man at the counter, "Can I order two sandwhiches for my husband and daughter and I'll be right back."  Smiling I walked next door to order the Latte. 

A few minutes later I walked into the Bagel store with money in hand ready to pay for their healthy breakfast. 

The man at the counter said, "The gentleman before you paid for your egg bagel sandwiches." 

"What?  I don't know who he is? Are you sure?"

"Yes, he paid." The conversation continued and I expressed my gratitude and told the man if he saw him again to say thankyou and that I didn't know what to say.  An amazing gift, surprise, and delight. 

I walked out with two hot egg sandwhich bagels (with bacon) and was overwhelmed with how this gesture made me feel so special. I vowed that later today, I would make someone elses day and give the gift of delight to another unsuspecting soul. 

Surprise someone today and give them a gift of total amazement. Yes, we give to friends, family and charities, but do we without asking ever give to strangers just because? Wow, what a feeling.

 It made me realize how little we do for strangers and how amazing it feels to the giver and receiver. 

And

I learned once again, "One person's junk is someone else's Treasure." 

So here's the skinny on having a successful sale. 

1. Start cleaning out closets and furniture a month ahead. Store it in the garage and keep adding to it. Every kitchen cupboard has at least two things that can be sold, clothes closets are treasures full of old shoes (did I say I have had shoes for over 20 years I sold and haven't worn of 10), small pieces of furniture that you forget to even look at, books, toys, blankets, and what you would normally say is junk. 

2. Put an ad in your local and city newspaper for Friday and Saturday. Give the time 9-3 (otherwise they will come at the crack of dawn) and address.  Put an listing on Craigs List under Garage Sale and let your firends and neighbors know.

List big items separately on Craigs List and tell them to come to the Garage Sale to pick up (have them email you to save them)

3. Prepare 3-4 signs and hire a teenager to help post them that morning or someone from your family. Make sure you put the day on the sign as they may not be taken down for a couple of days (in case you forget).

4. Buy little stickers and label each big item so you don't forget

5. Go the bank and get at least $30 full of one dollar bills and $5 worth of quarters.

6. Wear a small purse around your waist or your shoulder for all the money

7. Bring out big tables or borrow some as things on tables are easier to look at

8. Serve (or sell) cookies. Having kids sell the cookies tends to make them go faster

9. Don't be greedy, if you get a decent counter offer, take it. 

10 Put the better items on Craigs List if you have anything left over. Bag the rest to donate or call junk.com to pick up

11. Treat yourself to a massage or pedicure for a job well done

The feeling of decluttering and streamlining is almost as good as the money made!

PS. Get your entire neighborhood to join in and do it together!

We all have dreams, but the question is are we dreaming now or waiting...... and waiting.... and waiting.....   Take a minute to see where your dreams are stopping.  Remember there is no perfect time and no perfect way, but just movement forward.

• Face your fears (this one is 40% of it)

In facing your fears, one big question to ask yourself is: “What will happen if I don’t face my fear and go through it?” If the answer depresses you- it is time to face it, if you shrug and say, “no big deal” than let it be, it must not be getting in the way of living the life you want.

• Get lost (put yourself in a new  environment)

Getting lost is one way to wake yourself up. Where are you? How did you get here? How do you find your way home? Or Maybe you found a new home.

• Test your limits

Go just a little bit further, faster, higher, and beyond what is normal. Can you run a bit further, stay in the yoga position a minute more, listen to your loved one without interrupting just a little bit longer, put more color on canvas, cook a more complicated recipe. Practice testing your limits and you will be prepared for anything

• Take a leap of faith

Whoooo. This one is hard. How do we trust that it will all work out. In today’s tumultuous world, this leap of faith is hard but necessary. If not, being stuck becomes the new normal.

• Rediscover your childhood

Play, laugh, love, giggle, play, laugh, love, giggle.

• Shed your inhibitions/express yourself

Start by dancing by yourself in your living room, walking nude through the house, or sing your heart out in the shower. Move from the private to the more public and join others in dancing, singing, sharing, and if you are up to it, go visit a nude beach.

• Break new ground

Start something fresh and new for yourself (and others if you like). Literally, plant a garden, organize a block party, go on a trip somewhere you’ve never been. It’s all about the novelty, the feeling of being a novice, and the love of the adventure. 

• Aim for (from) the heart

Love, hug, cuddle, be generous of your smiles and compliments, and be kind to yourself and others. 

Note: This recipe does take about 2 hours cooking time to make so give yourself time for it to bubble up.

I've simplified it for you in terms of the essence. 

1. Melt Butter (I used olive oil for health) in saucepan over medium heat and add 2 1/2 lbs of onioins sliced and 2-3 garlic cloves, crushed. Turn the heat to low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes until soft. 
2. Take the lid off and add 1 tbls sugar and cook for another 20 minutes until golden brown and floppy. (They say this is the key to a successful onion soup. 
3. Pour in 2tbls of Cognac (I had to buy just for this recipe) and 1 1/2 cups of cider and allow to bubble
4. Add 5 or more cups of beef stock and bouquet garni of parsley, thyme, and bay) and stir to blend. 
5. Simmer for 45 minutes, then season to taste. (remove the garni bouquet)

Meanwhile, 

1. Make garlic toasts, by mixing olive oil and garlic and season well. Cut baguette in thin slices, place on baking sheet and brush with the garlic oil. Bake for 25 min until crisp

Putting it together:

Divide the soup between 4 -6 ovenproof bowls and place on baking sheet. Float 2-3 garlic toasts on tope and scatter Gruyere over the toasts

Broil until the cheese is bubbling and golden. 

Serve hot and be careful of the hot bowls!!!

Ingredients:

• butter or olive oil (3 tbls)
• 2 1/2 lbs onions
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed 
• 1 tbls sugar
• 2 tbls Cognac or Brandy
• 1 1/2 cups hard apple cider
• 5-6 cups of beef stock
• 1 bouquet of garnish (parsley, thyme, bay)
• salt and fresh pepper

Toasts:

• Baguette
• olive oil
• garlic
• Gruyere cheese