Question of the Day #1,130

This morning, I got out of bed an hour and 45 minutes before I am supposed to leave the house. Here I am, 17 minutes until lift-off and I haven't eaten yet and I'm frantically posting a question.

It could be that I usually attend meetings at the kitchen table in jammies, but that's ridiculous.

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,129

I have a doctor's appointment today. It just so happens that my friend needs a ride to a doctor's appointment. So the plan is to pick him up, go to my appointment and then go to his appointment.

Then maybe we'll hit the Early Bird Special.

Seriously, what's aging you?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,128

Well, that was fast.

And by that, I mean Summer. And Fall. And while this Thanksgiving was one of the best ever, it flew by. And now, Christmas is coming up faster than a Monday morning.

And before we know it, it will be Summer again.

When I was a kid, it felt like it took centuries to become a "big kid." And it didn't stop there. High school was the longest four years of my life. And I really liked high school.

But now, as an adult, I just want to grab time and wrestle it down. Make it stop for a bit. Just slooow down.

What do you wish you had a little more control over?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,127

What's for breakfast?

(Yes, I know it's 1:49 PM.)

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,126

Here's a ridiculous question for you:

Would you rather have no hands and feet or have everything you touch turn to Skittles?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,125

Yesterday was one of my best days ever. Sure, the turkey cooked at supersonic speed and was ready two hours early. And I freaked a little when I thought the gravy was going to be a floury disgusting mess. And how was I supposed to know that the electric mixer was in the "on" position when I plugged it in?

And all that smoke? That was just mac and cheese drippings burning on the bottom of the oven. It wasn't the actual macaroni and cheese.

It was funny. Really, really funny.

And fun. And yummy. And warm. And cozy. And grateful. And fun.

Oh, how I love Thanksgiving.

How was yours?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,124

I gather pens and paper
So we can document what we’re thankful for
Exhuming a 17 year old tradition
Started well before I truly knew what it meant to be thankful
before life smashed open
and showed me what was really inside
This morning, I know that gratitude is what I’m most thankful for
The wisdom to stop and thank God
and the universe
often
for everything and everyone that makes it, and me,
Grow
Like
JC, whose kindness is unmatched
My mother
Who teaches me every day
That nothing is out of my reach
Her husband, the best dad I know
H
“Intense conversations,” big ideas and insane giggles
My speedy crawler and her big sister
The Mansfielders
because one can show up after two years and make it feel like we never left the backyard
Late night ice cream
Crashing waves
Propane
Work
Guitars
My voice
The return of confidence
And do-overs
Because everybody loves a good comeback

What are you thankful for today?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,123

1. Make and deliver two veggie lasagnes to client. Done.
2. Make cranberry sauce for Beach House Thanksgiving. Done.
3. Make Butternut Squash Soup for Beach House Thanksgiving. Done.
4. Make and deliver two mac and cheeses to client. Not done.
5. Make and deliver one string bean casserole to client. Not done.
6. Bid on storyboarding project for business client. Done.
7. Write a QOTD. Almost done.
8. Cook and cook and keep on cooking until it's time to eat tomorrow afternoon...

What does your holiday to-do list look like?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,122

The fridge is packed. I couldn't stick a soda can in there if I tried. The counters are covered with baking pans, onions, potatoes, butternut squash and everything else that doesn't require cooling.

I feel like an elf in Santa's Workshop. I'm making my list, checking it twice. In a few minutes, I'm heading out to the fourth grocery store in two days.

From this morning until Thursday at 4:00PM, I'll be cooking. And I'll be loving it.

I love Thanksgiving. It's my favorite holiday. As you know, bringing people together, especially over food, brings me joy. So to bring people together and feast while focusing on what we're thankful for is like the Superbowl of gatherings for me.

What is your favorite holiday? Why?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,121

The other day, we discussed how we would romance ourselves if we were dating ourselves.

Let's back up a step. If you were to approach yourself, how would you "pick up" on you?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,120

This question should be easy for Los Angeles residents. What do you do to occupy yourself in traffic?

I sing or I pray. Depending on my mood.

What about you?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,119

This genius question is brought to you by the letter H.

What, besides money, would you take as acceptable payment for something?

For example, I would accept payment in Whole Foods gift cards, since I spend most of my money on food anyway.

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,118

If you were dating yourself, where would you take you? What would you talk about? How would you romance you?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,117

My friend T posted this picture on Facebook with the caption, "So a pig walks into a casino..."

How would you finish that?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,116

On 11/11/11, I wrote question #1,111. I just realized that everyday since then, the question numbers have correlated with the date. For example, today is 11/16 and the question is #1,116. (Quick, aren't I?)

That's some serious synchronization for somebody who feels pretty unbalanced lately, trying to juggle multiple projects, cooking, and a semblance of a personal life.

What about you? What part of your life is actually lining up?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,115

What do you feel like you can never catch up on?

This question popped in my head when I spotted the clothes mountain in my laundry basket. Didn't I just do lundry on Friday? How can there be more?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,114

My computer is driving me crazy. last week, it suddenly decided it hates PowerPoint. Which is a problem because I'm working on a very big PowerPoint. It keeps "not responding" and shutting down. I checked for viruses. It's virus free. It just hates PowerPoint.

Great.

The truth is, it's old. It's tired. It's slow. It's cranky. I think I have to suck it up and get a new one.

What do you need to trade in for a new model?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,113

My mother called me yesterday, totally perplexed. She didn't understand yesterday's question, "What would you do if you weren't afraid?"

I laughed.

"I knew you wouldn't get it," I said.

And, the thing is, she really didn't get it. I had to give my mother three hypothetical answers before she said, "Ohhhh."

My mother is fearless. And I am the luckiest girl in the world to have had her as my first and greatest teacher.

Who do you know who is fearless?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,112

What would you do if you weren't afraid?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,111

Today is 11/11/11. Notice what question we're on?

1,111.

Coincidence?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,110

I just got a renewal notice for a subscription to a cooking magazine my mom bought me. It's the only magazine I subscribe to. Which made me think about how years ago, seeing an issue of Seventeen in the mailbox was thrilling. And in my 20's, receiving that fresh copy of Jane was a treat to savor.

But now, I wonder if people subscribe to magazines that much anymore. Do you?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,109

Is Justin Bieber the father of an infant? What happened to Kim Kardashian's marriage? Lindsay Lohan goes to jail for 10 minutes - again.

Who cares? Can somebody tell me why this "news" is so pervasive that even I, who, unless we're talking about an icon like Julie Andrews, could care less about celebrity, have heard these stupid stories?

Seriously, can you help me make some sense out of this?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,108

This question was pulled from Dawn's awesome interview with Jessica Bell.

If I opened your refrigerator right now, what key ingredients would I find?

In mine, on any random day, you'd find:

Milk
Butter
Eggs
Mushrooms
Onions
Mixed Greens
Carrots
Beer
Cheese
Heavy Cream

What staples would I find if I peeked in your fridge?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,107

Yesterday, I met a girl who had broken both her legs in a skiing accident. She had spent five months in a wheelchair and now, a year later, was fully recuperated.

"I know this is a little deep, but how did the experience change you?" I asked.

"Well, first, I went through a deep depression. I felt sorry for myself. Kept asking, 'why me'? But now, I'm just so thankful that I can walk. I can even wear heels!" She smiled and waggled a boot at me.

I laughed.

She looked away and got quiet for a moment. Then she looked back at me.

"I realized that it's really important to be grateful. The whole experience made me a better person. And as awful as it was, I'm really glad it happened."

What tough experience has made you a better person?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,106

My father grows fruit trees. Right now the figs are booming. So this weekend, I ate figs for breakfast, lunch, snacks, dessert and even dinner last night.

My fruit of the day is definitely figs.

What's yours?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,105

When I was about 30, a lot of my friends were getting married and getting pregnant. I went through a weird loathing period full of thoughts like, "What's wrong with me?" "Why doesn't anyone want to marry me?"

I should have concentrated on being awesome. Like I do now.

What period of your life do you wish you'd handled better?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,104

"I stopped in at a dance studio to see what they were offering," S said. "And as soon as I hit the door,the boom boom, thump thump took me over. They had a live DJ bumping tunes!"

"The crazy thing is," she looked at the floor. "I didn't know how bad I'd been feeling until I felt that music. The energy was unbelievable. It made me feel like a firework."

"It was amazing." She smiled.

"Joy rising," I said.

She looked at me like I was kookoo.

"Have you seen Oprah's Life Class? Every Friday, she focuses on Joy Rising. The idea is that when real joy comes out, it's palpable. The feeling is euphoria," I said.

"Exactly," she said.

"This could be good for a question." I dug in my purse for a pen and wrote, "Joy rising."

"What elates you?" H added.

"Right!"

I've always been elated by bringing people together. Parties, Sunday night dinners, BBQ's. Any time I can bring people, their ideas and dreams together I feel joy.

But the one time I felt absolute joy rising was on my mother and my stepfather's 20th anniversary. My brother his wife, my stepbrother, his wife and daughter and my stepsister and I planned a surprise weekend for our parents.

We traveled from LA, NJ, Ottawa, and Boston up to Vermont. We met in the tiny village they live in and then began our caravan up the mountain. My sister and I blasted The Scissor Sisters in the car, singing louder and louder as we elevated up the mountain, watching our siblings cars following in the rear view the whole way.

We wailed on car horns, trailing down the driveway. Lights popped on in the house and our parents crept on the porch, not believing what they were seeing.

"We thought we'd stop by to say 'Happy Anniversary,'" I said as I hugged my teary, shaky mom.

We laughed a lot that weekend. We healed a lot that weekend. And we cried a lot that weekend. Tears of joy rising.

When have you felt joy rising?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,103

When you were a kid did you ever sell something for a cause? Like Girls Scout Cookies? Or I remember kids selling peanut brittle for Little League. Or was that Pop Warner?

Anyway, what have you sold for a cause?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,102

If you had to be famous, what would you like to be famous for?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #1,101

Last night, I worked the craziest Halloween party. Hundreds of people toured the Haunted House where invisible hands grabbed at visitors, zombies lurched with chainsaws and psychodelic lighting and music played tricks on minds.

Celebrities and California Royalty roamed the backyard, eyed the shipwreck for pirates and skirted around the skeletons in the front yard car crash.

Police shut down the streets. Secret service surveyed the scene and I ran around for hours.

As a result, every muscle in my body aches. I'm moving like an elderly woman.

When was the last time you worked so hard your whole body hurt?

xoxo,
Suzanne