Wednesday, April 22, 2015

April 22, 2014, was one of the best nights of my life.

One year ago today was one of the best nights of my life.  I knew the anniversary was coming, but didn't really remember the day, but this morning my trusty Timehop app reminded me with photos and more -- what day was it?

Our CPS Picnic!

Last year, Community Partners of Dallas -- with HUGE thanks to our CPS Picnic sponsors -- hosted a picnic for all Dallas County CPS employees to attend and to bring their families.  We have a Caseworker Appreciation Program at CPD, so this event was part of that program, but because we celebrated our 25th Anniversary last year, we made this event the biggest and best ever.

Normally, our Caseworker Appreciation large events happen 4 times a year and only staff attend -- not their family members.  A normal year is 3 events (such as lunch or ice cream), plus a holiday gift for all.

Now, believe me, the CPS staff truly appreciate a normal year and we get lots of smiles and thank you notes after handing out cupcakes or a coffee mug tied with a holiday ribbon.  You see, CPS caseworkers are on the front lines EVERY DAY doing God's work -- saving innocent victims of abuse and neglect -- and they receive very little in the way of thanks.  In fact, if you are good at your job, you typically just get more cases assigned to you.

But last year we wanted to really step up the thanks and a picnic at the Dallas Arboretum seemed the perfect way to do it.  Lots of work went into the event and it was a perfect night during Dallas Blooms with hundreds of volunteers all wearing big white T-Shirts with the words "Thank You!!!" emblazoned across the front in red.

NOTE:  The inspiration for the T-Shirt was WHAM's early video -- if you want to get even happier today, click here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIgZ7gMze7A

Anyway, the night was fantastic and we all had a blast, but the thing that made it one of the best nights of my life was that the hard-working Dallas County caseworkers of CPS heard that they were heroes from the most important people in their lives:  their very own children.

Thanks to the great people at Tenet Health (and most especially to my friend Maria) each caseworker received an Olympic-style medal around their neck when they arrived.  We had volunteers lining the pathway to the amphitheater for dinner and live music and the volunteers were cheering as the caseworkers walked down the path.  Yelling Thank You and You're My Hero, etc.

Children -- even teenagers -- turned to their mom and said they were proud of them.

Isn't that what any parent wants to hear?  Thanks for walking down memory lane with me.

Hug a caseworker today if you can.

Tell your mom or dad they're your hero if you can.

I get to do both.  Today's a great day too.


P.S.  Love you, Jen!

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

A Good Morning Is Coming

As you may already know, I love a good quote.

My current favorite source is my box from Oprah (detailed in this post: http://blog.paigemcdaniel.org/2015/04/four-favorite-things-i-love-right-now.html -- fav #3 to be exact) and since it is almost time to write my remarks for next week's Chick Lit Luncheon benefiting Community Partners of Dallas, I'm on the lookout for inspiration 24-7!

But, by far, my absolute favorite, the quote I always come back to, the king of all quotes, is this one by Ralph Waldo Emerson...

Ponder this:  Be grateful for each new day.  A new day that you have never lived before.  Twenty-four new, fresh, unexplored hours to use usefully and profitably.  We can squander, neglect or use it.  Life will be richer or poorer by the way we use today.

Finish each day and be done with it.  You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities crept in; forget them as soon as you can.  Tomorrow is a new day.  You shall begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.

Ain't it the best?  Believe it, people.

Be happy.  Work well.  Have fun.  Forget your mistakes and stupid shit.  Start tomorrow filled with excitement for what your new day will bring.

Each day is a gift from God.  Live it well!


Wednesday, April 8, 2015

5 Tips to Get to Go

I'm living with a lot of balls up in the air right now.

We have lots of new projects beginning (and continuing) at Community Partners of Dallas.  I'm travelling a lot and I'm in meetings, lunches, and dinners so much of the time that I'm finding it difficult to focus.  I pray each morning and evening and thank God for putting me in the right place each day to further His kingdom, but my brain just swirls with unanswered questions, to-do lists, planning, next steps...

So my question is this:

What do you do when you don't know what to do next?

I know what I'm going to do:
  1. Give it to God.
  2. Clean off my desk.
  3. Hit the books and research, research, research.
  4. Seek out advice from experts -- yes, friends, I mean YOU.
  5. Lead my FANTASTIC team at CPD to even greater heights.
I better get on it.  It's go time.

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Four Favorite Things I Love Right Now! Part 21

Time for another Four Faves, people!

If you missed the most recent one, click here http://blog.paigemcdaniel.org/2015_01_01_archive.html

It's hard for me to believe that the last Four Faves post was in January.  Frankly, it is not because I don't have any fav things, I think that the reason is more me trying to appear smarter than I really am.  I think that if you read this blog each week that you know that I write about all kinds of things -- serious things like child abuse and opinion things like advice for job seekers, etc.

I also really like to write about my favorite things, but it seems so, well, commercial.

NOTE:  Please know that I do not receive any remuneration from anything I talk about in my posts, except of course, I am paid to work at Community Partners of Dallas.  I'm so glad that the board thinks I'm worth a salary.  My personal creditors are glad too.

Now, on to the Faves!
  1. I don't usually start with a TV show -- remember the smart persona I'm attempting to portray -- but damn if I don't still love Bravo's Southern Charm.  Cameran and Shep (pictured on the left) are my favorite cast members, but I'd sit in a hot car with any of them -- I really don't like to sit in hot cars.  
  2. This stuff is great -- O'Keeffe's Working Hands cream.  Seems like my hands and cuticles just keep getting drier, so I ordered this from Amazon and I love it.  No fragrance -- Joe likes that -- and it isn't too greasy.
  3. My latest fav thing is something from the queen of fav things -- Oprah.  I ordered this for my sister-in-law Lucy and for myself at Christmas.  It is a wooden box filled with 365 thoughtful quotes.  It was $85:  365 Gathered Truths Box from Cottage Coastal.  I try to post some each week on my Instagram and FaceBook.  This was today's.
  4. I have a new fav cocktail -- a little vodka with Whole Foods Italian Soda in Pomegranate flavor -- delish!

What are your Four Faves?