The Butcher Block Exchange

Two Different Questions, One Surprising Answer.

2012-03-07T13:49:00.000-06:00

Do you know the Number One reason a person stays with their job? Do you know the Number One reason a person leaves their job? (Here's a hint: Both questions have the same answer!)

Cue the drum roll, please. The answer? Their boss.

I shared that fun fact at a recent speaking engagement and a visiting psychologist later stopped me to chat. She asked me this: “Do you know the Number One reason a person stays in their marriage? And do you know the Number One reason people leave their marriage? The answer to both questions is their spouse."

Turns out things are no different at work or at home. Positive relationships with people you spend time with is crucial to your commitment to them. But it's not just that person's presence that instills this dedication: It's how they make you feel when you are with them.

I recall a story from noted business author and speaker Tom Peters called "The Million Dollar Mistake" that dramatizes this very point. Mike worked at a bank and was given 18 months and one million dollars to develop a very important company project. However, at the end of that schedule, the project failed to successfully deliver the anticipated results.

Mike was called in to a meeting with his boss, and felt certain he was to be terminated.

“I'm sure you intend to fire me,” Mike reluctantly said to his boss. “You gave me a huge assignment that cost the bank a lot of money and I basically blew it. I’ll go pack my things.”

As Mike turned his back and began to retreat from the office, his boss’s words stopped him.

“Are you kidding me?” the boss said. The boss stood up, hands firmly placed on his desk.

“I just spent a million dollars on your education, " he said. "I’m not going to fire you. I’m going to promote you. I don’t want you taking elsewhere the knowledge and experience you've gained working on this project. I believe in you Mike. Now, get back to work. You have lots to do.”

Can you imagine what shifted in Mike’s mindset after hearing those words from his boss? Just when he thought he had made the biggest mistake of his life, he is given a promotion! Even though the million dollars was not successfully utilized, his boss saw it from a completely different perspective. Despite what the employee perceived to be his colossal failure, his boss saw otherwise. To him, it was money well spent.

Because of his boss, Mike would now focus on giving his best to his employer. No doubt that million dollars would be returned exponentially in countless ways in the years ahead.

More importantly, Mike would most likely change his perspective on treating those under his responsibility, choosing to see the positive side of negative situations in all of his subsequent business encounters. For Mike, this was a genuine lesson in not only bringing out the best in another, but in how to be a great boss. Mike had learned how to confidently turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones.

When you bring out the best in others, their natural inclination is to do their best for you. They want to learn from you, be with you and buy from you. It works, time and time again.

Let me hear your stories. And please remember to connect with me on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and of course my website. Thanks for reading!

Bringing Out the Best

2012-02-16T15:14:00.002-06:00

My dad was fond of reminding each of his ten children that the world didn't really revolve around us. He'd sit back, smile, and so lovingly say, "When you’re all wrapped up in yourself, you make a damn small package."

As I grew older I began to understand what he meant, especially at work. He was trying to tell us that we are not at our best when we are self-consumed, self-involved, or feeling self-important. But it wasn't until I was finding my own leadership sea legs as a staffing industry manager that I began to understand his message and put it in to practice because of some great coaching I got on the job.

Gary was one of my peers back in 1986 and I greatly admired him. Leadership seemed to come so naturally to him and I was eager to learn from his vantage point. Gratefully, he mentored me. I was an up and coming company darling at the time and I enjoyed it when all eyes were on me and my accomplishments. I was frequently taking center stage, winning company awards, and being recognized. And did I enjoy the spotlight! When I was bumped up the corporate ladder to take a multi unit management position in another state, Gary carefully guided me with his wise counsel.

"As you take on this new position you need to realize that it's not about your spotlight any longer," he said. "Your future success will be evident when those people you now manage win the company awards, take center stage and are recognized. It is no longer all about you."

Huh? It's not all about me? That was hard to hear and even harder to live by… still is at times if I am honest with myself.

But eventually I got it… Gary's advice mirrored my own father's advice, given to me in a new and understandable context two decades later.

That life lesson is this:

The key to success in life, love, friendship, parenting and business? It is NOT ABOUT you BEING THE BEST; it is about you BRINGING OUT THE BEST in others.

Have you had a similar experience where you've learned this lesson? Where you were made better because you brought out the best in someone else? Where it was not about you and as hard as that was to realize that realization actually made you better. If so, I'd love to hear your story. Drop me a note at Mary@maryblucas.com.

Til next time, thanks for reading.

WISDOM THAT WORKS: A HAPPY YOU COMES FROM YOU!

2012-01-30T21:39:00.000-06:00

Have you ever noticed how so many people seem to pursue happiness? They work tirelessly to achieve something that seems just barely beyond their grasp, thinking to themselves, "If only I can reach this goal or make this amount of money or lose ten pounds......I will have happiness."

As they task and toil, working themselves past fatigue, people often rationalize that their efforts are the necessary requirements to finally reach the state of happiness. Silly people.

I don’t know about you, but I have yet to see a road sign that points me directly to Happiness. I've never seen it on a map, nor do I expect to input any certain coordinates into my GPS and hope that the wonders of technology will lead me to this desired destination. (But I've come close: Go to Maui and turn left!)

My question remains, then: How do you find the road leading to happiness? I regret to inform you that there is no road, no path. You just can’t take off to find a place when you are already there.

Yes, you are already there. Open up your eyes and wake up your heart. Happiness has always been inside of you. You won’t find it outwardly. You can only look inwardly. It’s been there all along. Perhaps it has been dormant for some time, crowded out by life's complexities and stressors. But it’s there, just begging to get back to work for you and create a more meaningful, productive, abundant life.

Happiness is not a place just beyond the next horizon, or somewhere over the rainbow. It doesn't exist in the future, it exists now. It is a state of internal being, and one that you can tap into 24/7. Once you understand that you can exist in the ambiance of such a positive and uplifting feeling, happiness becomes your essence. YOU are happiness. Look in the mirror. I guarantee that when you listen to your heart and open up your mind, you will realize that happiness has been staring back at you all along.

Your responsibility, however, is to recognize it, live it and share it with others. Here's to finding yours!

A New Year - A New Chapter

2012-01-16T13:21:00.000-06:00

Wisdom that Works

Typically when a writer begins to take pen to paper, or, in this case, fingers to keyboard, inspiration is not only delivered to a potential audience, but it is delivered unto ourselves, from a deeper place within that we knew existed, but into which we rarely tapped.

Inspiration is also drawn from those with whom we have shared our story, and it is those connections I have made in my journey since publishing “Lunchmeat & Life Lessons,” that have become the catalyst behind this post and my next book.

While I fully anticipated that my life would most likely take on some interesting changes after publishing “Lunchmeat”, I really did not understand the depth of those changes and how they would dramatically alter the landscape of my life.

The wit and wisdom my father dispensed to me all of my life has helped shape and define who I am, and what a gift that has been. However, those same words… those same philosophies… are now reaching countless individuals who have been the unexpected, yet fully appreciated, beneficiaries of an undying legacy.

I am eternally grateful to those of you who have shared with me ways that you have applied Dad's wisdom as well as sharing your own personal stories of wisdom that works. Wisdom that you may have learned from a beloved relative or mentor, wisdom that inspires you to be the best you can be.

It is through my writing today that I aspire to relay those stories and my personal journey that has subsequently evolved. It is through my writing today that I hope to share stories of more WISDOM THAT WORKS.

Stay tuned as I look forward to sharing this next chapter with all of you!

Mary

A New Compass Heading in 2012.

2012-01-02T16:40:00.000-06:00

A New Compass Heading in 2012.

It's not just time for a new calendar in my life....it's time for a new compass heading as well. For the past five years, I've been sharing the wit and wisdom I learned from my father, the Butcher, with each of you. In fact, it's during that time that many of us became friends. You've supported me by reading my book, listening to me at keynote speeches, inviting me to book clubs and workplace events, following me on all our social media sites, even sharing emails and phone calls with me as a result of the impact my father's guidance had on your own lives.

But now my journey takes a turn. I'm shifting my direction a bit......getting a new compass heading. And it's all because of your requests for additional insight, for real time examples, for more depth and content.

In 2012, I'm dedicating my writing time to developing a new message series called "Wisdom That Works." I'm taking my father's wit and wisdom - the stories and guidance you're all familiar with -- and translating it to today's real life challenges. You might say I'm trading in Dad's well worn roadmap for a digital GPS, but the destination remains the same: the pursuit of life's happiness and success.

As you might have guessed, I have finally figured out where I am headed with regards to my next book. Thanks to all of you who have shared your thoughts as to how you have applied Dad’s wisdom (and to all of you who show me the way by the way you lead and live your lives each day) my new book is now in the works. Stay tuned because this year I'll be sharing excerpts regularly with you right here on my blog.

Until next time, I wish you an inspired New Year!

Christmas Memories Message to My Family

2011-12-25T08:33:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas Family!

Woke up this morning a bit melancholy as I am thinking of the many happy memories from our past Bichelmeyer Christmas gatherings.

Memories of Christmas Eve at Mom & Dad’s celebrating Jimbo’s birthday and our name drawing gift exchange with the inevitable “OVER THE LIMIT” shout outs.

Watching the “Christmas Play” each year with the same script but different children playing the part of Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus as well as all the three wise “men” and all the Sheppard’s in their costume of towels (that I knew I would be washing and folding later).

The “Do You Hear What I Hear” moment I waited for all night when all of your beautiful voices came together in that perfect moment in song.

Memories during my early teenage years of wrapping Cindy’s many gifts from Jerry after his last minute dash to the mall on Christmas Eve dreaming of the day I would have a boyfriend who loved me as much as Jerry loved Cindy and thinking that Jerry actually had excellent taste in women’s clothing.

Memories of waking up on Christmas morning and rushing out to find my “pile” of presents all unwrapped and on display from “Santa” knowing Mom did not get a wink of sleep the night before yet that turkey dinner would be ready with all the fixins later in the day and it would not be until everyone else was content and settled post gifts and feast that she would find some time to nap on the sofa with her favorite afghan wrapped around her later that day. It was then (if I was lucky) that I would get the coveted spot on the couch by her side and we would just be still after all the merriment of the holiday.

These are the memories that wash over me as I wait for Scott and my boys to wake up this Christmas morning and the festivities to begin at the Lucas household.

I hope and pray that years from now as Chase & Nick look back at our holiday traditions and memories that they feel as much love and warmth and comfort from their childhood Christmas memories as I do from mine.

Thank you all for your part in my story.

I love you more than words can tell and hope to see each of you at the Bichelmeyer Family Christmas Gathering on January 1.

In the meantime wishing you a Merry Christmas Day with your special families and the joy of making your own memories.

Cheers!

Mary

Invitations - Year in Review

2011-12-21T06:32:00.000-06:00

Happy Holidays, Season's Greetings, Joyeux Noel and Merry Christmas to one and all!

Everyone loves to receive an invitation, and the Christmas season is full of them. Open house invitations in our neighborhood, dinner invitations with long time friends, and festive party invitations to celebrate the season....with my favorite red dress and a champagne cocktail.

This year, I've been lucky enough to have many invitations come my way as a result of my book, Lunchmeat & Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher's Wisdom. Here's a peek at 2011 in review:

• Kansas City area speaking opps: Our hometown community continues to invite The Butcher's Wisdom into their lives, and I met several new friends as a result of my presentations to area schools, professional associations, local businesses and networking groups. A very special thank you to Barnett Helzberg for welcoming me to the Helzberg mentoring (HEMP) organization.

• Keynote addresses to national associations and high profile organizations: Speaking engagements across the country found me in Chicago for the American Heart Association's annual meeting, in New Orleans for the American Staffing Association's national conference, and even in Washington, DC to address the Federal Reserve with my father's wit and wisdom.

• Funds in support of the American Heart Association tribute center created in honor of my parents have now reached $18,000. I invite you to click on the Hearts We Leave Behind site to find out more and to consider donating generously.

• Career shift: After a five year sabbatical from full time work in the corporate world, I was asked to join the Staffmark organization as Chief Resource Officer this past summer. Staffmark is the undisputed staffing industry dynamo with over 300 offices in 32 states. I am now part of their executive leadership team and love every minute of it. To learn more, visit www.Staffmark.com

• One of the largest publishing houses in the country invited me to sign with them to give my book more "ooomph." After careful consideration, I declined, opting instead to make an impact with my father's life lessons the only way he knew how.....one person at a time. While I'm grateful for that opportunity, I know I made the right decision for the book, for its readers and for me.

• And to end the year on a high note -- and a British accent -- an invitation from across the pond in 2012. That's right. The Butcher's Wisdom will be presented in London next May, as I address the Recruitment and Employment Confederation World Employment Conference, the professional body representing the UK's international recruitment industry. Bangers and mash, anyone?

Exhausting, exhilarating, exciting all at once.

All of these events lead me to consider life's other invitations. Things we receive throughout the day, throughout the year, throughout our entire lives that we may not recognize as being special invitations. Yet indeed they are!

When we begin to view life's little "asks" as an engraved, gilt-edged invitation to throw open life's doors, behind them you'll find opportunity, abundance and gratification. Look closely to recognize these important invitations.....and say "I accept" whenever possible. These invitations represent life's daily possibilities to create new relationships and share new experiences. They are invitations to live life to the max.

As for me? That's easy. I invite each of you to enjoy time with those you love, a good book and champagne cocktail this Christmas season.

Cheers!

Mary

Life in the Slow Lane

2011-10-06T21:44:00.000-05:00

Greetings from 35,000 feet altitude!

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." Ferris Bueller famously said that in the 1986 blockbuster comedy.....one of my favorites.

It's certainly moving fast for me right now. As I write this, my life is zooming along at exactly 450 mph high above the clouds in a Boeing 737. That's a good metaphor for the flurry of activity that surrounds me at present: Kids off to college, our annual Bichelmeyer family picnic, amazing new work assignments, friends and family struggling with health issues, increased travel, fighting to get eight hours sleep each nite.....and of course, new horizons presented because of my book, Lunchmeat & Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher's Wisdom.

Let me share a few of those recent milestones with you here:

• The American Heart Association Heart.org/plannedgiving is now distributing the book to all those who are planning to include this wonderful organization in their estate planning. They honor me and my family in doing so, since both my parents died of heart disease. I've been very involved in the AHA in recent years, and they have been so supportive of me every step of the way. I'm honored that Lunchmeat & Life Lessons is impacting so many generous people willing to donate in an effort to end heart disease, the leading cause of death in the US today.

Click here to check out the Bichelmeyer Family Tribute Site www.heartsweleavebehind.com

• YouTube.com Update: We've really gotten noticed on our YouTube channel in recent months because we've uploaded several new clips from my own speaking engagements around the country to press interviews with mom and dad at our family home. Just last month, I was overwhelmed by the "six degrees of separation" idea when the book got a moving shout out on the national TV show, Dr. Drew.
Click Here to see Lunchmeat & Life Lessons mention on Dr. Drew

• Did you know that Lunchmeat & Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher's Wisdom is now available as an audio book? Well, it is and here's the link to listen to an excerpt and to place an order:

Lunchmeat & Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher's Wisdom Audio Book Lunchmeat Audio Book

What does all of this add up to? Much joy, much gratitude, and much more yet to accomplish. But for the next 90 minutes until we land in Cincinnati, I don't intend to do anything at all. I'm going to mentally, physically, psychologically slow down -- and as my father John Bichelmeyer, the Butcher would say -- "enjoy the ride."

I encourage each of you to do the same. Living life at lightning speed robs us of being present in the moment. From time to time you've got to put the brakes on, take a good look around, breathe. Only when we are fully ourselves, fully here and now, can we appreciate what's really important. And trust me, you don't want to miss it.

Til next time, here's to life in the slow lane!

My best,

Mary

Happy Labor Day!

2011-09-04T12:03:00.001-05:00

Sunday Morning Labor Day Weekend

Quick post that I wanted to share in honor of Labor Day.

Below is a link to one of my new favorite videos of Seth Godin talking about ways to "Stand Out"

Click on this Link to see Seth Godin's TED Talk on Standing Out

I thought Seth shared some "remarkable" ideas for all of us to consider when we go back to work after this long holiday weekend.

That's all for now... again Happy Labor Day weekend everybody and as always wishing each of you ALL THE BEST!

Mary

P.S. Thanks to Seth I am inspired to figure out ways to STAND OUT when I go back to work on Tuesday but for now I am far more interested in heading to my family picnic to PIG OUT ... thus the short post!

Cheers!

WOW!

2011-08-25T15:14:00.000-05:00

WOW...

Three letters that describe how I have been feeling lately.

WOW… what talent!

I have been thinking as I find myself surrounded by such incredible people at work and over the course of my travels.

WOW… where does the time go?

I think to myself as I leave my baby boy at college alongside his older brother.Wasn’t it just yesterday that I was bringing him home to meet his beloved big brother?

WOW… did that just happen?

I say out loud when a courageous young woman my father never knew is quoting him on Dr. Drew? Click on the link below and you can watch the exchange that left me filled with an attitude of gratitude for the blessings of my family and of awe and compassion for the courage of these women.

Click Here to View the YouTube Clip from Dr. Drew

Yep.. it has been a week of WOWS and I have a feeling there are more WOW’s to come as I too take the time to wonder at the WOWS and “learn something from everyone I meet!”

Thanks to all of you for your interest in my story.

So looking forward to this next chapter.

My BEST!

Mary

Dad on Happiness

2011-07-18T09:30:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday Dad!

Dad would have been 95 years old today.

Today in his memory I have attached a link to one of my favorite video clips of Dad sharing some food for thought & inspiration on the subject of happiness.

Dad on Happiness

Enjoy!

The Echo of Giving

2011-06-19T13:43:00.000-05:00

Happy Father's Day to all...
Moms, Kids, Uncles and Aunts Included!

"Because I have given, I have received so very much in return."

- My Father the Butcher, John Bichelmeyer (1916 - 2004)

That quote is a favorite of mine, and it's given me some food for thought lately. In fact, I heard this same sentiment expressed just this week by one of Kansas City's most respected businessmen and philanthropists, Barnett Helzberg. When asked what his life's greatest joy is, he didn't hesitate to respond:

"The joy of giving back to others."

Before you read further, friends, take note: This is not a message on the importance of giving. Instead, I want you to consider the impact of giving, or what I call the "echo of giving."

Here's what I mean: I gave a speech a few years back following the publication of my book, Lunchmeat & Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher's Wisdom. It wasn't my best presentation and I knew it. Worse, I knew the audience agreed with my assessment. I left the stage and my confidence fell through the floor. Why wasn't I more prepared? Why hadn't I projected more emotion? Why didn't I connect with my audience?

A moment later, a man came up to me and took both my hands in his. Who was this person? His presence startled me as I was lost in my own thoughts. I'll never forget his words:

"I don't know what you said or what your message was as you spoke to our group," he began. "I didn't hear a word of it. All I know is that you stood in front of us and told us you were going to share some wisdom from the greatest man you ever knew: Your father."

I could see where this was going... he was ready to clobber me for my ineffective keynote address. Here it comes, I thought!

But wait. No, that wasn't it at all. The stranger continued, looking me straight in the eyes:

"You see," he continued, "I'm a new father. I left my six week old baby girl for the first time this week so that I could come to this convention and all I could think of as you spoke for the last hour is how can I be the kind of father to my daughter that your father was to you? How can I create that love, loyalty and lasting impact in her life? Thank you for inspiring me to be the best father I can be."

I couldn't speak for a moment. I simply held his hands tighter.

He walked away and I knew that something incredible had happened. It didn't matter that I thought I had delivered a poor presentation. My words had connected with someone in a powerful way. I had given of myself -- and he had received.

So what about the echo of that giving? Undoubtedly that businessman went home with a new way of thinking. A changed direction in being a father to that new baby girl. A re-organized list of life's priorities. And I bet that echo resonates on to this very day. In turn, he gave of himself to another person who received and embraced that simple gift.

On and on it goes. The circle of life. The echo of giving.

Remember my own father's words as you give of yourself to others... you receive so very much in return. I know I did that day.

Finally, to that gracious new dad who touched both my hands and my heart back in 2006,
I wish you a very special Father's Day 2011.
All the best!

Mary B. Lucas

Another Mom Moment!

2011-06-13T13:27:00.001-05:00

“If you want to have a happy marriage you NEVER wear flannel to bed”

My sister Jeannie told me this story about Mom and I think it sums up what Mom thought about “passion” in a marriage...

Jeannie and her husband had made some changes to their house and asked Mom to come down for a visit. During the tour of the new construction, they were walking through the master bathroom when Mom noticed Jeannie’s tattered flannel nightgown hanging on the hook behind the door.

Mom looked at that nightgown, then looked at Jeannie. “Jean Marie is that what you wear to bed with your husband?”

Jeannie nodded sheepishly, clearly embarrassed by the question. “Yes, Mom.”

“Jean Marie, let me give you some advice,” Mom said in a firm but controlled tone. “If you want to have a happy marriage you NEVER wear flannel to bed.”

Although Mom and Dad’s marriage could definitely be described as passionate and fiery, I assure you they weren’t always in the “no flannel zone.” In fact she could be pretty hard on him, prompting him to tell her at times that they’d get along better if she would treat him as if he were one of her children.

Dad was right; Mom would always celebrate our homecomings. Whenever any of us would arrive home from school Mom was there to wrap us in her arms and shower us with hugs and kisses. That was not always the case with Dad’s homecomings, where he would sometimes chide her by saying “Hey, what about me?”

Just because Mom didn’t always greet Dad in the same way she welcomed us kids, doesn’t mean she didn’t anticipate his arrival. Every evening around five o’clock Mom would splash on a little Shalimar Perfume and grab one of those pencils used to mark the packages at the meat market to fill in her brows.

Sometimes Mom would even put on some of the Mary Kay make-up she had bought from her friend Penny and she always clipped on a pair of earrings. Then she would have all of us kids line-up, kind of like the Von Trapp family, ready to give our Daddy plenty of hugs and kisses.

Those are my memories of Mom at her best with Dad. I might also add that Mom would be the first to admit that as a couple they also had some not so great times.

One time I told Mom about a couple I knew that was getting divorced. "What happened?" Mom asked.“I guess they are getting divorced because they have had a bad few years and can’t seem to get past it.” I speculated.

“A bad few years?” she asked indignantly. “That’s nothing! Your Father and I have had bad years - heck we have had bad decades but I would not trade the life we share now as parents, grandparents and great grandparents for anything in the world.”

Good decades, bad decades... I'd say that given the fact that Mom and Dad were married for over SIX decades and had ten kids, I think we can safely assume that there were plenty of nights when Mom followed her NO FLANNEL rule!

More Memories of Mom

2011-06-07T10:36:00.001-05:00

As promised I pulled another page from my "Mom Journal" to share this week.

I think this excerpt in particular sums up the love she felt for ALL of her children.

And the story goes...

“I did NOT have 10 children because I am catholic. I had 10 children because I wanted each and every one!”

Mary Helen Matson Bichelmeyer was born November 9, 1917 on Strawberry Hill in Kansas City, Kansas. She was an only child, a life she often referred to as lonely. Her parents owned a small business where the family spent most days and nights. Her father was a bootlegger and instigator of illicit poker games and her mom was a bartender.

While some may have questioned their lifestyle, no one could question their deep love and devotion to their only child, Mary. They adored her and my Grandpa affectionately called her Babe. And while Babe loved her parents, she dreamed of having a family just like her friend Winnie.

Mom used to talk about how Winnie’s home was loud and always filled with love and laughter. Winnie was one of ten children so her house was always bustling with activity with people coming and going. After spending time around Winnie’s big family, this only child knew exactly what she wanted when she grew up and lo and behold, she went on to have ten children of her own.

Don’t let the fact that Mom was more understated than Dad fool you into thinking she wasn’t every bit as strong as he was. When she felt her children were ridiculed or ostracized, her “mama bear” instincts became fully engaged, even when she was lying on her deathbed in the hospital.

When the third shift nurse came in to check mom’s vital signs she asked about the picture on the bedside table. “Are all those people really members of her family?” She asked incredulously as she pulled the thermometer from Mom’s mouth. “How many children did you have?” When mom told her that she had ten children the nurse laughed. “You must be Catholic.”

At this point Mom was pretty delicate and her voice was quite hoarse from having had a tube down her throat, but the nurse’s comment raised her ire and she mustered the energy to pull herself up.

“I did not have 10 children because I am Catholic,” She pointed directly at the nurse, her low, raspy voice sounding like something from “The Exorcist.” “I had 10 children because I wanted each and every one!”

From the look on the nurse’s face it was clear she got the message. Even though none of us kids ever questioned Mom’s love for us, her words of validation had a profound impact on those of us lucky enough to be in the room that day.

Even as she struggled to be heard, gasping for her last breaths, her message of her deep love for each of her ten children came across loud and clear.

Memorial Day Memories of Mom

2011-05-30T16:21:00.000-05:00

Laundry & Life Lessons

This morning as I dumped a basket of warm, clean towels onto the bed for folding, I was thinking about my last speaking engagement. It had been my largest audience yet - 600 people connecting with the lessons my Dad taught me that had guided me through my toughest career years. Somebody in the audience asked me when my next book is coming out; my next book?

My first book, Lunchmeat & Life Lessons, arrived purely by accident. When my Father passed away I searched for some sense of comfort by writing down the lessons he had taught me. His brilliantly skilled, common sense teachings have sustained me through nearly 30 years in business. When he died I wrote down my memories and his stories, had them printed in spiral bound notebooks and handed them out to each of my siblings on what would have been Dad’s 90th birthday (he died at 88). That’s a lot of copies.

There were ten of us: Joan, Judy, Johnny, Jimmy, Joey, Jerry, Jeannie, Jane, me (Mary) and Barbie. I can assure you it took more than Dad to create that string of siblings, and more than just his advice to raise us. He was the larger than life presence in our family and the community we lived in. Not only did he dish out words of wisdom to me, but his words also inspired many other people throughout his life.

My Mom was less “out there;” she was more simple, gentle, subtle. Mom’s wisdom was more evident in what she did than what she said. I so cherish my observations of her being a mother and a friend and take tremendous pride in the fact that I’m her namesake. I was my parents’ ninth child and since they had just about exhausted every “J” name in the book, I was named Mary after my Mom.

On this Memorial Day morning, as I reached for the last towel on the bed, still warm from the dryer, it reminded me of what Mom felt like with her warm, soft arms ready to wrap around me at a moments notice. Mom was my place to fall. She had always made it clear, without any uncertainty, that we had a home, a home she had made. While Dad was the face of our family to the outside world for the most part, Mom was the center of our family at home. Even in a house full of ten children, our home was my quiet, safe haven because of Mom.

This morning, Memorial Day 2011, I missed my Mom. I stopped what I was doing, put the towels aside and went back to the journal I kept in the days after her passing.

You see, Lunchmeat & Life Lessons may have been the first book I published, but my “Memories of Mom” journal was the first book I wrote. Just like I did when Dad passed away in 2004, after Mom’s passing in 2000, I found comfort in words as well.

I decided to dust off that first book and take a look back at some of my entries and share some of them here with all of you.

Move over Lunchmeat & Life Lessons, it’s time for some “Laundry & Life Lessons” - all inspired by Mom.

Starting this Memorial Day, Monday, 2011, I would like to share the following “Memory of Mom” and who knows? Maybe more Mom Monday Memories will follow.

Excerpt from my Journal: March 16, 2000

“Home is Where Your Mom is”

The night we buried Mom, we “little girls” – my sisters Jeannie, Jane, Barbie and me - couldn’t pull ourselves from Mom and Dad’s house. We sat curled up on the couch where I had snuggled all my childhood life with Mom. She would lie there on her side, and I would use her hip for my pillow, covering my legs with a crocheted afghan she had made and we would watch TV together.

It was my favorite place to be.

It was just after 2:00 AM when Dad walked into the family room. “Girls, what are you still doing here? You need to go home to your families. You need to get back to living your lives. This is not what your Mom would want you to do. Jean, Jane and Mary, go home now. The best way to honor your mother is to be the best Mom’s you can be and that’s at your own home.”

I knew in my head that he was right, but in my heart I still felt like that little blonde girl with hair to her waist and bangs on her forehead. “But Dad,” I cried.

“Who will we go to for ‘motherly advice?’”

“Mary, you don’t need to worry about that now...your boys are single-digit age and that’s a double-digit problem. Don’t worry about that now just go home to your boys!”

It was difficult, but we slowly pulled ourselves apart and, despite being grief-stricken, made our way to our respective homes. With all the busyness of the last few days, little had gotten down around my house so I walked into my kitchen to find a huge stack of mail waiting for me. Mother’s Day was approaching and the stack was chock-full of catalogues.

I had been up for more than 24 hours, yet my eyes focused on one of the Mother’s Day gifts featured on the back of a magazine. A framed print with the words,

“HOME IS WHERE YOUR MOM IS.”

Just when I thought I couldn’t feel anymore lost, the phrase knocked the wind right out of me: “HOME IS WHERE YOUR MOM IS?”

So where is MY home now that Mom is gone? Then in a flash, my mind turned the phrase and I got it: Mom IS home now. HOME (up above) IS WHERE YOUR MOM IS.

I remembered what Dad had said less than an hour earlier: To honor Mom by being the best Mom I can be, to be the kind of mother my mother was to me,

to be the kind of woman she showed me how to be.

I finally crawled into bed with new hope that perhaps someday I will go home to be with her again.

In Loving Memory of Mary Helen Matson Bichelmyer

God, help me be the type of person here on Earth

deserving of a place in Your home,

so that I can see my Mom again.

My Memorial Day wish for you… may the memories of the loved ones you have lost sustain you today and every day just as mine are sustaining me.

God Bless!

Graduation

2011-05-18T06:06:00.001-05:00

Happy Graduation Day!

My baby boy Nick is GRADUATING from High School today.

I looked it up… the one word definition of graduation is commencement.

The two word definition of commencement is new beginning.

Lately… the two word phrase that I seem to hear from all around me when I speak of my youngest son’s graduation… empty nester.

I remember the days surrounding my oldest son Chase's graduation and how sad I was at that time.

A friend sent me this LINK to an old NPR radio interview about the subject of sending a son off to college and I cried.

I looked up the poem referenced in the interview, read it and I cried.

I sat through the graduation breakfast, luncheons, parties and the commencement ceremony and I cried.

And today… two years later I am sure I will cry BUT it won’t be the same sort of cry... it won't be a sad cry.

Two years later I know what lies ahead of me and as sad as I will be to see Nick go I realize that this is a new beginning for us all and that brings me GREAT JOY not sadness.

Based on my experience with Chase I now know that your babies will grow up and go away but when they comeback… they comeback with an attitude of gratitude and growth that can only be realized AFTER going away.

So for me… today… Nick’s graduation day… the two words I am thinking of have nothing to do with EMPTY & NESTS and everything to do with ABUNDANCE & GRATITUDE.

I am immensely GRATEFUL for the GIFT of NICK and for having the privilege to be here for him over the years to support his education and growth from that first day of school till today… HIS GRADUATION DAY!

Nick…

I love you and I am SO PROUD OF YOU and I just can’t wait to see what you do with YOUR New Beginning.

Always...

Momma

The First Day of School

My child and I hold hands on the way to school,

And when I leave him at the first-grade door
He cries a little but is brave; he does
Let go. My selfish tears remind me how
I cried before that door a life ago.
I may have had a hard time letting go.

Each fall the children must endure together
What every child also endures alone:
Learning the alphabet, the integers,
Three dozen bits and pieces of a stuff
So arbitrary, so peremptory,
That worlds invisible and visible

Bow down before it, as in Joseph's dream
The sheaves bowed down and then the stars bowed down
Before the dreaming of a little boy.
That dream got him such hatred of his brothers
As cost the greater part of life to mend,
And yet great kindness came of it in the end.

A school is where they grind the grain of thought,
And grind the children who must mind the thought.
It may be those two grindings are but one,
As from the alphabet come Shakespeare's Plays,
As from the integers comes Euler's Law,
As from the whole, inseperably, the lives,

The shrunken lives that have not been set free
By law or by poetic phantasy.
But may they be. My child has disappeared
Behind the schoolroom door. And should I live
To see his coming forth, a life away,
I know my hope, but do not know its form

Nor hope to know it. May the fathers he finds
Among his teachers have a care of him
More than his father could. How that will look
I do not know, I do not need to know.
Even our tears belong to ritual.
But may great kindness come of it in the end.

-Howard Nemerov

Let's Get Growing!

2011-04-25T05:52:00.000-05:00

Hello and Happy Monday!

When I was a kid, I remember swallowing a few seeds from an apple I'd chewed down to the core and immediate panic set in. With my eight year old mind, I was afraid to open my mouth, add water or sunlight for fear I would do more of what Mom accused me of: "Growing like a weed."

Thankfully, new growth doesn't happen that easily or that quickly, though I long for that upcoming spring day when our surroundings suddenly appear as if everything has bloomed at once. Until then, each little purple crocus, yellow daffodil, blade of new green grass provides us with that anticipated image of the beautiful change to come. No wonder the buds of spring find me digging in new ways to grow.

Why be simply an observer? Why not actively engage in significant growth of your own?

If you're like me, it's high time to shake off those winter doldrums. Let's plant some seeds to inspire.....here are a few ideas to help us all blossom spiritually and soulfully this spring:

Go to bed earlier. Learn a new language. Step outside your comfort zone. Volunteer at a local charity. Go decaf. Schedule that overdue dental exam or mammogram. Sign up for a class. Listen to your spouse.....really listen. Work toward that career goal. Wear something red. Take off ten pounds. Give more than expected. Walk around the block. Clean out the garage. Offer free smiles to random strangers. Read the book you got for Christmas. Turn off the TV. Quit smoking.....now.

Now here's the fun part. Do it with a friend.....a good "bud" who will support and encourage you along your path. The mountains we climb aren't nearly as steep if we have a loyal pal trekking shoulder to shoulder with us. The bonus? You'll accomplish your goal in no time, and you'll have a new bond in friendship with someone who cares about your success.

An apple tree is a metaphor for a fruitful life. Gratefully, the apple seeds I ate so many years ago didn't turn me into one.....but I've been pursuing that bountiful existence ever since. My heartfelt wish for all of us this spring? Let's GET GROWING!

Til next season, thanks for reading.

Mary

.

In Memory of my nephew Andrew Adam (Andy) Grimm 1963-2011

2011-04-09T13:14:00.000-05:00

"Whether the glass is half full or half empty depends on whether you are pouring or drinking"
- Andy Grimm was a giver not a taker and the memory of his sweet and gentle spirit will live on in my heart forever.

Birthday Thought

2011-03-30T09:31:00.000-05:00

As my birthday month comes to an end I am once again reminded of Dad's wisdom:

"If you don't have a Happy Birthday it's your own damn fault"
-John Bichelmeyer March 24, 1981

To all who visit this blog spot wishing you a Happy Birth... day, week, month and year no matter when or where YOU celebrate your own damn birthday :) !

CHEERS!!!

Food for Thought...

2011-03-20T05:44:00.000-05:00

Sharing this quote as today's food for thought… "I've learned that people will forget what you said, they'll forget what you did, but they'll never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou

GO RED!

2011-02-04T08:39:00.000-06:00

My POST today is short and sweet and to the point...

The American Heart Association wants you to WEAR RED TODAY and so do I!
TODAY as I post this message we celebrate NATIONAL WEAR RED DAY in order to raise awareness about the number one killer of Women in the United States today.

As you know I am already all too aware of the heartache of heart disease having lost both Mom & Dad to congestive heart failure I have made it my mission to support the work done by the AHA.

To learn more go to:

www.HeartsWeLeaveBehind.com

So why not GO RED today along with thousands of others nationwide-for your heart, for your health, and for the people YOU love.

XOXO

Mary

Thought for the Day: SIMPLIFY

2011-01-29T09:55:00.000-06:00

January is almost behind us... I can't believe it!

Quite an eventful start to the year for me with plenty of travel and new connections that I have completely enjoyed and for ALL of you reading this note I am hopeful you had a FUN 1-11 as well!

I know I have not been so great this new year to date at sharing any food for thought here on this BlogSpot so today I thought I would change that.

Thought for today... SIMPLIFY.

When I saw the TO DO list below on the wall of my Doctor's office recently it really resonated with me and as a result I am sharing here with all of you.

SIMPLIFY

Slow Down

Imagine Doing Less

Make Time for Loved Ones

Practice Patience

Learn to Quietly Say No

Increase Your Quiet Times

Follow Your Heart

Yield to LIFE

My goal for the remainder of 11 - SIMPLIFY.

I'll let you know how I do and in the meantime as always sending my very BEST WISHES to all of YOU!

The Upside of Social Media

2011-01-11T22:06:00.001-06:00

Let me start this post by making a sweeping generalization:

• If you're 40 years or younger, you're all there in the social media world.

• 40-plus? Not so much.

Ah, the great social media divide.

But this post is for both groups, so please read on.

Social media is here, whether we like it or not. Whether we're familiar with it, or not. Whether we use it, or not. Whether we understand its value, or not. So with this blog post, I intend to convince you of its value....and if you're already a regular user of these social tools, to encourage you to broaden the scope of its use in your daily routine.

Here's a high impact video on the subject from my friend Connie Podesta.

Take two minutes to watch here:

TEXTING HARRY - Connie Podesta

Do you recognize yourself in this context? If you're over 40, maybe you're Harry. Younger? Then perhaps you're grandson, Chad. Of if you're a frequent flyer like me, maybe you're even Connie.

In the not too distant past, I was reluctant to tune in and turn on to the value of social media. And then I remembered a hard lesson learned....

A hundred years ago -- otherwise known as the 1980s -- I got a call from my Dallas office. My staff there asked for my permission to buy something they called a “FAX machine”, which was cutting edge communications technology at the time.

“We have to start FAXING resumes to our clients or we will lose business” the branch manager shared. "You don't need one," I replied, “FAXING is just a phase; the latest craze. We can conduct business just fine without one."

Almost immediately, we started losing business. Why? Because we were being left behind. Our competitors were far more responsive to clients because the FAX machine allowed them to react so much more quickly.

Taking a longer view, turns out I was right. Faxing WAS a phase.... for a quarter century, that is. Enter all the social media tools of today that don't just give us quick access to customers, friends and family... they give us INSTANT access.

Here's to the powerful connections now available to each of us through today's technology.

Let me hear how things like YouTube, Facebook, Linked In, Twitter and the rest of these tools are improving your ability to connect and communicate.

Till next time I say stay warm, stay connected and stay OPEN to change.....

Cheers!

Mary B. Lucas

Happy New Year! 1/11!

2011-01-03T01:37:00.000-06:00

Early this morning I took a peek at the Tribute Center I created this past year in memory of my Mom & Dad which raises funds for the American Heart Association (AHA). A magical milestone peeked back at me: So far, we've raised more than $11,000.

Said another way......As of 1/11, we have generously given over $11 thousand at www.HeartsWeLeaveBehind.com. What an accomplishment!

This got me pondering the Power of One -- I have been thinking a lot lately about the Power of One... both personally and professionally. Think about it. Each of us is just ONE person. But together, we are multitudes strong. Each of us creates significant impact on the world around us. That's how positive change occurs.....ONE person, ONE step, ONE dream at a time, all moving in the same direction.

In this New Year of 2011, I remain committed to supporting the important research, education and advocacy work established by my pals at the American Heart Association. They need support from people like us to continue their mission. Every one of us counts!

So here's my New Year's Resolution: Having lost both of my parents to heart disease, I intend to do what I can not only to raise funds for the AHA but also to RAISE AWARENESS OF GOOD HEART HEALTH PRACTICES among my own sphere of influence. Friends, family, colleagues, neighbors......YOU.

This month, 1/11, with this email I'm launching the Power of One Heart Health Awareness Campaign.

Here's how it works:

This campaign is a grassroots educational effort designed to carry the AHA mission virally, relying on our own personal relationships and today's social media communications tools.

It is a simple advocacy effort designed to improve the heart health of individuals -- multiple "ones" -- and encourage each "one" person to share the same wellness info with "one" other.

Together, we can create an open dialogue resulting in an incredible opportunity to affect positive change with every person we come in contact with. Think of the tens, hundreds, thousands of friends, families and others in our sphere of influence we can empower to carry the AHA flag, promote awareness, and instill healthy heart habits "one" at a time? The rippling effect could go on and on and on.

And the results? Healthier hearts and improved quality of life for each of us.

So please click here to learn about some simple and effective healthy heart tips from the American Heart Association www.mylifecheck.org.

Please consider this your one opportunity to make a difference in your own life and the lives of so many others. Join me in the Power of One Heart Health Awareness campaign in 2011. Pass this important information on to every one you know! Trust me, it makes your heart feel good to do so.

Wishing every one of you 72 healthy heart beats per minute in 2011.

Mary B. Lucas, B.D.

American Heart Association Advocate and Founder of www.HeartsWeLeaveBehind.com

Last Minute Gift Ideas!

2010-12-24T07:19:00.000-06:00

HO HO HO HELLO!

Sharing some last minute gift ideas

with all of you this Christmas Eve

thanks to my friend Lucy and author Oren Arnold.

Christmas Gift Suggestions

"To your enemy, forgiveness.

To an opponent, tolerance.

To a friend, your heart.

To a customer, service.

To all, charity.

To every child, a good example.

To yourself, respect.”

Wishing YOU & Yours a

Happy Healthy Holiday Season & 2011!

With much love and gratitude for the GIFT

of your encouragement and support this past year!
Mary

Mary B. Lucas, B.D

Shhh...The Gift of Quiet

2010-12-01T21:01:00.002-06:00

Ho Ho Hello!

It SOUNDS like December out there. How can I tell? Radio stations playing constant Christmas tunes. Retailers shouting out sales. Revelers celebrating with holiday parties. The list goes on and on. This time of year, the noise can be deafening.

When did the holiday season become so hectic and harried? Has it always been this way or am I just more tuned in to all the noise this year? Why are we rushing and racing through this annual celebration? If your life is like mine, December is already becoming a blur of endless “to do” lists, buying to excess and missing entirely the real reason for the season. That said...I have decided that this year I'm making different plans.

This year I intend to seek out a very meaningful present for myself: The gift of quiet. Simple, elegant, and all too elusive quiet and for those of you who know me well I can just imagine your laughter right now because as you know quiet is something I am NOT famous for.

So what do I mean by the gift of quiet?

It means that starting today I am going to do my best to tune out some of December's noise and trade it in for time to reflect, remember, and rejoice. My drive time will be spent driving.....not listening to the radio or talking on the phone. My evenings will be spent without the intrusion of TV and instead, whenever possible, curled up with a good book. Rather than multi-tasking my way through the month, I am going to try and slow down, in order to find some quiet and create new family memories with the three best Christmas presents I could ever ask for: Scott, Chase and Nick.

As December makes its debut today, so do two projects near and dear to my heart: Lunchmeat & Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher's Wisdom is now available in a collectors hard cover edition AND as a three cd audiobook. CLICK HERE to listen to an excerpt.

I'm grateful that so many of you nudged me in this direction, and I am very proud of the finished product. Please remember this BOOK as a treasured gift for anyone on your list this year. And for yourself, as you look for something to inspire during YOUR quiet time!

May life’s simplest pleasures bring you abundant joys this season. And my heartfelt thanks for your support.

Mary B. Lucas, B.D.

Home for the Holidays!

2010-11-26T07:28:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

So many things to be grateful for this holiday season and for me... topping the list... the renewed health and well being of my "baby" boy and the fact that we are HOME for the holidays!

I am sorry that I have been so MIA here on the Butcher Block Exchange of late. It has been a long road to recovery with many bumps along the way and as you can imagine piles upon piles to dig out from under post hospital stay.

That said... I am thrilled to be back here with you today once again sharing some food for thought and inspiration about the attitude of gratitude as we head into the holiday season.

First up from Ralph Waldo Emerson.

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food, for love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Followed by two thoughts that brought it all home for me today...

We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude. ~Cynthia Ozick

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. ~William Arthur Ward

Last but not least I will close out with a bit of the Butcher's Wisdom and my appreciation to each of YOU for sharing this special space and place with me as we work together to find ways to grace each day with thanks.

Thank YOU & Happy Holidays

to you and yours from me and mine.

Always... the Butcher's Daughter

Which Wolf?

2010-11-05T08:15:00.000-05:00

This BlogSpot is Dedicated to Nick

I know I have been pretty invisible of late and I wish I could say it has been for reasons that I wanted to share and write about but that is not the case.

My youngest son Nick has been very ill recently and has been in the hospital for the past 10 days now and although his caregivers are great this has NOT been a fun experience and has been pretty rough on all of us.

To be honest over the past few days it has been especially difficult (as a result of some unexpected setbacks keeping us here longer than expected) and we have had to fight to keep our spirits up.

That said... we do realize that we are very lucky compared to many around us because we KNOW that Nick WILL be just fine overtime and stronger on the other side of this and that's what we try our best to focus on.

Reminds me of an old Indian tale my friend Betsy sent me awhile back that I have read and re-read about 1,000 times over the past 10 days.

So the story goes:

An elder Apache was talking to his grandchildren about life.

He told them, "A fight is going on inside me. It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, prejudice, lies, false pride, compliance, superiority, and ego."

"The other stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith."

He explained this same fight is going on inside of you, and inside every other person.

They thought about it for a minute, and then one child asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?

The wise old grandfather replied, "The one you feed."

Many thanks to Betsy for sharing this story with me, it has been an incredible source of inspiration of late. Whenever one of us starts to head down the pity-party path our new get back on track line of late has been...

"OK... so which wolf are you feeding now?"

In closing... I am asking for your prayers and positive energy again today as we so hope to get out of the hospital in time to "Howl at the Moon" from HOME tonight!

In the meantime sharing this post as my long over due food for thought and inspiration and asking all you readers...

"Which wolf are YOU feeding now?"

NO TEN TUESDAY

2010-10-12T10:44:00.000-05:00

Forget the Power of TEN I am declaring today NO TEN TUESDAY!

Photo from fotosearch.com

That said… I do hope you had a Happy 10-10-10 this past Sunday.

Me? Not so much… my memories of 10-10-10 seem to be full of regret. Regret that I missed out on a once in a lifetime opportunity to harness the “Power of TEN”.

I mean how cool would it have been to post a blog spot at 10:10 pm on 10-10-10? Why didn’t I think ahead? Why didn’t l plan for that? Prepare for that? What a colossal miss right?

Another “shoulda, woulda, coulda” moment to add to my Top Ten list. I just can’t ever seem to get it right when it comes to that magic number TEN!

What is it about the number TEN anyway that makes me feel like that? That Bo Derek PERFECT TEN mentality that I can never and will never quite measure up.

I don’t know about you but I somehow always find myself falling short of that PERFECT TEN whenever I allow myself to rate myself. I always seem to focus on my flaws… as confident as I think I am the majority of the time it seems like that “NEVER a TEN” mindset sneaks in to undermine any positive feelings I allow myself to have about myself most of the time.

Well, at 52 and counting today I say NO MORE! Forget the POWER OF TEN… today I say EIGHT IS GREAT and SO IS TWO my new motto is just CELEBRATE THE NUMBER THAT BEST DESCRIBES YOU!

I am declaring TODAY my first ever NO TEN TUESDAY!

TODAY I am NOT going to allow myself the space and place to focus on my flaws… instead I am going to celebrate my STRENGTHS! I am going to “Bring out the Best” as my Dad would say.

Dad would often share his thought that "Being the BEST is all about bringing out the BEST in yourself and others"... the key message here is that it all starts with YOU!

I was reminded of this recently as a result of a homework assignment (I am not sure I have ever shared this with you all before but I am currently working on my Masters in Human and Organizational development at the Fielding School of Graduate Studies).

As part of my Masters program I was asked to take the “VIA Survey of Character Strengths” assessment that "Measures 24 Character Strengths" (it is free and available under "Engagement Questionnaires" at the University of Pennsylvania's Authentic Happiness Website: CLICK HERE and today on NO TEN TUESDAY I am sharing a summary of my TOP FIVE “Signature Strengths” with you.

Mary B. Lucas

VIA Survey of Character Strengths Results

TOP FIVE: Signature Strengths

Top Strength

1. Humor and playfulness

You like to laugh and tease.

Bringing smiles to other people is important to you.

You try to see the light side of all situations.

Second Strength

2. Zest, enthusiasm, and energy

Regardless of what you do, you approach it with excitement and energy.

You never do anything halfway or halfheartedly.

For you, life is an adventure.

Third Strength

3. Gratitude

You are aware of the good things that happen to you, and you never take them for granted.

Your friends and family members know that you are a grateful person

because you always take the time to express your thanks.

Fourth Strength

4. Creativity, ingenuity, and originality

Thinking of new ways to do things is a crucial part of who you are.

You are never content with doing something the conventional way if a better way is possible.

Fifth Strength

5. Curiosity and interest in the world

You are curious about everything.

You are always asking questions, and you find all subjects and topics fascinating.

You like exploration and discovery.

No surprises here… proof positive for all of you that know me well that I actually AM as FUNNY as I THINK I AM!

So what are YOU BEST at? Need some help reminding yourself?

Go ahead… TAKE THE TEST & CELEBRATE YOUR BEST or just ask your Best Bud what it is they love most about YOU!

No matter what you choose to do I suggest that on this NO TEN TUESDAY… however you define it… that you take some time to CELEBRATE all that is BEST about YOU!

Cheers!

Quality of Thought

2010-10-05T08:10:00.000-05:00

“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts."

- Marcus Aurelius
Roman emperor, best known for his Meditations on Stoic philosophy, AD 121-180

What Color is Your Tuesday?

2010-09-28T07:30:00.000-05:00

Colors

The weather here is starting to change yet the zinnias’ in my garden are still so brilliant with color I just had to share.

As human beings, we exude color each day, too.

We instinctively respond to the colors our eyes -- and mind -- perceive.

You're familiar with people feeling "blue" when they are down. Or they see "red" when they are angry. When the sun never quite shines, we think it's a "gray" day. When someone is jealous, they are "green" with envy.

Color, without our realizing it, can have a profound effect on how we feel both mentally and physically. Here are some examples:

• Blue means peace, tranquility, trust, loyalty.

• Green suggests environment, health, youth, luck.

• Purple represents royalty, spirituality, wisdom... and because I'm a K-State grad, it also means WILDCATS!

• Red is the color we pay most attention to. It is the warmest and most energetic color in the spectrum. Red is love, speed, celebration and strength. Personally… it reminds me of all things that come from the HEART.

Remember, life happens to each of us in color. How we respond to that is the measure of our character.

So with that in mind... what color is your Tuesday?

Moments

2010-09-12T18:29:00.000-05:00

Monday

Exhausted after a hectic holiday weekend I drive my son Chase back to school and turn around to rush back home.

About an hour and a half outside of Kansas City I find myself too sleepy to drive another minute and check in to the Holiday Inn in Boonville Missouri.

Image from BestPlaces.com

Half hour later I am sound asleep.

Tuesday

After a good night’s sleep and a stolen morning away from everything and everyone but my latest favorite book on tape I arrive home and open my mail only to find a card sent from my sister Jane two days earlier that reads...

I used to be driven but I pulled over.

It was a moment.

Wednesday

An email shows up in my inbox alerting me to a question posted on the LinkedIn Butcher Block Exchange group.

A member has posed the question:

"My father was a big influence in my early years. What tips do you have about being a modern day father?"

I post the following response...

I have been touched by comments I hear from so many Dad's that I have been privileged to meet as a result of the book I wrote about MY Dad.

The story that came to mind when you asked this question however... was about the Father who came up to me after a speech I did in Vegas about my Dad.

With tears in his eyes he walked up to me and said... "thank you for speaking today... I have to admit however I really didn't listen much at all I was so distracted. You see... this is the first time I've left my 8 week old baby girl and all I could think about as you were speaking was... how can I be the kind of Father to MY Daughter that your Father was for you? I really want my Daughter to love and respect me that much as well... thank you."

I replied... "If that is all you could think about... I don't think you will have any trouble."

It was a moment.

Thursday

I am crazed with work work (paying job -consulting & coaching) and yet the book work (Lunchmeat Legion philanthropy & social media stuff) is consuming me.

On the way to a speaking engagement my friend Betsy calls and reminds me that I have not posted anything on my blog since that last "Jack is Back" message. I tell her that I have not had the time to write anything substantial or meaningful.

She comments that the ..."best blogs are not novelettes... they are bathed in brevity" ... "just write about moments" she suggests.

Now... I have never used the word brevity in a sentence... just for the heck of it I decide to look it up on dictionary.com.

Brevity - the quality of expressing much in few words

I laugh out loud... brevity... there is not a brevity bone in my body... never has been.

In fact... "Mary -one sentence too many- Lucas" is how friends and foe might refer to me... the first lovingly, the second, not so much.

It was a moment.

Friday

I bookmark the to do of writing a brevity based blog post about moments and bury myself in the back log of work work work waiting for me.

Saturday

I blow off writing a brevity based blog post about moments -Day 2 and go back to the "pull over" mental mindset and I play on a gorgeous September Kansas day.

Image from Kaprizen

A day filled with moments.

Sunday

I blow off writing my brevity based blog post yet again and finish the book on tape I started on my Monday drive.

Favorite moment in the book?

Antonia says to her Mother... "You are so beautiful" and her Mother replies...

"Life is Beautiful... some people just remind us of that more often than others".

It was a moment.

I am now inspired to write my blog post and share this favorite quote along with my thanks to my sister Jane, the Dad from the speech in Vegas and my friend Betsy for reminding me to "pull over" from time to time and cherish the moments.

Image from loricraig.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com

Cheers!

P.S. By the way... in case you are wondering I do realize I still have a lot of brevity work to do!

JACK IS BACK!

2010-09-02T04:17:00.001-05:00

A Lesson in Lasting Impact

My Boomerang Moment

You know what they say..."Spring Forward-Fall Back." Well, that’s exactly where I am headed with this Autumn BlogSpot... back.

I thought I would share one of my favorite Lunchmeat moments of late and tell you all about an amazing thing that has happened in my life. Jack is Back!

The back story to what I'm leading up to may ring a bell. It's Chapter Nine -- or the "Jack Story" as so many of my readers call it. In fact, click here to listen to an audio excerpt:

http://maryblucas.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=94&Itemid=81

So, I sent myself flowers -- and sent the bill to Jack -- back in 1989. Over 20 years ago. Flash forward to 2010 and what do I get in an email last month? A message from Jack. Read over my shoulder here......

Mary,

I sat down and read your book in one sitting and I really enjoyed it. You could tell the life lessons came from your heart and the admiration you had for your father was quite clear. Anyone who grew up in a close family could relate to the connection you had with both your Mom and Dad.

I also came away from the book with two really strong feelings. The first is something I know you know but hearing it from a distant contact will reinforce that awareness. You really did live and practice what you write about in the book. When I reflect on how you handled different situations, it is crystal clear that you absolutely "practiced what you preach" so if you ever need a testimonial as to whether “Lunchmeat & Life Lessons” worked for you, I'm your man!

The second feeling that kept coming back to me, mainly because of my personal experiences early in my career, is the power of culture. The strong culture that existed within your family and how those experiences played a role in formulating the culture that you helped create at work permeates the book. It is critical to the success of a company that its culture is endorsed by everyone. Your life lessons were embraced by your team and co-workers, you embraced others philosophies and collectively created the company culture. As I witnessed that collective culture, was a key to the success of the company.

A “Life Lesson” for anyone joining a company, or becoming part of one as the result of an acquisition, is to understand and embrace the existing culture. Even if you have been charged with change, that change has a better chance of being successful if you first appreciate what already exists. I learned that the hard way early in my career. As a result of that life lesson, I devoted an enormous amount of energy to creating a strong positive culture and one that is also receptive to new concepts later in my career. I do not believe I would have ever realized the importance understanding and accepting a culture before trying to change it if it had not been for those earlier years. Your book confirmed those beliefs for me. Great job on the book, congratulations on a wonderful second career.

Sincerely, Jack

You could have knocked me over with a feather! What a gift! I was so grateful for his kind words and thoughtful observations. I even asked him if I could share his message with all of you and his response was an immediate “Yes”. I have to say I was blown away... I hadn’t seen or heard from Jack in almost two decades and frankly, never really thought our paths would cross again. But through the power of this little book, "Lunchmeat & Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher's Wisdom," Jack has returned like a boomerang and landed right back in my life teaching me another life lesson or two.

So what can this "Boomerang Moment" mean for you? Two words: Lasting Impact.

Think of the impact you have on other people each day. Think of the personal responsibility you have in bringing your very best self to those around you. In the workplace. At home. In school. As neighbors. In your own communities. To those less fortunate. To those who seldom glimpse the goodness in others.

Do you present your values to the world proudly, even memorably? Do your actions inspire others to do the same? Do you bring your A Game of honesty, integrity, kindness and generosity in all you do?

That's lasting impact. And I don’t know about you... but Jack sure reminded me with his message that I still have a lot of work to do. I think maybe after all these years that's really the greatest gift Jack could ever send me.....way better than flowers: A reminder that during our time together I lived and practiced the very special life lessons that my father taught me. Even 20 plus years later, he remembers ... so I'll never forget.

As my Dad always said:

Thanks for reading, and may you welcome your own returning boomerang soon!

FUN at Work Blog Spot: The Spherion Good Times Reunion

2010-08-22T11:28:00.001-05:00

Today’s food for thought and inspiration validates the power of having FUN at Work!

This week I picked up the book A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink.

Now I admit I am only on Chapter Six of Nine but I will tell you that Pink “had me at hello” when I read the premise for this work.

In the book Pink details his views that in the future:

There are six essential aptitudes—“the six senses”— on which professional success and personal satisfaction increasingly will depend: Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play and Meaning.

He then goes on to share that:

The capabilities we once disdained or thought frivolous — the “right brain” qualities of inventiveness, empathy, joyfulness and meaning — increasingly will determine who flourishes and who flounders.

For individuals, families and organizations, professional success and personal fulfillment now require a whole new mind.

Hmmm… I thought to myself, as I nodded in agreement while reading on a flight to Atlanta, the capabilities detailed above did not feel all that “new” to me. I reluctantly put the book aside once I landed and went about the business of doing business at my client meetings. All went well as we finished the day and prepared to head to dinner.

Now, I must admit, I had been looking forward to this particular business trip for some time and it wasn’t just because of the project my consulting firm was taking on.

I was also looking forward to reconnecting with a number of my favorite former colleagues from Spherion who all lived in or were visiting the Atlanta area at the same time at both a dinner on Thursday night…

…. as well as a breakfast gathering on Friday morning …

Laughter was abundant during our time together as we told stories and shared memories of all the FUN we all had working together. As I flew home Friday afternoon I found myself laughing at the thought of something someone said or did while we were together and the memories that were still so special and magical for me.

I also couldn’t help but think of all the special friends I worked with and shared a laugh with over the years who were not in attendance and who, I am certain, would have added to the FUN if they HAD been able to attend and then I picked up my book and hit Chapter Three.

In Chapter Three Pink shares thoughts courtesy of Daniel Goleman, the author of the groundbreaking book Emotional Intelligence that:

… more important than a leaders IQ as a determination of his/her success is his/her EQ (Emotional Intelligence) partially defined as “high-touch abilities” like “imagination, joyfulness, and social dexterity”.

In fact Pink goes on to reference a study regarding effective leadership by Goleman and the Hay Group that found that:

… within organizations the most effective leaders were funny (that is funny ha-ha, not funny strange). These leaders had their charges laughing three times more often than their managerial counterparts.

“Nothing NEW about this for me...” I thought to myself as I remembered those I had just left behind as we celebrated the good times we shared together but GREAT validation that one of my favorite bits of Butcher’s Wisdom…

… was as on the money today as it was in those early years of my career.

I do know however that I have my work cut out for me as an Executive Coach and Organizational Development Consultant because I will tell you that leaders who encourage laughter at work are not as abundant as what I had come to know growing up in the staffing industry or “the people business” as my Dad would always call it.

Many thanks to Daniel Pink and his book A Whole New Mind for reminding me that no matter where you lead you are leading people and as a result we are ALL in the people business… and people my friends… love to laugh… I know I sure do.

To all my Spherion friends attending this past weeks gatherings and those who were only there in my heart… looks like we were ahead of our time not only in the way we led… but the way we LAUGHED!

Cheers!

Mary

The BBE Back to School Blog

2010-08-15T22:50:00.000-05:00

On this Sunday Eve as so many of us prepare to send our "babies" Back to School I share the following food for thought courtesy of my friend Jane.

Last year just before my first born son Chase went off to college I struggled with finding the words to express all the feelings I had about our "last summer" together and the emotional rollercoaster ride I was on as a result of his eminent College "send off". I honestly had no idea how I would cope after he was gone.

Jane listened to me for a bit nodding knowingly as she had been there two times before me and she assured me that everything was indeed going to be ok. She shared her thoughts that as hard as it was to send her first born son Jack off to USC the son who returned to her that following summer was better for having gone, as was she.

"You will be fine" she said "and more importantly so will he" and when we left each other she gave me a hug and a CD that she said helped her put her feelings at that time into perspective.
I remember driving home from our lunch together listening to the CD thinking that I was not quite sure I would ever be "fine" again as she suggested but I knew that I had found a kindred spirit in Donna the Mother I met that day courtesy of Jane & NPR.

If you too would like to meet her and her son Charlie click on the following link: NPR "Back to School" Radio Program .

Now... one year later as I prepare to send my oldest off for year two at Mizzou and my baby boy off to his last year in high school I can honestly say she was right.

I know that doesn't make it any easier for all of those I spoke with this week where I played the part of the seasoned survivor to so many of my friends and relatives who shared a tear or two as they prepared themselves for college, high school and even kindergarten "send offs".

I dedicate this "Back to School" Blog Spot to all of you as well as my assurance that eventually you too will be "just fine" and so will your "babies".

The First Day Of School

I

My child and I hold hands on the way to school,

And when I leave him at the first-grade door

He cries a little but is brave; he does

Let go. My selfish tears remind me how

I cried before that door a life ago.

I may have had a hard time letting go.

Each fall the children must endure together

What every child also endures alone:

Learning the alphabet, the integers,

Three dozen bits and pieces of a stuff

So arbitrary, so peremptory,

That worlds invisible and visible

Bow down before it, as in Joseph's dream

The sheaves bowed down and then the stars bowed down

Before the dreaming of a little boy.

That dream got him such hatred of his brothers

As cost the greater part of life to mend,

And yet great kindness came of it in the end.

II

A school is where they grind the grain of thought,

And grind the children who must mind the thought.

It may be those two grindings are but one,

As from the alphabet come Shakespeare's Plays,

As from the integers comes Euler's Law,

As from the whole, inseparably, the lives,

The shrunken lives that have not been set free

By law or by poetic phantasy.

But may they be. My child has disappeared

Behind the schoolroom door. And should I live

To see his coming forth, a life away,

I know my hope, but do not know its form

Nor hope to know it. May the fathers he finds

Among his teachers have a care of him

More than his father could. How that will look

I do not know, I do not need to know.

Even our tears belong to ritual.

But may great kindness come of it in the end.

- by Howard Nemerov

Photo Courtesy of Southern Living

How I Spent My Summer Vacation: The story of Angel and HIS example.

2010-08-13T13:52:00.000-05:00

Our Summer Vacation

Arkansas River August 2010

Just got back from a Colorado get away... so BEAUTIFUL and cool compared to KC where from what I understand it has been 100 degrees plus all week. What a great escape!

Scott and I had the BEST time rafting on the Arkansas River with the boys and one of their best pals Jackson...

Nick, Jackson, Me, Scott & Chase

... and then to add to the fun on the way home I did a speech yesterday in Manhattan Kansas at Kansas State University (my under graduate alma mater).

I still can't believe that 30 years after my "graduation" from KSU I was back on campus sharing stories of the type of work ethic and wisdom I learned to appreciate while growing up watching my favorite teacher, my Father the Butcher, and the example he set for our family that ...

After all the headlines this week about what an "inspiration" an unhappy, spoiled, cranky and "overworked" flight attendant has become to many because he blew off his job, his employers and his customers I felt the need to share a story of our new pal Angel (pronounced AHN-hell).

For me... the Butcher's Daughter... Angel is living proof that GREAT people working hard each and every day making positive choices and treating their customers with humor, dignity and respect when they "act out" is where true inspiration comes from.

People often share their thoughts with me that the kind of work ethic and customer service attitude I learned from my Dad is dead... "Those were the good old days" they say. "Not so" I often reply and share stories of workforce heroes I see in action all the time... from David Vogt my trash man and "the happiest man I know" to my Pals at the UPS Store who ship my books out for me at a moment’s notice with no complaints. This ... I think we should all celebrate the REAL WORKFORCE HEROES when we see them.

That is why TODAY I ask you to join me in CELEBRATING Angel for the kind of leadership example he sets each and every day!

We met Angel at breakfast in our hotel the first morning of our get away and his smile and welcoming manner caught my attention straight away. The fact that he responded with concern then laughter after an embarrassed Nick had a bit of a choking episode when his chocolate milk went down the wrong way and Angel ended up sprayed with the brown liquid all over his clothes he sealed the deal that he was one of my new workforce heroes.

Oh but the story does not end there... the following morning when we came down for breakfast he welcomed us back and smiled at Nick while asking "Can I get you a big glass of chocolate milk this morning?" and we all laughed out loud.

BUT the REAL lesson Angel taught us all did not come from our breakfast interactions at our hotel. The real learning came from our chance meeting at dinner our last night in town.

While walking to our table at a beautiful Italian Restaurant in Avon we were all surprised and delighted when Angel walked up to our table and announced himself as our waiter for the evening. We all laughed when he asked for our drink orders and looked straight at Nick.

"What fun that you are here Angel" I commented "but when do you have time for you?" I asked. "You must be very busy working two jobs" I added.

"Oh no maam," he replied "I work THREE jobs... when I leave the hotel I go straight to my job cleaning a dentist's office before I come here to serve the dinner crowd." He then went on to share, "It's expensive living here in this beautiful place and I need to work the three jobs to keep up but I don't mind it's fun meeting people like all of you and I really enjoy the work I do and so appreciate the opportunity to live where I live."

Angel, Jackson, Chase & Nick

OK... after that last exchange I have to admit I thought that Angel really was an angel sent here to help me teach my boys that the "good old-fashioned work ethic and attitude" that I talk about so often really isn't a thing of the past and that we can all learn from the examples surrounding us each and every day.

So... here's to Angel and David and my UPS Pals THANK YOU all for teaching us by your example and to all of us fortunate enough to come in to contact with these WORKFORCE HEROES let's remember Dad's advice that we should always try to...

Phoebe and Mac and I-Contact

2010-08-10T07:33:00.000-05:00

Phoebe and Mac and I-Contact?

So... who are Phoebe and Mac you may ask and what do I mean by "I-Contact"?

Phoebe & Mac are both students getting ready to head back to school after working as interns for the "Butcher Block Exchange Social Media Summer Project" and at the age of 18 they have taught me some powerful lessons about myself and how I can and should redefine my personal definition of "I-Contact" in order to stay current in the world I live in and work in today.

Let me explain... In 2007 I wrote the article below that was published in the Kansas City Star business section titled "How to Make I-Contact".

Making Business Personal: How to Make I-Contact

By Mary Bichelmeyer Lucas

Current Day: Companies continue to “drill down” and “defrag” to find business solutions. This is an era where we talk “offline” and dine “al desko” when pressed for time at work. Here’s another overly used, contemporary phrase to sum it all up: Get real already.

1946: The year John Bichelmeyer opened the doors to his Kansas City, KS meat market and began showing the business world how to do things the right way. He never wrote a best seller or earned his MBA, but for the next six decades, this butcher served as a timeless example of what works – and what doesn’t – in business.

His common sense philosophies remain a blueprint for success even in today’s more complex business economy. Though he’s gone now, this man’s simple approach and quietly elegant advice resonates across all segments of industry.

Let’s take stock of what’s really important in business, something John Bichelmeyer understood intuitively:

People do business with people. People do not do business with PCs, phone systems, or email.

Companies are not “things.” Companies are people working toward a shared goal. That my friends makes business very, very personal.

Yet somehow business forgets that critical point when it insists on “streamlining” or “seeking efficiencies” in acquiring more workplace techno-gizmos. Business intentionally places obstacles in the way of engaging one-on-one with other people – with each other in the workplace, and with their next customer! Why?

American business has become a culture of workers hiding behind computer desks and automated telecom attendants. Even the sales function, typified by one-on-one buyer and seller interaction, has morphed the process into the push of a keypad. Cars, books, vacations – you name it. Just click here and the item is added to your computerized shopping cart for checkout.

People frequently speak of “the good old days.” What was so different back then? Chances are, the good old days equates to specific interactions with people. When a handshake was as good as a signed contract. When the milkman came to the back door on Thursdays. When the school bus driver knew your name and that you lived in the blue house second from the corner. When your dad’s boss came home for dinner and your mom pulled out the “good” dishes. When you “charged” something at the local butcher shop, and John Bichelmeyer knew you’d be in to pay the bill at the end of the month.

Where did those frequent human “touch points” go? Why did we stop interacting with each other? Who will lead the parade in the other direction?

Business can -- and should. Here’s how:

Companies must learn to re-engage with people, both their own internal human resources and their external customers. Organizations must learn to balance human processes with technology tools in order to fill the widening chasm of depersonalization. Good old common sense must stand alongside marketplace efficiency tools to create opportunities and resolve problems.

Seldom does a computer report solve an operations problem with quite the sensitivity of a live person. Conversations with a desktop virtual assistant are almost always one-sided. And rarely does a laptop smile and say thank you when wrapping up a good day’s work.

What’s missing, of course, is the human connection. People energy.

John Bichelmeyer, the Kansas City, KS butcher, understood this all along, which is why his butcher shop thrived. Third generation customers still shop there today because he placed high value in other people. His trade was meat cutting, but his real gift was his people skills.

True company assets are human beings. Let’s bring “I-contact” back to the workplace.

Note to self: "I need to "Get real already".

Although I still stand firm in my belief that "human connection" and can never be completely replaced by social networking I now realize that there IS a lot of "people energy" created virtually and that the parade IS being lead in a direction where there IS great value and that if I don't join in this parade it may just pass me by!

This summer thanks to Phoebe & Mac I learned a thing or two that helped me combine the old world and the new and answer my own questions... "Where did those frequent human 'touch points' go? Why did we stop interacting with each other? Who will lead the parade in the other direction?"

So... where did those 'touch points' go?

Well, thanks to my brilliant summer interns below are a few of the 'virtual touch points' I am now involved in all focused on showing the world that there are still plenty of people out there that believe in the power of positive messaging.

1. BLOG: The Butcher Block Exchange. This blog is meant to continue the legacy left by my Dad, John Bichelmeyer, the inspiration for Lunchmeat and Life Lessons. Check the blog often at http://thebutcherblockexchange.blogspot.com/ for inspirational and thought-provoking entries and when you do please sign up as a "Follower" on the bottom right!

2. FACEBOOK: If you are into Facebook the page for The Butcher Block Exchange, can found at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/The-Butcher-Block-Exchange/113639718682917?ref=ts A continuation of the blog on Facebook. Please click on "Like" it!

3. LINKED IN: If you are already on LinkedIn look up the Group “The Butcher Block Exchange” http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=3160792 and click on “Join Group” to follow the fun!

When we kicked off this project our collective goal was to have a documented following built at each of these channels by the end of the summer interested in sharing in an exchange of positive “Food for Thought & Inspiration”.

So how did we do?

Well... at the risk of tooting my own horn I’d say that thanks to all of you reading this and most of all to Phoebe & Mac although I am not quite ready to LEAD the social media parade (still not tweeting) I have figured out some ways to virtually bring back the "I-Contact".

Cheers!

P.S. Pheebs & Mac this bit of Butcher’s Wisdom is dedicated to you... once again THANK YOU!

Bueller Bueller? Hello? Hello? Is anybody still out there?

2010-08-04T11:07:00.000-05:00

Hi all... Remember me? Well, I am BACK!

I can’t believe it is the FIRST week in August and I have been MIA on all social media since mid July!!

Just when I thought I had the blogging, facing, linking and tweeting down I got thrown a curve ball and I found myself living in a world overtaken by ER, CTI, EKG and ICU type medical abbreviations... far from all the social media fun & frenzy!

All is much better now… diagnosis… my 17 year old 6 foot 5 and growing baby boy experienced a spontaneous pneumothorax (collapsed lung) and I (his mother) experienced an enormous sense of gratitude post healing and hospital stay and now I am finally finding myself ready to get back in to the swing of things.

To be honest I really could of (and should of) been back in the game before now but for some reason (maybe it was my attitude of gratitude) I find myself focusing on everything BUT the blogging, facing, linking and tweeting lately... almost like I have been playing the part of Ferris Bueller in my own life (remember Ferris Bueller?) !

Link to Video Clip of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"

Image from movieposter.com

... and the people around me have been playing the part of the infamous economics teacher...

"Bueller?? Bueller?? Anybody... Bueller?? Bueller??"

Well, as my Dad would say when you get off track don't waste time making excuses, best thing you can do to get back on track is to:

So with this posting I am doing just that... I am raising my hand (and my glass since I am of age now) and announcing to all that Bueller might not be back on the block but I sure am and I am looking forward to sharing some more food for thought and inspiration with all of you in the very near future!

Cheers!

Happy Birthday Dad!!!

2010-07-19T00:54:00.000-05:00

Whew… it has been one crazy week!

In fact since this past Monday I feel like my life has been playing out in front of me like a double feature of sorts… Planes Trains and Automobiles meets Four Weddings and a Funeral.

Between travel for speeches & consulting work and happy & sad personal celebrations (weddings & funerals) my recent schedule has been full & frenzied with little free time to fan the flames of Facebook, Blogs, Links or Tweets.

When I finally sat down tonight to do some bookwork and total the donations I had collected for the John & Mary Bichelmeyer Tribute Site this week I realized that while I had been focused on going from moment to moment of late the moments had been adding up to a milestone that is pretty great and frankly worth bragging or at least blogging about!

Drum roll please…… WE DID IT!

We hit the $10K Donation mark at the www.HeartsWeLeaveBehind.com John & Mary Bichelmeyer American Heart Association Tribute Site!!!

We set the goal on the day we launched the site November 9, 2009 (my Mom’s Birthday) and we hit it on the anniversary of my Dad’s Birthday… July 18, 2010!

As tired as I am right now I am not sure what to make of all of this… I just know that I am going to bed tonight bursting with pride and gratitude to all who have helped me keep my parents legacy alive in such a heartfelt and meaningful way.

What a gift!

Once again… THANK YOU to all for visiting this site and Happy Birthday Dad!!

Always the Butcher’s Daughter…

Mary B. Lucas, B.D.

Say Cheese Please!

2010-07-14T19:55:00.000-05:00

Mid-Week Food for Thought & Inspiration!

While flying Southwest Airlines this afternoon I picked up the July issue of the in-flight magazine Spirit and found a quote in an article that I wanted to share.

In the magazines "Advisory" section "kindred spirit Richard Wiseman" the author of the book 59 Seconds was quoted and credited for "distilling dozens of simple, practical tips that one can apply in a minute or less". These "scientifically proven methods" the article went on to say are "designed to fit anywhere on your calendar".

So on this particular Wednesday aka "Hump Day" I decided to share the following excerpt that made me SMILE and hopefully will have the same effect on you.

"In a classic study, researchers asked one group of people to furrow their brows while another group adopted a slight grin. These simple acts of facial contortion had a surprisingly significant effect on mood. The group that smiled reported feeling happier than the people who frowned. The study proved that people don’t just smile when they feel happy, but also feel happy because they smile".

So there you have it... the thought for the day... Say Cheese Please!

Clipart Courtesy of: clipart-for-free.blogspot.com/2008/08/smiley-...

Today’s Food for Thought: The Recipe for Comeback Sauce

2010-07-12T21:21:00.000-05:00

Don’t Forget the Comeback Sauce!

I got a message from an old friend and colleague yesterday (just to clarify… our friendship is old she is not) sharing a story about a not so great customer service experience she had recently.

In her message she said…

I was thinking of you the other day and wished for a printed recipe card for your "Comeback Sauce".

I was at the tire dealer seeking a tire for our trailer. Side note - we are going to NJ to pick up some of the last items from my Dad's estate and thought a spare would be a good idea. Well one guy behind the counter was helping someone and the other counter person was on the phone looking for tires from another dealer or ??.

No problem they are busy and I am happy to wait. I'm patiently waiting and the phone guy hangs up, but he doesn't acknowledge me and proceeds to make a few more calls. Now I can understand if he said I'll be with you in a moment or how can I help or something before he proceeds to get back on phone.

At that point I felt like I had on my invisible cape, of course borrowed from Harry Potter. After another 5 minutes of being invisible I just left. Needless to say I won't be back at that place of business.

After the wonderful years of working with you, I thought boy they need some Comeback Sauce and wouldn't it be fun to leave them a recipe card!

Those words of wisdom continue ...

Do you think they would get it?

How many times have you wanted to do that?"

Now… I know that I have been adamant about the fact that The Butcher Block Exchange is a place to share inspirational food for thought and you might be asking yourself what is inspirational about sharing a not so great service story like this one?

Well… the inspiration for me came a result of noodling on her experience while drafting a response to her questions.

Below is a copy of my detailed reply for your consideration and consumption.

Hi there…

Hmmm… your message IS interesting Food for Thought!

The first thought I had after reading your post was… my Dad would be so proud that you are quoting him!

Next thought… I am sorry you had such a frustrating service experience… unfortunately these days I am finding that you are not alone and yes I have felt the same way many times.

I actually have had numerous Lunchmeat & Life Lessons readers ask what "a recipe for Comeback Sauce” might look like and as a result I put one together that I often share when speaking about the book.

So… here goes… the recipe for Comeback Sauce is:

Comeback Sauce Recipe

1. One Part Recognition
2. One Part Connection
3. Add a Dose of the Unexpected
4. Pour on Liberally & Often

If you would like to know a few more secrets behind the sauce you can check out the YouTube link below:

http://www.youtube.com/maryblucas#p/u/7/sKOcFOTfJmg

Can you just imagine the difference in the interaction you had if the people you mentioned would have followed the recipe above?

Instead of the frustrating experience you detailed in your message I am thinking your exchange might have played out more like this?

ONE PART RECOGNITION:

You walked in to the dealership and the employee on the phone looks up at you acknowledging that you entered the room and he smiles at you holding up his finger and mouths the words “I will be right with you… hang in there with me ok?” and gestures for you to take a seat.

The other guy helping the customer smiles as well and says “thanks for coming in” and something like “I am with a customer just now so Joe here will be with you shortly”.

ONE PART CONNECTION:

While waiting for the “phone guy” to end his conversation you look around the dealership and you continue to be acknowledged while he is winding up the phone call with eye contact, a nod, a smile and some gesture like “hang in there I am winding up the conversation right now”.

The other guy continues to work with his customer and keeps looking over his shoulder to make sure you are ok. “Phone guy” finishes the call with some comment like… “Thank’s for calling I promise we will take good care of you when you come in so I hope to see you soon” and you get a good feeling about him from the interaction you just over heard. He hangs up the phone stands up and walks over to greet you warmly with another smile and an extended hand and says “Thank you for waiting on me now I can totally focus on YOU. So what brings you to our dealership and how can I help you?”

ADD A DOSE OF THE UNEXPECTED:

You share your concerns about the car with him and during that exchange you mention that you are heading to New Jersey to finish packing up your Father’s estate… he asks about your Father’s passing and expresses his genuine sympathy and concern for your loss. He then proceeds to help you with your spare tire question and the wait is a distant memory as the warmth of the exchange has melted Harry Potter’s invisible cape and the last thing you feel at the moment is invisible.

WHY? Because “phone guy” and “the other guy” already know the recipe for “Comeback Sauce” and have obviously been pouring it on their customers for years! That is why the place is so busy!

Thanks again for sharing your comments and questions. Oh and as far as your last question “Do you think they would get it?”

My answer is NO… I don’t they would and I don’t think I would waste my time giving the recipe out to people like the “phone guy” and his co-worker.

In an example like the one you described I think I would have just walked away as well smiling and waving on my way out mouthing something like… “seems like you are really busy and I am sorry we could not connect... have a great day” and leave it at that.

I have found that the people who don’t have an appetite or aptitude to mix up a batch of Comeback Sauce are pretty easy to spot and I think that handing them a recipe card would just be wasteful. We both know where it would end up.

I do however think that this not so secret recipe should be shared with people that already have an appetite for it and by sharing it with them it may even inspire them to pour on more.

So... here is my inspirational thought for the day… thanks to my friend Roberta's suggestion.

What if we all made up recipe cards and carried them around with us and anytime someone poured Comeback Sauce on us we could leave them a card as a sign of our appreciation? One side of the card could have the recipe printed on it and the other a note reading something like this:

Date: (Fill in)
Location: (Fill in)

Dear --------- (Write in name),

Thanks for treating me so well today, because of you I had a great experience here at -----.

Rest assured I will be back the very next chance I get and I will tell others about how great you are to work with as well!

Again Thank YOU… you are just exceptional at what you do and I thought you should know that!

All the BEST!

Signature (Fill in)

You know... we might just be on to something here... by leaving these Comeback Sauce cards for worthy recipients we would actually be pouring Comeback Sauce on the very people that poured Comeback Sauce on us!

Sweet… Comeback Sauce double dipping!

CHEERS!

2010-07-09T18:33:00.000-05:00

Friday Afternoon July 9, 2010 My Home Office

Last coaching call for the day complete I prepare to walk out my door when I feel the tug of my inbox begging me to check it once more.

I feel bad when I see all the new messages and realize that I can't possibly provide a timely reply when a new message from my friend Ruth catches my eye...

Ruth McCurdy has left a new comment on your post "You can't Judge a Book by its Cover":

So often, when I find myself judging someone by the way he or she behaves or looks, I am reminded that I've created a story about that person with (as my husband Steve says...) no data!

I think one of the best examples of this is the Susan Boyle story. When she stepped onto the stage on the Britain's Got Talent show the cameras panned the audiences faces. We saw shocked, smug faces turn to awe and delight as she began singing.

What a lesson! Thanks for sharing this story. It really touched my heart.

I am touched by her message and the memory of the YouTube video she describes and I decide in honor of TGIF I will download it again for the 999th time!

I click on the link Britians Got Talent and grab a glass of red wine and I find myself wishing that Susan Boyle's voice was actually mine.

So as I close out this week I share this last thought with all of you... CHEERS Butcher Block Friends... may all of YOUR wishes come true!!!

You can't Judge a Book by its Cover

2010-07-07T11:32:00.000-05:00

Scene: Logan International Airport –Boston Mass.

5:15 A.M Announcement: "This flight is oversold we are offering anyone interested in giving up their seat on the 6 A.M flight to Kansas City a $300 voucher and a confirmed seat on the 2 P.M. flight through Newark".

Seasoned traveler that I am I know this drill... I take a quick glance at my boarding pass and breathe a sigh of relief... yes I do have an assigned seat for the flight... whew.

I look around the packed seating area surrounding the gate... no takers and no one seems the slightest bit concerned... except for the baby wailing by the bathroom it is quiet and I assume everyone else around me is still operating in that sleep deprived haze that goes along with a wakeup call at 3 A.M. for a 6 A.M. flight.

5:35 A.M Announcement: "This flight is oversold we are offering anyone interested in giving up their seat on the 6 A.M flight to Kansas City a $350 voucher and a confirmed seat on the 2 P.M. flight through Newark".

Again I look around... no takers and no one seems the slightest bit concerned. And the baby is STILL wailing.

5:45 A.M: While standing in line to board the plane a big bellied bear of a man bullies his way up to the counter and interrupts the gate agent taking the tickets and bellows, I mean BELLOWS out:

"Miss! Miss! I DO NOT HAVE A SEAT ASSIGNMENT ON MY TICKET... it says here 'SEE GATE AGENT.' Does that mean I DO NOT HAVE A SEAT ON THIS FLIGHT?".

Gate Agent response: "Sir could you please wait right over there and I promise that I will be with you in a moment".

Next in line, I hand the gate agent my ticket and give her a sympathetic nod and smile. I quickly make my way to the boarding bridge thinking that once I am on that plane and in my seat I am home free.

And to be brutally honest I am secretly hoping that the big bellied burly brusque Bear of a Bostonian behind me will NOT get a seat on my flight because frankly I would like to get some sleep and he left an impression as the kind of guy I DID NOT want to be near anytime or anywhere much less on a three hour flight at 6 A.M when all I was looking for was some ZZZZZZ's.

5:48 A.M: I turn down the aisle past the first class elite as they give me that knowing "You are not worthy" smile and I glance at my seat location 7A by the window when I notice Wailing Baby (a lap child) is in aisle seat 8B and the deer in the headlights look on window seat 8A's face.

5:50 A.M. Announcement: "This flight is oversold we are offering anyone interested in giving up their seat on the 6 A.M. flight to Kansas City a $400 voucher and a confirmed seat on the 2 P.M. flight through Newark".

5:50 and 1/2 second later A.M.: 8A stands up and raises his hand... "I'll do it!!! I WILL DO IT." he yells. "Where do I sign up?"!

5:51 A.M.: 8A whizzes past Wailing Baby rushing to the airplane door and my mind begins to process what I think is about to happen. "Please No" I silently pray as the baby continues to wail.

5:54 A.M.: My worst nightmare... the big bellied Bear of a bully brushes his way past the flight attendant & the first class elite and heads towards what I assume to be the ONLY open seat on the plane... 8A. Wailing Baby’s mama stands up to let Grizzly Adams in and I watch his face when he realizes he is about to be trapped next to wailing Baby and Mama and that's when I see the transformation... right before my eyes... Grizzly Adams MELTS... his scowl softens and the Burly Bear turned into a Teddy Bear.

5:55 A.M.: Bear settles in to his seat and I can barely hear his voice as says sweetly to wailing baby "there there little one nothing to cry about it's all going to be okay" and believe it or not Wailing Baby stopped wailing! I can't see the faces of Bear, Baby or Baby’s mama and I can't make out exactly what Mama says but I can hear Bear's soft voice respond with... "Nice to meet you both I am so happy to be here seated next to you. I almost didn't get on this flight and I was worried... you see I am going to Kansas City to meet my first grand baby and I can't wait, I hope he is as cute as you are".

6:00 A.M.: The plane is quiet and peaceful, I can't tell for sure but I think Wailing Baby is asleep and Bear is talking softly to Mama about their long journey from India and how tired she and Baby must be. The Flight Attendant announces "Welcome aboard everybody we are about to take off... please make sure your tray tables are in the upright position, your seatbelts are fastened and oh yes... enjoy the ride"!

Thanks to Bear... I did just that!

Today's Food for Thought & Inspiration:

You just Can't Judge a Book (or a Bear) by its Cover!

Happy Birthday America!

2010-07-04T13:00:00.000-05:00

Photo Credit: Joseph Sohm/Visions of America/Corbis

Today's food for thought & inspiration?
A quote sandwich courtesy of two wise men named John with a side of videos

thanks to YouTube and History.com.

"Celebrate every chance you get." -John Bichelmeyer

Photo Credit: Ariel Skelley/Corbis

"The day will be most memorable in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival…It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade… bonfires and illuminations (fireworks) from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore." -John Adams

July 3, 1776 this quote was written by John Adams in a letter to his wife after the Continental Congress had decided to proclaim the American colonies independent of England.

Photo Credit: Ariel Skelley/Corbis

Video Fourth of July Celebration History

"If you don't have a Happy Birthday it's your own damn fault." -John Bichelmeyer

Wishing all of you visting the Butcher Block Exchange today a safe and Happy 4th of July.

Cheers!

Video Proud to be an American -God Bless the USA!

Survey Says .... "Good Good Book" Results!

2010-07-01T13:42:00.001-05:00

Reporting in from Boston and my weekend getaway with the results from last week's
"Good Good Book" survey.

Thanks to all who shared their picks via email, blog comments, Fcebook posts,
restarant run-ins(how timely to bump into the owners of Rainy Day Books while
preparing this post) and my favorite... a personal phone call from my sister
Judy!

So with out further adieu... I present the first ever Butcher Block Exchange
Must Read List to you... think drumroll here ending in a TaDa!!!!

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand By Helen Simonson

The Bronze Horseman By Paullina Simons

Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections on and Off the Court By John
Wooden

Jane Eyre By Charlotte Bronte

The Help By Kathryn Stockett

Moviola By Garson Kanin

A Voice in the Wind By Francine Rivers

An Echo in the Darkness By Francine Rivers

(Two Books from the Mark of the Lion Series)

City of Thieves By David Benioff

U is for Undertow By Sue Grafton

In the Woods By Tana French

The God of Animals By Aryn Kyle

AND Last but not least..

Lunchmeat & Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher's Wisdom by ME

No "Must Read" list would be complete with out a little Lunchmeat would it? :)

Enjoy and Happy Reading!!!

"SpeakTo Us of Children"

2010-06-29T23:23:00.000-05:00

Scott and I went to Toy Story 3 this weekend and loved it!

Even today… three days after viewing I find myself remembering movie moments that tug at my heart… moments that reminded me of days gone by when my little boys wouldn’t leave the house without a cape (bath towel) tied around their necks and a Batman, T-Rex or Power Ranger grasped tightly in one hand while the other hand held mine.

“ It seems like that was yesterday” I found myself telling my nephew and niece after the movie (they happened to be at that same viewing) as I nodded at their little ones holding on to their favorite toys. Where are your boys?” they asked. “Not with us” I responded longingly “Not with us”... and I missed them.

It’s not like they were far away… one with friends and the other at work just a few miles away… but I missed them none the less.

I missed the “little boys” and their capes and their toys and most of all I missed the gift of a time when there wasn’t anywhere else they would rather be... except with me.

I was reminded of a passage by Khalil Gibran in Chapter 3 of The Prophet that I share below as tonights food for thought & inspiration...

And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said,

- Speak To Us of Children!

And he said:

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, and though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You give them your love but not your thoughts, for they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness:

For even as He loves the arrow that flies so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Khalil Gibran, The Prophet

Hmmm... From Toy Story 3 to The Prophet Chapter 3... only on the Butcher Block Exchange :) !

Inspiration from the “People Around Us"

2010-06-28T00:09:00.000-05:00

Sunday Night Week in Review...

As I close out this evening I thought I would share the story that inspired me the most this week. The stand out quote that touched me more than any other.

Let me begin by giving you a little background...

My friend Brant is in the midst of battling brain cancer. As you can imagine the effects of surgery to remove most of the tumor in his brain and the follow up chemo & radiation has been hard on him, his family and all those who care about him.

Brant's wife Lucy posts frequent updates to his "Care Page" and her message below inspired me more than anything else I read this week.

Lucy shared:

"Yesterday one of our ministers, Meg, visited with us. One of the questions she asked us was what is sustaining us during this time. I told her that I felt that my answer should be constant prayers, deep faith and reliance on God. I told her that honestly what is sustaining us are the people around us, our community. She offered the perspective that perhaps it is God, in people clothing, sustaining us. We indeed feel that we are being carried through these circumstances in ways we could not have imagined. There are so many different ways that we have been carried--reflective of the variety, character and personalities of those around us. Incredible...."

I could not possibly add anything to her comments except to ask all of you following this blog to keep Brant, Lucy and their son's Foster & Calvin in your prayers.

I thank you all for joining me here at this "community" we are creating together at the Butcher Block Exchange. I look forward to what this next week will bring and to sharing more food for thought & inspiration with all "the people around us".

My BEST!

Mary B. Lucas, B.D.

Looking for a Good Good Book!

2010-06-25T22:34:00.000-05:00

Question for all you readers out there... what was the last really good book you read?

Isn't it the best when you find a book that is so good you just can't put it down? The kind of book that grabs you straight away... that you want to curl up and read till you finish yet you don't want to finish... a book so good that you don't want it to end yet you can't wait to share!

Example... here's a pic of the Brennan sisters courtesy of my pal Patti on a weekend getaway all curled up with one of their favorite books (actually it is one of mine as well).

And now... I am looking for a good good book to take on my weekend getaway and I am hoping some of you may have an idea or two to share!

Please post a comment here on this blogspot... or on the Butcher Block Exchange Facebook page... or if you prefer send me an email at: mary@maryblucas.com sharing the title/s of the last good book/s that you read and I will consolidate all responses and post a summary list for all our readers.

In the meantime... check out the video link below in order to inspire yourself to get off your duff and dance to the tune of a good good book!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY9goJVX32I

ENJOY!!!

"Don't let your schooling get in the way of your education".

2010-06-24T00:17:00.002-05:00

Hello blogger followers… isn't this fun?

Today's food for thought & inspiration comes courtesy of Dan Bolen. Dan is the founder of the Bank of Prairie Village here in my home state of Kansas.

I was so inspired by his recent Chairman’s letter I am sharing some excerpts below...

Thirty some years ago I remember a beautiful Autumn late Sunday morning, sitting on the front porch of my fraternity house nursing a rather large cup of coffee. I vaguely recollect thinking that if I stared at the coffee cup long enough, it would reveal the mystery of where I had left my car the night before.

Up the fraternity circular driveway came one of those enormously long luxury cars of the late 1970's. It was of the old Detroit variety -the type that had both a hood and trunk roughly equal to the size of a formal dining room table. I can't remember if it was a Cadillac El Dorado or a Lincoln Continental -but I did know it was not the type of car a college student could afford.

I was surprised as the driver stepped out. Instead of the expected sports coat or business suit, the 50s something hard looking man was wearing a cowboy hat, western cut coat, and boots. The face was wind burned and weather lined. Even with a pounding brain, I summoned the manners~(reinforced by the prior year's pledge training) to stand up and welcome him.

The visitor looked at me and my coffee cup. Nodding in my direction, he simultaneously pulled a cigarette and Zippo flip-top lighter from his pockets, lit up and repocketed the lighter in one swift, practiced motion.

He took a long drag and while exhaling said, "Son, you can sit there all day staring at the coffee cup. I suggest you find some of the dog that bit you, take a long slug and start doing something useful." With that he turned, looked at the front door of the fraternity and requested I "go rouse up" his son and "bring him out to daylight."

I found his son buried deep under the covers of his third floor rack. With much shaking and cajoling, I managed to convey that his dad was on the front porch.

It was then that I witnessed one of the fastest adrenaline fused sobriety recoveries of my collegiate career. In an instant the previously prone young man jumped from the bunk bed, grabbed his clothes and managed to completely dress himself while rushing down three flights of stairs.

By the time I stumbled back down to the front porch for my coffee, the cowboy dad and his son had more or less finished their conversation. Placing his arm on his boy's shoulder and in a deep tobacco cured voice, the cowboy Dad commented loud enough for me to hear, "Now remember son, don't let your schooling get in the way of your education."

I spent the rest of the morning sipping my coffee---contemplating the cowboy dad's remark, (and still trying to remember where I left my car). I later learned the cowboy dad was one of the largest ranchers and among the most astute businessmen in the state of Kansas.

Years later I cannot tell you what classes I took that Fall semester or whether I have ever utilized anything from them in my professional career. However, I do know the rancher's admonishment to recognize the difference between schooling and education has both stuck to and served me well.

Dad used to say... “Learn something from everyone you meet” and I think this story is a great reminder of that as well as:

Education can find its way to us at the most unexpected moments.
Learning isn’t always about text books and GPA’s.
Our teachers aren’t always in front of a classroom.

Who knows… maybe a random rancher or a beloved butcher is waiting around the block to teach us all a thing or two... a bit of wisdom to hold on to... until then remember...

"Don't let your schooling get in the way of YOUR education"!

Are you a "polymath"?

2010-06-22T22:46:00.000-05:00

Hi there...

As promised this post will be short & sweet.

Sharing below a link filled with food for both thought & inspiration.

I now know what I want to be when I grow up… a “polymath” … or maybe I already AM one… YOU be the judge. Are YOU? Check out the link below to a speech I heard while attending my God Son's graduation from Carnegie Mellon this past month. I especially love the whole idea of "Lifelong Ascent".

You Tube Video: Lifelong Ascent

Hope you find this as INSPIRING as I did.

Enjoy!

Happy Father's Day!!!

2010-06-20T06:10:00.013-05:00

Hello and Welcome to The Butcher Block Exchange!

As you can see from this picture I come from a big family.

I mean BIG!

Since we took this photo on Labor Day 1999, we lost both Mom and Dad (front and center)

and my sister Joan (standing just behind Dad.)

We have also ADDED 47 new family members to the Bichelmeyer bunch.

Like I said... I come from a BIG family!

Growing up number 9 of 10 children and a butcher's daughter, THE gathering place at our family home was a large butcher block table - the center of our family universe. And because we never knew

who might drop by on any given day, it was at times our community universe too.

The butcher block table was the “go to” place where you shared a thought or a story, a laugh or a tear.

In exchange, you always seemed to walk away inspired and ready to head out in the world knowing that whenever another dose of inspiration was needed, you could head right back to the block,

pull up a chair and gobble up more of that good stuff.

Sometimes a thought that resonated with me came from a visiting neighbor or out-of-towner or a sibling or a friend… but most of the time that wisdom and inspiration came from Mom and Dad.

There were so many heartwarming stories you could write a book about them. Oh yeah... I did!

Lunchmeat & Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher's Wisdom was based on the kind of stories I am talking about, all courtesy of Dad.

But there were plenty of other memorable stories shared at the block that did not involve Dad…from people like Aunt Rosie and Aunt Ag, Grandpa "Footsy" Matson, Max the milkman and Father Dolan our parish priest. Some of the most cherished stories came from Mom… Mary Helen Matson Bichelmeyer (a.k.a. Babe,) an only child who grew up to be the mother of ten, and the inspiration for a future book; Laundry & Life Lessons: Sharing a Mother's Wisdom.

With Mom and Dad now gone, the family home torn down and the Bichelmeyer butcher block table shipped to my baby sister in Indiana, I miss having that "go to" place to feed my soul.

Now it seems I am always looking for the next special place to head for thought and inspiration.

Writing my book filled that nook for a while, but now I seek something new. Something digital!

That's why I've recreated the old butcher block right here in cyber space. The Butcher Block Exchange is a virtual hang out where you never know who might drop by with a thought or a story to leave us laughing, crying and renewed – just like we used to do in my parent's kitchen in Kansas.

So welcome – to the first serving at the BBE!

I hope this blog becomes a favorite resource to feed your heart, mind and soul with inspiration

that sticks to the ribs. A place to come fill yourself up so you can give yourself away

to all that awaits you... beyond the Butcher Block Exchange.

A place where you can "Inspire Yourself"!

Mary B. Lucas, B.D. (Butcher's Daughter)

P.S. Future postings will be short, sweet and frequent so “Comeback” often, not only to read but to share your own special stories.

I look forward to spending some time here at the block with you.