Coming to you from Montana! Elizabeth and I recorded this episode together, from a ranch about thirty minutes out from Big Timber. My daughter Eliza was both our guest and our guest producer. 

Try This at Home

Take a “scent snapshot” of your life. 

Happiness Hack

For a milestone celebration, like a birthday or anniversary, don’t feel compelled to celebrate on or even near the actual date. Whatever works. 

Happiness Stumbling Block

Eliza talked about the experience of leaving home for the first time. She mentioned the “Blues Bag” that Eleanor and I made for her: we gave her a tote bag full of wrapped presents, so she could open a present when she was feeling blue and needed a little treat from home. We put in some fancy temporary tattoos, a really nice set of markers and pad of paper, a pack of Uno cards, etc. If you want to hear more of Eliza’s impressions of her first year in college, or in her last years of high school, listen to her podcast, Eliza Starting at 16.

Elizabeth’s Demerit: Eliza did sign up for Jenny Craig, but isn’t following it strictly.

If you want to see the scene from the original Ghostbusters movie that I mention, it’s here. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) is getting passionately kissed by Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver), but she’s possessed by a demon, so he’s trying to resist—but as he says, “It’s more of a guideline than a rule.”

Gretchen’s Gold Star: I give a gold star to Elizabeth. Even though she’s in the middle of an unbelievably busy and stressful time at work, she made the time to come to Montana, and to be fully present in the experience.

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