Charm and Grace

 Beginning preparations  The final exams start tomorrow, and most of the grading is done. I'm working on small Christmas preparations each day. This has been a wonderful year. Ellie was born in February, Miles and Ashlyn were married in the South Carolina Temple in March, Lauren & David were married in the Washington D.C. Temple in June, Johnny was hired at UGA as the Chinese Department Chair, Miles is graduating from UGA and applying to medical school, Jimmy has resumed his college coursework, and Jimmy and Bradie announced that they will be sealed in the South Carolina Temple in January. We have so much to be grateful for. This Christmas will be all about gratitude. So, I'm decorating in preparation for the merriest Christmas ever. It's going to be wonderful.

I've made mistakes concerning negotiation. At times I've been a pushover. At other times I've been a bull in a china shop. When I make mistakes like these I'm left wondering how could I have handled things better. Part of the problem is that I'm a woman. When women are assertive, they are considered _itchy. But, I've learned that is just what is necessary, if only rarely . Some people will take advantage of you until you just really draw a line in the sand and make it clear that if that line is crossed, some part of the relationship will just be irreparably damaged. This requires courage. No one really wants to be perceived as a _itch. Neither do you want to be a doormat. Dr. Phil would say that you teach people how to treat you. I think he's right. Since the  "_itch card" should be used sparingly, other skills of negotiation are, well, absolutely vital. Here's my take on negotiation. The first question you must ask yourself is, "What