Here I am again. Writing is so good for one’s soul. It releases what is stored within and if negative- great - get it out. That is the beginning of healing. If positive - all the better - share the good things we rarely hear in the media.

The photo of the woman above was taken from my car when I stopped at a red light. I had noticed her a few times. Same place, same clothes, no signs, but this time she never lifted her
head. Oh my heart and PRAYERS go to her and all who have so little.

We cannot judge, nor do we truly know how someone arrives here. It is only our place as humans to be compassionate and understanding that there is someone who is not where we would what to be!

We are not rich, but in comparison……Share a prayer, a kind thought.

Covet? Me? YEP!

Time to write a post as my family has made a stop to visit aunts and cousins “on the way.” They will arrive tomorrow. My sister called last night and said my hubby and I should drive to Utah and join the group. She was just trying to be loving and was excited.

I got jealous. I can’t believe I did, but I did. The family was supposed to be here with me today.My darling husband works and can’t just pick up and leave (though he deserves a wonderful trip).

My niece and nephews live in a beautiful mountain community,and they have motorcycles and horses, and were having a BBQ…..I resented the fact that they were together and we were excluded. I resented the fact that I don’t have acreage and all the fun stuff to offer the family.

I was totally bummed as I figured the things I have for the children to do would now seem trite and not so much fun at all. I had dinner all planned and high expectations for today.

ME, ME, ME. Yes, it was all about me!

In reality, the more people who love my children and grandchildren, the better for them and their lives.. The more fun and exciting things they get to do - all the better! Meeting their “extended” family is wonderful for them. My son was having a blast with his cousins and everyone was very happy. What in the world was I thinking! I want them all to be happy and enjoying each other and loving life!

IF I LOVE THEM, I WANT THE BEST FOR THEM!

So now, with a new mind set, I will “endeavor” to keep those things in mind and be generous with my thoughts. After all, what I really want for my family (close and extended) is for them to be loving, happy and healthy! There you go. I fess up and make amends for my momentary negativity. I am going to take a breath and let that nasty stuff fly out my fingertips!

I feel like I’m cheating….

…..on line, that is! I haven’t posted for a while. It’s not because I don’t “think” about doing it every day.
I’m hooked. I just have been preparing for family coming from the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

My son recently gained custody of his three children, 6, 8, and 10 (He practically raised them from birth). They arrive on Monday and so we are busily preparing for (we hope) an extended stay.

So this brief post is simply to say - I’m gone, but not dead! The PRIORITY, above all this wonderful writing and sharing with new friends, must take a back seat to REAL LIFE. As much as I love to sit here and share thoughts - read and gain insights and new friends - I still prefer LIFE and ACTION.

So until a few weeks from now (probably), I will be riding bikes, playing games, hiking, swimming, finding interesting sights to see, and LOVING the heck out of my family! Hugs, kisses, hand holding, and good times together.

Time is FLEETING - I suggest YOU SPEND SOME QUALITY TIME WITH THOSE YOU LOVE! FAMILY, FRIENDS, ACQUAINTANCES…..JUST TAKE SOME TIME TO TALK FACE TO FACE WITH SOMEONE AND DON’T ISOLATE YOURSELF 24/7.

IT’S NOT GOOD FOR YOUR BODY, and certainly not ENTIRELY good for your mind….God Bless!

Right Now…….TELL SOMEONE YOU LOVE THEM!

Call someone you love and tell them you love them! Look at the person you are living with and tell them you love them!
We are here to love one another and sometimes (EVEN if you think they know you love them), it is MUSIC to the ears to actually hear it.

We all take those we love for granted on occasion. Children who fuss and are a hand-full, the elderly who need constant help, even the perfect mate: sometimes we forget that if they weren’t here, they would be missed.

So do it right now……TELL SOMEONE YOU LOVE THEM! EVEN if it’s yourself. After all, you are a UNIQUE, one of a kind individual, and you need love too!

I know (and this is my right to choose), that God loves you too! Come near to God, and God will come near to you! CREATE
an awesome day and LOVE-LOVE-LOVE!

Okay - I may be addicted to your love!

A photo for your pleasure!Create a beautiful day NO MATTER WHAT!
It’s still a choice.

Urgent for all parents!

I didn’t think I would post for a couple of days, but in case you haven’t heard - Mattel is recalling millions of toys made in China with lead paint and/or magnets. The toys could be deadly.

Check on the web or get the information to protect your babies and little ones! Here is just one site to check: www.ToyRecall.biz - there are plenty of sites to check.

God bless and protect the children!

Make someone you love MOVE!

Even if it’s you! (Of course this isn’t me.) It is my darling husband who sometimes doesn’t want
to kayak because the boat has no motor - it’s a guy thing:)…..but after he gets out there he regenerates and is ALWAYS glad he made the effort.

We were meant to move and when I stop, I will be dead! Have a wonderful weekend and move that body. You also create what is known as endorphins. They are a natural high by using your oxygen and moving…honest! You can’t overdose, it’s not illegal, but ask anyone who knows about endorphins-they rock!

I Want

I sat down to grab a bite of dinner and happened to turn to Dr. Phil. There was a group of people (family mostly) all together telling what they wanted - what is eating their spirits and making their lives a nightmare. What occurs to me is the first two words that
popped out of everyone’s mouth: I WANT…….

“I want peace.”
“I want to be appreciated.”
“I want to feel worthwhile and respected.”
“I want to be loved.”

Ok. It’s ok to want and desire and dream. What bothers me is that in my life, I have lived by the premise “As ye give, so shall ye receive”. To date, I have every thing I have ever dreamed of in all my life. I am not rich, but I am loved, secure in who I am, with a faithful and wonderful man, happy when I awake each morning, and grateful for all my blessings-big and small.

I was taught to open my heart and give without restraint when possible. Share what I have in energy and material things with others. That is not to say withdraw what is needed for my family survival to give to someone else, but to try to help and be generous with Spirit, love, compassion, empathy and whatever material things I could spare.

What seems to me to be a pattern in 2007 is seeking satisfaction for SELF.

We have tons of self-help books. Gyms and spa’s to help us. We go to lectures on how to improve our self-esteem. Magazine
covers scream of how to get thin and be more beautiful - how to care for ourselves.

Somehow in the search for self, (NOT EVERYONE MIND YOU), we have forgotten the simple act of GIVING OF ONE’S SELF!

The greatest gift we can give is a simple sacrifice of the SELF to aid another, or boost another’s esteem, or visit an ailing grandparent. Mama told me, “I know you love me because you sacrifice your time and energy to help me. You give of yourself!”

AND……honestly, in doing the small things I did to help her I got in return gifts untold. I learned how to age gracefully, how to handle terrible pain with a calm and empowered demeanor. I learned about unconditional love and was given the awesome feeling of having someone look in your eyes and from the bottom of their heart say “THANK YOU. You will never know what you have done for me!”

Today, lift someone’s spirits, give a bit of love, forgive someone for being abrupt or exhausted. (Forgive your SELF too Take a breath and tell yourself:
“I will feel better for sharing just a moment of my time trying to solve someone else’s challenge. I will still have time to do the
things I need to do.”

YOU WILL! I PROMISE! IT WILL COME BACK TO YOU TRIPLE FOLD….Maybe not today, but it wil for sure!!!!

The saga of unnecessary tragedy continues……..

We live in America. This is supposed to be the most wonderful place in the world to live and yet with all the money that passes from hand to hand, our citizens are last on the list of “TO DO’S.” I read an article this morning that said Democrats (I have no political ties - I am a political atheist) have already raised
$100 million for the upcoming election. I cringe when I think of the cost of each ball to celebrate the new president.

From Associated press:
“WASHINGTON - More than 70,000 bridges across the country are rated structurally deficient like the span that collapsed in Minneapolis, and engineers estimate repairing them all would take at least a generation and cost more than $188 billion.” (If you like, read my post entitled “$100 billion for continuing war costs”).

“That works out to at least $9.4 billion a year over 20 years, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers.”

“The bridges carry an average of more than 300 million vehicles a day.t is money that Congress, the federal government and the states have so far been unable or unwilling to spend.”

From the Independent:

“Officials last night ordered inspections of the 700 bridges across the US that are similar in design to the one in Minneapolis. “This will be a complex investigation,” said Mark Rosenker, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board. “It’s much too early to say what happened.” The NTSB intends to salvage key parts of the bridge and “reassemble them like a jigsaw puzzle”, to find out what went wrong.”

“Troubled bridges
November 1940: Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Washington, the third longest suspension bridge of its day, collapses. No one died.
December 1967: The Silver Bridge spanning the Ohio river at Point Pleasant, West Virginia, collapses; 46 people died.
June 1983: A bridge section of the Interstate 95 highway in Connecticut collapsed, due to corrosion. Three died.
April 1989: A 100ft section of Hatchie River bridge on Highway 51 in Tennessee falls after rain. Eight are killed.
October 1989: The San Francisco ‘World Series’ earthquake brings down a section of the Bay Bridge, killing one person. A viaduct in Oakland collapses, killing 40.”

WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

WE ARE THROWING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE INTO THE LIONS DEN, BANKRUPTING OUR COUNTRY AND LEAVING OUR CITIZENS WITHOUT MEDICAL INSURANCE, AND FOR GOD’S SAKE…..WITHOUT SAFE
BRIDGES TO CROSS!

I don’t know what the answer is. I don’t pretend to know. I don’t want another civil war within our
country, nor do I want all the world hating US thinking WE are the ones who designate all the horrible things happening around the world.

The only thing I can personally suggest in your “world” is to love each other with a passion, love your families and friends. Pray to your God and live each moment to the best of your ability as a human being.

May the Creator I personally worship bless those spirits lost, and surround those left with love and support. And may blessings to you and your loved ones be abundant.

Create YOUR WORLD as a world of love and compassion and perhaps the positive power of it will unite with others….an epidemic of love, compassion and peace! Bring it on!

We don’t own time. Love while you have the opportunity.

Morning dew on flowers

CHANGE is the ONLY thing we can be sure of in this old world. Say flexible, enjoy each moment, and try to relax about “things”. 90% of what we spend so many hours worrying about never comes to fruition! Honest.

CREATE a beautiful day for yourself and those in YOUR world. I hope your day will be splendid!