Try to live unselfishly and completely

I am mostly talking to myself, here.  I lose track of this more than occasionally, lately.  There is, though, a fine line between being selfish and taking care of yourself. I was brought up to believe that you did for other's before yourself.  All that accomplished was to leave me worn out and pissed off. (sorry)  Sometimes our version of being selfish is not the true one.  It is actually selfish not to take care of our selves.  So, today, I will pay attention, relish each moment, pat myself on the back for trying to be a good human, and I will take care of myself, and other's.  Make a ripple, try this out, see what happens.

Start Over...

if you need to.  We are, if we are fortunate, always evolving.  Some find it easier than others to begin again when things fail for us.  I personally try not to view anything as a failure, because if we are smart, we can learn from it.  We all make mistakes, but, that is why we are on this "earth school."  We might not be aware that Thomas Edison failed over 1000 times before he finally got the light bulb right.  Well, that should give us pause in giving up on anything worthwhile. This is not to say we shouldn't give up on something that is not good for us. But, we have the strength and grace like Maya Angelou to find a path and not quit until we get what we came for.  Make a ripple, take a page from her book, see what happens. (Hint: a better world)

Another shout out

There is a band out there called "A Great Big World."  If you aren't familiar with their songs, check them out!  They are fine human beings, and their music isn't bad, either.

Maya Angelou

Woman, activist, author, shining light!  You are a flame that will never be extinguished.  Thank-you for all you have done and will continue to do.  Make a ripple, take a spark from her light, see what happens.

When opportunity knocks...

I am finding out, the longer I live, that there are things out there that get ignored in our busy ness. What I am learning is that if we consciencely  open the door, and listen, there is usually something there waiting for us.  It takes a little practice but it works.  We need to develop patience, though, because  it might not happen in "our time."  Make a ripple, be deliberate, see what happens.

Play first....

work later.  Sometimes we get stuck in the rut of always being on the run.  We have so much to do, we make lists and then, when we get off work, there we go.  Work, families, and stuff can take over our lives, not leaving us time to breathe, much less be silly and have a little fun.  I say, put play first, at least some of the time.  It doesn't have to be something lengthy, it can be telling someone a joke, or thinking of a time you laughed your head off.  It can be playing with someone like Catboy for a few minutes with the fresh catnip you dug from your garden.  It will be healthy and refreshing and give us a new perspective for the day.  Make a ripple, lighten up, see what happens.

Remember...

those who have gone before us to ensure many of the freedoms we enjoy, today.  Honor all those who have, and continue to fight for our freedom around the world. Make a ripple, take a minute, see what happens.

I can't hear you.

Every morning, I look out my den window through the lace curtains at the morning weather.  I am taking pictures through the lace of a beautiful magnolia tree and all the trees blooming into summer.  This morning, I noticed that it is windy.  It made me wonder, since I couldn't hear it, what it would be like to be deaf. A very dear friend of mine is deaf. This is probably the first time I have considered the impact of being unable to hear things.  When you think about it, life would be much different if it were quiet all the time.  I try to imagine what that would be like, and can come up with nothing but lots of questions.  She is working on her Master's and has written several papers on the deaf community.  I feel as if I need to talk to her about all these things and educate myself on a population I know so little about.  We go along our merry way so much of the time, maybe it would be good to see how other's live.  It may impact us in ways we might not expect.  Make a ripple, check it out, see what happens.

What do you want to BE when you grow up?

I don't know about you, but I find it easier to do than be.  I keep thinking I will figure out what I want to be, but I get caught up in the doing more often than not.  The thing that makes us a whole human is the ability to be. To be present, in the moment, only that moment.  It makes the moments precious, and us available to experience the only thing that is real, now  Make a ripple, be here now, see what happens.

Every age has a gift.

I think sometimes we get so busy, we lose track of this fact.  For many years, I have had friends both many years younger, and many years older.  This is not to say that I don't have friends my own age, but I have as many, or more who are not.  Each one of them has such a unique perspective to bring to the table.  I have probably learned my most important lessons from a person who has mental challenges.  But I learn things from my neighbor's two little boys all the time.  They show me the wonder of the smallest things and that a person can be happy picking up pine cones.  My point is, I hope we never allow ourselves to get stuck in one situation and that we do allow all our teachers to manifest in our lives because that is where the richness and essence of living lies.  Make a ripple, learn from everyone, see what happens.

Our Families

I just got off the phone with a dear friend who is experiencing problems with their family.  It seems as if this is an epidemic around here, with more friends having similar problems.  Someone is going around the bend because of dementia, another is having severe mental problems.  Families are complicated.  Some people don't really have families, others, mostly extended.  One thing for sure is that sometimes they feel like a blessing and sometimes they feel like a curse.  I hear someone say, "I'm just like my dad, (mom.)  Then in the same breath, they will talk about how they dislike the parent they are like.  What I am learning, is just like everything, you have to take the good with the bad, the calm with the struggle, the shining moments with the dark clouds.  This is your blood.  Make a ripple, flow with it, see what happens.

Welcome Turkey!

Thank you for coming.  Please come back and join us!

Find a "like" mind

How do you feel when you are with someone who "gets" you?  Isn't it comforting to know that someone else shares the same ideals, hopes, and dreams.  It is a fact that when "like" energy is combined, the results multiply.  It is my sincere wish that we all find people to enrich us, and lift us up.  This is what we deserve and must have to continue our work to make the world, and ourselves better.  Make a ripple, seek goodness, see what happens.

Ignore the silver lining, pay attention to the cloud

It seems as if we are an outcome driven society!  I guess most of us are taught this.  What I am learning, though, is that the journey is far more important than the destination.  The journey tells us who we are and what we are capable of.  To me, that is what makes us wonderful human beings with so much inside us.  The destination is just the frosting on the cupcake.  Make a ripple, appreciate your clouds, see what happens. 

Welcome Spain!

We are so glad you are here.  Please come back and join us!

M and M's

No, I am not talking about the candy, although I do really like the raspberry and cherry M & M's  that come out occasionally.  This is about merging and monopolizing. To me, merging can be a good thing.  People "merge" to form bonds, companies merge to create a bigger, better, company.  What I don't like is any kind of monopoly. Specifically, the monopoly which has taken over our media. One side of anything taking over the other is never good!  One opinion being given out to the exclusion of  other's is never good. It used to be that one could find "news" in many places. Now, a person has to diligently look for it. It is not news if it is the same thing being repeated over and over ad nauseum.  I want to know that we are smart enough to continue to look for unbiased information wherever we can find it instead of sitting in front of the "eye" absorbing all this nonsense.  Make a ripple, Pay attention! see what happens.

What do YOU expect?

A friend of mine and I were talking about this recently. Sometimes, in certain situations, I have fear over outcomes and it causes me to make up the worst case scenario. It is weird, because in most other things, I expect the best and usually get it. So, this week, I had the test.  For once, I just jumped in, fear and all.  Guess what!  It ended up to be something I could handle, after all.  My point here is being afraid of something only makes it bigger, and confronting it usually leads to a better resolution than you think would happen.  Make a ripple, learn the lesson, see what happens.

If we are not part of the solution...

We are part of the problem.  A part of my life was spent just taking care of my family, working and going to school.  It was all I could do to get by, but there was always something missing.  Then I discovered that there were things I felt strongly about and in a small way, I could contribute.  I had been the one who grumbled about things I didn't like, but somehow things never got better.  I am here to say that sometimes we become involved in things and don't see the change right away, but the point is to become the change we want to see.  What things would you like to see get better?  Make a ripple, find your cause, see what happens.

Thanks!

Yesterday, I stopped at the store.  It was nearly 5 o'clock and I just had 3 things to get.  I made my way to the front check-out and everyone had carts, filled to the top with their weekend groceries. HMPH! So I went to the line with the coolest name, and to my happiness, the tall blonde lady with the pony tail and TWO full carts said, "here, go ahead of me, you have so little to buy!"  Welcome back faith in mankind! She made a ripple and see what happened!

Pop Quiz #1

Do you remember how these struck terror in your heart in school? The only time they didn't was when you were prepared.  And if you were paying attention, they were attended to by knowledge after the first few.  It didn't take me long to figure that out, though I do admit, I am an education junkie.  Question 1) In what year was Roe V Wade decided?    Question 2) What year is this?  Question 3) If we are being "fair," should women be able to dictate what a man does with his body?  Last question of this quiz : This one is extra points and is an essay question.  Question 4)  Since when should anyone be able to direct another human being about their own body and circumstances.  There is a short answer, but I would encourage a longer, more thoughtful one, including reasons. This is a self-correcting test.  You are on your honor to do a thoughtful job and study your results.  Make a ripple, get an "A," see what happens. 

Super Hero's

Remember when you were young?  Did you have a super-hero? Or maybe several super-hero's?  I had two when I was little.  One was a cartoon, the other, my mom.  Neither of them could do wrong and both of them were full of energy, got everything done perfectly, and saved the world all at the same time.  There was a time when I thought I was a super-hero.  I went to school, held 3 jobs, had a family, and all the things we do.  Fast forward #%^&  years...  Things have slowed down a bit and while I still fancy myself a super-hero, it is for other things like being kind, thinking of other's, and trying to change the world for the better.  I no longer run myself ragged, but I still have those times when I forget to take care of myself.  We can't be super-hero's if we don't do that first.  So this is just a gentle reminder that we need to pay attention to our own needs every day, too.  Then we won't run out of our super powers.  Make a ripple, recharge, see what happens.

Take a deep breath

Then move on.  Life can be frustrating.  You get cut off on the street, someone crosses over you into a completely different lane.  You are going the speed limit, for once, and someone tries to crawl up the back of your vehicle, you are in the store, and someone scoots in front of you in line, you have two things, they have 10.  Sound familiar?  There are two ways this can play out. We can silently cuss them out, or rant to ourselves about being in a hurry and aren't they rude, or we can give ourselves the gift of a deep breath, and continue on.  Life moves at such a pace sometimes, it is difficult to feel balanced, unless we practice diligently. The good news, is if we can get good at this, we probably will live to see another day and maybe we will notice the beauty and goodness around us.  Make a ripple, breathe in, breathe out, see what happens. 

Pay it forward

A good friend of mine was telling me about a couple of things that happened to her last week that made her feel really good.  The first thing was someone in the drive-thru of a restaurant had actually paid for her food.  The second thing is someone bought a bagel for another in the bakery where she works.  Think of how we feel when someone smiles at us.  Then think of what happens when they make this kind of gesture.  It creates a RIPPLE EFFECT!  Yeah!  It takes very little time to do something like this and there are plenty of ways to pay something forward that don't cost anything.  Return of any kind of kindness shown is also paying it forward.  Consider what an impact just this one tiny act, done by all of us would cause.  Make a ripple, MAKE A RIPPLE, see what happens! 

Welcome back, Romania

It is great to see you again!

Welcome Luxembourg

We are so glad to see you!  We look forward to seeing you again!

Are you conscience?

Something wonderful happened this past week.  To be fair, there were probably many wonderful things happening, but an openly gay man was drafted into the NFL.  Michael Sam, who went on national T V a while back to come out as a gay athlete, was picked in the seventh round by the Saint Louis Rams. Their coach, Jeff Fisher, is a person willing to give people a chance who other's might not.  Lets hear it for him, and all the other people willing to do the same.  While it is great news and I am glad we are finally deciding that all humans are valuable, it just shows me how far we have come, and how far we have to go. Make a ripple, check your conciseness, see what happens.

Welcome, Sweden

Thank you so much for stopping by!  Hope to see you again!

For you

Strong, loving, caring, creative, enthusiastic, powerful, nurturing, supporting, kind, rational, irrational, and  (sometimes frustrating I am told,) are a few of the words that describe mothers.  It is one of the hardest and most wonderful jobs there is and most moms would not trade one single second of it.  To all the moms of the world, I salute and deeply honor you for all you do and have done.  I personally think that every day should be Mothers Day. Don't leave Mother Earth out of the picture, o k?!  Make a ripple, honor them all, see what happens.

SPARKLE!

My wonderful friend comes to visit every weekend and something magical has been happening for the past 3 weeks in a row.  I am getting new countries every time she shows up.  Someone might say "what a coincidence!"  I might not. I am always looking for magical things and she has the magic.  It tickles me to no end the things that come up with her.  To be fair, I have the same abilities, so they seem sort of "normal" to me.  My point is, we all have this within us.  It might not show up in the same ways with everyone, but, trust me, it is definitely there!  Just like every thing positive, or negative, if we think about it long and hard enough, it will happen.  What will you choose?  Make a ripple, shine in your own way, see what happens.

Welcome India!

Thanks for stopping by.  We love that you are here!

They went the extra mile!

This is another post about some special people who took very good care of me recently.  Their names are Rok, Bree, and Lexi and they work at an outlet store which sells cell phones. (say that fast 5 times:))  I found myself needing to purchase a new cell phone and it is at least as scary to me as getting a physical.  So with my old phone and a lot of anxiety, I went to the store.  I was greeted warmly by Rok and Bree (Lexi wasn't there yet) and they painstakingly took me through all the phones and reasons to buy certain ones and not others based on my needs.  When I tell you this took some time, I mean it.  I had several things I needed to do and they just stuck with me.  I thanked Rok for spending so much time with me and he said that customer service was the most important part of his job.  That really touched me.  You seldom find people who are not just in a hurry to shove you out the door.  Bree helped me find out that there had been a problem on my account and how to fix it, then Lexi made sure I got the case for my phone giving me a nice discount to purchase it.  I hope their manager, boss, company, appreciate what fine employees they are. These people are parents and I know their children will be raised with good work ethic.  I will go up there again, I will pass out cards, and I will fondly remember what great humans they are.  Make a ripple, take a page, see what happens.

"All we have...

is love."  The Beatles nailed it.  The only other thing we have is now.  I got a text from my wonderful, strong, sister-friend who has just fought the battle of her life against cancer. Her numbers are way down, and things look as good as they possibly could.  She reminded me, tho, that the cancer was a bad one (as they all are), and remission is not 100%.  What I know, and she knows and we all should know is that in reality we all will die, not one of us will escape this fate, but we do have the precious now and that is really all anyone has.  It is what we do with each minute and second that counts. I know for one, I will celebrate every second I have with my dear friend, but also, every breath I am privileged to take. Make a ripple, live in gratitude, see what happens. 

If you expect it...

It will come.  Yesterday, I went to see my dear friend at the hospital.  These folks were exceptional with her.  Just before I left, I had been talking to her and the nurse about the service dogs who come into the hospital.  Her eyes lit up, especially when the nurse mentioned that she thought they might have "pug" service dogs, who are her favorite breed.  I needed to use the little girls room down the hall, but before I left, I told her I would bring back a pug.  I fully intended, as crazy as it seems, to do that not knowing how I would do it.  When I arrived at my destination, there was my friend Sherri, who I seldom see, with a 100 lb. Akita.( Not your average pug!) It turns out that she owns a service dog who visits the hospital 2 times a month.  I'd say, "what are the odds?", but you can figure that out for yourself. I truly believe that if we believe something strongly enough and expect it fiercely, it will happen.  All I wanted to do was make my friend laugh and feel happy, and there it was.  Make a ripple, live with intention, see what happens.

"Leave everything a little better than you found it."

Changing things for the better in my life is sometimes a struggle.  I don't know if you have the same problem.. I seem to be much harder on myself than I could possibly be of others. What I am slowly learning is that everything doesn't have to be a leap.  I can start with one little thing that is easy to do and just try and repeat it until it becomes a better habit.  Then, I can add to that, but keeping it in small steps.  It is easy to become overwhelmed when things seem to be such a mess, but we have the right and responsibility not to stress ourselves out trying to change things all at once.  Make a ripple, take baby steps, see what happens.

It's O.K. if you don't know...

just tell me.  Someone I love very much is in the hospital, starting today to go through some neurological testing. This has been an ongoing situation for her entire life.  Doctors can do some wonderful things, but they don't know everything!! For once, I would love to have someone tell me they don't know what is going on instead of just throwing medication at it.  70-80% of neurological disorders are unable to be diagnosed.  Nothing would make me happier than for this to be resolved in some way.  She would certainly have a better quality of life if this could happen.  We don't always think of people in these situations, so for today, maybe you could hold her in the light with me.  Know that there are many others in this situation, too.  Make a ripple, think of them, see what happens.

Attitude of Gratitude

This is my 193rd post.  I am pleased to say that there are now 12 countries and the U.S. participating in this and we just added Luxembourg yesterday!  It is such a surprising and wonderful journey and I thank each and every one of you for being part of it. We all have so many things to be grateful for, and so much more to do. Continue to make a ripple, and see what happens.

Your choice

Yesterday, I spent the 3rd through the 7th inning of our baseball game out weed whacking and mowing the back yard.  It is not something I relish, but the grass was so long, I wouldn't be able to get the push mower through it if I didn't.  I often fight with myself about conveniences versus good old muscle.  The weed whacker seems to be "Man's best friend."  You seldom see a man without a smile on his face when he is doing this.  Personally, they just throw me around and I am sore the next day.  I have to admit, though, they seem to get the job done, except one thing.. They just cut off the top of things where my trusty shovel at least attempts to remove the root. I guess they both have their place, but I get such satisfaction knowing it might take 2-3 weeks for that pesky plant to return, instead of seeing it in 3-4 days, back in all it's glory.  It seems to be the same with life, cut the top off something for instant, but short lived relief, or take time to try and dig it out.  Make a ripple, choose your method, see what happens.  PS, we lost ;(

The student becomes the teacher

I have recently been visiting with my friend's elderly neighbor.  He is quite a kick.  So I decided to teach him how to do Sudoku. Since he had never done it, much less heard of it, I started out with a simpler version.  To my surprise and delight (his, too) he loves it and caught on right away.  He isn't quite ready for the full version, so I have made up blanks and filled in some of the numbers, myself.  Yesterday he flew through the six puzzles I made for him in a record amount of time.  I even made a couple of puzzles with symbols instead of numbers.  Today I find myself rattling my brain to come up with new ones that will take him more than a minute a piece to do.  My point is that many times, the student becomes the teacher.  By the way, he corrected me about his age, he is only 93! Make a ripple, be willing to learn, see what happens.

Spur of the moment

Routine is nice, it is something most of us count on to get through our day.  But today started out different.  I usually have my gratitude time, stretching and exercises, but today Catboy had a different idea.  He decided that his time was much more important and wanted his routine done first.  It sort of put me off at first, then I said to myself, "Myself, are you so stuck in a routine that you aren't willing to shake it up just a little once in a while?" Here I have this really happy cat, and I can go back to what I need to do, just in a little different order.  The garden plants do not all pop up the same day.  The bird I love to mimic does not always show up the same time of day.  Why not enjoy a little spur of the moment joy?! Sometimes my days are crazy, but now I am going to allow for that.  Life is to short to be completely predictable.  Make a ripple, change it up, see what happens