If someone puts a label on you...

tear it off.  I am as guilty as the next person of labeling people.  So this is a lesson I am reminding myself of today, too.  I have purposely changed myself up fairly often, whether it is the way I dress or the knowledge I acquire, to keep from getting bored with myself.  I do have the tendency to label people who don't seem to be working for the good of all of us. Today, they get a pass, and I am going to try and look for something else in them.  I don't want them to judge me, so I will give them the benefit of the doubt, until they prove me wrong. Try this with me!

100 uses for breadbags

minus 99.  BREAD (by the way, if you put bread bags over your shoes, you either slip, or they tear.)

Tails of survival....

and more.  Last year, while visiting with friends in the middle of the street, we saw a pair of squirrels running up and down our trees chasing each other at a mad pace.  We were mesmerized just watching them and their amazing speed.  All of a sudden, they both dropped out of the tree, thud, right in front of us.  We stood there watching for a few minutes, then, I went into my house to get the shovel so they wouldn't be run over.  Just as I was about to leave, they both jumped up and ran off.  Whew!  Then, the other day, a family's beloved cat got hit by a car.  They sadly removed it and took it in the back yard and buried it.  A couple of days later, the cat was at the back door, meowing at them.  It was the same breed of cat as Catboy!  A tiny seed escaped from the bird feeder and has been sitting under all this snow and mud, recently I notice this piece of millet is sprouting!  My point is this.  We all have the capacity to survive most anything and we can't forget it! 

in-fruh-strunk-cher

Infrastructure.  What an odd word.  But it is something very important on several levels.  For instance, the infrastructure in the United States is crumbling.  Roads, pipes, and bridges, just to name a few are in terrible shape.  You can guess how that might and does affect us.  And yet, one party of our system continually fights funding or even legislating repairs.  Do you know how many jobs this could generate?!  Some people make a big deal about people needing jobs, and here is a way to put lots of people to work, with a good wage, but they don't want it.  Guess it doesn't put enough money in THEIR pockets.  HMMMMM...  What can we do about this?  I would say  well-placed calls to our congress person might help!  The other infrastructure I am thinking about, though it might be a stretch, is our own.  When is the last time you thought about your personal infrastructure?  Breathing, stretching, walking, sleep, and proper nutrition can keep us strong and healthy, but we need ALL OF IT,  especially for all the calling and writing we are about to do to our congress persons! 

Don't react, act

When push comes to shove, the easiest thing to do is react.  I find, with myself, that reacting is sometimes as bad as the person or action taking place.  Another way to deal with these things is to look at them carefully and to act in a manner that is helpful to yourself.  I know we are all tired and rushed, but this is yet another thing we can change to make our days better, and indeed the world we live in.  We live in a sensationalized world.  We can chose to take a step back, take a breath, and say, OK, "what would be the best thing to do now?"  Catboy says we need to live our lives with more purring, and less hissing. Smart cat!

"Sticks and stones

may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."  This is something my mom taught me from the time I was very young.  Well, she was wrong.  Once someone has said something awful to you, it sticks.  Some people say they are able to just shake it off.  I wish I were one of them.  I am not.  It does reinforce, to me, that we must be very careful of what we say to people when we are mad, or sick, or both.  It is a lesson that is hard to learn, but one that MUST be learned.  We never know when someone will take it to heart, despite the fact that "you really didn't mean it," and you don't even remember what you said. So the next time I feel like blowing my stack at someone I care about, I will go into another room and stomp my feet, or pound my pillow, or go for a walk because the other person being hurt might never get over it.  Lesson learned!

Fearless prognosticators

It still feels like winter, here, but something is stirring.  For days, "Puxsutawney" Pip AKA Catboy, has been acting in a very frisky fashion.  He has been running, jumping in the air, leaping from the couch to the stereo, to the windowsill!  This sent me out to look for the crocuses.  It is a little early, but there they were, about an inch out of the ground with their little yellow protective sheaths still on. Good thing I looked yesterday, today they are covered with snow.  BUT....  My two harbingers of spring are harbinging.  They are not wrong often, so I am going to do my happy dance for spring and lift the cold, dark, blanket of winter off just for a bit.  Join me in the happy dance, will you!  Or you can join Catboy in his nap after all his activity!!!

Read this on a bumper sticker today...

"Faith is taking the first step, even though you don't see the whole staircase."

Every minute counts!

We have sat back and let it happen.  What is "it?"  It is whatever we have let slip by while we ignored it.  Now is the time to figure out what we really want and for us to get it.  Nothing gets done without effort, nothing gets done without direction, and nothing gets done without intention.  What kind of a world do you want to see?  What kind of a life do you want to have?  What kind of a person do you want to be?  Go for it with all you have!  Then don't forget what Catboy says, "stretch and take a nap!"

Fifty years later...

In the 60's, it was all about making things better.  People were unhappy about the war, tired of being treated as second class citizens, and were willing to do something, in the form of protest, about it.  It was a large wave of energy which continued to gather momentum until some really great changes were made.  One of the things that made a huge amount of difference was the passing of the "Voters Rights Act."  It is fifty years later, one would expect things to have improved on all fronts, but our "Voters Rights Act", is being dismantled by the states, and our Supreme  Court is going along with it.  Women's rights, so fought for, are being blown up at the same time.  It's as if some want us to return to the 1950's!  We should be ashamed of ourselves for letting any of this happen. I don't know about you, but now is the time to reverse these travesties, and I am going to do something about it. Please join me!  Don't let Martin Luther King's life work be in vain!

What would he think?

This a very important question, isn't it?  Today we celebrate the life and the work of Martin Luther King.  He was a constant activist for the rights of us all.  Even knowing that his life was threatened, he worked tirelessly to try and change the world for the better because he knew we were all equal.  I feel like we have let him and ourselves down.  Look at all the young innocent blacks who have been gunned down in the last few months, with absolutely no accountability.  We have watched these things happen on video, and still, no accountability.  We are part of his legacy.  What are we willing to do now?

Figure out the best way

then let go of the outcome.  I am a person who is outcome driven.  Are you?  What I am learning is that if I am so focused on the outcome, I lose track of what I am doing.  The journey is always more important than the destination, because it sets up what is to be.  Besides that, we miss so much if we are so focused on the outcome. So, for today, I am going to pay attention to every step I take toward where I am going.  Perhaps I will avoid some things I do not need, and find some new ways of looking and doing.  Join me!

practice loving feelings

as often as you can.  Here we are with another pretty awful week.  I fail to understand why people do what they do and think it will make a better world.  All it does is cause sorrow and confusion.  So for today, and forward, I am asking everyone, and myself to practice LOVING feelings toward everything and everyone.  It takes 21 days to make a new habit and break an old one.  Let's try this and see what a ripple it will make.  We need it!

A frustrating morning

with a good ending!  I have been working on a project which involves two separate companies.  I have diligently sent in all the requested paperwork to each of them by fax and followed up with phone calls.  I am so proud of myself.  I have kept documentation on everything all neat and organized.  You must understand, for an artist and a person who doesn't even know where the box is, these things are rather foreign.  So, today, one hand doesn't know what the other hand is doing and everything is messed up.  I have spoken to 4 different people about this mess, just this morning.  Then, the 5th one was the charm.  She is wonderful and is handling it for me.  I am so grateful!  I guess my thought is that if we are patient, diligent, and expect the right outcome, we will get it. She made a ripple for me! I will pass it on!

The uncluttered mind

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to work with a population who's  I.Q. was considered lower than normal.  I always question what is normal, and in this case, still do!  These young persons were so focused on the moment they were in.  Many of them had no agenda, most of them were happy and doing the best they could. The majority of them had some physical difficulty in addition to their cognitive  difficulties.  What I noticed, was that because of these things, they were just what they were,  mostly happy, willing to help out, thoughtful of other's, and most of all, non-judgemental.  I wonder if we could take a page from their book.  How different would the world be if we took that approach to things on a daily basis?! Think about it!  

Welcome United Arab Emirates!

We are so glad to see you!  Please come back and join our family!

We can't forget

that at our essence, all we want is to love and be loved.  Maybe we need to remember that.

500 WHAT ?!?

It is hard to believe, but this is my 500th post.  Yes!  It is true!  The blog was started October 27, 2013!  I have enjoyed writing it so much!  So I decided to take a tiny amount of favorite posts from the past year and list them for you to look up if you wanted.  I am listing them only by date so you can have a sort of treasure hunt!  Have fun!  1/8/14,  1/17/14,  1/26/14,  3/2/14,  7/31/14,both  8/17/14,  9/9/14,  10/1/14,  11/1/14,  12/1/14,  and 12/5/14.  It was nearly impossible to pick these few out of all the posts. I live in gratitude for all your support and participation in reading them.  This is my joy and I am so glad you are in it with me. Know that the best is yet to come for all of us choosing to Make a Ripple!

Sorry about that!

As I look back over some of my posts, I notice that anything I have written in bold or underlined had been deleted!  I sure don't know what this is about, but it is a fact.  So I will no longer use bold, maybe just capitals to make my point, and I will go back and try and reconstruct the posts.  I have written so many and don't always remember everything.  Just wanted to let you know.  Stick with me.

Life is precious

Recently, an acquaintance of mine had a stroke.  Then, she had another, within 6 weeks.  She had been on medication to lower her blood pressure, but it hadn't worked. This leads me to three things.  Doctors don't know everything, our bodies are much more complicated than we think, and we need to slow down, pay attention, and love every moment we have.  I think the term is "live our lives as if today is our last day."  I am so sorry for this woman and her family.  Let's hold her, and ourselves in the light .

In the silence

I went for an early morning walk today.  It was cold and a little foggy, but so quiet and still.  For once, there was little on my mind and I just listened and felt the air,and looked at the trees.  It was so peaceful. On my way back, freezing rain started to fall.  My first instinct was to be upset by it, but the more I heard and saw what was falling, the more fascinated I became. I don't really listen sometimes, or really see and be in what is happening.  This was such a beautiful moment.  So for today, I am going to look, and see, listen and hear, and just be whenever I can.  It makes me calm.  We could certainly use more of that!  Try it!

If you keep doing

the same thing over and over with the same results, expecting something different, we know what that makes you!  I believe the term is "CRA CRA!" Just trying to soften up the blow.  As one who seems to do this thing, I have come to the realization that however a person might find "comfort in their discomfort" it still doesn't change things.  So it is a new year, the sun is out for the first time in a week, and I am going to to dip my toe in the waters of "let's do this a different way!"  Make a ripple, join me, and see what happens.

Being ruled by fear

is a slow and painful death.  Freedom of speech is an inalienable right.  It is as much a part of life as breathing and as necessary.  Don't let this right slip away from us because of fear.  Those who want to rule by fear are cowards. Let's make a ripple and stand up for all of us!

Anything is possible

with a calm mind and a loving heart.

How about this!

The Honorable Judge Deborah Thomas, a former teacher, now a third circuit court judge sentences first time offenders to complete high school via GED, or a diploma. She proudly displays these certificates and diploma's behind her on the wall of her court room.  What a novel idea!  "Educate instead of incarcerate."  How many productive citizens will she produce?  The sky is the limit.  Kudo's to this amazing, caring and intelligent person!  Think of the ripple she is making!

It's time for action

I am not going to pretend I was happy with the way the election turned out, but here we are.  I expect we are in for a bumpy ride with the majority having changed in the Senate.  So lets get moving.  A bumpy ride will be better than no ride at all.  Lets take care of the issues that will give everyone a chance for a better life.  Obstruction is no way to run things and those who want to continue to do this with no plan should be ashamed of them selves.  You get paid a lot of money BY THE PEOPLE to govern. So be the people you claim to be and work together and get things done.  The list is long! Let's do this!  We can call our congressmen and women and make a fuss if things don't happen.  If we don't make a ripple, we are in trouble.

And so it goes!

We are in the middle of mad snow.  You clear off your car and within 15 minutes, you can't tell you did that!  However, my wonderful neighbors shoveled my walk and to my car this morning.  Then, a dear friend who was visiting volunteered to clean off my car.  I was so glad she could even find it under all that snow!  My point here is that I was so touched by these lovely people, I decided to brush off the car next to me at the store.  It felt so good to do this and I wrote, "Pass it on!" in their windshield. This was a good "Ripple" day.  Have one of your own!  See what happens.

Have you ever noticed...

what happens when we hold the door for someone?  Many times, the next person will do the same thing!  If we compliment someone,they light up and you know they will do that for someone else.  It is as if you are washing someone's glasses for them.  Maybe you don't know how annoying it is to have dirty glasses (EYE), but it feels so good when you clean them. It is also true of good thoughts.  Every time we have good thoughts, they connect to other good thoughts and create good will.  Don't we need a lot more of that. Make a ripple, share, see what happens.

Burrrrrr.......

Winter is not my favorite season.  I am not crazy about the ice and cold.  Driving is not the best because of the crazy drivers.  But I have to say, Mother Nature got it right in the beauty of it!  Bundle up, be safe out there, if this is the season you are in, and enjoy the wonder of it! The good news is that there is hot chocolate waiting!

Yet another great human!

This is a great week for wonderful humans.  Today, I had an occasion to call my local gas utility for some information.  Debbie B. answered the phone, answered all my questions, and was so personable and patient.  I hope her fellow employees appreciate her and that her boss gets a copy of this.  She is terrific!

This is your year

How would you like the year to go?  If each one of us took responsibility for it, what would we do?  Personally, I would like to become so happy with myself, that joy would spread.  If we could all find a way to be happy and grateful for all we have, how would that affect us?!  I live with a being who just loves himself and is in a good mood 99% of the time.  It is hard to get too angry with much when I am around Catboy!  So I know of what I speak.  Let's think of all the goodness we want to experience, then, allow that to happen.  I know I have said this many times, but we get what we think about the most.  Where will your thoughts go in 2015?  What kind of a ripple would that make?  And what would happen?!

2015 another chance

Here is what I want for all of us. I want clarity, kindness, colorblindness, patience, generosity, peace, and harmony. If we stay present, all these things are possible! Catboy says "all we need is love."