Welcome Macau!

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

Can you spell O C D ?!

I don't know about you, but I have shining moments and a few O C D ones.  I just found out that my favorite coffee is not going to be sold in the store anymore, is being scalped online for a price that would make your jaw drop to the floor, and is being sold by the company in a smaller package, for 3 times what I have been paying for it!  CRAP!  I am, unfortunately addicted to my chocolate coffee!  It is one of the joys of my life!  Luckily, I have been hoarding packages of it for a while, but I only have a 3 MONTH SUPPLY!  ARGH!!!!!!  Yes, I know it is ONLY COFFEE... but....  I have even gone around the city trying to scout out if they have sold all they had... Like I said, O C D!  Well, I am happy to tell you that they started making the chocolate coffee I drank b/4 I got this one.  It is 2X as much, but about a 8 out of 10.  I just needed to chill and know that something else would turn up.  IT ALWAYS DOES!!!!!!! 

Preventive Maintenance

It's not just for your car!  When I was younger, I lived with wild abandon.  Part of it was my family situation, I had a mother who worked 60 hours a week and a dad who lived in a different state.  My mom, who did the best she could, would plop down after work and just want quiet, she was pooped.  I am grateful for the love she gave me, but I missed out on some important stuff, like learning how to take care of myself.  Fast forward, many years later. Guess who has some things to deal with because I did not take very good care of myself. There are two points here:  One point is to learn to take care of yourself when you are young somehow, the second, is that it is never to late to start.  The problem with starting late is then you have things to deal with that you could have avoided altogether.

Let me get this straight!

The Republicans are willing to put our NATIONAL SECURITY at risk because they don't want to pass our IMMIGRATION  BILL!  REALLY!!?! One has nothing to do with the other! How absurd are these people?!  It just goes to show that is more important to them to continue their OBSTRUCTION, than to do what is right for the millions of immigrants seeking to become citizens. Wow, some people sure F*D up when voting more of these people into office.  What were you thinking???  They have done NOTHING.  Once again, they are leading us off the cliff.  We haven't even recovered from the last fiasco. (Remember the Sequester?)  Apparently their political grandstanding lets us know just how important the American people are to them. To them, WE ARE WORTH NOTHING!

I'm sore

but I love it (sorta!)  I am not a winter person.  The fact is that I do not really like any type of extremes (except my own.)  So, in the winter, I hibernate.  I use the time to wrap up in a blanket, read, write, watch the eye, BUT NOT MUCH exercising goes on.  Once in a while, my dear friend Janet drags me out for a walk in the woods.  I don't mind that!  But, here comes spring and I am "ell bent" on getting into shape to garden.  I started in earnest about a week ago, walking around a park I love.  Now I have added this exercise machine which was buried in the basement.  You know how it goes, you exercise so hard because it feels good, and the next day, you wonder how you will walk or even type your post.  Well, that's me, but I am glad to be sore.  It's funny, I exercise my brain all year long with "Sudoku" and various word and number games, although that is really fun for me.  Now, I have decided to treat my body like I treat my brain for a change.  What kind of shape are your brain and body in?  We could be sore, together!

Expectations!

What are they good for?  This has been a burning question to me for years.  Then I found out that you pretty much get what you expect!  Self-talk can get in there and tear down all the goodness, if you aren't careful, though, learned that the hard way.  But...... if you expect good things, you will get them.  I am constantly chiding my friends who use the words "hope so" to use the word "expect."  Hope is a good word, but "expect" demands attention!  Once in a while, though, I suspend my expectations, just to see what lies in store.  Every now and then, there is a nice surprise waiting for me.  

The Oscars, an opinion

Another night of celebrating SOME of the best movies and actors has passed.  We were not disappointed with the glitz and glam, in fact, I could not find one ugly dress this year!  Lady Gaga sang like an angel.  I was really impressed with all the political causes that were brought up, from equal pay for women, to issues with immigration. I still feel as if we have one foot in the 50's, though.  As usual, this presentation is run and ruled by old white men.  When will we EVER get that one right???  Believe it or not, there are intelligent people of all races and ages who could vote on this "show of shows."  Lastly, I want to throw up a little at the choice for "best picture!" It was bland, dark, lonnnnng and boring. This is the opinion of a not-so-old white female. 

Welcome Belarus!

We are so happy to see you!  Please come back! 

Find time, every day

to feel gratitude.  I know how hard life can be.  Sometimes we feel as if we have fallen and can't get up.  But there is always SOMETHING to be grateful for.  It might be the fact that the sun is shining, it could be that you fell, but someone was there to pick you up.  It could be a loving pet who overlooks all your faults. (CATBOY)  The more grateful we become, the more things we have to be grateful for.  So, join me in basking in this wonderful feeling.  We all will be smiling more than usual.

Have Happy

friends!  I went out last night with one of my dear friends.  We have a great time whether we have money, inclement weather or whatever!  The first thing we do is discuss our time apart, then we laugh and get stupid the rest of the time and it doesn't matter what we do!  The reason I bring this up is because I used to be a grumpy friend.  I am so grateful that these people I have now have stuck with me through it!  Happy begets happy.  So celebrate your happy friends and your own happiness today.  It just multiplies everything and even brings sunshine into your life when there is none.  Then, I suggest you listen to the song "Happy" and sing it loud and "out of the bucket" with me!

Revive me!

Yesterday I had the opportunity to go out of state for the day with some dear friends.  ROAD TRIP!!!!!  We had such a great time! The drive was beautiful with mountains and water all around.  There was some snow, but not much of it. The air was crisp and unadulterated, just breathing it was such a joy!  I love these friends, they are so much fun.  If you get the chance to take a day and go away, do it.  It is the perfect between winter and spring renewal.  I am ready, now to take up the tasks before me with energy and zest.  

How do we...

get there from here?  Life is hard, sometimes, but there are things we can do now to create a better world.  If we create our own vision of what we want, good things can happen.  How do you see your perfect family, school, neighborhood, city, world?  Things cannot be created without first getting a picture in your head.  What does your picture look like?  How badly do you want it?  We all have the power to make it happen.

Timing is Everything!

We have had a pretty great winter, a little snow, a little cold, a fair amount of rain, and best of all, higher than normal temperatures lately.  We have had several spates of 50 degree days between some cooler ones.  So I decided to go out to my garden and see what I could do.  The first day, I cleared out one complete bed!  I was so excited!  I went out the next day and since it had frozen that night, I could hardly move the dirt around to level it out.  I was not happy and patience is not my strong suit! After all, it is still FEBRUARY !!   It made me think of all the things I start with enthusiasm when the timing might not be quite right. But I will not let this dampen my spirits, I will wait until the ground thaws some and start again. In the meantime, I will plan my garden, assemble my seeds, make my drawings, and patiently await what will be here shortly.

You can't raise the standards...

without giving the teachers support, safe, well equipped schools, and decent pay.  I am appalled at the news that  standards and testing are being raised without giving schools the tools to make that happen.  Teachers are already being forced to "teach to the test!"  Believe me, kids are being tested to death and the teachers are not able to teach other material which is so important to our kid's learning experience.  We are raising a bunch of kids who are constantly stressed out because of this.  Exactly what does this accomplish?  It absolutely causes burn out in our valuable teachers and saps them of the joys of being able to teach a well-rounded curriculum.  We seldom see teachers getting more supplies, most schools are using 5-10 year old books.  Many teachers are copying books, or pages from books to give kids. When was the last time they got a raise? WHAT?!?  This is like putting the cart before the horse.  Lets call our congress people and tell them that they need to accomplish something!  Let's give them some long, hard assignments, and expect them to come through for us, for once.  We should also let them know that THEY WILL BE PAID ACCORDINGLY. BUT ONLY AFTER WE GET GOOD RESULTS!!!!!  HMMM... What do you think would happen then?

Are we...

paying attention?  Good question, huh!  I don't know about you, but I go on auto pilot a lot!  I can be driving somewhere, and then I am there.  How did I get there and what did I miss?  That is a little scary, and I am working on it!  But sometimes, that carries over to other things. Does it happen with you?  In my thoughts of bringing more richness and happiness into my life, this is one thing I think I will start doing.  (Long way of saying "resolution", except I don't do THOSE)  So, maybe you will want to tag along with me on this one.  It will be fun/interesting to see what we have been missing.

Welcome Denmark!!!

We are so glad to see you!  Thanks for joining our family!

There is peace...

in solitude.  We have been having a sort of "pseudo"  spring.  It gives me energy, and makes me want to get out there and do lots of stuff in the yard.  But today, we are in this pea-soup fog and it is somehow comforting.  It is telling me to just enjoy the quiet and be with my thoughts.  It's funny how we move around, rushing from one hectic thing to the next.  The T.V. is on and there is so much noise.  That contrast is so evident when we just sit and be.  It feels so good to just have the peace and quiet.  My soul feels soothed just observing and being in the quiet.  So for today, I am suggesting we all take the time to sit in the silence and JUST BE.  It will be worth it, I promise!

Celebrate love

not rabid commericalization! (my word) To me, all the advertising takes the wind out of this holiday, indeed, many holidays.  It seems that Valentine's Day is celebrated all over the world.  So I decided to get some facts about it.  Did you know that there have been many St. Valentines?  Did you know that one of them was a WOMAN!!!!!!! YEAH!!!!! She was Valentina and martyred in A.D.308.  Did you know that the Medieval poet G. Chaucer may have started this holiday by way of his writing in 1375?! I am quite sure this holiday was not intended to be what it has turned out to be.  You don't have to have a partner to celebrate, nor do you need to be dripping in jewelry and eating chocolate (but the chocolate sounds good)  This is just one of several holidays that should be celebrated EVERY DAY!   This is a day, like any other, to celebrate the love you have in your life, with friends, a beloved pet, and, most of all, yourself.  CELEBRATE THAT!

Hurry, get the rake!

Yesterday, I could hear loud fussing outside my house.  I couldn't figure it out at first.  The sun was shining and it was well into the 50's.  So I decided to walk around the front yard. Lo and behold, I found where the fussing was coming from.  Buried under a mound of wet and rotting leaves were so many crocuses I could not count.  Yes, I had uncovered a few, but they have multiplied like crazy.  I have to give them props because they have grown through those layers of leaves and some are blooming.  They look so delicate, and yet, look at what they can do!  It makes me think about what I can do when those layers of heavy life experiences seem to crush me.  I can be like the crocus.  By the way, they are singing, and stretching their little buds toward the sun, today, and making me smile, and I am grateful for that!

Money, Money, Money...

Mu ney.  What would you do for all that money?  Would you put 632 chemicals, (an incomplete list because of trade secrecy exemptions) into our precious earth?!  This is what drilling (they are now calling it Hydraulic Fraction Technology) Fracking, is giving US. 75% of the chemicals could affect sensory organs, respiratory, and gastrointestinal systems, 40-50% , brain and nervous system, immune and cardiovascular systems and kidneys, 37% endocrine system, and 25% could cause cancer and mutations!  These are staggering odds, but wouldn't even 10% of any of these happening to you or your family send you running?! The commercials put a positive spin on this horrible technology. I really expect that we are much smarter than to be duped by this.  If you want more information go to "Potential Health and Environmental Effects of Hydrofracking in the Willston Basin, Montana.  This is the place I went to for my information.  We need to stand up for our health and safety, NOW!

Play nice!

You may not have gotten what I wrote about Jon Stewart last night, so I will explain a little better.  If you don't know who he is, you should look him up.  He is a comedian, but also a very insightful person.  He is a keen observer of the human condition and can put something into words that many cannot.  What he was talking about was that all kinds of different people drive on the freeway. These people are of different ethnicity's, different faiths, differing political views, different gender orientations, and they all seem to be in the same place, being polite, and getting where they are going.  He wondered if that happened on a daily basis, why couldn't WE do the same.  You know, I wonder the same thing since WE ARE ALL THE SAME.

Jon Stewart ROCKS!

I will miss him so much!  He has a handle on all it would take for US to handle our business.  He says if we acted like cars on the road, we could change everything.  "You go, then I'll go."  

Forgive yourself

We aren't too far into the new year to add another thing to our list of making changes that will boost happiness.  This is one thing I struggle with.  Sometimes I think I have caused all the unhappiness in my life.  Then I blame myself for everything.  The truth is that we are always doing the best we can and if we can learn from our choices and mistakes, we are indeed becoming a better person.  The reality is we have to stay "on it!"  Little things like self-talk can batter us.  It is so ingrained in some, it is a hard one to break.  So, just for today, and maybe tomorrow, I am going to watch my self-talk and look forward, not back.  We are, after all, humans in this earth school, just doing the best we can.

Always look...

for the good news.  I know it is hard, these days to find the good news.  I have a couple of stations who end their broadcasts with something uplifting, finally, but by the time I come to that part, I want to dig a hole and jump in.  Some of my friends simply refuse to listen to the news because of this, and I get it, but I do want to know what is going on.  I just need more of the good stuff.  So, for today, the assignment is to gather all the good news we can and celebrate that things are going well, after all.  The bad news will always be there, but maybe we can be one step ahead of it.

"Here comes the sun..."

John Lennon had it right!  ....it's alright.  After days of dreary weather, I woke up to a completely blue sky and bright sunshine.  I almost went back to bed because I thought it was a dream!  I envy anyone who can live in a dreary climate and still feel good!  That is certainly not me.  You can probably guess what was on the top of my gratitude list this morning.  If you are experiencing the same thing, go out and play.  I will uncover more of the crocuses today and listen for their gratitude. Spread the joy!

Call me crazy

but between the raindrops, I am removing the winter debris so the burgeoning crocuses can climb out of their winterness into what I am feeling, spring warmth.  It has been raining non-stop lately, but our temperatures have been in the 40's and 50's.  Nothing can keep me from spring fever now!  It is about time!  It seems as if that propels me in to new ideas, energy, and a sense of hope.  It is my wish that you are starting to feel these things, too!  Catboy certainly is! 

My computer has been out

I have been having computer trouble for the past 3 days.  I don't know if it is soggy from all the rain, or if it has gone on vacation to some place warm and sunny.  I am working to get things handled.  Thank you for your patience!

If we want peace...

work for justice.  If we lived in a "just" world, there would be no reason to fight...ever.

A reminder

from Catboy.  In these gray days of the time between seasons, your pets are beginning to shed again.  They are coming into the house from the cold weather to where it is really warm, and so the shedding begins. Whether you have a cat or dog, it is good to give them a good brushing.  If you have a cat, one thing I do is to put a little Vaseline on top of his paws.  He will lick it off and it will not do anything except help him pass all the hair he has collected the last few months.  Our pets have issues this time of the year, too.  Let's not forget them!

If you give...

you will get.  I have a friend who is not rich, but she always seems to get by and usually has a little left over.  Her secret is that she gives.  She gives no matter what she has and consistently.  It isn't the matter of how much, she just has made the habit of doing it without even thinking about it.  I asked her if she doesn't worry about not having enough for herself, and she tells me that she always has enough. I think she is on to something!

What would it be like...

to live in a peaceful world?!  This is your homework question for today. And for extra credit, What can we do personally make this happen ?   This test is not graded, but maybe it should be.  Have a happy and peaceful day, and think about it!

FYI

Just to let you know, the first few posts I wrote in October and November 2013 were written in color.  They were hard to read so I shortly started writing them in black and white like they are now. Thanks for going back to the beginning to read them, though!