Wednesday's wisdom....

I found this on Pinterest.  Not sure where it comes from.

I suspect it could have originated in Britain, based on the spelling of words such as "humour" and "Practise".

 It is worth your time to read it.

As a young girl, I was taught to lay my clothes out for the next day the night before.  I still do it.  

It saves me time and decision making in the morning.

I do write things down, though the Englishman keeps urging me to use my technology tools more.

A few things I did both yesterday and today have made a huge difference in how I'm feeling:

Opening all the windows in the house to allow the breeze to come through.

Working in my garden - putting my hands deep in the soil.

Walking in the neighborhood.

There is a tiny park down the street from our new residence.  

The Englishman and I stopped there after dinner last night while going "walkabout".

As I eyed the swings, he informed me that in England the rule is "Over fourteen can not go on  swings." 

 I responded over my shoulder, "We're not in England," 

 sat on one of the swings, and sailed back and forth for several minutes. It was a glorious feeling!

I'm going to start paying closer attention to the suggestions above.

Then actually do them all.

Maybe I'll start with a bubble bath....

Tip for a Tuesday.....

A few suggestions.....

Buy Powerball tickets - currently up to $235 million!

Next drawing is tomorrow night.

There is a sale on at a favorite site:

But hurry - sale ends at midnight tonight!

Looking for some light television:

I also highly recommend the Cedar Cove series by Debbie Macomber in book form.

*If you are not already on Pinterest, immediately go to the red bar on the right hand side of this blog, click on "Follow Me On Pinterest"

It's, well, fabulous. And a little addictive. And worth every minute!

Monday memory....

Happy 8th Anniversary....

to daughter #2 and son-in-law #1!

It was a day full of love, joy and relief.

We celebrated the joining together of two young people, very much in love.

We equally celebrated the fact that the Groom, and several attendees at the wedding, had returned home safely to us from their recent tours of duty in Iraq.

I am continually grateful for both events.

                                                                              The dancing was pretty fabulous too!

Thursday's Thought for the Day....

             “Ten Spiritual Tonics

1. Stop worrying. Worry kills life.
2. Begin each day with a prayer. It will arm your soul.
3. Control appetite. Over-indulgence clogs body and mind.
4. Accept your limitations . . .
5. Don't envy. It wastes time and energy.
6. Have faith in people. Cynicism sours the disposition.
7. Find a hobby. It will relax your nerves.
8. Read a book a week to stimulate imagination and broaden your views.
9. Spend some time alone for the peace of solitude and silence.
10. Try to want what you have, instead of spending your strength trying to get what you want."

                                                      — Abraham L. Feinberg

Wednesday's wisdom....

Middle of the road is the place to be.....

in life, as well as on the highway.

While "motoring" in my Mini Cooper  through several states last week, I made a point of staying in the center lane as often as possible.  Statistically, they find that is the safest lane to be in.  You avoid the merging traffic on the right and those trying to pass on the left.

For the most part, I was successful in my choice of center lane and felt most comfortable there.

  But again, as in life, one has to adapt to the reality of the situation at hand.

For instance, not everyone follows the rules of the road, so to speak:

People insist on texting while driving, though I can't imagine what is so important that they put their (and my) life at risk.

Blinkers are optional.  Tailgating, especially by women, is standard behavior.

New Jersey drivers seem to think that the Garden State Parkway has been converted to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, thus requiring a weaving across three lanes, whilst narrowly missing other vehicles.

Which gives them, I suppose, the thrill and excitement of "Will we make it, won't we make it?"

Then there were the tractor trailers.

As I was growing up, I paid close attention to my Dad's suggestions as he would drive.  He often pointed out that the drivers of tractor trailers usually have a deadline to make and that you should not play games with them nor slow them down.

Trust me, when you look in the rear view mirror of a tiny vehicle and see the massive grille front of a tractor trailer barreling down and  heading straight for the "boot" of your car, you realize quite quickly (after invoking God's name) that switching lanes is the wisest course of action.

Highway driving also gives you the opportunity to do a kindness for someone.  For example, noticing that the slow down in traffic is due to compressing three lanes in to two, you can actually allow enough room for other cars to slip in front of you without effort. This can be met with a wave of gratitude.  

Which can be a welcome change from rude gestures.

What have I learned from my recent travels?  Several life lessons:

The "middle" is the best place to be.

Anticipate changes and adapt as necessary.

Be cautious, not fearful.

Give other people a break.

And most importantly, 

Enjoy the ride.

Tip for a Tuesday....

Organic Milk

 

The Englishman and I have made a wonderful discovery - organic milk.

The taste of the skim milk, as well as the 1% and 2%, are incredibly similar in taste to the whole milk we both loved as kids, and before our cholesterol numbers became important.

There are a couple of varieties to try.

Even better, they've been on sale in our local supermarkets.

Worth sampling - especially if you've found it hard to switch to skim!

I highly recommend it!

A Monday memory....

It's a boy!

"Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 4.24pm today."

Wonderful news!

Have been watching and waiting since I woke this morning, listening to BBC radio and frequently checking various social media outlets.

(My thoughts were not only with the expectant mother, but with her parents, and mother in particular.  I know from experience what an anxious time it is when one's daughter is in labor!)

I recall rising well before dawn, with my own first baby, to watch the wedding of the new heir's grandparents.  The spectacular events of that day were well worth my loss of sleep.

The birth of their first son, William, was greeted with much excitement world-wide.  His mother, Princess Diana, appeared exhausted but delighted when she exited the hospital the following day with Prince Charles beside her.

Another historic and truly happy occasion in British history.

(I certainly hope the young couple will be given a few moments peace before the press start to speculate on when a possible "spare" will be born to join the new "heir.")

Thursday's Thought for the Day....

For D.P.

Thank God for the gift of.....
Friends
Daughters
Sisters
Mothers

May we love and support each other always. 

A Monday memory

Among the many blessings in my life that I hold dear is a longstanding friendship of over forty years with the young woman who was also assigned to "Room 309, Monican Centre" in our freshman college dorm.

We've shared so much more than just a room over time - from Freshman angst to swapping childhood stories and many articles of clothing.  After graduation, we shared a basement apartment, surviving noisy neighbors, cockroaches and the fear of starting our "careers."

I married and had three girls, and D married and had two.  We are godmothers to each other's second daughters.  Living four hours apart made frequent visits difficult, but we tried to get together at least once a year when the girls were young.

My little "gang" and I would arrive at D's house on a Summer's morning.  After greetings and hugs, the little ones would gradually overcome their shyness and start to play.  D and I would try sitting at the kitchen table to catch up, while keeping an eye on them, but it seemed as though someone was always vying for our attention.

Then, as if by magic, D's husband would slip those five little girls out of the house and take them off to go bowling or some other excursion.  This was always followed by a trip to the ice cream shop. While they were gone, D and I would polish off a pot of coffee while talking non-stop. H gave us the gift of a few precious, uninterrupted hours to reminisce and share.  D and I truly needed that and he knew it.  

Upon their return to the house, H would continue giving us a respite.  He would make what soon became, to my girls and I, his famous "spaghetti sauce" - then serve up a delicious pasta meal for all.  If D and I protested that we should be helping, H would just smile and tell us he had it all under control. God bless him, he certainly did.

H slipped quietly from this Earth last week, following a period of decline in his health.  Shocked and saddened by the news, I take comfort, as does his family, that they were all together at that time.  

I am so very grateful for the wonderful memories that keep flooding back the last few days, of the times we all spent together.  Moments.  Precious moments.  

And may precious moments of memories of H give strength and comfort to my dear friend and her daughters now, and always.

Thursday's Thought for the Day....

Exactly.

Wednesday's wisdom....

Taking care of me....

Time once again to start taking my own advice.  I frequently suggest to family members and friends that it's important to take care of oneself.  For many of us, that often feels contrary to what we think we should be doing - that we should be putting all our energy into caring for family and doing our jobs first. But I've come to learn that the advice that is given on a plane before take off is the better approach to remember and take: 

"Place the oxygen mask on yourself before assisting others."

How can I possibly expect to care for someone else if I'm not well?

Taking good care of myself enables me to be in the best shape to love and care for those around me.  That means getting plenty of sleep, eating right, having regular checkups and getting some exercise.

Just as important is having fun, as well as some quiet time to myself.

Keeping a balance between the amount of work I do and the rest time I take can make a huge difference in how I respond to requests from others.

The remnants of my cough and a pulled muscle in my back have forced me to slow way down the past two days and "just rest" as the Englishman suggests.

So I am resting.  And it's helping.

What a great suggestion!

Tip for a Tuesday....

For those of you not familiar with Pinterest:

"From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pinterest is a pinboard-style photo-sharing website that allows users to create and manage theme-based image collections such as events, interests, and hobbies. Users can browse other pinboards for images, "re-pin" images to their own pinboards, or "like" photos."

For those of you who are "pinners" I discovered a useful tool today.  I noticed in my email box this morning, among the dozens of notices from Pinterest, that a "sketchy" person was now "following" me.  At first I thought it best to just delete the email, but then I checked and realized that didn't prevent the person from "following" me.  Not wanting to have them anywhere on my boards, I looked for help at the top of my Pinterest board and clicked on the word "About."  From there I scrolled down to the "Help Center."  After typing in my question and following some simple directions, I discovered these simple directions to block someone:

"Go to his/her profile

Click the flag to the right of their profile info

Click Block

Confirm that you want to block the person"

You can also report objectionable content, people, or comments - which I did after blocking them.

I like having the ability myself to control who follows me and who I follow.

Another "easy peasy" solution!

A Monday memory....

The unpacking and rearranging continues.  Earlier today I decided to empty the Englishman's depository for spare change, a "sailboat" which sits upon the kitchen hutch.  As I shook the coins into a plastic bag, I found myself looking for "wheaties." 

What are wheaties, you ask?

Years and years ago, my Dad read that due to design changes in the penny, those with the "wheat" design on the back were becoming scarce. He suggested we start to collect them as they might be worth something one day.  

Thus began what turned out to be years of turning over every penny I came across in hopes of discovering yet one more wheatie.  I gave my father each find and between the two of us, the stash started to mount up.  The whole endeavor became more about the joy of finding yet one more for him, than about the potential worth.  When he passed away, my mother gave me the jars in which the collection were held.  I still have them, safely tucked away. (Though with the move, their exact whereabouts is not currently known.)  

So, back to the unpacking.  Out of habit, I suppose,  I found myself closely watching the coins as they tumbled into the bag.  While noticing that quarters and nickels are almost foreign looking to me now, I spotted an old looking nickel.  Pulling it out, I looked at the date and saw "1941" and thought, "Well, you'd think that was a find, Dad, right?"  My next thought was that surely all the wheat pennies have been found by now because it's been a very long time since one turned up in my possession.  No sooner did I think that when I spotted a wheatie!  "Oh, Dad" I cried out loud, "we found another one!"

A silly thing to most people but a very significant one for me.

Out of curiosity, I "googled" the potential worth of this particular coin, dated "1957" and found it is worth between 15 and 60 cents, depending on the condition.  Dad was right!  If I ever find I can part with all these pennies, considering their sentimental value, I might end up with a nice chunk of change.

Wondering what might be hiding in your spare change container?

Friday Fotos....

Before, after and a work in progress....

Our reinterpretation of the same space

Previous owners bathroom decor

Same four prints, to the right, new kitchen location.

After Hurricane Sandy

A recovering back yard, starting to take shape.

Sisters....holding hands.  So sweet!

Wishing everyone a lovely weekend - may you be blessed with constant access to air conditioning!

Thursday's Thought for the Day....

"Those who won our independence believed liberty to be the secret of happiness and courage to be the secret of liberty."  ~Louis D. Brandeis - Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court 1916-1939

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Fourth of July in the

"Land of the Free, Because of the Brave"

Wednesday's wisdom....

Just dance.....

Last Saturday, daughter #2 and I took her darling girls out for Dairy Queen.

Good decision.

My suggestion of getting cones, with sprinkles, for wee girls in pretty dresses - bad decision.

But one easily overcome when my daughter suggested we eat our ice cream outside, behind the store, while sitting on the bench.  It would be easier to control the mess outside. And there was an added bonus out there....

The "oldies" radio station was playing on an outdoor speaker, which started M and I swaying side to side.  Soon all four of us were in full dance mode, twirling and rocking to the beat, grinning from ear to ear.  It was fabulous!

I think dancing is one of the most wonderful ways to relax and just plain have fun.

I learned a long time ago not to worry about how I looked when I danced, who was watching, etc.

I dance for me - for the pure enjoyment of it.

And I 've always encourage my girls, and students, to dance - whether on a stage, at a wedding, or around the kitchen table.

Some of the sweetest memories I hold are of dancing in the family room when my girls were little, Phil Collins blasting in the background, going from one end of the room to the other with total abandon.

While teaching, I would push the desks aside during class parties, put on some music and encourage every child to just get up and move around the room.  The last party, one boy in particular was so excited, exclaiming that he had been practicing dance moves for weeks.  I just loved that!

A few minutes ago I was in CVS picking up Dudley the basset hound's medication.  Though the line was long, for three of us the wait was pleasant.  We were literally tapping our feet to the sounds of Jackson Browne's "Doctor My Eyes" playing through out the store.  

I've learned that dancing, for me, is a source of joy, an escape, and the best stress reliever I know.

And I will dance as often as I can, for as long as I can.

(Now if they would just get back to some actual dance moves on "So You Think You Can Dance" instead of the gyrating they were demonstrating last night, I'll be a happy girl. Seriously. My Dad used to use that word to describe dance moves in the '70's. Those moves were tame compared to what they did last night.  I won't be tuning in again.  Maybe it's time to bring back "the Twist"!)

Tip for a Tuesday....

Fancy Up Your Email

Did you know that you can use "stationery" when sending an email?  Some of you may already be aware of this option, but it was new to me when I first started emailing years ago.

For those not in the know, when you open up a blank email, look all the way at the top right corner and click on the box farthest to the right.  That will drop down a choice of options beneath the "From:" line.

Among the choices listed on the left hand side of the drop down box:

Favorites, Birthday, Announcements, Photos, Stationery, and Sentiments.

Several of them also afford you the opportunity to drag photos on to them, which helps to personalize them even further.  

Who knew that sending an email could present you with an opportunity to express yourself with so many creative options! Give it a try - it's easy peasy.

A Monday memory....

There are a few occasions during my life when I have actually been happy to be proven wrong about something.  Thirty five years ago, today, happened to be one of them.

My sister had kindly invited me to spend a weekend with her and three friends who had rented a house for a month on Long Beach Island.  After picking up the keys for the 1st floor accommodation of a two family home, we drove up to the address and parked.  As we got out, we noticed two guys on the upstairs balcony checking us out.  We ignored them.  After unpacking and donning our bathing suits,  we got out some lawn chairs, slapped on some baby oil and pointed ourselves in the direction of the sun  in the tiny backyard.  A short time later, the two "balcony guys" accompanied by two others, came into the yard.

"We have a proposition for you," one of them stated.  "If you'll provide the salad, we'll provide the steaks and we could have dinner together. What'd ya say?"

Hmmmm.  We mentioned that there would be three other girls coming later.  Their response to that  was along the lines of "the more the merrier."  Though usually pretty cautious, my sister and I agreed.  Maybe we felt there would be safety in numbers or that these guys looked harmless.  Or maybe it was that our funds were extremely limited and frankly, we were hungry.

A short time later, we headed off to the local supermarket in search of salad fixins.  As we perused the aisles, my sister started to load up the cart. And I quickly started to unload it - stating, "I wouldn't invest a fortune on this.  These guys don't look too promising."

Oh, how wrong I turned out to be.

For among those four guys turned out to be The Englishman.  And the rest, as they say, is history.

That was July 1, 1978.  We had our first proper date two weeks later. By the third week of August we were engaged and we married in February.

Today the Englishman pointed out to me that with our move back close to where we met, we have now come full circle. We are back where we started.  I must say, it's wonderful place to be.