Love and Marriage

What is love? Why marriage? What is a Soul Mate?  Hmmmmm.

I've been doing a lot of deep thinking and pondering about these things lately.  You see, I have had two long marriages the first to my High School Sweetheart.  I met him in my Tenth Grade World History class when I was a tender 15 year old.  I was probably one of the most naive girls in school, and when the teacher sat this young guy by me it was probably because I was quiet and studious and she thought I would be a good influence.  As it turned out, I was.  He had dropped out of high school and had just come back.  He was two years older than me.  Funny thing is, he wasn't particularly attractive at the time...kind of a gangly pimply faced guy who seemed shy at first.

Well, as I said, I met him in World History and he was struggling with some of his subjects.  It wasn't long before he asked me if I could help him with some of his "homework."  One thing led to another and just after my sixteenth birthday we had our first date.  Of all things my MOTHER suggested we go to the Drive-In! I was horrified.  This was my first real date and I was a "Church girl"...the thought of going to a drive in with a boy, any boy was just plain scary.  The funny thing is, I was so scared that I spent the whole evening polishing the door handle of his 57 Chevy convertible!  Aaaauuuggh.  I don't know if he ever realized how scared I was, but he did ask me out again.  We dated through the rest of High School.   I went to work for the FBI in June and we got married July 24th!  I loved him with all my heart and though it would last forever.

Fast Forward! It didn't.  Several years ( and four kids later) into the marriage, and after building a business with him, I found that he wanted an "open marriage" and had been cheating for years! I was devastated.  All I had ever wanted was to love and be loved.  This wasn't at all what I had planned.  The divorce was messy, and because of my naive self, I ended up having to start over from less than square one with four children!  aauuugghhhh.

I have asked several people lately about whether or not they had met/married their "soul mate."  The responses were interesting.  Some people really haven't a clue what that is.  Some have met, and lost as I did.  Some did marry their soul mates and are still happy.  Some are happily married for many years, know that someone else was their soul mate and yet have succeeded with a marriage with love and sharing without the intensity of the soul mate experience.  Hmmmm...so what exactly is a soul mate?

The Urban Dictionary defines it this way:

A person with whom you have an immediate connection the moment you meet -- a connection so strong that you are drawn to them in a way you have never experienced before. As this connection develops over time, you experience a love so deep, strong and complex, that you begin to doubt that you have ever truly loved anyone prior. Your soulmate understands and connects with you in every way and on every level, which brings a sense of peace, calmness and happiness when you are around them. And when you are not around them, you are all that much more aware of the harshness of life, and how bonding with another person in this way is the most significant and satisfying thing you will experience in your lifetime. You are also all that much aware of the beauty in life, because you have been given a great gift and will always be thankful.

Sounds about right to me!

I had gone to nursing school after my first two children were born, so at least I had that to fall back on.  However, working as a single parent RN proved difficult at times, and I found that taking jobs that were a little less restrictive and flexible, and usually paid more, was going to be part of the program.

I stayed in Church and always knew that no matter what God was in control and I would come out all right.  There were times when I thought I would never be able to meet all my obligations, provide for the children and have a good life.  Somehow, some way, something always came along.

After my divorce, I had a lovely room mate move in with me to help with household expenses.  She was quite a bit younger than I and encouraged me to get out and start meeting people.  My first excursion into the "dating world" of which I had NEVER been a part was a dance (I wasn't even sure I knew how to dance) at Parents Without Partners.  I was a nervous wreck.  But, amazingly, everyone was so sweet and I danced all night! I felt like Cinderella at the Ball! OMG

After three months at PWP one night a tall, handsome man approached me from across the room. I had never seen him there before and he asked me to dance.  I will always remember how he looked that night....White hair and beard, extremely well groomed, a gray sport jacket and white turtle neck.  As we danced he explained he was a hairdresser.  He didn't look like I supposed a hairdresser would look! In fact, he looked strikingly like Kenny Rogers.

We danced all night and he invited me to Shoneys for coffee after.  I didn't get home until three AM!  The attraction was immediate and strong for both of us, and within two weeks he told me he loved me!  It is a long story after that.  We had a tremendous amount of fun together.  We sailed, we danced and he was so good with my kids.  He even offered to adopt all four!  Amazing.  However, we hit a wall on moral/religious values.  I have always been a person with very strong faith, and belief system.  We couldn't seem to work out all the differences.  I will always know he was my "soul mate" and I still miss him at times.  I hope that he is happy.  Whenever I hear one of two songs, I am taken back to 1982 and the love we shared.  The first is "Could I Have This Dance For The Rest Of My Life" (that was the first dance we shared together) and "I Hope You Dance."  He will always have a piece of my heart.

I didn't marry again until 1992, when a man in my Sunday School class asked me to be his wife.
I accepted, in spite of the fact that I didn't feel the "soul mate" kind of connection.  We shared church, healthy living and activities...I thought it would work.  Now, I am facing another divorce after 22 years of marriage.  Crazy, but the marriage has always been troubled, and in the last few years he has declared there is no God, drinks excessively and curses like a sailor.  I thought I could live with it, but I can't.  So here I am at 67-years-old facing yet another divorce.  At least it seems amicable so far.

So as I face the future, I wonder whether there could be love in the future.  I wonder what makes some marriages, happy ones, even though they are not "soul mates" work.  What about you?
Have you met your soul mate? Would you know it if you did? If you married someone else, are you happy? Do you wish you could go back and have a "do-over?"

Let me have some comments from some of you.  I would really like to delve into what makes a good marriage and whether meeting your soul mate but marrying someone else has made you miss something?

There is so much more I could say, but I really want to hear from you out there, but for now I wish you...

PEACE, LOVE AND JOY

Linda

Why Am I Here?

I usually try to keep my commentary pretty light.  I like to make you think, but I don't want to give you a headache!

But, tonight as I watched a program called "A Gifted Man" I began to think about how many close calls I have had in my lifetime, and wonder why I am still here.

Do you ever wonder why you are here? There are so many things that can end our lives prematurely.  Anything from chickenpox to a serious fall.  Our bodies are actually pretty fragile, beautiful pieces of machinery.

My first real brush with death was at only 4 years of age when I was thrown out of an old Hudson automobile by a "suicide door."  Traveling down the highway at 55 miles per hour I hit the pavement and rolled down an embankment before my parents could turn the car around and come back.  Fortunately, I was wearing a little woolen hat which helped to protect my head, but I did have a concussion, 44 stitches to close the wound, a broken arm and a broken collarbone.  I was transported to Providence Hospital to recover.

A year later I had a routine tonsillectomy and had been home for ten days before suffering a severe hemorrhage in the middle of the night.  My Daddy was working for the fire department and we didn't have two cars.  My Mother had to call my Uncle to come and get us and take us to the Base dispensary 13 miles away.  When I got there the corpsman on duty was unable to stop the bleeding, and they transported me in a van (no ambulance available at that time) to Children's Hospital in Washington, D.C., forty miles away.  No one could really explain why I didn't die that night..the blood loss was horrific.

In 1990 I was hit head on on the driver's side of my vehicle by a woman who decided to cross two lanes of traffic and turn South in the Northbound lane.  Once again, serious injuries, ICU, but a complete recovery. 

I became a Registered Nurse to give something back to all the people who had cared for me, doctors and nurses and aides.  I loved medicine.  I loved studying the human body and how it works.  I actually had a clear plastic "invisible man" who displayed each organ in the human body and you could take him apart and look at each one. Cool!  You know, I saw one of those things the other day in Barnes and Nobles...they still make them...I couldn't believe it!

Tonight as I watched the program on TV, one of the persons in the Taxi which was hit was killed, while the other two walked away unscathed.  I have seen this in real life in accidents which I have personally witnessed.  I do believe that all our days are numbered, but I still wonder why some of us are spared and others are not. 

I am convinced that in many cases we are here to complete a task.  It may not be something earth shaking like saving the world, discovering a vaccine or curing cancer.  It may be something as simple as passing on valuable information that might save someone else's life.  It may be to raise the child or grandchild who has an important role in bettering the world.  It may be to write an inspiring book, or just take care of someone in need. 

Each of us has a role here on earth.  It may feel sometimes that you have no purpose.  Never believe that lie.  Each and every one of us has some role to play in our time here on earth.  Our days are numbered.  We need to relish each and every moment we have.  We need to share each other's pain and joys. 

One of my blogs reached a young woman who had recently lost her Father.   She commented and told me what the blog had done for her.  I was brought to tears by the fact that I had somehow made someone feel just a bit better that day.  I write for that reason.  I want to share.  I still want to give something back.  I will never be a great novelist, or the person who cures cancer, but I feel that my gentle touch when I was a nurse, and my words shared on these pages, just might be why I am here.

How about you?

God Bless - Peace, Love and Joy

GET REAL!!

Aaahhhh, the Atlanta skyline at night, isn't it beautiful?

But what's up with the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" thing? There is NOTHING real or housewife about any of those women. C'mon gals, how many of you housewives run around in Manolo's in a slinky sheath dress strutting $200 hairdos and dripping with jewelry?

Get Real! I don't know who is watching these crazy "Real Housewife" shows, but I wouldn't waste my time. I think they should have a show about REAL housewives and what is actually involved in juggling household chores, children, cooking and just being a real wife. These shows are an injustice to every real housewife in America.

Is the appeal that you housewives out there would want to be like these crazies? I don't really believe that. I believe that real housewives actually enjoy taking care of their families, laughing at the funny things their little children say, going to soccer games and making cookies when they have time.

I had to work a lot as my children were growing up, but those times I enjoyed most were the times when I actually got to be a "housewife" and take care of my home and children. Oh, I am not saying it is wrong to have a career if that is what you want or need, but I am saying there is a place for the real housewife in today's society.
I am saying I am SICK of real housewives being portrayed as hair pulling screaming meemees who walk around in 6" high heels! Come on television producers, it is time to GET REAL!

Here's a Real Recipe for you!!!

SALSA CHICKEN STIR-FRY

(I had a great picture of this dish, but my camera won't cooperate this morning!)

Stir Fry is a great way to utilize small amounts of meat to stretch the budget, and shrink the calorie counts!

You can use up extra items in your fridge, since you can use other kinds of veggies if you want. Usually served over pasta or rice.

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1/2 onion thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup salsa
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook the chicken, stirring frequently, until it is no longer pink and the juices run clear. Remove the chicken from the pan. In the same pan, cook the onion, garlic, pepper and broccoli until crisp-tender. Return the chicken to the pan. Add the salsa and stir to coat. Cook for 1 o2 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and red pepper if you like.

Serve immediately.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

CALORIES PER SERVING 167, 28 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 2 g fat, 66 mg cholesterol, 326 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.

EAT UP AND SLIM DOWN!!!

Bring On The Caffeine

Sleeping at the wheel is a good way to keep from growing old.

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday starting today! If you are driving, watch the traffic and be extra careful out there. I would love to be heading for the water, but it just isn't going to work out right now. Perhaps for Thanksgiving. Between grandparents day, doctors appointments and upcoming eye surgery, I have got to stay close to home this weekend.

Although I am not planning on going anywhere special for this Holiday, I am planning on making brats and kraut for my hubby...his idea of celebrating Labor Day. We are celebrating at home by firing up the grill and having the little ones over. I have already made some potato salad to go along with the dogs and will make some special pasta salad later. I have a friend in Florida who would rather have my home made potato salad than ice cream. In fact, every time I visit, I make it and it isn't unusual for me to find her having it for a bedtime snack. We laugh about it and she just says, "they call me Tater Salad." It is the small memories that are so much fun.

I am planning on stealing a nap sometime today. My little roommate woke up at 4 AM this morning, and was in the kitchen banging cabinet doors and such. I think she was actually trying to wake me up so she would have company. She knew we were planning to go out to breakfast, and she was ready! Sigh... I have just got to find a way of getting her to stay up later than 8:30 at night.

Ashlyn work up at 6:30, and we are off to Denny's for our Breakfast with Ashlyn ritual, but I am not sure I am quite awake enough to eat at this point! Bring on the Caffeine!!

It's going to be a long day.

RECIPE FOR THE DAY

Here's a nice fresh tasting salad which is great for a picnic or barbecue!

SPINACH, TOMATO, AND FRESH MOZZARELLA PASTA SALAD WITH
HOMEMADE ITALIAN DRESSING

2 1/2 cups multigrain rotini pasta (you can use any pasta you like)
Italian Dressing *recipe follows
2 cups sweet grape tomatoes
1 6 ounce package fresh baby spinach
4 ounces FRESH mozzarella cheese, cubed (the quality of your cheese is important)

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat, rinse with
cold water, and drain.
2. While pasta is cooking prepare Italian Dressing. Combine dressing and tomatoes
in a large bowl. Add pasta and spinach; toss well, and top with cheese.

Makes 4, 1 1/2 cup servings.

Calories 450 per serving


Italian Dressing

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 TBSP chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 TBSP chopped fresh oregano or fresh basil
2 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Cloves garlic, minced

1. Combine all ingredients, stirring with a whisk.
Yields 4 2 TBSP servings.

Calories 67 per serving

Happiness Is....

When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us. Helen Keller

I don't know what happiness is for you...spending time with children or grandchildren, going to the beach, practicing a fulfilling hobby or maybe it is your work. What makes a person "happy" is as different between individuals as in falling snowflakes.

One of the things that I am "happy" doing, is canning great fruits and vegetables each year that I can use through the winter. Today let's do Peach Butter, one of my husband's very favorite things...it makes him smile, and that makes me happy!

SPICED PEACH BUTTER

Yields 8 half-pint jars

* 12 cups peaches, peeled and diced
* 1 cup honey
* 6 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
* 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker (crock pot). Cook on low heat for about 12 hours. Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture until smooth. Cook for an additional hour or two, until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. (You may want to remove the lid on your slow cooker for a little while to let some of the steam escape and give the peach butter a chance to thicken up just a bit.)

A shelf fully of "happy" in my pantry!

Now, if you are not crazy about the "spice" you can opt to leave the spices out and instead add about 1/4 cup brown or white sugar instead of the honey and spices. Believe me, either way it is a family favorite!

I usually cut (with pinking shears) small circles out of Christmas Printed material (Hobby Lobby always has great fabrics early in the season) and put atop the jars and tie with rafia. This makes great Christmas gifts for co-workers or neighbors, if your family will let you part with any of it!

It's The Company That Counts

It isn't so much what's on the table that matters as what's on the chairs. W. S. Gilbert
I don't know about you, but I have never been a fan of dining alone. Somehow the food just always tastes better when shared with friends or family.

I listened to a Food Network Survey the other day where they presented the exact same food to two groups of people and asked each group to rate the taste and value.

To one group, they presented the food using simple names like broiled fish and potato casserole with spinach. The food was presented in a cafeteria like environment.

The other group was told the fish was "Parmesan Crusted Filet of Sole, Potatoes Diane, and Spinach souffle. The food was served on white linen tablecloths with flowers on the table and fine china.

Remember, this was exactly the same food! The groups were asked to rate the food on a scale of 1 to 10 and what price they would be willing to pay for it. The first group universally rated the food a 2-4 and priced it at less than $10.00. The second group rated the food as 8-10 and priced it at $28-$35!

Although this was about presentation, the same is true of food served in good company. It always tastes better! Laughter and good conversation is good for the digestion and the soul! So, let's find a good recipe for company and call a few good friends to share it.

One of our family favorites is Low Country Boil...fun, one pot and great for sharing.

RECIPE OF THE DAY

Once called Frogmore Stew, this one-pot wonder was created by a National Guardsman when he needed to cook a meal for 100 soldiers. Richard Gay, who learned the recipe from his family, had everyone remembering his stew. The dish was later named Frogmore, where Richard was from, by the guards who teased him about home. The postal service eliminated the name Frogmore, which changed this popular dish to Low Country boil.

This seafood dish is a combination of shrimp, sausage, corn, and potatoes. Great for relaxing trips to the beach, it is also easy to create for a crowd. Low Country boil can be served on newspaper for easy clean up. Crab, onion, and butter are frequent additions to the pot, and having a removable drain basket only makes cooking easier. The rule of thumb here is the bigger the crowd, the bigger the pot.


LOW COUNTRY BOIL

4 pounds small red potatoes (or small creamers)
1 large onion (quartered)
5 quarts water
1 (3-ounce) bag of crab boil seasoning
4 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
2 pounds kielbasa or hot smoked link sausage, cut into 1½-inch pieces
6 ears of corn, halved
4 pounds large fresh shrimp

Cocktail sauce

Add potatoes to large pot, then add 5 quarts water and seasonings. Cover pot and heat to a rolling boil; cook 5 minutes. Add sausage and corn, and return to a boil. Cook 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Add shrimp to stockpot; cook 3 to 4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Drain. Serve with cocktail sauce. Serves 12.

No one will go away hungry, and people can pick out their favorite parts...you may also add Blue Crabs or Crawfish to this dish if you like!

Call some friends and eat up!

Need A Lift?

The really great man is the man who makes every man feel greatG.K.Chesterson

I read a book some years ago called Balcony People. I can't tell you how much help this little book was to me at a time when I felt like the whole world was crushing in on me.

Here is a very brief synopsis of what "Balcony People" is about.

Basement people are people who constantly pull you down or discourage you. Basement people in our grieving process can and do cause us much hurt and distraction. Basement people are the people who do not wish to hear about your difficulty, they do not want to talk about your hurt or actively help you go through the grief process. Basement people are also people who say ugly or uneducated things about your loss such as “Aren’t you over that by now?” Basement people criticize your bereavement or question every method you chose in dealing with your loss. Basement people make everything about them and their feelings; disregarding your feelings. Basement people can cause a lot of hurt (often, unintended) to you during your difficult times.

Balcony people are the people who pull you forward and along the road of grief or sorrow. Balcony people come beside you and cry with you, spend time listening to you talk of your loss and tell you stories they remember, too. Balcony people encourage you to seek ways to heal and process your loss. They understand that the way you chose to deal with the death or other loss may not be their way but it is what is good for you. Balcony people understand when you do not want them around but stand by just in case you change your mind. Balcony people cook or clean for you because you just do not have the energy or they do not comment when the house is a little (or a lot) messier than it used to be. Balcony people understand that you will never be the “old” you and help you to find the “new” you who will emerge through the grief and loss you have sustained.

Regardless of what your grief or loss may involve, death...divorce...loss of a job...loss of a home.."Balcony People" can help you through your tough times by teaching you to identify the balcony people and shy away from the basement people. Balcony People can even help you when you are struggling through the challenges of everyday life, and there seem to be those around who are dragging you down rather than lifting you up. We all need Balcony People in our lives!

So, if you are dealing with a time of loss or grief, or you know someone who is, try out the book "Balcony People."

TODAYS RECIPE

Here is a happy little recipe to put some zip in your life without putting pounds on your hips!

Banana Dream

1 Pint fat free sour cream
1 small box fat free/sugar free vanilla pudding (can use cheesecake flavor too)
8 ounce can crushed pineapple in own juice (drained)
2 sliced bananas
8 ounces fat free cool whip

Combine sour cream, pudding mix and pineaple. Pour into 8 x 8 pan. Slice bananas over mixture (if you are not a fan of bananas, you can use cherries, blueberries or other fruit)
Spread Cool Whip over fruit, and chill.

Serve when cold....makes 6 servings (only 3 WW points each) and it tastes like cheese cake!

Today I Want To Be a Hairless Cat!

It felt a little warm when I woke up this morning. I went in to check the thermostat, and although it was set at 70, the temperature was 80 degrees and rising. Uh Oh....and it is supposed to be 97 here today.

First call was to the AC man..."we will be out some time today, but we have a LOT of calls." That didn't sound like we were gonna get cooled off any time soon.

The picture above is of my son Charles, and "Fluffy" the hairless cat! Today, I am wishing I were Fluffy! Wearing clothes in this heat is realllllly uncomfortable.

Fortunately we are only at about 85 in the house right now...and it is 3 PM. I a hoping we hear from the AC man soon, and that the unit is actually fixable. This has been a long, hot hot hot, summer here in Georgia, and we have a ways to go yet before the cooler temperatures arrive.

I know I am really spoiled though. I grew up in Southern Maryland, and NEVER had air conditioning until I got married and moved to an apartment in Washington, D. C.
What at luxury that first summer felt like.

Previously, I had only ever experienced a very loud window fan pulling the air across my bedroom at night, and we didn't run it during the day. For my sister, it was even worse, as she had allergies, and all that dang fan did was drag in all the dust and pollen in the neighborhood.

Sometimes when people talk about the "good old days" I wonder if they ever remember those long, hot sweaty nights when because of the heat and humidity sleep was an elusive luxury.

I always feel sorry for "Fluffy" when the weather is a little chilly, but that doesn't happen often in Ft. Lauderdale where he lives. Today, Fluffy would be quite comfortable in my 85 degree house...unfortunately, I am not!

Trying to think cool thoughts...more ice water please!

Plotting The Next Great Adventure

"I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I have just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the WIDTH of as well." Diane Ackerman

It is time to start planning the next great adventure. Will we go at Thanksgiving, Christmas or after the first of the year. Undecided as yet. Where to go...hmmmmm.
To the warm and sunny tropics, to the frozen north? Somewhere in the middle?

I never tire of traveling, of meeting new people from different places all over the country and the world. It really has become a small world. We have talked about going to Ireland at some point, land of my husband's heritage. I have never traveled in Ireland, but did "land" there once for refueling, and flew over the beautiful and exceptionally green countryside with its rock walls and sheep. I think hubby is actually interested in the Pub Crawl however, and I am not really a drinker, or an eater since I began this diet!

I absolutely love anything to do with water, oceans, lakes, rivers...all call to me, but especially the ocean. I really don't care whether it is the warm Caribbean, or the Pacific and on to Alaska. Of course, the Alaska thing is limited by the time of year...usually May to September. I would love to see Hawaii, having never been there, and if Hawaii, I would love to go in Winter when the great whales are there for mating season. I've been to Sea World, but that would be nothing compared to seeing the whales in their natural habitat.

My son Charles has a job which affords him constant travel. He goes to Hong Kong, and Italy and England on business...what fun.

I have been fortunate enough to see England, France, Monaco, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Germany and Belgium. Not saying I wouldn't go back again though. I remember so vividly the very first time I stood at the base of the Eiffel Tower. Tears ran down my cheeks, because as a little girl growing up in Marbury, Maryland I never dreamed I would see this place I had visited in books.

It was an incredible experience visiting the Mayan Ruins in Tulum and Labadee Mexico. To hear so much about the Mayan history and culture who were there thousands of years before us. They were such an incredibly advanced civilization.

But, now it is time for yet another adventure. I will start searching out sites and tours and dreaming of the places I have not yet seen. Do you have dreams of places you wish to go? Don't wait...start planning now. Sometimes we get so busy "saving" for the future that we forget to "live" in the present.

As one anonymous author said, "Life is too short to eat vanilla ice cream and dance with boring men!" LOL...life is short...smell the roses and travel when you can.

RECIPE OF THE DAY

Since we are talking about travel today, how about a recipe with a "foreign" twist.
Winter is coming...

ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP

1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 egg
2 TBSP bread crumbs
1 TBSP Parmesan Cheese
1/2 teasp Dried Basil
1/2 teasp Onion Powder

1. Combine meat, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, basil, onion powder, and shape into TINY meatballs.

2. Saute meatballs until lightly browned in large soup pan, add
5 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup finely chopped or grated carrots

Bring to boil...add

1 Cup Orzo pasta (or other tiny pasta)
and COOK until nearly done...add

2 cups thinly sliced escarole or spinach and cook just until tender.

This is a lovely, light and delicious soup. It is a great way to get the spinach into your children, as they are fascinated with the tiny meatballs and pasta.

Eat UP!

Life Is Hard?

Here is a quote I ran across today which made me do a bit of thinking...
"When I hear somebody say life is hard, I am always tempted to ask 'Compared to What'?
Sidney J. Harris

I pondered that statement for quite some time and remembered the most difficult times in my life. There have been some really difficult times in my life, and I am sure each and every one of you can identify some in yours.

Divorce, loss of a job, death of a child, bankruptcies, just plain tight times. So many people are talking about times being so terrible right now. Now don't get me wrong, I understand there are some really hard times for people in this country right now, but I can tell you there have already been worse times in this old USA.

My friend, Lucy, is almost 95 years old and remembers quite well the Great Depression here in the US. She says frequently that people nowadays just don't realize how tough things were back then. Most of those alive today are too young to understand that statement.

But it isn't just then. We have been such a blessed Country that we don't understand at all how difficult things are in many other places in the world. I remember my first trip to the Dominican Republic in the late seventies. I was crushed when I saw the poverty there, and things haven't changed much since then.
Look at Haiti and all the grief and despair in that country. It has been that way for so long, and things don't look too bright for the future.

Africa is another sad, sad story. So much famine and war. Can you even imagine how it would feel to hold your two year old child in your arms, a child who should weigh 30 pounds or more and it only weighs 12 pounds, is limp and sick and starving, and there is no one there to help? I can't even imagine that kind of hopelessness and despair.

I am saying all of this to remind you to be thankful every day for the many blessings you do have. If you can feed your children. If you and your children are healthy. If you have a job. If you are fortunate enough to have a roof over your head, even if it isn't your "dream home". We have become so spoiled we think we should all have two or three cars, a home with five plus bedrooms and five or more baths. We have closets FULL of clothes and shoes.

I myself can remember having one pair of school shoes...and we went barefoot in summer. If you were lucky you had a pair of school shoes and a pair of dress shoes. You had ONE Sunday outfit, and you had better not wear it to play in!

It is nice to have plenty, but we ALL need to remember those who have less and do less complaining about "hard times" and what we don't have or can't buy.

We ALL need to remember the rough spots in our lives and how we got through them. We will probably have more, life isn't easy at times. But then again, nothing worth having is.

God Bless!

2001 Things To Do Before You Die

I have a little book given to me by my dear friend Vicki a couple years ago. The title is "2001 Things To Do Before You Die."

A quote from the jacket reads: "All the things you always wanted to do but never took time to live out are written down in this handy checklist." Some of the things are simple tasks like play with Clay, or bake brownies. Others are a bit more challenging, like climbing Everest or jumping from an airplane.

I have had a wonderful time checking off the items I have already done, and lining up those things which I still want to do. I went horseback riding on the beach in Vieques....check another one off! I also have a Private Pilot's License...check!
See the Eiffel Tower...check!! It is also fun to look back occasionally and see some of those things I have completed. And by the way that terrified looking person with all the padding and protective gear is me. I did ice skate in the Middle of the Atlantic Ocean...and it was great fun and I didn't break anything! Check!

I have even added some things to the checklist (there are spaces in the back of the book to add your own bucket list items).

What are your "Things". Do you want to fly in a hot air balloon, or jump from an airplane (NO I am not jumping from an airplane while I am still alive..think that one might kill me)! Even if it is something like making Baked Alaska, you need to write it down now and do it.

One thing I am sure of however, is that every one of us have a list of those things we have always wanted to do and never taken the time to complete them. I still want to learn how to ballroom dance. I tried taking my sweet hubby for dance lessons, but three lessons in he decided that sweating in the arms of another woman was not something he was willing to do. Oh well, if I am gonna do that one, it will have to be by myself.

Hubby and I completed another "bucket list" item when we rode in a horse drawn carriage ride through Central Park last Christmas. It was absolutely beautiful in spite of the fact it was freezing cold.

So here is my challenge to you. Do it now. Start your own bucket list. If you need a little help, buy the book "2001 Things to Do Before You Die" by Dane Sherwood...it is really a nice little book. Or, just buy your own little journal and begin your list. Come on now, I know every one of you have got things you want to do. Don't wait...do it now....live it!

Sunday Morning..Now Is The Time

Sunday has always been a day of peaceful reflection for me. I look back over the week and how quickly it has passed and how little or how much I might have accomplished in that time.

I have a little book called 2001 THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE. I have been using it as kind of a "bucket list" of things I have and have not done in my life. Some of the things, such as becoming an Olympic star, were never within my reach. Many of those things listed I have been lucky enough to complete. Some were easy to complete and others were not. I recently checked off "riding a horse on a beach". That was actually one of the easier tasks, but definitely one of the most fun ones!

I got to complete that task with two of my four children, which made it even more special. Do you have a "bucket list?" You are never too young to start one.
Reflect today on your life so far. Have you graduated from High School, College, met that "special one", gotten married and had children? Want to write a book?
Climb Mount Everest? Whatever, your dreams and aspirations may be; large or small...begin today to work on them. Live each and every day to the fullest and enjoy each and every minute. Yes, there will be good times and bad times, highs and lows in this roller coaster called life; but, make the most of ALL of it. You won't regret it.