"Fall"

This was taken two years ago and I still love it.  I am not sure if Robby was yelling at the pumpkins or have a conversation with them.  Either way it is one of my favorites.

"Life is full of obstacle illusions."

                            Grant Frazier

"Unplugged for one week"

Last Saturday, I told my family that beginning on Sunday we were going to keep the television off for one week.  No one, including Mommy or Daddy were going to be watching the time stealer.  We were all going to have to keep our selves busy and occupied in other ways.  It was an eye opener.  I was unaware of how much that machine hanging on my wall was stealing from right underneath my very nose.  It was taking precious time away and in return nothing.  Zero return on my investment.  The first morning was probably the hardest for the kids.  It was Sunday and too early to call their friends to play.  My youngest daughter said "Mommy I really want to watch T.V., I have nothing to do."  My response, "Sure you can watch T.V. It is a nice black screen.  Doesn't it look nice."  Needless to say, she didn't like my response.  Within the hour, she and her brother were making forts with the couches and having a lot of fun.

Score:  T.V. 0  Brain: 1  Game on.


The evenings were a little harder on myself and my husband.  That is the time we sit and vegetate in front of this mindless machine.  In reflecting it is what you do, because to watch television it doesn't require a lot of work and your brain can seriously just do nothing.  Not really a good thing.  This week I didn't have my time stolen so I started and almost completed some tasks that I have been wanting to do.  I painted my entire office, walls and trim, started to design my son's stool, made a birthday present for a child's 4th birthday, read, listened a lot to on-line radio BBC and NPR, coached a good friend, played games with my kids, played with the dog, treasured all the time that wasn't being stolen from me.

Score:  T.V. 0 Brain 7

Winner Declared for the week of Sept. 19th:  The BRAIN

To unplug for one week was great.  We all were able to see how we spent those precious moments in a more creative fulfilling way.  My kids were outside more, they played games with each other, we enjoyed the solitude of a quiet house free of the noise clutter, it was a great week.  The T. V. went on this morning though not for long and we all watched The Dog Whisperer together.  It was a good show to break us back into television watching.  As I write this blog, my husband is watching T.V. in the other room and I can't say I am enjoying the noise.  I would much rather be listening to my BBC radio or NPR.  The silence has been broken.   It is missed.   We will do this again, it was therapeutic, rewarding and a great way to reflect on how we spend those priceless moments in life.  I challenge you, unplug for a week and see what happens.

Score:  T.V. 1 Brain: 0
We'll have to see how this week goes with the time stealer.

What children do when they aren't watching T.V.

"There is one kind of robber whom the law does not strike at, and who steals what is most precious to men:  time. "
                                                               ~Napoleon I, Maxims, 1815
 

"An unlikely creation"

In looking at this painting you would think that I created this purposefully, to the contrary.  This beautiful mix of hues was a chance happening in the paint tray I was using.  I looked down and fell in love with what the colors had created.  I snapped a photo with my macro lens and wallah.  Now I have a beautiful one of a kind photo that looks like a professional artist painted.  Sometimes the most beautiful surprises happen by chance.

"Chance happenings create beautiful one of a kinds, be open to them and they will come." 

Simple Beauty

True beauty soars through the skies, true beauty smiles without provocation, true beauty exists all around just look and see......

Have you ever sat back and enjoyed the simple beauty that surrounds our life everyday.  For me it comes in so many shapes, colors, and sizes.  It is the genuine laughter of a child, the elegant taste of ice cream , the vibrant colors of a flower, the greens of the grasses, the winds blowing, the tight hugs from my children and the gentle kiss from my husband.

My happiness comes not from items that were bought but from all the beautiful experiences and observations I have gratefully experienced.  That to me is true beauty.

"When the TV goes off, life begins."         Katrina Kenison

"Summer"

Summer....

Hot days, cool nights, crickets chirping, flip flops strewn about, beach towels drying from the backs of chairs, screams of children echoing down a quiet street.....summer.

                                 

              "In summer, the song sings itself. "    ~William Carlos Williams

"Our Gentle Giant"

Kilty our 120 lb. gentle giant.  She was a bundle of love wrapped in a Rhodesian Body.  She was beautiful both inside and outside.  Yes she was a little over weight but she loved food.  Her only weakness was her nose because it would get her into trouble.  When we got her she could fit in a laundry basket.  She was a happy curious puppy.  Her paws were huge her heart even larger.  When she first met Porter she immediately let him know he was boss.  They had a very yin/yang relationship.  The two of them were two peas in a pod.  They would steal my tomatoes, I knew because they never let them ripen and I could smell tomato on their breathe.  Together they chased squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits and anything else that was wild in our yard.  Porter was just curious about the animal, Kilty saw it as an afternoon snack.  The stories I could write about tweedle dee and tweedle dum would take volumes.  They were the best of friends.

As a puppy Kilty would sit her bum on Porter as he lay on the floor.  He was her stoop.  She continued to do this much into adulthood and as she got bigger the groans from Porter increased.  You could hear him go "uuuhhhh" when Kilty would sit on him.  After she reached her ideal weight, 120 lbs., Porter became wise in his years and would get up and move...no more stump sitting for you big dog.  At night when she wanted to cuddle with him she would lie in the crook of his stomach. She would plop her body right down next to him, he would groan, she would sigh with happiness, together they would cuddle.  Kilty always liked to be by Porter which is why I think she missed him so very much after he died.  She missed her cuddle companion, her accomplice, her comrade, her best friend.

Kilty went to join Porter on March 31.  I would like to think she died of a broken heart.  Ever since Porter had passed in October, she hadn't been the same.  She seemed sad.  She came around a lot more and hung out where I was but I knew she missed him.  The decision was hard but I listened to her and knew that she would be happier joining Porter in heaven and having access to all the food her little heart wanted.

After we put her down I prayed to God to let me know that she was OK.  I needed a sign.  I needed to know that our gentle giant was at peace and was happy.   I needed to know that the decision we made was the right one.  I got it.


The very next day, I was driving around doing errands.  I decided to stay on the road that I was travelling vs. taking a different route into town.  I remember specifically thinking to myself, no I don't think I will take the back roads I'll stay on the main street.  As I approached the intersection to make right heading into town, I saw a woman walking her dog.  No one was behind me so I slowed down and realized it was a Rhodesian.  My heart began to flutter.  I pulled up next to her and was able to talk with her as she continued walking her dog.  The light turned green, cars moved on but I was able to stop and steal these few minutes of conversation.  We talked about her dog and I told her about Kilty.  The light turned red, we finished our conversation, the light turned green, I thanked her and traveled on.

I cried.

I called Rob immediately and told him what I just experienced.  He was pretty speechless.  It is fairly rare to see a Rhodesian Ridgeback being walked in the center of town, at 2:30 in the afternoon on a sunny Thursday.  I thanked God.  I thanked God for the gift he just gave me. My heart began to slowly heal.  I knew Kilty was OK and with her best friend.   After this experience, I told anyone and everyone I could about it.  My neighbor began to cry because in all of her years, she has only seen a Rhodesian once in her life other than ours.  It validated my faith in God even more.  How grateful I am for his gift to me, my sign.

I told my daughters about the experience and they too began to look for signs for various reasons.  I explained to them that signs will not come on command but when you open your heart and mind they will appear.  Usually when you least expect them to.  When they do, be grateful, be appreciative, and enjoy each and every second of it.  They are usually fleeting.

I look at pictures of my buddies everyday, everyday I miss them, everyday I am thankful they were in my life as long as they were, everyday I reflect on what they brought into my life.  Someday we will all be joined together but until then, I will continue to remember them and love them.

As Kilty's engraving says it best on her urn, "You a good girl." She was.   She was a love, she was our gentle giant.  She is missed every single day.

"To love a dog and be loved by a dog is one of life's greatest riches."

Quick Quote of the Day

I love quotes.  I get inspired by just the right one, it makes me concentrate, it makes me want to better myself, it makes me goal oriented.  After watching the unbelievable athletes in Vancouver I know that anything is possible.  What wonderful role models for the young and the old.  So many lessons can be learned by listening, watching and hearing each athletes story.  Their dedication and committment to their sport is truly inspiring.  Imagine the countless possibilites if we all put that concentration into our daily lives and life's goals.

"Give to the world the best you have and the best will come back to you."

                                                      Madeline Bridges

Eat The Frog First...in this case The Squid

Here is my son being threatened by his loving older sisters to eat a squid they had found on the beach.  He wasn't too excited about the idea, he preferred his biscuit.  I chose this picture not to show how older siblings  can torment their little brothers but help in explaining how eating your frogs first in life can help with achieving success.  We all have frogs...laundry, bills, emails that need  responses, unpleasant daily chores...etc. but we also have cake too.  The feeling of achievement, laughter, happiness, a job well done etc.  By eating your frog first you now can concentrate on doing the things you love.  So how do we stomach the frog first...

One small bite a time.  Choosing your least favorite thing to do first will incentive you to continue on in search of your cake.  It is kind of like eating your vegetables first then you main course, then of course your dessert.  Frogs come in all shapes and sizes so pick the biggest one first because the smaller ones won't taste so bad after you have eaten the largest one.  So keep eating your frogs because eventually the next frog you might eat may become a prince or better yet a triple layered chocolate cake smothered in ganache frosting.

"JUST DO IT."

                             Nike

The Power of Focus

It has been a long time since my last blog...I have been doing a lot of reading.  After the new year hit, I reflected and decided to take action serious action on my life's goals.  I have 3 books going on right now which for me is 2 more than I usually do.  Two of them are life improvement books and one is just for fun.  The two I am intently reading are "The Power of Focus" by Jack Canfield author of Chicken Soup for the Soul, and "Total Money Makeover" by Dave Ramsey .  I am a strong advocate of reading and following tried and true advice from the experts.  No need to re-create the wheel but a little fine tuning is always in order.

The book "The Power of Focus" is about having laser beam concentration on accomplishing your goals.  It is about prioritizing and eliminating destructive/bad habits.  It has shown me crucial steps that I need to put into place, be consistent on and above all else take immediate action.  There was a quote I recently came across by Brian Tracy, another expert on goal setting, "A wish is a goal with no energy behind it.  Hope is not a strategy."  When we put all the energy we can behind a goal, they materialize and come to fruition.

I have always found it extremely interesting having a conversation with a person who isn't sure they are doing what they want in life.  I hear, "I just don't know what I want to do." "I can't make any money doing what I love." blah, blah , blah.  I then ask what have you done to figure it out.  Usually the answer is little if anything.  The answer is not going to arrive via the local post office, it isn't going to be wrapped nicely in box on your doorstep, and it isn't going to come via e-mail.  It takes work....a lot of work. It takes making  time getting to know the real you, it takes sacrifice, it takes hard word, it takes desire, it takes the willingness not to settle.  All of these things take a lot of energy and we have become a society that doesn't want to work hard, we want a pill to lose weight so we don't have to do the workout, we want someone to answer the questions about what we should do with our life, we want the easy way...it doesn't work that way.  The sooner you put the energy and effort behind trying to find your answers the sooner you will begin to be rewarded with the results.  Doing something that you love.

I am not an expert on finding the answers but I have and I continue to put the energy into bettering myself.  Money has always been a topic that I haven't given much attention to, hence my ignorance on the subject.  Well, money doesn't grow on trees, we have planted many, none sprouted, bills grow, debt increases....you know the cycle.  So to really grow as a person I need to fully engage in my money warfare.  Me against money.  For years money has been winning...not any longer.  I am following the advice of an expert.  Dave Ramsey's book "Total Money Makeover".  It is easy and pretty dumb proof.  He offers true advice, having filed bankruptcy twice in his life and is now very successful.  People like Dave who have lived the life, walked the walk, and now are out there trying to help those of us who need it are inspirational.  They give you the tools, advice and successful steps that work.

I am going to take this year and really really concentrate on building the best me I can be from the ground up.  Reading and seeking advice from the experts is one just one of my many steps.  I suggest you seek them out, there is a reason they are experts in their fields.  I challenge all of you that read my blog to do the same.  It doesn't even have to cost you, the library is free.  The rewards will be life changing.

Good luck.

"Success in ANY endeavor does not happen by accident.  Rather, it's the result of deliberate decisions, conscious effort, and immense persistence...all directed at specific goals."

Gary Ryan Blair