The new year is quickly coming and my writing along with a lot of other things have taken a back seat to work. It has been a while since I posted on this blog so let me catch up. My worries about money and keeping the daycare business going took over (and a man named Kevin Eagleson) and I somehow found myself back in the middle school classroom.
But this one is very different. Sacred Heart Nativity School. It is almost impossible to explain. It is a school dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty in downtown San Jose. That's where the simple explanation ends. It is an all boy school and an all girl school. The boys are upstairs and the the girls are downstairs. I teach 7th grade girls and boys. But there's more. Each teacher is on an 8 hour schedule so on my "late" days I teach from 10:00 to 3:00, then monitor activity period which could be anything from kickball to running club followed by homework club until 6:00 PM. It is an exhausting day and this job has entirely taken over my live.
So when I sit and think about a new year and my resolutions it begins with taking control again. Taking control of my diet and exercise. Taking control of the time I spend with my loved ones. Taking control of my life. I have let work get the best of me and while I know I must work to live I have somehow left the last part out of the equation.
So here is my "do it now" list
Take time …
to read
to write
to play
to hike in the woods
to go to the beach and breathe it in
to have people over for drinks and dinner
to walk the dog and run me
to talk to my friends and family
to meditate and think and ponder
to dream big again
These are the things that make me whole.
My resolution for 2014 is to once again get my life back in balance. I resolve to enjoy life again, to remember how important the little things are, and that our joys outweigh the sorrows. I resolve to remember that school is like housework, it will always be there. So let's bring on the new year in happiness, joy and anticipation of all that is yet to come. Happy New Year!
Monday, December 30, 2013
Monday, May 27, 2013
Surviving the Fear of Falling
Ever since I first started running, I have had a healthy fear of falling. I know that it came from running on city sidewalks and stumbling over uneven edges. But it kept me from running with a headlamp in the early morning hours and led me to my short stint at running in the gym. Fear is anything that keeps you from living life as you dream possible. So it didn't keep me from running but it was definitely always there in the background. Last weekend I ran my first trail race at the advice of my chiropractor. It made sense. She knew I liked running outside and that I only did "pretty" races so why not? I checked out the website she recommended and registered for my first race. It was a totally different experience from the big road races. I looked around and didn't see too many 50 somethings and the thought occurred to me that this could be my race! We started down the hill and up onto the trail. Suddenly I found myself trying to straddle gullies and maintain my balance over the uneven terrain. It got worse from there - dirt, sand, gravel, rocks big enough that they had to be hopped over. The dichotomy of it all was how beautiful the views were. My eyes would trade vistas of some of the most beautiful tree covered hills in the area with the ugliness of rutted dirt paths. But I saw a lot more of the path than the trees. I made it to the turn around and was thrilled. I headed down the path to the finish feeling OK about my run. About 3/4 of mile from the end, I lost my footing. There was no stumble or slide, the right foot just didn't touch the ground. I had the presence of mind to relax everything because I knew I couldn't stop it. This is the gift of age - knowing when to give in to the universe. I hit the ground on my right side and suddenly felt my body sliding down the side of the hill. That, I did not anticipate. When I stopped, I took an inventory of all the body parts. I had puncture wounds on both hands that were bleeding, scrapes on my upper and lower right arm and my leg was covered in dust. I got up and was thrilled that there was no other pain - no broken bones or torn ligaments. I couldn't have been more grateful for anything in my life. I fell and lived. And I could still run. So that is what I did. I was fearless to the finish line. I had already fallen and was bleeding so what else could happen? Once I crossed it, I looked down at my hands and used the water I had left in my bottle to try and clean them up. Watching the blood stream off was somehow cleansing to crossing over the line of fear. 15 minutes later, my results were posted and lo and behold, I had placed 3rd in my age group. I headed up to the parking lot with the additional weight of a third place medal. Never in my wildest dreams when I started this running journey did I think that I would ever place for a medal. Living life to the fullest brings the most amazing gifts.
Monday, May 13, 2013
The Grandma Goat Farm Adventure
I love being a grandma. Even if all I'm doing with the girls is playing with toys in the living room, I love being a grandma. But this Mother's Day weekend, I was absolutely euphoric about the role I play. Maria and I had been trying to schedule a time for me to take Callie to Harley's Goat Farm for a couple weeks and then out of the blue Bill's amazing Mother's Day surprise for Maria made all the pieces fall into place. I made plans and couldn't wait to watch them unfold.
Maria dropped off the girls with their bag that Daddy had packed before his business trip to China. We loaded up the car and we were off. Callie was as chatty as I have ever seen her. It was a blast just talking to her about goats and goat cheese and the beach and picnics and pie. We made out way to Pescadero and the goats. She jumped out of the car while I got Lucia and bounded over to the goat enclosure. I knew she would love petting the goats but I didn't realize how long she could be happy there.
We hung out with the babies, went over to see the big girls, did a little cheese tasting and bought Mama a little something and went back to see the babies. Callie could not have been happier. Next stop: Duarte's for some pie to add to our beach picnic. We got our pie to go, ran into a fruit stand and left with a box of apricots and raspberries and headed for the beach. We had our picnic overlooking Half Moon Bay's Venice Beach. After lunch we trekked down to the sand and water and then Lucia took over. She was constantly heading for the water while Callie was busy collecting shells and filling her pockets with sanding treasures. I was flooded with Mommy memories and knowing this was absolutely the best Grandma adventure to date. Not only that, Bill had inadvertently given me the best Mother's Day gift ever.
Heading to the car, I could only think about what was to be. If this was our best adventure so far, think about the fun that is waiting for the three of us. I am so thankful to Maria and Bill, who trust me implicitly with the lives of their babies who in turn have brought me such happiness.
Maria dropped off the girls with their bag that Daddy had packed before his business trip to China. We loaded up the car and we were off. Callie was as chatty as I have ever seen her. It was a blast just talking to her about goats and goat cheese and the beach and picnics and pie. We made out way to Pescadero and the goats. She jumped out of the car while I got Lucia and bounded over to the goat enclosure. I knew she would love petting the goats but I didn't realize how long she could be happy there.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Making Me Better
I am constantly looking in to determine my state - where I am at this moment in life - and whether or not I am all that I can be. I am a perfectionist even though I don't really believe in perfection. But I do desperately want to be the best that I can be. There are some things in life that I know make me better.
Eating healthy - my constant battle that I am trying to win on my own terms before the medical profession steps in
Running - it is like flying to me and I want to do it as long as I can
My granddaughters - they make me smile at absolutely nothing and everything
Feeding my spirit - reading, praying, meditating
Surrounding myself with positive forces and eliminating those that weigh me back into the quagmire of self-doubt and negativity. For me this is people. I love being surrounded with positive people and those who have a perspective on the world that it is half full.
The other side of this coin is eliminating things that don't make me better and that, is more and more becoming people, as well. I can't handle being around the nay sayers, the poor me's or the all about me's. I'm a happy person but not happy enough to lift up the sad ones. So that means I must leave them behind. I can't afford to waste my thoughts or energy on being frustrated by their actions, words or even their mere presence in my life. This is much easier said than done. Those thoughts have a way of creeping back in and I tend to welcome them like an old friend. And then suddenly I realize I'm not sleeping, I'm force feeding myself sugar and carbs to soothe the pain and I'm questioning my decisions, both past and present. No more. I have the power to change those thoughts by simply thinking new ones. No more rain clouds darkening my blue skies. No more worrying over things and people that I can't change. In the words of Buddha, "We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves." That's what I'm talkin' about!
Eating healthy - my constant battle that I am trying to win on my own terms before the medical profession steps in
Running - it is like flying to me and I want to do it as long as I can
My granddaughters - they make me smile at absolutely nothing and everything
Feeding my spirit - reading, praying, meditating
Surrounding myself with positive forces and eliminating those that weigh me back into the quagmire of self-doubt and negativity. For me this is people. I love being surrounded with positive people and those who have a perspective on the world that it is half full.
The other side of this coin is eliminating things that don't make me better and that, is more and more becoming people, as well. I can't handle being around the nay sayers, the poor me's or the all about me's. I'm a happy person but not happy enough to lift up the sad ones. So that means I must leave them behind. I can't afford to waste my thoughts or energy on being frustrated by their actions, words or even their mere presence in my life. This is much easier said than done. Those thoughts have a way of creeping back in and I tend to welcome them like an old friend. And then suddenly I realize I'm not sleeping, I'm force feeding myself sugar and carbs to soothe the pain and I'm questioning my decisions, both past and present. No more. I have the power to change those thoughts by simply thinking new ones. No more rain clouds darkening my blue skies. No more worrying over things and people that I can't change. In the words of Buddha, "We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves." That's what I'm talkin' about!
Wednesday, March 06, 2013
My Grandfather Made the Front Page!
Don Allen: Strong, independent at 105
By Mike Brownlee mbrownlee@nonpareilonline.com
Posted:
03/02/2013 11:30 PM
Don Allen worked the crowd Saturday night in the “Bunkhouse” at
Pizza Ranch, shaking hands with old friends, mugging for pictures with
family members. His wit sharp, his mind keen.
After 105 years on this planet, in this city, Allen is as independent as ever, a man with a simple credo for living a long life.
“Take it a day at a time,” Allen said on his birthday, his words accompanied by a chuckle. “I just live.”
Allen’s family and friends packed the restaurant party room, young and old stopping for a moment to catch up with the “family inspiration” – as put by granddaughter Tere Allen. Allen doesn’t like to talk about himself much, so his son Don, Jr., and others filled in the gaps.
Don Allen, Sr., was born on March 2, 1908. At the age of 8 Allen and family loaded into a horse and buggy to attend the funeral of Gen. Grenville Dodge, following the procession from his home to Walnut Hill Cemetery.
What does he remember about the funeral?
“The 21-gun salute,” sticks out, he said. “And it was cold.”
He attended school through freshman year at Abraham Lincoln, when he had to quit attending to help his family get by after his parents, brothers and sisters were put in quarantine – though he forgets what malady they had.
He lived through the Great Depression, which he described matter-of-factly as just awful.
“Nobody had a job, nobody had food. All the banks were broke,” he said. “But we got through it.”
Allen slept in the shed, waking up each morning to tend to livestock and try to make a living in the city.
What was that experience like, away from family, essentially on your own?
“I knew what I had to do,” Allen said. “It happened, we worked through it.”
The quarantine lasted 21 days, but Allen decided to keep working rather than go back to school. He was a day laborer in his early adult life, catching on anywhere he could. He spent a summer thrashing wheat and flax, another working in the garden at the Iowa School for the Deaf. His first full-time, steady job was at a seed store, which he began in 1936.
Before that he married Adelaide, in the late 20s. The pair were married 72 years, until she died in April of 2000.
Health problems confined her to a wheelchair late in life, but that didn’t stop Don Sr. from taking her around West Graham, to the home of neighbor Shirley and Bruce Jones to gaze at Shirley’s flowers or to Fairmont Park to watch the sunset.
“He’d take her everywhere,” said Bruce of his neighbor of more than 40 years.
Bruce’s eyes grew large while discussing his favorite neighbor, discussing long conversations they had about the history of Council Bluffs, the elder teaching the youngin’.
Don still shovels his walk if his neighbors don’t beat him to it. Allen mows his own lawn, cleans around the house and cooks his own meals.
Come spring he’ll work in his garden, growing a variety of vegetables to share with his friends on West Graham.
He grows cabbage to make sauerkraut, which is popular among family and friends. His tomatoes have contributed to gallons of pasta sauce.
“I’m 76, he’s in better health than me,” Bruce Jones said. “And he has a better memory. He’s unbelievable, just outstanding. The best. We just love Don.”
About his dad’s health – and sense of humor – Don Jr. noted his senior “goes to the doctor once a year to see how he, the doctor, is getting along.”
Along with Don Jr., Don has another son, six grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren and 12 great great grandchildren. Five generations attended the birthday party.
“Pretty awesome,” said his granddaughter, Pat Oneil, who celebrated her 62nd birthday at the party as well. “My grandchildren know my grandfather. Amazing.”
Tere Allen said he’s the model for the entire family.
“Living your life honestly, authentically, taking it one day at a time,” Tere said of what she’s learned from Grandpa.
At Pizza Ranch another disciple, Stephanie Jones – daughter-in-law of Bruce and Shirley – stopped by for a hug and a laugh. Jones calls him a dear friend. Around the time Adelaide died, Stephanie’s husband Kurt died, bringing the neighbors close together.
“He saved me,” Stephanie said. “Such an inspiration.”
As the party progressed, Don’s young friend Bob Sorenson, 102, arrived. The pair quickly entered their own world, catching up like old chums who haven’t seen each other as often as they’d like. After a while Don needed to get up and moving, sharing jokes with other partygoers.
Pulled aside, outside Don’s earshot, each guest – to a person – raved about the patriarch, their eyes wide, their smiles broad.
“He’s a go-getter. He’s a 30-year-old 105-year-old. A crazy man,” Stephanie said, a grin on her face. “I remember a few years back, he was in his 100s. West Graham has these deep ditches from the road to our yards, and mine had a 2X4 piece of wood spanning the ditch. I look out my window and see Don walking, tight-roping, across the board.
“I ran out there and said, “What are you doing? Are you crazy?”
His reply?
“‘I’m seeing if I still have it.’”
One-hundred and five years into his life, Don Allen still has it.
After 105 years on this planet, in this city, Allen is as independent as ever, a man with a simple credo for living a long life.
“Take it a day at a time,” Allen said on his birthday, his words accompanied by a chuckle. “I just live.”
Allen’s family and friends packed the restaurant party room, young and old stopping for a moment to catch up with the “family inspiration” – as put by granddaughter Tere Allen. Allen doesn’t like to talk about himself much, so his son Don, Jr., and others filled in the gaps.
Don Allen, Sr., was born on March 2, 1908. At the age of 8 Allen and family loaded into a horse and buggy to attend the funeral of Gen. Grenville Dodge, following the procession from his home to Walnut Hill Cemetery.
What does he remember about the funeral?
“The 21-gun salute,” sticks out, he said. “And it was cold.”
He attended school through freshman year at Abraham Lincoln, when he had to quit attending to help his family get by after his parents, brothers and sisters were put in quarantine – though he forgets what malady they had.
He lived through the Great Depression, which he described matter-of-factly as just awful.
“Nobody had a job, nobody had food. All the banks were broke,” he said. “But we got through it.”
Allen slept in the shed, waking up each morning to tend to livestock and try to make a living in the city.
What was that experience like, away from family, essentially on your own?
“I knew what I had to do,” Allen said. “It happened, we worked through it.”
The quarantine lasted 21 days, but Allen decided to keep working rather than go back to school. He was a day laborer in his early adult life, catching on anywhere he could. He spent a summer thrashing wheat and flax, another working in the garden at the Iowa School for the Deaf. His first full-time, steady job was at a seed store, which he began in 1936.
Before that he married Adelaide, in the late 20s. The pair were married 72 years, until she died in April of 2000.
Health problems confined her to a wheelchair late in life, but that didn’t stop Don Sr. from taking her around West Graham, to the home of neighbor Shirley and Bruce Jones to gaze at Shirley’s flowers or to Fairmont Park to watch the sunset.
“He’d take her everywhere,” said Bruce of his neighbor of more than 40 years.
Bruce’s eyes grew large while discussing his favorite neighbor, discussing long conversations they had about the history of Council Bluffs, the elder teaching the youngin’.
Don still shovels his walk if his neighbors don’t beat him to it. Allen mows his own lawn, cleans around the house and cooks his own meals.
Come spring he’ll work in his garden, growing a variety of vegetables to share with his friends on West Graham.
He grows cabbage to make sauerkraut, which is popular among family and friends. His tomatoes have contributed to gallons of pasta sauce.
“I’m 76, he’s in better health than me,” Bruce Jones said. “And he has a better memory. He’s unbelievable, just outstanding. The best. We just love Don.”
About his dad’s health – and sense of humor – Don Jr. noted his senior “goes to the doctor once a year to see how he, the doctor, is getting along.”
Along with Don Jr., Don has another son, six grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren and 12 great great grandchildren. Five generations attended the birthday party.
“Pretty awesome,” said his granddaughter, Pat Oneil, who celebrated her 62nd birthday at the party as well. “My grandchildren know my grandfather. Amazing.”
Tere Allen said he’s the model for the entire family.
“Living your life honestly, authentically, taking it one day at a time,” Tere said of what she’s learned from Grandpa.
At Pizza Ranch another disciple, Stephanie Jones – daughter-in-law of Bruce and Shirley – stopped by for a hug and a laugh. Jones calls him a dear friend. Around the time Adelaide died, Stephanie’s husband Kurt died, bringing the neighbors close together.
“He saved me,” Stephanie said. “Such an inspiration.”
As the party progressed, Don’s young friend Bob Sorenson, 102, arrived. The pair quickly entered their own world, catching up like old chums who haven’t seen each other as often as they’d like. After a while Don needed to get up and moving, sharing jokes with other partygoers.
Pulled aside, outside Don’s earshot, each guest – to a person – raved about the patriarch, their eyes wide, their smiles broad.
“He’s a go-getter. He’s a 30-year-old 105-year-old. A crazy man,” Stephanie said, a grin on her face. “I remember a few years back, he was in his 100s. West Graham has these deep ditches from the road to our yards, and mine had a 2X4 piece of wood spanning the ditch. I look out my window and see Don walking, tight-roping, across the board.
“I ran out there and said, “What are you doing? Are you crazy?”
His reply?
“‘I’m seeing if I still have it.’”
One-hundred and five years into his life, Don Allen still has it.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Life List - The Gratitude Journal
I am nearing the end of my first two months of keeping a gratitude journal. It is possible that it has changed my view of the world but I'm not certain. It has certainly let me to be more reflective on a daily basis. It is rare that I leave it out of my day but when I do, I always remember it the next morning because I have that weird feeling that something is missing.
During the first few days, I began to look for things to be grateful for as I went through my day but by the end of the second week that was unnecessary. I really don't know if I am basically a positive person or habits really do happen that fast. At any rate, I am a happier person to end my day in thankfulness.
During the first few days, I began to look for things to be grateful for as I went through my day but by the end of the second week that was unnecessary. I really don't know if I am basically a positive person or habits really do happen that fast. At any rate, I am a happier person to end my day in thankfulness.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Happy Birthday Grandpa
It is time to once again celebrate the most amazing man on the planet. My grandfather is turning 105! My annual gift is always a letter to share my love. The 2013 version follows.
February 26, 2013
Dear Grandpa,
In just a few short days, I will be winging my way home. I am coming home to Iowa, to that cute little house on West Graham and to your loving arms. Eppley Airport has become the threshold to all those warm feelings that symbolize the home of my childhood. As the plane touches down I know that I am only moments away from being swept away with that love of home. Grandpa, you are that home for me.
Home is a safe refuge from the world. You are warm and loving, always welcoming me in out of the cold or heat to leave behind whatever needless worries or concerns have occupied my mind. I step through the door and all that matters is that once again I am with you. I have been given one more chance to laugh and learn from you.
To be home is to know love. You are love personified. Our time together is filled with hugs and kisses, holding hands and just sitting together, side by side, as we talk. Nobody does that better than you. I never leave you without the knowledge that I am loved for who I am, for all that I have become and that you are proud of me.
Home is where we are safe and sound. I have the belief that nothing bad can ever happen as long as I am with you. You have always been there to protect me and get me through the rough stuff. Your simple words of advice is the light that leads me though the challenges that have made me stronger. The model you have created for me to live life simply and honestly has taught me how to endure as the world becomes more and more unrecognizable as a place that is loving and secure.
Home is the locus of the family. Grandpa, your house is filled with family, not only in human form but the pictures on the wall confirm it as well. It is there that I can see myself as I truly was and am. I see me as a daughter, a graduate, a wife and mother and now grandmother. The journey is there to behold for each of your descendents with just a simple glance around the living room. The message is clear, family is all that matters.
Home is where the heart is. I walk through your door and could cry just from the emotion of it all. I am loved. I am wanted. I am respected. Grandpa, I can't wait to see you again. I always know that when we are together something wonderful is about to happen. I know that I will leave better than I was when I came. I will be smarter, able to do something that I couldn't do before, more caring, and filled with wisdom that I will share with my own children and grandchildren in the years to come. To be in your presence is to know that wisdom wrapped in love is about to be dropped in my lap. And I will scoop it up like candy and devour it.
So as I prepare to celebrate the birthday of the most amazing man on the planet, my heart is filled with love and gratitude for all that you have been for me through the years. You are love. You are home. You are all that I hope to me for my own grandchildren: a safe harbor from the storms of life, a place to laugh at nothing and everything, a warm embrace that will be felt for all of eternity.
February 26, 2013
Dear Grandpa,
In just a few short days, I will be winging my way home. I am coming home to Iowa, to that cute little house on West Graham and to your loving arms. Eppley Airport has become the threshold to all those warm feelings that symbolize the home of my childhood. As the plane touches down I know that I am only moments away from being swept away with that love of home. Grandpa, you are that home for me.
Home is a safe refuge from the world. You are warm and loving, always welcoming me in out of the cold or heat to leave behind whatever needless worries or concerns have occupied my mind. I step through the door and all that matters is that once again I am with you. I have been given one more chance to laugh and learn from you.
To be home is to know love. You are love personified. Our time together is filled with hugs and kisses, holding hands and just sitting together, side by side, as we talk. Nobody does that better than you. I never leave you without the knowledge that I am loved for who I am, for all that I have become and that you are proud of me.
Home is where we are safe and sound. I have the belief that nothing bad can ever happen as long as I am with you. You have always been there to protect me and get me through the rough stuff. Your simple words of advice is the light that leads me though the challenges that have made me stronger. The model you have created for me to live life simply and honestly has taught me how to endure as the world becomes more and more unrecognizable as a place that is loving and secure.
Home is the locus of the family. Grandpa, your house is filled with family, not only in human form but the pictures on the wall confirm it as well. It is there that I can see myself as I truly was and am. I see me as a daughter, a graduate, a wife and mother and now grandmother. The journey is there to behold for each of your descendents with just a simple glance around the living room. The message is clear, family is all that matters.
Home is where the heart is. I walk through your door and could cry just from the emotion of it all. I am loved. I am wanted. I am respected. Grandpa, I can't wait to see you again. I always know that when we are together something wonderful is about to happen. I know that I will leave better than I was when I came. I will be smarter, able to do something that I couldn't do before, more caring, and filled with wisdom that I will share with my own children and grandchildren in the years to come. To be in your presence is to know that wisdom wrapped in love is about to be dropped in my lap. And I will scoop it up like candy and devour it.
So as I prepare to celebrate the birthday of the most amazing man on the planet, my heart is filled with love and gratitude for all that you have been for me through the years. You are love. You are home. You are all that I hope to me for my own grandchildren: a safe harbor from the storms of life, a place to laugh at nothing and everything, a warm embrace that will be felt for all of eternity.
Renewing Hope in Humanity
Saturday I made my way to the San Tomas Creek Trail for a nice morning run. I donned my running clothes, water bottle, iPhone and ID and away I went. My ID and phone were in the same pocket so I was careful each time that I checked the mileage on my phone that my license was safe. I got home and got organized for the rest of my day but my license was no where to be found. I looked everywhere that I could think of over and over again with no luck. Finally I went back to the trail to search. But once again, no luck. Two thoughts ran simultaneously through my mind. Some bad guy will find it and steal my identity. Some good guy will find it and return it. I started facing facts and set up an appointment at the dreaded DMV. Then out of the blue, 36 hours after it was lost, a man knocked on the door, symbolizing all that is good in the world, holding my license in his hand and bearing the sweetest smile on his face. I could have kissed him! My faith in humankind was immediately reborn. People are inherently good and when given the opportunity will do the right thing.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Rules to Live By
January seems to have been a death and funeral month for me. Ray is gone as is Jane Anderson and Lois Mallison. Although all of these deaths left me with sadness and loss I also learned some things along the way. At Lois's funeral two of her children started the readings off with words of wisdom that Lois had been recording in a journal for years. It made me start to think about the rules of life that I follow.
Life is a journey.
Stay in the moment.
The universe is in charge.
Breathe.
You can handle anything for a year.
Everything is as it should be.
No one can make you feel anything but you.
Think happy thoughts.
Challenge yourself.
Be who you were meant to be.
Give thanks.
There's no place like home.
Live life fully.
You are right where you are supposed to be.
Worrying is a waste of time.
Follow your dreams.
Be authentic.
Rain is the balance to sun. We cannot truly appreciate the good without the bad.
When you find yourself fighting against life let go and trust that it will all turn out the way it is meant to be.
You teach others how you want to be treated.
If you allow negativity, it will grow and overtake all that is good..
Whatever you put out in the world, will come back to you.
Life is a journey.
Stay in the moment.
The universe is in charge.
Breathe.
You can handle anything for a year.
Everything is as it should be.
No one can make you feel anything but you.
Think happy thoughts.
Challenge yourself.
Be who you were meant to be.
Give thanks.
There's no place like home.
Live life fully.
You are right where you are supposed to be.
Worrying is a waste of time.
Follow your dreams.
Be authentic.
Rain is the balance to sun. We cannot truly appreciate the good without the bad.
When you find yourself fighting against life let go and trust that it will all turn out the way it is meant to be.
You teach others how you want to be treated.
If you allow negativity, it will grow and overtake all that is good..
Whatever you put out in the world, will come back to you.
Friday, January 04, 2013
Family
Today we say good-bye to the loving spirit who went by the name of Ray Bunt. He was the grandfather of my son-in-law and it was my distinct pleasure to be inducted into his extended "family." To Ray, we were all family and I learned a lot about that word from him.
Dinner always begins with a beverage - usually alcoholic. People are just a lot happier when they drink and by golly, there's no reason not to be happy in this life.
Christmas is sacred and everybody shows up. The in-laws, the out-laws, everybody. He believed strongly that once you're in the family, you are always welcome at the door. It matters not how you left, you can always come home again.
Birthdays are your own celebration. It's the only day of the year that you can call your own. Being born on the 4th of July made him a bit of fire cracker and the 4th even more exciting than it normally would have been. In years gone by it might include him donning his swimming suit but it always meant a party, beer, and explosions at the end.
Marriage was through thick and thin. He was extremely dedicated to his wife, Ann. He understood that she was the glue that kept everything together. He knew that he went off to work but she did the real work. She dressed and fed everyone under their roof and anyone else who might just happen to show up. He was the life of the party but he knew that she carried on the day to day normal stuff that made the parties possible.
Hugs and kisses are the perfect way to say hello and until I see you again. That man gave some great hugs. He followed up with a kiss and words that flew right into your heart and will live there for all of eternity. Well hello. It's great to see you. How have you been? How are your folks? You knew that he was happy to see you and really wanted to be with you. He wanted to know how you were, how your parents were doing and anything else that was going on in your life. He could carry on a conversation with anyone about anything because he had a knack for getting to know people.
Ray taught me very quickly that family is what it is all about. His family grew and grew through the years and I am absolutely thrilled to have felt a part of it. I will always remember the twinkle in his eyes, the solid embrace that met you at his door, and the love that you felt just being in his presence. I know that he is already up in heaven setting up his welcome home party and that he and Ann are back together again.
Dinner always begins with a beverage - usually alcoholic. People are just a lot happier when they drink and by golly, there's no reason not to be happy in this life.
Christmas is sacred and everybody shows up. The in-laws, the out-laws, everybody. He believed strongly that once you're in the family, you are always welcome at the door. It matters not how you left, you can always come home again.
Birthdays are your own celebration. It's the only day of the year that you can call your own. Being born on the 4th of July made him a bit of fire cracker and the 4th even more exciting than it normally would have been. In years gone by it might include him donning his swimming suit but it always meant a party, beer, and explosions at the end.
Marriage was through thick and thin. He was extremely dedicated to his wife, Ann. He understood that she was the glue that kept everything together. He knew that he went off to work but she did the real work. She dressed and fed everyone under their roof and anyone else who might just happen to show up. He was the life of the party but he knew that she carried on the day to day normal stuff that made the parties possible.
Hugs and kisses are the perfect way to say hello and until I see you again. That man gave some great hugs. He followed up with a kiss and words that flew right into your heart and will live there for all of eternity. Well hello. It's great to see you. How have you been? How are your folks? You knew that he was happy to see you and really wanted to be with you. He wanted to know how you were, how your parents were doing and anything else that was going on in your life. He could carry on a conversation with anyone about anything because he had a knack for getting to know people.
Ray taught me very quickly that family is what it is all about. His family grew and grew through the years and I am absolutely thrilled to have felt a part of it. I will always remember the twinkle in his eyes, the solid embrace that met you at his door, and the love that you felt just being in his presence. I know that he is already up in heaven setting up his welcome home party and that he and Ann are back together again.
Tuesday, January 01, 2013
Living Life in Gratitude
I am beginning a new blog today - one of gratitude. My original plan was to keep it in a journal but after my morning run, I would have already filled the space for the day. So it seems I have quite a lot to be grateful for.
You can find it here
You can find it here
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