Quote of the Week

The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails. - William Arthur Ward

This is a variation on whether the glass is half full or half empty with one difference.  In addition to the half-empty pessimist and the half-full optimist, we have the realist. The realist is the one who views all the angles and adapts to the current situation.

This lake is particularly fickle, and the wind can be blowing one minute and dead the next. The boat next to you may catch the wind and leave you sitting still. The realist looks at the surrounding conditions and makes the appropriate adjustments.



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Quote of the Week

Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax. - Abraham Lincoln.

Okay, who thinks this has anything to do with chopping down a tree? Maybe it's about always keeping your axes sharp?

I think it is about being prepared for the task ahead. If you have a project to complete or problem to solve and are running on a deadline, it pays to take some time to prepare so you are not working out the solution on the fly.

Bottom line... being prepared will help you accomplish your tasks more easily.



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Quote of the Week

Abraham Lincoln

George Washington

I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man. ― George Washington


Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power. ― Abraham Lincoln



What do both these quotes have in common? Character. Lincoln said, "Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing."

What is Presidents Day?  A day off work, sales and special events? Before we rush out for 10% off this or 30% off that, let's take a look at what Presidents Day really is.  It all started with the death of George Washington, the first president of the United States, in 1799.  The following year began the celebrations of his birthday on February 22. It was signed into law as a holiday in 1879 and was the first to honor an individual American's life.

Abraham Lincoln's birthday, February 12, is celebrated in some states as a state holiday, but the rest combine the celebration of both Washington and Lincoln on Presidents Day.  

Today it is commonly accepted as a celebration of all U.S. presidents, although some lawmakers object to this. They feel that grouping Washington and Lincoln with less successful presidents minimizes their legacies. 

Some presidential trivia:

• Washington's picture first appeared on the one dollar bill in 1869.
• Lincoln's picture was chosen for the five dollar bill in 1914.
• Washington was opposed to political parties, Lincoln was republican.
• Washington was inaugurated in two cities, New York and Philadelphia.
• Lincoln was Presbyterian, Washington was Episcopalian.
• Lincoln's picture is on both the penny and the five dollar bill.

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Remembering Dean Smith

In memory of Dean Smith, who passed away February 7, 2015, may your skies always be Carolina Blue.

If you make every game a life and death proposition, you're going to have problems. For one thing, you'll be dead a lot. - Dean Smith

What to do with a mistake - recognize it, admit it, learn from it, forget it.
- Dean Smith


Dean Smith was a legend, not only at UNC, or in the ACC, he was a basketball icon.  He was not only a master of the game, but a caring leader, well loved by his players. 

“All of that is credited to him,” Michael Jordan once said of his career. “It never would have happened without Coach Smith.”

“I can’t put his impact on me into words,” Phil Ford said of Smith. “I don’t know where I’d be without him in my life. He’s been such an influence on me, and a friend and a brother and a father figure…Before I chose North Carolina, I felt that Coach Smith would be there for me my entire life. I was right.”

"Coach Smith was one of the most influential people in my life, and his passing brings me great sadness. However, he was a great man and someone I loved and respected greatly, and I celebrate the fact that I knew him and had him in my life for as long as I did." Mitch Kupchak, Lakers General Manager and former UNC player.

Not only was he loved by his players, he was admired and respected by the coaches he faced on the court.

Mike Krzyzewski on Dean Smith's passing: "We have lost a man who cannot be replaced." Coach K went on to say "...his greatest gift was his unique ability to teach what it takes to become a good man. That was easy for him to do because he was a great man himself."

Over the years I probably watched hundreds or even thousands of hours of basketball, listening to it on the radio when the game was not televised. I shouted for joy when they won and fell silent when they lost.  Most years there were more wins than losses, and I clearly remember the 1982 championship game.  I was seated on the floor in front of the TV with a rolled up newspaper in my hands.  I alternated between barely breathing and shouting the house down.  When the final buzzer sounded, shredded paper rained down around me.

Another game that stands out is the 1974 game between Duke and Carolina.  UNC was 8 points down with 17 seconds left on the clock, and they won the game.  Here is a clip of that fantastic finish.

If you can't see the video, click here.

Although I don't follow college basketball like I used to, I am still a Carolina fan at heart, and this is, by far, the Tarheels' greatest loss.


Read more about Dean Smith, the man and the coach.




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Quote of the Week

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.

- Neale Donald Walsch

Draw a small circle on a piece of paper.  This represents the defense, or your comfort zone. Then draw a larger circle. This represents the offense, or all the amazing things you'd like to try but aren't comfortable with. See the disconnect?  Let's merge those two circles and that intersection is your new end zone, or goal.

You don't want to be left sitting on the sideline, so whether it's trying something new, conquering a fear by facing it, or just going to a Super Bowl party when you know zero about football, get out there and stretch your territory. Sure, you may fumble or even drop the ball, but you will still be a champ because you tackled something new or daunting.

Congratulations to the New England Patriots on last night's Super Bowl victory.


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Quote of the Week

This is day 16 of the 20 Days of Chill writing challenge hosted by P. J. at A ‘lil HooHaa. Please join me as we share a month of reading, writing and discovery. Today's topic is 10 Years Ago, I was probably ___.

A friend may be waiting behind a stranger's face.
 ― Maya Angelou, Letter to My Daughter

The year was 2005, we had just gotten through 15 months of insanity where hubby traveled on business 2-3 weeks at a time.

I happened to read a small ad in the newspaper about a new wine shop that had opened up near us. We weren't all that much into wine at the time, due mostly to lack of knowledge and places that held tastings.

That was about to change...but that's not all that changed. We started going to the wine tastings on Saturday afternoons, and it was not only educational, it was a social thing. The owners formed a chapter of the American Wine Society which we joined.

There were wine dinners, live music and later Friday night get togethers at the wine shop. Unfortunately the local business was not enough to sustain them, and they had to close the shop. On the last of these gatherings we decided that we wanted to keep this going, so now we get together about once a month, bringing food and wine to share. We've been doing this for nearly 8 years. We have had dinners, taken trips, had parties, gone to weddings and rang in the New Year. 

A number of us even attend the same church now.  All because I saw this one little ad in the newspaper. Was it fate, karma? I don't know, but I don't think it was just chance. Whatever the reason, I'm grateful for and value all these friendships tremendously.
 
So what was I doing 10 years ago?  A lot less.  Cheers!


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Quote of the Week

This is day 11 of the 20 Days of Chill writing challenge hosted by P. J. at A ‘lil HooHaa. Please join me as we share a month of reading, writing and discovery. Today's topic is Word for the year.

Words have no power... which you do not give them. - Bruce McAllister The Village Sang to the Sea: A Memoir of Magic

Words are just an assembly of letters.  Once we assemble the letters into words, we give them a definition. Now that the words have meaning, we use them to communicate. This is where it gets tricky. You know the saying "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me"?  

I see two ways of looking at this. False, of course words can hurt me. Just think of all the cruel things that are said that diminish our self-esteem, leave us feeling isolated, even humiliated. This happens when we allow the words to have that power.  

Or it's true, and words cannot hurt me... if I don't let them.  If we can put aside the hurtful words, we take away their power.  This is not an easy thing to do and many people suffer from careless, thoughtless or malicious remarks.

For this challenge, we were supposed to focus on a word for the year.  Since we're just getting started I don't know which words will be trendy this year.  Last year these ten words made the short list:  Culture, Nostalgia, Insidious, Legacy, Feminism, Je ne sais quoi, Innovation, Surreptitious, Autonomy, Morbidity.

This is my list.

What is your word (or words) for the year?

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Quote of the Week

This is day six of the 20 Days of Chill writing challenge hosted by P. J. at A ‘lil HooHaa. Please join me as we share a month of reading, writing and discovery. Today's topic is What is "chill" and how do 
I do it?

There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want.  

- Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes

Image Source: nickster99

The definition of "chill" is to relax or hang out. Relax means to spend time resting or doing something enjoyable, especially after you have been doing work.

How you do it depends on you.  The concept of relaxing is different for each person. Maybe you like to listen to classical music, curl up with a good book and/or cat, take a walk, or head to the beach.

Chilling doesn't necessarily mean doing nothing. Some people relax by working.  Not working at their everyday jobs, or doing chores, but by working at their hobbies like painting, scrapbooking, or gardening (not to be confused with toiling in the hot sun).

In today's world sometimes relaxing doesn't come easy.  We feel guilty if we're not being productive or if we aren't marking off all the items on our never-ending "to do" list. Stress can be a 24/7 problem, interfering with our rest.  That makes it all the more important to add "relax" to our list of things to accomplish.  Yes, sometimes it is necessary to schedule down time.

Here are some of the health benefits* of relaxation:

1. Helps protect your heart.
2. Helps protect you against getting colds.
3. Helps boost your memory.
4. Helps protect you against depression.
5. Helps you make better decisions.

These are just five of the many reasons to add some rest and relaxation to your day planner.

So whether it's taking in an afternoon matinee or lying on your back watching the clouds, take some time to just chill - it's good for you!


*Read more here. 

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Quote of the Week

This is day one of the January writing challenge hosted by P.J. at the 'lilhoohaa blog. Please join me as we share a month of reading, writing and discovery.  Today's topic is Spilled Milk. Since today is Monday, it's time for my weekly quote, and most obvious is:

Don't cry over spilled milk. - Benjamin Franklin

This was also attributed earlier to 17th British historian, James Howell.  

Image Source: lunatheninjakitty

It is thought that this phrase stems from European folklore which holds that fairies like milk and will drink up any spills left behind.  I guess that's saying not to worry if milk is spilled because the fairies will clean it up.  I wonder if they had chocolate milk?

February 11, 2015 is "Don't cry over spilled milk day".  Who knew?  In celebration, let it serve as a reminder to not stress over things that have happened which we cannot change.  The past is just that...the past.  Let's not waste energy worrying about it, and look forward to a new day, and a new year, with a positive attitude.




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Quote of the Week

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.  - Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Lucky Bee Press

New Year's resolutions are overstated and overrated.  Rather than put pen to paper and list all that we hope to begin, change or achieve, let's take the blank pages of the New Year and give ourselves permission to live one chapter at a time.





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Quote of the Week

He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.  

- Roy L. Smith

Merry Christmas from our house to yours.

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Quote of the Week

 It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.  

- Edmund Hillary

Image Source: Wikipedia

Born in 1919 in New Zealand, Sir Edmund Percival Hillary was a mountaineer, explorer and philanthropist. He and a Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer were the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 1953.  After his climb, he held a life-long passion for helping the Sherpa through a trust that he founded.

The mountain is only a physical obstacle. In facing what life puts before us and persevering, we gain strength and confidence, ultimately overcoming our personal obstacles.

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Quote of the Week

You can't cross the sea merely by standing 

and staring at the water.  ― Rabindranath Tagore

Not only can you not cross the sea by staring at the water, you can't accomplish anything by being a bystander in your own life.  From something as simple as an overstuffed closet or messy garage, to a major endeavor, you can't accomplish something you never begin.  

Like I'm fond of saying "those dishes aren't going to wash themselves".  There's no time like the present, so let's dig in and get our feet wet and our hands dirty and see what we can accomplish.  


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Quote of the Week

The best thing one can do when it's raining 

is to let it rain. - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Spring 2000 - November 28, 2014

As some of you may know, we said good-bye to Dood on Friday.  We knew there was something wrong, but had no idea when we went to the vet Friday morning that would be our last moments with him.  To say that it was heartbreaking would be an understatement for me, having only lost Rosie a year ago.  Dood was really a comfort this past year, and we grew closer than ever.

If you're wondering what this has to do with the quote, it's simple.  For me the rain symbolizes tears, and sometimes the best way to deal with loss is to rain when you need to.

Love ya buddy!

Quote of the Week

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. 

- Anaïs Nin, Diary, 1969

This is an unintentional continuation of the last several weeks' thought process.  We've talked about hindsight being the key to the future as it enables us to see the possibilities. Then we touched on our inner strength, which is always there, but sometimes seems harder to access.

This week we look at life and how full it is or maybe how lacking it seems.  Courage and inner strength are closely related and tie into our ability to make the most of what life has to offer.  

The point of today's quote is about finding the courage to move forward and broaden our horizons.  We only get out of life what we put into it, and sometimes that takes strength, courage and the ability to learn from our mistakes, as well as the courage to risk making those mistakes in the first place.






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Quote of the Week

We find in ourselves the strength to overcome every obstacle, which is a good thing, because we also find in ourselves every obstacle. - Robert Brault

Once again we take a look at the insight and humor of Robert Brault.  His quotes have appeared on Roses to Rainbows from time to time as I seek out words of wisdom, inspiration and humor.  He is a freelance writer who has been contributing to various publications for over 40 years.  He has recently published a book titled Round Up The Usual Suspects: Thoughts On Just About Everything.


Today we focus on our strength.  Sometimes we think - I can't do that, or I'll never get through this (see last week's quote).  

For many of us our problems stem from us turning minor setbacks into road blocks. However, within ourselves we have the strength required to see us through, to overcome life's bumps and change the road blocks back into merely minor setbacks. 

In reality, though, not all of life's problems are just bumps in the road or minor setbacks that could have been changed or avoided by a different mindset, but we must still focus our inner strength to meet these challenges.

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Quote of the Week

On particularly rough days when I'm sure I can't endure, I like to remind myself that my track record for getting through bad days so far is 100%...and that's pretty good. 
- Unknown.

You've all heard the expression about hindsight being 20/20.  That usually refers to something that you should (or shouldn't) have done.  Our old friends shoulda, coulda, woulda, and if only gather around, often making us look back with regret.

Here's a way that hindsight can make us feel better instead of longing for a do-over.

For example, you're having a bad day, the boss yelled at you, someone ate your chicken sandwich and you just lost your last dollar in the vending machine.  Or, your sitter called at the last minute to cancel because she has the flu and she sat for your kids yesterday.

Whatever the situation, you will get through it.  Why? Because you always do, and when you look back on the incidents or issues that caused such distress at the time, you see two things.  First, you are here.  You got through it. And second, it was not nearly as bad as it seemed, or maybe not as bad as it could have been.



Hindsight can provide a little insight into how your next jog in the road will turn out.

Please share your thoughts or stories in the comment section.


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Remembering Rosie

This week's quote is in memory of Rosie.

Another cat? Perhaps. For love there is also a season; its seeds must be resown. But a family cat is not replaceable like a worn out coat or a set of tires. Each new kitten becomes its own cat, and none is repeated. I am four cats old, measuring out my life in friends that have succeeded but not replaced one another. -Irving Towns

It has been one year since I bid my Rosie a final farewell, and not a day goes by that I don't think of him in some way.  Remembering him with smiles, laughter and tears, he will always be a part of my life.

I clearly remember the day we brought him home as a kitten.  He was four months old, with big feet and big ears.  He had so much long hair in his ears that the folks at the Humane Society called him Mr. Tufts.  He eventually grew into his feet and ears - hair and all, and developed the most magnificent mane.  My mom came over to see our new addition, and the first things she said was "He's so gray!"  Well, yes, he was.

Rosie was special not only in his overwhelming sweetness, but also his breed.  It was only after his passing that I discovered what kind of cat he was.  In my post What is a Nebelung?  I talked about that, and included a video describing the Nebelung breed.

Mr. Towns measures his life by the number of feline friends with whom he has shared his life, no one replacing the other, but adding to the fullness of his life like the rings on a tree.  I am many cats old, and currently share home and heart with the two other sweet felines who enjoyed lazy days and warm sunbeams with Rosie.

Quote of the Week

To err is human, to purr is feline. - Robert Byrne

Just back from vacation, so I have no words of wisdom today. But one of the best things about returning home is getting to hang out with Dood, who's getting into the Halloween spirit.

Quote of the Week

Those that say you can't take it with you never saw a car packed for 

a vacation trip. - Unknown

We're taking a little R&R this week, and if you had seen my car, you would know the truth of this quote.