Quote of the Week

Dood - Big Changes!

God grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the wisdom to know it's me.  

- Author Unknown

The only person we can truly change is ourselves, and then only when we're truly ready.  Change is seldom easy, whether it is dreaded or embraced, whether it's by choice or necessity.  However, changing ourselves is an even greater challenge.

Life is Good

Photo Credit: Bob Fornal

When life hands you a bowl of lemons, you make lemonade.  

When life throws you a curve ball, hit a home run.  

When life catches you by surprise, smile, it can turn your day around.  

When life breaks your heart, cry and move on.  

Life is good.  Never let it get the best of you.

Written for Friday Flash 55.

The Restoration

This is a continuation of "The Rose Garden" written for Magpie Tales.

Gerald sat on the old, cement bench at the corner of the rose garden, his face streaked with dirt where he’d wiped the away the sweat.  Robins poked around through the garden looking for grubs where the soil was freshly turned. 

Gerald had moved into his parents’ house the year after his mother passed away.  That wasn’t his plan, since he had made his home in New York, and Louisiana is a thousand miles and a world away.  After coming home for the funeral, though, he kept feeling drawn back, feeling the need to stay and restore the house and gardens.  He’d put weeks of labor into the rose garden, and finally it was beginning to show promise.  Gone were the weeds and brush threatening to choke the life from the roses.  The yellow rose bush bloomed proudly on the anniversary of his mother’s death.

Photo courtesy of Magpie Tales

The old house wasn’t the only thing calling to Gerald.  Every so often he would find the old watering can sitting on the wall, even though he was sure he had put it away the night before.  When he had first surveyed the garden, he caught a glimpse of someone passing through the garden.  That person so strongly resembled his mother, that he called out, knowing it was impossible.  But was it?

Now he watches for her, talks to her, even though his brain tells him it’s silly, his heart tells him otherwise.

Over the course of his restoration, he had planned to replace the brick walkway to the gardener’s shed with stone.  His father had put that walkway in over 30 years ago, so his mother could walk to the shed without soiling her shoes, as she loved to spend a rainy afternoon working with her plants.  Some of the bricks were broken now, with the dirt coming up between them.  He had already painted and reroofed the shed, and he thought stone would give the garden an elegant finish.  

However, one evening as he looked at the different stone samples he’d picked up, he heard a faint voice upon the light evening breeze.  “Please leave the bricks," it said.  Gerald turned to see who had spoken, but saw no one.  He thought he was hearing things - but there it was again, unmistakable in it’s meaning, “please leave the bricks.” 

Needless to say, the old brick walkway remains.

Quote of the Week

  

Don't look where you fall, but where you slipped.  

- African Proverb

As with many things in life, it's not where you end up so much as how you got there.  

Opposites

Two men, hopelessly lost on the mountain, trudging through snow, with night falling soon; one man swears, the other prays.

Photo Credit:  Tess Kincaid

"Why swear?"

"Why pray?"

One man felt fear; the other, comfort.

Suddenly amongst the clouds they saw a sign pointing toward the woods.  The praying man said "let's go".  The other swore.  They were saved!

Posted for Magpie Tales and Friday Flash 55.

Day Into Night

Day into night

Night into day

Watching each one

Fade away

Wrong versus right

Love's evil twin

Where there is hate

Nobody wins

Day into night

Night into day

Watching each one

Fade away

Fire and ice

Cleanses all

Deny ye now

The devil's call

Written for One Shot Wednesday

Quote of the Week

Tortelloni and garlic bread

One should eat to live, not live to eat.

- Cicero

Without nourishment we die, so we eat to sustain life.  Simple enough, right?  However, food brings pleasure to all of our senses, it connects us with people, and brings back memories.

While we shouldn't overindulge, to eat only to live deprives us of great joy.

Does Chinese Food Leave You Empty?

You know what they say about eating Chinese food?  That you'll be hungry an hour later.  Well, this is an actual fortune from a Chinese fortune cookie.  I'd say someone had quite the sense of humor.

Alastair Atkinson Photography

But seriously, haven't you wondered why?  You eat and eat until you can't stuff any more in, and in a short time you are feeling munchy again. 

Here are several theories regarding this widely experienced phenomenon.

• MSG acts as an appetite stimulate, so you may feel hungry shortly after eating.

• Carbs, especially those with a high glycemic index, makes you feel full but they digest faster than vegetables and do not keep you full as long.

• Chinese meals tend to be less rich in fat than what our bodies consider the norm.  Since it takes fats longer to move through the digestive system than carbs, a less fatty meal will leave you feeling hungry sooner. 

Do any of these theories hold water, or are we just programmed by years of hearing the phrase "you will be hungry again in one hour", leaving us with that expectation?

Does this happen to you?  What are some of your favorite Chinese dishes?

Old Faithful

We're not half way through winter and we’ve already had three snows, one of which was on Christmas Day.  Every time it snows, I dig out my trusty, old boots.  They’re like a faithful old friend, always there to keep my feet warm and dry.  They have great heart and soul…well actually great soles.  I never slip or slide, and they keep me going through sleet, snow and freezing rain...no, that's the mailman.  At any rate, they've seen me through long walks in the woods, up and down icy steps, and hours of sledding and snowman building.

So what sparked a post about my snow boots, you ask?  It's like this.  I have had these boots for well over 30 years, (I probably got them in high school), and I mentioned them in a comment to my friend Cardiogirl, who's new boots have been possessed by the dreaded sock-twisting monster.  (She has since professed her love for her new boots despite the twisted lump of sock beneath her left foot. )

She was amazed that I’d had the same pair of boots for that long, and wanted to see a picture and hear more about this phenomenon of 30-plus year old boots.  To start with, they are not fancy, slick or shiny.

They are brown suede with a furry/fuzzy lining.  They lace up the front which makes them much easier to get on over your jeans, and at just under 12 inches, they have plowed through snow deeper than they are tall.  Yes...even in the South!  I absolutely adore my boots, and may have them another 30 years.

The label shows they came from JC Penney, and I guess I paid around $10 for them – a good price even then.  They also have the distinction of being made in the U.S.A.  Sadly, not something you see so much today.

Quote of the Week

Kevin's Flower Garden

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.  - Marcel Proust

This week my quote is personal...our best friends will be moving soon.  They must continue on the journey which life has placed before them.  Their journey takes them to the far away land of Pennsylvania, the home town of one of our forefathers, Benjamin Franklin, and the resting place of the Liberty Bell, a symbol our freedom.  Instead of being sorrowful because they must leave, I should be grateful for the nearly three years we have had together in the same city.

My friends, I shall miss you desperately...but I will come visit in the summer!   Long may your garden grow.

Detergent Bottle: Fail

Does this ever happen to you?  Here you are about to tackle that mountain of laundry for which you would sacrifice your first born…a week’s worth of wine if you didn’t have to do it.   

Your washer is filling as you reach for the detergent…you just opened a new one last week…and you open the bottle and start to pour the detergent into the measuring cap.   

But wait…there’s no spout.  That’s funny, I could’ve sworn these bottles have pour spouts.  Anyway, you go ahead and pour because you’ve got to get the laundry started so you can get back to your wine go walk the dog.   

Remember to pour carefully because, you know, there’s no spout.   

And that’s when you see it!  Floating in the detergent…inside the bottle...is the missing spout. 

OK, this bottle is defective.  It happens sometimes.

Did I say sometimes?  Try around a half dozen bottles over the last year.  At first I thought ALL was using crappy bottles.  Then my next bottle of WISK did the same thing.

Dear ALL and WISK,

I think you need to have a little one-to-one with your bottle supplier because consumers are getting tired of looking at this in the bottom of their bottle.   

That’s where the worm is supposed to be.   

Oops - wrong bottle…

More Snow in the South

It's always news when snow hits the South.  Whether we get a lot or a little, the effects are usually the same.  Schools close, businesses open late, church services aren't held, and there are a bunch of wrecks.  While all that is the same time after time, the sights to behold are as different as the snowflakes themselves.

This is what our street looked like when I went out for the paper.  Our paper carriers, bless their hearts, are dedicated to service.  I shudder to think of all they have to deal with just to deliver our morning newspaper each day.

We went for a short walk yesterday, about an hour before dark, to snap a few pictures of our latest snow event.  This was one of the "little" ones, only measuring an inch, so landscape photos were not so special. 

However Man and Nature joined forces to make these interesting spots on the pavement.  I'd seen an oil delivery truck in the neighborhood earlier, and wondered if it had a leak.  The oil, mixed with the melting snow, created a rainbow effect on the street.  Don't they look like eyes?

This neighborhood has a number of small lakes or ponds, and was actually named for one of the lakes.  That lake, though, has long since been drained and houses built in it's place.  Bummer, I know.

Anyway here is one of the larger lakes, and Mother Nature made some interesting designs in the ice.  There are round patches where the ice looks thinner and appears to be cracking from the center outward.  I think maybe these lakes are fed from underground springs, and maybe the comparatively warmer water is causing these spots.  Anyone have an idea?

On another lake, three ducks were swimming on the unfrozen part of the lake.  The overflow runs down a large cement pipe at the edge of the lake, which you'll see in the next picture.

Here is an interesting fellow.  I don't know what kind of duck he is, but he didn't seem to mind me snapping a few shots.  In this one he even turned to look over his back at me...or maybe he was just settling down for a nap.  Notice the water running over the pipe.

At this point my hands were numb, the light was fading and it was time to head home and make dinner.

Quote of the Week

May you have warmth in your igloo, oil in your lamp, and peace in your heart.

 - Eskimo proverb

On the surface this is like a New Year's toast to one's physical comfort and peace in the new year.  By taking a deeper look at it, this is what I came away with.  If home is where the heart is, then to have warmth in your home you must have warmth in your heart.  The light of the lamp is representative of the light of your life, and if you have peace in your heart, then you have peace in your home as well.

In other words: Home is where the heart is, so let there be warmth in your heart, a light in your life, and peace in your home.

Orbit Interrupted

On a daily flight around the sun, I paused to consider what would happen if all remaining flights were canceled, and we were stuck in this moment in time forever.  Doing exactly what we're doing now.   A scary thought, don't you think.  Let this be a reminder to do what you enjoy. Happy New Year!

 Written for Friday Flash 55

It's Sophie's Choice

It looks like Sophie has found a new place to catch up on her beauty sleep, or maybe she's planning to help me with the laundry.   What do you think?

She was just starting to get down when I snapped the picture.  

I guess I spoiled her nap. 

Quote of the Week

We find comfort among those who agree with us - growth among those who don't.  - Frank A. Clark

It's always nice to gather with those of like mind.  We feel understood and validated.  However, sometimes we need to step out of our comfort zone, to stretch our minds and reach a new level of understanding.

This is our Comfort Zone

Happy New Year - Welcome 2011!

Photo credit: Mike Gifford

As 2010 prepares to slip away, what can we say to celebrate its passing?  Was it a stellar year filled with exotic getaways, and a new adventure around every corner?  No, it was a year with the normal ups and downs, some good times and some not so good times.  It was a year filled with friendship, love, laughter, and shared moments of both joy and sorrow.  Here's a little bit about what went on in my world in 2010.

Early this year, we were touched with sadness by the loss of several friends due to illness.  My best friend and her husband lost his father to a long battle with ALS, and another friend and fellow wine society member, passed away unexpectedly. 

My cat, Rosie, has experienced several bouts of diabetes this year.  The "fix" that controls it for him is Fancy Feast canned cat food.  No insulin shots is a good thing.  I'm thinking I should buy stock in Fancy Feast.

In spite of the busy year, we had a wonderfully relaxing vacation in Florida, our favorite vacation spot.  Great weather, great food and just chilling out together - could it get any better?

This winter, we had the most amazing gift of a white Christmas.  Yes, a white Christmas in the South.  It was truly beautiful.

I also celebrated my first anniversary in the blogosphere by sharing some of the things I'd learned over the year.  This has been a very positive and eye-opening experience for me.  I've met some really great people through blogging, and I would like to thank everyone who comes by my little hole in the wall to read what I have to say.  Every visit and every comment means a lot, and helps keep me motivated to continue along my journey.

As we move forward into the New Year, I wish each of you a great year, and many blessings for 2011.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Lightly Falling Snow

White Christmas 2010

Lightly falling snow

Dusts the ground like

Powdered sugar doughnuts

Leaving sweet traces

On little faces

Wrapped up in pretty colors

Bright blue mittens

And shiny red boots

Children's happy cries

And their mother's sighs

Remembering the days long ago

Of lightly falling snow

This was our White Christmas.  It began snowing at 11:15 Christmas morning.  We had 6 inches on the ground the morning after Christmas.  What a beautiful Christmas present.

Written for One Shot Wednesday

Quote of the Week

To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe.

- Anatole France

When you dream, dream big!

Our goals, or that which we wish to accomplish in our lives, begin as a dream that we plan for and work at, and most of all believe in our ability to reach.  Never stop believing in yourself.

Quote of the Week

I heard the bells on Christmas Day.
Their old familiar carols play.
And wild and sweet the words repeat.
Of peace on earth goodwill to men.
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Merry Christmas from our house to yours! 

I will be taking a short blogging break over Christmas, and will return next week.

A Winter's Day

Snow covered pines bend low
Softly whispering their secrets
The icy carpet beneath
Bears the tracks of birds and squirrels
Scurrying frantically hither and yon
Seeking sustenance and shelter
Against the bitter cold
Hunkering down until the sun
Shall warm away winter's evidence
And return to them nature's bounty
That they may feast once more

Written for Friday Flash 55

Quote of the Week

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

What we've done and what we've yet to do pales in comparison to who we are inside.  Our beliefs and values temper our life experiences and shape the person that we become.

Sledding Down Memory Lane

Many years ago there lived a little girl, and this little girl loved the snow, but she lived in the South where really good snows were rare.  Still, the little girl anxiously awaited the first snowfall (back then she didn’t mind the cold so much).  She would stare out the window at the field next door and study the sky and how it looked where it met the ground, and how the dried grasses waved with the wind.  She just knew snowflakes were about to fall.  Sure enough, one or two at a time, then more and more until it was really snowing.  She was so happy!  She would watch as it started sticking, piling up until everything was white.

Photo courtesy of Magpie Tales

 When the snow was deep enough and packed down on the roads around her house, her Daddy would take her sledding.  Not just any sledding, mind you, this was special.  You see, her Daddy made some chains for his lawn mower and fashioned a hitch of sorts for her sled.  The little girl donned her snow clothes, boots and mittens, and out into her winter wonderland they went.  Her Daddy pulled her everywhere, up and down the hills, and all around the neighborhood.  Such fun they had!  He would slow up and then start again, making the sled jerk, and off she slid into the snow, laughing.  The first time was an accident, but it was so much fun, she did it over and over again.

She’s been grown for some time now, but those long ago memories are sweet reminders of how special her childhood really was. 

Written for Magpie Tales #44

Quote of the Week

Shall we dance?

The more chance there is of stubbing your toe, the more chance you have of stepping into success.  

- Author Unknown








Through risk comes success, so don't be afraid of stubbing your toe.  In fact, by taking risks you come away with more opportunities to succeed.  Remember, it is only failure if you fail to get up. 

A Christmas Wish

Little Tommy stands and stares at all the Christmas toys under the tree in the store window.  Then he looks up at the first star to appear in the cold night sky.  Maybe if I wish hard enough, he thought, Santa will remember me and bring me a toy truck, and maybe even a puppy.

What do you mean I'm not a puppy?

This is our cat, Sophie, who licks and wags her tail like a puppy.  Yes, seriously, nothing within tail's reach is safe.

Written for Friday Flash 55

Sunset and a Pizza

Last month I posted about our wonderful get away to Florida.  Here is another little trip down our vacation memory lane. 

One of the great things about our condo and it's location is that it was right across the street from John's Pass.  This is a hub-bub of activity with many great restaurants and shops, not to mention cruise boats, and other water sport rentals.  John's Pass has had several face lifts over the years we've been going to Madeira, but one thing remains the same.  That is DeLosa's Pizza!  They say it's the pizza that made John's Pass famous.

They have an extensive menu, but our favorite is, of course, their pizza.  You can get it by the slice, a whole pie, eat in, take out, whatever you like.  Since we were within walking distance, we got one to go, and enjoyed what would be our most beautiful dining experience.

The sunset that night was absolutely spectacular!  It was the perfect accompaniment for our pizza.  The colors were so brilliant that it almost looked like lava flowing down from the sky to sizzle in the cool water.  These pictures were taken from our balcony.

Quote of the Week

Remembrance of things past is not necessarily the remembrance of things as they were. - Marcel Proust

As we change over the years, our memories adapt to those changes.  The actual events remain the same, it is just how we remember them that is different.  The human memory is an interesting thing.  You can compare the memories of two people who shared the same experience, and come away with two different versions of the event.

For more on the subject of memory, check out this article on Making Sense of Memory.                                                           

Turkey Day Review

For Thanksgiving dinner we would wait

Then we sat and ate and ate

Thankful we are to be gathered here

At this joyous time of year

Said Uncle Fred

Would you please pass the bread

When all was done

Someone said how about one

More piece of pumpkin pie

No thanks, I think I'd die 

A Thanksgiving Friday Flash 55

What's in a Name?

Photo Credit:  Heather Ingram

There was such a lovely full moon the other night, I just had to write about the it and what the full moons are called.  Did you know that each one has it's own name?  I had often heard my Mom speak of the Harvest Moon - you've heard that one popularized in song, and the Hunter's Moon.

I never knew which was which, though, so I thought I'd find out and share that with you.

The Harvest Moon is the full moon nearest the Autumnal Equinox. Although it usually occurs in September, about every four years or so it falls in October, and the latest the Harvest Moon can occur is October 7.  Most full moons rise around 50 minutes later each night, but the Harvest Moon is only 20-30 minutes later.  This would allow the farmers more light to gather their harvest, hence the name, Harvest Moon.  When the Harvest Moon falls on the Autumnal Equinox, it is called a Super Harvest Moon.  This occurred this year, and was the first one since 1991.

The Hunter's Moon is the first full moon after the Harvest Moon.  This full moon is named such because it's light allows hunters to track their prey.  In the days of old, this was necessary to put aside food for winter when the snows came, and the birds and animals were less plentiful.

November's moon is often called the Beaver Moon because this was the time to set beaver traps, ensuring a good supply of furs for winter.  Again, this dates back to the days of trappers and mountain men. 

December's moon is known by several names, the Cold Moon or the Long Night Moon.   It is aptly named as Cold Moon for the winter's cold temperatures, and Long Night Moon for long stretch of darkness over the winter night.  This moon is also visible for a long period of time each night.  It's high trajectory is due to the fact it is opposite a low sun.

Full moons are always lovely to behold, and now we know a bit more about that big glowing orb that casts it's light upon our darkened earth.  Talon, a fellow blogger, captured the beauty of the full moon this past weekend. 

Quote of the Week

Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.  

-Ralph Waldo Emerson


Many times we think that failing is the worst thing that can happen, when in truth, failing to get up is much worse.

Under the Weather?

Ever wonder where the expression "under the weather" came from?

With everyone waxing poetic about the beauty of fall, there is also a down side of this lovely season; it heralds the coming of the cold and flu season.  When we fall prey to these nasties, we tend to say that we are "under the weather".  Just this past weekend, I used that phrase myself and began to wonder of its origins.

The phrase "under the weather" dates back to the 1800s.  When sailors would become seasick, they would be sent below deck to get away from the weather, thus literally being "under the weather".  Author Donald Grant Mitchell was the first to use this phrase in his 1850 book Reveries of a Bachelor, and it has since been used for everything from being "ill" or "indisposed" to "financially embarrassed" or "drunk".

Some state that the correct term is "under the weather bow".  The weather bow is the side of the boat being hardest hit by the nasty weather.

Also there is the belief that the weather can affect one's health, so a sick person is deemed to be "under the weather".  From this theory, it stands to reason that the weather can also influence a person's mood, rendering them under the weather as well.  This is documented as SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder, which I touched on last fall in my post Just Another Monday.

We all know the steps to staying healthy during the cold and flu season, but here's a recap so we don't have say, "Sorry, I can't.  I'm under the weather."

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water, or use hand sanitizer when you can't wash.
• Do not touch your face - nose, eyes, mouth - that is the germ's way into your system.
• Keep your distance from those are already sick.
• In turn, if you do get sick, stay home away from others.
• And of course, cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough.

Quote of the Week

In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins - not by strength but by perseverance.  - H. Jackson Brown 

What can this show us about ourselves?  Do we try to muscle our way through life only to fall short of our goals?  Or are we like the stream that endures and perseveres day in and day out, and ultimately succeeds?

Fall Leaves

Leaves scattered upon the ground, red and gold now turning brown.  Rakes and blowers make leafy mountains, kids jumping and shouting.   

Dogs barking and chasing squirrels; squirrels chasing each other.  Fall is a flurry of activity.  Summer's heat is now a memory, and the days are once again cool and crisp.

Written for Friday Flash 55