Never miss an opportunity to make others happy, even if you have to leave them alone in order to do it. - Unknown
We often think that the best way to show love and friendship to our friends and family is being with them and sharing with them as much as possible. We want them to feel cherished. Our loved ones know and understand that. They also sometimes need space to just be themselves and do whatever brings them peace, contentment and fulfillment.
Healthy relationships are not lessened by this, they are strengthened, and it allows us all to bring more interesting things back to the relationship.
Write down the first 5 words that come to mind beginning with that letter. Don't think of anything except that they start with that letter. Totally random, non-related words are better. Don't use variations of the same word such as bake, baking, baker, or groups such as food, feast, flavor. Next write a poem or micro post of about 50 words, or up to 10 lines for a poem. This is a fun mental exercise - not creating a masterpiece, so take about five minutes and see what you come up with. Rule #2 Please share your gem in the comments section.
Upon a hollow log Sat a heavy frog He jumped and jumped Over the mossy hump Bless his little heart That old frog was smart Until he landed in the brook And he got caught Upon an old fish hook
From the first green buds of Spring to the bright colors of Autumn, each leaf has a story. How often do we take the time to listen as each one gently falls to the ground? Tomorrow is the first day of Autumn, and the trees are already beginning to speak. Let's listen.
On September 20, 2009, Roses to Rainbows made its debut in the blogging world. Not knowing what I was doing, I plunked happily away at the keys, bravely pressed publish...and waited. Do you remember your first comment? It's like an "I have arrived" moment. "Change Back From Your Dime" was that post for me on February 10, 2010. Eventually I learned that blogging is a two-way street and connecting with other bloggers would broaden my writing horizons. I also joined Facebook and signed up for Twitter. In May 2010, I discovered creative writing with Magpie Tales and wrote the first of many magpies - Memories. To wrap up that first year, I shared Ten Things I Have Learned From Blogging. On my second anniversary, I invited all my lurkers, as well as my regular visitors, to a Meet and Greet, where the coffee is always hot and the wine is properly chilled. I value each and every visitor, so the next year I celebrated with a Giveaway. Always up for a challenge, I have participated in not one, but three month-long creative writing challenges, hosted by Nicky at We Work For Cheese, and I have the scars T-shirts to prove it! Last year's anniversary passed without much fanfare, and on a sad note, I said good-bye to Rosie, who was my constant companion for 16 years. After five years I was tired of the decor and decided to freshen the place up a bit. So I ripped down the old wall paper, updated the color palatte and packed away the clutter. As with any renovation, there may be a few kinks to be worked out and tweaks to be made. Come on in, make yourself at home and be sure to pick up a glass of champagne to help toast the next year. Please leave your calling card in the comment section so I can get back to you.
Best friends: it’s a promise, not a label. - Unknown
Nowadays, there are labels for everything, and those labels come and go and change with the times. Best friends do not, and like the picture, it's a simple concept that stands the test of time.
So BFF or bestie, buddy or pal, your best friend is someone who always has your back.
The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit. - Nelson Henderson
Taking this quote at face value, it sounds like a noble thing to do. I mean trees are pretty great right. Shade, fuel for warmth, paper, and most importantly, oxygen. However, if we take a closer look we find a deeper meaning. The true meaning of life is to do things for the greater good, even when you won't be enjoying the benefits. An example of this may be a leaving a legacy that supports a school, church or medical research, or becoming an organ donor. Not every act for the greater good is on this scale, however, and the small things add up to make the world a better place. Let's keep planting those trees so others can enjoy the shade.
If you were a kitten, wouldn't you just love to have a great place to play? My friend Ashley's son, Michael, designed and built this multi-level kitty condo for his two kittens, Sunshine and Shadow. Now they could have gone to the pet shop and purchased a ready-made playhouse, but where would the fun be in that.
The Kitty Play Place Extravaganza
No siree, Michael's kitties were getting a custom made place to climb, play hide and seek, and of course, sleep. The materials consisted of plastic pipe, connectors, carpet and cable ties.
One of the great things about this design is that it allows you to hang all sorts of interesting things for them to play with and they don't get lost or worse...eaten.
The play house is on their enclosed porch with lots of windows, so it is definitely a feline paradise. You can see Sunshine relaxing in the window enjoying the morning breeze. It was a fun project for Michael, and Sunshine and Shadow both appreciate his effort. Ashley and I also enjoyed sitting in comfortable chairs watching them play, while catching up with each other.
Shadow says "Thank You!"
Sunshine in the window
Also a big thanks today to my good friend, Sara from A Sharing Connection, for using some of my photos in her Story Photo Challenge. Check out the Mysterious Case of the Missing Aliens and help her solve the mystery.
Look at your feet. You are standing in the sky. When we think of the sky, we tend to look up, but the sky actually begins at the earth. -Diane Ackerman
When searching for today's quote, I came across the category "clouds and sky" and was reminded of the beautiful clouds I saw over the weekend. I wasn't alone. As I scrolled through Facebook, I saw others had noticed them too. What struck me about this quote was its different view of what actually constitutes the sky. We think of the sky as this blue expanse overhead. Sometimes it is clear and sometimes filled with clouds. Sometimes it is a brilliant blue, and sometimes it is shaded gray with fog or haze, but always our eyes are drawn upward. It is interesting to consider that the sky actually begins on earth. To get a better grasp of this concept, picture a field with nothing to obstruct your view. Looking at the horizon, it appears that the green grass and the blue sky meet, and therefore if you could suddenly be at that point the sky would be all around you. In reality, no matter where you are, you are always where the earth meets the sky.
Instead of seeing only the negative, find the positive and work with that. Just because things are not exactly to your liking, doesn't mean they have to stay that way. For every problem there is a solution, so don't find fault - find a remedy.
This is what I started with, and while they are pretty on their own, I wanted a more artsy look, so I added texture and depth. I think it has sort of a tapestry look now.
Some things are worth the risk, and if you never take the chance you won't reap the rewards. However, if you sit too close to the end of the bench, it can flip on you, and you end up on the ground. Oops!
Last month I had the long-awaited opportunity to visit Ashley and her family in the far-away place known as Ephrata, PA. We lived next door to each other in our youth, and although youth is rapidly fading into our middle years, we are still close despite the miles between us.
So before I get maudlin, let's get on with the fun stuff. Below is Sheba, a sweet, lovable Labradoodle who belongs to Scott, her oldest son.
Not only is she adorable, she is smart too. We were sitting outside with her and she was demonstrating her ability to come, sit, lay down, etc. when Ashley told Michael to have her l-a-y-d-o-w-n for a treat (spelling it out). Sheba responded by laying down. We tried it again and she did it again. We told Scott later that Sheba could spell.
While Ashley is born and bred a Southern gal, she has taken great pride in finding fun and interesting things to do in her own backyard. She truly does bloom where she is planted. And speaking of blooms, aren't these pretty? This is a flower tree at Knoebels Amusement Park, about an hour or so from their house.
If you like groovin' to the oldies, the group singing here would be right up your alley, with such songs as Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini, Surfin' Safari and The Twist.
For a different kind of music, check out the old Wurlitzer Organ tapping out a lively beat.
What trip to an amusement park would be complete with a ride on good old wooden roller coaster? Well, it's not my cup of tea, but the boys enjoyed it. We all later enjoyed the Black Diamond ride through a haunted coal mine.
We capped off the adventure with a ride on the giant ferris wheel. It had been a very long time since I had ridden one, but it was fun and afforded us a great view of the park, and the surrounding countryside.
The next day we traveled to Strasburg to ride the steam train. It was a 45 minute journey through Amish country...literally through the cornfields. The engine puffed black smoke from it's coal fire and chugged along at a leisurely pace. Here you can see it at the station waiting to depart on it's next run.
As many exotic places as there are to explore, there are just as many here in our own corner of the world. With every trip I take I make new discoveries, whether it is a new destination or favorite vacation spot. Many thanks to Ashley and her family for hosting us!
The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.- Elisabeth Foley
My best friend and I have many years of living in different states to back this up. While we don't get to visit as often as we'd like, time magically falls away when we do get together, and we cherish each moment.
Dear Psychic, Thank you for your recent comments. I'm happy to see that you have been enjoying my weekly quotes. I would like to share some of your most interesting thoughts with my readers. Please forgive my delay in responding, but your comments were directed into my spam folder. Today, while I was at work, my sister stole my apple ipad and tested to see if it can survive a 40 foot drop, just so she can be a youtube sensation. My iPad is now broken and she has 83 views. I know this is entirely off topic but I had to share it with someone! So sorry to hear that, but if you are truly psychic, you should have seen that coming. We may have a link alternate arrangement between us. No, sorry, I don't think so, but thank you for asking. Thank you a lot for sharing this with all folks you actually recognize what your speaking. You can definitely see your skills in the work you write. You're welcome! I've been told I can successfully put two words together. You have touched some fastidious things here. Any way keep on wrinting. Wow! I'd better get some gloves. Oh, by the way, you might want to consider a proofreader. Amazing article concerning the difference of newest and earlier technologies. What a keen eye! This was indeed a technologically advanced illustration. Your style is really unique compared to other people I have read stuff from, Guess I will just book mark this web site. Thank you for posting when you have the opportunity.
I'm sure the "other people" are relieved that I didn't poach their stuff. I would like to apprentice while you amend your site, how can I subscribe for a web blog site? Wait...I thought you already had a site...you keep inviting me over. Remember, you even offered me a "link alternate arrangement". I constantly emailed this web site post page to all my friends since if I like to read it afterward my links will too. Thank you for spreading the word about Roses to Rainbows. As always, I appreciate free advertisement. Genuinely when someone doesn't know then its up to other users that they will help so here it happens. Say what? Let's try this: When someone really doesn't know, then it's up to other users to help. It begins here. Oh by the way, do you see a lottery jackpot in my future? Hey, just asking... As always, thank you for visiting here at Roses to Rainbows.
There is so much good in the worst of us
And so much bad in the best of us
That it hardly becomes any of us
To talk about the rest of us. - Edward Wallis Hoch
I think this is pretty much self-explanatory. None of us is perfect, and we would prefer our imperfections, real or imagined, not be passed around like a plate of cookies until every last crumb has been eagerly devoured by an attentive audience.
Lititz, PA, a small town in Lancaster County, is nestled in the heart of Amish Country. Lititz, population 9,385 (2012), boasts a beautiful park with a stone-wall lined pond that stretches from one end to the other with a fountain at the entrance and culminating with the emergence of the underground spring at the end.
Surrounding the spring-fed pool is a stone wall covered in plants, moss and amongst them - spider webs, resembling those made by a funnel spider.
These, however, looks like faces on the wall.
Can you see the faces looking back at you?
Look at the wide eyes on this one. I think we frightened it.
Spiders aren't the only ones making faces. Take a look at this tree. This tall fellow looks like he was sticking his tongue out at us.
Of course, a trip to Lititz Park wouldn't be complete without ducks...lots and lots of ducks.
Take a stroll along Main Street and pop into some of the shops. There are furniture shops, restaurants, specialty boutiques and even a wine shop. This one has some colorful mushrooms for your garden. In case you can't read the sign, it says: We are so excited about the garden we wet our plants.
How much is that doggie in the window? Isn't he cute?
If you have a chance to visit this quaint little town, I don't think you'll be disappointed. Look herefor more on Lititz from my last trip.
You're probably thinking what's the big deal? So the cat's on the cat tree, what a surprise. Well, it was. You see after years of living with cats, we finally got a tree for them. This was shortly after Sophie came to live with us (2007), and we thought they would all enjoy it since there are multiple perches and hidey places. There's even a crows nest on the top which Sophie claimed right away.
Look at me!
In fact she was the only one interested in the tree at all. Rosie would lay along the base in the sun, but never ventured up (well once and then he was in pursuit of Sophie). Dood just ignored it. Maybe because he had climbed the real thing outside...who knows. He doesn't like catnip either. So imagine our surprise one day when we found Sophie in one of the tubes and Dood sitting above her looking down. We figured it was like with Rosie, he followed Sophie. Now we occasionally find Dood perched on the tube nearest the window surveying the world outside from a different perspective.
Hide and seek?
I can see clearly now!
One theory is that Dood frequently took his cues from Rosie so maybe since Rosie didn't use it, he wouldn't either. At any rate, our kitties continue to surprise and delight us.
Liberty has never come from the government. Liberty has always come from the subjects of it. The history of liberty is a history of resistance.
- Woodrow Wilson
Having just celebrated our 238th birthday as a free nation, it seems appropriate to look back at just how important those documents signed long ago still are to us today. Our founding fathers put pen to parchment to declare us free, and much has been sacrificed to achieve and maintain our freedom.
The signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Image Source: Wikipedia
They further ensured our rights with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Among other things, we can speak freely (First Amendment) and protect and defend not only ourselves and our families, but defend our freedoms as well (Second Amendment.) The 15th, 19th and 26th amendments ensure our right to vote.
Image Source: Wikipedia
The 13th amendment abolished slavery. Inspired words from Abraham Lincoln's famous Gettysburg address in 1863: "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal .... that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
