Ready or Not

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The Third Second Annual 30 Minus 2 Days of Writing Challenge Begins Saturday February 1, 2014.

ARE YOU READY?

Hosted by We Work For Cheese

Quote of the Week

Image source:  Wikipedia

In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer. - Albert Camus

I think the depth of winter relates to a dark time in life when it seems that you can't go on, that the weight of life's difficulties are too much to bear.  And, I think that the invincible summer slumbers within everyone, and is awakened when it dawns on you that, yes, you can do this.  We are all stronger than we believe so let's put winter away and start living our invincible summer.

Albert Camus, Nobel prize winning author, journalist and philosopher was the second youngest person to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature.  Camus died in a car accident in 1960 at the age of 46.   

Quote of the Week

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.  - Albert Einstein

Our lives are made up of three parts, the past, the present and the future.  We look back at the past to see where we made mistakes and learn from them.  The present is today and we live it well and fully, paving the way for our future.  Asking questions and seeking out the answers is part of this process and keeps us fresh and vital.  Live, love, learn and keep growing.

Eventide

Colors softly blend

As from a master's palate

On the eventide

Quote of the Week

Don't let the past steal your present.  

- Cherralea Morgen

Here are a few things to remember as we move into the new year.  

Write 2014 on your checks and correspondence (assuming anyone still uses paper). 

Strengthen your resolve to be a happier, healthier, more confident you.

And most importantly, put away any things from the past year that brought you sadness or pain.  That is behind you. Remember the good and release the bad.  Don't dwell on what made you sad, angry or resentful.  Every new day of every year is a gift.  Give your present the attention it deserves.

Webbed Feet and Feathers

The sunny South hasn't been so sunny lately.  This is the view from my front door this morning.  Not unlike many other days this winter.  There were 13 strategically placed rainy days in December.  

Note the 3 Saturdays and 4 Sundays!  Lovely!  Not too bad, though, considering there were 19 days with above normal daytime temps.  Now to be honest, not all of this rain fell during daylight hours, and we have no drought concerns for the moment, but seriously...every weekend?  

And then there's January with 4 rainy days already, and all but 2 days the low temps have been below average.  But do you think we got any snow?  All the moisture dries up before the cold air arrives.  We are either freezing or floating.

I won't complain (too much) because compared to other parts of the country, the winter is balmy and fairly typical for our area.  No sub-zero temperatures and no wind chills equal to my age.

But would it be too much to ask for a little snow?  I'd trade my webbed feet and feathers for some snow boots and mittens.

So how's your weather - too hot, too cold, too much snow (or not enough)? 

Getting Started in the New Year

With the new day comes new strength 

and new beginnings. - Eleanor Roosevelt

Welcome to 2014.  A new year, new adventures, new beginnings and new memories.  Do you make resolutions?  Do you start hitting the gym, begin diets, make a bucket list?  Do you suffer the disappointment of not keeping your resolutions, your diet stalls and you end up as a couch potato by the time the Super Bowl rolls around?

The new year is a good time to begin afresh, but the best of intentions fail when you try to implement too much change at once, at least this has been my experience.  

So I don't make resolutions for the new year.  Instead I set goals and continually strive to eat better, exercise more, stay positive, be nicer, be more organized (stay organized) and a whole host of other things.

Every time I fall off the wagon, I pick myself up, brush the dust off and remind myself that I can do this.

Here are some tips on how to start small and accomplish your goals (not resolutions).

• Pick one or two things that you think you can do regularly. If you don't exercise, try walking for 15 minutes every day.  If you do work out, add a class, increase a weight, time or distance.  

• Instead of a full blown diet, choose a healthy snack such as yogurt or nuts over candy and chips or water over sugared beverages.

• Skip the numbers.  Forget the holiday statistics.  Don't focus on your weight in pounds.  Let your body be your guide.  You will know when things are working for you.  

• Get organized one project at a time.  Change is overwhelming so don't decide to do a major overhaul in January and find yourself afloat in chaos come Spring.  Make a list. Compartmentalize each project so that you start and finish one before moving on to another.  This will keep your house in order and your sanity intact.

• Try something new.  This can be anything from creative arts to taking a cooking class, learning a foreign language, travel or volunteering.  Find your passion and embrace it.

• Relax.  This is something many of us need to work on.  We think if we are relaxing, i.e. "doing nothing" that we are wasting time, not being productive or just lazy.  Not true. Relaxation allows you to restore your balance, reduce stress and increase focus when you return to your activities.

Remember, starting small doesn't mean thinking small.  Whatever you dream, you can do.

Wishing you all a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Quote of the Week

The heart, like the mind, has a memory.  And in it are kept the most precious keepsakes.  ― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The memories we store in our minds bring forth pictures, sounds and smells. The memories of the heart are a bit harder to describe.  The best thing I can come up with is that memories of the heart are feelings.  Not just things that touch us visually, but how we felt at that moment in time.

For example, the picture above appears to be just barren trees in winter, but it was taken not so much for what it was, but the the way I felt looking at how the sunlight played upon the branches against the clouds in the background.

In a few days we begin a new year...and with it new memories.

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, good-will to men!
― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

From our house to yours, Merry Christmas!

Quote of the Week

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.  - Hamilton Wright Mabi

Twinkling lights that cast a warm glow in the night are a sign that Christmas is just around the corner.  Would that the spirit of the season lasted, not just through the holidays, but throughout the year. 

Quote of the Week

If you light a lamp for someone else it will also brighten your path. - Buddha

Whenever we selflessly do for others, it is reflected back, giving us a warm feeling and a brighter day.  As Christmas approaches, let's light some lamps and share the warmth.

Meet Eli's Mother

Do you remember Eli, the awkward, slightly clumsy, but well meaning guy who got a busted nose and and bruised ego when Judy punched him out?

Well, that night he had an encounter like nothing he had ever imagined.  All the strange dreams came to life and the truth was revealed.  "He will be all right now" she had said.

"What did she mean by that" he asked himself time and again.  He didn't feel any different.  He didn't look any different. When he mentioned it to Paul, he laughed and said Eli must have a short circuit. 

Now every night he goes to bed hoping for a glimpse into that other world and every morning he awakes, his questions still unanswered.  "What did she mean?"

He and Paul are heading to the bar after work.  Yes, that bar, you know, old habits and all...

They grab a couple stools, order their beers and start checking out the eye candy.  "There's a looker" said Paul as he nodded to a raven-haired beauty with scarlet lips.  

Photo courtesy of Magpie Tales

Eli said "Good luck there, friend", as Paul sauntered over.  Eli grinned, "This I've got to see" as he made his way over to where Paul was trying to gain favor with the lady.

 "Hi, my name's Paul.  What's yours?"

She replied politely, "My name is Alexandria di Ravenelli, but you may call me Princess."

"Well, I'm pleased to meet you Princess.  I must say the name fits" replied Paul smoothly.

"Oh, but you are mistaken" she responded with a royal air, "That is not my name, but my title."  

"What is that like 'Miss America'?" Paul was a bit discombobulated, and it was Eli's turn to laugh.  The tables were turned and Paul was about to get his comeuppance.

"No", she replied frostily, "I am a Princess among my people."  

As Paul stared, trying to digest this, slowly it dawned on Eli.  This wasn't just any Princess who happened into this bar.  Besides whoever heard of a Princess going bar hopping anyway.  No, this was his mother.  "Whoa" he said, "This is all wrong.  What are you doing here?"

Now Paul was really confused.  "You know her?" he squeaked.

"Why yes, as a matter of fact I do" said Eli, trying to cover his own discomfiture.

"Come Eli" called the Princess as she arose in a swirl of black silk and lace.  As they left, all eyes were on Eli and the beautiful woman on his arm.  She was right, he thought later.  He would be all right now...and from then on Eli had a date every weekend.

He never told Paul that the Princess was his mother, and that was his way of getting even for all the laughs and snide comments. 


Written for Magpie Tales #196.  Click on the links below if you would like to read Eli's adventures up to this point.

Birdman?
The Princess
Eli and the Redhead 
The Winged Woman

Quote of the Week

It's hard to fight an enemy who has outposts in your head.  - Sally Kempton

This would seem to imply that someone is reading your thoughts.  However, the only one truly inside your head is you, but negative thoughts are one of your greatest enemies.  So go ahead and purge your mind and make sure everyone in your head is on your side.

What is a Myrtle?

The Boardwalk at Myrtle Beach

Having just been to Myrtle Beach for a long-awaited getaway, we pondered this question as we strolled the new boardwalk which opened in May 2010.  Just what is a Myrtle, my hubby asked?  I thought maybe it was named after a woman.  If you ask people how Myrtle Beach got its name, you get a variety of answers from the Indians to someone's daughter.  All are good guesses.  The area has had many names over its history.  When the Waccamaw Indians inhabited the land, it was known as Long Bay.  You may recognize the name Waccamaw from the river and pottery named for it.  It was later known as Withers for a family who had had property there since the 1700s.  There was even a post office named for them.

In 1881 the Burroughs and Collins Company of Conway purchased much of the land long held by the Withers family and Withers was now called New Town.  As you can see there have been many changes and many names as is often the case with developing lands.

Getting to the story behind the current name, in 1900 a contest was held to choose an official name for their town.*   Credit is given to Addie Burroughs who suggested the name Myrtle Beach, named for the abundant growth of the Wax Myrtle bushes.  

Image Attribution: Mary Keim

The Wax Myrtle is a North American native, and is a small tree or large shrub depending on it's environment.  It is often found in landscaping, especially around the beaches but is also used in candle making, as well as having medicinal uses.

And that is how Myrtle Beach got it's name.
 
*Myrtle Beach officially became a town in 1938, then a city in 1957.

Quote of the Week

Life is short, live it.  

Love is rare, grab it.  

Anger is bad, dump it.  

Fear is awful, face it.  

Memories are sweet, cherish it.  

– Unknown

 

Just a few thoughts for today as we look forward to Thanksgiving.  Live life fully, count your blessings and make memories to carry with you forever.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Colors of Fall

Each season has its own special beauty.  Here are some of the colors and textures of Fall.

Caught on a spider web, this leaf is swinging in the breeze.

A friend of his landed on this old stump.

 These two are sharing a little leaf love.

 Red

 Gold and Green

Colors explode in the late evening sun.

An early Fall sunset paints the sky.

Quote of the Week

Before enlightenment - chop wood, carry water.  After enlightenment - chop wood, carry water.   
- Zen Buddhist Proverb

What is enlightenment?  In a nutshell it was "a philosophical movement of the 18th century, characterized by belief in the power of human reason and by innovations in political, religious, and educational doctrine".  - Dictionary.com

I think that what the proverb is telling us is that whether or not we have attained an enlightened state per the above definition, the basic human needs remain the same. 

Quote of the Week

You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness.  
- Jonathan Safran Foer 

Rosie - November 3, 2013

I know this statement to be true.  Sometimes those we love most and who bring us the most happiness can also bring us the most sadness.  That they aren't always human doesn't matter, the love is still the same.  Isn't that worth it?
 
A lot has happened since my last post.  I put together this quote last Monday but couldn't bring myself to publish it. 

Rosie and me

Early on Sunday morning, November 3, I said a tearful good-bye to Rosie, my constant companion for the last 16 years. 

Fall Is In The Air

Photo Blogging Challenge for October:  Fall

Hey, is that Pac-Man?

Excuse me, have you seen Linus?

Sometimes Fall colors come in small packages.

I'll huff and I'll puff...Nah, I'll just use the leaf blower.

Nothing says Fall quite like the Fair!

Be sure and drop by our host at a 'lil hoohaa for more Fall treasures.

Quote of the Week

One small cat changes coming home to an empty house to coming home.  
- Pam Brown

Dood, Rosie and Sophie

Today's quote is in honor of our feline friends. Full of love and personality, they definitely turn a house into a home.  Here are our three enjoying some quiet camaraderie.