STILL TRYING TO GET MY PICTURES TO WORK

It's me again - I removed all the pictures I had added and now at least my entry for today is showing up.  I'm going to try now to add just a very few pictures I have and see what happens.

APOLOGIES

I do apologize if you are getting entries alerts from me.  I've tried several times to edit the entry for today which is below this one.  It comes up with a black box where pictures should be and nothing else.  I don't know if this entry will work or not, but felt I should let you know what is going on here.  My big fear is that my whole journal will be erased.  I'm going to hit save now and see what happens.  I did have 42 pictures for you all to see, but have not had any luck saving them

 

Love,

MA

CHAPTER 9, PAGE 30

A father and nine-year-old daughter were swimming in the ocean. While they were separated by some distance, the tide began to go out. The father knew he could not reach his little daughter and bring her to safety alone with the tide running so strongly against him.

His only hope of saving her was to get help quickly. "Float and swim quietly," he called. "Don't become excited. I'll be back to get you." Then he hurried for a boat and help. By the time the boat was brought, the little girl had been swept far out to sea by the strong tide.

It took a long time for the men in the boat to locate her. When they found her, she was calmly floating and swimming around as her father had instructed.

Later the newspaper reporters swarmed around the little girl, asking how she had been able to remain so calm and to keep up so far out at sea all alone. "My daddy told me that he would come back. I knew he would come, so I wasn't afraid. I did what he told me to do, and I was all right," the little girl replied quietly.

Our Heavenly Father has promised that He will come back for us . . .

GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY

I’m back from the party and as you can see I took lots of pictures to share with you all ! Hopefully I can get a little rest this afternoon and be refreshed for the work week ahead. I love getting together with the babes, but they sure do tire me out .

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

What we do today, right now, Will have an accumulated effect on all our tomorrows.

Alexandra Stoddard

May your day be blessed with a few SMILES and lots of SUNSHINE to warm your heart !

MA

 

graphics by:  www.untilthengraphics.com

 

CHAPTER 9, PAGE 29

Maturing

There is an old story about a mother who walks in on her six-year-old son and finds him sobbing.

"What's the matter?" she asks.

"I've just figured out how to tie my shoes."

"Well, honey, that's wonderful."

Being a wise mother, she recognizes his victory

in the Eriksonian struggle of autonomy versus doubt:

"You're growing up, but why are you crying?"

"Because," he says, "now I'll have to do it

every day for the rest of my life."

GOOD MORNING !

Just because I didn’t know what Erikson had written about I did a little search on http://en.wikipedia.org

Erik Erikson believed that every human being goes through a certain amount of stages to reach their full development. According to his theory, there are 8 stages, that a human being goes through from birth to death.

According to Erikson, the environment in which a child lived was crucial to providing growth, adjustment, a source of self awareness and identity.

The Erikson life-stage virtues, in the order of the stages in which they may be acquired, are:

hope- Basic Trust vs. Mistrust

will- Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

purpose- Initiative vs. Guilt

competence- Industry vs. Inferiority

fidelity- Identity vs. Role Confusion

love (in intimate relationships, work and family)- Intimacy vs. Isolation

caring- Generativity vs. Stagnation

wisdom- Integrity vs. Despair

So there we have it – a little education for you all this morning . Well I do know what that little boy was feeling as he cried. I could cry too about all the things that I’ve learned and have to do everyday the rest of my life.

But, thankfully there are many more things that I’ve learned that are causes for rejoicing and not crying. Things I do everyday of my life that I’m so glad I learned and that I love to do every day.

If we dwell on the problems we face, the problems will only grow and grow out of proportion. On the other hand if we can find the blessings of each day and dwell on them, our joy will outshine any darkness that may come our way.

I’m off to the birthday party and won’t be home til tomorrow sometime, so my morning entry will be a little later in the day—just in case you wonder what happened to me.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Plenty of people miss their share of happiness.

Not because they never found it,

but because they didn't stop to enjoy it.

William Feather

May your day be blessed with a few SMILES and lots of SUNSHINE to warm your heart !

MA

 

 

graphics by: www.untilthengraphics.com

 

CHAPTER 9, PAGE 28

The horror of that moment," the King went on,

"I shall never, never forget!"

"You will, though," the Queen said,

"if you don't make a memorandum of it.

Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass, 1872

GOOD MORNING !

I’m making those memorandums today , Lest I forget . There is so much to be done and so little time that I’m going to make up a list of the important things that need done and then work my way down.

I really don’t know if it’s my age or just overload, but I can’t seem to catch up at all anymore. The more I do, the more there is to do.

1. I must make the macaroni salad and the deviled eggs to take to our Sweethearts birthday party tomorrow and wrap her present.

2. I need to pack an overnight bag for me and my beagle.

3. The back door needs painted

4. I’ll have to go to the bank

5. Work some more on putting away the summer stuff and getting out the fall things

That should really be enough to keep me busy all day I also have to plan what I want to pack for my weekend away next week for my nephew’s wedding….

We’ll see…

I got my hair cut after work yesterday. It needed it badly. I’ve been trimming it up now and then, but it was way out of shape and hard to manage. I took a chance on getting it cut at a place near where I work and I’m glad I did.

Maybe I’ll get someone at the Birthday party to take my picture so you can see how it turned out. Much shorter than it was, that’s for sure.

Thought For Today

When you're feeling your worst,

that's when you get to know yourself the best.

Leslie Grossman

May your day be blessed with a few SMILES and lots of SUNSHINE to warm your heart !

MA

 

 

Graphics by: www.graphicgarden.com

 

CHAPTER 9, PAGE 27

 

Father, hear this little prayer,

Reach across the miles from here to there,

So I can feel much closer to those I’m fondest of

And they may know I think of them with

Thankfulness and love.

Helen Steiner Rice

GOOD MORNING !

Today is THANKFUL THURSDAY . Even though many of my family are far away, I am thankful for the memories of some of the great times we’ve had together, they do help to bring my loved ones a little closer. I have just 2 of my babes that are still living in our hometown. The rest are far enough away that I rarely get to see them.

So here’s the list for today:

I’m thankful for the continued good health of my family

I’m thankful for my job

I’m thankful for the rain that we needed and for cooler days

I’m thankful for my computer which keeps me in touch with those near and far

I’m thankful for the many answered prayers I've heard about this week

And as always I’m thankful for all of you . You brighten my days and give me a reason to SMILE.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Keep the faith...just not from others

 

May your day be blessed with a few SMILES and lots of SUNSHINE ( and a little rain where needed) to warm your heart !

MA

 

 

Graphics by:  www.untilthengraphics.com

 

CHAPTER 9, PAGE 26

 

We can pretend we are sharing a good cup of coffee, while enjoying....

Good Morning Blessings

This morning when I awoke

And saw the sun above,

I softly said, "Good morning I softly said,

"Good morning, Lord,

Bless everyone I love"

Right away I thought of you and said a loving prayer

That He would bless you specially,

and keep you free from care.

I thought of all the happiness a day could hold in store,

I wished it all for you because no one deserves it more.

I felt so warm and good inside, my heart was all aglow.

I know God heard my prayers for you,

He hears them all, you know

Good Morning !

I hope your day is off to a good start this ‘hump day’. I’m always glad to see Wednesday come along because now I know we are on the downhill slide right into the weekend.

We can be a blessing, send a blessing, receive a blessing and yet so few go around these days. At the end of every entry I always send one off to you each day. Maybe today you could share one with someone too.

May your day be blessed with a few SMILES and lots of SUNSHINE to warm your heart !

MA

 

 

CHAPTER 9, PAGE 25

Children do it, animals in the wild do it,

and you can benefit greatly from it too.

One of the best ways to learn and to grow,

to improve, and to gain useful, practical experience,

is to play.

Playing is not merely for those

who are young or irresponsible.

Playing is for anyone who seeks to

have a fresh perspective on life.

Begin to play, and you become free of prior limitations.

When there is no goal or specific focus to the effort,

there is no telling what wondrous and

valuable things you will discover.

When you're playing and there are

no serious consequences on the line,

you're free to experiment with lots of

different approaches.

Spend some time in which the outcome doesn't matter,

and the outcome will be that you gain valuable new insight.

You perform at your best when

you're doing something you enjoy.

Increase your play,

and you can significantly improve your work.

Remember always to set aside some time,

energy and resources for play.

Explore and experience life just for the fun of it,

and enjoy the serious benefits

that come from being playful.

Ralph Marston

GOOD MORNING !

After reading the message above, I had to stop and think, when was the last time I played??? Sure, I enjoy getting together with my family, but that’s not really playing.

I guess the closest thing to play for me would have to be my dulcimer group. We really do have a good time getting together and that is usually once a month.

The other thing I like to do is my painting. I haven’t even wet a brush in a long long time. The kind of painting I do is know as Decorative Art or Tole Painting. I’ve collected many many painting surfaces and have a barrelful of paints, but I haven’t done it . Maybe it’s time I took the time.

Over night it seems we have leaves falling just like the ones in the picture above.  Our tree in front of the house is usually one of the first to change colors and loose leaves.  When I got home from work yesterday I noticed leaves on the ground.  But the weather is very summerlike here so it's hard to believe that Autumn is really here.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

The sun shines not on us, but in us.

John Muir

May your day be bless with a few SMILES and lots of SUNSHINE to warm your heart !

MA

 

 

graphics by: www.untilthengraphics.com

 

CHAPTER 9, PAGE 24

 

CONSIDER THESE WORDS

Mark Twain said, "The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug."

When English poet Keats was writing a poem he asked his friend Leigh Hunt what he thought of the line, "A beautiful thing is an unending joy."

"Good, but not quite perfect," said Hunt.

"How about this?' said Keats,

"A thing of beauty is an unending joy."

Finally Keats put it this way,

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever."

"That," said his friend,

"will live as long as the English language is spoken."

GOOD MORNING !

I’m all refreshed and renewed for another work week and am sipping that good coffee to start the day. I had a good visit with the ‘babes’ on Saturday, spent my hour in church for my weekly dose of R & R and was quite lazy on Sunday as I slept in til 8:00 in the morning which is a rarity for me for sure.

The week ahead looks pretty quiet except for my Dulcimer night on Tuesday evening. We were supposed to do this last week, but one of my buddies was ill. So we’ll have our evening of laughter and fun this week instead.

Come the weekend I’ll be traveling to celebrate our Sweetheart’s fifth birthday, so every thing must be done here at home before I go. Good thing that it’ll be a quiet week. I do have a vacation day on Friday and that will help a lot.

Two questions were asked in my comments over the weekend. 

1. I live in northern Ohio.  2.  I do have 7 children - 6 boys and 1 girl and 4 of my children have children of their own so I have 11 grandchildren. 

I know that some of my readers are new to my journal and probably didn't know all that.  Now, I'm a widow and live by myself with 2 old lady cats, a couch potato beagle and 1 dirty old bird that is as old as my youngest son. 

Guess that should update everyone.

It's Monday and I'm off to work once more...

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Consider these words from the wisest man who ever lived:

Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few

Ecclesiastes 5:2

Consider this prayer:

Father in Heaven, speak and I will listen.

Consider His words

From Daily Heartlight

May your day be blessed with a few SMILES and lots of SUNSHINE to warm your heart !

MA

 

 

graphics by:  www.untilthengraphics.com

 

CHAPTER 9, PAGE 23

How about FALL Resolutions?

(After 9 months of not keeping the new year's ones)

Give up complaining . . . focus on gratitude.

Give up pessimism . . . become an optimist.

Give up harsh judgments . . . think kind thoughts.

Give up worry . . . trust divine providence.

Give up discouragement . . . be full of hope.

Give up bitterness . . . turn to forgiveness.

Give up hatred . . . return good for evil.

Give up negativism . . . be positive.

Give up anger . . . practice patience.

Give up pettiness . . . put on maturity.

Give up gloom. . . enjoy the beauty that is all around you.

Give up jealousy . . . pray for trust.

Give up gossiping . . . control your tongue.

Give up sin. . . . turn to virtue.

Author Unknown

GOOD MORNING !

I’m trying to admire the artistry of God this fine morning. Many have the purple mountain peaks, white-capped oceans of blue, and golden-hued fields of wheat just outside their windows.

Depending on where you live, you might be seeing a lot that I don’t see. God’s palette of colors remains unmatchable. Each season brings different colors to enjoy here in Northern Ohio. We have the full four seasons of the year. Fall is often one of the most colorful ones.

I went to church with my visiting children yesterday evening, so I’ll not be going this morning. We have the option of going Saturday evening or Sunday morning. Of course I could go every day if I choose to, but with working that’s not an option for me. Many do though.  As always I said a special prayer for all of you.

Today will be spent catching up on a few things that didn’t get done because I spent the day having fun yesterday. Weekends always go by too fast for me.

Next weekend I’ll be traveling down to DS#1’s for our ‘Sweetheart’s ‘ 5th birthday party and the following weekend I’ll be traveling again as my next door sister’s son is getting married. So the next few weeks will be busier than ever.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

God is so lavish in all that He’s done

To make this great world such a wonderful one.

His mountains are high, His oceans are deep,

And vast and unmeasured the prairielands sweep

Helen Steiner Rice

In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.

Psalm 95:4 

May your day be bless with a few SMILES and lots of SUNSHINE to warm your heart !

MA

 

 

 

Graphics by:

CHAPTER 9, PAGE 22

A wise old owl sat on an oak,

The more he saw the less he spoke;

The less he spoke the more he heard;

Why aren't we like that wise old bird?

By Edward H. Richards

GOOD MORNING !

Like the wise old owl the more I see the less I speak some days. Things in our world are changing so rapidly that I’m often at a loss of what to say.

Technology, for instance, often leaves me speechless. There are things I’ve never heard of before and lots I’ll probably never try. When the babes were growing up and still at home they kept me pretty well up to date on things, now I’m way behind.

I seem content to continue on in the same old ways with the same old things. They are comfortable and I like comfort. Every now and then I do get challenged. My mind , however, runs at a much lower level than it used to and changes are not easy.

There are lots of other things that have changed over the years beside technology, some good and some not so good.  I've heard it said that if we don't change, we cannot grow.  And if we stop growing...well, we're in trouble.

Today is our Apple Festival and it'll be a busy one.  I hope to have pictures for you tomorrow.  Our weather is supposed to be bright and sunny so it should be a great day.

 

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

There are two things I've learned:

There is a God.

And, I'm not Him

May your day be bless with a few SMILES and lots of SUNSHINE to warm your heart !

MA

 

 

Graphics by:  www.graphicgarden.com