Monday, March 31, 2008

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 3. PAGE 31

Life is short, spring into action and live today’s beginning

I do the very best I know how--the very best I can;

and I mean to keep doing so until the end.

If the end brings me out all right,

what is said against me won't amount to anything.

If the end brings me out wrong, ten angels swearing

I was right would make no difference.

Abraham Lincoln

 

GOOD MORNING !

I hope your day is off to a great start! I’m doing the best I can to get up and moving so I can go off to work this morning. I’ve got my good cup of hot coffee in hand and am hoping for a great Monday !

The weekend was a blessing for me and I’m refreshed and ready to roll again. The first few days of this week will be pretty quiet after work, but Thursday evening I have my Bible study at church and then Friday after work I have a hair cut. I need one for sure.

We may have a little rain today but the temps will be warmer here ! It is already 45 degrees here this morning.  That is a good thing!

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Too many times we stand aside

And let the waters slip away

'Til what we put off for tomorrow

Has now become today

So don't you sit upon the shoreline

And say you're satisfied

Choose to chance the rapids

And dare to dance the tide. . . .

And there's bound to be rough waters

And I know I'll take some falls

But with the good Lord as my captain

I can make it through them all

Victoria Shaw, Garth Brooks

May your day be filled with blessings

As new as Spring

As fragrant as flowers

As full as your heart can hold.

MA

 

 

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Sunday, March 30, 2008

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 3, PAGE 30

Life is short, spring into action and live today’s beginning

 

I think these difficult times

have helped me to

understand better than

before how infinitely rich

and beautiful life is in every way,

and that so many things

that one goes around worrying about

are of no importance

whatsoever.

Isak Dinesen

Worries keep us blind to the beauty that is in all of our lives all of the time. When my mind is focused on possible problems, how in the world can I expect to see beautiful things?

GOOD MORNING!

I cannot even begin to tell you the things I’ve worried about over the years…How silly of me to think that my worrying would fix anything at all.

Stewing about something usually makes it worse than it really is. And if it is the worst thing that ever happened to you, worrying about it will not make things right again.

I must say I really learned my lessons very well, and I rarely worry anymore. I’ve learned instead to count my blessings and accept each day as it comes. In fact I try to celebrate each day and thank the good Lord for it.

My advice to anyone that has a worry. Most people do you know. Put the worries in the hands of our Father in heaven. Leave them with Him. Count your blessings each day. Enjoy the moments you have and make the most of them.

You are all in my thoughts and prayers today. I’m off to church for my weekly dose of R & R and I hope you will be refreshed and renewed too for they busy week ahead.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

I believe God is managing affairs and that He doesn't need any advice from me. With God in charge, I believe everything will work out for the best in the end. So what is there to worry about?

Henry Ford

May your day be filled with blessings

As new as Spring

As fragrant as flowers

As full as your heart can hold.

MA

 

 

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Saturday, March 29, 2008

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 3, PAGE 29

Life is short, spring into action and live today’s beginning

People are like stained glass windows.

They sparkle and shine when the sun is out;

but when the darkness sets in their true beauty

is revealed only if there is a light within.

Elisabeth Kuebler-Ross

I see people who seem to shine, who seem to have a brilliant internal light that shines through in their eyes and in their smiles, and I would love to be like that.

GOOD MORNING !

I looked in the mirror this morning and saw a very tired out looking old lady staring back at me. I’ll look better tomorrow after having a day away from work. Those days are getting longer and longer for me. Yet the good Lord gives me the strength and the good health to keep going, so I do.

Sparkling and shinning are two words that I would rarely use to describe myself. I rarely dazzle anyone, but I always try to look to the bright side of things.

Thankfully the weekend has come and it is even supposed to be a sunny day here in northern Ohio. The temps will still be in the 40’s, but that is considerably warmer than we have been. March has been very cold and snowy here for sure. A sunny day is a blessing to be treasured.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

It's easy to see and notice what we like in other people. Sometimes, it's not as easy to see the attributes and beauty in ourselves. It's good to see the beauty in others. But sometimes, take a moment and get excited when you notice what's beautiful in yourself, too.

Melody Beattie

May your day be filled with blessings

As new as Spring

As fragrant as flowers

As full as your heart can hold.

MA

Stop and Smell the Flowers !

Friday, March 28, 2008

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 3, PAGE 28

Life is short, spring into action and live today’s beginning

 

If I had my life to live over,

I'd dare to make more mistakes next time.

I'd relax, I would limber up. I would be sillier than

I have been this trip. I would take fewer things seriously.

I would take more chances. I would climb more mountains

and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less

beans. I would perhaps have more actual troubles,

but I'd have fewer imaginary ones.

You see, I'm one of those people who lived sensibly

and sanely, hour after hour, day after day.

Oh, I've had my moments, and if I had to do it over again,

I'd have more of them.

In fact, I'd try to have nothing else. Just moments,

one after another, instead of living so many years

 ahead of each day. I've been one of those persons

who never goes anywhere without a thermometer,

a hot water bottle, a raincoat and a parachute.

If I had to do it again, I would travel lighter than I have.

If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier

in the spring and stay that way later in the fall.

I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds.

I would pick more daisies.

This passage is attributed to Nadine Stair, who was 85, 87, or 89 when she wrote it, depending on the source.

Of course, you can't unfry an egg, but there is no law against thinking about it

I see my life as a long series of chapters, and many of those chapters are long gone. There are, however, chapters in the future, and how will I live those?

What will I do with the days left to me? Today definitely is the first day of the rest of my life, so I have many things that I can do with my life between now and the last day. I don't have to commit myself to a ton of responsibilities, and I don't have to follow the "rules" in everything I do.

Maybe I can't find a merry-go-round to ride, but I can sit on a nice park bench and enjoy the scenery

GOOD MORNING !

Yes, it is finally F R I D A Y! The office is clean and shinny and my jobs are done for the week, so I can now enjoy my weekend.

I don’t know exactly what I’m going to be doing, but it will be something I enjoy for sure. After the past two weekends spent celebrating Easter with my family here and there…lots really does need to be done here at home.

I won’t be working too hard though, as I want to have some fun time too.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

The need to make wise choices encompasses every area of our lives. Since we have time for only a limited amount of stuff, we need to choose wisely what stuff we're going to allow to take up that time. Since we have only a limited amount of time to spend with friends or to engage in leisure activities, we need to choose our friends and our activities wisely.

Elaine St. James

May your day be filled with blessings

As new as Spring

As fragrant as flowers

As full as your heart can hold.

MA

 

 

Thursday, March 27, 2008

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 3, PAGE 27,

 

Life is short, spring into action and live today’s beginning

Look to this day!

For it is life, the very life of life.

In its brief course

Lie all the truths and realities of your existence:

The bliss of growth

The glory of action

The splendor of achievement,

For yesterday is but a dream

And tomorrow is only a vision,

But today well lived makes every

yesterday a dream of happiness

And tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well, therefore, to this day!

Such is the salutation of the dawn.

from the Sanskrit

While our actions today may affect our tomorrows, it's still true that we have control only over today's actions and thoughts and reactions…We can look to this day as the beautiful gift that it is. It really does contain everything.

GOOD MORNING !

Very often I’m reminded to take life one day at a time. I know that each day will hold something new and sometimes surprising. I have always been blessed by what is needed and often by things that are truly not needed but appreciated.

Somewhere along the line I found that my worrying doesn’t do a bit of good and so I started praying instead. If there is a problem, I found our dear Lord can handle it much better than I can.

I’m always hopeful and try to be optimistic. There usually is a bright side of everything.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning.

J.B. Priestley

May your day be filled with blessings

As new as Spring

As fragrant as flowers

As full as your heart can hold.

MA

 

 

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Wednesday, March 26, 2008

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 3, PAGE 26

Life is short, spring into action and live today’s beginning

A SMILE

Author Unknown

She smiled at a sorrowful stranger.

The smile seemed to make him feel better.

He remembered past kindnesses of a friend

And wrote him a thank you letter.

The friend was so pleased with the thank you

That he left a large tip after lunch.

The waitress, surprised by the size of the tip,

Bet the whole thing on a hunch.

The next day she picked up her winnings,

And gave part to a man on the street.

The man on the street was grateful;

For two days he'd had nothing to eat.

After he finished his dinner,

He left for his small dingy room.

(He didn't know at that moment

that he might be facing his doom.)

On the way he picked up a shivering puppy

And took him home to get warm.

The puppy was very grateful

To be in out of the storm.

That night the house caught on fire.

The puppy barked the alarm.

He barked till he woke the whole household

And saved everybody from harm.

One of the boys that he rescued

Grew up to be President.

All this because of a simple smile

That hadn't cost a cent.

Kindness is in our power,

even when fondness is not.

Samuel Johnson

GOOD MORNING !

Today is Wednesday and it’s OVER THE HUMP day. I’ll be smiling for sure as I know the weekend is now just 2 days away.

I think that Thursday and Friday will be Spring house cleaning in the office. I wish I could do that at home too and maybe I’ll get started at that over the weekend.

Next week my boss comes back from vacation. I’ve hardly heard a peep out of of him so far…one e-mail with some instructions and that’s about it. I’ve been busy with the daily office jobs and today will have finally done the last of the archive files.

I’ve thoroughly gone through them all and cleaned out enough to fill the rubbish bins more than once. My back is not thanking me one bit for all that, but I do take time out and rest every now and then.

This is the last full week of March and April will be here next Tuesday. I’ll be thinking about a new theme for the month so I can share it with you all. April Showers, flowers, sunshine, rain, warmth all come to mind…we’ll see….

March came in like a LION and has roared all month long. I certainly hope it leaves like a LAMB!

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Today, give a stranger one of your smiles.

It might be the only sunshine he sees all day.

Quoted in P.S. I Love You

May your day be filled with blessings

As new as Spring

As fragrant as flowers

As full as your heart can hold.

MA

 

 

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Tuesday, March 25, 2008

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 3, PAGE 25

Life is short, spring into action and live today’s beginning

If you keep your nose to the grindstone rough,

And keep it down there long enough,

In time you will forget there are such things,

As brooks that babble and birds that sing;

And of these will all your world compose:

Yourself, the grindstone, and your poor old nose.

Author Unknown

GOOD MORNING !

It is so true that we need to be persistent and get all those things done that must be done…but all work and no play makes one a very dull person.

Before I decided to buy that camper for my ‘little place in the woods’, my vacation days were spent either working on something at home or getting together with my babes for a holiday here and there.

This year I’ll be having some true vacation days and so I’m going to have to find a way to get all those things done so I have my weekend free. There will still be the family holiday get-togethers, but there will be no more work done by me on the weekends this camping season.

When the season will begin is the big question. It could start the 1st weekend in April if weather permits. We’ll just have to wait and see….

Everyone has different ideas about what gives them some rest and relaxation from work, some even think different types of work are restful. I remember my Dad always thought his puttering around the house fixing up this and that was what made him happy.

In order for me to rest I need to get away from the house. Yes, I already do get refreshed and renewed each Sunday when I go to church, but now I’ll also be relaxed and rested. I do enough work from 7-4 most weekdays for sure.

It is a bit strange to think that I work so I can play and if I don’t work, I can’t afford to play.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Gas prices are so high that I can double the value of my car just by filling up.

Maxine

May your day be filled with blessings

As new as Spring

As fragrant as flowers

As full as your heart can hold.

MA

 

 

Monday, March 24, 2008

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 3, PAGE 24

Life is short, spring into action and live today’s beginning

Always laugh when you can; it is cheap medicine. Merriment is a philosophy not well understood. It is the sunny side of existence.

Lord Byron

Many studies have shown that laughter actually improves our health; in fact, some people have recovered in amazing ways from serious illnesses by focusing on things that make them laugh, like their favorite comedies on television

GOOD MORNING !

After a weekend filled with smiles and laughter, it will be hard going back to my empty and very quiet office this morning. It is payroll day and that‘s always a good thing as I’ll be busy and that helps the time pass much quicker.

I think I wrote a little bit about laughter last week so I hope this isn’t all repetition, but I really do think I don’t do enough of it. Except for laughing at myself, there’s not a whole lot of anything going on in my daily routine to laugh about. I think it is one of the main reasons I enjoy the journal friends I have so much, because very often those entries bring a SMILE or two my way.

Whether it is hearing about someone’s family or their new home or their walk in the woods…it opens some doors that other wise would remain closed to me. Emails and pictures from my ‘babes’ also make my days a lot brighter and keep me in touch with what’s going on in their worlds. I guess I’m hooked on the internet for sure. It certainly helps me get through some pretty boring days.

We may get some more SNOW today…we’ll see….

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

When we begin to take our failures non-seriously, it means we are ceasing to be afraid of them. It is of immense importance to learn to laugh at ourselves.

Katherine Mansfield

May your day be filled with blessings

As new as Spring

As fragrant as flowers

As full as your heart can hold.

MA

 

Sunday, March 23, 2008

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 3, PAGE 23

Life is short, spring into action and live today’s beginning

A garden of asters of varying hues,

Crimson pinks and violet blues,

Blossoming in the hazy fall

Wrapped in autumn's lazy pall.

But early frost stole in one night,

And like a chilling, killing blight

It touched each pretty aster's head,

And now the garden's still and dead.

And all the lovely flowers that bloomed

Will soon be buried and entombed

In winter's icy shroud of snow;

But oh, how wonderful to know

That after winter comes the spring

To breathe new life in everything.

And all the flowers that fell in death

Will be awakened by spring's breath ...

For in God's plan both men and flowers

Can only reach "bright, shining hours"

By dying first to rise in glory

And prove again the Easter story.

Helen Steiner Rice

Life is short, spring into action and live today’s beginning

 

GOOD EVENING!

I’m back from my trip and just wanted to pop in and say HAPPY EASTER to everyone.

The pictures above tell about my weekend and it was a good one for sure. It’ll be back to work tomorrow so I’ll see you in the morning !

As always your are all in my thoughts and prayers!

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Springtime awakens in many of us an energy to begin anew. Dreams and ideals that may have lain dormant for a time are recalled with fresh hope.

A Happy and Blessed Easter to you All.

Here comes Peter Cottontail

Hoppin' down the bunny trail,

Hippity hoppity, Easter's on its way

Bringin' ev'ry girl and boy

A basketful of Easter joy

Things to make your Easter

Bright and gay

He's got jelly beans for Tommy

Colored eggs for sister Sue

There's an orchid for your mommy

And an Easter bonnet too.

 Oh! Here' comes Peter Cottontail

Hoppin' down the bunny trail

Hippity hoppity Happy Easter Day

 

Look at him hop and listen to him say,

"Try to do the things you should"

Maybe if you're extra good

He'll roll lots of Easter eggs your way

Here' comes Peter Cottontail

Hoppin' down the bunny trail

Hippity hoppity Happy Easter Day

 

Here' comes Peter Cottontail

Hoppin' down the bunny trail

Hippity hoppity Happy Easter Day

You'll wake up on Easter morning

And you'll know that he was there

When you find those choc'late bunnies

That he's hiding ev’rywhere,

Oh! Here' comes Peter Cottontail

Hoppin' down the bunny trail

Hippity hoppity Happy Easter Day.

 

 

May your day be filled with blessings

As new as Spring

As fragrant as flowers

As full as your heart can hold.

MA

 

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