Good Morning Sunshine !

NEW BLOG SET UP AND READY FOR YOU TO READ

2008-10-01T05:05:00.000-07:00

THIS IS THE LINK TO MY BLOGGER JOURNAL...hope to see you all there...

http://onyama.blogspot.com/

I'm hoping to see many of my family and friends over at my Blogger journal

ENDING THIS BOOK AND GOING OVER TO BLOGGER

2008-09-30T10:16:00.000-07:00

THIS IS THE LINK TO MY BLOGGER JOURNAL...hope to see you all there...

http://onyama.blogspot.com/

What's New at My House will become the new spot for 'GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE'

It will take awhile to make the transition, but starting tomorrow I'll put this link in this journal again and do my entry in the blogger journal.

After saying ALOHA and writing about changes...little did I know this would be coming.

See you all there !

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 9, PAGE 30

2008-09-30T02:28:00.000-07:00

Autumn is a reminder

that each of us is

beautiful in our uniqueness

The aster has not wasted spring and summer because it has not blossomed. It has been all the time preparing for what is to follow, and in autumn it is the glory of the field, and only the frost lays it low.

So there are many people who must live forty or fifty years, and have the crude sap of their natural dispositions changed and sweetened before the blossoming time can come; but their lives have not been wasted.

Henry Ward Beecher

GOOD MORNING !

I wish that we all could be satisfied with who we are. I'm not the same person I was a few years ago and I will not be the same 10 years from now. I don’t really know if I’ve reached my peak or not, but I know I’ll never stop trying to reach it.

After reading about peak colors in flowers I discovered there are several lessons to be learned from them.

Flowers take their time at achieving their peak of color.

Some have a longer season than others.

Other flowers compliment each other and because of that seem to be all the more colorful.

Prolonged flower life can often be aided by dead heading

It’s TERRIFIC Tuesday once again. This is supposed to be our most productive day of the week. Now that we have Monday out of the way things should go a lot smoother.

I’ll be adding a chapter and a page in my book tomorrow It will bring a new month and lots of new topics to share.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Perhaps you haven't hit your peak yet,

and your time of blooming has not yet arrived.

Be patient, and keep living and learning.

Your time will come, and when it does,

it will be as beautiful as the asters in the autumn,

the asters who have waited patiently

all through spring and summer

while the other flowers

all were showing off their beauty

Fall wishes for

Simple pleasures

Beautiful memories

Love in your heart

Happy reflections

And much to be thankful for always

graphics by:

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 9, PAGE 29

2008-09-29T02:32:00.000-07:00

Autumn is a reminder

that each of us is beautiful

in our uniqueness

In my life I pass through many seasons, and it would be silly to wear my summer clothes in the cold air of winter, just as it would be very uncomfortable to wear my winter coat when the summer temperatures outside are in the 90's

Probably the most important thing that we can do about the seasons of our lives is to accept them, to be aware of them and let them be. We need to put on a coat in autumn, and we need to stay indoors more in the winter.

We tend to accept those realities very easily. Only when we learn how to do these things will we be going with the flow of life and allowing our lives to follow the cues that this beautiful world of ours gives us

Tom Walsh

Autumn is a good season for beginning to live gently. Let us use this autumn season to celebrate life and give thanks for our good fortunes

GOOD MORNING !

Autumn is the time of maturity and harvest. In each season, there is a widespread mood that can inspire touching reflection. Autumn ushers in crisp, chilly mornings and evenings. There is a shortening of days and a lengthening of shadows.

Each new season brings with it familiar joys that canbe pleasurable to reacquaint yourself with. Nostalgia can typify the 'autumn' of our lives. I know everyone has their own way of doing it- looking through old letters, and albums of photographs.

The other day, I had on some 70's rock and the wave of nostalgia that hit me reminded me it was Autumn. You don't have to listen to 70's rock - choose your own. And I wouldn't advise staying in the nostalgic mood for too long (unless you like depression and fatigue), but a little bit of "retrospection" does the body and soul good.

As in every season, we are invited to take our cues from rhythms of the Earth. This is a time of harvest -- for giving thanks for the bounty in our lives. If I hear myself respond "My life doesn't feel bountiful," it's time for me to pause and go deeper ... deeper into awareness, into gratitude take stock, honor the harvest & give thanks!

I need to pull on a sweater and take a walk in the chill of the evening, tuning my body in to the subtle shifting of green to gold and come home to a warm cup of apple cider, and an hour or so of quiet contemplation

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Surround yourself with the loves

& blessings of your life.

Celebrate

So many shades of gold Autumn

Another miracle we take for granted

Another expression of the artist's vision

The blending of the autumn hues

with the setting sun

Warm

Comforting

Perfect

Thank you for autumn, Lord

Fall wishes for

Simple pleasures

Beautiful memories

Love in your heart

Happy reflections

And much to be thankful for always

graphics by:

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 9, PAGE 28

2008-09-28T15:00:00.000-07:00

Autumn is a reminder

that each of us is beautiful

in our uniqueness

How do the geese know

when to fly to the sun?

Who tells them the seasons?

How do we, humans,

know when it is time to move on?

As with the migrant birds,

so surely with us,

there is a voice within,

if only we would listen to it,

that tells us so certainly when

to go forth into the unknown.

Elisabeth Kuebler-Ross

GOOD EVENING EVERYONE!

We were blessed with a beautiful fall weekend. I hope yours was a great one too.

It was a little cloudy at times and a jacket was needed now and then too, but it was delightful just to be back at my camper and enjoy the smell of autumn.

All I had to do was step out of my car and the fragrance of fall was almost overwhelming. We camp in the woods and although there is a still a lot of green on the trees, many are turning color and lots of leaves have already fallen.

Their fall was hastened by the storm we had 2 Sundays ago, I’m sure, but there is no mistaking the fact that Autumn has arrived in full force.

We had a little adventure on Saturday as we went to a festival called the ‘Prairie Peddler’. It was located not far from where we camp so we thought it would be great to take a look. A few thousand others also thought it would be great too. I say thousands but I’m not really sure of the number, it just looked like that many people. I know they travel from miles around to go there.

Then Saturday evening was the Season Campers ‘Thank You’ dinner sponsored by the Campground Owners. It was a delicious meal of Ham, Scalloped Potatoes, green beans, salad and cake for dessert. After being on the go all day at the festival it was nice to come back and have dinner all prepared and we didn’t have to clean up afterward either.

This morning I went off to the little church near by then relaxed a little with coffee and donuts back at the camper. The grand’babes’ and I spent a little time with a fall craft project and then we lunched and packed up our things for the trip home.

After a cloudy start to the day the Sunshine came out in all it’s glory so the trip home was a very scenic and pleasant one for sure. Now it’s that time of the week when I must turn my thoughts around and get prepared for a new work week. It’s back to reality and work again in the morning.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Lord, grant me the hindsight

to know where I have been,

the foresight to know where I am going,

and the insight to know when

I have gone too far

Fall wishes for

Simple pleasures

Beautiful memories

Love in your heart

Happy reflections

And much to be thankful for always

graphics by:

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 9, PAGE 26

2008-09-26T02:29:00.000-07:00

Autumn is a reminder

That each of us is beautiful

in our uniqueness

One of the difficulties we face in our industrialized age is the fact we've lost our sense of seasons. Unlike the farmer whose priorities change with the seasons, we have become impervious to the natural rhythm of life. As a result, we have our priorities out of balance

For farmers, springtime is their most active time. It's then when they must work around the clock, getting up before the sun and still toiling at the stroke of midnight. They must keep their equipment running at full capacity because they have but a small window of time for the planting of their crops. Eventually winter comes when there is less for them to do to keep him busy.

There is a lesson here. Learn to use the seasons of life. Decide when to pour it on and when to ease back, when to take advantage and when to let things ride. It's easy to keep going from nine to five year in and year out and lose a natural sense of priorities and cycles.

Don't let one year blend into another in a seemingly endless parade of tasks and responsibilities. Keep your eye on your own seasons, lest you lose sight of value and substance

JIM ROHN

May your autumn be a very special time for you this year, and please remember that only you can make it so

GOOD MORNING !

Autumn is upon us... the leaves on our big trees are changing with vibrant reds, yellows and oranges all around. So beautiful, falling and floating to the ground where, upon their landing, they create quite a mess... where is the rake?

Life is so like this season... so beautiful and quite a mess at the same time. Don't worry about the mess right now... grab yourself a cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate... relax and celebrate the day with me.

It is Friday after all !

The last day of my work week has finally arrived and after work I’ll get to go out to my camper for the weekend. I’ve got every thing ready and waiting to pick up at home when I leave work and that includes the beagle.

I’ve packed some warmer clothing as I know the evenings and early morning will be chilly. It still warms up nicely during the day but come dark it does turn cool.

The campground is having it’s annual seasonal dinner on Saturday for those that are like me and have their camper permanently parked there. We don’t have to take a thing as they are treating us and having it catered.

I hope your weekend is a great one and that you find something to SMILE about. I’ll be back Sunday evening and hopefully have some new pictures for you.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

The grand essentials of happiness are:

something to do,

something to love,

and something to hope for.

Allan K. Chalmers

Fall wishes for

Simple pleasures

Beautiful memories

Love in your heart

Happy reflections

And much to be thankful for always

graphics by:

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 9, PAGE 25

2008-09-25T02:31:00.000-07:00

Autumn is a reminder

that each of us is beautiful

in our uniqueness

There are many wonderful lessons that we can learn from autumn and the turning of the season. Nature knows that in order to maintain its vitality, it must go through austere periods, periods when it gets by with a bare minimum of everything, when its normal riches aren't on display for the world to see.

Every autumn, it must "lose" the beauty that it has put so much effort into creating and becoming, and it must spend time lying dormant, waiting for the time to come when it can once more burst forth in its splendor

Sometimes, autumn isn't a choice. Broken relationships, job layoffs, the death of loved ones, and many other things can push us into a period in which it seems as if we're losing everything. But we aren't losing anything, for nothing on this planet really is ours.

Instead, we're being pushed into a winter in which we need to lay low for a while, fulfilling our responsibilities and obligations, but realizing all the time that spring is right around the corner, just waiting for us to be ready for it

Our lives are full of cycles, possibly even more than those of nature. We go through chapters in our emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and other types of development. But we have to let chapters end if we're to move on to the next chapter, and we have to let seasons run their course if the next season is to come on time.

Tom Walsh

GOOD MORNING !

Seasons do happen for us all. Young and old. As my journal entries reflect, one Chapter ends and goes onto the next. Time goes on and we sometimes struggle with it’s swiftness.

Now I’ve reached the autumn season of my life. It is a beautiful season and though greatly mellowed by time, I can still feel full of vigor and much-inspired to continue with some of my endeavors. But I am aware that winter is not far off.

I see the autumn leaves, green and gold, dropping from the trees, leaving them bare for next spring and on such a day as this, my mind carries me back

Though autumn is not my favorite time, I actually welcome each season of the year and look forward to the inevitable, predictable changes it will bring. Should it not be so with the seasons of life?

Even though the pace is slower, crunching fallen leaves underfoot without the ever-pressing responsibility of rearing small children imparts a different sort of joy. I'm content to be in autumn and do not wish to relive spring or summer. Memories of them still linger—and suffice

Our taste buds and noses get in on the seasonal change too. This is harvest time. New crops of apples delight our taste buds with varying combinations of crunch, sweet and tart. Our diets seem to change come September. Light salads give way to hearty soups and stews. Soon fires will warm our homes and hearts as family and loved ones gather around

Memories of how special this time of the year has been for us is a good thing. But sometimes we can get stuck in our memories and lose sight of current possibilities. There should be a plaque in my home that reads, "Never let your memories be greater than your dreams."

It is comforting to surround ourselves with our memories. We know how the rituals of yesterday turned out. But, as the old saying goes, it is hard to move forward looking in the rearview mirror Yesterday is gone and tomorrow is not promised, so what we have is today.

The beauty of today is not dependent on the weather. We can have good days when it is pouring rain and on cloudless sun-drenched days. Our attitude can make today a wonderful day or just another 24 hours to endure

Our memories of autumns gone by can warm us, but the best part of this season is uncovering new surprises and abundant blessings that await us each new day

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

The book of life is lived in chapters,

so know your page number.

Fall wishes for

Simple pleasures

Beautiful memories

Love in your heart

Happy reflections

And much to be thankful for always

graphics by:

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 9, PAGE 24

2008-09-24T02:25:00.000-07:00

Autumn is a reminder

that each of us is beautiful

in our uniqueness

For the beauty of the earth

For the glory of the skies,

For the love which from our birth

Over and around us lies.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,

This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the beauty of each hour,

Of the day and of the night,

Hill and vale, and tree and flower,

Sun and moon, and stars of light.

For the joy of ear and eye,

For the heart and mind’s delight,

For the mystic harmony

Linking sense to sound and sight.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,

This our hymn of grateful praise.

GOOD MORNING !

In the comments for my entry yesterday I found some ideas about what to do in my journal come November. Many thanks to those that made suggestions.

- holidays; that is always good to talk about, thanksgiving, gifts, preparations

- our typical thanksgiving symbols. like the cornucopia and the turkey and so on

Oh yes, there will be many things to write about as we approach the holidays. Not everyone around the world celebrates Thanksgiving as we in the USA do, but I know that everyone will be able find something to be thankful for.

I'll be celebrating the holidays here in my journal and hope no matter who you are or where you come from you'll find something that will give meaning to your day and encourages you to SMILE.

I do try to always write about something that I've found inspirational. I've found I need these bits and pieces to help me get started each day. I only hope they help someone else too.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Thanksgiving Day will soon be here

It comes around but once a year

If I could only have my way,

We'd have Thanksgiving every day

Fall wishes for

Simple pleasures

Beautiful memories

Love in your heart

Happy reflections

And much to be thankful for always

graphics by:

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 9, PAGE 23

2008-09-23T02:22:00.000-07:00

Autumn is a reminder

that each of us is beautiful

in our uniqueness

SAVOURING SEPTEMBER

If summer is a symphony,

September is a minuet.

Though September plays host to summer's end.

There is a delicacy as the first

leaf falls gracefully

From a tree.

There is a quietude in our spirits

As twilight descends ever so much earlier.

We remember we picked up our books

And returned to school.

We recall how lovely it was

To walk in the late afternoon

Surrounded by such beauty,

Of autumn's splendor.

And the first time we needed that

Gorgeous sweater. And we gather in

During this golden time

To our private places,

And to our ultimate thoughts.

We seek our joys by the fireplace,

Rekindled after its summer rest.

And gather in the beauty

And treasure every moment

Of this golden time of year!

Author Unknown

GOOD MORNING!

We are having another beautiful day in northern Ohio today. Warm and sunny!!! We are being blessed by a whole week of nice weather according to the weather man. I know it won’t last for ever so I’m taking advantage of it while I can.

It is TERRIFIC TUESDAY and I must say that fits the description of the weather anyway! Evenings and on into morning is on the cool side though, so we know that Autumn is in the air

Sometimes when we’ve been outside so much it is just nice to enjoy the coziness of being inside our homes. I do that all week long it seems, but come this weekend I’ll be outside most of the time and will enjoy the campfire in the evening.

My camper was stocked with shorts and tank tops and swim suits. Now I’ll be taking jeans, flannel shirts, sweatshirts and jackets along. I am beginning to wonder what I’ll write about when camping season ends. I’ll have to be thinking about some special topics come NOVEMBER.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

...The winds will blow

their own freshness into you,

and the storms their energy,

while cares will drop away

from you like the leaves of Autumn.

by John Muir

Fall wishes for

Simple pleasures

Beautiful memories

Love in your heart

Happy reflections

And much to be thankful for always

graphics by:

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 9, PAGE 22

2008-09-22T02:26:00.000-07:00

Autumn is a reminder that each of us in beautiful in our uniqueness

SUMMER TIME IS GONE MY FRIENDS.

Summer time is gone my friends

It slowly comes but quickly ends.

It's been replaced by time called Autumn.

Nature changes hues from top

to bottom

Green gives way to red and gold.

A lovely vision to behold.

Whirling leaves go blowing by

Carrying smells of pumpkin pie.

The air turns crisp the sky fades grey.

Indian corn and bales of hay.

Overcoats and apple cider.

No more evenings on the glider.

The harvest moon so orange and round

Holidays will soon abound.

Chrysanthemum petals start to unfold

A lovely vision to behold.

Author Unknown

GOOD MORNING !

And a cheery welcome to fall today.

You all know I love the summertime (the BEACH in particular) but no matter what the season we need to make the most of whatever time we are blessed to have. The coffee definitely tastes better on a cool morning, but it’s harder to get out from under the warm covers.

My weekend was pretty good. I got to shop and visit with my youngest sister, I also got to spend some time on the back patio with my next door sister and we got the front porch painted. The weather was just awesomely beautiful all weekend.

The power came back on at the campground on Saturday morning, but by then I’d made other plans for things to be done around here (the porch) so I stayed home. My 3 days at the camper were already ruined so why not.

Next weekend and the following 3 will find me there once more (baring anymore power outages). The camping season ends on the last week of October and that will not be a camping weekend only one day to close every thing up and winterize til next season.

The campers stay permanently parked on the campsites we have. They really are just little homes away from home.

It’s back to work this morning…

I owe, I owe,

Its off to work I go…

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

I sit beside the fire and think of all that I have seen, of meadow-flowers and butterflies in summers that have been; Of yellow leaves and gossamer in autumns that there were, with morning mist and silver sun and wind upon my hair.

J. R. R. Tolkien

Fall wishes for

Simple pleasures

Beautiful memories

Love in your heart

Happy reflections

And much to be thankful for always

graphics by:

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 9, PAGE 21

2008-09-21T05:01:00.000-07:00

Autumn is a reminder

that each of us in beautiful

in our uniqueness

Orange is most often associated with autumn, the time of harvest and completion, and colored leaves. The year has fulfilled the promises of spring and summer.

In some ways, orange is the color of farewell, for after this comes the bleakness of winter. In other ways it is a beginning: the start of the school year, and the time one gets back into the swing of so-called normal life

It is also beloved of those who create knock-knock jokes.

"Knock, knock." "Who's there?" "Orange." "Orange who?" "Orange [aren't] you going to let me in?"

Or, "Orange you glad you answered the door?"

Orange is vibrant. It's a combination of red and yellow so it shares some common attributes with those colors. It denotes energy, warmth, and the sun. But orange has a bit less intensity or aggression than red, calmed by the cheerfulness of yellow

Orange can be found in nature in the changing leaves of fall, the setting sun, and the skin and meat of citrus fruit.

Orange brings up images of autumn leaves, pumpkins, and (in combination with Black) Halloween. It represents the changing seasons so in that sense it is a color on the edge, the color of change between the heat of summer and the cool of winter.

GOOD MORNING !

After reading all that, I think orange could become my favorite color. I was surfing the net looking for more info on fall and ran into several articles about the color orange so I thought I might as well share them with you too.

We’ve all heard about living on the edge. Sounds a little dangerous or exciting doesn’t it? We are on the edge today and tomorrow we’ll FALL. That’s right…it will be officially Autumn tomorrow.

It’s been really hard saying good bye to summer for me this year. Although I really just said Aloha, not good bye and now we all know what Aloha means. If you don’t know and are just reading this for the first time, just go back to my entries at the beginning of September.

I’ll be going off to church at eleven this morning…I’ve only been there twice this summer as I’ve been going to the little church near the campground since April. I’ve gone to the same church since 1965 and it’s always like going home there as I know so many people and all is very welcoming and comfortable.

I’m in such a habit (some are good) of going, that it just isn’t right to stay home on Sunday morning no matter where I am. I’ll be saying some special prayers for all my friends and family today. There are so many needs and concerns and I ‘m sure our good Lord knows and cares about each and every one of them.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Days change so many things –

- yes, hours –

- we see so differently in suns and showers.

George Klingle

Fall wishes for

Simple pleasures

Beautiful memories

Love in your heart

Happy reflections

And much to be thankful for always

graphics by:

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 9, PAGE 20

2008-09-20T05:15:00.000-07:00

Autumn is a reminder

that each of us is beautiful

in our uniqueness

Autumn. . . makes a double demand.

It asks that we prepare for the future-

-that we be wise in the ways

of garnering and keeping.

But it also asks that we learn to let go-

-to acknowledge the beauty

of sparseness.

Bonaro W. Overstreet

GOOD MORNING !

It seems the days of garnering and keeping are just about gone in our society today. There was a time when most people counted on stocking their pantries with food that they put up in jars during the summer to feed their family over the winter. Now it is convenient just about anytime of the year to go to the grocery store and buy what ever you need.

Farmers still have to put up hay and feed for their livestock and count on a good harvest as that is their livelihood, but we city folks know very little about that.

When my babes were little and I was a SAHM (stay at home mom) I always planted a garden and canned fruits and vegetables for the winter. It was nice to open a jar of homemade applesauce or sliced peaches in the middle of winter. Green beans would taste like they just came from the garden. The taste certain beats anything that comes out of a can.

I put away all those jars etc when I went back to work years ago, but I do remember….

There are other things besides food that we need to garner and keep. Garnering all the good memories of my warm summer days at the camper will help me get through the cold days of winter. Keeping my focus on what is truly important will make me appreciated what I do have.

Preparing for the future is something we all need to do in more ways than one. As I get older my future doesn’t always look as bright as it once did, but then there are many things still to look forward too.

Since there have been a few really chilly nights lately I’ve put my flannel sheets back on the bed. Now that is what I call preparing….

I’ll be spending the day working…lots to do in and out here at home so it’ll be a busy one.

See you all again in the morning !

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

There is always something positive,

productive, enriching and fulfilling

that you can do.

Get up, get going,

and make a difference

in your own special way.

Ralph Marston

Fall wishes for

Simple pleasures

Beautiful memories

Love in your heart

Happy reflections

And much to be thankful for always

graphics by:

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 9, PAGE 19

2008-09-19T05:27:00.000-07:00

Autumn is a reminder

that each of us in beautiful

in our uniqueness

A CUP OF HOT CHOCOLATE

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives.

Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups — porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite. He then told them all to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they each had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: "Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves that is the source of your problems and stress."

"The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink."

"What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup ... but you consciously went for the BEST cups."

"And then you began eyeing each other's cups."

"Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life."

"The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate."

The happiest people don't need the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have.

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. And enjoy your hot chocolate!!

Author Unknown

GOOD MORNING !

I am enjoying my good cup of coffee (not hot chocolate ) this morning and taking my time slowly waking up. It’s a vacation day and I don’t have to rush off to work ! It’s been a long time since a spent a vacation day at home.

Since the beginning of camping season they’ve all been spent at the campground. This long 3 day weekend will be different from what I’d originally planned, but isn’t that life for you…we can make all the plans in the world, but when it comes down to it we are not the ones in control. Maybe it was meant to be that I’m at home this weekend.

A little later on I’m going out shopping. I refuse to work at home on a vacation day. Tomorrow I’ll work at thome. There are a couple of shops I like to visit at least once a year so that’s where I’m headed.

One is a Pepperidge Farm Outlet store, the next is a place called the Garden Basket that has lots of plants and all kinds of decorative stuff for outdoors and indoors too. The last place is a department store that sells name brand things for less than the regular price. I don’t know if it is a chain or not but it’s called Steinmart. It’ll just be fun looking around. I am not shopping for anything imparticular.

These 3 places are all on the same road and just a few miles from each other and not too far from home.

I talked to the campground owner yesterday and they are hoping we’ll have everything back to normal with the power by next week. I do hope so. I’m missing my little place in the woods very much.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

ONE DAY AT A TIME

Our lives are made up of a million moments, spent in a million different ways. Some are spent searching for love, peace, and harmony. Others are spent surviving day by day. But there is no greater moment than when we find that life, with all it's joys and sorrows, is meant to be lived one day at a time.

It's in this knowledge that we discover the most wonderful truth of all. Whether we live in a forty-room mansion, surrounded by servants and wealth, or find it a struggle to manage the rent month to month, we have it within our power to be fully satisfied and live a life with true meaning.

One day at a time - we have that ability, through cherishing each moment and rejoicing in each dream. We can experience each day anew, and with this fresh start we have what it takes to make all our dreams come true.

Each day is new, and living one day at a time enables us to truly enjoy life and live it to the fullest.

Author Unknown

Fall wishes for

Simple pleasures

Beautiful memories

Love in your heart

Happy reflections

And much to be thankful for always

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 9, PAGE 18

2008-09-18T02:27:00.000-07:00

Autumn is a reminder that

each of us in beautiful

in our uniqueness

Autumn is youthful, mirthful, frolicsome--the child of summer's joy--and on every side there are suggestions of juvenility and mischief. While spring is a careful artist who paints each flower with delicate workmanship, autumn flings whole pots of paint about in wild carelessness.

The crimson and scarlet colours reserved for roses and tulips are splashed on the brambles till every bush is aflame, and the old creeper-covered house blushes like a sunset.

Roger Wray

GOOD MORNING !

Every year at this time we revel in the beauty of the trees, knowing well that it is only a fleeting pleasure. Before long the leaves will flutter away from their summer home and become a part of the rich carpet that covers the forest floor.

Many people suppose that Jack Frost is responsible for the color change, but we now know that change in coloring is the result of chemical processes which take place in the tree as the season changes from summer to winter

Fall weather conditions favoring formation of brilliant red autumn color are warm sunny days followed by cool, nights with temperatures below 45o F

I found this color chart and thought it was interesting that different trees turn different colors too.

Oaks: red, brown or russet

Hickories: golden bronze

Dogwood: purple-red

Birch: bright yellow

paper birch

yellow birch

Poplar: golden yellow

Maple trees show a whole range of colors:

Sugar Maple: orange-red

Black Maple: glowing yellow

Red Maple: bright scarlet

Now when I take my drive to the campsite and while I’m at the campground I’ll be keeping my eye out for the different colors as they change. Our horizon is still mostly green with just tinges of color here and there. But the nights are getting cooler and the days shorter so it won’t be long.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

I didn't ask for it to be over,

but then again,

I never asked for it to begin.

For that's the way it is with life,

as some of the most beautiful days

come completely by chance.

But even the most beautiful days

eventually have their sunsets.

Author Unknown

Fall wishes for

Simple pleasures

Beautiful memories

Love in your heart

Happy reflections

And much to be thankful for always

BOOK 08,CHAPTER 9, PAGE 17

2008-09-17T02:29:00.000-07:00

Autumn is a reminder that each of us in beautiful in our uniqueness

AUTUMN

The season for enjoying the fullness of life -- partaking of the harvest, sharing the harvest with others, and reinvesting and saving portions of the harvest for yet another season of growth.

Denis Waitley

GOOD MORNING !

It’s OVER THE HUMP DAY!

The good news is that tomorrow is my last day of work for this week and Friday is a vacation day. The bad news is that due to the storm, the camper is without electricity so…I probably won’t get to go camping. I’m upset about that but trying to ‘shake it off.’

I so looked forward to my 3 day weekend there and now …. I’ll just keep ‘shaking it off.’ The good news is the tree fell on the power line not on the camper. People that live full time in that area probably won’t have power til the weekend.

Things are still not great in lots of places here in Ohio. I am fine, my family is all fine, and we are so blessed. I guess I can live with out a weekend at the campsite.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Change is a measure of time and,

in the autumn, time seems speeded up.

What was is not and never again will be;

what is

is change.

Edwin Teale

Fall wishes for

Simple pleasures

Beautiful memories

Love in your heart

Happy reflections

And much to be thankful for always

2008-09-16T02:27:00.000-07:00

Autumn is a reminder that

each of us in beautiful

in our uniqueness

A little story for you today

There was once a spider who lived in a cornfield. He was a big spider and he had spun a beautiful web between the corn stalks. He got fat eating all the bugs that would get caught in his web. He liked his home and planned to stay there for the rest of his life.

One day the spider caught a little bug in his web, and just as the spider was about to eat him, the bug said, "If you let me go I will tell you something important that will save your life." The spider paused for a moment and listened because he was amused. "You better get out of this cornfield," the little bug said, "The harvest is coming!"

The spider smiled and said, "What is this harvest you are talking about? I think you are just telling me a story." But the little bug said, "Oh no, it is true. The owner of this field is coming to harvest it soon. All the stalks will be knocked down and the corn will be gathered up. You will be killed by the giant machines if you stay here."

The spider said, "I don't believe in harvests and giant machines that knock down corn stalks. How can you prove this?" The little bug continued, "Just look at the corn. See how it is planted in rows? It proves this field was created by an intelligent designer."

The spider laughed and mockingly said, "This field has evolved and has nothing to do with a creator. Corn always grows that way." The bug went on to explain, "Oh no. This field belongs to the owner who planted it, and the harvest is coming soon."

The spider grinned and said to the little bug, "I don't believe you," and then the spider ate the little bug for lunch. A few days later, the spider was laughing about the story the little bug had told him. He thought to himself, "A harvest! What a silly idea. I have lived here all of my life and nothing has ever disturbed me.

I have been here since these stalks were just a foot off the ground, and I'll be here for the rest of my life, because nothing is ever going to change in this field. Life is good, and I have it made."

The next day was a beautiful sunny day in the cornfield. The sky above was clear and there was no wind at all. That afternoon as the spider was about to take a nap, he noticed some thick dusty clouds moving toward him. He could hear the roar of a great engine and he said to himself, "I wonder what that could be?"

GOOD MORNING !

The little story above could be a parable about a good many things. Just because we believe something to be true because that is the way it has always been doesn’t necessarily mean that it is true. We need to be alert and ready for changes and we need to be aware of what is going on around us.

Everyone thought the world was flat at one time. I can only wonder what those people thought when they found out it was round.

People here in Ohio are still trying to recover from the very high winds that Ike brought to us. Many are with out power and will be for days yet and much damage was done from falling trees. I heard on the news that we even lost 4 lives in our state due to the storm.

I’m just fine and so are my children that live in the state, but many are suffering. I don’t ever remember having any significant damage before from a hurricane. It is just unbelievable.

The good cup of coffee here by my desk is just about empty and it’s that time again

I owe, I owe,

It’s off to work I go….

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

What the heart knows today, the head will understand tomorrow.

James Stephens

Fall wishes for

Simple pleasures

Beautiful memories

Love in your heart

Happy reflections

And much to be thankful for always

2008-09-15T02:36:00.000-07:00

Autumn is a reminder

that each of us in beautiful

in our uniqueness

A garden that never died eventually would weary. Robbed of springtime, unacquainted with the extraordinary perfume that rises from the soil after it’s had its rest, the garden that winter doesn’t visit is a dull place. The return every spring of earth’s first freshness would never be kept if not for the frosts and rot and ripe deaths of fall.

So when I go out from the garden for the last time in autumn, I leave the gate open behind me.

Michael Pollan

Do we need to be doing something important all the time? Do we always need to be accomplishing something? I think not. I think we're like the fields and the gardens--we need our rest if we're to continue to work at our best. Just like flowers, we can share our beauty more strongly if we've rested ourselves for a while, and then other people benefit from our taking care of ourselves.

GOOD MORNING!

All is very quiet here this morning. That means the storm has passed by here. I’ll see today what all that wind did in our area. We got some more rain too overnight.

Today will be a busy day at work for me. That is always a good thing. It’s a brand new week and a brand new day. It will be a great one I’m sure.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Consider the warm golden glow of sunlight as it falls upon autumn leaves. Let the thought of such unassuming beauty bring peace into your heart

Your life is more than making judgments and accumulating trophies. Let yourself remember how truly magnificent it is to simply be alive and aware Let your heart be filled with the richness that is your life. For the more you touch it, the greater that richness will grow.

Ralph Marston

Fall wishes for

Simple pleasures

Beautiful memories

Love in your heart

Happy reflections

And much to be thankful for always,

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 9, PAGE 14

2008-09-14T15:35:00.000-07:00

Autumn is a reminder that

each of us in beautiful

in our uniqueness

AS SUMMER INTO AUTUMN SLIPS

By Emily Dickinson

As summer into autumn slips

And yet we sooner say

"The summer"

than "the autumn," lest

We turn the sun away

GOOD EVENING !

Here in Northern Ohio we are feeling the effects of the hurricane this evening. We have high wind warnings until midnight and probably some rain too. Right now it sounds as though the wind is bashing the side of my house. The lights have flickered off and on several times.

DS#1 said that when he drove home from the camper today several roads were blocked from fallen trees and they had no power at his house. They had no rain just very high wind. His neighbors were all loosing shingles from their roofs.

Some of my babes are going to the season opener Browns football game tonight, even though the wind will make it very difficult for any one to sit and watch let alone play football. DS#4 was up here on business and got the tickets soDS#5 and DD and her hubby are going with him. I do hope they are all safe.

We had a pretty good weekend at the camper after heavy downpours on Friday night. Saturday cleared up and we went out and about to lunch and some shopping. Then we had a nice steak supper at the campground and sat around the campfire til no one could stay away any longer.

Today wasn’t bad at all at the camper just breezy. It seems catapillars were falling out of the sky at us though. A few big old cocoons up in the trees had apparently hatched all these catapillars and when the wind blew they all came down on us. Eating lunch at the picnic table we had to watch out for flying objects.

I hope you all are safe from the storms. I've been praying for all those that have been effected and have lots of work ahead of them. It’s amazing how that wind can still be so strong way up here so many miles away.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

There is no place where God is not.

God is there in a thousand wonders,

upholding rocky barriers,

filling the buttercups with their perfume

and refreshing the lonely pines

with the breath of his mouth.

Descend…into the lowest depths of the ocean,

where undisturbed water sleeps,

and the very sand is

motionless in unbroken quiet,

but the glory of the Lord is there,

revealing its excellence

in the silent palace of the sea.

Borrow the wings of the morning

and fly to the uttermost parts of the sea,

but God is there.

His beauty is stamped in all of creation:

The glory of God can be seen

from the smallest raindrop to the mighty

flash of lightning; from the tiny rosebud

to the huge magnolia blossom;

from the rich, fertile soil of the Mississippi Delta

to the arid, dusty land of the desert.

We can see His stamp of glory in all the world,

from the music of a sparkling brook

to the majestic tumbling waterfall;

from the gnarled, gentle hands

of a loving grandfather

to the birth-fresh fragility of a baby’s fingernail;

from the silence of the stars

to the peal of thunder;

from the mirror-like smoothness of a placid lake

to the wind-driven thunderous waves

smashing on the shore.

In the fresh greenery of the spring;

in the dazzling color of autumn;

in the joy of discovery on a baby’s face;

and in the fulfillment and

meaning of the New Birth,

we can see the glory of God

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Fall wishes for

Simple pleasures

Beautiful memories

Love in your heart

Happy reflections

And much to be thankful for always

graphics by:

BOOK O8, CHAPTER 9, PAGE 12

2008-09-12T02:34:00.000-07:00

Aloha to learn what is not said, to see what cannot be seen & to know the unknowable.

Queen Liliakalani

God is aloha ... We do not do good only to those who do good to us. One of the sweetest things about the love of God, about aloha, is that it welcomes the stranger and seeks his good.

Abraham K. Akaka

GOOD MORNING!

When I saw the quote above I had to agree. So much of what ALOHA is about is also what my faith has taught me to believe. Our God is love and we are all called to love each other. All the good thoughts in the world are encompassed in that one word ALOHA.

Today is the anniversary of my Dad’s birthday. He passed away a little over a year ago but I cannot help but think of today as his special day. I took some nice fall flowers (silk ones) and put them on my dad and mom’s cemetery plots. I like to think that the memories of my parents keep them alive in my heart. They are gone but never forgotten and I know someday we’ll meet again

No doubt your calendar contains some of these difficult days that roll around once a year, bringing fresh reminders of losses that still hurt and people you still miss You may know Psalm 23 by heart, but try reading it with new eyes today. This familiar passage of comfort proclaims: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life" (v.6). Not just some of the days but all the days. the Good Shepherd is with us on every difficult day.

It is FRIDAY and as usual I’ll be leaving for the camper after work this evening. I’m going to have company too ! DS#4 had to come up north for business and will be here til Tuesday, but he has the week end free so he’ll be coming along with me. Good thing he is going home on Tuesday as his wife’s birthday is then and I’m sure she would like him to be home for it.

The weather man predicts some rain for the entire weekend. Hopefully it will only be spotty and we’ll be able to get out and about. I know DS#1 and his wife have some special meals planned as they knew DS#4 would be coming.

I do hope you all have a great weekend. I’ll be home Sunday evening and will check in with you all then. Hopefully with some more pictures !

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same.

Anonymous

Aloha means I love

so I say

Aloha Oe

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 9, PAGE 11

2008-09-11T02:27:00.000-07:00

Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace

Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love,

Where there is injury, pardon

Where there is doubt, faith,

Where there is despair, hope,

Where there is darkness, light,

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I

may not so much seek to be consoled

as to console, not so much to be understood

as to understand, not so much to be loved,

as to love; for it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

it is in dying that we awake to eternal life

GOOD MORNING !

I’ve put the prayer for peace in my entry today in memory of 9/11/01. I don’t think we should ever for get those that lost their lives that day. It was an unforgettable day and one that put terror in to all our hearts.

2008 marks the seventh anniversary of the worst terrorist attack inflicted on our nation Today is Patriot Day in our country. It reflects the compassion of people who stepped forward to help those they've never met and the generosity of millions of Americans who enriched our country with acts of service and kindness on that 11th day of September in 2001.

It is a true demonstration of why our country stands against those who force harm upon us. We are so privileged to live in a country that is for the most part peaceful. Others are not so fortunate. Many of our sons and daughters, husbands and wives, and brothers and sisters are fighting as I write this.

I am not promoting war, but I do support our Troops that work round the clock in some means or another to keep our country safe. If we all each did a little something each day to promote peace, wars and rumors of wars would cease.

The regrettable fact is that few do. When we have teen age gangs in our country killing more people in one given day than soldiers dying in Iraq or Afghanistan, something is terribly wrong.

Peace begins with you and me. It begins in the home where we teach our children to love and embrace life. It begins with our neighbors and our elected officials. It takes all of us to obtain peace in our world.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

If in our daily life we can smile,

if we can be peaceful and happy,

not only we, but everyone will profit from it.

This is the most basic kind of peace work.

Thich Nhat Hanh

Let there be peace on earth

And let it begin with me

graphics by:

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 9, PAGE 10

2008-09-10T02:26:00.000-07:00

Aloha to learn what is not said, to see what cannot be seen & to know the unknowable.

Queen Liliakalani

ALOHA is about you living with authenticity in a world populated with other people. We human beings were not meant to live alone, we thrive in each other’s company. Aloha celebrates everything that makes you YOU

GOOD MORNING

I do hope you’ve been enjoying learning about ALOHA. There will just be a few more entries about it and then we’ll switch over to fall. Officially it will be here the 22nd of this month.

Tomorrow would have been my 43rd wedding anniversary. As it turned out I only got to celebrate 27 of them before my husband died. I’ve never found anyone to replace him, so I celebrate all by myself. We had such a good marriage that I have nothing but good memories.

The 11th is also DS#1 and his wife’s anniversary. They’ll be celebrating 15 years. My, how time does fly by.

A couple of people asked for pictures of my fall decorations so I’ve put them in this entry. I usually do much more than I’ve done this year but as no one is here, and I’m gone most every weekend I cut back this year. Still there is enough scattered here and there that it brightens the house up.

It’s OVER THE HUMP DAY and now we can slide right into the weekend.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

We can’t always trust what we hear with our ears but we can always trust what we hear with our heart.

Author Unknown

Aloha means I love

So I say

Aloha Oe

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 9, PAGE 9

2008-09-09T02:24:00.000-07:00

Aloha to learn what is not said, to see what cannot be seen & to know the unknowable.

Queen Liliakalani

The magic of aloha is contagious.

Each day, the key is to "Live Aloha:"

Help anonymously. Forgive hurts.

Keep every agreement made.

Give and share freely.

Judge yourself, not others.

Slow down and spend time in silence

GOOD MORNING !

It’s TERRIFIC Tueday! They say this is our best day of the week. I certainly hope so. We had a beautiful sunny and warm day on Monday, but today is a different story altogether. Cooler with rain is the forecast.

As I have a few journal friends around the world, I find that some are still having very hot temps while others never really got summer to begin with—it just stayed damp and cool for them. I guess I’m blessed to be living in a place that gets true seasonal changes. Fall , Winter, Spring and Summer.

I did manage to get a few fall decorations out. I now have fall wreaths on my front and back doors and some fall flowers in each room in the downstairs part of my house. I even got a small scarecrow to stick in the flower box on the front porch. In another journal I read where it is not fashionable todecorate with silk flowers. We should be using real ones. But I do get the silk ones as they keep their color and don’t need watering.

I’ll be off now to see what surprises await me today.

It will be a TERRIFIC one, it is Tuesday after all.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Every single day, somewhere in the world, Aloha comes to life. As it lives and breathes within us, it defines the epitome of sincere, gracious, and intuitively perfect customer service given from one person to another

Aloha means I love

so I say

Aloha Oe

graphics by:

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 9, PAGE 8

2008-09-08T02:26:00.000-07:00

Aloha to learn what is not said, to see what cannot be seen & to know the unknowable.

Queen Liliakalani

Meow is like Aloha, it can mean anything.

Hank Ketcham

GOOD MORNING !

Another day, another dollar they say. I’m up and sipping the good coffee and hoping for a great day. I never know until I get there just how things will be.

It is payroll day and I know for certain it will be busy, so that is a good thing. I don’t like leaving for work when it’s dark out. I really am hoping my eyesight doesn’t get any worse as some rainy dark days I do have problems seeing everything.

Thankfully I do have several different choices on the ways I can go to work. One of them is on streets that have street lights and not so much out in the country. It also has lower speed limits so that is the way I go when the weather is bad. I prefer the other ways though as I love to look at the countryside but when it’s dark I can’t see it anyway. They all take 20 minutes no matter which way I choose. 20 minutes to work and 20 minutes home again.

After a chilly start out temps will be rising today so I’m putting the first layer on. A lightweight Capri set with a sweater. This is just the beginning of the layers. It won’t be long until I have 2 or 3 of them on. Cool nights and warm days for now. Colder nights and cold days later I’m afraid.

I hope your Monday is a great one !

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Aloha means when you give someone a lei, you do not buy the lei—you make the lei with your own hands and then you give it away and that lei is made with love and respect and everything that should be in the soul of man.

Levon Ohai

Aloha means I love

so I say

Aloha Oe

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 9, PAGE 7

2008-09-07T13:46:00.000-07:00

Aloha to learn what is not said, to see what cannot be seen & to know the unknowable.

Queen Liliakalani

A renown and beloved linguist, Paki gave spiritual meaning to each letter of the word aloha:

A stands for AKAHAI, meaning kindness, expressed with tenderness.

L is for LOKAHI, meaning unity, expressed with harmony.

O is for OLU`OLU, meaning agreeable, expressed with pleasantness.

H stands for HA`AHA`A, meaning humility, expressed with modesty.

A stands for AHONUI, meaning patient and persevering

These are traits of character that express the charm, warmth and sincerity of Hawaii's people. It was the working philosophy of native Hawaiians and was presented as a gift to the people of Hawaii.

GOOD AFTERNOON !

I was blessed with another restful weekend and am back home again. Now begins the work of getting things in order so that I can start a new work week once more.

We had some rain showers come through on Friday evening and I fell asleep to the sound of rain drops on the camper. Saturday was cool but mostly sunny and the campfire took on real meaning Saturday night as the warmth was appreciated. Sunday morning brought a few brief showers but then it cleared up, although it was mostly cloudy, it was really nice outside.

DS#1 was up early and had a fine breakfast prepared for us before I even left for church Sunday morning. I usually go and then eat after I return. For the first time in a couple of months, I actually had to dig out my jeans and a sweatshirt to put on for the rest of the day.

Our high for the day has been a cool 70 degrees. I found the beagle shivering in his chair on the camper deck this morning and covered him up with one of the beach towels. He snuggle in and slept there for a couple of hours. Next weekend they will close the campground swimming pool as from here on in our warm days will be few.

I hope you are all renewed and refreshed for the new week ahead. The good Lord certainly knew what he was doing when he created weekends.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

ALOHA

Respect all elders and children.

Leave places better than you find them.

Hold the door.

Hold the elevator.

Plant something.

Drive with courtesy.

Never drive impaired.

Attend an event of another culture.

Return your shopping cart.

Get out and enjoy nature.

Pick up litter.

Share with your neighbors.

Create smiles.

Create a list and share it

This list is only a starting point. Add to the list any acts which enhance our people and our land

Aloha means I love - so I say

Aloha Oe

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 9, PAGE 5

2008-09-05T02:26:00.000-07:00

Aloha to learn what is not said, to see what cannot be seen & to know the unknowable.

Queen Liliakalani

Everyday happiness, means getting up in the morning, and you can't wait to finish your breakfast. You can't wait to do your exercises. You can't wait to put on your clothes.

George Burns

Good morning! (Aloha Kakahiaka!)

Here's wishing you a bright, positive day. Today is a good day to begin with a strong plan to be productive and positive... all day long!

FRIDAYS are always good days. I look forward to them more than ever as I now have a weekend ahead at the campground. Camping is relaxing and enjoyable, but being together with some of my family is even more fun.

A friend asked me recently how I was enjoying my summer and I told her it was the best I’d had in a long long time. It is so great to have something other than housework to look forward to on the weekends.

We are supposed to have some rain today, but it’ll clear up by tomorrow. We need it badly. They say the farmer’s crops are drying up and the corn and soybeans won’t be as plentiful as they should be around here.

I know the fields are starting to turn brown as I drive to and from work. Many trees are turning brown too. I think a lot of that is caused by the lack of rain. Usually mid October is when our trees are really colorful.

I hope your weekend is a great one and I’ll be back with an entry on Sunday evening. You’ll all be in my thoughts and prayers as always

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Love is worn like a wreath

through the summers and the winters.

(E lei kau, e lei ho`oilo i ke aloha)

Hawaiian Proverb

Aloha means I love

so I say

Aloha Oe

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 9, PAGE 4

2008-09-04T02:29:00.000-07:00

Aloha to learn what is not said, to see what cannot be seen & to know the unknowable.

Queen Liliakalani

The Aloha Spirit is a well known reference to the attitude of friendly acceptance for which the Hawaiian Islands are so famous. However, it also refers to a powerful way to resolve any problem, accomplish any goal, and also to achieve any state of mind or body that you desire.

In the Hawaiian language, aloha stands for much more than hello or goodbye or love. Its deeper meaning is the joyful (oha) sharing (alo) of life energy (ha) in the present (alo) The way to tune into this Power and have it work for you is so simple that you might be tempted to pass it off as being too easy to be true. Please don't let yourself be fooled by appearances

The secret is this: Bless everyone and everything that represents what you want! In order to gain the most benefit from blessing, you will have to give up on the one thing that negates it: cursing

The Aloha Spirit is the coordination of mind and heart within each person. It brings each person to the Self. Each person must think and emote good feelings to others

GOOD MORNING !

The more I’m finding out about ALOHA, the more I’m glad I choose this theme for the month of September. Blessings and not cursings is definitely a better way to live.

The blessings of this day are many for me. I woke up and got out of bed , got ready for work and have a job to go to. I’m so blessed. There are many than cannot or won’’t.

When ever I start to ‘whine’ I make my self consider how good I really do have it and be thankful for it. Getting my SPIRIT in order is not always an easy task, but when it is I feel better too. I’m always counting my blessings. It makes my day start and end so much better.

Blessing someone else is something I probably don’t do enough of. I’ll have to work on that one.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

May you have the spirit of aloha in your heart

Aloha means I love - so I say

Aloha Oe

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 9, PAGE 3

2008-09-03T02:36:00.000-07:00

Aloha to learn what is not said, to see what cannot be seen & to know the unknowable.

Queen Liliakalani

Knowledge and wisdom are found in Aloha.

Aloha starts within ourselves.

The key to ALOHA is to is

to first apply it in our hearts,

next our minds and

the final step is to act on it.

GOOD MORNING!

Back to work today and the good news is that it is OVER THE HUMP day. There is not a doubt in my mind that my desk will be stacked sky high. But that is ok as I left with everything done.

I can take my time and catch up. Thursdays and Fridays are usually slow days so I’ll just put some of it aside for tomorrow and the next day.

Where others are being hit with major storms our part of the country is enjoying some beautiful summer like weather. I’ve been praying and will continue to pray for those in harms way. May our dear Lord calm the storms. Many need rain, but not when it includes a hurricane or a tornado.

For the most part we enjoy a pretty peaceful climate here, except when it comes to winter. Then we have the storms. SNOW and ice storms. I guess we choose to live where we are so we have to put up with the grumblings of nature. I could move, but no place is perfect, and this place is home, so I stay.

As much as I love my weekends, the reality of life goes on.

I owe, I owe,

It’s off to work I go!

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

The literal translation of aloha is, "The Breath of Life".

So when you say ALOHA to someone it means "I recognize the (same) breath of life within you as I have within, and wish to present from me"

Aloha means I love - so I say

Aloha Oe

graphics by:

BOOK 08,CHAPTER 9, PAGE 2

2008-09-02T11:38:00.000-07:00

Aloha to learn what is not said, to see what cannot be seen & to know the unknowable.

Queen Liliakalani

The Angel of September helps us prepare for the harvest at hand. As the summer draws to a close, September's angel reminds us to pause and gather fresh strength because the culmination of a project often demands one last surge of energy.

The September angel brings us this boost, seeing us through to the fulfillment of our task. This late-summer angel also helps us recognize the fruits of our labors and share with others the bounty of what we have created in our lives.

In September, we take delight in our good fortune, whether in a garden, a relationship, or a career, and we share our joy with all those whose support has made our harvest possible

Aloha what does aloha mean ? it means: hello, goodbye, I love you and and a lots of other things depending on tone of voice

GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE !

Aloha opens up so many things to write about. All those emotions that make us who we are. This month I'll be sharing things about life , the seasons, the weather, love, and lots lots more.

I've been thinking about saying goodbye to summer and hello to fall. As a matter of fact we had our Labor Day family get together in the form of a luau. Everyone dressed Hawaiian and of course ate lots of good food.

The weather was absolutely tropical. Not too steamy just bright and sunny. Our temps havereally warmed up and today it is 91 degrees. Everything is still very dry and even though we got a good rain last week, we do need more.

The only bad side of our holiday was the fact that down south they had a hurricane come to ground. It wasn’t so very far from where DS#2 lives. Thankfully he is safe and sound. I was very happy to receive his call and find that out for sure.

I left the campground today about noon so now I have plenty of time to get some laundry done and get ready for my short work week. There will now only be 3 days of work and I can go back to the camper for the weekend. I could easily adapt to this kind of living.

I do hope you all had a great weekend and were all safe and sound.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

aloha can mean love, affection, compassion, mercy, sympathy, pity, kindness, sentiment, grace, charity, greeting, salutation, regards; sweetheart, lover, loved one, to love, to be fond of, .etc.

It's the way people treat each other, a way of life and a state of mind

Aloha means I love - so I say

Aloha Oe

graphics by:

BOOK 08,CHAPTER 8, PAGE 29

2008-08-29T02:35:00.000-07:00

God has given us

these times of Joy

Psalm 81:4

Come said the wind to the leaves one day,

Come o're the meadows and we will play.

Put on your dresses scarlet and gold,

For summer is gone and the days grow cold.

A Children's Song of the 1880's

GOOD MORNING !

The calendar tells us that the seasons change in mid-September, but we all know that the unofficial end to summer is Labor Day. It seems we often equate the summer season with freedom and the fall with "back to school" and, for many, that means drudgery or at least, less freedom.

Summer style and its pace is so different. Summer is a very social time as the weather encourages people to go out. Now the days are getting shorter, and even the way people talk about the seasons encourages less energetic feelings

We really do need to celebrate what's special about each season and look forward to the opportunities that come with the change in weather. The summer is only three months at most. That leaves nine other months, so of course we couldn't get all the projects done or do all the vacationing we ever wanted in such a short time.

My little weekend vacations will continue til the end of October so I’ll have a gradual ending to my days of being outdoors. When the cold weather comes I’ll hibernate here at home til Spring arrives.

I’ll be off to my camper after work today and won’t return home til sometime on Tuesday, September 2nd. So when I return I’ll have a new journal theme for the new month and lots of new quotes, poems and thoughts for the day to share with you all.

I’ve chosen ALOHA as the theme for Chapter 9 of my Book 08 . It has taken some hours surfing the net to find out what I could about that magical word.

ALOHA can mean love, affection, compassion, mercy, sympathy, pity, kindness, sentiment, grace, charity, greeting, salutation, regards; sweetheart, lover, loved one, to love, to be fond of, .etc.

It's the way people treat each other, a way of life and a state of mind

It can mean good bye and also hello.

In September we will be saying Good Bye to summer and Hello to fall. I’m looking forward to a brand new month and a new season to enjoy. God has blessed us splendidly with beauty in each of the seasons of the year and I’m so thankful for them.

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend. You will all be in my thoughts and prayers. Be safe and happy and enjoy the precious moments we’ve been given.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

There are two things to aim at in life:

first, to get what you want; and,

after that, to enjoy it.

Only the wisest of humans

achieve the second.

Logan Pearsall Smith

May the Lord Bless YOU

With Peace as you experience

The JOYS of EACH and EVERY new day!

BOOK 08,CHAPTER 8,PAGE 28

2008-08-28T02:42:00.000-07:00

God has given us

these times of Joy

Psalm 81:4

Just when summer gets perfect—

fresh nights, soft sun, casual breezes,

crushingly full and quietly cooling trees,

empty beaches, and free weekends—it ends.

Life is like that too.

Just when we get it right, it starts to change.

The job gets easy and we know just how to do it,

and they tell us we’re retired.

The children grow up and get reasonable

and they leave home,

just when it’s nice to have them around . . . .

That’s life on the edge of autumn.

And that’s beautiful—if we have the humility for it.

Joan Chittister

GOOD MORNING !

As you see I’ve pictures of 3 more of my grandbabes as they started school this week. Our Princess is a 3rd grader, Our Sweetheart began Kindergarten and Our Prince Charming went to Preschool. These are the 3 grandchildren that I’ve been blessed by having them in the camper next door to mine all summer.

All told I have 11 grandchildren so there will be more pictures of BACK TO SCHOOL I hope. It all depends on their parents sending them to me. None live close by.

Changes have happened in my life just like in the poem above. Just when things were comfortable some kind of change came along. I never had to experience living alone until late in my life when the youngest was in college . I lived with my parents until I got married and then lived with my husband til he died and then of course I still had all the babes til they grew up and went on their own.

I’m not sure I’ll ever be comfortable with it, even though I do enjoy my life to the fullest each day. There is a difference .

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Life should be enjoyable;

too often we think it's about achievement.

The truth is that making life enjoyable

is an achievement in itself.

Unattributed

May the Lord Bless YOU

With Peace as you experience

The JOYS of EACH day

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 8, PAGE 27

2008-08-27T02:34:00.000-07:00

God has given us

these times of Joy

Psalm 81:4

Our Sunshine Boy with his back pack

ready for the first day of Kindergarten

August rushes by like desert rainfall,

A flood of frenzied upheaval,

Expected, but still catching me unprepared.

Like a match flame bursting on the scene,

heat and haze of crimson sunsets.

Like a dream

Of moon and dark barely recalled,

A moment, Shadows caught in a blink.

Like a quick kiss;

One wishes for more

But it suddenly turns to leave,

Dragging summer away.

Elizabeth Maua Taylor, August

A TIME TO ENJOY

His younger brother, Our Little Ray,

says his big brother is #1

GOOD MORNING !

There are now only 9 weekends left til the end of the camping season. I know I will be having severe withdrawal pains when it all ends. But for now I’m set on enjoying each and everyone of them to the fullest.

The thought has occurred to me that there may be less than 9 camping seasons left for me to enjoy. Time marches on and I wonder how long I will be able to do it. None of us knows any more about the future than that what we know right now. Summer fades, autumn follows, seasons continue on.

That much we know.

Today is OVER THE HUMP DAY and most of my weekly work is done. My boss will be out this afternoon so that means I’ll be working an hour later than usual. I get paid overtime so it’s an ok thing. It is just such a long day especially when there is no one in.

I suppose I’ll have to do some office cleaning. More and more leaves are changing color and quite a few are falling. That may be due to the fact that we haven’t had much rain. Those leaves whirl around in circles in our parking lot at work and right up to the entry door. Every time someone opens it, in come the leaves. It’ll be a constant battle now til about December to keep those leave swept out.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures of our Sunshine Boy off to his first day of Kindergarten. I’m hoping that the rest of my babes will be sending some BACK TO SCHOOL pictures and when they do I’ll put them in this journal. All of my grand children are now in school (this includes PreSchool) except for one. He is just 2 so he has a ways to go yet.

My 1st cup of good coffee (which seems extra good this morning) is about done now so …

I owe, I owe

It’s off to work I go…

Getting on the school bus

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Go outside, to the fields,

enjoy nature and the sunshine,

go out and try to recapture

happiness in yourself and in God.

Think of all the beauty that’s still left

in and around you and be happy!

Anne Frank

There he goes

May the Lord Bless YOU

With Peace as you experience

The JOYS of Summertime

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 8, PAGE 26

2008-08-26T02:27:00.000-07:00

God has given us

these times of Joy

Psalm 81:4

When I found I no longer had the stamina to work long hours clearing the fallen limbs in the woods around my house, I began to bring a lawn chair and a thermos with me. I still work in the woods, but stop frequently to sit and have a cup of tea. I’ve identified birds I didn’t know lived here and evidence that a bobcat shares the property. Since I’ve slowed down some, I see things I never saw before and find that quiet solitude is not lonely but nurturing, allowing my heart to open to the signs and lessons of nature that surround me.

Sallirae Henderson

A TIME TO ENJOY

GOOD MORNING !

Yes, I have slowed down considerably. Years ago as a working Mom with 7 children I did a whole lot more than I do now. I do take time out to sit and rest before continuing my chores. I find more time to appreciate things around me that were not evident to me in the past. I was just too busy, I hear and see more now and I do less. Nature has a lot to teach us if we give her the chance.

Solitude has become a way of life for me most days. It is good that I’m now balancing out that part of my life by camping with my oldest son and his family and my daughter and her husband. Their laughter is like music to my soul.

We all have our own campers, but we do most things together. Still when we need the privacy we have our own little home in the woods to go to. My DSIL made the comment last weekend that there weren’t many son-in-laws that would go camping with their MIL’s. I guess that is probably true, but we all tend to get along well and have lots of fun. I hope that I’m never an indisposition to any of them.

As much as I love the camping I have to admit I wouldn’t be able to do so without the help of my family. It wouldn’t be half the fun if I were by myself either. It’s all a matter of keeping up a good balance. We all need some time to ourselves but we all need others too.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

The foliage has been losing its freshness through the month of August, and here and there a yellow leaf shows itself like the first gray hair amidst the locks of a beauty who has seen one season too many.

Oliver Wendell Holmes

May the Lord Bless YOU

With Peace as you experience

The JOYS of Summertime

graphics by:

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 8, PAGE 25

2008-08-25T02:29:00.000-07:00

God has given us

these times of Joy

Psalm 81:4

The sorrow you endure, makes the joy so much brighter. The relaxation you enjoy, gives you energy to work more effectively. The time apart from a loved one, makes the time together special. Death makes life precious. The heat of summer makes autumn refreshing. Having to do without something, gives you an appreciation for it. Illness makes good health worth pursuing. Hunger stimulates nourishment.

The things we see as "bad", often make the good things good. How would we know pleasure without pain? With no discomfort, how could we be comfortable? If there were no darkness, what would be the meaning of light? Without ignorance, what would be the value of knowledge. In every direction, in all situations, life has meaning. Always, there is the opportunity for fulfillment.

Rather than cursing the darkness, appreciate the light that it makes possible.

Ralph Marston

Good Morning,

The words above are so very true. I’m hoping that my R & R over the weekend does give me more energy to do my work today. It’s always difficult for me to adjust after my weekends away so we’ll trust that all that rest is effective for sure.

Signs that fall is coming are increasing daily. The squirrels at the campground over the weekend were busy making their nests up in the tree tops. Many trees have leaves tinged in brown or gold and there were lots of leaves fluttering to the ground too.

Where the famer’s corn fields were mostly green and laden with corn, you now see where the stalks are drying out. When you look outside you still see mostly green, but scattered here and there are all the reminders that summer is fast fading.

When I’m driving to and from work each day it is like going to a movie some times as the scenery is constantly changing. Where there were apple blossoms on the trees you now see ripe red apples ready to pick. Where there were baby geese crossing the roads you now see the young in flight overhead with their parents.

Soon I’ll be going to work in the dark and I’ll hate it that I won’t have the view I’ve had. But coming home should still provide good sight for for quite a while yet. Only in the very short days of winter is dark coming home.

I'll be counting my blessings and enjoying the day for sure !

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

A fallen leaf is nothing more

than a summers wave good bye

May the Lord Bless YOU

With Peace as you experience

The JOYS of Summertime

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BOOK 08, CHAPTER 8, PAGE 24

2008-08-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

God has given us

these times of Joy

Psalm 81:4

Each one of us is God's special work of art.

Through us, He teaches and inspires,

delights and encourages,

informs and uplifts all those

who view our lives.

Joni Earckson Tada

A TIME TO ENJOY

GOOD EVENING !

I’m home once more from the campground and sad to say it’s time to get things ready to go back to work tomorrow. The long weekend was very restful and for the most part full of sunshine and warmth.

On my way home today we had a badly needed rain shower. We do need rain as everything is very dry so that was a very welcome and refreshing gift. My car was very dusty from sitting at the campsite all weekend so it got a much needed bath too.

I didn’t take any new pictures for you all to see this weekend as nothing much new happened. We did get to go swimming on Saturday and I renewed my suntan a little. But for the most part I spent a lot of time in the shade keeping cool.

Next weekend we’ll be celebrating Labor Day so we decided to go with a luau theme. I will make sure to take pictures then for sure. I've got my Hawaiin shirts all ready to wear and we have lei's for everyone to wear too!

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Celebrate each season,

for you, too,

are transformed

with the turns of the earth.

Arthur Dobrin

May the Lord Bless YOU

With Peace as you experience

The JOYS of Summertime

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 8, PAGE 21

2008-08-21T02:26:00.000-07:00

God has given us

these times of Joy

Psalm 81:4

This was one of those perfect

New England days in late summer

where the spirit of autumn

takes a first stealing flight,

like a spy,

through the ripening country-side,

and, with feigned sympathy

for those who droop with August heat,

puts her cool cloak of bracing air

about leaf and flower

and human shoulders.

Sarah Orne Jewett

GOOD MORNING!

We have had some cool nights. When I left for work yesterday morning I had to put a jacket on. It was only 59 degrees. It is supposed to be in the 80’s today and the rest of the weekend.

I hope to get in swimming as we didn’t do that at all last week. They will keep the pool at the campground open til it gets too cold. It won’t close after Labor Day as most of our public pools do. Hopefully we’ll have a nice long warm fall. Every year is a little different so it’s hard to know what to expect.

I’ll be at the campsite now til Sunday evening so I won’t have an entry til then. I do hope you all have a great weekend. You’ll all be in my thoughts and prayers as always.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

When summer opens,

I see how fast it matures,

and fear it will be short;

but after the heats of July and August,

I am reconciled,

like one who has had his swing,

to the cool of autumn.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

May the Lord Bless YOU

With Peace as you experience

The JOYS of Summertime

graphics by:

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 8, PAGE 20

2008-08-20T02:27:00.000-07:00

God has given us

these times of Joy

Psalm 81:4

I FEEL GREAT TODAY!

Try this little experiment. Wherever you're sitting, lower your head and look down. Let your shoulders droop. Say to yourself quietly "I'm really depressed. I feel awful." How do you feel?

Now try this. Sit up straight, or stand up if you want. Look up toward the sky. Put a big smile on your face and say out loud with excitement "I feel GREAT today! I am alive with excitement and enthusiasm." Now how do your feel? Do you notice a big difference?

It's all due to your physiology. By changing your posture and your voice, you have changed your attitude… Now a positive attitude won't change your situation. But if you hold your head high and look toward the stars, you'll see a lot more opportunities than if you're looking down and depressed…

You're in complete control of the way you act and the way you feel. Use that to your advantage every moment.

Ralph Marston

A TIME TO ENJOY

GOOD MORNING !

I really do choose how I start the day. I could moan and groan my situation, but what good would it do. The beagle doesn’t care and neither does the dirty old bird. The only one that hears me is-- me and I don’t want to listen to any whining so I try to keep things on a happy note.

I can sing , I can dance and no one knows but me. When people see the SMILE on my face they think I’m happy and that’s a good thing. Little do they know I’m probably dreaming about the BEACH.

Thinking about things that make me happy often tend to do just that. I’m feeling great today – hope you are too !

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

The wind might cause a kite to rise,

but what keeps it up there

is the fact that somebody on

the ground has a steady hand.

You have to hold steady to your values

- your integrity.

It's your anchor.

You let go of that…well,

it isn't long before your kite

comes crashing down

Author unknown

May the Lord Bless YOU

With Peace as you experience

The JOYS of Summertime

graphics by:

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 8, PAGE 19

2008-08-19T02:28:00.000-07:00

This time,

like all times,

is a very good one,

if we but know what to do with it

Ralph Waldo Emerson

A bird is singing, the sky is blue, the temperature is perfect, and the trees are covered in green. Is there a lesson to be learned from that? Well, it's just life. Right now I happen to be enjoying the moment

Nature cannot be beautiful unless you appreciate it. Beauty in any form requires appreciation in order to be beautiful, and appreciation is a quality found within you. Enjoying the moment is absorbing.

Enjoyment is accomplished by relaxing into the moment. You can't fast forward nature. You can't stop or freeze frame moments you enjoy Life is short! You can either enjoy or regret. Select enjoy, and you will experience great joy in this moment.

GOOD MORNING !

Monday is over and done so now the rest of the week should just speed by and my next long weekend will be here before I know it. Monday’s are by far the hardest day of my work week. I have the payroll to do which does require my brain to function and it’s often a slow start as it thinks we are still in the vacation mode.

My other menial tasks around the office require far less mental endeavors. Data entry is important for all the reports I do and entering accounts payables is important so the bill get paid on time, but they are easy tasks.

Opening and sorting mail or taking messages is also simple to do. Life in a one gal office tends to be monotonous some times, but I like the quiet and except for the days there is nothing to do, I enjoy my job.

I was able to get out and sit awhile on the patio after I got some laundry done last night but it was getting dark about 8:30 so I came in and got an early start upstairs. I like to read for awhile before going to sleep so that meant I got to read a few extra pages. That was nice.

I have to go to bed early in order to get up early but it has become a way of life but when the weekend comes I do stay up later and sleep in longer. Anyway I do it, my body needs those 8 hours and it adjusts according.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Life itself cannot give you joy

unless you really will it.

Life just gives you time and space

it's up to you to fill it.

an old Chinese proverb

Take a moment to be in the moment. The next moment is waiting for you to enjoy. Only when you enjoy this moment will you know why it is called the PRESENT. Enjoy your PRESENT, it contains JOY

May the Lord Bless YOU

With Peace as you experience

The JOYS of Summertime

graphics by:

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 8, PAGE 18

2008-08-18T02:33:00.000-07:00

God has given us

these times of Joy.

Psalm 81:4

Let me enjoy this late-summer day

of my heart while the leaves

are still green and I won't look so close

as to see that first tint

of pale yellow slowly creep in.

I will cease endless running and

then look to the sky ask the sun

to embrace me and then hope she won't

tell of tomorrows less long than today.

Let me spend just this time

in the slow-cooling glow of warm

afternoon light and I'd think

I will still have the strength

for just one more last fling of my heart.

John Bohrn, Late August

GOOD MORNING!

The late summer days of August have been just beautiful so far this year. Cool nights and warm days with mild breezes blowing. Usually this is the hottest time of year for us.

Schools will be starting within the next week or so and the children often have to endure the hottest days of summer sitting in a classroom baking. I hope our pleasant weather continues for them and for their teachers too..

We never know what the weather will do. We have no control over it, but I do enjoy each moment of summer to the fullest. Days are getting shorter and more dearer and I cannot seem to soak in enough of the warming rays of sunshine.

Not so long ago I was having to go to bed in the daylight. Now it is dark and I’m coming inside earlier and earlier. I will miss the evenings sitting in my swing on the porch or rocking in the rocker on the patio.

I do hope your week is off to a good start ! My good cup of coffee is about gone so …

I owe, I owe

It’s off to work I go

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Never be afraid to sit awhile and think.

Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun

May the Lord Bless YOU

With Peace as you experience

The JOYS of Summertime

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 8, PAGE 17

2008-08-17T15:14:00.000-07:00

God has given us

these times of Joy

Psalm 81:4

Birds sing after a storm;

why shouldn't people feel as free

to delight in whatever sunlight

remains to them?

Rose Kennedy

Good Afternoon !

I’m home once more all rested and refreshed from a wonderful weekend. The weather was so nice, just perfect for sure and we were totally lazy. DD and her hubby were not there this weekend, just DS#1 and family so it was a little quieter than usual.

We did have a little excitement with a big ole tree falling down just across from where my camper sets, but other wise it was peaceful and relaxing.

At home it is still very dry and when I returned my next door sister had the sprinkler running in our back yard so I suppose I’ll be going out to water the front yard soon. The flowers and the grass need a little watering badly.

When I went to check my e-mail this afternoon, I found lots of congrats on being chosen as one of the guest editor picks of the week. I want to thank our dear Jeannette for spotlighting my journal. It is an honor. It will take a bit for me to get through them all but I'll try to get back to each and every one of you.

I hope you all had a great weekend and are refreshed and ready for the new week ahead.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Be like the sundial

that records only the

light and goodness of the day

May the Lord Bless YOU

With Peace as you experience

The JOYS of Summertime

graphics by:

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 8, PAGE 14

2008-08-14T02:28:00.000-07:00

God has given us

these times of Joy

Psalm 81:4

A little story for you today

Recently a friend went to a beautiful vacation resort. He felt all set for a very special vacation, and as he went to bed his first night there he felt excited, only to wake up the next morning to a driving rainstorm that was certain to not go away for quite a while! "Oh well," Andy thought, "Might as well sleep a bit longer." He went down to breakfast at 10 a.m. and sat by a window as he watched the rain falling endlessly.

Just as he was finishing his meal he saw a man in the distance, slowly making his way towards the lodge. The man was walking very slowly as he supported himself with two arm-brace crutches. Andy sat transfixed, watching the man take one careful step after another, slowly making his way over the slippery terrain.

After about ten minutes time the man finally made his way to the lodge, and Andy jumped up to open the door and help him in. "Good morning," Andy said. "How are you doing?" "Best day of my life!" the man said with great enthusiasm. "How are you doing?"

Andy felt himself at a loss for words. "Could be better," he said in a hesitating voice, "but I'm doing OK." "What's the matter? Don't you like the rain?" the man asked. "The rain?" Andy said. "I was counting on going horseback riding today, so I must say that the rain does not please me." "I was counting on going horseback riding myself," the man said, "But walking in the rain is just as good if not better!"

Andy stood there and watched as the man slowly made his way through the lounge area. "Wow," he thought, "this guy must know something I don't!"

Later in the day, as the rain continued to fall, Andy saw the man sitting in the lobby and asked if he could have a seat nearby. "Sure," the man said. "Happy to sit with you and have a chat." And slowly the man's story unfolded.

Years ago he had been a champion equestrian, until one day he got thrown from a horse and was badly injured. He was unconscious for more than a week, and then he slipped in and out of consciousness for another week. Whenever he came to, he would lie there and listen for the voices of the staff and doctors who always came by the moment they realized he had regained consciousness.

"Every time I woke up and heard the staff," he said, "I was so happy to know I was still alive! Every time I woke up I understood that to be alive at all is truly a miracle!" "And I have kept that sense of miracle with me through the last fifty seven years.

Every morning when I first start to stir, and realize I am still alive, I am truly thankful. I realize that today could be the last day of my life, and it can also be the best day of my life, if I make it so

Told by Charlie Badenhop

A TIME TO ENJOY

GOOD MORNING !

THANKFULLY IT IS THURSDAY !

Life is such a miracle and we usually aren’t’ thankful enough for the blessing of it.

This will be my last day of work this week! I’ll be heading for my campsite after work and won’t return til Sunday evening. Hopefully I’ll have some pictures to share with you when I get back.

We may get some rain today but the forecast for the weekend is only party cloudy. I watered the lawn and flowers again last night because they were so dry. We’ve been getting rain around us but not here. A good rain would do much more good than what I do, but it is better than nothing.

I AM VERY THANKFUL IT IS THURSDAY

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

The rhythm of life is

the perfect combination of rest,

activity, and peace;

it ennobles us to become the unique

individuals we were created to be,

enables us to excel in all we do,

and empowers us with a certain

clarity of mind and peace of heart.

The best things in life are not things

and sometimes less is more.

Find your rhythm . . . and you will flood

your life with passion, creativity, and energy.

Matthew Kelly

May the Lord Bless YOU

With Peace as you experience

The JOYS of Summertime

graphics by:

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 8, PAGE 13

2008-08-13T02:28:00.000-07:00

God has given us

these times of Joy

Psalm 81:4

God - with just the right amount of rain,

mixed in with a sprinkle of sunshine

and his all encompassing love

nurtures the earth

and watches as it flourishes.

We need to follow God's example

and learn how to nurture

and care for ourselves.

The saying goes "you reap what you sow",

and if you follow these tips,

your life will blossom with peace,

love and happiness

Gary Barnes

A TIME TO ENJOY

GOOD MORNING !

Here we are at mid week already and after today I will have just one more day of the work week. I’ll have a nice long 3 day weekend. Friday is a vacation day and I really do need it.

I loved being withmy family last weekend, but I missed my weekend of camping. We do need to nurture ourselves and not let our work or burdens get in the way of the rest and refreshment that we all need.

Summer will soon be over and we’ll have fewer and fewer days of sunlight. I will be trying to soak up all the rays I can because winter goes on and on forever it seems.

It may be something that comes with age, but I am so affected by the lack of sunshine. I can’t remember being this way so much when I was younger. No wonder so many people retire to the southern states. That is not an option for me for sure so I’ll just have to bask in the sun while I can.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

In this day I will celebrate

as if it was my birthday and

24 hours was my gift.

I will treasure the sunrise

and save the light in my hand

for darkened days.

I will fill my lungs to capacity

with the sweet smell of life

and consume the colors that

surround me like a meal fit for a king.

I will taste the reds and yellows

of the flowers and

bathe in the blues and greens

of the sky and grass.

At the end of the day

in the darkest hours

my soul will light the way to rest

in the satisfaction of knowing

I did not waste a morsel.

Bob Perks

May the Lord Bless YOU

With Peace as you experience

The JOYS of Summertime

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BOOK 08, CHAPTER 8, PAGE 12

2008-08-12T02:27:00.000-07:00

God has given us

these times of Joy

Psalm 81:4

We act as though comfort and luxury

were the chief requirements of life,

when all that we need to make

us really happy is something

to be enthusiastic about.

Charles Kingsley

A TIME TO ENJOY

GOOD MORNING !

I must say that this summer I’ve been more enthusiastic than I have been in years. So when I read the quote above it fit me to a tee. I know that I feel better and do more when I’ve got something to be excited about.

The camper of course is what keeps me enthusiastic. Little perks in our lives make a difference. It doesn’t have to be a camper, but something to enjoy ! For many people camping wouldn’t be a good choice, but it is for me because it is something I like to do.

I think that is probably why work places have coffee breaks. I know I like my break especially on a boring data entry day. When you’ve been sitting at the computer for long hours, you really need a break. When no one is in the office but me I get up and jog down the hall way a few times and do some stretching and it helps. I’d rather be hiking in the woods, but this suffices at the time.

I enjoy doing my daily newsletter and my daily entry in this journal too. It is something I like to do and look forward to each day. We all really do need something to be enthusiastic about. I start each day on a HAPPY note with what I like to do and it does make a difference.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Happiness doesn't come from doing

what we like to do but liking what we do.

Wilferd A. Peterson

May the Lord Bless YOU

With Peace as you experience

The JOYS of Summertime

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BOOK 08, CHAPTER 8, PAGE 11

2008-08-11T02:37:00.000-07:00

God has given us

these times of Joy

Psalm 81:4

The late Dr. William Stidger once told about a young friend of his who was awakened by his wife early one morning. They had planned a picnic, but about five o'clock it started raining.

"It's raining hard, George," his wife finally said, "you'd better go downstairs and pull in the porch furniture." He went down and got himself half soaked. When he turned around to go back in he saw his little five-year-old boy, clad in pajamas, sitting on the door step smelling the rain.

The little boy said, "Daddy, that rain smells good. I like the smell of rain." The little fellow paused a moment, then added: "Daddy, isn't this a gorgeous bad day?"

Cultivate the happy side of life. That is what the Bible tells us: " Rejoice, it says, and again I say, rejoice" (Philippians 4:4). Don't go around with a gloomy, melancholy attitude. Don't take a negative attitude toward life. Don't think depressing thoughts. Rejoice. Now when you really do it, you will find that the percentage of good days will greatly increase.

Dr. Norman Vincent Peale

A TIME TO ENJOY

GOOD MORNING !

It is Monday all too soon and it’s back to work again. The weekend wasa good one for family celebrations. Saturday was the graduation party for DDIL#6 and Sunday I had a little birthday dinner celebration with DS#5. It was his birthday on Saturday also. I ate well for sure!

Sunday we had a huge cool down here weather wise. Sweaters and sweat shirts were needed. One minute the sun was out and the next it was raining. A day without the air conditioner running and some fresh air coming in the house was a blessing.

I had to put on a jacket in order to sit out on the porch Sunday evening and there was the smell of wood smoke in the air making it seem even more fall like.. It will warm back up this week though and be mostly sunny.

Summer isn’t over yet.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Recipe for Happiness:

Get a container and rinse thoroughly

Add 7 things to be thankful for

Add 3 things to be hopeful for

Take a deep breath and focus

on the 10 ingredients while stirring...

Now smile!

Bob Williams

May the Lord Bless YOU

With Peace as you experience

The JOYS of Summertime

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BOOK 08, CHAPTER 8, PAGE 10

2008-08-10T04:42:00.000-07:00

God has given us

these times of Joy

Psalm 81:4

Our search for joy takes us many different directions—dream holidays, shopping, food, clothes, friends, cars—the list is almost endless The enjoyment of “things” can be a positive spiritual experience. When we recognize that He “gives us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Tim. 6:17) and that “every good gift . . . is from above” (James 1:17), our hearts should be full of thankfulness and praise.

Enjoy the Giver and the gifts.

The true secret to living a more joyful life is to give of our love freely and practice living in the here and now. When we get too caught up in me, me, me, we loose our balance.

The past and future are out of our control, all we really have for sure is the "now"...this very moment. Let the good feelings expand and allow the painful ones slip away

Abe Lincoln once said, "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." We all know that someone, who against all of life's circumstances just seems... happy! They seem to possess so much gratitude...they are simply thankful for that soft, gooey peanut butter kiss of a toddler and dwell in its echo for moments and have learned how to truly savor every bite of a delicious slice of chocolate pie with almost a childlike appreciation.

From one of my daily meditations

A TIME TO ENJOY

GOOD MORNING !

Happiness is being satisfied with who you are, where you are, and where you're going.. Happiness requires no one else's approval or permission. Your own happiness is one of the few things you have control over and while maintaining joy can be hard work, it's work no one else can do for you

Life can be like a roller coaster as the demands and pressures that we face can be overwhelming. When somebody takes all of the fun out of what you are doing when you’ve been going full steam ahead with the wind in your sails and its like you’ve suddenly you hit a sand bar. It's like confronting a room full of skunks. You just want to get out of the room. You feel confused and discouraged because suddenly all the joy is gone.

Joy is a positive attitude that we choose to express. I believe it stems from our confidence in God. The belief that he is at work, that he is in full control, that he is in the midst of whatever has happened, is happening or will happen. He is the creator of the universe.

Without my faith I’m sure I wouldn’t have been able to hang on and enjoy the ride. Through the grace of God, today is a good day to be alive and a good day to make the most of what comes my way

As I make a return to my home church today, first time since April when camping season began, I may feel like a visitor myself. None the less you’ll all be in my thoughts and prayers as always.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Where Love Is Shared,

Joy Overflows

John 15:11-14

May the Lord Bless YOU

With Peace as you experience

The JOYS of Summertime

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2008-08-09T04:44:00.000-07:00

God has given us

these times of Joy

Psalm 81:4

Did you know...

that when you walk past a flower,

whether it be in somebody's garden

or on a vacant hillside,

the flower will always smile at you.

The most polite way to respond,

I've been told,

is to cheerfully return the smile.

Ron Atchison

A TIME TO ENJOY

GOOD MORNING !

I am up later than usual for a Saturday morning. I have to take the car in for servicing at 9 this morning then after that come home and load everything up for my trip to DS#6’s.

The good cup of coffee is in my hand and I have a cinnamon roll at my right for breakfast too.

I really dislike the long drive but there is little I can do about that so I’ll be on the road for about 4 hours total today. 2 there and 2 back again . The drive to the camper is just a little over 1 hour and that seems like a long time to me most weekends. It is turnpike driving too and that is something I never have liked. Fast speeds and monotonous views. If I went by the back roads it would take me even longer, so I won’t even try that.

It will be great getting together with my family though. Not all of them will be there, but several will. One of these days I’ll have to say no, I can no longer do the trip, but for today I can and I will. I do try to make it to all their celebrations, any chance to celebrate is worth it.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

The comfortable and comforting people

are those who look upon the bright side of life;

gathering its roses and sunshine

and making the most that happens seem the best.

Dorothy Dix

May the Lord Bless YOU

With Peace as you experience

The JOYS of Summertime

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BOOK 08, CHAPTER 8, PAGE 8

2008-08-08T02:33:00.000-07:00

God has given us

these times of Joy

Psalm 81:4

Life is huge!

Rejoice about the sun, moon, flowers, and sky.

Rejoice about the food you have to eat.

Rejoice about the body that houses your spirit.

Rejoice about the fact that you can

be a positive force in the world around you.

Rejoice about the love that is around you.

If you want to be happy,

commit to making your life one of rejoicing.

Author Unknown

A TIME TO ENJOY

GOOD MORNING !

I am rejoicing ! It is FRIDAY!

It was a long week, but now I’ve nothing but 2 days of the weekend ahead and they will be a busy ones for sure.

Enjoying everyday for what it is takes some work sometimes. But Fridays are my favorite. Work will be slow and easy so it may take awhile, but the weekend is almost here.

I worked in the yard a bit after work and didn’t get anything inside done after I finally got home yesterday. It was nice to be out so once again my poor house got no attention. It really isn’t too bad because for the most part no one is here.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

The world is a looking glass,

and gives back to every man

the reflection of his own face.

Frown at it, and it will look sourly upon;

laugh at it and with it,

and it is a jolly, kind companion.

William Thackeray

May the Lord Bless YOU

With Peace as you experience

The JOYS of Summertime

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BOOK 08, CHAPTER 8, PAGE 7

2008-08-07T02:30:00.000-07:00

God has given us

these times of Joy

Psalm 81:4

Joy is your true nature.

That's why it feels so right

Simple yet profound, joy asks only to be.

Joy fills your life to the extent that you allow it.

Let go of the frustration, the anger,

envy and worry. And joy comes quickly

to fill the void.

The smallest things can inspire joy.

And the biggest moments in life

benefit when they are lived in joy.

Joy costs nothing and yet it gives so much.

Joy is completely unreasonable

and that is its most powerfully

compelling reason.

Joy is always here and now.

Allow joy to fill your heart,

and its great value will fill your world.

Ralph Marston

A TIME TO ENJOY

GOOD MORNING !

Good News ! I got that Hawaiian shirt ironed for Friday and even one for the next Friday that I work which won’t be until the 29th. Look out beach here I come.

I also managed to press the wrinkles out of the capri’s that will go with the shirts and the dress I’ll wear to church Sunday. The laundry is done but the house needs a good blessing. Maybe this evening I’ll get the downstairs vacuumed and if it doesn’t rain the flowers will need more watering.

Friday evening I will be making the potato salad for the party on Saturday. Everyone loves it including me, but it does take a while to chop it all up. I really don’t have anything better to do so that’s all right. It will seem very strange not going to the camper.

My boss is supposed to be out of the office most of the day so I’ll be putting my ‘cleaning lady’ hat on at work today. There is not a whole lot else to do. I‘ll dust and vacuum etc. while no one is in. Keeping busy does help the day go by faster. My real title is office manager which includes anything and everything to do with the office for sure.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Love, Life, Laughter:

The Three L's of Joyful Living

May the Lord Bless YOU

With Peace as you experience

The JOYS of Summertime

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Until Then Graphics

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 8, PAGE 6

2008-08-06T02:26:00.000-07:00

God has given us these times of Joy

Psalm 81:4

A simple formula that people can use on a daily basis to enjoy their lives rather than constantly focusing on the future.

S - Stop

There is a simple truth of the human existence, and that is that most people simply do not take the time to STOP and think about all of the things that they have in their lives to be grateful for, and they also do not pat themselves on the back for having those things as a result of their own efforts

T - Take Action Assuming that you can see the wisdom of stopping on a daily basis to be grateful for the little things in life, now ask yourself what you can do to give back every day. Every single day, do one thing that is completely selfless. Stand at the entrance to the grocery store holding the door for a full 30 seconds as you see that elderly person using a walker heading in your direction. Pick up your neighbor's newspaper off of the sidewalk and take it up to their door. Give a knock just to hand it over and say "Hi' before moving on with your day. Wash the dish that someone else left in the sink even thought it isn't your responsibility.

O - Organize Sometimes the best times in our lives are completely "off the cuff" and we didn't even know that we were going to be taking part in those activities. On the other hand, by making sure that you have time for those activities, you open up a slot for your life to pop something wonderful in there. Every day, arrange your schedule and your responsibilities so that you have 30 or 60 minutes when you will have no responsibilities whatsoever. This is not exercise time, or time to run errands, or even a scheduled nap or meditation. This time is blank. Make no plans for it whatsoever The point is that no matter what you do with those 30 or 60 minutes, you send yourself the message that your life is about you. For at least 30 or 60 minutes you are going to do something that has absolutely nothing to do with anyone but yourself.

P - Participate The final step in this process is participation, and this is meant as proactive participation in your life, not reactive. Almost all of us go through life with a huge pile of things that we feel we should do, but how many of those things are conscious efforts to actually participate in the process of life, rather than just going with the flow? Not all things are as enjoyable as other things, but you are participating in the creative process of your life every single moment of every single day by the things that choose to do

Each moment is an opportunity to love, to appreciate, to give, to take, to dream, to learn, to relax--simply to be. Appreciate these moments, for they are all that we have right now, and how we feel in the future, when many of these moments will have passed us by, depends on how we act right now

A TIME TO ENJOY

GOOD MORNING !

It is Wednesday ! Over the Hump Day ! And as I choose to keep on working and have to get up very early in the morning, I have no one to blame but my self that I stayed up too late last night. I was out watering the flowers yet when I should have been heading to bed. Thanks to a sprinkler that went left when I thought it should be right I got a good soaking and had to clean up and dry off when I went in too. So I’m a little groggy this morning and hoping that my good cup of coffee perks me up a little.

Wednesdays are good days at work. I pay the bills so that gives me plenty to do. Tomorrow will be the slow day that will drag along. Probably Friday too.

Once I get home the rest of the day flies by as there is always a lot to do. This evening I’ll try to finish upthe laundry and maybe even iron a few things. I have clothes in my closet that haven’t been worn all summer because they need ironing. And I want to wear my Hawaiian shirt Friday. I’m making it my official beach day. DS#1 says they do this in his office and I thought it was a great idea. I just have to iron the shirt.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Appreciate every moment of every day

because in retrospect they

will all have gone by too fast.

M. Buchwald

May the Lord Bless YOU

With Peace as you experience

The JOYS of Summertime

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BOOK 08, CHAPTER 8, PAGE 5

2008-08-05T02:35:00.000-07:00

God has given us these times of Joy

Psalm 81:4

Here are 10 ways to enjoy what is left of summer:

1. Brew a pot of sun tea. Put desired amount of tea bags in a sun tea jar or other glass jar, fill with water and set in the sun. Add fresh herbs at this point if you wish. Let sit in the sun until tea has reached color you desire. Sweeten to taste, chill and serve over ice.

2. Cook on the grill whenever possible. Not only is this a pleasant way to cook but you don't heat up your kitchen and the food is delicious.

3. Lay in the sun and read a good book. Be sure to put your sunscreen on!

4. Take a drive to the country, the mountains, the ocean, the desert or other place of nature. Pack a picnic if you wish or stop to get hamburgers at a small-town hamburger shop. The burgers are much better than city fast food!

5. Take a bike ride around your neighborhood. Look for ideas people have used to decorate their yards and use them yourself. Enjoy the blooming flowers and nature.

6. Play outdoor games. Frisbee and badminton are great if it's just your family. If you can get a group together, try volleyball or baseball.

7. Pack a picnic and go fishing. This is fun with or without a boat. Be sure to bring sunscreen.

8. Go yard saling. What a great way to have fun and find many bargains! A lot of local and freebie papers have yard sale directories to help you map out a plan of action.

9. Have a yard sale. Get rid of clutter and earn some cash. Fill a cooler with pop and sell individual cans or have the kids sell lemonade.

10. Play in the water at the local pool, water park or lake. Above all be sure you take advantage of the warm summer months and enjoy as much as possible!

A TIME TO ENJOY!

GOOD MORNING !

For me there is nothing like a summer morning breeze. I love warm summer mornings, sipping my freshly brewed coffee, and reflecting on the beauty around me. I let it soak in, smile and breathe deeply. Sit back, take a load off, and say to yourself, “Oh, this is the life.” Smile and give a word of thanks for what you have

The list above may be a little frivolous, but sometimes just a little something extra makes a big difference and gives us a break in the busyness of the days.

For many long years my vacation days were little more than a shopping trip or a Spring Cleaning day. Things like yard sailing and a drive to the country were a real treat.

Now I’ve been blessed with my camper and vacation days are looking up for sure, but sometimes I need a little break during the week too so brewing a jar of sun tea, gives my day an extra boost. After not having it for a long time I forgot how good it does taste. Next time I get to the camper I may just make a jug for us all to share too.

This coming weekend will be the first I won’t be able to go camping since the season began. DS#6’s wife will graduate with her Master’s degree on Saturday and he is having a party for her. Due to the distance of travel it is just impossible for me to do both, so you’ll be blessed with my journal entries for a full week.

If it wasn’t so much driving I’d still get up early Sunday and spend the day there, but I’m afraid that would tire me out too much, so I’ll just wait til the following weekend which will be a long 3-day one.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Christina Rosetta wrote, “Summer days for me are when every leaf is on its tree.”

Our assignment is to enjoy summer to the utmost because before long, the leaves will fall and fall will become the season.

May the Lord Bless YOU

With Peace as you experience

The JOYS of Summertime

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BOOK 08, CHAPTER 8, PAGE 4

2008-08-04T02:28:00.000-07:00

God has given us these times of Joy

Psalm 81:4

The real joy of life is in its play.

Play is anything we do for the joy

and love of doing it, apart from any profit,

compulsion, or sense of duty.

It is the real living of life

with the feeling of freedom and self-expression.

Play is the business of childhood,

and its continuation in later years

is the prolongation of youth.

Walter Rauschenbach

A TIME TO ENJOY

GOOD MORNING !

I am trying to wake up with a SMILE here and sipping the good coffee as usual. Thank goodness for my automatic coffee pot that has it already for me when I come down stairs in the morning.

I set it up the night before and presto it is ready each morning ! Sad to say I’m not like my coffee pot, mornings often come quicker than I want them too.

It’s Monday and the day will be a busy one. Work doesn’t really slow down for me until Thursday. This is one day I’m the most important one in the office as I’ll do the payroll and right now I’m the only one there that can.

After a great weekend I cannot complain so

I owe , I owe

Its off to work I go….

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Live for today but hold your hands open to tomorrow. Anticipate the future and its changes with joy. There is a seed of God's love in every event, every circumstance, every unpleasant situation in which you may find yourself.

Barbara Johnson

May the Lord Bless YOU

With Peace as you experience

The JOYS of Summertime

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BOOK 08, CHAPTER 8, PAGE 3

2008-08-03T14:59:00.000-07:00

God has given us these times of Joy

Psalm 81:4

Because gratification of a desire leads

to the temporary stilling of the mind

and the experience of the peaceful,

joyful Self, it's no wonder that we

get hooked on thinking that happiness

comes from the satisfaction of desires.

This is the meaning of the old adage,

'Joy is not in things, it is in us.'

Joan Borysenko

Your joy is your doing, just as your lack of joy would be your doing. No one contributes to it unless you let outer influences determine your inner feelings. And when we cultivate our own joy we can help others to discover their own joy inside of themselves as well

A TIME TO ENJOY

Good Evening !

I am home from a very restful weekend at the camper. I was the only one from our family there. DS#1 and his family went to his wife's grandfather's birthday party and DD and her hubby needed to stay home as she was not feeling well.

This past Thursday she had a bad scare as she started having terrible chest pains while at work. They took her to the emergency room where after many tests they pronounced her well and said the pain must have been caused by stress. They sent her home to rest for the weekend. She'll see her family doctor on Monday and will find out more then.

I did read 3 books and got lots and lots of sleep. The weather was just about perfect. Sunny days, cool nights and nice breezes blowing. I don't think I've had such a lazy weekend in a long long time. I really can't ever remember being that lazy.

Well it will be back to work tomorrow and we'll see if all that rest did me any good or not.

One of the books I read was by Max Lucado and it had a lot of good things in it so I hope to post some of my notes on my 'What's New at My House' journal. I don't know if that will be today or not, but soon.

The other two were mystery stories that were light reading and not too heavy into the gory stuff. I love to read and out did my self with 3 books in 3 days.

I think I would have stayed another week or two if I could have it was so nice. But it was a blessing to have those two days so I'll count my blessings and thank the dear Lord for them

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Joy of life seems to me to arise

from a sense of being where one belongs. . .

of being foursquare with the life we have chosen.

All the discontented people

I know are trying sedulously to be

something they are not,

to do something they cannot do.

David Grayson

May the Lord Bless YOU

With Peace as you experience

The JOYS

of Summertime

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BOOK 08, CHAPTER 8, PAGE 1

2008-08-01T02:32:00.000-07:00

God has given us these times of Joy

Psalm 81:4

The Angel of August is the angel of perseverance.

The new directions we began in the spring may have become difficult to sustain. Like a garden that needs constant watering and weeding in the scorching August sun, our projects and dreams require stamina and determination to bring them to fruition.

The angel of August helps us with unflagging energy to tend the garden we have planted. When the hot summer sun and the work of our lives demand too much of us, the August angel brings us the fortitude to cleave to our tasks through completion

GOOD MORNING !

August is the height of the summer time in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. The longest days of the year have passed, but the hot days remain. The birds are already planning to fly south for the winter. The insects are more noisier and numerous than in any other month.

August comes, and the fields are nearly ripe and ready for the farmers to harvest. There are signs on every hand that summer is on the wane, and that the time is fast approaching when she will take her departure.

We catch faint glances of autumn peeping through openings where the leaves have already fallen, and among berries where summer hung out her blossoms. Now the fruit is ripe on the great orchard-trees, the plums are ready to drop through very mellowness, and there is a rich redness on the sunny-side of the pears, and on many of the apples.

With all that said, I thought I’d let you know what my theme for August will be.

A TIME TO ENJOY

I’m going to try to ENJOY what is left of summer and I hope you all do too.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Joy is the characteristic by which

God uses us to re-make the distressing

into the desired,

the discarded into the creative.

Joy is prayer-

-Joy is strength-

-Joy is love-

-Joy is a net of love

by which you can catch souls.

Mother Teresa

May the Lord Bless YOU

With Peace as you experience

The JOYS of Summertime

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BOOK 08, CHAPTER 7, PAGE 31

2008-07-31T02:26:00.000-07:00

If your love is for the left lane,

swing on over there and feel

the wind flying through your hair,

and the bugs splatting

against your dark glasses.

But if the right lane beckons you,

indulge your penchant

for counting wildflowers

in the field or discarded

tennis shoes on the freeway.

Most important, we must all remember,

left-laners or right-laners,

we are to be tender with each other.

Marilyn Meberg

GOOD MORNING !

Kindness costs us nothing, and its potential benefits far outweigh the benefits of so many other things that we give our time and energy to.

Life is a mirror. It gives back to us what we give to it. People will treat us as we treat them. Kindness does make us feel better about ourselves too.

I often need to remind my self that all kinds of people need a little tenderness, not just those that have been kind to me. To give a smile, a moment of your time, a word of encouragement to someone can make a difference. To be tender with each other, to be kind and thoughtfulis like a beam of sunshine that chases away the clouds.

I guess today I better let my light shine. Just as soon as I finish my morning coffee that is…

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

People take different roads

seeking fulfillment and happiness.

Just because they're not on your road

doesn't mean they've gotten lost.

H. Jackson Browne

Should the heat become, too hot to bear,

and should trouble find you,

I hope you'll remember to fly

as gracefully as a butterfly above it all.

Just slip your sunglasses on,

kick back, and let the woes slide on by.

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BOOK 08, CHAPTER 7, PAGE 30

2008-07-30T02:29:00.000-07:00

Music: Leigh Harline; Lyrics: Ned Washington;

sung by: Jiminy Cricket

When you wish upon a star,

makes no difference who you are

Anything your heart desires will come to you

If your heart is in your dreams,

no request is too extreme

When you wish upon a star as dreamers do

(Fate is kind, she brings to those who love

The sweet fulfillment of their secret longing)

Like a bolt out of the blue,

fate steps in and sees you thru

When you wish upon a star,

your dreams come true

GOOD MORNING !

I love the song above. It fills your heart with hope. I think anyone old or young can relate to wishing on a star. I can remember going to the movie and also watching Disney on TV and hearing this song so many years ago.

I also remember the little saying we said when we’d spot that first star at night.

Star light, star bright

First star I see tonight

I wish I may

I wish I might

Have the wish

I wish tonight

Sometimes those dreams do come true. Sometimes they don’t. No matter what though, we’ve got today as a special gift. It has been given to us and we must not let all our dreams spoil what may be a very extraordinary day.

Appreciating each day and it’s blessings is like seeing a dream come true. I always try to make each day count. If I have some blessings to put on my list each night, then it did. Moment by moment, day by day I have so many blessings it’s hard to count them all. Here is just a few:

I’m so very blessed by having a comfortable home And a loving family

I’m blessed by the beautiful summer weather.

I’m blessed with a job

I’m blessed with reasonably good health

I’m blessed by having a few dear friends

And the awesomeness of nature blesses me every day with the beauty all around.

I would encourage every one to start making a list, and I think they’d find, just like me, that many of my dreams have already come true.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Time is a flowing river.

Happy those who allow themselves to be carried,

unresisting, with the current.

They float through easy days.

They live, unquestioning, in the moment.

Christopher Morley

… should the heat become,

too hot to bear,

and should trouble find you,

I hope you'll remember to fly

as gracefully as a butterfly above it all.

Just slip your sunglasses on,

kick back, and let the woes slide on by.

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BOOK 08, CHAPTER 7, PAGE 29

2008-07-29T02:38:00.000-07:00

What a desolate place would be

a world without flowers.

It would be a face without a smile,

a feast without a welcome.

Are not flowers the stars of the earth?

And are not our stars the flowers of heaven?

Clara Balfour

GOOD MORNING !

I couldn’t imagine a world with out flowers. Of course during the winter we don’t have many except for the ones from the florist or the silk variety. But from early spring through late fall we have them in abundance.

It is true that when we don’t have something, it is treasured all the more. For the first time this year, our flower garden is beginning to look a little dry. Rain is supposed to come our way this evening so they’ll get a good watering.

On the country road that takes me to church every Sunday there is a border of beautiful blue flowers that goes on for several miles. They look as though someone had purposely planted them there. Nature is the one that planted them as they are wild flowers. Sometimes what we think of as a weed outshines the others.

Our flower beds at home right now are filled with sunflowers. We didn’t plant them either. The birds did. My next door sister has fed the birds for several years, but this is the first time we’ve had this many sunflowers come up from the birds dropping the seeds. Nature never fails to amaze me.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

When we look deeply into the heart of a flower,

we see clouds, sunshine, minerals, time, the earth,

and everything else in the cosmos in it.

Without clouds there could be no rain,

and without rain there would be no flower.

Thich Nhat Hanh

The summer heat is coming,

and so I'm sending you a wish

to stay cool beneath the scalding sun.

I hope the summer is a great one,

with lots of fun and excitement.

But should the heat become,

too hot to bear, and should trouble find you,

I hope you'll remember to fly as gracefully

as a butterfly above it all.

Just slip your sunglasses on, kick back,

and let the woes slide on by.

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BOOK 08, CHAPTER 7, PAGE 28

2008-07-28T02:26:00.000-07:00

Sunshine, on my shoulders

- makes me happy

sunshine, in my eyes

- can make me cry

sunshine, on the water

- looks so lovely

sunshine, almost always

- makes me high

if I had a day that I could give you

I’d give to you a day just like today

if I had a song that I could sing for you

I’d sing a song to make you feel this way

sunshine, on my shoulders - makes me happy

sunshine, in my eyes - can make me cry

sunshine, on the water - looks so lovely

sunshine, almost always - makes me high

if I had a tale that I could tell you

I’d tell a tale sure to make you smile

if I had a wish that I could wish for you

I’d make a wish for sunshine all the while

sunshine, on my shoulders

- makes me happy

sunshine, in my eyes - can make me cry

sunshine, on the water - looks so lovely

sunshine, almost always - makes me high

sunshine almost al the times makes me high

sunshine, almost always

John Denver

GOOD MORNING !

It is supposed to be another sunny day here in Northern Ohio. I really do love the sunshine! It is so bleak here all winter that it seems I just cannot get enough of it.

So far no one has figured out how to bottle it, so I’m trying to get all I can while I can. Sitting in an office 5 days a week just isn’t what I would call a great way to enjoy it, but I do have a window that looks out right beside me so that is a good thing.

Of course some days it is just to hot to sit in the sun, but to be outside in the shade or floating around in the pool is heavenly

I was up later than I should have been last night as DS#6 and #4 called to check in. Both have been putting in some really long hours at work. DS#4 says he hardly remembers having a vacation.

Lots of companies need to hire more workers to lighten the load others are carrying but in our sad economic times they put extra on the ones there and don’t hire more it seems.

I’ve been blessed to have lots of time off and am more relaxed and rested than I have been in years. My work is not hard and is often more boring than anything so I can’t and won’t complain about it.

I hope you are refreshed and ready for a new week. A new start, a new day and one to make the most of for sure.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Laughter is an instant vacation.

Milton Berle

I'm sending you a wish

to stay cool beneath the scalding sun.

I hope the summer is a great one,

with lots of fun and excitement.

But should the heat become,

too hot to bear, and should trouble find you,

I hope you'll remember to fly

as gracefully as a butterfly above it all.

Just slip your sunglasses on,

kick back, and let the woes slide on by.

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BOOK O8, CHAPTER 7, PAGE 27

2008-07-27T16:53:00.000-07:00

the Sea-Side

by Robert Louis Stevenson

When I was down beside the sea

A wooden spade they gave to me

To dig the sandy shore.

My holes were empty like a cup.

In every hole the sea came up,

Till it could come no more.

Hang in there, we might say to each other. We often find ourselves in situations that require us to keep up our strength and endure for the long haul. We are reminded that there are rewards of endurance

GOOD EVENING !

It was a beautiful rain free weekend. We had lots of fun with Christmas in July and had lots of company as one of my dulcimer buddies came for a visit on Saturday and all of DSIL’s family were there too.

Our Christmas feast was one that anyone would have been proud to have on their dining room table. Of course I contributed the usual ‘deviled’ eggs. DD and her hubby provided the turkey and everyone brought a dish to share. DS#1 and his wife made homemade icecream and also his cast iron dutch oven upside down cake for desert. Needless to say I’m eating much lighter in the week to come.

By 10:30 last night I was to pooped to participate any further and hit the sack. But the party continued until the early morning hours. I was up early this morning though and made it to church as always. Prayers were said as always for my family and friends.

The week ahead will be another long 5 day work week. My next Friday off will not be until the 15th of August. Then I’ll have two Fridays off in a row. I figured I’d better take advantage of summer while it’s still here.

School will be starting come the end of August but we’ll still be doing lots of camping on the weekends until the end of October. All the trees turning color in the hills will make for a delightful fall. So I’ll be hanging in there and making the most of my weekends.

I just can seem to fill all the holes so I’ll be going back for more for sure.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

People do with opportunities

as children do at the seashore;

they fill their little hands with sand,

and then let the grains fall through,

one by one, till all are gone.

T. Jones

…should the heat become, too hot to bear,

and should trouble find you,

I hope you'll remember to fly

as gracefully as a butterfly above it all.

Just slip your sunglasses on,

kick back,

and let the woes slide on by.

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BOOK 08, CHAPTER 7, PAGE 25

2008-07-25T02:33:00.000-07:00

A genuine caring love

is like a tree that is mature.

It does not get uprooted by every

passing wind or feeling of change.

It develops with time

a strong root structure.

It sends out sturdy branches.

It can survive dry spells.

Larry Christenson

If you're constantly stretched too thin to meet all of your obligations, you owe it to yourself to take a close look at how you spend your time. It's tough to set limits on your life, especially if you're one of those people whom others turn to when they need anything at all.

GOOD MORNING !

Visions of a huge old shade tree on a hot summer day remind us of the welcome relief we get when we sit down and relax under one.

Family trees are not so very different from a shade tree. Very often the family provides shelter and most of us always feel relaxed and welcome when we are with our families.

I know I have roots that go back centuries that make me what I am today. And I know too that with the love my family provides, I am a better person for sure.

I’ll be joining some of that family after work this evening and as always I am looking forward to a peaceful weekend. Some of them havealready been at the campsite for a day or so and I know when I arrive I’ll be greeted by a few hugs and probably some good food too.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

In the summer when the days are hot,

I like to find a shady spot,

And hardly move a single bit

And sit, and sit, and sit, and sit

I hope the summer is a great one,

with lots of fun and excitement

…but should the heat become,

too hot to bear, and should trouble find you,

I hope you'll remember to fly

as gracefully as a butterfly above it all.

Just slip your sunglasses on, kick back,

and let the woes slide on by.

BOOK 08, CHAPTER 7, PAGE 24

2008-07-24T02:33:00.000-07:00

Patience, patience, patience,

is what the sea teaches.

Patience and faith.

One should lie empty, open,

choiceless as a beach waiting

for a gift from the sea.

Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Some of us are taking a vacation break. Some of us may have breaks in our normal schedules that come from more difficult life changes ... illness, perhaps, or personal or job loss. Even unwelcome interruptions in the pattern of our daily lives can be an opportunity — for restoration, healing, growth, and wisdom

Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.

GOOD MORNING !

Patience is often an unwanted attribute. None of us like to wait around for things to happen. However, and that’s a big HOWEVER, we often don’t have much choice in the matter.

It sometimes seems I’ve spent my whole life waiting for something. The important thing to remember while we are trying to be patient is not to let the waiting become more important than the here and now. We can loose the beauty of the moment by thinking we are waiting for something more significant.

You can tell by what I write that I very impatiently wait for the weekends. They’ve become very essential to me. The thing is that Monday through Friday are really just as vital to my life as the weekends. I’m going to have to work harder at appreciating those days too.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Be as patient and faithful as the sea

…should the heat become, too hot to bear,

and should trouble find you,

I hope you'll remember to fly as gracefully

as a butterfly above it all.

Just slip your sunglasses on, kick back,

and let the woes slide on by.

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