Staying Safe - Great Advice

PUT YOUR CAR KEYS BESIDE YOUR BED AT NIGHT

Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your Dr's office, the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run across.

Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies.

This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this:

It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar rapist won't stick around... After a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there ....

This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.

This would also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can't reach a phone. My Mom has suggested to my Dad that he carry his car keys with him in case he falls outside and she doesn't hear him. He can activate the car alarm and then she'll know there's a problem. Please pass this on even IF you've read it before. It's a reminder and it might save your life.

Thankfully sunsets are out of the reach of human hands

Photo by Arka02

The sun, the moon and the stars would have disappeared long ago... had they happened to be within the reach of predatory human hands.
~ Henry Ellis

Following in Another's Footsteps

Photo by Bferrrg

Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought. ~Basho

Life Moves

Wind moves through the trees
Somewhat gentler these days
As winter fades
Tender branches with buds
Signal new life
Energy
Occasionally I think of you
Life continues to move
Like a river
Waiting for nothing
You remain hidden
Whereabouts unknown
I drop crumbs along the way
Knowing the birds alone
Appreciate my efforts


(c)2009

Coupon Clipping Adds Up to BIG Savings!

Who ever thought I’d find such a wonderful resource for saving money and living frugally from a web site dedicated to donating money to charity?

I did just that.

I read a post from a woman who was sharing how she supports her favorite charity by clipping coupons every chance she has so she can still support the charities that are import to her.

Hotcouponworld is a web site for coupon clippers created by coupon clippers. These folks know their stuff! Not only do they clip coupons, some of them even share or exchange coupons. They also post WHO has items on sale to make the coupon an even better deal. I like that. Registration is free and they won’t sell your contact information. To register on HotCouponWorld.com click HERE.

If you would like to stay connected to them and get the deal alert news then I suggest you also join their newsletter, the Hot Flash newsletter. It’s free and simple to do and you’ll be connected to some of the best deals and frugal living advice on the web! Their newsletters are segmented by topic so you can sign up for one or all of them! To sign up for their newsletter CLICK HERE.

The general interest newsletter also has articles on every aspect of coupon shopping including handy tips on coupon organization, building a stockpile, using rain checks, buying in season, following the sales cycles, recipes, frugal living tips, freebies, and more.

If you are a CVS shopper, you’ll need to check out the only newsletter dedicated to CVS deals on the net. Get a weekly newsletter with matchups, adscans and more. They will also send alerts when there’s a sale or special preview outside of the regular weekly newsletter, so you will never miss a deal at CVS.

Interested in holiday, seasonal, and Black Friday deals? They also have a newsletter that will keep you connected to saving money through the seasons so you can give great gifts and save a fortune while you shop online.

There are even posts on the forum with a list of companies who send coupons – all you have to do is email them by clicking on the links they provide and you go directly to the companies web site to send an email! She suggests who write them and tell them how much you like their products, which are your favorite and why – as opposed to just saying “You make great products, send me some coupons”. She even gives you her form letter to modify -


"I just wanted to say how much we love your (insert product here.) Blah blah blah..we eat them or use it often etc. Blah blah blah...Is there a home mailer list we could be put on for future mailings? Or coupons you send to consumers that could be sent so we could buy more?"

Not the fanciest of emails, but once you do a few of them, you begin finding your own way of what the email should say. Usually your browser will auto-fill your contact information in, so contacting a company takes less than a minute… then just wait for them to appear in your mailbox or email. It’s that simple! (Don’t forget to thank the companies who send coupons – often you get more coupons sent your way!)

Do Not Crush Their Spirits

Words are more powerful than perhaps anyone suspects, and once deeply ingrained in a child's mind, they are not easily eradicated. - May Sarton

Zen Road

No road to happiness or sorrow... Find them in yourself

Triumph in the Garden

A Garden

is always a series of losses
set against a few triumphs, like life itself...
- May Sarton

The Artist

AuAutumn Rhythm (Number 30), 1950
Jackson Pollock (American, 1912–1956)

In his mind he is still the man
who worked in a mahogany paneled office
dined in the finest restaurants
and tangoed till 2 am
he served in the WWII
married his college sweetheart
was head of a company
and the life of a party
he is never without a tie
even now

He reads the Wall Street Journal
Time magazine
and large print books
the pages never turn
he once knew my first and middle name
now he calls me Lillian, Doris or the flavor of the day
he is always delighted to see me
his smile radiant
his hand shake as genuine as first love
his eyes never leave mine

He fears being yet another white haired man
with soft hands
sitting quietly in the long autumn sun
watching cloud formations drift by
as the wind secretly replays
love's last gasps in his ears
wondering where the years went
wishing he could die before an easel
or in the arms of a woman who loves him
wishing
even now, for a woman whose breasts sag
whose heart still beats loud
warm flesh against flesh
as familiar as his face against her cleavage
fast forward many years
his face against a cold window pane
fearing yet another winter
alone

in his room is a canvas
his last work in progress
he dabbles in oils
moves it around to catch shadows
and yet another sunset
as if it were his last
he says it is to let the sun in
the warmth
love
energy
all the things that his aging body
lacks

he hobbles a few steps away
both hands gripping his walker
his eyes fill with pride as he asks me
what I see in his painting
it matters not what I say
dementia makes every day new
the painting in progress has been
a million different things
a blackbird on a wooden fence at dusk
two boys and a frog at the water's edge
a sailboat at sunset
a baby in his mothers arms
Paris after the war
each time he is delighted
that I see it just as he does
that day

but each day
before I go
his long term memory returns
and with tearful eyes he tells me
he is painting it for the woman
with hair like mine
not too short or too long
a wonderful shade of red
like an autumn sky that melted
on her head
he knows she'll return
to see his painting
he points to the corner of his palette
a dried pile of "autumn" waits there
along with his eyes
his soft hands
his memory of a woman who loved him
when time stood still.

(c) 2007

Wee Hours Realization

Photo by Deannster on Flickr

Wee Hours Realization

We lie together naked

Under the new April moon

Spooning the way

True lovers do

His strong arms wrap around me

His cologne lingers on his skin

I breathe him in

Deep inside of me

And into my heart

I wondered if he knew

I was falling deeper in love with him

Safe within his arms

Peacefully drifting in time

I have no use for the morning sun

Life Goes On....

photo by jnm_ua/ on flickr

Life goes on ….

Three Septembers ago, I heard the fear in her voice. We sat in her backyard drinking coffee with the chiminea aglow, her face mostly in shadows except for the tears trickling down her cheeks.Her fear was not for herself, not for the days ahead when the beast would have its way with her, taking a breast was not enough, it would soon claim all of her.

She worried how he would get along without her, how he would handle the silence, shop for groceries, care for three children off in different directions, while juggling a demanding career, remember to keep doctor appointments etc.

Her voice lowered to a whisper. She told me she did something very right all those years ago, she married a wonderful man. When she was diagnosed, he was there, telling her it was their battle. When she was sick, he cared for her without her asking. When she cried, he held her and comforted her and not once did she have to ask, he was always there for her.

She looked at me with eyes that pleaded for answers.

“When I am gone, who will care for him? What if this happens to him, who will be there for him?”

She knew how essential his support had been in the early days, it was even more so now.

I wrapped a blanket around her and refilled her coffee as she looked up at the stars. A symphony of crickets filled the damp night air.She turned to look at me, pointing to the heavens.

“Do you see that really bright star over those old oak trees?”

I nodded, holding back tears, selfishly wondering what I was going to do without her.

She continued, “Right there, right there is where I want him to look for me. We’ve sat out here for 30 years and there’s always a bright star right over those trees. Me and the Oaks, that’s where I’ll be.”

Her voice trailed off, perhaps she was wondering how far away she’d be.

“He needs to remarry, you know. He’s a good man, some woman will be happy with him……..perhaps Diana would be a good fit for him? You know, I can see them together; they’d probably live in her home. Or maybe you should make sure he finds someone who loves to dance; I never liked it but he always loved dancing. You will need to keep your eye on him, to make sure he goes on.”

Three weeks later she slipped into a coma.

He called me to sit with him. When I arrived he was painting her toe nails, her pillow had recently been fluffed. He had her favorite candles burning and a photo of them on the nightstand. He held her hand so tenderly and told me that even then, with her bald head and emaciated body, he looked at her and saw a gorgeous woman who loved him with all she had every day and every night. My heart ached for them, for what they were losing....and especially for him.

They used to glance at each other across a room and everyone recognized the look. He looked at her the same way right up until the end.

She slipped quietly away the next day.

Last night I attended his wedding – alone.

He looked at his new bride and I once again recognized the look of love. At the reception she told me his my friend, his former wife, wrote a letter to "the woman he would marry after she was gone". She said it was the most touching, thoughtful letter, stained with her tears…… welcoming her into his life, the life she left behind.

She was quite a woman, that friend of mine.

I heard someone ask them if they’d be living in her house. She said, “No, we will live in his house, it has the most magnificent view of the night sky, right over the old oaks.”

I knew what that meant, more importantly, I knew what that meant to him.

How sweet, how wonderful, two people who truly love and understand each other.

We should all be so blessed. He found it twice, I’m still searching for once -perhaps someday.

Learners and Non-Learners

“I don’t divide the world into the weak and the strong, or the successes and the failures... I divide the world into the learners and non-learners.”
- Benjamin Barber

For those who are thirsty to learn - the universe provides a plethora of knowledge and sources. Sadly, many people peak in high school and decline from there.

I encountered this quote by Benjamin Barber on

Inspiring Words blog.... if you love quotes like I do, please visit this site.

Words to Live By - Tecumseh

Signing of the Treaty of Green Ville Painting- Darke County Historical Society

Howard Chandler Christy's Signing of the Treaty of Green Ville was created in 1945. The state of Ohio commissioned Christy (1873-1952), a nationally-known illustrator, to create the work for the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Greenville, which ended the Indian Wars in Ohio. The final version hangs in the Ohio Statehouse. This painting was a working copy that Christy would have painted in preparation for his final work.

Tecumseh never wanted to sell the land the Indians lived upon... he believed that land belonged to all tribes...........not just the Shawnees.

During the early 1800s, Tecumseh, a leader of the Shawnee Indians, attempted to unite Native American tribes west of the Appalachian Mountains into a confederation. Tecumseh believed that the land did not belong to a single tribe. In reality, no one owned the land except for the Master of Life, the Shawnees’ principal god. Tecumseh believed that the only way that Native Americans could transfer land to the Americans was if every tribe agreed to it. Tecumseh wanted to force the Americans to deal with all of the tribes in unison. Separately, the individual tribes did not have much power. Together, Tecumseh hoped, they would be a major deterrent to white expansion.

Tecumseh explained his views in a letter to William Henry Harrison in 1810:

. . .the only way to stop this evil [white settlement of the Indians’ land], is for all the red men to unite in claiming a common and equal right in the land as it was at first, and should be now—for it never was divided, but belongs to all. . . .Sell a country! Why not sell the air, the clouds and the great sea, as well as the earth? Did not the Great Spirit [Master of Life] make them all for the use of his children?

In his quest, Tecumseh received assistance from his younger brother Tenskwatawa. Known as the Prophet, Tenskwatawa believed that the natives had to end their reliance on American goods, such as alcohol, iron cookware, and guns. The Indians had angered the Master of Life by becoming dependent on these items. If the natives forsook them, the Master of Life would reward his followers by driving the Americans from their land. Many Indians found the Prophet’s message appealing and began to congregate at his village, Prophetstown, in the Indiana Territory.

Tecumseh used his brother’s influence to convince the natives to put aside their traditional differences and unite together against the whites. He also visited many tribes west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the Mississippi River seeking additional support for his confederation.

Tecumseh was a firm believer that more people translated into more power. While most tribes listened to Tecumseh’s proposal, many rejected his ideas. This was especially true of Indians in modern-day Tennessee, Georgia, and Mississippi. Many of these people embraced white products and customs. They did not want to lose access to these goods. Tecumseh had more success in Ohio, Kentucky, and the Indiana Territory, areas that whites had been attempting to settle since before the French and Indian War.

Unfortunately for the natives, Tecumseh’s Confederacy failed. Many Indians refused to relinquish their white ways and end their friendships with the Americans. The whites also greatly outnumbered the Native Americans and had greater access to firearms and ammunition. As Tecumseh’s followers began to converge he also could not provide them with adequate food and shelter.

Ultimately, he was killed in war......... but his words live on:


So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart.

Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours.

Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life.

Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people.

Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.

Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place.

Show respect to all people and grovel to none.

When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living.

If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself.

Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.

When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.
Tecumseh

Tell me YOUR Story

We are story tellers. Every one has one.... that story that is yours and yours alone.

The story that others may know or the one that is buried deep within your heart.

Start typing... if the corners of your lips turn up as you type, wonderful.

If you blink back tears as you type, keep typing.....type them away, down to the core of your own authentic story.

I'll listen.... listen with my ears, my heart and my soul.

Stories, and the people behind the story, matter.

Go ahead, tell your story.

You matter to me.

It's All About Love - AND Forgiveness!

All the information on this page is from the Fetzer web site

Please visit and support them!

"Launched in 2006, the Campaign for Love & Forgiveness uses PBS documentaries, community activities, online resources, and networking opportunities to encourage reflection and conversation about how love and forgiveness can effect meaningful change in individuals and society. Through community conversations, the campaign aims to create a meaningful national dialogue that will bring about positive changes for individuals, their relationships, and their communities."

"The Fetzer Institute, as part of its Campaign for Love & Forgiveness, supported the Religion Newswriters Association in the production of a comprehensive guide for journalists reporting on love and forgiveness. The guide features experts in the fields of science, medicine, politics, religion, and criminal justice who can explain how and why forgiveness and benevolent love are central to so many news stories (and why the lack of them could be the root of much of the violence and conflict that so often dominate the news). "

A Study in Blue

Blizzard winds howl

Snow and freezing rain

obscure my windows

darkness surrounds me

the first robin of spring

just returned

nowhere to be found

I wonder where she is

and if the homeless

have shelter

on this wicked night

as I mix fifty shades of

blue

some light and transparent

most dark

layered

and as intense

as people I attract

adding black to deepen

the shade

or suppress my thoughts

I recall the men in my life

most, no – all

wanted or needed something

from me

all but one

his only need was distance

the very thing that drove

us apart

I add more black

more green and yellow

and slather this

thick opaque shade

of midnight blue

over my heart

on a dismal winter night

~Aging Ever So Gracefully (c)2008

Lessons from the Garden of Life

Photo by 3Winc - click on photo to go to his Flickr area.


How fast the years pass.

As a young girl, the nuns always told us what we planted we grew and our harvest would be filled with weeds and thistles in rocky soil unless we changed our ways.

They threatened us.
Tried to control by fear.

It would take decades until I would hear that small still voice whisper to me that they had no clue how to prepare us for life.
They were so out of touch.
They were not gardeners tending to the fertile soil and the seedlings.
They did not lead by example.

Older and wiser, I now know that only when one is willing and ready to get their own hands dirty, immersed in the soil of life, can they really tend to it....and lead by example.

I love the following quote by May Sarton -may her kind and gentle soul rest in peace.

"True gardeners cannot bear a glove between the sure touch and the tender root,
Must let their hands grow knotted as they move with a rough sensitivity about under the earth,
between the rock and shoot, never to bruise or wound the hidden fruit.
And so I watched my mother's hands grow scarred,
She who could heal the wounded plant or friend with the same vulnerable yet rigorous love;
I minded once to see her beauty gnarled, but now her truth is given me to live,
As I learned for myself we must be hard to move among the tender with an open hand,
And, to stay sensitive up to the end, Pay with some toughness for a gentle world."

~May Sarton

Questions You Ask Yourself in Quiet Moments

Are you living the life you planned?
Or did the breeze take you places you never thought you'd go?
Where has it carried you?

I have often resisted change, even when I knew I was being pushed or lead in a different direction, one I had no desire to follow. I've dug my heels in over and over again only to realize that I was carried into that spot to be exactly where I was intended to be. Sometimes it takes years before I make the connection.

I believe there are no accidents.
I don't believe that the universe is random.
When paths cross, I listen. I wait.
Then, when I least expect it, I know why.
Sometimes it shows me that I went in the wrong direction, often it makes me adjust my sail.

Tell me about where the breeze took you.

What did you learn?

Living a Life of Simplicity

How Then, Shall We Live? by Wayne Muller - An Excerpt from the book

Spiritual writer Wayne Muller explores questions at the core of life's meaning. Here is a meditation to explore a life of simplicity.

"Arrange for some time to sit quietly in a place of refuge. Allow yourself to become calm and attentive, using the breath to settle yourself into your body and heart.

"Then, in a gentle way, review your current life. Bring to mind each of several areas, including your work, your relationships or family life, your finances, your leisure activities, your possessions, your goals, and your spiritual life. One by one, as each area comes to mind, ask yourself the following questions: What would it be like to simplify this part of my life? What could I let go easily? What could I do to make this part of my life more quiet and simple?

"Reflect on the choices that arise within you.

Notice which feel immediately comfortable and which feel difficult or frightening.

The object is not necessarily to change anything immediately.

In this moment you are simply noting where you desire more simplicity in your life and where this is possible.

How can you make room for this simplicity?

Take as much time as you need with each area of your life, becoming aware of what steps you might take.

Then make a resolution to make changes in each area."

Loving Them Through Their Struggles

Photo by BostonBill click here to go to his Flickr area

These days, I often find myself stopped in my own tracks, wondering how my youngest will make his, wanting the best for him but am so unsure of which direction to point him.

Mothers.

Fathers

Parents

It's not a job that ends when they graduate and go off to conquer the world. I've found that is often when they need us the most. Sometimes it is only for us to be still and listen to them speak the words, their fears, out loud for the first time.

As my youngest has just dropped out of college and is desperately searching for which path to follow, thoughts of him consume my quiet moments. I dearly love him. It's not that I want to remove this painful time from his life, we all have to learn that pain moves us out of that place in one way or another. It's that I want him to know, really know, that sometimes we are being lead in a new direction.... one we may not clearly see for years.

In my own life, my life mentor was also my professional mentor. I hated him the instant I met him. He knew me better than I knew myself. He saw me for what a was, his project, and knew he had a job to do and that he would emerge the victor from having transformed me. It was a rough time for me. He was intense and demanding. Somewhere in the process, I realized he was there to mold me and that I would leave that internship as a reflection of him.

I grew to love him, dearly love him. I grew more that year than I ever thought possible.... and miss him even today, 32 years later. Perhaps my son is being moved towards such an individual. One thing I know for certain, he will be that sort of individual for someone else some day. It's the journey that is uncertain. I will love him through these times.....and the good times.

This quote spoke to me......

"Child, when do you think is the time to love somebody the most; when they done good and made things easy for everybody? Well then, you ain't through learning -- because that ain't the time at all. It's when he's at his lowest and can't believe in hisself 'cause the world done whipped him so. When you starts measuring somebody, measure him right child, measure him right. Make sure you done taken into account what hills and valleys he come through before he got to wherever he is."

~ From Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

Direction

"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading" ~ Lao-tze

There are so many days that I question my direction, my sons' direction. This world is not easy. Each night I pray that we may each find clarity in the stillness of the day and be wise enough to know when to adjust our journey, to chose a better way.

The Journey In and Out

Walking a labyrinth is such an emotional experience. My first experience was during my divorce. It was set up in the basement of an old church in the city. I arrived, having no clue what to expect. Soft music was playing in the background, the large room was lit only with candles. People were arriving randomly. The host smiled at me, pointed to the basket of clean footies, indicating that I should remove my shoes and wear them.

As I was putting the footies on, I knew I was in the presence of One much greater than myself.

I read the short pamphlet about how to walk a labyrinth than sat there for quite awhile, trying to get my emotions in check. Finally, I was ready. Just like in life, you walk your own path alone... often you encounter others on the same path but each of us have different experiences and different needs.

I found that going in, towards the center, was much more emotional, almost as if I had to force myself to keep one foot moving ahead...... much more emotional than going to confession.

Going in, I searched my soul for it's current, most urgent needs.... in the center, I sat quietly, humbly asking for forgiveness, answers and direction. I sat there a long time, until I felt the need to go, to return to the outside. I left the center a changed woman....

There are many different types of labyrinths, some are very simple, some very complex. Most labyrinths are walked......some are hand-held and can be traced. This one is on the computer..... you move the cursor yourself. Click here.

To find a labyrinth in your area, click here.

Timeless Advice on Raising Your Children -at any age

My sons are now young men, 22 and 24, finding their own path......and often it's a cobblestone path, not so easy to walk on but the same journey that many have taken for centuries. As a parent, especially a single parent, it's so hard not fix everything... to watch them make choices - even bad choices - under our watch.

All of us have walked our own ancient path... going where we feel we must, not where our elders have tried to lead us. Discovery is a large part of the journey and the growth. Mistakes are our best teachers and often come with high price tag - emotional, financial or spiritual.

I love this quote - ancient advice to a parent from The Parent's Tao Te Ching -

Live your own life,

with all your heart, with all your mind,
and with all your soul.
There is no need to live theirs.
They will do that wonderfully by themselves.

Parental Advice from "The Parent's Tao Te Ching"

The Parent's Tao Te Ching." - I found this through another blog, I have this book and had forgotten it. I am grateful to have my memory jogged and want to introduce it to you or jog your memory. Although it refers to parents in the title, this wonderful book is great advice for many relationships... .and even for adult children.

As I post this, my 22-year old son is desperately trying to find his path in life. He has a few years of college under his belt and no direction for a major. He is taking a break, considering spending a year in service to others or as a volunteer, rather than continue to accumulate debt in a major he has no interest in.

As a parent, it is so easy to watch your kids excel, so hard to see them unhappy or fail in sports, a project, a relationship etc. I believe we all try hard to give them good advise so they won't have to go through the lessons we learned the hard way. In the end, I think they, like we, have to have those experiences to really learn those lessons.

As I've grown older and wiser, I've really tried to learn lessons from reading and listening to others.

One lesson I took to heart came from a one-time blind date. No chemistry but as a person, he was delightful. He told me that as a divorced mother I had to STOP trying to fix my sons' lives, stop giving them rules that they would break.

He told me to empower them to make wise choices - to let them fail under my watch while I was still able to guide them towards the "fix", not do it for them.

"Let them grow to be a man, under your watch.... let them fail while you can guide them back on course. If you don't do this, the world will beat them up, one sucker punch than two, and they will have no knowledge of how to get back in the fight."

I listened.

I absorbed.

I often remind myself how important the final years of being "under my watch" are.

Still it is hard. I love them dearly. I remember how hard those same lessons were in my life and relive them silently and painfully as they go through them.

The pleasure of being a mother never ends, nor do the heartaches.

From the book, "The Parent's Tao Te Ching."

The child you see today
will not be here tomorrow.

The child arriving home from school,
is different from the one who left home
this morning.

Every moment is a death of all that
has gone before, and a birth of all that is to come.

You must jump into the river and let it carry you
on its journey. If you stop it you will drown.

Life's experiences shape us everyday. Think about all the new things you learn and the experiences that change your life. Now, imagine being a child! They are so "moldable" - every day so many things and experiences are new.

I've always been told wise parents step back and let life happen, not try to remove them from those experiences........and are always ready when needed - knowing when to be delicate, strong and flexible.

Where Did the Years Go?

Of all the options for what one can do with their life.........my first and favorite choice was to be a Mother. That alone was enough.

I was blessed with two beautiful, darling, healthy, happy sons.

As I find myself, gray at the temples, with new wrinkles and age spots appearing, it is not these rites of passage that age me... it is those quiet moments, late at night, when I close my eyes and remember like it was yesterday, days of being "Mommy".

In the blink of an eye, the years passed. Just like that. In the blink of an eye.
Had I been wiser, I would have cherished each day more.........each special look, each hug, each kiss.

When I was a little girl, back in 1959, 1960... this was a commercial for Kodak film. I loved it. I would put on a dress and twirl for my Daddy and he'd sing it for me... until I was dizzy.

I still love, love, love, this song.... and it instantly brings tears to my eyes.... where did the years go? Oh, what I'd give to step back in time. I hear this song and I not only see my own life pass before my eyes, but my sons'.

Click here to watch the video, the lyrics are below. Harry Belafonte sang it.

Turn Around


Where are you going, my little one, little one,
Where are you going, my baby, my own?
Turn around and you're two,
Turn around and you're four,
Turn around and you're a young girl going out of my door.
Turn around, turn around,
Turn around and you're a young girl going out of my door.

Where are you going, my little one, little one,
Little dirndls and petticoats, where have you gone?2
Turn around and you're tiny,
Turn around and you're grown,
Turn around and you're a young wife with babes of your own.
Turn around, turn around,
Turn around and you're a young wife with babes of your own