Marching

As the final day of March unwraps itself,
it is a good time to remember to march.

March to your own drummer.
March at your own pace.
March to your distinct tune.
March toward your passion.
March through the madness.
March against what angers you.
March for others.
March forward.
March on.

Boots on the ground.
Heart on your sleeve.
Hope in your heart!

A smile in my heart

There are certain things that put a smile in my heart.
A snarly greeting from my dog.
A hug from my hubby.
Sitting on the deck, enveloped by nature.
Knowing my friends are my friends.
And my kids!

My kids are adults now.
(As much as any of us are!)
And still, I use phrases and words from when they were little.
It puts a smile in my heart.
The color "greem".
Gazebo (with the accent on the gaz instead of the e).
"Yeeve me ayone!"
Wizard Villaj
"I want to be a princess . . . or a painter."

What are some of your favorites?
What puts a smile in YOUR heart?

Take a Moment

These days,
in this crazy, nutty world,
we get so wrapped up in the insanity
that we forget to

take a moment

every now and again
to realize the blessings around us.

The scenery.
The weather.
The pleasantries.
The positives.
The beauty.
The nice people.
The kindness.
The good.

Take a Moment.

Enjoy!

A Thief for You

A friend sent this to me.
I have stolen it and am giving it to you.
It is WELL worth the read!
Thank you DM! Love you!

On the day of prayer for rain, all the villagers showed up
but only one small boy brought an umbrella.
That's Faith
When you throw a baby into the air,
they laugh because they know you will catch them.
That's Trust
Almost every night we go to be with asssurance of waking up tomorrow,
and yet we still set our alarm.
That's Hope
We plan big things for tomorrow
in spite of absolutely no knowledge of the future.
That's Confidence
We see the world in suffering and turmoil,
and still we marry.
That's Love
An old woman's shirt read: "I am NOT 80 years old,
I am Sweet 16 with 64 years of experience."
That's Attitude


 

Be

Be positive.
Be productive.
Be kind.
Be bold.
Be gentle.
Be loving.
Be adventurous.
Be jovial.
Be happy.
Be daring.
Be sweet.
Be sassy.
Be fabulous.
Be well.
Be brave.
Be wonderful.
Be!

Enveloped

Oh the joys that come
knowing you are enveloped
in love and support and kindness.

Thank you to those
who take the time to share themselves
and grant me this blessing.

Know that I have first class postage
on my forehead
and always have your address at heart!

Enjoy your day!

Mind Your Mom

As both the birth and the passing of my mom draw near,
I am always drawn to great depths of
missing her terribly and resurrecting all I can of her.
She was a master of life.
Thrown many curve balls and emerged more amazing
every. single. time!
I wanna be like her!

And so . . . a few tidbits of momma wisdom!

As always . . . This too shall pass.
Don't look for glory. Your work will speak for itself.
Head down, straight ahead.
If this doesn't work, try something else.
Learn something new as often as possible.
Sing when you can - which is always.
Laugh often.
You bet!
NEXT!

Extraordinarily simple and yet, still extraordinary!

Mind your Mom!

Practice

Practice.
It doesn't always make you perfect.
But you do get better.
Today, though, I'm referring to:

Practice what you preach!

I write six days a week to start your days off
in a happy manner.
It might be uplifting or silly or just a positive message.
As the cobbler's children has no shoes,
sometimes I need to go back and reread what I write.

In the grand scheme of things,
some stuff just doesn't matter.
Helping others helps you.
Point your shoes in another direction.

All fantastic mantras that I have written,
that I should heed.
As should you!

Breathe!
Ready, Set . . .
Practice!

Every now and again . . .

Our lives tend to get very full.
Lessons, classes, appointments.
Clubs, teams, activities.
Doctors, kids, pets.
Work, bills, expectations.

Great News!!!
Today is National Goof Off Day!

Every now and again ~
you just need to say . . .

Spring Cleaning

Ah yes!
That time of year when we dust and sweep and vacuum.
We go through closets and get rid of unwanted clothing.
We go through cabinets and donated unused items.
We surround ourselves with cleanliness
and we look forward to a fresh start.

Here's an idea . . .
How about you clean MORE than your home.

Take a good look at who is around you.
Lose the baggage.
Drop the weight behind you and move ahead freely.
The pressures of those who are negative
create a very unhealthy environment for you.

Clean up your cupboards.
Clean out your closets.
Clean up your life.

Enjoy the abundance of positive people.
Enjoy the plethora of kindness.

Get to cleaning!

In the Quiet

There is a phenomenal source of strength
in the quiet.
There is a serenity and peacefulness
in the quiet.
There is a resurgence and invigoration
in the quiet.
There is brilliance and boldness
in the quiet.
There is beauty and fulfillment
in the quiet.

Embrace it!

In the Grand Scheme of Things

Every now and again,
we need to be reminded
to not sweat the nonsense.

Work may be unbearable.
People may aggravate you.
Bills may be insurmountable.

But . . . in the grand scheme of things . . .
life is pretty awesome.

If you woke up this morning,
opportunity awaits.
Know that.
Believe that.
And the day gets better!

Go enjoy!

I'm Irish

if you're buying!

I used to have a shirt that said that.
I wonder what happened to it. Hmmmm.

Today, may the luck o' the Irish be with ya.

May the road rise to meet you
may the wind be always at your back
may the sun shine warm upon your face
may rains fall soft upon your fields
and, until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Enjoy your day!

In Faith

Sometimes
there is far too much smoke to see ahead.
Sometimes
the mountain before you looms large.
Sometimes
the chasm's expanse seems endless.
Sometimes
your troubles seem insurmountable.
Sometimes
your angst overwhelms you.

The absolutely hardest thing to do
is to take that first step . . .
In Faith.

Believe that you are loved.
Believe that you are watched over.
Believe that Someone is protecting you.
Believe that you are right where you're supposed to be,
no matter the mess,
and that you will emerge bigger, better, stronger.

Believe.
In Faith!

Push Through

When things seem the most difficult,
push through.
Weight lifters don't improve unless they
push through the plateaus.
Those with anxieties don't get over them unless they
push through the issue.
Those with phobias don't defeat them unless they
push through the fear.
Runners won't improve their times unless they
push through the pain.
In all accomplishments one must push through
whatever obstacles stands before them.

I wish for you strength in spirit, heart, and soul,
to push through
your barriers today.

Normality

Not sure who said it.
Wish I could give that person credit, but I will share nonetheless.
I believe it was van Gogh.

Normality is a paved road.
It is comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow.

I'd rather wander in the forest and be mystified by all its beauty.

Good Samaritan

Today is National Good Samaritan Day.
Actually, EVERY day is good Samaritan day.
But, for giggles,
make it a point today to do something a little extra for someone else.

Hold a door.
Buy a coffee.
Help with groceries.
Leave an anonymous gift.
Pay for gas.
Give a compliment to a stranger.

Don't just walk blindly through your day.
Do something to make it better ~
for everyone!

Do You See What I See

March, being optimism month and all, has now become a favorite!
The more I ponder it, the more I like it.

When you driving to work, are you cursing at the traffic?
I marvel at the mountains.
When you are working with asshats, do you consider going postal?
I am blessed by the Benjamins.
When you are cleaning your home, are you grumbling?
I'm happy I have a roof overhead.
When doing load after load of laundry, are you miserable?
I'm thrilled we've such an assortment.
When going to the dreaded grocery story, are you whining?
I am excited about fresh fruit and eating with my hubby.
When life throws you curveballs, do you quit the game?
I duck and raise my glove in hopes of catching the ball.
When it is pouring/snowing, are you dreading the puddles/shoveling?
I eagerly anticipate more greenery or the coming Spring.

It is easy to get deflated and depressed.
It is also easy to NOT be.
Choose your path and walk it daily.
You may stumble, but make it part of the dance!

Lemons

When life hands you lemons . . .

forget the lemonade!

Throw the damn lemons back at life
and make stuff better.

Demand watermelons,
or pineapples,
or paella,
or chocolate pudding,
or steak!

It is, after all, your life!

Women

I did not forget or overlook International Women's Day.
I choose to celebrate women EVERY day.
The strong ladies, beginning with my mom, who find a way.

They don't need power positions.

Motherhood (or the act thereof for folks without kids)
is a limitless position that requires extensive knowledge
of nearly every little thing on earth.
We make butter knives into screwdrivers,
blankets into rainy day forts,
towels into superhero capes,
and scraps into gourmet meals.
We kiss boo boo's, take passionate stances,
beat down bullies, and carry forty-eight grocery bags at once.
We memorize every pertinent piece of information
the family might ever need at any given moment.
We find a way to pick up all the children
from every activity and still manage
to grab the drycleaning, groceries, and feed the critters.
We ache when our kids hurt.
We will test every fiber of our being
to be available to others.
We empower others instead of tearing them down.
We encourage our men
and although we can conquer the world,
we'd occasionally just enjoy a massage and cold beverage.
I don't need worldly recognition.
I just need to hear my kids laugh, get a hug from my husband
and realize my own value.
So go be whatever it is that you want to be,
and acknowledge your worth EVERY single day!

Control

The best way to achieve control
is to surrender.

Think about that.
No.
Really THINK about that.

It's an extraordinary statement.

Now go surrender,
so you can be in control!

The best vision

The best vision is insight!

Look inside.
If you don't like something,
change it
alter it
amend it
dress it up.

If you do like something,
make it better
embellish it
accessorize it
dress it up.

Don't look outwardly and point fingers.
Work on you!
Make you awesome . . .

or even
awesome'r'!

It's beautiful!

Nothing in this world is black or white.
Not even death or taxes anymore.
So, instead of searching for either,
why not enjoy the colors that inundate you?!

The blue of a beautiful sunrise.
The boldness of a golden sun.
The turquoise of the island waters.
The greens of an Idaho farm.
The yellow of a simple daisy.
The purple of a perfect grape.
The fiery red of a single rose.
The orange of a ripe round orange.
The hazy pinks of a distant sunset.
The many browns of a hushed forest.

Look around.
Be in awe.
It's beautiful!

Tiny but Mighty

Have you ever been in a 20' boat,
miles from shore in the ocean?
Have you ever stood at the peak of a mountain
and been in awe of the view?
Have you donned the wetsuit and dove
to depths most will never ever see?
Have you ever stared at a clear star-filled sky
and realized how vast it truly is?

We are miniscule.
We are minute.
We are tiny.

We must grasp how much we'll never grasp.
'Your world' is a very small space.
Take a moment to realize that you have the option
to tear it up or make it beautiful.
Your actions, your words, your behavior
make a difference.
Be productive.
Be polite.
Be positive.

Be tiny ~ but mighty.

PBS

No.
This is not a plug for public tv.
It is about a serious affliction for thousands of people.
It's about those poor slobs with high standards,
great work ethics, and a sense of infinite morality.

Those folks that come in early.
Those that eat at their desks - or not at all.
Those that believe coffee, forget k-cups, should have iv's.
Those that stay late til the work is manageable for the next group
or even better - finished!
Those folks that don't complain.
Those folks that don't look for back-pats and praise.
Those folks that simply do their job ~
to the best of their ability
with the best of intentions
without want for anything other than a job well done.

These are the folks I'm saluting.
My fellow

Pink Bunny Syndrome

sufferers!
God bless you all!

Optimistic

Whether your glass is half full,
your glasses are rose-colored,
or you just see possibilities . . .

being optimistic is not only productive,
but it is a healthier choice to the alternative.

Life seems simpler.
Hearts seem happier.
Joys seem 'abundant-er'.
Souls seem more salubrious.

Last night's weather was horrific;
power out, trees down, roads blocked.
I ate dinner by candlelight and . . . today . . .
the sun shines again!

See how simple it is?
Give it a shot!