Happy Birthday Dear Husband

Happy (you're how old?!!!) Birthday Carl! Love Ya Bunches!

Toto, we are not in Kansas anymore!

Much fun was had at Girl's Night at Alona's house. Her husband prepared a delicious broccoli cheese soup and a minestrone soup. Yum! He also prepared some amazing stuffed mushrooms so he was immediately forgiven for not making the awesome breadsticks. It is always a pleasure to hang out with friends. My dear husband left early Saturday morning for motorcross racing somewhere in North Carolina. I remember a kiss before I returned to my state of torpor!

tor·por
1. A state of mental or physical inactivity or insensibility.2. Lethargy; apathy. See Synonyms at lethargy.3. The dormant, inactive state of a hibernating animal.

My plan for the day was to do a little homecaring or feathering my nest. As this was accomplished I sat in our living room to enjoy some reading, one of my most favorite pastimes!
Between reading and states of torpor...the wind began to blow ferociously, there was little visibility...at this point I honestly thought I was being attacked by something as hail the size of golf balls began pounding the roof and banging at the windows. Hail was bouncing off the lawn, I was in such a state of astonishment that I did not take any pictures. With electricity flickering and the house shuddering I switched on the television to learn that Elgin had been struck by tornados and I was one of the lucky ones. Roofs were ripped off, houses and cars damaged, trees uprooted and many homes were without electrical power. Our yard has some debris in it, not much though. The news kept reporting more sightings of tornados and a watch was on until 1:00 am or so. Needless to say, when I went to bed I left the television on and hoped we were done with the storms. Michelle called to make sure all was well, she knew I was home alone. My dear husband did call to check on me several times. He and his son were holed up in the RV due to rain.

Sunday morning was bright and beautiful. As I reflected on the storms on Saturday I was grateful for my blessings. Events like this also bring to mind the necessity of being aware of what is happening and having an emergency plan. Do you have an emergency plan? The American Red Cross and other organizations provide free information on every contingency. You can stop by their offices for literature or go online and look at Emergency Preparedness. You owe it to yourself and your family to stay as safe as possible and Be Prepared!!!

Sometimes you feel like a NUT

CAUTION: Roaring Laughter is contagious!

I have been accused of having an infectious laugh. This is meant in the most complimentary way. I never gave it much thought, however, laughter and humor play a Huge part in my well-being, mental and physical health. My thinking has always been that I would rather laugh than cry. You can find humor in almost any circumstance and often laughter will diffuse a difficult situation. Humor and laughter bring joy into our lives as well as positive physical effects. Dr. David S. Sobel states, "Laughter is called "inner jogging." A robust laugh gives the muscles of your face, shoulders, diaphragm, and abdomen a good workout, and sometimes even your arms and legs. Heart rate and blood pressure temporarily rise, breathing becomes faster and deeper, and oxygen surges throughout your bloodstream." Ha, I knew I was getting exercise everyday! A good laugh can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, elevate mood, boost the immune system, improve brain functioning, protect your heart, connect you to others. Laughter instantly relaxes you and makes you feel good. We need humor in all aspects of our lives, work, marriage, the family, the DMV, the grocery store at 5:30. Humor brings us together, lightens one anothers burdens and helps us keep things in perspective. If you are not laughing enough (come see me or Darla) incorporate a few of the following to develop a sense of humor: smile, count your blessings, spend time with people who are fun and happy, take yourself less seriously, follow the laughter and join in the fun. Humor and laughter should never be at someone's expense. Laughing WITH someone is okay, laughing AT someone is totally unacceptable.

"Laughter is the shortest distance between two people" --Viktor Borge.

I attended our monthly book club last night, as usual we had an enlightening discussion about the book, followed by hilarious stories from our group. Fun was had by all! This evening a friend is having a Girl's Night at her house and it promises to be highly entertaining. Broccoli and Cheese Soup (with homemade breadsticks, I hope) will be prepared by her husband. What's not to love about good friends, good food and LOTS of Laughter!!!

Time Change Alerts!

It's that time of year again, the clocks are moved forward one hour so that we can have light well into the night. The darkness in the morning really confuses my mind and body. It is hard to coordinate the two and get out of bed. I know this is temporary and I will soon adapt. I feel like I lost something and want it back. Throw in a bout of bronchitis that won't go away, a wicked virus and you have a recipe for some massive confusion! We change our clocks and go about our business. I read an article recently about setting your internal clock. Karen Salmansohn writes, "Be sure to set your internal clock to live in the NOW--everywhere you go. This reminder will save you lots of lost love and happiness--jolt you into living your best life possible!" So is your internal clock set on NOW? "The Buddhist author Rinpoche warned that if we humans are not careful, we can sleepwalk through our lives, afraid to feel our deepest feelings, afraid to risk going for our truest desires." (Karen Salmansohn) She also paraphases Rinpoche stating, "We have a 'Western' tendency called Active Laziness, our urgent need to cram up our lives with compulsive unimportant activities, leaving little leftover time to confront our most important issues. He jokingly renamed all the petty projects which we call our Responsibilities as our Irresponsibilities because they stop us from finding the time to do what matters most." Well shucks, who knew, I have been very irresponsible! I make these massive to do lists, get side-tracked, proscrastinate and then stress out when certain goals are not met in a timely fashion.

I guess I should eat the elephant one bite at a time instead of trying to swallow it whole! Consider making reasonable and sound choices about what is really important in your life. Is it necessary to accept every invitation, volunteer for everything, cram so much little stuff into each and every day that you end up in survivor mode rather than slowing down and enjoying the scenery along the way? Children live in the present moment, in the now...they don't make to do lists and then scurry around trying to accomplish the stuff on the list. They sure don't dwell on the past and the future is too much of an abstract thought for younger children. Attending an event with children allows you to see things in a whole different light. Enjoying the now. So my big plan is to make wiser choices, learn from the past, move on, plan for the future but live fully and enjoy the NOW! As soon as I quit coughing....

Gods and Goddesses

Which God or Goddess are you like? Your Result: Budha You are Budha. You are a very peaceful person, you love all who love you. You are a cheerful personality, and you have a great sense of humor. Congratulations!! You are Budha!!
God Zeus
Goddess Bast
Jesus
The Christian God
Goddess Sekhemet
You are your own God or Goddess
Satan
Which God or Goddess are you like? Make Your Own Quiz

While doing a little "blog hopping" I came across an interesting little quiz. The questions are so vague that you cannot really decide for yourself what the outcome will be. I have no idea where the data comes from that determines the outcome. It is just for fun. I have discovered I am like Budha/Buddha, the description suits me just fine. I believe that we all have the potential to become Gods and Goddesses and inherit all our Father bestows upon us. The catch here is that you must have more than just good intentions you actually have to follow through with those intentions. Are you treating your body as a temple? Are you expressing Gratitude each day? Are you serving your fellow beings? Practicing the Golden Rule...do unto others as you would have them do unto you? Do you love yourself as much as you love others? This is the stuff that makes life rich and fulfilling. These are some great beginning steps to becoming a God or Goddess. I believe in a benevolent, loving, kind, merciful Heavenly Father. I want to follow the example of his son, Jesus Christ, who did all his Father asked of him. What about you...Benevolent, loving, kind and merciful God or Goddess and AWESOME or a vengeful, judgemental and selfish God or Goddess? It really is up to YOU!

Hats Not Optional

Must you really take my picture?

Hmmmm...everything is soooo good!

The "Birthday Girl" in Bunny Ears

We are no ordinary H*O*R*SES. Joan's British accent made this sound quite different!
She and I were riding in the back of a van and felt a bit like livestock!

Don't you just LOVE the Cobra Hat!

The Diva and our favorite waiter, Jay

Several years ago, our friend, the "Diva" decided to combine a group of friends into what was going to be a Red Hat thing. As it turns out, we don't really like other people's rules too much and we like all kinds of hats when forced to wear one by our Queen Motha, the Diva. Lest you forget your hat, the Diva and her Princess in Training will provide a tacky hat or headband for your wearing enjoyment. Basically, we get together at least once a month, eat, laugh, and socialize. Our group is very diverse and hails from different parts of the world and different parts of the United States. Many attend dance functions together, some work/worked together at a local high school, affectionately known as "The Big House" , mainly we all knew the Diva in one of her incarnations. We have approximately twelve "members" give or take a few each month. Everyone is not pictured, I am not sure where my group photos are...the beauty may overwhelm you...so it's just as well that you see a few at a time! I only knew a few of the ladies in the group and it took me awhile to feel comfortable. As time went on, as we shared tales of our adventures and our everyday lives, I have come to feel very close to these gals. We know how to have a great time. They make me laugh and feel good about myself. We meet at Travinia's Restaurant, more often than anywhere else, we have a favorite waiter and we usually get to sit in the private "wine room". Which is good because we are L*O*U*D!!! I am looking forward to many more years of friendship! Hats off to you, "Girls" (pun intended)! LYMI

Swan Lake And Iris Gardens

My daughter and I decided Saturday would be a great day to give the other daughter a day off from child rearing. After a quick lunch, we picked up sippy cups and filled up the gas tank.

We did not have an exact plan, but after some consideration decided that Sumter's Swan Lake and Iris garden would be fun for the children and grownups. Swan Lake has gorgeous gardens with boardwalks leading through the swamps and cypress trees. It has bathrooms, ample picnic areas and playgrounds for the children. There are a number of beautiful bronze statues. Swan Lake is home to all eight species of swans, mallards, egrets, Canada geese, herons and many other birds and wildlife. Swans pair for life, when one swan dies, usually its mate will not live much longer. The Whooper Swan is the exception having a divorce rate of 6% which is still pretty good given our human percentage of divorce! The swans can be quite vocal and territorial during their early spring mating season. Fortunately, our visit was still a little early for any aggressive behavior from the swans. The camelias and pansies were in bloom along with some ornamental cabbages. It was too early for all the beautiful spring flowers. Swan Lake hosts an Iris Festival around the end of March or early April. The children were enthralled feeding the swans, ducks and geese. As you can see by the pictures, they showed NO fear of any creatures. A few times I thought I might have to fish one or both out of the lake! We walked the entire trail around the lake and then crossed in the overpass and walked part of the boardwalk through the swamp. There was a wedding in progress in the gazebo. The weather was absolutely beautiful. I made a vow that day to spend more time communing with nature.

I love doing so and spend way too much time indoors. I feel close to my Heavenly Father when surrounded by so much beauty. I am so richly blessed. It was a good day. Have you been outside recently? I highly recommend taking your children or borrow someone else's children and look through their eyes it will amaze and astound you!