More Than a Princess

Are you a princess?

I said & she said I'm

much more than a

princess

but you don't have

a name for it yet

here on earth.

Written by Brian Andreas

(Taken from his book, Story People)

By the way...

Has anyone told you lately how wonderful you are, and just how much God loves you?

No?

Well,

you are,

And

He does...

a whole bunch.

Tick, Tock

My 5 year-old was waiting for his turn to play video games. He sat on the ottoman, patiently waiting for the big hand to reach the top of the large clock above the fireplace. He waited, and waited, never taking his eyes off of that clock.

Finally, he could stand it no longer. He turned to me and said with exasperation, "Mom, can't we just go out and buy a faster clock?!"

That would be nice, wouldn't it? I would most certainly buy a clock that would allow me to speed it up, or slow it down!

A Woman Should Have...

A poem by Maya Angelou:

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own, even if she never wants to or needs to...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..

something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..

a youth she's content to leave behind....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .....

a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....

one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who lets her cry...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....

a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honored...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

a feeling of control over her destiny...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

how to fall in love without losing herself..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without; ruining the friendship...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

when to try harder...

and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

that she can't change the length of her calves,the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

that her childhood may not have been perfect...but it's over...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

whom she can trust,whom she can't,and why she shouldn't take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

where to go...be it to her best friend's kitchen table...

or a charming inn in the woods...

when her soul needs soothing...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

what she can and can't accomplish in a day...

a month...

and a year.

Thank You, Energy Man!

Heat, heat! We have heat!

Thanks to the very nice Energy Man, we received heat at about 10 o'clock last night. I've never been so glad to see the Energy Man! Usually, I only see him when he is reading the gas meter. God bless this man, and all of the others like him who went house to house for hours, and hours, in the dark, and the cold, relighting pilot lights, and restoring heat in frigid homes.

It's amazing how thankful one becomes of the basic things in life. The daily luxuries we take for granted each day are sorely missed once they are gone!

Brrr!!!

At 6 am today, it was a frigid 23 degrees BELOW zero. Well, not too bad. One comes to expect this kind of weather here in the north woods in January. We just grin and bear it, and remind ourselves how much we will appreciate the coming summer.

Something went awry today. Our entire town lost heat. No natural gas. Thankfully, I have a wood burning fireplace and a stack of wood in the garage! What about all the people who don't have a fireplace? Praise God, our public schools have heat; they are turning the high school gym into a shelter.

According to the town newspaper, our energy company's personnel are working to turn off all gas meters... all 1,720 customers! Once that is done and air purged out of the line, they have to go to all residences and businesses and relight the pilot lights. I have a feeling we'll be huddled around the fire all night!

So, as for me and my house, we will look at this as an adventure. The kind of adventure that allows us to snuggle up, watch movies, read books, and not feel guilty about it! After all, cleaning can wait until I can take my mittens off!

Tea, Anyone?

I am going to ask you to do something today.

I am willing to beg.

I am challenging you to a dare.

Please read the book, Three Cups of Tea One Man's One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace...One School At A Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin.

I read this book last weekend, and was amazed at the wonderful, true story. I cheered, booed, laughed, and cried. I was inspired to do whatever I can to help the Central Asia Institute. Please check out his websites. (There are three... you can find them all at http://www.threecupsoftea.com/ While you are on his website, check out Greg's book tour dates! )

I haven't invited you to sit in the Dare Chair lately. I am passionate about this dare... READ the book... you won't regret it!!!

Realizations

My friend Anne, sent this to me today; it is beautiful. May we all learn from it, and apply it to our lives. The author did not sign it. Thank you, author, whomever you may be; your writing is insightful, inspiring, and encouraging.

REALIZATIONS…

A time comes in your life when you finally get it ... when, in the midst of all your fears and insanity, you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out ENOUGH!!! Enough fighting and crying or struggling to hold on. And, like a child quieting down after a blind tantrum, your sobs begin to subside, you shudder once or twice, you blink back your tears and begin to look at the world through new eyes.

This is your awakening. You realize it's time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change...or for happiness, safety and security to come galloping over the next horizon. You come to terms with the fact that you are neither Prince Charming nor Cinderella and that in the real world there aren't always fairy tale endings (or beginnings for that matter) and that any guarantee of "happily ever after" must begin with you...and in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance. You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and that not everyone will always love, appreciate or approve of who or what you are...and that's OK. They are entitled to their own views and opinions.

And you learn the importance of loving and championing yourself...and in the process a sense of new found confidence is born of self-approval. You stop complaining and blaming other people for the things they did to you (or didn't do for you) and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected. You learn that people don't always say what they mean or mean what they say and that not everyone will always be there for you and that it's not always about you. So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself...and in the process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance. You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties...and in the process a sense of peace and contentment are born of forgiveness.

You realize that much of the way you view yourself, and the world around you, is as a result of all the messages and opinions that have been ingrained into your psyche. And you begin to sift through all the junk you've been fed about how you should behave, how you should look, how much you should weigh, what you should wear, what you should do for a living, how much money you should make, what you should drive, how and where you should live, who you should marry, the importance of having and raising children, and what you owe your parents, family, and friends. You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. And you begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for. You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you've outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with...and in the process you learn to go with your instincts.

You learn that it is truly in giving that we receive. And that there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a "consumer" looking for your next fix. You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life. You learn that you don't know everything, and it's not your job to save the world. You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO. You learn that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get burned at the stake.

Then you learn about love. How to love, how much to give in love, when to stop giving and when to walk away. You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be. You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes.

And you learn that alone does not mean lonely. You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs. You learn that feelings of entitlement are perfectly OK...and that it is your right to want things and to ask for the things you want...and that sometimes it is necessary to make demands. You come to the realization that you deserve to be treated with love, kindness, sensitivity and respect and you won't settle for less. And you learn that your body really is your temple. And you begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You begin to eat a balanced diet, drink more water, and take more time to exercise.

You learn that being tired fuels doubt, fear, and uncertainty and so you take more time to rest. And, just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So you take more time to laugh and to play. You learn that, for the most part, you get in life what you believe you deserve...and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy. You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for something to happen be different from working toward making it happen. More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline and perseverance. You also learn that no one can do it all alone...and that it's OK to risk asking for help.

You learn the only thing you must truly fear is the greatest robber baron of all: FEAR itself. You learn to step right into and through your fears because you know that whatever happens - you can handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your own terms. And you learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of impending doom.

You learn that life isn't always fair, you don't always get what you think you deserve and that sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people. On these occasions you learn not to personalize things. You learn that God isn't punishing you or failing to answer your prayers. It's just life happening. And you learn to deal with evil in its most primal state - the ego. You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy and resentment must be understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you.

You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges instead of walls. You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about: a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower. Slowly, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never, ever settle for less than your heart's desire. And you hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind. And you make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility.

Finally, with courage in your heart and God by your side you take a stand, you take a deep breath, and you begin to design the life you want to live as best you can.
You learn your truth and then live it.

Oy!

I was a substitute teacher today, and yesterday as well...

in a first grade classroom...

All I can say is...

GOD BLESS THE TEACHERS OF YOUNG CHILDREN!!!

God Bless Our Soldiers

May God bless our soldiers, their friends, and their families...


Please take time to listen to this.

Summer, where are you?

This morning...

"How long until summer, Mom?" said my little boy.

"Oh Jack, summer isn't for a very long time. You need to enjoy the snow while it's here!"

"But I've already enjoyed the snow!! Why can't summer come so I can enjoy that?!"

Something tells me he'll be heading south when he grows up!

Smile

Smile, for everyone lacks self-confidence and more than any other one thing a smile reassures them.

~ Andre Maurois

French Writer 1885 -1967

Jeri Lyn

I've added a link to Jeri Lyn's blog. I need to tell you a little story about her. Back in kindergarten, we were in the same class, and inseparable. Unfortunately she moved away. Was I ever surprised when she moved back in second grade and we were in the same class again! Life was good. Once again, she moved away after second grade. I remember visiting her for a weekend when I was 9 or 10. No one was more excited about going to her fourth grade birthday party then I was! Well, the morning of her party, I woke up with chicken pox! Oh, how sad I was! I never saw her after that. She moved out of state, and we lost touch.

Fast forward about 17 years...

Through the years, I would often think of Jeri Lyn. While I was at my mom's visiting, I decided to try to find her. I don't remember how, but I did end up finding her, and gave her a call. Turns out, we had a lot in common after all of those years. I was thrilled to catch up with her! She is in Colorado, I am in Wisconsin, but that has not stopped us from rekindling our friendship. I've gotten to see her briefly once since that phone call 11 years ago. I am hoping that we'll some day get to spend some time together.

Is there a friend you haven't seen for years? Find them and give them a call! You'll be glad you did.

I'm Back!

Greetings to all...

My computer crashed over a week ago, so I've been without one for 9 days. Surprisingly, I did not miss it too much. I found that I saw less of the news... not a bad thing. So many times when I read the news, I walked away astonished at the horrors I had just read. I want to be current with world events; I don't want to be ignorant. But, I found it quite refreshing to be free of the horrible stories of murder and other violent crimes. Maybe I should just read the news once a week, instead of every day. Balance is a good thing.

Remember the days when getting the Sunday paper was a big deal? Once a week, we got to read all about what had been happening in our community and around the world. For me, the comics and Target ads were the first things to be pulled from the Tribune! Maybe it's not such a bad idea to go back to that. In the town that I live in, the paper comes out every Wednesday. It is so much fun to read. When you live in a small town, chances are that you'll find articles or pictures of people you know. It keeps me informed of the good things in life, such as pictures of the school concerts, Honor Roll students, live entertainment, and birth announcements. This week, there was a whole page of new babies... adorable pictures, and all! There just may be more good news in our paper than bad! Now that's a refreshing idea!!!

2008!

Happy New Year to all!

May you be blessed this year in ways you never imagined.