This morning I woke up at 5:30. Immediately a friend popped into my head, and knowing some of the struggles she's encountering, I sent a heartfelt prayer heavenward. Hopefully, very soon, she will be relieved of some of what's on her mind.
My heart is full this morning...of gratitude for the beautiful things I know in my life. I've got a husband who is beyond word description. He's so good...to me, to my Mom, to my kids. He's so giving, so comical, so stinkin' cute! I've got a terrific and healthy Mom, and for that I'm grateful.
I'm glad that we still have her and that she is capable of still living alone. She refuses to live with us or anyone else, and says she'll hire someone to care for her if it ever gets to that point. Thankfully, it hasn't.
I have a large family and good friends, and I have an ever-present God. I am not alone. For that I am grateful! I have good health, albeit aches and pains, there's nothing to really complain about.
I have 'enough' and want for nothing.
There is an ever-changing world around me. There are trees of all sorts, with varieties of shape and color. There is light that alters itself according to the time of day and season. There are shadows that dance across the surface of the ground, and clouds above that never appear to be the same in the skies. There is so much to look at, so many things Nature gives us to ponder.
Life is good! And, I am grateful.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
Thoughts on the Fourth
Today I awakened to hot sun. Since I'm usually up before the sun, before the birds, I was surprised to see that my wrist watch read 8AM. Ahhhh well, I must have needed that sleep.
I find myself thinking about many things this morning. Yesterday's church service was attended by about half of our normal gathering, which is often the case on a holiday weekend. People are traveling, people have family...or a number of other reasons keep the numbers down. Those who weren't there missed a fantastic time in our sanctuary. We sang the patriotic hymns with great gusto, and I felt that my pew mates had their hearts fully engaged. There was a real attitude of joy in that room, some having to do with the freedoms we enjoy in this country of ours, some having to do with other blessings we have. Yesterday's blessing was multiplied by the presence of some of our congregants who have been out for some time, due to illnesses. Harold was back after an extended absence following heart surgery and rehabilitation, Sarah was back following surgery, Bob was back with his sense of humor following the suffering of a debilitating stroke, Sue was back after a long time of grieving for her lost husband, and Betty was back after a continuing battle with cancer. We also saw a photo of our pastor's great grandchild who was born in January, 3 months premature with lungs that weren't fully developed. We didn't know if that tiny guy would make it, but there he was in the photo, smiling, chubby and healthy. We were blessed to see so many of our prayers answered and failed not in giving thanks for each one!
I find myself wishing that my family members lived closer, so that we could enjoy this holiday together. My Georgia girls families have their own plans for the day, and my New York kids are limited by time and money. Our best friends are spending time with their own families, and one has to work today. So, we find ourselves alone, spending time with each other, which is definitely not a bad way to spend the day! We'll probably just stay home so that we don't put ourselves in harm's way on the highway. (LOL, I've corrected it just now, but my first typing of highway was 'HITway'. Freudian slip?)
Those ornaments I made for the "Christmas in July" ornament exchange are finished, so today I will package those up and get them ready to mail out tomorrow. The ones I've received thus far are very cute and diverse. There's a paper pinwheel made with snowflake scrapbook paper, a rusty old mason jar lid with a painted snowman face on it and a small rusty star hanging at the bottom, and a 'dirty' muslin stuffed star with a rusty vine of berries and a small rusty bell sewn on it which hangs from old twine. The rules stated that the ornaments should be handmade 'primitive' ones, meaning that they should look rustic and old, even if they aren't. My choice to make was small broomstick horses. The heads are handsewn, attached to a small dowel for the stick, with yarn manes and twine bridle and reins. They are white homespun fabric, but stained with tea to yellow the cloth. I hope they will be among the favorites with those in the exchange.
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We'll start another exchange soon...for Autumn. I've decided that I'll do either small,stuffed scarecrows or oak leaves that are muslin and stuffed with a quilt batting, with embroidered 'veins'.
The dyes will be natural ones made from beet juice or onions. When that exchange is done, we'll do a true Chrismas exchange. It's fun having other women's handwork!
My mind is racing with things this morning...but now it's time for my body to get up and move forth into the day. I hope you're all enjoying this holiday. Be safe, and I'll see you tomorrow.
I find myself thinking about many things this morning. Yesterday's church service was attended by about half of our normal gathering, which is often the case on a holiday weekend. People are traveling, people have family...or a number of other reasons keep the numbers down. Those who weren't there missed a fantastic time in our sanctuary. We sang the patriotic hymns with great gusto, and I felt that my pew mates had their hearts fully engaged. There was a real attitude of joy in that room, some having to do with the freedoms we enjoy in this country of ours, some having to do with other blessings we have. Yesterday's blessing was multiplied by the presence of some of our congregants who have been out for some time, due to illnesses. Harold was back after an extended absence following heart surgery and rehabilitation, Sarah was back following surgery, Bob was back with his sense of humor following the suffering of a debilitating stroke, Sue was back after a long time of grieving for her lost husband, and Betty was back after a continuing battle with cancer. We also saw a photo of our pastor's great grandchild who was born in January, 3 months premature with lungs that weren't fully developed. We didn't know if that tiny guy would make it, but there he was in the photo, smiling, chubby and healthy. We were blessed to see so many of our prayers answered and failed not in giving thanks for each one!
I find myself wishing that my family members lived closer, so that we could enjoy this holiday together. My Georgia girls families have their own plans for the day, and my New York kids are limited by time and money. Our best friends are spending time with their own families, and one has to work today. So, we find ourselves alone, spending time with each other, which is definitely not a bad way to spend the day! We'll probably just stay home so that we don't put ourselves in harm's way on the highway. (LOL, I've corrected it just now, but my first typing of highway was 'HITway'. Freudian slip?)
Those ornaments I made for the "Christmas in July" ornament exchange are finished, so today I will package those up and get them ready to mail out tomorrow. The ones I've received thus far are very cute and diverse. There's a paper pinwheel made with snowflake scrapbook paper, a rusty old mason jar lid with a painted snowman face on it and a small rusty star hanging at the bottom, and a 'dirty' muslin stuffed star with a rusty vine of berries and a small rusty bell sewn on it which hangs from old twine. The rules stated that the ornaments should be handmade 'primitive' ones, meaning that they should look rustic and old, even if they aren't. My choice to make was small broomstick horses. The heads are handsewn, attached to a small dowel for the stick, with yarn manes and twine bridle and reins. They are white homespun fabric, but stained with tea to yellow the cloth. I hope they will be among the favorites with those in the exchange.
We'll start another exchange soon...for Autumn. I've decided that I'll do either small,stuffed scarecrows or oak leaves that are muslin and stuffed with a quilt batting, with embroidered 'veins'.
The dyes will be natural ones made from beet juice or onions. When that exchange is done, we'll do a true Chrismas exchange. It's fun having other women's handwork!
My mind is racing with things this morning...but now it's time for my body to get up and move forth into the day. I hope you're all enjoying this holiday. Be safe, and I'll see you tomorrow.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Fireworks
In East Hampton, we always went to the fireworks on the Fourth of July. Well, it may not have been on the fourth, per se, but it was in celebration of the fourth. When I was a child, we chose the show that the Devon Yacht Club put on. We'd go down to Big Albert's beach or Fresh Pond beach and face toward the south and have a perfect view. We'd sit on our beach towels or blankets, and ooooo and aahh at every blast of color sent skyward.
The traffic was awful, even in those days, as we left the beach for home. It took quite awhile to get from the parking lot to the road as the police directed one car into the line from one direction, then another from another direction. Once we got on the road, we crept at a snail's pace, as we meandered through the woods on the winding road. By the time we arrived home, I think only my parents were awake!
When my kids were young, we often chose to go to the Main Beach fireworks, at the oceanside. The school band would assemble on the pavillion, and there would be the added enjoyment of the patriotic songs and Sousa marches. Most of friends, and their families, would gather there as well, so it was a party for us all. The volunteer fire department put on the fireworks show, and they did a wonderful job. They really were better than the ones at the bay. It was often cooler at the ocean beach,too, which meant not so many bugs. There were times,too, when the mist was so thick that we'd come home covered with salty dampness.
The leaving of Main Beach was no easier than leaving the other site. The police were there to direct traffic, and it was all done in an orderly fashion, but since there were so many cars and people, it was slow-going. In order to alleviate some of the excess on the road, the Village began running a school bus to and fro, so that people could still attend without having to have a car.
As the years went on and the kids grew up, we'd try to gather them to join us for the fireworks. My husband had a dump truck for his business, and we'd discovered that if we parked near the country club, a pretty good distance from Main Beach, we could sit in the back of the truck in lawn chairs, and all of us could see very well. We'd turn on the local radio station, and have our patriotic music while the pyrotecnics lit the skies with color and design. Parking there made it far easier to escape at the finale,too.
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We've seen firework displays in Connecticut, aboard a ferry boat that we thought would just deliver us to the shore of Long Island. Little did we know when we boarded that the boat would stop in the Sound, to watch the fireworks display! What a delight! We watched the light show in Massachusetts the night after my son was married. We've seen them in Woodstock, NH, after watching the most delightful parade of local people with home-made floats and children's decorated bikes and wagons, and listening to their military band in a gazebo on the square. I think that was Mike's and my favorite celebration of the fourth in our history. It was so simple and real.
So here we are again, and tonight we will watch fireworks put on by a church nearby. We'll park in the parking lot on a hill, facing the church, and will enjoy the show. How will you celebrate? Will you have parties? Where will you watch fireworks, or will you not? What is your favorite memory of a Fourth of July? However you choose, let's all remember to say, "Happy Birthday, America!" and thank God for the sacrifices made over the years to ensure the freedoms that we enjoy!
The traffic was awful, even in those days, as we left the beach for home. It took quite awhile to get from the parking lot to the road as the police directed one car into the line from one direction, then another from another direction. Once we got on the road, we crept at a snail's pace, as we meandered through the woods on the winding road. By the time we arrived home, I think only my parents were awake!
When my kids were young, we often chose to go to the Main Beach fireworks, at the oceanside. The school band would assemble on the pavillion, and there would be the added enjoyment of the patriotic songs and Sousa marches. Most of friends, and their families, would gather there as well, so it was a party for us all. The volunteer fire department put on the fireworks show, and they did a wonderful job. They really were better than the ones at the bay. It was often cooler at the ocean beach,too, which meant not so many bugs. There were times,too, when the mist was so thick that we'd come home covered with salty dampness.
The leaving of Main Beach was no easier than leaving the other site. The police were there to direct traffic, and it was all done in an orderly fashion, but since there were so many cars and people, it was slow-going. In order to alleviate some of the excess on the road, the Village began running a school bus to and fro, so that people could still attend without having to have a car.
As the years went on and the kids grew up, we'd try to gather them to join us for the fireworks. My husband had a dump truck for his business, and we'd discovered that if we parked near the country club, a pretty good distance from Main Beach, we could sit in the back of the truck in lawn chairs, and all of us could see very well. We'd turn on the local radio station, and have our patriotic music while the pyrotecnics lit the skies with color and design. Parking there made it far easier to escape at the finale,too.
We've seen firework displays in Connecticut, aboard a ferry boat that we thought would just deliver us to the shore of Long Island. Little did we know when we boarded that the boat would stop in the Sound, to watch the fireworks display! What a delight! We watched the light show in Massachusetts the night after my son was married. We've seen them in Woodstock, NH, after watching the most delightful parade of local people with home-made floats and children's decorated bikes and wagons, and listening to their military band in a gazebo on the square. I think that was Mike's and my favorite celebration of the fourth in our history. It was so simple and real.
So here we are again, and tonight we will watch fireworks put on by a church nearby. We'll park in the parking lot on a hill, facing the church, and will enjoy the show. How will you celebrate? Will you have parties? Where will you watch fireworks, or will you not? What is your favorite memory of a Fourth of July? However you choose, let's all remember to say, "Happy Birthday, America!" and thank God for the sacrifices made over the years to ensure the freedoms that we enjoy!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Summertime...and the Living is...HOT!
Summer here in SC is sweltering. We've had temperatures in the high 80's and 90's for months, summer weather in the springtime. The humidity seems awfully high for too long as well. It's too hot to be outside, and the no-see-ums and gnats seem to think that I'm sitting on the porch just so that they can sink their little teeth into my perspiring skin. No fun!
So...I stay in the house with the ceiling fan spinning and the AC set at 78 deg. I can handle that. We cook outside nearly every night, which keeps the oven from heating the house. I'm getting a lot done while I'm hiding from the heat, but I'm missing my husband, who looks as if he's truly melting away as he sits on the front porch, enduring it.
I was thinking today of summers 'back home' when my kids were small. We'd do whatever needed to be done in the house, and then I'd assign each child a beach item to carry to the car. One carried the insulated bag with sandwiches and beverages. One carried the bag with towels, another had the mesh bag of sand toys. Another carried the tubes, and another took the sand chair. It was a great undertaking to pack the car and get the 5 youngsters to the beach and then unload it all. Then, of course, there was the reverse of the same when we left! But, it was worth it to spend those carefree hours watching my kids splash and swim and enjoy themselves. It honestly was a great way to spend the summer days.
There was always a Fourth of July parade in the neighboring town of Southampton. Depending upon the traffic, it could be a drive of anywhere from half an hour to an hour, taking the main roads. It was a real mess trying to get away from the parade site, but we would generally park somewhere near the beginning of the parade, so we could leave as soon as the last float passed by. We'd walk to the car, and weave our way out of town, taking the back roads through Noyac and Sag Harbor. We'd be home and heading for the beach before the parade had actually finished its route.
Something else that was available in Southampton was a weekly concert. It was held in a park, and was usually worth going to. I remember one evening that I went with my husband's cousin. She and I parked ourselves on our army blankets on the grass, and watched as the kids romped and danced to the music. On that evening, someone sat down very near to us, with her family and another woman. She spoke with us throughout the evening, laughed easily, and was very friendly. It was Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg. We recognized her, but didn't reveal that we did. She was as nice a person as I've always envisioned her mother to be.
Summer back home was miserably humid, as my hometown was so that it was surrounded by the ocean and the bays. Being near the ocean where the breeze was salty and nice, was some relief, but the bay beach didn't have quite the same breeze quality. Sometimes it was breezy, but warm, and not so much help in cooling us off.
Ahhhh well. Summer is summer wherever you live...and there are good things about it, like longer days and fun things to do. (and central Air Conditioning) and pools or beaches. There are a few things to complain about, like heat, humidity and crowded conditions in those pools or on those beaches and roads. For most, the season is worth waiting for and far too short. As for me, I'll be happy to see the temperatures fall about twenty degrees.
I hope you're enjoying your summertime, no matter where you are or what you're doing!
So...I stay in the house with the ceiling fan spinning and the AC set at 78 deg. I can handle that. We cook outside nearly every night, which keeps the oven from heating the house. I'm getting a lot done while I'm hiding from the heat, but I'm missing my husband, who looks as if he's truly melting away as he sits on the front porch, enduring it.
I was thinking today of summers 'back home' when my kids were small. We'd do whatever needed to be done in the house, and then I'd assign each child a beach item to carry to the car. One carried the insulated bag with sandwiches and beverages. One carried the bag with towels, another had the mesh bag of sand toys. Another carried the tubes, and another took the sand chair. It was a great undertaking to pack the car and get the 5 youngsters to the beach and then unload it all. Then, of course, there was the reverse of the same when we left! But, it was worth it to spend those carefree hours watching my kids splash and swim and enjoy themselves. It honestly was a great way to spend the summer days.
There was always a Fourth of July parade in the neighboring town of Southampton. Depending upon the traffic, it could be a drive of anywhere from half an hour to an hour, taking the main roads. It was a real mess trying to get away from the parade site, but we would generally park somewhere near the beginning of the parade, so we could leave as soon as the last float passed by. We'd walk to the car, and weave our way out of town, taking the back roads through Noyac and Sag Harbor. We'd be home and heading for the beach before the parade had actually finished its route.
Something else that was available in Southampton was a weekly concert. It was held in a park, and was usually worth going to. I remember one evening that I went with my husband's cousin. She and I parked ourselves on our army blankets on the grass, and watched as the kids romped and danced to the music. On that evening, someone sat down very near to us, with her family and another woman. She spoke with us throughout the evening, laughed easily, and was very friendly. It was Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg. We recognized her, but didn't reveal that we did. She was as nice a person as I've always envisioned her mother to be.
Summer back home was miserably humid, as my hometown was so that it was surrounded by the ocean and the bays. Being near the ocean where the breeze was salty and nice, was some relief, but the bay beach didn't have quite the same breeze quality. Sometimes it was breezy, but warm, and not so much help in cooling us off.
Ahhhh well. Summer is summer wherever you live...and there are good things about it, like longer days and fun things to do. (and central Air Conditioning) and pools or beaches. There are a few things to complain about, like heat, humidity and crowded conditions in those pools or on those beaches and roads. For most, the season is worth waiting for and far too short. As for me, I'll be happy to see the temperatures fall about twenty degrees.
I hope you're enjoying your summertime, no matter where you are or what you're doing!
Friday, July 1, 2011
Yuk...Roadkill
It's inevitable. Wherever there are animals, there is bound to be 'roadkill'. When we lived in East Hampton, it was generally deer that I saw, as they were so prolific. Sometimes there would be an occasional squirrel or cat or dog.
Here in SC, there are more critters around. We cannot drive the country roads without finding at last one victim of a motorized vehicle. There are deer, cats,dogs, snakes, fox, racoons, opossum and that odiferous cutie, skunks! Just driving the 9 miles to our grocery store the other day, I was blessed to pass two of those dead polecats who filled my car with the unmistakeable 'perfume.'
It saddens me to see these cadavers lying there after meeting their fate. I like animals (not necessarily skunks...but they really are cute!) I find myself shuddering with squeamishness as I pass by. More than the sight of them, I despise the smell of them! And, I think, more than that, I hate seeing the vultures as they gather for their feast.
I haven't much more to say on this subject...and I'll bet you're glad it's come to an end, aren't you? Well, this is part of country living and it was on my mind....but I do apologize if I've 'grossed you out.' I'll come up with something more pleasant tomorrow, I promise.
Here in SC, there are more critters around. We cannot drive the country roads without finding at last one victim of a motorized vehicle. There are deer, cats,dogs, snakes, fox, racoons, opossum and that odiferous cutie, skunks! Just driving the 9 miles to our grocery store the other day, I was blessed to pass two of those dead polecats who filled my car with the unmistakeable 'perfume.'
It saddens me to see these cadavers lying there after meeting their fate. I like animals (not necessarily skunks...but they really are cute!) I find myself shuddering with squeamishness as I pass by. More than the sight of them, I despise the smell of them! And, I think, more than that, I hate seeing the vultures as they gather for their feast.
I haven't much more to say on this subject...and I'll bet you're glad it's come to an end, aren't you? Well, this is part of country living and it was on my mind....but I do apologize if I've 'grossed you out.' I'll come up with something more pleasant tomorrow, I promise.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Returning...
Why do I do this so often? I go shopping for something to wear... find it on the rack, purchase it, and when I get it home, it's ill-fitting or looks wrong, or something that makes me hate it. So, back I go to the store to return it for a refund or for an exchange. The reason is because I despise trying things on in the dressing rooms!
I'm lazy, I guess. I don't like to undress, try on, undress and redress in a tiny box with lying mirrors! I'd rather take it home, try it on before my own lying mirrors and get an honest opinion from my husband about how it looks. The trouble is, he's a very cautious (and wise) man with his honest comments. He knows that if I've bought the item, I obviously like it. He doesn't want to be negative, even if it's honest, if he thinks I might want to keep it. But, I've learned that if I am make all the negative comments, he'll either question me about why I say that, because 'it's really pretty' or 'it looks nice on you'....or he'll say, "It's up to you, Love." Very honest....very cautious... and no help at all! I always know though, if he really likes something, from his "Whooo,
look at YOU!" or "Wow!"
So, here I go again today....back to the store to return something. I didn't even ask my husband about this one, as it's easy to know when something is too large. The lying mirrors had a moment of clarity and made sure that I knew that my ample chest was not ample enough to fill the space in that area of the dress. Though I could do a few nips and tucks in the fabric in spots, I am not going to do that. Instead I'm going to take my by-now-all-too-familiar face to the return counter and hope that there's someone new working the area! This is getting embarressing!
At least I'm not spending double gas mileage just to return something that I probably shouldn't have bought anyway. Not today. I've also got some errands to do, so I'll get those out of the way, and pop in to Michael's for something I need for the Christmas ornament exchange. I'm going to hold on to those returned dollars tightly, because Michael's or Hobby Lobby is my version of the den of iniquity! Pure temptation at every turn, on every aisle. I must focus....get what I need and get OUT of there!
I will remind myself of these things the next time I don't feel like trying things on in the dressing room. I will look myself square in the eye in the lying mirrors, and I will say, 'Just think of the money you can save by trying on instead of spending extra gas to make a second trip. You can avoid going to the den of inquity and overspending there. You will not buy what you don't need! Actually...if you try on, you'll find something you really are happy with right here, today...and you can spend a little more on jewelry or shoes to go with it. You'll still end up saving money!"
Oh, the tricks we play....
I'm lazy, I guess. I don't like to undress, try on, undress and redress in a tiny box with lying mirrors! I'd rather take it home, try it on before my own lying mirrors and get an honest opinion from my husband about how it looks. The trouble is, he's a very cautious (and wise) man with his honest comments. He knows that if I've bought the item, I obviously like it. He doesn't want to be negative, even if it's honest, if he thinks I might want to keep it. But, I've learned that if I am make all the negative comments, he'll either question me about why I say that, because 'it's really pretty' or 'it looks nice on you'....or he'll say, "It's up to you, Love." Very honest....very cautious... and no help at all! I always know though, if he really likes something, from his "Whooo,
look at YOU!" or "Wow!"
So, here I go again today....back to the store to return something. I didn't even ask my husband about this one, as it's easy to know when something is too large. The lying mirrors had a moment of clarity and made sure that I knew that my ample chest was not ample enough to fill the space in that area of the dress. Though I could do a few nips and tucks in the fabric in spots, I am not going to do that. Instead I'm going to take my by-now-all-too-familiar face to the return counter and hope that there's someone new working the area! This is getting embarressing!
At least I'm not spending double gas mileage just to return something that I probably shouldn't have bought anyway. Not today. I've also got some errands to do, so I'll get those out of the way, and pop in to Michael's for something I need for the Christmas ornament exchange. I'm going to hold on to those returned dollars tightly, because Michael's or Hobby Lobby is my version of the den of iniquity! Pure temptation at every turn, on every aisle. I must focus....get what I need and get OUT of there!
I will remind myself of these things the next time I don't feel like trying things on in the dressing room. I will look myself square in the eye in the lying mirrors, and I will say, 'Just think of the money you can save by trying on instead of spending extra gas to make a second trip. You can avoid going to the den of inquity and overspending there. You will not buy what you don't need! Actually...if you try on, you'll find something you really are happy with right here, today...and you can spend a little more on jewelry or shoes to go with it. You'll still end up saving money!"
Oh, the tricks we play....
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Words of Wisdom II
After finishing the blog the other day about the wise sayings of my elders, I remembered a number of others....probably many too many for this entry. I thought I'd share those too.
I don't know how many times my mother has said in my lifetime, "Beauty is as beauty does." I always knew what it meant when she said it. I was probably wrapped up in how I looked, rather than how I was acting. I've come to realize that a beautiful spirit is far more appealing than any face or body that we might consider to be attractive. If a soul is living as one knows is right, peace is evident. Soft spoken, content spirits are likely to be kinder, gentler people. Without kindness and loving actions, there is nothing very beautiful in a person.
My aunt, who was quite a 'fashionista' used to tell me that you need to 'dress for success.' While I was working, I always attempted to look my best, be modestly and appropriately attired for the office. I don't know if I truly was more successful in doing so, but I certainly felt better about myself that I did on those days when I was home in my 'grubbies'.
Whenever something was a troublesome situation, my Dad used to say, "this too shall pass." Those words come from the Bible, and are pure truth. Nothing lasts forever on this earth....all things pass sooner or later. It is a verse that gives me hope when I hit a rough patch in life's path.
It only lasts for a little while, and we move on to a brighter day.
Both of my parents have said, as does my beloved husband, "Anything worth doing is worth doing right." And.. since we cannot know what we would do if we were put into another person's situation, "Don't judge."
There are so many words of wisdom that I've heard in life. The older I get, I think I'm gathering them in my heart. I glean them from the old familiar hymns. I hear their messages in lines from books or movies. My Bible is full of them, but then of course, what is more wise than the voice of God? The words seem to echo in my ears when I need to hear them most.
I'm grateful for them, and I'm still learning from them. As another old sage once said, "We are never too old to learn."
I don't know how many times my mother has said in my lifetime, "Beauty is as beauty does." I always knew what it meant when she said it. I was probably wrapped up in how I looked, rather than how I was acting. I've come to realize that a beautiful spirit is far more appealing than any face or body that we might consider to be attractive. If a soul is living as one knows is right, peace is evident. Soft spoken, content spirits are likely to be kinder, gentler people. Without kindness and loving actions, there is nothing very beautiful in a person.
My aunt, who was quite a 'fashionista' used to tell me that you need to 'dress for success.' While I was working, I always attempted to look my best, be modestly and appropriately attired for the office. I don't know if I truly was more successful in doing so, but I certainly felt better about myself that I did on those days when I was home in my 'grubbies'.
Whenever something was a troublesome situation, my Dad used to say, "this too shall pass." Those words come from the Bible, and are pure truth. Nothing lasts forever on this earth....all things pass sooner or later. It is a verse that gives me hope when I hit a rough patch in life's path.
It only lasts for a little while, and we move on to a brighter day.
Both of my parents have said, as does my beloved husband, "Anything worth doing is worth doing right." And.. since we cannot know what we would do if we were put into another person's situation, "Don't judge."
There are so many words of wisdom that I've heard in life. The older I get, I think I'm gathering them in my heart. I glean them from the old familiar hymns. I hear their messages in lines from books or movies. My Bible is full of them, but then of course, what is more wise than the voice of God? The words seem to echo in my ears when I need to hear them most.
I'm grateful for them, and I'm still learning from them. As another old sage once said, "We are never too old to learn."
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