DRIFTWOOD.....

Mildred says: Treat everyone with politeness, even though they are rude to you----not because they are nice, but because you are!

Time is flying......Christmas is creeping upon us. I do have my house decorated and all my gifts wrapped, but I still have a very long "to-do" list before I'm out of here the 22nd. My favorite neighbor just ran in to borrow a cup of milk......I am so glad I live in a neighborhood where that still happens. Sherrie just called from Hawaii, to remind me to pick them up in the morning and see how Lillie Lu is doing? Isn't life interesting? As I decorate my favorite piece of driftwood with Christmas lights, it brings back the wonderful memories of my mother, who was the person that taught me about the character of driftwood.

Driftwood....my body is part driftwood.....my mother loved driftwood and I have always been fascinated by it! It drifts with the tides, feeling what it feels, sees what it sees and hears what it hears along the way. Being shaped by its environment one day at a time. My drifting is not just in my town, my city, my state or my country , my drifting includes the currents of the world.

How many people do you know that are made of driftwood-----or wish they were? Driftwood has character---Interesting texture, shape, design, molded and formed by many experiences through the years as it is tossed and turned, left to dry in the sun, then picked up again and sweep along by the currents of life never knowing what tomorrow will bring. There are no two pieces of driftwood alike, as with people.....somehow I think driftwood has more fun!

WHEN THE JOURNEY IS THE DESTINATION.....

Since I was a little girl one of my favorite songs was, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." I always thought somewhere out there in our big world there was this land "where the skies are blue and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true!" I always had dreams and goals growing up and many of them have come true, but it isn't the magic world I had hoped for as a child.

Our journey through life to eventual end (in wherever you believe is the end) is our destination. Wouldn't it be sad to think after you have lived your life----then that was it? Most of us work hard to be all we can be so that when we reach our destination with God---it is a destination to work hard for. I guess Thanksgiving opens us up to what we are thankful for in our lives. I had a wonderful Thanksgiving and my list is very long as to what I am thankful for today. I went to Little America for dinner and it was hard to believe there would be hungry people on that day. However, as we were driving to the hotel we passed the homeless shelter and the line was long as many lined up for their turkey dinner, and I was thankful they had a place to go, as I did. I was thankful I was with family, I had people who cared for me, how lucky I am. Thanksgiving sets the stage for the next holiday on our calendar and I hope we can help make someone less fortunate have a Merry Christmas.

Enjoyed a wonderful movie today, "The Descendents" with George Clooney. Wrapped Christmas presents and getting excited about a very busy December coming up. Life is good!

OVER THE HILL AND THROUGH THE WOODS....

Long gone are the days of "over the hill and through the woods to grandmother's house we go.".....but I am so glad I had those times in my life as I was growing up. My grandparents lived up the street and grandma was a wonderful cook. My mother's brothers and their families came with cousins to play with. What we ate I do not remember, but the good times of being a family was great. I am going out to eat with my daughter and her familytomorrow. I offered to do the turkey thing, but was voted down,(thankgoodness). Three of my good friends also said they were going out to eat with their kids......I am trying to figure out why grandmother's don't cook family dinners anymore. I think one reason is now days families are strung all over and it seems senseless to cook a huge turkey and all the trimming for 4 to six people. Sherrie and her family flew off to Hawaii yesterday for the holidays, Pam is having a late dinner for Will and Tiff and Scott. Nicci is going to her boy friend's house in Indiana. Maybe to many different schedules to fit together. Oh well, as long as everyone gets to eat all they want and it does cut down on the poor turkeys who are sacrificed!
Karrie and I ran up to Park City to the outlets to finish up my Christmas shopping. Now to get it all wrapped and the house decorated. We are having early Christmas as Karrie's family is heading out on a cruise for Christmas. Yes, things are starting to change. Next Christmas Alex will be ona mission, the next year both Richie and Alex will be gone on missions. So I say, "suck it up cupcake, life is about changing."
Don't be sad it is ending........Just be glad it happened! Happy Thanksgiving.

thx-thx-thx

"The nicest thing about the future is.....it always starts tomorrow. Yes, in the future I am going to get more organized, I am going to lose some weight, I am going to be a better house keeper etc. etc. etc. It's always about tomorrow, but soon we run out of tomorrows. But I do have a very long "bucket list!"

Today I took the Christensons to the airport and they flew away for Thanksgiving in Hawaii......Brayden and Kennedy just got their scuba diving license so now they all can explore the bottoms of the ocean around Hawaii.

I'll just sit in the sun on the sand and be happy myself! Busy getting ready for Christmas, most the shopping is done, now to wrap the presents and decorate the house. A beautiful 51 degrees today.

I am so grateful for all I have and the life I have ended up with. I try to express my gratitude every day in my prayers for the wonderful things in my life. I am grateful for a safe warm home and a good bed every night. I am grateful I am never hungry. I am grateful for Happy strong children that love and care for me, for friends that call and check on me. That I live in a land that is free, that at my age I still have a good mind and body to be self sufficient! Health is everything......and I am grateful for a life of good health. I am grateful for each day God gives me and I hope I can give something back. Yes, Gratitude allows you to say, "Life is a gift." When you feel grateful, you feel worthwhile.....

MOVING ON.....

Mildred says: Work for a cause, not applause....

Live life to express, not impress....

Don't strive to make your presence noticed,

Just make your absense felt!

Why do we continually cling to the past? The past is gone, except in our minds. When we dwell on past hurts, mistakes, or even joys, we can't focus on the present. No amount of thinking or worrying can change the past or recapture it and being it into the present. And mostly that is a good thing.

We should now say good-bye to the past, thanking all of our experiences for the lessons they brought us. Then we can concentrate on what is here and now. We can fully experience each new moment as it comes. We can also give our full attention to each new lesson as it is presented to us. Have I learned anything from my past experiences? Wow, have I? Have these experiences made my life better? You learn, you teach people how to treat you!!!!

As we turn our minds to each present moment, we find ourselvers recognizing the continuum of life. Who we are now is a result of past lessons learned. We don't need to remember the experiences that taught us the lessons,only the lessons themselves. AND we are where we are in life from the choices we have made....AND the choices our parents made! Assume the responsibilites of your choices....good or bad.....and move forward. Life is great.....and I love it!

THE LITTLE WEDDING BAND.......

I love learning something new everyday, this makes sense even though I can't prove it is true! Why the wedding ring is worn on the fourth finger. The Chinese give a beautiful explanation to this: The thumb represents your parents. The Index finger represents your siblings. The middle finger represents yourself. The ring finger represents your life partner. The little/pinky finger represents your children.

Hold your hands together. Join middle fingers tip-to-tip. Now try to separate your thumbs. They will separate because your parents are not destined to live with you forever. Now separate index fingers. They will separate because siblings have their own families and lead their own lives. Separate the pinky, they will separate because your children grow up and have their own families. Now try to separate your ring finger......they will not separte because your life partner is meant to be with you throughout your entire life! OH REALLY? Well, anyway I think it is the perfect answer to why we wear our ring on the finger we do.

Snowed last night and made my grandsons happy. I realize Christmas is about 35 days away. I have my shopping done, but odds and ends. I turned on my Christmas Tree lights tonight for the first time. Love, love, love Christmas Trees, brings back so many wonderful Christmases and happy times in my past. Got a lot done the past week, next big day Thanksgiving upon us.

ACCEPTING TRAGEDY

God knows best.......Life does not let us slip through life without some kind of tragedy, supposedly to make us stronger and test us. To help us really know what we can and cannot handle.

No matter who we are or where we are on our path, tragedy can strike us or our loved ones. As Leo Buscaglia says "we cannot stop a hurricane, silence a storm, or keep a loved one from leaving us". These things and others, just happen."

It may be hard for us to understand why God allows tragedies to occur. We may feel betrayed. We may want to give up on God or this whole spirtuality business. We may wonder why we should bother working so hard at our spirtual growth, only to be ignored in our time of need.

But, after our grief and our anger, we can experience another feeling: acceptance.....God has wisdom and a plan we know nothing about. Letting go means accepting both the painful and the joyful gifts our Higher Power sends us. I know this is true and I say just have patience. After my husband of 30 years walked out on his family, I definitely was angry at God, but 25 years later I have lived through the hurt and pain and thank him for seeing what I did not. I accept life's tragedies with serenity now, knowing that I am on God's plan and he knows what is best for me. Good doctor appointment today, no bad news! Big storm due in tonight, but we have heard that before. Love my new Pinterest program.....thank you Sher!

PATIENCE

Mertle says: "Just when I think I am learning patience, I realize it's just that I don't really give a shit!" When things go wrong or needs fixed, I want it taken care of NOW. My computer started doing strange things and I thought it might have a virus, so I took it in. Good news, not virus just needed a good cleaning out and adjusting. Had the attention of three very willing helpers answer the millions of questions I have about computers. The area manager Dave, the manager Whitney and the technicion David. I did end up buying a portable hard drive, had it programed into my computer so I just plug it in every night and it records all my happenings of the day on the hard drive, I can now delete a lot of stuff and make my computer faster and if my computer ever crashes or is stolen I can just take the hard drive in and put it in a new one.......At almost 80 I will never be able to keep up with all the fun stuff out there but with nice guys like the ones helping me today, I will survive!

Now about patience......we choose to be either patient or impatient many times each day. We have to wait for people, computers, traffic lights, and the preparation of food.Impatience doesn't make us feel better. It only makes us nervous, angry, and unable to enjoy ourselves. We learn patience by practicing it every day. When we drive up to a flashing light at railroadcrossing,stead of turning around and finding another route, we can wait. Try to wonder what's inside the boxcars, noticing signs of where they've been or where they're going. A quiet moment like this won't spoil our day or destroy our schedule. It just might help us,refresh us, calm us down, and remind us to be patient. However, anyone who has ever been married and had children........knows patience!

PLANNING HELPS

"Even doing nothing takes some planning."
In Rick Warren's book The Purpose Driven, he explains that life is not your enemy, but your thinking can be. We must realize our minds are very powerful tools that can work for us or against us at any given time. We do have choices. We can learn to flow with life, or struggle against it and not try to change it. Dr. Wayne Dyer says, "we are spiritual beings having a human experience here on earth." Each one of us have the capacity to make this human experience all it can be in our lives, We all have challenges to face in our lives but we have the resources to live a happy, fulfilled life regardless of the challenges we face.
Our success as a human being does not lie in our collections of possessions or accomplishments. It does not lie in the details of our predicament, but in how we deal with what we have and how we face our challenges. When you are looking for an answer to your problem look for more than one answer. Allow your imagination to open up.......Take for instance the question ....."How do you keep a fish from smelling?" Ask a dozen people and you will get a different answer. 1. Cook it as soon as you catch it. 2. Freeze it. 3. Wrapped it in paper. 4. Leave it in the water. 5. Switch to chicken. 6. Keep a cat around. 7. Burn incense. 8. Cut of it's nose?????? Different words bring in different assumptions and lead your thinking in different directions. More answers, more options. Make good plans, and keep on track.
Richie coming over to clean up my back yard before the storm hits this weekend. Such a sweet-heart.

FIRM FOUNDTION.....

This little spider knows to survive you have to build a Firm Foundation!Last month I visited the St Paul's Chapel, the tiny 245-year-old stone chapel across thre street from Ground Zero. That little church has a bell that is famous just like the Big Ben and the Liberty Bell it is called St. Paul's "Bell of Hope". A message left on a near-by fence......"you have destroyed our buildings, but not our foundation." was seen. Now ten years later the buildings are slowly beginning to reappear, but what about our foundation? How strong is America's foundation "with a fragile economy, a dysfunctional government, devalued institutions and angry,dispirited citizens"? Yes, our nation's foundation needs some work. My generation watch everyday as America's foundation is slowly crumbling under Obama. This recession with everyone's homes being devaluated, our retirement savings being shrunk, and the unemployment rate among those over 55 is at historic highs, just when many need a job to see them through till life's end. Today my children and grandchildren have the challenge of restoring a foundation built on our shared history of inventiveness, freedom and sensitivity to others. Yes, St. Paul's is a very small church but it's contribution to mankind when it was needed is the foundation of our country.......you don't have to be the tallest, richest, brightest to be famous and contribute to the foundation of our wonderful country.
FYI......Women are angels....and when some one breaks our wings......we simply continue on a broom stick. We're flexcible like that!

MOTHERHOOD......

"Motherhood isn't something that just happens to you. It is a choice you make everyday, to put someone else's happiness and well-being ahead of your own, to teach the hard lessons, to do the right thing even when your not sure what the right thing is......and to forgive yourself over and over again for doing everything wrong."

Half the time your kids end up hateing you for at least five of their teenage years....but you can count yourself a success if they don't end up pregnant, in jail or on drugs and finish school. Do they thank you? Not right away.

Then as time marches on and your children find themselves in "Parenthood".... they start to look back on the "whens"and "wheres" of their younger days, they begin to view their youth as not so bad and their mother was not really the "Wicked Witch of thre West." You see God is really a fair and just God....and he has a way of controlling what goes around comes around. Soon you witness your children struggling like you did to do the right thing at the right time for the right people. They feel dumb and out of control at times, but know they can't quit trying. Time is the key word....give time and it takes time.

This cycle of children driving their parents crazy with late hours, undone homework, messy rooms, always needing a ride, money or a new pair of shoes. Wasting time on cell phones and texting, primpting and putting off chores are really wonderful tests put on parents, to see if they are really up to deserving these wonderful little spirits God trusts us with.

I am greatful God let me be a mother...."Gratitude is an art of painting an adversity into a lovely picture." ( Kak Sri ) Yes, I loved being a mother.....but being a grandmother is even better!

A beautiful Sunday morning and I'm off to Panniers of dinner.

GOING THROUGH THE DOOR....

How do you discover the life of a place when you travel? I have been absolutely enchanted by doors all over the world.....when I see a closed door my radar goes up.....am I shut out or are they shut in? This elegant silver door was in the hotel I stayed in, in Bombay, India (Mumbai). I have had my picture taken with many doors this perhaps is the the most elegant, but not necessarily the most interesting.

My gypsie blood has taken me"Beyond the Borders", through many doors. I have learned, yes, museums hold many interesting things of the past, but don't pass by all you can see in the present around you. Talk to the locals: they live there and are proud of their city and can answer all your questions. If you go to the local bars or hangouts, this is where life is manifested.Strike up a conversation with some of the patrons, just have a good chat, enjoy the people. Never compare....don't compare prices, quality of life, means of transportation, food, accomodations. You are here to learn how others live and discover what they can teach you. Ship gifts home and avoid paying for ----and carrying---too much luggage. Realize you are not going to be able to see "everything", just enjoy what you can work into your schedule. Learn a few words of a new language and getting lost can be a great adventure, what you find my change your life.

I am looking forward to my next cruise in April and finding some neat doors with secrets behind them. Off to Mexican food tonight with Pam and maybe Tiff.

TO MY GRANDDAUGHTERS

I was just reading something that made me chuckle: as they get older your kids become just like you and you don't like them, but your grandchildren are perfect! All I know is that my granddaughters are perfect. I have three granddaughters and six grandsons that I love dearly. Pictured here is Nicole, Andrea and Tiffany. This poem is for them; TO MY GRANDDAUGHTERS
I've traveled paths you've yet to walk, Learned lessons old and new.
And now this wisdom of my life, I'm blessed to share with you.
Let kindness spread like sunshine, Embrace those who are sad.
Respect their dignity, give them joy and leave them feeling glad.
Forgive those who might hurt you, And though you have your pride,
Listen closely to their viewpoint, Try to see the other side.
Walk softly when you're angry, Try not to take offense.
Invoke, your sense of humor, Laughter's power is immense!
Express what you are feeling, Your beliefs you should uphold,
Don't shy away from what is right, Be courageous and be bold.
Keep hope right in your pocket, It will guide you day by day,
Take it out when it is needed, When it's near, you'll find a way.
Remember friends and family, Of which you are a precious part,
Love deeply and love truly, Give freely from your heart.
The world is far from perfect, There's conflict and there's strife,
But you still can make a difference, By how you live your life.
And so I'm very blessed to know, The wonders you will do,
Because you are my granddaughters, And I believe in you. Thanks girls for being mine.....Gram

NOVEMBER ALREADY

Oh Yea, leaf raking time.....not! The first of November came in with a hefty snow storm down here in the valley......it soon melted but it was not welcome. Just don't get to serious about life, snow is upon us and we might as well face it. As they say "enjoy the sparkle of snow----as long as you don't have to shovel it!"

With the Thanksgiving season fast approaching we need to feel the gratitude for all we have, be thankful. In fact, new research shows that people keeping a gratitude journal sleep better and have more good moods and a stronger sense of connection to others.......As Thanksgiving approaches, I will try to become more receptive, aware and full of gratitude. Even the simplest things can become reasons for thanksgiving when we are in the mindset of gratitude. I don't need to shovel the snow of my past, but I can enjoy the sparkle of the present. It is easier to focus on the good----what I do have, what I can do, what is still good in the world---if I remember that everything is in God's hands, after all. I just talked to a very old and dear friend who lost her husband a month ago, she is struggling....I wish I could help her, but all I can do is be there for her, reassuring her, this to will pass. At 6:15 this morning I was awaken by a call: "Is this Betty Peterson?" "Yes" "well this is Jim something or the other and I just want you to know I am putting Debra's clothes out on the curb for the truck to pick up "Me, "and is Debra your wife?" " No, she is your daughter!" Well, I told him I did not have a daughter named Debra and we concluded he had the wrong Bettty Peterson......I will never know why Debra's clothes were being disposed of and if her mother was ever informed. Gratitude.....I was the wrong Betty Peterson! but the mystery lingers on. Have gratitude this winter, even if you have to shovel.......