BAGS

Every woman loves a new purse! My twin daughters, Sherrie and Karrie are "bag ladies", so to speak. It all started when they went to a expo in Las Vegas and saw some purses they liked. They got a better deal on them if they bought a hundred dollars worth, so they did. With the extras they came back and had a purse party for their friends. It was such a big hit, they now go back to market a couple of times a year on a buying trip. They show them at boutiques, purse parties, and have a line at a local hair salon. People knock on the door to get a birthday present, mother's days present, Christmas present and the family love having firsts on their shipments. Now days purses come in every color, size and shape. People of all sizes, shapes and tastes can always find the perfect purse for any occasion. In my early years of life, I had a medium sized black purse for Fall and Winter. Then about Easter time I got a white purse for Spring and Summer. Life was so simple then, choices in my price range was easy. Now I wish you would see what I am carrying! The girls insist I keep up with new trends and "advertise" for them. I have really stepped out of the box and my latest is a BIG bag, beige, covered in ruffles, you know I really like it and get all kinds of compliments on it! What am I grateful for today? I have these sweet girls, who aren't letting their mother become an old fuddy-duddy.

Just Reframe It.

All of life seems to be about ying or yang.........Good or bad, right or wrong. You get a challenge and you answer it. We learn early in life, our life is not all sunshine and roses, and we need some bad along with the good to appreciate good....I learned in my NLP course you can fix many things by reframing them so when an angry person calls you the B---- word, just reframe it! In your mind say: Yes I am a Babe---In---Total---Control of---Herself, or I am Beautiful---Intelligent---Talented---Charming---Hell of a woman, or Beautiful---Individual---That---Can--- Handle anything. I think I like the last one best. Smile back at the person and say you are right....there goes their anger. Every time I start to feel like a victim I think, what can I do to reframe this situation? On a cold, cloudy, stormy day.....don't moan, reframe. Just think I have a warm house, a cupboard full of food and a tv. Enjoy the day, tomorrow the sun will shine. So I will try and always remember, reframe, reframe, reframe. You can put a plain old black frame around the problem, or and old fashion ornate frame or a gold eye catching frame. You choose. "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, It's about learning to dance in the rain." CTR......Choose the Right. Today I am grateful to have the freedom to choose what is best for me.

One Pair of Hands

Glen Campbell sang a song that really hit my heart entitled "One Pair of Hands."

One pair of hands built the mountains, one pair of hands formed the sea. And one pair of hands made the sun and the moon, every bird, every flower, every tree. One pair of hands formed the valleys, the ocean, the rivers and the sand. His hands are so strong, so when life goes wrong, put your faith in one pair of hands...............yes one pair of hands! WOW.

Just the power of this thought says how can anyone doubt the wonderful things God does and can do. It has made me value my hands as a wonderful possession and gift from God. I pray that I can always use my hands for good things, like helping others. My mother, Hazel Yeomans wrote a poem many years ago about her hands that just about says it all:

My Hands.......A million times a day, I thank you God, they're made this way.

They're large, but being large they do, the many things I want them to.

They help to cook and sew and bake, they're not too nice to hoe and rake.

They wash the clothes and hang them up, bath a baby, then scrub a pup.

Pick up after a family, and yet...........they can play a rhapsody.

No, they're not white with nails of pink, but I wouldn't want that kind I think.

They are not idle lazy hands, content with wearing golden bands.

My hands don't boast of diamond rings, they're large hands.......meant for doing things.

I would suggest to everyone to make a list of just ONE day in your life of all the things you do that day with your pair of hands. I think that night in your prayers you would say, "thank you God for my hands."

I am grateful today: for my wonderful pair of hands.

Sad Day

"Nothing is forever"........and you have to believe that. Every family has good days and bad days and your always thankful when you have more good days than bad days. Well, this family had a bad day this week. Sherrie's six month old golden retreaver puppy, Zoie, was run over by her husband. He felt bad, she felt bad, the three boys felt bad, and of course so did the rest of our family. Zoie was a precious, busy, beautiful puppy from Sherrie's twin sisters litter of 10 puppies. We all felt like they were all ours. Very few of us get through life without such a tradegy with one of our pets. I have been there done that, when my precious minature yorkie, Mr. Maxx, was run over and killed when he got out of my daughters back yard. I have also had to take two wonderful pets into the vet to be put down, which is just as hard. Lots of tears! We know they are all happy in Doggie Heaven. I have ordered a better week for all of us starting tomorrow.

I am greatful for: all the happy times and memories our pets have given us.

Mom liked you Best.

I'm the short one next to my father. The oldest of four girls and finally a baby brother. I was about 19 here, Joan 16.....tall and slender. Dixie Lee 11, Leslie Ruth 9 and Jimmy Dick 6. A fun and happy family. My mother was from Mancos, Colorado and my father from Prescott, Arizona. They settled in Mancos on the old Wetheral Ranch, the people that discovered Mesa Verde National Park. Later we moved to town in the big white house on the corner. As I grew up we all thought and expressed regularly and vocally, "Mother likes you best!" This mother had the nack of making each one of us feel very important and special. Down deep we knew she loved us all the same, but could not help accuse her of having favorites........pleasssssssse can I? Go ask your father. Poor Dad got drug into our arguments and they usually came to a unanimous agreement of yes or no. I wouldn't trade those growing up days for anything in the world. What a learning experience and I loved my family dearly. I still do many years later, I am sad to say my parents and two of my little sisters are no longer with us, but the memories I have carry me on. So if you hear this over and over from your kids, or feel it in your heart about your family, at least you know your not alone. STILL......i think Mom liked me best!!!!!!!

I'm a Joiner

I have always joined every club that would have me I think. In High School there were the usual Cheering Club, Choral group, Spanish Club and the Rainbow Girls. On into college and the soriety thing, dance club etc. When I got married I was tied down with a baby and for a few years didn't join as much. I did belong to the National Guard Wives and a couple of night bridge clubs. We always traveled and I soon become obsessed with getting to 100 countries in the world so I could belong to the "100 Countries Country Club." I made it by the time I was 70 and have since added another 20 or so. But probably the club I am most proud of is: "The Mother's of Twins Club..........where God picks the members!" Quit exclusive and not everyone can belong. My twin girls Sherrie and Karrie are identical, even mirror imagine twins. Sher is right handed, Kar is left handed, so when they face each other they are using the same hand. I don't attend meetings any more as they both have families of their own.........I still belong. I joined a knitting club. "Witty Knitters", A prayer shawl ministry group who knit shawls for those in need of them. A group that have traveled round the world together and the special coffee club bunch. I was in an investment group, but quit when they kept losing money. Belonged to a book club, but they readfaster than I do and I was always behind! A friend and I started a "Red Hat Group" at the local Senior Citizen Center, but my red hat wore out. Guess I am a joiner and a quitter of clubs, but met many nice people and have lots of fun memories. Today I am grateful for my sweet family who take very good care of me.

March

Been waiting all day for March to come in like a Lion, but its sunny, warm, about 50 degrees so I guess the Lamb won out! I just feel happy and smiling today. I find a challenge in the things that move me through the many floors of my life! Like they say "The past is over---wipe the dirt off your feet." As soon as I master the challenge, I am ready for the next challenge. I learned to type, then I learned short-hand ( I know, what's that?) On to knitting argyle sox's for my boy friend, but by the time I finally mastered that challenge, I had been through many, many, many boy friends before I finally finished them. Next crocheting....I made a real Afghan. I learned to sew, everything from Halloween costumes, to prom dresses , always made two alike when the twins were little. Made one of the girls a wedding dress. Too many quilts to count. Easter dresses and dance costumes for the grandchildren. SOOOO give me a challenge and I will sew it. I write, make jewelry, draw, paint , play bridge, which is one of the biggest challenges I've ever faced and still am facing........I will not give up. I danced, play the piano, skied, swam, ice skated, bowled, water skied. I even learned to cut men's hair because we were so poor when we got married. In the 30 years we were married my husband seldom went to a REAL barber, and it seemed there were always others wanting a cut or trim. Hey, the price was right so they never complained. I took the Real Estate course and passed, but that wasn't for me. Yes, I am always up to a new challenge.........like learning to work the computer, email, cell phone, blog, text......this modern world is killing me! One challenge I am still working on.......cooking! Oh well, nobodies perfect. I'm grateful today for the nice weather..........finally.