OPTIMISTIC CLOCK WATCHER----

As I watch the tired white faced clock on the wall hand me the minutes of my life----one-----by one-----what will I do with them? I cherish every single one of the them. A single moment can change everything. And, every day has 1,440 of them. I believe in myself, Whatever challenges come my way, I can meet them. Whatever obstacles I encounter, I can find my way around them. Any roadblock, detour or setback along the way in my life are only temporary. I am on the way to a succesful and happy life.
So with all those positive thoughts, I welcome two new members to my extended family. The picture above is of Nicci and Bill and today they are bringing home a new "Havenese puppy" named Oliver! I didn't know the word "Havenese", but it was explained to me this breed was developed in Havana, Cuba. They were not allowed outside the country, but someone smuggled out the puppies that are now bred in the United States. Heck, all my relatives have foreign ancesters. Congratulations new parents......AND ,today a very special niece is being married in the Snowflake Temple. Congratulations to Korina and Bill. And the minutes of my life continue to tick on with wonderful fulfilment.

GOOD WORDS- BAD WORDS

In my 70+ years I have spoken, learned and listened to many, many words. I have never researched how many words you use in one day but I have been thinking some words I don't need any more. Take "jump".......I have taken that out of my vocabulary. Run and hop are seldom used. I couldn't jump if you paid me to, my poor knees would rebel.

Then there is this word forever? F O R E V E R......forever. You can't live forever, your clothes don't last forever. Your car, furniture and health don't last forever. When you get married you promise each other in front of God and sign the marriage certificate indicating you are promising to keep your vows forever. As far as I am concerned forever is a joke. Parents die, Pets die, friends die, heath changes and jobs end, seasons come and go. You aren't young forever, you grow up. You aren't old forever, you die. I can't think of one thing that is forever. So I have this question........If nothing lasts forever, then what is forever for? That is another word that I can drop from my vocabulary!However, there are a few words I find myself using more lately. Wrinkles, aches, pain.....slow!

Each chapter that is ending---- Leads us to a new beginning.

A past we are leaving-----means a future we are starting. I try to always move forward.........

WEATHER??????

We watch the news every morning to see what the weather is forcast for the next few days.....or week. Some times the weather man gets it right and sometimes he does not! So I have decided what the heck......I'm just going to make my own good weather! At my age I have decided every days a good day when I "wake up" and can "get out of bed by myself." Those two things can really make a persons day a "good day." Did you realize, your greatest wealth is your health? So today was a good day, Karrie came by to help me with a computer question. Later in the day, Darren and Sherrie dropped Kennedy off to spend the afternoon with me, then came back for a short visit before they meet the boys for dinner and go to their cabin in Park City. Then Pam called and wanted to go swimming. It is so nice when the children come around without you begging them to. They don't realize how lonesome you get sometimes. AND someday, if they don't set a good example, their children may not feel it necessary to take the time to visit their parents. It's just one of those things.......what goes around, comes around!

THROUGH THE LENS OF TIME

HAPPY 24th OF JULY........This is Utah's special holiday. The day the Mormon Pioneers' came into the Salt Lake Valley to settle. No other state celebrates like we do with big parade, rodeo etc. Making a 3 day holiday for many in Utah.

I love taking pictures of my family in all their various doings. My children have given me wonderful cameras on birthdays. The small one fits in my purse and comes in handy at all those unexpected "Kodak Moments." The big one you take with you to special functions, kids programs, family reunions etc. I sometimes think my family think of me as their camera-totin gram, hovering like the paparazzi around the pope! I just got my last pictures printed. There were several taken of the grandkids on the 4th of July when I went up the canyon with the Cooks to cook breakfast. Then Saturaday at the fund raising fair at the Pioneer Farm up the canyon I got some cute ones. And at my bridge party Monday I updated the pictures of the girls I have been playing bridge with for over fifty years. Tomorrow is the local 24th of July Parade and I will be there aiming at my cheer-leader granddaughter who will be marching in it! It's fun these little bits of my life being snapped along my path of life. Yes, I get the ducks and hands covering the face sometimes. But I just say, "Suck it up cupcake-----its a camera not a shark attack.....Someday when you all realize that life is sweeping up family and friends in one big swirl of milestones and minutiae and you see my "In the Moment" shots it will be a fun reminder of the good times we have had and make you smile.

The picture above is of my second grandson the night before his graduation. I gave him a picture of he and his father in tuxs when he was all of two......in the back ground is his father's mother and his mother's father visiting with his brother. There are so many stories in just one moments flash. All I can say is "put up with it cause I'm on the prowl and I will get you."

WHY IT WORKS

I am a list maker, always have been, but seems the older I get the more I have relied on them. I read where your conscious mind can handle 40 pieces of information---including what you see, hear, smell, taste, feel and think--per second. Our subconscious mind--which manages all our involuntary physical processes, like breathing and digestion--can handle more than 100 million pieces of information per second. Our wonderful subconscious mind with just a few suggestions, hints and reminders will follow through for you. You know like when you have to get up at five, and even though you set your alarm, you wake up several times anticipating the alarm, that's your subconscious doing its job. "Send your subconscious the right messages, and your body will act on them." If your serious about losing weight, send your subconscious some instructions to let you know if what you are eating is healthy or junk, let your food satisfy you for hours, and really desire good tasting, healthy food. Another interesting thing about our wonderful mind: if you want someone to listen to you.......talk into or in the direction of their RIGHT ear. It was found most people are more likely to do someone a favor when it's spoken in their right ear rather than their left. That's because the right ear corresponds with the left hemisphere of the brain, which helps process information and find solutions to problems. The right side of the brain, on the other hand, is more involved with withdrawl and avoidance behavior. So when you want your husband, kids of friends to do something for you.........remember to stand on their right side when telling or requesting anything!!!! Pam texted they are having fun at the lake, Sherrie called and they are having fun at the sand dunes in Idaho. Karrie called and they were off to clean the church. Well, thats life.

ENJOYING MY GARDEN.......

I'm not much for hiking in the wilds, cooking over a campfire or sleeping under the stars. No, my idea of spending time with Mother Nature is reclining in a comfy chair in my own garden. Yes, there was a time when I was growing up and also when my children were small ,(you do about any thing for your children), I camped out in rain, wind and mesquitos and bear. I do still love cooking out, but as for sleeping under the stars.......been there done that!
Because of the four seasons where I live and my outside garden goes to sleep for months I just bring my garden to the patio and then inside. I have plants everywhere. I have a fountain that brings the sound of water into the house to sooth. Then I usually have a fun fish bowl with one or two little critters that are unnecessary, but fun . This way I am never faced with dead, dull, dried up outside to look at. Life is just to short to have to wait for that short window of beautiful summer flowers. I am not much for dried flowers, but I find year around you can always buy beautiful fresh bouquets of flowers at Costco or your neighborhood stores. This then is my message to myself; I can become only who I am. And I can live only this particular life that I have been given so why not fill it full of all the beautiful things of life. Sherrie spent the night with me and we had a fun visit. Today she took me to Costco and I bought a safe to put all my treasures in. I have them hid all over the house.......in pockets of clothes in the closets, shoe toes, behind pictures, shoe boxes, under the bed, in books, you know all those wonderful hiding places that you soon forget about 10 minutes after you put them there. I don't really have a lot that others would consider treasures, but they are to me!!!!!! Tonight is board meeting for the condo, every third Thursday of the month.

25th YEAR CELEBRATION!

I'll drink to that! 25 years ago today my husband of 30 years waltzes in and announces that he had just been to see a lawyer and had filed for divorce and was suing me for mental cruelty!!!!! Not a favorite day back then. I didn't argue, cry, scream or yell. I just went to the pantry got a box of big black garbage bags and told him to start packing......Oh yes, I opened a bottle of Metuse wine and got a straw and followed him around the house telling him what he could take and what he couldn't. When the pickup truck was full he drove out of the children and my lives. 25 years ago today......Yes, it took me awhile to get over REJECTION and then I realized how lucky the kids and I were. After my last daughter was married and I was off to Morooco in a few days, I went in and got my hair done and was moaning to my hairdresser. He listened patiently and then suggested I send my X a thankyou note for leaving and opening many new doors for a whole new life. I went home and did just that which seemed to finally close the door on 30 years of marriage. The family and I ralleyed and bonded together and have had a great 25 years of having and raising nine wonderful grandchildren, the loves of my life. I hadn't planned ahead when I set up bridge at my house tonight, then remembered the date and thought why not make it a party........a 25 year single party for me! Any time you get together with old friends is party time.........maybe a little bridge too.

A GOOD METAPHORE

Day by day I am moving toward 80 years of living on this wonderful earth. Each morning when I get up, open the newspaper and turn on the TV worries me more as to where we are heading in the future. What is wrong with the men and women we elected and pay good wages to,to run our country as it should be? The Metaphore of the little girl and the atheist tells the story. We the citizens are the little girl and the atheist are the so called leaders:

An atheist sits down by a little girl on the airplane and says would like to talk? The little girl agrees to talk. Let me ask you the atheist says what you think about no God, no heaven or hell and no life after death. The little girls said that could be interesting, but first let me ask you a question. A horse, a cow and a deer all eat grass. Yet a deer excretes pellets, a cow a flat patty and a horse produces clups, Why? The atheist thought a a moment and confessed he had no idea. Well, said the little girl, do you really feel qualified to discuss why there is no God,no heaven or hell or life after death..........When you don't know shit!

Our leaders have lost all since of direction for the country, strickly for their power and glory. Life as we know it is changing. Today is another big charity push for RIchard Benj. group to go to the Phillipines. A carnival at the Mormon Pioneer Village, the parents are helping and Scottie and I are hanging out. Got to get serious about house cleaning for bridge here Monday night.

NOT MOVING TO FAST......

Came down Sunday night with some kind of a bug, up all night with horrible stomach cramps. Spent a couple of days hanging around the bed. Much better today, but not best yet. The twins have been very attentive with food and concern, mothers just don't get sick! Sherrie and Darren came in Monday for a autism meeting at the library, on the way in Sher called Kar and she mentioned she might be moving to Boston........and was taking me with her. Well, poor Sherrie cried all the way in and could not go to the meeting, so Darren's Mom went with him. Yes, I told Karrie if she moved I was going with them, but I would be back. Then when they went to Missouri on a family trip they left their little dog with Darren's dad. Bud's dog was 18, blind and deaf and fell off the dock in Lake Powell and drowned a few weeks ago. Bud has been very sad, but determined not to get another dog. Well, two weeks with Cody and he was changing his mind, and so was Cody about going home to Vernal. Sherrie and Darren were torn, but decided both Bud and Cody needed each other. I guess Bud was so happy he cried and..........Sherrie cried all the way back to Vernal because she loved that little dog! It seems when God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better. " The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you. Something good will happen to you, something that you have been waiting for." So you can see life is never dull around here.

KARMA

Some people are very much into Karma.......I have never given it much thought, but see many articles about it now days. Karma is often totally misunderstood in the West as fate or predestination; it is best thought of as the infallible law of cause and effect that governs the universe. The word karma literally means, "action," and karma is both power latent within actions, and the results our actions bring. In simple terms, what does having karma mean? It means that what ever we do, with our body, speech, or mind, will have a corresponding results. Each action, even the smallest, is pregnant with its consequences. Karma does not decay like external things, or ever become inoperative. It cannot be destroyed "by time, fire or water." Its power will never disappear.

Although the results of our actions may not have matured yet, they will inevitably ripen, given the right conditions. Usually we forget what we do, and it is only long afterward that the results catch up with us. By then we are unable to connect them with their causes. The results of our actions are often delayed, even into future lifetimes; we cannot pin down one cause, because any event can be an extremely complicated mixture of many karmas ripening together. So we tend to assume now that things happens to us "by chance" and when eveything goes well, we simply call it "good luck." And yet what else but karma could really begin to explain satisfyingly the extreme and extraordinary differences between us? Even though we may be born in the sme family or country, or in similar circumstances, we all have different characters, totally different things happen to us, we have different talents, inclinations and destinies.

As Buddha says, "What you are is what you have been, what you will be is what you do now." I guess what I get from all the articles is; your present life is what your past life was and your future life is what your present life is........I want to learn more about this Karma stuff.

The day has turned windy and rainy, so not so hot. Off to Panniers to dinner tonight.

VACATIONS.........

I love vacations, doesn't everyone? I think part of the fun of a vacation is the anticipation, getting ready, looking forward to and wondering how it will turn out. Today Sherrie and her family have been gone about 10 day off to Navoou and surrounding area on a family vacation with several neighbor families. Today I am tendng Karrie's two dogs while they are up in Baer Lake on vacation for a few days. Last night Pam told me they were excited to go see Nicci in Minnesota next month. And me I am looking forward to a couple days in New York in October before I get on a cruise to Canada with some of my family.

"Vacations can occur in one's own city, in one's own surroundings, with one's family....or even alone. Their purpose is to see the ordinary from a different perspective."

One does not have to trudge around the world trying desperately to pack 13 countries into nine days. (I have done that several times, but not my favorite vacations....) What a vacation should mean to us now is treasuring some free time to reflect on what's become most valuable in our life. Helen Keller said, "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable." That is a very powerful statement, from someone blind! Life is a fascinating and amusing adventure. How exciting to get up each morning and see what life has on the menu for the day. Yesterday two very good friends came over for coffee and it took us about four hours to get all the troubles of the world settled, a very good therapy sessions........Today? Me and Marley fighting it out to see who is the alpha dog in MY house.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY......

Did you hang your flag out today? I have just a small one but it says the same thing to the world. Thanks to all the people that have sacrificed to make our world free! I always get a lump in my throat when the flag is presented, I guess we learned well as children. Well anyway Happy Fourth of July to everyone. The Cook family took me up the canyon and Richard cooked us a very big and special breakfast. I never get enough of our mountains. The water is very high and is fun to watch, but not go near. The canyon was packed today with many who love it for hiking, picnicing, or just enjoying the scenery. We are lucky to have it in our back yard, twenty minutes up the canyon, one of many canyons near by. Shrerrie called from Navoou where her family is on vacation, guess they are having fun and will be gone all week. Cooks and Panniers both invited me to go with them to watch fire works tonight, but it is overcast and looks like rain, so may decide to stay home........

HOT DAY WITH CASEY ANTHONY

I feel I have wasted today, listening to the end of Casey Anthony's trial. It has really been interesting, and the hard work the lawyers have put into it is amazing. It has been three long years in the making and I have no doubt she killed her baby and is a liar, but like any mother who have had children, I don't want to see her die.

When I think of my three daughters and the love I feel for them I think no measure of time with them would be long enough, So I will start with Forever!

Did you ever wonder why we nod our heads "yes" and shake them "no"? The up and down motion triggers a release of feel good endorphines, so it's interpreted by your brain as more positive. When in a conversation nod a few times, this leaves a positive impression on new acquaintenances, and leaves feel good endorphines in your body. Smiling is another good-feeling action to practice. Try it, even when you are watching something you agree with on TV can lift your moods. Just remember you gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.....You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.

It's been a hot summer day and tomorrow is the Fourth of July already!

POWER OF WORDS......

I have been thinking about the meaning of words and how we use them. Words have the power to start wars or create peace, destroyrelationships or strengthen them. How we feel about anything is shaped by the meaning we attach to a word. Words are triggering devices. If you doubt this imagine someone calling you a four-letter word. Most likely this will create a physiological, not just a mental change in you. Take the 'F' word used constantly and in many different scenerios justsubstitute a word you like which changes the feeling for you. Say butter, or whatever you like. Butter you! Your buttered up! Your a buttered idiot! Put the 'F' word everywhere I put butter and see how to change words that upset you by putting in something that doesn't. The power to instantly transform emotions, to lower or heighten their intesity, Anthony Robbins calls, Transformational Vocabulary. Is our language important in shaping our experience of life? The words we attach to our experience become our experience. Mark Twain once said,"A powerful agent is the right word. Whenever we come upon one of those intensely right words....the resulting effect is physical as well as spiritual, and electrically prompt." Doctors know this and are careful of their words. Think of the emotions the word "cancer" emits in a person......just one example. "people with impoverished vocabularies have a multi-hued palette of colors with which to paint their life's exerience, not only for others, but for themselves." I think I need to get out the dictionary and learn at least one new word everyday.

Picked up my new glasses today, took in a few garage sales and now am off to feed Pam's dogs.

ANOTHER MONTH BEGINS TODAY.........

Today feels like a Wabi-Sabi day to me, you know look at the bad and find something good about it! "The Lord dosen't judge folks til they die.....wonder why most folks think they have the right while they are still alive."

The way I look at it, every woman is a journey of her own life. At my age I feel I should do what makes me feel OK and not worry what others think. Since watching the Tony awards I made up my mind to go see "The Mormon Musical" on Broadway in New York when I am there in October. There will be a group of 8 of us (mostly family), meeting to go on a cruise. We are all Mormon and because it may be x-rated six do not want to go. My sister is going with me, but she seems to be on the fence. I don't expect anyone to go to please me, but again I do not want to be critized because I am going. Most my family members have no doubt been up and down in the eyes of the Lord, but now have all at once gotten a little "Hollier Than Thou" attitude. Suck it up cupcake, it's just someones funky ideas about our religion, feel sorry for them. From the ratings and the fact it won the Tony Awards and 9 of the 13 awards out there. Can it be all that bad?

I know this too will pass and a hundred years from now who will care. It is a free country and and I am also a good person.

"We don't stop going to school when we graduate." ---Carol Burnett