Save your pennies because...................

When I saw this picture......which I love, it became a metaphore to me that yes it took a lot of pennies to build a bridge this size all over the world. With our tax pennies we build many beautiful bridges in our country. Now I realize also when we save our pennies they are the key to our building our own bridges to a home, a car, an education or a wonderful vacation! When we think about it we realize we become rich, one penny at a time, some rich people even get the label of being "A Penny Pincher". They are the lucky ones that see the big picture. From childhood days we have had a fascination with money, especially coins. When my children were small and had a choice, they always chose the five pennies over the nickle, because it looked like more. Then as they got older they learned there were five pennies in a nickle and ten pennies in the dime, even though it was smaller. I pick up every penny I see partly from a superstition learned young. "See a penny and pick it up, all through the day you'll have good luck. See a penny and let it lay, bad luck will be yours through out the day." Who has room for bad luck in their day? Also, before my sister died, she said she would leave me pennies to remind me of her, I find pennies in the strangest places and at the strangest times.......You judge why, I know.

Diet Time......again!

Well, for the umptine time I have started another diet! Why? Really been thinking about it for several reasons, bad knees, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and I look awful in my clothes. Well, my oldest granddaughter is getting married in less than three months. I finally got brave enough to try on a pretty dress that might be appropriate for this special occasion........well, one look at my stomach and hips convinced me if I didn't want to look like "grandmother blob" I had to do something and NOW. One of my daughters was with me and recommended we stop by the book store and buy a book that had helped her and her friends. It is "The Fat Flush Plan." It makes sense that if you don't over work your liver and let it clean out your system then you will just lose inches and weight. It seems I am to be eating or drinking something constantly which is not my routine. I have to keep my blood sugar up..........well, anyway I am into day three and haven't noticed I've lost an inch. But each morning I just get up and pray, just let me do this one more day, and I will keep doing that until that new dress I bought looks yummy on me. There is nothing like a wedding, a class reunion or family reunion to put you in the diet mode. Wish me luck!

TO MY THREE GIRLS

How many times have I thought..."I'm the luckiest mother in the world".....I have three beautiful, talented, caring, wonderful daughters. The big question? Have I made them who they are OR have they made me who I am? I guess the answer is both. So I say to them the following poem about sums it up.

TO MY THREE GIRLS

If I could catch a rainbow, I would do it just for you,

And share with you it's beauty, on the days your feeling blue.

If I could build a mountain, you could call it your very own,

A place to find serenity, A place to be alone.

If I could take your troubles, I would toss them in the sea,

But all these things I'm finding, are impossible for me.

I cannot build a mountain or catch a rainbow fair.

But let me be what I know best, Your Mom whose always there.

Remember: Worry looks around, Sorry looks back, Faith looks up!

Good Therapy

One of my favorite things to do is meet a good friend for coffee or lunch. Just the two of us. When there is a group no one really gets to talk, usually one person dominates the conversation. But with two people and if it is a trusted friend who has known you for a very long time you can really pour out your heart. Patty is that kind of friend and we try to have our little get togethers at least once a month. After an hour------or two--- we both leave feeling lots better about our lives and the people we have interacted with the past month or so. I know and come to realize and practice what psychologist Harriet Learner says: "When someone says or does something unkind to me, I think: "They must be a very unhappy person." Not an excuse---but a calm observation. I try not to take anything personally. Unhappiness or insecurity can make nice people act like jerks, it is all about them----not me. I now can be less reactive, pass on less intensity than you receive and be curious why people act like they do. I feel sorry for their unhappiness. It is best to just smile and go on. Thank you Patty for the many hours you have been there for me...........

THINK POSITIVE

Such beautiful rainbow colors only make you happy and feel positive about your life. In other words, the "somewhere over the rainbow" feeling.......My favorite one minute mantra whenever I feel a paralyzing stress response kicking in, is to take a deep breath and say to myself "Betty you can do this".....as you brace in the dentist office or force yourself to do one more set of leg exercises in physical therapy. This psychologist-approved strategy pulls your body away from animal response to stress ( you know that shallow breathing and muscle tension feeling) and toward the human one ......using your intellect! 'To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.' When God takes something from your grasp, He is 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" Believe something good will happen to you, something that you have been waiting to hear. This is where the practicing positive thinking can come in hardy.

I like the follow: There comes point in your life when you realize........Who matters......Who never did......Who won't anymore........And who always will. So, don't worry about people from your past, there's a reason why they didn't make it to your future. If you can just get up every morning with positive thoughts it can make each day great......well, maybe better......or, not as bad as it would have been if your jumped into negative every morning! Try it..........

Happy 4th of July

Wow, another Holiday to enjoy. It brings back so many happy memories of growing up in a little town in Colorado where people went all out to celebrate the freedom of our country. My best friend and I got to be majorettes in the parade and thought we were "hot stuff". We spent hours getting ready, (our first try at shaving our legs was a disaster----blood and bandages everywhere). Good food, rodeo, fireworks and then the big dance topped it off. Now many years later I still have those wonderful memories, but things are more quiet. The Panniers are in Park City for the weekend, The Christensons at their cabin in Park City. Tiff off to Portland to a wedding of an old college friend. The Cooks and I are left holding down the fort and they have invited me to a Bar-b-Q this afternoon. Of course, Utah still has another big holiday the 24th of July coming up.My hope for the grandchildren is that they will learn and know the real reason we celebrate the 4th, and how many wonderful people died so we could enjoy our freedom. Need to go out and put up my flag!

July is Here

• Where is our summer going? Today as I made out this month's bills I try to remember where June went. One third of my summer is gone and I am just getting into the summer clothes. June started out cold and rainy, but we are definitely having Summer weather now! This is a wonderful month especially in Utah where we have two big celebrations. The Fourth of July is around the corner, with fireworks and Bar-b-Q's. A rodeo in Oakley that we look forward to, but the BIG celebration in Utah is the 24th of July, because that is when our Mormon religion celebrates the settlement that became Salt Lake City by the Mormons. Big parade, big rodeo, that lasts a week and fireworks. Corner entertainment, Children's parade, Horse parade. Utah loves this month. I grew up in Colorado and the 4th of July has many wonderful memories for me. A parade in which I was in many times, a rodeo, fireworks and a picnic in grandma and grandpa's yard with many relatives. Yes, welcome to July 2010!