The St. Patrick's Day Tree

When Christmas was over I decided to keep the tree up and decorate it for each holiday throughout the year. I took all the Christmas decor off and added Valentine's Day decorations. After Valentine's Day, I did a St. Patrick's Day tree filled with little green sparkle hats, shamrocks, charms, silver beads, dark and light green carnations, silver balls and white bows and ribbon. (on right).

As I've mentioned before, Jim and I have delighted in the various holiday trees we've been able to enjoy. They have given soft light and a sense of quiet calm to our home, night after night. They also give one an endless feeling of childhood happiness. I've noticed, when the tree lights are turned off, that part of the room now seems lifeless and dull.

The tree can be seen from the street and I'm sure many of our neighbors think we still have our Christmas tree up, but at my age I don't worry much about what other people think. I care more about living with those things that bring joy and contentment.

***What brings you childlike joy and contentment?

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Do you believe in self-fulfilling prophecy?

There was a man on the world news a few nights ago who was a devout optimist. He refused to accept the bad news about the economy. He felt that believing the worst could make it come true, so he chose to believe the best and live his life accordingly.

If we expect the worst, we are likely to attract it. If we stay positive, we are likely to attract that--at least it improves our chances of success.

I think I've always been an optimist at heart. Oh, I may get down and allow negative thoughts to enter my mind occasionally (who doesn't) but I always seem to pull myself up rather quickly and embrace the positive once more. My folks always said, "It's hard to keep a good man down" and I think that's true for both women and men.

I have no idea why I started thinking about this idea today. Perhaps, it was the man on the news broadcast the other night that stuck in my mind. But whatever it was, I'm going to try to stay more positive. It's not only good for everyone around me, but for myself in terms of my general well-being and what we call "self-fulfilling prophecy".

***Are you a pessimist or an optimist....or are you a little of both?

Precious Paths

Consider this:

"Whether we are poets or parents or teachers or artists or gardeners, we must start where we are and use what we have. In the process of creation and relationship, what seems mundane and trivial may show itself to be holy, precious, part of a pattern."
-Luci Shaw

Many times when looking back, I realize I was being lead to a sacred place. To get there, I placed my life in God's hands and started out, not seeing with clarity the path before me, or the turns that path would take. -Barbara Davis

***Do you sometimes find yourself on a path, not knowing where or how it will end? Where are you, on your path, at this moment?

A New Gift

"God puts each fresh morning, each new chance of life, into our hands as a gift."
-The Passion Within

***What are your plans today for this new gift?

How Old Is Old?

Is 60 the new 40? Is 70 the new 50? So they say.

When I was turning 48 years old, I met a lady who was in her 80's. She was stylish, contemporary, interesting, well read, and was still traveling the world.

I met her at my church; we found we had many things in common and became close friends. In fact, she had a great deal to do with shaping the next 15 years of my life--for the better, I might add. She recognized my potential and encouraged me to venture out into a leadership role in my community and she loved witnessing my success.

I remember her telling me how young she felt and that the mental picture she had of herself was much younger than her 80+ years.

I loved being in her company and, she, in mine. We often lunched together after church on Sundays (while Jim was at work) and talked several times each week on the phone. I learned so much from Itha. She passed away last year, in her late 90's. She lived life as fully as any woman possibly could.

The years have passed with lightening speed and I'm now in my mid-sixties, attemping to define age as it pertains to myself and other women.

*** How old is old?

Coming Home

Coming home never felt so good as it did this evening. Jim and I drove to Spokane this morning to visit and take care of some business.

It had snowed throughout the night, so we awoke to a dusting of snow and the sky threatening more. Our little valley's climate is moderate, but just a few miles away, at the top of the mountain, things become very different, in deed. A traveler can expect heavy snow, wind, and fog up there.

Even through we knew the weather could turn ugly, we ventured up, up, and onward to Spokane. Sure enough, it didn't take long for the snow to start falling and the road became puddles of slush. A little further down the road condition got worse as the snow fell faster and heavier. We followed in the tracks of another nervous driver.

Over two hours later, we made it safely to our daughter Linda's house. We were supposed to meet daughter Lori, too, and the four of us go out to lunch, but she was very ill with a migraine and couldn't join us.

Wow, did it snow while we were out and about with Linda!!! The snow was laying fast, so after lunch and just a little shopping, Jim and I started back on our two hour journey home, fearing the worse.

Much to our surprise, the snowy weather diminished as we drove south toward our home. I don't think I've ever been so glad to see the lights of our peaceful valley. Snow is expected tonight, but we will, at least, be home where we are safe around our warm fire.

Thanks Linda for a wonderful day with you. And to Lori--Dad and I hope you are feeling better by now.

Blackbird House Book Giveaway

My next giveaway is Blackbird House on April 1st:

A few months ago, Joanne at Whole Latte Life suggested the book "Ice Queen" by Alice Hoffman. I read the book and became a fan of the author. Today I finished my third book by her, entitled, "Blackbird House" and loved it.

The following review comes from a reader over on Amazon.com.

"Blackbird House is a series of interconnected short stories. While they can surely be read one at a time, if they are read together loosely as a novel they will provide most readers with another of Ms. Hoffman's books steeped in wonderful characterizations and magic realism. Every sense is awakened as one digests her flowing words. We feel her characters joys and losses, revel in her descriptions of nature and animals and hope for a good outcome for her characters lives as they unfold before our eyes. With the house as a backdrop and one of her most endearing characters, Ms. Hoffman provides her readers with pages filled with unusual people, magical places and events which challenge the emotions of the human heart. So entranced was I by some of the passages and stories, I was forced to close the book for a few minutes and take deep breaths before I could go on to read more.."

This review sums up, perfectly, my own feelings about the book. In fact, I enjoyed the book so much, my next giveaway is going to be a copy of "Blackbird House" by Ms. Hoffman. The drawing will take place on April 1st.

Rules:

~1 point for each comment. Leave one each day if you wish.

~2 points for becoming a new "Follower"

~3 points each time you mention me and link back to me on your blog. (To link with me, use the little green symbol above the white box where you write your posts.)

***Can you suggest a book, you have read, that you would gladly read again, if you had the time?

(If you have already left a comment on this post, just ignore it and feel free to comment again.)

The Winners Are...

I'm excited to say that I have drawn two winners for the pashmina scarves this time.


They Joanne from Whole Latte Life, and Cindy from Inside The White Pickett Fence.

Please email me your address, along with your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice of colors, so I can send out your prize.

Congratulations to both ladies!!!

Lightening Round

Here's a cute game I just worked up. It's called "Lightening Round."

Copy and paste this into my comments or put it on your blog with a link back to mine.

Write the first thing that comes into your mind when you see the word.

1. Author

2. Movie

3. Reality Show

4. Book

5. Game

6. Actor

7. Actress

8. Holiday

9. Dessert

10. Animal

11. Weather

12. Childhood



***Don't forget the drawing on Sunday. Someone's going to win a beautiful cashmere shawl/scarf from Fatima's Treasure (that's my ebay seller name). Leave a comment to enter. Good luck to all who have commented in the past week.

More Signs Of The Times?

As I'm writing this post, the stock market is falling again. It seems like the same thing is happening each day now and many people are starting to hurt.

The first thing I do in the morning is check the stock market, then my email, and next my blog. What a change from last year. I really never worried that much about the stock market before this. Makes me wonder what the world will be like next year.

Jim and I have been taking precautions for a number of years and found that thinking ahead gives a certain amount of peace of mind. So today, I'm suggesting some things you might want to do, if you haven't done them already. I think we've talked about this before, but let's go over it once more...

1. Start stocking a pantry or closet with dried and canned foods.
2. Have some cash on hand. Perhaps, start saving your coins (quarters, nickles, dimes, pennies).
3. Pay off debt as soon as possible.
4. Plan, with your family, an escape route, in case a disaster should hit.
5. Have a good stock of candles on hand.
6. If you have a fireplace, always have at least one cord of wood in stock...more if possible.
7. Learn to eat cheap. Watch for and save simple recipes.
8. Buy a good, thick cookbook which tells you how to cook simply from scratch and learn from it.
9. Start asking questions from the "old folks" who have gone through difficult times and the last Depression.
10. Don't "stick your head in the sand." Don't go into denial. Watch and read for the "signs of the times."
11. Make family a priority.
12. Dig deep and find Serenity, not in material goods, but in your Spirit.

I haven't meant to scare anyone, but I do think I and anyone else, has a responsibility to put a few suggestions out...just in case.

***Do you have other suggestions for our readers?

Blessings!

Don't forget the giveaway for the scarf will take place on Sunday. To enter... leave a comment.

What's in #6?

I'm back already!! Just couldn't stay away!!!!

My daughter, Linda, over at Beautiful Mustang tagged me today with the instructions to take the 6th photo from my 6th folder on my computer and post and blog about it.

Well, guess who I found in the 6th folder? It's my little granddaughter, Sienna, when she was about 10 months old. That's her uncle Joe on the left.

Sienna is now over 2 years old and a big girl. She even has a little sister, Mikenna, who looks up to her.

They both live across the entire country from Jim and me. I wish everyday that they could live nearby, so I could know Sienna and Mikenna better. But that's not going to happen in the near future. So we just talk on the phone alot.

Wow, that was fun, Linda! Thanks for including me. *big happy face...that's me!*

Now, I'm going to tag six more happy people who were not previously tagged by Linda and they are:


Janna over at Something She Wrote
Becca at Rebecca...One Word At A Time
Lea over at Lea and Her Mustangs
Kathleen at Sassy Granny
Marilyn over at The Stair Landing
JD over at Ribbon Challenged

The Bachelor...Reality or Scam?

I try to keep this blog a place of serenity, but I'm going out on a thin limb this morning and talk about something I don't usually do here. I must confess that I watch the TV reality show, The Bachelor.

I want to know. Is anyone as upset as I am about last night's show? I really thought Jason was a decent man and I guess I was pretty naive about reality television. I can't believe how these people play with human emotions!

I don't know about you, but I AM NEVER GOING TO WATCH THIS SHOW AGAIN. THAT'S IT FOR ME....back to reading my books!!

***Tell me how you feel about what happened on the show and.....

Don't forget my giveaway that ends Sunday.

Uploads

Don't forget my Sunday giveaway for the Pashmina (Cashmere) Shawl/Scarf. See previous post.


I saw this today in Faith Notes and thought it was just right.....

"Upload prayer, download peace."

More Sentence Prompts + Giveaway

I'm having a Pashmina giveaway. The winner will be announced Sunday and will have their choice of color.

THE RULES FOR NEXT WEEK'S DRAWING ARE SIMPLE:
~1 POINT FOR EACH COMMENT. ENTER EVERY DAY, IF YOU WISH.
~2 POINTS FOR BECOMING A NEW "FOLLOWER


Here's a few new prompts for us to finish. Write as much as you need to on each prompt. Copy and paste your answers under my comments or feel free to add it to your own blog. Let me know if you use them on your blog, so I can join in the fun of reading it.

Here we go!

1. My nickname is________.

2. I was born to________and_________.

3. Why do I feel so________and__________.

4. Every morning I must_________and________.

5. I am blessed to have______________.

6. Next week I have to ________and__________!

7. Tonight I'm going to__________and__________!

8. I promise that I'm not going to_________ever again.

THE WINNER IS.....

The winner of the book Poet's Companion and also a ladies journal has been drawn. I want to thank all who entered.

A new drawing starts today for a PASHMINA (CASHMERE) SCARF valued at $99.00 and up. The contest for the scarf will end in one week. The winner will be drawn next Sunday.

The winner for the POET'S COMPANION and journal is SHAUNA from TRYING TO STAY CALM. Congratulations!! (Please email me your address).


THE RULES FOR NEXT WEEK'S DRAWING ARE SIMPLE:

~1 POINT FOR EACH COMMENT. ENTER EVERY DAY, IF YOU WISH.
~2 POINTS FOR BECOMING A NEW "FOLLOWER."