If I just knew what the dream is...

"May I have the courage today

To live the life that I would love

To postpone my dream no longer

But do at last what I came here for

and waste my heart on fear no more."

John O'Donahue

lovEly quoTe

I found this picture of a page from a book on my phone. I took it a long time ago. The story is sweet and really something to think about. 

Here is the Robert Browning quote that is written at the bottom of the page: 

“There is an answer to the passionate longings of the heart for fullness, and I knew it, and the answer is this: Live in all things outside yourself by love, and you will have joy. That is the life of God; it ought to be our life. In him it is accomplished and perfect; but in all created things it is a lesson learned slowly and through difficulty.”                                                                                          Robert Browning

{ Ice Skating }

For the last few years, we've gone ice skating on the day after Christmas - or this year - the day after the day after Christmas. We use email and FB to invite family, friends, friends of family, and family of friends. It's fun to just relax and have fun. This is exactly what kids need after being cooped up in grandma's house with new toys, candy, and cousins. Speaking of cousins - that's our seven above. They're so awesome (says Grammy!). 

 I love everything about this picture. It just makes me smile every time I look at it. I'm probably going to put it on the wedding wall just for the smile factor. These two are an absolute delight!!

They don't rent skates for one year olds, but Hollis had fun riding on the ice in her stroller. I love that the ice center allows strollers on the ice.

Here's little cousin Gordon in his stroller. He's a cutie anyway, but being on the ice in the stroller  just lit up his little face. 

 Lizzie decided to experience the best of both worlds...skating and strollering. Her cute mama loved it all.

Merilee came from SLC to bring our mom to the party. Behind her is cousin Tyler - he's leaving for his mission in Taipei, Taiwan in two weeks! That's his dad right behind him (my brother Doug) thinking to himself, "Don't fall, Tyler. This would not be a good time to break your arm." Also in the pic are my two nieces, Mary's girls, Adrian and Abby and with the pink phone, my niece, Jennifer.

Now that's better - Tyler holding onto the stroller lol. Cheering them on is Tyler's b-i-l, Scott who's also a Las Vegas boy (no relation to Winston) that learned to ice skate by playing hockey.

Here is another cool-great thing about the Eccles Ice Center. They have cute little walkers for the kids who are just learning to sakte. This is another three-year-old cousin (my brother, Doug's grandson) with his dad, Matt Weed. If you look through these pictures, there are three little Weed boys...in black and blue, black and yellow, and black and red parkas. Two are twins - Byron and Porter and Gordon is the little brother. My niece, Michelle, has her hands full!

Scott's sister, Mary and all her reflections always comes and brings her family. We had Corey, Abbey and Adrian - but they didn't skate. Just Mary graced the ice with her elegant poses.

 Scott's cousin, Craig Watts (and Dorothy) came to check in on us but couldn't stay. Next year...

Suzie and Grandma Jean. I'm so grateful to Merilee for coming to Logan and helping mom come to the party. No, mom didn't skate, in case you were wondering.

Mike - that form!

 I loved everyone in their skinny jeans and figure skates.

 Brooklyn is the iPhone camera queen. She specializes in selfies - but she gets lots of cousin pics too.

Cling-ons.

Winston helped hold cousin Claire while Suzie had Lizzie. They aren't really skating yet, but getting a feel for it. I'm hoping these girls can skate a few times every year. I really believe that kids need to know some basic life "fun skills" like skating - both ice and roller skating. Winston knows how to ice skate really well and he grew up in Las Vegas, so I know it can be done! And tennis. Ping Pong. Chess (I never learned to play chess and I love that Scott teaches it to our grandkids.) Skiing and golf could be on the list, but the expense makes them not as common. But, for sure swimming. What else?

We really had fun. I feel bad that we didn't get a group picture. There were lots of people at the party that I don't even have in these photos.

- life lesson in song -

I don't listen to country music much. I have 47 country songs on my iTunes country playlist - to me that's just a few. But tonight as I drove home from fixing dinner for my parents and helping my mom get ready for bed, I happened to tune the radio to KIX96. Heard a song I've never heard before. 

I needed to hear it just then.

 It stopped me short and muted my inner whining. 

This is all just life. 

It's why we're here and what we're about. 

As the song says, "It ain't no fantasy, just a common case of everyday reality."

Sounds Like Life to Me

 ( Darryl Worley, Wynn Varble, Phil O’Donnell )

(Chorus)
Sounds like life to me it ain’t no fantasy
It’s just a common case of everyday reality
Man I know it’s tough but you gotta suck it up
To hear you talk you’re caught up in some tragedy
It sounds like life to me 

(Chorus)
Sounds like life to me plain old destiny
Yeah the only thing for certain is uncertainty
You gotta hold on tight just enjoy the ride
Get used to all this unpredictability
Sounds like life 

Man I know its tough but you gotta suck it up
To hear you talk you’re caught up in some tragedy
Sounds like life to me

daily messages

I get emails from a creative group called Brave Girls Club. They sponsor artist retreats, an online "Soul Restoration" course, and other art and scrapbook related things. They send little email messages almost every day which are always accompanied by a bird image. They let their artists participate in submitting daily bird images. It's fun to see the bird paintings and read the very creatively written messages by Melody Ross. Here's what I got in today's email:

good phiLosophy

Tomorrow is the most important thing in life.
Comes into us at midnight very clean.
It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands.
It hopes we've learned something from yesterday.

John Wayne

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

my story

It's funny how, when you start to think of something, suddenly that thing you're thinking of appears everywhere. If I learn a new word, for example, I then see the word here, there, and everywhere - though I had never noticed the word nor known the meaning of it before. It just starts popping up once I become aware of it. You know what I mean, I'm sure. This phenomenon is the partly the basis for things like the "The Secret" and other affirmation philosophies. And, to a point, I believe in it.

So, awhile ago, I was asked to write a small program for a church women's event. I mulled it over in my mind for a week and kept coming back to the topic of "story."

My story. Our stories. Women's stories. My Grandma's story. Faith stories.

And, guess what - the subject of story is popping up everywhere for me! I mean, it's uncanny. I can't list all the stuff with the specific topic of story that has presented itself to me in the past two weeks, but I'm relishing every incident. Excitedly this afternoon, I read to Scott an email I had received - out of the blue - that said, "It's a magical thing to be able to, through telling stories, through the magic of their own communication, have the audience almost breathing in rhythm with the speaker."

My interest is piqued. Of course, I'm immersed in Google searches and website browsing. I'm getting too much material, but what a pleasure to read many different takes on one subject.

Here are a few lovely quotes (from brainyquote.com) I gathered this afternoon:

There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.
Maya Angelou

Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see.
C. S. Lewis

If you've heard this story before, don't stop me, because I'd like to hear it again.
Groucho Marx

I find that most people know what a story is until they sit down to write one.
Flannery O'Connor

The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another; and his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what he vowed to make it.
James M. Barrie

The story of the human race is the story of men and women selling themselves short.
Abraham Maslow

I decided to devote my life to telling the story because I felt that having survived I owe something to the dead. and anyone who does not remember betrays them again.
Elie Wiesel

Our past is a story existing only in our minds. Look, analyze, understand, and forgive. Then, as quickly as possible, chuck it.
Marianne Williamson

Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/story.html#ixzz1EZwBmkAy

long walk part of gift

This story is dedicated to my friends who are fabulous women and teach me life lessons whenever we talk. Most of my friends are grandmas now, and I love hearing about the things they do as they 'grandparent' their kids' kids. (I have to add that we all LOVE the grandma experience, but we sure don't look or feel like grandmas lol.) Christmas can be especially fun, but also exhausting. The following story reminds me that everything we do - the preparations, the cooking, the shopping, the efforts to make things special, the tending, the cleaning, the unconditional loving...are all gifts that we give. This story was part of an article by Norman Vincent Peale that Norma and I used years ago in our Christmas workshops - the message has always touched my heart.

Long Walk Part of Gift

An African boy listened carefully as his teacher explained why Christians were such giving people. The teacher said, “Jesus taught us that giving gifts is an expression of our love and friendship for Him and each other. Jesus said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35).

A couple of days later the boy brought the teacher a seashell of lustrous beauty. “Where did you ever find such a beautiful shell?” the teacher asked. The youth told her that there was only one spot where such extraordinary shells could be found.

When he named the place, a certain bay several miles away, the teacher was speechless. She knew that it would have taken the young man hours to walk to the bay. Also, he would have faced many dangers from the jungle and rocky cliffs of the seacoast along the way. “Why, it’s gorgeous and wonderful, but you shouldn’t have gone all that way to get the gift for me,” the teacher joyfully explained.

His eyes brightening, the boy answered, “Long walk part of gift.”

{ all good things are coming to me today }

About a year ago, I read and really enjoyed the book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. In spite of the extremes, I found so much good to be learned in the book. I know lots of people who really like the videos too.

Hadn't thought about The Secret in quite some time. The book ended up on a shelf and another took its place. Then I got an email from Scott with the following link and list in it. He had been directed to it by his favorite tech-guru Kim Komando. Now, if I had told Scott to watch anything about some 'secret' philosophy, he'd have ignored me...but if Kim Komando says it's good, then, IT IS! Well I'm glad it resurfaced for me. This video is really wonderful - the music, images and ideas. Enjoy... (click)

http://thesecret.tv/secret-to-you

The Secret To You

Today is the beginning of my new life.

I am starting over today.

All good things are coming to me today.

I am grateful to be alive.

I see beauty all around me.

I live with passion and purpose.

I take time to laugh and play every day.

I am awake, energized, and alive.

I focus on all good things in life and give thanks for them.

I am at peace and one with everything.

I feel the love, the joy, the abundance.

I am free to be myself.

I am magnificence in human form.

I am the perfection of life.

I am grateful to be me.

Today is the best day of my life.

http://thesecret.tv/secret-to-you