Simple Pleasures

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So, mine's neither exciting or novel ... but, my vote for this week's Simple Pleasures has got to be early morning!

There was a time I couldn't (or wouldn't) "get" my parents commentary: “This is the best part of the day.”  
What do you know?   They were right!

In days gone by I've been oblivious and taken much for granted .... but hope to never grow weary of ordinary moments spent watching the day begin!

Here’s a favorite spot, just a few steps outside my office.

What-cha say?

Let’s cue up those little record-players in our heads ….

Remember The Rascals song, “It’s a Beautiful Morning”?

.................Are you feeling it yet?

Raise those arms HIGH above your head,
and let’s do the wave!

When you’re finished, please stop by Dayle’s for more “feel-good” moments!
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Thank Heaven

....for little girls.  And little boys!

I'm a little late, but wanted to share some photo memories of Father's Day spent with (2/3-rd's of) our offspring. 

These are the days we remember!

 Sweet Audrey blue eyes!

Mitchell's just groovin' ....on a Sunday afternoon.

   

 No, I don't want to hold it, Estefan .... 

but thanks for the offer!

 

DH donated an old keyboard ....

perhaps Brian will follow in Grandpa's footsteps?

  

 Cousin's garage band!

 Grandpa's ~ and Grandma Myra's happy place!

  

This is Why

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Feeling unable to write is embarrassing .. and habit forming.

Perhaps, my intertia is due to a need to act "correctly"

... and the accompanying fear that I'll sound foolish.

Or worse, chronically negative.



If you can't say anything nice ....


So then, why I do I blog?



Several years ago I discovered one of my favorite authors maintained a blog of her own.  Before I knew it, I'd devoured the whole of her down-to-earth, often humorous reflections.

Her website invites feedback, and though I've never been given to "fan mail" I posed a question and hit "send."   Her thoughtful reply, only a few hours later, expressed surprise that I'd read her entire blog.  "Wow, Myra.  That must feel like reading my autobiography ... which, I suppose in a way it is."

Have you seen that popular slide show set to Gabriel Garcia Marquez' "final goodbye"?    One phrase just "popped" --
Nobody will remember you if you keep your thoughts secret.  Force yourself to express them."

I suppose, that is why I blog.  The good, bad. and occasionally. the ugly.  

What do you say, let's encourage one another to share what they feel.

You say it best, when you say nothing at all???

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Steve Goodier asks, "Have you ever noticed how hard it can be to find the 'right' words?"

There are "Hallmark" individuals whose eloquence seems effortless. 
And then, there's me.
 I struggle.

Without benefit of facial expressions or body language, we're left to supplement our words with smiley faces, hearts and italics.    Allison Krause's lovely lyrics just don't cut it.  "When you say nothing at all" might just be interpreted, "No-one cares."

Wait a minute!... I don't mean this to sound so serious!

I saved one of Goodier's recent articles (lifesupport.com) because it made me laugh out loud ... and helped me realize, there are lots of us in the same boat!   Here is an excerpt:

There are times I am certain the right words don't exist.

What's important, we try. 

It was once said that Al Smith, former governor of New York, was making his first inspection of Sing Sing prison.  The warden asked him if he might say a few words to the prisoners.

The governor began, "My fellow citizens."

But he suddenly felt confused about whether the inmates may have forfeited their citizenship.

So he took a second stab at it.  "My fellow convicts." 

There was a roar of laughter and now he became flustered.   He gallantly tried a third time: 

"Well, anyhow, I'm glad to see so many of you here."

There is no record of what he said after that.

As Goodier says, we try.  And in the end, isn't that what really matters?
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The Power of Ten

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I had to smile when my boss shared her friend's story last week, and thought you might like it, too.  

Out of the mouth's of babes!

Years ago, when tucking her youngest son into bed, he looked up to say, "I love you, Momma."

"I love you, too, sweetie."

Then, "What's that, Momma?"

"What?"

"2?"

"No, no!  I mean "TOO" ... as in, 'I love you, also."

Uncomprehending, the boy was obviously miffed.  Turning away, he muttered,

"Well, I love you 10."

Ah!, She saw where this was going.   She asked, "10?".

His response ...
"That's as high as I can count. momma."

That little boy is now an adult, but his close-knit family is still overheard telling one another, "I love you 10."

..

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Still, Learning to Pray

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So, tonight I'm thinking of that line from so many fictional dramas, where the presiding Judge declares, "The jury will disregard ....".   That always cracks me up! Can anyone really UN-hear something?  And would we want to?

A while back, I was half-listening to a radio host dissing a group of religious fundamentalists who planned to gather at a filling station to pray for lower gasoline prices. He opined, "Oh, come on! God is too busy with meetings and stuff to deal with the price of gas."

I probably uttered a little "huh?" and shook my head ... moved to my mind's "spam" box.

Or, so I thought.
Towards the end of April, I "came down" with a loathsome cold/flu bug, whose after-effects seemed to linger.   Most of May I spent just going through the motions. Not actually "sick"=sick, but feeling as if someone had let the air out of my balloon.   Know what I mean?  Sleep appeared impossible.

I recall closing my eyes each night and saying, "Please, God. Just let me sleep throughout the night."

Then. "I'm sorry! You've more important things going on."

I mean, all we have to do is turn on our TV or radio ... or Blogland. It's truly frightening out there. And here, I'm asking for Divine help to stop coughing.   Geesh.

I love what Rabbi Packouz says about prayer in his Shabbat Shalom "fax of life."

Many people mistakenly feel that they should only pray for big things. Not so. Prayer is about creating a relationship; it's about understanding and appreciating the Source of all blessing. God is the loving parent who wants only good for us.


Prayer not only helps create the relationship with the Almighty, it keeps the relationship strong. Imagine the difficulties of asking your father or mother for help after not speaking with them for years? God will listen to us when we call out to Him. It is just easier to ask Him if you keep your relationship current.


A prayer has three components: 1) Praise of God. (He doesn't need our praises; it focuses us on Who we are talking to. 2) Requests. 3) Thanks. It is the height of good manners to show appreciation!


Man proposes and God disposes. 

I hope everyone is enjoying a wonderfully blessed evening ...  thank you Charlotte and Ginger for this "House Built on Love"!

Simple Pleasures -- Recess!

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So, what’s a gal to do … when that ugly Stress Virus threatens and nerves become frayed?

Gently suggest  ~ in the nicest way I know how! ~ the team puts aside those pesky BEO's and ADR's ... and step out back to the Tot Lot!  

Even our GM got in the act!

Hi-ho Silver!

Monkey see?  Myra does!

Sometimes we need to just let go of our problems and remember what it was like to be kids!

Happy people are healthier than crabby ones – and we’re a lot more fun to be around!

For more Simple Pleasures, why not treat your heart ... right here!

Forever Young

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Wow, it's hard to believe Marilyn Monroe would've been 85 years YOUNG today!

My coworker sent me this quote -- purportedly written by MM .... who'd have guessed?!    I certainly liked it ~ and hope you do, as well!

"I believe that everything happens for a reason.

People change so that you can learn to let go,

Things go wrong so that you

appreciate them when they're right,

You believe lies so you

eventually learn to trust no one but yourself,

and sometimes,

good things fall apart so better things can fall together."

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