The best gifts!

By special request from my good friend Sally...







"The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other." ~Burton Hillis

(This is Part 1 of Christmas. We will celebrate Part 2 with Danny, Sarah, Abby and Kinsley when they return from Texas this week. The good times never end!)

Widget

Christmas lights in Merced

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love! ~Hamilton Wright Mabie

Merry Christmas

Marathon Runner

WAY TO GO DANNY!

The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person's determination. --Tommy Lasorda

Wisdom of a Scarecrow

Scarecrow: I haven't got a brain... only straw.

Dorothy: How can you talk if you haven't got a brain?

Scarecrow: I don't know... But some people without brains do an awful lot of talking... don't they?

Dorothy: Yes, I guess you're right.

TAG!

Amy tagged me and increased my learning curve. I didn't know how to link but I think I figured it out! Now I'm a "linker!" Here are the rules...

1. Link to the person or persons who tagged you. 2. Post the rules on your blog. 3. Write six random things about yourself. 4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them. 5. Let each person know they've been tagged and leave a comment on their blog. 6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

And, here are six random things about myself...

1. I have 6 wonderful grandbabies--all born in even years: 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and on an even day of the month.

2. My husband's parents had to sign "permission" for him to marry me because he was so young! (They signed quickly without any hesitation either!)

3. I only had 2 pets while growing up--a chicken named Fluffy (really!) and a poodle named Louie.

4. My favorite candy from Sees is the milk-chocolate peanut cluster. Yum!

5. I probably watch t.v. a total of 2 hours per week--maximum.

6. I'm a jack of many trades; master of none. I've taken courses in watercolor painting, calligraphy, toll painting, piano, quilting, pottery, basket weaving, crochet, tennis, swimming, golf...oh yeah, I went to Charm School too! That's the one that really paid off!

I don't know a whole lot of bloggers, but I can tag Alli, Nese, Patricia, and Nikki.

Pumpkin Patch

Butternut squash and a big sister...

Glen Avenue

When negative thoughts start to take up too much space in my life I have some fun strategies I use to rid those thoughts and make room for the positive. This morning was the time for me to reach into the strategy sack! I was driving to work with an irritable frame of mind (and probably a grouchy look on my face) so I employed one of my favorite strategies for increasing positive energy while driving a vehicle. I happened to be turning onto Glen Ave. so I gave myself the full length of Glen Ave. to find 3 things that would make me smile. It turned out to be an easy
search! We lived on Glen Ave.--at 3 different addresses for 11 years.
Here are the 3 things that changed my attitude and my day today:
1. The Chinese Pistachio Trees are beginning to turn their brilliant red color and it is dazzling! I love Fall and Glen Avenue is a showstopper when it comes to great fall color!

2. When I passed the fire hydrant on the corner of Glen and 27th, I chuckled right out loud. Danny used to sit on that fire hydrant for long periods of time when he was a little guy. Kelli thought it was crazy and could never figure out why he'd do that. I thought it was cute, and took his picture.


3. As I looked west, down 27th Street, I thought of all of the mornings that the Hoover Band practiced in the street. We could feel the beat of the drums in the soles of our feet! It was a happy sound and we thought the flute player sounded particularly good!

As I pulled off of Glen Avenue, I knew I was going to have a lovely day...how could I not?

Halloween

"A grandmother pretends she doesn't know who you are on Halloween."

--Erma Bombeck

October Bliss

"There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October." - Nathaniel Hawthorne

New arrival 9-24-08

"A sweet new blossom of humanity"--Baby Kinsley

"A new baby is like the beginning of all things-wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities."

-- Eda J. Le Shan

Shine on Harvest Moon...

"Keep close to Nature's heart...and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean."
--John Muir

Yosemite Valley Moonlight Tour :
Ted and I went on the 2 hour Moonlight Tour last night in Yosemite. It was magnificent! It was difficult to photograph with our digital camera but in real life...it was magical!

We toured the Yosemite Valley in an open-air tram and viewed Half Dome, El Capitan, and all of the other granite masses that surround the valley. bathed in moonlight. How fortunate we are to live so close to such grandeur!

Clip Artistry

I snuck in a little project while I really should've been working on my "OPAQ!"

The September issue of Martha Stewart Living had a great idea for clipboards in place of a bulletin board. I purchased 8 letter-size clipboards from Staples for about $11.00 and then decoupaged decorative paper (scrapbook paper from Michaels) onto the clipboards. I hung them in my office at school and I think it's a "good thing!"

First Days of School

The first day of school...What a wonderful day in the life of a child! (Kelli 1981--kindergarten)
(Danny-1988--first grade)

"The potential possibilities of any child are the most intriguing and stimulating in all creation."

--Ray L. Wilbur, Third President of Stanford University

A Visit to Carmel by the Sea

"I see trees of green, red roses too.

I see them bloom for me and you.

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world ..."

Yes, I think to myself, what a wonderful world!

Whining or Shining?

It's August 1st and almost time to return to work after a wonderful summer filled to the brim with family! So...speaking of work...

It seems that there are two attitudes (or choices)...WHINING or SHINING:

1. WHINING: Ted and I were listening to someone complaining about work and talking about only putting in the minimum effort required. What unpleasant conversation! Upon self-examination, I must admit guilt to whining about my job too.

2. SHINING: Ted reminded me that we are to "work as to the Lord." Col. 3:23-24

I loved this article from Crown Ministries: http://www.crown.org/LIBRARY/EmailArticle.aspx?ArticleId=297

I'm choosing to shine.

Kindness

Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.

--Marcus Annaus Seneca

A Bit of Goodness: The Green Book

The Green Book--The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen.
I really like this book! It's absolutely fun to read and contains hundreds of small choices you can make to have a big impact on the health of our planet. It also includes short commentaries by some "famous" folks (most of whom I really couldn't tell you much about--you know me, I'm not a "star-gazer!") on how they're making a difference. Jennifer Aniston talks about her 3 minute or less showers and points out that every 2 minutes in the shower uses as much water as a person in Africa uses for everything in their life for a whole day--drinking, bathing, cooking and cleaning! That's something to think about! William McDonough and Cameron Diaz have a short dialogue in the the foreward of the book which gives you a good idea about the contents of the book. On the Environmental Movement, Cameron Diaz said, "It isn't about cutting everything out. It is about creating something better...It's about making the best choices that are available." McDonough put it this way: "The world often sees environmentalism or being green as being less bad. It's really not about being less bad, it's about being more good."
I can embrace that notion! I've checked off the good things that I have in place and I've highlighted two new ones that I need to make better choices about. When I check those two off, I'll choose two more!

Go out and PLAY!

"Children make you want to start life over." ~Muhammad Ali

AND

did you know that...

"Playing reduces stress,

improves life, and increases creativity.
Who doesn't want that?"
--Stevanne Auerbach

The Goodness in "Green."

I'm probably a pale shade of green right now, but I'm working on becoming greener! I have been inspired by Amy http://amybrown.blogspot.com/ to consider my way of living and take small steps to improve this lovely planet we call home.

I love this bag for groceries and I love the way I got it...
My daughter-in-law's mom had a Father's Day Party and gave all of the guys this bag from Whole Foods with a huge bag of peanuts and some beer inside. Great idea for packaging and now I'm using it for my groceries. It's bigger than most bags I've seen and so cheerful!

A Bit of Goodness: Thank you notes

I have saved so many thank you notes that others have sent to me. How nice it is to know that you have made a difference for someone that causes them to take the time to express their appreciation. I am making the act of sending thanks a priority in my own life. I am blessed with so many thoughtful people in my life and I want them to know how appreciative I am!

This was my positive quote for the day from last week:

"No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks." -Saint Ambrose

OPAQ #1

OPAQ #1...

Locating, arranging, typing, organizing, reminiscing, and ultimately publishing a cookbook of some of my mom's best recipes and family photographs.

One Project A Quarter means that this project is due around the 1st of October.

There is much to do!