Hello gang,
I apolgize for my long hiatus. I was reviewing a few of my posts and realized just how tremendously long it has been since my last post. Sorry!
Well, just to update everyone, we moved this past summer, not far, but to a new and improved home. It was definitely a "God Bless" find. The architecht is Joseph Aronson who is actually pretty renowned, come to find out. He authored a couple of books about furniture design and architecture. It is a unique and beautiful home that is a welcome relief after the place we were living.
Another update is that last November, for Thanksgiving, I did actually get out to Arizona to visit with my sisters. I got to see the Grand Canyon which was breathtakingly amazing. That was a great vacation.
Another update to the vacation need I had posed is that I did ultimately go to Niagara Falls. We stayed on the Canadian side, but no, they didn't ask for my passport, so still no stamp. That's been a while ago, so it just goes to show how slow these updates have been.
Just about a week ago we had guests in and I got the opportunity to visit a local historical homestead called (hope I spell this right) The Boscobel. It's a Federalist Era Home along the Husdon and you can see West Point Academy from the landscaped front lawn.
Lastly (though I assure you there has been much more to update, I just cannot recall everything right now), two out of three of my sisters are coming to visit me for a week long vacation. I'm so excited! I want to take them to La Manda's up the street for dinner in honor of the one sister who isn't able to come out. Amanda's very involved in her school work right now as she's working on her Master's in Psychology. Funny thing is, this was one of the things listed on my front page "to do in Westchester" list...and I only just now put that together! Everything has a way of working itself out in life with or without our help. It's gotta be God! :)
Friday, October 28, 2011
Thursday, January 7, 2010
www.411fit.com
What a great website to work toward health goals. This site is free and keeps me motivated by giving me a daily grade dependent upon how I've eaten & hydrated for the day. Did I mention, IT"S FREE!!!? It is very user friendly (easy to navigate) and well developed (not made on the cheap). You oughta check it out...whether you need to lose weight or you just want to achieve healthier habits...this one's great!
www.411fit.com
www.411fit.com
Friday, December 4, 2009
Some Great Reads!!!
Just wanted to tell folks about a few great books I've had my head in lately (besides the afore mentioned Willard Harley titles). These are all worthwhile titles that can help improve or enhance your life in various ways:
- Anxious to Please: 7 Revolutionary Practices for the Chronically Nice by James Rapson & Craig English
- Square Foot Gardening and All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew
- Miss Craig's Face Saving Exercises by Marjorie Craig
- Facercise by Carole Maggio
- The 50 Best Ways to Simplify Your Life by Patrick Fanning and Heather Garnos Mitchener
- The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-free Play by Neil Fiore
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
David Has Left the Nest...
Going through quotes and ran across this one; it made me think of my son David who just left home recently.
"We've been protecting our children for so long. I think, if there's a mistake, it is that we're afraid to trust. They are programmed to be independent."
~ Gilbran-Hesse
"We've been protecting our children for so long. I think, if there's a mistake, it is that we're afraid to trust. They are programmed to be independent."
~ Gilbran-Hesse
Found in a Fortune Cookie
I thought this one was a real keeper. My fortune cookie said: "For light, go directly to the source of the light, not any reflections." (Of course, I know that "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all!")
Wisdom of the Proverbs
Proverbs 12:25
Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression.
Is there something you are anxious about? If you are depressed, ask God to reveal the cause. It is possible that the root cause is anxiety.
William James - A Quote Worth Reading
A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely re-arranging their prejudices.
Rules for Living by Thomas Jefferson
Thought I'd share some quotes here that blessed me a lot by Thomas Jefferson. These are entitled "Rules for Living". Enjoy!
- Never trouble another for what you can do yourself.
- Never spend money before you have it.
- Take things always by the smooth handle.
- Nothing is troublesome that we do willingly.
- When angry, count to ten before you speak, if very angry, to a hundred.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
The Lesson of the Morning Glory!
Thank you Laura, for sharing this inspirational story. I am reposting it here because I loved it so much! Hope you do too.
I planted seeds in my little garden this year. I have never planted seeds before, because I am not a very patient person, and waiting for the little green shoots to rise above the ground, was just too much for me. But this year, I thought I would give it a try. I thought it would be a good metaphor for me, to plant something and watch it grow, much as I have many times, planted thoughts, dreams and affirmations and watched many of them become a reality.
And so, in the Spring of this year, I planted my garden. I chose many types of flowers and among them, Morning Glories. Within a month, many of the other flowers were bursting through the earth, but not the Morning Glories. Each morning, I would run outside to check on them, and nothing, nothing for several weeks more. I was about to give up on them. I was sure that they just did not 'take' so to speak. But finally, it happened! They had broken through the earth, and were starting to climb. And climb, and climb, and climb, they did....with their big, beautiful, heart shaped leaves.
And so, the saga continued, nothing for weeks and weeks and weeks but more and more beautiful leaves. And I thought to myself, "Well, leaves are nice, but that is all I will probably get at this point." And then, one fine and glorious morning, there it was, the most beautiful sky-blue morning glory I have ever seen!!! It seemed like a miracle to me. I had waited over 3 months for this one delicate, funnel-shaped flower to show up and now here it was, in all its splendor. It reminded me of just how many times I had waited in life for something I had longed for, and how incredible it felt when it finally arrived, and also, how many times, that I had wanted to throw in the towel, and just give up. But I wasn't prepared for what was to happen next, with these little flowers, and I was surprised and deeply saddened by it.
Roses and geraniums and daisies and most other flowers bloom and stay around for a while, but not Morning Glories. Morning Glories open themselves up to the world, in the morning, in all of their glory, hence the name, Morning Glory. And if you look closely at them, you will see how extraordinary they are, both in colour and texture, and that in their centre, is a kind of golden light that shines from within.But here is the hard part... At the end of the day, they turn a most beautiful shade of lavender, and then close up, wither and die. They live for only one day, and then they are gone. I cannot tell you how much this saddened me, and what a profound effect this little flower had upon my life. I kept thinking how sad to be so beautiful and live for only one day. And then, I suddenly realized what a gift they were. You see, it doesn't matter how long your life is. It only matters that you were here, in all your glory, that you opened up completely, and let your light shine, and that you brought joy to those who came into contact with you. That's what matters to the morning glory, and that's what really matters to all of us.
The morning glories make me appreciate every new day now, in a way I didn't before. Each evening, I go and visit with them, knowing those particular ones won't be here tomorrow, new ones will take their place. If we knew when we woke up in the morning, that we only had that one day to really live, life would be very different indeed for many of us. Now, each morning, I give thanks that I have been given the gift of another day, in all its glory. We can learn from all of life, if we remain open to the beauty that is all around us. And nature can be one of our greatest teachers.
What a profound lesson from such a simple flower. Thank you, my sweet little morning glories!
Veronica Hay
Veronica Hay is an inspirational writer and author of In A Dream, You Can Do Anything, An Extraordinary Collection Of Words. Her work inspires others to be more of who they really are. For more insights and inspiration you can visit her website at: http://www.insightsandinspirations.com/ or email her at veronicahay@telus.net
I planted seeds in my little garden this year. I have never planted seeds before, because I am not a very patient person, and waiting for the little green shoots to rise above the ground, was just too much for me. But this year, I thought I would give it a try. I thought it would be a good metaphor for me, to plant something and watch it grow, much as I have many times, planted thoughts, dreams and affirmations and watched many of them become a reality.
And so, in the Spring of this year, I planted my garden. I chose many types of flowers and among them, Morning Glories. Within a month, many of the other flowers were bursting through the earth, but not the Morning Glories. Each morning, I would run outside to check on them, and nothing, nothing for several weeks more. I was about to give up on them. I was sure that they just did not 'take' so to speak. But finally, it happened! They had broken through the earth, and were starting to climb. And climb, and climb, and climb, they did....with their big, beautiful, heart shaped leaves.
And so, the saga continued, nothing for weeks and weeks and weeks but more and more beautiful leaves. And I thought to myself, "Well, leaves are nice, but that is all I will probably get at this point." And then, one fine and glorious morning, there it was, the most beautiful sky-blue morning glory I have ever seen!!! It seemed like a miracle to me. I had waited over 3 months for this one delicate, funnel-shaped flower to show up and now here it was, in all its splendor. It reminded me of just how many times I had waited in life for something I had longed for, and how incredible it felt when it finally arrived, and also, how many times, that I had wanted to throw in the towel, and just give up. But I wasn't prepared for what was to happen next, with these little flowers, and I was surprised and deeply saddened by it.
Roses and geraniums and daisies and most other flowers bloom and stay around for a while, but not Morning Glories. Morning Glories open themselves up to the world, in the morning, in all of their glory, hence the name, Morning Glory. And if you look closely at them, you will see how extraordinary they are, both in colour and texture, and that in their centre, is a kind of golden light that shines from within.But here is the hard part... At the end of the day, they turn a most beautiful shade of lavender, and then close up, wither and die. They live for only one day, and then they are gone. I cannot tell you how much this saddened me, and what a profound effect this little flower had upon my life. I kept thinking how sad to be so beautiful and live for only one day. And then, I suddenly realized what a gift they were. You see, it doesn't matter how long your life is. It only matters that you were here, in all your glory, that you opened up completely, and let your light shine, and that you brought joy to those who came into contact with you. That's what matters to the morning glory, and that's what really matters to all of us.
The morning glories make me appreciate every new day now, in a way I didn't before. Each evening, I go and visit with them, knowing those particular ones won't be here tomorrow, new ones will take their place. If we knew when we woke up in the morning, that we only had that one day to really live, life would be very different indeed for many of us. Now, each morning, I give thanks that I have been given the gift of another day, in all its glory. We can learn from all of life, if we remain open to the beauty that is all around us. And nature can be one of our greatest teachers.
What a profound lesson from such a simple flower. Thank you, my sweet little morning glories!
Veronica Hay
Veronica Hay is an inspirational writer and author of In A Dream, You Can Do Anything, An Extraordinary Collection Of Words. Her work inspires others to be more of who they really are. For more insights and inspiration you can visit her website at: http://www.insightsandinspirations.com/ or email her at veronicahay@telus.net
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Just Checking In
Admittedly, it has been a very long time since my last post. I will never-the-less keep this short too, but wanted to reassure "my peeps" that I am alive and well. Walter's business is growing and his clients are very happy with his services. He has endeared himself to his clients and now some are referring him to other business owners.
Our family took a short weekend trip to Baltimore, MD to attend a wedding of a young couple who we have worked with in our ministry work. The young man we've seen grow up from elementary school age and we are very good friends with his parents. The young woman oversaw our youth fellowships in the area and had a very positive impact on David. So you can see why this was meaningful for us to attend.
These days I am taking up hula and building some proficiency, though still not as coordinated as I want to be, but am still enjoying it none the less. I am also doing aerobic workouts to energetic music such as Jock Jams, disco, pop and various fitness/workout music. It's been fun, though sometimes hard to get motivated at first. Once I get going, I get very energized.
So that's a little bit of what's happening here in my little corner of the world.
Our family took a short weekend trip to Baltimore, MD to attend a wedding of a young couple who we have worked with in our ministry work. The young man we've seen grow up from elementary school age and we are very good friends with his parents. The young woman oversaw our youth fellowships in the area and had a very positive impact on David. So you can see why this was meaningful for us to attend.
These days I am taking up hula and building some proficiency, though still not as coordinated as I want to be, but am still enjoying it none the less. I am also doing aerobic workouts to energetic music such as Jock Jams, disco, pop and various fitness/workout music. It's been fun, though sometimes hard to get motivated at first. Once I get going, I get very energized.
So that's a little bit of what's happening here in my little corner of the world.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Dr. Willard Harley, Jr.
I would like to recommend one of the greatest and most practical books I have read in a VERY, VERY long time that I firmly believe will help others. (This time it's not the Bible, though I HIGHLY recommend that too!!!) No, this book (and others that I am presently reading that are equally great), is entitled His Needs, Her Needs by Dr. Willard Harley, Jr.
The other book I'm presently reading is entitled, Fall In Love, Stay In Love and it is also great! I actually came upon this author by doing a Google search and sort of "happened upon" his website http://www.marriagebuilders.com/, and I am deeply grateful to God that I did.
I would like to encourage all those I love and hold dear, who are in marital relationships (both healthy and troubled), as well as those in broken relationships (or perhaps are no longer in those relationships for whatever reason) to explore the website and the writings of this author. He genuinely wants to help people in relationships and has put forth great effort in studying why marriages, having started out so strong, become strained and what can be done to heal the loss of love. His writings are non-judgemental, very well researched and have a "how to" platform, making them very practical. He uses great analogies that people can relate to, as well as accounts that illustrate the lessons described. (Love Busters, Love Banks, etc. to name a few!)
I admire this man's writings because he reminds me of how Moses, when called by God in the burning bush, turned aside to know "why". In Moses' case, he wanted to know why the bush wasn't consumed; in Harley's case, he wanted to understand why marriages that start out so great, turn sour. He then takes his research further to see if, those very things that made for the breach, can be reversed, and if reversered, would love be restored? His discoveries prove that not only can the relationship be mended, it can actually be sweeter than it ever was at the outset!
Please, folks...for the sake of your vows, for the sake of your children, for the sake of your spouse, and most importantly, for the sake of self love, I urge you, for whatever reason (even if you just need help understanding yourself or the opposite sex), do yourself a big favor and give these books and website some consideration. Don't quit or give up on the potential of what love can be and what God meant for you to enjoy, when there are sound resources that can really help make things sweet again, if you're willing to try...
God bless you in your relationships with love that sustains you, provides joy, and that grows sweeter day by day!
The other book I'm presently reading is entitled, Fall In Love, Stay In Love and it is also great! I actually came upon this author by doing a Google search and sort of "happened upon" his website http://www.marriagebuilders.com/, and I am deeply grateful to God that I did.
I would like to encourage all those I love and hold dear, who are in marital relationships (both healthy and troubled), as well as those in broken relationships (or perhaps are no longer in those relationships for whatever reason) to explore the website and the writings of this author. He genuinely wants to help people in relationships and has put forth great effort in studying why marriages, having started out so strong, become strained and what can be done to heal the loss of love. His writings are non-judgemental, very well researched and have a "how to" platform, making them very practical. He uses great analogies that people can relate to, as well as accounts that illustrate the lessons described. (Love Busters, Love Banks, etc. to name a few!)
I admire this man's writings because he reminds me of how Moses, when called by God in the burning bush, turned aside to know "why". In Moses' case, he wanted to know why the bush wasn't consumed; in Harley's case, he wanted to understand why marriages that start out so great, turn sour. He then takes his research further to see if, those very things that made for the breach, can be reversed, and if reversered, would love be restored? His discoveries prove that not only can the relationship be mended, it can actually be sweeter than it ever was at the outset!
Please, folks...for the sake of your vows, for the sake of your children, for the sake of your spouse, and most importantly, for the sake of self love, I urge you, for whatever reason (even if you just need help understanding yourself or the opposite sex), do yourself a big favor and give these books and website some consideration. Don't quit or give up on the potential of what love can be and what God meant for you to enjoy, when there are sound resources that can really help make things sweet again, if you're willing to try...
God bless you in your relationships with love that sustains you, provides joy, and that grows sweeter day by day!
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