On My Mind Today

I strive to keep a positive attitude in spite of the many things that can turn a day upside down. As I age it has become clearer that not to do so only creates negativity. The past 18 months have been quite a journey in my life with many good things, and some not so good. Both of which shape the person I am. I started my own business just over a year ago and it has been exciting and stressful at the same time. Exciting as I have come to know so many wonderful people who have been supportive and encouraging. I have learned much from their experiences which they have so generously shared. Stressful due to the monetary constraints of being self-employed. In the pursuit to build a successful business it has been necessary to use "reserve" funds, and we all know the reserve funds only last for so long. But I persevere knowing that I am on the right path for me, and that I can make a success of this endeavor. Nothing good ever comes easily. I have also lost loved ones during th

Thanksgiving has come and gone which hardly seems possible - until the Christmas commercials started. They seemed to sneak up on us and I am sure they were slipped in a week before we enjoyed our Thanksgiving meal. We should be allowed to give thanks for all the wonderful people in our lives before we think about shopping. Don't get me wrong - I like to shop and give to others, but like to wait for one holiday to end before I go there. Having said all that, I did get my Christmas decorations out this past weekend and carefully placed everything in its proper place. Funny how we know exactly where they should go even after a year in storage. As I go through the day putting up the tree and decorating with lights, bulbs, special ornaments, and garland I think of what this holiday is truly about. It is about time with my family sharing memories and making new ones. Seeing the joy on the faces of my grandchildren as they open each package with such excitement. The simplest of gifts ar

Thanksgiving - the holiday where no gifts are given - only thanks for the things in our life. Today I am thankful for many things. I am fortunate to have a wonderful family, great children and beautiful grandchildren. My family has always been there for me with love and support and I know they always will be, as I will be for them. They are my rock. I am thankful for a man who is kind, and has a great sense of humor. Someone who has been supportive of my journey over the past year to get my struggling business on its feet. I am thankful for the many wonderful friends in my life. There are those I have known for most of my life, and new friends that have appeared over the years - all of whom have been an inspiration to me for so many reasons. I am blessed to have all of these people in my life. They have made me laugh, shared tears with me, helped me get through tough times, and always encouraged me to follow my own path. Every day that I get to spend with them is a gift that is

Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” –Proverbs 18:21 We all love FaceBook for the immediate access to our loved ones and friends. To be able to see pictures of our children and grandchildren is such a joy. To stay connected with friends and be able to share our lives and also keep up to date on their lives is a wonderful thing. I would not give up this connection. Used with good intentions it is a great thing. There are the postings that makes us laugh, postings that make us think, postings that encourage us to help others, postings that make us count our blessings - but there are also the posts that offend.  The posts that are hurtful - intentional or not. It is far too easy to get caught up in the moment. To allow our emotions to dictate and before you know it something has been said that you wish you had not said. Even if you take down the post after people react it is too late. The words were there, no matter how b

Family is truly the one thing we can count on in life. They will accept us for all the great things we do, and also when we do things that are not so great. Their love and support are unconditional and will get us through even the most difficult times in our lives. Throughout our life we travel many paths and along the way we will meet people who become important to us for many reasons. When we become a part of their lives we sometimes separate ourselves from family initially, but eventually we move back to our family circle. If the people we meet are truly a good part of our life, then they will enhance it and encourage a good family connection and be a part of that. They should never make us feel we have to choose between them and family. If they do we need to ask ourselves why. I guess the following are the things I have learned about family over the years: 1. They love you unconditionally, even when they do not agree with choices you make. 2. Nobody knows you better - warts

So many people today have become terrified of aging and looking older. We see an abundance of this with celebrities, both men and women, who feel they will not be accepted if they do not look youthful. Unfortunately what they fail to recognize is everyone knows how old they really are. We also have seen what happens when plastic surgery has gone too far and how unattractive it can be. It has the opposite effect of what they were looking for, and can cause much heartache. When did we become so afraid of growing older, and lose the ability to do so with grace and dignity?  Some of the most beautiful people I have seen (celebrities and otherwise) are those who have chosen to grow old gracefully. The wisdom in their eyes, and the wrinkles around the eyes and mouth as they smile are absolutely beautiful. These are the things that show who we are and come from a life filled with both joy and sorrow. A face with no lines can tell no story. I have gone far beyond 50 and 60 is closer than I

This blog was one of my early ones from 2012, and it struck a nerve with many who are dealing with ADD and ADHD on a daily basis. I am choosing to post it once again after coming across a documentary on PBS called ADD and Loving It!? It was presented with humor and made it clear what it is like to have ADD with the help of the narrator, who is a comedian with the disorder. I have added the link to this documentary at the end. I hope that those dealing with ADD find it useful and enjoy the humorous approach. Once again - Trying to Understand ADHD: ADHD brings up many emotions in varying ways depending on if you are a parent, grandparent, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, teacher, coach or just a bystander. It is very hard to understand if you have not seen or lived with ADHD and its effects firsthand. Unfortunately most look at it from the viewpoint of how it effects the people around the child with ADHD. Hard not to do this when the actions have an impact on your surroundings. The sch

So many in our society have come to believe that nothing is their fault, and because of this belief  lawyers are getting rich. They will find a way for you to blame someone else for the choices you have made in life. That is not to say there are not companies and individuals out there who take advantage or make decisions that will cause harm - and they should be held accountable for this. However, so many of the cases brought into court are nothing more than someone looking for a pay day after making a choice they had to know was not a good one. And lawyers are getting rich encouraging this behavior. If you watch any television at all then you have seen the many commercials where an attorney (or an attorney spokesperson) tell you they can help you get the money you deserve. Of course they try to make it sound like they only want to help you and don't say how much they will make off the lawsuit if they win. I call them the ambulance chasers. Maybe I am showing my age, but I was

It is so hard to believe that we will be changing our clocks back this coming Saturday night. Seems like only a few short weeks ago we turned them ahead for the longer days of spring and summer. Did that much time go by so quickly?? As I look around me on the lake it is truly apparent that season has come around again. Fall foliage has gone by, the leaves have fallen, the days are cooler and that gray November look is in the sky. Over the past several weeks I have watched the ducks and geese as they have done their practice runs over the lake. Preparing for that inevitable trip for warmer climates in the south. Many days I wish that I were taking this journey with them so I too could feel the warmth of the southern sun on my face over the long cold winter. Although I have spent my entire life in New England I am finding as I age that the winters are not so kind and the thought of being out of the cold, snow and ice is more appealing. Having said all that, the first thing I do is re