On My Mind Today

  From Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Ticonderoga ) "Fort Ticonderoga, formerly Fort Carillon, is a large 18th-century star fort  built by the French at a narrows near the south end of Lake Champlain in upstate New York in the United States . It was constructed by Canadien Michel Chartier de Lotbiniere, Marquis de Lotbiniere between 1754 and 1757 during the Seven Years' War , often referred to as the French and Indian War in the USA. It was of strategic importance during the 18th-century colonial conflicts between Great Britain and France, and again played a role during the American Revolutionary War." We recently took our grandchildren, ages 2, 5 and 9, on a trip to see Fort Ticonderoga ( http://www.fortticonderoga.org/ ). Not only do we want them to have fun, but we want them to learn something new wherever they go. I always tell my grandchildren to learn as much as they possibly can, because it will allow them to do whatever they choose when th

I know that I am dating myself when I start to talk about a lack of proper etiquette and social skills in our youth and society as a whole. However, when I am out in public, or in social situations, I am often dismayed by the behavior that I encounter. Common courtesy and basic social skills seem to be disappearing. A few things that my parents taught me as I was growing up (with one or two new things added that apply today). First and foremost remember your manners and be polite. Never interrupt someone when they are speaking. Although you may think what you have to say is important, you can wait for your turn. Always say "please" and "thank you". When invited for dinner don't show up empty handed. If you are a guest in someone's home always offer to help. When someone takes the time to pick out and give you a gift, make sure you send them a hand written thank you. Do not talk about your personal life at work or in public. It is nobody's busin

Spending time with my grandchildren is such a blessing. Watching them have so much fun reminds me of things that we seem to have forgotten as we became adults. Yesterday we took my granddaughter to Hampton Beach. This was her second trip and she was so excited to go to the ocean. She has no fear and loves to run towards the waves and then turn and let them run into her, all the while screaming and laughing. It is such a joy to see how happy she is doing something so simple. When we got back it was time for a ride around the lake on the boat. She sits up in the bow (Mom holding her life jacket) and looks back and says faster Nanu, faster as she never thinks he is going fast enough. She takes her time sitting with Nanu "driving" the boat and acts like it is her place to be there. Later when it was time to relax she went up and got the cat's house and all his toys. She set them up in the living room and she and her doll played like it was their doll house. Her imaginat

I have been thinking a lot lately about what words of wisdom I want to impart upon my children and grandchildren. After all, reaching the latter part of my 50's has made me pause and reflect on what message I want to give them. So......below is the list I have started and want to share with them: Love your children, and let them know how important they are to the family no matter what happens. As I have always told my girls, I may not always like what you do, but I will always love you. Encourage your children to learn as much as they possibly can - with knowledge you can do anything. Never tell them they can't or that is what they will learn to tell themselves. Encourage them to try - even if they are not successful at something at least they tried. Teach your children to have respect for themselves and others, and to speak with intelligence and kindness. When you do so it will be returned to you. Find out what your passion is and try to make it your life's work. I

We all go through difficult times in our life, and it can be easy to let the tough times take over. It seems to be human nature to do so. I guess we allow ourselves to fall into the lows as trying to pull ourselves out of it sometimes seems like a daunting task, and we don't know where to start. However, the best place to start is by taking a look around. No matter how difficult we think things are in our life, there are always many others with much larger obstacles to overcome. We see some of them on nightly news programs, and the positive attitude and spirit they show in difficult times is amazing and inspiring. A good lesson for all of us. Like everyone else I sometimes encounter difficult days, but with age have found that it really is much easier to approach them with a positive mind. When the day starts off on the wrong road, I stop and remind myself of all the good things in my life. Remind myself how fortunate I am to have a great family, good friends, to be healthy, and 

Summer cook-out time is the right time to share this one. These ribs are the best that I have ever had! The recipe is from the Woman's Day Kitchen. Hope you all find time to try this one. Enjoy!   BBQ Ribs with Mopping Sauce 2 rack(s) (about 6 lb) pork spare ribs , halved crosswise          Dry Rub 1/2 cup(s) barbecue seasoning (like McCormick Grill Mates) 2

Having a relationship with another person can be a wonderful thing. It also can be very painful if you feel you need the relationship to define who you are. If you think the relationship is the thing that will make you happy, you will always be disappointed. When I was younger I know that I defined myself in this manner and felt that a relationship would make me happy and complete. As I age the one thing I have come to realize is that you need to find happiness within yourself before you will have a successful relationship with another person. The things that you may not feel good about will continue to go into every relationship if you do not face them, and figure out why they exist. We all have things in our lives, or about ourselves, that we may not necessarily like so much. But we have to determine what is truly important and right for us, and let go of things that we do not need to own or that we have no control over. You need to like yourself and be comfortable with who you a

This morning as I was listening to the news one of the headlines was "Should Dennis Rodman Get the Nobel Peace Prize for his trip to North Korea?" My reaction was absolutely not! Since when does a sports figure visiting the leader of a foreign country qualify him to be nominated, or to win, the Nobel Peace Prize. I went to Wikipedia to see what the intent was by Alfred Nobel for the Peace Prize, and the following is what I found: Per Alfred Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who "shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses". Each year, the Norwegian Nobel Committee specifically invites qualified people to submit nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize. The statutes of the Nobel Foundation specify categories of individuals who are eligible to make nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize. These nominato