What It Takes To Form A Good Habit -
Some of us need practical advice.
Drama can bring out the emotion in me. A dramatic sky excites me. Enough to make me stand out in the middle of the street just to photograph the moody clouds and breathe in the fresh cool air that stirs up the trees and an occasional soda can strewn on the street by a thoughtless driver. I miss stormy skies, but I’m afraid to say that too loud in the event that a catastrophic downpour will hit our area. So, I try to wait patiently for that moody afternoon storm, and enjoy the beautiful brisk sunny days we’ve been experiencing — oh, and those starry starry nights!!
Merry New Year! Uh…I mean, Prospero New Year! Oh, you know what I mean! Living in Laredo has it’s hangups but fortunately, there are some good points too (thank goodness!!) such as bi-cultural enigmas and mild winters. Ok, that’s it. LOL
Just joshing ya! Friends and family here in Laredo (and via Facebook) make new transitions more bearable and, wouldn’t you know it, ‘tis the season!! For fresh starts, I mean! Along with the scads of unwanted email advice from all kinds of newsletters that I’ve signed up for back in 2010, and the commercials on TV whenever I get the chance to sit down in front of one, it’s hard to narrow the advice down to the really REAL good stuff. But I’ve got me a few I’m posting here, not necessarily for you (the rare follower) but mainly for ME (I’ve got a lousy memory!).
One that hits me right between the eyes is “Don’t put the key to your happiness in someone else’s pocket; keep it in your own.” It’s going to be difficult for me to absorb this into my psyche because it’s been decades since I’ve been playing the blame game — you know, “it’s someone else’s fault I’m unhappy”. Well, no more!
2011 is starting out with lots of tools for me to be able to build my own happiness without having to rely on others to assist me (read: do for me). Over the years, I’ve been storing away for a rainy day. Really, you should see my garage! ;o) But, it wasn’t until today, while I reflected on my goals for the new year, that I acknowledged the fact that I have no excuses that are worth a darn to keep me from blooming and actually making this new year the most productive in a LONG time!
The typical topics in a Resolution list include better health, losing weight, getting closer to the Lord, reading more, etc…and my list definitely includes those, especially getting closer to the Lord, because “life without the Lord is like an unsharpened pencil — it has no point”. Although I derive my strength from my husband, my family, my friends, and sometimes, from myself (!!), it’s the direction and unwavering love I get when I listen to the Lord’s messages that make me invincible.
So this year, I’ll be starting something new — a more active blog, a more active community spirit, a more active lifestyle, ala Zumba! But I will talk about how I’ll be creaking my way into a Zumba class, and lubricating my joints and my bicycle in order to get some strength into my long-neglected muscles (yes, I have them somewhere…), as well as contributing more to Laredo’s positive growth!
A fresh start indeed.
Wish me luck. ;o)
How about a Moonlight Picnic tonight? -
Tonight, or rather, in tomorrow’s wee hours of the morning, the total lunar eclipse will coincide with the winter soltice. This hasn’t occurred in over 370 years! How do I know that? Nah, I’m not THAT old to have witnessed the last one, thank you very much. The astronomical fact is recorded by all those science websites like NASA, Earth Wind and Sky, and non-science types like NPR.
Anyway, during this rare moment, what better time to sit back with a little warm cocoa, a lush blanket, and your favorite squeeze. Just one thing, I need to keep nudging him awake cuz he’s a day-person and I’m a night owl, not by choice. And this eclipse STARTS at 1:30 a.m.
Good luck with your lunar experience! I just hope this rare combination of eclipse/solstice isn’t some apocalyptical formula ready to start! Keep in touch!
;o)
Ingredients:
3 tbsp. sugar
1/2 c. cornstarch
2 c. cold water
Food coloring
Directions:
Mix the first 2 ingredients and then add the water. Cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, until well blended. Divide the mixture into 4 or 5 portions and add a different food coloring to each, plus a pinch of detergent. The detergent helps in cleaning up.
tumblrbot asked: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE INANIMATE OBJECT?
My camera. Can I take your picture?
This is something we should all read at least once a week!!!!! Make sure you read to the end!!!!!!
Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio.
“To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I’ve ever written.
My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:
1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ‘In five years, will this matter?’
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come…
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.”
Paul, my gorgeous chef-husband, makes dinner even more special! I love being his sous-chef! :oD
Hopefully, this is the second to the last time we’ll need to move. I say this because I still dream of living in the Austin area when Paul retires…. *sigh* So, we’re surrounded by boxes and packing tape, things we MUST have and other items that might be more useful to someone else. So, one box is labeled DONATION and there’s barely three items in there. :o/ I found this list which made me smile so I thought I’d add it here, so that when I’m done with the move and we’ve settled into the new house, I can remember the madness we’d survived. From Budget Rentals: “To inject a bit of levity into this excruciating process, I offer these 17 moving tips culled from Budget’s campaign, my fecund imagination and SomethingAwful.com. 1. Wear plenty of deodorant on moving day. 2. Resist the urge to pop bubble wrap before packing fragile items. 3. Make lots of friends before you move. 4. Do not let nosy people move your stuff. 5. It’s okay to curse at heavy furniture. 6. Never attempt wheelies with the moving truck. 7. Now is not the time to practice donuts. 8. Dolly, good. Hernia, bad. 9. Packing tape should not be used for painful practical jokes. 10. Schrodinger’s Moving Service: Your belongings are damaged…maybe. 11. Don’t forget to put air holes in the boxes when packing your pets. 12. Don’t pack dogs and cats in the same box. 13. Some of your friends will need a little persuading. 14. Don’t ask what’s in the box unless you’re sure you want to know. 15. Find a therapist in your new city before moving. 16. It’s okay to not be completely honest when it comes to labeling. 17. Remember not to move in before the old residents move out. Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/05/24/1966490/17-especially-obvious-moving-tips.html#ixzz0p2CsGBrU