Circumstances? Phooey!

CAPTAIN AMERICA

I like this quote by George Bernard Shaw. He says, "The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them." Don't you think that's a lovely thought? Why sit and mope in doom and gloom when you can get up and create the circumstances you'd rather be in? Winners do it every day, and so can we, dear friends. Rather a lovely concept to think about.

Hats Off Please

Watching this video sent to me by my daughter made me sit in awe of the human spirit. When someone who has gone through so much adversity can come through with this much beauty emanating from his soul, it's truly a lovely thing. I was inspired not only to count the blessings of a roof over my head and plenty of food to eat, but to appreciate the opportunities we are given each day to live to our fullest capabilities. Those opportunities are lovely, indeed, and I for one appreciate each and every one.Please click the link to watch. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ46Ot4_lLo&feature=related

Extremes

I didn't expect much from today. It's my day of rest, you see. I feel that I did rest, indeed, but two things happened that I found quite extreme. Watching "Sweeney Todd" with my husband was a truly unlovely experience. However, reading a book my friend, Naty Matos, wrote was quite uplifting and a lovely way to make something nice come from a day of resting. You may enjoy reading it, too. It's entitled Growth Lessons. Have a lovely evening, friends.







http://www.amazon.com/Growth-Lessons-ebook/dp/B005WZ1BGK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326064635&sr=8-1

A Little Solitude

Since I can't go outside because of the cedar pollen, my husband is treating two of our children and our son's fiance to sushi tonight. It's not my favorite, but it is theirs, so this will be a good thing. And the solitude will be quite lovely. I may choose to play my piano. Or, I may simply use the time I would normally spend preparing dinner for my husband and I to read "Endless Night" by Agatha Christie. Whatever I choose, it will be lovely to spend a quiet evening at home. What will you be doing this evening?

Pure Poison

There's no denying that Austin's Cedar Fever is one of the worst allergies people around here can have. Today, the pollen sneaked in through an open door and zapped me! I slept for almost three hours before I could open my eyes and raise my head for dinner. The good news is that I had a lovely nap and now I'm ready for a pleasant evening, watching a movie with my husband. Yes, one can find something lovely in any day.

Pure Love

My friend made these lovely cupcakes for her daughter's sixth birthday celebration. They are the loveliest things I've seen today and I just had to share them. I'm sure her daughter will grow up to be a lovely person, too, because her mother is a person you want to just hug and never let go.  It's lovely when you see a mother passing on such lavish affection to her only daughter, and I'm sure one day, the same thing will be said about this six year old. And that's a lovely thing to say!

My Lovely Mom....

Wednesdays are the days I call my mom to see how she's doing. At 87 she is full of life and can still tell a funny joke. I listen to her tell me about her aches, pains, and loneliness, and I remind her that it is more important to think about how good her life really is. She is still full of wise counsel. She can still laugh at herself. Every day she lives is a day I treasure, and I think that's a lovely thing.

If Bears Can....

This Tuesday has brought a new awareness to my life. Since I suffer from Cedar Fever here in Austin for at least six weeks every year, I have made the lovely decision to hibernate. Yes, I'm going to hibernate, just like bears do. I'll stay indoors and avoid the Cedar pollen. I'll write and my husband can go to the store when we run out of food. It's going to be lovely to not suffer with itchy eyes and throat. My eyes won't water and itch either. And I'll not pass out from taking antihistamines, unable to function. Think about it. If bears can figure out how to avoid disaster, then so can I. Lovely!

Or for Worse...

My day started out perfectly. Up at 6 am, devotions, made breakfast of eggs, bacon and biscuits for my husband, put a load of laundry in the washer and together, we made the bed. Checked my e-mails, Facebook, Twitter and sales and began finishing up chapter six of my new book, Pacific Beach. Made lunch, a Southwest Chicken salad, and tidied up the kitchen. Wrote some more, took a break and vaccumed the living room and went back to writing again. And then I crashed from taking a 24 hr. antihistamine the previous evening. It's not even 4 o'clock and I'm totally incapacitated. I head for the couch and don't move for two hours. This, for me, is the "for worse" part of the marriage covenent. My husband has worked hard all day and would love to relax but what does he do? Makes sure I'm comfortable, offers sympathy and drives to Panda Express to bring me dinner so I won't have to cook and clean up the kitchen. It was a lovely thing to do and it makes me want to serve him all the days of my life.

Am I Dreaming?

My son cooks a prime rib dinner just for our family, and afterward, his lovely wife insists my husband and I sit and relax while she prepares to serve us delicious Korean coffee with milk and sugar and then starts a load of dishes. It's so lovely when someone serves you a meal and then refuses to let you help clean up, don't you think? One never knows what will happen when you sow seeds of service to others. I read my affirmations every day to do just that. I feel the same way about flying. The main reason I love it is because the flight attendant asks what I'd like to drink and offers me an assortment of snacks. Serving others is a lovely thing to do. Today, my son and his wife serving us was like a lovely dream. Only it really happened. Pleasant dreams, everyone.