For Richer and Poorer? Better AND Worse?

When asked to share the story about my first love and whether or not it lasted, that was a loaded question.  When I think about my first love, I realize it was not love at all. I had to kiss a lot of frogs before meeting my prince.  Many times what I thought was love was merely a romance.  Although I can chalk those times up to experience, I wonder if it would be ideal to just skip all that and go to the real deal. What do you think?

To answer the question submitted to me by another blogger, Little Piece of Peace I will share my love story that started 45 years ago.

I saw him on the other side of the roller rink at the church skating party and wondered how to approach him.  He had been the guest speaker at my church on Sunday and I was smitten.  Eventually, I got up the nerve to skate a little closer to him and say "Hi, I'm Carol." He smiled, nodded and sped off.

11 Ways to Avoid the Christmas Rush and Have a Stress-free Holiday

"I hate Christmas!"  Those were the words spoken by a woman who was looking in the showcases in my store this week.  

"Pardon me?"

"I hate Christmas -- well, not really.  I just hate all the stuff I am forced to do."

I have not been able to shake that conversation from my psyche.

Each year, I watch the craziness and the hustle.  I see the anger.  I hear nasty, grumpy comments by people who generally are easy-going.  

People pushing, swearing, rushing, yelling.  No wonder she hates Christmas.

Christmas CAN BE stress-free -- honest!

Birth Is Not For the Weak

All of us have days we will never forget.  Sometimes these memories are worth remembering and other times we wish we could forget them.  Last Sunday was a day that will be etched into my memory bank forever.  Not only for the course of events that day but the observations I made regarding human behavior, especially of young children.

I have been forever proud of my daughter, Rochelle, and that pride grows the more I observe her as a mother of two small children and caregiver to her many pets.

Rochelle's husband works in the arctic north and is gone weeks at a stretch.  They live on a hobby farm that includes livestock and five dogs.  She has rescued animals from abusive situations since she was a young girl and has become educated in the art of nurturing these creatures back to health through sheer hands-on experiences.

Two years ago, Rochelle rescued a Bernese Mountain dog who had been living in a kennel too small for her 80-pound body.  The dog had zero knowledge of boundaries, boundless energy and was not the sharpest tool in the shed.  But she was one of the happiest dogs you could ever meet.  She loved everyone and showed it with kisses that were not necessarily welcomed.  My grandson adopted her as 'his' dog and named her "Charrrrrrlie."

Although she weighed 80 pounds, she was still a puppy and had 'accidents.'  One time she had to pee and not making it to the front door in time,  she peed in the kitchen while shaking her large frame shooting pee across the room and spraying everyone and everything within close vicinity.

At the time she was also in heat and couldn't be left outside without supervision. Because she was in heat, Rochelle put a pair of men's underwear on her. She tied Charlie up to the bedpost while cleaning the mess only to turn around to find her standing there with her leash in her mouth.  She had gnawed through it in the course of a few minutes.  The underwear was twisted around her ankles.  You couldn't help but love this hilarious dog.  She's the one in diapers below:

Do You Need a Dose of Inspiration?

This inspirational story has been around social media for some time but I do not know it's origin.  I can guarantee you that the story will cause you to pause and think about how you look at and approach your own life.  Take a moment to read and share it. How much easier our lives would be if we all approached it with eyes wide open.

What is Your Secret to Life?

Everyone wants to live longer and we spend a lot of money trying to find the secrets to living a longer life. We buy potions, pills, creams and exercise equipment - all in an effort to maintain or regain our youth. We spend a great deal of our hard earned money to look younger. Some of it works, but most of it does not.

I have six living uncles and aunts and the YOUNGEST is 90 years old. I have always maintained that the harder you work, the younger you feel. Even though TODAY is my (you can guess the number :) birthday, I  work harder than I did 25 years ago.  I love to be busy which helps me to think younger, act younger and look younger, Yes, longevity runs in my family, but more importantly there are some underlying facts that we put into practice.

What you feed will grow

AND.....

What you starve will die