When Should You Get a Restart Button?

When Should You Get a Restart Button?

Many of us have read The Station by Robert J. Hastings at some point in our lives.  It never gets old or dated.  It is always a fresh message.  It always bears repeating.  It is unadulterated truth.  Read it.  Think about it.  Here is a portion:

"Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision.  We see ourselves on a long trip that spans the continent.  We are traveling by train.  Out the windows we drink in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at a crossing, of cattle grazing on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant, of row upon row of corn and wheat, of flat lands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hillsides, of city skylines and village halls.

But uppermost in our minds is the final destination.  Bands will be playing and flags waving.  Once we get there our dreams will come true, and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.  How restlessly we pace aisles, cursing the minutes for loitering - waiting, waiting, waiting for the station."

What Were Your Best Summer Memories from Your Childhood?

As a child, summer was something you looked forward to all year long.  Longer days to play outside.  Ice cream.  The beach.  Summer Camp.  NO school.  Picnics.  Road trips to visit cousins.  Playing board games on the front porch that lasted for days.  Playing in the rain.

As an adult, summer is much different.  Working.  Working inside.  Dieting so you can fit into that bathing suit.  Taking the kids camping and being the one who does all the cooking, clean-up, planning.  Forgetting how much you enjoyed the heat when you were 90 pounds young.  Hating it now.  

Regardless, summer does have its moments and my best ones are spending time with the grands.    

"Ready to go for a walk, Gramma"                 

How Important is Your Freedom?

Freedom: The definition of freedom can certainly mean different things to different people.  Essentially it is the power or right to act, speak or think as one wants to without restraint.  

Sometimes we are bound by circumstances out of our control.  When I was arrested I knew the officials had made a mistake and the truth would come out.  BUT.....when you are locked in a room and realize you have no rights or freedoms, your mind races and fear can overtake your thoughts.  (Read that story here)

Some people feel bound in a marriage/relationship and spend every waking moment either planning their escape or figuring out how to survive while 'incarcerated.'  Unfortunately, it is a negative state to exist in and often leads to fear, depression and even disease.  

11 Reasons Why You Should (NOT) Have a Dog as a Pet

Do you wonder whether or not you should get a dog?  You weigh the pros and cons and think about all the work....... I am sure there are circumstances where someone does not want to have a dog in their life, but I can't imagine life without a four-legged fur baby.  Some people have stated they will never get another dog when their dog passes over the rainbow.

I have rescued over 30 dogs and when one dies it is always devastating.  They can become such a major part of your life and member of your family.  But for every dog you may lose, there are hundreds of precious ones who need a home.  For the love of dogs everywhere......if you are wondering whether you should invite a dog into your life...here are some reasons to welcome this four-legged family member:

1.  You will no longer need an alarm clock.  Dogs have internal clocks with alarms that go off right

How Do You Pull Yourself Out of the Pit?

Some of you may remember my story about credit card fraud which you can read here.    Two men charged a few thousand dollars for jewelry at our store and then called their credit card company and 'reported' that they were never in the store.  The credit card company gave them their money back which means they have the merchandise plus their refund.  I spent over 30 hours on the phone (mostly on hold) over the course of a few days fighting this and was finally able to connect with a supervisor in Visa's fraud department.  What he told me was shocking!

Credit card companies will always side with the cardholder -- even when it is a fraudulent card.  It is the 'rule of law' initially set up.  Going to court to fight that decision would only be a waste of time and money.  The agent was apologetic but explained that is the law and there is nothing we can do about it.  The first time this happened to us, it cost us $6,000.  Now.....it happened again.  These thieves hit several stores in our small town the same day -- we are all up the proverbial creek.  Does that seem fair?

In the meantime, we sold a guitar amp on eBay which we hoped would help recoup our losses.  The buyer decided he did not want to keep it and sent it back but didn't pack it well and this is how it arrived.