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Saturday, June 5, 2010

How To Stay Young

I got a wonderful forward from my cousin Janet that I must share with you. (minus all the fluff). This is titled:
Philosophy For Old Age~ by George Carlin
  • Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the Doctors worry about them. That's why we pay them.
  • Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
  • Keep Learning. Learn more about the compute crafts, gardening, whatever... Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the Devil's Workshop," and the Devils name is Alzheimer's.
  • Enjoy the simple things.
  • Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
  • The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
  • Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
  • Cherish your health. If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
  • Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where guilt is.
  • Tell the people that you love, you love them at every opportunity.

And always remember:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

.

Friday, June 4, 2010

But What About MY DREAMS?



My husband is home from his well deserved vacation. Hiking, camping and just breathing the Arizona air rejuvenated him. He came home home full of dreams and plans for our future. As we reach retirement, my husband is alive with goals and plans.
{The above photo is of the Pinaleno Mountains in Arizona where he visited}

His job is demanding and taxing. He has been beat up a bit with all the GM negotiations as well as the many plants that are folding and dealing with helping all these union members. He also shoulders the weight of "our world", with our own dilemmas, demands and issues. We have Oldies to worry about and college daughters to worry about. If it isn't work, its something on the home front.
I realize many are thinking... who doesn't? We all have stuff to deal with. He doesn't complain much {he is a man so hello? so complaining can't be helped}, he is always taking care of everyone and he has come back to us with certain pride... ideals... dreams...and finally some hope.

He has big dreams and ideals of how to achieve them. He is excited and enthusiastic about these new thoughts and plans. I have listened whole heartedly for the past several days. So pleased to see him happy about our future and wanting the best for us in retirement.

We have been married for 23 years. I took my vows very seriously. I like to believe I am about the most supportive wife there possible can be. I have agreed and abide by his thoughts of what is best for us. He has always made me & the girls most happy and provided very well for us.

The problem I am having will seem selfish. Please know, sometimes to write about these things puts a new prospective on my thoughts and helps me to see and think more clearly. I will continue to do as he sees fit and best. I always have and always will be the "Dutiful Wife". The "Proverbs Wife".
But sometimes I wonder, what about my dreams? What about the things I had hoped to achieve? My dreams? My thoughts and ideals? Are they to be cast aside and sit in this blog for me alone? Does the Hubby forget that maybe, I don't want some of those same plans and that those might not be my dreams? Does he forget when we were young, some of the plans that we dreamed about together? Am I just to be content that he knows best, therefore follow his dreams? Is it too much to wish that he tell me his dreams and ask me what I think? Ask me would I like to consider these things before just assuming?

I gave up on many a dreams long ago. It happens. We grow old and see that some things are just not possible or practical.

  • I will never have 4 kids.
  • I will not live in Texas.
  • I will probably not own horses (I can't give that one up yet).
  • I am not going to win/earn/inherit a ton of money so that I can open "Jan's Ark" my Haven for abused, neglected, and orphaned animals. {horse photo is a rescue horse looking for a home}
  • I am never going to have that ability to make people happy and light up a room.
  • I may never have the confidence I lack.
  • I will never learn to stop trying to fix and save people.

I won't give up on hopes, dreams, and wishes. I just think it would be nice to have my opinion, my input, be considered. I also just want to feel like my feelings are more worthy.

Our Soft Drinks Vs Their Coffee Drinks


When I was a young girl, one of the biggest deals about having a "sleepover" was what you would be serving to eat & drink. Pizza or burgers, lots of chips, and popcorn were the staples.

The drinks were important. I'm talking grade school and Junior High here... so were you a Coke or Pepsi? Along with 7-up. If your parents let you get the cute little bottles, that made you cool.

Another really cool fun choice was getting to choose from Towne Club Soda. Do you remember? In Indianapolis we had a Towne Club on Pendleton Pike. It was a huge deal for Julie & I to get to "pick" our case of sodas. I remember Pineapple Cream, Red Pop, Grape, and Tangerine, to name a few.

Today's kids don't seem to drink Soda Pop. The young men all love their Monster energy drinks, while the girls all seem to drink coffee drinks. I see young girls of 9 or 10 gulping down their Frappucinnos and Cappuccinos. I didn't start drinking coffee till I was 21. I started because I had to make it all the time in the Restaurant I worked in. While in college, I drank Hot Chocolate & sometimes Hot Tea, IF Pepsi or Coke were not available. We certainly didn't have fancy drinks with whipped cream and a thousand calories. I can't imagine paying the Big Bucks kids today spend on these. Grant it I grew up a long time ago, but a spurge back then was a Shake or Freeze from Steak & Shake or a Fountain Cherry Coke at the Drugstore where my College was. Most people (especially kids)seem to not mind popping $4-6 dollars out for a fancy coffee drink. I walk every day with co-workers to a Starbucks. My friend gets an Ice Coffee refill daily for just a buck when she has her Starbucks cup with her. I go along for the walk & her company but have never bought one. I just can't see it. They are not that good, in my opinion. (Although she gets a deal, I won't pay for the over-priced cup.) ME? At my age (and weight) I will stick to my "free" coffee at the office. Spurge? I'll take a Margarita on the Rocks with extra salt please!

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Lightening Bugs!

The Lightening Bug,
The Lightening Bug,
I'll betcha didn't know,
How much the fairies love him,
Coz he's their radio,
The Lightening Bug,
The Lightening Bug,
The fairies radio."
song by Julia W Bingham

Tonight I saw my first lightening bugs!
I always feel like summer is here when the lightening bugs are out.
Ahhh...summertime!