Yearly Archives: 2023

I Am Thankful 2023

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On this Thanksgiving Day, I’d like to once again share my list of “thankfuls,” because I don’t think we’re doing that nearly enough these days.

These days too many of us tend to be negative, concentrating on all the things in our lives and our country and the world around us that aren’t going the way that we think they should.

Yes, there are a lot of those right now, but there are a lot more things that are good in our lives, if we only stop to think about them; concentrate on them, at least today, on this Thanksgiving day.

So here’s my list:

I am thankful for the chance to still gather some of our loved ones together. I am thankful for my family, and the love we share, even though sometimes we don’t act like it (just like everyone else I know…let’s be real) or feel like it. But the point is we do love each other. And I’m thankful for that love.

I am thankful for my husband and the life we have made together these past 39 years. We’ve been through a lot: family issues and loss; infertility; successions of career moves; and some serious health issues. We have stood by each other through it all, and we have prevailed against a lot of odds. And we will continue to do so. Marriage is a commitment “for better or worse”.  No one ever said it would be easy, but it’s certainly worth it. And it’s hard to believe we’ve been together over 40 years, and married for 39.

I am thankful for our daughter and son-in-law and our now THREE beautiful grandchildren. As sick as our daughter was during this pregnancy, I am thankful that our little one made it into this world safely, even at 5 weeks early. I guess he couldn’t wait to celebrate his first Christmas, so he decided to make his appearance on December 20!

I am thankful for true friends who love us and stick with us, even though we don’t always agree on certain things. True friends remain friends and don’t drop us because of being on opposite sides of issues. We can still be friends without arguing over ideas that we’ll never agree on. If we can’t, we were never true friends. And unfortunately we’ve found that out over the past several years, but I am grateful for the years we did have together.

I am thankful for my health. As I grow older every year, that is one blessing I continue to be ever so thankful for. Because so many others my age are not as fortunate. And I am thankful that despite all the medical issues my husband has been through since our marriage, he continues to maintain a positive attitude and also continues to come through each medical challenge with flying colors! 

Along with that, I am thankful for the availability of excellent doctors and medical care, especially as it pertains to my husband. We are blessed with some of the brightest and the best in their fields, and as we age, and new diseases come against us, that’s extremely important. Some may not necessarily agree with our medical choices, but we are thankful we have those choices and are able to utilize them.

I am thankful for the home we have lived in for 30 years now. Yes, it’s showing its age, with some wear and tear, but it’s our home, and it holds an abundance of family memories that we hold dear. Even though our house went through some issues of its own this year, we made the best of it, and it’s still our home, even with some new unplanned changes in decor. We don’t know how long we will continue to live in it before we decide to downsize, but for now we’re still here, and making more memories every day.

I am thankful for a job that I really enjoy; one in which I am respected and able to use all of my past experiences in real estate to improve the performance of my department. Although I’m at retirement age, and actually a few years past it, I’m not ready to stop working yet, and I have the opportunity to continue to do what I enjoy and get paid for it, and work for a wonderful company with lots of great people.

In a similar situation, I’m also thankful that although he’s technically semi retired, my husband is still working a 30+ hour week, enjoying what he does as well, and like me, working for a great company who appreciates him.

I am thankful we live in a country in which we are still free to express our opinions and maintain our right to free speech. Although we have a politically divided country right now, I still have hope that we can overcome our differences and once again become a country united for the good of all of us, and not a country trying to see who we can get back at for perceived wrongs and doing nothing but criticize and threaten those disagree with us. Because if we continue on the divided path we are currently on, what kind of country will we be leaving our children and grandchildren?

And above all, I am thankful for all the blessings the Lord has bestowed on us; the things He has walked us through, and the things He has protected us from. It’s been another challenging year, but we continue to remain strong and positive that our family will continue to also retain our strong love for each other no matter what challenges we may face.

May God continue to bless us all, both on this Thanksgiving Day and in the coming months and years.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Reflections 2023

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I always tend to get a bit nostalgic at this time of year because there’s so much emphasis on family and the things that tradition tells us we need to emphasize during the Thanksgiving season.

How about those of us who don’t have the “traditional” family unit? Whatever that is any more.

In our case, that’s sort of, kind of, true.  Our family has shifted quite a bit, and the closeness of years long ago is no longer there. It doesn’t mean we love them any less, but we love in a different way. 

Family dynamics have changed, and we no longer have actual physical gatherings with all of those who are still in our hearts. It’s a way of life, whether we like it or not.

Our traditions have changed. Around our table will be our daughter and son in law and this year there will be THREE grandchildren. Maybe others. Who knows? Of course, Ryan most likely won’t be eating turkey, but I imagine he’ll try a bite or two. After all, today he is officially eleven months old! Where has the time gone?

Our meal will still be the traditional turkey and trimmings, and this year our daughter will be able to eat what she wants. Last year she was so sick with her pregnancy she had really couldn’t eat much of what she wanted.

But I can’t help but look back on Thanksgivings some 20 or so years ago before things started to change, and yes, I still long for those days again.

But then I stop to think about all that’s happened in the intervening years, and I realize I really wouldn’t want to change much of it. Certainly I’d still want my mother with us, but I wouldn’t want the friends we’ve met along the way to no longer be with us. I’d not want to give up my daughter and her husband and our precious grandchildren for anything in this world.

Unfortunately change happens. Change is inevitable. Families evolve and change as family members move away or sadly, pass away. And our holiday traditions evolve as well. Friends who can’t spend holidays with their families join with us at our Thanksgiving meal, traditional or not.

Friends become the family we choose for ourselves. And that’s ok. Because we no longer live in the world as it was 20 or 30 years ago.

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for what we have. For those we love. A time to fellowship and share with others and allow them to share with us. For me, I am thankful for my husband’s continued heatlh, and for our daughter and son in law, and as I’ve said before, especially thankful for our grandchildren, and very thankful that baby Ryan, although coming into this world five weeks premature, is healthy and happy (except for the teething of course,) and the best Christmas gift we could ever have had. We’re so looking forward to sharing a wonderful Thanksgiving with all of them.

And that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? Sharing and giving thanks for the blessings we have.

And we have many. Sometimes we forget just how many because we’re all too often complaining that things aren’t the way we think they should be. And we almost overlook the things we should be most grateful for.

And if we stop and think about it, we can list a lot more things to be thankful for than things that we think are wrong in our life.

Try it. Be honest with yourself.

And you’ll see what I mean.

Toddler Shoes or Grownup Shoes?

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Have you ever felt like you just couldn’t put one foot in front of another any more? Almost like you were a toddler again, trying to walk in those strange new things on your little feet that your mommy called shoes. But you just didn’t have the strength to do it? Or maybe you just didn’t have the desire…or the motivation.

Maybe it felt like your feet were stuck in a huge glob of glue, holding you back, and just the act of pulling your foot out of that sticky mess in just to put it down a few inches ahead took more effort than it was worth.

What good are shoes if you can’t walk in them?

But every day is a step towards your goal. It may be a tiny step, and you may not even begin to see where that step takes you, but it’s a step forward.

Each day you take another one, and another.

The trick is not to take one backwards. Which can be very tempting, especially when you don’t see those steps taking you anywhere.

Think about what happens when a child starts walking. They try, very tentatively at first, holding on to something, and try to put that little foot in front of the other. It’s only a half step, but they try. And usually fall.

But they keep trying. Half steps. Tiny little steps. Not getting very far at first. But they keep trying. Because they don’t ever think they can’t do it. They just keep trying because instinctively they know it’s how to get ahead and make their lives better!

They keep trying, a few steps at a time. And when they fall, they get back up and keep on trying. They have no preconceived idea that they can’t do it.

And one day all their hard work pays off as they stand up, take those steps, and not only walk, but run!

They never look back. They don’t go back to crawling again instead of walking or running. Because they know the best way to get where they’re going is putting one foot in front of the other and plunging ahead.

So what about us? Why is it so hard for us to sometimes put that one foot in front of the other? So hard to start moving ahead to where we’re going? Or where we want to go.

Like the toddler starting out walking for the first time, we fall down. But sometimes instead of getting back up we decide to just stay where we fall. Because it’s easier than putting forth the effort it takes to get moving again.

We say we want to, but it’s just so much effort. It’s easier to stay stuck in that molasses and go no further. And watch everyone else move on; move ahead with their lives.

It’s easy to think that, “They don’t know all the struggles I’ve had. How hard it’s been. How difficult life has been these past few weeks/months/years. They haven’t had to go through all that….”

Really? Ah, but how do you know? You just didn’t see their struggles, their battles to put one foot in front of the other and start moving ahead again. You didn’t see them falling down time after time and fighting to get back up and keep on going.

You see, we all have our struggles. From time to time we’ve all gone though those individual battles, and some of us probably will again.

But we all come through it the same way. By getting up each morning and putting that one foot in front of the other, and forging ahead. It may not be a quick journey, but as long as we keep moving forward, nothing can stop us.

Nothing can stop you. Tomorrow morning, get up. Put your feet on the floor and put one foot in front of the other. And keep walking.

The journey of a thousand miles always starts with a single step.

Where is your journey going to take you?

Sometimes You Have to Accept…

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…that the people you thought were your really good friends really aren’t.

…that the people you thought would always be in you corner don’t really care about being there.

…that although they think they care, many times they’re just too busy to be that person you need.

…that true friends don’t always have to agree with everything we believe in; but that those disagreements should be put aside for true friendship.

…that when you really need a shoulder to cry on or a hand to help you up, it may not be there from the people you expected.

…that true friendship sometimes comes from those we least expected.

…that true friendship doesn’t expect anything in return for that friendship.

…that we’re not always the friends we need to be to others.

…that sometimes apologies are needed by both sides.

…that acquaintances are not the same as friends. Acquaintances can become friends, and friends can become only acquaintances.

…and that some day it may be too late to try to rekindle a friendship that has long since gone by the wayside.

Treasure your true friends; if they leave, then they were only friends for a season. If they stick by you through good times and bad times, and don’t desert you if they make new friends, then they are friends forever.

Mother Nature Has the Best Box of Crayons

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Around our area this year, it seems the leaves have been turning colors a bit slower than usual.

Not that I want the cold weather to hit, but now that Halloween is over, and it’s already November, well, I guess it’s time. After all, November in our household marks the beginning of Christmas decorating. And since we have a total of 12 trees, it does take a bit of time.

But once the leaves start changing, and the fall flowers arrive at the garden shops, it’s time to start looking at and appreciating Mother Nature’s fall box of crayons.

And what an array of colors we find!

We tend to think of fall colors as just leaves turning colors on trees in varying shades of orange. But there are other colors as well.

And that’s certainly a big part of it.

But there are also pumpkins. And they’re not just orange. They’re white, yellow, speckled, and even blue! The first time I saw a blue pumpkin I thought it was fake. My husband didn’t like it at all, but I thought it was great. And so did the squirrels who decided to chew on it since we put it on our front steps with the other pumpkins. And don’t forget the decorative gourds which come in the most original and unusual shapes.

And then there’s the Indian corn. In a huge array of colors from orange to white to varying shades of blue and purple! Last year we also bought several ears of this colorful corn to put outside with our pumpkins. The squirrels enjoyed them as well.

This year we didn’t put out real pumpkins or corn.

But leaves and pumpkins aren’t nature’s only colors of fall. There are also stunning fall flowers. In beautiful shades of yellow, purple and orange. Pansies are one of my favorite flowers and I already have several pots of them on our deck. Mums are very popular as well, and are my husband’s favorite, but they don’t last as long as I’d like, even though I’m very careful to water them daily.

And don’t forget the fall apples. They’re available in all kinds of varieties and colors. And they’re all delicious, and can be found in luscious pies and apple dumplings!

Yes, Mother Nature has a box of crayons that are incomparable to anything we can come up with in a lab or by mixing paint on a palette. The beauty of nature and the majesty of the Creator continues to amaze us on a daily basis. 

We could never put together a box of crayons that could compete with these.

Don’t you agree?

Dressing Up for Halloween, and Yes it’s Fun!

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Yes, it’s that time again. Halloween costumes have been all over the stores and specialty shops, and selling out quickly. Fortunately our grandkids got their costumes early, and I can’t wait to see them dressed up. Even our ten month old grandson has his first Halloween costume. He’s going to be an adorable lobster! And his mom is actually going to put on an apron and a chef’s hat and carry him around in a big cooking pot! We’ll see how long that lasts! I told her that’s the closest she’ll come to cooking this year.

And pumpkins are everywhere. It seems almost everyone has carved ones on their front steps, well, except those who have big dogs who try to eat them, or an overabundance of squirrels who try to eat them! I remember growing up and my uncle making the most beautiful jack-o’-lanterns. Over fifty years ago, he was painting faces and other designs on the pumpkins rather than carving them, because they’d last longer. He was certainly ahead of his time, and if he were still here today, I’m sure he’d still be doing it, only more elaborate.

And I have do enjoy seeing the costumes the kids are wearing when they come to our door to get their candy. The little ones are always adorable. Of course now, we celebrate with our grandchildren in their development. They look so cute, and so do their friends. To them Halloween is an excuse to dress up and get candy. And what’s wrong with that? They’ve looked so adorable over the years, and this year will be no exception, I’m sure!

pauline-and-fowler-halloween1951In fact, when I was growing up, most of us dressed up for Halloween, but very seldom in anything scary or spooky. My hometown had an annual Halloween parade, with several of the main streets blocked off so the participants could march around our little business district and the county courthouse. Children and adults paraded around streets in costumes and competed for prizes, and the streets were filled with onlookers. My aunt and uncle actually won first prize in the adult division one year, dressed as Raggedy Ann and Andy. Weren’t they looking sharp? (How many of you know who Raggedy Ann and Andy are?) And if memory serves me correctly, I think some of the local churches sponsored the parade and contributed the prizes!

Imagine how excited I was when I saw pictures on Facebook this weekend from a Halloween parade my hometown held this weekend. Not that I recognized any of the people, although I still stay in touch with some of them, and visit when we can. But I certainly recognized the local businesses, and was happy to see the church my mom and I attended there even had an entry in the parade. If I’d known about it, I’d probably have tried to go see everyone.

I can’t remember the last time I saw a Halloween parade. But they were a lot of fun! At least to us kids, and the adults who still acted like kids. It was just a fun time to enjoy ourselves, and get candy, of course!

We even dressed our dogs up one year and entered them in a costume contest at a local restaurant and they won first prize!

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These days a lot of us who actually enjoy seeing the kids dressed up, and even go with the to get their candy are told by many people that we’re worshipping the devil, by going along with Halloween. That we’re teaching our kids to do the same thing. We’ve even been called all kinds of names, and none of them good!

So let me say this to those of you who put us down for allowing our children to have fun at this time of year. We are NOT celebrating the devil. We’re not worshipping Satan. And we’re certainly not teaching our children and grandchildren anything like that. People are entitled to their opinions and so are we. But I draw the line when someone starts making rude comments like that to us on social media or in person, and especially when our grandchildren are with us. There are a lot more important things to get upset about right now than kids and adults dressing up for Halloween and bringing home candy!

I saw a post the other day about this very thing. It basically said the kids who come to your door are having fun. Nothing more. They’re enjoying being kids. So give them a bit of candy, smile at them, and tell them how cute they look. Life only gets harder as they get older, so let them enjoy this time to be a child and have some fun.

That’s what we’re going to do.

In a World Where You Can Be Anything

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Sometimes the hardest thing to be is yourself.  

Yes, I did write about this earlier, but I think this topic deserves a bit more investigation.

You certainly start out your life with hopes and dreams of what you want to do. What you want to be.

But sometimes we don’t always have the talent or the skills to be exactly what we want to be.

For instance, I could never be a singer. I love listening to country music and I admire so many of the new female artists out there. But I couldn’t do it. Because my voice isn’t their voice. Even with training, I couldn’t begin to sing like they do. But I can appreciate that art and enjoy the music. And sing their songs to myself as I work or relax.

An early dream for me was to maybe become a doctor. But that took a lot of education, and I didn’t have that motivation. Plus, the thought of drawing blood didn’t really appeal to me either.

A teacher? Like my mom? A lot of my classmates decided on that, and they were excellent at it. The found their true calling. I thought about it, and even tried it out two days in a classroom filling in for one of my mother’s friends. After that, I knew there was no way I had the patience for that either.

I actually had no idea what I wanted to do, which is why I majored in business. I figured it would give me a good background to get a job doing something.

And it did. I worked in radio and television for a short time and then found my calling as a marketing manager for a shopping mall. One thing led to another as I learned about shopping center management, and then on to a career in commercial real estate, which I’m continuing in today.

But fortunately I’m still the same person I was many years ago. I still love to read, to do craft projects, and obviously there’s writing. I just haven’t quite decided where I want to take that yet. But I have time.

Are there things I regret not doing? Of course.

Things I still want to do? Still want to try? Absolutely.

But one thing I’ve learned is that no matter what new adventure I try, what new craft or skill I put my hands to, I’m always going to be myself.

And that’s what and who I am and really want to be.

It’s Halloween Candy Time!

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And you know what that means. There are all kinds of yummy candies everywhere you look The drugstores have an entire aisle or more dedicated to candy. Bags and bags of it. And usually it’s on sale. Sometimes they even have two bags for the price of one. The grocery stores put their candy displays right in the front of the store, where it’s the first thing you see. And of course, if you’re shopping with your kids, guess what they want! And they don’t want to leave that display until there’s at least one or two bags in the shopping cart!

And even if you’re not shopping with children, it’s still a big temptation, because it’s right there in front of you, staring you in the face! Almost talking to you, or maybe shouting “BUY ME” as you try to walk past the display into the produce aisle.

Who wants to go buy salad makings and other healthy things when there’s all that candy right there in front of you with the words “SALE” in big bold letters!?

And let’s admit it, we’re all guilty of coming away from the store with at least one or two bags of Reese’s pieces or miniature candy bars hidden underneath all the other things we had on our shopping list.

The problem is, what do you do when you get home with it? Do you hide it? Put it out in full view where other family members can see it and pick at your stash? And if you do that, you’ll end up having to go back and get more!

This is a tough time of year for candy/chocolate lovers. Especially those of us who work out of the house. IT’s just too tempting.

And then there are all of the recipes out there for using your leftover Halloween candy.

Leftover Halloween candy? Is that a thing?

That’s sort of like how to use leftover wine, isn’t it? Like who really has leftover Halloween candy? (or wine?)

Well, actually, we used to have some leftover Halloween candy each year. We usually bought too much (on purpose) because we enjoy it, and even though I am still working remotely, I like to have a candy dish in my home office. And what better to fill it with than those miniature pieces of candy that are so tempting.

When our daughter was still a little girl, we would sit on the floor after trick or treating with her and our neighbor’s son and sort through all the candy, making sure it was ok to eat, of course, and then exchanging pieces back and forth if one kid didn’t like something and the other did. We all made out fairly well from the candy exchange and of course, ended up with a lot more in each house than we really needed to eat!

But now we don’t stay at home on Halloween night and give out candy, because we’re with our three grandchildren, helping our daughter and son in law with their trick or treating (and of course helping them sort out the candy between what they like and what we like)!

And then the day after Halloween, all the remaining bags of candy are marked down even more, and if you get to the store early on the day after, you can really stock up. Like we all need it!

I’ve been hearing ads on the radio and seeing Facebook and Instagram posts about where to donate leftover candy after trick or treating. Well, that may be good for some people, but chocolate candy is a bit pricey, and call me selfish, but I sort of want to eat it…..?

Last year, I ran across a couple of recipes for brownies using Halloween candy. And I thought, why not try them? I had a big bowl of it sitting around in the kitchen, and since I do enjoy baking I tried it. And it was really good! And easy.

So here’s the recipe for those of you who want to try something new!

Leftover Halloween Candy Brownies

  • 1 cup + 2 tbl flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • t/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup M&M’s
  • 1/2 cup chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups
  • 1/2 cup chopped milk chocolate candy bars

OR, you may want to use a boxed brownie mix, follow those directions and just add the candy! Yes, that’s what I do. I like easy.

To make the brownies from “scratch”, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9″ square baking pan. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

Beat brown sugar, butter, and vanilla together in a separate large bowl using an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in egg. Gradually beat in flour mixture into the butter mixture until just combined.

Fold in candy and press into prepared baking pan. You can add a little extra, which I did, but just don’t add too much or it won’t cook properly. Bake in pre-heated oven 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan on wire rack for ten minutes and then cut into squares.

Then enjoy! They’re delicious. In fact, I think I’ll go make some!

Crafting Fall Pumpkins

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Over forty years ago, there were colorful painted pumpkins in our family’s Halloween decorations. That was back when it was commonplace for us all to carve pumpkins for our Halloween decor without being told we were celebrating the devil’s holiday because we dared to decorate our homes and porches with pumpkins with carved faces and a candle inside them.

My uncle, who was a talented hobby artist, was obviously ahead of his time, and he decided one year to paint faces on the pumpkins rather than carve, so they’d last longer. They were colorful, and extremely creative. Unfortunately I have no pictures of them, because “back then” we didn’t memorialize such things.

I am fairly certain that if my uncle had lived to retirement age, he would have spent those golden years painting all sorts of wonderful things, as well as pumpkins, along with his hobby of bird carving.

Fast forward to now. 

It seems like every year Halloween decorations come out earlier and earlier. This year they were out by the end of August! And along with the truly Halloween decor are the pumpkins. Now we can get not only real ones, but craft pumpkins that we can decorate with all manner of designs, and even better, we can keep them from year to year to use over again in different displays. 

And as a crafter, I really do appreciate that. If I have to succumb to fall and all of its decor styles, then I can at least do something creative and fun with it. Here are two I made a couple of years ago.

It seems like all kinds of things can be used now. Flowers, chalk paint, feathers, glitter on stems, acrylic paint, decals, glue-on jewels, even nail polish that’s mixed with water to produce colorful swirls.

Or try a unicorn birthday cake topper for two little girls’ special pumpkins?

How about a headband with gold deer antlers, deer ears and leaves for the top of a very special little boy’s first Halloween pumpkin?

And another mermaid cake decorating set for a mermaid pumpkin for two special granddaughters in their mermaid bedroom at Grandma and Papa’s house?

Two years ago we gave our granddaughters their own little pumpkins to decorate themselves. They had a really good time. And they were very proud of their creations!  (So were Grandmom and Papa!)

Yes, if I have to go into the fall season, and let’s face it, what choice do I have, at least I can use some creativity to make it a bit more fun.

What fall decor have you done this year?

I’m Not Afraid of Storms

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Because I’m learning to sail my ship.

That sentence struck me in a book I recently read, words spoken by the heroine’s aunt when she was explaining how she chose to handle the bad times in her life.

As I write this today, we’re in the middle of a tropical storm. It’s raining like crazy, winds picking up and gusting all around. There are tornado watches in several areas around us. Flooding in a lot of places around us has already been reported, but fortunately where we live, we very seldom experience that unless the storm drains are full of debris.

So I began to think, how do we sail our ship safely when those proverbial storms come against us?

Certainly during a tropical storm like I just described, we don’t take our boat out. We secure it, batten down the hatches, as the saying goes, and either ride out the storm on board, or go to higher ground, knowing we’ve done everything we can to keep that ship safe during the storm. It may come out of it with no damage, or it may end up with some repairs needing to be done, but in the end, it’s back in good shape and ready for the next adventure.

So we sail on, through sunny skies, with a few storms once in awhile coming our way that we have to navigate through. But as we continue our voyage, we learn how to best navigate through those unexpected squalls and storms. Sometimes we come out unscathed, and sometimes we need to make a few more repairs and adjustments. But we learn from each encounter.

Sometimes the bad times in our lives are brief; a few days, a few weeks, and we get through them, using what we’ve learned in previous situations. We step forward knowing we’ve conquered another situation which was just in reality a small blip on our radar. A small problem to quickly overcome.

But sometimes in our lives we figuratively encounter that major storm, a nor’easter or even a hurricane. One that seems to almost come out of nowhere, giving us little or no time to prepare. But those are the times we do what we can as best we can. We pull on our experiences along the way, our inner strengths that have developed over the years, and we roll up our sleeves and put our lives back together as best we can. Sometimes better than before, sometimes almost the same, and other times we carry a few battle scars with us that we learn to live with and make the most of.

Because we’ve earned them. We’ve fought our battles, and we’ve overcome them. We’ve learned how to best sail our ship, the only one we’ve been given, and we hoist up our sails and go on once again. Maybe better, maybe a little worse for wear, but never defeated.

Where’s your ship headed today? Is it in the best shape possible or does it need a few repairs? If it does, get them made and then set your course for the next adventure.

Life is a Risk Worth Taking

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If you don’t take risks, you’ll never really live, you know. At least not life to the fullest.

There are all kinds of risks. They don’t necessarily have to be dangerous.

It’s risky to leave a job and start another where you’ve been comfortable for so long. You know everyone and know exactly what you’re doing, but you’re not getting ahead in your career. And you think you’ve now found the perfect job. More money. More responsibility. And already a step up from where you are now. 

But still, it’s new. You’re starting over, sort of. You don’t know anyone there. Will you be accepted? Or feel out of place? What if you don’t like it? Because there’s no going back.

But what if you do, and it turns out to be everything you’ve wanted?

It’s risky to move from where you’ve been renting for quite awhile and become a homeowner. 

It’s also risky to sell your home in one city and move to another one in a new city where you don’t know anyone.

And it’s really risky to take that leap

of faith to quit your job and start up your own business, knowing you only have about three months’ worth of savings to fall back on if it doesn’t work.

It’s risky to finally decide to make a break from a bad relationship, either a long term dating situation or an unhappy marriage. Because you don’t know how hard it’ll be to start over. And if it was an abusive relationship, you don’t know whether he/she will try to come after you.

There’s also a risk in agreeing to certain surgeries, whether elective or not, because there are always certain kinds of complications in any surgical procedure.

These are the serious risks. But there are hundreds of risks we all take in any given year. Maybe even more. 

Because if we don’t take some kind of risk almost every day, we don’t grow. We stay in the same place, not moving ahead in life, and sometimes even going backwards. 

Now I could mention risks like skydiving or white water rafting, both of which would be huge risks as far as I’m concerned, but those aren’t the risks we’re talking about here. I’m talking decisions we’re called upon to make every single day that can affect our lives, and we don’t really think about them. Maybe I should call them opportunities, or choices, instead of risks, because that’s really what they are.

Without taking a chance on something in life you aren’t going to go forward. Do you want to be in the same place next month you are today?  Or are you going to see what else is out there for you?

And you’ll never know unless you make a decision to take a risk. Because that’s what life is all about.

What Have You Always Wanted to Do?

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Or you tried it once or twice and weren’t pleased with the results so you never tried it again?

When I was growing up, I liked to try my hand at making things, just like all kids do. Since my mother was a very talented seamstress, I guess I took after her and learned to sew. I actually was pretty good at it, and in my early teens I was actually making a lot of my own clothes. I even won a few awards for my skills.

But that desire to sew faded when I went to college, partly because I couldn’t take my sewing machine with me, and partly because it wasn’t the “cool” thing to do.

After college, and when I joined the working world, I didn’t have a lot of time for such hobbies. But as my mom started picking up new interests along with sewing, I tried my hand at crocheting and then needlepoint and hooking rugs and pillows. That was fun for awhile, but I just wanted to create more unique items. You know, my own designs rather than just buying a kit and following directions. So gradually I gave that up.

Then I discovered cake decorating. That looked like lots of fun, but there was one problem. Unfortunately I had no talent for even frosting a cake, or even cupcakes, let alone all the fancy flowers and designs the really talented bakers came up with. All I could do was look at pictures and just imagine all the work it took to do that, and realized it just wasn’t for me. Plus I really wouldn’t want to destroy my creation by eating it. That ended that endeavor before I even started it.

Cookie decorating maybe, because I do love to bake cookies? But the talent for decorating ended with applying sprinkles, because cookie decorating with icing required some talent for drawing, and well, it just wasn’t me. I’ll buy them from a bake shop.

I’ve always wanted to be able to draw and paint, but I never really seemed to have much talent for it. Sure, I did a few watercolors after starting the design by laboriously staring at other pictures and trying to make the flowers look like that picture, but I was never really happy with the results.

But now, after several years, I’ve decided to try again. I’ve read a lot about other newbie artists who thought they had no talent but tried anyway, and after realizing that their work didn’t have to be perfect, didn’t have to be a masterpiece, and didn’t have to be something they could sell to others, and didn’t have to look like what they were copying it from, they actually started enjoying it. It was what THEY created to make them happy. They weren’t out to please anyone but themselves.

So I figure, if I can make jewelry and be happy with the results, even when some of the knots show in my stretch bracelets, and the closures in my necklaces aren’t always perfect, why should I be so critical of something I draw or paint? It’s for me. It’s my style. If I like it that’s what counts.

I’ve always wanted to do it, so there’s no time like the present to try. I have my supplies, a few books about beginner techniques, and I’ve even sketched my first project. And yes, it’s a flamingo! I’ll let you know how it turns out.

What have you always wanted to do? There’s no time like right now to step out of your comfort zone and try it. If you don’t, you’ll always wonder if you really could. So stop wondering and start trying. You may be really pleased with accomplishments.