Ever wonder what really counts in this world? I'm beginning to catch on! Hanging around Nursing Homes gives you a chance to listen to the "Life Money Can't Buy" ....

Family is the number 1 topic of conversation. and the sub topic is whether or not they visit. A visit is a weeks worth of conversation

Pictures of Family are huge smile makers. When visitors, or staff members come into the room they are quick to ask about new pictures and welcome the memories that accompany each picture!

Catch the theme? No matter what has happened in the world in 92 years. The most important events revolve around family and friends.

At 92 keeping track of friends can be tough. So phone calls between friends and out of town family members are real spirit lifters. It's nice to hear familiar, friendly voices and talk about things you remember- and don't want to forget. It is also nice to be reminded of wonderful memories that may have been forgotten.

The woman in the pretty red dress below is fortunate to have family that does visit, call, write, send frequent pictures and care about her!!

Take care of each other whoever and wherever you are!!

My Mother turned 92 on January 13, 2009. She is the lady in the pretty red dress. Just imagine the changes she has seen in 92 years!

The high spot of last year --- Baby Maggie!

She is looking forward to having 3 more babies born into her family this year.

It boggles her mind too, Mike.

Sometimes we just need to forget about the serious stuff and just be content. Think about what we have, who we know , what we are and use positive vibes to put together a sense of mysterious serenity in the middle of a , "Why God Why!" kind of day.

Sanity is a fragile gift which needs to be updated, and from time to time reprogrammed. Run the virus program, defrag, and reboot ! Otherwise we slow down, don't run well, think wrong thoughts, say wrong things and become part of the problem, instead of being part of the solution. Through us people can be hurt or helped all day every day!

I am guilty of forgetting just how much I have to be thankful for sometimes and a bleak view of life sets in. Customer service is my job, and when you are not having a good day, people can really get on your nerves. With the right combination of life, all of your senses can get involved in turning you right around and getting you day back on track.

The snow is falling , and it is very cold. I may not be thrilled with that, but I do love the beauty of the snow first thing in the morning. The cold?- Annoying , but enough layers of clothing will get you through any time you have to spend outside. Right now the sun is shining as brightly as it shines, and the snow is so bright it almost blinds you when you look at it! Beautiful gift from God that will be gone in another couple of months until next winter. I am feeling it, seeing it, shoveling it, and I will remember. I think about the joy snow brings some people, and the livelihood it brings others, still, I will complain about it too.

Cold people seem to hug more. Ever notice that? Human contact means a moment of warmth and sunshine on a dismal day. Hugs and smiles, handshakes, a pat on the back... the friendly touch of a fellow human being can make a huge difference not just in the moment, but holds the capability of changing the course of a day or a life. Depending on the situation, it can bring hope mental help or a mood lift. There is a warmth that goes deep within and remains as long as it is needed. Thoughts can be brighter, moods can be lightened, situations and stress can be lessened all because a friend took the time to reach out and touch.

Every day needs lots of laughter. Especially the days you least want to laugh. Find the fun! Stress is a killer- for real. It does cause lots of weird medical and mental problems. Finding the fun is a super stress buster. Humor is everywhere, everyday, in everyone. Use it as often as you can. When unhappy people see you with a positive outlook they can turn it around for themselves. Verbalize what is funny. Help someone else find the humor in unfunny situations. It is easy to find the fun once you start looking for it. Look for it and share it with someone else.

Prayer Power being what is should be used every morning without fail, and each day I ask God to help me find the gifts of the day, and to give me moments to share them with others. The days I forget to "let the love of God enfold me" are lost until someone else shares with me some joy, a touch, or a time of laughter, and helps me remember that something about this day is very special. Maybe slippery snow is not that special to me, but to someone else it is a miracle. God gives us all the special things and times we can want or need, but we need to be able to see, feel, hear, smell or taste His miracles, and then to be able to give the gift to someone else. Sally

Let me tell you about my "Thankful to God for...." list. It varies often depending on mood, amount of sleep, stress level and ... whether or not I feel a sense of hope and well being in the future. To explain briefly,

MY PAST, although past, is very much a part of my ongoing story , but can not control my present or future. It may influence it sometimes, but I forgave myself for poor judgement and wrong choices, and put the pain in the past. Letting go of the "junk" allows me to remember the beautiful and meaningful parts of the past and to look back on the good and special life I have been blessed to have. We all have a myriad of great memories and need to look back and smile!!

MY PRESENT
I have a little prayer that works for me:

" Lord, I can't undo what I've done , can't undo what's been done to me, and can't even figure out how much guilt I should feel . So thank you for a new day and stay with me. Remind me that I am not alone, and help me make my choices. Open my eyes. Open my ears. Open my mind. Guide my heart . God, let the beauty of this day stay with me, and help me to share that beauty with others. AMEN and Good luck."

It can't be easy for God . I have my moments.

I have many prayer concerns, and even though some of those will be because of my choices, most will be praises- God has been good, and has given me more than my share of His time and attention. He has also managed to surround me with loving and caring people. I have been carried, and because of those times, I have been blessed to be able to help others through their pain. Support systems are a gift of God that we all benefit from, and we all need to give our support to others. It's huge way to give back.

MY FUTURE

I've tried to lay a firm foundation, and think I have a plan... Retirement with enough.... I have a wish list, but I have to realize the future is God's to know. There will be crisis times there will be many tests of faith, but God has been faithful to me... so Why not be faithful to Him? During those times is not the time to question your faith or to doubt your God. If anything it is the time to be glad you are a church attending Christian where other people will surround you with warmth and love... and help you to face whatever. We should always be able to thank God for the beauty which we found in His day. Without the ability to enjoy good times and peaceful thoughts, your crisis times have won. Every day has a trial or two, but has many good times. Without the ability to appreciate the good things and peaceful moments you allow the junk to win. That is a wrong choice that I won't make, and it is a choice. I am thankful for past, present, and whatever the future holds, and pland to live it every day, with a lot of help, a lot of faith, and a lot of prayer.

Oh yes, prayer. I know for a fact there is a lot of it still going on in schools and workplaces. Ask the kids and talk to working people. God is very much still alive and well!! Sally

New Years Eve was a time of making resolutions- of attempting to better ourselves by working on a negative trait. Spring is now here, and most of our resolutions have been forgotten or just lost along the way. Now is a good time to renew our commitment or maybe start over. Why not both!!?

I have Incorporated my efforts and those of some other people and thought I would share with you my:
SPRING THING

S- Savor the senses- see, hear, smell, feel and taste the newness around you.

P- Pray- for those who need care to be able to inspire their caregivers to enjoy their time together. That they can bring smiles to each other many times throughout the day!!!

R- Renew your childish excitement- find the fun in your day, and laugh out loud!

I- Infect and inspire others - Let the strength of your faith shine!!

N- Notice the good in every person, place and thing!

G- Get fit- eat right, exercise, think positive. Do something different with your routine. Use a juicer, move more, challenge your mind-- make it interesting-- but most of all resolve to find fun- It's not just for kids!!!
Sally

A LARGER CIRCLE



My family and I have been very busy moving my Mother. In the process we have come across some very old photo albums belonging to my Grandparents on both sides. We don’t remember seeing the photos before, and spent hours with Mom figuring out who all of the people were.

Relatives emerged who we never knew, such as both sets of Grandparents Parents. There were pictures of fellow workers and friends, events and even one of Herbert Hoover that my Dad took when he was a small boy and part of a crowd watching as he stood on the back of a train to talk to all of them.

It was a strange sensation because we could feel the ties with our relatives- even though we had never met some of them. Seeing them as young (and my Parents as babies with their parents) brought thoughts of belonging to a much larger circle than we usually think about. As my grandchildren looked through some of the albums they were looking at the backgrounds too. Old cars, vintage clothing, bicycles and furniture caught their eye. Ours too, because we still have some of the furnishings that were handed down through the generations, and now were seeing pictures with our “antiques” in the background!!

This year as my family comes and goes, those albums will all be on display for them to look through. My hope is that they all will get the feeling I have of belonging to a larger circle of people, and seeing the resemblance of eyes or a nose, hair or lack of hair, and realize that the people in these photos are part of their lives, heritage, and who they are.

If you haven’t checked on the old photos lately, get them out, have the family over, and have fun. Let me know if you feel it too!! Sally

The weather is beginning to break, and wake to sunshine! Spring has to be coming!! The season of new beginnings, bulbs sprouting and butterflys decorating the landscape. Happy hearts should be a part of Spring too. A time to look ahead and realize that every day will bring its own surprises and new experiences. This is the time to remember, reaffirm or discover the many occasions we have to smile or laugh. Wait for them, watch for them, and laugh your way to a great year. Think of Spring as the new year! Enjoy the warmth of the sun when it shines, bundle up against the cold when the weather changes, and see, feel, hear, touch, taste and smell the miracle of spring!

Today I feel there may be an end to the health problems that seem to have hit so many of us this winter. Pneumonia just takes forever to go away, and we have become used to designer drugs that will cure us in a few days or at least have us feeling much more human! Not so with this winter's ailments.

So many of my friends, church family and co-workers have been hit with a large variety of long term illnesses- life changing things that cause wonder, and sadness. I am finding that it is normal to have a little depression... after all we are human and some of us are not spring chickens any more! This is where we need to keep all of our faith and hope right in the front of our brains. Every discouraging moment, every setback, every Doctor appointment and test needs to become just another part of daily routine for awhile... not the whole daily routine!

My FAITH is a personal feeling and commitment between God and me. It is something a lot of people have and each of us deals with differently. God and I talk a lot, and in the tough times He is my first thought in the morning and my last thought at night and a source of comfort and warmth during throughout the day. I believe that I have more than once been protected by God and have not been His easiest child. It is hard to realize that you are not in control of your destiny. Kids can't wait to become adults so they can be in control and make their own decisions. Eventually it becomes very clear that a force much greater than our parents, our friends ourselves would continually guide us, and help us make our decisions.

As I witness the faith of others I am inspired by the strength and power they possess because quite simply.. they believe!

HOPE springs eternal from that faith. Faith begins with God, but spreads as it encompasses family, friends and others. We then realize we part of a circle of LOVE and have a responsibility to give and accept the love of others. We need to reach out to them as well as to allow them to reach out to us. The faith, hope and love that develops from a "two way street" means our faith will remain stronger, our hope will give us strength and the ability to look ahead while dealing with the present and our love for our God, ourselves and each other will continue to grow.