Shop Hop has begun!

Shop Hop has begun, I am working 10 hour days so my blog will be short and sweet tonight.
the biggest event of the year begun today... it is what we call Shop Hop. My daughter Lauren and I designed it! We will have over 2000 come to the shop these 5 five days. We will give out 2000 of our Little Miss Sunshine blocks. I love seeing all the women and sharing with them our newest creation. If you get a chance, come in and see us and all the new things we have in the shop. YOu can check them out here:

Tips... from a concern Father!

Wright Words: 20 things to embrace this summer besides a summer romance 

 

You remember the summer romance, don’t you? Your neighbor invited a cousin to spend the summer from Savannah. A friend brought their BFF from Fresno to band camp. You met a foreign-exchange student from Georgia — the country, not the state.

WOODSTOCK, Va. — Schools are closed — pools are open. Busses are parked. Parks are brimming with bikes, kites and basketballs.
Welcome to summer, 2013. It’s time to stock up on charcoal and ice, Popsicles and Pop Rocks, sparklers and sprinklers, bubbles, bubble gum and Kleenex.
Yes, Kleenex. Because if it’s summertime, it’s also time for those red-hot romances that start with sparks and almost always end with tears.
You remember the summer romance, don’t you? Your neighbor invited a cousin to spend the summer from Savannah, Ga. A friend brought her BFF from Fresno, Calif., to band camp. You met a foreign-exchange student from Georgia — the country, not the state.
You said, “Hello,” exchanged smiles, felt the flutters, and before you could run the opposite direction, you were living in a Bryan Adams music video. But the odds were never in your favor, and by the time Labor Day hit, your romance ended like a Nicolas Cage movie — with a thud.
Take it from someone with a doctorate in adolescent puppy love. Summer romances are like hot peppers. They seem like a good idea at the time, but usually lead to heartburn.
As a teenager, I had several of these short-term, county-fair hand-holding, diving-board show-off summer romances. My parents warned me not to fall in like with the girl I met at the lake or the movies or mini-golfing. But what did they know?
Plenty, it turns out. Each of those summer romances ended with an awkward goodbye, promises to keep in touch and hours of listening to my “Richard Marx Greatest Hits” tape in my basement.
A few years have passed and somehow I have two teenage daughters of my own. So it’s my turn to dish out advice on matters of the heart, right?
Right. To the Wright daughters and teenagers everywhere, I offer 20 things to consider embracing this summer besides a summer romance.
1. Read the entire Nancy Drew series, all 56 of the originals.
2. Write three-page book reports about each of the volumes in the entire Nancy Drew series.
3. Volunteer at a nursing home.
4. Learn a new sport.
5. Learn to use an iron.
6. Take an online class.
7. Read the Bible cover to cover.
8. Learn Spanish.
9. Read the Bible cover to cover — in Spanish.
10. Become a certified lifeguard.
11. Write in your journal.
12. Invent your own language.
13. Interview your grandparents.
14. Learn to safely use a lawn mower and WeedEater.
15. Start a business.
16. Write a short novel.
17. Make friends with someone different than you.
18. Watch the news and ask your parents questions.
19. Learn to make your parents' favorite dinner.
20. Start a YouTube channel teaching kids the lost art of crochet.
This summer, more than anything, I hope my kids and yours make pleasant, colorful memories that never fade and I pray they enjoy their childhoods as long as they can. Life will present plenty of opportunities for love and drama — what’s the rush?
Hey, kids, go get started. Play safe. Be smart. Don’t fall head over heels for the new guy or girl that just moved in from Lithuania. It will only lead to heartbreak.
But if you do, I just might let you borrow that Richard Marx tape. Are you going to need it? Sí.

To read more of Jason's work here:

Don't let me down!

 Loved this video of a Dad and his son!  The song is called Don't let me down! I think every kid thinks that about his Mom and his Dad! And so they should, we are the parents...we are the ones that are suppose to make the better choices...especially ones that will directly effect their children's lives! We can't let them down!
Good night dear friends!
Watch it ....
here:

A Father's Lessons!

Father's Lessons!

 
A love for everyone 
My own Dad taught me the ability to love everyone. My Dad seemed to be everyone's friend. He was always checking on them if they were sick, he was always the first one at the hospital or bringing something to eat to their home if needed. My Dad never seemed to meet a stranger, and that was a great legacy that he left me.


Empathize with those less fortunate
"One winter evening when I was about five or six years old, my father took me for a walk downtown. This was during the depression, when jobs were few and many homeless, hungry people were on the streets. My father and I were looking at all the store windows as we walked, and soon we found ourselves standing in front of the window of a sporting goods store. It was full of bright things that would catch every boy’s fancy — things like fishing lures and pocketknives for whittling.
"A shabbily dressed boy was standing near us, looking longingly into the window. I didn’t pay much attention to him, but my father went over and spoke with him briefly, then put his hand on his shoulder and led him inside the store. I watched as he took the boy to a showcase of pocketknives, told him to pick one out, then paid the shopkeeper for the knife.
"I didn’t get a pocketknife that day, but I did get a lesson. At the time, I felt let down, as a little boy would feel when the gift he thinks is his goes to someone else. But as my father and I walked away from the store, he said, 'You have me. He doesn’t have anybody.' Later I realized how generous and how sensitive to the needs of others my father was."
I got the story from here:


Appreciation for the world we live in
I meant to ask each of my kids 4 questions about their Dad and this week just sorta happened and I didn't get it done. But one thing that I know my kids learned from their Dad ( Jeff  ), was to appreciate the world around them. He took them hiking and camping and always reminded them how much our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ must love us,that they would create such a beautiful world for us to live in. They loved being outdoors with their Dad, and I am forever grateful that Jeff taught this to them.

Know that you are loved!
Knowing that you are loved is one of the most secure feelings in the world. Jeff had always shown our kids great love. He loves them individually and as a whole. He made sure to tell them that every day, and I know how much that means to my kids and now our grand kids. He is and was an amazing Father and I am truly grateful for that. 

Me and my Dad!

Father's Day is almost here and I had to share a little from one of the best Father's I know...my son!
 

"Superman flies. Dad lets you fly. No contest!"

"Fatherhood making a lifetime of difference"

Trust verses Love

This quote (below) is very sound advice. For those of us who  have had abuse in the past, you truly understand how hard it is to trust someone. And when the one who abuses you, is someone who is suppose to love you, or says they love you...then that trust is broken.
 I knew something was wrong when I told someone( when I was just little ) that I loved and trusted; and they didn't believe me! Then I started to doubt myself and my gut feelings. I began to think then it must be just me, I must be a bad person if all these people love and trust my abuser..why didn't I?
  But the help that I received after breaking my silence about my abuse was..to learn to trust my gut again!
 I would be guided and told who I can trust and not trust. And when I get that feeling, and the feeling is "this person can't be trusted " then no questions ask...I stay away or have my kids stay away!  I don't care how much other people love them, or how popular they are...I owe it to myself to listen to that still small voice inside. It will never lead me astray and that is something I know I can trust! And the when you know you can really trust someone, then there is a LOVE there that is hard to even explain, it is simply the BEST!

Good night dear friends!

My angel niece!

 When I was a teenager, I went to visit my brother and his wife and family. I would help take care of and play with my niece. Then when we found out that she was going to be a big sister, we were all excited. Not long after our other niece was born, we realized that she began having seizures. After years and years of trying to figure out what she had, they realized she had Cerebral Palsy. She has out lived  any one's expectations and we are all so grateful for that. She has been such an amazing blessing in our lives. Today is her birthday and I just wanted to count my blessings, and she is definitely one of them!
 

These photos were taken by her talented Sister in law!

Kid's project to help Oklahoma tornado victims!

 I have always been impressed on how Jason F. Wright, writes and when you read his books, how you often want to go out and make a difference in the world. Well, obviously Jason and his wife have taught that same principle of giving ...to their kids. Look at the idea they came up with!

Kids launch toy crane, stuffed animal project for Oklahoma tornado victims

---

June 11, 2013

My children have always enjoyed playing the toy crane machines that guard the entrances of grocery stores, malls, restaurants and arcades. Kason Wright, my 9-year-old son, has such a high success rate that the folks who service these machines coordinate their restocking schedule with his allowance day.
We often joke that if dropping out of elementary school and turning pro were an option, he'd hold a press conference, hire an agent and line up sponsorship deals.
My wife reminds me the kids come by their toy crane prowess honestly. I've been playing the toy crane since the toys were slathered in lead paint and the cost was just a nickel. Even now as an old-timer on the toy-crane circuit I'll often stop to play when I'm on my own. "Never let the skills go rusty," I tell myself.
One night last week, I listened as the boys giggle-chatted in the backseat about their embarrassment of stuffed-animals riches after a particularly successful stop at our local Walmart in Woodstock, Va. Kason and his 6-year-old brother, Koleson, had just won three times on our way out of the store.
Then, before we'd even left the shopping center parking lot, Kason asked the kind of question parents live for. "Dad, what if we sent all our toy crane prizes to the kids in Oklahoma who lost their stuffed animals in the tornado?"
I stopped the car and looked over my shoulder. "Really?"
"Well, we've got lots and some of those kids probably lost all of their stuffed animals."
It was yet another reminder that my children's goodness surpasses mine in almost every imaginable way.
By the time we pulled in to the driveway, Kason and Koleson had decided that their friends might also want to send their own toy crane prizes and other stuffed animals. They dubbed it The Toy Crane Project and made plans for a website to invite others to join their mission.
Later that night my wife and two daughters returned home and I listened as the boys laid out their idea. There's nothing quite like hearing your 6-year-old son describe with pure giddiness his plans to build a website with pictures, video and "infostructions."
Over the next few days, the boys began telling people about their project and started sorting through their own stash of stuffed animals. Meanwhile, longtime family friend Eric Farnsworth helped with graphics, Aaron Lee compiled a highlight reel for YouTube and Stephen Funk donated both expertise and Web space for the site.
Before details had even been announced, good pals Stuart Freakley and his young daughter, Anna, were on our porch donating the very first collection of stuffed animals. Kason and Koleson got their older sisters excited about the project, too, and organized piles of stuffed critters began appearing on the floor.
Thanks to our good friends at the Shenandoah County Chamber of Commerce, we soon had a drop-off location for local donations and a mailing address for others who might wish to help from a distance. Anyone who knows her - or the spirit of the chamber - wasn't surprised that Jenna French, executive director, couldn't say "Yes!" fast enough.
Just like that, in less than a week, the desire to do good went from a dream hatched in the backseat of our car to plush reality.
Hours before the website and video went live, I asked Kason what he hoped the Toy Crane Project would accomplish. "I want to help make the kids in Oklahoma happy and feel loved and cared for."
"I think you just might do that," I answered.
If you'd like to join the project, please send your new or very gently used toy crane prizes or other stuffed animals to the Shenandoah County Chamber of Commerce, Attention Toy Crane Project, 103 S. Main Street, Woodstock, VA 22664. Please include your name and return address.
Donations will be sorted and delivered to Oklahoma in stages throughout the summer. If volume surpasses the need, donations will be stored until opportunity arises in other areas. If we've learned anything this year, it's that we do not control the when and where of disaster, we only control the response.
So, whether you're a fan of toy cranes or not, whether you're a child or an adult, whether you live in Virginia, Utah or points in between, you are invited to join the childlike dream of two boys with a simple plan. With your help, we can "make the kids in Oklahoma happy and feel loved and cared for." Read more of Jason's work  here:

What are you thinking about?

Our thoughts are very important in our every day lives. I have written and spoken about how important it is for us to learn to control our thoughts. I heard a reporter talking on the radio the other day, about treatments that are out there for those who have suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. The report was about the success that they were having with a certain type of therapy... that helps the victim with their thoughts about the trauma, for many times they said that it is their thoughts that keep them held hostage for years with PTS Syndrome. I read a bit more about it here:
Anyway, this is a MOTIVATIONAL blog, so I will try to tell you why I mentioned such a dark subject?  I guess because I have been there and done that. I was a child of incest and suffered for many, many years with PTS Syndrome, although I had never heard of that in my life. I suffered many of the symptoms that they mentioned in the article, and even every now and then find myself haunted ( if only for a moment ) by a few of them but that Far and Few Between....all the good that I have in my life.
 How did I get help? Well,  you can go back in this blog and read about all of this ( just put the word abuse in the search engine ) and I don't need to repeat it but, it was when I finally told someone ...and they believed me! That was the beginning of my going and getting professional help. That is where I began, that is where I started to not only learn how to live a happy life, but I learned how to help others by sharing my story.
So like I have written many times in my blog, it is vital that we know what are thoughts are, that we learn how to control them and that we learn how to keep and continue having more and more happy thougths in our minds. Our thoughts are very powerful ...for good and bad. But we have the final say one what we continue to act out on the stage of our minds. I personally had to find and study some really important things about thoughts to realize that I have control over them. When I found that out and really started to believe that...then life became good! And I was no longer a VICTIM!
So if you can, stop and think about your thoughts...are they good, happy, sad and depressing? Do you want to change them? Would you be willing to learn how to do that? You can find a few articles that I have written or put in my blog about this very subject. (Just put the word Thoughts in the search engine.)  If so, there are counselors out there to help, there are books out there to help, there are churches out there to help. Yes, there is a ton of help out there, if we would only allow our thoughts to believe that we are really worth helping! I promise you ...that you are!
Good night dear friends!

Did you have your C.O.C.?

I have had a great week, busy but good. Then by Friday my back went out again so it has been a bit of a tough weekend. Still, thinking about all the good things that happened ...and all the great people I have met or been with this week, I can say it was a Good Week!. I have made a few new friends lately ( I know you probably aren't surprised ) but I am always admiring the ones who had such a tough childhood and continue to want to make life different and even better for their children. Many of us did not have our C. O. C. ( (Childhood of Choice ) but still we have been able to learn and grow from it ...then stop the abusive or negative behaviors that we grew up with....all in the hopes to have our kids be safe and to have their lives be better than ours. I have looked up to my husband Jeff, ever since I have known him. He did not grow up with his C. O. C. either, but still he has become an incredible Dad and great Husband, despite his lack of example to teach him those things. We know others who have done the same and I really admire them and their strength and courage.
I also have talked to 3 individuals who they or someone they know have been effected by Cancer. Wow, that has been quite a few just in the last 2 months. My heart breaks when they tell me, for I can see and certainly remember the same fear in my eyes...that I see in theirs. Life is full of lessons isn't it and it is also about choices.

Just in closing, let me tell you about one simple choice that I made 35 years ago today and how it has changed my life forever. 35 years ago, this young nice looking, college guy from church asked me out. I was so excited, I had been secretly been hoping he would asked me out, ever since his old girlfriend left out of town. ( I know that sounds bad and she was a friend of mine too but...still I wanted him to go out with me!!! ) And so he did, I can still remember sitting on our porch waiting to hear his car come up the road. ( Yes, I lived a mile up a dirt road, did I mention I was from West Virginia? :) As soon as I could see the car coming, I went back into the bathroom to triple check my hair and make sure I looked as good as possible. My Grandmother was sitting out on the porch, she wanted to meet this young man that I had been talking so excitedly about, for awhile. So she was the first person he met, we still laugh to this day because my Grandmother said later, that she liked him and she thought he was very handsome, even thought he looked like Tom Selleck ( the movie star ). The reason we still laugh about it is because my Grandmother was legally blind and deaf. So Jeff didn't really think that was a good judgement of a compliment! :) But she was right, he was a great guy and one of the best that I had ever dated, plus terribly handsome! And since my dating years began way...before they should have. I had dated quite a few guys before him.
Yes, that one little decision 35 years ago, lead to another date and another date ....until 4 years later, and then we were married!  So I know it seems silly to celebrate the Anniversary of a First Date...but this wasn't any old First Date... it was the First Date with the man that I was going to marry for Eternity. Now that is worth celebrating! I still get excited when he is about to come home, still run in the bathroom and make sure I look my best...gee how fun to still be in love with someone 35 years later, actually I love him even more today!
So even though I might not have had the C. O. C., I did get the man of my dreams and that has made all the difference in my life and the life of our kids and now our Grandkids! Yes, little ( but good )  choices can lead to very big and good things!
So a good question to ask yourself tonight is .... Did you have the C. O. C. ? And if you did or didn't, how have the choices you made...been good or bad for your life? Just a thought!
Good night dear friends!

LIfe's lessons!

It's DATE NIGHT

Lip Prints

 I loved this story I heard the other day, about teaching! It reminded me of when the kids were little, you had to wait and watch for any time you could get a teaching moment in. Usually that was around dinner time, or during our One on One Day Out with one of the kids, or as teenagers...most of the wonderful teaching and listening opportunity came at night, way late...then they wanted to tell you about their day! Anyway, we must never give up the opportunity to teach them, and now their kids...our grand babies whenever we can. Then by that time, the only little Lip Prints will be on your cheek,from those little ones!
Good night dear friends!



LIP PRINTS:  A middle school in Oregon was faced with a unique problem.  A number of girls were beginning to use lipstick and would put it on in the bathroom.  That was fine, but after they put on their lipstick they would press their lips to the mirror leaving dozens of little lip prints.  Finally the principal decided that something had to be done.  She called all the girls to the bathroom and met them there with the maintenance man.  She explained that all these lip prints were causing a major problem for the custodian who had to clean the mirrors every night.  To demonstrate how difficult it was to clean the mirrors, she asked the maintenance guy to clean one of the mirrors.  He took out a long-handled squeegee, dipped it into the toilet and then cleaned the mirror.  Since then there have been no lip prints on the mirror.  There are teachers, and then there are teachers!

 

Life is like a camera...

I loved this picture when I saw it! Our camera just broke the other day and I realized how bad I need it with all the projects I am doing for work. I think that is what I have felt like for the last little bit, my personal camera was broke or just not focused on the right things...the important things! Now I know better, but let's just say that life's lessons are sometimes ones that we have to keep repeating until we learn  what we need to learn! So, even though I don't have my real camera, I am trying hard to stay focused on the things that are important and that make me thrilled to be alive! Yes, that is where I need to focus!
Good night dear friends!

Sending some Happy Thoughts your way!

It is late but what a beautiful day it was here! I love the sunshine and how clean and crisp the air is. Got a lot of work done today but no time to do much more than a few Happy Thoughts! Everyone could use a few more of them each day ...right?

Good night dear friends!

put down the glass

 I am pretty sure that I have used this cute story before, but I think for me at least ...it bears repeating. I recently have been carrying a glass of water ( a stress ) around with me. And yes, I carried it way too long, when I finally decided to put it down I realized that I really should have put it down much sooner. I know better... but sometimes I forget this simple, sweet message. I was grateful for the reminder today!

A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the “half empty or half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: “How heavy is this glass of water?”
 
Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.
She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.” She continued, “The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything.”
It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses. As early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them through the evening and into the night. Remember to put the glass down!
Found photo of glass of water here:
So these are some quotes that  I need to remember more often!
Good night dear friends, hopefully you can sleep because you have put down the glass too! 

Great Lesson!

Today in church one of the lessons in church was about "Spiritual Nourishment", the young Mother who taught it, did a wonderful job and I knew immediately that I needed to take notes or ask for her notes after class so I could share it with you.
Here is how she started out the class...

How important is food?
Food contains nutrients that our body needs to function, to grow, become stronger, gives us energy, builds up our immune system to help us fight illness.
To help us identify what our bodies need we have a food pyramid.  This pyramid outlines the different food groups that our body needs and how much of each food group.  So it is with the gospel.  We can have a “Spiritual Pyramid” that can give us a guide as to our daily needs for nourishment to our souls.  This pyramid would be built as such –
1)      Be a teacher
2)      Be an example
3)      Be a testifier
4)      Be diligent

 “We know that our physical bodies require certain nutrients to sustain life and to maintain physical and mental health. If we are deprived of those nutrients, our physical and mental vitality are impaired and we have a condition called malnutrition. Malnutrition produces such symptoms as reduced mental functions, digestive disorders, loss of physical strength, and impairment of vision. Good nutrition is especially important for children, whose growing bodies are easily impaired if they lack the nutrients necessary for normal growth.
Our spirits also require nourishment. Just as there is food for the body, there is food for the spirit. The consequences of spiritual malnutrition are just as hurtful to our spiritual lives as physical malnutrition is to our physical bodies. Symptoms of spiritual malnutrition include reduced ability to digest spiritual food, reduced spiritual strength, and impairment of spiritual vision.” ~ Dallan H. Oaks

I loved how she connected spiritual malnutrition to physical malnutrition. I think with our physical bodies, we would never let it go that far... but how about the spiritual needs we have? I loved this story that she told also...

Dr. Gustov Eckstein, one of the world’s renowned ornithologists, worked in the same laboratory for over twenty-five years. He bred and crossbred species of birds. He kept meticulous records on the varieties and hybrids of birds in his laboratory. Each day when he would enter his laboratory he would go down two or three stairs to the stereo. He would put on classical music and turn the volume up very loud. Then he would go about his work. The birds would sing along with the classical music. At the end of the day, about 5:30 P.M., he would turn off the stereo and leave for home.

After twenty-five years he had to hire a new custodian. After Dr. Eckstein left the laboratory, the new custodian thought the place should be aired out, so he opened all the windows.

The next morning when Dr. Eckstein went into his laboratory he saw the open windows and noted that every bird had flown out during the night. He was devastated, his life’s work ruined. By sort of habit or instinct, he went to the stereo and turned the classical music up very loud. Then he went and sat down on the steps, put his head in his hands, and wept.

The strains of music carried out through the open windows, through the trees, and down the streets. In a few moments Dr. Eckstein heard a fluttering of wings. He looked up and saw that the birds were beginning to come back into the laboratory through the open windows.

Dr. Eckstein said, “And every bird came back!”

The point was that our children and those that we teach will come back to the the truths that they have been taught eventually, if we actually taught them. In the lesson she mentioned that our example was a bigger teacher than our words will ever be.
What a great lesson and one that really touched my heart and reminded me to not let my spirituality suffer, just because I don't stop and take the time to do what I am suppose to do. When I am full spiritually, then I see the world through different eyes and I am more grateful for all my blessing!
Good night dear friends!

Childhood a time of great imagination!

Funny when I had 3 little granddaughters, I thought for some reason we would do lots of parties and tea parties with cute dolls, but for some reasons my sweet red heads seem to like animals, monsters and now Dinosaurs at all of our tea parties and play time. They can name every dinosaur there is...and they are offended when I call one by the wrong name. Good news is their cousin Kai, when he comes to visit will probably love having all those dinosaurs every where.
Fun, wonder what the next few years will bring with these cute grand kids of mine. For the mean time though, at least Lauren got a fun photo of Jenny in her Dinosaur suit...will be a great reminder in their Memory Book some time.  Now it is up to you, to tell me if my little triceartop endangered or dangerous?:) Thanks, Lauren for the fun photo!

You make me smile!

How could it be 30 years since this beautiful girl came into the world? I was almost 24 years old, and even though I had done a lot of babysitting in my life...I had no idea how to be a MOM. My pregnancy seemed to go on and on forever. She came 10 days late, and after hours of difficult labor...I wasn't progressing at all and so they figured the baby was just too big. Having never been in the hospital overnight or for any surgeries...I was scared to death when the Doctor suggested that we would probably have to do a C-section. They put me under for the surgery, and all I can remember is that Jeff and the nurses kept trying to wake me up from the best sleep I had ever had, and they kept saying "Amy is here, and she weighed 10lbs and 1oz. I thought to myself...yeah right. Then they placed this beautiful dark hair, big girl in my arms.
Along with Motherhood sometimes comes the WORRY part of your heart. I worried if I knew what each cry meant, it didn't seem to be something that I knew right away. I wondered if most Mother's got the handbook ( that everyone thinks comes automatically when you become a Mother ), but since I had a C-section, maybe someone forgot to give me mine. But when Amy cried, everyone including Jeff would always ask me what was wrong with her?  I remember thinking to myself, "I have no idea, no one gave me the handbook!"
Some of you might ask when I finally figured out what she was crying about or needed? Well, I don't remember the exact day, but gradually, after a lot of prayer and tears... I slowly and instinctively knew what she needed. And each child after that just got easier and quicker to learn about. So yes, Motherhood is a life long process and the prayers and tears never really end. You pray for their safety, you pray that the world will be kind to them, you pray for good friends for them, you pray for them to make the right choices and on and on. The tears come with each success, whether it is a first step, a new tooth, being potty trained and some tears come with skinned knees, broken hearts and leaving home for the first time. So yes, the heart has to really be in shape to handle being a Mother.
Amy continues to be our happy child, even though she is a grown woman. It is rare to see her down, she makes almost anything in life more fun with her laughter and her smile. She like the other kids when they grew up, became our friends too...what a blessing that has been. So grateful Amy came into our family30 years ago today, and even though I still have the scar to prove it...we wouldn't  trade her for the world!
Happy Birthday Amy Girl! You make me smile!

One Amazing Lady!

I read today in the Costco Connections magazine, an article about a lady named Temple Grandin. She is a Doctor of animal science and professor at Colorado State University, a best -selling author, the subject of an Emmy Award -winning HBO biopic, a much -in-demand public speaker and a consultant to the livestock industry on farm animal behavior. She also has autism.
You can learn more about the movie here:  You can read about some of it below too.
found photo here:
 Staring Claire Danes, Julia Ormond, Catherine O'Hara and David Strathairn Temple Grandin paints a picture of a young woman's perseverance and determination while struggling with the isolating challenges of autism at a time when it was still quite unknown. The film chronicles Temple's early diagnosis; her turbulent growth and development during her school years; the enduring support she received from her mother (Ormond), aunt (O'Hara) and her science teacher (Strathairn); and her emergence as a woman with an innate sensitivity and understanding of animal behavior.
Undaunted by education, social and professional roadblocks, Grandin turned her unique talent into a behavioral tool that revolutionized the cattle industry and laid the groundwork for her successful career as an author, lecturer and pioneering advocate for autism and autism spectrum disorder education.
This visually inventive film offers insights into Grandin's world, taking the audience inside her mind with a series of snapshot images that trace her self-perceptions and journey from childhood through young adulthood to the beginning of her career, and beyond.

I think the thing that really touched me was about her upbringing. When she was little in the 1950's, she did not speak until the age of 4- but benefited from the structure provided by her mother and school administrators.  ( Her father recommended she be institutionalized, but her Mother refused.) It was at an Aunt's cattle ranch in Arizona one summer, during her teens, that Grandin first became connected to horses and cattle and discovered a shared characteristic between animals and those with autism. Both think by making visual associations.  "Temple Grandin has helped all of us understand the power of different ways of thinking and being, " adds CSU President Tony Frank.  She had to figure out how people behave in order to modulate her own behavior accordingly, and that's the behavior that makes her work on behalf of people with autism possible.

She goes on in the article to talk about all the people who come to hear her speak, she said " A lot of people who come to the events- I estimate 75-80 percent of them- are probably interested in Autism. One thing I am getting concerned about is I'm seeing too many kids who are considered mildly autistic come up to me and all they want to talk about is their autism. I'd rather have them tell me about their science project or how they are training dogs or that they are in the 4-H or they like to write science fiction. Tell me about what you like to do! Autism would totally take over if I let it, but I am not going to let it."

Anyway, what an amazing story of an amazing lady.

Sleep verses Cleaning!

Woke up really early this morning because I was hurting and just couldn't go back to sleep. My arm has started swelling again, I have been wearing my compression sleeve every day and doing my lymphatic draining each day too, but still it isn't going away. The pain feels like it is a bad ache all the way to my bone in my upper arm. Days like this make me frustrated that the Doctor took so many, if not all of my lymph nodes out. I know that is just what they did years ago when they were treating cancer patients. But I was a swimmer at the time and specifically asked not to have many taken out...just for reasons such as this. It has been 5 years and I have had to deal with this the whole time. That is very frustrating. Good news is, I think now they try to leave as many nodes as they can, so maybe there won't be so many women suffering from Lymphodemia as much. We can only hope.
I decided since I couldn't sleep to just get up and clean, that didn't make my arm feel better at all but...I was glad to have a cleaner house. I am still struggling with a decision I have to make and that too ( along with the pain ) was keeping me from sleeping. Why do I let things go so long, before I stand up for myself? I know better than to stay in a situation when there is bad energy there, I can't afford to have that. Negative energy is bad not only for your health, but for your heart and your soul.
Today as I cleaned, I think I came up with ways to fix my situation, but they aren't going to be easy or pleasant, that is what I don't like. Oh well, need to head to bed and see if tonight will be kinder to me.
Good night dear friends!