What a great day!

Today I got up and felt better than I had in a LONG time, I tried to stay low and not over do anything. Still I was so excited, I felt like I had more energy and was excited about things again. I actually went downstairs for the first time in a long time, and worked on something in my Sewing Studio ( ok room, but studio does sound better don't you think ?).
Then the day got even better, my doorbell rang and when I went to get it ...there was a lady delivering flowers to my door. I smiled as she was walking away and said "thanks I probably should leave them on my porch, they look better than my dying Christmas greenery". She just smiled and said that she wondered if something had been wrong. We talked for a minute and then she left and I brought the flowers in. I was so surprised when I read the note it said..."Mom would be proud of you as a Mother and a Grandmother, Love your brothers " I couldn't believe it, how sweet for them to send me flowers, I know they had been worried about me...but to send flowers and have them to arrive on Mom's Birthday, was even more thoughtful. It made my day!
When I was 40 years old, my Mom passed away. I remember thinking that I was way to young to lose my Mom...who do you call when you have questions about raising your kids, or for an old family recipe and most important who would check on me when I am having a bad day or sick (and she would know that without anyone telling her)? I think most of all, I miss that she never got to see my kids grow up, she would have loved what a difference in the world they are making. And I wouldn't even mind if she would have stayed around long enough to meet my grandchildren...she would have loved them for sure. She loved being a Grandmother more than anything. I really do miss her!
So today was a great day and it ended up a surprise for Jeff too! Because I even made dinner...it was a shocker to him, but I know he was just happy to see me feeling better and having a least a couple of things go back to normal...so am I!
Good night dear friends, oh and here are my beautiful flowers!

Monopoly... not my favorite game!

First of all let me explain...when I was little I had 3 older brothers, and the one brother that I was closest in age to, is the one that I spent the most time with (obviously). However, we were as different as Night and Day. He loved to play board games...I on the other hand loved to be playing with blocks or creating something with my crayons and paper. Board games always made me feel BORED! But since we were always together, we ended up playing a lot of board games non-the-less.

 Monopoly was my brother's favorite game, he was amazing at it. I on the other hand was always in debt ( to him ) or in Jail...so why would I want to keep playing that game over and over again?
In my defense...I was an energetic child and doing anything that required me to be still and sit for awhile, seemed like torture...unless I was creating something with my hands.
 So when I read this quote the other day, it made me laugh. I remember my Mom telling me "Lynn, the rules are... if you start a game you need to finish the game", so I tried not to start too many of them with my brother who obviously was the KING of Board Games! :) 
Yes, this was another childhood memory that needs to be recorded... in my defense :)
Good night dear friends!


"Nobody ever reads the
rules for Monopoly...
except when an argument
breaks out."

The love of a brother!

This was an amazing story about what Brotherhood should really be, you can watch and read it here:



Good night dear friends!

Building bridges

Great story...something to think about!
Good night dear friends!

The Farming Brothers

In days gone by, two brothers, Raul and Johan, who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift in 35 years of farming side-by-side in central Germany, sharing machinery, and trading labor and goods as needed without a single problem occurring.
However, one autumn, the long collaboration fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference, and finally it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence between the two brothers.
One morning there was a knock on Raul's door. He opened it to find a man holding a carpenter's toolbox. 'I'm looking for a few days work,' Angelis said. 'Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there I could help with? Could I help you?'
'Yes,' answered Raul, extremely pleased to see Angelis the carpenter, 'I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That's my neighbor, in fact, it's my younger brother, Johan's farm. Last week there was a meadow between us and he took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there is a creek between us. Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I'll go him one better. See that pile of lumber by the barn? I want you to build me a fence; an 8-foot fence, so I won't need to see Johan's place nor his face anymore.'
Angelis the carpenter said thoughtfully, 'I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and the post hole digger and I'll be able to do a job that pleases you.'
Raul then left for the nearby town, Erfurt, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day measuring, sawing, nailing, and hammering.
About sunset when Raul returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer's eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped. There was no fence there at all.
It was a bridge: a bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other. A fine piece of work handrails and all, and the neighbor, his younger brother Johan, was coming across, his hand outstretched. 'You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I've said and done, 'Johan smiled.
The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in the middle, taking each others hand. They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox on his shoulder. 'No, wait. Stay a few days. I've a lot of other projects for you,' called Raul.
'I'd love to stay on,' Angelis murmured quietly, 'but, I have many more bridges to build.
Found story here:


 Got photo of bridge here:

"Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future."
Paul Boose

"When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free."
Catherine Ponder

"The remarkable thing is that we really love our neighbor as ourselves: we do unto others as we do unto ourselves. We hate others when we hate ourselves. We are tolerant toward others when we tolerate ourselves. We forgive others when we forgive ourselves. We are prone to sacrifice others when we are ready to sacrifice ourselves."
Eric Hoffer

Brotherly and Sisterly Love!

My friend called the other day, to tell me that they were on their way to visit their family, for their summer vacation. It was to Grandma's house. These friends has a son, and then almost 9 years later... they had a little girl. Her son went to stay at Grandma's house by himself for a couple of weeks, and now they were going to join them. Their little girl (now 3 1/2 years old), could hardly wait to see her big brother. He in turn was missing her too. It always does my heart good to see the love between a brother and sister ( sibblings ). It should be strong and close in my opinion. I love when I hear my own kids talk to each other and go to each other for help. Yes, families really should be that way. I am grateful that my kids feel that way about each other. I was touched and reminded of this important relationship, when I read this story. I hope it makes you think about your brother or sister, and it reminds you to take the opportunity to tell them how much you love and appreciate them. That's what families should be all about!

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year-old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, “Yes, I’ll do it if it will save her.”

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, “Will I start to die right away?”.

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

Written by Stephen on January 29th, 2009   http://academictips.org/blogs/category/inspirational-stories/

 

"To the outside world, we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time."

~Clara Ortega

"I don't believe an accident of birth makes people sisters or brothers.  It makes them siblings, gives them mutuality of parentage.  Sisterhood and brotherhood is a condition people have to work at."  ~Maya Angelou

I am grateful for my Hands

Because I have arthritis in my hands, there are days that I can't use them without pain. So when they don't hurt and I am able to do the things I love, then I feel very grateful. Today was one of those days. I am starting to breath a bit better too, the inhaler really helped out. Amazing isn't it...when you have air and less pain, then you have more energy and a desire to do something! Air, another thing I am very grateful for lately.

I was suppose to go to P.T. today but I didn't have T_H_A_T much air!  So since it was a rainy and cold day, I just stayed in and sewed. How grateful I am that I have the talent to sew, paint and etc. ( Of course I had my Christmas music playing in the background! )

I read this story before, but I just felt impressed to share it with you today. I think originally because it talked about hands and service. But the thing that impresses me the most, is the importance and need of compassion. Compassion is one of those HEART things and one of those IMPORTANT things that makes all the difference in people's lives, both the giver and the receiver. Enjoy

Our Hands Can Serve

An old Jewish legend tells of two brothers, Abram and Zimri, who owned a field and worked it together. They agreed to divide both the labor and the harvest equally. One night as the harvest came to a close, Zimri could not sleep, for it didn’t seem right that Abram, who had a wife and seven sons to feed, should receive only half of the harvest, while he, with only himself to support, had so much.

So Zimri dressed and quietly went into the field, where he took a third of his harvest and put it in his brother’s pile. He then returned to his bed, satisfied that he had done the right thing.

Meanwhile, Abram could not sleep either. He thought of his poor brother, Zimri, who was all alone and had no sons to help him with the work. It did not seem right that Zimri, who worked so hard by himself, should get only half of the harvest. Surely this was not pleasing to God. And so Abram quietly went to the fields, where he took a third of his harvest and placed it in the pile of his beloved brother.

The next morning, the brothers went to the field and were both astonished that the piles still looked to be the same size. That night both brothers slipped out of their houses to repeat their efforts of the previous night. But this time they discovered each other, and when they did, they wept and embraced. Neither could speak, for their hearts were overcome with love and gratitude.

This is the spirit of compassion: that we love others as ourselves, seek their happiness, and do unto them as we hope they would do unto us.  ~ Dieter F. Uchtdorf

 

"IF YOU WANT OTHERS TO BE HAPPY, PRACTICE COMPASSION. IF YOU WANT TO BE HAPPY, PRACTICE COMPASSION."   ~Dalai Lama

"IT IS THE LACK OF LOVE FOR OURSELVES THAT INHIBITS OUR COMPASSION TOWARD OTHERS. IF WE MAKE FRIENDS WITH OURSELVES, THEN THERE IS NO OBSTACLE TO OPENING OUR HEARTS AND MINDS TO OTHERS."

"HOW FAR YOU GO IN LIFE DEPENDS ON YOU BEING TENDER WITH THE YOUNG, COMPASSIONATE WITH THE AGED, SYMPATHETIC WITH THE STRIVING AND TOLERANT OF THE WEAK AND THE STRONG. BECAUSE SOMEDAY IN LIFE, YOU WILL HAVE BEEN ALL OF THESE."   ~George Washington Carver