Love these Lawn -Care tips!

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Stop mowing over your bad habits -- and other lawn-care tips April 30, 2013

We had an odd winter here Virginia's quiet Shenandoah Valley. We were still shoveling snow in late March, and in a single week, we missed three school days for different reasons. One day was the victim of snow, one for freezing rain and the third was cancelled for severe flooding of the Shenandoah River. In between the snow and ice, we had paradisiacal days in the 60s that could have been ripped from a glossy travel magazine.
No one has been more confused by spring's awkward shuffle than Mr. Grumpy Grass in my front yard. One freezing morning I heard him shout, "Wake me when you're serious," and then drift back to sleep.
Thankfully, three weeks ago, spring finally announced she was ready to stay and the yard awoke in a hurry. I pulled out my mower and after a tune-up by a friend who could fix a Carnival cruise ship engine with his eyes closed, I began tackling the grass in my front and side yards.
I made one pass after another, firing off menacing looks at the clusters of weeds as I mowed them down and blended them into the surrounding healthy green blades. I was slicing and dicing dandelions and crab grass with as much energy and excitement as Vince from the Slap Chop commercials.
When I was done, I admired my work and noticed that one particular section in the backyard looked so good, it could have gone to prom with the first fairway at Augusta National.
Just a few days later, the love was gone. Weeds as high as six inches were already poisoning the lawn again. And this time I noticed even thicker, more toxic varieties popping up and taking advantage of the recent rain.
Sure, I could have invested the time to do the hard work of removing the weeds. I could have carefully spread weed killer and gotten on my knees to pull the more stubborn weeds at their root. But why? Ain't nobody got time for that.
Instead, I fired up the mower and for a second time, cut down the weeds until they were barely distinguishable from the lush green grass around them. It felt good to have temporarily solved the problem, even though I knew it was a quick fix. For a day or two, the lawn looked just fine.
Then, before I knew it, I was standing on my porch looking at all the same weeds back in all the same spots. Some had returned thicker, others looked to have brought along a few squatter friends.
I stood for some time surveying the lawn, section by section. But the longer I looked, the more I didn't see grass at all - I saw my life.
How often have I chopped away the weeds of my life - bad habits - only to see them reappear again? I certainly recognize the things in my life that occasionally need improvement. But do I really make time to remove the weeds that stifle the rest of my personal growth? Or do I take a quick pass at the surface, trim away what's visible to the world and pretend the same weeds won't soon return?
How much easier would life be if we identified the weeds and made time to attack them at the root? What if we asked experts that are trained to know the best methods for success? What if we spent time on our knees doing the hard work to remove the toxic weeds that, if left untreated, can eventually overtake and smother a healthy yard?
I suspect a completely weed-free yard is something I'll never experience in this life. But maybe with a fresh perspective, I might be willing to try a little bit harder.
How about you?
 Read more of Jason's work here:

Truly making a difference!

 I read this article the other day about this small town Doctor, who still makes house calls. As I read the article found here:
I was impressed with what this sweet Doctor, and for what he was doing for the people who are his patients in this small town of Georgia.
In my quest for Doctors throughout my life and the life of my kids...I still think it is ok to uphold some of the things (standards) that this dear Doctor does every day. I understand the world has gotten bigger and more complex... but some things should always be there, when you work with people. I will highlight a few of them in this article. I know that many of you would almost laugh when you think of ever finding a Doctor who is like Dr. McMahan. Still there have been a handful of Doctors that we have found like that... and how they have blessed our lives...has been amazing. So I am grateful for their compassion and concern (real concern) for me and my family!
 
He is there to be the best Doctor for these people, money doesn't drive him. Personal connections do make all the difference!
Imagine this: You are a young doctor who has recently graduated from medical school. An excellent student, you could choose to practice almost anywhere—including Atlanta, where your advising professor has connections. Instead, you set up shop in a small southern town, much like the one you grew up in. It's the kind of place where the neighbors all know each other, where families have lived for generations and still attend the same church. It's also a place where a young doctor is unlikely to get rich.
He listens and looks them in the eye!

  I notice that with each patient, McMahan listens intently and looks them in the eye when he talks. He acknowledges later that the eye contact is deliberate. "That's the No. 1 complaint I hear about other doctors," he says. "Patients say, 'He never looks at me! He's always on the computer.' So I always look up. I put my hand on their shoulder." He shrugs. "Sometimes compassion is even more important than a prescription."
  He uses the experiences that he has had to go through in his life, to support and understand each patient!
Such personal attentiveness does take effort, McMahan admits—especially given that computerized medical records have become ever more complicated, with dozens of menus that a physician must click through during each visit. But he's sympathetic to patients who feel as if they're being ignored. When McMahan's then 24-year-old son was diagnosed with a rare cancer in 2008, the family sought treatment at Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York, and the process deepened his perspective. "When you carry some of the battle scars that your patients carry, you meet them at their level," he says.

He goes the extra mile!
Besides running his private practice, the doctor spends one morning each week making the rounds at the local nursing homes, checking medications and visiting with patients he knows. He also treats patients at the local detention center, a mixed-use facility in Ocilla that houses immigrations and customs detainees, along with federal inmates.

He is trying to teach them to over come certain habits that are damaging their health...that is a hard sale!
Starting out, McMahan provided mostly acute care, what he describes as "lumps, bumps, rashes, colds, sore throats." These days, though, he's more likely to see patients with multiple chronic diseases: diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease. Most are overweight, and many smoke. (In Ocilla, smoking is still permitted on the grounds of the local hospital—a policy McMahan has been trying to change.)

As the doctor to a high-risk population, McMahan spends much of his time trying to convince his patients to eat better and to exercise: unpopular prescriptions in the rural South. "It's like the Pogo cartoon," he says ruefully. " 'We have met the enemy, and the enemy is us.' "
  As a doctor, McMahan says, he can sometimes feel powerless in the face of people's habits. "We're a bunch of hardheaded southerners," McMahan acknowledges. "But we're talking about societal issues now. Is health care a privilege or a right, and who pays for it? And how much do you get when there's a limited resource?"

Since starting out, he adds, cutbacks by insurance companies have eaten away at the modest profit margin he once relied on. "For many family doctors, it's nearly impossible to make a living now," he says. "You have to make enough to pay the light bill, and to pay your employees—while still trying to be compassionate and not overcharge patients. That's why so many physicians these days are selling their practices."

For a moment, McMahan seems glum, but then he shrugs the mood off.
He is doing what seems like the impossible but he likes what he does and knows that is what he is suppose to do!
"The truth is, this is what I want to do," he says, as we walk out into the warm night air. "I like being a family doctor. I believe all Americans deserve a physician that they can rely on. That's one thing I'd like to publicize: You can get good care in a small town. And I'm doing what I can to keep it that way.

What a great article, and what a great concept!
Good night dear friends!
 
"A physician is obligated to consider more than a diseased organ, more even than the whole man - he must view the man in his world."  ~Harvey Cushing

 A Short History of Medicine
2000 B.C. - "Here, eat this root."
1000 B.C. - "That root is heathen, say this prayer."
1850 A.D. - "That prayer is superstition, drink this potion."
1940 A.D. - "That potion is snake oil, swallow this pill."
1985 A.D. - "That pill is ineffective, take this antibiotic."
2000 A.D. - "That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root."
~Author Unknown

Red headed temper?

Have you ever wondered where some statements, or so called well known facts, or even some habits originated from?  Like for instance, that all red heads have fiery tempers? When I know some red heads that don't . Or the comments that are made about blondes all being dumb. Or even other habits or traditions that are passed down. Like when you make a statement and then you knock on wood so you don't jinx yourself. Things like that...I have always wondered where they came from and why we keep doing them, even when we don't believe them?  Most of them are harmless but I notice that even I say and do those things many times, then I stop and realize that I just made a blanket statement or that I just knocked on wood too and I am not even superstitious. I guess some of them are just habits, but many times I have thought I probably shouldn't pass them on to another generation.
I thought about this subject when my daughter had this photo of my granddaughter, Jenny on her blog. She is fiery and she is a red head, then I quickly remember our little Lauren and her hair was brunette, and she was one fiery toddler too...so that proves that some of things are just ....passed on ...stuff, not necessarily true or correct... just passed on. It does make one stop and think though of the power of our thoughts and actions. Sometimes I wonder if the person (who first said you have to knock on wood so that you won't bring back bad luck to you or whatever the reason is behind that) knows what a powerful thing they did, because it has continued on for years? I wish I could come up with something positive that the whole world would just pick up and do every time they encountered something negative. Wonder what that would be?  Oh well, just food for thought tonight!

"Superstitions are habits rather than beliefs."  ~ Marlene Dietrich

"You'll find superstition a contagious thing. Some people let it get the better of them."  ~ Curt Siodmak

The invincible YOU!

I tend to forget my worth some days. I struggle with negative thoughts about myself. I don't do it as often as I used to but, there are those days. I found this poem and thought...this is one of those things that you copy and put on your mirror or fridge. Every now and then, we all need to remember how INVINCIBLE we really are! When we truly realize that, life gets so much better!
Thanks for being such invincible family and friends!

Nothing to Fear

There's nothing to fear --- you're as good as the best,
As strong as the mightiest, too.
You can win in every battle or test;
For there's no one just like you.
There's only one you in the world today;
So nobody else, you see,
Can do your work in as fine a way:
You're the only you there'll be !

So face the world, and all life is yours
To conquer and love and live:
And you'll find the happiness that endures
In just the measure you give;
There's nothing too good for you to possess,
Nor heights where you cannot go:
Your power is more than belief or guess ---
It is something you have to know.

There is nothing to fear --- you can and you will.
For you are the invincible you.
Set your foot on the highest hill ---
There's nothing you cannot do.

-- Author Unknown

"It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not."  ~Unknown

"We have to learn to be our own best friends because we fall too easily into the trap of being our own worst enemies."  ~Roderick Thorp

"Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you."  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Missed opportunities!

I really liked this story, it was a great reminder for me to watch my habits. There have been times that I have had blessings in my life but I did not recognize them. Yes, two good reminders here. Hope you enjoy it!

 The Touchstone

When the great library of Alexandria burned, the story goes, one book was saved. But it was not a valuable book; and so a poor man, who could read a little, bought it for a few coppers.The book wasn't very interesting, but between its pages there was something very interesting indeed. It was a thin strip of vellum on which was written the secret of the "Touchstone"!

The touchstone was a small pebble that could turn any common metal into pure gold. The writing explained that it was lying among thousands and thousands of other pebbles that looked exactly like it. But the secret was this: The real stone would feel warm, while ordinary pebbles are cold.

So the man sold his few belongings, bought some simple supplies, camped on the seashore, and began testing pebbles.
He knew that if he picked up ordinary pebbles and threw them down again because they were cold, he might pick up the same pebble hundreds of times. So, when he felt one that was cold, he threw it into the sea. He spent a whole day doing this but none of them was the touchstone. Yet he went on and on this way. Pick up a pebble. Cold - throw it into the sea. Pick up another. Throw it into the sea.

The days stretched into weeks and the weeks into months. One day, however, about mid-afternoon, he picked up a pebble and it was warm. He threw it into the sea before he realized what he had done. He had formed such a strong habit of throwing each pebble into the sea that when the one he wanted came along, he still threw it away.

So it is with opportunity. Unless we are vigilant, it's easy to fail to recognize an opportunity when it is in hand and it's just as easy to throw it away.

- Author UnknownBits & Pieces, Economic Press
“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.” ~ Charles R. Swindoll

Date night

Well, you can't be real creative on your Date Nights if your wife is sick. But still Jeff rented a movie for us and it was nice to just be together. The movie that he chose was ... "Invictus" (Warner/Blu-ray, 2009, PG-13). Morgan Freeman is a commanding presence as Nelson Mandela in this true story of how the South African leader used the power of the nation's passion for rugby to bring blacks and whites together after apartheid was abolished. And Matt Damon matches him as the captain of the team, who is quite surprised when Mandela asks him to win the World Cup!

It was an inspiring movie about unity, forgiveness and faith. It isn't that often that you finish a movie or leave a movie and feel inspired, it was nice. The poem that the movie was named after is here below. It was another reminder to me that we are in control of what we do, say and think. Many times I think we might forget that. What a powerful movie!

Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the Pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate;

I am the captain of my soul. ~by William Ernest Henley; 1849-1903

"IF MEN DO NOT COMPREHEND THE CHARACTER OF GOD, THEN THEY DO NOT COMPREHEND THEMSELVES"            ~ Joseph Smith

 

"WATCH YOUR THOUGHTS, FOR THEY BECOME WORDS.

WATCH YOUR WORDS, FOR THEY BECOME ACTIONS.

WATCH YOUR ACTIONS, FOR THEY BECOME HABITS.

WATCH YOUR HABITS, FOR THEY BECOME CHARACTER.

WATCH YOUR CHARACTER, FOR IT BECOMES YOUR DESTINY." ~ Unknown

Getting on with our lives!

I loved this story that I read in an article by Steven E. Snow. It reminded me of how important it is to get on with our lives. Sometimes, I am embarrassed by my lack of ability to just move forward. I often get stuck in old habits or thought patterns. I know that I need to keep going, but many times I fret too much about what is going on, and forget to have faith and keep looking to the future. Change is hard, I know that from personal experience, and from watching my friends and loved ones struggle with it too. Most people will stay in a bad situation that they KNOW, verses making a healthier change to the UNKNOWN. I guess that we all have felt that way one time or the other, but still I am amazed at how crippling FEAR of the unknown can be.  Many lives can be altered by it forever, if we are not careful.

When are kids were little, there were things that they just did not want to do. They didn't necessarily want to go to a new school after we had moved. They didn't want to have to make new friends or have certain teachers at school. Whatever it was, we realized at parents that was our job to help them GET ON WITH THEIR LIVES. We knew they would make new friends, or do ok with certain teachers or whatever. The point was, that we were going to stay right beside them and track their progress or lack of. We tried to be the constant in their lives.

I have heard my kids once or twice talk about their childhood and how hard certain things were or how unfair life was at times. Some of the things they just didn't really comprehend the importance of, at their age and others were just called LIFE!  I have said many times... I wish that I could have changed some of the things that happened to us in the past not all of them but some. I wish that I wouldn't have had so many illnesses and physical restrictions. I wished that I could have been at more of their games, plays, and school programs. Yes, I sometimes feel guilty that they had to learn to work so hard at a young age, they had to take care of me or of each other some times. Then I look at them now, they are all very capable of doing just about anything! They know  how to serve, help, clean, cook, work and love. They are very compassionate kids and for that I am grateful. I realize now that no one can predict what will happen in their life, but we can choose how we want to deal with it. We can learn and grow from it, or go the rest of our lives complaining about how terrible our lives were. It is all about choices isn't it?  Life is all about changes too, and experiences that will teach us in ways that we could never imagine. Enjoy this sweet story and try to remember, some changes we can see coming in our lives and others we can not. We need to have faith, keep our perspective to be able to make those BIG decisions in our lives. We also need to think of who all will be effected by our decisions and try to be happy for the opportunity to grow! We need to remember we have a loving Heavenly Father to watch over us every step of the way! No we are not ALONE! That in and of itself, can bring great comfort.

During the very early years of her life, our niece Lachelle spent the mornings with her grandmother. The two shared a special bond from these hours together. Lachelle soon turned five years old and was preparing to begin school. On their last morning together, Grandma Squire read her granddaughter a story and rocked her in the big rocking chair. “We have had so much fun together, Lachelle,” she told her, “and now it is time for you to go to school. I love you so much; what will I ever do without you?”

With wisdom beyond her five years, Lachelle looked up at her grandmother with big brown eyes. “Grandma,” she said, “I love you too, but it is time I got on with my life.”

" Faith and doubt cannot exist in the same mind at the same time, for one will dispel the other"                          ~ Thomas S. Monson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just do it!

There have been many times in my life where I have wanted to change something about myself or my circumstances, but life just kept happening. I found myself stuck in ruts and behaviors, that didn't make me the best person that I wanted to become. I was overwhelmed by the fact that there were so many issues in my life that I felt I needed to change. When Cancer hit for the first time, I took a long hard look at my life and realized that it was now or never...it was time for me to start changing the things that I knew I needed to change. What was stopping me? I just sorta felt that I have been this or that way for so long, or my situation has been this or that way for so long...I really didn't think I could change all of them.

I remember the day that I was at my friend's house and she was helping me do some research on cancer. I was talking to her about this very subject and I was on the floor crying ( mostly because I was scared of cancer and partly because I felt overwhelmed). I said to her " But how can I change almost every thing about me?" "How can I change everything I am? " Well, obviously I was dealing with some serious issues and feelings, but I wasn't completely a lost cause (like I felt I was). I still can hear her reply..."Lynn, you can change anything you need, you just have to do it one thing at a time." She was an amazing strength and comfort to me that night, and throughout the years. Ok, it does help that she is also a counselor with a whole lot of wisdom, but still basically I think the advice is true for anyone that is stuck in their life. I had to stop a lot of things in my life, so that I could de-clutter my mind and my life. I was good at doing lots of things ( not necessarily important things either), but staying busy so that I didn't have to stop and look at my life or behavior for what it was. By stopping... I had the time to take a good hard look at my life, my time, my habits, my thoughts, and my excuses.

That was a hard time in my life, but one that truly gave me back my life and also my control over my thoughts and decisions, it was empowering to say the least. Now I still have to have time outs in order to check myself, and make sure that I am not falling back into old habits or fears but like anything else ...the only way to truly change your life is to 1st ...recognize the need to change and 2nd... to just DO IT!

I hope by sharing this, it will help someone out there that is struggling with this very same problem.

"When I feel overwhelmed and my stress levels rise, I stop and step back from the situation and put the even in perspective. I always ask myself - what difference will this make in five years time? "   ~ Catherine Pulsifer

I loved this quote, good question to ask ourselves. If we don't do anything or try to change... then where will we be in 5 years? Will our life and the lives around us, be better or worse? Tough question but, we need to be asking them!

Just Do It

Author Elbert Hubbard told the story of an incident during the Spanish-American War. It was imperative that the president get a message to the leader of the insurgents. His name was Garcia and he was known to fighting somewhere in the mountains of Cuba, but no mail or telegraph could reach him. Someone said, "There's a fellow by the name of Rowan who will find Garcia for you if anybody can." Rowan took the letter without hesitation. He sealed it in a leather pouch strapped over his heart. He landed in the dark of night off the coast of Cuba and make his way to the mountains, and after much difficulty, found Garcia. He handed him the letter, turned around and headed home. Hubbard tells this story in "A Letter to Garcia." Rowan didn't ask, "Exactly where is he?" or "I doubt if I can do it." There was a job to be done and he did it. Instead of making a dozen excuses why you can't complete the task, think about Rowan. Deliver the goods!   ~ Author -Neil Eskelin/Elbert Hubbard

"When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better." ~ unknown

Habits

Today at church the message was about Patience. I loved the quote that went with it.

"IF WE DON'T HAVE PATIENCE...

WE WILL SEE LESS, WE WILL HEAR LESS, AND WE WILL FEEL LESS"

I think some people believe that either you were born with patience or not. I don't believe it is completely true. I mean sure, there are some more patient people in the world but... I do believe that any could learn to have more patience. I would wager that most of us could use a little more of it in our lives. Sometimes I believe that we just get into habits and we really need to watch what our habits are. It makes me think of the quote..."WE FIRST MAKE OUR HABITS, AND THEN OUR HABITS MAKE US."

Yes, everything is about our choices.

 

"You are always only one choice away from changing your life." ~Marcy Blochowack

"Our patience will achieve more than our force."  ~ Edmund Burke

"Patience can't be acquired overnight. It is just like building up a muscle. 
Every day you need to work on it."  ~ Eknath Easwaran

Good night dear friends, thanks for the example and friendship.