Laughter the best medicine!

Today Shirley just hung out today and laughed and laughed. It seems like we don't have to do anything to have fun! Stayed low today, still breathing better so I am grateful for that.
Good night dear friends!

Imagine that!

Today while Jeff has been in his business conference I decided that I would work on my blog, do some things for work and then go to the pool to swim. We aren't really in an area where there is anything to walk to, so I went down to the pool for a swim. I almost died when the elevator door opened by the pool and there were about 200 people there sitting at tables all around the pool, having lunch. Can you imagine what it would have been if I would have come out there with my swimming cap, googles and new swim prothetic and just did a few laps? I am still laughing!
So I am back in the room, decided to just go to the work out room and maybe do the tread mill...no one was in there ...that is more my type of audience. It just makes me laugh, I am getting more confident about myself after having reached my goal in Weight Watchers but....give me a break, I still have a ton of insecurities when it comes 200 people watching you swim. :) Anyway, can you imagine it? Are you laughing too?
Maybe we will swim tonight, when there are less people there!
Some things are just too hard to imagine! Why do I feel like you are still laughing?
Good night dear friends!

Funny day!

Today was a day full of mishaps and errors. There was at one point where I thought I should just sit down and have a good cry or go to bed, but then for some reason...when I thought of what happened...I just laughed. So many times people have told me to write a book, but honestly some times I don't think people would really believe what happens to me. I would actually like to tell you some of them today, but they are alittle to ackward and I am not sure we know each other that well ....or that you want to know that me that well?  Let's just say that I am grateful that have a good sense of humor...it truly has been what saved me on many days ...like today!
I felt this quote said it all... and now before something else crazy can happen... I am going to bed. Good night dear friends!


"A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It's jolted by every pebble on the road".   ~Henry Ward Beecher

"A sense of humor is a major defense against minor troubles."   ~Mignon McLaughlin

Free Gifts!!!

   Why is it that every one stops, looks or listens... when they see, or hear the word FREE?
   My grandmother always told me " That nothing is really free in life, there is always a catch". I think she was talking about the adds you see on TV, or the pop up congratulations on the computer, telling you what you won. So, although it is true that you have to be very cautious when things are said to be free, we need to remember never push the button, say yes or sign anything, until you have read all the fine print and even between the lines.
   But it is refreshing to remember these 8 gifts are really, truly FREE...check it out for yourself! :)

 

EIGHT GIFTS THAT DO NOT COST A CENT!

1. THE GIFT OF LISTENING...
   But you must REALLY listen. No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your response. Just listening.
   
2. THE GIFT OF AFFECTION...
   Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and holds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.
   
3. THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER...
   Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you."
   
4. THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE...
   It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet. A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime, and may even change a life.
   
5. THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT...
   A simple and sincere, "You look great in red," "You did a super job" or "That was a wonderful meal" can make someone's day.
   
6. THE GIFT OF A FAVOR...
   Every day, go out of your way to do something kind
   
7. THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE...
   There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.
   
8. THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION...
   The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone, really it's not that hard to say, Hello or Thank You. ~ Unknown

 

"The greatest gift is a portion of thyself."  ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Life is the first gift, love is the second, and understanding the third."   ~ Marge Piercy

"Remember, the greatest gift is not found in a store nor under a tree, but in the hearts of true friends."

Just like a sister!

Today my sister-in-law Shirley flew in town, to spend a week we me and my family. We are very close, I actually think we are probably as close as real sisters, ( of course I don't know if that is true, since I only had brothers ) I am just guessing. We try to get together, a couple of times if not more throughout the year. It is like we just can't make it, if we don't have some time scheduled in the future to get together. She and I were room mates during our college and Single years.  I think I have mentioned this story before. I got to thinking if I could hook her up with my brother and they fell in love, then I could have her as my friend and sister forever. That really sounded like a great plan to me and so that is exactly what I did...hooked them up, ( of course they had some say so in this whole thing ). And I have had, my best friend as my sister-in-law all these years.

We laugh and carry on so much each time that we are together, that I am sure it is healthy for us! Laughter is the best medicine they say. Trust me, we hardly ever stop laughing. I love having her here, what a treat! We are just going to play the whole week...doesn't that sound fun? I so many times get caught up with all the THINGS that I have to do in life, that I forget to have fun. So this was a really big deal to schedule this week together! 
We are both from West Virginia, and when we get together... our accents seem to get much stronger. It makes our kids laugh to hear us talk and joke around together. So not only are we having fun but we are entertaining, that is a good combination.

Just realized how thankful I am to have her in my life, and the bonus is I get to be close to her children and grandchildren too!  Gotta get to bed, lots of things to do tomorrow, night dear friends!

"Missing someone gets easier every day because even though it's one day further from the last time you saw each other, it's one day closer to the next time you will."

"A sister-in-law is a forever friend." ~ Lynn Woodard

Simplifying our lives!

I was looking up quotes for simplifying life, and found some wonderful ones by Marjorie Pay Hinckley (a Mother herself)! It is always good to hear wisdom from someone, who has been there done that.  I do think that we as Mothers, especially young Mothers ...try to do it all, and I personally don't think it is even possible! But learning to prioritize would be a start, that is why I liked this first quote...

"We women have a lot to learn about simplifying our lives. We have to decide what is important and then move along at a pace that is comfortable for us. We have to develop the maturity to stop trying to prove something. We have to learn to be content with what we are."

As I watch young Mothers now, I vividly remember some of the same joys, trials, frustrations that they are having. I too have been there, done that and just count myself thankful... that I lived to tell about it! Some times, you just have to laugh or smile, because you can't change the situation. And in the long run ( with some things ) it won't make that much difference any way!

"The only way to get through life is to laugh your way through it. You either have to laugh or cry. I prefer to laugh. Crying gives me a headache." 

If I could give any advice to you young Moms, who are trying so hard...it would be SLOW DOWN and try to enjoy your little ones more, they will be grown before you know it! I too have to remember this, even as an Old Mom, I still have to watch how I spend my time and energy. Remember Motherhood is the toughest and yet the best job! So try to enjoy it more!

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.
I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.
I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children.
I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden.
I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.
I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived."
— Marjorie Pay Hinckley

Not quite the same

While living on my own, going to college and working two jobs I became best friends with one of my roommates. It seemed like even though we came from totally different backgrounds, there was a connection we made ...that was one of a kind. I got a brilliant idea that if I wanted to keep her in my life that I should introduce her to my brother. Long story short...it worked and she has been my sister ever since. I was so excited the day they got married, because I knew then I finally had a SISTER...after having 4 brothers! Now we don't look like sisters but she is from West Virginia and we do sound an awful lot alike and for some reason ...just being around her makes me laugh and happy.

Not only has she become my sister but my personal  nurse. Every time I have had surgery, Shirley has come to be with me. Some how she has made a scary situation more tolerable and no matter what was ahead of me, we would find something to laugh about, that is why this surgery was harder than normal for me ( although is wasn't a terribly tough surgery compared to my others) because Shirley wasn't able to come and be with me. I understood why but for some reason I was dreading the fact that she wasn't going to be with me.  I realized the day of my surgery how very much I had depended on her and how much I appreciated all that she sacrificed to be with me. So when I read this poem, I thought of her...except her name is Shirley.

I really have been blessed with many friends who feel like my sisters and for that I am terribly grateful! Thanks to all of you for your calls, emails and prayers. Today was even a better day, it only hurts when I stand up or sit down! :) So I think things are looking up!

Sister, we've been there through life's sorrow and pain
But together we have always endured the strain
We've argued and bickered and made each other mad
But if you weren't my sister, life would be so sad
We've cried till we laughed and laughed till we cried
Sometimes for no reason we didn't even know why
When we're not together our bond is just as strong
Because we are sisters we know when something is wrong
We've whispered our deepest secrets only sisters could share
I love my sister dearly because she really cares
So whether we are together or we are far apart
Helen,( Shirley) you're my sister, my friend and forever in my heart.  ~ Cyndi Moore

"THERE CAN BE NO SITUATION IN LIFE IN WHICH THE CONVERSATION OF MY DEAR SISTER WILL NOT ADMINISTER SOME COMFORT TO ME."  ~ Mary Worley Montagu

 

Laughter

My brother and Sister-in-law left today. It was so fun having them come and visit, over the Labor Day Weekend. I have to say ...it must be good for my health to have Shirley ( my sister-in-law ) around, because we always are laughing. I mean really laughing, where you can hardly catch your breath and tears fill your eyes. I know that I have read many things about the importance of laughter and how healing it is. So I think I probably healed a lot  this past weekend being around her, what a dear friend she has been for all these years and the sister that I never had. We started out as friends and then became roommates. Then I began to think "wouldn't it be great if she could be in my family?"  So I introduced her to my brother and the rest is history, and we have been together ever since. It was hard to say good-bye to them today. It is always a treat to have more family around.  I have never been very good at good-byes. But I need to be grateful for the time we did have and all the laughter that filled my home. Yes, laughter is good medicine.

In church I heard one of the speakers talk about something that happened to his daughter that they all still laugh about to this day, I thought I would share the his story with you. Good night dear friends and remember to spend time with people who make you laugh...really laugh!

Learn to Laugh

I remember when one of our daughters went on a blind date. She was all dressed up and waiting for her date to arrive when the doorbell rang. In walked a man who seemed a little old, but she tried to be polite. She introduced him to me and my wife and the other children; then she put on her coat and went out the door. We watched as she got into the car, but the car didn’t move. Eventually our daughter got out of the car and, red faced, ran back into the house. The man that she thought was her blind date had actually come to pick up another of our daughters who had agreed to be a babysitter for him and his wife.

We all had a good laugh over that. In fact, we couldn’t stop laughing. Later, when our daughter’s real blind date showed up, I couldn’t come out to meet him because I was still in the kitchen laughing. Now, I realize that our daughter could have felt humiliated and embarrassed. But she laughed with us, and as a result, we still laugh about it today.

The next time you’re tempted to groan, you might try to laugh instead. It will extend your life and make the lives of all those around you more enjoyable.

"Laughter is the shock absorber that eases the blows of life"

"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter."  ~e.e. cummings