Do you have shadows that follow you where ever you go?? I do. Unless of course we head to the bathroom… the shower is in there and that’s a ‘no go zone’.

So the shadow prompt usually goes like this…Sleeping with mom on the couch while she pecks at her computer…wait, she is lowering her legs to the floor to get up…you going outside, can I go, can I, can I…oh, wait its wet and drizzly, never mind.

That is how some feel people about bloggers following  their sights, I call it the sunny day disposition. I feel that if you are doing it solely for the purpose of growth then you have the wrong focus, but that just my opinion and like belly buttons, we all have one.

Living for many years in a big city(Atlanta) you get cold and complacent in speaking or even knowing who your neighbors are. From there I  moved to a small city(in Ala) and out in the country from that city on 3 acres of land with  no neighbors close at all. While that had its quiet perks it can also be isolating. Since I was working so many hours I didn’t notice that part and enjoyed the quiet. When I had my accident (badly broken arm) I then noticed the isolation as I was house bound for eight weeks and out of work for 4 months.  That’s when I knew it was time for a change.

Now I am in the mid-west. While I don’t care for being so close to neighbors, as a whole the friendly and caring aspects of the area are nice. I remember George Carlin, I think, wrote a lyric – cant really call it a song, but it made the claim that you need to live in different places to better understand how people think and how they treat one an other. Find the place that suits you the best and stay a while.  There is a lot of truth in that but people are always going to be people and you just have to accept them as they are, love them as they are and generally if you are kind, caring and helpful to one another you have more friends. That goes true for social media platforms as well, although some of them just feed a frenzy and like stirring pots.

With blogging you have a better control of the nonsense. There seems to be more respect of voice here. Now there may be sites that encourage that but you don’t have to go there unless you want to be part of that. Currently I am enjoying the gentle spirits of bloggers that I have found where we can laugh at each other when funnies happen in our life, encourage each other as needed, all while enjoying each others post and beautiful pictures. That to me is how you get followers, enjoying each, sharing with each other, being respectful of each other and as you know my BIG push as it were…Be kind. Mama always said you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Not that I want flies as friends but you get the concept. Maybe I should say you get more tail wags with treats than with the threats of a shower.

And as I always, I close with a reminder to me and anyone listening, Always be Kind.

Life is hard. Falling hurts. Getting up is hard. Getting up is what defines us. Don’t let your accidents or the meanness of others keep you from rising. You were created for a purpose by God and ‘God don’t make no junk’. Find your inner strength and rise. I have many friends who fight depression. It is a true medical condition not just a sad feeling. Let the doctors help you but also help yourself by not giving up. Fight, for you are worth it. Fight, because you deserve it. But remember to fight with kindness. Don’t fight like the bullies who use you for practice. Fight with God’s purpose, with Him by your side and rise to the greatness he has called you to. Below is a poem about remembering to always rise when you fall by D. H. Groberg and I though it should be posted.

Whenever I start to hang my head in front of failure’s face,
my downward fall is broken by the memory of a race.
A children’s race, young boys, young men; how I remember well,
excitement sure, but also fear, it wasn’t hard to tell.
They all lined up so full of hope, each thought to win that race
or tie for first, or if not that, at least take second place.
Their parents watched from off the side, each cheering for their son,
and each boy hoped to show his folks that he would be the one.
The whistle blew and off they flew, like chariots of fire,
to win, to be the hero there, was each young boy’s desire.
One boy in particular, whose dad was in the crowd,
was running in the lead and thought “My dad will be so proud.”
But as he sped down the field and crossed a shallow dip,
the little boy who thought he’d win, lost his step and slipped.
Trying hard to catch himself, his arms flew everyplace,
and midst the laughter of the crowd he fell flat on his face.
As he fell, his hope fell too; he couldn’t win it now.
Humiliated, he just wished to disappear somehow.
But as he fell his dad stood up and showed his anxious face,
which to the boy so clearly said, “Get up and win that race!”
He quickly rose, no damage done, behind a bit that’s all,
and ran with all his mind and might to make up for his fall.
So anxious to restore himself, to catch up and to win,
his mind went faster than his legs. He slipped and fell again.
He wished that he had quit before with only one disgrace.
“I’m hopeless as a runner now, I shouldn’t try to race.”
But through the laughing crowd he searched and found his father’s face
with a steady look that said again, “Get up and win that race!”
So he jumped up to try again, ten yards behind the last.
“If I’m to gain those yards,” he thought, “I’ve got to run real fast!”
Exceeding everything he had, he regained eight, then ten…
but trying hard to catch the lead, he slipped and fell again.
Defeat! He lay there silently. A tear dropped from his eye.
“There’s no sense running anymore! Three strikes I’m out! Why try?
I’ve lost, so what’s the use?” he thought. “I’ll live with my disgrace.”
But then he thought about his dad, who soon he’d have to face.
“Get up,” an echo sounded low, “you haven’t lost at all,
for all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
Get up!” the echo urged him on, “Get up and take your place!
You were not meant for failure here! Get up and win that race!”
So, up he rose to run once more, refusing to forfeit,
and he resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn’t quit.
So far behind the others now, the most he’d ever been,
still he gave it all he had and ran like he could win.
Three times he’d fallen stumbling, three times he rose again.
Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.
They cheered another boy who crossed the line and won first place,
head high and proud and happy — no falling, no disgrace.
But, when the fallen youngster crossed the line, in last place,
the crowd gave him a greater cheer for finishing the race.
And even though he came in last with head bowed low, unproud,
you would have thought he’d won the race, to listen to the crowd.
And to his dad he sadly said, “I didn’t do so well.”
“To me, you won,” his father said. “You rose each time you fell.”
And now when things seem dark and bleak and difficult to face,
the memory of that little boy helps me in my own race.
For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all.
And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
And when depression and despair shout loudly in my face,
another voice within me says, “Get up and win that race!”

by D. H. Groberg

In all endeavors that you do, some you are bound to fail at first. As in blogging don’t pay attention to how that stats line up to prove you as a success or a failure, change how you view the stats. Change how you view life. It is all a gift, each and every day. Looks for those shinning moments. I promise they are there.

A shout out to Shelley and her 30 day prompt – only 4 more to go. And a shout to friends who fight sadness and depression. May you find your happy place.

And as always, I say this as a reminder to me in how I treat others, always always be kind.

Have a great weekend.

What is there to love about blogging?? To some it is a daily routine, trying to figure out what I am doing, why am I doing it, who would  read it? Who really cares?  So much silly pressure for a task that can be such fun.

I remember a guy dated in high school. He was such a gifted wood worker and I never understood why he would not pursue it as a career. We ended up going to the same college(both with different girl/boy friends by that time) but he ended up studying journalism. I asked him why he did that when his passion was for woodwork. He told me that because of his deep voice(yea, it was nice if you like that kinda thing. I do) he knew he would be good on camera and the money was good. His wood working was his love and he didn’t want to get where he hated it by having to do it to survive. OK I can understand that. I think all things in life can be that way, if you look at it as a drudgery you will no longer enjoy it.

When I was pregnant with my middle child, my daughter, I had blood pressure issues so it required more downtime. Now for those of us who are a bit on the hyper side, that is a huge request. You might as well asked me to go in the corner.

Sorry but the picture reminds me of a story that only a mother could love. My oldest was put in the corner in KINDERGARTEN.  Back then they were just discovering what ADD was and how to help kids and teachers in the classroom. Any, my son totally entertained himself with a piece of string he found in  his pocket. So the punishment did nothing for him. OK, we are off track.

Getting back on track, while I had to have down time I started journaling/writing. (It was before computers were in ever home.) I put it down ponce she was born and did not pick it back up until I retired.

So now that computers are involved, the journaling is now called blogging. I love it because it gives me the opportunity write what ever comes to my mind. I am not worried about what other may think because let be serious, I am not going to write about stuff that sets people off. Face Book does enough of that. I use blogging to share my view of the beauty of this world. Is there bad stiff going on, absolutely but we can not allow that to drive us. We need to grab those silver linings and hang onto to them with all our might. Look at all the beautiful photographs that flow through this system. Amazing. Some are professional and then there are telephone camera people like me.

Bedside that, think of all the people you meet across the world. You can’t let the numbers of followers and all those stats drive you. Enjoy what you do and it will grow as it needs to grow.

A shout out to Shelley of Quaint Revival who created this challenge for us newbies to help us grow. Have a great week.

Remember to always be kind.

Fortunately and unfortunately it is our memories and experiences that drive our purpose in life. I want to be just like…or I want to make sure I never… How we handle our memories tells others a lot about us. I can tell stories of awfulness that I remember  but I chose to focus on the wonderful memories. Growing up in south Georgia and my families love of boating there are many wonderful memories on the rivers of Florida.  I wish I had beautiful pictures for you to see but I was not into cameras back then. Enjoy the ones I downloaded. I remember the boat being tied off under the trees and diving into the clear blue waters while mom make picnic lunch inside the cabin. The water was so cold I remember mom would make us sit out once in awhile to get less frozen.

But the springs were not the only water memories. When they bought a house off the gulf coast that created a whole different type of memories of fantastic fishing trips, walks along the beach and the fearful memories similar to the recent hurricane of North Carolina.

Then as I grew up and created my own good and bad memories it shaped me more into who I am today. SO I will share a few that make me smile and hope you enjoy them.

Big R and Miss J both were notorious for stealing food, no secret they are now both foodies and with Big R as executive chef and Miss J in restaurant management. The other guy, Big J was  more of the science/mathematical guy and a chief mechanic for the airlines. School pictures by age range listed below.

Now there are seven grand children to further the wonder of memory making. We all have memories that we wish we didn’t have but if we focus on the memories that bring love and happiness into our lives we become as rich as any king or queen of any kingdom.

I challenge you to put the bad memories in perspective and grow from them then turn to the good memories and thrive from them expanding their love and laughter through the family and through your friends.

And remember in all things be Kind.

Are there times when you just don’t have the right subject to talk about and what comes out seems like garbage. Maybe you are not feeling well or like for me and last night, did not sleep well so you are a bit out of sorts. It can be very much like eating too much junk food – garbage in equals garbage out.

I know when I was still working and I needed to create a new proposal or a new procedure I always placed it in a file to review a little later, then go do something totally different and return later to review it to see if anything needs changing.

Sometime deadlines do not allow for wait and review time. In blogging the challenges push us to be creative and some days it just ain’t there! On those days some of our less effective works are created. But that is OK because even on those days there may be one single person that may be inspired by something you said or a picture you posted.

So don’t give up or get frustrated because you can’t hit a home run every day. Enjoy what you do and always look for the ray of sun shining through the possible cloud of ‘what am I doing next?’

Shelley of Quaint Revival has challenged us newbies to face the garbage we may make and move through it. Even the garbage if placed/buried correctly can turn into a beautiful garden.

Enjoy your weekend, enjoy your friendships and remember to always be kind.

The English language plays tricks on us with words that sound the same  but have totally different spelling and meaning. Homonyms are a real difficult trait for those trying to learn our language. For instance a red flower is beautiful but if you have red flour it may mean that you and the knife had an argument in how to cut up the chicken you are going to fry and you lost. Or you can say this sentence ‘The read flower is beautiful’ which makes no sense because you can’t read a flower. Now you have stepped into homographs. Two words that are spelled the same but have different meanings and may sound different.

No wonder people get confused trying to learn English and we are not even talking about the difference between England’s English versus America’s English plus the difference in each areas slang English or local English dialect of each region. And then there are other nations who have English as a second language. I worked for a Korean company for over 9 years in Alabama where there are strong ‘southernism’. Now a southernism is where you take half of one word and half of another word and push them together and make a new word but you say it so fast that people not use to the way you speak will just look at you like a deer in headlights. I think I have used most of these at least one(hundred thousand) time(s).

My boss was Korean and he learned to understand how I talked. When his boss would come down for a meeting, he would look to my boss and ask ‘what did she say’. After a couple of years, they acclimated to being able to understand us. Even some joined in on the southernism.

Linda G Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday gave us a prompt to play with of flower/flour. Come join in on the fun and see how you can play with these two words.