Some Sweet Sounds

To copy my sister Stephanie, I thought I'd do a music recommendation. I was in Bath and Body Works, and heard this song. (So many of the great songs I hear are in stores. This is me, "Ooo! I love this song!" Repeat lyrics, repeat lyrics,....try to remember. Walk to car...dang! What were those lyrics?! No chance of finding out what the song is now....urgh.) This time I remembered the lyrics and found the song on itunes. It led me to Simon Lynge. The song is "Infinitely You" on A Beautiful Way to Drown. I love his music! It's very uplifting and happy. May I also suggest "London Town" and "Love Comes Back to You".

My Ego in the hands of a Preschooler

Okay, so I thought I'd be young and cute today, so I put braids in my hair. I'm not a hair expert, so it took me almost a half hour to do two braids. I was feeling so la-de-dah, and then my 4 year old saw me and said, "Ug! Mom! Ewww! You look bad!" So what if he's 4, it was a blow to my ego. Joseph was a good little boy and said, "Jensen, you shouldn't say that. It will hurt her feelings." I asked Jensen what he didn't like about me. He said, "Those dangly things in your hair." "Those are braids," I said. "I don't like 'em," he said. End of discussion.
I debated on whether to keep them in or not. Okay, so I did look a bit like a 40 year old trying to look 10, but hey, I was in a young mood, remember. Then Paul came and was the fair prince that I married all those years ago, "Hey, you look cute!" he said as he grabbed me for a kiss. "Thanks. Jensen said I'm ugly in these braids." "He's 4," Paul replied as if that explained everything.
I later asked Jensen, "What if you grow up and see a cute girl with braids?" "I won't like her." "What if you like a cute girl and then she wears braids later?" "I'd like her, but not the braids." And that's that. So, anyone trying to win this boy's heart, stick to the straight iron.

Child's View of Christmas

This is photo of our nativity scene, as arranged by Jensen. As soon as I set it up, he rearranges it, and it's always the same: The Christ child in the center and all other figures surrounding Him. He even brought other statues to join in the circle. I'll set it up visually pleasing again, and he will come and "fix" it for me. Each of my children have arranged the scene in a similar manner. I've decided to leave it, for it shows the true meaning of Christmas: We should all be focused on Christ and He should be at the center. "And a little child shall lead them...." Merry Christmas everyone!

A Chuckle for You

If you ever have a time when you pull an "idiot", here's something to make you feel better. A friend of mine called tonight. Paul answered the phone and then handed it to me. I took it how he handed it and started talking. I could hardly hear her! I kept saying, "You need to speak a little louder, I can't hear you." I could tell she was now yelling and I still could barely hear her. She must have a bad phone or we must have a bad connection, I thought. When the conversation was over, I realized I had the phone upside down the entire time. I'm such an idiot! I had a good laugh at that, and thought I'd share.

Ladder of Gratitude

This week I have really been aware of how much I have. This is truly the land of plenty, and my life is beyond blessed. I thought I would write a Gratitude Ladder - you know, when you think of one thing and it leads to another, and so on and so on. So here goes:
I am thankful for a healthy body, which makes me think of:
I am thankful for arms and legs that can move:
and the ability to process information and learn new skills:
the chance to teach myself new cooking skills:
food:
all kinds of food:
the smell of baking bread and how a smoothie feels going down your throat:
how salt can inhance the flavor of food:
that I don't have to hunt for or scavenge for food:
I have shelter from the cold:
Paul has a job to pay the heating bill:
my husband is alive and is my dearest friend:
unexpected letters from old friends:
technology that allows us to communicate in a blink of an eye:
technology that allows a little boy to live with only half a heart:
generosity of others:
late night conversations with loved ones:
a quiet moment to myself:
good books:
deep sleep:
and on and on.......
You might want to write a ladder of your own. Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

Heaven Scent

Last Friday Nadine and I went to Dillards' Fragrance Extravaganza. It was frills and thrills. We truly had a fun time sampling many exotic scents and eating all the treats. We each came home with a new perfume and a bag of goodies. (If you ever need perfume, definitely buy it when the store is having their gift set sales.) My choice was Rose The One, by Dolce and Gabbana. I LOVE IT!! I recommend it to all you la-de-dah ladies. Give it a wiff and I'm sure you'll be swept away as well.

LOVE

I've been going through an interesting learning experience the last few months with someone close to me that has made me think about loving others. I decided to share my thoughts.
*Love is rarely easy, but always worth it, not because of how the other person might respond or reward our feelings, but because of how we grow within ourselves. Most times, the more dificult a person is to love, the more our souls and abilities expand and enlarge.
*Love is not an obligation, but is often a responsibility. It is always the responsibility of a parent to love a child. If a parent doesn't love their children, he/she better get busy and find that love. Love between a parent and child must first come from the parent, though it doesn't always work that way, it should. The best place for a child to learn how to love and about love is from the parents.
*You don't "fall" in love, you "fall" in infatuation or adoration. Love is a choice...always. If we don't love someone, then it is our choice. No matter what another person does to us, we can always choose to love. And that is what makes love so much work, and at times, hard to do. There are times when I don't want to love someone and I chose not to. So often we put so much responsibility of what goes on in a relationship on the other person, when nothing we do can change another or their minds...that's their choice...but loving them is our choice plain and simple.
*Every time I choose to love, I'm uplifted. Loving someone isn't always fun, or happy. Love can mean saddness, frustration and disappointment. But when I let love guide me, I always feel peace.
No matter the length of time or curves in the road it takes for us to find success in our loving of others, we can reach our ultimate goal. Here's to getting there.