Monday, May 30, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
It's Hard To Be Humble
I do remember all those countless occassions of everyone flattering me. And you know what? They've hit the nail right on the head every single time.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
The More We Get, The Less We Got
The paradox of our time in history is that...
"We have taller buildings but shorter tempers,
Wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints.
We spend more, but have less,
We buy more, but enjoy less.
We have bigger houses and smaller families,
More conveniences, but less time.
We have more degrees but less sense,
More knowledge, but less judgment,
More experts, yet more problems,
More medicine, but less wellness.
We drink too much, smoke too much,
Spend too recklessly, drive too fast, get too angry,
Stay up too late, get up too tired,
Read too little, and watch TV too much.
We laugh too little, and pray too seldom.
We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
We've learned how to make a living, but not a life.
We've added years to life not life to years.
We've been all the way to the moon and back,
But have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.
We conquered outer space but not inner space.
We've done larger things, but not better things.
We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.
We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice.
We write more, but learn less.
We plan more, but accomplish less.
We've learned to rush, but not to wait.
We build more computers to hold more information,
To produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion,
Big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships.
These are the days of two incomes but more divorce,
Fancier houses, but broken homes.
These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality,
One night stands, overweight bodies,
And pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.
It is a time when there is much in the showroom window
And nothing in the stockroom.
A time when technology can bring this letter to you,
And a time when you can choose either to share this insight,
Or to just hit delete.
Remember, to spend some time with your loved ones,
Because they are not going to be around forever.
Remember, to say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe,
Because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.
Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you,
Because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.
Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones,
But most of all mean it.
A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.
Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment
For someday that person might not be there again.
Give time to love, give time to speak!
And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind."
— Bob Moorehead
************
"We have taller buildings but shorter tempers,
Wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints.
We spend more, but have less,
We buy more, but enjoy less.
We have bigger houses and smaller families,
More conveniences, but less time.
We have more degrees but less sense,
More knowledge, but less judgment,
More experts, yet more problems,
More medicine, but less wellness.
We drink too much, smoke too much,
Spend too recklessly, drive too fast, get too angry,
Stay up too late, get up too tired,
Read too little, and watch TV too much.
We laugh too little, and pray too seldom.
We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
We've learned how to make a living, but not a life.
We've added years to life not life to years.
We've been all the way to the moon and back,
But have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.
We conquered outer space but not inner space.
We've done larger things, but not better things.
We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.
We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice.
We write more, but learn less.
We plan more, but accomplish less.
We've learned to rush, but not to wait.
We build more computers to hold more information,
To produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion,
Big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships.
These are the days of two incomes but more divorce,
Fancier houses, but broken homes.
These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality,
One night stands, overweight bodies,
And pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.
It is a time when there is much in the showroom window
And nothing in the stockroom.
A time when technology can bring this letter to you,
And a time when you can choose either to share this insight,
Or to just hit delete.
Remember, to spend some time with your loved ones,
Because they are not going to be around forever.
Remember, to say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe,
Because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.
Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you,
Because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.
Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones,
But most of all mean it.
A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.
Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment
For someday that person might not be there again.
Give time to love, give time to speak!
And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind."
— Bob Moorehead
************
Monday, May 16, 2011
Loose Weight In The Shower
Have you been trying to loose weight for years and just can't seem to shed any pounds at all? The problem just might be the shampoo you're using.
When you shampoo in the shower the soap runs down all over your body when you rinse it out of your hair, right? And I'll bet it clearly states on the bottle somewhere "for extra volume and body."
Now, if you use Dawn dish soap for your dishes read what it says on that bottle. It clearly states "dissolves fat that is otherwise difficult to remove."
Bingo !!!
************
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
May You Never...
"May you never have splinters in your toilet paper".
Don't laugh. Prior to the 1940's the manufacturing of toilet paper was somewhat hit-or-miss when it came to pulverizing the wood chips used to make the paper. Thus, the occasional splinter would make it to the bottomside of the consumer.
Don't laugh. Prior to the 1940's the manufacturing of toilet paper was somewhat hit-or-miss when it came to pulverizing the wood chips used to make the paper. Thus, the occasional splinter would make it to the bottomside of the consumer.Sunday, May 8, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
A Mother's Reflection
Bubble Baths and Dandelions: A Mother’s Reflection
Thank you Linda Bevec, St. Anne Catholic Parish, Liberty Pundits, and Melissa Clouthier
By Linda Bevic
All I needed one evening was a half hour alone, thirty minutes of serenity and calm after a hectic day at home with two toddlers. A brief retreat from changing diapers, fixing meals, calming tantrums, cleaning sticky messes and mediating arguments over who hit who with what. So after dinner I hinted to my husband that I was going to slip upstairs and take a hot bath. After sinking into the steamy bubbles I was convinced that Calgon was by far the closest thing to paradise. Moments later I hear the pitter-patter of footsteps as my 3-year old son Frankie creeps into the bathroom “Mom, mom, are you in here?” I had already learned that ignoring my children does not make them go away. And before I could respond, he’s standing over the tub, “Whatcha doing Mom?” “I’m taking a bath honey…why don’t you go downstairs and play with your sister?” “Mom, mom, look at the Batman picture I drew!’
And after a quick approval of his super hero drawing I handed him a cup. “Honey, take this cup to Daddy and tell him mom needs a whole cup full of privacy, ok?” He takes the cup and proudly heads out the door on a mission. Surely my husband will get the hint and keep the kids occupied for just another 20 minutes or so. I sank back down and drifted away in the warmth and quiet. Suddenly my son enters the bathroom; empty cup in hand. “Mom, Dad said we’re all out of privacy.” My quiet time may have seemed totally hopeless, but I laughed so hard I nearly drowned. Then I spent the rest of my “alone time” listening to my three-year-old son who sat there on the bathroom floor beside the tub with his arms wrapped around his bent legs, chin resting on his knees, a crown of dark curls around his baby face, ‘Mom, mom, do you really think Batman can fly?’
In the early years of motherhood there isn’t much alone time. A mother works 24/7 as a resident physician, psychologist, theologian, educator, nurse, chef, cleaning lady, ultimate expert of imaginary fun and occasional police officer. And if she succeeds in each of these tasks, she gets to do it all over again the next day. From the moment we nervously bring our first newborn home, a mother is uniquely qualified to love and nurture unconditionally. There are no sacred vows or elaborate ceremony to mark the occasion. You walk in the door cradling a precious new life, and instantly you’re a mother, forever. There are no college courses on “Introduction to Colic” or “History and Theory of Picky Eating” and no academic advisor to guide you in selecting the perfect preschool. Motherhood is 90 percent on-the-job training and 10 percent true grit. If you’ve never been one to pray, you’ll find yourself on your knees when you’re a mom. If you’ve never reflected much on Mary, our mother of Jesus, you can relate in complete awe to the immense love, suffering and sacrifice she endured when you embrace your own son.
They say there are no atheists in foxholes. I’d also venture to say there are no atheists in the delivery room because looking into the eyes of her newborn child a mother really does feel the awesome presence of God. And I believe he’s there at that moment not only to usher in a new soul but to remind us that we’ll need Him more than ever on the journey ahead. Every mother needs strength and faith to face the day-to-day trials at home, but especially when facing the bigger challenges of raising children in an increasingly secular world that is nearly devoid of the virtues we as mothers of faith desire for our children. The Internet alone has 4.2 million sites for pornography. Children can instantly be exposed to violent images and seductive ideologies in the “safety” of home and they will forever be changed at the core. Our pop culture world emulates glamour and materialism, alcohol and drugs and feeds an insatiable appetite for instant gratification. Young celebrities receive fame for being single and pregnant. The largest and fastest growing consumer market in an already bankrupt society is children under the age of 16. And there’s a pervasive message of apathy and disrespect in more and more children’s television programming.
Do I feel discouraged as a mother? Absolutely. That’s why every Sunday I peel back the covers and wake my kids for church. I carefully screen and read movie reviews on Catholic websites. I encourage music with a message (thank you John Angotti for visiting Saint Anne!) I pray every day with my children and for my children. I limit TV and electronics and have been able, so far, to hold off giving my kids cell phones, iPods or laptops. It’s not easy. I’ve made my share of mistakes and am far from perfect. I’m not always a popular mom and they may not understand now the battle I’m fighting for them. But hopefully someday they will understand that their lives are a journey back to the God who created them and the choices they make each and every day do matter. I pray too that their lives will be a light of God’s love in this world and their actions will reflect it.
Like all moms, I’ve managed the on-the-job training by taking one day at a time. I’ve spent sleepless nights comforting a colicky baby, tried to manage a 2-year old’s tantrum in public, retrieved lost stuffed animals from peril, gave in to big brown eyes requesting a pet fish, conducted a funeral for beloved pet fish, created forts from couch cushions on rainy days, wiped teary faces, doctored high fevers, read “Goodnight Moon” hundreds of times, watched a painful amount of Barney & Friends, and for nearly three years I swear I smelled like play dough and peanut butter. This past year I cheered obnoxiously over our son’s first hockey goal, tearfully led our youngest into Kindergarten and prayed in agony through our daughter’s kidney transplant. Most mothers I know deserve a medal, a six-figure salary and a standing ovation (mine certainly did!) for the passion and commitment they have for their children and for what they endure while raising them. But most mothers I know would much rather receive a hand-picked bouquet of dandelions and a sticky kiss.
Oh, and maybe a nice hot bubble bath…alone.
Happy Mother’s Day to all of you who walk this journey with love, hope and faith! May God bless you and the little lives you lead.
“Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her.” Proverbs 31:28
To really appreciate Linda Bevic's "Reflection" click on the "Linda Bevic" link at the beginning of this post and learn more about her real life story.
************
Thank you Linda Bevec, St. Anne Catholic Parish, Liberty Pundits, and Melissa Clouthier
All I needed one evening was a half hour alone, thirty minutes of serenity and calm after a hectic day at home with two toddlers. A brief retreat from changing diapers, fixing meals, calming tantrums, cleaning sticky messes and mediating arguments over who hit who with what. So after dinner I hinted to my husband that I was going to slip upstairs and take a hot bath. After sinking into the steamy bubbles I was convinced that Calgon was by far the closest thing to paradise. Moments later I hear the pitter-patter of footsteps as my 3-year old son Frankie creeps into the bathroom “Mom, mom, are you in here?” I had already learned that ignoring my children does not make them go away. And before I could respond, he’s standing over the tub, “Whatcha doing Mom?” “I’m taking a bath honey…why don’t you go downstairs and play with your sister?” “Mom, mom, look at the Batman picture I drew!’
And after a quick approval of his super hero drawing I handed him a cup. “Honey, take this cup to Daddy and tell him mom needs a whole cup full of privacy, ok?” He takes the cup and proudly heads out the door on a mission. Surely my husband will get the hint and keep the kids occupied for just another 20 minutes or so. I sank back down and drifted away in the warmth and quiet. Suddenly my son enters the bathroom; empty cup in hand. “Mom, Dad said we’re all out of privacy.” My quiet time may have seemed totally hopeless, but I laughed so hard I nearly drowned. Then I spent the rest of my “alone time” listening to my three-year-old son who sat there on the bathroom floor beside the tub with his arms wrapped around his bent legs, chin resting on his knees, a crown of dark curls around his baby face, ‘Mom, mom, do you really think Batman can fly?’
In the early years of motherhood there isn’t much alone time. A mother works 24/7 as a resident physician, psychologist, theologian, educator, nurse, chef, cleaning lady, ultimate expert of imaginary fun and occasional police officer. And if she succeeds in each of these tasks, she gets to do it all over again the next day. From the moment we nervously bring our first newborn home, a mother is uniquely qualified to love and nurture unconditionally. There are no sacred vows or elaborate ceremony to mark the occasion. You walk in the door cradling a precious new life, and instantly you’re a mother, forever. There are no college courses on “Introduction to Colic” or “History and Theory of Picky Eating” and no academic advisor to guide you in selecting the perfect preschool. Motherhood is 90 percent on-the-job training and 10 percent true grit. If you’ve never been one to pray, you’ll find yourself on your knees when you’re a mom. If you’ve never reflected much on Mary, our mother of Jesus, you can relate in complete awe to the immense love, suffering and sacrifice she endured when you embrace your own son.
They say there are no atheists in foxholes. I’d also venture to say there are no atheists in the delivery room because looking into the eyes of her newborn child a mother really does feel the awesome presence of God. And I believe he’s there at that moment not only to usher in a new soul but to remind us that we’ll need Him more than ever on the journey ahead. Every mother needs strength and faith to face the day-to-day trials at home, but especially when facing the bigger challenges of raising children in an increasingly secular world that is nearly devoid of the virtues we as mothers of faith desire for our children. The Internet alone has 4.2 million sites for pornography. Children can instantly be exposed to violent images and seductive ideologies in the “safety” of home and they will forever be changed at the core. Our pop culture world emulates glamour and materialism, alcohol and drugs and feeds an insatiable appetite for instant gratification. Young celebrities receive fame for being single and pregnant. The largest and fastest growing consumer market in an already bankrupt society is children under the age of 16. And there’s a pervasive message of apathy and disrespect in more and more children’s television programming.
Do I feel discouraged as a mother? Absolutely. That’s why every Sunday I peel back the covers and wake my kids for church. I carefully screen and read movie reviews on Catholic websites. I encourage music with a message (thank you John Angotti for visiting Saint Anne!) I pray every day with my children and for my children. I limit TV and electronics and have been able, so far, to hold off giving my kids cell phones, iPods or laptops. It’s not easy. I’ve made my share of mistakes and am far from perfect. I’m not always a popular mom and they may not understand now the battle I’m fighting for them. But hopefully someday they will understand that their lives are a journey back to the God who created them and the choices they make each and every day do matter. I pray too that their lives will be a light of God’s love in this world and their actions will reflect it.
Like all moms, I’ve managed the on-the-job training by taking one day at a time. I’ve spent sleepless nights comforting a colicky baby, tried to manage a 2-year old’s tantrum in public, retrieved lost stuffed animals from peril, gave in to big brown eyes requesting a pet fish, conducted a funeral for beloved pet fish, created forts from couch cushions on rainy days, wiped teary faces, doctored high fevers, read “Goodnight Moon” hundreds of times, watched a painful amount of Barney & Friends, and for nearly three years I swear I smelled like play dough and peanut butter. This past year I cheered obnoxiously over our son’s first hockey goal, tearfully led our youngest into Kindergarten and prayed in agony through our daughter’s kidney transplant. Most mothers I know deserve a medal, a six-figure salary and a standing ovation (mine certainly did!) for the passion and commitment they have for their children and for what they endure while raising them. But most mothers I know would much rather receive a hand-picked bouquet of dandelions and a sticky kiss.
Oh, and maybe a nice hot bubble bath…alone.
Happy Mother’s Day to all of you who walk this journey with love, hope and faith! May God bless you and the little lives you lead.
“Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her.” Proverbs 31:28
To really appreciate Linda Bevic's "Reflection" click on the "Linda Bevic" link at the beginning of this post and learn more about her real life story.
************
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Read To Me
Read to me riddles
and read to me rhymes,
read to me stories
of magical times.
Read to me tales
about castles and kings,
read to me stories
of fabulous things.
Read to me pirates,
and read to me knights,
read to me dragons
and dragon-back flights.
Read to me spaceships
and cowboys and then
when you are finished-
please read them again!"
— Jane Yolen
************
Sunday, May 1, 2011
The Green Thing
We Didn't Have It Back Then
In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that she should bring her own grocery bag because plastic bags weren't good for the environment. The woman apologized to him and explained, "We didn't have the green thing back in my day." The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. The former generation did not care enough to save our environment." He was right, that generation didn't have the green thing in its day.
Back then, they returned their milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.
But they didn't have the green thing back in that customer's day. In her day, they walked up stairs, because they didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. They walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time they had to go two blocks.
But she was right. They didn't have the green thing in her day.
Back then, they washed the baby's diapers because they didn't have the throw-away kind. (patented on April 27, 1967) They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts - wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.
But that old lady is right, they didn't have the green thing back in her day.
Back then, they had one TV, or radio, in the house - not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief, not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, they blended and stirred by hand because they didn't have electric machines to do everything for you. When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, they used waddedup old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
Back then, they didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They exercised by working so they didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.
But she's right, they didn't have the green thing back then. They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water. They refilled their writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen and they replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the old razor just because the blade got dull.
But they didn't have the green thing back then. Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or rode the school bus instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. They had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And they didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.
But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful the old folks were just because they didn't have the green thing back then?
--Thanks Tom Dooley
************
Back then, they returned their milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.
But they didn't have the green thing back in that customer's day. In her day, they walked up stairs, because they didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. They walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time they had to go two blocks.
But she was right. They didn't have the green thing in her day.
Back then, they washed the baby's diapers because they didn't have the throw-away kind. (patented on April 27, 1967) They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts - wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.
But that old lady is right, they didn't have the green thing back in her day.
Back then, they had one TV, or radio, in the house - not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief, not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, they blended and stirred by hand because they didn't have electric machines to do everything for you. When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, they used waddedup old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
Back then, they didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They exercised by working so they didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.
But she's right, they didn't have the green thing back then. They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water. They refilled their writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen and they replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the old razor just because the blade got dull.
But they didn't have the green thing back then. Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or rode the school bus instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. They had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And they didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.
But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful the old folks were just because they didn't have the green thing back then?
--Thanks Tom Dooley
************
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