Empty Pages Turning

I am a blank page tonight.

I just returned from the middle of the state last night, and I am exhausted from the traveling. We met our two boys there, at my nieces house, where the littiest nephews live, (and they LOVE seeing their big cousins) and my mom came along, too.

We brought back our smaller car that my middle son was using (as he was able to finally buy himself a car), so that we would have a car here that was good on gas mileage ~ anyway, Mr. B and I had to each drive a vechicle in the dark! It was awful. I am blind at night. Such Stress!! I drove 65 mph 'with' my brights on... and people were passing me like lighting streaks!

Mr. B wanted me to follow right behind him at the same speed he was traveling and mathematically, that should have worked, but you can't count on something like that working when I am involved!

It worked out well, just myself was really stressed, but my friend came over today she worked on my back, that gets all tied up from this type of stress ~
but anyway,
I have many things to accomplish this week ~ did get my quarteries out today-deadline!! yah--
And I will HAVE to be making a running list, and write that up tomorrow, or I won't make it through the week.

If anyone who pops into my blog checks out my list, let me know -am I crazy? Or do other people have lists like this as well? Mystery to me.....

Time to retire - more explaining later.

Deberá esperar mejor a menos que la mañana para terminar.


Good night.

Biscuit Muffin Cups! These are fun!!

Chili Biscuit Muffins

Vegetable oil cooking spray
2 cups biscuit baking mix (recommended: Bisquick. We used Jiffy Mix.)
2/3 cup whole milk – (We used Lactaid)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Flour, for dusting the work surface

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Invert a muffin tin and spray the underside with vegetable oil cooking spray.

Stir together the baking mix, milk, and cayenne. Shape into a ball. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead 3 or 4 times. Divide the ball into 6 pieces. Roll each piece into a 6-inch circle. Place a dough circle over the back of each muffin cup. Press around the cup to form a bowl shape. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned. Let cool slightly. Remove the biscuit bowls and reserve.


When ready to serve, spoon the hot chili or soup into the biscuit bowls. Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, sliced green onions, and corn chips (if desired).

~~note: The cayenne pepper gives it a kick that we like, it could easily be omitted from the recipe.

(~~all photos and cooking courtesy of Madam B)

Ah! It's soup!

I was so in the mood for soup! I rummaged through the kitchen and with the help of Madam B, we made a most, lovely, warm comforting soup!

Here's our recipe --

Our Veggie Soup

1 1/2 TB of olive oil
1 tsp of chopped or minced garlic
handful of scallions (or any onion chopped in most amounts will work)
some carrots
some broccoli
some peas
some whole wheat pasta (or rice or potato)
added seasoning of oregano, basil, sage, and nature seasoning salt -

Saute all those things together for a couple of minutes (adding any other veggies that you wish)
then add
5 cups of water
4 tsp of a broth flavoring (we used chicken stock)
1 tsp of soy sauce

Brought all to a boil, and let high simmer for 15 minutes...and hooray

Soup's on!

I think this is a very forgiving recipe. We checked our broth for taste and actually made no adjustments. Just don't over season and remember that seasonings must spend a few minutes together to blend.

We served our soup up in the Biscuit Muffins we had made for our chili last night! I said *we* , but I mean *she* i.e. Madam B!

Our chili was very basic -

One can of Chili Starter Beans
One can of Diced Tomatoes
Simmer -- and then in ten minutes it's
Chili!!

Mr. B prefers the con carne, so we made his separately and added ground beef. We were all happy! (Except that we could have easily doubled our soup recipe and been happier!)


The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thiry years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found....Calvin Trillin

Exploding Star

"God's promises are like the stars; the darker the night the brighter they shine."....David Nicholas

I spent some time with my best friend last week at her home in Tennessee. It was great fun. Small and simple pleasures. Great company, what the lonely world yearns for, the company of those of like minds, yet different....so there is always balance, not boredom.

The first evening of my visit we went for a walk. A long walk in the dark Tennessee night with a foggy feel in the beginning that was so much different than home. Maybe a short walk to the standards of the young people, but having just arrived from a few states away, I felt it was just the perfect length of time spent walking. It was good to unwind outside under the stars, there with my friends.....

On the return, we all just happened to look at the same place in the huge sky at the same time and saw a Shooting Star! A Nova! All of us ~ Now, I ask you, how cool is that?

That, my friends, is Cool Beans....
with a side of fries.

You just can't beat that ~

The Rule for Living in Florida

"The art of life is a constant readjustment to our surroundings"
....Kakuzo Okakaura

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I live in Florida. I'm sure everyone knows Florida by now. Remember the Election of 2000? That was the beginning of our fame. Then came .... The Hurricanes. Not the football team ~ the wind and water of swirling destruction type. So there are some rules for living in Florida ....

Rule Number One ~ Never, ever forget

FLORIDA IS A HURRICANE STATE......

Shop like you live in a HURRICANE STATE. Take it seriously.......


Still no power in South Florida for about 2 million people, is the reported news. But that's people ~ not homes. And that's a good thing that it's people not homes. And they seem to have very little at home in the way of supplies.

The gas, however, is not their fault.

In Pembroke Pines - the gas wait was 4 hours (A friend told me.)

In Hobe Sound today it was getting better and some waited only 45 minutes. (my sister in law told me.)

Many people were unprepared though. One lady was complaining because she only had one candle left. It's only been 4 days. Why didn't she have some candles on hand? She lives in the hurricane state.

There was a 3 day warning. At least 3 days. I know things can fly off the shelves in three days ~~but, let's look at my town. I'm in Northern Florida. And right on one of the busiest intersections that I pass every day of running errands is a very huge sign that gives you the countdowns of the days of the Hurricane Season.

I mean, really, if you live in the state of Florida, you gotta know ...... There's a Hurricane born about every minute! LOL. And having the basic supplies on hand, well, seems like a given. But it sure is not.

How can you find out what you need to have on hand? The newspaper prints a list of all the items you would need. A quick search on line, at home or at the library will tell you.
If you don't subscribe to the paper, you can call just about ANY place that is a State Office, and they will direct you to someone who can assist you with the correct information. It's foolish to live here and not act like you live in HURRICANE State!

Rule Number 2 ~ Never, ever forget to remember

Florida is the HURRICANE STATE.

My basic list is committed to memory ~ in the years added to my life, I make sure I have a good book, some chocolates, some kind of special treat for everyone else, and, of course, the basic essentials....

It's one of though things, that really and truly, you don't want to go through it before you learn how to be prepared for it. Just do it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Suit the action to the world, the world to the action, with this special observance, that you overstep not the modesty of nature".....William Shakespeare

My boys in the Hurricane

"Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking outside your body".....Elizabeth Stone

My two sons are in Jupiter, Florida and are experiencing day four without power. There is no way to get a hot meal in the area. There is no way to pump gas, if the station should have gas....Some people have waited for seven hours.

However, the mall has power. But the Community College doesn't have power. Can't quite figure that one out....

The boys are dining on PB & J's for now.

A tree fell on one son's car, so they are car-pooling. But that leaves the youngest one stranded at home on the days he doesn't work. He could walk up to the store to look at the canned goods he could eat cold. And he is close enough to walk over to the beach.
So walking and sleeping and board games and cards is what they are doing. (I know! They should be reading!)

We get so comfortable in our lives, do we forget about the conveniences we have? Warm showers, tea, coffee, and fresh towels? I'm feeling guilty for having too many lights on!

Dad offered to drive down there and bring them whatever they need ~ that is love. They said they were fine for now. But it could be two weeks before they have power.

They will be fine, I know. And next time, they will be better prepared. We were planning on seeing them this weekend anyway, so we can help them in some way, I'm sure.

The South Florida radio reports that FEMA has come in to remove debris from some of the neighborhoods. The neighborhoods where they are reported to have been seen working, happens to be very affluent. It seems that the very needy areas of town have seen no one from FEMA yet. I don't know, I'm not there, just reporting what I've been told.

Oh well, the truth will come out. Don't know when, just know that it always does.


Truth is generally the best vindication against slander......Abraham Lincoln


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I have much catching up to do on my blog!

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A Game running around the Blogs

"Mix a little foolishness with your serious plans; it's lovely to be silly at the right moment"

Horace

Cut and pasted below is a game that is running around the blogs ~ I got the game from Tim's Mom

And Tim's Mom got the game from Mama Squirrel

So to play the game you will
Google "Your name needs" and see what comes up...

Here are my results! ( Psychological Evalution Pending....)

Roxie Needs a Home

Roxie needs your help!

Roxie needs a home with a dog door or where someone isn't gone for too long and can leave her inside the house.

Roxie needs the support of her best friends and God

Roxie needs a home where she will be indoor/outdoor and a part of the family.

Roxie needs to be a bit more edgy.

Roxie needs to be an only pet.

Roxie needs to get information based on the Board’s timeline

Roxie needs to outperform in her bid to be acquitted,

Roxie needs a volunteer

Roxie needs a miracle, she needs the best defense attorney money can buy.

Roxie needs a family who has a lot of patience

Roxie needs to go out

Roxie needs help in a clear open and shut case so she hires flamboyant and unbeatable lawyer

Roxie needs to do a really good job patrolling.

Roxie needs a brand new bag

Roxie needs to make enough dough to buy johnny (her BF) a new drum set

Roxie needs to live with her sister

Roxie needs a home with a fenced yard so she can get her exercise.

Roxie needs to get used to other dogs!

Roxie needs to talk to you.

Roxie needs some work

Roxie needs a bed!

Perhaps Roxie needs to go back and re-read

Here’s what Roxie needs to do next

Roxie needs the extra calories.

getting her name in the paper is all Roxie needs.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Part II
Variation - Google "Your name hates" and see what comes up...

Roxie hates to type

Roxie hates the frilly dress that Billy wants her to wear.

Roxie hates being a homebody.

Roxie Hates Her Laptop!!!

Roxie hates Candy

Oh, Roxie hates everybody at first.

Roxie hates her crate

Roxie hates other dogs.

Roxie hates birds.

Roxie hates cats

Roxie hates it when I'm depressed

Roxie hates the facial hair.

Roxie hates pictures. Roxie hates pictures.

Roxie hates snakes. In fact, She hates all slithery things like lizards and such.

Roxie hates when I leave.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LOL! Have a blessed day!

"We are all crazy, but those that analyze their craziness are called philosophers" (unknown)

~~Actually, I thought these were really funny --
This was my favorite:

Roxie needs the support of her best friends and God...

Because it is so true...

Living books

Living books! I like to live my books! I like to talk like them ~ think like them ~ experience them in the now! Speak the parts aloud like them. Living books! I become alive in my books. My books alive in me.

Times a fly in bye

"For the meaning of life differs from man to man, from day to day and from hour to hour. What matters, therefore, is not the meaning of life in general but rather the specific meaning of a person's life at a given moment." Victor Frankl (Austrian psychiatrist and psychotherapist. 1905-1997)

I seem to be in a mood that is appearing to waste time. Maybe this is my way of relaxing.

I can't believe it's Monday and almost the last of October 2005! So much to do --
Pack for my trip on Thursday and get things in order before I leave. I always feel this compulsion to leave things neater than is my norm, upon my departure from home. I like to leave all the laundry done and my desk tidy. Which is a real chore for me! My desk is that perpetual work in constant progress - I can never remember if that is an end to a means or a means to an end. I just know, the work never ends, and I always mean to clean it up. (Just never get a round-to-it quite.)

Upon my return, I will have the end of month billing to get out, quarterlies to prepare, and a trip to Eutis on the 29th. We are driving there. It's Kenny's fourth birthday, and then I'm visiting my niece on Sunday.

So, I had best get started!

I want to finish Uncle Tom's Cabin before I leave. Even though this is a very emotional book, it's been Topsy who has stirred my emotions the most.

I treated myself to The Picture of Dorian Gray for my birthday. So this is on my list to read, but I won't dare start it until, perhaps when I get on the plane to Tennessee.

Oh well, I best get going. I have a long list of things in the ready.

Yesterday, we went out together to look at things like flooring and kitchen cabinets and counter top selections for the new house. I'm just not gifted in this...I'll be happy when it's settled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?" said Alice.

Family Networking

We cannot destroy kindred: our chains stretch a little sometimes, but they never break. ~Marquise de Sévigné
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Newsflash ~
The Announcement of the plans. Date Set. All the Plans made, promised, reservations committments, confirmed dates.
Yikes!
Presentation of ammended plans. Problem predicted.
Radar up....signals....
confirm ---
Conflict in original plans. Feelings alert. Feelings could be hurt.
Signal ~ Head of the network -- Grandma...
Grandma runs message through to closest in command at that unit station,
Advise of 'drift of situation' --- relayed, received, confirmed,
passed down to her command area.
Impulse felt, received, registered,
Situation shifted. Rescheduled. Original plans reset. No harm, no foul.
All is well.
And most are none the wiser.
(deep breath)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right.~Confucious

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Families have to work in code sometimes. Go outside the circle, around the edges, behind the backstop, use the walkie-talkies, don't directly hit the offender ...to be successful.

Some people like to tell it out straight; Tell it *like it is* -- and that works for some, but my heart won't let me. My heart says, if I'm going to err, I'm going to err on the side of gentleness. That will be my way. I can see no point in the otherwise.

Today is my birthday

"Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise." William Shakespeare


I am waiting.

Falling up to Wednesday

“Are you closer right now to where you want to be than you were a half-hour ago?”

---Robert Cooper

I’m falling into Wednesday now, and am not sure what has happened to the earlier part of the week.

Let’s see ~ This past weekend Sean was here visiting. We had a great time. We rented a couple of movies…Coach Carter and The Interpreter….I thought both were good. We broke bread together, and I've missed that……we made snacks and dinners, and blueberry muffins and a gallant breakfast, attended church together, he played football with his friends, and when he left he took very little of the stuff he had left here, but did enjoy the idea of the case of toilet paper I bought him. I never thought I would live to see the day that one of my children would rejoice about a gift of toilet paper. He left on Monday.

Madam B attended school, as per usual, on Monday, I must say I am proud of her for that. She’s been brilliant about attending to her schoolwork, as this last few days; I have been totally off track and not checked a single thing!

The next two weeks we will be busy choosing the fixtures and flooring for the house we are moving into next year. It’s been assigned for the choices to be made by November first! I am not very good at this sort of thing, and have given over the most of the task to Madam B and my wonderful husband. Their preferences are stronger than mine. I am not that choosy. And, I’m more a person who knows what I don’t like rather than what I do. My senses in the area of choosing such things as these are not developed. So I must rely on others. And so I will.

I am reading Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and it has taken over the whole of my interest in any reading material. I am half way through the book. I have found a piece in there, that in my estimation, is much the same as the idea of the discourse that Shylock gave in the Merchant of Venice. I’ll share that in an individual post.

The day has passed by quickly. I’ve been busy. There is much going on right now with preparations of a trip next week, and preparations of the new house, and keeping up with everyday life! I’m blinded by my busyness, and I’m not sure that’s a good thing!

Sean phoned from a job interview that looks hopeful! That is really great news!

“...Everything can be taken from a man but one thing; the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.”

~~Victor Frankl

Paddy Clark Ha Ha Ha

”What we remember from childhood we remember forever - permanent ghosts, stamped, inked, imprinted, eternally seen.” ~Cynthia Ozick

Paddy Clark Ha Ha Ha --
by Roddy Doyle

A different kind of title, isn't it?

I checked out the audio version of this book from the library. I love to listen to stories while I fold clothes and take care of chores as the likes of the kitchen and the bedroom. Just mindless chores to me, as I'm not much on housework. I'm not saying housework is a bad thing, it's a necessary thing and an important task; I just don't care for it is all....
so I love to pass the time with audio books.

An actor using a thick Irish accent read Paddy Clark’s story. I love the accent. The Irish dialogue is just a hoot in this story! A bonus for listening to the audio track…

Paddy Clark is 10 years old. The story is written clearly through the eyes of the child and how he views his world.

He is a mischievous little boy, getting daily into little boy mischief, like it's the chief thing to do in the world. Finding dark places to hide in and crawl down, and barely escape from, throwing rocks at things they shouldn't throw rocks at, giving a Viking funeral for a rat, and taunting his little brother Sinbad (His name is Francis, but Paddy calls him Sinbad) for no good apparent reason than he's his little brother, and he can do it. But even though he does these things, you can tell he's a good boy, the kind with a good heart. And you can tell by how the teachers treat him that they can see that as well.

He rumbles along in all his boyhood until one day he notices the adult world. He notices one morning that the dishes from dinner are still on the table; the kitchen has not been cleared since last night and the house not prepared to meet the new day. Clearly, he is aware that 'this is not right.' He begins the task himself but remains terribly confused about it, as his Da comes in the room ~ his Ma is upstairs, and Paddy thinks, oh, for sure she must be sick for this to be the state of things.

So begins the noticing that things aren't right with his parent’s relationship, and his world begins to change.
He realizes that his Da hits his Ma. Then he 'figures out' that this never happens when he's around. He convinces himself if he never slept, then all would be well, because surely his being awake is the thing that protects her. He begins the vigil to save her, but he fails; after days of triumph he falls asleep in class. But you love him for trying. You love everything about him. You can relate to him. He’s 10 years old. You were 10 years old once. You thought you could save the world or at least things in your world.

He begins to see the grown ups and their world of secrets and visit a very different kind of pain; the kind that causes the child to disappear, and the man to come forward and make choices, and he chooses not to be like his Da, whom at one time he worshipped.

He realizes, too, that he loves his little brother, and he can't for the life of him figure out why he teased him so mercilessly, and he tries to make that right.

To explain the unique title is to give away the story. But it was a turning point for him, and he turned the right corner to make the right point with his life. And that's okay to know.

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“Childhood is the fiery furnace in which we are melted down to essentials and that essential shaped for good.” ~Katherine Anne Porter

Age in Eyes

"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot."
~~ Michael Althsuler

Today we went to Sunday morning church. Since Sean left for college, we had been taking in the evening service, and I was liking that just fine. I liked the amount of material we covered on Sunday nights. And I liked not having the morning rush. And I really enjoy the pace of Sunday evening church. It seemed more low-key, kind of suited my personality in a comfortable fashion.

But Sean is here this weekend and prefers the morning service, so that's the one we chose to attend.

And I noticed something this morning. We have been going to the same church for 23 years. The kids have grown up in this church. And we have always shared a hymnal. Two each when there were 5 of us, and two each when there were four of us after my oldest went away to college. (And anyone who has taken little kids to church remembers the posture of the task of pointing to the words while singing along with the congregation. Oh those days of first instruction!)
Anyway,
This morning I realized, we all had our own hymnals! And I thought, 'why is this!?' Then it dawned on me. It's a matter of eyesight! Des and Madam B and I, each wear some form of eye assistance, and all in different strengths. And Sean has perfect vision. When any of us share a hymnal with the other, regardless of the combination, you can see the one trying to adjust the hymnal for best viewing, and the other turning and moving their heads, trying to adjust the view of the hymnal page for themselves! This morning it just struck me what a testimony to time this is! And how quickly it has flown past...

No matter how hard one tries, there is rarely a way to see this coming. It's just in a day, it's all changed. In the twinkling of an eye...be ready.

"There are many fine things which you mean to do some day, under what you think will be more favorable circumstances. But the only time that is yours is the present."
-~~~Grenville Kleiser

Just rambling ....

"Grown-ups never understand anything for themselves, and it is tiresome for children to always and forever be explaining things to them."
~~The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)

Sean is making his first trip home since moving away in July of this year. He's on the road right now, and I am in constant prayer. Oh my, your children on the road in the dark, driving in the dark on great big highways with other cars and even trucks...I will be so happy when he walks in that door.

We made cookies. But we ate most of them already. They are so good made from scratch. You just can't beat homemade. Unfortunately, they are just as fattening. Maybe less processed, but still, you are doomed to pay for it! So a run or two around the block or 30 minutes on the treadmill for one cookie! Such a penalty for a fine treat!

We cleaned the house, but I made a mess at my favorite sitting spot already because I think I'm just made that way. I am a messy. I get out my books that I'm reading and read each a little, and maybe a pile of bills I'm going to pay, and then maybe the newspaper, and then a notebook to list things I need to remember and, oh where is the magazine I saw with the great recipe, and, well then, next thing I know, things are scattered about and someone is saying, well why did we pick it all up in the first place, and I don't know, really, but it does look nice when it's tidy, now doesn't it?

I have a few things going besides school with my lovely daughter, doctor appointments, visiting a homebound friend, shopping for the weekend, among other things I can't think of right now. One thing is I'm planning a trip out of state. I can't believe I'll be leaving in 14 days! But things like this help me get motivated to get things done, so I can enjoy my vacation.

I'm visiting my best friend and her family. We met on line! Can you imagine that? I thought she was a teenager being homeschooled and it turned out she was a mom with three kids who writes homeschool curriculums! Except now she has 4 kids and she writes books!

Anyway, I never would have thought that I would strike up such a friendship with someone I met on line. Not in a million/trillion years. But we did meet 6 years ago, and I'll have to write that whole story, so I can make sure my kids have it in their memory book.

Madam B is in her room doing some of her school work. She works and reads a lot at night. And she watches the cooking channel. One of her favorites is called "Unwrapped." It explains the 'behind the scenes details' of all kinds of things - how the tiny marshmallows got in your breakfast cereal, how tons of things are actually made and how they were discovered ~ it's an addicting show, very interesting if you are one who likes the details of things.

It's getting late now, and I'm staying up until Sean arrives. Should be about 90 minutes from now.

I could go straighten my mess and maybe have a cup of tea. Yes, that sounds like a grand idea. Calming and relaxing. A nice way to wait.

an interesting tidbit of information ~~

The Lord's Prayer is 66 words, the Gettysburg Address is 286 words, there are 1,322 words in the Declaration of Independence, but government regulations on the sale of cabbage total 26,911 words.

From an article on the growth
of federal regulations in the
Oct. 24th issue of National Review

Just a testing thing

Sometimes I get confused about things ~ the other night I had a post here (I think I saved it somewhere) and when I tried to edit it, I got a message about the HTML not matching. So I'm just testing the waters as it were tonight ~~
many things going on:
Sean coming tomorrow
How much school can we accomplish with so much to do
We made cookies, but we ate them, so back to the store.
What will we have for dinner? And breakfast tomorrow?
Somehow, I thought I had another day in the week somewhere.
Having to go to two appointments really confused me. easily confused these days, no other excuse.

My soul seems to pick up on the confusion of my world, now, I need to help it learn to make beauty of it all.

I shall go, and try.

How many hats do you have?

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players;
they have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays
many parts."
~~~William Shakespeare (As You Like It)

Did Shakespeare know everything? He sure knew a lot about people.

My list of roles: wife, mother, aunt, teacher, student, daughter, sister, cousin, friend, neighbor, in~law, shopper, driver, voter, cook, housekeeper, homemaker, bookkeeper, hairdresser, and an assorted relative to many, and who knows what I might have left out, and, of course, the order is always shifting itself, so my gears are sometimes grinding...(that's the irritating noise going on in the background.)

And in all this, to mine own self I must be true. Ohhhhkay. Sometimes I lose mine own self in all that. Sometimes I can't find mine own self in all that.

Probably the greatest challenge of my life is to maintain proper balance of the juggling act involved in playing these roles in the game called - Life. I wish I had a more clever word than 'life'....that word's been done to death..(hahaha, that was a joke, get it 'life' 'death'?...) anyway,

In the need to play the roles one has, one must learn how to act and how to be sincere at the same time. And you have to be able to switch hats in mid-stream, should you need to, if you want to be very good at what you do. So to be successful at all these jobs, let's see --
if you were filling out a job application, what would quality you for what you do. Experience! Experience that comes from On The Job Training! That's how you get good at it!

Wait. This is getting confusing...so
You have to be a 'thing', but you can't know how to be the 'thing', until you've been the 'thing?' Oh well, I wonder what Shakespeare has to say about that? (Surely, there will be something I will stumble across, especially now that I'm thinking about it.)

Which brings me to the point of always listening to your elders! They have 'been-there-and-done-that'...and even if you don't agree with them, you can learn something from them, even if it's to know how not to be. No experience goes by without learning something. Unless you are a boring person. Then you will end up an empty vessel with no stories to tell. Just a boring pot with nothing planted in it.

I don't want to be boring, yet, sometimes, I am bored -- and I think, can a person who is not boring be bored? I don't know.

There are a lot of things I don't know, but I'm working on it...And there might some things that aren't for me to know. What if I knew everything? Then I might 'really' be boring!

Well, back to the stage --
Now think, I say to myself -- what do I want to be? What part do I want to play?

The parts I’m trying out for:

I want to be inspiring. Inspirational! I want to be inspiring to my husband and my children and my friends and relatives, even my parents and strangers that I meet. I want to be encouraging. I want to be positive. I want to be reliable. I want to be kind. I want to leave no ill will in my path. I want a good review after the play is over! I'd love for God to say 'well done.' What a task I have before me...

as you know,
There are no dress rehearsals in Life! Everyday, You're On!
So, then, that means *I'm a star!* Hahahaha. Just kidding...

I have to look for things that will empower me. Then I can empower others with good words and good feelings. And back to Shakespeare, reminding me to mine own self be true, he also said,

"our remedies oft in ourselves do lie, which we ascribe to heaven."

Now, I'm taking that to mean, I have to rely on a source greater than myself to accomplish these goals of good nature I have set for myself. That source to me is God, with Whom a connection is very important to me.

But as for This Day (LOTR!)

and the hours in it! – I must discipline myself to accomplish some of the goals on my 7 day project list because if I don’t do that, I won’t be able to be who I want to be….I won’t be able to be True to Mine Own Self because I will have regret hanging over me, and that is Not a desirable goal!

"Difficulties increase the nearer we approach our goal."

~~~Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe