Shaded Eyes do not see the Beauty!

Like Lucy and Ethel, their friendship would be forever!

A woman turned to her best friend, a woman she'd known for more that 25 years and called her a paper friend. The friend laughed because it sounded so absurd. What could that possibly mean. Was she shallow, absent, distant, only present in the friendship when it suited her? What had made a once loyal friend harden her heart?

She searched her soul and the answer can in a silent whisper.

Disappointment!

 If we are hurt and disappointed by others, then we can become jaded but that is no way to live. 

Shaded eyes do not see the beauty around them.

Disappointments have to be tossed aside like worn running shoes.

Only then can we live freely and see the richness of life.

When you find your path, you must not be afraid. You need to have sufficient courage to make mistakes.Disappointment, defeat and despair are the tools God uses to show us the way."
~Paulo Coelho, Brida

Could you Live this Way?

Imagine what the world would be if each of us could live this way!

“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. 

If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.

If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. 

For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway."

 Mother Teresa

The Gift of Time

It hard to believe that it is once again the time of year when the malls are decked out for Christmas madness.
The race is on as people rush about in search of the perfect gift.

But what is the ideal gift? The one that doesn't disappoint, that won't be exchanged, that won't be tucked into a closet or be re gifted?

I would say its the gift of our time.

The time we take to share a meal, or a glass of wine. The time to reflect on the blessings in our lives.

It the time we take to smile at a stranger and wish them the best for the holiday season, the time we give to a charity.

It is the time we take to snuggle up by the fire with our special someone, or bake delicious cookies with our children.

Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.

                        ~Mother Teresa

Explore, Dream and Discover!

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” 
Mark Twain

Each time I travel to Italy I’m captivated by the history, the food, the din of tourists, the cafes, the shops…

Meandering through the spattered towns of Lake Como, the waterways of Venice, the hillsides of Tuscany, the museums of Florence, the seaside towns of the Amalfi coast and finally the pearl of the Mediterranean, Taormina, I marveled at the age of this boot shaped nation. How many people had stepped upon the cobbled stones, sat on the wooden pews in the thousands of churches, peddled their wares in the markets, and fought battles on the road side? Everywhere I turned there was evidence of their existence; the lives they’d lived, the children they’d born, their struggles, and triumphs.

I couldn't begin to pick one particular place as a favorite. Each stop held its own allure but there was one family farm, in Tuscany that made me feel like I’d stepped back in time. Nestled at the foot of San Gimignano, the small paradise still holds much of the old traditions of making wine, raising Chianina cattle, pigs, bees, saffron and olives. I’m certain there are countless places, such as Fattoria Poggia Allora in Italy.

An entire lifetime would not be enough to explore them all but I’m certainly going to try.

 Safe journeys!

The Sweet Sound of Music

A musician runs his fingers across the strings of his acoustic guitar bringing beautiful sounds to life. This is my son Matthew who, as an adult, taught himself to play the guitar. It's never too late to pursue a dream!

Relationships are What Really Matter

What is it about us, people, that moves us from one day to the next, racing toward the next activity, the new job, the next project, a dinner date, a birthday party, a night on the town.  We run, we rush, we go a hundred miles an hour; seeking, searching. 

The truth is that the next moment in our lives is an abyss, an uncertainty.

The one sureness lies in the relationships we have with the people who are most precious to us. They sustain us and make life worthwhile.

And that is truly breathtaking.

New Years Eve!

There's something so exceptionally special about New Year's Eve. It is the time to be thankful for all the wonderful moments of the past year and it is a time to renew our hopes and dreams as we look forward to another year of blessed life.

As we get older we learn to value so much more than physical beauty.

Remember ..."life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO-HOO, what a ride!!" author unkown to me.

Happy New Year to You all Enjoy your Ride!