Dusty Pages

I discovered this today --

When I clicked to give at the Literacy Site I saw this:

According to the site, "In celebration of the 6th anniversary of the Spoonfuls of Stories® program, Cheerios® will be distributing 100,000 children’s books by John Lithgow to programs serving children in need across the country.

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Big Brown, a beautiful horse, just won the 134th Kentucky Derby by about 5 lengths.

Coming in second was the filly, Eight Belles, my personal favorite.

Sadly, on pulling up, Eight Belles collapsed.  They just announced that she had broken both front ankles and was immediately euthanized before even being taken off in the equine ambulance.

Thankfully, Eight Belles' jockey was able to walk away. 

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Well, Eler Beth's babysitting stint is over, and, as I thought, she is staying to play a while longer.  Both of H's grandmothers (one of them is my SIL Glenda) and my SIL Maxie called to check on them while she was babysitting, so I think they were pretty well supervised.  All they did was watch a movie and snack, she said.  So now she's graduated to yet another symbol of growing up.

I can remember my first babysitting "job".  I was about 10 years old.  My two eldest and married sisters were going shopping in Louisville for the afternoon and were leaving their three children with my Mom.  Mom woke up not feeling well that day, but said she'd still take them because I was there, and I'd play with them.  They were aged 7 and 4 at that time.  So my sisters asked me to keep them out of Mom's hair.  When they got home they asked me and Mom how the kids had done.  I told them they'd been fine and we'd played all day.  I'd made them lunch, and no one had bothered Mom.  They'd told their kids that if they were good they'd give them a dollar each.  Then they each turned around and paid me $2.00 per kid, which was $6.00.  I thought $6.00 for playing with my nephew and two nieces (with whom I played all the time anyway!) was a pretty good deal! lol

Thomas called, and he is working until 9 p.m.  I'm going to drop by with a bite to eat after a while, since he hadn't gone to work prepared to stay that late.  Haven't heard from Andrew, so I guess all is well with him.

My poll is already starting to garner results.  So far "squats" and "other" are tied.  At Curves we do a pretty good all-around workout, so I hadn't been neglecting any one part of my body.  A couple of the commenters at The Best I Can Be suggested something for my upper body, since women tend to overlook that.  I think that's a good idea, but so are the squats.  I carry extra weight around my abdomen, breasts, and back.  My legs are still really good, just not as toned as I'd like, although with the walking I've been doing, they're getting there!  But, as I said, the Curves work-out hits on upper body, abs, and legs.  So this month I'll concentrate on whatever the poll shows as the general consensus, and next month perhaps I'll concentrate on something else.

Thanks to everyone for participating.

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Last weekend I did not do any crunches because of the intestinal thing I had.  But I resumed them on Monday.  I have still not done 50 on any one day; the most I've done was 40.  And one day last week -- I can't believe I didn't mark it down on my calendar!! -- Thomas looked at me and said, "You must be doing something right, because you're looking really good!"  And I do feel like my clothes are fitting more loosely.  Yeah me!

This month I'd like to try something different.  I think I'll alternate crunches with something else, but I don't know what.  I am going to Curves two or three times a week, and I am still walking almost every day.  I think I should ask for suggestions from the J-Land community, don't you?  What should I do?  Jumping Jacks?  (At my age and after two kids -- do you think I should?)  Push ups?  I have some dumbbells -- perhaps I should do something with them?  (Something exercise-related, I mean.  Using them as paperweights isn't an option here.)

How about a poll!  We all love polls!!  If you think I should do something not on the poll, then feel free to start a write-in campaign.

*Note:  I'm copying this post to an entry on The Best I Can Be, and I will combine the votes from both journals.

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Pam told me not to spend this free time doing what I should be doing.  So I'm playing.

Last month I forgot to go back to my April archives from years past to highlight entries, so I'm doing that now.  I found this one from 2005 recalling a warm, comforting memory from when I was very young.

2006 saw me feeling a little blue because of my job ending.  But most of that month was full of happy entries, like this one where I share a few "Jewell" stories;  the first time I get called "motherly"; I ask a hypothetical question; and I learn to give up some of the control.

I'll revisit some 2007 April entries later.

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I have the house all to myself this afternoon.  I should have written that in all caps, shouldn't I? 

I HAVE THE HOUSE TO MYSELF THIS AFTERNOON!!! 

There.  That's better.

Andrew is off being Andrew with some friends.  Thomas is working.  He was supposed to get off at 1, but they asked him to stay later and help them get something finished, so he doesn't know when he'll be done.  And Eler Beth is doing her first babysitting job!!!  She's so excited!!

She's staying with her cousin, H, who is 9, while H's parents and her older brother and sister are at the movies seeing Iron Man.  H didn't want to see Iron Man.  So Eler Beth, when she was visiting yesterday, asked if she could watch her for them.  They agreed.  We gave it some thought, and then we agreed.  They live in an apartment a few doors down from my sister-in-law Maxie, and it's only until about 3:00.

I dropped her off at 11:30, stayed and chatted for a while until they left for the movies, then I went to pick up lunch for the girls and brought it back for them.  When I got there I rang the bell and waited to see if either of them would open the door or look out a window.  Nothing.  So I called, "It's Lori!", and then my daughter came to the door.  So they passed that test. 

They were watching a movie.  I called a few minutes ago, and was told I didn't have to call every few minutes because they were watching a movie!  Apparently Maxie had just called to check on them as well.  Eler Beth is taking this very seriously.  She said she laid in bed last night thinking of the safety rules she'd need to follow, like not answering the phone unless it was me, or H's parents, not going to the door unless I called out, etc.

So anyway, I have a bit more time to myself, and even after they get home from the movie, Eler Beth will probably want to stay over there to play for a while.

It stormed yesterday and last night.  People at The Oaks got drenched yesterday!  Today it is sunny and warm, but I think there is a chance of a few showers this afternoon.  Hopefully it'll hold off until after the Derby.  We were invited to another derby party this year, but I really just wanted to be home, and Thomas wasn't sure about how late he'd work, so we declined.

I have some flowers to plant, if I get up the gumption to do so.  I have lots of housework I could be doing, and journals to catch up with.  I could be reading.  I could be writing.  The list never ends of the things I could be doing.  Guess I'll close for now, but I'll be back. 

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

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In Honor of Guido ~ ~

                            Be well, my friend

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I received this in an email and thought it worthy of sharing here.  Hope you enjoy.

The Daffodil Principle

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over.''

I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead. "I will come next Tuesday", I promised a little reluctantly on her third call.

Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and reluctantly I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house, I was welcomed by the joyful sounds of happy children. I delightedly hugged and greeted my grandchildren.

"Forget the daffodils, Carolyn!  The road is invisible in these clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see badly enough to drive another inch!"

My daughter smiled calmly and said, "We drive in this all the time, Mother."

"Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears, and then I'm heading for home!" I assured her.

"But first we're going to see the daffodils. It's just a few blocks," Carolyn said. "I'll drive. I'm used to this."

"Carolyn," I said sternly, "Please turn around."

"It's all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."

After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read, "Daffodil Garden."

W e got out of the car, each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, as we turned a corner, I looked up and gasped.  Before me, lay the most glorious sight.

It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain peak and its surrounding slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, creamy white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, saffron and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted in large groups so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.

"Who did this?" I asked Carolyn.

"Just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house, small and modestly sitting in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house.

On the patio, we saw a poster. "Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking", was the headline.


The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read.


The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and one brain."

The third answer was, "Began in 1958."

For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop. Planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived.

One day at a time, she had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration.

That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time, often just one baby-step at a time and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world

"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn.  "What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty fiveor forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years?  Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"

My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said.

She was right. It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put this to use today?"

Use the Daffodil Principle. Stop waiting.....

Until your car or home is paid off
Until you get a new car or home
Until your kids leave the house
Until you go back to school
Until you finish school
Until you clean the house
Until you organize the garage
Until you clean off your desk
Until you lose 10 lbs.
Until you gain 10 lbs.
Until you get married
Until you get a divorce
Until you have kids
Until the kids go to school
Until you retire
Until summer
Until spring
Until winter
Until fall
Until you die...

There is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

Tags: Inspiration, The Daffodil Principle

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I just had a nice warm piece of Derby Pie and a glass of milk.

My dear readers, I pity you your Derby-Pie-less state!~

From their web site: ". . .Rupp vigilantly guards his forbears' recipe. Kern's Kitchen has filed 10 trademark infringement lawsuits, going up against big names such as Nestlé Foods. Rupp's six employees sign confidentiality agreements, and no one is allowed in the kitchen when the baker is combining ingredients."

The rich chocolate and walnut combination attacks my taste buds even as the pie melts in my mouth.

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