Chapter 10, Page 31, Book 08

Halloween is here and carving pumpkins should be already on your to do list. But why always do the same old pumpkin faces you learned at kindergarten. Check out these lovely carved orange heads revealing their own spooky Halloween personalities

Q: How do you mend a broken Jack-o-lantern?
A: With a pumpkin patch!

Q. What type of dogs do vampires like best?

Clue: It's a kind of "hound."

Clue: The type of dog is a compound word - first word is what a vampire drinks.


A: Bloodhounds

Q. How does a ghost cry? A. ___ Hoo!

Clue: Ya - Hoo?????? - no...try again.

Clue: You - Hoo??????.... no...think about what a ghost says...

A. Boo - Hoo!


Q: What's black, white, orange, and waddles?

A: A penguin with a jack-o-lantern.

GOOD MORNING !

ARE YOU CELEBRATING HALLOWEEN?


We turned on our porch lights and shared a ***big smile*** and lots of candy with our neighborhood kids. God loves them - and so do we!

My love of Halloween began with sweet childhood experiences
For us it was is a time of family togetherness (going to pumpkin patches and carving pumpkins together, baking treats and goodies, and creating costumes

When my children were young, we went out with our little bags to 'trick or treat', but didn't ever trick, because that wasn't allowed. We simply wanted the candy that went with going from house to house on that special night

It seems no other holiday feels as mutually beneficial to grown folks and kids. When else do 4-year-olds, 14-year-olds, and 40-year-olds put on goofy outfits, play silly games, and eat handfuls of candy together?

I still don't feel like it's harmful for kids to dress up and have fun with their friends. I have found Halloween to be a great way to meet neighbors
And that Halloween for us is about fun, creativity, candy, pumpkins, and hay rides

The name "Halloween" is actually a Christianized term:

It means the night before All Saints Day (All Hallows' Eve).

In truth, the word "Halloween" is a much better name for a Christian

festival than a scary movie

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

PUMPKIN PRAYER
CUT OFF THE TOP: Lord open my mind and fill me with your wisdom and guidance
SCOOP OUT THE YUCKIES : Lord, take out all my fussies and frownies and fill me with your love
CARVE EYES: Lord, open my eyes to see all the beautiful things you have made
CARVE NOSE: Lord, help me to be a swee, sweet fragrance to You.
CARVE MOUTH: Lord, help me always to speak Your words of love and kindness.
CANDLE: Lord let me be a light to others For You have filled me with Your Light.
Unknown Origin

'On Ya' -ma

Chapter 10, Page 30, Book 08

I've heard it said, "Be contented with what you have, but

never too contented with what you are.

There is a story that comes out of Asia about a farmer who saw a tiger's tail swishing between two large rocks. In amoment of haste, he grabbed the tail and pulled.

All of asudden he realized he had an angry tiger by the tail and only tworocks stood between him and the tiger's teeth and claws! So there he remained, afraid to loosen his grip on the enraged animal'stail lest he surely be killed.

A monk happened by and the farmer called out indesperation, "Come over here and help me kill this tiger!"The holy man said, "On, no. I cannot do that. I cannot take the life of another."

Then he went on to deliver a homily

against killing. All the while, the farmer was holding tightly tothe tail of an angry tiger.

When the monk finally finished his sermon, the farmer pleaded, "If you won't kill the tiger, then at least come hold its tail while I kill it. The monk thought that perhaps it would be all right to simply hold the tiger's tail, so he grabbed hold and pulled.

The farmer, however, turned and walked away down the road.The monk shouted after him, "Come back here and kill the tiger!""Oh, no," the farmer replied. "You have converted me!"

Conversion is nothing more than change. With money,conversion can be the change of a bill into coin or the change ofthe currency of one country into the currency of another. On thehuman level, conversion can be a change in beliefs, a change in ideas, a change in attitudes, a change in behaviors or a change in priorities.

If the largest room in the world is "room for improvement,"

then it is good to leave plenty of room for change.

I like the old southern American slave's prayer:

O God, I ain't what I ought to be

and I ain't what I'm a-goin' to be.

But thanks to you, I ain't what I used to be!

Author Unknown

GOOD MORNING !

In many ways I’ve still lot a long long way to go on the self improvement element of my life. I’m always looking for ways to do something better or new and a few years back I found this list for keeping up with the Holidays. If you’ve read my journal for awhile, I know that you’ve seen it before, but here it is again

Here’s the plan in a pumpkin-shell:

Phase 1: Gift Shopping and Wrapping

8 weeks before: Shop for and wrap 1/3 of your gifts

7 weeks before: Shop for and wrap 2/3 of your gifts

6 weeks before: Finish shopping and wrapping gifts5 weeks before: Start planning for Thanksgiving


Phase 2: Decorations, Cards, and Mailings

4 weeks before: Put up outdoor decorations and write Christmas cards

3 weeks before: Set up Christmas tree an decorate indoors. Mail cards and gifts


Phase 3 Celebrations, Cooking and Cleaning

2 weeks before: Attend and host parties. Bake and clean

1 week before: Grocery shop for Christmas meals; make final preparations for the big day

Christmas Week: Celebrate Christmas and Enjoy!

New Year’s Day

Take down decorations, write thank-you notes, and start the New Year fresh.

8 weeks before Christmas – you guessed it, Halloween! When you use Halloween to trigger your holiday preparations (instead of Thanksgiving), you have plenty of time to get everything done. As our family get together is the weekend before Christmas, I need to be starting soon!



THOUGHT FOR TODAY

YOU TELL ON YOURSELF

You tell on yourself by the friends you seek,

By the very manner in which you speak,

By the way you employ your leisure time,

By the use you make of dollar and dime.

You tell what you are by the things you wear,

And even by the way you wear your hair,

By the kind of things at which you laugh,

By the records you play on your phonograph.

You tell what you are by the way you walk,

By the things of which you delight to talk,

By the manner in which you bury deceit,

By so simple a thing as how you eat.

By the books you choose from the well-filled shelf.

In these ways and more you tell on yourself.

Author Unknown

‘On Ya’ - ma

Chapter 10, Page 29, Book 08

WRINKLE MOVERS

By: Joseph J. Mazzella

I saw a new advertisement today for a wrinkle remover. It guaranteed to make you look and feel twenty years younger. This caused me to think. Do I want to remove my wrinkles? I went and took a peek at myself in the mirror. The truth was I didn’t seem to have that many wrinkles until I smiled and I kind of liked those when I saw them. Besides I already felt and acted twenty years younger than my age anyway. My wife and kids would attest to that. I decided that I didn’t want to give up my smile creases and laugh lines. After all, I had earned them and enjoyed making them.

The truth is that there are a lot of beautiful wrinkles out there. I don’t know why our society is so obsessed with removing them. They are wonderful evidence of the laughter, love, and joy that people have had in their lives. They are glorious monuments to a life lived in happiness and delight. They are lovely signposts of a million peaceful smiles. Of course, some wrinkles comefrom pain, worry, and sadness. Still, God gives us a whole lifetime to create wrinkles and it is never too late to create new wrinkles of love and joy.Maybe all of us should quit trying to remove our wrinkles and start trying to move them to more joyous places instead. If you ask me there is a wonderful beauty in a smiling face full of wrinkles that show just how much it has smiled before.

Become a wrinkle mover then. Choose love and joy every second of everyday. Smile in delight at every good thing and at everyone you meet. Share every bit of love, laughter, and joy you have. Make those laugh lines deep and takejoy in the wonderful life you have lived to create them. Live for the love in your soul not the condition of your skin. Remember, God gives us laughter, smiles, love, joy, peace, happiness, and delight. Why should we take away or cover up the glorious portrait they create?

GOOD MORNING!

Now that my summer tan is disappearing I’ve been taking a good look in the mirror at myself and I’m not so sure I always like what I see. I know I should just accept those wrinkles and I do try to move them around to a SMILE position quite often, but boy they sure are increasing.
It seems like yesterday I was telling myself that for my age, I really didn’t look too bad. I was blessed or cursed with oily skin and have had it most of my life. Even now my nose still gets shinny. I guess that helped delay the lines from showing up.
I do have a distinct crease in the middle of my forehead from squinting not from frowning. There is just no denying that I’m over 60. I’m not ashamed of my age and wouldn’t want to live all those years over again so I don’t wish to be younger.
The good Lord loves us all and he doesn’t mind the wrinkles, I sure he even has a purpose for them, we just don’t know what it could possibly be. He looks in our hearts that is where what is important is kept.
I have been blessed with many wrinkles and I have some wonderful reasons for them being there !

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

12 WAYS TO KEEP A SMILE
(1) Hold on to your dreams, and never let them go.
(2) Show the rest of the world how wonderful you are!
(3) Give circumstances a chance, and give others the benefit of the doubt.
(4) Wish on a star that shines in your sky!
(5) Take on your problems one by one and work things out.
(6) Rely on all the strength you have inside!
(7) Let loose of the sparkle and spirit that you sometimes try to hide.
(8) Stay in touch with those who touch your life with love!
(9) Look on the bright side and don't let adversity keep you from winning.
(10) Be yourself, because you are filled with special qualities that have brought you this far, and that will always see you through!
(11) Keep your spirits up.
(12) Make your heart happy, and let it reflect on everything you do

‘On Ya’ - ma

Chapter 10, Page 28, Book 08

Searching for the right pumpkin

Here are my Sunshine boys at the Pumpkin Patch

Whether one is twenty, forty, or sixty; whetherone has succeeded, failed, or just muddled along; whether yesterday was full of sun or storm,or one of those dull days with no weather at all,life begins each morning!
Leigh Mitchell Hodges

Today's a new day! It's calling for a new you, as every day does.

GOOD MORNING !

As I don’t have any oak trees close by in my neighborhood, I went looking at the craft store on Monday during my lunch hour and found some plastic acorns for the craft project I mentioned yesterday. I also found some acorn foam shapes so I got them too…plus some glitter glue and ribbon. I also found some little gold leaf stickers so if time permits, now I’m all set for the Thanksgiving craft.

The weather here is very winter like and we even had a few snow flakes falling on my way to work yesterday. Today they say we may get more. No accumulation just a few flakes of that white stuff. BRRCHILL.

I have a great coat that is feather/poly filled and keeps me nice and snug as a bug. I don’t like being cold at all so I dress warmly. From now until April I’ll have my wool socks on too. I don’t dress up for work. So I always have slacks or jeans on so my wool socks and slip on boots go well with them. I usually have 2 or 3 layers on top too. Usually a tee and a sweater. The only time I dress up anymore is when I go to church. It seems that is mostly out of fashion though as I see many in their jeans there too.

Work is the same as always. Monday through Wednesday there is plenty to keep me busy. Thursday and Fridays are the challenging days with little to do but mind the office and answer the phone. Little ever changes there.

In order to keep up on the vitamin C I’ve been eating an orange everyday. I always drink OJ but it seems you get much more from the fruit itself. I’m hoping to replace what I’m not getting from the sunshine so I don’t suffer from the winter blues so drastically.

Next week we loose an hour of daylight and then I’ll feel as I should really hibernate. All I want to do is sleep the winter through. Here’s hoping the extra ‘C’ will help.

( The pictures are of DS#4's family )


THOUGHT FOR TODAY

I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning.
J.B. Priestley

‘On Ya’ - ma

Chapter 10, Page 27, Book 08

SEASONAL DECORATING

Everyone loves acorns! The acorn, which is the seed of an Oak Tree, is filled with creative and protective energy.

When we’ve gathered enough acorns, we bless them. Your blessing can be simple:

Thank you God for our many blessings.
May you continue to bless us throughout the coming year.”

A favorite bible verse or poem can be read, or as a family you could write your own poem! Last year we came up with:

In this acorn is Light

In this acorn is Love

In this acorn is Protection

In this acorn is Prosperity

I am blessed beyond measure

And I share and spread the blessings always…

You’ll Need:

Acorns

Glue

Ribbon

Directions:If needed, glue the top of the acorn on the acorn (these fall off more often than not). Tie a ribbon around it, and leave the ribbon long enough to hang or wear as a necklace. Hang around the house (we like to hang them in the kitchen and by the entryways)

GOOD MORNING !

In my search for something to share with you all, I found the article about the acorns and by concidence I had just bought a cute little set of hanging acorns so I thought I’d share this with you all. I’d never thought of using acorns for decoration before. This could be a craft project for my grandbabes this Thanksgiving. I’ll need to find some acorns. Or maybe some of them could find some and bring them along.

The little ones always seem to enjoy any kind of crafts and are happy to make something as long as we keep it simple, all ages can take part too.

The weekend is over and now I’m off to work once more…

I owe, I owe,
It’s off to work I go…


A new week to enjoy and a new day with new surprises just waiting to be discovered.

It’s going to be a great day!


THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.

Henry Ford

‘On Ya’- ma

Chapter 10, Page 26, Book 08

What living creature is believed to enjoy more hours of daylight annually than any other?

The Arctic tern, which travels twice a year from pole to pole, covering more than 20,000 miles round trip, to enjoy nearly four months of continuous daylight during the Arctic summer and another four months during the Antarctic summer

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it.If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.

In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. ""As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden."

"So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can.

"So, my friend, why not take a while to just simply RELAX. Put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while. Life is short.

Enjoy it!

GOOD MORNING !

As you may have come to realize from my writing I’ve been getting a little stressed over all the stuff to put away and things to do around my house since we’ve closed up the camper. I’ve decided to take today to rest and forget about it. Tomorrow I’ll be back to work and today I need rest.

I do have to unload the car and put some laundry in to wash, but that will be the sum and total of my work today.

I’ll be off to church as usual and saying prayers for you all. The good Lord knows our needs and wants and answers every prayer.

I also think it would be grand to travel like that tern mentioned in the trivia above. I am so missing my sunshine.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Here are some great ways of dealing with the stresses of life:

Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.

Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.

If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

Never buy a car you can't push.

Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

The second mouse gets the cheese.

When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.

We could learn a lot from crayons...Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

‘On Ya’ - ma

Chapter 10, Page 25, Book 08

Change is a measure of time and,

in the autumn,time seems speeded up.

What was is not and never again will be;

what is is change.

Edwin Teale

GOOD MORNING !

I’m enjoying my good cup of coffee before taking off to the campground this morning. The final winterizing will be done and I’ll be bringing home more stuff to pack away here at home. I’ll be back home by late afternoon or early evening.

It seems I’ve not been able to accomplish one thing at home this week. All the things I brought home last weekend are sitting in my dining room waiting to be store away and now I’ll add some more to that. It looks like I have my work cut out for me.

I know I’ll be remembering the happy times I’ve spent this past summer all though the long cold days of winter. It’s nice to have some wonderful memories to warm myself with when all is freezing and bitter outside.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

We all have weaknesses.

But I have figured that

others have put up with mine so tolerantly

that I would be less than fair not to

make a reasonable discount for theirs.

William Allen White

‘On Ya’ - ma

Chapter 10, Page 24, Book 08

Traveler: What kind of weather are we going to have today?

Shepherd: The kind of weather I like.

Traveler: How do you know it will be the kind of weather you like?

Shepherd: Having found out, sir, I cannot always get what I like, I have learned always to like what I get. So I am quite sure we will have the kind of weather I like.

Anthony De Mello

GOOD MORNING !

October is coming to an end now,making way for the colder months here in the northern hemisphere--I hope that it has been a beautiful month for you and that you'reable to make November one of your best months ever.

This fall is fast fleeting and soon old winter will be here. Cozy nights indoors are becoming a way of life for me. It does seem a little strange after having spent so much outdoor time this year. It is becoming way too cold to do anything much outside besides raking leaves or taking the beagle for a few short walks. Nature balances things out for us and teaches us that we too need a rest.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are.When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.

Lao-Tzu

‘On Ya’ - ma

Chapter 10, Page 23, Book 08

The story of a farmer who grew
award-winning corn.

Each year he entered his corn in the state fair
where it won a blue ribbon. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed
him and learned something interesting about how he grew it.

The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his
neighbors. "How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your
neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each
year?" the reporter asked.

"Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen
from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn."

He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot
improve unless his neighbor's corn also improves.

So it is in other dimensions. Those who choose to be at peace must help their neighbors to be at peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it
touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find
happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.

The lesson for each of us is this: if we are to grow good corn, we must
help our neighbors grow good corn.

Author Unknown

GOOD MORNING !

I’ve always been told that for those that have been given much, much is required.

When I think about what I have the most of I think about my family. Yes, tis true that I’ve given them much too, but that’s not the source of my thought here. I think because of my large family I’ve received so much love that I need to share it with others.

Love of Family, Friends and my faith are the things that are most important to me and I do try to share it with you all. If it seems to you that my life is overly optimistic and relatively simple, don’t be deceived. I have had some bad times and some tough problems to shoulder in my life, but over and above all those shines the love I’ve been given. I’m far from perfect and would be the first to admit that fact. I’m often in awe of being the recipient of so very many blessings.

In my entries each day, I send out a blessing to all those that read them. My ‘On Ya’ is the blessing. It is a slang phrase that means May the Joy of the Lord be on you! That is my hope and wish for you all.

I picked up this phrase from a Bible study done by Beth Moore and I adopted it for my own use. Some of you may be aware of what it means, but others that may be new to my blog might not.

Now that I’ve got that off my chest so to speak, I must say it is that time again

I owe, I owe
It’s off to work
I go…

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Isn't it surprising how many things, if not said immediately, seem not worth saying ten minutes from now?

Arnot L. Sheppard, Jr

‘On Ya’- ma

Chapter 10, Page 22, Book 08

Imagine what would happen if you were disrespectful, rude and insulting to another person, and yet that person offered you nothing but kindness, respect and gratitude in return. How long would you be able to maintain such a negative approach?
Probably not very long, for your negativity would soon be overwhelmed by the sincere kindness being returned to you. In the same way, you can overwhelm the negativity that comes your way.

Respond to life with kindness, with joy, with positive, productive action and enthusiasm. Overwhelm the difficult world with goodness and joy.

Ralph Marston

GOOD MORNING !

I’m all about causing a little revolution against disrespectful and rude people. They come in all sizes and shapes. They are everywhere we go some days. We really do need to fight back.

When my children were young I discovered that when they were really out of sorts and grumpy there was always a reason.

Most of the time they’d had a bad day and were upset. The bad side of things was that when they were unhappy they made everyone else unhappy too.

The good side of things was that a hug and a cookie from mom could make the whole word seem a little brighter.

We can’t give every one a hug and a cookie, but we can be kind, gentle and compassionate even to the grouches we meet.

Hope you will join my revolution !
It is a grand solution
To the pollution
Of rude and disrespectful contamination

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Some of the shells that wash up on the beach were once very beautiful. We don't know what kind of journey they had to take to get them in their fragile condition. The same is true for people. Be kind.

Linda Gifford

Work as if everything depends on you.
Pray as if everything depends on God.

Ignatius Of Loyola

‘On Ya’- ma