Chapter 4, Page 30, Book 12

Life’s abundance is all around you, and each day brings new opportunities for fulfillment. Use every day to keep moving, and bring your best possibilities to life.

Ralph Marston

MERRY Monday!

KEEP MOVING

 move - the act of deciding to do something

Get out and do something. Move. Interact. Explore. Breathe. Take a chance.  It is better to be doing something than nothing.

After a very busy few weeks here at my house the partying is finally done and I'm back to being somewhat normal here until that new grand'babe' appears.  I'm hoping to take advantage of this down time to go and spend some time at my camper.  I need a little break away.  Still coming too is a visit from DS#4 and his family in June, so I think if I'm going to get to my little place in the woods, now will be the time to do it.

You have to make every moment count in life -- that is and will be my goal for what ever remaining days I have.  We none of us know how long that might be.  So while it's a little bit of a downer to be back to normal days, I'm going to make the most of them and do what I love to do.

My plans are always subject to change, as I do know that everyday comes bearing some surprises.  Some good, some bad, but always they are all worthwhile.  And I always thank the good Lord for them all.

I won't worry about the still large to do list, but glory in each day as it comes.  It's up to me to live the life I want and to do it now.  I'm not going to worry about the future, just take each moment as it comes.  I'll keep on keeping on.  One step in front of the other.  Sorta of like doing the cha cha cha here!

It's going to be a very MERRY Monday here at my house.  Hope your Monday is a MERRY one too!

'On Ya'-ma

Chapter 4, Page 28, Book 12

If you want to make your dreams come true, the first thing you have to do is wake up.  

J.M. Power

R and R Sunday / Dreams and expectations

What a great Sunday morning it is here at my house.  I've got DS#6 and his family here and I love it when any of my children come home.  They came in for the baby shower yesterday and stayed over night here at home.

I dream of a time we can all be together.  But I expect that I'll only see a few of them at a time.  My goodness, my house wouldn't even begin to hold them all.  It was ok when there was just my daughter and my sons, but now a whole new cast has been added. DIL's and grand'babes' all making for a wonderful family.

My day might be a busy one with more to do than usual, but it will be relaxing just the same.  I am always at ease when I have those I love around me.  

Hope some of your dreams come true today and that you can only expect good things!

As always you all are in my thoughts and prayers.  Have a wonderful day of rest and relaxation, refreshment and renewal for the coming week ahead.

'On Ya'-ma

Chapter 4, Page 28, Book 12

You won't be happy with more until you're happy with what you've got. 

Viki King

SUPER Saturday!

Thinking about families and grandparents today.

I can remember the days when all I wanted was a large family.  There were several years in my married life that I thought that was never going to happen...so I spent many days wishing for babies and just about the time I accepted my life as it was, I got them and believe me when I say I was very happy with what I got.  

Who would have ever thought my family could grow to be such a large one. I have 16 grands with 2 more on the way.  7 children x a spouse for them all + 16 grands = 30 people and it will very soon be 32.  

When I think about 18 grands, I wonder how on earth I can possible be a good grand'ma' to that many.  I don't live close at all to many of them, and to those far away that don't know me, I'm probably little more than a name to them.    I keep in touch with cards and e-mails, but that isn't the same as having them close by for sure.  Thankfully the good Lord, blessed me with a few closer to home.  

My grandmothers weren't very close to home either, yet one of them managed to instill some long life values in my life and she was and always will be my hero.  The other grandmother was a wonderful cook and I'll never forget the good smells and wonderful soups and pastries that she made.  They were here specialty.

Hopefully in some small way, I can leave a lasting impression on my grandchildren too.  

I'll be celebrating at a baby shower for DD today.  Lots of my family will be there too.

Hope you all have a SUPER Saturday!

'On Ya'-ma

Chapter 4, Page 27, Book 12

Question:  What does a baby cost?

Answer:  As much as you have to give.

FANTASTIC FRIDAY

Today the final prep for the DD's baby shower will take place. It seemed so far off when we first began planning and now, well it is almost here.

I was thinking about the best advice I could give my daughter as she becomes a mom and here are a few of things I thought would be important.

You can never love your child too much.  There is no such thing as too many hugs and kisses.

Always tell bedtime stories, 

Always say their prayers with them

Always encourage them.  Loving words are something your child will never outgrow

Remember, you know your baby better than anyone else. Trust your instincts!!! Every day that goes by you will know more than you did about being a mommy than the day before.

#1--You know more than you think you do.

#2--You and the baby are a team.

Sleep whenever you can. The housework can wait a few months.

Take pictures. You won't remember the details, but a few years from now you'll wish you did.

A happy and contented mom makes for a happy and contented baby.

No matter how bad you think your voice is, sing. For your baby, and for yourself. Any song works, even if you can't remember all the words.  

The best thing parents can do for their children is to love each other.

I know there are quite a few that I've missed but these came to me off the top of my head...Can you think of any others?

Hope your Friday is a fantastic one!

'On Ya'-ma

Chapter 4, Page 26, Book 12

Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don't wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it's at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored.

Earl Nightingale
Radio Announcer and Entrepreneur

THANKFUL Thursday!

There's so much to be thankful for.  Life is beautiful and there is just so much to be thankful about.  When I know what others are facing right now and the tragedies that can come without a moments notice, I find my self overwhelmed with all I have to be thankful for.  There just really aren't words enough to describe my gratefulness.

 There are a few things really stood out to me this  week and so I very humbly list them here for you to read.  

I am ALIVE. Life is a gift. Mornings are gifts. Every time you wake up, stretch out those arms and say, thank you for the gift of a brand new day!

I CAN SEE. Oh to have the gift of sight! What a blessing! With your eyes, you can watch the magnificent world you live in.

I CAN MOVE. You are joy in motion. You have the ability to dance, walk, run, hop and skip as you travel the road of life.

I CAN FEEL. You have the ability to feel and experience all sorts of emotions - happy, sad, angry, confused, surprised, and disappointed and so on. Your feelings add spice to your life

I am grateful for FAMILY. Isn't it great to belong a family? Family can be our relatives or even our friends and neighbors.   Imperfect our families may be but here we find the opportunity to grow, share, give and receive love.  I am grateful for the people who are journeying with me.

The glory of nature is something I am really thankful for.. Sunrise and sunsets. Clouds and blue skies. Raindrops and rainbows. Birds in the air. Flowers everywhere

I am so truly blessed. I have so much to be thankful for, home, church, family, everything I need. And because of that, I'm going to live each moment with with all the goodness I am able to give.

I hope this Thursday is one that you can be thankful for too!

'On Ya'-ma

Chapter 4, Page 25, Book 12

There is a great deal of poetry and fine sentiment in a chest of tea. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY!

As I've been up to my neck with lots to do around my house this week.  I thought that it was time for a break today.  So I'm sharing a few quotes about tea with you all.

Tea, especially iced tea in the summertime, is 2nd only to my good cup of morning coffee here at my house!

Strange how a teapot can represent at the same time the comforts of solitude and the pleasures of company.  

Author Unknown

Drinking a daily cup of tea will surely starve the apothecary.  

Chinese Proverb

If you are cold, tea will warm you.  If you are too heated, it will cool you.  If you are depressed, it will cheer you.  If you are excited, it will calm you.  

Gladstone, 1865

There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.  

Henry James

Remember the tea kettle - it is always up to its neck in hot water, yet it still sings!  

Author Unknown

Take some time out with me today and enjoy a good cup of tea!

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!

'On Ya'-ma

Chapter 4, Page 24, Book 12

TREASURES

There are treasures in life,

but owners are few

Of money and power

to buy things brand new

Yet you can be wealthy

and feel regal too

If you will just look 

for the treasures in you

These treasures in life

are not hard to find

When you look in your heart,

your soul, and your mind.

For when you are willing

to share what's within,

Your fervent search

for riches will end.

The joy and the laughter,

the smile that you bring;

The heart unafraid

to love and to sing;

The hand always willing

to help those in need;

Ones quick to reach out,

to labor and feed.

So than you for sharing 

these great gifts inside;

The caring, the cheering, 

the hug when one cried.

Thanks for the energy, 

encouragement too.

And thank you for sharing 

the treasures in you

Author Unknown

Sharing doubles joy and diminishes sorrow

A friend is a present you give yourself

Robert Louis Stevenson

TERRIFIC 2'S TUESDAY!

If we can share our goals, beliefs hopes and dreams with someone, we develop a relationship that is more valuable than any jewel. When we share things with others, life becomes richer and fuller. Happiness like a kiss must be shared to be enjoyed. My friends and family do much to make my days brighter.

There is a fine line in keeping your balance and while times alone are beneficial, there are also times when sharing is a must.

Trouble is part of your life, and if you don't share it, you don't give the person who loves you enough chance to love you enough

Dinah Shore

I know some don't like to share their troubles.  They keep them to themselves and they boil and fester until they pop.

You can't keep every thing inside you with out doing some damage to your health, both mentally and physically.

That is my 2 for this Tuesday: caring and sharing!

Have a terrific Tuesday everyone!

'On Ya' - ma  

Chapter 4, Page 23, Book 12

Good Morning!

The adventure of life is to learn

The purpose of life is to grow

The nature of life is to change

The challenge of life is to overcome

The essence of life is to serve

The secret of life is to dare

The spice of life is to befriend

The beauty of life is to give

William Arther Ward

Have a beautiful day!

It's MERRY Monday!

Somehow these weeks just keep on coming.  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and are now all rested up for a new day and a new week.  It's always so nice for me to begin another one.  We never know as each day comes just what it will hold for us. 

I had hoped to get to my little place in the woods but the weather turned bitter cold so that didn't happen it all.  It was a very chilly weekend here and today isn't much different but I  have plenty to do here at home, so that's ok too.

 Did you ever have a down day when you'd rather just curl up under the covers in the morning when you awaken, stay there all day and hope that tomorrow would be better?  Welcome to the human race. That's a normal feeling to have sometimes. However, somehow we get ourselves moving and hope for the best. 

The morning comes bearing gifts of renewal, redemption and a chance to start all over again. The fresh dew on the Spring leaves glimmer as the sun is just starting to poke her head out from the horizon and imbue each morning with the promise of revival

 Moments like these remind me that life goes on.  We need to remember that each moment is precious and that we should live in the present moment. Time is irreplaceable and once it has passed it will never return. It is up to us to make use of every moment of every day to our advantage.  No two days are ever alike.  

One of my favorite things about life is that we all get a chance, once a day, to start over.

Have a MERRY Monday everyone!

'On Ya'-ma

Chapter 4, Page 22, Book 12

....all our busy rushing ends in nothing

Psalm 39:6

I realized that we’ve been spoiled by the word instant in our lives today. We have instant credit approval, instant oatmeal, and instant love. We’ve tried to trap God into the same way of thinking. God, give it to me now, we pray. Or if we don’t use those words, that’s what we mean.

We need to enjoy our lives now, right now while we wait. So many people complain about wasting time, which is how they talk about waiting. Instead of pacing and grumbling about how long we have to wait in line at the grocery store or the traffic congestion on the expressway, what if you said, Thanks, God. I can slow down now. I can enjoy this moment. Every second of my life doesn’t have to be productive or bring results.

Your life and your times are in God’s hands. Doesn’t it follow then, that if you’re facing delays and have to wait, God knows? He’s the One who controls the clock of life. My times are in Your hands. I do believe that’s the way God wants you to live and to enjoy the waiting time. Don’t focus just on receiving or moving on. Focus on relishing the moments that God has given you to RELAX, and enjoy them as a gift from God Himself.  God gives us time, but who has time for God.

To rest, we have to trust that God will take care of things for us. We have to trust that, if we take a day off, the world will not stop turning on its axis

We need time to breathe deep and to see real.  It's Sunday again and I'm looking forward to a relaxing day here.  This coming week will be a busy one as we prepare for and celebrate at a baby shower for DD!  This will be a very happy and exciting time for her.  She waited many long years for this baby and very soon he will be here!

Waiting is NOT always easy, but for her the 9 months of waiting and years of praying for her very own little one are almost here.  I keep telling her to enjoy it now as very soon her days are going to be busier than she could possible imagine.

I hope you all have a relaxed, restful Sunday and may renewal and restoration be yours for the coming week ahead

As always you are all in my thoughts and prayers!

'On Ya'-ma