According to the folks at "Blogger", the Pius X blog is getting kinda big. So I've created this second blog, all fresh and new. You will be able to read the first blog but not post anything. Accessing this new Pius Blog will be faster and easier - until it too gets too big!Also, I've removed some other postings that were just taking up space. I hope this will also improve the performance of the blog.
Blog away ...
551 comments:
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When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It's to enjoy each step along the way.
Wayne Dyer
Soooooooooooooooo,
Mary and I went to a concert Saturday night at Bourbon Street North. What a great show. April Wine and Dennis DeYoung. Two great acts for one good price. Everyone enjoyed the show. The sky was clear, the air crisp and where we were, everyone was stoned or drunk! I suffered from 2nd hand smoke and T.G. I was not driving!!!
Met one of our alumni, Jackie Monsour. We chatted, reminisced. Really nice to see her again.
Have a great St. Jean man!!
Peace,
Len
totd
Hate the sin and love the sinner. ~Mohandas Gandhi
Sorry about yesterday, but I was not feeling well folks...
TOTD:
I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.
Maya Angelou
TOTD:
Actions have consequences, and to be in denial of that is to be disengaged from the laws of the universe, which renders you powerless and vulnerable to an inordinate amount of pain.
God to Joan Girardi
(from Joan of Arcadia)
TOTD
A smile is a curve that sets everything straight. ~Phyllis Diller
I know it's been a while, but here I am. I finally had time to read all.
Loved all the TOTDs. Some really hit home.
Hey Lukey,
Liked your type character dingy stuff. Only thing is, is that I cannot see what I wrote till you accept it. Darn! What if I wrote something tres weird that I couldn't correct!! LOL!!
Again, enjoy the looong weekend. Be well and be safe.
Len,
Glad you had fun but sorry to hear you weren't feeling well. Hope you're better now.
Tony,
Hi! I love your Phylis Diller Totd. Ya gotta love her. Btw, is she still alive?? Guess I'l check imdb to see.....
Ciao y'all. A la prossima.
totd
I wish that every human life might be pure transparent freedom. ~Simone de Beauvoir
totd
A healthy mind has an easy breath. ~Author Unknown
totd
The United States is the only country with a known birthday. ~James G. Blaine
Sorry folks,
I am under the weasther and have been so for a few days. I hope to be back soon...
Peace
Len
totd
Wisdom doesn't necessarily come with age. Sometimes age just shows up all by itself. ~Tom Wilson
Len: Hope u get better soon....
OK y'all:
So, I am still a bit under the weather and I will be on hiatus for the next couple o' weeks so I see that Tony is here to fill in.
See you all in a little while!!
Peace,
Len
totd
Poetry is just the evidence of life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash. ~Leonard Cohen
totd
If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable. ~Louis D. Brandeis
totd
I'm convinced that every boy, in his heart, would rather steal second base than an automobile. ~Tom Clark
totd
Noone is young enough to not die Tomorrow ...Swedish Proverb
totd
Optimism is the foundation of courage. ~Nicholas Murray Butler
totd
Bad language is a stage all children go through, and it dies with time when they learn they're not attracting attention with it. ~Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 9, spoken by the character Atticus
totd
Courage is the power to let go of the familiar. ~Raymond Lindquist
totd
Love reckons hours for months, and days for years; and every little absence is an age. ~John Dryden
totd
Always kiss your children goodnight - even if they're already asleep. ~H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Tony:
Thanks for doing such a great job while Len is under the weather. All of those TOTDs are important to those who still visit - including the "browsers". I appreciate you covering for Len, in hopes that he will return to us in good health soon.
Myself, I was hit by two flus in a row. Just as I recovering from the first, another hit me like a Mac truck! That was an awful time. I still can't shake off some of the symptoms of the last one. Always tired, no appetite, blah, blah, blah.
I dunno how this works but my imagination thingy seems to have been affected by the flus. I couldn't conjure a new image or painting if my life depended on it.
Maybe I should find a portable bed. Have it strapped to my back so that when those enthusiastic symptoms attack I just have to lay back.
Sure is quiet in here ...
totd
Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future. ~Paul Boese
totd
I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts, then there is no hurt, but only more love. ~Mother Teresa
totd
Focusing on the act of breathing clears the mind of all daily distractions and clears our energy enabling us to better connect with the Spirit within. ~Author Unknown
totd
FOREVER SEALED YESTERDAY
© 1996, Wayne Lee
Understand
the wave of sorrows
flowing through
Life’s many rivers
Listen to
the sound of sad teardrops
Realize
the rain of sadness
weeping with
Love’s many heartaches
Feel the tide
of wanting a true love
The ocean is full and wide
Treasures everywhere
Lakes and seas will join together as one
Accept Love’s
truest form,
Pure since Time’s first beginning
Renew Life’s
promises,
Unbroken until Time’s death
Remember
Childhood vows
forever sealed yesterday
Cherished words
Never will fade
Impressions will always stay
Motivate
the search for tomorrows
streaming through
Life’s different waters
Listen to
the sound of new heartbeats
Visualize
the cries of laughter
smiling with
Love’s different bondings
Feel the joy
of living a romance
The world is full and wide
Treasures everywhere
Hope and faith will join together as one
Remember
Childhood vows
forever sealed yesterday
Cherished words
Never will fade
Impressions will always stay
totd
It is only in the country that we can get to know a person or a book. ~Cyril Connolly, The Unquiet Grave, 1945
Tony: Your TOTD entitled "FOREVER SEALED YESTERDAY" was great. It really had an effect on me. Thanks.
luke your welcome
totd well song of the day
A Change Is Gonna Come
I was born by the river in a little tent
Oh and just like the river I've been running ever since
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will
It's been too hard living but I'm afraid to die
Cause I don't know what's up there beyond the sky
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will
I go to the movie and I go downtown
somebody keep telling me don't hang around
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will
Then I go to my brother
And I say brother help me please
But he winds up knockin' me
Back down on my knees
Ohhhhhhhhh.....
There been times that I thought I couldn't last for long
But now I think I'm able to carry on
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will
Words and Music Sam Cooke
Well, after a brief illness and some well deserved vacation I am back (yeah or boo, depending on who you are). I was sick for the longest time with strep, tonsilitis and chronic asthma and bronchial issues. Oh yeah, hello pumps!!!
TOTD:
Emptiness is a symptom that you are not living creatively. You either have no goal that is important enough to you, or you are not using your talents and efforts in a striving toward an important goal.
Maxwell Maltz
Hey Len!
Welcome back, Dudester!
I had symptoms very similar to yours. As I mentioned I got that flu twice. My lungs are still raw.
Ah ... good to have you back home.
Thanks, good to be back. And without further delay, her it is:
TOTD:
Those who are lifting the world upward and onward
are those who encourage more than criticize.
Elizabeth Harrison
So, what's new everyone (anyone)?
Hope everyone's summer vacation is going well.
Peace,
LS
TOTD:
Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self control to be understanding and forgiving.
Dale Carnegie
TOTD of the day:
The greatest obstacle to progress is not the absence of knowledge, but the illusion of knowledge.
Daniel Boorstin
Helloooo y'all,
I appologize for the long delay.
Tony,
Your TOTD's were gr8 to read as well as inspiring. Great job taking over for Len.
Len,
Hi!
I'm was so sorry to read about you being sick. It's nice to have you back and your TOTD's are gr8 as usual. Glad you're feeling better. Hope the family is well.
Luke,
Buddy! You were sick again, poor you. Briefly looked at you new work and to be honest, it's amazing. You always out do yourself. Kuddos to you, my friend. Glad to see you are also feeling better.
It's good to see all of youze again.
As for me, all is well. My back hasn't been the best but dealing with it.
As you all know, I have been sending e-mails with jokes to put smiles on your faces. I hope all enjoyed.
Renovations have been on hold, a little for the moment. Enjoying the summer for a while. They'll resume in the fall.
I will try to come back a little more often when I can.
Wishing youze a good evening/day and see youze all soon.
Hugs and kisses to all,
Moi
xoxoxo
Hey y'all,
Yup, I look forward to your emails Tinker!! Keep'em coming!!
TOTD:
FRIDAY STORY
The Struggle
© Tony Masiello 2006
What do butterflies have in common with the human spirit? Meet Maggie, a middle aged wife and mother who was about to find out.
Maggie wasn’t rich like a millionaire or poor in a manner of being homeless. She was living an average comfortable life. It was made even better when a beautiful baby girl came her way. She and her husband made sure their daughter had her needs met and they were still able to take a yearly vacation by the beach.
Maggie was a partner in her husband’s business. They both had a different set of duties which kept everything in balance. One day a devastating blow came to her husband’s business, and over a three year period the business dropped out of site. Her husband had to totally reinvent himself and was yearning to fulfill a dream with a new vocation. She was happy for him and supported him fully, but still the money was not coming in.
Maggie began to feel guilty that she wasn’t contributing with any kind of income. It had been a long time since she had worked outside the home and had to work for someone else. Needless to say she was scared but still had faith that everything would be okay. She began job hunting and found filling out applications somewhat difficult, especially the part asking for job references. Keep in mind that she was self-employed with her husband for almost 20 years. It felt as though that didn’t count for anything as she was never called for an interview.
At the time she was job hunting her mom became more ill than she had been and ended up in the hospital for a week. Once Maggie’s mom returned home she became her mom’s helper one day a week. She did the shopping, changed sheets, vacuumed and did other things that her mother was not able to do anymore. Of course her mom would pay her for her time and labor but she still felt she needed to find another source of income.
One of the first applications she had filled out finally came through. She passed the interview with flying colors and was told she was “exactly” what they were looking for. Although it was only part time it was exactly what she wanted. It was important for her to be home when her daughter arrived home from school. She was told they would be in touch when the schedule was ready. Knowing she had the job made her feel contented and productive again.
Within a few weeks though, she received an e-mail saying that the company had changed the job into a full time position and she was not qualified. Maggie was devastated. She felt betrayed and felt she had been lied to. That evening she was alone as her husband and daughter had gone out for the night. She welcomed the aloneness and wanted to drown her sorrows in a hot tub of bubbles.
As she knew she would, she began to cry, softly at first just from the sheer pain of being rejected. Three long years of struggle had finally caught up with her. Then she became angry; angry at everything from the circumstances that got her there, to God himself. She cried harder and yelled, “What do you want me to do?” She really felt that God had abandoned her.
When she was able to cry no more, she became exhausted and gave up. It was at that moment that a silent idea came to her to offer other elderly people home care assistance.
Using another talent for computers she printed off some flyers and cards and distributed them to her church, grocery stores and even placed a small ad in the newspaper. Within a week she had procured two new clients.
Now, even though she’s not a CEO of a major company or a power player she feels happy and productive again. So, had God really abandoned her? Let’s look at nature for the lessons and the answer.
Before a butterfly can emerge out of it’s chrysalis it has to go through a lot of struggling. Yes, struggling. Each time it lunges out to escape, acids are being removed from its wings. If someone were to come along and break the chrysalis open for it then the butterfly would die from those acids. In essence the struggle is necessary for the butterfly to survive. Then in the stillness, when the struggle is over, the butterfly can come out and share its beauty with the world.
We as humans are not any different. There are times that we need to struggle, to rid ourselves of the acids that make up sadness, fear, and anger. It is only at this time when we are exhausted and still that we begin to hear the Universe whisper to us.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tony Masiello is a speaker, author, and consultant
totd
A good book should leave you... slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading it. ~William Styron, interview, Writers at Work, 1958
totd
The average, healthy, well-adjusted adult gets up at seven-thirty in the morning feeling just plain terrible. ~Jean Kerr, Please Don't Eat the Daisies, 1957
TOTD:
No pressure, no diamonds.
Mary Case
TOTD:
this is a nice one (I think):
Things are not happening to you. Things are happening because of you.
Anonymous
Beautiful...
Len:
Your last TOTD resonated with something in me.
Gotta think about it ...
So,
what did or is everyone do/doing this summer?
TOTD:
It's been said that the only constant is change. I don't agree with that. There's another constant, and that's the desire for change.
Dr. Robert Maurer
Luke,
I agree. When I found that one, it was like wow... .
TOTD:
Knowledge is like light, use it and it grows brighter, ignore it and it fades away.
Alexander Everett
...d-uh, OK den, uh, where's da switch?
Well, I'm off again for another week. Don't miss me too much. I'll be back as of the 13th.
Peace y'all
Len
FRIDAY STORY:
HOO HOO TRAKS
by Michael T. Smith
My grandson Josh is a train freak. 'Thomas the Train' is his favourite toy. He has several of the other toy engines featured on the show as well. In the weeks leading up to his fourth birthday, when I came home from work, he would meet me at the door and say, 'Paw Paw Mike? Thomas birthday.' He was so excited, his speech impediment would become worse, and I would have trouble understanding him.
For his birthday, I decided to take him on a train ride. The train I picked runs from Jersey City to Newark. It takes about forty minutes to make the trip in one direction. I chose this train, because, for the first part of the trip, you are underground, then the remainder of the trip is spent above ground. Even better, you can get in the front car and look out the window at the tracks, as you roll over them.
Down in the subway, Josh saw the tracks. 'Fraks!', PawPaw Mike!
'Fraks'! He would only take his eyes off the tracks when a train passed. We got on the front car of our train and walked to the front to stare out the window. I explained to the gentleman setting there, 'This was my grandson Josh's birthday. He loves trains, and this ride is my birthday gift to him.'
The gentleman got up and let us have his seat by the front window. He could tell by the look on Josh's face that he was excited and decided to give him the seat as a present.
The train began to roll along. It made several stops underground, and then the part I was waiting for came. We blasted up out of the tunnel, and there in front of us were rows and rows of tracks and even a few trains parked on sidings.
Josh began to screech with delight. 'PawPaw Mike - Fraks'! Look at the 'fraks'! PawPaw! Look at the 'fraks'!
Then he saw the parked trains, 'PawPaw Mike'! 'Hoohoo's'! Look! 'Hoohoo's.' he squealed.
My little grandson stood in that window and would not take his eyes off all the tracks and trains. It was one those moments when you cannot stop smiling.
At Newark, we transferred to the returning train. Half way home, the train had to stop for a few minutes, until a train ahead had been switched to another rail. As we waited, the conductor of the train opened his door and saw Josh staring out the window.
'Hey, little man! How are you?' he asked.
I explained it was his birthday, his first time on a train, and that he was a big fan of trains. 'Come here then, Josh! I'll show you something.' He sat Josh in the conductor's seat and let him blow the horn.
Josh got back in my lap, a grin splitting his face, as the train continued its journey. At that moment I looked to the back of the car and saw a sea of smiling faces. Everyone was watching Josh and grinning.
Children give such a beautiful gift - innocence. Josh was yelling and squealing about the 'hoohoo's and fraks,' without a clue as to how he was affecting the other passengers. It was impossible not to smile. They all watched this little train fanatic, enjoying his first ride on a train. His pure innocent love for this ride was a beautiful thing to witness.
I have ridden that train many times and hardly ever saw a smiling face. People usually sit quietly, waiting to get to their destination. They read or stare straight ahead, ignoring their fellow travelers. Josh's unbridled joy made their trip special.
Josh is only four, but I doubt he will ever forget his first train ride with his 'PawPaw,' and I doubt many of our companions that day will forget it either. Josh taught us all a lesson. If we could only see things through the eyes of a child, see them new and fresh every time, life would be more interesting. If I ever feel bored over the things I see everyday, I am going to think of 'hoohoo's' and 'fraks,' and remember to see it through the eyes of a child.
Keep on waving!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael lives in Fort Lee, New Jersey, with his lovely wife, Ginny, and his son. Ginny is the light of his life and the inspiration for many of his stories. Michael works in telecommunications and writes for a hobby.
totd
What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly. ~Richard Bach
Wow! Tony ... Dude!
That last one was great! It got me thinking ... which I don't do very much anymore.
Thanks.
totd
this song came to mind
If I ever feel the light again
Shinin' down on me
I don't have to tell you
How welcome it will be
I felt the light before
But I let it slip away
I still keep on believin'
It'll come back someday
It's not the spotlight
It ain't the candlelight
And it ain't the streetlight
Of some old street of dreams
It ain't the moonlight
Not even the sunlight
But I've seen it shinin' in your eyes
And you know what I mean
Sometimes I try to tell myself
"You know the light was never real" -
A fantasy that used to be the way I used to feel
But you and I know better now
Even though it's been so long
If your memory really serves you well
You'd never tell me I'm wrong
It's not the spotlight
It ain't the candlelight
And it ain't the streetlight
Of some old street of dreams (no - no)
It ain't the moonlight
Not even the sunlight
But I've seen it shinin' in your eyes
And you know what I mean
If I ever feel the light again
you know things will have to change
Names and faces, homes and places
Will have to be re-arranged
And you can help me come about
If you're ever so inclined
Ain't no rhyme or reason
A woman can't change her mind
It's not the spotlight
It ain't the candlelight
And it ain't the streetlight
Of some old street of dreams (no - no)
It ain't the moonlight
Not even the sunlight
But I've seen it shinin' in your eyes
And you know what I mean
(Barry Goldberg/Gerry Golfin
totd
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. ~Douglas Adams, Last Chance to See
totd
Every evening I turn my worries over to God. He's going to be up all night anyway. ~Mary C. Crowley
totd
A special thought for classmate Alfonsio Coscia and his family
He who has gone, so we but cherish his memory, abides with us, more potent, nay, more present than the living man. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery
totd
excerpt from the rising
Sky of blackness and sorrow ( a dream of life)
Sky of love, sky of tears (a dream of life)
Sky of glory and sadness ( a dream of life)
Sky of mercy, sky of fear ( a dream of life)
Sky of memory and shadow ( a dream of life)
Sky of longing and emptiness (a dream of life)
Sky of fullness, sky of blessed life
by
Bruce Springsteen
totd...
Prayers offered in times of peace are silent conversations,
Appeals for love or love's release
In private invocations
But all that is changed now,
Gone like a memory from the day before the fires.
People hungry for the voice of God
Hear lunatics and liars
Wartime prayers, wartime prayers
In every language spoken,
For every family scattered and broken.
Because you cannot walk with the holy,
If you're just a halfway decent man.
I don't pretend that I'm a mastermind
With a genius marketing plan.
I'm trying to tap into some wisdom,
Even a little drop will do.
I want to rid my heart of envy
And cleanse my soul of rage
Before I'm through.
Times are hard, it's a hard time
But everybody knows all about hard times.
The thing is, what are you gonna do?
Well, you cry and try to muscle through
Try to rearrange your stuff
But when the wounds are deep enough,
It's all that we can bear,
We wrap ourselves in prayer.
Because you cannot walk with the holy,
If you're just a halfway decent man.
I don't pretend that I'm a mastermind
With a genius marketing plan.
I'm trying to tap into some wisdom,
Even a little drop willdo.
I want to rid my heart of envy
And cleanse my soul of rage
Before I'm through.
A mother murmurs in twilight sleep
And draws her babies closer.
With hush-a-byes for sleepy eyes,
And kisses on the shoulder.
To drive away despair
She says a wartime prayer.
Paul Simon
totd . I wasn't sure what today's totd should be. I was listening to Bob Dylan's Modern Times last night and found this haunting song called ain't talking about a man's struggle through life appropriate today.
as i walked out tonight in the mystic garden
the wounded flowers were dangling from the vine
i was passing by yon cool crystal fountain
someone hit me from behind
ain't talking, just walking
through this weary world of woe
heart burning, still yearning
no one on earth would ever know
they say prayer has the power to heal
so pray for me, mother
in the human heart an evil spirit can dwell
i am trying to love my neighbor and do good unto others
but oh, mother, things ain't going well
ain't talking, just walking
i'll burn that bridge before you can cross
heart burning, still yearning
there'll be no mercy for you once you've lost
now i'm all worn down by weeping
my eyes are filled with tears, my lips are dry
if i catch my opponents ever sleeping
i'll just slaughter them where they lie
ain't talking, just walking
through the world mysterious and vague
heart burning, still yearning
walking through the cities of the plague.
well, the whole world is filled with speculation
the whole wide world which people say is round
they will tear your mind away from contemplation
they will jump on your misfortune when you're down
ain't talking, just walking
eating hog eyed grease in a hog eyed town.
heart burning, still yearning
some day you'll be glad to have me around.
they will crush you with wealth and power
every waking moment you could crack
i'll make the most of one last extra hour
i'll revenge my father's death then i'll step back
ain't talking, just walking
hand me down my walking cane.
heart burning, still yearning
got to get you out of my miserable brain.
all my loyal and my much-loved companions
they approve of me and share my code
i practice a faith that's been long abandoned
ain't no altars on this long and lonesome road
ain't talking, just walking
my mule is sick, my horse is blind.
heart burning, still yearning
thinking about that girl i left behind.
well, it's bright in the heavens and the wheels are flying
fame and honor never seem to fade
the fire gone out but the light is never dying
who says i can't get heavenly aid?
ain't talking, just walking
carrying a dead man's shield
heart burning, still yearning
walking with an ache in my heel
the suffering is unending
every nook and cranny has its tears
i'm not playing, i'm not pretending
i'm not nursing any superfluous fears
ain't talking, just walking
walking ever since the other night.
heart burning, still yearning
walking until i'm clean out of sight.
as i walked out in the mystic garden
on a hot summer day, a hot summer lawn
excuse me, ma'am, i beg your pardon
there's no one here, the gardener is gone
ain't talking, just walking
up the road, around the bend.
heart burning, still yearning
in the last outback at the world's end.
totd....well we'll close up the week we'll still searching....len should be back tomorrow...
excerpt from Meet me at Mary's Place
got seven pictures of Buddha
The prophet's on my tongue
Eleven angels of mercy
Sighin' over that black hole in the sun
My heart's dark but it's risin'
I'm pullin' all the faith I can see
From that black hole on the horizon
I hear your voice calling me
Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain
Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain, let it rain
I got a picture of you in my locket
I keep it close to my heart
A light shining in my breast
Leading me through the dark
Seven days, seven candles
In my window light your way
Your favorite record's on the turntable
I drop the needle and pray....
Bruce Springsteen
Hey y'all, I'm back!!
Thanks T-O-N-Y, did a great job!!!
Yes, I do catch up and read the totd's...
Really sorry to hear about Al's son. This folks is truly a tragedy, when a parent has to bury their child. It is not the natural order of things. And it is precisely these things that upset me the most.
When my daughter was diagnosed with JDMS, I prayed every night that He take me instead, that this was not fair. He, of course, has plans that we cannot even begin to understand (uh, we can't, we got little minds...). Al's child is happy now, we can take solace in that.
Peace to all,
Len
TOTD:
Life is mostly froth and bubble, but two things stand like stone,
kindness in another’s trouble and courage in your own.
Princess Diana
Good to see you back len...i apologize for quoting so many songs...and some were so long and winded they just felt right...
This is a good one, too bad mine is sort of dim
:
totd:
The difference between being knowledgeable and being enlightened is that one who is kowledgeable leads the way with a torch, while an enlightened one is a torch.
Anthony de Mello
Dr. Len! Great to see you're back, Dude! We all missed you.
I knew Alfonso but in a real sense he was more than just a friend; he was also the son of my landlord. I saw him more often than just at school. When I heard the news of his son's passing, I was struck, literally, speechless. Every day "Fonzie" was on my mind but I could not find the words to express how I felt. I wanted to write something here, on the Blog or even in my personal journal. But I couldn't. Still can't. To me, the whole concept of seeing own's child die is mind-boggling.
I still think about Alfonso everyday and still the words elude me.
Yes, I'm still workingon a cart-load of stuff. It's been slow going but I will be posting them sometime before doomsday - even though nobody comments on my brilliant work!(LOL) Also, I'm happy to see people from other corners of the world leave word. That is so cool!
And Tony, you certainly did a wonderful job. Others as well as myself truly appreciate it. If I could give medals on this Blog you certainly would get one. Gold, REAL gold - not those with the chocolate inside - with a purple thingie piece of material. Excellent Tony!
I'll be back ...
gee thanks Luke you make me blush...still; i didn't write the totd ... just quoted them from very talented and inspiring individuals...
True, Tony. But it takes someone with a keen eye and gentle heart - like you and Len - to tell the wisdom from the BS.
Gee thanks guys (sniff)...
I do not know 'Fonzie' well, but I sympathize with what he is going through. When my oldest daughter was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease when she was only 5, they told us in no uncertain terms that death could occur as this disease, while treatable, has no known cure. While she is in remission, this disease can come again at any time. I still live through this every day and will so for the rest of my life. Which brings us to today's TOTD:
The optimist thinks this is the best of all possible worlds. The pessimist fears it's true.
Robert Oppenheimer
TOTD:
In each of us are places where we have never gone. Only by pressing the limits do you ever find them.
Dr. Joyce Brothers
Have a great weekend everyone!!!
Peace,
Len
TOTD:
Friday Story
The Ice Cream 'Comb' Story
She was three. Just released from a far-away hospital after life threatening brain surgery, ready to take on the world again. I was happy just to have her back. My little "Mr. Clean" (shaven head and hoop earrings) and me driving along to our local mall. Hanging out with dad day. I recall her words as if it were yesterday.
"Daddy, can I get a treat?"
As she was understandably spoiled (if there is such a thing), I replied "ok honey, but just ONE". Her eyes beamed like the Fourth of July in anticipation of that something only she knew at the time.
We drove around to the new end of the mall on the normal seek-and-destroy mission of capturing a parking place. After all, it was Saturday. We landed a fair distance from our destination, and began walking hand-in-hand towards the entrance, her pace gaining momentum with each tiny step. A few feet from the doors she broke loose and ran hands-first into the thick wall of glass, trying with everything she had to swing the big doors open. No luck. With a little assistance, she 'did it' and tried the very same thing at the second set of doors.
It was then that I asked her what she wanted for her treat. Without hesitation, she matter-of-factly said "an ice-cream comb from the ice-cream store". Ok, the goal was set and we were in the mall!
But hold on! What was this? At the end of what was just an ordinary looking lane of retail chain outlets she spied something new- this huge fountain, water shooting who knows how high into the air. The new goal line!
She ran, and I walked (don't ya just hate it when parents let their kids run wild in public?), and we arrived at the spectacle at about the same time. The turbulent noise was almost deafening. "Daddy, can I make a wish, can I make a wish?" she screamed as she jumped with the kind of pure joy we've all long since forgotten.
"Sure honey, but that will be YOUR TREAT you know," I explained (gotta be firm with these kind of things).
She agreed.
I fumbled around in my pocket and pulled out what I think was a dime (big spender) and placed it in her outstretched hand. She cupped it tightly, closed her eyes and grimaced, formulating her wish. I stared at that little scrunched-up face and said my own kind of prayer of thanks, feeling so blessed to still have this ball of energy in my life. And then like a shooting star, the coin was flung into the foaming water and with it, her wish.
We happily continued our stroll into the familiar section of the mall. An eerie silence ensued, which I was admittedly uncomfortable with. I couldn't resist breaking it.
"Aren't you gonna tell daddy what you wished for?"
She retorted "I wished I could get an ice-cream comb".
I just about lost it right then and there. Couldn't imagine what the shoppers thought of this lunatic laughing uncontrollably in the middle of a crowded mall. And needless to say, she got her wish, and two treats.
Little did I know then that my beautiful little girl would soon embark on a long road of seizures, surgeries, special schools, medications and end up partially paralyzed on her right side. She never learned to ride a bike.
Today, she is almost seventeen. She cannot use her right hand and walks with a noticeable limp. But she has overcome what life seemed to so cruelly inflict on her. She was teased a lot and always struggled in school, both socially and academically. But each year she showed improvement. She is planning a career in early childhood education. With one year still remaining in high school, her and I, one night not too long ago mapped out all the courses she would need to take in community college. It was her idea. She volunteers weekly at a local hospital, on the children's floor. She baby-sits a neighbors children five days a week. On her own this year, she stood outside in line for four hours on a cold Canadian January afternoon and enrolled herself, with her own babysitting money, into two courses she felt she would need for college.
You see, to her failure was never an option.
It would almost be redundant for me to explain why I wanted to share this story with you. She IS my daughter and I carry all those fatherly biases with me wherever I go. But these aside, she is a very exceptional person and one that I admire and have learned a lot from.
It is my sincerest hope that her story will have even a momentary positive impact on you as a human being, a parent, a spouse or even, an entrepreneur.
I'd like to leave you with a closing thought. As human beings, we deserve all the treats, and the multitude of good things that life can offer us. We all have wishes and dreams, AND the power to make them reality. Just simple truths of the universe.
We can wish for, and get, that ice-cream comb.
(c)1999 Rick Beneteau
Rick Beneteau has been marketing on the Internet "forever" and has touched a lot of lives with his various works. But none even compare to his latest project, which is mind-blowing. Check out TenMillionClicksForPeace.org . What's really neat about this site is that you can actually see how much good you're doing in the world because they've got something called a "Personal Peace Impact Meter" that measures the peace you're creating
totd
Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day. ~Quoted in P.S. I Love You, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
totd...
Was going make an Elvis Presley quote the totd will postphone for next week...than i changed my mind...thought about the people in Jamaica and the Carribeans and this Jimmy Cliff tune came to mind.
Sitting in Limbo
Sitting here in Limbo
Waiting for the tide turn
Yeah, now, sitting here in Limbo,
So many things I've got to learn
Meanwhile, they're putting up a resistance,
But I know that my faith will lead me on
Sitting here in Limbo
Waiting for the dice to roll
Yeah, now, sitting here in Limbo,
Still got some time to search my soul
Meanwhile, they're putting up a resistance,
But I know that my faith will lead me on
I don't know where life will take me,
But I know where I have been
I don't know what life will show me,
But I know what I have seen
Tried my hand at love and friendship,
That is past and gone
And now it's time to move along
Sitting here in Limbo
Like a bird ain't got a song
Yeah, I'm sitting here in Limbo
And I know it won't be long
'Til I make my getaway, now
Meanwhile, they're putting up a resistance,
But I know that my faith will lead me on
I don't know where life will take me,
But I know where I have been
I don't know what life will show me,
But I know what I have seen
Tried my hand at love and friendship,
That is past and gone
And now it's time to move along
Gonna lead me on now
Meanwhile, they're putting up resistance,
But I know that my faith will lead me on
Sitting in Limbo, Limbo, Limbo
Sitting in Limbo, Limbo, Limbo
Sitting in Limbo, Limbo, Limbo
Meanwhile, they're putting up a resistance,
But I know that my faith will lead me on
Have a Good week you all...leave you with the faithful hands of Len...
Welcome one and all,
a rather fitting totd for this forum...
TOTD:
The mediocre teacher tells.
The good teacher explains.
The superior teacher demonstrates.
The great teacher inspires.
William Arthur Ward
We can all learn from this one:
TOTD:
We must not allow other people's limited perceptions to define us.
Virginia Satir
TOTD:
Everybody is unique. Compare not yourself with anybody else lest you spoil God's curriculum.
Baal Shem Tov
TOTD:
Character is who you are when no one is watching.
Anonymous
Well, this one is true. Ones' real character does show itself once all alone. I find a lot of people put up a 'show' in fron of others (notice that I said a lot, not all).
Later,
LS
Have a good weekend everyone!!
TOTD:
FRIDAY STORY
The Young Lion
By Orison S. Marden
A young lion, as the fable runs, was one day playing alone in the forest while his mother slept.
As the different objects attracted his attention, he thought he would explore a bit and see what the great world beyond his home was like. Before he realized it, he had wandered so far that he could not find his way back.
He was lost.
Very much frightened, he ran frantically in every direction calling piteously for his mother, but no mother responded.
Weary with his wanderings, he did not know what to do, when a sheep, whose offspring had been taken from her, hearing his pitiful cries, made friends with the lost lion, and adopted him.
The sheep became very fond of her foundling, which in a short while grew so much larger than herself that at times she was almost afraid of it.
The foster mother and her adopted lived very happily together, until one day a magnificent lion appeared, sharply outlined against the sky, on the top of an opposite hill. He shook his tawny inane and uttered a terrific roar, which echoed through the hills.
The sheep mother stood trembling, paralyzed with fear. But the moment this strange sound reached his ears, the young lionlistened as though spellbound, and a strange feeling which he had never before experienced surged through his being until be was all a-quiver.
The lion's roar had touched a chord in his nature that had never before been touched. It aroused a new force within him which he had never felt before.
New desires, a strange new consciousness of power possessed him. A new nature stirred in him, and instinctively, without a thought of what he was doing, he answered the lion's call with a corresponding roar.
Trembling with mingled fear, surprise and bewilderment at the new powers aroused within him, the awakened animal gave his foster mother a pathetic glance, and then, with a tremendous leap, started toward the lion on the hill.
The lost lion had found himself.
Up to this he had gamboled around his sheep mother just as though he were a lamb developing into a sheep, never dreaming he could do anything that his companions could not do, or that he had any more strength than the ordinary sheep.
He never imagined that there was within him a power which would strike terror to the beasts of the jungle. He simply thought he was a sheep, and would run at the sight of a dog and tremb1e at the howl of a wolf.
Now he was amazed to see the dogs, the wolves, and other animals which formerly had so terrified him flee from him.
----------------
There is in every normal human being a Sleeping lion. It is just a question of arousing it, just a question of something happening that will awaken us, stir the depths of our being, and arouse the sleeping power within us.
Just as the young lion, after it had once discovered that it was a lion would never again be satisfied to live the life of a sheep, when we discover that we are more than mere clay, when we at last become Conscious that we are more than human, that we are gods in the making, we shall never again be satisfied to live the life of common clods of earth.
We shall feel a new sense of power welling up within us, a power which we never before dreamed we possessed, and never he quite the same again, never again he content with low-flying ideals, with a cheap success.
Ever after we will aspire. We will look up, struggle up and on to higher and ever higher planes.
totd
Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain't goin' away.”
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley was inspired and was at his most inspiring when he sang gospel....and here is one of them
Help Me
Lord, Help me walk
Another mile, just one more mile;
I'm tired of walkin' all alone.
Lord, Help me smile
Another smile, just one more smile;
You know I just can't make it on my own.
I never thought I needed help before;
I thought that I could get by - by myself.
Now I know I just can't take it any more.
With a humble heart, on bended knee,
I'm beggin' You, please, Help Me.
Come down from Your golden
throne to me, to lowly me;
I need to feel the touch of Your tender hand.
Remove the chains of darkness
Let me see, Lord let me see;
Just where I fit into your master plan.
I never thought I needed help before;
I thought that I could get by - by myself.
Now I know I just can't take it any more.
With a humble heart, on bended knee,
I'm beggin' You, please, Help Me.
Lyrics Larry Gatlin /Music Johnny Cash
Sorry for my tardiness folks...
QUESTION: What is the reason for your tardiness?
ANSWER: The reason for my tardiness is that I am late!
This is a GREAT TOTD!!!!!!
TOTD:
Never fear shadows.
They simply mean there's a light somewhere nearby.
Ruth E. Renkee
totd .. two for the price of one
I wonder what Alicia Keys is doing today...
Life is a long lesson in humility. ~James M. Barrie
sorry len....i thought you had taken the day off....oh well !!! we can nver have too many totd...
I know I wrote this before somewhere, but this dialogue with Joan and God is worth repeating:
The Uncertainty Principle - Episode 11.
God - Exactly like light. Nobody is born in total darkness. Most of you live on the grey end of the spectrum, a lie here and there, jealousy, wrath. But you only get to absolute evil by doing one thing after another till eventually you're transformed.
Joan - Like...into a monster.
God - A monster is a creature with no consciousness. They're extremely rare, but they do exist.
Joan - Have you watched the news? I'm not sure they're so rare.
God - Almost everybody has some light somewhere. And light is always worth fighting for
Sometimes we (me included) say that people are evil. Not so. Like the above quote says, we are all in the grey zone. We strive for goodness but inherently fail. Even the saints stumbled. The point I am trying to make I guess is that we have to keep trying, no matter how unfair life seems to us, and I know all of us think so in one way or another. Like I told my Sunday school kids awhile back: if you cannot remember the 10 commandments, remember what Jesus said (paraphrasing here folks): Love one another as I have loved you. This perfectly summarizes the Message. No matter how bad it may seem or how we may react, we will fail but it is up to us to admit our wrongdoing, make our peace, ask for forgiveness and move on.
*We cannot fail if we do not give up.*
This TV series is written by a practising Catholic, Barbara Hall. She also wrote other tv shows like Northern Exposure, I'll fly Away, Chicago Hope, Judging Amy, and even her sister also penned a few for the M*A*S*H series. Quality shows. But Joan of Arcadia was her idea. Even though it managed only 2 seasons and ended in 2005, there are still websites and forums out there with a loyal following. You may catch it on tv once in a while. Every episode has a message. While Barbara had to tone down Catholic messages due to the show being aired on a public network, the messages are clear for anyone, with or without a religious background. Her message was simple: Live to your potential. Use the gifts that God gave you to the limit.
The dialogue was meticulous, even the music was carefully chosen. She was disappointed when the show was cancelled but said that nothing is impossible. Maybe a book, or a series of, one never knows. A show for the family. One of the few. I put the quotes here once in a while. They do make sense you know, unless of course I am crazy (blahblahblahblah...)
On a sidenote, after much reflection and prayer, I have asked to teach again @ Our Lady of Pompei Catechism on Sundays. I said I would not (when they asked me again awhile ago) because of all the other activites but the urge, the calling was soooo strong that I could not resist. So, while I did request too late, they said they would see if they could squeeze me in. Or, I could act as a substitute for a sick instructor. Whatever, all I know is that, for some reason, I HAVE to do this. It is stronger than me. It really is.
OK, so I spoke my peace. What say you all?
Peace
Len
Oh and by the way, if you can download the song "Have a little Faith in me" by John Hiatt or one of its many cover versions (Joe Cocker, Jewel and others but NOT Mandy Moore's version, takes away something though I am not sure what) it is sooooo worth it.
Whew, I was long-winded yesterday, wasn't I? Sorry 'bout that y'all...
TOTD:
Reflect that life, like every other blessing, derives its value from its use alone.
Samuel Johnson
Hi all!
I know, I know. Bad me!!!
I'm here now.
Was reading and must say, it's all good. Very interesting and touching as well.
Tony and Len, Gr8 work. Loved them.
Len, be strong as you always are for ur daughter. Kuddos, my friend.
Tony, you are simply 1 of a kind.
Luke, your work is spectacular as always and I do comment on your work. I commented on you latest 2. (videos)
Did you get the aero stuff I sent?? Also sent you other stuff. Let me know, buddy.
Lots been happpening but all good. Summer was fine and dandy.
Leaving for 3 days to Vegas in Sept for my 15th Wedding Anniversary. Should be fun.
Hey guys, keep up the good work and y'all be well. I will try to come back soon. Take care and keep in touch sometimes.
Ciao, ciao
xoxoxo
Please note:
The version of "Greensleeves" with King Henry VII's lyrics has been added to the post of the same name.
(Oh, just trying to sound official and all)
For today folks!
TOTD:
Confidence doesn’t come out of nowhere. It’s a result of something…hours and days and weeks and years of constant work and dedication.
Roger Staubach
Well,
I received some disheartening news today and I really did not feel like posting a Friday story. I figure if I cannot give 100% to my research to find a decent story, I would just rather not.
But I do believe in good ripples. I believe that we should use God's gift that was given to each and every one of us to its fullest. Whether it be teaching, hairdressing, drawing, music, whatever. Ripples spread out, like throwing a rock into a pond and if ones' actions are good, good ripples will spread to others, likewise if one is bad. Every action has consequences, no matter how miniscule. Do not ever forget that. We are all important in God's eyes. There is no irrelevance, no little person. Even the street beggar can create a difference in someone's life.
Many 'ordinary' people helped influence my life, some for the worse, most for the better. To those, I thank. One is a missionary priest, a couple of others are/were teachers, others will friends. No one is irrelevant.
On a sidenote, I recently had the privelege of watching a Barbara Hall interview explaining he Joan of Arcadia series (yes I know...)and her basis or rules if you will were/are the following:
* 1. God cannot directly intervene.
* 2. Good and evil exist.
* 3. God can never identify one religion as being right.
* 4. The job of every human being is to fulfill his or her true nature.
* 5. Everyone is allowed to say "no" to God, including Joan.
* 6. God is not bound by time. This is a human concept.
* 7. God is not a person and does not possess a human personality.
* 8. God talks to everyone all the time in different ways.
* 9. God's plan is what is good for us, not what is good for him.
* 10. God's purpose for talking to Joan, and everyone, is to get her (us) to recognize the interconnectedness of all things - i.e., you cannot hurt a person without hurting yourself; all of your actions have consequences; God can be found in the smallest actions; God expects us to learn and grow from all our experiences. However, the exact nature of God is a mystery, and the mystery can never be solved.
Potent stuff.
I bid you adieu until the next time(Monday).
Peace,
Len
OK, let me clarify. The above 10 rules were set by her to create the show. I like #10 the best. Barbara really is a true Catholic... . Forget it, a good human being with ideas, and good ones at that.
Peace,
Len
totd...still wondering what Alicia Keys is doing today lol !!!
Happy Labor day weekend everyone!!!
Labor Day is a glorious holiday because your child will be going back to school the next day. It would have been called Independence Day, but that name was already taken. ~Bill Dodds
totd
But words are powerful than perhaps anyone suspects, and once deeply engraved in a child's mind, they are not easily eradicated.
May Sarton, I Knew a Phoenix
oops meanth more powerful....have a good day peoples
Oh T,
Don't worry about a little mistake like that. LOL!! It's all goood, my friend.
Heck! I know it's late and all in me saying this but....Have a good last day of the long weekend. Such a beautiful day it will be. Enjoy one and all.
Len, God bless!
Be well, y'all.
Hugs
totd
I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion. ~Henry David Thoreau
totd
Len where are you...hope everything is alright...thought of this one today...
Keep on pushing
I've got to keep on pushing (mmm-hmm)
I can't stop now
Move up a little higher
Some way, somehow
'Cause I've got my strength
And it don't make sense
Not to keep on pushin'
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Keep on pushin'
Now maybe some day
I'll reach that higher goal
I know that I can make it
With just a little bit of soul
'Cause I've got my strength
And it don't make sense
Not to keep on pushin'
Now look-a look (look-a look)
A-look-a yonder
What's that I see
A great big stone wall
Stands there ahead of me
But I've got my pride
And I'll move on aside
And keep on pushin'
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Keep on pushin'
Keep on pushin'...
Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions can be found on You Tube search for The Impressions
( Curtis Mayfield)
totd
Can anything be so elegant as to have few wants, and to serve them one's self? ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Sorry folks,
Too busy, barely have time to breathe...
TOTD:
Make it a rule of life never to regret and never to look back.
Regret is an appalling waste of energy; you can't build on it,
it's only good for wallowing in.
Katherine Mansfield
Hiya Folks!!!
Just dropping in to share. I read this many years ago and it had a profound effect on me. I re-read it and I'm still. You might even recognize it.
Be Well and Love the World!
DESIDERATA
Go placidly amid the noise and haste,and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter;for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery.But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars;you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you,no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.
- Max Ehrmann
Have a good weekend everyone and live, live, LIVE!!!
TOTD:
FRIDAY STORY
Learning to Live
By Amber Thomure
In life we all learn to walk and talk, we struggle to survive. To learn to live though is another atter. We tend to acquire that knowledge the hard way. I realized this when my father died. I wanted to do so much more with him and now that I see how short life is, I understand the importance of putting first things first. I have chosen to live life as a participant, not a spectator; my first experience with death actually taught me how to live.
I can recall the day clearly; it was August 27th, 1991. It was a beautiful bright sunny day just outside of Sacramento California, my father and I spent his last day alive at the State Fair. We were there all day long, from open to close. We did everything we could: saw all the exhibits, rode all the rides, played all the games and of course ate our fair share of cotton candy and snacks. Towards the end of the day he was getting tired and slowing down. At the time I really didn’t think much of it, we were both wearing thin. Now of course I realize what was happening, he was starting to have a heart attack.
Once we got home I was out like a light, but before I fell asleep I remember thinking that this was the best day of my life. I was definitely “Daddy’s Girl” and that day I had him all to myself, something that was very rare. That was the last night for many years I could fall asleep feeling like everything in my life was okay and all was well in the world. I was young, just thirteen years old, I was naive and my father was my personal hero. I had no idea something like that would or even could ever happen to me, or to him. As a child I lost my father and he lost his life. I was of course devastated when my mother woke me up in the wee hours of the morning to tell me the news.
The next few years were difficult; my entire world had been shredded, torn apart and turned upside down. My mom and I ended up moving, her to Arizona and me to here, there and everywhere. I stayed with friends and acquaintances, I felt isolated for quite some time. There were no more fair days, no more piggy back rides, no more “Daddy’s Little Girl”. I turned to my family and faith for guidance and support. Although it was a fight I ultimately learned that living is more important than surviving.
As adults it’s easy to miss out on life, at least the part that matters. Jobs, problems, or whatever the pressing issues of the day are, can easily overshadow what matters most to us. Things like family, friends and our own happiness are often neglected or pushed to the back burner. We say we want to spend time with the people we love, so then why don’t we? Why is it that we spend our time on other things? Imagine that you are sick, really sick, would the world keep going? Then what if you took a vacation day every once in awhile, would everything really fall apart? Of course the world would keep turning; the reality is, the world will keep going once we are gone. We all have to find time to turn off our cell phones and really be there for each other, to live.
It took me many years and a lot of soul searching to come to this point, but my personal mission statement is “I will not just survive, I will live”. That same statement will mean a variety of things to other people, but here’s what it means to me. Buy the perfect dress, eat ice cream for breakfast, go on the trip of a lifetime. Just stay true to yourself and focused on what matters most , it does not mean is to be irresponsible or live each day as if were your last. We all have bills to pay and responsibilities to meet. However, there are ways of enjoying life and still meeting your obligations. Be the first one to jump in the pool, sing karaoke in front of your friends, just live your life so you don’t look back and say I wish I would have done more, or I missed out. Just getting the most out of life, to me that is truly living.
The way I see it is, the smallest tasks can be the greatest gifts. We can decide that everyday is valuable and treat it so. Routine jobs can be thought of events, things like grocery shopping or driving to work can be looked at in a positive way. We can sing in the shower, we can have a blast making dinner, its all in our perspective and how we choose to live.
I am married now and my husband and I have a son together, we both want him to be able to look back at his childhood and know that he was important. We work at spending time together, and by spending I don’t mean in the sense that “Time is Money” because its not. It’s much more valuable than that. We make a point do things as a family, whether it’s a vacation to Hawaii, a trip to the circus or just watching TV we do it together. I believe that we show him our love, by enjoying the simple things with him, through our actions not only our words.
We were all born and will all die, the question is what will happen in between. Will you simply walk or will you skip and dance? Will you only talk or can you listen and sing? Will you survive or will you live? My father may not have had a long life, but he lived!
Smilin' Irishman,
I'm still in awe over Desiderata. I am STILL reading it over and over, and everytime I discover something new. Ok, gotta go back and work now before I get caught...
totd
Chapter 44
Fame or integrity: which is more important?
Money or happiness: which is more valuable?
Success of failure: which is more destructive?
If you look to others for fulfillment,
you will never truly be fulfilled.
If your happiness depends on money,
you will never be happy with yourself.
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.
Tao Te Ching.author Lao-Tzu...english translation The Book of The Way
totd...second quote from the tao perhaps one of the wisest books ever written.
Have a Good week
Chapter 76
Men are born soft and supple;
dead, they are stiff and hard.
Plats are born tender and pliant;
dead, they are brittle and dry.
Thus whoever is stiff and inflexible
is a disciple of death.
Whoever is soft and yielding
is a disciple of life.
The hard and stiff will be broken.
The soft and supple will prevail.
Hey y'all!!!
Hope you had a great weekend!
Now we begin another one (drag...)
TOTD:
He who gains a victory over other men is strong; but he who gains a victory over himself is all powerful.
Lao Tzu
Weird! I just put in a tots from Lao without realizing what Tony added this weekend. Great minds think alike!
Peace out y'all!
Len
TOTD:
People who soar, are those who refuse to sit back and wish things would change.
Charles R. Swindoll
So, I went over to Hema-Quebec yesterday and did a scary thing - volunteered to be a stem cell donor. Ugh. I hate needles. They drew some blood for testing. That was OK. So then I thought to myself, what about giving blood since I was here? I asked the nurse, and she looked lind of shocked. "You want to?", she asked, rather increduously. I of course said "Cha!". She didn't understand that so I simply said 'yes'. So, after an hour later, I completed what I set out to do and thanked the Lord for helping me through it. That was my day.
I miss me...
Beautiful totd, keep redaing...
Peace
Len
TOTD:
We all came into this world gifted with innocence, but gradually, as we became more intelligent, we lost our innocence. We were born with silence and as we grew up, we lost the silence and were filled with words. We lived in our hearts and as time passed, we moved into our heads.
Now the reversal of this journey is enlightenment. It is the journey from the head back to the heart, from words back to silence; getting back to our innocence in spite of our intelligence. Although very simple, this is a great achievement.
Eckhart Tolle
Ok, am dylsecix I so...
totd:
Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
spacecowboyLenny Ole Boy;
that was a great TOTD!
But Awwwnold? Wow! It so happens that I've been working on my Arnold impersonation lately.Actually, it's not that hard - constict the throat like so, move the mouth like so and voila! I am constantly amazed how folk react - not impressed, actually, the look on their faces is one of shock. Wonder why ...
Well, keep those grains of wisdom coming, Len. Whenever I miss a TOTD my day just ain't right.
I know, I was shocked a little meeself!!!
As for me, I will be roasting peppers on the BBQ this weekend!! Have a good one y'all!
TOTD:
Friday Story
Chance
By Kathleene S. Baker
Lainie’s career flourished after her move to California. She loved her job, the mild weather, and the circle of close friends she acquired. At 35 years of age, Lainie was content with everything in her life, except the deafening tick of her biological clock!
Lainie’s last few birthdays had been dreaded reminders that she was still single and childless. Being the product of a large family, five siblings to be exact, she yearned to have a child of her own. She worried, she stewed, and studied her financial situation. Once sure she could handle all aspects of being a single mother, she discussed the situation with close friends, as well as her mother. After a bit more deliberation, she opted to “go for it.” As if by design, her first attempt at invitro fertilization was successful. Lainie was thrilled!
The first 27 weeks of Lainie’s pregnancy were perfect and each day her excitement soared. At 28 weeks things changed in a heartbeat; the situation became critical and she was terrified. When preeclampsia reared its ugly head, an emergency C-section was the only option. Moreover, it came with no promise of survival for Mother or child. Lainie had already named her unborn son, Chance, and she prayed to God for just that—a chance of survival for her child.
Weighing in at 1 pound and 15 ounces, the premature baby boy had been aptly named, for he was given a 50-50 chance of making it through his first night. Should he survive, he faced the probability of numerous health problems: mental retardation, cerebral palsy, blindness, and cystic fibrosis, to name only a few. The doctors were straightforward and not encouraging.
Lainie remained in intensive care for 10 anxiety-ridden days while her tiny son struggled to live. She held him for the first time when he was one week old. After three months in Neonatal Intensive Care, an overjoyed, yet fearful Mother took her still-fragile infant home. Lainie’s mother traveled from Kansas to aid her youngest daughter and brand new grandson.
Due to chronic lung disease in premature babies, Chance would not be a daycare candidate for 2 years and Lainie was forced to make several major decisions. She left California and moved into her mother’s roomy home in Kansas. Mom was more than willing to provide the emotional support Lainie needed and to help care for her young grandson.
Lainie was unable to continue her established career path in Kansas. Instead, her employment took the route of temporary jobs. Chance’s therapy sessions and endless doctor appointments required her schedule to be flexible.
At 18 months of age Chance lags behind developmentally for a child his age, but he makes progress daily. It appears he has avoided all of the possible maladies that once loomed in his future. Furthermore, Chance dodged two additional obstacles that were thrown in his path—those being, kidney and heart surgery. Both issues resolved themselves with no logical or scientific explanation! Since birth, it seems Chance has been cradled in God’s loving hands.
When I last visited Chance, his bright eyes danced and he giggled while giving grandma “high fives” one after the other. In addition, the smile that graced grandma’s proud face was priceless.
Despite all adjustments and challenges encountered, Chance fills Lainie’s life with love, light, and joy daily. With mountains of love, a multitude of prayers, and the grace of God, “chances are” that Chance will lead a completely normal life…
©2007Kathleene S. Baker
totd
To eat an egg, you must break the shell. ~Jamaican Proverb
totd...this little number from the late Robert Palmer came to mind...you may listen to it type robert palmer you tube ...have a good week peoples
Every Kinda of People
Said the fight to make ends meet
Keeps a man upon his feet
Holding down his job
Trying to show he can't be bought
Ooh, it takes every kind of people
To make what life's about, yeah
Every kind of people
To make the world go round
Someone's looking for a lead
In his duty to a King or to a creed
Protecting what he feels is right
Fights against wrong with his life
There's no profit in deceit
Honest men know that
Revenge does not taste sweet
Whether yellow, black or white
Each and every man's the same inside
Ooh, it takes every kind of people
To make what life's about, yeah
It takes every kind of people
To make the world go round
You know that love's the only goal
That could bring a peace to any soul
Hey, and every man's the same
He wants the sunshine in his name
Ooh, it takes every kind of people
To make what life's about, yeah
It takes every kind of people
To make the world go round
It takes every kind of people
To make what life's about, yeah
Every kind of people
To make the world go round
Nice one Tony.
Guess what?? I think I'll be #400 after I post this. Yahoooooo........Do I get a prize Len?? Hey Len?? Do I get one??
Hope y'all had a nice weekend.
Luke,
Still waiting for ur e-mail reply. Yooo hooo!! Where are you??
Ciao y'all. Later Dudes.
Huggies
Hey y'all, Di reached #400!!!!
Have a good one.
And guess what...I'll be teaching catechism at Our Lady of Pompei so watch out....
TOTD:
Optimists enrich the present, enhance the future,
challenge the improbable and attain the impossible.
William Arthur Ward
Well, as far as a prize is concerned, That's up to Luke, after all it's got his name you know...
Nice TOTD, Len!
Ok. I'll wait for Luke to give me a prize.....
Lukey,
What is it?? Yup! What is my prize?
Ciao, ciao
Tink:
Little did I know that 400 was such a significant number. However, a promise is a promise (even when it's made by someone else ... Len!!!). I will look through my stuff to see if I've got anything that would be worthy as a prize. It ain't gonna be fancy, little lady, but it'll show our appreciation.
Please stand by ...
TOTD:
Science may have found a cure for most evils, but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all - the apathy of human beings.
Helen Keller
OK, so I'm going to choir practice tonight and I have a cold....
TOTD:
Friendship is a mysterious power: you show your friend your weakness, and somehow you are both the stronger.
Martin Amis
TOTD:
Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls... A joyful heart is the inevitable result of a heart burning with love.
Mother Teresa
So, it's Friday everyone and I got choir practice again tonight, Ugh, I hope that we'll sound better...
Peace
Len
FRIDAY STORY
That Old Cedar Chest
By Linda Hastings
The old cedar chest sat in my Mother’s mobile home in the same spot for over 35 years. It was returned to her and my Dad when my grandmother passed away in 1958 and when my parents divorced in 1970, my Mother took sole possession.
I wondered over the years as it sat unnoticed, covered in dust and clothed in memories just how it came into our family. Dad recalled the story of how back in the forties he and my Mother had promised to buy my grandmother a new refrigerator, but by the time they were financially able, she had already gotten one on her own. So Dad and Mother went down to Hart’s Furniture Store in Dallas and picked out the cedar chest for her – it was a birthday present. With a twinkle in his eyes, and a grin on his face, he continued to tell me how it was bought on credit, credit first earned by making good on a prior note for a Hi-Fi. Although it isn’t clear what that cedar chest cost at the time, I’m sure on a carpenter’s salary, it was much more than my parents could afford. Dad recalled that they paid $5.00 a month until it was paid in full.
Over the 35 years that it remained in my Mother’s possession, my brothers, sister and me, at one time or another, had asked to claim it when she was gone. Each time the subject came up she would just ignore us, knowing each of us had asked. However, upon my Mother’s death the only thing spelled out in her Will was her desire to see it rightfully placed. The instructions read that we were to place all the kids’ names in a hat and draw one – the winner would get that old cedar chest.
In the months that followed my mother’s sudden death, I was left with the necessary task of going through her home and removing her belongings. No one seemed to care about what she left behind and my siblings surely couldn’t be bothered with sifting through the modest home she had lived in for so long. So the task became mine and mine alone. Little by little, trip after trip, bag by bag I dissolved her life there of 35 years. Each time I came I barley noticed the cedar chest. It couldn’t be opened anyhow, I told myself, I knew that years before the key had been broken off in the lock and Mother never bothered to get it fixed. Besides, it had sat in the same place for so long, it was hardly noticed - at least until everything else was gone. So there it sat, staring right at me, like a part of her and I wondered what to do. The Will was clear enough, but what now? Did my brothers and sister care to claim their rights to it? I left the empty house once more and left it behind until I at least spoke to them.
When we sold her place, it was obvious that the worn out old chest with decades of memories tucked secretly inside had to leave as well. So on Mother’s Day, just two months after she died, my husband would load it on to his truck and bring it to our home. As we off loaded it into the garage, he could see the sadness on my face. Quickly to lighten the mood, he asked “what’s inside”? I replied, “I really don’t know, the key was broken off years ago and it’s been locked ever since”. “Do you want it open?” he asked. With a tinge of apprehension, I answered, “yes, of course I do”, and within moments he had it open.
For a solid week my husband and I cleaned, polished and worked to restore that piece of family history. Knowing how much it meant to me, he cared for it with gentle hands and loving kindness, and every night after dinner he would disappear into the garage to pick up where he left off.
Days passed and I avoided the inevitable – going through it and looking at its ‘treasures’. Something holding me back, something pushing me to look, yet I couldn’t and I didn’t know why. It’s not that I hadn’t wondered all these years what it held, I had. It’s not that I thought there would be something inside I didn’t want to find. It’s not even that I thought it contained secrets kept by my Mother. Yet something still held me back, why?
Finally, alone one day, I managed the courage to look inside. Like a living diary the contents told me of the simple life my parents had lived. There were notes and letters, Christmas cards and photos, my Father’s baby book and my Mother’s first Bible. My Grandmother’s glasses and cloth diapers my baby brother wore along with his wristband from the nursery when he was born. My oldest brothers Army photo – PFC William Ray Mangum and a Japanese kimono my Dad sent his Mother during his stop in Japan during World War II. There was a letter to my mother written just a month after I was born from Mrs. Richard McQuery. Another letter from a new mother to mine asked, “what does your diet consist of to make good milk, my son doesn’t seem to be getting satisfied with mine”.
Little treasures that meant something to my Mother, a woman of modest and simple means and to anyone else they were of little to no value, not really worth keeping, let alone storing away in that old cedar chest, but they were important to her and they would remain. So as I knelt down to close it, I saw it there, in the lid, written in my Mother’s own handwriting, “this cedar chest belongs to Linda” and I knew, right then and there, that old cedar chest had once again found its way home
totd
Freedom is the oxygen of the soul. ~Moshe Dayan
totd
Happy b day Bruce
TUNNEL OF LOVE
Fat man sitting on a little stool
Takes the money from my hand while his eyes take a walk all over you
Hands me the ticket smiles and whispers good luck
Cuddle up angel cuddle up my little dove
We'll ride down baby into this tunnel of love
I can feel the soft silk of your blouse
And them soft thrills in our little fun house
Then the lights go out and it's just the three of us
You me and all that stuff we're so scared of
Gotta ride down baby into this tunnel of love
There's a crazy mirror showing us both in 5-D
I'm laughing at you you're laughing at me
There's a room of shadows that gets so dark brother
It's easy for two people to lose each other in this tunnel of love
It ought to be easy ought to be simple enough
Man meets woman and they fall in love
But the house is haunted and the ride gets rough
And you've got to learn to live with what you can't rise above if you want to ride on down in through this tunnel of love
Bruce Springsteen
Welcome back y'all:
TOTD:
Good friends and excellent teachers - Stick close to them! Wealth and power are fleeting dreams but wise words perfume the world for ages.
Ryokan
TOTD:
Everything is dependent on everything else, everything is connected, nothing is separate. Therefore everything is going in the only way it can go. If people were different everything would be different. They are what they are, so everything is as it is.
G.I. Gurdjieff
Luke,
I'm still standing by..... :o)
Well, it's my Dad's B-Day 2day and he just turned 70.
WOW!! Already. Geeze how time flies.....
We are planning a surprise party on Sat.
Anyhoot, wishing youze a good day, eh!!
Later, guys.
Huggies to all
TOTD:
Keep on going, and the chances are that you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I never heard of anyone ever stumbling on something sitting down.
Charles F. Kettering
"Tinkebell"? What awe you from New Joisey? You're drinking too much cawfee. Ahh, just joking, Tink.
Standing by? Where? You're making me paranoid, dearie. Okay, I've been kinda lax but you gave me a lot to "tink" about (Ha - snort!). I'll be in touch soon. Lots to talk about.
BTW, I like you little bonhomme! Never thought of that. Cute.
A la prochaine.
TOTD:
The deepest secret is that life is not a process of discovery, but a process of creation. You are not discovering yourself, but creating yourself anew. Seek, therefore not to find out who you are, seek to determine who you want to be.
Conversations With God
Have a good weekend everyone:
FRIDAY STORY
It Takes Courage
Author Unknown
It takes strength to be firm,
It takes courage to be gentle.
It takes strength to conquer,
It takes courage to surrender.
It takes strength to be certain,
It takes courage to have doubt.
It takes strength to fit in,
It takes courage to stand out.
It takes strength to feel a friend's pain,
It takes courage to feel your own pain.
It takes strength to endure abuse,
It takes courage to stop it.
It takes strength to stand alone,
It takes courage to lean on another.
It takes strength to love,
It takes courage to be loved.
It takes strength to survive,
It takes courage to live.
len very good friday story...
totd
An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind. ~Mahatma Gandhi
totd...
Have a Great Week...Peace
Fire and Rain
Just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone
Susanne the plans they made put an end to you
I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song
I just cant remember who to send it to
Ive seen fire and Ive seen rain
Ive seen sunny days that I thought would never end
Ive seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that Id see you again
Wont you look down upon me, jesus
Youve got to help me make a stand
Youve just got to see me through another day
My bodys aching and my time is at hand
And I wont make it any other way
Oh, Ive seen fire and Ive seen rain
Ive seen sunny days that I thought would never end
Ive seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that Id see you again
Been walking my mind to an easy time my back turned towards the sun
Lord knows when the cold wind blows itll turn your head around
Well, theres hours of time on the telephone line to talk about things
To come
Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground
Oh, Ive seen fire and Ive seen rain
Ive seen sunny days that I thought would never end
Ive seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that Id see you, baby, one more time again, now
Thought Id see you one more time again
Theres just a few things coming my way this time around, now
Thought Id see you, thought Id see you fire and rain, now
James Taylor
totd
My favorite word Joy..a state of happiness or felicity.Intense and especially ecstatic or exultant happiness.
The expression or manifestation of such feeling.
A source or an object of pleasure or satisfaction
Joy is the word which appears most in the bible a grand total of 250 times...
Sorry about yesterday....
TOTD:
It is impossible for the human mind to remain completely without thought for long times. On the other hand, too many small, unimportant thoughts can fill the mind to the extent that no meaningful thought takes place.
Tomio Hirai in Zen Meditation Therapy
TOTD: Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.
Hyman Judah Schachtel
TOTD:
Life is not a problem to be solved but a reality to be experienced.
Soren Kierkegaard
OK, so tomorrow will be my last posting here (for a few days). I will be, what's that word? Convalescence I think. So in case I forget tomorrow, may all of you have a happy and very blessed Thanksgiving and I hope that will hear from you soon.
Tony as usual, can you pick up the slack?...
peace,
Len
Len...i will pick up the slack rest up...and please come back in fine form
TOTD:
People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down
by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.
totd
Could we see when and where we are to meet again, we would be more tender when we bid our friends goodbye. ~Marie Louise De La Ramee
totd
Pleasure is the flower that passes; remembrance, the lasting perfume. ~Jean de Boufflers
totd
Happy Thanksgiving everyone....
a relaxing number today from a fine feel good cd Introducing Joss Stone....How about some
Music
Nothing in this world got me like you do baby
I'd give up my soul
If I couldn't sing with you daily
I'm not the only girl
In love with you it's crazy
I appreciate your groove
Now I know I owe everything to you
[CHORUS]
Music
I'm so in love with my music
The way you keep me
Movin
Ain't nobody doing what you're doing
Doing, doing
So bring me back to the day
When tape decks press play
DJ drop the needle til the
Record just break
You are my sunlight
You are the one mic
That sound so sweet because the beat just inspires me
Ooh
[VERSE]
No limit to your mind
Your endless love is open
To every race and kind
Could it be your blood runs golden
Baby if this world were mine
We would be singing in the Key of Life
When you're gone I can't survive
Cause I just can't be without my
[CHORUS]
Music
I'm so in love with my music
The way you keep me
Movin
Ain't nobody doing what you're doing
Doing, doing
So bring me back to the day
When tape decks press play
DJ drop the needle til the
Record just break
You are my sunlight
You are the one mic
That sound so sweet because the beat just inspires me
Ooh
[Lauryn Hill]
Colours of sound
Scales and beauty
Audio scenery
Electric love and
Rhythmic symmetry
Written in memory
Beautifully crafted scenery
Complex or simplicity
Sonic energy
Piercing insensitivity
Sympathetic poetry
For some even identity
Collective entity
Something to belong to
A source of energy
The possibilities
Wave lengths and bandwith
Higher vibration
Energizing entire lands with
Or stand for
Lovers to walk hand in hand with
then plan for
Sanctuary chords
Harmony, melodies, even riffs can be
Disguised human essence
Sonically bottled ecstasy
Or melancholy
Agony blues angst
Exercising anxieties
Fueling entire societies
Making economies
Stimulating generating
Inspiration synonymously
Entertaining expression
Intangible invisible but undeniable
Plays the language of excitement on survival
Some call it tribal
But perspective is everything
Connected to everything
Some say collectively everything
[CHORUS]
Music
I'm so in love with my music
The way you keep me
Movin
Ain't nobody doing what you're doing
Doing, doing
So bring me back to the day
When tape decks press play
DJ drop the needle til the
Record just break
You are my sunlight
You are the one mic
That sound so sweet because the beat just inspires me
Ooh
Joss Stone, Lauryn Hill, Wycleaf Jean and others...
totd
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
totd
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. ~Margaret Meade
totd
Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed. ~Attributed to both Jonathan Swift and Benjamin Franklin
totd
Just as pieces stitched together in a quilt warm our bodies, scrapbooks bind together memories to warm our hearts. ~Author Unknown
totd....bloody war
LAST TO DIE
we took the highway till
the road went black
we'd marked, Truth or
Consequences on our map
a voice drifted up from the radio
and I thought of a voice from long ago
who'll be the last to die for a mistake
the last to die for a mistake
whose blood will spill, whose heart wil break
who'll be the last to die, for a mistake
kids asleep in the backseat
we're just counting the miles, you and me
we don't measure the blood
we've drawn anymore
we just stack the bodies outside the door
who'll be the last to die for a mistake
the last to die for a mistake
whose blood will spill, whose heart wil break
who'll be the last to die, for a mistake
the wise men were all fools, what to do
the sun sets in flames as the city burns
another day gone down as the night turns
and I hold you here in my heart
as things fall apart
a downtown window flushed with light
"faces of the dead at five"
our martyr's silent eyes
petition the drivers as we pass by
who'll be the last to die for a mistake
the last to die for a mistake
darlin' will tyrants and kings
fall to the same fate
strung up at your city gates
who'll be the last to die for a mistake
Bruce Springsteen
type you tube bruce springsteen to hear song
totd
Children lack morality, but they also lack fake morality. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960
totd
I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much. ~Mother Teresa
totd
Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, every day, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind to continually be part of unanimity. ~Christopher Morley
totd
A lie is an excuse guarded. ~Jonathan Swift
totd
Don't find your Honey where yo make your money...author unknown
Tony! You're doing a great job with the TOTD! Even though it doesn't seem like it, folks ARE coming around to read your posts. I know I do. I really admire your perserverance. Again, my thanks.
thank you Luke very kind of you not really sure if anyone is reading but at least i know you are ...although the totd have become the tote...as i usually post them in the evening ...
Len hope you're doing well we miss you....you're the real deal...
totd
As the World Series is quickly approaching how about this one..
What does a mama bear and the pill have in common with the World Series? No cubs. ~Harry Caray
totd
Joss Stone does a wonderful rendition of this Waylon Jennings Number on her Soul Sessions cd...to hear you can type you tube Joss Stone Chokin Kind...
The Chokin Kind
I only meant to love you
Didn’t you know it babe
Didn’t you know it
Why couldn’t you be content
With the love I gave oh yeah
I gave you my heart
But you wanted my mind, oh yeah
Your love scared me to death, girl
Oh its the chokin kind
That’s all it is
You can kill a man
With a bottle of poison or a knife
I know you can
And hurt him more to take his pride
And run his life
Oh its a shame girl
Whatever you want girl
I surely hope you find, oh yeah
I tell you that hat don’t fit my head
Oh, its the chokin kind
It makes me wanna mmm mmm mmm mmm
Oh yeah, oh listen to me
When you fall in love again girl
Take a tip from me oh yeah
If you don’t like the peach don’t bite the tree
That’s what you better do, honey
Find what you want girl
Keep it, treat it, sweet and kind, oh yeah
Oh let it breathe, don’t make it the chokin kind
Oh no, don’t break your heart baby
Oh no, I know you love me really I do, honey
I tell you your love scares me to death girl
Its the chokin kind
That’s all it is
I got to say it again
Its that old chokin kind.
Waylon Jennings
totd
While one person hesitates because he feels inferior, the other is busy making mistakes and becoming superior. ~Henry C. Link
totd
God defend me from my friends; from my enemies I can defend myself."
Well, I am back. Sorry for the tardiness but now I'm back in shape...
u folks r da bestest, EVER!
TOTD:
Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting -- a wayside sacrament. Welcome it in every fair face, in every fair sky, in every flower, and thank God for it as a cup of blessing.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Aaight! Da Doctor is in! Great to see you back, Len! You were sorely missed. And I'm very pleased that your feeling better. Ready to share your wisdom? God knows we all need some!
Nice to be back...
Thanks to all of you for keeping up with my mess... esp. Tony woth those lyrics and thoughts of wisdom, wow!
OK, here we go again!
TOTD:
I am certain of nothing but the holiness of the Heart's affections and the truth of the Imagination.
John Keats
Good to see you back Len...in great form i see
Well, more choir practice tonight(I wonder why since my vocal talents are rather, uh, limited?). Oh well, I still do enjoy it...
TOTD:
When the mind is at peace,
the world too is at peace.
Nothing real, nothing absent.
Not holding on to reality,
not getting stuck in the void,
you are neither holy or wise, just
an ordinary fellow who has completed his work.
Layman Pang-yun
Well, seeing as it is a Friday and there is the 'Shave to Save' breast Cancer campaign going on, this seemed apt. Have a good one y'all!!
Peace
Len
TOTD:
MY FRIDAY STORY
My C Saga
By Pam Baker Robbin
Four years ago I was starting my journey into what I named my “C Saga”. I had gone for my annual mammogram when the Doctor came in (always a bad sign) and said something was there that wasn’t the year before. Immediately he followed up with an ultra sound and the rest is history.
I never asked “why me?” rather “why not me?” In my lifetime I have known over 20 women and 1 man who have had breast cancer. I learned from their bravery, treatments, and attitudes to deal with it aggressively and with a positive approach. And my friend God had promised that he would never give me more that I could handle.
As with most marriages of 35 years, my husband and I had been through many challenges but we knew that this was by far our biggest. I found out later that we did “things” differently than most breast cancer patients. One example was that we put together a team of friends and medical professionals. We actually interviewed our doctors and if they didn’t fit our standards they were crossed off the list. When we interviewed our oncologist surgeon we went with 4 pages of questions. He said later he wished more people would prepare and investigate-it would help him and them as they worked through the process. We also took a third person with us to doctor appointments. A third person hears things and asks questions that those who are so personally involved will won’t.
Our family and friends held us together through the journey. One of the things I learned was to accept their help—not an easy task for someone who use to present programs on being a Super Woman. Again, the Lord reminded me that I wasn’t in charge.
Many times people wanted to help but didn’t know what to do or say. We were very open about my surgery and treatments. I set up an e-mail group giving reports on my status as well as things I learned along the way. The network quickly grew as people asked to be included. The e-mail group became a journal of the process and gave people information straight from me.
Others things that people did to support our family included the always welcome cards, flowers, food, and visits. Other deeds of kindness included: A friend finished an inside painting job I had started; a nurse friend gave me shots during chemo; one breast cancer survivor whom I had never met sent me a small gift weekly; another breast cancer patient went with us on my first chemo visit to “show us the ropes.” Two friends surprised me with a beautiful friendship quilt made up of messages from family and friends. It went with me to all chemo sessions and gave me strength and hope to deal with the many unknowns.
One thing that still surprises me was the many people praying. People from all over the country and world of all faiths prayed for me. Many of my e-mail buddies sent prayer requests out and even to this day I hear from people “checking-in” or requesting information for someone that has been diagnosed.
My advice to women is to get your annual mammogram—yes, it is uncomfortable but it can save your life as early detection is the best prevention. Secondly, if diagnosed, remember that YOUR cancer and you are unique. It is not like Aunt Betty’s or your Mother’s neighbor. As difficult as it may sound, try to keep your sense of humor. When my oncologist told me that I would definitely have a new “hair due”, I responded that I was always ready for a new one! Lastly, and most importantly, accept help and ask for prayer.
Len poignant and Important Friday Story...
The following is a haunting Tom Waits number done so wonderfully by Alison Krauss on her Collaboration with Robert Plant called Raising Sand...one of my favorite cd's of the decade so far...
Trampled Rose
Long way going to
Get my medicine
Sky's the autumn grey of a lonely wren
Piano from a window played
Gone tomorrow, gone yesterday
I found it in the street
At first I did not see
Lying at my feet
A trampled rose
Passing the hat in church
It never stops going around
You never pay just once
To get the job done
What I done to me,
I done to you
What happened to the trampled rose?
In the muddy street
With the fireworks and leaves
A blind man with a cup I asked
Would he sing 'Kisses Sweeter Than Wine'
I know that rose,
Like I know my name
The one I gave my love,
It was the same
Now I find it in the street,
A trampled rose
Tom Waits...
totd
Have a Great Week Everyone
A person born to be a flower pot will not go beyond the porch.
Source: Mexican Proverb
WElcome back y'all:
TOTD:
Just as a small fire is extinguished by the storm whereas a large fire is enhanced by it - likewise a weak faith is weakened by predicament and catastrophes whereas a strong faith is strengthened by them."
Viktor E. Frankl
TOTD:
He who sits by the fire, thankless for the fire, is just as if he had no fire. Nothing is possessed save in appreciation, of which thankfulness is the indispensable ingredient.
W.J. Cameron
Beautiful TOTD:
Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable.
Bruce Lee
LUKE, where are you?!?
TOTD for today folks!
I simply believe that some part of the human Self or Soul is not subject to the laws of space and time.
Carl Jung
Have a good weekend!
TOTD:
FRIDAY STORY
Stand Tall Like The Sunflower
by Tony Masiello
I find it humorous sometimes that even the most mundane occurrences can have an impact on our awareness.
My wife, daughter, and I moved into our home nine years ago and we spent a lot of time and energy in the yard to get it looking like it does today. We live on a corner, higher than street level, and the entire side of the yard is encased by a professionally built rock wall. The front of the house though is another story because instead of a wall along the sidewalk the rocks appear to be just thrown up onto the dirt as if someone were in a hurry to finish.
We did the best we could with what we had to work with and called this area our 'rock garden'. Whenever we had left over flowers or plants, Denise or I would stick them out front, just to bring some color to the area.
I still do all of my own yard work, even the dreaded weed-pulling. After putting on my knee pads I assume the position to clear the yard of weeds, even in the rock garden.
Last summer I had reached the end of the rock garden and found a tiny little plant that I could not immediately identify. I knew I didn't plant it and Denise claimed that she didn't either. We decided to let it continue growing until we could figure out what it was.
Weeks passed and as I made my way back to the mystery plant, it appeared to be a Sunflower. It was spindly looking with a tall skinny stalk and only one head on it. I decided to baby it along and weed around it. As I pulled rocks from the area to get to the weeds, I noticed something unusual. The Sunflower had not started where I saw the stalk begin. It actually had begun under a big rock and grown under and around it to reach the sun.
That's when I realized that if a tiny little Sunflower didn't let a big rock stand in its way of developing, we too have the capability of doing the same thing. Once our environment begins to see that we believe in ourselves like that little Sunflower, we can attain the same nourishment and nurturing as well.
First, we need to believe in ourselves knowing we have the capabilities in achieving our desires. Like the Sunflower, it knew it had the capability to overcome its obstacle because it trusted in the Universal Truth and had faith it would succeed.
Stand tall like the Sunflower and be proud of who and what you are and the environment will begin to support you. You will find a way to go under or around your big obstacle in order to reach your desires.
totd
Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers. ~Charles W. Eliot
totd
A man finds room in the few square inches of his face for the traits of all his ancestors; for the expression of all his history, and his wants. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, Conduct of Life
Weekend was TOO SHORT!!!
TOTD:
The Guest House
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
Meet them at the door laughing
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whatever comes
Because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
totd
True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation."
- George Washington
TOTD:
You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you.
Sarah Ban Breathnach
Simple Abundance
TOTD:
I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong.
Abraham Lincoln
Tony and Dr. Len,
you gentlemen both give this blog that touch of class that it so terribly lacks! Whenever I logon to the Net, the TOTDs are where I go first. Every day I gain that much more wisdom. But I have the distinct impression that I might be the only one tuning in.
I guess you might say that this has become the "Blog in a Bubble". A long time ago, I dedicated myself to providing for our fellow Pius X friends. Now it seems that everyone has gone over to FaceBook. Now that's one weird place ("Poking"? "Sexy gift"? WTF?!). There are ways for me to get more "hits" on this blog but it involves typing and pasting commands. Usually when I try things go REAL badly.
With that, I wanted to let you know that neither of you is obligated to post your TOTDs. This is a wasteland and no one wants to hand out in a wasteland. I'm glad to read them but if there's no one else, well ...
I'm going to try to "pump up" my blog again. Nothing is guaranteed so I'll leave it up to you if you still want to post or not.
Be well fellow dudes.
- LUKE
Have a blessed weekend everyone!!
TOTD:
FRIDAY STORY
My Favorite Duck Inn Memory
by Linda Stallings
I first met my husband’s Aunt Margie in February of 2003, just one year before he and I married. She was a lovely lady of 72, and so full of life and laughter that I loved her from the moment we met.
Over the next year, she and I would talk on a daily basis. As we did so, we discovered we had many things and places we’d been in common – one of the places she mentioned often was “The Duck Inn”. Although it had been many years since she had been there, her memories were vivid.
She told me how, as a young mother of three, back in the 50’s, her family would meet on Friday nights at the Duck Inn for an evening of dinner and visiting. It was a routine; all her brothers and sisters would come and bring the children and they would stay, enjoy the catfish and let the children visit with their cousins. If they all showed up, there would be close to 20 in total.
As the years past, Aunt Margie and Uncle Floyd moved down to Eustace, Texas and their visits to the Duck Inn sort of stopped. Everyone had scattered out from the Dallas area and the children grew up, got married and moved also.
Then just a year ago, as Aunt Margie began to grow more frail from the liver cancer that now ravaged her, I decided to throw a birthday party in her honor. Although her birthday was several days away from the date I picked, August 14, I knew time was running out. I called all her nieces and nephews, her only living brother and sister and told them of my plan for the surprise birthday party. I had rented a suite at the newly opened Gaylord Texan Hotel and when it came time to select a restaurant, no doubt the Duck Inn was the choice I made.
Margie was told nothing of the plans. I simply told her to pack an overnight bag and be ready when I showed up on Saturday to get her and her sister (my mother-in-law). They were given a booklet I made full of riddles that just made the surprise even greater.
After checking into the hotel and getting them settled, we took off for dinner. Still, Margie knew nothing of where we were going or that her entire family would be there to celebrate her very last birthday.
When we arrived, she lit up when she saw where we had chosen for dinner. She was in total disbelief that I had remembered all the stories she had shared with me of those days back in the 50’s and 60’s when her family was all together and the children were small. She entered the dining room to even greater surprise – there was 18 of her family members, waiting on our beloved guest of honor.
With kidney failure, now part of her illness, she was barely eating, but that night she cleaned her plate – every last morsel of catfish was gone. She was exuberant that evening and her birthday was a huge success.
Aunt Margie slipped from us just 2 weeks later – but in every conversation I had with her after that evening – she told me how my choice of restaurants could not have pleased her more.
totd
We are never prepared for what we expect. ~James A. Michener, Caravans
totd on this rememberance day
In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army
IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
TOTD:
Patience is power; with time and patience the mulberry leaf becomes silk.
Chinese Proverb
TOTD:
I worked for a menial's hire,
Only to learn, dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of Life,
Life would have gladly paid.
Jessie Rittenhouse
This one makes sense:
TOTD:
If you look at what you have in life, you'll always have more. If you look at what you don't have in life, you'll never have enough.
Oprah Winfrey
TOTD:
Why?
God is within. After all He created us in His image.
Me
Thanks Y'all!!!
Know it or not you folks have supported me through some hard times. The TOTDs helped me more than anyone can imagine. I'd like to thank you all.
So now I'm part of this BlogRush thingy in hopes of getting more traffic in this dustbowl of a blog. You can't create a free flow of ideas if there's no flow of minds. I don't know if this is BS or not but here's what the BlogRush folks sent me:
"Congratulations!
This is just a quick message to let
you know that we have carefully
reviewed your blog:
Rosetta Stone
http://lukeafallon.blogspot.com/
And your blog has successfully
met our strict quality guidelines!
Your blog has been *APPROVED*
for the BlogRush network.
You should be very proud of
your blog's quality content and
know that you are now included
in a special network of similar
high-quality blogs.
* We have already rejected a lot
of blogs (several thousand) that do
not meet our strict quality guidelines and we will continue to enforce our detailed criteria in order to protect the integrity of our network.
You should now see the BlogRush widget loading on your blog.
We look forward to driving you lots
of targeted traffic!
Best Regards,
The BlogRush Team"
Yay! Me gots quality content!
To all those that are still waiting for a personal response I promise it will be coming soon.
All the best to all of you.
No TOTD since Thursday!
I need my daily dose of wisdom.
Does this hint to gloomy times for this blog? Is there anybody out there? (Sound of wailing wind, tumbleweed rolling by).
Uh -oh ...
Dudes and dudettes,
Sorry I have not posted but as usual, teens are usually the cause of it. If you all don't believe me, Notice that I did not even post anything on facebook all weekend!!!
So, with out fanfare, here is todays TOTD:
The only people with whom you should try to get even
are those who have helped you.
John E. Southard
TOTD:
Life is the movie you see through your own unique eyes. It makes little difference what's happening out there. It's how you take it that counts.
Dennis Waitley
The Doctor is in!
Great to see you back, Len! You were sorely missed.
As you can see, my association with BlogRush really boosted traffic! (Ahhhh ... irony!).
As long as I gots my peoples here everything is a-okay with me.
Looks like I'm going to a party! My friends from MonSFFA (Montreal Science-Fiction and Fantasy Association) are throwing a 20th Anniversary shindig. I just hope they don't have a roast or pie-throwing event just 'cuz I was the creator and Grand Pubba. That was a lotta moons ago. Where DID the time go?!
I started dieting and working out for the big day - not! What's the point when I'll be stuffing my face at the buffet. Mmmmm ... buffet.
Later.
Thanksgiving Blessings: (OK, so most of us are not American, but hey, we can use all the blessings we can get, right?)
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.
It turns what we have into enough, and more.
It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.
It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home,
a stranger into a friend.
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today,
and creates a vision for tomorrow.
Melody Beattie
TOTD:
Be Thankful
Author Unknown
Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don't know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.
Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.
Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you're tired and weary
Because it means you've made a difference.
It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are
also thankful for the setbacks.
GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles
and they can become your blessing.
Go and have a good time Lukey!
There will be some days where I will be inable to post (that's besides all the weeekends) due to December being soooo busy and all.
Have a drink for me dude!
totd
A peacefulness follows any decision, even the wrong one. ~Rita Mae Brown
G'Day Y'all!
Nice to see you Tony!
BTW I'd like to make it clear that I wasn't putting down anyone on FaceBook - especially not my old friends! I just find their gimmicks a little much. Someone mentioned this to me and I wanted y'all to know just what I meant.
Beautiful weather, wot? Don't forget to wear your rubbers. Haarrr!
totd
Each man carries within him the soul of a poet who died young. ~Sainte-Beuve, Portraits littéraires, 1862
Hi Luke,
I know what you mean about facebook. It has some good points to it ( reconnecting with old friends and other fun quizzes etc..) and the less appealing stuff( which you mentioned).Still, it is nice to know that people are still thinking about you. I guess it is for each individual to decifher.
Monday, bah-humbug!
TOTD:
Keep your thoughts positive,
because your thoughts become your words.
Keep your words positive,
because your words become your behaviours.
Keep your behaviours positive,
because your behaviours become your habits.
Keep your habits positive,
because your habits become your values.
Keep your values positive,
because your values become your destiny.
totd
THERE ARE MANY TYPES OF SHIPS. THERE ARE WOODEN SHIPS ,PLASTIC SHIPS, AND METAL SHIPS. BUT THE BEST AND MOST IMPORTAINT TYPES OF SHIPS ARE FRIENDSHIPS."
- OLD IRISH QUOTE (SENT BY -ROBERT J. BADAR JR.)
TOTD:
Peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart.
Marcel Morin
totd
We have little to learn from people who always agree with what we have to say.
From a million ways to optimism
Have a great weekend everyone!
FRIDAY STORY
The Ivory and Gold Tablecloth
By Howard C. Schade
At Christmas time, men and women everywhere gather in their churches to wonder anew at the greatest miracle the world has ever known. But the story I like best to recall was not a huge miracle -- not exactly.
It happened to a pastor who was very young. His church was very old. Once, long ago, it had flourished. Famous men had preached from its pulpit, prayed before its altar. Rich and poor alike had worshipped there and built it beautifully. Now, the good days had passed from the section of town where it stood. But the pastor and his young wife believed in their run-down church. They felt that with hard work and lots of faith they could get it in shape. Together they went to work.
But, late in December, a severe storm whipped through the river valley, and the worst blow fell on the church -- a huge chunk of rain-soaked plaster fell out of the inside wall just behind the altar. Sorrowfully the pastor and his wife swept away the mess, but they couldn't hide the ragged hole.
The pastor looked at it and had to remind himself quickly, "Thy will be done!" But his wife wept, "Christmas is only two days away!"
That afternoon the dispirited couple attended the auction held for the benefit of a youth group. The auctioneer opened a box and shook out of its folds a gloriously beautiful, very ornately sewn, gold and ivory lace tablecloth.
It was a magnificent item, nearly 15 feet long. But it, too, dated from a long vanished era. Who, today, had any use for such a thing? There were a few halfhearted bids. Then the pastor was seized with what he thought was a great idea.
He bid it in for $6.50.
He carried the glorious gold and ivory lace cloth back to the church and very carefully put it up on the wall behind the altar. It completely hid the hole! And the extraordinary beauty of its shimmering handwork cast a fine, holiday glow over the chancel. It was a great triumph. Happily he went back to preparing his Christmas sermon.
Just before noon on the day of Christmas Eve, as the pastor was opening the church, he noticed a woman standing in the cold at the bus stop. "The bus won't be here for 40 minutes!" he called, and invited her into the church to get warm.
She told him that she had come from the city that morning to be interviewed for a job as governess to the children of one of the wealthy families in town but she had been turned down. A Jewish war refugee, her English was imperfect.
The woman sat down in a pew and chafed her hands and rested. After a while she dropped her head and prayed. She looked up and saw the great gold and ivory cloth. She rose suddenly and walked up the steps of the chancel.
She looked at the beautiful tablecloth with remembering eyes.
The pastor smiled and started to tell her about the storm damage, but she didn't seem to listen. She took up a fold of the cloth and lovingly rubbed it between her fingers, tears welled in her kind eyes. But they were happy tears of recognition.
"It is mine!" she said. "It is my banquet cloth!" She lifted up a corner and showed the surprised pastor that there were initials monogrammed on it. "My husband had the cloth made especially for me in Brussels! There could not be another like it."
For the next few minutes the woman and the pastor talked excitedly together. She explained that she was Viennese; that being Jews, she and her husband wanted to flee from the Nazis. They were advised to go separately. Her husband put her on a train for Switzerland. They planned that he would join her as soon as he could arrange to ship their household goods across the border. She never saw him again. Later she heard that he had died in a concentration camp.
"I have always felt that it was my fault -- to leave without him," she said. "Perhaps these years of wandering have been my punishment!" The pastor tried to comfort her and urged her to take the beautiful cloth with her. But she refused saying, "no, no, the cloth has found it's way to you. You need it. It has a purpose here. I want you to have it. I am happy knowing you have it."
She gazed lovingly up at the magnificent gold and ivory lace cloth, then quietly went away.
As the church began to fill on Christmas Eve, it was clear that the magnificent cloth was going to be a great success. It had been skillfully designed to look its best by candlelight.
The glorious gold and ivory lace cloth actually glowed in the candlelight! It cast lovely fine designs on the walls and ceiling of the church. Everyone looked around in wonderment, and a tranquil ambiance was cast over all.
After the service, the pastor stood at the doorway. Many people told him that the church looked more beautiful than ever before.
From the generous donations that were given, a few days later the pastor had the local jeweler who was also the clock-and-watch repairman come to repair the church chimes.
The repairman's gentle middle-aged face drew into a look of great astonishment! As if in a trance he walked right up to the beautiful cloth and looked intently!
"It is strange," he said in his soft accent. "Many years ago my wife - God rest her -- and I owned such a cloth. My wife put it on the table" -- and here he gave a big smiled -- "for holidays and when the Rabbi came to dinner."
The pastor suddenly became very excited. He told the jeweler about the woman who had been in church to get warm, saw the cloth, and recognized it to be hers! The startled jeweler clutched the pastor's arm. "Can it be?" he said through desperate tears.
Together the two got in touch with the family who had interviewed the women for the governess position, got her address, then they both drove to the city.
The jeweler knocked on the heavy, weathered, door. As it opened, there stood his beloved wife. The many years of separation were immediately washed away by their blissfully tears, as they held each other in loving embraces, never to be parted again. True love seems to find a way.
To all who hear this story, the joyful purpose of the storm was to knocked a hole in the wall of the church.
So Dear Ones, the next time something knocks a hole in your dreams, your goals - Just remember to have enough faith, enough belief in those dreams and goals, to lovingly and creatively hang your own brilliant lace cloth over the temporary mar. Then watch the miracles come.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
This story was originally written by Howard C. Schade for the December 1954 issue of Reader's Digest. It is a fitting way to get an early start on the upcoming Christmas season.
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