Saturday, May 31, 2008

Sunny Days


There are sunny days ahead, at least that's my prediction. It is in fact very sunny outside right now and it was sunny yesterday. Tomorrow, well that's another story. It could be sunny ... if you look at it that way. You see, we can still picture the world outside sunny because of how we feel inside.

For example, when a person states they are feeling blue or have the blahs ... it could be either sunny or raining outside. Their feelings are not necessarily dependent upon the weather, but rather their feelings belong to them and how they interpret the world around them. If I think poorly about myself, I will act poorly in my environment. If I believe that everyone is out to get me ... they propbably are since I am interpreting everything by my thinking and feelings. When I wake up tomorrow and think to myself it's going to be one of thoses days then sure enough it is going to be just "one of those days" when nothing goes right.

Two people can be looking at the same thing and have totally different interpretations of what they are looking at ... our perceptions are influenced by our frame of reference. If my focus is on the hole and not the donut then I can conclude that life is just a big fat zero. If I focus on the possibilities of that donut, like a delicious treat that I can eat and enjoy. I will not necessarily notice the hole, but rather that eating it has met a need of satisfying my sweet tooth.

Till next time, Cheers!

Friday, May 30, 2008

Middle of the Night Adventures

It was one of those sleepless nights. Not a good thing especially since I am training this weekend! I found a video on dolphins ... on the National Geographic website. It's worth checking out. (Click on the title).

These creatures are beautiful and so graceful as they jump through the air! So when you can't sleep .. count dolphin's instead of sheep.


Till next time, Cheers!



Thursday, May 29, 2008

Stonehenge Was Cemetery First and Foremost, Study Says


"Stonehenge stood as giant tombstones to the dead for centuries, new radiocarbon dating suggests. The site appears to have been intended as a cemetery from the very start, around 5,000 years ago—centuries before the giant sandstone blocks were erected—the new study says..." Read the entire article: (Click on the title, for a direct link to National Geographic website, which references this study).

Till next time, Cheers!

Friday, May 16, 2008

How Far Does Five Bucks Go .... in the USA?


Take a real close look at this bill. What do you see?

Remember the 'good old days', when 5 bucks would almost buy you a cart full of groceries. Well maybe not a full cart .... our money, Canadian dollars too, are shrinking more and more by the day. The cost of living rises but the dollar seems to be continuously shrinking. This gives a new meaning to making ends meet. As you know my goal is retirement. My goal for retirement is to be mortgage free. I remember back in 1999 when I lived in Texas, I could fill up my Ford Ranger for $12.00 (USA). Now, back in Canada I pay pretty close to $100.00 to fill a tank. I am fortunate that my truck is a standard and real good on gas.

Well I need to go for now ... I have to fill my truck up with gas!

Tell next time, Cheers!

Monday, May 12, 2008

The Day After ...





I am happy to report that my plant made it through the night! The dirt is still moist so I think I am okay in not watering it yet.


It's Monday morning and I am sitting here writing on my blog before I have had my first cup of java. I am going to have to remedy that situation by going into the kitchen to make some coffee. I need to start the day right. am drinking Folgers these days. I usually drinking Colombian or Breakfast Coffee. But since Folgers was on sale. It's Folgers for the next while. I enjoy Tom Horton's coffee too! I drink mine black, have for years, but I don't drink as many cups as I use to. But I digress, I will be right back. Don't go away. I am back and the coffee is brewing. Can you smell the fresh aroma wafting down the hall? I guess not. Seriously, I do enjoy a great cup of coffee.


I am currently reading Mary Higgins Clark's book, "I Heard That Song Before", (2007), it's about a sleepwalker who allegedly committed three murders while sleepwalking. It has a lot of twists and turns, a web of lies and deceit. Ms. Clark's eloquence has you hanging on every word until the very end when the culprit is finally revealed. Click on the title of this entry which will take you directly to Simon and Schuster, Ms. Clark's publisher's website. I was reading the book until the wee hours as I could not put it down. Finally, my eyes would no longer allow me to read another word. Hence, today is another day to spend reading the remainder of this thriller. Ms. Clark truly is the Queen of suspense!

Till next time, Enjoy!

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Mother's Day ... Part II


The above are pictures of the hanging plant that I bought in memory of my Mom for Mother's Day... I will post pictures again mid-summer so you can see the growth.

A kind lady at the store answered numerous questions I had about the variety of flowers in the Wal-Mart Garden Centre. Behind the flowers are some of my budgies and lovebirds which I have taken out of the main cage.

Well I must close for now as my dogs are waiting for their supper.

p.s. I am unsure as to how to line up these pictures with the text. I have tried it several ways and it always seems to come out differently.






Mother's Day Part I


Happy Mother's Day to all Mothers everywhere!

My mom loved flowers. She could make anything bloom. Her flower boxes were full of flowers each summer. Her lawn was always beautifully manicured and framed with, you guess it, flowers. My mom had a jar which she named: "flower fund." She saved her pennies, collected the change that fell between the cushions from over flowing pockets and of course I would contribute whatever change I usually had in my pockets whenever I came over to visit. When Spring rolled around she had quite a haul, hence the beautiful yard of flowers.

When I was growing up I remember my mother having flowers inside the house. They were all over and I must admit that I did not inherit the skill of making everything grow. My attempts at having flowers is very feeble indeed. I can plant them in the dirt alright, but usually forget to water them. I will make another attempt this year. Maybe.

On February 6, 2006, my mother passed away suddenly. She was only seventy-five, and would have been seventy-six year on October 20, 2006. I lost my best friend. A few days after she died. I had a dream. I saw a white room and at one end of it was a gurney. My mom was laying on it. I walked over and looked down on her. Suddenly she was standing beside me with her hand on my shoulder. She said, " I am alright now." I responded by saying, "How did you do that?" She was alive and standing beside me. I have had a number of dreams about her and we are usually talking about things like we use to do.

In another dream, my mom came and swooped me up and we were traveling into outer space. I could see the world getting smaller. It was a great feeling. This dream came a few months after her death at a particularly difficult time in my life. In the dream, I told her about everything that was happening and she was listening as she did so many times throughout my life. She was a great listener. When the dream was just about over my mom told me that I had to go back. I told her that I didn't want to go back I wanted to stay with her. She told me I had to go back for now.

I awoke from this dream and knew that I had just visited with my mom. I do believe that people that have passed on can and often do visit us in dreams. I recall an incident that occurred in July 2007 when I was having a garage sale. Only I was not asleep at the time, I was coming out of the house and I "heard" my mother's voice calling me by my middle name, in German. I turned and there was absolutely no one insight at that precise moment.

I told my friend who was visiting from Texas and helping me with the garage sale, about what had just happened. I told her that I would never forget it. I have to tell you about something else concerning my mother. I have had the urge to buy a hanging basket of flowers which my brother and I would buy for my mother for Mother's Day. I have never felt the urge to do this before now, as I mentioned, flowers aren't my thing since I have a difficult time looking after them.

But as soon as the stores open today. I will go to Wal-mart and pick out a nice hanging basket in memory of my mom and keep it on the dining room table until the weather is warmer. Then I will hang it outside in the very place where she hung so many of the hanging baskets we gave her over the years.

I decide to check out a website which features a number of recipes that seem to be easy enough to make for your mom. The site is called Mother's Day Muffins. Enjoy!

Till next time, Cheers!

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Middle of the Night Ramblings


I am wide awake since the dogs got me up. They heard the birds fluttering around in their cage. When I checked on them one of the little budgies was at the bottom of the cage trying to fly back up on to his perch. I turned on the light and told him that he could do it. He inched along the side of the cage and climbed up until he could fly back up to reach his perch. His little buddies cheered him on too. Teamwork!
I know that I have a picture of a cat in this entry ... what do you expect for the middle of the night? I have a cat free zone since I have birds. I do know that cats can get use to birds and not bother them, but why risk it? Haida, my Shepherd, likes to sit outside watching the birds fly all around her. She just sits and watches them. I sometimes wonder what she may be thinking as they swoop down in front of her. Lunch? I know, I know, give me a break it is the middle of the night!
Well, I am going back to bed and hope to fall back asleep as morning is just around the corner. Thank goodness I don't have to go to work until the afternoon!
Cheers,
Jaime & Company

Friday, May 2, 2008

TGIF


Need I say more? This week seemed to drag by so much so it felt like it was going backwards. I am working this weekend so it will seem like an even longer week for me. Not that I am complaining, not in the least. I am finding working irregular hours is taking it's toll. I can't believe that I deferred my retirement for another year.

I am in the process of house hunting again. I want to buy a house that is smaller and less maintenance. I am not sure there is such a thing, but nonetheless, I am going to try to find it!

I will write more later, as I have to feed the dogs and make supper.

Till next time, Cheers!