Daily Mood Quotes - February 9, 2012

 

Daily Mood Quote

Day 252 – February 9, 2012

“Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here we should dance.”

~Unknown Author

As my husband has recently noted, “I've been dancing my tushy off” the past couple of months, I'm happy to have such a good dance partner to go through life with. You see  “Life's a dance” as John Michael Montgomery says in his song, Life's A Dance, you really do learn as you go. You don't have a choice. Not true, you do have a choice.

To be perfectly upfront, I have struggled to find words to describe the dance life has put in front of me and my husband. Until yesterday, I was trying to remember the recipe for Chicken Noodle Hotdish (or casserole in other parts of the world), and found myself saying things like a dash of parenting, mixed with a few bills, no that's not right, more like; a dollop of teenage attitude and a “double dose” (thanks Robert De Niro as Jack Byrnes in Little Fockers) of grad level homework...Wait a minute! I'm making hotdish here, “Recalculating!” (thank you Allstate Insurance. Those mayhem commercials have to be some of the funniest I've ever seen, so true to life...my life lately) and start over again. Then it hit me, the past several months have been a recipe. A recipe for “overwhelmed.” That's what I've been; overwhelmed. I'm sure I would have figured this out earlier, but when your in the middle of one of life's hurricanes, it's hard to get any perspective, or catch your breath in the heavy winds.

Well, I needed to step out of the storm for a bit and get my bearings. I've been turned and twisted so many ways lately, it took a while to clear my head. Sometimes the best thing we can do, is step back and look at the whole picture (you got to be honest about the picture), make changes as needed and continue on. The last couple months have included two deaths, very intense classes, financial strain (I know President Obama says, our economy is getting stronger and hundreds of thousands of jobs have been created. Let me tell you, not where I live, job creation is an “epic fail” here), parenting, cold weather and planning for the future, everything we call “everyday life.” Can't do much about the deaths but accept and continue on; the intense classes are kicking my hiney, some of the toughest studies I have had to date and my vision is an obstacle. I can understand the material, analyze it, communicate it and write about it, I am struggling to keep up with the reading. My husband reads to me a lot and I spend a lot of time reading the e-books on the computer, font size increased to 185%. Unfortunately, text book publishers don't make audio books for colleges. I'm entering my last couple of months of grad school and it is some of the hardest work I've ever done...at least until I start my PhD program. As far as financial strains, parenting, cold weather and planning for the future: As I said before, everyday life stuff. But, it just all popped up on us at once; like nasty weeds. All we can do is live it, live through it and pick through all the thorns and nettles one by one.

Sooo, we dance on and hope the tune changes for the better, or at least lets us slow dance until we catch our wind...

Hope will you dance through life's mayhem today?

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Thank you for reading.

Daily Mood Quote - October 6, 2011

 

Daily Mood Quotes

Day 156 – October 6, 2011

“The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination.”

~Don Williams, Jr.

What a week of twists and turns. I got to say this, what a weird week this has been. There was a death in my family. My mother-in-law passed away, sad, but there are good memories of her and lessons that will carry forward. Steve Jobs passed away, a man who once said, “I want to put a ding in the universe.” He did. President Obama went on television to inform the American People that congress isn't working with him (no big surprise) again. Finally, a doctor is on trial for what happened to Michael Jackson. What an interesting week so far!!!

I am not a reporter or even a journalist, but I do listen and I do say what's on my mind, and this week has a lot to offer. One thing I have found that is constant is "the unexpected." As soon as you think, things have settled down and you can proceed forward, the apple cart looses a wheel and heads off in another direction. That's the nature of life and death. Change happens and usually at the least convenient time. Seems that the universe really doesn’t “get” convenient, it just keeps rolling along, changing and proceeding forward. It never asks if it's okay or if we want it, changes are going to happen. There is a song by Anna Nalick called Breathe that goes “And life's like an hourglass glued to the table, no on can find the rewind button now.....” And so it is; what's done is done and things past, will forever be past. The good and the not-so-good we have done are gone along with the past, even if we live with the echos and shadows of those things. These are choices we make, what to hold onto and what to let go of. The key is to embrace the good's watershed and learn from the not-so-good, then let it drift away on the stream of time.

In the movie A River Runs Through It, with Brad Pitt, Tom Skerritt and Craig Sheffer, Older Norman (narrated by Robert Redford) said, “ My father was very sure about certain matters pertaining to the universe. To him, all good things - trout as well as eternal salvation - came by grace; and grace comes by art; and art does not come easy.”

Thank you to my mother-in-law for raising such an extraordinary man, who I call my husband and my best friend. Thank you to Mr. Steve Jobs for showing us the things we can achieve, if we dream and don't quit. I wish someone could teach congress what they can achieve; if they would just start to “change” some very foolish ideological entrenchments and bad behaviors. It (change) is going to happen anyway; why not start to walk that road forward together, instead of trying to run the other party off the road, or heading in reverse? Let's face it, that way isn't working and is making a “two-car pile up” out of our political system. We all should consider what Abraham Lincoln said, “And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.” Live on, positively.

How will you positively live on today?

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Daily Mood Quotes - July 26, 2011

 

Daily Mood Quote

Day 84 – July 26, 2011

Get mad, then get over it.

~Colin Powell

Today, I am angry and before I continue, please allow me to say, I never intended this blog to be one that spouted political views, or frustration about the ridiculous behavior of those in political positions that call themselves “our government.”

Last night, I listened with an open mind to both President Obama and Speaker of the House, John Boehner. They both said one thing on the campaign trail to get elected (actually all of the candidates promised “CHANGE”) but, the games are the same. One notable exception is Dick Lugar, who never promised anything. I guess that is what three decades as a Senator teaches you, “Keep your mouth shut, so you can continue to do nothing and collect a paycheck.” I agree with President Obama's idea of balancing the budget and “balancing the load” for the American people in the long run. Short-term, special interest motivated solutions only lead to bigger long term problems. That's how we got in trouble in the first place. Enough stop gap, do it right the first time, then reap the benefits down the road. The problem is, they're not thinking about the long road. It seems to me the only reason politicians arrive at short term solutions, is so that representatives up for reelection can use the “unfinished business” angle to get reelected. What an angle and what a load of crap!!! Ever notice how the same people keep getting reelected, yet nothing gets done, nothing changes and the business is always unfinished? No wonder we can't have new business growth or move forward, we don't know how to solve old problems and finish what we start. (I could go on and on about that, but maybe that's a subject  for another day).

I am so completely tired of listening to the same old news over and over again, the constant fighting that goes on and the idiotic innuendos that were being bandied about. You do realize your lack of tolerance for differing opinions is setting a bad example to those who are impressionable? A nation of entrenched attitudes... that's an ugly vision. Hey, if you can have bad behavior, are a notable political figure and get away with it, then the next generation will follow your example. Shame on you.

I have some questions for Speaker Boehner; Do you really believe that not raising taxes on wealthy people and wealthy organizations (who can afford it) is going to create jobs? Actually it isn't raising taxes, its simply putting the tax levels back to where they were, when things were working well and the budget was balanced - we have been able to do that once or twice in the last 30 years. Are you kidding me? These tax breaks haven't worked for the American people since they we're given during George “W.” Bush's administration. The United States has been bleeding jobs for the past decade. Check the facts. You need more examples? What about the banks? We bailed them out, gave them big tax breaks and did they create jobs? Duh, no they cut them. Yet they are making hefty, hefty, hefty profits. They haven't changed their ways at all and still no job creation. Hmmmm? Plus as an extra "added bonus"... now, the “average” working American can't get a loan for his business, for a home, or for their children's college. How's that working out for you (thanks Dr. Phil)? Yet, these profits afford executives and politicians luxury vacations, expensive cars and other things, while people are struggling to feed their families and can't find a decent job. Jobs you and your wealthy circle of influence, along with the huge wealthy corporations, promised would be there if Congress "cut them a break". How stupid do you think people are? Sometimes, I think politicians believe that if they babble and baffle us in enough bull crap, them we won't pay any attention to what is really going on. Guess what? The Constitution says, “We the People,” not we the politicians, or we the bankers, or even we the lobbyists, but “We the People.” I am we the people, my neighbors are we the people, and we the people say “YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG!” I saw a recent poll that said nearly 70 percent of American people believe you are doing it wrong. You see we are paying attention and questioning. In the movie, The American President, Lewis Rothschild (played by Michael J. Fox) said to A.J. Macinerney (Martin Sheen),  "I'm a citizen, this is my President (my Congress). And in this country it is not only permissible to question our leaders it's our responsibility!”

And, like President Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas) said to Senator Rumson (Richard Dreyfuss), “We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them. And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you, Bob Rumson is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things and two things only: making you afraid of it and telling you who's to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections. You gather a group of middle-aged, middle-class, middle-income voters who remember with longing an easier time, and you talk to them about family and American values and character.” does any of this sound familiar? The point is, none of this partisan political posturing (say that three times fast) is getting anything done. They're not interested in solving the problem, but only interested in serving their own “political agendas” that have nothing do to with the welfare, or the will of the American people. Congress has had over a year to get this budget done, and in times of economic difficulty the budget should have been the highest priority. We the people, are watching and listening, and mostly likely, come the next election, we will remember what you didn't do and why, especially if things get worse. Shut up, do your job, don't default and balance the budget intelligently. More importantly “balance the load,” this time you have gone too far. I'm finished, I feel better now. Thank you.

How will you speak out today”

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