There’s a new girl on the block at RedEagleSpirit. I encourage you to go visit The Daily Planet. Lois Lane is a friend from my chatting days, and Red Eagle is decorating her blog as you read.
Go see her first entry. She has a novel idea for stress relief!
Welcome to the group, Lois. It’s nice to have you here!

I was invited to join a daily inspiration Yahoo Group for herb gardeners. Each day I get a brief quote in my mail, and I want to share Monday’s with you.
The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance,
the wise grows it under his feet.
– James Oppenheim
So true….in so many ways. Many of us feel that happiness is just around the bend. Some feel that if they just do one more thing, and one more thing and one more thing, happiness will be their prize.
We need to live in the moment, not in the future. We need to find pleasure in the every day things we do. I have several very old-fashioned hobbies that bring me great joy. The herbs I grow reflect our life cycle, as do the seasons. Some of my herbs are annuals, and remind me that I need to live my life today, and not put things off until tomorrow. Others are perennial, and they show me how to take the best in my life and carry it from season to season.
I also quilt, and my hand quilted quilts give me the chance to create a useful item, and hopefully a beautiful item, which will be here long after I’ve gone. So, each stitch I make today, may serve to warm someone in the future, or delight their eyes. These stitches are my gift to myself. I have the pleasure of the moment, and the pleasure of knowing that I can pass my joy on.
With my herbs and quilts, I have the best of both worlds. I believe that the things you do now, may create the basis for your happiness in the future. For each of us, the accomplishment is different. For some, it’s raising exceptional children, for others it’s leadership, of a business, of a platoon, of a country. Whether your focus is narrow or wide, you are still responsible for your own happiness. Each day, I try to do my best. There are days when I fail, but I brush myself off and try again.
If you find happiness elusive…..look closer to home.

I have three sisters. The second oldest one is the Director of Christian Education for a large church in the Chicago suburbs. This afternoon she took the Youth Group skating.
Around five o’clock I got a call……
ML has the WORST LUCK!
What’s happened now?
Well…she went skating with the Youth Group and fell.
NO! Is she okay???
Well…they took her to the hospital. She has a broken nose, a lump on her forehead, a concussion, and a shattered right elbow.
OUCH!!!
The upshot of all this is that my sis will be having surgery tomorrow to repair her elbow. It will have to be pinned.
My oldest sis is a nurse, and I asked if ML would be able to take care of herself. It’s a moot point for the next few days.
If you lost the use of your favored arm for some time, think of all the things you would have trouble doing. Showering (no getting a cast wet), dressing, hooking a bra, writing, tying your shoe laces, or putting your shoes and socks on for that matter. Even eating will be a struggle. All the things you take for granted are going to become extremely difficult.
ML….I hope your recovery is swift!

I know….it’s supposed to be the FRIDAY FIVE….but I couldn’t get to it then….
If you…
1. …owned a restaurant, what kind of food would you serve? Cajun food
2. …owned a small store, what kind of merchandise would you sell? Quilt fabric and accessories (Actually….I’ve done this.)
3. …wrote a book, what genre would it be? What is euphamistically called “Sensual Romance” (Actually, I’ve tried this too….but it would have been called “Porn” so nothing has come of it.)
4. …ran a school, what would you teach? Instrumental music, preferably wind instruments. (yeah….I didn’t run the school…but I did teach.)
5. …recorded an album, what kind of music would be on it? Jazz and blues. No….I haven’t done this….but I’d still like to give it a try! I’d like to sing like Diana Krall when I grow up.

I’m pleased to announce the shower went well. Yes, Legomen, the shower shared by two girls was a hit! *G*
My oldest sis came over about 1:30 on Saturday and set up tables while I worked on some of the food. Between us we offered a balanced meal, and told everyone who came that it would be “Pot Luck.” It seems that my family would be entirely happy to have appetizers and dessert!
The invitaions were for 6:30 and most of the family had arrived by 7:00 when we sat down to eat. Needless to say there was too much food. Isn’t that always the way it is at this type of gathering? We offered sausage and green peppers, ham, funeral potatoes, green beans, carrots, bread, all sorts of pickles and olives, a tostada casserole, and Caesar salad. One of my nieces manages a bake shop for a major grocery store chain, and she made a cake and a fruit tart for dessert, and there was a fruit tray.
And there were several layered taco dips, a shrimp and salad dip, and spinach dip….all with assorted crackers and scoopers.
It was wonderful to have the chance to chat with everyone. I made a point of collecting hugs on the way in and again on the way out. The children were few in number, but we had a five month old, a three year old, a four year old, and an eight year old with us….and they kept us entertained.
The girls were both registered at Target, and there were gifts galore! We bought the bedroom furniture for our new granddaughter, and I shopped for cute clothes for both of the new babies. My niece asked for an instant read thermometer that sounded like a great idea. This is her second baby, so she had clear ideas on what she would need this time. I encouraged my step-daughter to read my niece’s wish list so that she could see what a recent mother thought was important.
My sis organized the clean up. I had them leave the dishes for us to do, but they cleared tables and helped put away food. I sent ham home with anyone who would take it, and loaded the dishwasher for a late night run.
This morning, Dear Husband emptied and refilled the dishwasher, and then we worked together to wash china and put things away. It was fairly painless.
It was cold out today….will be very cold tonight, but it was a pleasure to bask in the sun this afternoon, and just be a couch potato. If my family is reading this, thank you, one and all, who participated! You helped make the evening very special, and I’m delighted we had the chance to celebrate together.

Tonight on the news there was a story of a 14 year old boy who took a gun to school with him. In the past three weeks three children have been hit, and died, while walking on train tracks. Each of these children were old enough to know that what they were doing was both dangerous and a bad choice. Where did we stop insisting that our children make good choices?
At the end of the 1800s our goal was to educate our children though the eighth grade. Gradually over the following century that goal moved to a high school education for all. Then, those who could sought two years of college. By the 1960s it was common for students to assume a bachelor’s degree was a necessity. In the 70s, colleges stretched a B.A. from four to five years of study, and then a Master’s Degree became essential.
With each of these changes, young people were delayed from entering the workforce. A century ago, teenaged children in the working class, worked. Now we do our best to keep young people out of the economy by sending them through school.

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I’m planning to buy a new computer. I thought I had all my “I wants” in order until today. I was going to size a picture to embed in my blog, and was reminded that the imaging program I have takes a genius to run. My stepson is busy working on the project for me now, on one of his imaging programs.
If you have an imaging program that it really user friendly, would you let me know about it?

I have a mircowave with a carousel. I put my mug of tea in the microwave and it circles round and round as it heats.
Recently it occured to me that when I open the door to retrieve the cup it is ALWAYS as far away from me as it can get. Of course, that means the handle is facing away from me, too. I swear there are gremlins at work.