It was quite shocking to my senses as I recall, I was after all only a small boy at the time.

Perhaps it was this scarring effect that makes it so prominent in my recollections. I had thought that my family life was quite good, up until that point. I know that it may be offensive to my mother that I am even writing on this topic, but from my perspective as long as I am not slandering, then there is no major issue.

It is probable that my memory is not a paragon of perfection, but I am writing as I recall to the best of my mind’s ability after so long.

I remember for years being angry at my mother for doing nothing less than (I thought @ the time) attempting to leave us (my sisters and I.) I honestly thought we did something to make her not want to be with us anymore.

It made no sense to me as a child, and makes even less sense to me now looking back. This is the first time I am deeply touching this topic, consider it an exercise to exorcise a lot of childhood trauma. I am happy to say my mother survived her attempted suicide and is still very much alive, although she still struggles with depression issues and such.

That though the radiance which was once so bright

be now forever taken from my sight.

Though nothing can bring back the hour of splendor

in the grass, glory in the flower.

We will grieve not, rather find strength in what remains behind.

: o ) William Wordsworth

After a few times reading this you get the flavor of what he was talking about. Getting old with grace. Growing old is happening to all of us, he so eloquently explains in detail.

Maybe your not quite at the hour of splendor yet, but we should live our life now so that we don’t look back as he did.

Remembering all of the good that we shared, the laughter and the smiles and the deeds that made another persons life easier to live.  Thats what we should choose to remember.

We all hope not to grieve but to reminisce on what was so great and grand.

That should be our goal our everyday reoccurrence of life.

Take time to enjoy the coldness of winter. The blossom of spring. The gentle rain that falls that feeds our gardens.

Take time to enjoy the warmth and heat of summer and enjoy the splashing of kids at the local beach or pool.  No matter your age, stick your legs, or toes in the cool crisp water and feel the texture as it laps against your skin.

Enjoy the season, which ever your life is and then when your final hour of splendor arrives you won’t wonder where it went.  You will have it deep in your memory bank ready to withdraw at any time and enjoy.

Share your dreams and your laughter and your smiles along your journey no matter what season your in.

Video of the Day

Coming to a field or flower bead near you Enjoy ! : )

Scripture of the Day 

Job 17:9 (NLT)

“The righteous keep moving forward, and those with clean hands become stronger and stronger.” 

Have a blessed day everyone

Make ME Smile Online

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  A lot has been made of this verse but I am going to simplify.  I’ll let the intellectuals find the needle.  What I am mostly interested in at this point in my life is the Father/Son relationship with God.  So I ask , “Why did our Father create us to look like Him?” 

  Can you think of anything more natural for a Father to do?  I can’t.  I wanted my children to look like me.  And if anyone said so, it pleased me. This is just another easy-to-understand hint from the Father on how much He wanted us to be His family.  From the beginning of time, He wanted this.  And nothing should be more pleasing to us, and to God, than for someone to say we look just like our Father in heaven.  Physically, they aren’t going to say this.  But spiritually?  Yes, they will.  All we have to do is to look like our Brother, Jesus, and we will look like our Father as well.  Because Jesus said, “If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father.” John 14:9   So if we look like Jesus in our character and like the Father in our design, then we  look like the Father both from birth and also from rebirth!  See how much our Father desires us to be His children?!  Beautiful!  Both inside and out!  

  Don’t let anyone convince you that you are ugly.  It’s just not the truth.  We look like our Father and He is beautiful!

• A classic night of romance with a candle-light dinner, tuxedo and evening dress, and chocolates for dessert.
• Give your honey some sugar and make Valentine sugar-cookies together…frosting-fights are always a romantic playful way to spend time together. 
• If you live somewhere warm, decorate a spot in the park with hearts hanging from the trees and create your own romantic getaway in nature.
• For those who live in snowy places: Spray paint the snow with red and pink hearts, make your own mural together and lay in the snow doing snow angels! Hot chocolate with some peppermint and a warm fire afterwards are always a plus.
• If your sweetheart happens to go to work on Valentine’s you could provide them with their own heart-attack, when they are out of the office put red and pink hearts EVERYWHERE. Plaster them on the walls, chairs, computer, and whatever else is handy. On each heart, write a reason why you love your honey, it will make their Valentine’s Day that much brighter!
• For those with a passion for cake-decorating share a little passion with your loved one while making and decorating a cake together.
• Send your honey on a scavenger-hunt all around town, to places you spend time together, and places that have special memories etc. The last destination is where you will spend time together eating, talking, hugging, kissing, and just doing what you have planned!
• Send your lover flowers with a sweet note expressing your passion and love. Some rich chocolate should be included.
• Spread petals on your bed with incense burning and when your spouse wakes up have the whole house created into a spa to spend all day relaxing at.
• Make it simple! Go out to dinner and after that watch as many chick-flicks as you can fit in!
• Write your love story together.
• Go on a Valentine’s Day drive with your favorite treats in the car, and a CD of love songs playing.
• Sketch each other’s faces with a Valentine’s theme.
• Go dancing, and then surprise your special sweetheart with a dozen roses at the end of the night.
• Give your significant other one rose during every hour of the day, along with a heart-shaped note about why you love them. ♥

These are just a few different ideas of how to make your Valentine’s Day memorable. I know what my plans are for my sweetheart on Valentines Day! Good luck to all those looking for romantic ideas! Don’t let this Valentine’s Day pass without expressing your love and adoration to your sweetheart. Let the Valentine’s sunrise touch your heart and warm your soul. Have a Happy Valentine’s Season!

I was born near the tail end of the baby boom generation. My dad worked in a factory and my mother stayed home. We were quite poor but I didn’t know it because I always felt secure. My childhood was spent in Southern California in a house surrounded by fields and orange groves.

  My parents were young and my dad had a record player that I was fascinated with. It had a huge turntable covered in felt and it was built into a case that had a lid and could be latched. That record player had a wonderful, unique smell that I will always remember. It looked something like this:

  He had a stack of vinyl 45 records that were so exciting. Mostly Elvis Presley, but I also remember Bob Luman, Bobby Darin, Ferlin Husky, Johnny Cash and Jimmy Rogers. Since a 45 had a big hole in the middle, it was necessary to keep a supply of spindle adaptors. Without it, the record wouldn’t stay centered on the turntable.

  We had a black and white television and TV was free, although programming was pretty limited. There were no video games or internet. Our telephone was a corded rotary dial type and we had only one for the whole house. It was ok though because back then, kids spent a lot of time outdoors and parents didn’t worry much about kidnappings and such. We climbed trees, played kickball, and ate oranges and walnuts all day long from the trees around the neighborhood.

  Sodas were sold in tall glass bottles back then which could be taken, when empty, back to the store and exchanged for money. My sister and I would collect them and when we had enough, we would redeem them for penny candy. We could easily come away with a good sized bag full of a variety of candy and gum. Later I would pay at the dentist’s office.

  In 1964, the Beatles landed in America and although I was only 5 years old, I fell in love with them. There were plenty of cartoons on TV, but my favorite shows were Shindig, Hullabaloo and Bandstand. These were all musical variety shows that featured the popular stars of the day and teenagers dancing.

  The fashions of the time were nearly as exciting as the music. The girls were wearing go go boots, bell bottoms and mini skirts, while the boys were sporting long hair and clothes with paisley prints and stripes.

  Popular toys were Tonka trucks and Barbie dolls. I wanted a Barbie but I got Midge instead. She didn’t seem as glamorous as Barbie.

  Other toys that were heavily advertised were the Slinky, which is still sold today, Wheelo and Gaylord the Bassett Hound. I owned Gaylord and I seem to remember he required a lot of batteries, so when his power ran out, that was the end of playing with him. By pulling on his leash, he would be triggered to walk, with a lot of motor and gear noise I might add.

Gaylord        Wheelo

  I’m very happy I was born a baby boomer and I would not trade it for anything else. Things were far from perfect but it was a good time to grow up. Much progress has been made since then in science, medicine, civil rights, technology and general knowledge as it should be, but I will always feel nostalgic for the simpler life of the sixties.

‘People often say that this or that person has not yet found himself. 

But the self is not something one finds, it is something one creates.’

~ Thomas Szasz

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‘Only the shallow know themselves.’

~ Oscar Wilde

Reflection on Christmas Eve’s past.

So many memories it is hard to choose, not all of them where good in a troubled home.   Many of them I created on my own but as a young child the imagination and wonder create awesome things.

The Christmas tree growing up was one of those silver aluminum trees you know the turntable at the bottom that sup around and the wooden powers with holes in them to hold those wonderful metallic branches that stayed and was pulled out of a paper sleeve to keep them safe all year.  LOL.

Those big glass ornaments with awesome bright colors.  One or two broke every year. It was bound to happen and you were glad it was not you. It makes me smile thinking of the tree construction each year.

The small metal globe with the spinning stain glass plastic disc.  It had a huge bulb inside and when you plugged it in the disc spun slowly and the light shown through.  It let up the tree that was the Christmas lights.

The manger a wooden nativity scene with plastic figures and a music box wind up key that played silent night, holy night.  I would watch the tree spin, the bulbs shine and the colors reflect off. Always like to hand a bult close to the manger and as the tree spun it would just grace the top of the manger and make a tap on the roof. LOL

Great memories that tree and light show.

I am sure you have many as well.

All that we have

Possessions are not all that we have or all that we are.  They do not go with us and when they stay behind they mean little to those who obtain them.

What does matter is the self we created.  The memories we shared and passed on.  I do laugh at those that say they are working on finding themselves when in fact they should be creating themselves.

No, we all can rest and wait for the time to slowly tick by and wait for that great idea or passion to fall into place.  

I would rather step out and search and find and create the course that I go forward on.

So this season, create more memories that you can look back on with a smile and a chuckle.

This season share a simple sincere smile or laughter with those you love.

This season start a new tradition of gratitude, a life that you design, and curiosity that knows no limits.

Live ~ Love ~ Laugh ~ Dream ~ Share with those you most cherish.  Smiles to you this season and a very Merry Christmas : )

This weeks affirmation fits right here :

I live with an abundant attitude.  I appreciate what surrounds me, I see love and possibility in everything that is presented to me.  When challenges confront me, I welcome them because I see growth and opportunity.  It is a new chance to share in my knowledge of appreciation and love.  I am grateful for everything that brings me love and joy.  Love surrounds me.  Joy flows freely from my spirit.  I am grateful!  I appreciate and look forward to the new year and I will live in gratitude for all that I have.

Trust in these words this week,  Say them, repeat them and each day watch the shift in your beliefs.

Words with power, with emotion and words that will help affirm your design of a better you.

Use your mirror time and face time each day to acknowledge that you are loved and that you are truly grateful for all that you have.

By your creator, and by the reflection in that mirror.  You are loved. Take the time for you!  It is within you right now to make your day more joyful, happier, and designed the way you choose. Its your turn to act! 

Smiles as always sent your way.  Today and always. : )

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On this day in history

563 – The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by earthquakes.

1294 – Pope Boniface VIII is elected Pope, replacing St. Celestine V, who had resigned.

1777 – Kiritimati, also called Christmas Island, is discovered by James Cook.

1814 – The Treaty of Ghent is signed ending the War of 1812.

1826 – The Eggnog Riot at the United States Military Academy begins that night, wrapping up the following morning.

1851 – Library of Congress burns.

1865 – The Ku Klux Klan is formed.

1906 – Radio: Reginald Fessenden transmits the first radio broadcast; consisting of a poetry reading, a violin solo, and a speech.

1913 – The Italian Hall Disaster (”1913 Massacre”) in Calumet, Michigan results in the death of 73 Christmas party goers held by striking mine workers, including 59 children.

1914 – World War I: The “Christmas truce” begins.

1924 – Albania becomes a republic.

1939 – World War II: Pope Pius XII makes a Christmas Eve appeal for peace.

1941 – World War II: Kuching is conquered by Japanese forces.

1943 – World War II: U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes the Supreme Allied Commander.

1953 – Tangiwai disaster: A railway bridge is destroyed by a lahar at Tangiwai, in the Central North Island of New Zealand, sending a fully loaded passenger train into the Whangaehu River, and killing 153 people.

1955 – NORAD Tracks Santa for the first time in what will become an annual Christmas Eve tradition.

1964 – Vietnam War: Viet Cong operatives bomb the Brinks Hotel in Saigon to demonstrate they can strike an American installation in the heavily guarded capital.

1966 – A Canadair CL-44 chartered by the United States military crashes into a small village in South Vietnam, killing 129.

1968 – The crew of the USS Pueblo is released by North Korea after being held for 11 months on suspicion of spying.

1968 – Apollo Program: The crew of Apollo 8 enters into orbit around the Moon, becoming the first humans to do so. They performed 10 lunar orbits and broadcast live TV pictures that became the famous Christmas Eve Broadcast, one of the most watched programs in history.

1973 – District of Columbia Home Rule Act is passed, allowing residents of Washington, D.C. to elect their own local government.

1974 – Cyclone Tracy devastates Darwin, Australia.

1979 – The first European Ariane rocket is launched.

1980 – Witnesses report the first of several sightings of unexplained lights near RAF Woodbridge, in Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk, England, an incident called “Britain’s Roswell”.

1997 – The Sid El-Antri massacre (or Sidi Lamri) in Algeria kills 50-100 people.

2000 – The Texas 7 hold up a sports store in Irving, Texas. Police officer Aubrey Hawkins is murdered during the robbery.

2003 – The Spanish police thwart an attempt by ETA to detonate 50 kg of explosives at 3:55 p.m. inside Madrid’s busy Chamartín Station.

2008 – Lord’s Resistance Army, a Ugandan rebel group, begins a series of attacks on Democratic Republic of the Congo, massacring more than 400.

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My daily recipe for today.  Hope you enjoy : )  From allrecipes.com

Indian Spiced Chex® Mix

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New Feature Only on Thursday  Weekly Sudoku Puzzle 

Sudoku by Sudokuhints.com

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Your Daily Prayer 

Lord, thank you for today and all its majesty and beauty.

Thanks for the gift of our free will may we all choose wisely.

Thank you for all the abundance that I have in my life.  

Help me to understand all the possibilities that come along with this abundance.

Thank you for this day, this holiday that we set aside for those we care about.

Bless our families, our friends, those in need of hope and faith may be in some way help to inspire their lives.

May I stand out among the crowd and give freely the love that burns inside my spirit.

Help my free flowing spirit to feel your presence, your spirit, your love, your direction.

May I share a smile, a sincere smile and perhaps a kind word or deed.

Help me to live a life by design that I choose not one that is chosen for me.

On keeping things more attainable and filling this time of year with the simple things of life.

Giving thanks

Showing appreciation

Expressing the real reason for the season.

For the power of words and your words that you placed in the Bible.

Thanks for the gift of love may I understand that everything was designed with love and only man and his wrong intentions created hate.

Help all of us to become better givers of self.

Help us to become the gift that this world needs.

A bit kinder, more gentle, more in tune with the power and influence we really do all have.

To share to be that beacon of light.

To share a simple sincere smile.

To reach out with our hands and arms to help another person get a foot hold once again.

Help me to make a difference with a simple sincere smile, a kind word or even a act of kindness or love. 

I give you praise and the glory for all of that

With humility and gratitude I thank you

Amen

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Daily Information

A very cool time piece for the web

Sunrise  

Sunset

Next Full Moon

Days till Spring 

Sharing a smile ~  Sending you love ~  Pass it on

: )

brought to you by Make ME Smile Online

written by Victor Yakin copyright protected 2011 

I don’t know about the rest of you, but for me it seems like time is passing by faster and faster. I used to think that was such a cliché, but now I understand the reality of it all. This reality, by the way, does not scare me, but instead reminds me of the wonderful opportunities to create memories, and grow in wisdom.

What is it about the holidays that we treasure so much? As a child, in addition to getting “stuff” on Christmas morning, I used to love seeing cousins, Aunts, Uncles, and Grandparents as we’d get together for a turkey or baked ham dinner. For me they are memories filled with warmth and happiness, and they’ve played an important role in my hopeful outlook on life. I was raised in a devout Christian home; hence, the story of Christ’s birth was always at the helm of both Thanksgiving and Christmas. My dad would always read the Nativity story to us on Christmas Eve and then ask us questions about it and quiz us on our basic understanding of its importance. Thanksgiving was always a time to articulate sincere felt thanks and gratitude for life and the gifts we had. Despite the fact that things were far from perfect and consistent in my family, I never felt that the holidays were commercial or phony in the way we observed them.

Image via Wikipedia

There was a span of time when I was growing up in which my brother and I got very little in the way of presents. My father was a minister for a number of years and we just couldn’t afford much for Christmas, but I was always grateful to have a stocking stuffed with brownies and candy. Putting it in context, that was a great deal more than many other kids got for Christmas. I was always taught to be grateful for anything I had received. My mom told me a story, not long ago, about how she and her cousins used to celebrate Christmas back during the Great Depression. They were poor folks from east Tennessee and typically received only an orange and a couple of candy sticks in a worn out old winter stocking. These poor mountain kids had nothing to compare their Christmas stocking to since all the other families in their community were in the same boat. There simply was no abundance by which to compare. Mom said that the greatest value during the holidays she remembers was the love and commitment her family had for each other. What they lacked in physical abundance, they made up for with a great deal of love.

It wasn’t until many years later that I actually wrote in a journal about the holidays. I wanted to make sure that I included the holidays in my journals since they were, and are, times during the year when we stop what we’re doing to focus on things that are most important to us like faith, family, and our hopes and dreams.

Not everyone takes the time to reflect, however, and in fact the holidays are times of great strife and turmoil for many families. Instead of slowing down and ignoring the clock, many of us find ourselves even more exhausted and pressed for time. When I journal about the holidays I like to reflect on the differences between what I really need and what I only want. These are qualities and areas of reflection I want for my children. I journal about the holidays to remind myself about what is most important, and to record the insights and lessons learned during those set aside times for reflection. I have a tendency, unfortunately, to sometimes limit my journaling to deep, philosophical reflections, and I have to often remind myself to lighten up. Sometimes the greatest (even deepest) insights we can find are right in front of us in the simple things life has to offer.

One of my favorite memories of the holidays (which I did journal about at length) was the Christmas of 1989, one I will never forget. I was working as an administrator at a small private college, and this year there was a particular student that had experienced and number of tragic events including the death of a child, by-pass surgery, and the break-in and theft of property that included all of the family Christmas presents. On top of it all he had been laid off of a job he had held for twenty years. Bills were piling up, and creditors were hounding him with threats and all. The college secretly raised not only enough funds to cover a few remaining medical costs, but also the bills for his little boy’s funeral, and to get caught up on his other bills. The frosting on the cake was that one of the members on the College Board, who owned a company, gave him a job. When this gift was presented to the student, I remember watching him fall down on his knees and weep like a little child. I was the only one to witness this moment besides the administrator who presented it to him in the privacy of his office. I think for a moment I actually got a glimpse of divine grace.

I reread my journal entry about this event every Christmas season because it’s a wonderful reminder to keep out in front of me what matters most, namely, other people. That is why holiday journaling is important. The holidays, particularly Christmas, is a time of year where we are all reminded of the reality of those who have, and those who have not. It should give us opportunities to act upon our better natures and to show our gratitude by showing compassion to those who are not as fortunate. These are the memories worth recording. These are the memories worth passing on to our children and family. That being said, I think it’s important to reflect and act upon these things all year long, not just on Christmas.

This holiday season take the time to record your thoughts about the events around you. Sometimes the mere smile a little child is enough to convince of what matters most. We all have particular things we value about the holidays. What do you value and why? These are a couple of things to ponder during the holidays. Here are some ideas that you can use to start some holiday journaling.

What is you favorite holiday and why?

Do you have a particular holiday event that stands out in your mind?

How do you spend the pre- holiday time?

What are your children’s thoughts (if you have kids) on the holidays

What are your Christmas Eve traditions (or holiday traditions in general)?

Do you have any special decorating?

These are just a few prompts to help encourage you to think about holiday journaling. We encourage you to create wonderful memories and traditions with you family and friends. To remember them in the years to come is a way
to live joyously and in continued hope for a better tomorrow. 
Check out my journaling site at:   www.journalinglife.com

Image via Wikipedia

Creating good memories can help overcome the bad memories we carry with us.
Good memories help us grow in love and fondness with family and friends. As
we reminisce about good times, we are reminded of things that matter most,
and the people we love. They add smiles to our faces, and give us hope for
tomorrow. What kind of memories are you creating now? Every day is a new opportunity
to create new memories, not only for ourselves, but for our kids, and loved
ones. If you don,t have a tradition (or traditions) take the time this year
to create some of your own. Find a memorable place to visit, perhaps an old
town nearby that has an annual tree lighting, or beginning of Christmas
celebration. Some communities have Christmas caroling nights where families
can get together with other families to sing the carols of the season. The
opportunities to create holiday memories are almost limitless. Keep these
memories in your journal, and each year make sure to read through your
reflection on those memorable holiday times. These are stories you can pass
on to your kids, who in turn can pass on to their own kids one day.   With the Christmas Season now upon us we have the maximum opportunity to
take time off and reflect on things that matter most like family, faith, and
the direction of our lives. I encourage you to take time this season to
fill those journals with your thoughts and memories. A steady diet of
journaling this way can be a tool to help transform the way we think, and
also transform the interior of our souls. Take good care one and all.

Thought you were my angel

Now it’s all gone to truth

You’ve brought me down

To the lowest low

I’m broken inside

You would know

Sometimes trying to be strong

Only brings memories

Sometimes forgetting your past

Takes a whole lot of thinking

Because I’m not the kind to forgive and forget

I want to leave now

No matter how this is

Well it’s just to late

To tell me that you didn’t mean it

That you were wrong and I was right

That you only spent the night

Trying to figure out how

You can make it up to me

It’s just to late to say you’re sorry

You hold your head up high

Never dare to swallow your pride

It’s there as long as you live

Well I call you out

You don’t mind

It’s the exact same thing every time

I’m still wishing I had said more

Damage control

But nobody that matters knows

I’m so glad that I’m gone

Well you’ve caused me pain

Well it’s just to late

To tell me that you didn’t mean it

That you were wrong and I was right

That you only spent the night

Trying to figure out how

You can make it up to me

It’s just to late to say you’re sorry

Well I don’t care how much you think of yourself

A stupid mistake

And now you call me out

I never tried

Never hurt

Now you’ve just taken me

And broken me

Now all that I have

Is a terrible memory

Well it’s just to late

To tell me that you didn’t mean it

That you were wrong and I was right

That you only spent the night

Trying to figure out how

You can make it up to me

It’s just to late to say you’re sorry

On looking back at some of my previous writing starting two years ago, I have decided to dust off a few Christmas articles and bring them to your attention. There may be something here you would have enjoyed had you known it existed two years ago. And if not, thanks for reading this far.

Firstly, let’s consider that whole dilemma of what to give to whom. Money is scarce these days and the list or those we give presents continues to grow. Why waste money buying something the receiver may not want, something that will end up in the rubbish? If you’re not sure what to buy for someone, maybe these ideas will help.

Christmas Wish List for Aunts and Uncles

Eat It, Drink It, Plant It – Christmas Gifts Simplified

Give a Book This Christmas

Or maybe you’d rather read about those wonderful creatures, the pets with whom many of us share our lives. Then why not try:

The Cat and The Christmas Turkey

What Pets Can Teach Us at Christmas

Christmas traditions are strong in many parts of the world, while others venture into spending Christmas in a way that suits their more modern lifestyle. Here in New Zealand Christmas is a summer celebration. For more on the New Zealand Christmas experience, read:

Christmas Memories

The First Christmas on New Zealand Shores

Summer time Christmas Dinner in New Zealand

And finally, if it’s just a little light reading you need to give you a break in your day, then these may be the ones for you.

Letter to Santa – a Christmas Story

Santa’s Wife, Mrs Claus – The World’s Busiest Volunteer

Pavlova, The Perfect Christmas Dessert

Thank you if you have persevered reading this list right to the end. I hope you’ve found something to interest you. And to all other online writers reading this, don’t be afraid of a bit of self promotion from time to time. If you are proud of your efforts, let the world know. Keep in mind however that, like all good things, self promotion of your writing is best done in moderation.

If you enjoy writing and have knowledge or experiences you’d like to share, why not click this link to publish here in the Triond writing community. You even earn a little cash for your efforts.