I got in to town today. The thrift store here has paperbacks for under a dollar. Most look as if they have never been read. Then a trip to Walmart to use a birthday gift-card. Fabric on special promotion, $1.50 per yard! I see quilting in my future. I love a bargain. Im happier with cheap fabric and books than with expensive jewelry. I enjoy researching, checking, and finding a deal. Its fulfilling, its challenging, and its savings.
When I was working for, and then later owning a travel agency, I enjoyed passing that on to my clients. A good agent knows when and how and who. My son has strongly suggested I work again at it....since he hears the complaints from his co-workers on the so-called bargains they get. I must admit Im tempted. I can do it from home, and since I love traveling, its a fun thing that never feels like work. I have the credentials and the knowledge....so, why not?
Of course, in my fantasy life, Ive been an author, a clothing designer and more. Isnt that the fun part of age, that we can dream of all the things we may still do? I think Im a Jill-of-all-trades. Ive worked in the medical field, wrote for a newspaper, worked in marketing, been an auditor, a travel agent, and a hotel manager. Interesting to me is that the same skill sets were used in each. Attention to detail. Friendliness. A willingness to think outside the box. I found that the hardest part in each of these jobs was to find people to employ. People are so structured that they often cant see what isnt right in front of them. Or they wont stretch and take chances. Or they are so unhappy within themselves that they carry it around all the time and appear unfriendly. Its amazing to me that intelligent people dont seem to feel the need to follow procedure- not if they can "band-aid" it and call it done.
So where is the fault in all this? Is it the education system? Is it the social push to conformity? Is it that responsibility is something that is no longer emphasized?
I heard a speaker from my church, who made this statement. "Children dont always hear what we say, but they see what we do." Wow. For some reason, that was a "lightbulb, ka-ching" moment for me! I remember myself as a child, ignoring my parents, even as they called to me. Its what kids do. But I also remember in the evening after dinner, mom and dad would gather in the living room and read. Dad with his farm magazines, mom with her novels and magazines. I dont remember them ever saying anything about reading, but my brother and I both are read-a-holics. I was reading on my own at 5, and I think my brother was about the same age. I devour books. Good or bad, I cannot put a book down once Ive begun it. And Im one who cant stand to turn corners down or break the spines. LOL Isnt if funny how we are ingrained in our ways?
Our bit of excitement last night was a grass fire in the field behind the property. Its in the midst of nothing, so Im sure that kids probably started it. Called the fire department and they came and put it out. It was maybe a quarter of a mile from our property line, but in dry grass, it can quickly grow out of control. The large fire here in Colorado that I wrote about the other day is 90% contained now. They are hopeful to get it out completely by tonight. So thankful that no more lives were lost. Its tragic for the 4400 hundred acres, the 2 dozen homes and 2 lives lost. A woman is still missing, but it could have been so much worse!
Have a great weekend, and dont allow yourself to be an April Fool tomorrow!
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Tornados and Firestorms
I was born and raised in beautiful, lush, wet and green Ohio. Just a
skip and hop away was the largest Amish/Mennonite community in the
United States. Holmes, Tuscarawas and Wayne counties, primarily. The
groups are Old Order, New Order, Swartzentruber, Amish-Mennonite,
Mennonite and more. While the Amish are a major tourist attraction,
there are also great fishing and boating lakes, wonderful parks, easy
access to cultural opportunities, world class zoos and amusement parks.
Lets not forget History- settlement communities, archeological dig
areas, early canal travels and more. Ohios slogan used to be "Ohio-the
heart of it all". In many ways it still is that. Both an industrial
and agricultural biggie, Ohio plays a large part in the economy of the
country. Needless to say, I love Ohio.
Ohio is also a place that tornados frequent, blizzards are well known, power-outages and floods are common enough that most people are fairly blase' about them.
Contrast that to Colorado, my current home. High-desert mountains, where skiing and hiking take advantage of the over mile high areas. River and lake fishing is good, and the easy way to tell a visitor to the state are the altitude-sickness symptoms. Headache, tiredness and lack of appetite. Colorado is a home to cowboys, elk and moose, bears and mountain lions. People here think nothing of driving a couple hours to go to the mall. And 60 mph winds are considered "gusty". Even with all the snow here, we never have enough water. Our water, by centuries old contract, goes to Texas, California, Arizona. Our grass is rarely green, unless artificially watered. Usually the color is a greenish brown. Sagebrush, taking the form of tumbleweeds bounce even into the city. The sun shines approximately 350 days per year here. In the summer it can reach the low 100's. With next to no humidity, it doesnt feel that hot. And in the winter, 10 below is common, with the wind chills factored in to feel like 40 below.
The thing that is feared most here is fire. Once it catches, the ever-present winds take it and run. The terrain of the mountains can make it hard to battle, and so many of us out here have built our homes into the woods, where a strong fire can take them in one gust. There is currently a fire of over 4000 acres burning. It has taken at least 2 dozen homes. Two people have died, and one is missing. There are over 500 firefighters on the job, battling this now for 4 days. As of this morning, only 10 to 15 percent is contained.
What I would give for the green and water from Ohio. And yet, Colorado has a beauty unlike anyplace else. It is a state of constant surprise, from tiny towns with amazing museums, to ancient dwellings. Adobe churches and homes in various state of disrepair, and modern structures that would look in place back east in the capitol cities.
I find myself so grateful for the opportunities Ive had to see so much of the world. To see the beauty of such diverse areas, and yet Ive also realised that nothing is as good as home. No matter where home is, its always wonderful to get back. Something about the security of being with our own things, the comfort of familiarity.
Keep those who are affected by the fires in your hearts, and look around at your own "comfort and security". Have a wonderful day!
Ohio is also a place that tornados frequent, blizzards are well known, power-outages and floods are common enough that most people are fairly blase' about them.
Contrast that to Colorado, my current home. High-desert mountains, where skiing and hiking take advantage of the over mile high areas. River and lake fishing is good, and the easy way to tell a visitor to the state are the altitude-sickness symptoms. Headache, tiredness and lack of appetite. Colorado is a home to cowboys, elk and moose, bears and mountain lions. People here think nothing of driving a couple hours to go to the mall. And 60 mph winds are considered "gusty". Even with all the snow here, we never have enough water. Our water, by centuries old contract, goes to Texas, California, Arizona. Our grass is rarely green, unless artificially watered. Usually the color is a greenish brown. Sagebrush, taking the form of tumbleweeds bounce even into the city. The sun shines approximately 350 days per year here. In the summer it can reach the low 100's. With next to no humidity, it doesnt feel that hot. And in the winter, 10 below is common, with the wind chills factored in to feel like 40 below.
The thing that is feared most here is fire. Once it catches, the ever-present winds take it and run. The terrain of the mountains can make it hard to battle, and so many of us out here have built our homes into the woods, where a strong fire can take them in one gust. There is currently a fire of over 4000 acres burning. It has taken at least 2 dozen homes. Two people have died, and one is missing. There are over 500 firefighters on the job, battling this now for 4 days. As of this morning, only 10 to 15 percent is contained.
What I would give for the green and water from Ohio. And yet, Colorado has a beauty unlike anyplace else. It is a state of constant surprise, from tiny towns with amazing museums, to ancient dwellings. Adobe churches and homes in various state of disrepair, and modern structures that would look in place back east in the capitol cities.
I find myself so grateful for the opportunities Ive had to see so much of the world. To see the beauty of such diverse areas, and yet Ive also realised that nothing is as good as home. No matter where home is, its always wonderful to get back. Something about the security of being with our own things, the comfort of familiarity.
Keep those who are affected by the fires in your hearts, and look around at your own "comfort and security". Have a wonderful day!
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Rambling thoughts
I have been re-reading some favorite authors. Most recently Ann Rule. If you havent read her, you should. She is a crime writer, with a twist- her stories are about real people, and real crimes. Ann Rule was a writer on a newspaper. At one time she worked side by side with Ted Bundy, thinking him a nice, regular guy. She eventually got the police beat, and when Bundy was later on trial, got an exclusive interview with him.
Ms. Rule writes about the dark side of humanity, without sensationalizing it. You read the story, and see the layers of the criminal, as they go from human to villain. When you read about Ted Bundy, you see what a likeable, intelligent man he was- and wonder why he chose to be a murderer. In "Last Dance, last chance" you read of a narcissitic surgeon who nearly destroyed everyone who cared for him, in his effort to be famous. Ann Rule allows us to see the humanity, and the evil in the same person. It isnt light reading, but well worth it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We have fires here in Colorado. They say that it began as a controlled burn, with some stray sparks. On the 3rd day now, it is 0% controlled, and about 4000 acres. Approximately 30 homes are gone, close to 1000 people are displaced. There are few deaths, however cadaver dogs were taken in this morning as a woman cannot be found. Keep these people in your hearts and prayers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I keep a mental prayer list....and often during the day I will recall it and offer prayer for those needs. How do you handle your prayer lists? Do you write them down? Do you make your prayers at night, or morning? I love that so many on Facebook use "pokes" for prayers. What a great way to acknowledge someone..and to ask for prayer!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tonights dinner is beans and ham. Ive been soaking the beans all night, now I will get them into the crockpot with chunks of ham. My family loves this.......comforting, filling, and really easy. I try to make lists of my meals for the next week. Sometimes I do much better at planning than others. We arent big on desserts, but Ive been in a mood for cake, so Im thinking its time for pineapple upside down cake!
Whatever you are having, enjoy. Gut Essen!!
Ms. Rule writes about the dark side of humanity, without sensationalizing it. You read the story, and see the layers of the criminal, as they go from human to villain. When you read about Ted Bundy, you see what a likeable, intelligent man he was- and wonder why he chose to be a murderer. In "Last Dance, last chance" you read of a narcissitic surgeon who nearly destroyed everyone who cared for him, in his effort to be famous. Ann Rule allows us to see the humanity, and the evil in the same person. It isnt light reading, but well worth it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We have fires here in Colorado. They say that it began as a controlled burn, with some stray sparks. On the 3rd day now, it is 0% controlled, and about 4000 acres. Approximately 30 homes are gone, close to 1000 people are displaced. There are few deaths, however cadaver dogs were taken in this morning as a woman cannot be found. Keep these people in your hearts and prayers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I keep a mental prayer list....and often during the day I will recall it and offer prayer for those needs. How do you handle your prayer lists? Do you write them down? Do you make your prayers at night, or morning? I love that so many on Facebook use "pokes" for prayers. What a great way to acknowledge someone..and to ask for prayer!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tonights dinner is beans and ham. Ive been soaking the beans all night, now I will get them into the crockpot with chunks of ham. My family loves this.......comforting, filling, and really easy. I try to make lists of my meals for the next week. Sometimes I do much better at planning than others. We arent big on desserts, but Ive been in a mood for cake, so Im thinking its time for pineapple upside down cake!
Whatever you are having, enjoy. Gut Essen!!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Tradin Talk
Renewed- a defunct blog that Ive revived. Ive learned that it isnt about the destination, but about the journey- and I am still on my journey.
Recommendations, Thoughts, Reviews, Recipes and Ideas. A good place to gather my "woolen" thoughts and share.
I've been thinking about expectations. So often we think we know about things based on the visual. But we see only the surface. We fail to look deeper, and in doing so, we shortchange ourselves as well as others
This link is a perfect example:http://www.godvine.com/Shy-Boy-and-his-Friend-Shock-the-Audience-with-The-Prayer-Unbelievable-1318.html
Those first impressions can sure be wrong..........
Recommendations, Thoughts, Reviews, Recipes and Ideas. A good place to gather my "woolen" thoughts and share.
I've been thinking about expectations. So often we think we know about things based on the visual. But we see only the surface. We fail to look deeper, and in doing so, we shortchange ourselves as well as others
This link is a perfect example:http://www.godvine.com/Shy-Boy-and-his-Friend-Shock-the-Audience-with-The-Prayer-Unbelievable-1318.html
Those first impressions can sure be wrong..........
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