This is very nice...

Deserata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism

Be yourself, especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it transcends time and space.

Take kindly to the councel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome disipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labours and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be careful. Take care.
Strive to be happy.

Found in Old St. Paul's Church, Baltimore ~ circa. 1692
The author is unknown.

Statistics: The only science that enables different experts using the same figures to draw different conclusions ~ Evan Esar

Ain't that the truth!

FAMILY TIES

"Family...they think they know you and you think you know them"

Since you grew up with your family, you think that you know them inside and out and they know you the same way. But that was then, this is now, you have since left home to start your life as an adult. From that time on, your family has spent a lot less time with you. Undoubtedly you have changed and grown in many ways. Your family may think they know you but in reality they only know parts of you.

To keep your family ties strong you need to help them understand who you are today. And remember you’re not the only one that has changed with time, so have your parents and siblings. Notice who they are today and share the new you!

From Meditations for Women

Family Health and Fitness Day

This past Saturday was Family Health and Fitness Day. This event seeks to educate families about the benefits of participating in shared fitness activities. Here are a few activities you can enjoy with your family not only on Family Health and Fitness day but every day.

Go for a hike. Explore parts of your town you haven't experienced. The quiet time alone with your family will allow you to catch up on each other's lives while being physically active.

Take a bike ride. If you don't own bikes, you can rent them from a local bike shop and ask for a recommended route.

Participate in a low-impact aerobics class. Check with your gym to see if they have a class suitable for children.

Go swimming. If you don't have a pool or you're not near a body of water, find a public pool. Many communities have pay-by-the-day pools where you and your family can spend the day frolicking.

Take a walk. Invite your kids to join you on an expedition around the neighborhood. Along the way you can stop and greet neighbors and friends.

Plan a scavenger hunt. A fun activity like a scavenger hunt will get your kids out of the house and keep them active as they work toward their goal.

Volunteer for community service. As a family, you can participate in a task like painting a local school or planting a community garden. This type of activity will stimulate the body and the mind.

Realize that now, in this moment of time, you are creating. You are creating your next moment. That is what's real. ~ The Hidden Power of the Heart, Sara Paddison

"Imagine of all of life were determined by majority rule. Every meal would be a pizza. Every pair of pants, even those in a Brooks Brothers suit, would be stonewashed denim. Celebrity diet and exercise books would be the only thing on library shelves. And—since women are a majority of the population—we'd all be married to Mel Gibson." ~ P. J. O'Rourke (1947-) American humorist & journalist

First Day of Autumn

A few days ago I walked along the edge of the lake and was treated to the crunch and rustle of leaves with each step I made. The acoustics of this season are different and all sounds, no matter how hushed, are as crisp as autumn air. ~ Eric Sloane

I can't believe that it is the first day of Autumn, it is so summer like here today.

The Season Of Bountiful Harvest Celebrating
The Autumnal Equinox
From the DailyOM

This year the autumnal equinox, or first day of autumn, falls today on September 22. On this date, the day and night are of equal length - its counterpart is the vernal (or spring) equinox. Both dates mark the balance between the light and dark halves of the year. Celebrating the autumnal equinox is a way of observing the earth's cycle and its influence on our lives. You can honor the new season in many ways; some are as simple as baking an apple pie. Others are more elaborate. Look to your own traditions, or try a few of these displays of appreciation for the changing seasons.
* To honor the change of season, decorate your home with autumnal symbols such as fall leaves and seeds including acorns, nuts, and ears of corn or corn husk dolls. These ornaments to our homes remind us of the completion of the year's harvest and the promise of next year's bounty.
* Have a bonfire on the beach to mark the end of summer.
* Feasts to celebrate the autumn harvest are a part of many cultures. Invite family and friends to your home for a gathering to welcome the fall - serve harvest foods such as apples and apple cider, "winter" squash or pumpkin, whole grain breads, nut butters, and grapes.
* Look around your area for an Apple Festival or Pumpkin Festival. They are a source of community togetherness as well as a good party.
* Or, simply take a walk and enjoy the changing color of the leaves, the crispness in the air, and the scent of autumn. Now is the time to harvest the last warmth of summer to keep you aglow through the fall and winter.

I do not want your sympathy for the needs of humanity. I want your muscle. I do not want to talk about what you understand about this world. I want to know what you will do about it. I do not want to know what you hope. I want to know what you will work for. ~ Robert Fulghum, It Was on Fire When I Lay Down on It

What will you work for?

"Pick your battles wisely. Most children will annoy us in several different ways. Dawdling until we’re all late to leave the house, arguing constantly, strewing toys around the house, refusing to eat anything green, insisting on picking inappropriate clothes. And more. Are you going to make everything into a battle? What are the things you really want to work on? What are the ones that annoy you but that you can live with?"

From Peaceful Parenting Newsletter, Sept. 2004

I’ve been on a constant diet for the last two decades. I’ve lost a total of 789 pounds. By all accounts, I should be hanging from a charm bracelet. - Erma Bombeck

I have been trying to loose the weight on my own for months now using a low-fat diet but with no success, sure I haven't gained more weight, but I haven't lost any either.

My friend Megan has been on a low-carb diet since the first of the year and she has lost a lot of weight, she looks and feels great. But she has given up a lot of food on this diet, food that she probably will never be able to enjoy again. I have thought about doing the low-carb thing but I confess, there are certain foods that I don't want to give up.

While surfing the internet I came across an article on Prevention.com called South Beach Diet Basics and after reading it I have decided to go on The South Beach Diet. Today is the first day. If you want to check on my daily progress stop by my other blog, Diet Another Day...I wish, from time to time.

In case you have been wondering about The South Beach Diet here's some basic information.

The South Beach Diet is neither low-fat nor low-carb. It teaches you to choose the right fats and the right carbs. You will learn to enjoy foods that taste good, satisfy your appetite, and don’t create hunger hours later. And you won’t have to count calories or restrict portion sizes.

Much of our excess weight comes from the carbohydrates we eat, especially the highly processed ones. Decrease the consumption of those "bad" carbs, studies show, and you begin losing weight and metabolizing carbs properly. Even the craving for carbs disappears once you cut down on their consumption.

The South Beach Diet permits good carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) and curtails the intake of bad carbohydrates (the highly processed ones, like white flour and white sugar). As you’re guided through the diet’s flexible three-phase system, you’ll lose weight, alter your metabolism, and improve your blood chemistry.

Here’s how:
Phase 1: The Strict Phase
For the first two weeks, you’ll eat normal-size helpings of meat, fish, vegetables, eggs, cheese, and nuts. You’ll have three meals a day, plus snacks, and it will be your job to eat until your hunger is satisfied. During this period, you'll start shedding weight, changing your body chemistry, and end your cravings for sugars and starches.

Phase 2: The Weight-Loss Phase
In the second phase, you’ll gradually reintroduce "good" carbs into your diet (like fruit, whole-grain bread, and whole-wheat pasta). Using the Glycemic Index as your guide, you’ll learn to avoid the carbs that increase your blood sugar and make you gain weight. You'll stay in Phase 2 until you reach your ideal weight.

Phase 3: The Maintenance Phase
By the time you reach the final phase of the diet, you’ll have lost weight and significantly improved your blood chemistry to the long-term benefit of your cardiovascular system. You’ll continue to eat normal-size helpings of wholesome foods you enjoy, while maintaining the health benefits you earned by following Phase 1 and Phase 2.

Today is International Very Good Looking Damn Smart Woman's Day, so here's a motto to live by...

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body but rather to skid in sideways, champagne in one hand, strawberries in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO - what a ride!"

"Peace of mind comes with daily discipline"

Many women pray, some exercise and some meditate. Each of these women has found a sanctuary in their silence.

These women are able to relax their minds and their bodies. They simply let go, each and every day.

Focus on a discipline, relax your mind, your body and your spirit. Start today, continue tomorrow and never stop.

From Meditations for Women

Fulfillment takes place on the inside first. It's a feeling you have. Sure, external gains are part of a person's fulfillment package, but the externals aren't what provides lasting satisfaction. The world is full of people who thought that being rich would bring them fulfillment--only to find that even with huge sums of money their lives were still miserable. ~ The HeartMath Solution, Doc Childre and Howard Martin, (c) 1999, Harper SanFrancisco

You can learn a lot in school!

"The most interesting information comes from children, for they tell all they know and then stop." - Mark Twain

The following beguiling ideas about science quoted here were gleaned from students' essays, exams, and class room discussions.

* One horsepower is the amount of energy it takes to drag a horse 500 feet in one second.
* Thunder is a rich source of loudness.
* You can listen to thunder after lightening and tell how close you came to getting hit. If you don't hear it you got hit, so never mind.
* When they broke open molecules, they found they were only stuffed with atoms. But when they broke open atoms, they found them stuffed with explosions.
* When people run around and around in circles we say they are crazy. When planets do it we say they are orbiting.
* While the earth seems to be knowingly keeping its distance from the sun, it is really only centrificating.
* Most books now say our sun is a star. But it still knows how to change back into a sun in the daytime.
* A vibration is a motion that cannot make up its mind which way it wants to go.
* Many dead animals of the past changed to fossils, others preferred to be oil.
* Vacuums are nothings. We only mention them to let them know we know they're there.
* Some people can tell what time it is by looking at the sun. But I have never been able to make out the numbers.
* We say the cause of perfume disappearing is evaporation. Evaporation gets blamed for a lot of things people forget to put the top on.
* H2O is hot water and CO2 is cold water.
* Water is composed of two gins. Oxygin and hydrogin. Oxygin is pure gin. Hydrogin is gin and water.
* I am not sure how clouds get formed. But the clouds know how to do it, and that is the important thing.
* In making rain water, it takes everything from H to O.
* Rain is saved up in cloud banks.
* Cyanide is so poisonous that one drop of it on a dog's tongue will kill the strongest man.
* Isotherms ~isobars are even more important than their names sound.
* It is so hot in some parts of the world that the people there have to live other places.

This prayer is for everyone who are preparing to evacuate because of Hurricane Ivan...

Prayer for Shelter Against the Storm

God of heaven and earth, God who carries our lives and the lives of our whole community in your hands, be with us in the peril of this day/night. Help us to release our anxieties and fears into those same caring hands, knowing in faith that your will for us is life and everlasting good. Send your holy angels to watch over us and guard us. May they spread their holy wings to give us shelter against the storm. For you alone, O God, are all good, all life, all love, and that love is for us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. ~ Rev. Thomas L. Weitzel

"How far would Moses have gone if he had taken a poll in Egypt? What would Jesus Christ have preached if he had taken a poll in the land of Israel? What would have happened to the Reformation if Martin Luther had taken a poll? It isn't polls or public opinion of the moment that counts. It's right and wrong and leadership." ~ Harry Truman (1884-1972) American statesman (33rd US president: 1945-53), established NATO

Are you planning to vote on November 2nd? Why? Why not?

Tomorrow hopes that we have learned something from yesterday. ~ John Wayne

What have you learned?

"I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship." ~ Lousia May Alcott (1832-1888) American novelist & writer

"Build an internal retreat for peace"

Use your imagination to build a personal retreat, a place you can go for centering and refocusing your attention and attitude.

State by imagining a favorite place, a relaxing and private place where you can enjoy being alone. A tropical beach, a bench in the backyard or even a luxurious hotel room. Place yourself in this place and notice how you feel, are you relaxed, calmer and more secure? Relax for a moment and let these feelings sink in and feel the calm relaxing peace of your retreat.

Your retreat is always there for you, if you’re feeling tired, stressed and unable to cope, go to your retreat and feel the peacefulness. It will change your day.

From Meditations for Women.

Where do you go when you need to refocus your attention and attitude?

Great Quote!

Why can't life's problems hit us when we're seventeen and know everything?- A.C. Jolly

Hope everyone had a great Labor Day Weekend. My weekend was very busy with the On The Waterfront festival. I'll tell you all about that later.

Don't ever settle for less than what you dreamed your soul mate would be. He (she) is out there some where looking for you. If you settle for less, you may never put yourself in the situation to meet who you were intended to spend your life with. ~ Unknown

"Perfect love casts out fear. Where there is love there are no demands, no expectations, no dependency. I do not demand that you make me happy; my happiness does not lie in you. If you were to leave me, I will not feel sorry for myself; I enjoy your company immensely, but I do not cling." ~ Anthony de Mello, 20th century Jesuit priest

That pretty much sums up my feelings for Axel these days.

No news on my monitor yet which is beginning to piss me off. I called and left a message asking him what the status on getting the Gateway part. Have I mentioned just how much I hate Gateway computers? I have never been happy with my Gateway computer, actually the only part of the entire package that I liked was my monitor and now I'm beginning to hate that piece of equipment as well. Next time, I will buy a Dell.

Sláinte!