Zero Tolerance and Don't Blame Me

I have three things to say ..... GROW UP .... GET OVER IT ... and stop pointing the finger in the other direction! When are people going to start being accountable again?????

Take for instance our economical woes. Yes, I will be the first to agree that there were less than "straight up" mortgage lenders out there that over-qualified buyers and "re-fi's". Let me say this, as a Realtor, shame on those of you in this industry who knowledgeably put your clients in those situations. Having said that, shame on you "general populus" who knew that it seemed too good to be true, but did it anyways. Like any wave it's only crests for so long, then ebbs into shore and then takes some shore back to sea. This is but a small part of our problem, but no doubt is a large contributor to it.

Now as far as zero tolerance goes .... I'll say it again .... GROW UP .... GET OVER IT! Like the proverbial hot coffee lawsuits against major food chains; are you kidding me? How could you not think that your coffee would be served HOT? Okay so old news, but the best illustration, don't you agree? It seems that "we" have become so intolerant of the less important issues in our lives, and "we", without a doubt, need to become more intolerant of other issues. Take the "in your face" sex sells that surrounds us. I'm an adult; yes, sex sells. But my eyes are not the only ones seeing this, and when 10 year old boys tease my daughter and her girlfriends by asking them if "they are going to have sex with each other" ... now that is something to not be tolerated.

That right there is my "zero tolerance". So "don't blame me" if I coming knocking on your door to talk to your son for behaving like that. How's that for the proper perspective!!!

A "novel" thought .....

So, I haven't blogged in awhile .... Nope, hasn't lost the novelty; just life in the way. And, my to-do list has "read" among the other more important "monkeys on my back" that I must tend to. And how is it that after months of being on the wait list for 3 books at the library, do they suddenly all become available within 2 weeks of each other? So I find myself a bibliophile lately, chewing up worn pages of fictional characters and places; some of which I found myself liking and others not. Currently on the night table: Different Seasons/Stephen King (I wanted to read Shawshank Redemption as I'd enjoyed the movie so much.) ... Remember Me?/Sophie Kinsella (Gotta love "chick lit" for the pure simplicity of it.) ... The Pillars of the Earth/Ken Follet (Really want to dig into this one; waiting for the right moment.) ... The Next Thing on My List/Jill Smolinski (More "chick lit"; love the message. Check out her site!) ....... among others. I did just read Light On Snow/Anita Shreve and I found myself not certain if I liked the book or not. I think given it's beginning I expected a more spectacular ending. The characters were likable; the story quite simple really. And maybe that's what makes it a good book. It doesn't rely on the bizarre or obscene to envelope us. I think I now realize that it's a very real story that relies simply on human interaction to draw us in. A "novel" thought, yes? Human interaction.

What are people thinking?

So, I'm in a parking lot today. After some shopping I return to my vehicle to find the vehicle parked to my left, on my driver's side, is grossly crooked in it's space; so much in fact that it's rear end is IN my parking space. Did this driver think for one moment of the impact that they would have on the vehicle that they had so ignorantly crowded? I was stunned. I was disgusted. Sadly this is not the first time I've experienced this in life. Some years ago, as a first time mother, I returned to my vehicle with my infant in a carrier to not be able to enter my vehicle from the infringed upon doors. And this vehicle today that ruffled my feathers; it was a large over-sized 4x4. So I ask, why, since I choose to drive a mid-sized vehicle, do I have to be inconvenienced by you the driver of your over-sized vehicle, that ignorantly crowds me??? Perhaps as a child you were disciplined for coloring outside the lines and this is your vindication .....

Do you wallpaper?

I do!!!! And I don't mean the kind on my wall. I'm referring to my desktop on my computer. I recently decided to change my wallpaper (yet again) and was very happy with what I found. This particular visit to my favorite search engine, Google, was to solicite motivational wallpapers. And, oh no, one would not be enough. So compliments of http://www.acqyr.com/index.php I came across several and this one struck me particularily important today. Some days my wallpaper is of water, or autumnal leaves or a happy picture of the kids, and as I sit here and write this I realize that that picture alone, the one of my children, not the one I search for out there in the world wide web, should be enough motivation for me to "Be the change you want to see in the world" as said by Mahatma Gandhi. Need I say more?

How hard can it be ......

.... to put the laundry away? Isn't most the work in sorting it, washing it, drying it, lugging it around the house? I must confess, it is one of my worst habits, and terribly annoying for my husband.

Okay, so, tell me I'm clever (either that or weird). We have a two-story home now with the laundry on the main level. The first month or so, I'd "hump" the laundry hampers up and down the stairs. Yes, I know .... good exercise ..... however, not good on bad backs, sciatic issues, or swollen ankles from too many slips and falls. Not to mention, the fact that I'm terribly clumsy. So ... back to the laundry ....

One day, my light bulb went on. I have a laundry chute!!!! An unconventional one ... but I have a laundry chute. So, bombs away, each load goes over the railing and onto my foyer floor, which is within feet of my laundry area. And in fact, this accomplishes two things, not only does it simplify the up and down the stairs issue, but it also makes me do it right away, because the thought of my family's dirty laundry in the foyer for all to see, is less than appealing.

Now, what to do about putting the clean laundry away ...... ;-)

The Sense of a Goose

I recently heard this, and was very touched by this. I am sharing it here, and wish I could give credit to it's author. Read on ..... enjoy .... and give it some thought.

Sense of a Goose
Author Unknown

When you see geese flying along in "V" formation, you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way:

As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in "V" formation, the whole flock adds at least 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.

People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone, and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front.

If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those people who are headed the same way we are.

When the head goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point.

It is sensible to take turns doing demanding jobs, whether with people or with geese flying south.

Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

What messages do we give when we honk from behind?

Finally ... and this is important ... when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshot, and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies, and only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with their group.

If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other like that.


Author Unknown

Thank You, and I Mean It!

... I really do! I don't just say it because my Mother taught me to know better ... I really do mean it!

"Gratitude, appreciation, or thankfulness is a positive emotion or attitude in acknowledgment of a benefit that one has received or will receive." (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

See here's the thing ... it's a positive emotion! I really do enjoy giving thanks to someone as I go about my day. You may be the Librarian who just helped me locate that elusive book I was hoping to read, the Cashier who rang up and bagged my groceries, the Parent who offers their support, the Children who help care for the pets, or the Husband who works so hard each day that I am afforded the luxury to have a flexible work schedule ... YOU are one of many people I am grateful for in my life, and I appreciate it.

I am a huge believer in "paying it forward". It is more than "what comes around, goes around". Paying it forward is positive! Who could argue the need for postive moments in our world? Our world can be as small as the home we occupy, the town we live in, or this entire world we cohabitate in. And even if we "pay it forward" within our little world, it finds it's way to the next world, and it's reaches are far beyond what we will ever know, or hope to know.

Smile, say thank you, pay it forward ..... and mean it ... you will be amazed at the difference you will make.