This takes the prize.

"Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker.

The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.
 
I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer.

I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
 
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him.

Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on.

Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.
 
The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion.

We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.

Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, “I know why.”

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me.  I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try to live.
 
He said, “People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life, like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?” The six-year-old continued,

“Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.”   

Live simply.

Love generously.

Care deeply.

Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

There comes a time in life, when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it.
You surround yourself with people who make you laugh, forget the bad, and focus on the good.
So, love the people who treat you right.
Think good thoughts for the ones who don't.
Life is too short to be anything but happy.

Falling down is part of LIFE.
Getting back up is LIVING."

Thank you, Nicola.  Wonderful.

An Excellent Exchange!

When our children were younger, a few neighborhood friends shared cooking responsibilities three nights a week.  We did this for fifteen years!  Remarkable, really.

          

Each of us would double or triple a recipe and deliver dinner to the two other families. Very little coordination ever took place. And there were few, if any, disappointments. All of us were ecstatic that someone else had taken time to consider what our family was going to eat that evening. 

We simply set the table and waited for dinner to arrive between 6:00 and 6:30.  

It was, and continues to be, a sensational concept.  One worth considering at any age or stage.  

Remember, it could be as easy as exchanging your favorite soup.  Who wouldn't be delighted not to have to slice and dice your way through the day?

one REALLY TERRIFIC idea and evening

The Theme?  Gathering friends together with their favorite books.  In this case, children's books.  These were the ones we all read to our kids.  AS WELL AS those that are current contemporary winners.

Add a warm, welcoming environment.  And mouth-watering appetizers with a little champagne/no, a lot.  And you have the recipe for an extraordinary evening. 

 

 

 

I was the Very Lucky recipient of this exceptionally creative concept. 

What did I think was particularly special?  The fact that everyone was as interested as I in applauding The Classics as well Some New, Very Talented artists and writers.  Lots of notes taken.  A total immersion experience.  For all of us.

 

 

Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you, Everyone who cleared their calendars to come.  And to join in the celebration.

AND, of course, A very, very LARGE Thank You to those who fashioned this exceptional event. 

It was a truly touching evening. 

Welcome, weekend!

Bedford revisited

Thank you, Susan.

The Dash

I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of a friend.  He referred to the dates on her tombstone from the beginning...to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth and spoke of the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
that she spent alive on earth...
and now only those who loved her
know what that little line is worth.
For it matters not, how much we own;
the cars....the house...the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash. 

So think about this long and hard...
are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left.
(You could be at "dash midrange.")

If we could just slow down enough
to consider what's true and real,
and always try to understand
the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,
and more often wear a smile...
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy's being read
with your life's actions to rehash...
would you be proud of the things they
say about how you spend your dash?

                                     Linda Ellis

A change is gonna come

Gathering all grandmothers/grandmothers-to-be/anyone who hopes to become a grandmother someday and/or anyone who had a grandmother they loved or one they didn't think was particularly terrific. They all had an impact.  AND, most importantly, we can learn from our combined experiences.  So much more than if we had tackled it all alone. 

Join me for a discussion of pertinent topics.  It’s Fresh Perspectives on this next/definitely NOT last/stage. Let's share what worked, what didn't and/or what’s currently going well.  

Wednesday, September 15, 2010.  9:30-noon.

I’ll count on your full participation.  This means:

• Helping me generate discussion topics 
• Participating in our meetings.  Hmmmm.  How could we have long-distance participants?
• Sharing something to sustain us food-wise  

I'll provide the setting, facilitate the idea exchange and provide coffee and tea.  

The following favorites speak volumes about life with friends and family.  Each could have been a theme song for Fresh Perspectives, don't you think?  Take ten minutes out of your busy life to listen.

If it feels like a fit, join me and other wonderful women for the Next Step in Parenting: CampGran/GranCamp or whatever you want to call it. 

We’ll meet every month or so.  Subsequent dates TBD in September.  Participation is limited.

Register your interest by emailing lois@freshperspectives.org.  

Location details and agenda available once you've RSVP'd.

A change is gonna come.   Oh yes it is.  

 One more time.

Declutter Your Home

Thanks, Barb, for sharing:

With these 10 tips from Natural Home! Too much stuff? You're not alone. Clutter counselors offer the following advice.

Don't try to unclutter your entire house at once. Start small, with a drawer or a shelf, then build up to problem areas (like the garage or the basement) once you've had some smaller successes. Take everything out of a drawer or closet and spread it out in front of you. You'll eliminate more and organize more efficiently if you can see it all at once. (This also gives you a chance to clear out dust and run a damp rag over surfaces.) As you clear out, have four boxes or bags marked Keep, Give Away, Recycle and Hold for One Year. (The last one's for items you don't need or use but just can't bear to part with yet. If you haven't touched them in a year, their time has come.) Storage is key to containing clutter. Storage areas should make up at least 10 percent of your home's total square footage and be strategically placed where needed. Keep clutter contained. Use baskets and bowls to collect mail, pens and pencils, loose change, and all the other odds and ends that collect on counters and tabletops. Spend 15 minutes a day cleaning up the detritus of daily life,  before it becomes overwhelming. Get rid of two items every time you buy a new one. Allow only three items on each surface. Just say no to refrigerator magnets. They encourage clutter. Keep windowsills clear of knickknacks and potted plants.

Get great tips like this and more! Just click below and we'll send you the next issue to enjoy. If you decide to subscribe now, pay just $14.95 (U.S. only) for six jam-packed issues, saving 58% off the newsstand price! If for any reason you are not happy with Natural Home, simply return the bill marked "cancel." You'll owe nothing and the risk-free issue is yours to keep.

Click here for your RISK-FREE issue!

I hope to have you as a reader,

Robyn Griggs Lawrence
Editor-in-Chief
Natural Home

Source: The Wabi-Sabi House: The Japanese Art of Imperfect Beauty by Robyn Griggs Lawrence

PREGNANCY Q & A

Q: Should I have a baby after 35?
A: No, 35 children is enough.

Q : I'm two months pregnant now. When will my baby move?
A: With any luck, right after he finishes college.

Q : What is the most reliable method to determine a baby's sex?
A: Childbirth.

Q: My wife is five months pregnant and so moody that sometimes she's borderline irrational.
A: So what's your question?

Q : My childbirth instructor says it's not pain I'll feel during labor, but pressure. Is she right?
A: Yes, in the same way that a tornado might be called an air current.

Q: When is the best time to get an epidural? 
A: Right after you find out you're pregnant.    

Q : Is there any reason I have to be in the delivery room while my wife is in labor?
A: Not unless the word "alimony" means anything to you.

Q: Is there anything I should avoid while recovering from childbirth?
A: Yes, pregnancy.

Q : Do I have to have a baby shower?
A: Not if you change the baby's diaper very quickly.

Q : Our baby was born last week. When will my wife begin to feel and act normal again?
A: When the kids are in college.

Enjoying the Last Summer Corn

Summer's over but most of us can still find fresh corn on the cob! YES!

We grew up in the Midwest. Corn Country. We never knew anything but boiled/buttered/salted and peppered corn on the cob.

I once made an unsuccessful attempt at soaking the cobs in H2O/then grilling. It was not terrific.  

Julia's recipe was simple/straightforward/smoky. And finger-lickingly flavorful.

 Ingredients:

• olive oil
• salt
• pepper 

BBQ and corn prep: 

We used a gas grill preheated to high/then reduced to medium.  

• Strip husks back to expose kernels, being careful to keep husk intact above stem.  
• Remove silk using hands or a silk brush.
• Generously cover kernels with olive oil, salt and pepper.  
• Return husks to original position/tie with string or not. We didn't.  
• Cook on BBQ approximately 15 minutes, turning uniformly so outside blackens but does not burn.

Place on platter and serve.  I loved the charred ears without any other additions. 

Next time: Add herbs to the mix. Or not.  I loved the simplicity of this dish. 

And, as Julia indicated, the recipe allows the corn flavor to come right on through.

Do not attempt at home

Happy Fourth, Everyone!!!

Memorial Day with moms in mind

Thanks, Robyn. 

WHY GOD MADE MOMS
Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:

 Why did God make mothers?

• She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
• Mostly to clean the house.  

What ingredients are mothers made of?

• God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
• They had to get their start from men's bones.  
• Then they mostly use string, I think.

How did God make mothers?

• He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
• He just used bigger parts.
• Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
• God made my mom just like he made me.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom? 

• We're related.
• God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mom’s like me.

 What kind of a little girl was your mom?

• My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
• I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
• They say she used to be nice.

   What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?

• His last name.
• She had to know his background.  Like is he a crook?  Does he get drunk on beer?
• Does he make at least $800 a year?  Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?

• My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world.  And my mom eats a lot
• She got too old to do anything else with him.
• My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?

• Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
• Mom. You can tell by room inspection.  She sees the stuff under the bed.
• I guess mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms and dads?

• Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
• Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
• Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you gotto ask if you want to sleep over at your friend’s house.
• Moms have magic; they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?

• Mothers don't do spare time.
• To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?

• On the inside she's already perfect.  Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
• Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

 If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?

• She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean.  I'd get rid of that.
• I'd make my mom smarter.  Then she would know it was my sister who did it not me.
• I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

I bet all of us could contribute

some prize-winning photos, don't you think?

As I sort through thousands of old family pictures, I'm re-inspired to isolate the best of the worst and bring them to life with captions.   

No time like the present to get prepared for the holidays, right?  Could make great note cards or gift tags.  Or simply moments to remember.  No pressure.  Just a thought.

You might also enjoy:

Don't delete the duds

Study: A Link Between Pesticides and ADHD

Thanks, Linda, for this important link.

Update on Friday, May 21, 2010 at 5:58PM by Lois

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Aunt Lil hopes that you, too, enjoy your weekend.

Whoever loves and understands a garden will find contentment within.

                                                                                                                                          Chinese Proverb

Happy Mother's Day!

Transferring their spirit to our space

Sitting outside at the end of the day soaking up some D with my good friend, Buddy. Rocking in what obviously needs some sanding.

 

Bud is wondering what we are doing here.  After all, we picked and ate peas/isn't it time for dinner?

I'm sipping some wine.  He's sitting on wood chips, sniffing the air/I wonder what's on his radar.  As part Chihuahua, he's a Sun Seeker/pretty happy soaking up the end-of-the-day rays.

Here hoping to channel Aunt Lil and Uncle Mont.  Impossible to duplicate the acres and acres they were so dedicated to tend. 

Still, wondering what they would do with this substantially smaller space. 

Intensive flowers and vegetables, espaliered fruit trees on the fence? 

Some berries for sure.

Love.  Laughter.  Games. 

Bringing bocce ball into the mix. 

A long table to share food with friends. 

All in a space originally dedicated to hardscape.

Now Come to Life as a beautiful place to be by myself, with family and friends and, of course, the dogs. 

How great is that?  Hard to describe.

Roots revisited

Dave stepped back to assess my attire. "You're getting more ethnic with age."  Yep.  "At eighty you're going to be totally tribal."  Pretty much.  I think I'm going back to my roots.  

Segue to Aunt Lil.  I knew that we were kindred spirits.  From the beginning, truth be told, I thought that she might have left me at the hospital and Gwenn took me home.  Gwenn was my official mother.  Aunt Lil was my unofficial mom.  More details on that front later.  Before there was "ethnic," Aunt Lil was apparently very much in touch with her tribal side. 

And, no, we were not a band of gypsies.  At least not that I knew about.  We were, however, a mysterious lot/that's definitely another blog.

My grandfather was not a gypsy either but he did travel around Europe in one of those Chariots-of-Fire-style wagons speaking to whoever would listen.

  

He is somewhere in the center of that group addressing the crowd.  A preacher.  Later, a horticulturist.  And eventually, my Grandpa. 

Fascinating, I think, that my other grandfather/not yet knowing that they'd eventually meet and become relatives/had come that day to hear my Grandpa Thompson speak.

I'm thinking that a trip to Scotland to retrace my roots could be pretty interesting.  Quite possibly even more colorful than my current "scarves as skirts" clothing concept.

Taking the day off

Everyone's allowed that every once in a while, right?  Good.  This was my day.  In the meantime, given that laughter seems to be the key to surviving almost anything, enjoy:

and/or this

Don't Delete the Duds.

Still one of my all-time favorite gifts: generating captions for pictures that I might have otherwise tossed.

I carried old photos with me as I ran errands along with Post-It's and pen to jot down possible captions. A bit of insanity leaked out at each red light.

As I sort through thousands of paper pictures, I have to remind myself that what was tossed in the trash could very well be a keeper.  All that's required is a little time in traffic combined with a willingness to take life a little less seriously. And we all seem to have that opportunity each day.  

Create Your Own Adventure Day!

Bring a wok to work.  Stir up something special for your friends at work. Or simply stir up a little mischief.

Make up your own mantra.  Practice meditating if only for 2 minutes.

Isolate your favorite only-on-vacation activity. Insert this delight into your day.

Do something spontaneous. Or outrageous. Or simply absolutely, totally soul-satisfying.

Take a walk on the wild side: talk to a critter of some kind.

Figure out how to fit more of these moments into your life. Be sure to report back.<