Happy Spring!

Happy Spring, Everyone!

Spring is here and that’s reason enough to celebrate. It's almost the end of March and three weeks from Easter. After that, time will fly and before we know it'll be summer.

Get out there and smell the air, gazed upon the buds, listen to the chirping of the birds and try to slow down time.

But how does one slow the days?

As we age, obviously we know our time on earth is dwindling and we want to accomplish those things we've put on the back burner, things we keep telling ourselves we will eventually take care of but which we never do. Our brain tricks us into believing we have time. But do we really? That's trickery, and unless we snap out of that mentality, we will remain stagnant, wishing we could tackle whatever it is we need to do.

I know, I know. It can be overwhelming. Worrying can zap the energy out of us, especially if we're already dealing with other stuff such as illness, emotional hurts, financial difficulty, etc. There's a slew of incidentals we could be dealing with, and that doesn't make it any easier. But, rejoice. As long as we have life in us, there is hope for us. Remember, hope springs eternal and Spring is proof of that. 

Easter is a time for new beginnings, but we don't have to wait for Easter to start on our to-do list. With God all things are possible. Plus Rome wasn't built in one day. The trick is to start small.

Every year I say the same thing. My biggest project is emptying out the house's four levels, basement, first and second floors, and attic. But my biggest obstacle is my health. Do I use my poor health and lack of energy as an excuse, or do I try to tackle a bit at a time? 

Sometimes our lives affect others and we need to be mindful of that as well when we make plans. But with the right attitude and with God on our side all things are possible.

In the meantime, while you’re trying to figure life out, go for a stroll and take in life. Let it seep in slowly and savor it as you breathe in and breathe out. And always let God guide you.

Happy Spring, you all!

102 y/o Dancer Sees Herself on Film for the First Time

New Jersey (1940s)

Snap Krackle 'n Pop!: Unexpected beauty!

Snap Krackle 'n Pop!: Unexpected beauty!: Every spring day until summer I wait in anticipation of what Mother Nature has prepared for us in the backyard.  Ours may not be a carefully...

Unexpected beauty!

Every spring day until summer I wait in anticipation of what Mother Nature has prepared for us in the backyard. 

Ours may not be a carefully and lovingly tendered garden like those of England, but it is beautiful indeed and I’m always awed by such beauty with so little care. 

This year was more beautiful than ever with new blooms and fragrant smells some which I’d not experienced before —because of the pandemic, Earth got a bit of a fighting chance and we were richly rewarded in the process.

I must always remember that God’s in control.

Reflection on the virus

Reflection on this crisis. 

By now, most of us should pretty much be used to the government-imposed state of staying home or being quarantined. 

I’m sure that for some of us it’s been a time of reflection. Let’s think about this for a second and try to figure out what God is trying to tell us. 

As a Christian, I strongly believe that God’s hand is in every situation—this present situation we’re undergoing is no exception. True that sadly we’ve lost thousands worldwide, and more cases continue to pop up. But we need to trust that God is in control of our lives and that He’ll see us through this most terrible ordeal, just as He has in previous ones. 

My deepest condolences go out to all who have lost loved ones and to all who are sick with little hope of survival. May all who died be resting in God’s arms. 

I’m sure I’m going to get some criticism here, but I’m going to go out on a limb anyway. As in every dire situation, maybe we should try to see the rainbow behind the dark clouds, because God calls us to be joyful even in the face of death. 

May God keep us strong and positive.

Let’s study the situation and pretend for a second that there’s no deadly virus hanging over our heads. Pretend for a second that we’re living in an alternative universe. An alternative universe, where people stay home and get paid to do so.

Where families spend precious time together—parents with children and vice versa, sharing meals around the table, taking up new hobbies or renewing old ones, spring cleaning or actually disinfecting their homes. Adult children taking more attention to their elderly’s needs—rising to the occasion in new and positive ways.

Families through out the world interacting in a way like never before—frolicking in the backyard, playing favorite games, indoors listening to music, dancing.

The young taking care of the elderly. The elderly’s needs being met by loving individuals, be they family or strangers.

Families actually staying home instead of at the malls spending their hard-earned money on another unnecessary item; dads entertaining their little ones instead of hanging out at the local bar; siblings sharing time with one another reconnecting again.

Who would have thought that social media would actually be embraced the way it’s been embraced, keeping us emotionally connected while physically disconnected? Never in the history of the world have we been more connected emotionally and spiritually.

Does this sound like a somewhat utopian way of life? You bet it does! 

So I ask you, do you think God is trying to tell us something?

Comments are welcomed, but please no bashing and no politics.  

Better to laugh than cry

During the lockdown —

It’s always better to look at the bright side.

1. while grocery stores are taking weeks, sometimes months, to deliver, liquor wholesalers are delivering in a matter of days. We might die of hunger, but I can almost bet we’ll have a smile on our face!
2. kitchens have been turned into labs—mayo is being substituted for eggs, coconut oil for butter, pancake mix for flour, and that’s just for starters. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that all this experimenting doesn’t blow up in my face?!
3. when toilet paper finally crashed under the weight of the virus, counterparts tissues, napkins, and paper towels stepped up to the plate. In the meantime, something that rarely happens, trees are starting to sweat?!
4. teenagers, who normally want nothing to do with their parents, now clamor for their attention. It took a virus to get them out of their rooms and at the dinner table.
5. doggies are very confused of late. Thoughts run the gamut, ‘what’d you do with my mom?’ (Mine was younger and prettier.) What?! You’re not leaving me, again? Or, hold it, hold it! You want to share my doggie path?!And, Aaargh! when do I get my sofa back?
6. Ever notice how people are acting more and more like their dogs and vice versa. Now, if I hear the slightest sound outside, I run excitedly to the front window to see who is the brave one going for a walk around the block, or a jog up and down the hill. 
7. Seriously, all kidding aside, laughter is the best medicine. Now is that a conundrum or what?
8. When life gives you lemons, don’t just make lemonade. Make lemon meringue pie, lemon bars, lemon snaps and freeze them. Better to freeze baked goods than lemons.