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Encouragement: August - Ending a HOT month with some HOT inspiration!

8/25/2017

The month of August is the hottest month of the year. There's a saying that if you have a warm and dry August you will have a long and white winter. August marks the end of summer and the prelude to fall and the older I get the more I appreciate the end of summer. I never have been a person for the hot summer temperatures, so the end of summer and the start of a cooler fall is perfect for me.

"Don't be fooled by the calendar,
There are only as many days in the year as you make use of."
-Charles Richards, Canadian Politician-
(Born: June 12, 1879 - Died: September 15, 1956)

Making the most of every day we have is something I have learned over time. To waste a day is to lose something you can never replace. Once the day is gone, it is gone forever. So even in the hottest of months and as much as I dislike the heat, I still get out and walk when the evening sun cools or early in the morning before while it sits low in the sky.
When we make a decision to look at things in a positive light, we change the way we feel about those things, too. I could very easily say I can't walk today because it's too hot, but that makes me a loser. I lost that opportunity, I lost that day. Make use of every day, don't waste a single one.

"When you change the way you look at things,
The things you look at change."
- Wayne Dyer, Author and Motivational Speaker -
(Born: May 10, 1940 - Died: August 29, 2015)

Here are a few interesting facts about August. Hope you enjoy!

⦁ The original Roman calendar named the month of August "Sextilis". It was the sixth month of the year. After January and February were added to the calendar, it became the eighth month of the year. Originally August had 29 days until Julius Caesar created the Julian calendar in 45 BC when two days were added making it a 31 day month. Later it was renamed Augustus after the first emperor of Rome, Caesar Augustus
⦁ August’s flower: Gladiolus
⦁ August has two birthstones, PERIDOT and SARDONYX: Peridot is among the oldest known gemstones. It's color ranges from olive to lime green and sometimes has a brown tone. Sardonyx is a gem with white and brown bands. It is believed to have mystical power and it eliminates negative thinking.
⦁ August 3: National Watermelon Day
⦁ August 5: Day to celebrate the Spirit of Sisterhood.
⦁ Week of August 5: National Smile Week
⦁ August 13: Vinyl Record Day
⦁ August 13: National Lefthander’s Day
⦁ August 15: Lemon Meringue Pie Day
⦁ August 16, 1977: Elvis Presley died
⦁ August 20, 1630: Lemonade was first served in Paris, France
⦁ August 24: In A.D 79, Mount Vesuvius erupted and destroyed the cities of Pompeii, Stabiae and Herculaneum
⦁ August 30: National Toasted Marshmallow Day

As an August closeout bonus - here's some great advice from one of the funniest and best actresses ever:

"The secret to staying young is to live honestly,
eat slowly, and
lie about your age."
- Lucille Ball, Actress -
(Born: August 6, 1911 - Died: April 26, 1989)

REMEMBER: Travel your own backyard (your own town or a neighboring town). Keep in mind that if you are trying to decide on whether to remarry or not. Don't assume your are too old to do much, and never put all your life on hold!

Do you enjoy the hot temperatures of August? As you get older does the climate affect you more or less? Are you happy to see fall coming on? What good advice secret can you share on staying young?

XOXO

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Relationships: Suddenly single over 50 - to remarry or not? That is the question.

8/18/2017

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Many people live long and happy lives together with their spouse. We read stories where a couple in their 80's die holding each other or one passes and a few hours or days later, the other passes. These are beautiful stories of lasting love. Unfortunately, it doesn't always happen this way.
Many times, one spouse will pass leaving the other one alone for many more years. The one left has many choices to make and decisions that could change everything they are accustom to.

Some choices or decisions are:

Do I remain single?
Do I remarry?
Who do I marry?
Do I look for a spouse in my church?
Do I look for companionship versus marriage
Do I look for companionship online?
Am I happier single or with someone?
What about a past love?
How will my family respond to my decisions?
Am I better of financially alone or with someone?
Do I really need another person in my life?
And many, many more decisions, choices, and points to consider?

There are many reasons people choose to remain single (widowed). Some are good reasons, others are based on fear. Let's examine some of those reasons.

Some reasons to remain single (widowed or divorced):

(Whether they are good or based on fear is your decision.)
You are also ill and perhaps dying. You don't want to be a burden to someone else.
You enjoy your independence and don't want to be accountable to someone again.
You have plans and another person would prevent you from meeting your goals.
You are involved with other people and you don't have time to devote to a spouse.
You just want to play the field and not be tied to one person.

Some reasons to remarry or seek another companion:
(Whether they are good or based on fear is your decision.)
You love spending time with someone doing things you love.
You want/need affection and long for a human connection.
You are just lonely and need a close, special companion and you hate sleeping alone.
You need emotional support for the remainder of your life.

The future is always unpredictable. No one knows what is ahead of anyone. The key is to be happy and content with what you have and where you are in life.

"Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned
in whatever state I am, to be content:"
Philippians 4:11 New King James Version (NKJV)

Contentment with our life and the current situation we may find ourselves in does not come naturally. It is a choice we make. The apostle, Paul, the writer of the above verse, stated "for I have learned". He had to learn to be content with his situation. Contentment is a decision we make.

So what does it mean to be content?
Here is my definition:

"Confidence in God leads us to a contented life filled with joy, love, peace,
and a celebration of the life we have."
- Sheryl, 2017 -

Whether you choose to remarry or remain single, in order to be happy, you need to be positive and content with your life. Having the knowledge that you are never alone because God is always with you, will relieve the pressure to remarry just to fill a void. Never rush to make a decision to marry (or not) based on fear of the future.

Humans were not made to be isolated and lonely. By nature we are drawn to other people. We need interaction with members of both sexes. Those interactions can come from a number of places besides marriage.

You are the only one who can decide what you want during the remainder of your life. Whatever your decision, don't let peer pressure or experts or anyone tell you what you need or what you should do. Don't let fear make this important decision for you either. Be brave, think it through, make the decision. It is your life, your decision, your future.

Do you live alone? Are you content to live alone? Do you want to remarry or be in another committed relationship with another person? Share any experiences you have had that may help others.

XOXO

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Book Review: Taking Flight From the Empty Nest by Mary Jenson

8/11/2017

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The month of August 2016 my blog was devoted to the Empty Nest Syndrome. In my research for those articles I found many excellent books on this topic. One of the best that I kept going back to was Taking Flight from the Empty Nest by Mary Jensen. In her book, Jensen takes on the empty nest syndrome in a very personal, often funny, but very helpful way. She very effectively and interestingly accomplishes this through many short stories.

When I was going through the empty nest this is the book I turned to the most. It was the most helpful to me personally.

I found the following chapters especially helpful to me:

Beginning In this chapter Jensen lays the foundation of an empty nest. She very accurately depicts the emotions that most moms feel as their children leave home. I found through this chapter that my feelings were very normal and I was not alone in my emotional struggle.
Hovering My Spiritual Gift - In this chapter Jensen describes me (and maybe you, too). This was me when my children were home, I wanted to "protect" then. The funny thing is, I never knew I was "hovering". I thought I was "parenting".
Kickboxing This one page chapter motivated me to get up, go to the gym, and concentrate on myself for a change. A really short chapter with a lot of punch. This was what I needed.
Endings Here is the summary of this beautiful book. Jensen successfully outlines all of the helpful points of her book. Once I read the book, I used this to turn to when I felt weak or emotional, it reminded me of the lessons learned in the book. Jensen was wise to create this "ending" to her book.
The empty nest can affect men, too, but in all honesty - women feel it the most. Women for the most part have devoted every waking thought to their family. Men have had distractions, knowing their wives had the home front covered.

Some roles have blended over the last decade(s), but still women give birth, are the primary nuturer, and accept responsibility for the health of their family.

On page 95 of Jensen's book, she included Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare. It is lovely:

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments.
Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no; it is an ever-fixed mark,
That looks on tempests, and
is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown,
although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool,
though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come;
Love alters not with
his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

If you are coming up to the "empty nest years" or are already in them, please consider this wonderful little, easy to read book. It is broken down into short easy to read and digest chapters. It will make a difference.

You can find this book here: https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Flight-Empty-Nest-Jenson/dp/0736902333
Also check Mary Jensen's Book out here: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2393692.Taking_Flight_from_the_Empty_Nest

Are you approaching the empty nest years? How do you feel? Are you seeking help to guide you through these emotional times? If you have already experienced the empty nest, what helped you? How did you survive? Do you focus on yourself more now? Please share your comments and help other women get through these challenging years.

XOXO

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Life: Exploring New and Interesting Places in Your Own Backyard

8/4/2017

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Most people want to travel. Dreams of exotic locations and unknown territories dwell in most of us. Few, however, are able to flfill those dreams. Family, jobs, illness, finances, and responsibilities often hold us back from making those dreams of travel a reality.

“How often I found
where I should be going
only by setting out for somewhere else.”
R. Buckminster Fuller, American Inventor
(Died 1983 – 87 years young)

What if I told you that you could explore new, interesting, and exciting place right where you live? Most of us never look nearby for travel dreams and as a result, miss out on some really wonderful opportunities.

It may be that you have lived somewhere all your life and you take a lot of it for granted. It may be that you are just not looking close to home because you are spending your time looking at another state or another country.

Taking another look near your own home, looking with an open mind and at all opportunities, even those you may not be attracted to immediately, may open opportunities that you never dreamed of, but will enjoy a great deal.

For over 20 years I have lived in the same town. I know it well. However, in the last few years, after my children left home and I retired, I began to get out and just go places. As a result, I have rediscovered my town and the towns/cities in the surrounding area.

Let me share with you some of my own experiences. Perhaps they will help you to rediscover your backyard:

1. There is a medium size town thirty minutes south of where I live. From the day I moved here there were things I wanted to see and visit there, but life took over and I never made it - until now. Recently I parked my car and took a walk downtown.
a. The old downtown of this town is charming, beautiful, and bustling. I visited the old hardware store downtown and loved it. The old creaky wood floors, the tall ceilings with the plaster cornices and crown moulding, the shelves packed full of merchandise including a red-flyer tricycle and wagon brought back memories of my childhood.
b. The old downtown is full of interesting and unique shops that I never even noticed before until I just took a walk on the downtown sidewalks. It is also an historically preserved town. Loved just walking and looking.
c. I also discovered that in the old train depot they have a rotating art display. Every few months they change the theme or the artist and it is fascinating. I missed this wonderful exhibit all these years because I failed to get out of my car and walk the streets.
d. To finish up my day, I had a cup of really good coffee at the HeBrews Coffee Shop. It was a small little coffee shop with creaky wood floors and red brick walls. On the wall was a sign that say spelled out H-E-B-R-E-W-S with photographs. Under the sign was this Bible verse:

"Let brotherly love continue.
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers:
for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."
Hebrews 13:1 -2 KJV

2. My own home town is small, charming, and alive. Recently I parked my car at the bottom of the hill at the end of the town and walked the four roads that meet at the square in the center of town. I drive through this town all the time doing business but I don't remember the last time I actually just walked the streets of downtown. This was a good trip!
a. Besides some of the best restaurants there are two wonderful bakeries. Each does their own specialties.....one is donuts and pastries and the other is cakes, cupcakes, pies, etc. I had never visited them until now.
b We also have several privately owned boutiques that offer a variety of items. Some are quite unique and others are more vintage. All of the shops have something of interest and that I had never experienced before.
c. I also discovered that the local quilt shop that I had only been in a couple of times has an alterations person that resides in the back of the store. I have already taken a couple of pairs of my husband's jeans to be shortened to her. Had I not walked the town, I might have never found her.
d. There are couple of beautiful church buildings downtown, our community college, and a beautiful little park with pecan trees.

These are just two examples of my recent rediscoveries of local travel. I can't wait to explore the other towns nearby and see what I have missed.

The point is this, you can sit at home and wait for that wonderful day when you may get to travel to Europe or Asia....and take a chance of not ever get to go anywhere or you can head to your downtown area or a nearby town and explore what is close to you.

Look at it with new eyes. Take your camera and look for unusual photographic shots. Take a notebook with you and write short paragraphs or short stories taking place in some of the places you see. Make it unique day just for you to enjoy. Have coffee at a different place, eat lunch at a place you have never visited, or just walk and look.

Here are some suggestions as to variations of this idea - traveling your local area:

1. Make it a theme outing: For example only participate in things that fit a certain theme such as visiting Italy, visiting Mexico, a music outing, an unusual drink day out, etc.
a. Italy Visit - dress as you would if your were visiting Italy. Research Italy and find out what the food is like, the clothing, the pastries, etc., then go for that. Eat pasta, eat Gelato, wear a stylish scarf and sunglasses, maybe a hat.
b. Mexico Visit - shop the boutiques and look for things Mexican. What did you find? Have lunch in a Mexican restaurant and eat something you have never eaten before. Listen to Mexican music as you walk the streets of your town.
c. Music Outing - load your ipod or phone with various types of music. As you walk, listen closely to the lyrics, immerse yourself in music. Visit the local music store, what kind of instruments do they sell? Can you place an instrument? When you have lunch, listen to the music they play, is it classical, modern, pop or something else? Think about it while you are out, What songs touch your heart
d. Collection Day – Whatever you're collecting, make it a day to seek that item out. Go to boutiques, resale shops, gift shops, etc.,

2. Make it an artist or creative outing: What hobbies do you enjoy? Are you a quilter? A painter? A knitter? Gardening? Whatever you enjoy doing make a day of exploration of that activity.
a. Movie Fanatic Day - Plan a double feature on a day when your movie theater has reduced ticket prices. Every Tuesday, my theater offers $5 movies with $2 drinks and $2 popcorn. Making it a double feature is easy to do,
b. Quilter's Day Out - research and locate a quilt show. Study the quilts, make notes, photograph if desired, and then plan a quilt. Shop for fabric at the show or a local quilt shop. Study patterns at your local quilt shop.
c. Gardeners Green Day - visit all the gardens and parks in your area. Study and learn the names of the plants and flowers. Lots of large cities and some small towns have either a botanical garden or public garden in a park that you can visit and walk through. Learn the flower and plant names.

3. Make it a scavenger hunt trip: What kind of things do you collect? Stamps? Books? Lace? Ducks? Make a list ahead of time and go to a town and try to locate these things. Purchase them at a good price or just take a photograph and collect those.
a. List all the items that you would like to have but haven't had time to shop for. For example: a pink headscarf with yellow flowers; a spatula with a short handle; a brown rustic flower pot for re-potting a plant; a dolphin bookmark; a crystal cake plate; and anything that you would like to have. Make a long list and get as many items as you can in a specific time frame.
b. List all kinds of fruit. Go to various stores, farmer's markets, CSA farms, etc. And locate one of each kind of fruit. Bring it home and make a fruit salad
c. Pick an inexpensive small item and seek to find as many of the as you can. For example: blue tea cups; thimbles; etc.

“I don't have to take a trip around the world
or be on a yacht in the Mediterranean
to have happiness.
I can find it in the little things,
like looking out into my backyard and seeing deer in the fields.”
Queen Latifah, (47)

There are many options for a local outing. Plan to visit your own town and walk the streets, visit a nearby town, or visit a town that you make a day trip out of. Many times we live near places
that people from hundreds of miles away come to for vacation and we may take for granted.

Get out and explore!
Meet new people!
Enjoy your own world!

Have you seen every thing in your local area? Are there any places you haven't been near your own home? Have you ever considered traveling locally? A day trip? A mini-vacation? Share your experiences, tips, ideas, and thoughts.

XOXO

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Encouragement: August - Ending a HOT month with some HOT inspiration!

Relationships: Suddenly single over 50 - to remarry or not? That is the question.

Book Review: Taking Flight From the Empty Nest by Mary Jenson

Life: Exploring New and Interesting Places in Your Own Backyard

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Encouragement: August - Ending a HOT month with some HOT inspiration!

Relationships: Suddenly single over 50 - to remarry or not? That is the question.

Book Review: Taking Flight From the Empty Nest by Mary Jenson

Life: Exploring New and Interesting Places in Your Own Backyard

My mission​

Categories

Archives

About

Blog

Contact

My mission