Sunday, April 29, 2012

See the Glass as Half-Full

   I think Abraham Lincoln said that "Most people are as happy as they make up their minds to be."   While nothing is perfect, it always puzzles me when people cannot enjoy their good days.  Here's the way positive and  negative folks differ.
  I wake up and say "thanks for today, I'm going to enjoy my day."   I know someone who says that they are afraid to wake up, because they fear what might go wrong that day.
  The glass half- full crowd takes comfort in the fact that insurance companies get rich because 85% of everything we worry about never happens!  The half-empty crowd waits for the "other shoe" to drop.
   More positive folks say things like "every rose has some thorns", and "this too will pass".  More negative folks don't even notice the rose, and treat every bad day as a the beginning of a long term trend.
    I believe that we all have the tools to solve most of the issues we face.  Having a loaded toolbox won't help unless we pick them up and use them.  My most used tools are positive sayings, and here are some of my favorites.

  •     If you are happy, then tell your face.  (Excellent with teenagers)
  •     Showing up is half the battle.  (Many would rather not try, than try and fail)
  •     Accentuate the positive. (Keep a gratitude list- seeing is believing)
  •     Keep your eyes on the prize.  ( Don't allow setbacks to derail your path)
      Having a visual  helps a lot, and here those that I use the most.  
  • A friend told me to visualize putting a huge X through a negative thought  until I could let go of it.  Make sure you have some positive goals to focus on now.
  • Think about placing your problems in a pan, and put them on the back burner of the stove.  Bring the things you need to deal with to a front burner, and tackle problems when you can better handle them.
  • Write your worries on small slips of paper, then put your notes in a jar or box.  Every six months go through the jar.  You'll be amazed at what consumed you.  (This is how I proved to myself  that nothing lasts forever, and what I agonized over a short time ago, just might seem pretty  silly in a few months).  Use the same concept with your wish list- and see what happens!
  • Turn them over to your Higher Power.  I heard that someone actually prayed and asked that HP keep track of their problems so they could get a good night sleep!   I guess they didn't want to lose track of them overnight.
If you wish you had a yacht, I hope one of these suggestions "floats your boat"!
Need a new car?  Take a few of these positive ideas "out for a spin"!
Getting in shape for the summer, and need a new wardrobe?  Try a couple of these "on for size"!

As always, these are my opinions, so take what you like and leave the rest....and the beat goes on....the beat goes on.  Have a good week everyone....



 

Monday, April 23, 2012

Fenway Park

  Fenway Park turned 100yrs old April 20th!   The Red Sox invited former players to attend, and they each walked out and stood near their position in the field!  It was wonderful to see players from all of the last five decades get standing ovations and huge applause!   Johnny Pesky now in his nineties, was in a wheel chair, as were several other players.  History was everywhere, and the sell out crowd loved it!  Two antique planes did the flyover.  The event also broke a world record for the largest group of people to toast at the same time.  Welches juice was put on every seat, and  two players from the 2004 World Series led the crowd of more than 32,000 to raise their glasses.  The record is confirmed.
   I've loved the Red Sox since I was in high school, and the 1967 Impossible Dream team stole my heart.  I went to college in Boston, where we could sit in the bleacher seats for $2.00 while we worked on our tans, and watched  the Sox.  Everyone has a favorite story.  My brother caught a fowl ball when he attended a game with my Dad, and our grandfather.  How many times have three and four generations watched a baseball game together?  Baseball gives teenagers and parents some common ground during those years when they may not feel  like they have anything in common. 
  Baseball fans everywhere are excited about this season.  We all hope our team wins the championship, and that gives us hope, and encouragement.  We all witness teamwork, and commitment in action.  Spectacular plays, and lucky bounces are all part of the mystique. It's time to make history again this year, and Johnny Pesky got it started when he said "Play Ball".  Have a good week everyone....and the beat goes on...the beat goes on..... 

Sunday, April 15, 2012

The Boston Marathon

  Tomorrow is known as Marathon Monday in New England.  The Boston Marathon is always run on Patriot's Day, which celebrates Paul Revere's midnight ride.  Revere raced on horseback from Boston to Concord, Massachusetts in order to warn that the British soldiers were coming.  The year was 1775 and the Colonists were fighting for  freedom from England.  We are blessed to live close enough to be able to visit Plymouth Rock, the USS Constitution in Boston Harbor, and historic Lexington and Concord.  My Dad grew up one block from the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown, Massachusetts, and we climbed those steps many times as kids.  I've walked the Freedom Trail in Boston, featuring Paul Revere's home and many other  historic buildings.  The Boston Tea Party was real, and it happened in my backyard!
  Fenway Park turns 100 yrs old April 20th, and we will celebrate it throughout this entire baseball  season.  The Red Sox game will start at 11am tomorrow in order to close the streets for the marathoners.  The  race ends  within walking distance of  Fenway, so the Red Sox can play their game, then get to the finish line to greet and congratulate family members who have run.  The entire metro area gets in on the celebration!
   Good luck to all those competing on Patriot's Day this year.  If you cannot get close to the festivities, you can still wear red to show support, and talk about the significance of Patriots Day for New England.  We might not be called the United States of America today, if it were not for the courage of Paul Revere, and the bravery of those fighting with him.  When we hear the Star Spangled Banner and God Bless America sung at sporting events, we should  take a minute to give thanks, and remember our American History.
  Have a good week everyone. I'm just giving my opinion, so take what you like and leave the rest...and the beat goes on...the beat goes on......

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Hippity-Hoppity Easter's here today

  Happy Easter everyone!  I spent today with my sisters and our families, and our brother's family joined us for dessert and coffee.  Three generations all on a sugar high at the same time.  Talk about lively conversations, and heated discussions.  I'm not sure we solved any issues, but we did get silly and have a lot of laughs.  New clothes and candy---the perfect combination for good times in my book!!
  Easter is one of the more low key holidays, unless you are hosting the neighborhood easter egg and candy hunt.  This year I kept my decorations simple.  We learned how to make an Easter Bunny floral decoration at Church, which was made with a flower called a football mum.  We took ribbons, pipe cleaners, pompoms, and googlie eyes and transformed them into a face on the mum.  It was relatively easy, we had fun, and we took home a fresh flower arrangement to enjoy. 
  We thought that we might skype with Matt in California, but we did not reach him while we were all together.  Thank goodness we had a high schooler, a college student and a four year old to help us to not miss our son.  I sent him a silly card so he would know that we would be thinking of him.  As always, I included one of my lame "roses are red, violets are blue" poems. I hope it would make him smile after he made a face and rolled his eyes.  I take it as a compliment when Matt calls me "one weird woman" after getting my cards and notes.  I love getting any kind of a reaction, especially if it makes him laugh!
   Now that we've turned the clocks ahead, and celebrated Easter, I feel it's officially spring.  School will be out in less than ten weeks!  It's daylight until 7pm now, and the sunsets are beautiful.  April showers (also known as mud season) will bring May flowers, and baseball season just got started!  I'll acknowledge all of these in my gratitude list, and get ready to enjoy springtime in New England.
  Have a good week everyone....and the beat goes on....the beat goes on.......
 

Sunday, April 1, 2012

April Fool's Day

  Today is April 1st, otherwise known as April Fool's Day.  Did anyone play a joke on you today??  I know several people who have birthday's today, and their childhood birthday parties were always fun.  One of my cousins was born today, and we never knew what to expect at her birthday bash.  One of the oldest cousins, usually the most recently married, woulds suddenly blurt out that she was pregnant.  After squeals and hugs, we learned that it was an "April Fool's joke".  We announced vacations, weddings and all kinds of good news on April 1st, then called it wishful thinking!
  Today I told someone that I had won some money on  that mega millions game, where the top prize money was more than $500 million.  Of course, I was one of the millions who had won less than ten dollars, not one of the few who had won millions!  Seeing the look of joy on her face was priceless, as I'm sure she thought of some family and friends cruise that would celebrate my windfall.  We had a few laughs and talked about what we would have done with that money.  My plan has never changed, splitting the total into thirds.  One third will deal with the past, and pay off all debts.  Next we will deal with the present, and share it with family and friends.  The final third will go to the future, which I hope will allow me to retire, travel and make a difference.  Hey, it never hurts to have a plan.
   My uncle pulled a prank on us years ago, and it would still work today.  He tightly wrapped an elastic band around a paper clip and put it in an envelope, which he had folded to seal it.  He had written 'rattlesnake eggs ' on the front of the envelope.  He asked us if we wanted to see the eggs, but we must open the envelope very carefully, as to not hurt the eggs.  We had to get a look in that envelope.  As soon as the envelope was loosened the elastic started to unwind against the paper, sounding like a rattle!  We jumped back and dropped the envelope.  He tried to look serious, but he could not contain his laughter.  We knew we had been tricked!  Of course, we couldn't wait to try it on our friends. It was so-o-oo much better than the snake in the can tricks that we had seen before.  It didn't matter that we wouldn't get to use it as an official April Fool's prank, we pulled it as soon as we got back to school.  It's harmless and easy, and kids will love it.  Try using a few paper clips, and wrapping the elastic the entire length of the clip.
  Have a good week everyone...as always take what you like and leave the rest...and the beat goes on.....the beat goes on.......