Just had to share this with you.

The Mayonnaise Jar

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle,
When 24 hours in a day is not enough;
remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class
and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, wordlessly,
he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar
and start to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured
it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.
He then asked the students again
if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand
and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else
He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded
With an unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table
and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively
filling the empty space between the sand.
The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided,
'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things - God, family,
children, health, friends, and favorite passions
Things that if everything else was lost
and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else --
The small stuff.
'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued,
'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff,
You will never have room for the things that are
important to you.

So...

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.

There will always be time
to clean the house and fix the dripping tap.

'Take care of the golf balls first --
The things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand
and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled.

'I'm glad you asked'.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,
there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'

Please share this with other "Golf Balls"

I just did ......

The following link should be looked at and passed on with everyone. What a great idea. We can all do our little part to help those less fortunate than us.

http://www.replate.org/replate2.htm

Have a Happy Weekend, talk to you next week!

love and hugs

Cold, Brrrr!

I am so sorry to you all for my real lack of postings and I will try to get back to normal, so stop nagging at me already!

Life seems to be way too busy for me, retirement is a very busy time, and who would of thought it. I feel like I get up in the morning and rush through my day, only to go to bed to start all over again the next day. My house should be spotless, not, my yard should be a garden of eden, not even close. And even my drinking is way down, well not way down but sure not getting enough. :)

I want to add some pictures finally. Okay only one, that is allowed I have been allowed.
I know a face only a mother could love, but I still do.

This is my Donkey, and he is going to shoot me for posting this picture, but I did tell him to smile, so his fault.

Today is cold in our little village. I am cold already, not sure what I am going to do come winter.

Was at the dentist again today, one more to go and my teeth will be all pearly white again. Well still have one more wisdom tooth to come out. Will that mean I won't be as wise as I presently am?

We really haven't been doing a whole lot around here but just seems so busy for some odd reason. I know even Donkey is complaining about being worn out. Maybe it is the shorter days and lack of sun.

My brother called us over the weekend to announce his daughter, my niece, is getting married next July. They are going on a cruise, fingers crossed we are going with them. Have never been on a cruise, not sure about the ride on the boat concept, but hey I will try anything at least once. Boy cruises are expensive! We are checking out prices and seeing if my retired budget can handle it.

We announced this morning to each other that we are closing the pool next weekend, it is time, no one is using (only 66 degrees) so it is time to shut it down for another year. Hate the thoughts of looking outside and seeing that big black tarp that protects the pool. This time of year the pool becomes a lot of hard work, trying to keep the leaves and critters out.

And some really awesome news from my favorite sister-in-law and brother-in-law, but I can't tell, sorry, have been sworn to secrecy. Call me and I will let you know!

Well it is going on 3 and I still have a couple of hours of link building to do today, and really should run to the wine store and get supplies. See what I mean, my day is just so busy.

Have a Happy Day everyone!

love and hugs

First Day of School & Happy Birthday

Was a busy day in my daughter's house today. The little master had his first day of kindergarten and little princess is 3! Have arrived at the house to walk to the school as promised to bring him home. Someone is very tired and boy is he cranky. But little princess is in very fine form today. So funny how their personalities can change. She is eating his lunch that was finished and he is having a fit about everything. Look out come present and cake time.

Sorry I have ignored you all, seems there is just not enough hours in the day lately, hoping winter brings things to a more manageable level for me.

So I am here at my daughters waiting for Poppa to get here (Donkey) and let the party begin. We really think little man is going to crash, he is so tired.

For the birthday girl there is dress-up clothes fit for a princess right down to the tiaras. Can't wait to see her all dressed up.

Well I really am not inspired today, so I think I will just go and play, or maybe have a nap too.

Have a Happy Day everyone!

love and hugs

Hockey

It is that time of year again! Hockey! Donkey is off to his first hockey meeting to start off the hockey season again. Hard to believe that last week we were in the pool and this week we are talking about hockey and ice. I am not a fan of Saturday night hockey, the Canadian Game, could honestly care less. Hockey takes over my home during the season and I end up reading a lot of books over the winter. Nothing wrong with that love reading a good book.

One of my beefs about hockey is all the time that it takes up in our personal lives. Donkey plays no less that twice a week, three if he is lucky, and for anyone who calls looking for a goal tender. We could be having a nice quiet evening and the phone rings and off he goes to yet another hockey game. And the television, well that is all we watch. Not that I am a big television fan, but really don't want to watch hockey every night of the week.

And how about the salaries those guys playing the Canadian Game, how obscene is that. We have people homeless, starving, maybe needing medical attention and we have them living on the streets, but lets pay some hockey celebrity millions of dollars to play a game. What about putting some of those crazy salaries towards something worth while, maybe cancer research, there is an idea that I could support. But nope they are worth the money they are being paid, after all they are playing the Canadian Game or is it past-time. Anyways still not a fan.

Don't get me wrong have been to games, seen the Toronto Maple Leafs a couple of times now. Pretty sure I could find something way better to do with my time than sit through that again. Over-priced admissions, over-priced drinks, (seriously you are charging me how much for that thimble of wine) and how about the parking. You would think a league that makes that kind of money, not the players, the league, could supply a decent amount of parking that you aren't getting ripped for ex amounts of dollars to park. And oh my don't have anything to eat, you might need to get a loan to buy some popcorn, that by the way is stale.

I could go on and on about my dislike of hockey. I don't go to Donkey's games anymore, he is embarrassed when I take a book to read. What does he expect, I hate the game, why watch it? Who willing wants to go and watch for an hour a half, in the cold, something that I would rather read or sleep through. Sorry Donkey, can't support this one!

That is my rant for today, really only because I have been home all day, lonely and he has gone off to sit with a bunch of guys, drink beer and talk about this season's hockey schedule. How about some emails to communicate with guys and stay at home until the real season starts. Any excuse to get out of the house these men have.

Sorry I am late today with my post, enjoy the rest of the cold, wet evening.

love and hugs

Today is just a short one.

Had dentist again this morning, another wisdom tooth pulled, again not too bad, they are great.

Water was off this morning, had to have a drizzle shower (not much water pressure) and then got home from the dentist all prepared to work my afternoon away and the hydro went out. So I went out, took a drive up to my sisters' and had a coffee.

Hydro and water is all back to normal now and have really not got anything done today.

Oh I lie, moved around my work area (computer), it is only a laptop but hooked my speakers up and got myself out of the dining room, which was driving me crazy to be in there. Really not perfect where I have set it all up, but I like to be able to look out the windows and be nosy. And I have now see the desk I really want so will have to save up for that and then I can re-arrange again.

Anyone want an antique piano? If I could get the piano out of my house I would be laughing. A beautiful piece just takes up to much room. We loved it when we got it and now we want it to be in someone else's space. Feel free to email me here or comment with details and she is all yours to come and pick-up. Sorry no deliveries!

Sorry I am just not my chatty self today and don't have anything I really want to rant about.

Have a Happy Day everyone and talk to you tomorrow.

love and hugs

To Pee Or Not To Pee

Okay I have a new complaint people. And you can laugh at me if you want, but I want you to think about it and I am sure you will agree.

It is great that dog owners get out there and walk their dogs, however many times a day. Good exercise for them and the dog. And of course it is the law to poop and scoop, as well it should be, I don't shit in their yards. But this brings me to a problem that has been bugging me for a very long time.

We have an old dog, who drives us insane on the best of days, who I love anyways. But he doesn't like to be out of his back yard domain. Therefore his poop is in his yard and that is where I have to scoop. But it brings me to my problem. Because my dog doesn't leave his yard, why do I have to deal with trillions of dogs going by daily that pee all over my front trees and gardens. In my dogs yard I have to deal with the death of plants that he perhaps has been a little over zealous on, and I take care of replacing plants and grass growth. I can't very well replace a hundred year old tree that smells like piss, now can I. And of course every dog that goes by also feels the need to relieve themselves because the dog before him has.

So a couple of years ago, Donkey and I decided to plant flowers at the base of two of our front trees, one tree never did work out and we gave up. The other tree this year we have finally had some blooms come up. But only on one side? Weird? Not when you are getting pissed on a trillion times a day it isn't. This also now explains why for 16 years I have never been able to get grass to grow properly at the sidewalk of our house, and this is after repeatedly planting seed, and I am talking a couple of times a year we are putting new seed down.

What should we do? Well Donkey won't let me yell at people any more, says it embarrasses him. Me don't really care if they are offended and think I am crazy. If you know me, you know I am crazy in so many ways. So I mentioned to Donkey that I was going to put up signs asking dog owners to stop letting their dogs piss on my trees, grass and my flower bed that is drowning in pee. He doesn't like that idea either. But I ask you, why not??? I maintain the yard, I plant the new grass seed, trying to keep a nice street appeal. Why can't people contain their peeing dogs to their yards and let them kill their plant life. Does this sound silly?

I guess because I am retired now and spend a lot of time in the yard I see more and have been paying attention to the dog walkers and the dog habits. I at least now know that it isn't anything we have been doing wrong with the grass and gardens that has caused them to look like crap and smell like pee. You figure if you have three trees, that are old, they have been abused with a lot of pee over the years, and this is funny but if you have a smell you are going to smell pee.

Cats get chased off of peoples property for doing the exact same thing that dog owners and walkers let happen, and the dogs are on a leash, completely controlled. Cats wander and do their thing wherever they want. And you talk to any dog owner and they will complain about the damn neighborhood cats and how they shouldn't be aloud to do their business in their yards. Hello this is my complaint too about your damn dog!!!!

Onto a very different topic. Donkey and I were invited to some old friends for dinner on Saturday night, friends that we are unsure exactly how we lost contact with for so long. Did we ever have a great visit, a lovely dinner, and a very wonderful evening. Can't wait for the next time they can tolerate our company. I wasn't able to sample the home-made peach pie, but Donkey said it was delicious, I had the lemon cake, heavenly. And here is me, take two bottles of wine, one for sharing and one for a gift, and didn't I drink them both, surprised? liars! But again just want to say what a great evening we had. Would of been in trouble if I didn't mention! :)

Have a Happy Day everyone and I shall rant at you tomorrow.

love and hugs

Friday Again - Happy Long Weekend

The following was in my in-box this morning and really had to share with all of you. I won't apologize for anything it says, I agree with it all.

I likely will be charged for sending you this email, since it would seem, I, as well as the regular taxpaying Canadian have no rights; criminals have rights, immigrants have rights, First Nations have rights, and the list goes on and on, while we the tax payer pay for these people’s education, welfare, lawyer fees, all without us being able to say one word. What exactly do we owe these people that we do not deserve ourselves? Why is our government, who supposedly represent us, find this to be fair? I know, for VOTES, but perhaps you should start thinking of our votes. We get these emails and forward them to others being very careful not to send them to someone who may be offended. WE ARE OFFENDED! Do you really believe we just accept this without comment, almost every conversation we have with others, up pops up this subject , we just don’t do anything about it. BUT BE ASSURED WE DO NOT LIKE IT, ACCEPT IT AND DEFINITELY DO NOT AGREE WITH IT. I will even go so far as commenting on the money we provide for First Nations people, yes we owed them for stealing their lands, etc; but did we not do the exact same thing to Acadians, I don’t remember paying them off. I think it is time First Nations people start joining the rest of Canada, contribute to the Canadian economy and pay taxes.

My great grandfather watched as his friends died in WW1, my father watched as his friends died in WW II, and I watched as my friends died in Afghanistan. None of them died for a Foreign Flag. Everyone died for the Canadian flag. We removed Christian prayer from our schools as it might offend a minority of students not of the Christian faith. It is politically incorrect for Public and Civil Servants to wear anything of a religious nature while serving the public, despite the fact that civil servants are allowed to wear turbans on the job as public or Civil servants. Why? – Because it is against their religion not to wear it. In fact, our Prime Minister forbade the use of any Christian reference when a memorial service was held on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean near Halifax. The memorial was in remembrance of the 229 people that lost their lives in the September 2, 1998 Swiss Air Flight 111 that crashed. Almost all of the crash victims were Christian. We have removed any reference to Christianity in our Courts of Law, despite the fact that our laws are based on Christian principles and values. Bike laws in almost all Canadian Jurisdictions require bike riders to wear safety helmets. You guessed it. – people who are required to wear turbans are exempt because a helmet is not designed to be worn over a turban. Some ten years ago a Commission was assembled in Ontario (lobbied for by Muslims) to investigate the practicality of allowing Canadians of the Muslim faith to practice Sharia law. The Commission head (a former Attorney General in the Bob Rae NDP Government) presented the Commission findings to the succeeding Provincial Government to allow limited use of Sharia Law for Canadians of the Muslim faith. The recommendation was rejected. – It should never have gone that far and in fact the issue should never have reached a discussion stage, let alone the formation of a commission. It is politically incorrect to wish our fellow Canadians Merry Christmas. And the list goes on and on. Enough is enough. The below e-mail message needs to be viewed by every Canadian; and every Canadian needs to stand up for Canada. We've bent over to appease the new Canadian immigrants long enough. I'm taking a stand. I'm standing up because the tens of thousands who died fighting in wars for this country, and for the Canadian flag can't stand up. If you agree, stand up with me. If you disagree, then just delete it. And shame on anyone who tries to make this a racist message. A Map Of My Country: Let me make this perfectly clear! THIS IS MY COUNTRY! And, because I make This statement DOES NOT Mean I'm against immigration!!! YOU ARE WELCOME HERE, IN MY COUNTRY! Welcome! To come through legally: 1. Get a sponsor! 2. Get a place to lay your head! 3. Get a job! 4. Live By OUR Rules! 5. Pay YOUR Taxes! And 6. Learn the LANGUAGE like immigrants have in the past!!! AND 7. Please don't demand that we hand over our lifetime savings of Social Security Funds to you. If you don't want to forward this for fear of offending someone, Then YOU'RE PART OF THE PROBLEM! When will Canadians STOP giving away THEIR RIGHTS??? We've gone so far the other way... bent over backwards not to offend anyone. But it seems no one cares about the Canadian CITIZEN that's being offended! WAKE UP Canada !!! If You agree.... Pass this on. If You don't agree.. Delete It !!!

Amen,

Have a great long weekend everyone, and be Happy you are Canadian each and every day.

love and hugs