EVERYTHING

ACORNS

They make my heart happy! 

SWOT

The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be. Ralph Waldo Emerson

S-W-O-T Test

SWOT is an acronym for – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. It is a powerful tool for unleashing our hidden talents and discovering better ways of implementing them at work. The test is objective and contains specific questions for each of the four categories.

The result and interpretation of the data are conducted under supervised guidance and gives us a clear picture of how we are different from others and how we can use our uniqueness for personal and organizational benefits. Below is a list of some of the SWOT test statements.

Strengths

– What do you have that others don’t? – What do you do better than others? – How do others describe your strengths? – What values are unique to you?

Weaknesses

– What are the tasks that you avoid because you don’t think you can do them? – What do you think you are not good at? – How do others describe your weaknesses? – What are the personality traits that hold you back? – What do you think are your negative/bad habits?

Opportunities

– Do you consider yourself to be part of a growing industry? – If so, how can you use your resources to take advantage of this growth? – Is your company failing to do something? – Is there something that your clients and customers complain about?

Threats

– What are the roadblocks in your professional life? – Are you a part of an unhealthy competitive environment? – Is changing technology a threat to your current position? – Do you feel threatened by any of your character weaknesses?

https://www.truity.com/test/personal-strengths-inventory

https://positivepsychology.com/strength-finding-tests/

RESPECT

 I was chatting with my son as he drove into work this morning. He stopped at Dutch Bros for a coffee on the way. 

He said "Let me just put my mask on before I order, that is the respectful thing to do." 

Proud parenting moment. I love my good boy, that grew up to be a great man. 

TIME

Anthony Hopkins

STRONGER

I live each day in gratitude

I have NO REGRETS

AM

1%

CHALLENGE  EXCEPTED !!!

A SIGN

WISHING

OBSESSION

EVERY DAY

 “Every day is a rehearsal 

For the rest of your life!”

Debbie Allen 

DARN

My dear friend Mary has an amazing warm office sweater.... with a hole in the sleeve. 

So I finagled it away from her. I have never tried to darn knitting before. But I did my best. Then I patched it. It’s my first try. 

DO IT

A SATURDAY IN FALL

PRELUDE TO NAP TIME

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=o8GrqUSdzi0

OPTIMISM

Susan Branch

APATHY

Apathy is the state of not caring. The word is especially used to refer to a lack of interest or concern about things, especially those that others find important or exciting. It can also mean the absence or suppression of emotion or passion.

STEPPING STONES

I have always been fascinated with cobblestones. 

The way they were hand carved and set in place. 

The way the moss grows between them. 

I love that cobblestones last so long and look so charming. 

A friend of mine did his patio in brick, much like cobblestone. 

I loved how the grass grew between. 

A simple loveliness.... Beautiful! 

Salt Lake City, UT

NARCISSISTS

 All narcissists have one common thing they are emotionally wounded people.

Treatment can help, but this condition can't be cured.

INVEST

SEE YOURSELF AS AN INVESTMENT

MERELY EXISTNG

 

WITHOUT DREAMS AND GOALS

THERE IS NO LIVING.

ONLY MERELY EXISTING.

AND THAT IS NOT WHY WE ARE HERE.

Mark Twain

ALWAYS

 

“Our greatest weakness 

lies in giving up.

The most certain way to succeed is

always to try just one more time.”

-Thomas Edison

100%

 You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

Wayne Gretzky

IT CALLS TO ME

The Smoky Mountains

PLAN A B C

GROWTH

FOLLOW YOUR HEART

YOUR NATURE

6 YEARS

 I hit black ice six years ago this morning. 

I was going slow, but there is no safe speed on black ice. I ended up-side down in a ditch on a very curvy two lane Kentucky country road. 

It was super scary. But I was blessed to be in my Tahoe. Funny how hanging upside down from your seatbelt puts things into a new perspective. 

So grateful for the Davis’ for being the first to find me and for taking care of me. And to all those that were there in minutes to help. 

Life lessons and learning moments

ITS TIME...AGAIN

LEMONADE SMARTS

 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Av07QiqmsoA

BEE

I was stung twice in one day when I was 14. 

Same shoulder. I was pretty oblivious, I had been horse back riding at the time. 

Perhaps I was a cute flower then!! 🌹

CREATIVITY

LEISURE

by W.H. Davies

“What is this life if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs

And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,

Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,

Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

A poor life this if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

GENERATIONS

HOME

🏡 

♥️

Eek 

LEARNING SOMETHING NEW

I love TED Talks. Here is what I learned!

She called it “Japaneasy”

GOOD MORNING

Fat Happy Cows

WORKING ON MY STREET

WOODPECKERS

Preparing a woodpecker for winter.

 First he finds a dead tree and starts making holes for the acorns.  Each hole is made very thoughtfully, because if the hole is large, 

other birds can easily steal the acorn.  

If the hole is narrow, the nut can break and deteriorate.  By the end of summer, the woodpecker's "jewelry" work ends, by this time the acorns ripen and take their places in the tree.  The trunk of a large tree can hold about 50,000 acorns, allowing the bird a satisfying winter.

____________________________________

I went to OUTDOOR ED with my fifth grader. It was an amazing few days. I actually got to go twice. The kids had a blast. The program was run beautifully, up near Prescott Arizona. I still have treasures from each time I went. All four of my children got to go as fifth graders, it was an awesome event each time. 

When I was there the first time, in February that year, it snowed. I felt like a kid. I had never been in the snow like that before, in the woods, in a cabin. It was awesome. I had never seen a woodpecker before. I’m the city girl from Phoenix. There are no woodpeckers there. But listening to that bird beat his beak on that tree was amazing. Then inspecting the tree and finding hundreds of acorn filled holes, literally blew my mind. It was the coolest thing I ever saw. I am still in awe of those brilliant birds and their food storage genius!

3 C's

You must make the CHOICE

To take a CHANCE

If you want anything in life to CHANGE

FOR ME!

Thank You John!!!

LISTS

 “We like lists because they project order onto the world, distilling its vastness into a few decisive bullet points.” 

H Hill

AN AUTUMN SUNDAY MORNING

My Veiw!

SPONTANEOUS

Looking at spontaneous through different ages....yep it changes...but its still GOOD!

LIGHT IT UP

https://www.owensboro.org/bridge-lights/?fbclid=IwAR3YE9nbfx04i3CwLlpHiK3ZiL0Vd5pZwkie2-0rTCbd2ohNhfTinJUGoCk

DEAR SANTA,

MY FRIEND WROTE...

So just now ReAnna and I got breakfast over at Nellies Restaurant (if you’ve never been here, you’re missing out). 

Beforehand, we were waiting outside and had a brief conversation with a gentleman out there. We talked about beards and he told me a funny story about how he was known as the Grumpy Santa over at the Boonville Walmart 😂

I didn’t even catch his name but he went in before us and when we were seated we were just a table over from him. He finished up before us and we exchanged a quick goodbye.

Well, we just finished up and our server said there was no need to worry about the bill, as it was taken care of by Grumpy Santa.

So, in case you were doubting it, there are still good people in the world!

BE HAPPY

HEART BREAK

 Friday night I had an appointment with my friend Laura, she owns a cute salon called Lavish. The appointment was at 6:30, since I don’t get back into town until about then each work night. When I got to the salon I met another beautician and a lovely young woman with long hair. The four of us chatted and enjoyed our time together. 

The young lady was getting her hair prepped for her upcoming wedding. The wedding date was set for the week of November 16th. She spoke of the house they just bought, their dog and how much her parents loved her young man. She was truly delightful. 

Laura finished my hair and we wished the young lady our very best with her upcoming nuptials, then we went out to dinner. 

This morning I got a text from Laura. She asked me if I remembered the sweet young woman at the salon. Yes of course I did! 

Her fiancé died this week, a heart attach. He was no more than early 30s. My breath caught, how do you process that? How do you get past the shock? Knowing full well that the young woman’s life was totally altered. Her heart was broken. Now mine is also. 

Prayers have been said. 

My heart is still broken. 💔

GIVERS

I love this story from Katharine Hepburn’s childhood; in her own words.

“Once when I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus.

Finally, there was only one other family between us and the ticket counter. This family made a big impression on me.

There were eight children, all probably under the age of 12. The way they  were dressed, you could tell they didn't have a lot of money, but their  clothes were neat and clean.

The children were  well-behaved, all of them standing in line, two-by-two behind their  parents, holding hands. They were excitedly jabbering about the clowns,  animals, and all the acts they would be seeing that night. By their  excitement you could sense they had never been to the circus before. It  would be a highlight of their lives.

The father and mother were at the head of the pack standing proud as could be. The mother was holding her husband's hand, looking up at him as if to say,  "You're my knight in shining armor." He was smiling and enjoying seeing  his family happy.

The ticket lady asked the man how many tickets he wanted? He proudly responded, "I'd like to buy  eight children's tickets and two adult tickets, so I can take my family  to the circus." The ticket lady stated the price.

The man's wife let go of his hand, her head dropped, the man's lip began to quiver. Then he leaned a little closer and asked, "How much did you  say?" The ticket lady again stated the price.

The man didn't have enough money. How was he supposed to turn and tell his  eight kids that he didn't have enough money to take them to the circus?

Seeing what was going on, my dad reached into his pocket, pulled out a $20  bill, and then dropped it on the ground. (We were not wealthy in any  sense of the word!) My father bent down, picked up the $20 bill, tapped  the man on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me, sir, this fell out of your pocket."

The man understood what was going on. He wasn't begging for a handout but certainly appreciated the help in a desperate, heartbreaking and embarrassing situation.

He looked straight into my dad's eyes, took my dad's hand in both of his,  squeezed tightly onto the $20 bill, and with his lip quivering and a  tear streaming down his cheek, he replied; "Thank you, thank you, sir.  This really means a lot to me and my family."

My father and I went back to our car and drove home. The $20 that my dad  gave away is what we were going to buy our own tickets with.

Although we didn't get to see the circus that night, we both felt a joy inside  us that was far greater than seeing the circus could ever provide.

That day I learnt the value to Give.

The Giver is bigger than the Receiver. If you want to be large, larger than life, learn to Give. Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get - only with what you are expecting to give - which is everything.

The importance of giving, blessing others can never be over emphasized  because there's always joy in giving.  Learn to make someone happy by  acts of giving.”

~ Katharine Hepburn

IN THE DARK

 This past weekend we entered Daylight Saving Time. A totally useless loss of evening light. 

Now my drive home from work is in the dark. I drive through a small town, then through the country for nearly an hour. Usually I love my drive, but not as much in the dark. I don’t like driving in the dark. The country roads are narrow and they are not lit. 

Last night as I drove, I saw red eyes at the road side. I was very happy that the animal hiding did not run out in the road. As I got closer, my headlights lit the darling little fox that was keeping watch. I was delighted!

Tonight, at just about the same location, I saw no hiding critters. But I was scared to bits by an owl that flew out of the trees, right in front of my car. It was beautiful! I was a bit freaked out, but once again, I was delighted! 

I still don’t like to drive at night, but how wonderful the night can be! 

POLITICIANS

 Politicians in confrontation are like

unsupervised high school debate teams.

All they really need is a good food fight and then

everyone should be suspended for 2 weeks. 

WHAT WE NEED

NEW

 

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning,

But anyone can start today and make a new ending.”

 

Maria Robinson

NEW START