INSIGHT

NEXT

ICED ISSUE

I guess I did not close my freezer door completely one day. When I opened it I saw that it looked like a winter wonderland inside. Everything was still frozen solid, but there were ice crystals everywhere. Since the food was still frozen I didn’t give it much more thought. Until yesterday. When I reached in to get some ice for my smoothie. And the bucket was low. I knew I had turned the ice maker on the day before, because ice is the key to my smoothie consumption. But no new ice was there. Low and behold... my ice maker is frozen. Sounds funny. But this morning I will be arming myself with my handy dandy blow dryer and I will melt the frozen ice maker back into service! And I’ll get back to happy smoothie making! First world issue!

ON PURPOSE

TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY 
OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE

SO DON'T LET WHERE YOU'VE BEEN 
HINDER YOU FROM 
WHERE YOU'RE GOING

LIVE ON PURPOSE!

SIMPLE and REAL

Sometimes as I drive through the countryside

I look at grand beautiful houses and

I think about how wonderful it would be to live there.

But the little houses, the ones that will never be

on the cover of Country Living magazine,

the ones where the flowers are lovely and

the backyard gardens are tidy and tended…

those are the ones I want to emulate.

I think the same can be said for my life

I may want to see the grand and beautiful

But my heart wants the simple and real.

PARTICIPANT

"Don't just be a spectator in 
your life, be a participant, 
you might just be surprised 
at how fun and exciting 
life can be"! 

This advice was sent to me 9 years ago. 
I accepted the challenge and never looked back!
NO REGRETS!!

STEP

I believe that if you take

the opportunities to

step outside of your

comfort zone

your life is more enriched

your world more vast and colorful

I want to enjoy every next step

every fork in the road

every leap of faith in myself…

Life is short

I want NO REGRETS!

SNOW MEMORIES

Remembering the Snow at my Evansville townhome!

LESSON

TEACHER FAILS ENTIRE CLASS:    

An economics professor at a local college made a statement that she had never failed a single student before, but had recently failed an entire class. That class had insisted that socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.

The professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment in this class on this plan". All grades will be averaged and everyone will receive the same grade so no one will fail and no one will receive an A.... (substituting grades for dollars - something closer to home and more readily understood by all).

After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little.

The second test average was a D! No one was happy. When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F.

As the tests proceeded, the scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else.

To their great surprise, ALL FAILED and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great, but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed.

These are possibly the 5 best sentences you'll ever read and all applicable to this experiment:

1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.

2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.

3. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.

4. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it!

5. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation.

ENJOY

Enjoy your surroundings, even when stopped in construction traffic on your way to work!

LEARNING

Learning while Learning

BARDSTOWN ROAD

One of my favorite stops in Louisville is Bardstown Road. There you will find lots of quaint shops and restaurants. I have been there several times and love it!

Thinking of my boy!

MEMORIES

September 2018

THOUGHT

TOO MUCH THINKING
CAN KEEP YOU FROM
YOUR REAL FEELINGS

MUSE

"Be your own Muse."

Sophia Loren  

MUSE
a person who is the source of inspiration for a creative artist.

NATIONAL PARKS

Great sites to view the United States National Parks

https://state.1keydata.com/national-parks-by-state.php

https://www.nps.gov/index.htm

REINVENTING

Reinventing the Wheel 

with Dutch Bike Maker 

Elian Veltman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLiSd3uFj6w&feature=youtu.be&camp=CME:20200817_HEP2038MP_USCAD&rmid=20200817_HEP2038MP_USCAD&rrid=1122900682&lid=secondarycopy2&XID=HEOV170820205399

AN ESSAY

I read an essay on Uberless by Rick Rivera.

 “Become Who You Are”

“I refuse to … feel sorry for myself.

I refuse to wallow in regret,

because even though I feel like I took

this huge detour somewhere in my life journey,

I also learned so much about myself

and about life in general.”

“I realize I must move forward without 

wasting time on little details ...

I’m excited for what is yet to come for me,

and I can’t wait.”

“…I’m owning this phrase from now on,

and I will apply it to my life every single day.

I will continue to work on “becoming who I am”,

knowing that it’s a lifelong pursuit,

one that is fun and exciting and always worth it.”

https://uberless.wordpress.com/2011/03/31/becoming-who-i-am/

LUNAR CYCLE

A photo of the moon was taken at the same place and time, consecutively for 28 days!
Amazing!

FILLED

MY LATEST READ

I just finished listening to one of the best books I have ever heard. 

“America's First Daughter”

A novel by Laura Kaye and Stephanie Dray

About the life of Martha “Patsy” Jefferson Randolph, eldest daughter of Thomas Jefferson.

This 624 page book was riveting. I highly recommend it.

SOMETIMES

Sometimes 
people
act 
like 
you 
are 
a 
bad 
person 
so 
they 
don't 
feel 
guilty 
about 
the 
things 
they 
have 
done 
to 
you. 

TO YOURSELF

YOU OWE IT TO

YOURSELF TO BECOME

EVERYTHING YOU’VE

EVER DREAMED OF

BEING.

START OVER

Start over my darling

be brave enough to find the life you want

and courageous enough to chase it

then start over and love yourself

the way you were always meant to

Madalyn Beck

PLATO

NEVER DISCOURAGE ANYONE WHO CONTINUALLY MAKES PROGRESS,
NO MATTER HOW SLOW
~Plato

IN LIFE

WHAT YOU REALLY WANT 
WILL NEVER COME EASY!

VALOR

In a race, athlete Abel Mutai representing Kenya, was just a few feet from the finish line, but he was confused with the signage & stopped thinking he had completed the race. The Spanish athlete, Ivan Fernandez was right behind him & realizing what was happening, he started shouting at the Kenyan for him to continue running; but Mutai didn't know Spanish didn't understand. Then the Spanish pushed him to victory. 

A journalist asked Ivan, "Why did you do that?"

Ivan replied, "My dream is that someday we can have a kind of community life". 

The journalist insisted "But why did you let the Kenyan win?" 

Ivan replied, "I didn't let him win, he was going to win". 

The journalist insisted again, "But you could have won!" 

Ivan looked at him & replied," But what would be the merit of my victory? What would be the honor of that medal?

What would my Mom think of that?"

Values are transmitted from generation to generation.

What values are we teaching our children?

Let us not teach our kids the wrong ways & means to WIN

HISTORY

COLOR

When you look at some one, 

the only color you should 

be looking for 

is the color of their hair. 

If you see gray, 

you need to use more respect.

BUSY ALL THE TIME

MADE OF

We are made of magic and resistance!

TORNADO

Owensboro, Kentucky 8/12/2020

THE VIEW

I was in my way to the office, 
when I was stopped for construction. 
I am listening to the audio version
 of Stephanie Dray’s “America’s First Daughter” 
on my drive time.

And as I sat there listening to this book, 
I took a long look at the corn fields 
on both sides of the road. 
There are few things more lovely than the 
green things that grow in the Midwest. 
But if you look closely, you will see the tiny 
delicate blue flowers that grow among the corn. 

It was a very nice way to start my Wednesday. 

THE BEST I CAN BE

I don't want to ever stop evolving.
I like being a work in progress.
I think that being aware of who we are
and watching for the example
of others that we wish to emulate,
this will help us continue
to be the best person we can be.
I don't ever want to stop making
updates and improvements to my life.
I am working to make each day The Best Day.
I want to make a positive impact on each
person who walks in my life path.
Yesterday is the past, we learn from it.
Tomorrow is a reflection of today....
So I'm going to continue to work
on being the best me and making each day
the Very Best Day!

A LIFE TIME AGO

START

ADVICE

Never take criticism from someone 
you wouldn’t go to for advice.

LIVING

DON’T FEAR DYING ... FEAR NOT LIVING!

TELL YOURSELF

DO IT!

ORDINARY COME ALIVE

Do not ask your children
to strive for extraordinary lives.
Such striving may seem admirable,
but it is a way of foolishness.
Help them instead to find the wonder
and the marvel of an ordinary life.
Show them the joy of
tasting tomatoes, apples and pears.
Show them how to cry when pets and people die.
Show them the infinite pleasure
in the touch of a hand.
And make the ordinary come alive to them.
The extraordinary will take care of itself.

Unknown Author

WALK IN THE GRASS

Good Morning Little Friend!

NOT DIVIDED

MAN OF THE YEAR

FLOWERS

I love it when the wild flowers are in my initials!!!

PENGUINS

This is a satellite image of Antarctica (which explains all the ice and snow), and those little brown smudges are...wait for it...penguin colonies! New imaging has revealed that there are nearly 20% more emperor penguin colonies in Antarctica than previously thought. That's good news... because penguins are always good news.


https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/05/world/penguins-antarctica-satellite-scn-scli-intl/index.html?utm_term=1596888140410ae8294dc3e86&utm_source=The+Good+Stuff+08%2F08%2F20&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=234380_1596888140412&bt_ee=f7g6VnRhlLB%2Fht%2FdYSYsyfDbOVmX6CDTAsa8cp1H98pUYiKTcqV3JOeQJ1HB7t1z&bt_ts=1596888140412

PRACTICE

You know what’s underrated? Practice. We have a tendency to look at people who are good at something and think, "Gee, I wish I could be that good at that thing! It must come so easy to them!" In reality, every effortless movement, whether it’s playing violin or soccer or crocheting cool blankets, represents countless hours of hard work and probably more than a few tears. That’s good news, though! If you try something, and you’re bad at it, it doesn’t mean you’ll always be bad. Just try again, and then again, and then repeat a few hundred times. In fact, that’s the secret: Everyone who’s good at something was once bad at it. Or, at least, not very good. How do you get from one to the other? PRACTICE!


https://view.newsletters.cnn.com/messages/1596888140410ae8294dc3e86/raw?utm_term=1596888140410ae8294dc3e86&utm_source=The+Good+Stuff+08%2F08%2F20&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=234380_1596888140412&bt_ee=f7g6VnRhlLB%2Fht%2FdYSYsyfDbOVmX6CDTAsa8cp1H98pUYiKTcqV3JOeQJ1HB7t1z&bt_ts=1596888140412

LIFE♥️

PLOT TWIST

DRIVERS

1.) I was stopped for construction on the little blue bridge. The driver in the car behind me, yes I was watching her in my rear view mirror, looked like a well put together early 70s someone. But as she sifted through the stacks of paperwork on her dash board I realized that she could barley see over them. Not that she was short, the stacks of paperwork were really tall. The construction cleared and I proceeded. Then I slowed for the next bit of construction. The lady with the littered dashboard, zoomed past me... on that little two lane country road. As she zipped past me, with no regard for the people working on that little road, I noticed that the back of her car was jam packed with all kinds of stuff. Horder? Traveling sales person? She did cross the yellow line several times and did a fare amount of shoulder driving also. More than a little bit scary! And I still can’t get over the stack of paperwork on the dash!

2.) Driving home on that same two lane country road. The driver of the little red car, with temp tags and the remnants of a parking ticket on the window was happy doing 40 miles an hour on the 55 mile an hour road. Thus I got to see my surroundings at a slower pace, as well as count more people in that car than there were seat belts I’m sure! Just saying.

These were just Two drivers in my path today. Just two! There were so many others!

USER FRIENDLY

A friend and I were talking about our personal exercise routines. She told me that she takes a walk in her neighborhood several times a week. She commented on how she should take her dog with her more often, but does not, because he is not User Friendly!

I totally laughed, thinking to myself that many pets and family members are not!

She went on to say that her dog barks and strains the leash, he wants to tinkle on every bush/flower/tire and that he does bigger business, so she carries a baggie. 

Then when they get home, he needs a bath, which makes her need a shower. 

More effort than just a walk. 

I loved this conversation!!! 

​

HABOOB

1. a violent and oppressive wind blowing in summer, especially in Sudan, bringing sand from the desert

   
   
   
   

COINCIDENCE

“What we call a COINCIDENCE
Is really Gods hand at work”
If we could step back and look we
would see that God has aligned these things.

THE YEAR THAT STOPPED

AT CHURCH ON SUNDAY

Last week I spent some time at the church on the hill. I watched the deer play in the soybeans and the birds land on the headstones. I watched a man pay his respects to the deceased and show his love for his dog. 

I watched the wind in the trees. And I talked with God. 

I drove roads I have never driven before and saw lovely things. I love my Sunday drives.

ON FIRE

FLIP FLOP

Is that where I leaned it from?!!!!!

HUMMOR

FOG and SNOW

PROFOUND

ARCHITECTURE

Ten years ago today, I took 3 of my children on a architectural field trip in Phoenix. My daughter needed pictures for one of her art classes. These European style condos were off of Central Street, down town. I had taken several drives as during the construction, just to see their progress. 

No matter where I go, I love to see the architecture. It’s been one of my passions since I was a little girl. I even studied architecture in school. One of my favorite things was seeing the Frank Lloyd Wright Exhibit at an art museum. 

There are so many facets to architecture, each tells so much about the people, places and time. I find that I have a built in respect and awe for architecture. I love all forms, whether it be ancient cliff dwelling, Gothic, Tudor, Gaudi, Mayan, the Cotswold cottages with their thatched roofs or a Kentucky tobacco barn... they each stir a passion inside me. 

I love them all. The design, the purpose, the skill, craftsmanship and pride. Architecture is a living history book. And I love it!