Never accept the life you have, if it's not the life you want.

...It is time for me to step out of the usual and take a risk on life!

I stand on the edge of a cliff listening,.. listening,...listening for that familiar sound as the waves crash to shore.

---Standing over Thunder Hole in Acadia National Park (Bar Harbor, Maine)

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Enough said!?

We had a beautiful sunset last night! Pinks, purples, blues, oranges, reds...

Everytime I see a beautiful sunrise or sunset I think of my father. As he was dying, he told me that he would always be with me; I just had to look for him in the sunrises and sunsets.

I am a "daddy's girl". I have been since the day I was born and will be when I see Papa again in eternity.

I have many reasons why I never got married (fear of commitment, a need to prove that I can take care of myself, a fiercely independent nature, and on, and on, and on...), but I think the real reason is that I have never found an available man that could live up to my view of my father; intelligent, loving, faithful, committed.

Maybe it's time to move beyond the reasons...

Embrace every moment!

For most of my life I have been guilty of running from one event to another without stopping to enjoy the experience.

I won't accept quantity over quality any more--there is no enjoyment there. I will savor every facet, every moment, every emotion...

...it's time to stop and "smell the roses".

Savor those moments when you can be alone.

I mean really alone...no TV, no radio, no Ipod...only you and maybe a good book. Listen to the sounds of your house, creaks, pops, cracks; listen to the sounds of nature, birds, cicadas, breeze rustling through the trees; listen to the sounds of your body, the steady in and out rhythm of your breath, the thump-thump pulse of your heart. This music of your life is more interesting than anything you will find on TV, radio or your Ipod.

I will make more time for these special moments.

Have you ever looked at a stone...I mean really looked at a stone?

Rinse the stone with water then, while it is still wet, look at it closely. The colors, the lines, the shapes...then try to imagine the life of the stone. Was it once a part of the Rocky Mountains? Or the Smokies? Or the Alps? Or is it possible that it is from several mountains, each contributing a little piece of itself to this little stone. How did this particular stone get here? Was it washed here at the end of an ice age? How old is it? A million or a billion years old. Did a dinosaur every touch this piece of rock? Or, maybe a woolly mammoth?

So many questions, so little time...

Everyday I will marvel at something new or different in the Universe.

I will return to the mountains and to the ocean; to meander along a trail or search for shells on the beach. I want to breathe that fresh mountain air and wiggle my toes in the sand.

Age is just a number. You are never too old to follow your dreams.

I will take a lesson from Diana Nyad who, at the age of 61, is planning to repeat her attempt to swim 103 miles from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage.

When asked why she wanted to attempt this feat again, she said,
"Because I'd like to prove to the other 61-year-olds that it is never too late to start your dreams."  (GMA 9/2/10)

"Teaching should be such that what is offered is perceived as a valuable gift and not as a hard duty."
        -Albert Einstein

I will try to locate my teachers, whose valuable gifts I have been thankful for my entire life, and tell them how grateful I am for the positive effect they had on my life. Miss Reed, Mrs. Pinkerton, Mr. Jones, Mrs. Cates, Mrs. Lewis, Mrs. Dickenson, Mr. Hurley, Mr. Hoag, Mrs. Gray...to name a few.

"So long as they don't get violent, I want to let everyone say what they wish, for I myself have always said exactly what pleased me."
       -Albert Einstein

As my friends can attest, I lack the filter that most people have between their brain and their mouth. I don't intend to hurt anyone, but I realize I do at times, especially those who do not know me well; as a result I am sure I have lost the opportunity of wonderful friendships over the years because I didn't choose my words wisely.

...I will ponder the words I use and how I delivery them before I spit them out. Words have power, good and bad, so I will concentrate on the good. We can't have too many friends, can we?

"Be the change you wish to see in the world"

I will not 'sit on my hands' and wait for 'someone' to do something. I AM 'SOMEONE' and I will act, rather than react. 

I will learn to play an instrument...maybe a harmonica...and, even though I am tone deaf and no one will ever guess what song I am playing, I will play with all the joy of a young child discovering a new toy.

I will not sit by the window on a rainy summer afternoon watching the children perform the sweet rain dance of innocence, as generations have done before them and generations will do after. I will join them in that ancient dance, with all the joy of the moment, remembering the days of my youth when, not only was it was acceptable to get drenched to the skin, it was expected. A time when we ran with glee from puddle to puddle to see who could make the biggest splash. A time before the inhibitions of our adulthood diminished the exuberance of our youth.

Italian, French, Spanish...I will learn a new language; at least enough of a new language to understand (a basic conversation) and communicate my needs.

"Life offers you a thousand chances...all you have to do is take one."
   --Frances Mayes (Author of Under the Tuscan Sun)

I will go to Tuscany (Cortona, Italy) and rent a small farmhouse on the outskirts of town, or perhaps an apartment in town just off the piazza. I will take Tuscan cooking and wine appreciation classes. I will wander through the streets and churches to admire the medieval and Renaissance architecture. I will stroll through the vineyards drinking in the sweet smell of the grapes.

I will not save that expensive bottle of wine for a special occasion. Every day is a special occasion!

I will blow the paper off my straw just to see how far it will float on the air, then delight in the expression on the face of others.

I will fill my home with beautiful flowers just because I enjoy them. The scent of a Rose or Carnation; the smile of a Sunflower, Daisy or Snapdragon; the elegance of an Iris or Gladiola; or the simplicity of a Calla Lily--are worth the expense if they make me happy.