THE most valuable lesson I can share..................
When nothing seems to be going right.................GO LEFT.
Oh my, this is something I've tried to live by all my life, teach my daughters, share with friends. It's kind of that "pick yourself up by your bootstraps" mentality that I was raised with. You CAN change your circumstances. You CAN start over. I'm absolutely crazy about quotes and adages, sayings and words of wisdom. I speak "cliche", so get ready, here it comes.
"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about Dancing in the Rain." ~Tiffany Wilson
"It doesn't matter how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get up." ~Vince Lombardi
I truly believe that every day we get up is an opportunity to start over. We have a choice to believe we're going to have a good day or a bad day. If we start the day thinking that it's going to be bad, there's very little hope for the day turning out "good". But, if we start each day thinking, 'THIS is going to be a GREAT day!' then, even if things go "bad", we have a better chance of dealing with them in a positive way. ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING!!!
I remember reading one of those perpetual email stories a long time ago. It was called "ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING". I saved it. I read it periodically when I need a lift. Bottom line, guy was shot in an armed robbery. The last several paragraphs of his story are:
-----After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body. I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?"
I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place.
"The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door", Jerry replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I chose to live.
"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?", I asked.
Jerry continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read, 'He's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action."
"What did you do?", I asked.
"Well, there was a big, burly nurse shouting questions at me", said Jerry. She asked if I was allergic to anything. "Yes", I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply... I took a deep breath and yelled, "Bullets!" Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead." -----
I think we all have to OPERATE as if we're going to LIVE, not die.
"Live, Live, LIVE! Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving!" ~Auntie Mame
Love and Blessings,
Stay Gold,
So, the challenge this week was to include a picture of ME in the layout. Obviously, Tracy knows how tough it is to get us "family legacy makers" to get IN the pictures. Well, long ago and far away, there was a time when I actually showed up in some pictures. Not so much anymore....but here were two that I found at Anne's 1st birthday..........awe!!!
I just had to do it. He's so cute, he's so cute, he's sooooooooooo cute!!! The entire family just loves him so much. We had a great night tonight. Lacy made dinner for the whole family. We ate together, all at the same table, all at the same time. It was a delicious Spicy Orange Chicken. We had wine. We had dessert. Now, we're watching TV together and actually talking. Wow! So, now I'm on to scrapping some awesome danceline pages!!! STNH!
Ain't she cute?! Well, yeah, she still is. 
Well. Here it is! I got Kolten's 1st Christmas page done. I just love the template, but I don't have a credit. I found it years ago and it didn't have a name attached, dang it. Oh well, Love it still and if it's "yours" THANKS! 
