To A Loving Parent

To A Loving Parent

When the baby cries and you are tired, know that this time will pass - and when your child leaves for kindergarten you will have forgotten the difficult times.

Find, if you can, a few minutes each day just for you. Close your eyes, 
be still, rest. You deserve it.

Try to listen. Listen to the thoughts, the dreams, the anxieties, and the 
laughter your child wants to share with you.

Praise your child. Say "Wonderful!" "Thank you" and "Please". Say "I love you" and "What a good idea".   Don't say "No" when you can say "Yes!". 
Help your child become a comfortable individual.

Don't say cruel or harmful things when you are tired or angry at something or someone else. Apologize to your child when you are wrong. 
Say "I'm sorry". It will teach them to do the same.

Each day find something loving and warm to say to your child - and to yourself. Never beat a child, it only teaches that violence is acceptable behavior. 
Count to ten instead.

Find inexpensive things to do. A walk, a bus ride. Sit together, learn things together. Laugh together. Encourage your child to question, to be curious.

Share things about yourself. Let your children know you as a person, not as a parent who never makes mistakes. Let them see that you are an individual too.

Introduce your child to books. Go to the library together. Read aloud together. 
Sing songs. Paint stones.

Try to set aside one mealtime each day when each of you - children and adults - can tell the family something that happened during their day. 
You will learn a lot from and about each other.

Let your child discover and learn independence by doing things alone; and to make mistakes. Mistakes do not mean failure. We all make mistakes; it is a necessary learning process.  Let your child help in small ways.  Bed making, dishes, setting the table, feeding pets.  Don't set your standards too high.

Remind yourself that in a few short years your little one will be grown and gone - to a life of his or her own. Treasure the time you have together.  Write down funny things your child says and does. They will provide you with precious memories.

Be open to change and accept it. Change is inevitable. 
Remember that each day is a new beginning.

As best you can, help your children to grow up as happy individuals. 
It is a priceless legacy; one that will enable them to achieve adulthood 
knowing they are worthwhile and that life is good.

(Author unknown)
Don't recall where I copied these words from....
but I clearly recall when. 
1982 - My daughter Nicole was tiny.....   6 months old or less. 

I've tried to live these words.   I'm sharing them today
for the parents of all small children... 'time will move very fast'. 

***Get yourself an index box and blank cards.....
WRITE DOWN AND DATE the funny things 
your children do or say....
You will treasure the memories in years to come*** 

A Mom's Favorite Flowers
Kevin picked these for me on May 1, 2005

The Kindness Exchange

Josh Urban is the mastermind behind The Kindness Exchange.  

#KindnessExchange

You can join the Kindness Exchange Facebook page at this link....

www.facebook.com/groups/KindnessExchange



IF you would like to share your kind deed in an
anonymous way, just leave your deed in the comments and I will be happy to share
on the Facebook group,
marked as.........  Anonymous Kind Deed.   :)



http://www.joshurban.com/kindness

Key Lime and Blueberry Bundt Cake

SO YUMMY and SO EASY !!!!

• 2 cups fresh blueberries


• 2 teaspoon lemon juice


• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil


• 4 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour


• 1  package Key Lime cake mix


• 1 cup sour cream


• 4 large eggs

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, gently toss blueberries and make sure there are no stems on the blueberries.
   
2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix and sour cream and lemon juice. Add eggs one
   at a time, beating at low speed after each addition. Continue to beat at
   medium speed 2 minutes. Fold in blueberries.
3. Coat a 10-inch Bundt pan with cooking spray. Transfer batter to
   pan and bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick tests clean. Cool in pan
   on a wire rack for 15 minutes before inverting. Cool completely. Dust
   with confectioners' sugar or pour on glaze. 

* This turned out so moist and yummy....  I did not use frosting or confectioners sugar.

Would have been AWESOME with a scoop of vanila ice cream.  :))))

God Winks ;)

ALWAYS, ALWAYS Celebrating the South and Promoting a Positive Mississippi !

I'm so excited for the first time EVER to have a guest author on my blog ....





 
  Patricia Neely-Dorsey
   

My name is Patricia Neely-Dorsey. I am a 1982 graduate of Tupelo High School
in Tupelo, Mississippi... located in the beautiful red clay "Hills" of Mississippi..and
yes, the birthplace of Elvis Presley.

I received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Boston University in
Boston, Massachusetts. After living for almost 20 years in Memphis, Tennessee,
working in the mental health field, I returned to my hometown in August 2007.

My first book of poetry,
Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia- A Life In Poems
   *link to book on Amazon.com*
was published in February, 2008 (Grant House Publishers).

My second book ,
My Magnolia Memories and Musings -In Poems was published
   *link to book on Amazon.com*
in February 2012.

I call both books a "celebration of the south and things southern". Using childhood memories, personal thoughts and dreams, I attempt to give a positive glimpse into the southern way of life. There are so many negative connotations associated with Mississippi and the south in general. I want to show a flip side of the coin.There is much to love about this much maligned and misunderstood part of our country. I would really love for you to get to KNOW Mississippi (and the south) in a different light and I want to introduce you.

I currently live in Tupelo with my husband James,son Henry,and Miniature
Schnauzer, Happy. I am ,an avid reader and passionate writer.

I have always considered myself a "Goodwill Ambassador" for Mississippi and
the south.
In college my nicknames were Tupelo and Mississippi. Whenever my friends
saw me coming, they knew that there would be some type of discourse
about Mississippi and the south soon to follow...hoping to clear up their many
misconceptions and preconceived notions. ...

"Yes, we DO have shoes in Mississippi.
We might not wear them all of the time...but we do have them!(LOL)"

I believe that we can bridge many gaps of misunderstanding across
regional, racial, cutural, generational and economic lines by simply
telling/sharing our stories.

Miguel Algarin said....
"When I see what you see, the distance between us disappears."

I travel all around my state speaking at schools, churches, libraries and
various civic organizations, delivering the message of a positive Mississippi
|and a positive southern experience....
According to me, one of the best places to live in ALL of the world is
POSITIVELY MISSISSIPPI !!! (smile)

With my book, Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life in Poems
you are sure to chuckle and laugh outloud ,at times, and maybe
even shed a crocodile tear or two. But, you are most certain to relive, if
only in your mind, some of your own most beautiful childhood memories.

Whether from North, East, South or West you will be able to relate to some
of the simple joys of times past.

PATRICIA NEELY-DORSEY
Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life in Poems

" a celebration of the south and things southern"
"Meet Mississippi Through Poetry, Prose and The Written Word"
www.patricianeelydorsey.webs.com

"Be You ! Do You ! SHINE !" ...  by Patricia Neely-Dorsey



I would love to tell you that I have known Patricia for YEARS, but the honest
to God's truth is that we have known one another for only weeks.
Yet, we have come to feel a sisterhood and bond that speaks way beyond
the time we've known each other, and the distance between her beloved,
MISSISSIPPI and my home state of O-H-I-O. 

We were introduced through a mutual friend and author Cyrus Webb.
From there, I have lovingly illustrated Patricia's beautiful poetry.

Just as she sets out to do in her passion of spreading the positives
of MISSISSIPPI, Patricia and I have positively bridged a gap !!!!  
It crosses a racial line AND EVEN
The Mason-Dixon Line !!!!


You too can connect up with Patricia on her BLOG and her Facebook page.

And... one last place, I have her poems listed at my Pinterest board ....
http://pinterest.com/afmomdeb/patricia-neely-dorsey-author-magnolia/

I am so thrilled and proud to have her as my FIRST Guest Blogger !!!
Thank you...   'Sistah' friend !!!!!

 

 

A Message in the *Twinkle*

 

A Message in the *Twinkle*

Child of mine
Out of the reach of this mama's hugs.
Look up to the stars at night.
I've beamed a message of
love there.

On the nights when the starsare hidden behind clouds
I'm still reminded of you.
You are hidden from my view,
yet I trust in the beating of your heart.
We shared heartbeats for nine months
and became forever bonded.

The twinkle of the stars

are a comfort to me from
God above.
Child, see the stars and feel my hugs.

Love Always,

Mama

Debra Estep        @ 2-28-03

My son Vincent entered the USAF on October 17, 2002. 
When I wrote this poem, he was in Tech School.
Later on in 2003, he volunteered for a mission in Iraq. 
He arrived on Thanksgiving of 2003.   My own words
were a HUGE comfort to me during his deployment. 

~* Bring On the Sunshine of a Laugh *~

Yesterday afternoon I was at the local CVS pharmacy.  

I checked out at the back of the store and proceeded to

walk to the front to exit the store.

 

Did you ever come to that awkward moment when

2 people are exiting at the same time?   

 

Well, that happened to me yesterday. 

 

The younger woman I encountered let me go first.

 

At the CVS exit there are 2 doors that slide open

automatically..... by sensors.

 

As I came to the first door .... I turned around

just slightly to the younger gal and said........

 

'HERE, LET ME GET THE DOOR FOR YOU'

 

~~~ SHE BUSTED UP LAUGHING ~~~

 

AND so did I.     :)))))))    

Just a goofy moment that gave both of us a warm laugh. 

 

 

JUST SOME CVS .... Someplace   :)))

~ Merry Christmas ~

I was glancing through a book this morning and came to this quote.....

‘Christmas is more than a date on a calendar,
it’s a state of heart’.
The Guideposts Christmas Treasury - 1972


You know that time, come the end of December, when everyone
nearly runs themselves ragged.  The true meaning and ~JOY~ of
the season sometimes gets  lost in the hustle and bustle. 

Join me and ~*CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS*~ everyday. 

I'm not talking about leaving up the holiday decorations, or
passing out gifts ....   JUST hold the ~SPIRIT~ in your heart.

Show love and kindness, even to the most unloveable. 

Try and live these words ................

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”
Ebenezer Scrooge -
 Charles Dickens's 1843 novel - A Christmas Carol.




 
          Christmas Eve ~ Grammy and Pa's House - 2008

 

 

'George Harrison & the Art of Dying'

George Harrison & the Art of Dying

How a lifetime of spiritual search led to a beautiful death

BY: Murray Littlejohn and Edward Tingley

"In the "Art of Dying," Harrison reminds us that death is life's greatest opportunity. There comes a time when each of us must leave this material world, and no amount of prayer and science can keep us here-but what we truly are does not cease to be."

 

 

Art Of Dying  - George Harrison

 

There'll come a time when all of us must leave here
Then nothing Sister Mary can do
Will keep me here with you
As nothing in this life that I've been trying
Could equal or surpass the art of dying
Do you believe me?

There'll come a time when all your hopes are fading
When things that seemed so very plain
Become an awful pain
Searching for the truth among the lying
And answered when you've learned the art of dying

But you're still with me
But if you want it
Then you must find it
But when you have it
There'll be no need for it

There'll come a time when most of us return here
Brought back by our desire to be
A perfect entity
Living through a million years of crying
Until you've realized the art of dying
Do you believe me?

 ~     ~     ~      ~      ~      ~      ~      ~      ~      ~

"Our physical self is only mistaken for our true self,
and we have accepted this temporary condition to be final
and it is only by thinking in that misled way that death
and dying seem to be the ultimate calamity."
George Harrison

Dad's Peace Rose ~ June 2011

~ Heart Print ~ Betty Frye ~

Oprah ended her show yesterday by saying ...........................

 

'We've had many stories leaving a special heart print that we will never forget.'



As SOON as I heard her words, I thought of my friend, Betty Frye. 

Betty and Russell's son James entered the Air Force in February
of 2007.  James was Betty's only child.   She looked around the
internet and found a home at a Yahoo group of other Air Force
Mom and Dads.  
She joined while James was still in basic training.  

Betty was ONE of a kind and she certainly left a great big
ole HEART PRINT on my heart.

I once joked to her that she must buy her stamps in rolls for the
many cards
and letters she mailed out.     SHE admitted to me that she DID.   

BETTY was the QUEEN of SNAIL MAIL.  It was a letter to a kid
down at BMT, a get well card for someone's Mom or Dad. Or
even mail to friends of AF Mom
and Dad buddies, Betty was on it with a card or note.

I did not come to learn of the many many care support boxes
she mailed out to military kids until after her passing.    Russ
shared with me their many trips to Wally mart where Betty
loaded the cart with supplies to ship.  

Betty and I corresponded only via email and messages over
the net.   
The very first time we spoke on the phone was when she phoned
me to say that she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer
and she only had months to live.  
It was a gut wrenching call to say the least.  I assured Betty
that we would be there for James and Russell.

Oprah's show yesterday  featured a Mom, Erin Kramp, who was
dying of cancer.  
The Erin chronicled herself in videos and audio recordings for
her young daughter who was 6 when she passed.  The final
audio message she taped was played yesterday.  
In that message Erin asked people not to forget about her. 

My friend Betty never did any of those special tapes like Erin
did, but I had an overwhelming feeling that Betty would have
said the same thing. 

I will never forget you Betty.....  You left an eternal 
~ HEART PRINT ~

Love you girl !!!!

 

Betty Anne Frye    2-7-1953 ~ 7-12-2009

 

Betty Anne Frye  of Petersburg, Va., formerly of Morattico, Va.,
passed away on Sunday, July 12, 2009. She was a member of
Norwood Baptist Church, Morattico, Va. and a member of
Air Force Moms and Dads.

My wife Betty, besides being the best wife and friend was
my soul mate. I will surely miss and be lost without her.

Betty was preceded in death by her parents Francis and
Mary Anthony.

 

She is survived by her husband of 27 years, Russell Frye,
one son; James A. Frye (was) stationed at Sheppard Air Force
Base, Texas, and two fur babies; her dogs; Sofie and Buddy.

 

The family will receive friends at Jones-Ash Funeral Home,
Rainswood, Va., on Tuesday, July 14, 2009 from 7:00 to 8:30PM.
Funeral services will be held at Norwood Baptist Church,
Morattico, Va. on Wednesday, July 15th at 11:00AM.
Burial to follow in the church cemetery.

♥Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ♥   Family isn't always blood. It's the people in
your life who want you in theirs. The ones who accept you
for who you are. The ones who would do anything to
see you smile, and who love you no matter what.   ♥Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ♥

~ Our 'sister' Betty ~