The Marrige Box

Lightbub Moment .....

Me thinking.... 

WOW, what a lightbulb moment. 

 Not quite the word I would 

actually use... 'tragedy', 

still... it hits home for me.

New Friend

For me being kind, or kindness is about the same as breathing.  I really don't have
to ~think~ about IT.   My family says.... Ohhh She's never met a stranger.  

I will have to say though, it comes down to treating folks the way I would like
to be treated.   Maybe it's my open nature, but people will just talk to me or tell
me things...  Take yesterday for instance, I was in a Walmart, there was a lady with what clearly appeared like 2 granddaughters, ages maybe 10 and 12.  We were in the area, near the sweet snacks... LIKE LITTLE DEBBIES.   :)   The girls were saying...  "PLEASE... PLEASE" ... I SMILED at the grandma... she said the girls were from out of town and visiting, and they don't have snacks like this. 

EVEN though, I pretty much KNEW... I said... "Are they military kids" ?
The grandma responded, "Yes, they are visiting from Germany".   I said....
"Is someone in the Air Force" ?   YES, her son-in-law.   I did not have a post card
of my Soldier and Angel with me, so we exchanged cell numbers and I sent Pam
one via a text.  What a wonderful meeting.  

Kindness - From Websters Dictionary - 1828  You read the year correctly.  1828

KINDNESS, noun [from kind, the adjective.]
1. Good will; benevolence; that temper or disposition which delights in contributing to the happiness of others, which is exercised cheerfully in gratifying their wishes, supplying their wants or alleviating their distresses; benignity of nature. kindness ever accompanies love.
There is no man whose kindness we may not sometime want, or by whose malice we may not sometime suffer.
2. Act of good will; beneficence; any act of benevolence which promotes the happiness or welfare of others. Charity, hospitality, attentions to the wants of others, etc., are deemed acts of kindness or kindnesses.

Angel Of Protection
(permission to use in any way that honors our US Military)

Meet and Greet ....

Please allow me to introduce myself....To myself ....

"Inner self" is an expression for your private inner feelings and self-awareness. The inner self is often referred to in spirituality.  Sometimes, meditation is used to awaken our consciousness and see our true inner self. Refers to the inner divinity from which the being and personality evolve. The Unconscious, the Subconscious and the Higher Self. Your inner self is the person you are inside. Like when someone asks you how you are doing, and you say "good" even though you feel crummy inside.
Your inner self is who you are not in front of others.
(quote-Answers-dot-com)

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.