A crazy, mixed up week

Only a few moments ago our Staff Minister, Mike, called to cancel Bible study tonight. It seems he needs to attend the Sunday school teacher's meeting instead because he is heading it up this year and cannot be both places at the same time. I guess Pastor must still be at the Conference. Now what do I do?? Two cancelled studies in one week, in two days, actually, and it is throwing me out of whack!

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Joanne had called me earlier today to have lunch with her but I was already out with Brenda N. at the time. As I write I am waiting to hear back from Joanne about going to dinner---oh, we are going---we just do not know the time, as she is busy working on real estate. I see meatloaf in my future....For lunch I had a butter burger at Steak 'n Shake with Brenda, and while it was simply yummy, it was not a Culver's Butter Burger, ya' know? This place is next door to her office which made for a good lunch within her time constraints. When we walked back over, I saw Jimmie W.'s truck in the lot so I went upstairs with her to say "hi" to him. Oh, it was soooo wonderful to see him again, as we sat and chatted in the lobby! Gosh, I miss those people! Brenda introduced me to their receptionist as being her former boss, although I hardly feel that way about these people, my "co-workers". We really do love each other, both then and yet!

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At lunch, Brenda told me about the goofy TV situation at home, having only analog reception, no cable service. She can pick up one local channel somehow or another which brought us to the subject of movies. She was unaware about taking movies out at the library (the bibliophiles in the reading audience will have a fit about this!!!) plus I offered to share my collection with her.

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As we talked a bit, the subject turned toward the things she has on her "Bucket List", which really got me started! It has been a Bucket List couple of weeks for me. She has only seen the movie once but it really stuck with her. Before she dies, she wants to see Greece. This was the year that three of us---Martie, Brenda, and I---had planned on taking a Mediterranean Cruise, saving money for just this event. A year ago at this time, things really changed dramatically in our nation, in our community, and in our homes, making those plans somewhat disappear. When she mentioned it again today, I was so happy, because I sort of felt like it was too difficult a goal for my friends to reach. Perhaps not! Now I am excited again! Add to that the statement Brenda made about "going over and not coming back...."

Don't you love this: Dream Houses between sky and earth......

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I did tell her about the RE/MAX office in Mykonos but she would need to get her international sales designation, which Joanne has already earned. She could be a bartender or lead the donkeys up and down the side of the cliff in Santorini! There is no shortage of restaurants and bistros in either of these two places and certainly someone who spoke English for the tourists would be most welcome! Oh, dreams, bucket lists, are what keep us going. Justin says I would be too distracted in these tourist towns to get much writing accomplished which defeats only a small part of the reason for going there.....Last night I watched "Under the Tuscan Sun" yet again, on broadcast TV, and longed to see Positano once more. When I talked with my mom last week one day, I had come upon Rick Steve's Europe on (gulp!) PBS, and he was touring the Amalfi Coast. That is what started this whole thing over again for me! Thursday at dinner Justin told me he found the entire series of Europe on hulu.com and said he got water eyes, too, just previewing it. Oh, man...................

Something to chew on today

A lecturer when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked:

'How heavy is this glass of water?' Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, 'The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.

If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.

He continued, 'And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on.

As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden. So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can.'

So, my friend, put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while.

Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, some days you're the statue.

* Always keep your words soft and sweet, 'cause some of them you'll have to eat..

* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to be kind to others.

* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

* Nobody cares if you can't dance well----just get up and dance.

* When everything's coming your way, you're probably in the wrong lane.

* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.

* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.