The magic...

Today, my significant other gave our boys homework – they have to come up with four options that they really like that do not involve a LCD screen.  VOID… air space…. can you hear the silence….. 

Since this morning, we have not received any news.  We should be laying bets as to how long it’s going to take them to come up with something.  I am now listening to the turning pages of the Sears Christmas Wish Catalogue.  They’ve been told that their responses are going to shape the nature of Christmas morning.

Christmas morning is a suspenseful, magical time in which none of us wish to be disappointed ~ giving or receiving.  As time goes on and children get older, it becomes harder and harder to please or surprise them, taking that magic away.  Wants seem to exceed what should be the norm, blowing the budget out the window.  Little do they realize that often the happiness is short lived due to a fad, leaving a wake of stress and bills.  Can we not as a parental group slow this purchasing highway of madness?  We can’t buy their happiness, interest or love ~ so why do we try so hard?  There are so many in the world that goes without, here in our own country and abroad.  When I look at my Christmas shopping list, I think of the many that go without or even knew what they were missing ~ and it takes a little of the magic away.    Give a little of your time to someone that may be lonely, participate if you can in donations to the food banks, Christmas Angels or other organizations.  I know many donate whenever they can.  Many just take a pass.   You’d be surprised at how good it feels  to do something out of the box ~ the pay it forward scenario ~ if you can to it in places of need.  The rewards are all around us….

A Generation ...

We grew up with a generation so much different than our own.  You could actually tell the make and perhaps model of a car just by looking at it and the term ‘blog’ would have summoned a quizzical look on someone’s face.  The previous generation had different dollar values and shopped with cash.  Credit was a phrase that was shunned, only sometimes used at the local grocery store - if you had to.  Milk was delivered in glass bottles once a week and children ran free in each other’s yards, streets, amusement parks, beaches and parks ~ they checked in with parents a few times a day.  Those days had their hidden secrets, horrors and abuse much like today; but as children and the young adults that our parents were ~ we were, the most of us innocent, weren't we?  It’s hard to imagine what our children will feel when they think back on their innocence, with live news, war news,  internet, YouTube at any moment’s glance.  Street smarts are something we learn young as an interaction.  My question is how is it applied today when they actually have to deal with real people?  It’s not so easy to deal in human form…  how much practice do they actually get?

Comment Section

It’s late in the day, but I wanted to thank those of you that tried to post a comment on any of my posts.  I have finally figured out how to adjust the settings for the comment sections to show!  It was a case of my not finding the right setting to select.  Hopefully now I will be able to enjoy hearing from all of you and your thoughts on my ‘blogs’.  What a venue!  I’m so much tamer and sage ~ I can only imagine what I would have written 20 years ago.

"Be.."

The beauty in the course of your day should be taken in single moments.  Each moment stressed or angry is a moment that has been taken away from us.  I’d like to say that I’m the peaceful/mindful person, but I’m not.  It’s what I’m striving to be.  So much of our time is eaten away / nickel and dimed, that we are truly exhausted at the end of the day.  In fact, at the end of the day I no longer have a voice.  It’s really hard to just let things “be” as we do our best to excel in any endeavor we take on.  Sometimes my house looks like the “be” scenario, maybe I should just have less house and less stuff then “being” wouldn’t be such an issue.  Is anyone else struggling with this?  Give me your scenarios if you can.

Conversations

So... it's another day and another post (and I'm sure there is sunshine somewhere just not here at the moment).  I'm happy to have started this blog, as much as I love to be able to check in on friends and family (see their photos) on Facebook, I find unless they have little children with photos to share they have not been posting much either.  The older I get, the less I get to see, much less talk to my extended family so I'm always happy to see photos but I believe if a conversation is to take place that we actually need to pick up the telephone receiver.  And... family, friends, acquaintances alike - over the years, we've all changed - often completely different from what we were like in our youth.  It's funny,  we all presume others have not changed when often we ourselves have.  I hope to stir up conversations/thoughts between people or at the very least voice topics that may be near and dear to my heart.  I'd like to poll what people think of in terms of changes in themselves and wonder if friends/family would agree or if they see only what they know.  I know I have changed greatly from my youth (motherhood? household chores?  I'll never agree to age... as in my mind I will always be young) and for the most- the changes have been for the better ;).  For those that the changes have not been for the better … there is always still time if you have a heartbeat!  On that note…  always time is what I’m going with.

Elections

The United States 57^th presidential election of 2012 took place on November 6, 2012.  This is the 44th U.S. President.  Many of us do not follow politics much less the politics of another country; hell many of us don't even watch the news (the real news, not just sound clips).  It’s important to know WHO we’ve voted into office in our own country and it’s important to know the politics of neighboring countries.  Borders, lines drawn in the dirt, are more stressed than ever in history.  If you pay attention, you are able to make up your own opinion.  We have more information at our fingertips – much of it propaganda, misinformation and yes... the truth.  Find out what is behind the issues voted on by your politicians (truth vs. propaganda and you’ll have to dig deep) and monitor how they represent YOU and your country.  VOTE.  It’s a privilege – don’t ever forget that.  Many do not exercise that privilege, but are the first to complain.  If you know anyone that doesn’t vote … and THEN complains… let them know they should have voted.  The U.S. elections are now over, the Canadian ones will again be at our doorstep (consider ourselves lucky that we actually have elections) – monitor who represents YOUR vote… it’s important.  It’s your life and it’s their job to represent you.