NOTE TO MY BLOG READERS!

Posted on April 4, 2014 by Life's Lessons- Last Times

TO ALL OF YOU WHO TAKE THE TIME TO READ MY BLOG:

I only add to my blog when something in my life “REALLY” gets my attention and slaps me in the face! The topic or incident affects my “positive spirit”……….98% of the time I’m in that mode…………..it’s that other 2% that upsets me and I fall back into the negative thoughts around me.

Why do I let those incidents drag me down?! Why can’t I “just let it go, it isn’t hurting them”, I’m told.  “You are letting it hurt you”! I KNOW THAT! SO WHY DON’T I JUST LET IT GO!? When something is strong enough to knock me to my knees and I get “upset” it is a signal that I need to pay attention to the situation and change it (OR ME) to put me back on the plane of positive thinking!
Since we are not supposed to change people………that means we must change ourselves. If we like ourselves as we are, what we think, and what we do and don’t think we need to change, what then? LEAVE WHOEVER OR WHATEVER IS CAUSING THE CONFLICT ALONE!!!!!!

WHEN WE ARE IN THE LAST 1/3 OF OUR LIVES, we begin to realize that our time is indeed limited! We don’t know how much time is left……………….sooooooooooooo………how do we want to spend our time? As for me,

I WANT TO BE HAPPY! I WANT FAIRNESS, HONESTY, LOVE, CONTENTMENT, ………………..YES, ALL OF THAT…………AND THOSE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO TAKE ANY OF THAT AWAY FROM ME………….I DON’T WANT YOU IN MY LIFE.

HAVING SAID THAT…………….I AM NOT AIMING OR WANTING TO OFFEND ANYBODY……………..JUST BEING “UPFRONT”…..NONE OF US HAVE MUCH TIME LEFT…………….DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, IF I DON’T WANT TO DO IT WITH YOU DON’T BE OFFENDED………..YOU DON’T HAVE TO CHANGE……………JUST GO DO IT WITH SOMEBODY ELSE!

GOOD LUCK! AND GOD’S SPEED!

 

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Believing, Which is more important, that you blieve or what you believe?

Posted on March 19, 2014 by Life's Lessons- Last Times

An incident recently jogging my mind into thinking about a VERY important question: Is it more important that you believe or WHAT you believe?

The incident: In preparing a facility with a meditation or prayer room the questions came up as to what to call it or rather WHAT can you call it if all religions are to be “O.K.” with the name? IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE ONLY THING IT COULD BE CALLED WAS A “QUIET ROOM”. THEN: The plan was to include a stained glass angel in the quiet room. Turns out an angel might invoke Christian thoughts and therefore would not be appropriate.

My first reaction was revolutionary! Like well that’s just too bad! Go somewhere else for help then! I really don’t see how anybody could be offended by an angel! I thought “angels or “angel like beings” were represented in all religions. Seeing a picture of an angel or a figure or a stained glass angel doesn’t focus on a religion to me, it just signifies a “Holy” being that brings comfort and peace to anybody whatever their belief is!

RELIGION OR THAT YOU “BELIEVE” IN SOMETHING?

Religions around the world believe that unless you believe in their religion you are wrong. You are condemned to whatever HELL their religion has to punish the sinners of the world.

I see this attitude as arrogant, short sightedness, and horrible wrong.

How can truly religious people believe that an all knowing GOD or Supreme Being would be so narrow minded!?

I believe that there are many paths that lead back to the “throne of GOD” and that all people are allowed to choose the right road for them to take. All are “armed” with GRACE and Forgiveness and all the time it takes to make the journey HOME!

Finding the right path will be another blog topic soon.

Having said all of the above, the bottom line is this: you will never be able to please everybody….try, try as you might.

Do, say what you believe is the truth and if it offends someone, say you are sorry and ALSO  that you AND they are allowed to believe whatever they want to and not to insist that either is right or wrong!

Yep, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

 

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THE DARK SIDE, BEWARE!

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Life's Lessons- Last Times

THE DARK SIDE, BEWARE!

OH, NOT TO WORRY, I DON’T HAVE A DARK SIDE!

REALLY? I’LL JUST BET YOU DO!

NO, INDEED I DO NOT!

BET’CHA!

RECENTLY I POSTED A BLOG ABOUT THE DEVIL! YES, THE DEVIL WEARS MANY HATS AND PLAYS MANY GAMES!

SO WE MIGHT JUST SAY THAT THE DEVIL IS THE DARK SIDE. THE OPPOSITE MIGHT BE CALLED THE LIGHT SIDE OR THE GOOD SIDE. NOW IS THERE A LINE RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE? CAN WE STEP OVER OR UNDER AND JUMP RIGHT BACK?

THERE ARE TIMES IN OUR LIVES WHEN WE SAY, “THERE BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD, GO I!” YES , WE EITHER ACTUALLY STEPPED OVER THE LINE INTO THE DARK AND JUMPED RIGHT BACK, WE DIDN’T GET CAUGHT, OR HAD TIME TO THINK IT THROUGH AND MADE A DECISION NOT TO TAKE A CHANCE. WE JUST STAYED WHERE WE WERE!

WHAT IF IN ANOTHER CASE WE ARE PUSHED, DRAGGED, OR TRICKED INTO STEPPING OVER THE LINE? WHAT THEN?

CASE IN POINT: SOMEONE WE KNOW, LOVE, TRUST, DEPEND ON, BELIEVE IN KNOWS JUST HOW TO PUSH OUR BUTTONS AND WE CHANGE FROM THE GOOD PERSON WE ARE INTO A DARK PERSON WHO SCREAMS, CURSES, THROWS PUNCHES, IN OTHERS WORDS, ACTS JUST LIKE THE DEVIL. WHEN MY MOTHER WAS REALLY SICK THE LAST TWO YEARS OF HER LIFE, SHE BECAME SOMEONE I DIDN’T KNOW!!!!! ON PURPOSE SHE GOADED ME, PUSHED ME TO THE LINE AND THEN PUSHED ME OVER IT! I BECAME SOMEONE I DIDN’T KNOW! WAS THIS THE TRUE ME? WAS THIS THE TRUE HER?

HOW COULD TWO PEOPLE WHO WERE BOUND BY BLOOD ACT SO UNLIKE THE TRUE HUMAN BEINGS WE WERE? WHERE DID THE DARK SIDE COME FROM?

THOUGHT: OLD AGE, DISEASE, LACK OF REST, TOTAL OVERLOAD OF LIFE. THESE THINGS BREAK DOWN OUR RESISTENSE TO HOLDING OFF THE DARK SIDE OF US.

JUST BECAUSE WE STEP OVER THE LINE AND BRIEFLY ACT OUT OF CHARACTER OR ACT LIKE A DEVIL DOESN’T MEAN THAT WE ARE CONDEMNED TO FOREVER BE AN ANGEL OF THE DARK!!

BY GRACE WE ARE SAVED AND FORGIVEN!

BE AWARE THAT VERY FEW PEOPLE WHO HAVE WALKED THIS EARTH HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY ON THE SIDE OF THE LIGHT! TO SAY THAT THE DARK SIDE OF US IS NOT THERE WOULD BE A GRAVE MISTAKE (PUN INTENDED!) WE WANT TO LIVE AND STAY ON THE LIGHT SIDE ALL OF TIME, BUT IF WE MISSTEP AND MAKE A MISTAKE AND WEAR THE CLOAK OF DARKNESS FOR A WHILE…………..NO ONE CAN KEEP US THERE! SAY NO, TURN AROUND AND GO RIGHT BACK TO THE LIGHT….WHERE HAPPINESS LIVES!

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HOW OLD ARE YOU AND WHAT COLOR IS YOUR HAIR?

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Life's Lessons- Last Times

WHY?

WHEN YOU ARE YOUNGER AND WANT THE BENEFITS OF BEING OLDER ( smoking, drinking, getting into movies, having sex) and on and on, YOU WANT TO BE OLDER FOR THE ADVANTAGES!

WHEN YOU ARE OLDER AND WANT THE BENEFITS OF BEING YOUNGER ( getting sex partners, better health maybe, better job opportunities) and on and on.  YOU WANT TO BE YOUNGER FOR THE ADVANTAGES!

We are willing to do whatever it takes to make the things we want easier to get and keep! I UNDERSTAND THAT! I’VE DONE IT!

ALL I WANT TO SAY HERE IS THIS:  IT IS SO WONDERFUL TO BE HAPPY WITH HOW YOU LOOK AND WHAT YOU ARE INSTEAD OF STRIVING TO BE SOMETHING DIFFERENT! THAT IS WHAT HAPPY IS!

HONESTY IS THE BEST HAIR COLOR AND CLOTHING YOU CAN WEAR!

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THE DEVIL WEARS MANY HATS!

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Life's Lessons- Last Times

YEP, THE DEVIL WEARS MANY HATS AND PLAYS MANY GAMES AND ONE OF HIS FAVORITE ONES IS CALLED, BAIT AND SWITCH!

THE DEVIL ISN’T ALONE IN USING IT! ALMOST 100 % OF PEOPLE USE THIS METHOD TO GET WHAT THEY WANT.  LAWYERS, CAR SALESPERSONS, REALTERS, TEACHERS……..YES, JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY!

SO HOW DOES THIS ACTUALLY WORK?

SOMEBODY WANTS SOMETHING DONE AND THEY WANT SOMEBODY ELSE TO PAY FOR IT OR DO IT FOR THEM.

FIRST THEY ASK FOR HELP/USUALLY MONEY! AND THEY “ESTIMATE” HOW MUCH THE TOTAL PROJECT WILL COST AND HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE TO GET IT ALL DONE.

THE TRICK AND MAIN POINT HERE IS TO UNDER ESTIMATE EVERYTHING FROM THE START……….THAT IS WHAT MAKES IT WORK.

SECOND, AS THE FIRST DEADLINE APPROACHES DELAYS START BUILDING UP…………EXCUSES TOTALLY REMOVED FROM THE PROJECT TAKE PLACE AND IN ORDER TO MAKE THE DEADLINE IT WILL TAKE MORE MONEY AND TIME TO GET IT DONE.

AND THAT IS REALLY ALL THERE IS TO IT………………AND THAT IS WHY IT WORKS SO WELL!

THE PROCESS CONTINUES UNTIL THE ONE/ONES PROVIDING THE MONEY REALIZE THEY ARE BEING USED AND ABUSED AND SAY NO MORE MONEY!

THE DEVIL GETS HIS PROJECT DONE OR MOST OF IT………….THE USED ONES PULL OUT WITH NOTHING EXCEPT WOUNDED PRIDE AND RELEIF THAT WHATEVER THEY’VE LOST ISN’T MORE THAN IT IS!

THE DEVIL MOVES ON TO ANOTHER UNEXPECTING PERSON AND STARTS THE GAME ALL OVER AGAIN LAUGHING ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK.

SAD BUT TRUE, AS THE OLD SAYING GOES: “IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE! IT IS!”

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CHANGE PEOPLE? ABSOLUTELY NOT! MY BAD!

Posted on March 1, 2014 by Life's Lessons- Last Times

Parents, older people, preachers, teachers, friends, lovers, sisters, brothers, and the list goes on!

WHY DO THEY TRY TO CHANGE THE PEOPLE THEY LOVE AND/OR INTERACT WITH??!!

IS IT BECAUSE THEY THINK THEY “KNOW” BETTER? AND KNOW BETTER BECAUSE THEY’VE “BEEN DOWN THAT ROAD BEFORE AND KNOW THE CONCEQUENCES” OR IS IT BECAUSE THEY WANT TO SPARE THE PERSON THEY LOVE FROM “MISTAKES” AND HURT AND TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS? IS IT HUMAN NATURE TO WANT TO “SAVE PEOPLE”? JUST WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES PEOPLE GO TO THE TROUBLE AND DANGERS OF TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO CHANGE WHAT THEY ARE DOING OR ARE THINKING OF DOING AND DO SOMEHTING THAT “WE” THINK IS BETTER?

I SUGGEST IT IS A MIXTURE OF THESE THINGS!

BUT SHOULD WE?

AFTER MUCH THOUGHT AND TRIAL AND ERRORS, IN MY OLD AGE I HAVE DECIDED THAT I’M THROUGH WITH ADVISING, SUGGESTING, TEACHING, “PREACHING”, TRYING TO SAVE PEOPLE FROM PAIN AND SUFFERING! MY ADVICE TO THEM, GO FOR IT! IT IS YOUR RIGHT TO DO JUST EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT TO DO. SO JUMP RIGHT ON IN THERE AND DO IT!

BUT, JUST AS IT IS YOUR RIGHT TO DO JUST WHAT YOU PLEASE, CHOOSE, DECIDE AND PROCEED TO DO, IT IS MY RIGHT TO DECIDE JUST HOW FAR I WANT TO RIDE IN THE BOAT WITH YOU.

THE GAME OF LIFE IS PLAYED OUT THIS WAY: YOU HAVE MANY CHOICES TO MAKE ALONG THE ROAD. YOU CAN MAKE ANY CHOICE YOU WANT TO AND THE ONLY “CATCH” IS YOU HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE CONSEQUECES THAT GO ALONG WITH THE CHOICE.

I HAVE THE CHOICE OF DECIDING WHAT PART I DO OR DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN WHATEVER YOUR CHOICE AND ROAD YOU ARE TAKING.

THIS IS A LIBERATING EXPERIENCE FOR ME! I AM NO LONGER REPSONSIBLE FOR YOU. YOU ARE!

I AM ONLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ME!

THAT’S A GOOD THING!

AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, I HAVE FINALLY FOUND THE SECRET TO PEACE! MAY YOU ALL BE SO LUCKY!

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People In Your Life That Don’t Stay

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Life's Lessons- Last Times

When do you know how to let some people in your life go?

Why do they need to go? How do you feel? How do they feel?

Change for most people is something they don’t want………..it moves them out of their comfort zone. So when it is time for a change, somebody has to initiate it……………..rock the boat………..shift the focus!

Why are people in our lives in the first place?

Lots of questions above………….they are there to make you think…………….not for me to give you the answers!

But think about this………….if we are here on earth to learn then in order for us to learn there must be lessons to learn from. Once we learn each lesson, we need another to move onward and up! If things always stay the same, then there are no opportunities to learn once we’ve learned the ones we have.

We are born and we die. In between many different people come and go in our lives. And the key word here is “leave”. We are alone when we are born and will be alone when we die.

Don’t expect everyone to always be with you. They come to either learn a lesson from you or for you to learn a lesson from them! It’s a constant life of change. When people leave, bless them and let them go. Be ready to accept another person or persons into your life to fill the void.

We can learn something from everybody. Either something we want or don’t want. It helps us to figure out what we truly are and what we really believe.

Life is change! Deal with it!

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SUMMER GARDENING …………..DOWN SOUTH, ZONE 8

Posted on July 11, 2013 by Life's Lessons- Last Times

Summer gardening can really be a challenge! And IT IS different depending on whether you have a WET or DRY season!

DRY: You’ll spend you time watering with or without a sprinkler system (there are always spots that don’t get “covered”). Miss them and you’ll find dead plants!

1. Plant for both seasons: a.plants that are drought resistant in those areas without the sprinkler system. AND there are many!! Go to your nursery!
b. Many plants for your dry areas have great colors and blooms.

c. There are many plants that like a lot of water, so put them where they’ll get plenty or they won’t be happy.

READ THE LABELS ON THE PLANTS……………..AND YOU’LL HAVE THE CARE AND PROPER PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR EACH PLANT!

2. ROSES: I’m learning more every year about growing roses……my conclusions to date:

a. Unless you like to spray a lot…………..I don’t………….buy only those plants that are disease resistant………..resistant does not mean “free”!

b. KNOCKOUT ROSES DO THE BEST CONSIDERING THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LOCATIONS……..EVERYTHING!

c. I’m trying the tea roses this year…………..they do better in dry weather with watering than they do in wet humid weather! If yourS look terrible now, just cut them back about 8 inches, fertilize them and wait until Sept./Oct.! They WILL come back, but may look awful for a couple of months.

Don’t give up! Hang in there…………the days will be cooler and the plants will survive and thrive.

PRUNING NOW:

1. BLUEBERRIES: TRIM BACK OLD STEMS AND THOSE THAT ARE JUST TOO TALL (OVER 4 FEET). THE NEW CROP WILL COME FROM THE OLD GROWTH SO CUT NOW BUT NOT AFTER THE END OF JULY!

2. AZALEAS: TRIM THE SUMMER OUT OF SHAPE GROWTH NOW. DON’T PRUNE AFTER JULY OR YOU’LL BE CUTTING YOUR BLOOMS OFF FOR NEXT YEAR.

HAVE FAITH, YOUR GARDEN WILL PERK UP AND SO WILL YOU!

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TAKE A BREAK TO THINK

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Life's Lessons- Last Times

Some blogs get updated everyday! Yeah, but not mine!

I want to be able to say something every time I add to my blog………..not just publish words to say I’ve updated my blog!

So, it’s been a while since I added some words………………..been traveling………………volunteering………….working in the yard (roses are really something to see! Hope to add pictures some day soon!) AND THINKING!

I’m going to make my 3 Act play into a book and then publish it as an e-book! Target date is late 2014! Title of book: Jack and Jill Went Up the Hill, Did Jack Come Back?!

You don’t have to be active or productive every single minute of your life. Rest, live, think, YES, take a break.

Stay tuned for a MAY Gardening tip page this week!

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Gardening Tip in March……….down South!

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Life's Lessons- Last Times

We are about 6 weeks early this year………..just learned that we have moved from “growth zone 7B to 8A”! Our annual temperatures are rising. We can now grow many plants that in the past we couldn’t because of the cold winters! Some hibiscus plants have come back the next summer as well as some vines that used to die down and not reappear the next year!

ROSES! YES! Newer varieties from growers such as Week’s Roses and others are now more disease and temperature tolerant (both hot and cold)!

AND YES cut your roses back to 8-10 inches EVERY year. My 2 year experiment with not cutting them back that far has shown me the VERY reason most rose growers recommnend it! IF YOU DON’T THE STEMS WILL PRODUCE BUDS AND FLOWERS THAT WILL FALL OVER ONTO THE GROUND WITH THE FIRST GOOD RAIN!

I’m trying something new this year: Adding plants that are heat and drought and deer resistant!!!! With our weather changes and with less water by rain it is becoming impossible to water everything……………..so stay tuned, I’ll be bringing you up to date on the success of this new adventure!

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