An emailed message worth sharing

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the
1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank Kool-aid made with sugar, but we weren't overweight because ...

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were OK.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computer! No Internet or chat rooms......

WE HAD FRIENDS
and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not poke out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

If YOU are one of them CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good .

While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave (and lucky) their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!

The quote of the month is by Jay Leno:
"With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"

For those that prefer to think
that God is not watching over us,
go ahead and ignore this.

For the rest ... pass it ON

Thursday Thirteen #6

13 (plus 4 more) Laws That Change Lives
as suggested by Dan Millman in
THE LIFE YOU WERE BORN TO LIVE

1. The Law of Flexibility - "Flexibility avails us far more than either passivity or resistance; by actively using whatever arises, embracing even the most painful circumstances, we deal with our difficulties more effectively, as we begin to see them as a form of spiritual training." (pg. 324)
   
2. The Law of Choices - "The most basic choice we have in life is whether to expand or contract, whether to bring our creative and expressive energies out into the world in positive or negative ways. No matter what our circumstances, we have the power to choose our directions." (pg. 328)
   
3. The Law of Responsibility - "Once we establish the limits and boundaries of our responsibility, we can take full charge of that which is our duty and let go of that which is not; in doing so, we find more enjoyment supporting others, as we create more harmonious cooperative relationships." (pg. 336)
   
4. The Law of Balance - Balance applies to us on cosmic, biological, and personal levels -- to our body, mind, and emotions -- reminding us that anything we do, we can overdo or underdo, and that if our internal pendulum swings to one side, it will inevitably swing to the other." (pg. 341)
   
5. The Law of Process - "On the path to our goals if we want to get from point A to a point Z, the surest way to get there is to first go to point B, then C, then D, and so on. Skipping a single step, even though it appears to be a shortcut, often results in failure." (pg. 346)
   
6. The Law of Patterns - "Any habit or pattern, whether we call it 'good' or 'bad,' despite our best intentions tends to reassert itself over time unless we break that pattern by doing something different." (pg. 349)
   
7. The Law of Discipline -"Discipline is the surest means to greater freedom and independence; it provides the focus to achieve the skill level and depth of knowledge that translates into more options in life." (pg. 354)
   
8. The Law of Perfection -"From a transcendental perspective, everyone and everything is unconditionally perfect; from a conventional viewpoint, perfection doesn't exist -- excellence is the best we can achieve, and achieving it takes time and practice." (pg. 358)
   
9. The Law of the Present Moment - "Time doesn't exist; what we refer to as 'past' and 'future' have no reality except in our own mental constructs. The idea of time is a convention of thought and language, a social agreement; in truth, we only have this moment." (362)
   
10. The Law of No Judgments - "The Universal Spirit does not judge us; judgments are human inventions, a means to compare, contrast, and control as we judge ourselves against artificial, and often idealistic, standards of perfect, morality, or truth." (pg. 365)
    
11. The Law of Faith ... "is founded upon the recognition that we know more than we have read, heard, or studied; we know more because we are more; we have a direct link to universal wisdom; we have only to look, listen, and trust." (pg. 369)
    
12. The Law of Expectations - "Energy follows thought; we move toward but not beyond what we can imagine. What we assume, expect, or believe colors and creates our experiences; by changing our expectation, we change our experience of every aspect of life." (373)
    
13. The Law of Honesty - "Recognizing, accepting, and expressing our authentic interior reality lies at the heart of honesty; only when we are honest with ourselves can we speak or act honestly with anyone else. In the sense of integrity, honesty entails acting in line with higher laws in favor of negative impulses to the contrary." (pg. 377)
    
14. The Law of Higher Will - "From the viewpoint of our separate self and smaller will, it's normal to act on the basis of our own desires and preferences; when we surrender our smaller self and will to the guidance of a higher will and dedicate our actions for the highest good of all concerned, we feel an inspired glow at the center of our life." (pg. 381)
    
15. The Law of Intuition - "We can only get in touch with our own source of intuition and wisdom when we no longer depend upon others' opinions for our sense of identity or worth; we all tend to worship something; the question is, will we worship the god of opinion, or the god of our heart?" (pg. 385)
    
16. The Law of Action - "No matter what we feel or know, no matter what our potential gifts or talents, only action brings them to life. Those of us who only think we understand concepts, such as commitment, courage, and love, one day discover than we only know when we act; doing becomes understanding." (pg. 390)
    
17. The Law of Cycles - "The world of nature exists within a larger pattern of cycles, such as day and night and the passing of the seasons. The seasons do nor push one another; neither do clouds race the wind across the sky; all things happen in good time; everything has a time to rise, and a time to fall. Whatever rises, falls, and whatever falls shall rise again; that is the principle of cycles." (pg. 394)

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

For easy access, I’ve listed more T-13 links along with the Thursday Thirteen Blogroll to the bottom of my sidebar.

My Luck Quotient and other Random Musings

This Blog-thing came up as a "random choice" while I was doing the "inner child" quiz from Lucy's today. I used a different Quiz at Sacred Ruminations earlier and found myself pondering a variety of issues there for quite some time this morning. It's all saved as a "draft" as I go about the day's activities ... but here I am generating a similar (but different) post. If you take this quiz, I hope you'll share YOUR results in a comment (or a link to your Blog if you'd rather share there).

Your Luck Quotient: 84%

You have an extremely high luck quotient. Not only do you consider yourself lucky, probably everyone you know does too. But you're smart enough to know that you've mostly made your own luck. By being positive, open, and flexible, a lot of luck has come your way!

How Lucky Are You?

I'm reminded that over the past week or so, Bloggers have discussed a "Reading-level Analysis" tool that apparently analyzes URLs and assigns a "rating" from Elementary School to "Genius" levels. If you want to give it a try, it's here. When I've tried it, this Blog comes up College Undergrad Level, but Sacred Ruminations comes up "Genius Level" ... but since I write them both, I can't help but wonder what criteria is used. The one thing I am relieved about is that they neither comes up "Junior High" where I know from experience, hormones are raging and the brain is "on hold" for the most part. If you'd care to share ... feel free to add to your Quiz results.

For the "public service" part of this post, I offer the following link to a one at Living on Purpose that asks the question ... "What would you do if you knew you could not fail?" If you decide to consider the question on your Blog, be sure to leave a link here. I'll do likewise. That way we can share our answers with other another.

In case you
missed yesterday's
winner ...

Congratulations
to Carrie of
Earthmovers and Sandcastles
who is the 4th person
to correctly identify all ten of
the Christmas Carols
in the Quiz.

Reminder: You've got 3 more days to figure out the Christmas Carol Quiz answers and email them to me. Did you notice the "snowy" effects in the award Mary created that's now displayed in the sidebar here? As previously announced: Peajay, Joy and John were the first 3 Bloggers to get all 10 correct and have the Small Reflections Christmas Carol Quiz Award to post on their Blogs.

Who's going to be next?

Happy 9th night of Hannukah
to all those who celebrate
this holiday.

Sharing New Discoveries -- Links to Interesting Pieces of Artwork

These links lead to a Blog just discovered today filled with interesting original drawings and thought I'd share. Enjoy ...

My favorite so far: the zoo

Close second -- a series of 3 whimsical drawings:
moleskine book 3, page 13
moleskine book 3, page 12
moleskine book 3, page 11

Animal series:
moleskine book 3, page 5
moleskine book 3, page 4

And one more that caught my attention today:
moleskine book 2, pages 101 and 102

I hope you enjoy them as well :)

What Happened to my SiteMeter Icons or Why Can't I Log onto my Account There Today?

Hmmm
the little icons
have disappeared
from both my Blogs
though the Page Element
with the codes
still seem to be present.
Did this happen to anyone else
or should I be feeling paranoid about now?

Addendum added here (at the urging of my "aging angels" one of whom is pictured here) in gratitude to Annie for her timely comment ... a link to lift your spirits (as it did mine) offered for for your viewing pleasure :)

"Over the River and Through the Woods to Grandmother's House we Go ... "

Hmm ... no horse ... no sleigh ... and no "Grandmother's house" any more in MY family (except for my brother's widow who lives in Hemet, but she's my age ... and we can't be old enough for this role, can we?) ... I plan to avoid mirrors today :-).

Until my siblings and I each got married (and for a few years afterwards), we observed Thanksgiving Day at home or with extended family. When we celebrated holidays with Dutch relatives on my Mom's side, it was always in someone's home ... with dinner served on the best dishes around a huge table, in a "formal" atmosphere, and staying out of trouble presented ongoing challenges, for I was the baby of the family, always trying to measure up to the "bigger kids" standards.

When I was born, my sister was 4 and my brother 9. Until my arrival, they had the dubious honor of being the youngest kids in the extended family because my mom was youngest of five and my dad second youngest of thirteen. Many of our cousins on my Dad's side of the family were married and had children our age & older by the time we arrived on the scene, so those were huge family gatherings ... often "potlucks" in a centrally located park ... where the men could play pinochle, the women visit while doing hand-crafts of some kind, and the kids entertain themselves playing together.

Turkey smells permeated the air and everyone helped with preparations. My mom's pies were the best! She made the thinnest, flakiest, melt-in-your-mouth crusts ever ... and I miss her presence here on earth. My Dad and brother have also passed on ... though memories fill my heart and soul.

Later, my siblings and I took turns having "Thanksgiving" at our respective homes. Mom always made pies, but we cooked turkey with all the trimmings ... and always invited what my brother-in-law laughingly referred to as "strays" ...(friends who for one reason or another couldn't celebrate with their own families)... to join our celebration. This year, my sister and her husband are off traveling in their RV (currently on the East Coast near Jekyll Island with two of my best friends and their husbands). They'll be celebrating the holiday together. How interesting that what goes around comes around ;-)

This year, my neighbor and friend who IS "Grandma" has invited me to share Thanksgiving at their house ... surrounded by kids, grandkids, and dogs of all sizes. Should be fun and I'm looking forward to the festivities. I wish you and yours a wonderful day of gratitude and fellowship.
Hugs and blessing,

On Mindfulness, Transforming Anger, Practicing Peace, and Making a Difference

This morning, I found a post entitled "Mindfulness and Transforming Anger" at The Dream Life. It started me thinking about what matters and what doesn't. While listening to Ram Dass and Thich Nhat Hanh (two of my favorite people) discuss this topic -- I found the video clip both timely and perfect. I decided immediately to mention the post here, and to add a sidebar link at Sacred Ruminations so I (and others) can return easily to be reminded as needed in the future.

While I was at You Tube I discovered the following related links. I believe each to be well worth the time required to watch and listen whenever time permits. Thich Nhat Hanh speaks on Living in the Present Moment, Mindful Walking, and Peace in Every Step. The first two are a few minutes long. The last video link is more than an hour in length, but resonates so truly with my personal experience and beliefs that I opted to include it for anyone who cares to listen.

My "ex" was drafted in his mid-twenties and spent 13 months in Vietnam ... returning alive, but forever changed. In turn, my own life was altered. He was a social worker and I an educator. We did what we could with what we had to effect change in positive ways, yet we each spent many years frustrated and angry at the recognition that the main thing to be learned from history is that we don't learn from history. In the early 70s, I recall attending a meeting of a group called "Beyond War" based on an Einstein quote to the effect that war is obsolete. A story was shared there (leaving me with a vivid & long-lasting image) in which people were sitting together in a room filled with barrels of gasoline. Each person held a book of matches, but no one was foolish enough to strike one because doing so would destroy themselves along with everyone else. The older I get (and, of course, I'm a dinosaur) the more I realize that carrying anger & frustration doesn't help solve much of anything.

(Hmmmm ... that reminds me of a pink t-shirt I used to wear often that said something like "Never try to teach a pig to sing" on the front and "It wastes your time and annoys the pig" on the back) ... but I digress and my mind wanders easily these days. Forgive an old broad, please? :-)

While listening this morning to Ram Dass and Thich Nhat Hanh, I recalled that a couple of days ago I left a comment elsewhere on a different (but similar) topic and I share an excerpt here because it captures the essence of how I'm changing (with more effort than I care to admit) and articulates my current belief about how to make a difference which could lead to resolution of the difficult issues of our time. I quote myself here ...

"If we could just accept that we're not "alone" but rather "all one" we'd each do what's necessary to resolve the world's problems recognizing "we're all in this together" ... especially since we've seen earth from space and know how "precarious" life can be ... and we've learned that butterflies in Zimbabwe affect weather on California's coast. I have this image in my mind of a giant jigsaw puzzle and each of us is a piece. When we get lost (or fail to show up and get connected) gaps exist that no one else can fill."

One thing I know for sure from personal experience ... change begins with each of us as we gain awareness of what's within ... learn to own, honor, and live as congruently with our convictions as possible ... find ways to understand ourselves and others ... practice compassion & kindness while we pay attention to the results of our thoughts, words, and deeds as reflected in our relationships with others.

There are many paths, tools & habits to assist and/or guide our journey. A COURSE IN MIRACLES states "when the student is ready, the teacher appears" (and vice versa). It also assures us that all it takes is "a little willingness" to be open to the possibility for change. Don Miguel Ruiz offers a simple (if not easy) path through THE FOUR AGREEMENTS. Hundreds of others point to ways to begin ... and practice ... each moment ... to awaken to and embrace truth as we understand it in each moment.

I'm reminded of Thailand Gal's Blog Blast for Peace ... and perhaps this is my version? I offer it here for your consideration and comments.

7 Random Things About Me

I've decided to accept Annie's challenge and allow myself to be tagged for "7 Random Things" ... playing this kind of game for the first time. I've noticed other such "games" as I've meandered through the Blogosphere and think this could be fun (though I'm not sure who I'll "tag" yet & hope I'll do it right. Anyway ... here are the rules.

The Rules

• Link to the blog of the person who tagged you.
• Post these rules on your blog.
• List seven random and/or weird facts about yourself.
• Tag seven random [?] people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
• Let each person know that they have been tagged by posting a comment on their blog.

7 Random Things

1. Everywhere you look in my house you'll see giraffes of all shapes, sizes, and media. People have gifted me with them most of my life. I suspect the underlying message has something to do with the fact that I'm tall and often stick my neck out ... speaking up for my beliefs. This summer at the Writers Retreat someone suggested it might be because giraffes have the largest heart of any mammal and I'm mulling that over even now.
2. I'm a recovering "pack rat" ... hoping to simplify my life and my surroundings ... no matter how long it takes.
3. If it's a horizontal surface, it collects reading and/or writing materials like a magnet attracts iron.
4. I've got floor-to-ceiling bookshelves in every room of my home ... filled to capacity and there are still stacks of books around the house waiting for a home. Guess I'll be paying yet another visit to Ikea sometime soon.
5. If you pick up a book, you'll see I've written notes in the margins of most because I like to carry on a conversation with authors as I read.
6. I don't watch much TV ... seldom go to movies even though I receive frequent invitations from friends ... but lately have spent LOTS of time on the computer exploring this virtual world (much to Molly's dismay). I suspect this too shall pass, for I'm what Barbara Sher calls "a scanner" ... jumping into things that interest me and running with them ... until something new captures my attention.
7. I love Starbuck's Christmas Blend coffee and that's what I'll be drinking for the next two months (though I buy the beans and brew mine at home because I was raised by a Dutch mom and have limited income now that I'm "happily retired" ...

So ... now that MY list is complete, I guess the next step is to "tag" 7 others ... so here goes: Lucy, Karen, Lisa, Sharon, Joy, Marlys, and Sunrise Sister you've been tagged with the following caveat:
I realize this is a busy week (with the Thanksgiving holiday and all) so if you're stressed and/or overwhelmed (or just don't choose to play for whatever reason) consider yourself "excused" until such time as the game appeals to you and time permits participation. :)

If you're reading this and you'd like to play ... consider yourself "tagged" as I did after reading Annie's post, but leave a comment and link here so we'll know where to find you.

Hmmm ... and now I'm supposed to leave comments on their Blogs letting them know they've been tagged. I wonder if there's a way to add a link to this post in a comment? Guess I'll find out soon.

*FYI Addendum (since we're all new and still figuring out this "link" thing):
11-18-07 -- Lucy cleverly left her own link that shows up after "Comments" ... but only if you're reading the posts one by one. In case you're reading them all at once, her list is here.
11-19-07 -- Karen's list can be found here.
11-24-07 -- I notice Sunrise Sister has posted her list here.

Recommendations for your Consideration

Guilty With An Explanation: S.O.S.

Seemed to me like this post was one worth learning how to use the "Link to" function here at Blogger. Hopefully it works and I hope you'll take time to read and consider taking action on this issue.

And while I have your attention, you might want to check out the following: The Myth of Pure Whiteness on Los Angelista's Guide to The Pursuit of Happiness and His Girl Friday's latest post at Wellied on Life entitled Enya-Boadicea

Sign outside Moon River Gifts on the Enchanted Circle Drive near Taos, New Mexico

This is the way I'd like to run a business!
(If you have trouble reading it,
clicking on the picture makes it larger)

Visual Scribbling #3

Well ... here's installment three of my early Palm V-Multi-mate "experiments" to see how it worked. I'm hoping it'll be readable like the first one. Guess I'm about to find out when I publish this post. It looks a little "ghostly" so perhaps I missed an opportunity to publish it on Halloween? I wonder if I'll happen upon one that looks like a turkey?

Lest We Forget ...

With heartfelt thanks to His Girl Friday at Wellied on Life for her latest two posts (discovered belatedly today but well worth sharing with others anyway) Ain True Love and All gave Some, Some gave All ... I offer them here to all who pass this way.

Furthermore, I encourage you to click the links now, check them out for yourselves, and perhaps pass the info on to others in turn ... for I believe you will be enriched .... and, of course, I suspect all of us need such reminders in the midst of our overly busy lives.

Continuous Problem Solving and/or Keeping up with Comments

Multiple challenges encountered & solved through trial and error by me on Small Reflections and Sacred Ruminations (because I'm a determined sort who doesn't give up easily) along with occasional feedback from fellow bloggers who graciously share their knowledge of how things work, led me to discover today a nifty feature available in setting up Blogger sites (albeit belatedly).

When creating this blog, I left things pretty much "as is" initially ... grateful that the set up procedures seemed "user friendly" and intuitively straight-forward. I've made modifications along the way when I noticed something on someone else's Blog and tried to figure out how it might work on mine. Some of you may have noticed color and font experimentations among other things over these first three weeks checking in ... or not.

Anyway ... I've learned there's a box I can check (in Settings I believe) that causes all comments left on MY Blogs to come to the email address associated with these sites. How handy is that? Now MY comments to "other's comments" won't be so haphazard. Until now, I responded to comments others left here only when I noticed the number of comments increase under posts as I was "scanning" the "look" of things after making changes to the sidebar (not a very precise way to approach things), but for a while now I've consciously tried to release my "perfectionistic" tendencies and simply let things be.

In case anyone else wonders about this, at the bottom of the "Comments" section of the "Settings" page in "Layouts" at the very bottom (one must scroll down to see it) something that says: "Comment Notification Address" with a box to insert your email address.

Now that I've entered my email address in this section on both blogs, however, I'll be notified when a new comment is posted and can respond more consistently (as I've noticed many of you doing all along and wondered how you managed.) Who knew? Certainly not me.

Blogland Discoveries and Busy-ness

If you haven't discovered Talking Bear at Sleepy Bear Hollow, may I suggest you begin with When Bulls Teach Bears How to be Men, a personal story with a powerful message that I'll remember and share with everyone who will listen for a long time to come. His humorous piece about the two duck hunters from Wisconsin will have you laughing out loud. (Thanks again to Annie for telling me about Google Reader so I can read his posts dark on light which is easier on my eyes.)

When you have a few minutes, I highly recommend Thailand Gal's Blog Blast for Peace -- If not now, when? manifesto. It's certainly generated lots of comments on her site, and I've had several discussions with neighbors & friends about the issue it raises today. I suspect those conversations will continue.

I enjoyed the Cleaning Poem by Paul and birthday greetings to Senior Writer on the Elders Tribune. Happy belated birthday to Marlys. I'm catching up you see. :)

Reminders to self:
Here are a few ideas I'd like to remember and tackle eventually (but not now because I'm doing enough already ... as witnessed by the email message sent by my friend M today ... offering HER advice as follows:

"I think you are one busy little girl! Remember to eat right and get some exercise or we will find you sprawled out on top of your computer -- that is my motherly advice for today."

Rest assured M, I'm eating right, getting enought sleep, and Molly keeps me well exercised. You needn't worry. Right now everything is new and fun. As long as that's the case, I'll be fine.

But I digress ... so to continue with reminders to myself ...
-- I don't know where Olivia gets the energy to do so much, but she's setting an exemplary example with her month-long One Thing- Be Brave video documentary. (How does she DO this? There's so much I don't know!)
--Now I see she's doing NoMoWriMo also. You can check out her progress on more video at Happy Luau. I love to write too, but 20,000+ words on a novel in 4 days boggles MY mind! You go girl!
--Methinks I'll save MY first novel attempt for NEXT November. I have, however, left posts on each of my sites every day. I think that has a name too, but it escapes me right now.
--Start reading Eat, Pray, Love
--Check out Picasa: re Visual Scribblings for future posts
--Find a magnifying glass so I can decipher Visual Scribblings #2
--Return to Rainbow Dreams and follow the links to get acquainted with members of that Virtual Circle
--Figure out how to write a response here and link back there
--Explore some of the "writer's links" like Sunday Scribblings and Writers Island to get acquainted with how they work, who's out there, what they're writing, and consider joining in the fun.
--Don't mess with posts once they're published. Leave them be ... just as they are. (Don't ask!)

Now you know why the previous post has the title it does, but that's enough for so ... so I'll stop.

"Oh my Lord, there's so much to do! Tomorrow I think I'll pour a bucket of water down the mail shute!" ELOISE!!! (That's my name.)

Do you recall that song? I used to LOVE "Eloise" as a child. She did all the things I didn't dare try. I was such a good compliant child (otherwise known as a "wimp" or chicken) back in the day. Who knew I had such a wild child within?

And that reminds me of one of the songs I used to teach my students ... way back when. Always a big hit with the kids (who never failed to laugh hysterically whenever we sang it), parents used to share that it was one the entire family used to sing together ... often ... especially whenever someone blew it big time. Actually, that happened frequently in the middle of class as well ... always defusing embarrassingly tense situations.

I don't recall who wrote it ... or where I picked it up. Like the Eloise ditty ... it's a part of my memory from wherever. If I knew how to record it on YouTube and upload it there (as Olivia at Happy Luau did with her Gratitude Dance) perhaps I'd sing it for you and provide a link ... but I don't. So, here are the words. They'll have to suffice. If anyone knows the source, let me know and I'll add credits later.

Chorus:
I'm not perfect and I know I never will be
No one's perfect ... I know it's true.
Sisters and brothers, even dad's and mothers
All make mistakes, and I do too.

Verse 1:
In the yard I left the rake.
By the stairs I left my skates.
When my mom and dad discovered them,
I knew I'd made a big mistake.
When my bubble full of air ...
Got too near my mother's hair
I tried to pop it but it was too late!
I knew I'd made a big mistake ... Well

Chorus
I'm not perfect and I know I never will be
No one's perfect ... I know it's true.
Sisters and brothers, even dad's and mothers
All make mistakes, and I do too.

Verse 2:
My friends and I were having fun
Playing ball, I hit a run
When I heard the plate-glass window break
I knew I'd made a big mistake!
Filled my squirt-gun very full.
Then the trigger I did pull.
When the water hit my teacher's face,
I knew I'd made a big mistake ... well

Chorus:
I'm not perfect and I know I never will be
No one's perfect ... I know it's true.
Sisters and brothers, even dad's and mothers
All make mistakes, and I do too.

Verse 3:
Grannie baked an apple pie.
I ate so much I thought I'd die.
When I couldn't sleep for the belly-ache,
I knew I'd made a big mistake.

Uh -oh ... my memory just pooped out on me all of a sudden.
Sigh! These things happen. If someone out there remembers the rest, please add it in "Comments" and we'll all be grateful. Forgive me if it's out of order. I don't think I've even THOUGHT of this song for DECADES so I'm surprised this much remains. ;)

(It seems appropriate to end with)

Chorus:
I'm not perfect and I know I never will be
No one's perfect ... I know it's true.
Sisters and brothers, even dad's and mothers
All make mistakes, and I do too.


After thoughts:
--One thing I do recall is that we substituted the word "teachers" for the word "even" in the chorus to make it more inclusive ... so we sang "teachers, dads and mothers" instead.
--Remind me again why the arts no longer are included in public school curriculum. Seems to me there are valuable lessons learned through art, music, dance, play, drama and other subjects I loved to do as a kid and teach in my classroom later on. How did we let this happen?
--Maybe when I finish my month of daily Sacred Life posts at Sacred Ruminations, I'll switch to weekly Sacred Life Sunday posts and take up the One Thing - Be Brave challenge for the next month. Who knows ... I might even explore YouTube and sing this little ditty.

(Enough! THAT'S a topic for another day)

Public Television and Inspiration

I don't recall why I turned on the television this morning at 8:04, but it came up on Channel 6 (which is PBS in my area of Southern California), and I found myself listening to Wayne Dyer speak on the topic of INSPIRATION as I checked email. When the phone rang around 9am, I hit "record" on the DVR so I wouldn't miss any of it because I felt captivated. Afterwards, Molly and I took a walk together and I watered the front yard, but with the technology available today ... I can pick up this program where I left off even though it's still recording as I type. I've written more about this program on Sacred Ruminations, but sharing the following information here seemed right today, given yesterday's post.

He introduced an amazing Rwandan woman who survived the genocide there by spending 91 days in a tiny bathroom silently hiding with seven other women ... fearing discovery and death. Immaculee Ilibagiza shares her inspirational story (written with Steve Erwin) in an amazing book entitled Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust. I'm looking forward to reading it soon and perhaps you will too.

What time of day are you?

I found this on Women at Rest yesterday and answered the questions for myself. The description I received "resonates" for the most part, so I thought I'd share with others and extend thanks to Carla here. Click on the link at the bottom of this post to answer the questions for yourself to see what time of day YOU are. You Are Sunrise

You enjoy living a slow, fulfilling life. You enjoy living every moment, no matter how ordinary. You are a person of reflection and meditation. You start and end every day by looking inward. Caring and giving, you enjoy making people happy. You're often cooking for friends or buying them gifts. All in all, you know how to love life for what it is - not for how it should be.

What Time Of Day Are You?

Might this be me?

I found this information on Spiritual Anecdotes ... took the test ... and received this feedback that DOES seem to "fit" so I'll go with it at least for now. You can click on the link at the bottom of the page to check out YOUR Tarot reading. My thanks to Deborah for sharing.

You are The Hierophant

Divine Wisdom. Manifestation. Explanation. Teaching.

All things relating to education, patience, help from superiors.The Hierophant is often considered to be a Guardian Angel.

The Hierophant's purpose is to bring the spiritual down to Earth. Where the High Priestess between her two pillars deals with realms beyond this Earth, the Hierophant (or High Priest) deals with worldly problems. He is well suited to do this because he strives to create harmony and peace in the midst of a crisis. The Hierophant's only problem is that he can be stubborn and hidebound. At his best, he is wise and soothing, at his worst, he is an unbending traditionalist.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.