THE POWER OF OUR VOICE.... The week or so has gotten by me so quickly that I honestly do not know where time has went other than out the window. I have had no voice the past two days. I can barely get words out and those that do get out are muffled by high pitch and low pitches making me sound like fog horn. How difficult it is to communicate without a voice. How powerful our voices are, especially when used in haste and without thought. Knowing that I can't stretch this voice of mine, I am choosing what to say more carefully as I don't want to waste what I do have left. So, I have realized by putting a curb on what I say, I have been somewhat quiet and gentle these days. Humbling I say, to be left without a voice. (I actually typed "vice" instead of "voice" which leaves me to more thought). I am doing more listening these past couple of days, which is good as listening is not one of my better skills...yes I can admit that. This as much as it is painful, is very good...it's showing me how much more character I would have if I just kept my mouth shut with the voice box on vacation.! Let the words float in my head and never enter the voice box and out my mouth. HAVE A GREAT DAY.

SNAKES.... Any of you that really knows me has probably experienced a snake thing somewhere along the journey with me. I dream about snakes, I run into, over and on top of snakes...probably more than the average person. I am an absolute freak when it comes to snakes. I mean "freak" in the sense that I go ballistic when I run unexpectedly into a snake. I scream, run and totally loose it.

Well...this weekend I was out of town in St. Thomas. On Saturday morning, I headed out the front door to go to the car and get something....my errand running quite smooth. However, a friend of mine went out after (or possibly before)me and along side of the path was a slithering little beast making it's way past the distraction of foot steps. I missed the beastly (apparently not so little) thing - thank goodness! In the afternoon I sat outside on the front step with a few friends as we shared lunch. I watched diligently to make sure the visiting little snake didn't make HIS way along the path near my spot on the step. Note I highlight HIS - afterall a WOMAN snake would figure a way to walk not crawl! (haha....just kidding).

Later during the day after much discussion on this little varmit, I found out that Mr. Snake actually slipped through the cracks in the stairs and was resting right below the area where my little butt was sitting. I was pretty freaked out for a while to realize that while I ate my lunch in complete enjoyment, there sat the horribly, slithering beast... probably chuckling to himself and entertaining temptation to poke his threatening head out at me possibly slither right past my feet - just to put me in spastic mode. However, it appears he probably decided it wasn't worth his energy and of course if news traveled fast enough, he would think about it twice - afterall he wouldn't want to get his ears damaged from high pitched screaming. I hope when he decides to poke his skinny slimy little head out of the steps that he notices the beautiful sunny day, slips out from the stairs to bask in the sun for a quick tan with results of the biggest burn he's ever experienced!

Sorry guys...that's all I could come up with for today! lol.

Eyes.... I was looking into the eyes of a friend tonight, actually two friends. One I knew is walking along a short journey, however this journey has been a little rough. The other friend I didn't know was upset about something. As soon as I came into the room tonight and greeted her, I knew something was weighing her down. I didn't know what it was and didn't impose on her time of thrashing the burden around. There were a few of us spending some quiet time together and each of us spent time just silently reflecting. Do you know how I knew she was struggling with something? Because I know her so well and one look into her eyes told me. Her smiles and chit chat didn't hide her emotions because her eyes looked sad.

I am so blessed that my friend has given me the opportunity to really get to know her. I may not be able to always help her, but I will always try to. I encourage you to spend time listening and watching your close friends. Look into their eyes when you listen and talk to them. Eyes tell it all my friends.

Husbands, know your wives, and when you talk to her, look directly into her eyes with your heart. Wives, men hide much behind their armor of steel, but if you just seek their eyes you will experience more intimacy than you could imagine.

Eyes are like the doorway to our hearts! Open the doors!

Night....

MEDICATION.... An interesting topic I think. So much to discuss, the dangers of, the side effects of, the cost of, generic or ...??? The big question, will it work? I have a skin problem that causes me much grief. I need to watch what I eat, drink and put on my face or I shall have break outs. Yes, at my age! As a teenager, I was blessed with beautiful skin, seldom ever a blemish to cry about. I turned 35 and something happened (I blame Joseph - as it started after he was born!) If I eat too many candies, chocolates, spicy foods and when I am indulging myself in a big dose of stress I have a face from mars, crater face. Well, it's not actually ever been that bad, but there have been moments when I would personally prefer not to go outside so the entire world can see the mess. I have tried medications, creams, changed soap, you name it, I've tried it. I finally decided to give up and just accept it - and best defense, watch what I eat. For the most part it works o.k.

Well, the other day an advertising fax came through the office introducing a product called Face Doctor. It sounded to me like a wonder product. Within two days I was standing in front of the pharmacy at 9:00 at night searching for this miracle product. Found it, bought it and couldn't wait to get home to try it. I tried it, for three days. Wow... I have a worse mess than I started with. I am broken out so badly that I can't help but just laugh at myself. $28.00 spent to agitate the problem even more. This does not mean this product isn't good, it's just terrible for me.

The point of this blog is not my sad face, but the fact that we as human beings are always looking for something to fix something. We can be lured so easily by the ads for anything that is presented attractively. Weddings, vacations, retirement, clothing, jewellery all fall into the categories to which advertising and marketing executives dabble their talents in. They are good at their jobs of spinning webs to catch us teeny little creatures. The webs are pretty pink, or metallic black they sparkle and catch our eye, but once our little fingers get close to the web, the crazy glue grabs us and we are lured into the powers of buying...anything and everything to fix what we need fixed.

Just as I was getting ready to finish the blog, I was wondering if the new product I bought to add more calcium to my diet may have thrown my skin off? Calcium that is in the form of french caramel cream soft chews... so beautifully packaged in butterscotch and orange colours! LOL...I think those marketing guru's got me twice this weekend. I should have painted all weekend, or danced.

Signing off again wondering if the marketing web has caught me once again?

Night....

THE DATE - I was looking around my house tonight and certainly not in appreciation. I was looking in disbelief. I can't seem to get motivated to keep this house neat and tidy because quite frankly I can't be bothered. Do you know when single women get motivated to clean their houses? When they have a date coming over to visit. Really, trust me. The phone rings, the handsome guy is going to pick her up for dinner/dessert, whatever... and all of a sudden she is panicked...he can't come to the house as it's a total disaster. The laundry she started on Monday is sitting on the couch, the rubbermaid bin which acts as a tool box is still sitting on the counter waiting to be sorted out and put back downstairs, the soil you bought for the garden a month ago is sitting by the door, the garden tools she used to dig a few weeds two weeks ago sits on the stand in the hallway, the clean dishes are still in the dishwasher and the sink has a pile of dirty dishes in it. How can a lady possibly entertain a date (even for moments) in this mess? What does she do? Cancel the date, or clean quickly, skipping fixing her hair? She quickly throws everything in the spare room upstairs that has been sitting waiting to be painted for 5 months. Manages to do something with her hair, changes her clothes, or attempts to and realizes she hasn't done laundry in a week and the jeans are not clean. Rummages through her closet finally finding something to wear. See, I know what to do, now if someone would just call and ask me for a date, I could get motivated to clean the house! (not?!)

lol... Have a blast today in the sun as I think I'll pass a day in the sun and clean the house, maybe......

Wondering.... I have been wondering how a blogger gets her friends to actually start using the comments section of her blog. She blogs and blogs and blogs, checks her site meter and sees that people read and read and read (often the same people over and over and over)...however they seldom comment. Now come on, my blogging can't be THAT bad can it?

Anyway, tonight while I was searching a name in google for a ministry, up came in the 8th section of 10 each, my name. Yes, my personal name. I was quite surprised actually. When I clicked on it, my blog spot came up. Apparently it was something I wrote about "loosing my petals" from my tulip flower or something that sparked my writing to come up. So, I have decided, who needs comments, I am famous already! Well.. I can believe I am anyway....

Have a cool Friday night, I am off to pick-up Pizza Pizza pizza. My fav. Guess I shall watch movies with the dog. I might even share the pizza with him.

Night my friends.

Humour....What makes YOU laugh? I mean REALLY laugh? Do you laugh much? I think life has many of us so busy that we seldom take the time to engage in activities that give us opportunity to sit, smell the flowers and have so much fun that we can laugh until our guts are tight and sore! I mean REALLY!! I know for me it has been a long time since I had moments of fits of laughter, until about two weeks ago anyway (details to follow). Last night I went to see a Christian speaker from England who not only was a very good speaker (in my opinion), but he was also very funny, with the ability to pull the audience into bouts of laughter. One of the guys at our church who attended, appeared to have such a good time and laughed so hard he couldn't keep his head up. I was laughing, but not like him, it was a joy to watch someone laugh their "heads-off" actually.

About 2 weeks ago Joseph did his usual acting stunt wherein he sang "Hero" to two of my girlfriends in celebration of their 40th birthday's. With about 50 people standing around, he sang, acted the part of the suave rock star singing love songs to these women. I looked around at my friends and watched as even the most serious person was laughing so hard that they had tears!

So why am I writing about laughing tonight? Probably because it's been a tough day, actually a tough couple of weeks and I know that laughing is good medicine. I could use a really good fit of laughter however, there isn't much around me tonight to laugh about, considering I am alone in the house - except the dog - who doesn't make me laugh.

OH, I guess tonight fond memories will have to suffice - almost like taking the generic brand of drugs for an illness - just not the same effect and it takes longer to cure the illness.... hmmm....

MOI

The World.... I don't know if the news is something that may disturb any of you out there, but I can certainly share that there is not a day recently that I log on to the internet and see extremely disturbing news. So disturbing that I really must say I pray for the children of our world. My purpose in writing this is not to depress you, but maybe just to share my very concerned heart for the pain around us. I read things like eleven year old GIRLS killing their school mates, fathers killing their children, politicians sexually abusing young girls, stalker sitting in bushes near schools taking pictures of the children. Those items are just from the past couple of days. Evil deeds are more rampant than ever before. I remember hearing about rape as a young girl and being clearly shocked to hear of such terrible crimes. Either the papers and news stations back then didn't write about those things often, or possibly they just didn't happen as frequently as they do in this day and age. I think the latter is the reality. I do remember when I was about 11 there was a murder in the neighbouring village near my cottage. Our family was sitting waiting to hear the village news in hopes of some survivors of the horrific crime in complete and utter shock. Something back then never heard of, murders of family members, especially innocent children. My heart goes out to the young couples who are beginning to have families, as I wonder what life is ahead for them. Truly I do, the simple fear of allowing your children to walk to school on their own, or of student bullying. As beautiful as this world is, it carries such evil and horrific crimes. I know remember why I did stop reading the newspaper.

I will continue to try to focus mostly on the beautiful things and events around us and focus less on the horrible crimes. Such as looking off to the side of the road when I am sitting in dead stop traffic and ponder in awe, the flowers growing from the cracked cement where no flower should grow, or watching the incredibly talented children growing and flourishing in our midst.

Share with me please some positive beautiful things you encounter this week!

GOLFERS UNITED ! ! Well...they let me join in on the fun this Saturday. I joined a group from our church for a fund raiser golf event in a game called "best ball". It was the best time I have ever experienced in playing golf. One of us had never played golf in his life, the other two (myself and Louise) don't really play. My thanks to Bruce who shepherd us with teaching and amazing patience, despite the fact we threw his game off. What a perfect game of golf, not so much in the score category, but in the friendship department. It was really neat to spend 4 hours with other people that we did not know very well and yet have such a good time that we laughed almost the entire time (possibly at the expense of some of us lesser experienced golfers!). The weather was ordered perfectly, not cold, incredibly sunny with not a cloud in sight, yet not too warm, an absolutely perfect day. I am hooked and Louise & Bruce are hiding! I suggested that we try 6:00 a.m. golf and I have not heard from any of them. I wonder if it was the 6:00 a.m. tee-off time that scared them or my golfing...oh well.....

My point of all this rambling is to encourage each of you out there to just DO IT. Step out of your little burrows of comfort zones and just do something you have always wanted to do, zap that fear of ...whatever...! Next adventure.... horse back riding. Anyone up for the adventure with me?????

Night....!