Friday's Quote to Ponder

"One swallow does not make a summer, neither does one fine day; similarly one day or brief time of happiness does not make a person entirely happy."
Aristotle
Greek critic, philosopher, physicist, & zoologist (384 BC - 322 BC)

I've had a great week at home with my girls. "Buddy" is on vacation with his family, and we've been sleeping in, hanging out, just doing as we please. Megan has had swimming lessons this week and is doing well. Last night, she jumped off the diving board for the first time. I'm so proud! I've never even done that! She still has quite a way to go, but she's making some progress, and isn't scared, so we're happy. I've been playing with Zoe in the kiddie pool while Meg's having her lessons. It's just been a fun week with them....a needed breather, I think. I love having a few days in a row like that just to relax and unwind.

I realized last night too, that I'm really lucky. I get to stay home and raise my girls, two of the cutest sweetest little people I've ever seen, I have an incredible husband who loves us and provides so well for us, I'm healthy and have a great home and friends and family who love us and whom I love. Aristotle had it right. It takes more than one day or moment to cultivate happiness. It takes alot of them, all added up, even between the valleys of life, to be happy.

Would you like deeper thoughts on the differences between happiness and joy? I think of happiness as "feeling good during happenings", more of a moment by moment thing and can be pursued daily (the "pursuit of happiness", eh?). Joy must be cultivated and learned. It's a feeling of contentment, a "spice of life", that can co-exist with hard times. Like the joy of knowing Jesus (like the old hymn "Joy unspeakable and full of glory...."). That kind of joy is hard to put into words. It's just there. Sometimes, one can lose it, or maybe just not feel it when times are really bad, but it can come back, independent of circumstances.

Whew! I'm tired now. Too much deep thought for my day. I'll welcome any comments you may share. Hope your weekend is great!!

Friday quotes to ponder

First off, a serious note--a dear friend of mine and member of my small group lost her dad early this week rather suddenly. Remember her in prayer please.

Also, I must have scared you all off with my Bzz post. Nothing but crickets chirping around here. You'd think I was selling Amway or something. Seriously, folks, I'm NOT selling anything. The only thing I get from being a Bzz agent is reward points for turning in reports on what people say about the products I try, and I get to try samples of products. So, don't be alarmed. You can even tell me to "Bzz off" if you want, as long as I hear some buzz about something :) Luckily there are like 60 days in the Off! campaign, so there's plenty of time to Bzz away.

Finally, the good stuff. We're heading for sunny Florida early Sunday morning. Tomorrow, traveling to the in-laws to spend the night and leave the girls, then off to Nashville for our flight. Five nights in the Ft. Myers area. I'm giddy with excitement, so I looked up quotes about fun for you to ponder. Hope you all miss me terribly for the next week. We will be taking lots of pics, so I'll be sure to share them. Will be making scrapbook pages too--hopefully I'll finish it before next spring this time! ;)

The saying "Getting there is half the fun" became obsolete with the advent of commercial airlines.
Henry J. Tillman This one rings true for me. If gas weren't so darn high and Florida so darn far, I'd rather drive, but we'll brave the long lines and thorough security anyway.

There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it.
Mary Wilson Little Hee, hee! No laundry, no poopy diapers, no cooking, no cleaning--so right on!

If you watch a game, it's fun. If you play at it, it's recreation. If you work at it, it's golf.
Bob HopeUS (English-born) actor & comedian (1903 - 2003) My golf outing last weekend--so much harder than it looks. My arms were sore for days.

There is no such thing as "fun for the whole family."
Jerry SeinfeldUS comedian & television actor (1954 - ) We will be doing things that the girls would never sit though...dinner theater, dinner cruise, napping on the beach, just sitting still...ahhh!

Friday's Quote to Ponder

"In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation." Psalm 5:3

Five months now have gone by. Five cycles and no third baby. We have a couple more weeks before we try again, and what would be great is if we find out we're having our third on our vacation at the end of the month. We found out about both our daughters on vacations in Florida and Tennessee. So, we wait in expecation. The Lord knows our requests before we even speak them and He has the best timing in mind, vacation baby or not :)

Friday's Quote to Ponder

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast."
~The apostle Paul, to the Ephesians (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Yesterday I forgot to record the most important anniversary of my life. March 29, 1989--the day I was saved. I was 12, attending a spring revival at Beckham Ridge Separate Baptist Church with friends. It was a Tuesday night and I had had the "urging", the conviction placed in my heart to come to Jesus, for a while. That night, I came to the altar and accepted Jesus as my Savior. The next weekend, I was baptized in a creek in the area. I remember how the water felt as I stepped in--really cold! But as the pastor prayed and dunked me under, I remember the water was suddenly deliciously warm, like a calm bath. I was wrapped up in some handmade quilts and from there, my walk with Christ began.

It hasn't been perfect--oh, no. I forgot my way many times, followed my own agenda through most of my teen and college years, not really experiencing spirituality. Then, Sept 11, 2001 happened. I was about 7 months pregnant with our first daughter, working in a neurosurgery lab at the University of Louisville. I realized how short life is, and that my child deserved to be brought up in a good Christian home, so she would have an even better chance of coming to Jesus than I had. That's when I really made the commitment to live for Jesus, to worship, to study, to pray. I certainly have not been perfect since then, but I knew I had been "saved by grace--not by works". Nothing I can do can make me perfect or deserving of God's love, but He gave it anyway, and every day I know in my heart that I am His, and I want to raise my daughters in the hopes that they will feel the same way.

This morning, we listened to some praise music on my laptop while I made homemade waffles. We ate them fresh off the waffle iron. Megan and I both ate 4 and Zoe had 3. I think today started off just right! Waffles are good for the soul :)

Friday's Quote to Ponder

"I never think of the future - it comes soon enough."
~Albert EinsteinUS (German-born) physicist (1879 - 1955)

Okay, I haven't been better this week with blogging either. I feel like I should apologize, because I have this guilt complex thing, but who exactly am I apologizing to? My huge fan base? (*tiny laugh in the background, followed by a lone cricket chirping) I know a few of you read my blabberings on here, but if I sit out a few days, I'm sure it won't affect your lives that much.

I've just been enjoying the todays--not looking into the future too much. My kids are growing up like weeds and we've had a few days of warm weather and I'm enjoying it all. Last night, I watched Mulan II with Megan cuddling on my lap. She looked up at me with those big, hazel eyes and said, "I just LOVE cuddling with you, mom!" Now, how could I miss that?? Mulan II wasn't exactly a good movie (lousy, weak plot you'd expect from a straight to video movie), but just to sit a while, 5 year old daughter laid back in my lap, smelling her coconut shampoo in her hair--priceless. I won't be able to cuddle like that with my firstborn for long. So, I'm soaking it up, every little sweet moment like that. And I'm not going to be sorry if I didn't keep up with my blog, or have a perfectly organized house, or get pictures of it all. I'm just loving the moment, not thinking about the future that comes too soon.

Friday's Quote to Ponder

"Sometimes it seems like God is difficult to find and impossibly far away. We get so caught up in our small daily duties and irritations that they become the only things that we can focus on. What we forget is that God's love and beauty are all around us, every day, if only we would take the time to look up and see them."
Matthias, Correction Weblog, 11-01-03

This morning's Frazzled Female study focused on when we lose sight of our faith. It said as Christians, we never really LOSE our faith, but lose SIGHT of it when we focus on life's troubles instead of on Christ. There was a comparison to Peter, who wanted to walk on the water with Jesus, but when he was buffeted by the storm, he lost sight of his faith (his Master) and began to sink. Isn't that true for us all? We know we're saved, we know God loves us and wants the best for us, but the storms come, the winds blow us around and we forget that Jesus is right there holding us. We develop a "Woe is me!" attitude. We should remember Paul's lesson to the Phillipians: "4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phillipians 4:4-7)

God's beauty surrounds us if we just look for it, look for HIM in the daily "stuff".

Now, I'm jumping WAY off topic, but it is beauty related, so not that far off, I guess. Who in the world decided that women should have to shave their legs? I tried to find a quote about that, but had no luck. I did look up a nice little history article on general shaving, but exactly how and when women started shaving their legs isn't clear. I keep thinking, "We're mammals. We're SUPPOSED to have hair." I confess that in the winter months, I just don't adopt that hairless attitude very often. I figure no one will see much skin on me anyway, so why bother, and the hair God gave me will keep me a little warmer too. Today, though, after freaking my hubby out one too many times, I took the time to shave and do some "self-maintenance" while I had a slow day. I still don't "get it"--who decided body hair on women is a bad thing? Why did God give us hair if we're just going to cut if off? Here's the little history article I found. It's an interesting read:
http://www.heart.net/~krumholz/history.html

Friday's Quote to Ponder

"If you must love your neighbor as yourself, it is at least as fair to love yourself as your neighbor." ~Sebastien-Roch Nicolas

This week's The Frazzled Female study is about taking care of yourself. How often do you do this? Do you wait until you're just frazzled out the whazoo, then get sick and be FORCED to rest? Stress is a major cause of illness, not to mention emotional and mental problems. We all have stress, but how we choose to deal with it is what's important. Many of us say, "I don't have time to take care of myself (exercise, eating well, etc, etc)." But if you don't make the time in the midst of the chaos, the chaos will eventually bring you down.

This sounds more like a Misty's Challenge, but please--find the time somewhere. Take a walk if only to park your car far away from the store and walk farther. If you must consume fast food, opt for grilled chicken (no mayo) or a salad. And you don't have to buy Cookie Crisp and Fruit Loops. My Kroger excursion today opened my eyes to the amounts of sugar in that stuff. Just a bunch of empty calories. Go with Cheerios or oatmeal or my favorite--Kashi Go Lean. "That healthy stuff tastes like... (rabbit food, sticks and twigs, grass, etc)" And that high-fat and sugar stuff will eventually kill you. And for goodness sakes, don't stay up all night to get more chores done. Figure out a system (Flylady is great!) and get to bed at a decent hour. Sleep deprived people tend to be unhappy, unhealthy, and overweight. Yes, even full time working mothers, fathers, and students can take care of themselves, even if it is challenging.

Love yourself as you love your neighbor--you wouldn't make your neighbor consume foods filled with high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, would you? And you wouldn't make them stay up til 2 am to get laundry done. So take care of you! And then you can better help your neighbor.

Friday's Quote to Ponder

"The greatness comes not when things go always good for you. But the greatness comes when you're really tested, when you take some knocks, some disappointments, when sadness comes. Because only if you've been in the deepest valley can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain. "

Richard M. Nixon37th president of US (1913 - 1994)


I'm disappointed today. It's day 29 of my second cycle of trying for child #3 and took a test this morning. It was a BFN (big fat negative). So, on to cycle 3--maybe three times will be a charm. I've got some kiddos that are under the weather, so that will take some focus off of it. The hardest part is that last two weeks of the cycle, when all you're doing is waiting to take the test or get a period. I can see how it must be beyond frustrating for the women who have tried for months and years to have a child, only to be faced with month after month of disappointment.

I liked this quote though, because it kinda reflects something I have told others as advice. The best things in life mean much more when you have to work hard for them. If everything is just given to you, yeah, it's easy, but you may not appreciate it as much as when you have to work at it. To really put forth an effort and give it your all. Also, you can look back when you have faced hard trials and--especially if you are a Christian--you can see how God has gotten you through it. How He has taught you patience and trust. Sometimes, in long-lived trials, we must turn our focus more on Him, and less on our situation, just to survive. And we'll eventually find ourselves conquering that "highest mountain".

Friday's Quote to Ponder

"My evil genius Procrastination has whispered me to tarry 'til a more convenient season. "
Mary Todd Lincoln US wife of Abraham Lincoln 1842 (1818 - 1882)

Mary Todd has spoken to me today. Winter is my main season of procrastination. So, literally, I do "tarry 'til a more convenient season", i.e. spring. I do procrastinate every season, but particularly when it's cold out and I just want to cozy up and shut out the responsibilities that call to me. And I'm not sure it's all that bad a thing either. I think we all need seasons, whenever that may be, to just not focus on too many things at once, to just do the necessary and relax a bit more. I also think it tends to relax our minds a bit more so our maybe not-so- "evil genius" can help our brains to think more creatively. To ponder more and worry less. More time to focus on creativity, on memories. Yep, I've determined that my winter procrastination is not such a bad thing after all.

Saturday's Quote to Ponder

"Health is not valued till sickness comes."
Dr. Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732British physician (1654 - 1734)

I missed Friday. My dear old Aunt Flo decided to grace me with her presence yesterday so I accomplished little except for visiting the grocery and making a new brownie recipe. What better time to indulge in chocolate? I'll share the recipe next Tuesday--good easy one too.

So, today, hubby has a stomach flu--who hasn't had it? I had something like it back in October, and the girls had it last summer, and everyone I know has had it or someone in the family has had it. People are being hospitalized too. Kinda scary. Anywho, the quote reminds me that we don't really know how good we have it until it gets bad--like health. We may be tired or sore, or whatever, but when a real sickness (or mean Aunt Flo) hits, then we realize we're ok most of the time.

Me with Aunt Flo, Bryan with stomach bug, and two bouncing wild girls--not a gracefully happy family at the moment. I wouldn't stop by for a surprise visit if I were you :) Now off for an attempted nap on a dreary rainy day...and more chocolate.

Friday's Quote to Ponder--a day late!

"Holding on to anger, resentment and hurt only gives you tense muscles, a headache and a sore jaw from clenching your teeth. Forgiveness gives you back the laughter and the lightness in your life. "
Joan Lunden, in Healthy Living Magazine

The biggest gift we might give ourselves and our loved ones is to let go of resentment, bitterness, and anger and forgive. Is there anyone that you're resentful of right now? Let it go. It isn't worth it. Life is too short.

I'm blogging at 12:22 AM on Christmas Eve, because I can't sleep. I can't divulge why but it's not really because of resentment :) I had actually planned on talking about that yesterday, but just was too busy to blog. We've had a nice couple days as a family. Went out for a date Friday night. 3 Fridays in a row now for dates--that is a record! Saturday, we took the kids to an IMAX theater to watch The Polar Express in 3D. Awesome!!!! Even Zoe loved it. She couldn't keep the glasses on well because they were too big, but when they were on, she was fixed to the screen, and would even take her little hand and try to touch things that she thought were in front of her. It was funny!

I hope you all have a great Christmas. I probably won't be blogging much if at all next week, but I'm sure I'll have lots of pics to share. Be safe, be loved, and God bless you all!

Friday's Quote to Ponder

"Christmas is a time when you get homesick - even when you're home."

~Carol Nelson

One of the best Christmases I remember as a child was a year when my parents had virtually no money, therefore few presents. It was the first Christmas in a long time that we actually had a WHITE Christmas. I remember the snow--how beautiful it looked falling like feathers from the sky, coating the ground in a magic white blanket. I remember my mom's homemade potato soup and sausage cornbread we had for Christmas dinner. I remember the warmth and love we felt in our little family that Christmas and that makes me homesick--even though I have the best husband and little girls in the world. I wish with all my heart that my girls will grow up to remember at least one Christmas like that, where the magic and love felt was more memorable than the presents. What was Christmas like for you as a child?

Also, pray for me tonight. I'm sitting with my toenails drying, getting ready for my husband's company Christmas party tonight. I will be wearing a lovely satiny blue evening dress and heels higher than I've ever worn before---AHHHHH!!! I'm scared I will fall over in them. I am NOT a heel girl. These aren't even stilettos, but I'm a little awkward walking in them. I'm wearing them while I'm getting ready so I can practice a bit. So, pray that I will not fall down and hurt myself or stab someone in the eye with them please.

Friday's Quotes to Ponder

After the faith discussions this week (see Wednesday's post), I decided to share some quotes about faith that I found so we could ponder them.

"I always admired atheists. I think it takes a lot of faith."
Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, Northern Exposure, Seoul Mates, 1991

This one is true for me too, not that I admire atheism. I have always thought it must take some strong faith to believe in NOTHING, no higher power or intelligence at all behind creation. I'm talking here about hard-core athiests, not anostics or people who just don't think about it. I can't imagine NOT believing in something bigger than my own consciousness.

You can do very little with faith, but you can do nothing without it.

-Samuel Butler

True dat :) You have to believe you'll be successful when trying something or you're bound to fail or at least be miserable (ever seen "Debbie Downer" on SNL?).

Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we can't see.

-Hebrews 11:1

I've always liked this one. Great definition of what faith really is--not just blind belief, but strong conviction.

Faith is believing in something when common sense tells you not to.

-From the movie, "Miracle On 34th Street"

AMC has been showing the original version of this movie all week. It was the best!

Treat the other man's faith gently; it is all he has to believe with.

-Henry S. Haskins

This one reflects the post from Wednesday when I discussed being respectful of other people's faith. Even when we disagree, we can respect other's beliefs and love them for the people they are.

Friday's Quote to Ponder

"The parent who gets down on the floor to play with a child on Christmas Day is usually doing a most remarkable thing -- something seldom repeated during the rest of the year. These are, after all, busy parents committed to their work or their success in the larger society, and they do not have much left-over time in which to play with their children."

~Brian Sutton-Smith

I like this quote, but it really strikes home. How often do we really play with our kids? I don't do it nearly enough. Even being a stay-at-home mom, I stay busy with "mommy work"--dishes, laundry, cooking, cleaning, basic childcare, and often don't sit down to just play. A couple nights ago, Megan and I began a new bedtime game, "The Ticklebugs". We usually just tickle with our tickle bugs, but now, they have personalities :) Meg's little hand, and my bigger one, we're the tickle bugs, and we do regular tickle-bug daily routines. They play, and take baths, and brush their teeth, etc. She got such a kick out of it. I can see how much she loves it when I just take a little time to play with her. And, truth be known, I like it too! This summer, I made it a mission to play outside with them more--actually playing ball, running, etc. And it gave me some exercise too! This Christmas, let's play with our kids new toys and games with them, and continue to do so as often as we can throughout the year. Might make a good New Year's Resolution.

Friday's Quote to Ponder

"The excellence of a gift lies in its appropriateness rather than in its value."

~Charles Dudley Warner, 'Eleventh Study,' Backlog Studies, 1873

Today, hoardes of people will be heading out to malls and shopping centers in the wee hours of the morning, to take advantage of the "Day After Thanksgiving" shopping bonanza. Everyone but me, ha ha. The quote above reflects my attitude about Christmas shopping, and I would love, as the years pass, to more appropriately reflect it. Seeking and finding gifts that are unique and appropriate to the receiver is a challenge, but makes you feel better about giving them. Some people are hard to shop for, and finding that appropriate gift may involve some creativity. I'm getting a bit more creative this year, especially for one person's gift (who shall remain unnamed for holiday security reasons *wink*). Let's see what creativity we can put into our giving this year--more so than the money. It will take some investigation, some thought and planning, but we can do it! Send me some of your creative gift-giving ideas. Happy giving!

Friday's Quote to Ponder

Well, two quotes actually:

"Men are generally more careful of the breed of their horses and dogs than of their children. "
William Penn

"Parentage is a very important profession, but no test of fitness for it is ever imposed in the interest of the children."
George Bernard Shaw, Everybody's Political What's What? (1944) ch. 9. Irish dramatist & socialist (1856 - 1950)

We need a license to drive, a diploma to graduate school, permits to hunt and fish, passports to leave the country, and in some places, even licenses for our dogs! There is no pre-requisite for having children, however. I've always said some people should not be allowed to breed. These quotes say it more eloquently. What do you think about our rights to have children? When China passed the one-child law, bad things happened. Infanticide, abandoned female children, people leaving the country. I wonder if, though, people in this country should at least be required to attend child-rearing courses before having a child. As human beings, God gave us the blessing to "be fruitful and multiply", but does that give us the right to bring children into the world when we're not prepared? I'd love to hear some imput on this issue. Have a great weekend!

Friday's Quote to Ponder

"Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam, Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home. "

~John Howard Payne (1791-1852)

I'm a homebody. Since I'm a stay-at-home mom, I guess that's a good thing, since I'm home quite a lot. I know that will change when the kids get into elementary school and beyond, but for now, I'm at home most of the time. And I love it. Most of us do, don't we? We travel here and there and go on wonderful vacations to great little cabins and hotels and beaches. But it just feels good to get home. We are comfortable there. Home is where we can kick off our shoes, let our hair down and really relax. We don't have to pretend to be somebody we're not when we're home. There is a sense of belonging there, a sense of purpose, a sense of pride, even, that we feel no where else. Our home is what we make of it. It's not about how big it is, how much stuff is crammed into it, how well-manicured and maintained it is. It's a place where US is born. Our homes are a blessing from God. They give us shelter and peace, a place of memory-making. We can all remember our childhood home(s). I remember how the crickets and tree frogs sang outside my bedroom window at night in the summer time. I remember waking up to the smell of sausage frying when my mom would cook breakfast, and how she would smile and say, "Good morning!" as I came around the refrigerator in that small kitchen. Your home will be a big part of your childrens' memories. They won't cherish the memories of the stuff in there--it will be the memories of the love that was there. I pray now that our homes will always be a place where our children remember that they were LOVED, where they had a place to find refuge and peace from life's storms, and where some of life's storms were overcome by God's grace. For truly, thanks to Him, there IS no place like home!

Friday's Quote to Ponder

"We do not remember days, we remember moments." ~Cesare Pavese

I'm feeling so tired and defeated today. The enemy is having a heyday in my life and those around me. By the grace of God, I will pick up myself and move on--and remember the good moments. How I crave them. How I love spending time with my husband--quality, wonderful, uninterrupted couple time. I love to laugh with him, to snuggle, to walk, to do fun things--just the two of us. It's just so hard to come by at this stage in our marriage. So hard to end a long day with quality time when I'm so worn out and spent. Making the transition from frazzled mom to loving wife is so challenging. But I will remember each moment, each happy time. A year from now, I won't remember the date of our couple retreat, but I'll remember the fun, the fellowship, the walk by the lake, the cozy cabin room. That's how life is, isn't it? You probably don't remember which Christmas was the first white one, which day your child first said "I wuv you", but you remember the moments. Enjoy them while they last.

Friday's Quote to Ponder

"We are so accustomed to disguise ourselves to others that in the end we become disguised to ourselves." Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680)

Never heard of the dear fellow, and don't ask me to pronounce his name, but I came across this quote after browsing a quote website, and I think it fits many of us. Who are you really? Do you know anymore? Has the identity you put on for your family, church, and coworkers made you forget what's truly under the mask? Are you afraid to look? With Halloween upon us, many folks will be hiding behind plastic masks, makeup and wigs, but we often wear unseen masks in our daily lives. Take some time to discover you--remember when you were a teen and in early 20's when you used to have hobbies? Try to dig up one of those old things (something wise, of course) and start it up again.

Another quote comes to mind from "The Lion King"--Simba's father came in a vision and said, "Remember who you are..." Simba had forgotten he was a prince--destined to become king. I think we all have some good destiny in us--it's just hidden behind our disguises, and we forget how to uncover it.

Jeremiah 29:11 says it best: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." God planned us for great things. This week has been busy, lots of cold complaints, kid stress, wierd work hours, travel, but reading this quote and this verse gives me hope. There is a method to this madness, there is a silver lining, there will be shining moments when I will realize--ahhh, there I am.

Friday's Quote to Ponder

It's short, it's simple, it's to the point, but a lot of meaning behind it, I think. It's been a favorite of mine for a long time. Here it is:

"Whatever you are, be a good one."--Abraham Lincoln

Whether you're president of the U.S. or just a stay at home mom, strive to be the best at your occupation. Put your heart into it. Always be on the lookout for ways to improve. Re-examine and alter goals where necessary. Think of who is affected by your position. This is SO vitally important in leadership and customer service roles. I hate to get bad service at a restaurant from someone you know just hates their job. My theory: If you have to work, and you choose to work at a certain place, then why not put your all into it? BE NICE! It will make your day so much better. The person who you smile at or give good service to may just turn around and do that for someone else. It may change the course of their day--all in your one seemingly tiny nice gesture. Just a job well done--strive to be a "good one".

I hope you've all liked my week of new subjects. I know many have looked, but I need some feedback--let's kick it up a notch!!