Tuesday, September 29, 2015
I’ll Always Remember
I was in the thralls of finishing the Clubwoman, a magazine I layout and edit quarterly for the Indiana Federation of Women’s Clubs. It was just after September 11 when I realized I needed a little more copy before putting the magazine to bed. I contacted the IFC president, Dana Jones, and asked her how she felt about a 9/11 article. She thought that sounded good and was appropriate for th e fall issue. Then she asked me to write it. I appreciated her faith in me but realized I wasn’t sure how to write a 9/11 story. There are volumes that can be said and have been said about this tragedy that altered the face of America and the hearts of the American people.
A new vulnerability made its way into our lives on September 11, 2001, as we realized there were people in the world who hated America enough to attack us on our home front. America was devastated by the attack and we were changed. As the nation moved through those first days after the attack, it reminded me of the first line in Charles Dickens’ classic, Tale of Two Cities that reads, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”
I was on staff in a large church in northwest Indiana. It was normal for us to meet in the sanctuary for prayer before beginning our day but, that day, no one was in there. I started looking for my coworkers and found them all glued to the TV in the lobby. I hadn’t been playing the radio on the way in and knew nothing of what was going on but was quickly brought up to date and then I watched as the second plane flew into the second tower. America was under attack! There was stunned silence and then conversation and a plan started taking form as we realized people would be calling and many would be wanting to come to the sanctuary. We stayed in place until the second tower collapsed to the ground and by then the phones were ringing off the hook and people were flooding in. We were 800 miles from New York but everyone felt these were their neighbors and friends under attack. The same for the Pentagon and the brave people on the ill fated airplane in Pennsylvania where heroes were born and died.
The days that followed all blurred together. A huge prayer rally was arranged. Food and clothing was gathered from every source possible and sent to New York. Volunteers were plentiful and you didn’t have to ask anyone to help twice. Prayer for the families of all who lost their lives, including firefighters and police were on everyones lips without ceasing. The beautiful thing about our church is color and race means nothing. The members are black, white, Hispanic, Asian and we are all brothers and sisters in Christ and in our love for one another. In my own church I could see what was happening all over our country as every race and creed pulled together to make a difference in the lives of those who were most devastated by this act of violence and hatred.
It was a real wake up call for our country as two beautiful towers left our landscape in less than 2 hours time and thousands of innocents were killed; but what I remember most is the people and the incredible, courageous spirit they displayed as they came together as one during this tragic time. There were heroes born every minute as acts of bravery and genuine caring were manifest throughout the country.
The events that took place on 9/11 and in the days that followed revealed to me the indomitable spirit of my fellow Americans. They had a willingness to pull together and only ask one question, “How can I help?” You can build beautiful skyscrapers, you can pave highways coast to coast, you can build lovely landscapes from sea to shining sea but if the people are weak or selfish and uncaring, your nation, as a great nation, is lost. On 9/11 we discovered that America is strong because her people are strong. We are great because our people are great. We can never be defeated as long as our people have a courageous spirit and are unwilling to yield to tyranny. God bless America and her people!. It’s hard to believe that I lived through such a time in our nation and it seems that America has had several rough times since then, including the financial crisis of 2008 but it is September 11, 2001, that I will always remember as “The best of times and the worst of times.”
Poem for this Blog
A Nation’s Strength
by William Ralph Emerson
What makes a nation’s pillars high
And its foundations strong?
What makes it mighty to defy
The foes that round it throng?
It is not gold. Its kingdoms grand
Go down in battle shock;
Its shafts are laid on sinking sand,
Not on abiding rock.
Is it the sword? Ask the red dust
Of empires passed away;
The blood has turned their stones to rust,
Their glory to decay.
And is it pride? Ah, that bright crown
Has seemed to nations sweet;
But God has struck its luster down
In ashes at His feet.
Not gold but only men can make
A people great and strong;
Men who for truth and honor’s sake
Stand fast and suffer long.
Brave men who work while others sleep,
Who dare while others fly...
They build a nation’s pillars deep
And lift them to the sky.
Quote for this Blog
Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
John F. Kennedy
Thank you for reading this blog. I sincerely hope you enjoyed it. Sending my best wishes and prayers for God's blessing on your life.
Monday, August 3, 2015
Joe No Show
It really tickled me! Frank can be an amusing guy. I was sitting with my hubby and Frank in an American Legion in Illinois enjoying a cool summer drink and watching kayaks and canoes drift by on the Kankakee River. Frank nodded his head at the remaining chair and said, “That’s Joe No Show.” I thought he was kidding so I looked over at the chair and said, “Hello, Joe No Show.” He shook his head at me solemnly. “No, I mean it. Joe and I were supposed to get together at 8:30 this morning. He finally showed up about 11:00. I’m just thankful we did get our project done,” he explained, “but I had waited for him all that time. Then, he left again and said that he’d be back in a few minutes. That was over an hour ago. He may come back and he may not. We call him ‘Joe No Show’ because you never know when or if he’s coming for sure, nor when or if he’ll come back.” Lonny and I both laughed, although I’m not sure why, as we looked over at the empty chair.
Joe did show up shortly after that. He seemed like a decent enough guy and when one of the waitresses asked him to help her move something heavy he got up to help her without a qualm. Yet as Lonny and I ate a delicious side salad before sharing an Italian Beef sandwich, I started thinking seriously about ‘Joe No Show.’ and looked over at Frank and said, “Frank, there is a story in what you told me and I think I’ll write it.”
Do you have a ‘Joe No Show’ in your life? Whether it’s a man or woman, it can be so frustrating. I have a granddaughter who had a ‘Joe No Show’ in her life. Her “No Show” was a girl so maybe we should shorten it to ‘Jo No Show’ instead of JoE. This girl was friendly, gregarious and always ready to make plans. However, there were countless times she’d show up very late or not at all. Many excuses were made and some very flimsy, like I decided to do something else. She didn’t call or cancel just felt it quite all right to do something else. I have six granddaughters and this one is probably the most forgiving, so she would let it slide. When they did get together they would have tons of fun and got along so well that it was easy, for a while, to overlook the slight. However, it did not stop and eventually she knew she had to stand her ground. That conversation ended on a friendly note as they decided to remain friends but with the understanding that they would no longer make plans to do things together but each would go on with their own lives and make their time investment in other people. How sad!
You do not have to be a Bible scholar to appreciate what we call the Golden Rule which was adapted from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. We popularly phrase it, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Seriously? I can’t think of anyone who’d relish someone not showing up, not calling to give them a status, or always coming so late plans have to be altered. So why do they do it to someone else? It hurts to be disregarded as though you do not count and as though your hopes for an enjoyable and productive day meant nothing and could be smashed. If you want loving and healthy relationships then treat other people with the concern and kindness you would like them to show toward you. In the case of my granddaughter she did forgive her friend but was unwilling to be subject to the same treatment over and over. There is nothing wrong with that; we have a right to be honest with them and move on.
Years ago I totally forgot a luncheon date with a ‘forever’ friend. Ironically her name is Jo but she’s not the one that didn’t show. It was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life. I felt terrible about it and realized I had seriously broken the Golden Rule. I knew I would have felt awful if she had forgotten me. You are not supposed to forget a ‘forever’ friend. Thankfully she forgave me and we are still best friends to this day. I’m telling you this because I’m human, and humans are not perfect. However, we should strive for perfection in our relationships. Being kind, considerate and keeping our word to those we befriend shouldn’t be that difficult.
As far as Joe is concerned, I think almost everyone has come to accept him for the way he is and that speaks very well for his friends and their level of understanding. I only met Joe once and he does seem to have a good heart and as the theme of one of my blogs stated, “Never judge a man until you have walked a mile in his moccasins.”
Yet no matter how many ways you flip the coin; kindness, consideration, and trustworthiness are the backbone of great friendships and these qualities serve us well in our daily intercourse with people in all areas of life. It isn’t a question of what others do, but of what we do. That is what counts.
THOUGHTS FOR THIS BLOG
An acre of performance is worth a whole world of promise. ~William Dean Howells
Never esteem anything as an advantage to you that will make you break your word or lose your self-respect. ~Marcus Aurelius
I never had a policy; I have just tried to do my very best each and every day. ~Abraham Lincoln
SCRIPTURE READING
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, Galatians 5:22
Dear friends,
if you enjoyed reading this blog half as much as I enjoyed writing it, we are both winners. God bless you until next time.
Joe did show up shortly after that. He seemed like a decent enough guy and when one of the waitresses asked him to help her move something heavy he got up to help her without a qualm. Yet as Lonny and I ate a delicious side salad before sharing an Italian Beef sandwich, I started thinking seriously about ‘Joe No Show.’ and looked over at Frank and said, “Frank, there is a story in what you told me and I think I’ll write it.”
Do you have a ‘Joe No Show’ in your life? Whether it’s a man or woman, it can be so frustrating. I have a granddaughter who had a ‘Joe No Show’ in her life. Her “No Show” was a girl so maybe we should shorten it to ‘Jo No Show’ instead of JoE. This girl was friendly, gregarious and always ready to make plans. However, there were countless times she’d show up very late or not at all. Many excuses were made and some very flimsy, like I decided to do something else. She didn’t call or cancel just felt it quite all right to do something else. I have six granddaughters and this one is probably the most forgiving, so she would let it slide. When they did get together they would have tons of fun and got along so well that it was easy, for a while, to overlook the slight. However, it did not stop and eventually she knew she had to stand her ground. That conversation ended on a friendly note as they decided to remain friends but with the understanding that they would no longer make plans to do things together but each would go on with their own lives and make their time investment in other people. How sad!
You do not have to be a Bible scholar to appreciate what we call the Golden Rule which was adapted from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. We popularly phrase it, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Seriously? I can’t think of anyone who’d relish someone not showing up, not calling to give them a status, or always coming so late plans have to be altered. So why do they do it to someone else? It hurts to be disregarded as though you do not count and as though your hopes for an enjoyable and productive day meant nothing and could be smashed. If you want loving and healthy relationships then treat other people with the concern and kindness you would like them to show toward you. In the case of my granddaughter she did forgive her friend but was unwilling to be subject to the same treatment over and over. There is nothing wrong with that; we have a right to be honest with them and move on.
Years ago I totally forgot a luncheon date with a ‘forever’ friend. Ironically her name is Jo but she’s not the one that didn’t show. It was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life. I felt terrible about it and realized I had seriously broken the Golden Rule. I knew I would have felt awful if she had forgotten me. You are not supposed to forget a ‘forever’ friend. Thankfully she forgave me and we are still best friends to this day. I’m telling you this because I’m human, and humans are not perfect. However, we should strive for perfection in our relationships. Being kind, considerate and keeping our word to those we befriend shouldn’t be that difficult.
As far as Joe is concerned, I think almost everyone has come to accept him for the way he is and that speaks very well for his friends and their level of understanding. I only met Joe once and he does seem to have a good heart and as the theme of one of my blogs stated, “Never judge a man until you have walked a mile in his moccasins.”
Yet no matter how many ways you flip the coin; kindness, consideration, and trustworthiness are the backbone of great friendships and these qualities serve us well in our daily intercourse with people in all areas of life. It isn’t a question of what others do, but of what we do. That is what counts.
THOUGHTS FOR THIS BLOG
An acre of performance is worth a whole world of promise. ~William Dean Howells
Never esteem anything as an advantage to you that will make you break your word or lose your self-respect. ~Marcus Aurelius
I never had a policy; I have just tried to do my very best each and every day. ~Abraham Lincoln
SCRIPTURE READING
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, Galatians 5:22
Dear friends,
if you enjoyed reading this blog half as much as I enjoyed writing it, we are both winners. God bless you until next time.
Friday, June 26, 2015
White Heron Promise
For any of you that live in Northwest Indiana you know we have had our fair share of rain lately. The Kankakee River is over its banks by 4 feet, the Calumet River at flood stage, some farm crops are under water, basements are flooding, water is coming up around some homes and I’m sure many other rain related problems are out there.
One of those problems is close by and affects a neighbor. I live on a hill and behind me there is only one home and it is to the North. They also own the woods behind us and the lower ground which is at least 200 feet down the rolling hill from me. The lower ground often floods when we have excessive rain and this time was no exception. Of course this is not something that pleases my neighbor but, as I told them, it’s like I am living near a small lake, which I have no desire to do long term but it brings me pleasure during its brief visit of a week or two. I enjoy watching the sunlight on the water and the sunset from my vantage point. To the best of my knowledge it causes no real harm because it is low land and doesn’t affect any homes. My neighbor, who owns the land, says it has recently been designated, by the town, as a flood plain. I’m not exactly sure how they can do that since he owns it, but that is another story and I will not get into it.
My story is about White Heron. Yes, White Heron, but I want to regress for just a moment by saying that every rain storm produces a rainbow somewhere. This June many rainbows have been spotted. Some of the rainbows were double and triple while others were complete visible circles. There is promise from God in a rainbow and just the thought of them makes me smile. When the lake is on the lowland below rather than a rainbow I often spot Canadian Geese or ducks testing the newfound waters. They become my rainbow of promise. However, this time was different. Late one afternoon my husband, Lonny, told me he thought he saw white birds flying on the lake below but, as we studied the area, none were visible.
Morning dawned early, as only it can in the summer, and I was up making coffee when I looked out the kitchen window and down the hill to see two absolutely beautiful white birds standing in the water. It was no time before I spotted two more. Oh my, what unspeakable joy. I was so excited and called to Lonny to hurry into the kitchen as I told him he had been right and there were white birds on the lake. I could hardly keep my eyes off of them. I was relatively sure they were White Heron but went on the web and into one of my favorite bird books to get confirmation. Indeed, they were White Heron. I have no idea how many times I looked out the window that day. I thanked God for sending them and woke the next day to see they were still there. Mid-afternoon I noticed four more and then even more flew in and suddenly there were eighteen beautiful Heron dining on frogs and fish that had spilled over from Cedar Creek and flooded the land below.
Since mentioning this to others, I know Heron have been around here but usually only one or two and never on the flooded ground below. Maybe the Lord just wanted to remind me that He really has it all under control. I had been complaining that it seemed to rain every day so He sent me eighteen, elegant creatures of His creation to let me know not to worry, rainbows were everywhere.
I know the heavy rains have been causing havoc for many people and they are far from happy right now, but as is so true of every storm in life, there will be rainbows and, in this case, breathtakingly beautiful White Heron to remind us that all is never lost and every storm holds the promise of a rainbow.
Inspirational Quote
I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. Genesis 9:13
Quote for this Blog
If you want a rainbow you have to put up with the rain. Dolly Parton
One of those problems is close by and affects a neighbor. I live on a hill and behind me there is only one home and it is to the North. They also own the woods behind us and the lower ground which is at least 200 feet down the rolling hill from me. The lower ground often floods when we have excessive rain and this time was no exception. Of course this is not something that pleases my neighbor but, as I told them, it’s like I am living near a small lake, which I have no desire to do long term but it brings me pleasure during its brief visit of a week or two. I enjoy watching the sunlight on the water and the sunset from my vantage point. To the best of my knowledge it causes no real harm because it is low land and doesn’t affect any homes. My neighbor, who owns the land, says it has recently been designated, by the town, as a flood plain. I’m not exactly sure how they can do that since he owns it, but that is another story and I will not get into it.
My story is about White Heron. Yes, White Heron, but I want to regress for just a moment by saying that every rain storm produces a rainbow somewhere. This June many rainbows have been spotted. Some of the rainbows were double and triple while others were complete visible circles. There is promise from God in a rainbow and just the thought of them makes me smile. When the lake is on the lowland below rather than a rainbow I often spot Canadian Geese or ducks testing the newfound waters. They become my rainbow of promise. However, this time was different. Late one afternoon my husband, Lonny, told me he thought he saw white birds flying on the lake below but, as we studied the area, none were visible.
Morning dawned early, as only it can in the summer, and I was up making coffee when I looked out the kitchen window and down the hill to see two absolutely beautiful white birds standing in the water. It was no time before I spotted two more. Oh my, what unspeakable joy. I was so excited and called to Lonny to hurry into the kitchen as I told him he had been right and there were white birds on the lake. I could hardly keep my eyes off of them. I was relatively sure they were White Heron but went on the web and into one of my favorite bird books to get confirmation. Indeed, they were White Heron. I have no idea how many times I looked out the window that day. I thanked God for sending them and woke the next day to see they were still there. Mid-afternoon I noticed four more and then even more flew in and suddenly there were eighteen beautiful Heron dining on frogs and fish that had spilled over from Cedar Creek and flooded the land below.
Since mentioning this to others, I know Heron have been around here but usually only one or two and never on the flooded ground below. Maybe the Lord just wanted to remind me that He really has it all under control. I had been complaining that it seemed to rain every day so He sent me eighteen, elegant creatures of His creation to let me know not to worry, rainbows were everywhere.
I know the heavy rains have been causing havoc for many people and they are far from happy right now, but as is so true of every storm in life, there will be rainbows and, in this case, breathtakingly beautiful White Heron to remind us that all is never lost and every storm holds the promise of a rainbow.
Inspirational Quote
I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. Genesis 9:13
Quote for this Blog
If you want a rainbow you have to put up with the rain. Dolly Parton
Saturday, June 13, 2015
A Mile in Their Moccasins
Under the Maples Series
It was a busy day at Cornerstone. One waitress worked Victoria’s Garden, the largest room, and my daughter, Beth, was working the President’s Room and the Inner Court. This story begins in the President’s Room. The room was full and at one round table there was a very cantankerous old gentlemen that was being extremely difficult to please. When Beth came to the waitress area and I saw her face, I asked her what on earth was wrong. She rolled her eyes and responded that she had a difficult table in the President’s Room. “There is no pleasing him,” she said. I have tried to be nice but I am at my whits end. The rest of the people at the table seem happy enough but,” then she shook her head and sighed a sigh of desperation before adding, “I’m running out of patience.” I looked at her and smiled, “You say you’ve been nice to him, which I am sure you have, but now go in there and be even nicer and kill him with your kindness.” Since we were busy there wasn’t much time to debate the issue but I saw her face and watched her square her shoulders as she readied herself for the next attack that she was determined to meet with even more kindness.
I lost track of the incident soon after as more pressing issues, such as desserts, required attention. I say that humorously but when you have a restaurant filled with people ready for homemade desserts, you better act. It was spring and I had baked a Raspberry Torte Cake, Peach and Blackberry Crunch, Rhubarb Pie and for those who felt dessert meant chocolate, there was a double chocolate parfait. Happily this was a dessert day and they started disappearing rapidly and, since it was a day we’d only be open until three o’clock, the kitchen was cleaning up and the workday would soon end giving us a few minutes to recap. The cooks were happy and the waitresses pleased with their day and it was reported that the cranky gentlemen remained cranky but there were no further problems.
Now this may not be exactly how it happened, but remember it was years ago and what I am telling is as close to truth as I can remember and, frankly, it is the moral of the story that is important and that is intact.
It was four or five days later when the old gentlemen and his four companions who seemed to be his family again joined him for lunch, this time in the Inner Court. As luck would have it Beth again had his table and yes, he was still difficult but she had made a decision to be kind and go the extra mile and that is what she did. This scenario was repeated again and then again. Beth made a point of waiting on the group each time and the fourth time she noticed quite a difference in his attitude. He talked to her kindly and even tried a smile. Kindness had reaped a plentiful harvest. When they were about to leave that day the woman, I thought might be his daughter, approached Beth and talked with her for a bit before following the others out. I had no idea what was being said but soon after Beth appeared in the waitress area with tears in her eyes. The woman had told her thank you for being kind to the old gentleman because he had cancer and was often in pain. He felt people didn’t care but he had decided Beth did care about others and he appreciated her kindness. It changed everything. As time went on, he became gracious and expressed his pleasure at dining at Cornerstone.
Ed, as we will now refer to him, came in many times with the others. It turns out they were not his family but were understanding friends who reached out to him and took time to show him compassion and love. He appreciated their kindness as he did Beth’s and a friendship of mutual respect blossomed. It was nearly a year before the visits became less frequent and then stopped. Both Beth and I felt the distress. We knew the reason was that he had become much worse and maybe even died, which is what had happened. It was months before the caregiver’s came in. They said it was so hard to come without Ed. We understood and we all cried together. They again thanked Beth for her kindness because it had been a blessing to them as well as Ed. It was a priceless gift to both Beth and I. You cannot put a dollar amount on knowing you did the right thing. I do believe it blesses you more than the receiver.
I’m relating this story because I think it is an important lesson for all of us. It is so easy to judge people as cranky, mean or disagreeable and others as rude and genuinely unkind. I always try to remember that often I know nothing about them. I don’t know if they just lost a spouse, a child, other family member, best friend, or if they have been diagnosed with a deadly illness, or are in a messy divorce, or maybe work for an impossible boss and can’t find any peace. Life’s circumstances can cause people such distress that they really don’t care how they appear to others nor how they make them feel. To my way of thinking there is only one thing that can turn that misery around and it is genuine kindness, a heart full of love and many smiles. Do they deserve it, probably not. Do they need it, yes, yes, yes. One of my favorite quotes is the old American Indian saying, “Never judge a man until you have walked a mile in his moccasins.” Whatever tribesman said it originally displayed great wisdom and compassion for others. I first heard it as a closing comment on the Johnny Cash Show years ago. It stuck with me and I try to live by that principle and believe the world would be a better place if we all practiced it.
I enjoyed sharing this story with you because it means so much to me personally. God bless you for reading it and may you always remember to be kind.
Inspirational Quote
Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turneth away wrath; but grievous words stir up anger.
Quotes for This Blog
You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
“A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.”
― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free
It was a busy day at Cornerstone. One waitress worked Victoria’s Garden, the largest room, and my daughter, Beth, was working the President’s Room and the Inner Court. This story begins in the President’s Room. The room was full and at one round table there was a very cantankerous old gentlemen that was being extremely difficult to please. When Beth came to the waitress area and I saw her face, I asked her what on earth was wrong. She rolled her eyes and responded that she had a difficult table in the President’s Room. “There is no pleasing him,” she said. I have tried to be nice but I am at my whits end. The rest of the people at the table seem happy enough but,” then she shook her head and sighed a sigh of desperation before adding, “I’m running out of patience.” I looked at her and smiled, “You say you’ve been nice to him, which I am sure you have, but now go in there and be even nicer and kill him with your kindness.” Since we were busy there wasn’t much time to debate the issue but I saw her face and watched her square her shoulders as she readied herself for the next attack that she was determined to meet with even more kindness.
I lost track of the incident soon after as more pressing issues, such as desserts, required attention. I say that humorously but when you have a restaurant filled with people ready for homemade desserts, you better act. It was spring and I had baked a Raspberry Torte Cake, Peach and Blackberry Crunch, Rhubarb Pie and for those who felt dessert meant chocolate, there was a double chocolate parfait. Happily this was a dessert day and they started disappearing rapidly and, since it was a day we’d only be open until three o’clock, the kitchen was cleaning up and the workday would soon end giving us a few minutes to recap. The cooks were happy and the waitresses pleased with their day and it was reported that the cranky gentlemen remained cranky but there were no further problems.
Now this may not be exactly how it happened, but remember it was years ago and what I am telling is as close to truth as I can remember and, frankly, it is the moral of the story that is important and that is intact.
It was four or five days later when the old gentlemen and his four companions who seemed to be his family again joined him for lunch, this time in the Inner Court. As luck would have it Beth again had his table and yes, he was still difficult but she had made a decision to be kind and go the extra mile and that is what she did. This scenario was repeated again and then again. Beth made a point of waiting on the group each time and the fourth time she noticed quite a difference in his attitude. He talked to her kindly and even tried a smile. Kindness had reaped a plentiful harvest. When they were about to leave that day the woman, I thought might be his daughter, approached Beth and talked with her for a bit before following the others out. I had no idea what was being said but soon after Beth appeared in the waitress area with tears in her eyes. The woman had told her thank you for being kind to the old gentleman because he had cancer and was often in pain. He felt people didn’t care but he had decided Beth did care about others and he appreciated her kindness. It changed everything. As time went on, he became gracious and expressed his pleasure at dining at Cornerstone.
Ed, as we will now refer to him, came in many times with the others. It turns out they were not his family but were understanding friends who reached out to him and took time to show him compassion and love. He appreciated their kindness as he did Beth’s and a friendship of mutual respect blossomed. It was nearly a year before the visits became less frequent and then stopped. Both Beth and I felt the distress. We knew the reason was that he had become much worse and maybe even died, which is what had happened. It was months before the caregiver’s came in. They said it was so hard to come without Ed. We understood and we all cried together. They again thanked Beth for her kindness because it had been a blessing to them as well as Ed. It was a priceless gift to both Beth and I. You cannot put a dollar amount on knowing you did the right thing. I do believe it blesses you more than the receiver.
I’m relating this story because I think it is an important lesson for all of us. It is so easy to judge people as cranky, mean or disagreeable and others as rude and genuinely unkind. I always try to remember that often I know nothing about them. I don’t know if they just lost a spouse, a child, other family member, best friend, or if they have been diagnosed with a deadly illness, or are in a messy divorce, or maybe work for an impossible boss and can’t find any peace. Life’s circumstances can cause people such distress that they really don’t care how they appear to others nor how they make them feel. To my way of thinking there is only one thing that can turn that misery around and it is genuine kindness, a heart full of love and many smiles. Do they deserve it, probably not. Do they need it, yes, yes, yes. One of my favorite quotes is the old American Indian saying, “Never judge a man until you have walked a mile in his moccasins.” Whatever tribesman said it originally displayed great wisdom and compassion for others. I first heard it as a closing comment on the Johnny Cash Show years ago. It stuck with me and I try to live by that principle and believe the world would be a better place if we all practiced it.
I enjoyed sharing this story with you because it means so much to me personally. God bless you for reading it and may you always remember to be kind.
Inspirational Quote
Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turneth away wrath; but grievous words stir up anger.
Quotes for This Blog
You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
“A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.”
― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Tripped Up and Trapped
It is the little things that trip me up. It felt like it had taken me forever to come up with an idea of how I wanted to approach a book I hoped to write. Once I had envisioned at least part of the story I wrote like mad for days and accumulated nearly 12,000 words on 20 pages. The creative juices were flowing. I was very pleased with my progress but since it was a time travel story of today and almost 150 years ago I had to do more research. When starting the book I had relied heavily on knowledge I already knew concerning the area, now I needed more understanding of how Lowell related to our growing country. The story had veered off in a direction I had not anticipated and led me to a period about five years earlier and so close to Civil War days that I needed a better understanding of that time in Indiana. Yes, books do have a mind of their own and will sometimes surprise you with changes. So I entered into the research and though it was valuable and needed, it slowed my forward progress and destabilized my thinking. It gave me so much more to think about that I began to loose my way. What it did is trip me up.
Then I decided to meet with a writer’s group one evening and share part of my story. The good news is they liked it. The bad news, if you can call good constructive criticism bad news, is that they did have some valuable insight into the age of the main character and other useful tips that could help my writing. That’s okay though because it will be better. Unfortunately, not being an old pro at editing and not necessarily sure how to do the rewriting tripped me up again. This second trip left me slipping around and unable to get a footing. I should have just wadded in through the muck but instead I stopped writing the story. I had allowed myself to become trapped and couldn’t seem to move. At this moment I am still having trouble moving forward. However, I have been wiggling around in that trap for some time now. Ideas are slowly coming into focus and the trap is loosing its hold on my mind and my thinking. The creativity deep within is popping out in vignettes before my eyes; glimpses of how to begin rewriting and how to strengthen the story.
Now I am wondering how many times I will repeat this process before having something I think might be worthwhile to print. It doesn’t matter because there is a story to be told about the 163 year old town I live in and its surrounding area. I want to tell that story. I confess that I hope to handle the next trip differently. I know many rewrites will come and go and to feel trapped is not acceptable.
Have you ever felt tripped up or trapped? It can happen in many areas of our lives. I’ve often called them stumbling blocks. It’s as if someone throws rocks in your path just to stop your progress or at least slow you down. However, most stumbling blocks are in our minds and can often be excuses not to move forward. I think discipline comes in here somewhere. It is necessary to ignore silly traps and not allow fears of failure or lack of will to dominate our thinking. It’s time to take setbacks and negatives and slap them in a trap behind the door of forgetfulness. All of us can be tripped up but if we are trapped it is because we allow ourselves to be trapped. We have to renew our mind and not allow negatives to block our view. Always envision your future and keep dreaming your dream. However, it takes more than dreaming; it takes work; lots of work. You can’t get there unless you want to go there and that means working and staying focused on the goal. If your goal is to write, then you must write, write, and write. That is why I am blogging. If your goal is something else, and I’m sure most people’s desires are for something other than writing, then pursue it with every breath and never, never give up. That is the best advice I can offer anyone, including myself.
This blog helped me to relieve some personal frustrations and prepare myself for future challenges. I want to thank you for reading it and I hope it inspired you in some way. I’ll be back soon with another story from my Cornerstone Mansion days. In the meantime, I hope you will consider sharing my blogs and website address, www.bennygirl.net with others. Cheers!
Quote for this Blog
Worry compounds the futility of being trapped on a dead-end street.
Thinking opens new avenues.
Cullen Hightower
Inspirational Quote
Psalm 119:165
Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble.
Then I decided to meet with a writer’s group one evening and share part of my story. The good news is they liked it. The bad news, if you can call good constructive criticism bad news, is that they did have some valuable insight into the age of the main character and other useful tips that could help my writing. That’s okay though because it will be better. Unfortunately, not being an old pro at editing and not necessarily sure how to do the rewriting tripped me up again. This second trip left me slipping around and unable to get a footing. I should have just wadded in through the muck but instead I stopped writing the story. I had allowed myself to become trapped and couldn’t seem to move. At this moment I am still having trouble moving forward. However, I have been wiggling around in that trap for some time now. Ideas are slowly coming into focus and the trap is loosing its hold on my mind and my thinking. The creativity deep within is popping out in vignettes before my eyes; glimpses of how to begin rewriting and how to strengthen the story.
Now I am wondering how many times I will repeat this process before having something I think might be worthwhile to print. It doesn’t matter because there is a story to be told about the 163 year old town I live in and its surrounding area. I want to tell that story. I confess that I hope to handle the next trip differently. I know many rewrites will come and go and to feel trapped is not acceptable.
Have you ever felt tripped up or trapped? It can happen in many areas of our lives. I’ve often called them stumbling blocks. It’s as if someone throws rocks in your path just to stop your progress or at least slow you down. However, most stumbling blocks are in our minds and can often be excuses not to move forward. I think discipline comes in here somewhere. It is necessary to ignore silly traps and not allow fears of failure or lack of will to dominate our thinking. It’s time to take setbacks and negatives and slap them in a trap behind the door of forgetfulness. All of us can be tripped up but if we are trapped it is because we allow ourselves to be trapped. We have to renew our mind and not allow negatives to block our view. Always envision your future and keep dreaming your dream. However, it takes more than dreaming; it takes work; lots of work. You can’t get there unless you want to go there and that means working and staying focused on the goal. If your goal is to write, then you must write, write, and write. That is why I am blogging. If your goal is something else, and I’m sure most people’s desires are for something other than writing, then pursue it with every breath and never, never give up. That is the best advice I can offer anyone, including myself.
This blog helped me to relieve some personal frustrations and prepare myself for future challenges. I want to thank you for reading it and I hope it inspired you in some way. I’ll be back soon with another story from my Cornerstone Mansion days. In the meantime, I hope you will consider sharing my blogs and website address, www.bennygirl.net with others. Cheers!
Quote for this Blog
Worry compounds the futility of being trapped on a dead-end street.
Thinking opens new avenues.
Cullen Hightower
Inspirational Quote
Psalm 119:165
Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble.
Saturday, May 30, 2015
The Bunnies of Cornerstone Mansion
Under the Maples Series
When I am sitting on the back porch taking a moment to reminisce, one of my favorite memories of Cornerstone is of the baby bunnies who grew up at the mansion six years ago in April.
We had raked leaves in the fall and created a big leaf pile near the sidewalk on Fremont Street for pick up. The leaves ended up being there all winter because the street department had been unable to make their last leaf pickup when winter set in early and everything froze to the ground.
Come spring, they were on the job. They swept by and picked up all of our leaves and I was glad to see them go. However, about 15 minutes later I got a phone call from the street department. They told me they found several baby bunnies running around their truck in those leaves. Since we were the only leaf pickup made before they returned to the garage they knew the bunnies were from Cornerstone. They asked me if I thought the mother would take them back. I told them I thought so if they didn’t touch them. They assured me they were using gloves to catch them and put them in a bucket. It wasn’t long before the two men returned with five little bunnies they found in the leaves. I had already went out and looked for the nest but there wasn’t much of it left, just a rabbit hole and not a very deep one. I pointed it out and watched as they gently put the five bunnies back in the nest. The men were still concerned that the mother might not return but my feeling was that she would. Mother’s don’t give up their young easily.
I prayed I was right because the little guys didn’t have there eyes open and were way too small to care for themselves. I was beginning to wonder if I was mistaken about the mother because she didn’t come back all day. However, the next morning when I arrived I noticed she had rebuilt her nest with her own fur and made her babies cozy again.
What fun to watch! I never did see the mother on the nest but the bunnies were getting bigger day by day and the nest was always intact. I stopped to see that nest every morning and evening for 8 days and then on the ninth morning, to my surprise, I saw all these shiny black eyes looking back at me. I was thrilled. They were thriving. I continued to watch them every day for the next four days but on the fifth morning the nest was empty. To my delight I caught glimpses of the mother and bunnies in the back yard all summer. The following spring she honored us with another bunch of bunnies and the legacy goes on as bunny rabbits seem to enjoy living at Cornerstone Mansion.
I have to say, ‘hats off’ to the street department that spring. They could have easily just written those baby bunnies off, but they took the time to bring them back and give them a chance. I let them know that the bunnies lived and became a happy part of the mansion family. The joys of spring and life’s precious renewal makes for such great memories.
That incident always cheers my heart. So often we are told how thoughtless people are and how uncaring, especially public servants. In truth, I have often found people care more than we think. You just have to give them an opportunity and their kindness will shine through.
I’d be remiss not to say that I enjoy spring immensely. I love watching the awakening of mother earth. It’s rewarding to watch the trees bud and blossom and the spring bulbs and other perennials peek their heads out of the earth and start growing again after their winter’s nap. I love driving to the country with my hubby and seeing the farm fields newly planted and tender seedling peeking above the ground. Soon it will be summer and these young shoots will be blessed by abundant sunshine that will bring them to maturity before the fall harvest. It’s a process worth watching. There is such a grand plan in place on this earth that it cannot help but cheer me. Now is the time for the fawns to visit in the backyard as they stay close beside their mothers and then there are the baby birds, baby squirrels, rabbits, and countless other signs of rebirth and renewal. I hope you take time to appreciate it or you will one day realize you missed many precious moments of life.
Cheers to all! I hope you have an amazing weekend and an opportunity to experience a special blessing before next week is over. I will look forward to sharing with you again very soon.
Quote for this Blog
The most important things in life aren't things.
Anthony J. D'Angelo
Inspirational Quotes
Genesis 8:22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
Proverbs 12:10 - A righteous [man] regardeth the life of his beast: (and bunnies)
When I am sitting on the back porch taking a moment to reminisce, one of my favorite memories of Cornerstone is of the baby bunnies who grew up at the mansion six years ago in April.
We had raked leaves in the fall and created a big leaf pile near the sidewalk on Fremont Street for pick up. The leaves ended up being there all winter because the street department had been unable to make their last leaf pickup when winter set in early and everything froze to the ground.
Come spring, they were on the job. They swept by and picked up all of our leaves and I was glad to see them go. However, about 15 minutes later I got a phone call from the street department. They told me they found several baby bunnies running around their truck in those leaves. Since we were the only leaf pickup made before they returned to the garage they knew the bunnies were from Cornerstone. They asked me if I thought the mother would take them back. I told them I thought so if they didn’t touch them. They assured me they were using gloves to catch them and put them in a bucket. It wasn’t long before the two men returned with five little bunnies they found in the leaves. I had already went out and looked for the nest but there wasn’t much of it left, just a rabbit hole and not a very deep one. I pointed it out and watched as they gently put the five bunnies back in the nest. The men were still concerned that the mother might not return but my feeling was that she would. Mother’s don’t give up their young easily.
I prayed I was right because the little guys didn’t have there eyes open and were way too small to care for themselves. I was beginning to wonder if I was mistaken about the mother because she didn’t come back all day. However, the next morning when I arrived I noticed she had rebuilt her nest with her own fur and made her babies cozy again.
What fun to watch! I never did see the mother on the nest but the bunnies were getting bigger day by day and the nest was always intact. I stopped to see that nest every morning and evening for 8 days and then on the ninth morning, to my surprise, I saw all these shiny black eyes looking back at me. I was thrilled. They were thriving. I continued to watch them every day for the next four days but on the fifth morning the nest was empty. To my delight I caught glimpses of the mother and bunnies in the back yard all summer. The following spring she honored us with another bunch of bunnies and the legacy goes on as bunny rabbits seem to enjoy living at Cornerstone Mansion.
I have to say, ‘hats off’ to the street department that spring. They could have easily just written those baby bunnies off, but they took the time to bring them back and give them a chance. I let them know that the bunnies lived and became a happy part of the mansion family. The joys of spring and life’s precious renewal makes for such great memories.
That incident always cheers my heart. So often we are told how thoughtless people are and how uncaring, especially public servants. In truth, I have often found people care more than we think. You just have to give them an opportunity and their kindness will shine through.
I’d be remiss not to say that I enjoy spring immensely. I love watching the awakening of mother earth. It’s rewarding to watch the trees bud and blossom and the spring bulbs and other perennials peek their heads out of the earth and start growing again after their winter’s nap. I love driving to the country with my hubby and seeing the farm fields newly planted and tender seedling peeking above the ground. Soon it will be summer and these young shoots will be blessed by abundant sunshine that will bring them to maturity before the fall harvest. It’s a process worth watching. There is such a grand plan in place on this earth that it cannot help but cheer me. Now is the time for the fawns to visit in the backyard as they stay close beside their mothers and then there are the baby birds, baby squirrels, rabbits, and countless other signs of rebirth and renewal. I hope you take time to appreciate it or you will one day realize you missed many precious moments of life.
Cheers to all! I hope you have an amazing weekend and an opportunity to experience a special blessing before next week is over. I will look forward to sharing with you again very soon.
Quote for this Blog
The most important things in life aren't things.
Anthony J. D'Angelo
Inspirational Quotes
Genesis 8:22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
Proverbs 12:10 - A righteous [man] regardeth the life of his beast: (and bunnies)
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
If Only Walls Could Talk
Under the Maples Series
PROLOGUE
What do you do once you retire? There are probably as many answers to that question as there are retired people. For me, being retired was a challenge in itself. However, for several years before retiring, the Lord was nudging me to change course. He wanted me to “come home to Lowell.” Understand, I lived in Lowell but work had always been in Merrillville, Highland, Griffith, Munster and even Chicago; I was never home in Lowell for very long. Coming home meant accepting there was a new plan for my life but I never thought of it being to allow me to fulfill an old dream.
My mother was born and raised in Lowell and I always loved the old town although I was raised in Calumet Township/Griffith. I admired her beautiful old Victorian homes and, even as a kid, knew they had stories to tell. In 1970, married with three children, my husband and I moved to Lowell. Those old homes still fascinated me as did the lovely flower gardens many of the homes enjoyed thanks to the inhabitants who doted on them. Little did I know that one day the Lord was going to help me buy one of them and create a restaurant known as Cornerstone Mansion. It was the fulfillment of an old dream. What did I do to deserve it? Absolutely nothing that I can think of but God had a plan. I can’t even tell you, at least not right now, how extensive His plan was and the prayers that were going to be answered because of my act of obedience and “coming home.”
BLOG
I guess you have to have an over active imagination to feel what I feel about the old mansion. I can hear her sighs, her cries of joy and her laments. To me it isn’t difficult to sense the presence of the Bacon family and their children and grandchildren who built and lived in the house for the first ninety years of her life. I had many customers come in and while slowly walking through the rooms and looking around with eyes of admiration they’d breath a sigh and exclaim, “If only walls could talk.” It may sound a little weird but I think if you listen close enough you will hear them talk and, although, the stately old home did go through a few other owners before my daughter and I bought her, everyone who owned her appreciated her heritage.
It is her heritage from 1870 until 1920, that I will be focusing on in some novels that I hope to write and publish. I love history because I believe our town, our country, our people are a sum-total of their experiences and the experiences of their ancestors. There is an intricate link between one and the other. The location on this earth gives it its own voice and the appearance, and demeanor of a building will always hold some of the characteristic of its original owners. The soul of the owners will be reflected there.
When my daughter, Beth, and I bought the old home we sensed that she had a good soul, other wise we wouldn’t have bought her. Yes, I do mean that! Of course, the first thing on the agenda was a name. We needed a name for the restaurant we hoped to run there. We decided on Cornerstone Mansion. Cornerstone came from the Bible and Jesus being our Chief Cornerstone. Mansion came from other shop owners and our town historian, Richard Schmal, who is now deceased. It seems when the Bacon home was build in 1870, it was considered a mansion to this small town and rural area. Thus it was referred to as the Bacon Mansion. It isn’t a mansion by todays standards but it is such a regal old home that mansion seemed to fit. Some of my blogs will be taken from episodes of the six years she was a restaurant. People who gravitated to Cornerstone and would come to relax and dine often left a small part of themselves behind. I like to think they nurtured the old home in their own way and they definitely left their marks on my heart.
It is not possible for me to recall all the times I set in the various rooms of the mansion and could feel the family moving around. I caught glimpses of Dr. Bacon and felt his love for his family, patients and community. The house is still a lot like Dr. Bacon, a man of character and integrity, and his lovely wife, Martha, a gracious lady. You can still see the heritage they imparted to the home. I could also look down the street at the old historic district and feel the presence of the original shop owners and sense their hopes for the future of their community. Nothing has changed. The community is still viable and still hopeful for the future. The heritage they have been exposed to has been breathed into their souls and they sense the purpose of community. Those who are in it just for the dollar will surely not fair well for long because, the truth be known, the walls themselves will cry out against poor usage and neglect. Those historic buildings being treated badly deserve better and they know it. They will withstand the winds of adversity until help comes and their restoration is completed. They, too, have a wealth of stories to tell and their souls are intact and will tell those stories one day.
Thank you for taking time to read this blog. I have enjoyed sharing this with you and hope you enjoy reading it. I look forward to our next time together.
Life is good; memories are sweet.
Quote For This Blog
To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme.
– Herman Melville
Inspirational Quotes
Psalms 61:5 - For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given [me] the heritage of those that fear thy name.
“My father used to say that stories are part of the most precious heritage of mankind.”
― Tahir Shah, In Arabian Nights: A Caravan of Moroccan Dreams
PROLOGUE
What do you do once you retire? There are probably as many answers to that question as there are retired people. For me, being retired was a challenge in itself. However, for several years before retiring, the Lord was nudging me to change course. He wanted me to “come home to Lowell.” Understand, I lived in Lowell but work had always been in Merrillville, Highland, Griffith, Munster and even Chicago; I was never home in Lowell for very long. Coming home meant accepting there was a new plan for my life but I never thought of it being to allow me to fulfill an old dream.
My mother was born and raised in Lowell and I always loved the old town although I was raised in Calumet Township/Griffith. I admired her beautiful old Victorian homes and, even as a kid, knew they had stories to tell. In 1970, married with three children, my husband and I moved to Lowell. Those old homes still fascinated me as did the lovely flower gardens many of the homes enjoyed thanks to the inhabitants who doted on them. Little did I know that one day the Lord was going to help me buy one of them and create a restaurant known as Cornerstone Mansion. It was the fulfillment of an old dream. What did I do to deserve it? Absolutely nothing that I can think of but God had a plan. I can’t even tell you, at least not right now, how extensive His plan was and the prayers that were going to be answered because of my act of obedience and “coming home.”
BLOG
I guess you have to have an over active imagination to feel what I feel about the old mansion. I can hear her sighs, her cries of joy and her laments. To me it isn’t difficult to sense the presence of the Bacon family and their children and grandchildren who built and lived in the house for the first ninety years of her life. I had many customers come in and while slowly walking through the rooms and looking around with eyes of admiration they’d breath a sigh and exclaim, “If only walls could talk.” It may sound a little weird but I think if you listen close enough you will hear them talk and, although, the stately old home did go through a few other owners before my daughter and I bought her, everyone who owned her appreciated her heritage.
It is her heritage from 1870 until 1920, that I will be focusing on in some novels that I hope to write and publish. I love history because I believe our town, our country, our people are a sum-total of their experiences and the experiences of their ancestors. There is an intricate link between one and the other. The location on this earth gives it its own voice and the appearance, and demeanor of a building will always hold some of the characteristic of its original owners. The soul of the owners will be reflected there.
When my daughter, Beth, and I bought the old home we sensed that she had a good soul, other wise we wouldn’t have bought her. Yes, I do mean that! Of course, the first thing on the agenda was a name. We needed a name for the restaurant we hoped to run there. We decided on Cornerstone Mansion. Cornerstone came from the Bible and Jesus being our Chief Cornerstone. Mansion came from other shop owners and our town historian, Richard Schmal, who is now deceased. It seems when the Bacon home was build in 1870, it was considered a mansion to this small town and rural area. Thus it was referred to as the Bacon Mansion. It isn’t a mansion by todays standards but it is such a regal old home that mansion seemed to fit. Some of my blogs will be taken from episodes of the six years she was a restaurant. People who gravitated to Cornerstone and would come to relax and dine often left a small part of themselves behind. I like to think they nurtured the old home in their own way and they definitely left their marks on my heart.
It is not possible for me to recall all the times I set in the various rooms of the mansion and could feel the family moving around. I caught glimpses of Dr. Bacon and felt his love for his family, patients and community. The house is still a lot like Dr. Bacon, a man of character and integrity, and his lovely wife, Martha, a gracious lady. You can still see the heritage they imparted to the home. I could also look down the street at the old historic district and feel the presence of the original shop owners and sense their hopes for the future of their community. Nothing has changed. The community is still viable and still hopeful for the future. The heritage they have been exposed to has been breathed into their souls and they sense the purpose of community. Those who are in it just for the dollar will surely not fair well for long because, the truth be known, the walls themselves will cry out against poor usage and neglect. Those historic buildings being treated badly deserve better and they know it. They will withstand the winds of adversity until help comes and their restoration is completed. They, too, have a wealth of stories to tell and their souls are intact and will tell those stories one day.
Thank you for taking time to read this blog. I have enjoyed sharing this with you and hope you enjoy reading it. I look forward to our next time together.
Life is good; memories are sweet.
Quote For This Blog
To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme.
– Herman Melville
Inspirational Quotes
Psalms 61:5 - For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given [me] the heritage of those that fear thy name.
“My father used to say that stories are part of the most precious heritage of mankind.”
― Tahir Shah, In Arabian Nights: A Caravan of Moroccan Dreams
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Lasata, A Place of Peace
Under the Maples Series
This is a new adventure for me.
I’ve always had a vivid imagination and have enjoyed writing ever since I can remember. I’ve been wanting to start a blog but what I wanted to focus on was what always caused me to hesitate. I’ve enjoyed my life. It hasn’t been perfect, believe me, however every problem taught me how to be an overcomer and never give up. Every mountain peak taught me to look for smaller peaks in everyday experiences.
I have three beloved children that somehow survived my inept mothering to marry and give me eleven remarkable grandchildren that bless my life and who are starting to produce these truly amazing great grandchildren. Yes, your right, I’m not 25 anymore. Age is relative however and I have as many ideas and dreams today as I have ever had. It’s just that as you grow older you have so many more life experiences behind you and so many more things that are important to you and have helped make you who you are today that you can feel overwhelmed when it comes time to sharing some of yourself and your thoughts with others. Early on I worked in offices and even pressed tool boxes in a factory in Grant Park, IL while studying for a brighter tomorrow. I’ve been a wife, a mother, an interior designer, a graphic designer, and the proud owner of a restaurant in my lifetime so far and it’s not over yet. I look forward to the future and many new adventures.
I chose the name Lasata for my blog because of a book I read about Jacqueline Kennedy as a youth and how her family had a summer place her grandfather had named Lasata. He had told them it was an old American Indian word that meant “a place of peace.” I like that and I hope you do too. Whether you are twelve or one hundred, we all need to find a place of peace from time to time. Since I don’t intend to make my blogs too long, I invite you to join me and maybe some of my stories will bless your life and provide you with a few minutes of peace and enjoyment. I do know some of what I will write about will concern my days of owning and running Cornerstone Mansion Restaurant in Lowell, Indiana. Other blogs will talk about the writing I am doing now and, knowing me, I will share thoughts of each of the seasons and my perspective on many things.
It’s time to give credit where credit is due. My granddaughter, Abby, the other writer in the family, started a blog and I have been reading it with enjoyment. Her work inspired me to do what I have put off for far to long. Since she was a little girl I have encouraged her to write because I feel she has the gift for it. The wonderful thing about Abby in my life is we can share our thoughts and frustrations in a way that others just can’t understand. We can also inspire one another which is what Abby did for me concerning this blog.
I’m very excited about Lasata and hope to brighten your day with my blogs. I’m definitely not promising one everyday but I am hoping to produce a blog once a week. If there are more, think of them as bonus blogs. :)
Quote for this blog
Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.
– Barbara Kingsolver
Inspirational Quotes
Lord, make me the instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Francis of Assisi
This is a new adventure for me.
I’ve always had a vivid imagination and have enjoyed writing ever since I can remember. I’ve been wanting to start a blog but what I wanted to focus on was what always caused me to hesitate. I’ve enjoyed my life. It hasn’t been perfect, believe me, however every problem taught me how to be an overcomer and never give up. Every mountain peak taught me to look for smaller peaks in everyday experiences.
I have three beloved children that somehow survived my inept mothering to marry and give me eleven remarkable grandchildren that bless my life and who are starting to produce these truly amazing great grandchildren. Yes, your right, I’m not 25 anymore. Age is relative however and I have as many ideas and dreams today as I have ever had. It’s just that as you grow older you have so many more life experiences behind you and so many more things that are important to you and have helped make you who you are today that you can feel overwhelmed when it comes time to sharing some of yourself and your thoughts with others. Early on I worked in offices and even pressed tool boxes in a factory in Grant Park, IL while studying for a brighter tomorrow. I’ve been a wife, a mother, an interior designer, a graphic designer, and the proud owner of a restaurant in my lifetime so far and it’s not over yet. I look forward to the future and many new adventures.
I chose the name Lasata for my blog because of a book I read about Jacqueline Kennedy as a youth and how her family had a summer place her grandfather had named Lasata. He had told them it was an old American Indian word that meant “a place of peace.” I like that and I hope you do too. Whether you are twelve or one hundred, we all need to find a place of peace from time to time. Since I don’t intend to make my blogs too long, I invite you to join me and maybe some of my stories will bless your life and provide you with a few minutes of peace and enjoyment. I do know some of what I will write about will concern my days of owning and running Cornerstone Mansion Restaurant in Lowell, Indiana. Other blogs will talk about the writing I am doing now and, knowing me, I will share thoughts of each of the seasons and my perspective on many things.
It’s time to give credit where credit is due. My granddaughter, Abby, the other writer in the family, started a blog and I have been reading it with enjoyment. Her work inspired me to do what I have put off for far to long. Since she was a little girl I have encouraged her to write because I feel she has the gift for it. The wonderful thing about Abby in my life is we can share our thoughts and frustrations in a way that others just can’t understand. We can also inspire one another which is what Abby did for me concerning this blog.
I’m very excited about Lasata and hope to brighten your day with my blogs. I’m definitely not promising one everyday but I am hoping to produce a blog once a week. If there are more, think of them as bonus blogs. :)
Quote for this blog
Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.
– Barbara Kingsolver
Inspirational Quotes
Lord, make me the instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Francis of Assisi
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)