Just Say Thanks!

I live in a quiet neighborhood with wonderful neighbors, but in this day and age they seem to have forgotten how to be kind to others for no reason at all. It seems to my husband and I that any time we try to do something spontaneous for someone they feel obligated in some way. For instance, when we helped to clean the yard of a neighbor who had been toilet papered, immediately afterwards they brought us donuts. These same neighbors have brought us pie when we have given them tomatoes and have given us restaurant gift certificates when we have helped them with yard work.

I was brought up to believe that neighbors help neighbors not because they expect something in return, but because it is the right thing to do. I don't help people for gain, ulterior motives, or any other devious reasons, but apparently today's society believes that random acts of kindness will put you in the bonds of servitude unless repayed promptly.

Another neighbor is always trying to pay my husband if he plows the driveway out in the winter. My husband is out there plowing our driveway and it only takes an additional five or ten minutes to mosey across the street. Is "thank you for your thoughtfulness" not enough payment now a days? Why don't people consider neighbors like an extended family any more? If we did, the world would certainly look like a much different place.

So the next time someone does something nice for you, just smile and say thanks. Surely at some point you too will perform some kind act, if not for that person then for someone else. Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!

I've become my mother.

Oh yes, it has finally happened. I have become my mother. This too will probably happen to you, and the scary part is you will never even see it coming. I'm sure you all remember being a child and swearing you were never going to make your children eat liver. Or perhaps you promised yourself you would never punish your children in such a ridiculous manner as you were being punished. We've all been in that fairy-tale-land called childhood where everything seems so clear to us and parents seem so unfair and square.

Somewhere around our mid twenties, however; our parents somehow miraculously start getting smarter. I'm not quite sure how this metamorphosis comes about, but slowly our parents are no longer the dimwits we once thought they were. As we tell our own children that they must brush their teeth and no, they can not have cookies for breakfast, our mother's just smile that knowing smile.

As a child who was often sent to her room for punishment, I had the bad habit of stomping up the stairs. My mother's solution to this display of temper was to tell me to come back down and wipe up all those stomps. In my mind, this was a cruel and unusual punishment created by a woman who was out of her mind. That is until I heard myself saying the exact same thing to my five year old daughter as she sullenly headed for her bedroom.

I did my best not to laugh as she incredulously looked at me and said, "Mom, there are no real stomps there." "I know, but you can just wipe up all those pretend stomps, " I replied. And she did of course with about as much enthusiasm as I have when it is time to clean toilets! Maybe my mother was a genius and I just never realized it. Or maybe, just maybe, I have become wise in my advanced years. Maybe I have learned to reason, as only adults can, that there are consequences for all actions good or bad. However this change occurred and no matter how gradually, I have indeed become the image of my mother. Not a duplicate copy mind you, but a pattern of what a good but not always perfect mother should be. I am the encourager of good behavior, the trainer of a young mind, the guiding hand in an uncertain world. It seems a long time in coming, but a big thanks to you mom.

Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!

My Library Displays

Today I switched out the children's display case at my local library. I took out the beach theme that went along with this year's summer reading program and replaced it with a cooking theme. I started setting up the children's displays last September when I heard the children's librarian was looking for things to display. It was a Barbie theme with dolls and accessories graciously lent to me by my daughter. I divided the two shelves into four sections and set up little Barbie scenes. One area was a driving to the beach scene with a Barbie Jeep and lots of road signs. Barbie let Ken drive of course because she didn't want to hurt his manly feelings. Another area depicted a teenager babysitting Kelly and a friend. The teen was at a table doing homework and the kids sat on a couch watching television. The the other two sections were a mix of Barbie DVDs also borrowed from my darling daughter and variously dressed Barbies. And of course, Barbie books from the libraries shelves were prominently displayed on top of the small, oak case. To me it was a thing of beauty and an outlet for my creative soul. I was told record numbers of Barbie books were checked out that month.

Somehow this one successful display led to an other and another until I realized I am now unofficially in charge of the children's display case. At Thanksgiving time I did a autumn display, at Christmas I did a Winter village resplendent with Lemax buildings, trees, fake snow, and small people. In February I did a Hawaiian display thinking that if people were as tired of the cold and snow as I was they would enjoy such a creation. I did a welcome Spring/Easter theme, A seashell display, Dive into Reading Summer Beach display, and finally today's cooking up Some Fun theme. I find that not only does this creative process bring me great joy, it leaves me hoping that others share in the joy as well. As I place carefully chosen books with each display, I wonder will it encourage children to ask if they can take books home to read. I don't know for sure, but it is my greatest hope that it does. Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!

There Will Always Be Nay Sayers

Recently I had one of those days. You know the kind, the type of day where you just wish you could climb back into bed and start all over. It started with someone critisizing my publishing company and claiming it was a self publisher. Now normally I wouldn't get upset if someone had an opinion different from mine, after all we are all entitled to think what we want; but this woman had the audacity to critisize on the publishers own FB site set up for the encouragement and support of its authors. Her comments seemed to imply that those of us who chose to go with this particular publisher were ignorant and not capable of making sound decisions for ourselves.

From there, the days woes seemed to escalate. A simple misunderstanding between myself and a fellow author about websites caused a person I did not even know to personally attack my site claiming that it was unprofessional and not fit for children. This on top of the previous criticism caused me to have a temporary sense of despair which I commented upon on an support site.

The outpouring of kind words and encouragement from the other authors on that site reminded me of two things. First, there will always be naysayers. People who try and diminish other's self worth, people who are pessemistic, people who don't have anything nice to say, people who think their opinion is the only right opinion, and people who are miserable and want other's to be miserable as well. And second, as Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." I realized fairly quickly that it isn't important what others think or say about my choices. They are my choices good or bad. What is important is that I believe in my choices, do my best to uphold them, and take resposibility for them. As my sister would say, it is up to me to chose joy. And that is exactly what I did. Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day.

Never Give Up

We have all heard the phrase "Never Give Up" at some point in our lives. And while this may seem like a simple enough concept to practise, it is much more elusive than one might think. Never giving up requires thought, hard work, determination, and did I mention hard work? Oddly enough, patience (not one of my better virtues) seems to go hand in hand with not giving up.

As a writer, persistence and patience are necessities if you want to get published. Just imagine what would have happened if I had thrown in the towel after my first thirty six rejections. That's right, absolutely nothing. But instead of giving up and giving in, I sent my manuscript to one more publisher who happened to see the same possibilities in my work that I did. The very publisher who I am now in contract with and who has opened the doors of yet unknown possibilities to me.

These are the qualities that my husband and I strive to teach our young daughter as well. And whom I might add practises them infinitely better at the tender age of five then does her mother who is over forty. For example, when she was only three she wanted to be able to snap her fingers more than anything else in the world. So we showed her how and told her that the only way to get good at something was to practise and never give up. It was amusing to watch her try over and over again for months until she finally mastered the art. It was not nearly as amusing when she finally learned how and snapped all day and all night. I know you are laughing now, but that much snapping can get on the nerves of even the most patient of saints which you have already learned I am not!

She applied these same lessons when it came to blowing bubbles with her gum, another of her heart's desires, and when it came to whistling. There were times when she got discouraged and wanted to give up. But we would always remind her don't give up you are almost there. As I watch h er learn and grow and practise the things I teach her, I too am encouraged to continue practising what I preach. I am also encouraged to know that the lessons she learns now will stay with her into adulthood and will serve her well. What more could a parent ask for? Signing of for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!

All things in Moderation

This time last year you would have found me completely ignorant when it came to social media. I was a woman still in the dark ages, wondering if Twitter was a vulgar word and if FaceBook was a yearbook online. Blogs were as foreign to me as eating meat is to a vegetarian and links were something rich men wore on the cuffs of their shirts. Bookshelves were those tangible wooden things in my family room and blackberries were what you needed to make a great pie. But I can say with great pleasure that I am quickly learning the ropes.

I now know that YouTube is not a request to float down the river but is instead where you can download videos or watch about a bazillion videos downloaded by others. I now know that I prefer FaceBook to MySpace which seems to be for a much younger crowd. I have my own website, I Blog my random thoughts (which I am still not sure are being read by anyone), I review books online, and I Tweet and Retweet pearls of great wisdom. OK, maybe I made the wisdom part up, but you must admit I do seem to be getting the hang of this social networking phenomenon.

Spending time on the computer, however, can become addictive. I was lured into the Farmville web and found myself spending time feeding animals and harvesting crops into the wee hours. I started checking my e-mails every ten minutes to see if anyone or anything had changed when I stopped to drink a lemonade or clip my nails. I checked my publishers FaceBook site constantly to see if I had missed any nuggets of useful information. It was almost so bad I could have stood up in a group and said, "Hi my name is Aileen and I am an internetaholic."

So much to my surprise, I recently discovered that I was stronger than the the ebb and flow of the social media sea. "How did I make this great discovery," you ask? I went on vacation to wild and wonderful West Virginia the birthplace of my father. My father and mother take my family and my brother's family to West Virginia annually and this year was no exception. The ten of us stayed in a log cabin in the woods equipped with satellite internet connections for my brother's laptop. But the beauty of the mountains, the cavern tours, the cool river waters, and God's creatures all around me kept my interest and soothed my soul. As a matter of fact, the day I returned home was a continuance of the calm. I had overcome the urgent desire to jump immediately back into the fray. Instead I gradually got back into the groove by downloading my vacation pictures. So through this journey that has seen me go from inept to skilled, I have learned one important thing. All things are good in moderation. Signing of for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!

The Reading Room

Often movies are adaptations of books, but rarely are they about books. So the movie, The Reading Room, starring James Earl Jones was a wonderful surprise to me. The Reading Room is the story of a widower (Mr. Jones) who makes a promise to his dying wife that he will open a reading room in one of the downtown buildings he owns. She knew he would need something to fill the void when she was gone, and she believed that by sharing his extensive library and love of reading with others he would do just that.

Mr. Jones does indeed open a reading room; however, not all the neighborhood residents are happy with his presence there. He struggles to attract people to the room, he struggles with crime, and he struggles with those opposed to change even when that change is beneficial. The Reading Room is a movie that shows that although life is often difficult, something as basic as teaching a child to read can strengthen and rebuild an entire community.

I give this movie two thumbs up. Not only are the actors superb, but the message is as well. Reading is a key that opens many doors and offers everyone the opportunity to learn lessons of respect, loyalty, honesty, community, compassion, and most of all perseverance. So if you have yet to see The Reading Room, I suggest you check it out. Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!

Mixed Feelings

My five year old daughter graduates from pre-school tonight. She will be resplendent in her white cap and gown, she will beautifully sing all the songs she has learned, and she will recite with gusto; but I have mixed feelings about the whole situation!

First of all, I want to know where the time went. This school year passed more quickly than water through a sieve. It seems that some silent monster devoured the days like hungry plants devour the rain. "How can this be?" I ask myself. Shouldn't these precious moments last much longer? And of course, I answer myself (but not out loud) with the reminder that nothing lasts forever. So I try and derive as much pleasure out of each day and each moment that I can.

Secondly, comes the knowledge that my daughter is becoming more and more independent, as she reminds me on a daily basis. "Mommy, I can do it myself," seems to be her new by-phrase. Part of me wants her to grow and learn and be independent knowing that I am helping raise someone who will one day be a responsible and productive part of society, but the other part of me wants her to still need my help. Part of me wants her to continue to look to me for the answers. Part of me is proud of every milestone and every new accomplishment, but part of me wishes I could stop time for a while. It's the age old struggle of letting go that every parent before me has gone through and every parent after me will go through.

So if I cry a tear of grief tonight for all the moments that are gone except in my loving memories don't feel too bad for me my friends. For surely before the night is over, another tear will follow. And that tear will be a tear of joy and gratitude that God has seen fit to allow my husband and I the privilege of raising such a beautiful, thoughtful, and bright child as our Emily! Signing of for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!

Addicted to Social Media?

Are you addicted to social media? I know from personal experience how easy it is to go down that road. There have been many a day when I opted to surf the net instead of doing the evening dishes. Of course I was usually sorry the next morning as I scoured a batch of dried on cheese and tomatoe paste or pried dried bits of corn off of the plates. There have even been times when I told my daughter to wait five more minutes while I finished planting my crops. But thanks be to God, that I realized I was spending way too much time on the computer before I completely lost my mind. So how do you know if you are addicted to social media? The following list, while not scientifically proven, might help you decide.

Top Ten Indications You Might Be Addicted To Social Media

You know you are addicted to social media if:

1. Your blogs are longer then your daily conversations with your family.

2. You check your e-mails every five minutes.

3. You start having withdrawl symptoms if you have not tweeted or posted in fifteen minutes.

4. You unknowingly tell your childen they can have cookies and soda for dinner.

5. You start saying "LOL" instead of actually laughing at your husbands jokes.

6. Your mother calls and you tell her you can't talk because you have crops to plant.

7. You are late getting dinner on the table because you had to retweet 47 inspirational posts.

8. You correct your children and sound like u r txting .

9. You make your children watch "The Little Red Hen" on Youtube instead of reading it to them

before bed.

10. Your family has to send you an events request in order to spend time with you.



So just remember hugging you kids in person is way better then sending them a hug online! Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!

Kid's Do Indeed say the Darndest Things!

Art Linkletter, well know for many things; but probably most famous for his show "Kids Say The Darndest Things", passed away today. And while Mr. Linkletter is no longer with us, the legacy he left behind will carry on beacause children truely are funny and always will be.

My daughter has had darndest moments since she could speak. The most memorable to me is when she was three and I called her Nosey Rosie. She looked at me with the straightest poker face and said, "Mommy, I'm not nosey."

"Then what do you call it," I asked.

"I just need to know everything," she replied. My husband and I laughed over that one for weeks.

Why is it that kids seem to be funnier than adults? Is it the fact that they say exactly what's on their mind because they don't know any better? Is it the fact that they often mix things up or get them wrong? My daughter still thinks we eat fruit cottontail instead of cocktail. Is it the fact that they often don't understand what they are saying? Perhaps it is a combination of all of the above.

Whatever the reason, I encourage you to enjoy these funny kid moments for all they are worth because it is the small happy memories we make each day that is the glue of life. These are the memories that help us get through life's difficult moments. These are the future stories we will tell our children's children. Signing of for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!