Listen, process...then respond. Absorb the experience.

Hopefully you have been able to visit Grandma Julie’s blog. She inspired me to post some thoughts of mine: Two issues are covered here....one lead into the other. Hope I make some sense.

I feel great respect for most of the grey haired family I have and the elderly folks I meet. It has always been this way for me (thanks Mom & Dad). Certain coworkers and acquaintances of mine make me realize that the appreciation I feel for the more experienced generation is lost on them. This is true given that people are not living their lives consciously; probably one reason is because of the fast paced, high technology way we now live (and it’s hard to tell your boss to shut up and listen) or it is easier to just say what you want to say just to get your point across. It is a shame because listening to the voice of experience can benefit us all.

Specifically, many people including me make time to really communicate by actually listening. Listening, so that we can process what we hear and then speak only after having had time to absorb what was being said. Surprisingly some times NO response is necessary. I learned about the technical communication process in the 3 hour Speech 101 college course I took when I was 40 years old. I learned about living CONSCIOUSLY in 10 years of group therapy. It was a slow process...a very long AAH HAA moment.

Having taken the time to get the education on how to live a conscious life and how to actually listen and process in the mind what is being communicated before responding has provided an opportunity for this woman to know how to communicate. However, working, blogging, worshiping and playing with friends that do not take the time to actually communicate appropriately leads me back to the loathsome unconscious level of communication. My bad and no excuse but will work on improving always!

Being a youngster, actually a grey haired senior citizen, listening to the thoughts of more mature individuals is important. Learning to express the knowledge gained through life (without nagging) is a gift. Thankfully we have people like Grandma Julie that have the gift of expressing experiences. Hopefully we all will learn to listen. Life could be simpler.

Listen to your Mom!!!! Happy Mother's Day! Susan :)

Are There Birds in My Future?????

So this morning I went to Rue's to say hi and see what fun thing she was up to today. There is ALWAYS something good happening at her blog. Anyway, while I was catching up on her posts she invited me to go enter a giveaway contest at BJ's Sweet Nothings. And what a surprise...61 people were ahead of me. But I put in my desire to win and I'm wishing for a great outcome. But it got me to thinking about the birds in my life. Most of my childhood I had a parakeet, then I had several different types of birds in my young adult life and then again when my son was 5 we had a parakeet again. Every chance my son and I had to play we would go to pet stores...we loved seeing the birds and other pets. I even had a job once next door to a small pet shop and became friends with some GREAT birds. Then Bela the cat came into my life (white fluffy) when we rescued him. Bela loved my son's parakeet "Santa". They were good friends but I had time because I was a stay at home mom to train and test their "relationship". But now I have 2 tabbies that were rescued after they lived in the forest for 4-5 months and I would be afraid to even think of leaving them alone in the house with a bird - or even turning my back on them for a second. Bela was not a problem because I rescued him from the dumpster of a great Italian restaurant (Bella's in Tampa)and he was more into pizza and pasta. LOL...So this is hard for me - because I really need a bird in my life....I don't know what to do. I'm sure Bax and Charlie will be around for at least another 10 years and that is too long to wait. So in the meantime I have to be contented to going to pet stores for my birdie fix.

Soon I will tell you about my other desire to have a dog.

Hope all of you have a glorious day and may the "best woman" win the bird hooks. (ME) teehee...xoxox Susan

Animal story your going to like!

If you like animals you will love this story. If you have a chance watch this video that a sweet friend shared with me.

Feeling Better - my cold is gone!!!!!

Today is a new day!!!! Yippee I can breathe, I'm not coughing and I actually cleaned the kitchen last night without crying. It is a good thing because I'm going to Jacksonville, FL on Friday and I have to get ready for my trip. Jeff will stay home and get over the cold that I gave him and take care of our kitties. I will visit Mom and stay with Diane and her hubby at the beach, they call me the phantom guest because I'm never there....it is a wonderful vacation for me because I am HOME and I love hanging out with my Mom at the nursing home. She is in a home on the St. John's River. They treat her like family which makes my sister and I very happy because we are not able to visit as much as we use too. But when I am there I feel so much love for her and we play bingo, race horses and eat & chat with her table mates. Mom is great mentally - they have her at a table with other smart people that can have great conversations. She is able to get to the dining room using her feet to scoot along in the wheelchair. I'm really proud of her. She had a major stroke about 4 years ago but has defied the odds and is doing great.

I have shown an oil painting that Jeff and I bought in Saugatuck, Michigan. We fell in love with the town in the painting we imagined we might visit one day and I wanted to share it with you. Living in the Midwest has posed a problem for me...there are no sunny beaches to go to for a long weekend like there were in FL, but we have discovered Saugatuck, the little "artsy village" not too far from Chicago. I also fell in love with these buffet lamps. I believe they reflect the unique style I'm trying to develop.

I'm excited to share that my friend Dot has a new blog called Picket's Place. She is listed in my favorite blogs!
I know I am better faster than usual because of your love and prayers. Thank you so much for thinking of me. Hugs!!! Susan

Six words that describe me

"Thankfully Blessed a child of God"

My first "cool cat" award from Rue

It is so nice to be thought of by a dear friend. I'm delighted to accept this award. It was a tough weekend for me not being "up to par" to do my chores. I pretty much sat around and did nothing trying to get rid of this cold. I'm working today so hopefully that will energize me. Thanks again for the uplift Rue!!! Thanks to everyone that stopped by to wish me well.

Okay so I'm not sure how this looks to you but it was absolutely delish and healthy. These are the meatballs and sauce from the recipe below and we just put them in whole wheat rolls with some peppers, onions and mozzarella. I'm still not feeling well but wanted to do SOMETHING. Tonight Jeff is ordering Chinese!

BLOG NOT LETTING ME BLOG - SORRY

Last night and today I have tried to add a New Post....to no avail...sorry...does anyone know how to communicate with Google Blog's staff for advice?

Great healthy recipe

Last night Jeff and I made dinner together something we often do but this time it was different because Jeff has taken an interest in cooking healthy and he is even watching Ellie's Healthy Appetite on Food Network. We made Turkey Meatballs with Spicy Spaghetti Sauce. To simplify things I made the Spicy Spaghetti Sauce the night before so last night all we had to do was the meatballs and the pasta. The picture at right is from the Food Network website. (hopefully that is okay). I will tell you that it was incredibly delicious and Ellie's show is great. I highly recommend that you go to http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_35518,00.html and make this recipe tonight. Let me know what you think!

WE HAVE A DATE!!!!!!!!

I'm excited now that Kyle's school has set the graduation date. We can book our flight and plan a vacation to coincide with the same weekend. We will fly into Atlanta on Saturday and then we were thinking of flying back home from Atlanta the following Saturday and want to go somewhere romantic and warm for the Memorial weekend week in between. We could go to Neptune Beach, FL or Savannah or Panama City Beach...all are at least a 4 hour drive. Guess I need to get out my travel brochures. Or if you know of a good place please let me know. I grew up in Jacksonville so I know the area but you never know what has cropped up or what place someone else may want to share.

I have a 93 year old cousin that lives near the Atlanta airport. Cousin Dick grew up with my father in the same little town near Atlanta called High Shoals. He calls me about once a week and we talk for a very long time. He is amazingly with it! So we will go visit him either coming or going. He has outlived nearly every one so he calls all the children of his cousins. He has a stamp collection of almost every stamp ever made since he was a kid and he is building a 3Dimensional puzzle of the capitol.

It would be so nice if I had some time to put in some pictures here and music....my job has become very busy as of late so - first things first...

I'm excited my friend French has a blog here now too. Look out world the sistas are taking over!!! xoxo

Well I've booked my flight to visit Mom

After writing about me I decided it was too long since I've visited Mom so I booked a flight in April. I'm so excited. First I called my friend that allows me to be a guest in her home at the beach so that I don't have to stay in a hotel. It is about 30-45 minutes from the nursing home but it gives me a chance to TAKE CARE OF ME too. It will be warm and I will walk on the beach almost every day while I'm there. I love hanging with Mom too. Her nursing home is nice and she and I just relax and chat for hours and hours. I love her friends too. I've met some wonderful people. One DIL of a resident in particular has taken Mom under her wing because she comes to visit her MIL every week so she ALWAYS checks in on Mom too. We don't know what we would do without her. I love southern hospitality.

Welcome Sweet Sisters!

Hi Girlies, just playing around to see how this works. Baxter is sleeping in front of the computer, DH is watching TV. We have to be at a friends in a little over an hour so I thought I would simply design a blog. Plain but some day it might be really pretty. If I learn how. I think it would be fun to share ideas that keep things simple in our lives. I welcome ideas and will even give credit. No money - but credit. Off to play games with some great friends!