A gift: The capacity to love.

A few years ago, I read a wonderful little book: "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor E. Frankl. He and his wife were Jews sent to separate camps during the horrible Third Reich's terror of WWII. He did not know if his wife was dead or alive (she was murdered). He realized one day in his misery and suffering, it did not matter. What matter was he had known love. What a gift!!! I still draw from that passage to help me appreciate the things that truly matter in my life; the capacity to love.

You're looking at the picture above of my mother-in-law, Shirley. I really should say my "other" mother and a true friend. Shirley had colon cancer surgery over 1 1/2 years ago. It was recommended chemo at that time; but she refused; saying she'll take her chances. Well, it returned - lungs, liver and bones. With treatment; 2 years. Shirley's response: "O.K., I was wrong. Let's do it your way." Treatment starts Monday.

Between Shirley and me, we decided the 2 years given her wasn't enough; "Let's go for 5". Her four daughters don't live close, but they are a loving family. They keep thanking me over and over for being there and for my hardship in caring for Shirley.

Here's the payoff. I'm the lucky one because I am close by and I have received the capacity to love. There's no inconvience. I'm the one that gets to spend time with the one I love.

We're planning now on how to spend this time. So, instead of saying "We should" we are saying "Let's go".

Join my "Earth Day Club". It's free!!!!

I totally love this picture of an Iowa roadside. What mades it special for me is the wildflowers with the pickup in the back ground. It doesn't get more earthy and organic for an Iowan gal like me.

April 22, 2010, is the 40th anniversity of national Earth Day. Let's make a difference. Let's leave all the politics behind us; and the science, whichever side you are on. Let's just give graditude for the spirtuality that this world has given us. Let's give back.

What I'm proposing on this day is not earth shattering; just join my little "club".

Mark the 22nd of this month to pick up one piece of litter and dispose. How simple!!!!

Pass it on. There's 300 million of us in the U.S.

We could be the start of something big.

We all need a vision.

This last week has been so inspiring.

Tuesday night I spent an "Evening with Deepak Chopra" at the Qwest Center in Omaha. His book "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success" has been by my side for several years. I reread it whenever I need to get my life back to balance. I give it away to all my friends. It was a wonderful night.

The next day was awesome. I went to the ICAN Leadership Conference; again at the Qwest Center. A day of fellowship, inspiration, motivation and networking for women. The speakers were amazing, the vendors interesting and the food plentiful. I came away refreshed, renewed and rewarded.

But, what stayed with me the most was the new friend I met during the lunch.

I sat down at the round table for eight, sitting beside a new person from the morning session. I introduced myself and she did also. (This is what we do at conferences.) Her name is Beth Katz and I want everyone to meet and know her. This lovely young lady is a jewel.

We all should have visions. My vision to keep pecticides out of children's lifes. Her vision: (my words, not hers) "harmony in the world". Beth is the executive director and founder of Project Infaith. Their mission statement:

"Project Interfaith grows understanding, respect and relationships among people of all faiths, beliefs, and cultures."

How refreshing. Instead of barbs, ridicule and mistrust; compassion and the want to understand. 

Want to be a better person?

Please go to http://www.projectinterfaithusa.org/.

You'll thank me.

I Love Spring!!!!!

Who doesn't love spring, especially us midwesterners? Spring brings to us moments of appreciation. We did it! We survived another brutal winter. We still love our  spouses after all those cold, long winter nights. We are reborn!!!

We feel sorry for our friends in the south that don't have the dramatic changes of seasons. Oh sure, their weather is perfect all year long.

Boring..

We midwesterners are absolutely giddy when we have one day of the week over 40 degrees. We love the whole world. (Take that, San Diego.) 

I've had the greatest weekend. Nothing that would make the 6:00 news, or even the local newspaper.

So, what did I do?

Well, Friday, I took the day off with my two favorite girlfriends - daughter, Stef and her daughter, Alex. We spent a day shopping and bonding. No  pressure, no deadlines, only fun and sillyness. How could I be so lucky?

Other reasons why I love spring:

• I have so much more energy. I've noticed all my dirty windows - but now I want to clean them.
• I picked up a flower garden magazine at the grocery store and have read it cover to cover, totally enjoying it, knowing full well I will never do any the new ideas I discovered. (Don't care.)
• Walked the dogs until they were actually tired. Victory for me.
• Worked in the yard. Got giddy again when I discovered some green poking through the dirt.

You know, when a person is able to enjoy the little pleasures of the day, life is always good and you are blessed.

Making a difference

When I'm preparing our evening meal each night (supper for the midwest-dinner for the rest of you) I always tune in to NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams. Why I have that preference is because of one segment that ends the broadcast; "Making a Difference". It's about everyday people making a positive difference in someone's life. After listening to all the troubles of the world; it's so refreshing to learn of good turn. Nothing earth shattering; just a person or a group of persons doing something from the heart to help their fellow man and woman.

Tonight, it really touched my heart - foster home for pets for our service men and women deployed overseas.

You, who know me, know what I feel about animals, especially dogs. They have always been my haven, my King X's and sometimes; the only ones I could trust.

Well, before I get too sappy, let me tell you about this beautiful group of people. Sometimes a person who must leave for a while can't find a home for their best friend. That where the Guardian Angels for Soldiers' pets come in. They have established a network of foster homes for this need.

Is this awesome or what!

I love  people that are always coming up with solutions instead shaking their heads in sorrow.

To learn more about this, please go to http://www.guardianangelsforsoldierspet.org/.

I love animals; but I really, really, love the human race.

Complains - the American pasttime.

FACT:  I get so upset when I have to run the water faucet to get it really cold.
FACT:  One Billion of the world citizens remain without satisfactory safe drinking water. Two Billion of our world citizens have not access to adequate sanification.

YET - I COMPLAIN.


FACT: OMG-----I haven't been shopping for so long. I can't stand anything in my closet.
FACT: At least 80% of the world lives on $10.00 a day.

YET - I COMPLAIN.

FACT: I'm reading the most incredible book. I can't wait to discuss it at my book clubs. So many books to read.  When will I find the time?
FACT: Nearly one billion people entered the 21st century unable to read or  sign their name.

YET -  I COMPLAIN.


FACT: I can't  think on something new for our evening meals. I guess I'll just wandered the aisles until something looks good to me.
FACT: The World Health Organization estimates 50,000 in Africa will die each month from malnutrition or disease.

 YET - I COMPLAIN.

I live in America. It's not perfect; but I'm going to stop complaining.

Which zebra is endangered?

The first thing I learned about the zebra was there are three different kinds of zebras. Didn't know that. There's the plains and mountain zebras. Then there is the endangered Grevy's zebra. It's featured on Animal Tails organic cotton short sleeved t-shirt; and it is a favorite of little girls. Here's what the hang tag say:

"Hello Darlings! I'm the high fashion queen of the African plains. I am also the tallest of  all the wild equines worldwide - as you'd expect from one with such great model credentials. I live in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, where I graze all day on delicious grass. My stripes are closer together and thinner than the Plains zebra. They act as good camouflage as the stripes help break up the outline of me when viewed through the bushes. I am named after President Grevy who received one of my relatives as a gift in the 1800's from Abyssinia.

It hasn't been good to be at the height of fashion, as I was hunted almost to extinction. Having such thin stripes compared to other zebras, hunters got more stripes per inch. My relatives have been turned into handbags, slippers, purses and rugs. Although hunting is now banned, we are still endangered because of loss of our habitat to arable farming domestic herds."

So, there you have it. Because of fashion wants, the Grevy's zebra's numbers in the wild went from 15,000 a few decades ago to fewer than 2,500 today. According the African Wildlife Foundation, the greatest threat today is loss of habitat to agricultural use. The AWF has made considerable progress in bringing back the numbers, and; hopefully, someday they will be removed from the endangered list.

This cool shirt is our current "Special". Visit http://www.rubij.com/ to see this and our other Animal Tails.