Happy New Year's Eve

He sent this to me so I thought I'd share it with you - lol!

Life is too short to wake up with regrets.

Love the people who treat you right.

Forget about the ones who don't.

Believe everything happens for a reason.

If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.

If it changes your life, let it.

Nobody said life would be easy.

They just promised it would be worth it.

Happy Birthday John Denver-
Denver was born in Roswell, New Mexico as Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr to Erma Louise Swope and Henry John Deutschendorf, Sr., an Air Force officer and flight instructor of German ancestry.

A pilot with over 2,700 hours of experience, Denver had single-engine land and sea, multi-engine land, glider, and instrument ratings. He also held a type rating in a Learjet. He had recently purchased the Long-EZ aircraft and had taken a half-hour checkout flight with the aircraft the day before the accident. The NTSB cited Denver's unfamiliarity with the aircraft and his failure to have the aircraft refueled as causal factors in the accident. Denver was the sole occupant of the aircraft.

Before the accident, the FAA had learned of his failure to abstain entirely from alcohol subsequent to drunk driving arrests, and since his medical certification was conditional on this, a determination was made that due to his drinking problem, he was not qualified for any class of medical certification at the time. At least a third-class medical certification was required to exercise the privileges of his pilot certificate. There was no trace of alcohol or any other drug in Denver's body at autopsy, however. As the wreck badly disfigured Denver's body, dental records were needed to confirm that the fallen pilot of the Long-EZ was indeed the singer.

This is the day to decide where you will be going. . .



Happy New Year from The Crone's (lol) Chatty

See ya next year and God Bless. Chatty

A lot of information today -

By the way, continuing on yesterday's theme if you will - "There's an important difference between giving up and letting go". - Jessica Hatchigan

I thought this poem would be a good add on - thinking about the end of the year and all -

if' by rudyard kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master,
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling

Happy Birthday to Mary Tyler Moore - Wikipedia

Moore has written two memoirs. The first, After All, released in 1995, in which she acknowledged that she is an alcoholic. The next, Growing Up Again: Life, Loves, and Oh Yeah, Diabetes, was released on April 1, 2009, and focuses on living with type 1 diabetes.

In 1955, aged 18, Mary married Richard Carlton Meeker, whom she described as "the boy next door," and within six weeks was pregnant with her only child, Richard Jr. (born July 3, 1956) (who coincidentally, was known as "Richie", also the name of her TV son on The Dick Van Dyke Show). Meeker and Moore divorced in 1961.

Moore married Grant Tinker, an NBC executive in 1962, and in 1970 they formed the television production company MTM Enterprises, which created and produced the company's first television series, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. MTM Enterprises would later produce popular American sitcoms and drama television series such as Rhoda and Phyllis (both spin-offs from The Mary Tyler Moore Show), The Bob Newhart Show, WKRP in Cincinnati, Hill Street Blues, and Newhart. It was later sold to Television South, an ITV Franchise holder during the 1980s. Moore and Tinker divorced in 1981.

Moore's son Richie died of a self-inflicted gunshot in 1980. He was accidentally shot in the head while handling a sawed off shotgun. The gun was later taken off the market because of its "hair trigger". Just prior to his death, Moore had secured a job for him in the CBS mail room.

She married Dr. Robert Levine on November 23, 1983 at the Pierre Hotel in New York City. They met when her mother was treated by him in New York on a weekend house call after returning from a visit to the Pope at the Vatican.

You are never too old to learn and you can learn something every day - another good goal.

Love,
chatty

5 Minutes to Happy . . .

And my last list . . .

Yet another list from Woman's Day - June 16, 2009

Try one of these to boost your spirit:

1. Start a blog. ♥ (Check)

2. Make up a ridiculous story - if someone is fueling your sour mood, create a goofy character based on that person. ---

3. Put yourself in the movies. Think of your favorite scene and put yourself in it. ---

4. Soak up the sun. Vitamin D3 is important for good health. ♥ I have been reading this everywhere!!!!!!!!!

5. Touch your toes - it opens your hips. ♥ I didn't know that, but I do it at Curves all the time.

6. Take it all in. All the little things. ♥

7. Turn on the tunes. ♥

8. Show off your moves. Dance. ---

9. Put photos on the fridge. ♥

10. Get plant happy.

11. Create a new code. Change your password to a positive code.

12. Break out of the box. So something new. ♥

13. Mark your calender. Put an event in it you look forward to.

14. Be generous. ♥

15. Turn negative into positive. (I do try).

16. Send out good vibes. (I do try).

17. Lend a hand. ♥

18. Think of the good stuff. ♥

OR

Don't do any of the things listed above and you might be unhappy in five minutes (lol). Again, I go back to my mantra.

It's always about choice. Mine too!

Chatty

“You can do anything you think you can. This knowledge is literally the gift of the gods, for through it you can solve every human problem. It should make of you an incurable optimist. It is the open door.” —Robert Collier (1885-1950); motivational author

And the reverse is true:
If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning.
- Catherine Aird

5 Signs you're healthier than you think . . .

From Woman's Day - June 16, 2009

1. You have several cups of coffee a day. A recent Swedish study found that people who drink 3 to 5 cups of coffee at midlife are less likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer's later on.

2. You say 'thanks'. A new study reveals that expressing gratitude may be the key to happiness and overall well-being.

3. You laugh a lot. Research has shown that laughter expands blood vessels and might even lower your heart attack risk.

4. You tidy up the house. Just 20 minutes of sweeping, scrubbing, and doing other household chores can boost your mood, not to mention burn calories.

5. You surf the Internet. UCLA research shows that it stimulates brain activity.

Well, according to this list - I'm healthy! (lol)

Love,
Chatty

And a thought to leave you with -

In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you. - Deepak Chopra

Fun Friday

"Could we change our attitude, we should not only see life differently, but life itself would come to be different."– Katherine Mansfield

WHITE LIE CAKE

Have you ever told a white lie? You are going to love this, especially all of those who bake for church events.

Alice Grayson was to bake a cake for the Baptist Church Ladies' Group in Tuscaloosa , but forgot to do it until the last minute. She remembered the morning of the bake sale; and, after rummaging through cabinets, found an angel food cake mix and quickly made it while drying her hair, dressing, and helping her son pack for Scout camp.

When Alice took the cake from the oven, the center had dropped flat and the cake was horribly disfigured. She thought, 'Oh dear, there is not time to bake another cake.'
This cake was important to Alice because she did so want to fit in at her new church and in her new community of friends. So, being inventive, she looked around the house for something to build up the center of the cake. Alice found it in the bathroom - a roll of toilet paper. She plunked it in and covered it with icing. Not only did the finished product look beautiful, it looked perfect.

Before she left the house to drop the cake by the church and head for work, Alice woke her daughter Amanda and gave her some money and specific instructions to be at the bake sale the moment it opened at 9:30 and to buy the cake and bring it home.

When Amanda arrived at the sale, she found the attractive, perfect cake had already been sold. She grabbed her cell phone and called her mom.

Alice was horrified - she was beside herself. Everyone would know! What would they think? She would be ostracized, talked about, and ridiculed! All night, Alice lay awake in bed thinking about people pointing fingers at her and talking about her behind her back.

The next day, Alice promised herself she would try not to think about the cake and would attend the fancy luncheon/bridal shower at the home of a fellow church member and try to have a good time.

Alice did not want to attend because the hostess was a snob who more than once had looked down her nose at Alice because she was a single parent and not from the founding families of Tuscaloosa . But, having already RSVP'd, she couldn't think of a believable excuse to stay home.

The meal was elegant, the company was definitely upper crust old South and, to Alice 's horror, the cake in question was presented for dessert! Alice felt the blood drain from her body when she saw the cake!

She started out of her chair to tell the hostess all about it, but before she could get to her feet, the Mayor's wife said, 'What a beautiful cake!'

Alice still stunned, sat back in her chair when she heard the hostess (who was a prominent church member) say, 'Thank you, I baked it myself.'


Dear Wife,

I'm writing you this letter to tell you that I'm leaving you forever. I've been a good man to you for 7 years and I have nothing to show for it. These last 2 weeks have been hell. Your boss called to tell me that you quit your job today and that was the last straw. Last week, you came home and didn't even notice I had a new haircut, had cooked your favorite meal and even wore a brand new pair of silk boxers. You ate in 2 minutes, and went straight to sleep after watching all of your soaps. You don't tell me you love me anymore, you don't want sex or anything that connects us as husband and wife. Either you're cheating on me or you don't love me any longer, whatever the case, I'm gone.

Your EX-Husband..

P.S. Don't try to find me. Your SISTER and I are moving away to West Virginia
together! Have a great life!

Dear Ex-Husband,

Nothing has made my day more than receiving your letter. It's true you and I have been married for 7 years, although a good man is a far cry from what you've been. I watch my soaps so much because they drown out your constant whining and griping. Too bad that doesn't work. I DID notice when you got a hair cut last week, but the first thing that came to mind was 'You look just like a girl!' Since my mother raised me not to say anything if you can't say something nice, I didn't comment. And when you cooked my favorite meal, you must have gotten me confused with MY SISTER, because I stopped eating pork 7 years ago. About those new silk boxers: I turned away from you because the $49.99 price tag was still on them, and I prayed it was a coincidence that my SISTER had just borrowed $50 from me that morning. After all of this, I still loved you and felt we could work it out. So when I hit the lotto for $ 35 million, I quit my job and bought us 2 tickets to Jamaica. But when I got home you were gone. Everything happens for a reason, I guess. I hope you have the fulfilling life you always wanted. My lawyer said that the letter you wrote ensures you won't get a dime from me. So take care.

Signed, Your Ex-Wife, Rich As Hell & Free!

PS. I don't know if I ever told you this, but my SISTER Carla was born Carl. I hope that's not a problem.



The following was developed as a mental age assessment by the School of Psychiatry at Harvard University . Take your time and see if you can read each line aloud without a mistake.

The average person over 40 years of age cannot do it!

1. This is this cat.
2. This is is cat.
3. This is how cat.
4. This is you cat.
5. This is keep cat.
6. This is an cat.
7. This is old cat.
8. This is fart cat.
9. This is busy cat.
10. This is for cat.
11. This is forty cat.
12. This is seconds cat.

Now go back and read the third word in each line from the top down and I betcha' you cannot resist passing it on.


What is the difference between Bird Flu and Swine Flu?

For bird flu you need tweetment, and for swine flu you need oinkment. GOT IT???

What does your name mean?

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

My name is Sandra:

You Are Seductive and Ruthless

You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong.
You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know.
You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do.

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.
You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.
You have the classic "Type A" personality.

You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people.
You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts.
You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row.
You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace.
People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality.

You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing.
You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long.
You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.

You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone.
You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together.
At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.

Well, some things are right on and I hope some things aren't! What does your name mean?

You wake up in the morning, and your purse is magically filled with twenty-four hours of unmanufactured tissue of the universe of your life! It is yours. It is the most precious of possessions. No one can take it from you. And no one receives either more or less than you receive. - Dr. Thomas Arnold Bennett

Love y'all,

chatty

A Story to think about this weekend as you go about your business . . .

For today's meditation, we turn to contemporary writer Gregg Krech, author of "Life is a Matter of Attention." Gregg wisely tells us...

Your experience of life is not based on your life, but on what you pay attention to.

Moose Pass, Alaska - on the way to Homer

Benny Benson was a student when Alaska was made a state 50 years ago - they had a contest for the students to design a flag - Benny Benson won - the stars are in the shape of the Big Dipper.

Okay this is a cabin I saw on my way to Homer. Isn't it cool? Burrell wood knots right in the wood.

Well only two cities left to visit next week . . .

This is a poem written by a teenager with cancer.
(Maybe that is true or maybe not - but does that matter - just try to get the message.)

SLOW DANCE

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round?

Or listened to the rain slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?

Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down.

Don't dance so fast.

Time is short.

The music won't last.

Do you run through each day on the fly?

When you ask how are you?

Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head?

You'd better slow down

Don't dance so fast.

Time is short.

The music won't last.

Ever told your child, we'll do it tomorrow?

And in your haste, not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch, let a good friendship die xause you never had time to call and say,'Hi'

You'd better slow down.

Don't dance so fast.

Time is short.

The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere

You miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,

It is like an unopened gift.... thrown away.

Life is not a race.

Do take it slower

Hear the music

Before the song is over.

So while you're out and about today - slow down - enjoy what you are doing - try to be nice to others. Try to give a smile away - you can't do it -f or you'll always get one back. True.

Love,
Chatty

Seward, Alaska - where my heart fell in love . . .

Okay, these are going to be pictures of Seward, Alaska. I think everyone picks a different place in Alaska that they fall in love with. My son liked Homer - I loved Seward. It was a place I think I could be home at. Part of my heart is still there and probably always will be. I had tried gelato earlier, but this is where I fell in love with this particular variant of ice cream.

The start of the Iditarod used to be here - now there isn't enough snow at the time it starts to start it there so they moved it a bit farther north.

If I were rich - this Cabin On The Cliff would be mine! It had everything you wanted or needed in the cabin. A huge deck as big or bigger than the cabin - a hot tub, rocker, grill, table and chairs outside. A kitchen, fireplace, bathroom, the shower had a rain forest spout and you got totally soaked, television, and the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in. In fact I had the best sleep there than I have had in 20+ years. Felt safe and at home . . .

A restaurant there - isn't that a cool name?

I went on an 8 hour cruise - saw a ton of marine animals - we went to see the glacier up close.

Now glaciers cover mountains and when they retreat they crush the mountain - literally - into tiny pebbles and silt (like sand) - here these smaller rocks stand - alone - they didn't get crushed - how did they withstand the crushing and nothing else? What made them withstand . . .

The actual glacier coming into view - with bits of ice that had come off - they look little but they are big and what is under the water even bigger. I felt like I was on the Titanic.

Going to Harding Ice Field - this is where the glacier was in 1917. This is me.

Now I walked the one on the left and my son walked the one on the right - the 8 mile hike. Mine was about 2 miles each way. It was the only part of the trip where I thought I might die - just kidding- but it was hard.

No moose to be seen yet, but their droppings were everywhere.

Dirt on my bluejeans - proof of my climb.

Glacier meeting rock - just like it is the most normal thing in the world to see.

Alaska has 5 active volcano's.

Enthusiasm is a volcano on whose top never grows the grass of hesitation. - Kahlil Gibran

If you stopped - and sat down - didn't rush - didn't talk - just listened quietly - you could hear the creaks and groans of this volcano. Much like slowing down in life . . .

“Listening is an attitude of the heart, a genuine desire to be with another which both attracts and heals.” —J. Isham

“Listening is such a simple act. It requires us to be present, and that takes practice, but we don't have to do anything else. We don't have to advise, or coach, or sound wise. We just have to be willing to sit there and listen.” —Margaret J. Wheatley; writer, consultant

Bear with me here - I'm almost done with my trip - my drive to Homer, Homer, and Alyeska Resort and sadly it will be over.

I'm already reading books on women who have made a difference . . . so stay tuned.

The McKinley Explorer

The Alaskan Railroad to Denali. Actually I took the McKinley Rail run by the Princess Cruise Line and it was attached to the Alaskan Railroad cars. (To tell you the truth they had the better and prettier car.) Mine had a glass dome and I sat upstairs. The dining car was below. At first it was freezing and several people complained. The lady/guide explained not to worry - in a little while we'd all be wanting more. She was right as the glass dome did heat up a little bit. I must admit I feel asleep on the train and woke myself up snoring. The guide I had on the way to Denali was excellent and I have her name written somewhere in my notes and I am going to write up a good comment on her. Coming back - not so good. Same for the bar tender. Yes - even tried a Mississippi Mud Slide drink. Something new - as I was trying to do and taste some things I had never done before.

This was mine - notice the clear dome on the top and all windows on the side. Like I said you sat upstairs and had a clear view where ever you looked. Below were the dining cars - they served two meals if you were interested. Complete with tablecloth and linens. Sometimes you sat with someone and sometimes you sat alone - I guess depending on how many people wanted to eat at a time. Met some travelers from other cities in the US on the train. Everyone was pretty friendly. They had a souvenir shop too.

The views were spectacular. Passed Wasilla where Sarah Palin lived. They like her a lot there. The guide told us stories from beginning to end. My son went five years ago on the Alaskan Railroad and there was no guide and no stories. Another difference.

It took 8 hours to get into Denali. Actually it took me right up to Denali National Park. The only way to get into Denali National Park itself was to be taken in by bus from the train. You cannot drive a car into Denali National Park. The park is seasonal and stays open from about April to September. When it does close they give 350 people (via a lottery) from Alaska the opportunity to drive through it before it closes totally up for the winter.

They do have dog sleds in the park all winter long - looking for poachers. The number one thing I have found there - is the love people have for their sites and their animals.

I have a friend from NC and she said it seemed as if I feel in love with Alaska. I did. I have another friend from California (we all started in Chicago) who went to Alaska last year and when I asked her if she felt the same she said, "Yes!" I'm not alone I can assure you.

Okay my son, daughter in law, and me - we looked at my pictures. It brought back memories for them. Now they went on their own, but camped out and did hostels. I went the 'nice' way. So it ended up that I got a lot more stories and inside information and facts with my guided way (and I had some great guides) then they did on their own. My daughter says I'm like a walking encycolpedia.

I'm just trying not to forget.

Chatty