Positive Thoughts | Positive Actions | Positive Results
The law of harvest is to reap more than you sow. Sow an act, and you reap a habit. Sow a habit and you reap a character. Sow a character and you reap a destiny. ~ James Allen, 1864 – 1912, British Author
And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
visit with us on 
follow us on 
The place to improve the world is first in one’s own heart and head and hands, and then work outward from there. ~Robert M. Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values)
And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
visit with us on follow us on
EARTH’S AGELESSNESS AND RENEWABILITY INSPIRE HOPE
Earth never really ages. Sure, she adds years just like the rest of us, but she never slips into decrepitude, but is constantly renewing herself into better, more and new…thus, the seasons of renewal…enjoy the show that Nature puts on for us and realize your own agelessness and timelessness – your own Eternality. ~ Kathy Kirk Autumn Color in Medina: Eternality October 18, 2009
And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
visit with us on follow us on
In Memory of Frances Elizabeth Hurley (1924 – 2009)
Frances is remembered, in part, for her many “sayings” one of which is “Give them the flowers now.” This saying is from a poem entitled Give Them The Flowers Now written by Leigh Mitchell Hodges (1876 – 1954). The poem illustrates how Frances viewed life should be lived, and that is to appreciate and share the goodness of life every moment, every day.
Following is an excerpt from the poem:
Just a kind word or a greeting,
Just a warm grasp or a smile –
These are the flowers that will lighten
The burdens for many a mile.
After the journey is over
What is the use of them; how
Can they carry them who must be carried?
Oh, give them the flowers now!
Blooms from the happy heart’s garden
Plucked in the spirit of love,
Blooms that are earthly reflections
Of flowers that blossom above –
Words cannot tell what a measure
Of blessing such gifts will allow
To dwell in the lives of many,
So give them the flowers now!
You may read the entire poem at Ask Avalonne
And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
visit with us on follow us on
We must not allow the clock and the calendar to blind us to the fact that each moment of life is a miracle and mystery. ~H. G. Wells
And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
visit with us on follow us on
OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH, AND THIS WEDNESDAY WIDE SMILE IS DEDICATED TO ANY WOMAN WHOSE LIFE HAS BEEN TOUCHED IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER BY BREAST CANCER.
Perseverance, Determination, Triumph and Hope are represented in the women of a watercolor entitled “Waiting for the Train”, created by artist Carla Cook Smith. A picture of Carla’s work is shown below and is accompanied by her narrative of what it represents. Together, they are powerful and inspriing and exemplify women’s inherent strength. So powerful and inspiring in fact that when you get to the end of the story you will want a print of this painting hanging somewhere prominently so as to be reminded regularly of the power of the human spirit.
CARLA’S NARRATIVE BEGINS HERE…My friend, Pam is represented as the only blonde in the painting. Pam purchased the first print of “Waiting for the Train” and commented to me that women with cancer are like women waiting for the train. Pam does not have breast cancer. She shares the umbrella and waits for the train with her best friend, Linda. A former marine, Linda holds firmly to her identity as exemplified by the purse she holds close to her. Recently, Linda was in the grocery store when she noticed a young woman staring at her. “May I help you?” she asked. The young woman answered by
moving her cart away and traveling down another aisle. A little while later, Linda found herself again in the vicinity of the young woman who continued to stare. “May I help you?” Linda asked more firmly. “I was just thinking how young you are to be so sick,” the woman commented. Seizing the moment, Linda pulled off her scarf in the middle of the store, revealing her newly bald head. (Semper Fi!) “I have lost my hair due to chemo treatments. This is part of what I have to do to get well.” Pam and Linda represent PERSEVERANCE.
The mother of a dear friend, Nancy (personified in red for the vibrant woman she is) is a recent widow. Just six short months after burying the love of her life, Nancy learned she had breast cancer. Chemo took away her hair but not her spirit. Her grace and poise remained in tact as she refused a wig and discovered a love for hats. Nancy is a talented painter and it saddened me to learn that she could not paint because the chemo made her hands shake. The unstoppable “Miss Nancy” wasted no time worrying about what she couldn’t do. Rather, she embraced sculpture and discovered a new talent within herself. Nancy represents DETERMINATION.
I first became acquainted with breast cancer when it interrupted the life of my neighbor and friend, Pat. A busy realtor and the mother of a severely handicapped child, Pat listened to the doctor pronounce her with cancer. “Okay. What is the next step?” she asked. To which the doctor said, “I don’t believe you understand, you have Stage 4 Inflammatory Breast Cancer.” Pat made it clear that she understood and she started asking more questions. The prognosis was grim (as evidenced by the baggage surrounding her), but she never wavered. She had a child who needed her. Death was not an option. She just got on the train. Chemo stop. Radiation stop. T-cells replaced stop. Mastectomy stop. This June marks the 10th year of Pat’s survival. Against all odds, she lives and her daughter thrives. Pat represents TRIUMPH over adversity.
The woman in blue is someone I don’t know. It’s someone’s mother, sister, neighbor, friend. The news is so fresh that she holds her baggage close to her as she waits for the train. Fortunately, for her when she boards the train, she will find a supportive network of caring people. Women are not merely surviving cancer. Women are living and thriving beyond disease and adversity. The woman in blue represents HOPE.
“Waiting for the Train” exemplifies choices beyond the harsh reality of illness.
You can own a print of “Waiting for the Train” and support breast cancer awareness as a portion of the proceeds is donated to a breast cancer awareness charity. Each print is beautifully matted and is $75. You may order directly by sending an email request to the artisit, Carla Cook Smith
And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
visit with us on follow us on