Your Mother Should Know ...

U is for ...

Un.  Un-anything.  You stick UN on a word, and it becomes a negative.  Unfriendly.  Unattractive.  UnAmerican.  But, if you reverse the letters and stick them between do_ _t, you get donut!  Yum!  Now how's that for a ridiculous post! You have to admit that "U" is a difficult letter.  LOL

Umbrella.  You'd think we'd use them in the Pacific Northwest, but few do except tourists.  We don't generally get gully washers, so the rain isn't that bad.

Undu -- the scrapper's friend.  I love this stuff.  If you have been hiding out for the last few years and haven't heard of it, it's a product that let's you lift stickers from your layout.  It doesn't damage the layout, and it doesn't damage the sticker; in fact, you can re-use the sticker.  Also works great for removing pricing stickers from grocery store products.  Great stuff.

I finished my first clear acrylic album this weekend.  Now I need to get pictures so I can show you.  That may take longer than completing the album!

 

T is for ...

Treasures.  And I have many.  Tonight I was able to spend time with two of my treasures, daughter/business partner Brenna, and daughter/web designer, Krista.  And my best SIL -- well, okay, currently my only SIL, but he's still the best -- delivered warm homemade chocolate chip cookies with milk to his wife's office while the three of us were meeting to discuss the final changes pre-testing of the dixiepieces website.  So, treasures all around me.

Then I arrive home, and I'm directed to this website by Shimelle where I found a list of 50 Life Lessons.   One of my personal favorites is number 10.  More treasures, and I'm sharing them with you.  Have a great weekend.

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. God never gives you any more than you can handle..
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't mess up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what
their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get
busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will.   Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don't ask, you don't get.
49. Yield.
50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

S is for ...

Sherry.  :)  It is my monogram afterall.  It's also the name of a 60's Four Seasons song that I first heard when boys were walking past my house singing it one summer evening.  Mom didn't like that; I thought it was cool, but I was embarassed, too.

Stress.  Know anyone who's looking for some?  I'd love to share.  I'm looking for reduced stress.  And, since I probably cannot reduce it, I'm also looking for ways to deal with the stress as it comes.

Sale!  Don't you love that word? I love to check out the sale items.

Sister.  I have only one, but she's a great one.  We live a plane ride apart so don't spend much time together.  Love ya, sis.

Secret.  Shhhh.

Sleep.  Something that will be in short supply again tonight.

R is for ...

Rest.  The body needs a certain amount, and I missed that last night.  Right now it's a bit past my bedtime again.

Reminders.  There are several stories to tell from the weekend, and I'll list them here to remind myself to tell them later.  :)

Building the clear acrylic album
Geysers
Septic tank covers
Delayed laptops
Delayed deliveries
The true cost of do-it-yourself projects

Realistic -- why is it that I have such a tough time arriving at realistic expectations?  I seem to be very optimistic in that area.  Why can't I be optimistic in all other areas and realistic in this one? 

Robert -- a dear man who's been trying to meet the unrealistic expectations of his wife for the past 26 years!  Really, how lucky am I that I have a husband who is willing to undertake huge projects with very little training and very little help?  Re-landscape 70 percent of the yard in one three-day weekend?  Oh, yeah, honey, let me get right on that for ya!  You don't mind feeding me while I'm killing myself, do ya?  LOL  Just kidding; he didn't say those things -- but he might have been thinkin' em!

Reading lists.  See!  I told you we'd get to this one.  I've kept a reading list since 1997.  This reading list is a list of the books I'd read, as in past tense.  I love to read and found myself either buying or borrowing from the library books I'd already read.  So the reading list performed three functions.  It told me which books I'd already read, provided a list of my favorite authors, and recorded how many books I'd read.  In those eight years, I read over 1900 books, which (if my math is correct) averages out to be approx. 4.5 books per week.  That's a lot of reading (and if you want my author list, just let me know)!  In the last 26 months or so, I've finished two books and am working on the third.  Now my reading list is a list of books I want to read when I have time.  Change is good, donkey!  [Shrek]. 

Refresh, as in "go get some sleep, fool, so you can be fresh in the morning to begin your new day". 

Good night all.

Q is for ...

Quiet.  I was quiet last night and didn't post.  I had my little reminder handy, but I watched a movie instead -- one I recommend.  "Fracture" has Anthony Hopkins in it, and I was a bit fearful it would be like Silence of the Lambs.  Thank goodness it was not; it was suspenseful but not frightening.

Quarters.  Are we all collecting state quarters?  I'm not but my husband is.  I wonder if he has all the ones that have been released?  I haven't seen him putting them in their folders lately.  Kinda of a neat idea though, having quarters for each state.  There must be a scrapbook idea in there somewhere ...

Quaint.  The adjective the technician used to describe the problems I'm having with my old, limping-along-until-my-new-one-arrives work laptop.  :)  It's a technical term, don'tyaknow!  LOL

Quotes.  Do you save quotes that are meaningful to you?  I do.  Kinda like my reading list (we'll talk about that on "R" day), I didn't start collecting them for years.  For the last ten years, I've been saving them in my Outlook Notes folder.  Then I read Stacy Julian's blog tonight, and she was talking about quotes.  She asked for quotes that, when you first heard them, could have been something you could have said yourself.  It reminded me of a few favorites, but I'll leave you tonight with the quote that had the biggest impact on my life.  I don't know if it affected me because I'm a crusader at heart or if I'm a crusader because it affected me so much.  You decide:

In Germany they came first for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time no one was left to speak up.

Martin Niemoeller

P is for ...

Pretty darn late to be up on a work night!  :)  I need sleep; my eyes are burning.  But I had too much on my task list today and didn't get near enough done.  Short days; long lists. 

Planning.  Maybe I should plan for shorter lists cause I sure can't add any hours to my day.  But, I am ...

Persistent.  I don't give up easily.  Or quickly.  Some might call that trait bull-headed, but that would be a "b" word.  LOL

Paper.  Love paper. Love, love, love it.  Starting school in September was always great because I had new paper, new pens, new books, new folders.  A paper lover's dream come true.  And now I scrapbook.  Love the digital -- it's on my list to learn and conquer [now, remember the length of the list], but I don't think I'll ever be able to give up paper.  I'm working toward a mixed media kinda scrapbooker.

Playlists.  As in iPod.  I mentioned I'd talk about playlists when I got to the P's.  We're here.  My girlfriend told me about playlists, and how ya gotta have em.  [think about the persistent trait listed above]  But I'm thinkin', nah... the iPod has a shuffle feature, and it'll take me a long time to get through the 500 plus songs I already have loaded.  Sounded good in theory.  But, somehow the shuffle feature gets turned off, and you must begin fresh.  Bummer [not a p word but a favorite nonetheless.]  So thus far I've created one playlist with [currently] 21 songs.  It's called "WakeUp", and here it is, my gift to you.  Good night all. 

Everyday by Buddy Holly
That'll be the Day by Buddy Holly
Don't Stop Now by Crowded House
She Bob by Cyndi Lauper
Club at the End of the Street by Elton John
Freeze Frame by J. Geils Band
Come a Little Bit Closer by Jay and the Americans
Let's Lock The Door by Jay and the Americans
All Night Long by Lionel Richie
Question by the Moody Blues
Me and Julio Down by the School Yard by Paul Simon
I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) by the Proclaimers
Addicted to Love by Robert Palmer
Simply Irresistable by Robert Palmer
Get Off My Cloud by The Stones
Jumpin Jack Flash by the Stones
Why Don't You Write Me by Simon and Garfunkel
The 59th Street Bridge Song by Simon and Garfunkel
Typical Male by Tina Turner
Mockingbird by Toby Keith
U Can't Touch This by Hammer

And it's an "O" day!

O is for order.  I love to have all my ducks in a row and my workspace in order, my scrapspace in order, and all my supplies in order.  Somehow it's just easier for me to function in an orderly environment.  I also function better when I take the time to think and process information, but that's another story. 

Orange.  The fruit is nice, but I'm talking about the color.  Right now, I'm enjoying it with red and pink, but it's also nice at Halloween time with purple. 

Okay.  a word I use day in and day out.  It's gonna be okay, or OK I'll do that.

and October.  Fall colors.  Pumpkin pie.  Red apples.  And adorable little children who dress up for Halloween and still do trick or treat. 

And what would an "O" day be without one of my all-time favorite songs, On the Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding ...

 

N is for ...

No.  Nada.  Nicht.  All suggesting that I don't have a problem saying no or maintaining my boundaries.  Unfortunately, I do have a problem.  It's so hard to say no when you feel guilty or when you really want to do something even when you know it's not healthy or you don't have time to do.  Something usually has to give, and that's my sleep and peace of mind, communication with friends, cards to others.  All things I believe to be important.

Another "N" word is new, as in new beginnings, new season, new start, new day.   New opportunity to do ... whatever you want a fresh start to do.  :)  From Michael Buble:

Stars when you shine
You know how I feel
Scent of the pine
You know how I feel
Oh freedom is mine
And I know how I feel
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me

M is for ...

Monday.  The first day of the work work, and the day I'm usually thinking about at this time on a Sunday night.  I don't relish Monday mornings, but then, I'm not a morning person anyway. 

Mothers.  God bless them.

Men.  God bless them, too. 

Mystery, another word for men.  LOL

Money.  It's another "m" word.

Okay, weekend's over.  I didn't do the "m" justice.  Mums the word.  :)

ETA:  Wow, I must have been tired last night cause this is a poor post.  LOL  And I totally missed the word music, which is pretty instrumental (did ya catch that one??) in my life.  Love it.  I need to continue loading up my iPod, and I need to create some playlists!  I'll tell you about playlists in "P" day.  :))

L is for ...

Late.  My middle name.  But I AM late.  I should have posted the "L" word yesterday.

Light.  Sunlight.  Daylight.  I love light.  I think it soaks into my skin and brightens my mood or something.

Love.  What can I say?  I don't think my life would be as rewarding if I didn't have people (and pets) to love and who loved me.  I wouldn't trade that for anything.

Lottery.  Could I win the jackpot, please????  I promise to share.  :)