Thanks, Young Cousin!

In one way or another, you always learn something from being in the company of children.
I was blessed to spend time with a cousin of mine recently.  She lives in Baltimore.  She is eight or nine years old and was patient enough to show me how to use a what I think is called a Wii game.  She and I did two videos together, and of course her scores were much higher than mine, but she was a gracious winner.  She showed me how to hold the controller, where to stand, and reminded me to focus on my hand with the device in it more than moving my feet.  I had fun and got a good cardio workout.  I also learned the correct words to the song, Smooth Criminal, by Michael Jackson, because they appeared on the screen.  I thought the lyrics were, "Annie, are you walking?  Are you walking, Annie?"  I found out they were, "Annie are you okay?  Are you okay, Annie?"
All these years I have been singing the wrong words.  Thanks to my young cousin, I now know the correct words, and a few new moves!
Smiles,
Sylvia

Keep Your Mind

I heard these words from a preacher. They are a response to someone who says, "She had no business saying that to me!  I'm going over to her and  and give her a piece of my mind!"
The preacher said, "Don't give a person a piece of your mind.  Keep all of the mind you've got.  You're gonna need it!"
It sounds kind of comical, but it makes sense.  I know I need all of the mind that I  have.
Take care,
Sylvia

Planking

Young people never run out of ways to express themselves.  In earlier times, college students would see how many of them could cram into a VW Beetle, among other antics.  This week I heard about planking.  Young people assume a horizontal position on top of objects not designed for reclining and take a picture.  The picture is then posted on social networking sites.  For instance, you might view a picture of a young person in a horizontal position flat on top of a television set, or a railing, or some other unlikely spot/object. As long as young people have energy and imagination, they will continue to come up with activities that we adults think are weird.
When we were young, many of us did the same.
Smiles,
Sylvia

Spiritual GPS

This past weekend, I traveled with some family members to Baltimore and then to another county in MD about an hour away.  We drove, and it was a great trip. However, on our way back from the second county, we figured we would simply retrace our route to get back to Baltimore. As a result, we did not pay attention to the GPS because we had the reverse route in our heads.  I did notice that the GPS kept directing us to turn in another direction along the way, but we figured we would continue with our straight retrace.  Imagine our surprise when we ended up in Washington, DC!  It turns out the route was one of those you can't retrace to get back to the starting point.  So,we turned around, let the GPS recalculate, and faithfully followed its direction to get back to Baltimore.  All was well.
This incident reminded me of how we go in the wrong direction and end up in the wrong place when we ignore spiritual direction. We are wise if we recognize we are in the wrong place, then follow the sound spiritual direction and get back on the correct path.
Keep the faith,
Sylvia

Chopping Greens

Last night I cleaned and chopped fresh collard greens, then bagged and stored them in the freezer.  That way, I will have some vegetables on hand for a meal at another time.  This is another of the many wonderful and helpful  skills my mother taught me long ago.  After I washed the greens, I rolled 3 or 4 leaves at a time together and chopped.  I was amazed at how fast my right hand moved the knife blade while the fingers on my left hand seemed to instinctively know when to move back on the rolled greens.  They got out of the way so only the collard greens got  cut.  This happened repeatedly even though I did not have to think hard about it. 
It's like when I am in the dentist's chair and he cleans and polishes my teeth.  My tongue automatically moves out of the way of the dental tools. It protects itself.
I do not know if the technical term for this is reflex action,  but I know that God made our bodies capable of doing some marvelous things.
TTYL,
Sylvia

Dressing Ourselves

Do you dress to please yourself,  or do you dress to please others?
Someone asked me that once.  My response has changed as I've grown older.  In my teen phase, my style was influenced by my peers and by my parents.  I was raised by parents who did not let me wear just anything I pleased.  I came to be grateful for that later on in life.
How many of us can find at least one photo of ourselves from back in the day and wonder what we were thinking when we posed for it?  The hair, the makeup, the clothing-they indicate that you used to be a different person in presentation than you are today. 
At this stage of  life, I pretty much dress to please myself.  It is okay if people like my style and it's okay if people don't.  I think as we grow older, we dress to express who we are or how we want to be perceived.  No matter how we style and present ourselves, it is our character that counts more.
Peace,
Sylvia 
  

Marriage

Just when I think I have heard everything, I find out otherwise.  Recently, I  heard on a television show that a website exists for women in search of extramarital affairs.  This site is reportedly very popular at certain times of the year, but I did not catch when those times were.  I think it took me so long to process what the  purpose of the site was that I missed a lot of the details.   Like:
A vow is a vow, right?
Does one really expect for such an affair to remain private?
Wouldn't participation give one a guilty conscience?
Could not couples' counseling help better than the encouragement of marital infidelity?
The institution of marriage should be taken seriously.  We need to set a sound example for our young people.
Take care,
Sylvia

Birthdays

This past weekend, I was blessed to celebrate a milestone birthday. My best treat was the company of my husband, teenager, my mom, most of my siblings, some extended family, and my Christian friends.  No, I did not have a birthday party, and I did not want one.  These precious people were all in my sphere this weekend.  Some were with me  at a church meeting. Some were with me during Sunday worship services. One surprise was walking up to  a first cousin while she was talking on her cell phone to her sister who shares the birthdate with me.  We are ten years apart, but were born on the same date.  Nice...
Birthdays are a reminder of how long we have been on this earth.  Among other things, they are an official occasion to consider what a difference our presence here has been to others.  Hopefully, our presence here has been positive.
Keep the faith,
Sylvia

Favorite Old Movies

I watched a favorite old movie the other night.  I have seen this movie, The Temptations, several times.  Every time I watch it, I laugh in the same places, get misty-eyed in the same places, and sing the same certain songs along with the actors.  Even though I know the scenes and the dialogue, I am glued to the screen.  I am always satisfied when the movie is over, like I have had a beneficial experience.  There are about five to eight movies I will watch whenever they air, if  I have the time.  I could just purchase these favorite movies on  DVD or tape, but I probably won't, because I might watch them at home so often that I would get tired of them.
Some people watch a movie or read a book one time and never return to the movie or book. I am sure that is fine.  Now, let me go check the viewing guide and see if one of my faves is playing tonight!
Happy Friday!
Sylvia

One Of Those Days

Some days it is difficult to get out of the house.  Maybe you are distracted by other thoughts, or perhaps you are in a spacey mode from not enough sleep the night before. 
Picture this: you turn off the iron, the coffeemaker, the toaster, or the stove.  You grab your book bag, briefcase, and your purse or your wallet.  You bring the newspaper in from outside the house and place it in the designated spot.  There is no time to read anything other than the main news headline.  You turn off the television and/or the radio, Ipod, stereo.  You put out food and water for the cat or dog. You check your appearance in the mirror.  You grab your lunch, water bottle, snack.  You grab your remote, your keys, set the alarm system.  You are out and heading for the car or  the bus stop when you realize you left your cell phone charging on the table next to your bed.
It is going to be one of those days!
Smiles,
Sylvia

Locking Shopping Carts

I was in the parking lot of one of  my favorite dollar stores recently.  I saw a shopping cart near a car and decided to take it into the store and use it instead of getting a cart inside the store.   I thought I would be a good citizen and get the stray cart away from someone's car, where it might roll into the car and damage the paint.
Imagine my surprise when no  matter how hard I tried to move the cart, the back wheels would not roll.  I could not see anything obstructing the rear wheels, except one of them had a metal cuff of some sort.  Finally, I read the sign inside the cart.  It explained that this dollar store now had  its shopping carts equipped with  devices that lock the rear wheels if the carts are taken beyond a certain place in the parking lot. 
I understand this is a deterrent for shopping cart theft.  I guess I did not realize that there was such a need for this deterrent.  I am one of those people who returns my cart to the store or the rack after I am done with it. I did not know shopping carts were in such demand.  You learn something new every single day.
TTYL,
Sylvia

Playground Sounds

I spent most of my professional life as a teacher in a public school building.  After many years, I retired from that role and now there is an elementary school located not too far away from my house. Elementary schools have specific sounds, and the one near me provides the playground sounds with which I am so familiar.
Most people who have worked with children can tell the sounds of organized play from the sounds of  free-for-all running around.  The sounds of  competitive games differ from the sounds of  jumprope.  The sound of the big, bouncy, red Dodge ball is unique. The sounds of  friendly teasing are different from the sounds of  bullying. The sound of a whistle usually indicates that a gym class is in session. The sudden absence of sound in a cluster of children usually means there is going to be a fight because someone is about to get snuck.   The sound of children lining up to go back into the building differs from the sound  of them coming outside  to begin recess.
I especially enjoy the joyful playground sounds of children being children.
TTYL,
Sylvia

My Husband's Soup

My husband is a good cook, but is usually too busy to create in the kitchen.  However, lately he has been experimenting with French Onion soup.  I am the chief taster, and I enjoy my job.
As far as I am concerned, he has perfected the broth and caramelized onions.  He prefers a hunk or two of  French bread, but I prefer croutons, so he makes mine that way.  He is testing for the best melting cheese to melt over the top of the soup bowl.  I really like to peel and eat the melted cheese  from the sides of the bowl.  Yum! So far, we have eaten the delicious onion broth covered with mozzarella, provolone, and American cheese.  He did not like the American cheese version, too much dairy taste for him.  I enjoyed it because I like cheese that much. Next, he is going to cover the onion broth with Gruyere cheese. 
Like I said, I enjoy my job as chief taster.

TTYL,
Sylvia

Mares' Milk

I learned something while watching the Discovery channel.  On the Mongolian Plains, people drink mares' milk.  Since the female horses only give up their milk when their foals are present, the men have to catch the foals first.  The mares go to the captured foals, and the men tether them and milk the mares like farmers here  milk cows.  The men then release the horses and take the buckets of  mares' milk back to their dwelling places.  The women mix in an ingredient and they churn it until it becomes a nutritious drink called airog.
To me, it seemed strange to watch horses, and not cows,  being milked by humans. It certainly was not strange to the men of the plains; they were simply doing what is necessary to provide nutrition to their families.
All I have to do is go to the market.
TTYS,
Syllvia

Hot Peppers

I have a tip for you.  When cooking with hot green peppers, always rinse your hands thoroughly after slicing them.  I heard this before, but it was reinforced by a kitchen experience earlier today.
I carefully sliced the peppers and cleaned out the membranes and seeds. The hosts on cooking shows encourage  this practice in order to control the amount of heat in your dish.    I started out with the knife, then used my fingers to hold the pepper slices while I diced them.  I put the peppers in the pot, along with the other ingredients.   I rinsed my hands quickly. Then, the side of my nose began to itch, so I rubbed it.  Then, I scratched right under my eyebrow. You know what happened next.  Hot! Hot! Hot!  I washed my hands really well, even under the fingernails, and rinsed repeatedly before doing the same to my face. 
There's only a faint tingle now.  Lesson learned.  Tip passed on.
Smiles,
Sylvia

Floor Plans Change

They changed the floor plan layout of the local Burlington Coat Factory.  It took me thirty minutes extra to do my shopping today because I had to find things.  The Home Furnishings section is now in the back behind the Men's section.  The bathing suits are where the women's suits used to be.  The Juniors section and the Babies section have switched places.  The shoes have been moved up from the back and are kind of in the middle of the store. Lingerie is now next to the Plus size section.  Who knew?
Stores should give notice or provide a floor map when they make such drastic changes.  That way, we don't waste valuable shopping time searching for stuff.  At least the Ladies Room was still in the same place.  I never did find the Petites section.  Maybe I'll locate it the next time. 
Smiles,
Sylvia

Look In The Mirror, Jane!

What do you say to people who complain about  a certain behavior in others, but they exhibit that behavior themselves?
For example, your  friend Jane hates it when another person talks about herself, but Jane likes to talk about Jane all the time. Or, your friend Jane hates it when other people are loud in public, but Jane is loud in public.  Or, Jane hates it when others bring their children to adult social gatherings, but Jane brings her child to adult social gatherings.
You see where I am going with this.  Do you point this behavior out to Jane?  If you do point it out, do you use humor, or are you matter-of-fact?  Do you ignore it? 
Just wondering.
For the record, Jane is a random name for a fictional character, and I do not have a friend like her.  If I did have a friend like Jane, I would probably use humor.
Take care,
Sylvia