Life is not waiting for the storms to pass ....
It's about learning how to dance in the rain.

I don't know who wrote the above but I loved it. How many of us take the time to enjoy today, no matter what the day brings. If its raining, take time to read a good book. If the sun is shining, how about a walk to enjoy the beautiful things nature gives us. If you're alone, enjoy yourself, do something just for you. Stay in touch with friends, family, or perhaps an elderly relative who you haven't talked to in ages. Most of all, be grateful for what you have and learn to enjoy each day. None of us have any guarantees about tomorrow!

Thought For June

Four things you can't recover:
The stone..............after the throw.
The word..............after it's said.
The occasion........after it's missed.
The time...............after it's gone.

Talk about some words of wisdom. I don't know who wrote the above, but it made me stop and think how many times I have wished I'd not talked about someone or that I had taken the time to make that wedding, party, birthday, etc. Time is so precious and I know I need to work harder on making better use of my time.

Don't spend your time regretting something you should or shouldn't do. That's one of the things I'm going to be working on.

It's a beautiful world - spend your time wisely while you enjoy each day.

Memorial Day

Today I visited the cemetery and put flowers on the grave of my Mom. I stood for a moment and reflected how much she did for me and how much I miss her. She's been gone seven years now, but it seems like an eternity. There's so much I'd like to say to her, so many things I wish I would have done for her while she was alive. It's too late for that, but I found myself feeling thankful for all I do have and vowed to be more appreciative of my loved ones who share my life now. I have a loving husband, a beautiful family, wonderful grandchildren and my Dad who is 83 years old but still healthy and able to stay active. Since Mom's been gone, I've had the opportunity to get closer to my Dad and enjoy the time we share together.

Take a few moments to remember those who have passed on but added so much to your life while they were here. Then I urge you to show your appreciation for those you still can share your life with.

Be happy. Have a great Memorial Day weekend. Most of all - be safe.

Thought for the Day

The three essential elements to happiness:
Something to work for;
Something to hope for;
Someone to love.
(unknown)

I don't know who said it, but I believe this is so true. May you always have a dream to work towards, a goal you hope to achieve, and love in your life. What more could we ask for?

Spring Is Almost Here

Don't you just love the sights and sounds of Spring? In Utah spring is definitely on its way. We still have a few snow showers, rain showers, and gloomy days, but my daffodils are blooming and tulips of all colors are growing. When the sun shines, the sky is a beautiful blue. I just love seeing the trees in bud, my rosebush trying to regenerate, and listening to the birds sing.

My husband and I took a day last week and went to the mountains. We took our Yamaha Rhino and a picnic with our yellow lab, Max. It was a gorgeous spring day, even though many of the dirt roads still were snowed in. But it was nice and warm and by mid-day we were shedding our coats and gloves. We found a lovely spot where grass was peeking through and enjoyed a few minutes having a cola and a snack.

We saw deer grazing on the warm hillsides. A rock chuck and a few squirrels raced across our path. Birds were singing, and even though bees aren't my favorite thing, we saw honey bees, a queen bee and even a buzzing wasp.

Spring is a sign that the earth is being reborn and I just love it!

Put Things in Perspective

A friend sent me the following and it really touched me. I think so many of us are more worried about the "things" we can have rather than enjoying what we do have. It's a bit long, but so worth it. I have no idea who the author is but I love the story.

"Ain't it the truth".

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, 'How was the trip?'

'It was great, Dad.'

'Did you see how poor people live?' the father asked. 'Oh yeah,' said the son. 'So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?' asked the father.

The son answered: I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them.'

The boy's father was speechless.

Then his son added, 'Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are.'

Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have.
Appreciate every single thing you have, especially your friends!

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

My husband and I just returned from a fantastic road trip where we traveled into the warmth of Arizona, Nevada and southern Utah to get away from the cold and snow we are still experiencing here in northern Utah. We got to see so many beautiful places, unique sights and interesting things, but I think my favorite was our visit to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Angel Canyon near Kanab, Utah.

At first, neither my husband nor I thought we would be seeing much more than a normal animal shelter. Gosh, were we wrong! We traveled into a beautiful canyon nestled in the coral and pink sandstone mountains. We were too late for a normal tour of the facility, but we figured we’d just take a drive on our own down the sandy road that wound into the canyon past large, spacious paddocks housing horses and burros. We found spacious kennels where dogs of every kind were housed amidst the beautiful cedars. Mule deer wandered around and in front of us as we toured. Small, furry bunnies hopped about green pastures next to grazing horses. A flock of Osceola turkeys soared from the tops of the tall canyon walls to scratch for food before they flew into tall trees to roost for the night. We hiked up to a natural amphitheater where cool flowing water, beautiful green grass, and natural acoustics amazed us. Nothing could have prepared us for the many breathtaking sights we found.

The most impressive was the Angel’s Rest Pet Cemetery where the first thing we noticed was the beautiful sounds of wind chimes. We turned off the engine of our truck and as the gentle breezes blew, the chimes sounded like an organ playing a majestic song. Rock pathways led to a gazebo and small benches where you can relax and enjoy the calm serenity. The cemetery is not about dying but an affirmation of life where the beautiful rock canyon holds urns, vases and memorials of the little animals who have brought so much to our earthly life.

If you have the opportunity to visit southern Utah, don’t miss the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. It’s a special haven for abused and abandoned animals of all kinds. They have an expert staff of veterinarians, trainers and caregivers to see to the special needs of about 2000 cats, dogs, horses, rabbits, owls, and other animals. It is supported entirely through donations. It’s an amazing place where their philosophy is – kindness to animals builds a better world for all of us.

Take a minute and browse their web site -- http://www.bestfriends.org/