You Only Live Once

     You only live once
      But if you do it right
    Once is all you need! (unknown)

I smiled when I read this. Then I thought, you know this is so true. We only have one life so we need to live it to the fullest. We won't have a dry run. We won't be able to stop and start over. We have today and hopefully tomorrow. There is no time to worry about yesterday. It's gone. Done.

Here's a motto to live by. I may have posted it before, but I think it's worth rereading.

      Life should NOT be a journey to the grave
      with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive
      and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways,
      body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming,
      "WOO HOO what a ride!" (unknown)

Smile - it makes you feel good.
Dare to do something just for you, something you wouldn't normally do.
Enjoy the little things each day - a beautiful blue sky, the sound of a bird singing, the laughter of little children, a grubby, sticky hug from a child.
Live your life so you can say, "Woo Hoo, what a ride!

Happy Reading!
K. R. Bailey
http://www.KRBailey.com

Don't You Love Old Barns?

I remember going to visit my grandparents in Cache County and passing a big old barn with a sign painted on its side.  I was always fascinated with that old barn.  It made me wonder what types of tales it could tell me. 

 Last spring I took a two week road trip with my sister back to Kentucky, and we passed many cool old barns.  Most of the ones I took pictures of were called “quilt barns”.  Now, I had never heard of the term “quilt” barns but my sister is an avid quilter.  She has a long-arm quilting machine and lives and breathes quilting.  Needless to say, I get to talk about quilting a lot when we’re together.  I’m not complaining because I love spending time with her, and she gets to listen to me talk about writing, so in the long run, I think we’re even.

 I remember spending time with my mother as a young girl and helping her hand quilt the beautiful quilts she made.  Now, I hate making quilts, but I definitely do appreciate all the hard work that goes into them.  So, when we were traveling and came across some cool old barns with quilts painted on them, I couldn’t resist taking a few pictures.  As I thought about the barns, I got to thinking that they remind me of the life we live and the lives of those who have passed on.  They are so rich in history.  Wouldn’t you just love to hear about their history?

 Here’s a beautiful old barn. 

 

Notice how pleasing it is to look at.  It’s painted and well kept up.  It’s obvious the owner loves his barn and is proud of what he has.  Wouldn’t you just love to go inside and see what treasurers are housed in it?  Keeping this barn looking so meticulous definitely would require a lot of work, and that is my first thought:  You have to work hard to succeed.  It doesn’t matter if you want to write a book, sew a beautiful quilt, look nice, keep your house and yard up, or become the CEO of a company.  Everything takes a lot of hard work to obtain it.

 

This second barn is big and sturdy and well made.  Even though it’s not fancy, it looks trustworthy.  That’s my second point:  Be trustworthy.  Whether it’s in your dealings with others, writing a book, borrowing money, or just in your everyday life as you work and play, you have to be trustworthy.  Make your word your bond.  Let everyone know they can trust you, depend on what you say, and rely on you when you say something.

 

This third barn is definitely old, but it has character.  It’s one of a kind.  My third point is:  it doesn’t matter how old you are or how young you are, build your character.  Let each day help you become the person you want to be.  You are unique.  Enjoy your differences.  Everything you do helps you become a unique person with character that makes you that much more interesting.

 

One thing they all have in common is they are great to look at and each one is different from the other.  They bring joy to anyone who passes by with their bright colored quilts painted on them.  So my last point is:  Be happy.  Bring joy to others and to yourself. 

 

I hope you enjoyed seeing a few of my quilt barn pictures.  If anyone has pictures of interesting old barns they’d like to share, I’d love to see them.   

For more about me, visit my website at http://KRBailey.com

Have a great day!

Merry Christmas

As the Christmas season is upon us, I just want to wish everyone a beautiful holiday season. I know this is a very busy time of year with parties, shopping, visiting family and friends, and it has definitely taken its toll on my writing time. But I think it's worth it. It's a beautiful time of year and I so enjoy the bright lights, the wonderful feeling of giving, helping others, and spending time with my family. I'm giving myself some leeway to do something for me with the goal that I'll spend more time catching up on my writing once the season is over.

If you love Christmas stories, do check out S.A. Couman's story, Mary's Christmas Wish. I have a sweet love story titled, My Guardian Angel, and I think you will enjoy the story as two older people find a way to go on with their life after the loss of their spouses. Both stories are available through www.thewildrosepress.com

However you spend your holiday season, take some time for you. Relax. Read a good book. Spend time sitting in a warm bubble bath. Go shopping and buy something fun for yourself. Take some time to say hello to friends or family members you haven't seen for awhile. Remember why we celebrate the Christmas Season and find a way to make it your very best yet.

Merry Christmas! May 2011 bring you much happiness and be your best year yet.