Theme Song Thursday: Shake Señora

Dancing and running shake up the chemistry of happiness.
Mason Cooley
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Another early morning walk, another spectacular sunrise to paint the dawn with a glowing paint brush. Very poetic, huh? The amazement of nature will do that to you.

Immediately after an hour walk, off to Zumba at the YMCA. The music, the dancing, the comaraderie, and all that shaking it all around, loosens up all tension and anxiety. I’m ready to tackle the day. I stopped at the grocery store, came home and went for another quick walk.

Always good to shake up the chemistry of happiness. GO DANCE SEÑORA!!!

Wednesday Words of Wisdom:Life is a Journey

Life is a journey that must be traveled no matter how bad the roads and accommodations.
Oliver Goldsmith
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Yes, life is a journey, but sometimes I just don’t want to travel. I detest it. We don’t always have a choice about our journey. There are so many bumpy roads, winding paths, and thick and thorny trails. You just have to stay the course and keep moving forward.

This morning I was greeted by yet another spectacular sunrise.

On my early morning walk, I noticed a car stopped in the middle of the street It turned out that the ducks were trying to cross the road. It seems like Momma and Junior waddled across the road towards the pond, but Daddy quacked and said,”No, get back over here to the safe tall grass.” They did.

Yes, life is a journey…for people and ducks alike. Do we stay in the safe tall grass, or take the risk and cross the busy road?

Tuesday Tips From Toni: Strike While The Iron Is Hot

All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols, Or, How to Philosophize With the Hammer
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Today had to be one of my busiest, most productive days in a long time. I find that an early morning walk sets the mood for my entire day. I was on hyper mode all day. I walked with my neighbor Diane at 7:15 till 8:15, ran into the house, grabbed my purse and keys,then off to Zumba at 8:30 till 9:30. I called my friend Lynne after Zumba and drove over to her house for another long walk. That’s a lot of walking, but it was a cool, overcast day. Perfect for walking.

After all that walking, jumping around, and dancing, I was starving. Lynne and I went to Nom Nom at 11:30, where I had a huge chicken burrito. Yum!
When I got home, I was still wired from the exercise and big lunch. I did not pass go or collect $200, I started unpacking boxes in the garage. I was thrilled to find the missing box of screw drivers, tools, batteries, and flashlights that I’d been looking for since I moved. STRIKE WHILE THE IRON IS HOT!

My new goal is to try and get one room unpacked and organized at a time. The downstairs is pretty much done, but, I’ve been avoiding the upstairs. So, I scooted upstairs and vowed to work on Matt’s room and not to stop until it was done. I did it!!! I was exuberant!

Still on my adrenalin high, I went across to work on Joe’s room and flipped the queen mattress to get the bedskirt on, ( not easy single handed) then made up the bed, hung the Japanese wall hanging, and unpacked and moved about six boxes. Yessss!!! I got another room done! Are you exhausted yet just reading this?

By now, it’s after 5pm. I took a short break, checked some emails and had to make a decision. Should I go for an evening walk or sit and relax with a glass of wine. Yep, you guessed it. I went for a walk. I’m crazy! A beautiful sunset!

Now it’s late. But, I am finally sitting and relaxing with a glass of wine, feeling exhausted but very proud of my accomplishments for the day. I owe it all to an early morning walk and striking while the iron is hot.

Montage Monday:A Week in a Peek

“Pray don’t talk to me about the weather, Mr. Worthing. Whenever people talk to me about the weather, I always feel quite certain that they mean something else. And that makes me quite nervous.”
― Oscar Wilde
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So, how’s the weather by you? It was a very lovely day here.Enough about the weather. I’m getting quite nervous, Mr. Wilde.
Here’s a week in a peek.

Sunday Sermon and Other Stuff

“Your religion is not what you do on Sunday. It is how you live Monday through Saturday.”
― Shannon L. Alder
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This morning at Mass, the Gospel was very profound. We really don’t need all Ten Commandments. Just two covers all the bases. Love God and love your neighbor. If you honor God and your fellow man, you will not lie, kill, commit adultery (AH), or steal. How wonderful if everyone just obeyed these two commandments.
Gospel MT 22:34-40

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,
they gathered together, and one of them,
a scholar of the law tested him by asking,
“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”
He said to him,
“You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
and with all your mind.
This is the greatest and the first commandment.
The second is like it:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
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You don’t have to be a church going, Bible thumping, hallelujah singing person. It doesn’t matter what your religion, race, origin or orientation, just follow those two basic principals and all is well.
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It was another beautiful sunny Sunday. After church, I stopped at the store, came home, and went for a nice long walk. The rest of the afternoon, I just puttered around the house. Well, I walked again later in the evening, too, squeezing in that sunshine and lovely scenery. I finished decorating my front door, by decorating, I mean, I hung up Mr. Frankenstein. That’s it!

Hope you’re having a sensational Sunday!

Saturday Sights, Sounds, and Sipping

“What we do see depends mainly on what we look for. … In the same field the farmer will notice the crop, the geologists the fossils, botanists the flowers, artists the colouring, sportmen the cover for the game. Though we may all look at the same things, it does not all follow that we should see them.”
― John Lubbock, The Beauties of Nature and the Wonders of the World We Live in
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My alarm was set for 8am. On Saturday and Sunday, I play this little game with myself. If I wake up early, before the alarm, I go for a walk. It never fails, I wake up around 7, get dressed, put on my gym shoes and catch the dawn in all its majesty. I love the quiet mornings.

Today, the ducks were waddling towards the pond, and as I walked closer to take their picture, they quacked and waddled away faster.

I have a routine, regimented zig-zag path I follow, back and forth, up and down, walking the same five streets.(I got lost once in my own neighborhood, so I am careful not to change my route.) I had already walked down this same street a dozen times in the past few days, but this morning, on my third round on this same street, I found a lucky penny. It was waiting for me. I always look up to the sky, say “Thank you, ” put it in my pocket and march along.

After my walk, off to writing group at 10, lunch with Mandy at Snug on the Square, then visit with my friends at Sweet Spot Bakery. Miss Elizabeth was working on a beautiful three-tiered anniversary cake. I was dying to grab the piping bag and play with the frostin. I restrained myself.

Later, I sat outside with Miss Kathy and Tim, enjoying the sunshine and company, when the McKinney Mounted Patrol passed by. Miss Kathy usually treats the horses to an apple or fresh carrot, so the horses were looking for her and their treats. They trotted down the alley back to the Sweet Spot back door and anxiously waited for their apple. They were so funny. I thought they were going to knock on the door with their noses.

Miss Kathy and Miss Elizabeth came out of the screen door with some apples. Officer Amedee on Ontario and Officer Shelby on Ranger, really appreciated the mid-afternoon snack.

Another lovely Saturday in McKinney with friends, and the lovely sights and sounds of the day. Now, a relaxing evening, sipping a chocolate ice cream Black Russian, writing and vegging in front of the TV. Life is good!

“We all look at the same things,” but what do you see?

Friday From Morn Till Night

Does the road wind up-hill all the way? Yes, till the very end. Will the day’s journey take the whole day long? From morn till night, my friend.
Grantland Rice
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It was still dark at 7:15 when I ventured out for my morning walk. But, another amazing sunrise was my reward.

It was cool and refreshing’ so I walked for an hour and a half. Then, came home, ate a little breakfast, went to Lowes and bought 10 bags of mulch. I worked my pat oozes off and put down all ten bags.

The front yard looked great when I was done. I came in, paid a few bills, checked email and Facebook, then out for another walk. YES, I am crazy! But, I love to feel the sun on my face and enjoy the beauty all around me.

Theme Song Thursday: Sunrise…Sunset

“Never waste any amount of time doing anything important when there is a sunset outside that you should be sitting under!”
― C. JoyBell C.
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My morning and evening walks afford me the luxury of experiencing the most colorful and amazing sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise

Sunset
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Nothing like a musical and the glorious colors of the morning and evening sun to complete the day.

Wednesday Words of Wisdom: Laughter

“Laughter is wine for the soul – laughter soft, or loud and deep, tinged through with seriousness – the hilarious declaration made by man that life is worth living.”
― Seán O’Casey
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Sometimes I just find the most inappropriate things amusing. I was checking my mail and found this advertising postcard in the mail. Normally I just toss these things in the mail, but this was a colorful ad for hanging Christmas lights, landscaping, flower planting, etc. it said, “Call us about any of our services.”

Now, here’s the funny part…I scrolled down and started to laugh. Who ya gonna call…CONTACT: JESUS. Then, there was a phone number. I didn’t know Jesus had a listed phone number, and I can call about any of His services. All kinds of funny comments filtered through my goofy brain. I was well aware that it was just the Spanish name, Jesus, pronounced hay-suse, but I started giggling. Then I thought, wouldn’t it be cool if Jesus did have a phone number. What if He could hang your Christmas lights? Pretty appropriate. Christmas is the celebration of His birthday.

Sacrilegious or hilarious? Sometimes there is a fine line between the two. If laughter is wine for the soul, then I’ll take a tall glass of Cabernet, thank you very much.

Tuesday Tip of the Day: Literally

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”
― Benjamin Franklin
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This kind of reminds me of the old, “Give a man a fish” quote. I much rather learn something new than have someone do it for me. I love learning, I love teaching, I love sharing. So, I’m sharing with you.

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My friend and baker extraordinaire, Miss Elizabeth, over at Sweet Spot Bakery on the Square, was making these adorable high heeled shoe cupcakes, so I asked her to teach me how to make them and tell me what magical frosting tools she uses.

I love to make cupcakes, brownies and cookies, but if I can learn how to frost these beautiful rose cupcakes, wow, I’d be even more amazing. (Modesty is not my strongest attribute.) So, Miss Elizabeth loaded up a frosting bag and showed me her technique. I was a natural!

Here is the “tip” of the day, literally. The #1M Tip by Wilton for the rose and the large tip coupler to keep it in place. Now, practice, practice, practice. I’ll never be as great as Miss Elizabeth, but she promised to call me next time she has to decorate a zillion rose cupcakes, so I can practice.

If you’re one of those people that rather buy the fish than learn how to fish, then you can go over to Sweet Spot Bakery in McKinney and order some rose cupcakes. Order a whole bunch so I can go over and practice.