PURPOSE

Intention, meaning, aim; Persistence, resolve; Intend, set sights on; ambition, aspiration, desire, determination, direction, function, goal, idea, objective, plan, principle, project, reason, scheme, scope, view, wish.

These last few weeks have been an awakening for me, making me realize that life is fragile and precious, but also has an end. These last few weeks, I have lost a beloved pet, a brother-in-law, and a sister.

There is always an end to the greener seasons. The lowly plants, such as grass and flowers, show us that everything dies in the heat of the day and at the end of the season. Similarly, our lives must end when winter comes and calls us to another plane of existence. It is my hope that my loved ones have gone to a place they desire for a time, and maybe come back in the spring to another, more fulfilling life, one with a meaningful purpose and one that brings hope and joy to another family.

It’s moments like these that make me contemplate the destination of my life. I ask myself: Have my dreams been fulfilled? Have all of my experiences led me to my expectations of what life has been on this timeline? Did I fulfill my mission?  Have I lived my life with intention so that I have fulfilled my purpose, or do I have much more to give? I am determined to understand why I was put on this planet and why I was a part of this family. I haven’t always been the great communicator with my family, and I have hopes they understand that didn’t mean I wasn’t a part of them. My family made me who I am. I hope they fully completed their purpose in life before the end, and I wish them well in whatever they may become in the next life.

In Michelle Obama’s book The Light We Carry, she states: “Someday we will look back at this time we’re now in. We will view it from a different historical perch… what we will make of this time, what will feel ancient…Which stories will get told? What changes will we have managed to make?”  And “We have to be able to envision what’s possible…Every latent dream awakens only when someone is glad for it.”

So I listen when family or friends reach out. I acknowledge their thoughts and our differences and love everyone for who they are at this point in their lives. Perhaps that is my ultimate purpose. Perhaps just being there when someone needs me is what I have been put on this earth for. So, like Mrs. Obama, I want to stay vigorous, humble, and empathetic, and do the best I can for others. I want to keep perspective and understand the history of my past as my present self. I want to love my family for who they are, even with our differences. I hope they can do the same for me.

Love goes out to all of you today, family, and I hope that your tomorrow will be better.

RELEVANT

Relevant: An adjective that describes something closely connected, appropriate, or pertinent to the matter at hand. It signifies a logical relationship that matters in a specific context. It implies a traceable, logical connection that brings value, context, or significance to a specific situation or topic. Common Synonyms: Pertinent-Stresses a clear and decisive relationship to the subject; Germane-Implies a precise appropriateness or fitness for the situation; Applicable-Suggests that a general principle or rule fits a particular case.

I never wanted to be mediocre. That was author Jim Harrison’s greatest fear, and he was an accomplished writer. I believe writers constantly seek information relevant to their projects or to where they are in their stage of life. We all want to be heard, yet many avoid the spotlight, whether out of fear, angst about being identified as a fraud, or simply being too shy to have others acknowledge them. Many of us become reclusive at the end of our days on this plane of existence, while others rally and reach out to shout out the injustices of the world, in an attempt to wake up those who have shut down. With a constant stream of negative media bursts, I’m not sure whether the latter is better or where I am right now in this creative soup.

I hear others complaining about the state of the world, but not taking the time to figure out ways to make it better. It’s the quiet ones who just do things for the betterment of society and take no credit that we should be thankful for. The loud ones are just that, loud and obnoxious, not doing anything to make the world a better place. And yet we listen to them because they are a constant in our media streams.

We all want to be relevant and heard, but hearing other people tell you that you are well liked, so why aren’t you here at some event or other, or needing you for some task, or statements like “Why do you worry about it so much?” doesn’t help a person’s state of mind when too much else is going on. Sometimes people just need to take a break from the world, and you have to let them just be.

It’s best to just keep admonishing yourself that you are who you are and where you are supposed to be right now. You don’t have to feel bad about it when others don’t understand. Acknowledge internally that you are important no matter what and keep on doing what you do best. You are relevant to yourself, and others may or may not acknowledge that, so you just have to be okay with it in your head.

When your favorite pet is in her last days, you try to reconcile in your mind that it is okay to let her go, that she had a good time during her lifetime, and she was loved. She was always there for you in both good and bad times. She would always meet you at the door with her tail wagging and jumping up and down for treats. She didn’t demand much of you except to be fed, let outside to go potty and do the zoomies in the yard, walked, and loved. It is heartbreaking to let the little ones go, but life still moves on.

I am at a loss right now that people in general can’t be like a beloved pet. I question why we can’t all just get along and help each other out. Why can’t we look beyond our fears and pettiness and become companions for each other unconditionally? Why can’t we get over past hurt, move on to the next phase of our lives, and create something new and wonderful? There are days when a lot of us go into that deep, dark hole of self-loathing and defeat, and a willful mind is necessary to get out of it. But there are also more days when there is hope for the future and the relevance of logic and compassion will be restored to all.

So all I’m asking for today is that each of you find your new purpose in life. You can be relevant to yourself, but be relevant to the world. Ask yourself, “Can you live with who you have become?” And, if not, “Who are you going to be in the future?” I love you all and want you to love each other with no conditions. Enjoy the moments of love and laughter each day with yourself, your friends, and loved ones.

Know What You Are Facing and Find Your Battle Buddies

N.K. Jemisin, Paul Trembley,  Andy Weir, Veronica Roth, and Amor Towles were each asked to write a short story for a collection by renowned figures in Science Fiction during the pandemic. A screenwriter and author, Blake Crouch, last known to be living in Durango, Colorado, was driving through the Rocky Mountains with his partner, debating the topic of growing up in the “bubble of rapid change in technological advancement. He felt that much of the advancement had been amazing, but some of it needed to be rolled back because of its negative effects. He also posed the question of whether we would ever know where the discovery would lead us and, if we had to stop it, whether we could. And how would it feel to change the world? Would our world become a better place? This collection of six stories (including one by Crouch) is phenomenal, and most of the writers have moved on to newer and wonderful projects (e.g., books and movies, including The Martian, Project Hail Mary, and A Gentleman in Moscow, to name a few).

Since the first six of the Far Reach novellas were written, six more authors have written a new set, and I have read them all. Each tale speaks of a society like the one we have today and how we can cope with expanding into the unknown universe to make our lives better on Earth in the long-run. The books touch on subjects that help us understand that we are just a speck in time and space, and life will change no matter how we try to stay in the past.

I often search for connection in my current world of solitude and find others doing the same. We lack connection because we are so stuck in our individual lives. We aren’t getting what we need out of the constant streaming of bits and pieces of doom and gloom. So, I have to sit back, reflect on what is really important in my life, and concentrate on what is next. And yet I still need that connection with another human, so I keep searching. Gardening and writing sustain my spirit, but sometimes you just need to bounce back into that maelstrom of human interaction.

I recently looked into the 10-10-10 Rule, developed by author and speaker Suzy Welch. She developed a decision-making framework used to overcome short-term emotional responses by evaluating the consequences of a choice across three time frames: 10 minutes, 10 months, and 10 years. When facing a difficult or emotionally charged decision, she recommended that you slow down and ask yourself the following three questions before taking action: 

  • 10 minutes: How will I feel about this choice in 10 minutes? (Focuses on immediate, often emotional reactions.)
  • 10 months: How will I feel about this choice in 10 months? (Focuses on the mid-term consequences and adjustments.)
  • 10 years: How will I feel about this choice in 10 years? (Focuses on the long-term impact on your overall life goals.)

Welch stated that most regret comes from making a decision based solely on how it feels in the immediate short term. By zooming out and looking at the bigger picture, you can stop impulsive reactions and ensure that your choices align with your core values and long-term trajectory. In other words, you can focus on how to get out of a spiral of despair.

If you focus on the good and future possibilities instead of what is happening daily in your life right now, you can get away from this moment in time. Unless time travel is real, you can’t change the past, but you can walk into your future with courage.

If you can take your current situation and surround yourself with what author and speaker Alli Worthington terms your battle buddies, you will get through your disappointment and come out stronger and wiser on the other side. She stated that “We weren’t created to go it alone anywhere in life. When you are in the deep valley of disappointment, reach out to your battle buddies, those few friends who have proven they genuinely care for you.” And “Your battle buddies will not only validate the pain of your disappointment, but they will also care enough to lock arms with you and drag you out of that pit….They’ll help you find perspective and walk with you as you battle to overcome your disappointment.” And, finally, “Finding a battle buddy is a great way to remember you aren’t alone. When you feel like someone else is in it with you, it’s easier to remember you have the power to overcome your disappointment.”

So, no matter what you believe or how horrible the state of the Union is right now, know you can rely on your buddies to get through it. Know that you can still do some good things and pay it forward every day. Know that you are worthy and stay positive!

I love you all and hope for a better tomorrow every day that I am alive!

DOING

I had lunch with a friend a while ago, and we are both in the process of creating memoirs. It was nice to touch base with someone who has had an incredible and interesting life, has loads of journals, notes, and stacks of pictures and papers to sort through (like me), so she can just get to the point of putting it together on the computer.

When I think of all the things that I have done, I feel humbled at what she has accomplished. Her book should be enlightening, to say the least, and I will be able to follow her path in a few years, entering the further chapters of my life, sorting through memories, traveling, and having the next great adventure, going to places I have dreamed about, learning new things, and meeting new people. I look forward to reading about where she was from and where her travels took her.

We laughed about being the “doers” in our families, taking on tasks no one else wanted and excelling at them. We mocked those who weren’t willing to try new things or even do what needed to be done. We agreed that we didn’t want to be the leaders, yet somehow our doing the jobs that needed doing made us become one.

We commiserated about those who refuse to get out of their ruts and won’t learn anything new. They have stagnated into obscurity and dislike others who have moved on. She encouraged me to move on, forgive, and forget those people. They won’t change unless they want to do something new and invigorating with their senior years.

We agonized over those people who have shut out their human side, not caring for others who have less or are different from them, instead condemning them and never stepping up to help.

We discussed at length how we define ourselves, and how our past affected us. We posed questions about how our past might define us, how we might overcome some of the trials that have scarred us, and how we might move on to accept that our present actions are now defining us.

Finally, we noticed that our active listening gave us insight into each other and into how we might teach others to do the same. People who don’t listen are a pet peeve of mine, and I realize how important it is for others to sit down and breathe so we can communicate in a positive, rational way and learn something new about each other and the world.

And finally, we agreed that some people are, to put it bluntly, lazy. Hard work is hard. It’s also hard to do the work. It’s hard to understand the world, and you have to dig for facts, not just believe insane sound bites. It’s important to read and study every day you are in this world, making reality out of nonsense. Family is important, and sometimes you just have to create your own family. Some of us don’t have blood relations that speak to us, because we are so different. So, my advice is to embrace the family and community you create.

The biggest lesson I learned from her was that I need to let things go and accept that other people have issues far bigger than mine, but still need someone to blame. How to dive deeper and figure out the WHY their behavior still bothers me greatly, but I guess that’s one of the things I also need to let go of.

So my advice to you all today is to live your life fully and in the moment. Don’t procrastinate. Do the things that need to be done, even if you don’t want to. Grow something beautiful. Make something tasty out of what you grow, feed others when you can, and embrace happiness. You may not live long enough for the world to change for the better, so make your own world better, and make your happiness when you can.

In the few days before summer is truly announced to the world (the summer solstice), love where you are in this moment of time.  Love the summer as much as I do and get out and dig! Love each other as much as I love you all.

Wishing for a Real Tamson House

“Everybody needs a bit of a quiet space once in a while, a place they can just be themselves….”—Charles de Lint

I just finished re-reading Spiritwalk, by Charles de Lint. This was a continuation of Moonheart by him, which I also re-read. In the book, there is a wonderful, very large house, almost a castle, in Ottawa, Canada, where all can come together in their weirdness. It is magical and a home I wish I had grown up in. Tamson House was explained as a “strange sort of place…that draws people to it—but only the right kind of people. They’re the kind of people who are a little different.” De Lint goes on to describe these people who don’t quite fit in the outside world. They are the sensitive, artistic, or troubled souls who see beyond the current plane of existence and are uncomfortable in the real world. The house picks them to stay, and they become part of an evolving group who live there because their differences are the norm.

The author’s philosophy of life and how we live harmonizes with my very soul and gives me hope that there are like-minded people out there who are braving the turmoil like me. Here are a few of the points made that struck a chord not only to the depth of their characters, but to me personally:

  • “When people are born, they’re still at one with the world, but they lose that harmony as they get older.”
  • The characters believe they have gifts to give others and “help ease the aging hearts of people before they enter the winter of their lives….”
  • People tend to “…shut their eyes, their hearts, their minds to everything that’s around them….”

So, very much like these wonderful characters, I believe that people like me and those who think like me are put here on this earth “…to show people the way back, and restore harmony with the universe.

So, I say again, his characters live a life that I try to live, one of exchanging positivity, lending a helping hand, and bringing those back from the brink, letting others know that “What we are doesn’t change….” We can give in to despair, or we can lend a helping hand, lend hope, explaining that it doesn’t matter if others think we are weak or what shape we wear. If we turn our backs on what we are, loving, kind, caring people, despite everything that is thrown at us, that will be the death of us all. That is true weakness. There are sooooo many more fantastic words of wisdom in this book. I hope you check it out and support this author. He is amazing. Charles de Lint Spiritwalk

If we all have faith in ourselves and believe we can make a difference, that is the strength of a United People. There is beauty in humankind if we look for it and fight the haters. I have taken this final quote to new levels of meaning and have used it in several of my speaking engagements and publications over the years. I thank the author for putting it out there and hope he doesn’t mind my adulation. I hope you enjoy it and learn from it as much as I have:

“Inside us lies every possibility that is available to a sentient being. Every darkness, every light. It is the choices we make that decide who or what we will be [Emphasis mine].

Love each other tonight and sing praises to the Bad Bunny half-time show. A session of love!

Happy New Year—Hitting the Reset Button

Okay, so it took me five days to write my New Year’s Blog, but HEY! I have a lot going on right now!

Between kiddo being home, Christmas and New Year’s meal preparations with a bum right thumb, doctor’s appointments, and the general hullabaloo of the holidays, I feel myself lucky that I am sane right now! But I digress. We had a wonderful time, and it was nice to celebrate without thinking about “what things may become” in the future. Now that I have put the grown (21!) baby back on the plane and he is back at college, I have a lot to do this month!

So I tackled the chores in my frenzied Cleaning, Cleaning, Cleaning phase (always after the new year, it seems.) I always feel as if I can get rid of stuff I haven’t used in a hundred years (or since we got married—how many of you remember all those crazy wedding gifts from twenty+ or thirty+ years ago?), then the old mantra, Clean House, Clear Mind, will ring true.

First, I tackled the paper shredding affair. Ugh! What a task. (Everyone who does this understands what I am saying.) I shredded two years’ worth of old tax documents dating back to 2017 and then had to pack it into two big bags for disposal. Then, I had to clean up the floor. Sheesh!

Then I went through the office closet and found way more stuff to give away, such as a zillion children’s puzzles. I am taking them to the rec center for summer camp, 2026!

Then came the kitchen. Since we have such a small kitchen, I went through the pantry and the shelves, cleaned them out, and put on new shelf paper.  I found yet more gadgets that I hadn’t used since the beginning of time (or when we bought them). I’m removing them from the pantry and storing the ice cream maker, popcorn popper, and snow cone machine for the kiddo to see if he’ll take them away when he gets his own place. If now, well, ARC here I come!!!!

We’ll finally tackle taking down the tree, putting away the Christmas decorations, and putting away the Lego Village this weekend. I’ll have my living space back! Yes!

So, with a wonderful old-fashioned Tea Cake Recipe from the past (Thanks, Jo!), I’ll relive my Grandma’s love, and make them this week (after the Frenzied Exercise startup, of course!).

So here’s to singing in the new year, and creating Mantras (NOT RESOLUTIONS!) to do better, be better, and help others. It’s all inside of you!

I completed the updates to both Silver Element and Silver Storm (new cover in progress), so the refresh/reprint is online as well as the third book, Silver Lore! Hope you purchase and read them, and have a blast with the stories!! https://www.amazon.com/stores/Drusilla-M.-Tieben/author/B00ET98OVA

I also want to share an email from a friend on New Year’s Day:
“Hi Friends! I woke up this morning dreaming about our meditation group. I was saying that meditation is not about adding something- but uncovering what is already there- your beautiful, soulful self. Keep uncovering your best, loving self in this New Year.”—Stephen Wurzel
“We know what we are, but know not what we may be.” Shakespeare’s Hamlet (Act 4, Scene 5).

So have a great start to the new year. Love each other every day and help those in need! I love you all and can’t wait to see you or meet you!

Hallmark Moments

AND: Love, Romance, and Aging Brains
Have you ever found yourself watching the Hallmark Channel around the holidays and getting sucked into the story, even if it is really bad, full of cliches, and with a festive atmosphere where no one is angry with each other? And a little part of you is starting to want to have that life, that moment after the big fight where you kiss and make up, near the mistletoe, and everything is wonderful, and everything is with your soul mate?

Wellllllll…. We all know this quest for true love and romance doesn’t always happen in real life, right? We all go through the ups and downs of daily life, and as we age, things get harder to face in the real world. (Also, notice that everyone in all of these movies is beautiful, has money, and is very young?)

What I’m trying to say is this: We create our Hallmark moments every day that we interact with the ones we love. We strive for perfection, yet embrace what is given. We can love each other the way we are, not perfect, yet make our dreams come true with what we have. Love can conquer our greatest fears as long as we acknowledge our past and move on to a future of our own creation.

In the movie Fred Claus, Fred, Santa Claus’s brother, realizes that there are no naughty kids and that every kid deserves a present at Christmas, no matter how small. It’s the thought of having a loving family surrounding them that counts, not the present itself. In the real world, not every kid is always good, and not every kid gets a present, or even has a family. There are so many of us who forget about the love portion, no matter what we do.

There are rich spoiled kids with good and bad parents, and poor kids whose parents treat them poorly, or kids who don’t have parents at all and are in the system. But I’d like to believe that the majority of parents pull together for the holidays in ways that aren’t about how they were treated by their own parents. I’d like to believe in those happy moments where families just love each other for who they are in this present moment. Sometimes it’s hard to get beyond our weird family dynamics, but there is hope for all of us to love each other in ways we weren’t loved. There is hope that we can become better parents and grandparents and forgive those who treated us poorly in the past. There is hope in seeing others not as different or less than us, but as part of our bigger family, part of being human, people we should embrace and call our own.

So sometimes I have weird dreams, and my family dynamic from the past interferes with my aging brain’s headspace. But I try to overcome these moments and say a little mantra, forgiving all the past trespasses of my family or me against my family. I try to see where I’m at today and be thankful for my loved ones who love me unconditionally. I try to love them the same way that I want to be loved. I remember the good times and try not to beat myself up with the bad times. It’s hard to forget everything, but my brain and body have lived for a long time on this planet, and I hope it continues to live a little longer to see a change in our world for the better.

All I know is that I have done what I could to help others and will continue to do so through many, many small acts of kindness. I hope you’ll do the same. But I think most of us can be better than you know who, and, at least when I fall asleep in my chair, I don’t have the world watching me because I am in charge of the highest office in the land. Time to step down and become a human being, mister! And threatening people’s lives is not cool, so stop it and overcome your pettiness and selfishness. Be a kind and gentle leader for once in your life! No amount of gold on the walls will make you happy with who you are if you don’t take care of all of the people in this country. Enough said.

I hope everyone has a happy and peaceful Thanksgiving. Make beautiful food, share it, and continue your traditions, as well as make new ones for the future. Overcome your dark moods before everyone comes home and try to stay in the moment. Love each other the best way you know how, and extend a helping hand to others in need. I send out much love to all this week!

Thank You, America!

Thank you, America, for standing up and voting yesterday, for people who are FOR THE PEOPLE. We have spoken up, and now others are listening. We now have hope that the people who have faithfully supported that terrible person in power will listen to us and consider the people they are supposed to represent, rather than just the man and his party who hold the reins at the moment. We hope that they will start to think for themselves and not be afraid of him and the crazies out there.

Growing up in a time when women and minorities were treated so badly has given me a deep understanding of people like you know who really are inside. They have no empathy for those in need, only for those who will bow down to him and kiss the ring. I am sad that so many of us don’t understand what a true and progressive democracy really entails. I am sad that we don’t see how people are suffering, and even that some of those people don’t believe he is bad for them. My only hope is that we will continue to strive into the next year to vote for people who will get all of government on track. My hope is that we will survive and learn to support each other.

Michelle Obama’s comments on The Late Show last night hit home as to why I am at a loss like her, why we are allowing this bully to continue. Her conversation with Colbert put it succinctly about what is going on with the demolition of the East Wing—our heritage, and I emphasize ‘our’ as in the people’s heritage, not the one living there at the present moment.

She said:
“People have asked me how I felt about the move.” “What I will remind people is that the house is not our house,” Obama said.
“We never viewed it as our house. We were there for a time. We had a job to do,” the former first lady said.
“We always felt it was the people’s house.”
“And yes, every family, every administration, has a right and a duty to maintain the house, make investments and improvements. And there are plenty of things that needed fixing there,” she told Colbert.
“But the thing — it makes me confused. I am confused by what are our norms. What are our standards? What are our traditions?” Obama said.
During President Obama’s time in office from 2009-17, Michelle Obama said, there were “a whole standard of norms and rules that we follow to a T, that we painstakingly tried to uphold, because it was bigger than us.”
The country, she said, must “decide what rules are we following and who is to abide by them, and who isn’t.”
During her “Late Show” interview, when Colbert mentioned the East Wing, Obama quipped, “Remember that?”
Obama described the East Wing, built in 1942 during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency and which provided space for the first lady’s staff as well as other offices, as “where life happened [emphasis mine].
“The West Wing was work — sometimes it was sadness, it was problems. It was the guts of the White House,” Obama, author of the new book “The Look,” said.
“The East Wing was where you felt light.”

Her thoughts about the East wing being a place where you can be light bring back the memories of a woman in office who cares about her children, about others of every color, and a sense of family we all strive to have. As I reflect on what is going on in this administration, I still have hope that idiot in office will forego his ego and think about what he has done to all the people as a nation, especially those who are the caretakers and the caregivers, and don’t have the power that money brings to them—those everyday people like me that cares about the state of the world. I hope that we are finally considering how to persuade both parties to do what is right and take care of the people they represent.

These last two months have been about reflection, writing for the greater good, finishing up my books and preparing for publication (SOON!), and trying to give back in a way that I know how. Taking a break from the daily sadness has made me realize that I still need to have my say; otherwise, it stews in my head, and I can’t move on. Others don’t always like what I have to say, but all I ask of each and every one of you is to work hard to bring back common decency to those who are being affected by someone who doesn’t obey the rules. As a people of these United States, we generally obey the rules, so why can’t we expect those in power to do the same? Why can’t we expect those in power to be held accountable for their actions? Enough said for today.

I love you all, and I’ll always keep fighting the good fight. I hope you do the same!

GLORIOUS RAIN!

IT RAINED! GLORIOUS RAIN!
My rain barrel is full and my tomatoes, zucchini, and acorn squash are producing and are finally happy plants! I am watering from the barrel every day and it is a wonderful thing. And ZINNIAS! My Georgia friends, ZINNIAS!

I am taking up more grass, and increasing the vegetable garden for next year. And I ordered my Colorado red flagstone to finish my path in the dead grass zone. Thanks to Colorado Materials in Longmont for providing me with the best experience! Kiddo is coming home and his buddies are helping me lay it. Yea!
https://www.coloradomaterialsinc.com/

I have to admit to you that writing about the future post-apocalyptic world has freed my current worrisome mind. There is still so much to do to avoid a real downfall of the republic in my lifetime. But in my make-believe future world, adults are working together to make sure kids are safe, don’t starve, are educated about everything, know how to use tools, and know how to get along. The kids in my book have an incredible life. There are no mean and unreasonable parents or their offspring in my book. There are no color barriers of any kind and they are all loved in equal amounts. No religious pressure, no hate, just love. The last vestiges of civilization should have places like this.

And let’s all realize that this is also the type of world we should have today—a place where we can feed, dress, and keep all children safe, no matter who they are or where they are from. That is what we should wholeheartedly strive for every day that we are alive on this planet! Parents should teach children how to create that better world, and help them understand how to embrace challenges without anger and strife. We can all make a better world if we listen to each other. So stop the hate, love everyone equally, and let’s just get over ourselves!

I hope everyone is enjoying the little things that make you happy today. No doom and gloom. No drama. Just glorious rain! Have a great rest of the weekend!

Thoughts of Friends

Last night, I found this in my stash of miscellaneous thoughts and bad poems so I wanted to share:

Friends
When things are tough,
You’re all alone and it’s so rough,
Just remember your friends,
Who are always known.

They’re always there,
For you to share,
No need to hide,
They’re always inside.

They lead their own lives,
You may not hear,
From ones so dear,
For many years.

Suddenly, they reappear,
When you thought they’d forgotten.
How nice to see
Them in eternity.

Here are some others that I found enlightening from a blog site called Unwritten
https://www.readunwritten.com/2023/03/09/quotes-live-by-life-rough/
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”—Theodore Roosevelt 
Focus on what you can do, and do it with pride.
“No matter what happens in life, be good to people.”—Taylor Swift
You never know if anyone is struggling. Everyone’s struggle looks different, and some hide it more than others. Don’t underestimate the power of kindness.
“Wherever you are, be all there.”—Jim Elliot 
As cliche as it sounds, it’s true: all we have is now. All we can really do is live in the present. You don’t have to love every moment you’re in, but try to be in every moment.
“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”—A.A. Milne 
You are amazing. It can be easy to forget when you compare yourself to others, but we’re all different in unique ways. The world will never have someone like you, someone with your exact talents and strengths. Never forget this.
“Not all those who wander are lost.”—J.R.R. Tolkien
How many of us can truly say we know what path we’re going on? I know I can’t, and that’s okay! Uncertainty is one of the few guarantees we have in life. can. Life is a journey, a book that hasn’t been fully written, so we may as well make the most of it.
“In three words, I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.”—Robert Frost
It may seem impossible, but it’s true and worth repeating—life will go on. History shows us how much we’ve already been through. Whatever the future holds, we’ll make it.

So when the hazy days, bad atmosphere, and hot temperatures keep you inside and in your head, know that your friends are out there and will be there for you when you need them. It’s strange how they know when to call you (I have had visits from several this last week and connected once again). It’s amazing how life goes on and how you make it possible to continue to live and create wonderful life lessons.

Know that your first draft of your book is complete and out to the readers. Know that progress has been made and connections are happening for the book cover. Know that the zucchini and acorn squash will continue to give to you. Make something delicious and don’t worry about the rest. Have a terrific weekend and enjoy your friends and family. I love you all!