A Thanksgiving Poem

Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!




A Thanksgiving Poem

‘Twas the night of Thanksgiving,
But I just couldn’t sleep
I tried counting backwards,
I tried counting sheep.
The leftovers beckoned –
The dark meat and white
But I fought the temptation
With all of my might.
Tossing and turning
With anticipation
The thought of a snack
Became infatuation.
So, I raced to the kitchen,
Flung open the door
And gazed at the fridge,
Full of goodies galore.
I gobbled up turkey
And buttered potatoes,
Pickles and carrots,
Beans and tomatoes.
I felt myself swelling
So plump and so round,
‘Til all of a sudden,
I rose off the ground.
I crashed through the ceiling,
Floating into the sky
With a mouthful of pudding
And a handful of pie.
But, I managed to yell
As I soared past the trees….
Happy eating to all –
Pass the cranberries, please.
May your stuffing be tasty,
May your turkey be plump.
May your potatoes ‘n gravy
Have nary a lump,
May your yams be delicious
May your pies take the prize,
May your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off of your thighs.
May your Thanksgiving be blessed!!

—Author Unknown

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Poem: Things My Mother Taught Me

Happy Mother’s Day!

Last year I came up with 25 Things My Mother Taught Me. This year I actually found a poem someone else wrote on things their mother taught them. I think we can all relate to a thing or two on this list.




Things My Mother Taught Me

My Mother taught me LOGIC…

“If you fall off that swing and break your neck, you can’t go to the store with me.”

My Mother taught me MEDICINE…

“If you don’t stop crossing your eyes, they’re going to freeze that way.”

My Mother taught me TO THINK AHEAD…

“If you don’t pass your spelling test, you’ll never get a good job!”

My Mother taught me ESP…

“Put your sweater on; don’t you think that I know when you’re cold?”

My Mother taught me TO MEET A CHALLENGE…

“What were you thinking? Answer me when I talk to you…Don’t talk back to me!”

My Mother taught me HUMOR…

“When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don’t come running to me.”

My Mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT…

“If you don’t eat your vegetables, you’ll never grow up.

My mother taught me ABOUT SEX…

“How do you think you got here?”

My mother taught me about GENETICS…

“You are just like your father!”

My mother taught me about my ROOTS…

“Do you think you were born in a barn?”

My mother taught me about the WISDOM of AGE…

“When you get to be my age, you will understand.”

My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION…

“Just wait until your father gets home.”

My mother taught me about RECEIVING…

You are going to get it when we get home.

And my all time favorite thing-JUSTICE

“One day you will have kids, and I hope they turn out just like YOU..then you’ll see what it’s like.”

And she thought no one was listening.

–author unknown




You might also like:
25 Things My Mother Taught Me
Mother’s Day Songs and Life Lessons
Mother’s Day Quotes and Sayings
A Mother’s Day Tribute




Hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day!

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Falling Down

Today is a new day. You will get out of it just what you put into it. … If you have made mistakes, even serious mistakes, there is always another chance for you. And supposing you have tried and failed again and again, you may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call “failure” is not the falling down, but the staying down. –Mary Pickford




After the Storm

The storms may come And limbs may break;
Yet others bend Beneath the weight–
Of heavy rain And windy breeze…
A storm can mark The strongest trees.
Life sometimes deals With us this way;
In unseen trials We meet each day.
It’s not how much our bodies break
Or how much they may bend;
It’s Our Outlook In Our Own Life
That helps our spirits mend!

–Hilen Letiro







Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength. –Arnold Schwarzenegger




Keep Standing!




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Life Is Not Always Fair

“Life is a shit sandwich. But if you’ve got enough bread, you don’t taste the shit.” –Jonathan Winters

“Life is like a shit sandwich. The more bread (money) you have, the less shit you have to eat.” –my father




Life Is Not Always Fair

Life is not always fair,
It will have its ups and downs,
And the good times and the bad.

Life can be exciting and filled with joy,
Or life can be hard and filled with fright.

Life can be filled with many feelings,
The feelings could be confusing at times,
And at other times be clear.

Life will include many decisions,
And some will be major,
But most will be minor.

The decisions made during your life
Will take you down many paths.

The pathway of life you choose to take,
Will determine whether
Or not you will have
A good or bad life.

The decisions you make will
Carve your future and
The decisions you make can
Either help you or hurt you.

–author unknown

“Life is a compromise of what your ego wants to do, what experience tells you to do, and what your nerves let you do.” — Bruce Crampton




You might also like: Peaks and Valleys of Life
100 Most Important Life Choices

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Valentine’s Day history, poem and songs

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Ever wonder how Valentine’s Day got started?

Click on this link to find out the History of Valentine’s Day: http://www.history.com/content/valentine/

Today isn’t just Valentine’s Day — it’s also my wedding anniversary. My dear hubby can never forget this date. In the spirit of the day, here’s a poem on love and some love songs.

Love
by Roy Croft

I LOVE YOU,
Not only for what you are,
But for what I am
When I am with you.

I love you,
Not only for what
You have made of yourself,
But for what
You are making of me.

I love you
For the part of me
That you bring out;
I love you
For putting your hand
Into my heaped-up heart
And passing over
All the foolish, weak things
That you can’t help
Dimly seeing there,
And for drawing out
Into the light
All the beautiful belongings
That no one else had looked
Quite far enough to find.

I love you because you
Are helping me to make
Of the lumber of my life
Not a tavern
But a temple;
Out of the works
Of my every day
Not a reproach
But a song.

I love you
Because you have done
More than any creed
Could have done
To make me good,
And more than any fate
Could have done
To make me happy.

You have done it
Without a touch,
Without a word,
Without a sign.
You have done it
By being yourself.
Perhaps that is what
Being a friend means,
After all.




What are some of your favorite “love” songs? My favorite Valentine’s songs are Valentine, by Martina McBride, and My Funny Valentine.







What is the most romantic thing that has ever been done for you…or that you did for someone?

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

You might also like:
Quotes on Love

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Blogging Anniversary Thank You

A year ago today I started this blog not knowing if anyone would read it. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the stats. Blogging has been fun, a learning experience, and sometimes challenging. Thank you dear readers for your support. Without you, I’d just be talking to myself. Special thanks to my blogging buddies: Digitalcitizen for your blogging advice, and to Delicacies, Positively Present, and Zen and the Art of Tightrope Walking – for your friendship and comments.

An Old Irish Blessing

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

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Keep Walking

“If you’re going through hell, keep going.” –Winston Churchill







Don’t give up. Keep walking.




Edward Payson Weston walked across the U.S. at the age of 70.

He first received attention as a notable pedestrian in 1861, when he walked 478 miles (769 km) from Boston, Massachusetts to Washington, DC in 10 days and 10 hours, from February 22 to March 4. During the walk, he faced snow, rain, and mud, and he fell several times. His longest period of uninterrupted sleep was 6 hours, and he usually ate while walking. He arrived in Washington at 5:00 pm, and was strong enough to attend Abraham Lincoln’s inaugural ball that evening.

The walk was part of the terms of a bet on the 1860 presidential election. The bettor whose candidate lost was to walk to Washington to see the inauguration of the new president. Weston lost when he bet against Lincoln, and received only a bag of peanuts for his trouble. However, he also received newspaper coverage and a congratulatory handshake from the new president, which inspired him to further pedestrian feats.

On March 16, 1909, at age 70, he started to walk from New York to San Francisco, aiming to do it in 100 days. Fans turned out by the thousands along the route to cheer him on. “He was snowed on, rained on, attacked by mosquitoes, and menaced by hoboes. Crossing the Rockies winds were so strong that he had to crawl on hands and knees, [making] four miles in 24 hours. But the old man pushed on, hitting San Francisco in 104 days.” He deemed it a great failure and the following year he hiked back, “this time starting from Santa Monica, aiming to reach New York in 90 days. He did it in 76.” (source: Running Past)

See photos and read more about Edward Payson Weston’s walks here: http://www.runningpast.com/pedestrian.htm




The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Keep walking!

You might also like:
Don’t Quit
Get Back Up!




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Merry Christmas, My Friend

‘Twas the night before Christmas, he lived all alone,
In a one bedroom house made of plaster and stone.
I had come down the chimney with presents to give,
And to see just who in this home did live.

As I looked all about, a strange sight I did see,
No tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.
No stocking by mantle, just boots filled with sand,
On the wall hung pictures of far distant lands.

With medals and badges, awards of all kinds,
A sober thought came through my mind.
For this house was different, it was dark and dreary,
I’d found the home of a soldier, once I could see clearly.

The soldier lay sleeping, silent, alone,
Curled up on the floor in this one bedroom home.
The face was so gentle, the room in such disorder,
Not how I pictured a United States Soldier.

Was this the hero of whom I’d just read,
Curled upon a poncho, the floor for a bed?
I realized the families that I was visiting this night,
Owed their lives to these soldiers who were willing to fight.

Soon ‘round the world the children would play,
And grown-ups would celebrate a bright Christmas day.
They all enjoyed freedoms each month of the year,
Because of the soldiers, like the one lying here.

I couldn’t help wonder how many lie alone,
On a cold Christmas Eve, in a land far from home.
The very thought brought a tear to my eye,
I dropped to my knees and started to cry.

The soldier awakened and I heard a rough voice,
“Santa, don’t cry, this life is my choice.
I fight for freedom, I don’t ask for more,
My life is my God, my Country, my Corps.”

The soldier rolled over and drifted to sleep,
I couldn’t control it, I continued to weep.
I kept watch for hours, so silent and still,
And we both shivered from the cold night’s chill.

I didn’t want to leave, on that cold, dark night,
This Guardian of Honor, so willing to fight.
Then the soldier rolled over, and with a voice soft and pure,
Whispered, “Carry on Santa, it’s Christmas Day. All is secure.”

One look at my watch and I knew he was right,
“Merry Christmas my friend, and May God Bless You This Night.”

By James M. Schmidt
Former U.S. Marine Corporal
Copyright © 1987

A Soldier’s Silent Night

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Be Thankful

If you haven’t all the things you want, be grateful for the things you don’t have that you wouldn’t want. -Unknown

Be Thankful

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don’t know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you’re tired and weary,
because it means you’ve made a difference.

It’s easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who
are also thankful for the setbacks.
Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings.
-author unknown

He is a wise man who does not grieve
for the things which he has not,
but rejoices for those which he has.
–Epictetus

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Life’s Scars

Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad. -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

When you think about those hurting times in your life, were those major hurts caused by a loved one?

I just read this poem called “Life’s Scars,” by Ella Wheeler Wilcox. It got me thinking — “Is this true?” I thought about my own experiences as well as the experiences of others. I realized…I’ve talked to a lot of people, read books and heard stories, and I noticed the one thing these people all have in common is that the major hurts they talked about were caused by a loved one — parent, guardian, child, sibling, aunt, uncle, spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend. I know there are people who have been maimed or killed at the hands of a stranger. There are people who have been tortured and raped by strangers. There are soldiers who come back from war emotionally scarred. The survivors and the victim’s family members are affected for life. These are not the people I’m talking about. We all experience hurt. Before their trauma they probably had been hurt by a loved one too. Maybe everyone hasn’t been hurt or wounded by a loved one, but a lot of people have –and most likely will be at some point in their lives. It may or may not be intentional. Just some food for thought.

Life’s Scars

They say the world is round, and yet
I often think it square,
So many little hurts we get
From comers here and there.
But one great truth in life I’ve found,
While journeying to the West-
The only folks who really wound
Are those we love the best.
The man you thoroughly despise
Can rouse your wrath, ’tis true;
Annoyance in your heart will rise
At things mere strangers do;
But those are only passing ills;
This rule all lives will prove;
The rankling wound which aches and thrills
Is dealt by hands we love.
The choicest garb, the sweetest grace,
Are oft to strangers shown;
The careless mien, the frowning face,
Are given to our own.
We flatter those we scarcely know,
We please the fleeting guest,
And deal full many a thoughtless blow
To those who love us best.
Love does not grow on every tree,
Nor true hearts yearly bloom.
Alas for those who only see
This cut across a tomb!
But soon or late, the fact grows plain
To all through sorrow’s test:
The only folks who give us pain
Are those we love the best.
–Ella Wheeler Wilcox

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