Thursday Thanks

It's July in the Northwest...so I am thankful for sunshine, blue skies and lush green trees!

One of my favorite things!

Today I got to experience one of my favorite things, which is getting my hair cut. Would that I could, I would go in every four weeks to get a cut, color, or change in style. For well over a decade, I have been going to the same hair stylist, Babs, and she is fabulous.

I sit down, I tell Babs what I like or don't like about my current cut or I show her pictures of styles I am considering. I am usually not very detailed in telling her what I want - I just give her a general idea and leave myself in her capable hands. She cuts, she texturizes, she razors, and she colors; the result is always impressive and fun!

Here are just a few of the hairstyles she has given me recently:

Six-Word Sunday

Wanting to change
means taking action.

Thursday Thanks

Today I am thankful that the old adage "This too shall pass" is true. A friend I've been out of touch with sent me an email today and asked me how things were going in my world. In my reply, I remarked that a year has made a huge difference in my life and that got me thinking about how challenging times do eventually fade. Sometimes in darkness it can seem like it will never end, but there is always a light at the end of the tunnel - we just have to keep moving forward one small step at a time to eventually be able to see the light in the distance. Finally, if we keep moving forward, the light grows and we can see that what we want to reach is getting closer and closer. Before you know it, the darkness has faded to a memory from the past and we are in the light!

Then (1953) and Now (2010)

Yesterday I posted that my parents were celebrating their 57th wedding anniversary, having married in 1953. That got me thinking about all of the changes they have seen in those year. Here are just a few:

• In 1953, when Sir Edmund Hilary and sherpa Tenzing Norgay summited Mount Everest, it took four days for the news to reach London. In 2010, when sherpa Ang Dorjee reached the summit for the 14th time, the news was posted on the internet within seconds and he talked to his wife via satellite phone within five minutes.
• The cost of a first class stamp in 1953 was $0.03; in 2010, it is $0.44.
• In 1953, Ian Fleming published his first James Bond novel, Casino Royale. In 2010, the 23rd Bond film will be released with Bond portrayed by the sixth actor to play the character.
• The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, then age 27, took place in 1953; in 2010, she has ruled for 58 years and is 84 years old.
• In 1953, a gallon of gas cost $0.20; in 2010, the average cost for a gallon of gas is $2.84.
• Bill Gates was born in 1953; in 2010, his company, Microsoft, is king and his net worth is $53 billion.
• Speaking of kings, in 1953 Elvis Presley graduated from high school and walked into the offices of Sun Records to make a recording; in 2010, Lady Gaga is king (or queen if you prefer).

Most importantly, in 1953 my folks were newly married and expecting their first child; in 2010, they have 6 children and 16 grandchildren!

57 to Celebrate

Today is my parents' 57th wedding anniversary. The year was 1953 and my mom, Marian, was 17 and my dad, Ron, was 19. It is a testament to the power love that they are still married because there have been ups and downs over the years, but they have been through them all together. The most wonderful thing is that they are happier than ever!

Here is one of my favorite pictures of them from recent years:

Our family is so blessed by their love - here's to many more years of wedded bliss!

Being Unplugged

For a couple of weeks, I was more or less unplugged from daily emails, blogging and Internet surfing. In part, this was a forced separation because I spent time at a family cabin which does not have Internet connectivity. I found, though, after about ten days of not being connected, I did not feel a great need to reestablish my connection.

It's something worth pondering because I truly enjoy social networking, reading news on the Internet, occasionally playing games (love Scrabble online), and definitely blogging (both posting to mine and reading others). Yet during the time away, I did not miss being plugged into everything. Instead, I spent time reading, cooking, resting, walking, chatting with my sister and friends, enjoying nature and playing games; all activities that I enjoy as well!

I think my challenge is to find the balance between being plugged in and connected and spending time in others ways that nourish my mind, body and soul.

Six-Word Sunday

With this post,
I'm blogging again!