Maya Angelou & Aging

In April, Maya Angelou was interviewed by Oprah on her 70+  birthday.. Oprah asked her what she thought of growing older.  And, there on television, she said it was 'exciting...' Regarding body changes, she said there were many, occurring every day.....like her breasts. They seem to be in a race to see which will reach her waist, first.

The audience laughed so hard they cried. She is such a simple and honest woman, with so much wisdom in her words!

Maya Angelou said this: 
 
'I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.'

'I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.'

'I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.'

'I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as 'making a life.'

'I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.'

'I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back...'

'I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.'

'I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.'

'I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug or just a friendly pat on the back...'

'I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.'

'I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'

(Thanks Lemmell for sending this to me to share...)

Cell phones

I know, I usually write this just before bed, but today has been soooo frustrating, thought I would ramble on right now.  I Love Verizon!  I have to admit it I do, well at least until this week-end!  Being a Realtor, my cell phone is my life line, my traveling office so to speak.  My phone has began dropping calls, it would seem that every call I have, is taking at least 5 call backs until I get so frustrated that I simple tell the person on the other line, evidently, I am not supposed to be talking to you...and I hang up.

It is one thing to have the call dropped with my ex-husband, or even with my sister, but when I am talking business, and everything goes silent...  Not so good.

Yesterday, I worked in my yard all day, my way to relax.  I was quite surprised at the lack of calls, when I checked my phone and guess what?! It had went to Air Plane mode!  What the Freak?  I couldn't be closer to the ground, I am literally kneeling on it.  This didn't just happen once but 9 times yesterday!  Oh the Joy of it all!

I had decided that I had to work on my yard again today, it was looking quite forlorn in the back flower beds, Such a wet Spring will do that.  So it is beautiful outside and I'm in my gardening clothes, trust me, not something anyone wants to see, I look at my phone and I have 10 new voice mails, wow~how did that happen?  They were from the last 4 days, evidently they were being saved up!

I then decide to call Tech support, which my phone dropped the calls so many times that I gave up and went into my Verizon Store, yes, looking like I do right now.  (Best argument against video phones!) And this cute little inexperienced girl met me at the front door!  She let me ramble on for a couple of minutes and then asked if I could wait until tomorrow, they realize they are having a problem with 3/4 of the Verizon Phones in Utah!  Sure-What's another day of No voice mails, dropping calls, & my all time favorite, Air Plane Mode!

Would I ever go to a land line again or change Cell providers, Not a chance!  However, today is evidently going to be an all day adventure in the yard, why not?  Can't talk on the phone~fine, so I can't Dance either!

Gardening and cruddy weather...

My niece, Cindy, posted this on FaceBook today: Total rainfall for Seattle in the month of May.... 3.09 and thats a wet month for them. Over an inch more than normal. Total rainfall for Salt Lake.... 4.76 and 5.14 at the airport. HA Seattle.. we beat you!! Wait thats not an area I even want to compete in.


I have lived in Seattle and currently live just a little south of Salt Lake.  As I have stated before I have also lived in England, so why does this year of no spring bug me?  Because!  I love driving through the mountains, Oops, can't do that, there is still snow on the Alpine Loop.  I had started a tradition of Climbing Mt. Timpanogos for Mothers day...Not this year, here it is June in a couple of days and yep, you guessed it, Timp is still closed due to Snow.


Woke up this morning to a text message from a friend of mine in Salt Lake, Simply said, "Snow, Really?"  Yes, really. So my rantings today are just because I love 70 -79 degree weather and Spring is supposed to be the best season of the year, but this year, it decided to skip over us!


So, I went out today to clean up the flower beds in my yard, got few new plants, some more bark and life is good.  Except, I wore my gardening gloves, not just to protect my hands but to keep them WARM!  What the Heck?


The 3 beds I worked on look great, one of my favorite reasons to work outside is the little bit of sun you get to get that nice spring glow...Not so much!  Weeding was easier, the poor little guys are staying below the surface to stay warm!  And the best part, is that prices were really slashed at Home Depot on Gardening supplies, no one has been able to work outside yet.


We always have just a few cute outside signs and plaques, But today, we got so ticked at the little "Welcome Spring" sign that we took it down and put it in the attic and brought out the 4th of July decorations.  Thought what the heck?  We really have no idea what time of the year it is anyway!  Should probably get out the Christmas Decorations and just ignore the whole Spring and Summer lie.


Ok, enough is enough!  thought for tonight?  Don't have one!  Bah!  Humbug!

Emails vs phone calls

I love talking on the phone, will many times have to recharge my phone during the day.  I have come to the realization that I talk on the phone for company and I email to reach out.  I know, it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense, but bear with me.

I have someone that I have recently reconnected with, we talk 3 or 4 times a week.  It is so much fun catching up on each others lives over the last 40+ years.  We talk about important stuff today, like the Beatles and the Food Network.  Fine, so we talked about the Beatles when we dated in high school too, only now the discussion has turned to playing Beatles music on Rock Band.  Yes, have to admit, Mary and I have a Rock Band Room in our basement, complete with big screen TV and comfy seats!

I talked about playing Rock Band Last night at Jason and Natalie's house, and how much fun it is to hear my grandkids sing songs that my friend and I used to "Rock Out To" on the Radio.  Strange how things change, at least I know the same songs as my kids and their kids!

So basically we talked for over a half an hour about fluff with just a couple of hits on important stuff.  I know it doesn't seem possible, but I actually get for a loss of words sometimes, so I reflected on our conversation and an hour later wrote him the email that we tried to talk about on the phone.  Not sure what brain cell has died in my head that makes it easier to type than to talk!  Worse yet, I find myself bummed because he doesn't text, and that has somehow become my 2nd favorite way to communicate.

I remember hearing my grandparents discuss the evils of telephones, they predicted that it would eventually ruin the art of face to face conversation...Who would have known?  Now we have taken it a couple of steps further, instead of sitting down and talking on the phone, we have taken conversation one step closer to extinction, I love emailing and texting, so I take partial responsibility!

I Love being able to see quick updates, I think they are a way of telling me that someone has just momentarily thought about me.  And with emails, I can read them over and over again, and hang on certain words.  It is also easier for me to voice my opinion when I am not afraid of being interrupted or over talked!


So now, the promise or thought for tonight?  I will try to get better about discussing things that really matter in person or at least on the phone.  Can I, please still communicate with email and texting on unimportant matters, and of course, what would I do without checking Facebook several times a day.  Night...

Construction and rainy nights!

Construction cones have become a way of life here in Utah!  I think it is impossible to travel anywhere in Utah county without playing dodge ball with a barrier.  Yes, I am fully aware that this is to improve our way of life.  To help our traveling, However, does it really have to be every street in the county?  And the freeway?  That is a whole other problem.  If you are not dodging cones, you are dodging temporary traffic change signs, and cement walls that weren't there yesterday.

Tonight we were driving home from my sons home, and it is raining really hard.  No big deal, I have lived in Seattle and England, so driving in rain is second nature, except in Utah!  For what ever reason, painting the lines on the road with florescent white paint would be too expensive.  I felt like I was driving with a dozen other drivers who also had no idea  where the lanes began and where they end.

For the first time that I can remember, I drove past my exit on the freeway, couldn't see it for lack of lane paint and just plain too many construction cones.  I am now back home, getting ready to go to bed, and when I get up in the morning, I thoroughly expect to find detour signs on my road, telling me I can't get anywhere from here.

Maybe I am tired, or maybe a little grumpy, or Maybe I am just sick of not knowing what road to take tomorrow!


Thought for tonight?  Progress is sometimes a pain in the rear, but eventually it will improve someones life.  I hope!