Think As You Wake

In Darling Hubby's Happy Friday post, I read this quote and liked it so much that I'm sharing it here with you.

These wise words came from the Dalai Lama. I'm sorry. I don't know which incarnation of the Dalai Lama said it.

In case you don't know exactly who the Dalai Lama is, he is the highest spiritual leader and head of Tibetan Buddhism. The current Dalai Lama is the 14th, and he is 90 years old.

The Dalai Lama served as the resident spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet before 1959.

After that year, he led the Tibetan government in exile as represented by the Central Tibetan Administration in Dharamsala, India.

Now you know who he is so let me share what he said. 

"Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards 

others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can."

I'd like to take that apart and present each thought separtely and put a personal emphasis on his words. 

As you wake up each day, think these thoughts.

I am fortunate to be alive.

I AM a precious human life.

I am not going to waste my life.

I am going to use all my energies to develop myself.

I am going to use all my energies to expand my heart out to other.

I am going to use all my energies to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.

I am going to have kind thoughts toward others.

I am not going to get angry at other people or think badly of them.

I am going to benefit others as much as I can.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Those are wise words that I hope you take to heart. They're another way of saying, "Be a blessing to others." Have a lovely Sunday.

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AT LAST, MAY

Ah, the merry month of May.

I love what Longfellow wrote in his journal about this month where everything blooms and brings joy to the heart.

"The word May is a perfumed word... It means youth, love, song; and all that is beautiful in life." —Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1861

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Enjoy this lovely month and get ready for summer's heat.

💟 💟 💟

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Wednesday Wise Words - Time

Today's quote is by Harvey Mackay, an American businessman, author, and syndicated columnist with Universal Uclick for which he gives career and inspirational advice.

You've probably heard or read his most famous book, How to Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive.

One of the secrets of success is learning how to use your allotted time each day rather than frittering it away on unimportantmportant tasks.

Mr. Mackay is 94 now so he definitely knows the importance of using time effectively. Here's what he said.

"Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it, you can never get it back."

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Like money, time is something you can't take with you when you die. When you're living, time is more important than money because yo can always make more money, but you can't make more time.

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Time Keeps On Ticking Ticking

Lord Chesterfield famously said, "Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness, no laziness, no procrastination: never put off till tomorrow what you can do today."

We all bemoan the lack of time to do everything we need to do and want to do, but ask yourself: how do I use my time?

Do you spend your allotted hours each day effectively or do you frivolously spend your hours in the purusit of entertainment?

 Everyone is given the same 24 hours a day. How do some people create success, prosperity, and happiness and others muddle along in a life full of discouragement?

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Success starts with attitude, desire to live full of joy, belief in oneself, and learning to use time effectively. There are a million books, classes, videos, and lectures that teach one how to harness the potential inside. Believe.

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Old Books Are Old Friends

Some Hump Day Thoughts.

The other day I saw a Facebook post about Shanna, a historical romance novel by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, the housewife who started the romance revolution with the 1972 publication of her first novel, The Flame and The Flower.

That first book sold over 2.3 million copies in the first 4 years of publication. It's still selling. I don't know if her genre-busting early books have ever been out of print.

(I'll confess that I didn't care much for the book which is the Forced Marriage trope, a polite way of saying sexual assault.)

As soon as I closed Facebook, I went to the armoire in my office and pulled my copy of Shanna from the shelf of paperback books in there. Yes, it was on my keeper shelf along with several other vintage novels.

When Shanna was published, it sold over 3 million copies and remained on the New York Times bestseller list for a full year.

I remember the first time I read this book probably a decade or more after it was published in 1977. It was filled with lush  descriptions of characters, setting, and the sexuality and passion of the characters. 

We're talking thrusting loins and heaving bosoms and bodice ripping—by the villain, never by the hero in Woodiwiss's novels.

I started reading it again. Yes, it's dated, and I had to smile at the flowery analogies used far too often. However, it's still a page turner.

Eventually, over the years before I was published, I read all of Ms. Woodiwiss's early books. Life and writing got in the way, and I became enmeshed in the contemporary romance world so I never got to her later books. I plan to correct that oversight this year.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

A keeper shelf is a place of delight and comfort. Reading an old book is like visiting with an old friend.

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Thought for the Week - Age

 

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Don't let your age define you.

People of every age achieve amazing things.

Just believe in yourself.

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Post Super Bowl - Thank Goodness

I don't know about you, but I'm tired after nearly 3 days of Super Bowl celebrations, commercials, and reports.

I'll admit I don't watch much football so I didn't have a "dog in the game" so to speak.

I mainly watch the commercials or the puppy bowl on other channels. This time I didn't watch the half-time show at the game or the alternative show.

Instead, I read Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine by George M. Taber.

We'd had dinner with daughter Adina and son-in-law Mike yesterday, and Mike gave us a copy of the book because he knew how much we'd loved the movie Bottle Shock which was based on the Paris Tasting in 1976.

(By the way, I highly recommend Bottle Shock, the movie which starred Alan Rickman, Chris Pine, and Bill Pullman. If you love wine and underdog stories, you'll really love this flick.)

I hope you enjoyed your Super Bowl event as much as I enjoyed mine.

MONDAY, MONDAY

Like you, I'm back in the office. So far, it's been a frustrating day. I spent 4 hours looking for the page proofs for one of my backlist books. Finally found it—persistence pays off—so I think I'll take a coffee break before I tackle the rest of the items on my TO DO list.

Here's a quote for you to guide your week—especially if you're pronE to insomnia as I often am.

"If you can't sleep, then get up and do something instead of lying there worrying. It's the worry that gets you, not the lack of sleep." —Dale Carnegie

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

If you work at night instead of staring at the ceiling, you may be yawning through the next day, but you may get a lot accomplished too. What do you think?

 

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Sunday Thoughts - What Is a Blessing?

When I was a child, my brothers and I took turns "saying the blessing" before meals.

"Bless us, oh Lord, and these thy gifts..." and so on. 

As children, we didn't think much about it or the real meaning of the words we were taught to say.

As a church goer, another habit from childhood but one I cherish for many reasons, I learned the profound meaning of those words learned in childhood.

DEFINITIONS

If you look up the word blessing, you'll find these definitions: "a prayer asking for God's favor and protection, grace said before or after a meal, a beneficial thing for which one is grateful, sanction or support."

ACKNOWLEDGE BLESSINGS

I'm not talking about religion now even though I do acknowledge the blessings I have based upon my beliefs. I am truly grateful for those blessings. 

I'm talking about why it's a good thing to acknowledge blessings whether they come from your religion or from your neighbor next door. Acknowledging a blessing is conscious recognition of the beneficial thing you have received and being apprciative of it.

APPRECIATION = GRATITUDE

Being grateful or feeling gratitude has been scientifically proven to benefit people.

In fact, gratitude has been proven to enhance physical and mental health because it reduces stress hormones like cortisol and increases the feel-good neurotransmitters, serotonin and dopamine.

Feelings of gratitude promote cardiovascular health, boosts immune function, lowers blood pressure, and improves sleep. It also helps crete emotional resilience and deeper social connections. It can help with pain management and help you live longer too.

EXPRESSING GRATITUDE

You can express gratitude in many ways like saying grace or a blessing—which was the inspiration for today's post. Listening to a blessing took me back to my childhood and the blessings and prayers I was taught.

Throughout the morning, I kept thinking about the reason behind those words of appreciation or gratitude. I believe in keeping track of the blessings, or beneficial things, that happen each day even if it's something like, "the wind didn't blow off the winterized wraps on the loquat tree."

Try writing in a notebook or a journal about the commonplace or extraordinary happenings in your life each day that may be blessings in disguise. Be grateful. 

Express that gratitude to a person who does something kind for you or express it on the pages of a journal or express it in a prayer if that's what speaks to you.

What do you think about the subject of blessings?

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

 Well, that's my Sunday Thoughts for this cold, wintry day. Have a great week ahead.

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Sunday Thoughts - Dogs Are Awesome

In my book, April Fool Proposition, the heroine and hero get a "mutual" dog that I modeled after Freddie, our daughter's golden doodle.

At left, you can see Freddie in a birthday photo from a few years ago. He's all grown up now and is the most intelligent, loving dog one could hope to have.

I've written a few books with dogs as characters because I love dogs. If you're looking for unconditional love, then you need to get a dog.

As a dog lover—no offense to cats and cat lovers—I want to share some of my favorite dog quotes. I think they prove my point that dogs are awesome.

The average dog is a nicer person than the average person. —Andy Rooney

If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons. —James Thurber

Ever consider what our dogs must think of us? I mean, here we come back from a grocery store with the most amazing haul—chicken, pork, half a cow. They must think we're the greatest hunters on earth! —Anne Tyler

You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, "Wow, you're right! I never would've thought of that!' —Dave Barry

I've seen a look in dogs' eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts. —John Steinbeck

A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down. —Robert Benchley

Nothing in the world is friendlier than a wet dog. —Anonymous 

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man. —Mark Twain

Dogs are better than human beings because they know but do not tell. —Emily Dickinson

Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen. —Orhan Pamuk

Handle every stressful situation like a dog. If you can=t eat or play with it, just pee on it and walk away. —Anonymous

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. —Will Rogers

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What's the Biggest Killer Ever?

Through millennia, what is the biggest killer of all? 

Fear.

It kills hopes, dreams, optimism, futures, happiness, relationships, and everything good in life.

Fear afflicts people and entire countries.

The most reprehensible are those who are fear-mongers. Beware of letting a little anxiety turn into full-blown fear.

Everyone has something they fear. "When your dreams are bigger than the places you find yourself in, sometimes you need to seek out your own reminders that there is more. And there is always more waiting for you on the other side of fear." — Elaine Welteroth

Never allow little fears to grow and take over your life. Motivational speaker Les Brown said, "Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears."

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Choose to live your dreams, not your fears.

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The Remarkable Cup of Joe

Are you one of the 1 billion people worldwide who starts the day with a cup of coffee? I am.

Since today is International Coffee Day, let's talk about that deliciously roasted bean.

A billion? Seriously? Yes. It's difficult to get precise statistics on a global scale, but the estimate is a billion peoplee. Some studies say 66% of the global population are coffee drinkerss.

That's estimated globally to be more than 2 billion cups of coffee each and every day?

In the Western countries, coffee rules supreme, followed by tea consumption which is very popular in Asian countries. Here in the U.S.A., about 66% of adults drink coffee every day.

CUP OF JOE AND A CUP OF JAVA

Growing up, it was common to hear someone order a "Cup of Joe" or a "Cup of Java" in a diner. In 1935, a record was released by The InkSpots called Java Jive. The song remains popular today with a capella groups. 

Cup of Joe and Donuts

When one of our sons was in the  The Texas A&M Singing Cadets, he was part of their quartet called The Aggienizers. One of their most popular numbers was Java Jive sung in a slightly faster tempo than the original.

How the two expressions for a cup of coffee came about aren't really known, but there are theories.

Josephus Daniels Theory of a Cup of Joe

In 1914, the Secretary of the Navy was Josephus Daniels. He  banned alcohol from U.S. Navy ships. The sailors had to find another common drink which was coffee so the sailors called their replacement drink a "Cup of Joe."

 

Of course, that phrase didn't actually appear in print until the 1930s. Does that mean it took that long for the phrase to become popular enough to be written about? Or does it mean that the theory doesn't hold coffee—uh, I mean water?

The "Average Joe" Theory of a Cup of Joe

This theory seems to have come about in the Great Depression and suggests that a "Cup of Joe" is coffee for the "average Joe," an ordinary person. The phrase really took off in the 1930's.

Joe Martinson Theory of a Cup of Joe

In the 1890's, there was a coffee merchant named Joe Martinson in New York who marketed his own coffee blend which became known as "Joe's coffee" or a "Cup of Joe."

Jamoke Theory of a Cup of Joe or a Cup of Java

This theory is an explanation of both common expressions. Some unnamed person theorized that "Cup of Joe" came from part of a made-up word, "jamoke," a combination of Java, for the Indonesian Island of Java where coffee was grown, and the port city known for coffee exports, Mocha, or Al-Mokha, in Yemen on the Red Sea. 

Back in the 17th century, the Dutch introduced coffee plants to their colonies in Southeast Asia, especially the island of Java where coffee plants flourished. The island's name became the common term used for coffee thus "Cup of Java" was a well-established phrase.

TODAY'S COFFEE

Most coffee today comes from countries in the "bean belt" region, a latitudinal region with similar climates. 

Coffee was introduced in South America in the 18th century and then spread across the continent and to the Caribbean. 

Today, Brazil, Vietnam, and Colombia are the top 3 global producers with over 40% of the world's coffee output.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

So whatever brand of coffee you drink—I'm firmly a Dunkin' Donuts coffee fan—lift your cup and let's toast that lovable bean that gets us going every morning. Here's looking at you, Cup of Joe!

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Sunset Thoughts

Where did the day go? I'm frequently asking that question at the end of each busy day.

It's been a challenging summer, and I seem to be so behind that I'll never catch up.

What's that old expression? The faster I go, the behinder I get? There's a lot of truth in that.

 TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I wish you a marvelous week in which you do all that you wish to do and need to do.

First, They're Bright And Delightful

At first, autumn leaves are brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows. Still attached to trees, they're Nature's masterpieces painted against a sky blue background.

Then the leaves begin to drift lazily down, kissing the ground below—some land on shrubbery, some on  sidewalks, streets, and driveways.

In a few days, they're brown and brittle, with nothing to commend them—until someone walks on them.

Delightfully, they crunch beneath our feet, sounding like drum brushes on a snare drum.

DELIGHTFUL DESCRIPTIONS OF AUTUMN LEAVES

"Autumn leaves don't fall, they fly. They take their time and wander on this their only chance to soar." —Delia Owens, Where the Crawdads Sing

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"It looked like the world was covered in a cobbler crust of brown sugar and cinnamon." —Sarah Addison Allen, First Frost

"Autumn teaches us the beauty of letting go. Growth requires release—it’s what the trees do." —Ka’ala

"And all the lives we ever lived, and all the lives to be, are full of trees and changing leaves." —Virginia Woolf

"The leaves are all falling, and they’re falling like they’re falling in love with the ground." —Andrea Gibson

"Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree." —Emily Brontë

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Now, with yard broom in hand, I reflect on those lovely words as I go forth to do battle with the brown, crunchy detritus covering the patio and driveway.

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Wednesday Wisdom - 15 Things Money Can't Buy

Every week on Friday, Darling Hubby sends an inspirational group email to friends, family, and former co-workers.

He's been doing this for more than a decade. Of course, I'm on his email list too so I get a chance to read what he sends.

Sometimes, he includes a quotation or something that's not only inspirational but also thought-provoking.

Today's post is something he used in an email several weeks ago. I liked it so much that I thought I'd use it here for some Wednesday Wisdom.

Top 15 Things Money Can’t Buy

This comes from Roy T. Bennett.

• Time
• Happiness
• Inner Peace
• Integrity
• Love
• Character
• Manners
• Health
• Respect
• Morals
• Trust
• Patience
• Class
• Common Sense
• Dignity. 

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Profound, isn't it? Nothing on the list above can be purchased, but anyone can possess each item shown.

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Hump Day Wisdom

Let's slide into Wednesday with a quotation to guide us through the day.

This one is from Catherine Pulsifer.

"Wednesday will either make you or break you. You are either on the upward trend or the downward slide to the end of the work week. Give it all you got this Wednesday!”

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Go for it!

Random Thoughts - Acceptance or Resignation

William James said: "Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune."

A dear friend passed away. We'd been friends since the late 1980s. Even though she had moved away, we stayed in touch nearly every week.

I can't believe it happened. I guess that translates into I can't accept it. I thought of the quotation above and have come to the conclusion that acceptance must be the optimistic cousin of resignation.

Takeaway Truth

I know I'll eventually "accept" this loss, but it will simply be that I'm resigned to it.

5 Great Summer Heat Quotes

Today is the second day this summer that the temperature hit 100° F.

I was watering plants on the patio with the thought that I'd repot some of the ferns, but I changed my mind after 20 minutes. It was just too hot to be outside at noon.

I certainly identified with what Jane Austen said: "What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps one in a continual state of inelegance."

I know I felt inelegant—a much nicer way to say I was hot and sweaty.

5 GREAT SUMMER HEAT QUOTES

"Books and summertime go together.” ―Lisa Schroeder, I Heart You, You Haunt Me

"What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness?" —John Steinbeck

“I love how summer just wraps it’s arms around you like a warm blanket.” ―Kellie Elmore

“Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.” —Russell Baker

"Summer is the annual permission slip to be lazy. To do nothing and have it count for something. To lie in the grass and count the stars. To sit on a branch and study the clouds." —Regina Brett

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Summer heat and books go together like vanilla ice cream and frozen chocolate-covered peanuts. Hey, why not indulge in all 3 this week?

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Quote for Week - Bravery

Mary Tyler Moore of sitcom and movie fame once said: "You can't be brave if you've only had wonderful things happen to you."

I think that's true. Life tests us. Some of us get tested more than others.

The thing I've noticed as I've gone through life is that people who have easy lives with few problems eventually get something awful that happens to them. 

Those who have had it easy often crumple in the face of disaster. I've seen it happen. There are no shortcuts to get through heartbreak and bad times.

The only way to survive is to toughen up and go straight through, hoping to reach the other side where acceptance—if not peace—may be found.

You have to fight to survive when you fail, when your heart breaks, and when you lose someone precious and dear to you.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

If you survive, it's because you toughened as you fought to endure. In the end, you'll be stronger than before. You may not think you possess bravery, but you may find you're tougher than you ever thought.

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Easter Sunday Memories

Holidays bring back memories of days gone by.

1. Dying Easter eggs the day before Easter Sunday.

2. Decorating Easter baskets with pink or green celephane "straw" and Reese's Peanut Butter Cup "eggs" and Peeps and jelly beans.

3. Going to church wearing my new Easter dress, white shoes, white lace socks, and a frilly white hat. In the South, that's what little girls wore.

4. Singing more songs than usual in church.

5. Greeting everyone after services then rushing home to help put Easter dinner on the table.

6. Easter dinner: baked ham covered with pineapple rings and a brown sugar glaze that makes my mouth water as I write this.

7. Baked sweet potatoes, green beans, salad, and potato salad too. No desserts because we were allowed to eat our Easter candy as dessert.

8. Running around the backyard in an Easter egg hunt. We had to be quick or the dog would get to the eggs before we found them.

9. Eating so much Easter candy that we were nearly sick and didn't want any candy for many weeks thereafter.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I loved everything about Easter—Sunday School, church service, happy days full of laughter and fun. Oh, to be six again and carefree.

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Happy Spring!

Ah, Spring! My grandfather would always laughingly say, "In the spring, a young man's fancy turns to thoughts of love."

As a romance author, my thoughts are never far from love and romance, but today I feel like saying something poetic about how lovely Spring is.

The air smells different, and it caresses the skin. The sunshine is golden, the sky is so blue, and the light is almost translucent.

Sigh. If only I were a poet. Thankfully, there are plenty of poets who have, well, waxed poetically about this loveliest of seasons.

Here's an excerpt from "A Light Exists in Spring" by one of my favorite poets, Emily Dicksinson. The poem is about that special quality of light in the spring that I mentioned. 

Her poem was published posthumously in the 1890s. Her work published before 1923 is now in the public domain which allows me to publish it here. There are a couple of other verses to the poem, but these are my favorite.

A Light exists in Spring
Not present on the Year
At any other period –
When March is scarcely here

A Color stands abroad
On Solitary Fields
That Science cannot overtake
But Human Nature feels.

It waits upon the Lawn,
It shows the furthest Tree
Upon the furthest Slope you know
It almost speaks to you. 

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Do something special today to celebrate this change of seasons. Visit a garden center, buy a tree or a flowering shrub to plant—or just anything that's green and growing. Happy Spring!

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