Face it...

IGNORING IT does NOT mean...


   ...that it does not exist, 


   ...that it will get better on its own, 


   ...or that it will simply disappear. 


                                                   ~C.J.

( © Post and photo by C.J. - please do not copy)

Tired?

Did you wake up this morning to a messy house, with dirty dishes, dirty laundry strewn everywhere, toys scattered about, tv blaring or children arguing?  Are you overwhelmed at the thought of trying to take care of everything and everyone else, get to work on time, be chef, chauffeur, banker, nurse, and counselor?


Take a moment and think...

• You have a home and bed to sleep in...be thankful.
• You see the mess because you still have your sense of vision...be thankful.
• You have dirty dishes because you have food to eat...be thankful.
• You know there is spoiled food to be thrown away because you still have a keen sense of smell...be thankful.
• You can enjoy a hot cup of coffee amidst the mess because you can feel the warmth of the mug in your hands and you can taste its wonderful flavor...be thankful.
• You have dirty laundry because you have clothes to wear...be thankful.
• There are toys on the floor and you receive random hugs from little arms because you were able to have children...be thankful.
• You know the tv is on and your kids are talking, laughing, or arguing because you have your sense of hearing...be thankful.
• You can walk to the mailbox to mail out the monthly payments because your feet and legs still work...be thankful.
• You maintain a calendar, an organizer, a scheduler because you can think and are involved in the lives of others...be thankful.
• You can be chef, chauffeur, banker, nurse, counselor, etc. because you have been blessed with the necessary material and financial means, the education, and common sense...be thankful.

You don't have to look too far to see others who DON'T have these things...so even on days when you are feeling overwhelmed, simply exhausted, or at your wit's end...you can, and should, be thankful...

( © Post and photos by C.J. - please do not copy)

About Me?

"Where words fail, music speaks." (Hans Christian Anderson) About me? It's not really all about ME:) I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up... I'm always looking for something to read or study... I love sunrises and sunsets...porch swings and rocking chairs...long walks and weekend trips... I enjoy music and poetry...singing and playing sax... I could spend hours laughing and talking with friends over coffee or tea... I'm not very outspoken, but when I'm passionate about something or someone, you'll know it... I'm very intuitive, discerning, sensitive and sentimental... I love picking up the phone and hearing my sons' voices, hearing them laugh or saying they are having a good day... I don't like insincerity, injustice, cruelty, wastefulness, unproductive meetings, rainy days, excuses or broken promises... I'm a proud mom of two wonderful sons who I don't get to see often enough. I don't know how the years have passed so quickly! I wish I could sit down right now with my old friends from high school and college, just relax, laugh, share some coffee or tea, catch up and reconnect...

( © Post and photo by C.J. - please do not copy)

Only HE...

( © Post and Video clip by C.J. - please do not copy)

September 11 - Just Another Day?

Today is Sunday, September 11, 2011.  Knowing it was futile to attempt to remain in the bed and go back to sleep, I was up around my usual time of 4:15 a.m.  As I made my way to the kitchen to get a drink of water and put on a pot of coffee to brew, I was keenly aware of the silence all around me.  The only sound I detected was the rhythmic tick-tick-tick of the clock on the wall above the counter.  The floor felt cool against my bare feet.  Standing there in my summer pajamas, I began to get goose bumps on my arms and I realized that it was beginning to feel like autumn and that the air conditioner hadn't come on even once all during the night.  Time to get out the long-sleeved tops, sweatshirts and dreaded winter coat.


I put on my robe, and when the coffee was ready I poured myself a cup, placed it on the small table beside the recliner-rocker, took a seat, and picked up my laptop.  This was my usual routine.  Few people understand, but the very early hours of the morning are "my time", when I am most alert, and I utilize this time to check email messages, read important articles, take exams, pay bills, do a little writing...anything that requires a little sense and clear thinking.  This morning was no different...or was it?


I looked at the date again...September 11, 2011.  Could it be?  Could it be possible that it has been ten years?  It doesn't seem so, but it has been ten years since that horrific day that all of America, and the free world, was shaken and shocked by what took place.  I had been sitting at the counter in my kitchen making out a grocery list, with the television tuned into the morning news, only half listening to it, when the unbelievable break in the newscast caught my attention.  I sat frozen, stunned, paralyzed, and watched the tragic events take place once at a time.  I did the only thing I could, and the same thing I'm sure millions of Americans did in those moments...I prayed and cried out to God and started trying contact my family.


I cannot even begin to imagine what the victims of September 11, 2001, experienced, nor do I want to.  But the families of those victims, along with those who were there and somehow survived, have thought about,  and have continued to have nightmares about it...for the past ten years.  I am thinking of all those who started that day out with their seemingly usual routines, never realizing that their lives on this earth would end.  I am thinking about the families and friends who continue to grieve and mourn the loss of their loved ones.  I am thinking about all the brave men and women who risked their own lives to try to help others on that day.  I am thinking about all the men and women who serve in the military of our country and the sacrifices they have made and continue to make to try to make sure that such a tragedy never happens again.


To honor, remember, respect, and pay tribute, I dedicate my time this morning to all the victims of September 11, 2001, and on this day, the anniversary of one of the most tragic days in the history of America, I give thanks to each and every person who has served or is currently serving in each branch of the military of our country. Without your sacrifice, we would not have the freedoms we enjoy and perhaps we would not even exist...I THANK YOU ♥

( © Post and photos by C.J. - please do not copy)

It Never Ends...

It Never Ends…

Who knows where the river goes

When it flows around the bend

I only know that it goes on...

And like life, it never ends

Sometimes it's shallow, calm and clear

Inviting you to touch

Gently rolling, drifting by

It sings in a quiet hush

But when storm clouds come together

And the rains pour from the sky

It becomes muddy, loud, and ugly

Producing fear as it rushes by

Whatever it touches is changed forever

But never loses its purpose

Whether touched gently as it passes

Or battered by forceful surges

Who knows where the river goes

When it flows around the bend

I only know that it goes on...

And like life, it never really ends

( © Post and photo by C.J. - please do not copy)