Priceless

priceless:–adjective

having a value beyond all price; invaluable: a priceless artwork.
We all know the MasterCard commercials where they show a scenario and put a price to most of it and then part of it, the most important part, is deemed priceless.
What is priceless to you? Oh, we all know what we are supposed to say, love, family, friends, etc, but, have you ever REALLY thought about what is priceless to you?? I am sure it differs for all people. It also may change given situations. If I am camping with the family, the shower on day two is priceless. If I hear a friend is going in for medical tests and they turn out fine, the news is priceless. One is much more important than the other, however, both feel priceless in their given situations.
Priceless moments, like "golden moments" that occur in our life are not to be ignored. They make all the rest matter.
Did you have a priceless moment lately? Did you recognize it?

Summer Staple

Proof that summer is just around the corner is finding the first cucumber of the season in our garden. A constant fixture in our refrigerator all summer is the marinated cuke, tomato & onion (optional) salad. I keep a batch whipped up at all times and just keep adding to it as it gets eaten. I like it on the tart side and use red wine vinegar. To sweeten it a little, I add a packet or two of Equal instead of sugar and a little water. All it needs is seasoning with salt, pepper, garlic powder and you're good to go. YUM!

Jack E. Boy

The following story is true! The names have NOT been changed to protect the innocent!
Two days ago, my phone rings. When I answer it, this is what I hear: "Hi, Grammie. It's Jack. I know your number now and I called you all by myself. Mom's not here. Dad's not here. I am in charge of the kids. Did you know I can drive the car now??" Then he laughs and laughs. I asked him where his mom really was and he said in the bedroom. When he finally gave her the phone, I relayed the entire conversation. She said she hadn't heard the phone ring and I said it was because I did not call there. Jack called me! It was not her cell phone, but the house phone. He is almost five years old and has an imagination that rivals fiction writers! Lately, he has spinning these yarns that are complete fabrication...and yet, they could be so true. My brain is working overtime to figure out what is real and what is made up. Once again, my grandkids, wear me out, amaze me, and fill me with joy!

Courage

"People are made up of flesh and blood and a miracle fiber called courage."
We all need to be courageous in our lives. Some are small instances like jumping off a diving board. Some are big events like changing where we live, where we work or where we take a stand on an issue. Courage often requires seeing things as they might be rather than how they are. The tingly feeling we get sometimes that we think is fear, is actually courage running through our veins coaxing us to give it a shot ~ jump!

Wordless Wednesday - Slurpees!

White Shoes

"All day long, I've felt like white shoes after Labor Day."
Growing up, my mother, who was as about as fashionable as you could be when you shopped for your clothes at Sprouse Ritz (picture a place where Sears and Kmart were a step up!), always said you couldn't wear white shoes except from Memorial Day to Labor Day. This was one of those "old school" rules that everyone seemed to adhere to, even the fashion challenged.
Since Memorial Day was yesterday and June 1st is tomorrow, I thought it deserved a little consideration. Looking in my closest, where there resides about 100 pairs of shoes, I find there is not one pair of white shoes! I can't remember the last time I bought or wore a pair of white shoes. My daughter thinks white shoes are one of the worst fashion statements you can make and wearing them, immediately throws you into the old lady category. If that's all it takes to keep me from old lady status, my closet will continue to be free of a white pair of shoes! Who knew it could be so easy?

In or Out?

The business section of the paper today had an interesting article. In it, the question was asked by a seventh grader, "How can you tell if a country is good or bad?" The speaker replied that it was easy. When you open the gates of a country, are more people trying to run in or trying to run out? It got me thinking about people in general. When you think of people you look forward to seeing, either at work or socially, which ones would you run toward versus run away? What traits do they possess? Are they upbeat and positive or always a downer? Are they anxious to hear what's up in your life or do they go on and on about only what is happening in their life? Do they remember to ask you about something you discussed previously ~ How's your mom feeling? Did you recover the sofa? How does it look? When do you leave on vacation?, etc. Interacting with people is not a one-sided event. Relationships are formed by sharing information about each other, not just about one. We all have met the person that, no matter what story you are telling, they interject about the time it happened to them and it was ________(bigger, better, worse, etc. fill in the blank). The point is, they always turn it around to be about them. They only hear you as a springboard to launch the next story about them. I am pretty sure, this type of person is not aware they are like this. They are too busy thinking up the next thing they are going to say about themselves. If they were a country, people would be running out not in!
Try out my theory this weekend as you gather with people at the beach, barbecues, etc. Which people make you feel better by being around them and which don't? Which are you?