Have you ever shared a year with a Princess?

The Princess was born in March of 2008
We have been enchanted with every golden moment shared
Each one a blessing
Our darling friend Nia is the best Mother
and she is blessed with a most amazing husband and family.
A network of pure love.

IF - for girls

If you can hear the whispering about you
And never yield to deal in whispers, too;
If you can bravely smile when loved ones doubt you
And never doubt, in turn, what loved ones do;
If you can keep a sweet and gentle spirit
In spite of fame or fortune, rank or place,
And though you win your goal or only near it,
Can win with poise or lose with equal grace;

If you can meet with Unbelief, believing,
And hallow in your heart, a simple creed,
If you can meet Deception, undeceiving,
And learn to look to God for all you need;
If you can be what girls should be to mothers:
Chums in joy and comrades in distress,
And be unto others as you'd have the others
Be unto you - - no more, and yet no less;

If you can keep within your heart the power
To say that firm, unconquerable "No,"
If you can brave a present shadowed hour
Rather than yield to build a future woe;
If you can love, yet not let loving master,
But keep yourself within your own self's clasp,
And not let Dreaming lead you to disaster
Nor Pity's fascination loose your grasp;

If you can lock your heart on confidences
Nor ever needlessly in turn confide;
If you can put behind you all pretenses
Of mock humility or foolish pride;
If you can keep the simple, homely virtue
Of walking right with God - - then have no fear
That anything in all the world can hurt you - -
And - - which is more - - you'll be a Woman, dear.

Tu tu precious for words.
Darling Mylo (their lovely Chinese Pug) has been so precious and patient
by our Princess..........

Photographs are courtesy of my darling friend Nia.
She has graciously let me share them.

One shoe can change a life
Cinderella

Bless shoe Princess K and all the family~

Have you ever shared a year with a Princess?

I have

WE cannot believe how fast a year has zoomed on by with our little Princess
Daughter of a dear friend.
Soon our darling friend will have to return to work after a year paternity leave
and we are all amazed how fast this year has zoomed by.
We are all having lunch again on Monday.
We treasure every golden moment with OUR Princess.
Yes we all love her so much we call her Ours.
I love you darling Nia
Princess K we love you

Babies are bits of stardust handblown from God's own hands.

Friends for life

Friends for Life

Deeply touching story.........Well worth the visit..........

The greatest thing you will ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.

Spring in my step

Photograph from a magazine
all that know me know this is NOT me
is it just a picture of my new coat.........
White the light of spring
and splashed upon it is every pastel colour
Oooh La La

Soon there will be a spring in my Step

My new spring coat..........

My brother in law in Nova Scotia and I always
look out for Robins and we are anxious to see our first ones of spring
Last Year I seen the first one in our front tree
and this year he has spotted one already.

Rocking Robin forever
and eternal SPRING fever~

"I wonder if the sap is stirring yet,
If wintry birds are dreaming of a mate,
If frozen snowdrops feel as yet the sun
And crocus fires are kindling one by one:
Sing robin, sing:
I still am sore in doubt concerning Spring."
~ Christina Rossetti
I borrowed this lovely quote from my dear friends blog


Thank you for your friendship and all you share.
Love Jeanne
X0X0

I Promise Myself

After mass yesterday from Ash Wednesday
I made many promises to God
and today I will make them to myself as well

I promise myself
To be so strong that nothing can disturb my peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, & prosperity to every person I meet.
To make all my friends feel that there is
something worthwhile in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything
& make my optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best,
and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others
as I am about my own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on
to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful expression at all times &
give a smile to every living creature I meet.
To give so much time to improving myself
that I have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear,
and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
To think well of myself & to proclaim this fact to the world,
not in loud word, but in great deeds.
To live in the faith that the whole world is on my side,
so long as I am true to the best that is in me.

~Christian D. Larson

Ash Wednesday

I send to you my love each and every day
Connected heart to heart
although miles apart
Love gives us roots and wings

Photographs courtesy of Ahram
Thank God for sharing the love
I am every thankful for you in our lives
Thank you for technology
It is my link to my loved ones so far away~

The graphic above is created by my dear friend Dani
She has chosen to give up blogging and being on Facebook
during Lent.
I commend her.............
I will miss you
I admire your Faith my darling friend.
I love you
See you at Easter
Rejoice in this most sacred of seasons.

He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

When you love well you live well

Photograph taken by my son
of the Christo in South America

I love Thee, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock and my fortress
And my deliverer.
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My shield and the horn of my salvation,
My stronghold.
~Psalm 18:1,2

When you love well
You live well..............



Happy Shrove Tuesday
I promised my handsome guy a pancake or 2 today
Something we rarely eat.
Tomorrow morning mass for Ash Wednesday

We are watching shows taped
In Treatment
on these bitter cold days
and Mad Men

I think my next book I shall read will be the Cellist of Sarajevo

Birds are flocking into the yard and eating all their goodies.............

Seeds of love for them............
I feel so sorry for them on these bitter cold days
Yet they continue to sing so sweetly.

Thank you God for all my blessings and I pray for those in need.

Sunshine and Snow

Angels bless you always

Always be full of the sunshine of love

When love knocks at your door
Answer it

The sun is shining brightly today.
I hope it melts away all the snow...........

Mousetales

You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

What 5 things do you do to make your spirits soar?

I have a dream

Most of the bedding in our home are hand made treasures made for me
with so much love
or gifts
They make for the sweetest of dreams
thinking of those that love me so much
and I them.

I have a dream
Song I love from the movie Mama Mia

I have a dream, a song to sing
To help me cope with anything
If you see the wonder of a fairy tale
You can take the future even if you fail
I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see
I believe in angels
When I know the time is right for me
Ill cross the stream - I have a dream

I have a dream, a fantasy
To help me through reality
And my destination makes it worth the while
Pushing through the darkness still another mile
I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see
I believe in angels
When I know the time is right for me
Ill cross the stream - I have a dream
Ill cross the stream - I have a dream

I have a dream, a song to sing
To help me cope with anything
If you see the wonder of a fairy tale
You can take the future even if you fail
I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see
I believe in angels
When I know the time is right for me
Ill cross the stream - I have a dream
Ill cross the stream - I have a dream

I love this song from Mama Mia
Original from Abba

My life in 3 words
full of blessings

Children are like Kites

Cannot wait to see chalk drawings on our driveway
Have I told you
I cannot wait for Spring?

Children are like Kites Author Unknown to me


You spend a lifetime trying to get them off the ground.
You run with them until you're both breathless.
They crash.
They hit the rooftop.
You patch and comfort, adjust and teach them.
Finally they are airborne...
They need more string and you keep letting it out.
But with each twist of the ball of twine,
there is a sadness that goes with joy.
The kite becomes more distant,
and you know it won't be long
before that beautiful creature will snap the lifeline that binds you two together
and will soar as it is meant to soar, free and alone.
Only then do you know that you did your job. "

Life's Lessons

Taken in Chicago with Mr. Lego Man

A friend of mine opened his wife's underwear drawer and picked up a silk paper wrapped package:

'This, - he said - isn't any ordinary package.'

He unwrapped the box and stared at both the silk paper and the box.

'She got this the first time we went to New York , 8 or 9 years ago. She has never put it on , was saving it for a special occasion.

Well, I guess this is it.
He got near the bed and placed the gift box next to the other clothing he was taking to the funeral house, his wife had just died.
He turned to me and said:

'Never save something for a special occasion.
Every day in your life is a special occasion'.

I still think those words changed my life.

Now I read more and clean less.

I sit on the porch without worrying about anything.

I spend more time with my family, and less at work.

I understood that life should be a source of experience to be lived up to, not survived through.
I no longer keep anything.
I use crystal glasses every day...
I'll wear new clothes to go to the supermarket, if I feel like it.

I don't save my special perfume for special occasions, I use it whenever I want to.
The words 'Someday...' and ' One Day...' are fading away from my dictionary.
If it's worth seeing, listening or doing, I want to see, listen or do it now.....
I don't know what my friend's wife would have done if she knew she wouldn't be there the next morning, this nobody can tell.
I think she might have called her relatives and closest friends.
She might call old friends to make peace over past quarrels.
I'd like to think she would go out for Chinese, her favourite food.
It's these small things that I would regret not doing, if I knew my time had come.

Each day, each hour, each minute, is special.
Live for today, for tomorrow is promised to no-one.

If you got this, it's because someone cares for you and because, probably, there's someone you care about.

If you're too busy to send this out to other people and you say to yourself that you will send it 'One of these days' , remember that 'One day' is far away... Or might never come...

One of these days might become none of these days...........

I thank my dear friend in Scotland for this email.

Love you

Jeanne

Love

Once in awhile,
Right in the middle of an ordinary life,
Love gives us a fairy tale.
~ author unknown to me ~

To My Husband
Thank you for all the joy the love and laughter
all through the years.
God has blessed us well with our love

I love you

Love Pass it On

My precious Grandmother

Once in awhile,
Right in the middle of an ordinary life,
Love gives us a fairy tale.
Author Unknown to me

Love Pass it On

Maybe we should develop a Crayola bomb
as our next secret weapon.
A happiness weapon.
A beauty bomb.
And every time a crisis developed, we would launch one.
It would explode high in the air,
explode softly
and send thousands,
millions, of little parachutes into the air.
Floating down to earth boxes of Crayolas.
And we wouldn’t go cheap, either not little boxes of eight.
Boxes of sixty-four, with the sharpener built right in.
With silver and gold and copper, magenta and peach and lime,
amber and umber and all the rest.
And people would smile and get a little funny look on their faces
and cover the world with imagination.
~Robert Fulghum

Bless Shoe

Bless shoe Ahram for taking these photographs for me in Seoul.

One shoe can change a life

Cinderella

Some people come into our lives and quickly go
Other stay and leave FOOT prints on our hearts and we are never
ever the same.

I love you dearly.
I am so glad you STEPPED into our lives
You are an Angel.

Love and hugs

Jeanne
X0X0

The Gift of Love

With you in our lives we are touched by colours of love

Photograph taken by my cousin in Michigan.

I am dreaming of raspberry flowers and of spring
Oh she is a season and all the finest she does bring

A lovely lady with an exquisite blog
I am happy to share with you with her permission.

Blessings Sande everything you do is with elegance and grace.
Thanks for making our world all the more beautiful with your charm and exquisite tastes.

Keep the Faith

A favorite greeting card..........

Remember Faith the dog with no front legs. Well here's more on him.


This dog was born on Christmas Eve in the year 2002. He was born with 3 legs - 2 healthy hind legs and 1 abnormal front leg which need to be amputated. He of course could not walk when he was born. Even his mother did not want him.


His first owner also did not think that he could survive. Therefore, he was thinking of 'putting him to sleep'.

By this time, his present owner, Jude Stringfellow, met him and wanted to take care of him.

She was determined to teach and train this dog to walk by himself. Therefore she named him 'Faith'.


In the beginning, she put Faith on a surfing board to let him feel the movements. Later she used peanut butter on a spoon as a lure and reward for him to stand up and jump around. Even the other dog at home helped to encourage him to walk.

Amazingly, only after 6 months, like a miracle, Faith learned to balance on his 2 hind legs and jumped to move forward. After further training in the snow, he now can walk like a human being.


Faith loves to walk around now. No matter where he goes, he just attracts all the people around him. He is now becoming famous on the international scene. He has appeared in various newspapers and TV shows. There is even one book entitled 'With a little faith' being published about him. He was even considered to appear in one of the Harry Potter movies.


His present owner Jude Stringfellow has given up her teaching post and plans to take him around the world to preach that even without a perfect body, one can have a perfect soul'.

In life there are always undesirable things. Perhaps we would feel better if we changed our point of view to see things from another direction.

I hope this message will bring fresh new ways of thinking to everyone, and that everyone can appreciate and be thankful for each beautiful day that follows. Faith is the continual demonstration of the Strength of Life !!

Patience

"A handful of patience is worth more than a bushel of brains."

- Dutch Proverb

PS I love you

I am listening to Leona Lewis and The Beatles
and singing and rejoicing that once again Justin had a safe journey and is settling in nicely in his new
land and another new beginning in New Zealand.

I pray that this time of transition is kind to us all.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

One of the emotions most capable of moving
the human being is
LOVE

The greatest thing you will ever learn is just to love
and be loved in return

Thank you Dani

Dani again has created her magic and the logo above melted my heart.
I love you Dani
Thank you for your kindness and your golden gift of friendship all through the years.

Heartfelt wishes that you will be blessed
with all that makes you happiest~
Happy Valentine's Day

My newest Momiji Doll
I love them
you place wishes in the bottom of the doll.

And we shall walk
through all our days
with love remembered
and love renewed."

Dani again has created her magic and the logo above melted my heart.
I love you Dani
Thank you for your kindness and your golden gift of friendship all through the years.


My Son has left Seoul to head off to New Zealand
and I have a house full of treasures from Asia.
They are all so special to me.

Our Lovely Ahram is missing Justin and so am I.
He leaves quite a void when he is not with us.



There is only one path to Heaven and that is love and kindness here on earth.
Have a Happy Valentine's day everyone.
It is snowing here again.
Yikes

Spread Sugar and Sweetness all over the land
My Boy Lollipop

My Boy Lollipop


Lessons Of Love

A ninety-one year old woman died
after living a long dignified life.
When she met God, she asked him something
that had long bothered her.
If Man was created in God's image,
and if all men are created equal,
why do people treat each other so badly?
God replied that each person who
enters our life has a unique
lesson to teach us.
And it is only through these
lessons that we learn about life,
people, relationships and God.
This confused the woman, so God began to explain.
When someone lies to you, it
teaches you that things are not
always as they seem. The truth is often far
beneath the surface. Look beyond the masks
people wear if you want to know their heart.
And remove your own masks to let people know yours.
When someone steals from you,
it teaches you that nothing is forever.
Always appreciate what you have,
for you never know when you might lose it.
And never, ever take your friends
and family for granted because today
is the only guarantee you have.
When someone inflicts an injury upon you,
it teaches you that the human state is a fragile one.
Protect and take care of your body
as best you can, it's the only thing
you are sure to have forever.
When someone mocks you,
it teaches you that no two people are alike.
When you encounter people who are
different from you, don't judge
them by how they look or act;
instead base your opinion on the contents of their heart.
When someone breaks your heart,
it teaches you that loving someone
does not always mean that person
will love you back. But don't turn your back
on love because when you find the right person,
the joy that one person brings will
make up for all the past hurts put together.
Times ten.When someone holds a grudge against you,
it teaches you that everyone makes mistakes.
When you are wronged, the most virtuous
thing you can do is forgive the offender without pretense.
Forgiving those who have hurt us is the most difficult,
the most courageous and the noblest thing man can do.
When a loved one is unfaithful to you,
it teaches you that resisting temptation
is mans greatest challenge.
Be vigilant in your resistance against
all temptation. By doing so you will be
rewarded with an enduring sense
of satisfaction far greater
than the temporary pleasure by which you were tempted.
When someone cheats you,
it teaches you that greed is the root of all evil.
Aspire to make your dreams come true,
no matter how lofty they may be.
Do not feel guilty about your success,
but never let an obsession with achieving
your goals lead you to engage in malevolent activities.
hen someone ridicules you,
it teaches you that nobody is perfect.
Accept people for their merits and be
tolerant of their flaws.
Do not ever reject someone for
imperfections over which they have no control.
Upon hearing the Lord's wisdom,
the old woman became concerned
that there were no lessons to be learned
from man's good deeds.
God replied that man's capacity to love
is the greatest gift he has.
At the root of all kindness is love,
and each act of love also teaches us a lesson.
The woman's curiosity deepening,
God once again began to explain.
When someone loves us it teaches us that love,
kindness, charity, honesty,
humility, forgiveness and
acceptance can counteract all the evil in the world.
For every good deed, there is one less evil deed.
Man alone has the power to control
the balance between good and evil,
but because the lessons of love
are not taught often enough,
the power is too often abused.
When you enter someone's life,
whether by plan, chance or coincidence,
consider what your lesson will be.
Will you teach love or a harsh lesson of reality?
hen you die, will your life
have resulted in more loving or hurting?
More comfort or pain?
More joy or sadness? Each one of
us has power over the balance
of love in the world. Use it wisely.

Son Shine came softly

Please say a special prayer for my son's safe travels as he now moves to New Zealand to attend University there..........

God speed and keep you safe my son.
Prayers for Ahram too during this transition I like you do NOT like good-byes
You and I will be in constant touch with Justin and with each other as always.
Thank God for technology.

Please pray a little prayer for all those struggling in the world.
The world is full of lots of worries today.
I have had many friends face death in their families lately
and my darling Sister in law Iris in Nova Scotia
is in intensive care right now.
I am saying many special prayers for many.
I have been at the feet of Mother Mary quite a bit this week.
I brought her flowers and have prayed with my rosary.
When prayers go up
Blessings come down.

A few blogs I love to visit besides the ones in my sidebar.

• Bird Tweets
  
• Emma Tree
• Persisting Stars
• Turkey Cookies

Mayonnaise Jar & Two Beers...


When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 Beers.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full.

They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar He shook the jar lightly.

The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full.

They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.

Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full.

The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand.

The students laughed..

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else---the small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Spend time with your loved ones and treat them well.

Spend time with your parents and call them and care for them.

Visit with grandparents.

Take time to get medical checkups.

Take your spouse out to dinner.

Play another 18.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter.

Set your priorities.

The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented.

The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.'

The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.

Please share this with someone you care about. I JUST DID!



LIFE ISN'T ABOUT WAITING FOR THE STORM TO PASS...

...IT'S LEARNING HOW TO DANCE IN THE RAIN !

Happy Birthday Ah Ram

Photograph of this famous love sign I love so much
taken by my son in Taipei a few years back

Our lovely Ah Ram in front of a sign of Love
Taken 3 years ago in Seoul

Love connects all our souls.
If you are lucky to be blessed with love
Treasure it as the sacred gift it is.

A very special lady in our lives is celebrating her birthday today.

Celebrate you and surround yourself with people that do.
We love you

Keep excellence before you.

May Heaven hear your every wish

It is also the 15th wedding anniversary of my own Prince and I............
One shoe can change a life
Cinderella

L'Amore Galore

I had lunch today with some of the finest ladies on this planet.
We laughed and talked for hours and were blessed
by this little Princess who sets our world to magic
with her elegance and grace and sweetness.
Just like her precious Mother who so graciously gave me permission
to share this Valentine.
On the back is the paw print of their fur angel and her precious daughter's hand print.
Everything Nia does is done with so much love.
We are all so lucky to call her our friend.
I love you and your precious daughter so much
Muuuuuuuuuuah

This is love

"To fly toward a secret sky, to cause a hundred veils to fall each moment.

First to let go of life. Finally, to take a step without feet."

~Jalal ad-Din Rumi~ 1207-1273

Ahhhhhh Pink

Been blurry from winter snow and cold and
just plain wanting spring

Back to my pink coat today
We are always on our way to a miracle

Spring like temperatures temp me to put on my pink coat and go and have a fabulous luncheon today
with glorious friends

The secret of health
for both mind and body
is not to mourn for the past
Worry about the future,
Anticipate troubles,
But to live in the present moment
Wisely and earnestly.
Buddha

Special prayers for my darling friend Dani today
and my dear friends in Georgia
And all those in need of special prayers
Praying for all my friends that need a word of cheer
and feel the love of friendship
warm their hearts
when worried or weary

The Tale from a Fisherman

My late beloved Mother and Precious Grandmother
on the porch of our family home
Circa 1950's

The Fisherman A Tale

The American investment banker was at the pier of a
small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with
just one fisherman docked.

Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna.
The American complimented the Mexican on the quality
of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied, "Only a little while."

The American then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer
and catch more fish?"

The Mexican said, "With this I have more than enough to support my family's needs."

The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life."

The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat: With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the
processor; eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles and eventually New York where you will run your ever-expanding enterprise."

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?"

To which the American replied, "15 to 20 years."

"But what then?" asked the Mexican.

The American laughed and said that's the best part. "When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions."

"Millions?...Then what?"

The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."

"Almost all words do have color and nothing is more pleasant than to utter a pink word and see someone’s
eyes light up and know it is a pink word for him or her too” ~Gladys Taber~

Both the quote and the above photograph are from my dear friend Martha.
I love you my sweet friend
Blessings
Feel better

Greek : S' ayapo

Hungarian : Szeretlek te'ged

Korean : Tangsinul sarang ha yo

I am embracing the scents of spring that are swirling in my thoughts.

A parade of pale pastels are before my eyes, and all I can think of is spring our 15h wedding anniversary coming up February 12th and Valentine's day.

I had a lovely visit with Grandma yesterday afternoon.

Brought her Swiss chocolate

a hot chocolate and

read her Valentine's all afternoon and a story from the Velveteen Rabbit.

She always read to me and sang to me now I do the same for her

Asa sape Asa sape ake nema sema cake

In Hungarian not sure the spelling.

The lady is magic and so is every moment I share with her................
Row row row your boat gently down the stream
Merrily Merrily Merrily Merrily life is but a dream.

Have a great weekend.
Love Jeanne

What a Wonderful World

Beautiful

If you get a chance to watch the movie
"The Secret Life of Bee's"
You May enjoy it as much as I did

I am glad it is Friday
Weekend Weekend
Cha Cha Cha

The hunger for love is much more
difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.

~Mother Teresa

Flower Power

Dried roses from our garden
Soon I will be able to clip fresh ones.

I cannot wait to put pansies on our porch

Gardenia's by our front door

Forsythia bush from my Grandmother's Garden
at my former home
in St. Clair Beach

Beautiful flowers
I am dreaming of flowers and spring

Flower are food for our souls.
So is Spring a balm for our souls.
I cannot wait.


Love you
Muuuuuuah

What is real from the Velveteen Rabbit

Photographs above taken for me with much love
and granted permission to view them
by our lovely Ahram
We love you
We are truly blessed with you in our loves.
We celebrate you
and love you dearly

VELVETEEN RABBIT

by Margery Williams

(this starts at the point when the Skin Horse and the Rabbit are talking)

The Skin Horse had lived longer in the nursery than any of the others. He was so old and most of the hairs in his tail had been pulled out to string bead necklaces. For nursery magic is very strange and wonderful, and only those playthings that are old and wise and experienced like the Skin Horse understand all about it.

"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

"I suppose you are real?" said the Rabbit. And then he wished he had not said it, for he thought the Skin Horse might be sensitive. But the Skin Horse only smiled.

"The Boy's Uncle made me Real," he said. "That was a great many years ago; but once you are Real you can't become unreal again. It lasts for always."

The Rabbit sighed. He thought it would be a long time before this magic called Real happened to him. He longed to become Real, to know what it felt like; and yet the idea of growing shabby and losing his eyes and whiskers was rather sad. He wished that he could become it without these uncomfortable things happening to him.

Amore

The greatest thing you will ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.

Remember is you are blessed with love you are very very lucky.

Remember to take time out this Valentine's day
and everyday for those that have no one.
There are many lonely people in the world.

All the lonely people
where do they all come from?
Eleanor Rigby
The Beatles.

To attract good fortune

Me and my Sister in our backyard
Sweet childhood memories always fill my heart with love

"The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love,

and to let it come in."

- Morrie Schwartz

To attract good fortune,
spend a new penny on an old friend,
share an old pleasure with a new friend
and lift up the heart of a true friend
by writing her name on the wings of a dragon" Old Proverb

Rabbit Rabbit

Stationery sent to me by my son

An adult is one who has lost the grace, the freshness, the innocence of the child,
who is no longer capable of feeling pure joy, who makes everything complicated,
who spreads suffering everywhere, who is afraid of being happy, and who,
because it is easier to bear, has gone back to sleep. The wise man is a happy child.
-Arnaud Desjardins

Rabbit Rabbit
Good luck for the month

http://bunnyhill.blogspot.com/

Rabbit embroidery

Sent to me via email by a dear friend.
Love you

Do you have a room Sir?
Elephants march through hotel lobby after it was built on their migration trail
By Mail Foreign Service
Last updated at 5:54 PM on 01st October 2008
These amazing pictures show why you shouldn't get between an African elephant and its favourite food.
Mfuwe Lodge in Zambia happens to have been built next to a mango tree that one family of pachyderms have always visited when the fruit ripens.
When they returned one year and found the luxury accommodation in the way, they simply walked through reception.

Let the porter grab your trunk: An elephant wanders through Mfuwe Lodge, in the South Luangwa National Park, Zambia.

The animals came in two-by-two: Hotel staff and visitors have got used to the elephants' impromptu strolls through reception Now the family group, headed by matriarch Wonky Tusk, return every November to gorge on mangos - up to four times a day.
Andy Hogg, 44, director at the Bushcamp Company that runs the Lodge, has lived in South Luangwa National Park since 1982. But in all his years of dealing with wild animals he has never seen such intimate interaction between man and beast.
'This is the only place in the world where elephants freely get so close to humans,' says the 44-year-old.
'The elephants start coming through base camp in late November of each year to eat the mangos from our trees.
'When they are ripe they come through and they stand about for four to six weeks coming back each day or second day to eat the mangos.'
Living in the 5,000 square mile national park, the ten-strong elephant herd are led to the lodge each day by Wonky Tusk.

Migration route: The hotel was built directly in the path of the elephants' route to one of their favorite foods - mangos.

'The most interesting thing about this is that they are wild animals and are certainly not tame,' explains Andy.
'They come through the lodge to eat the fruit. 'There are ten in that herd and it is only that herd that comes through. It is a strange thing. 'The matriarchal in the herd is Wonky Tusk, and she brings the nine others through and they come and go as they please.'
Mfuwe Lodge consists of seven camps and the base camp where the elephants come through. Employing 150 staff, the management of the lodge are happy to report that there have been no incidents involving the elephants to date.
'The elephants do get reasonably close to the staff as you can see with the pictures of the elephants near the reception,' he explains. 'But we do not allow the guests to get too close.'

Check-in: But it's unlikely the lodge has a room big enough for its elephant guests.

'Guests can stand in the lounge are but as long as there is a barrier between the elephants and the guests that is okay,' he added. 'The elephants are not aggressive but you don't want to tempt anything as they are wild animals. 'It is the elephants choice to come into base camp and they have been doing it for the last ten years. 'There are other wild mango trees around and they seem to prefer this one' And even thought the lodge was unwittingly built upon the path, Andy says they had no idea the elephants would insist on returning.
'It wasn't a design mistake - no-one really knew they were going to come through,' he says. 'The lodge was built and then the elephants started coming through afterwards.

Gentle giants: The leader of the ten-strong herd is matriarch Wonky Tusk. 'We keep people at a safe distance. They are obviously close enough to see what is going on from pretty close quarters but we also make sure we have staff around to make sure the elephants don't get too close. 'But as I said they are still wild and still dangerous. They are huge beasts and untamed.
'We have bricks and walls between the elephants and the guests such as the counter and other barriers to stop them getting to people and if they try to there is enough time for people to get away.' Naturally, the lodge becomes a busier attraction for both elephants and guests during November time. 'We find that we get more people visiting us during the elephant migration because of the unique experience of being so close to wild animals in an unusual environment,' says Andy. 'But as I said this is a totally natural phenomenon, the elephants come here of their own accord and it is certainly a rare but magnificent sight.'

Mfuwe Lodge: The hotel is set in an idyllic national parkland .