HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE - AN OLDY BUT GOODY

 This poem, shared in good humor, tickled my funny bone when I read it originally.  

(Photo from Pixabay, a free online photo website.)


When I'm An Old Lady

by 

Joanne Bailey Baxter

When I'm an old lady, I'll live with each kid,

And bring so much happiness just as they did.

I want to pay back all the joy they've provided.

Returning each deed, Oh, they'll be so excited!

(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids...)

I'll write on the walls with reds, whites and blues,

And bounce on the furniture....wearing my shoes.

I'll drink from the carton and then leave it out.

I'll stuff all the toilets and oh, how they'll shout!

(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids...)

When they're on the phone and just out of reach,

I'll get into things like sugar and bleach.

Oh, they'll snap their fingers and then shake their head,

And when that is done, I'll hide under the bed.

(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids...)

When they cook dinner and call me to eat,

I'll not eat my green beans or salad or meat.

I'll gag on my okra, spill milk on the table,

And when they get angry...I'll run...if I'm able!

(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids...)

I'll sit close to the TV, through the channels I'll click.

I'll cross both eyes just to see if they stick.

I'll take off my socks and throw one away,

And play in the mud 'til the end of the day!

(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids...)

And later in bed, I'll lay back and sigh,

I'll thank God in prayer and then close my eyes.

My kids will look down with a smile slowly creeping,

And say with a groan, "She's so sweet when she's sleeping!"

Thanks for looking everyone, 

and I hope your Sunday is a great one.

HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE - LESSONS OF LIFE FROM A 90-YEAR-OLD

 Whether we agree with all or not, they are definitely food for thought.  If you have an opinion about any of these, feel free to share.

With thanks to Carole from My Carolina Home, I can now tell you the author of these Life's Lessons is Regina Brett of the Plain Dealer in Cleveland Ohio.  Thanks so much Carole!

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short – enjoy it..

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. Save for retirement starting with your first pay check.

9. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

10. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

11. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

12. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

13. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it...

14 Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

15. Get rid of anything that isn't useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.

16. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

17. It's never too late to be happy. But it’s all up to you and no one else.

18. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

19. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

20. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

21. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

22.  No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

23.  Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

24. Always choose life.

25. Forgive but don’t forget.

26. What other people think of you is none of your business.

27. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

28. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

29. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does..

30. Believe in miracles.

31. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

32. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

33. Your children get only one childhood.

34. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

35. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

36. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

37. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have not what you need.

38. The best is yet to come...

39. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

40. Yield.

41. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

THE GREAT SECRET…

The great secret that all older people share is that you really haven’t changed in seventy or eighty years. Your body changes, but you don’t change at all. And that, of course, causes great confusion.

     ~Doris Lessing, 1992~

Doris May Lessing CH OMG (née Tayler; 22 October 1919 – 17 November 2013) was a British novelist. She was born to British parents in Iran, where she lived until 1925. Her family then moved to Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), where she remained until moving in 1949 to London, England. Lessing was awarded the 2007 Nobel Prize in Literature. In awarding the prize, the Swedish Academy described her as "that epicist of the female experience, who with scepticism, fire and visionary power has subjected a divided civilisation to scrutiny". Lessing was the oldest person ever to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, at age 87. In 2001 Lessing was awarded the David Cohen Prize for a lifetime's achievement in British literature. In 2008 The Times ranked her fifth on a list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945"

You can read more about her life here, which is where I read the information above.

I THOUGHT THIS WAS POIGNANT AND VERY ENLIGHTENING...

Artist Laurencia Victoria

(Thank you for the ID Anni)

It certainly gave me pause for thought.  Gregg found it online.  If anyone recognizes this piece, please let me know who wrote it, and I will give it well-deserved recognition.

Added note: thank you Sandra for telling me that this was from Will Rogers.

"This is too insightful not to share. I asked a friend who has crossed 70 and is heading towards 80, what sort of changes he is feeling in himself? He sent me the following:

1.   After loving my parents, my siblings, my spouse, my children and my friends, I have now started loving myself.

2.   I have realized that I am not “Atlas”. The world does not rest on my shoulders.

3.   I have stopped bargaining with vegetable and fruit vendors. A few pennies more is not going to break me, but it might help the poor fellow save for his daughter’s school fees.

4.   I leave my waitress a big tip. The extra money might bring a smile to her face. She is toiling much harder for a living than I am.

5.   I stopped telling the elderly that they've already told that story many times. The story makes them walk down memory lane and relive their past.

6.   I have learned not to correct people even when I know they are wrong. The onus of making everyone perfect is not on me. Peace is more precious than perfection.

7.   I give compliments freely and generously. Compliments are a mood enhancer not only for the recipient, but also for me. And a small tip for the recipient of a compliment, never, NEVER turn it down, just say "Thank You.”

8.   I have learned not to bother about a crease or a spot on my shirt. Personality speaks louder than appearances.

9.   I walk away from people who don't value me. They might not know my worth, but I do.

10. I remain cool when someone plays dirty to outrun me in the rat race. I am not a rat and neither am I in any race.

11. I am learning not to be embarrassed by my emotions. It’s my emotions that make me human.

12. I have learned that it's better to drop the ego than to break a relationship. My ego will keep me aloof, whereas with relationships, I will never be alone.

13. I have learned to live each day as if it's the last. After all, it might be the last.

14. I am doing what makes me happy. I am responsible for my happiness, and I owe it to myself. Happiness is a choice. You can be happy at any time, just choose to be!

I decided to share this with all my friends. Why do we have to wait to be 60 or 70 or 80, why can't we practice this at any stage and age?"

Thanks for stopping by today.