Learning

The weather here in AZ is just right now. Everybody asks, "When are you going back?" We don't know as we both have appointments at Mayo this week, I for a check up and Connie for a sleep disorder. Probably the middle of May. Our golf leagues start at 7:00 am next week.
This month I learned two very important things:
                1. The male connection for electricity has a larger prong on the left side. Wow! and here i had been just inserting the plug and saying I have 50 % to 50 % chance of getting it wrong or right.I used to say if it connected it would be a great day and if not right, well.
                 2. Ladies wouldn't know but I learned last week that many men's urinals have a button on the top to flush. Wow! and here I thought all along that gravity would do the job..
   Several years ago Connie and I were up at Las Vegas and went into Caesars Palace restroom. I almost died laughing as there was some old geezer sitting on one of the urinals. Why there I never knew but several young fellows were really having a laugh at the old fellows expense. 

Duck or Eagle

This was a new one on me.  I'd never seen it and liked it.  I thought you might, too.  
 

 

Ducks Quack - Eagles Soar   This puts "life, living, and leading" in a whole new light--" No one can make you serve customers well....that's because great service is a choice. Harvey Mackay, tells a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this point. He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing  Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for  Harvey . He handed my friend a laminated card and said: 'I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement.' Taken aback,  Harvey read the card. It said: Wally's  Mission Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment.... This blew  Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean! As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, 'Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.' My friend said jokingly, 'No, I'd prefer a soft drink.' Wally smiled and said, 'No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice..' Almost stuttering,  Harvey said, 'I'll take a Diet Coke.' Handing him his drink, Wally said, 'If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and  USA   Today..' As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card, 'These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio.' And as if that weren't enough, Wally told  Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised  Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if  Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts... 'Tell me, Wally,' my amazed friend asked the driver, 'have you always served customers like this?' Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. 'No, not always.  In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do.  Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day. He had just written a book called You'll See It When You Believe It. Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself.. He said, 'Stop complaining!  Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.' 'That hit me right between the eyes,' said Wally. 'Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.' 'I take it that has paid off for you,'  Harvey   said. 'It sure has,' Wally replied. 'My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action. Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting. Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles. How about us?  Smile, and the whole world smiles with you.... The ball is in our hands! A man reaps what he sows. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up... let us do good to all people. Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar.  Have a nice day, unless you already have other plans.         SORROW looks back, WORRY looks around, and FAITH looks UP...   "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain." Have a sparkling day

 

OKOBOJI SWINGERS

Sunday we had several of the Okoboji Swingers here at our house in Leisure World. It was a great day and great time. Had lots of catching up and talking. We also invited our very dear friends and neighbors from the townhouse on Emerald Hills-Jim and Marline Avery. They area all "snowbirds" living the great life in Arizona.  The weather was great and they all sat around on our west patio. Fun!

Photo Contest

Castle in Ireland

Window Box in Ireland

Entrance to Horse farm in Ireland

Bathtub outside of Antique Shop-Cottonwood, AZ

Canal in Ireland-Honorable Mention Ribbon

Depot at Perkinsville-Verde Canyon RR

Hello,This week our Art Group held and art show. Many enter photos and paintings. Part of the show is photography and the photos are judged. Every year think I should enter some of  our photos so this year took the plunge. Going to an Estate Sale purchased six or more frames. We have hundreds of photos so picked out six and ran them through Print Shop and placed them in the frames. Many of the participants buy beautiful frames and get the frame shops to matte their photos. I put borders on mine using Print Shop 23.  Not knowing what to expect I entered six and hung them for the judges. One of my photos did win an "Honorable Mention" which pleased us. Looking at the photos that received blue ribbons it appeared the judges like animals and birds but we were happy. Have a little better idea of what to place in next year. This is just one of the "perks" living in Leisure World.

WRONG FUNERAL

THIS WAS TOO GOOD NOT TO PASS ALONG.  Many years ago my grandmother, Georgia Holcomb, (96) passed away and  six of her grandsons carried the coffin including myself. Grandma Holcomb always had a tinkle in her eye and ready comment for all occasions. As we were carrying her from the church one of the grandsons said, "I'll bet Grandma will have something to say about this being carried by six young men." None of us could keep a straight face and people probably wondered about us smiling and chuckling as we carried Grandma to her grave.   THE WRONG FUNERAL God doesn't make mistakes. He puts us where we are to be. They say there are no mistakes, for everything there is a purpose.  Makes you think... Enjoy! We'll never know where our paths will take us! **AN ABSOLUTE MUST READ**  This is really beautiful.. . Consumed by my loss, I didn't notice the hardness of the pew where I sat. I was at the funeral of my dearest friend - my mother. She finally had lost her long battle with cancer. The hurt was so intense; I found it hard to breathe at times. Always supportive, Mother clapped loudest at my school plays, held box of tissues while listening to my first heartbreak, comforted me at my father's death, encouraged me in college, and prayed for me my entire life.  When mother's illness was diagnosed, my sister had a new baby and my brother had recently married his childhood sweetheart, so it fell on me, the 27-year-old middle child without entanglements, to take care of her.  I counted it an honor.  'What now, Lord?'  I asked sitting in church. My life stretched out before me as an empty abyss. My brother sat stoically with his face toward the cross while clutching his wife's hand.  My sister sat slumped against her husband's shoulder, his arms around her as she cradled their child...  All so deeply grieving, no one noticed I sat alone. My place had been with our mother, preparing her meals, helping her walk, taking her to the doctor, seeing to her medication, reading the Bible together.   Now she was with the Lord.  My work was finished, and I was alone.  I heard a door open and slam shut at the back of the church.  Quick footsteps hurried along the carpeted floor.... An exasperated young man looked around briefly and then sat next to me.  He folded his hands and placed them on his lap. His eyes were brimming with tears.  He began to sniffle. 'I'm late,' he explained, though no explanation was necessary.  After several eulogies, he leaned over and commented, 'Why do they keep calling Mary by the name of ' Margaret?''  'Because, that was her name, Margaret.  Never Mary, no one called her 'Mary,'' I whispered.  I wondered why this person couldn't have sat on the other side of the church.  He interrupted my grieving with his tears and fidgeting. Who was this stranger anyway? 'No, that isn't correct,' he insisted, as several people glanced over at us whispering, 'Her name is Mary, Mary Peters.'  'That isn't who this is.'  'Isn't this the Lutheran church?'  'No, the Lutheran church is across the street.'  'Oh.'  'I believe you're at the wrong funeral, Sir.'  The solemnest of the occasion mixed with the realization of the man's mistake bubbled up inside me and came out as laughter.  I cupped my hands over my face, hoping it would be interpreted as sobs. The creaking pew gave me away.  Sharp looks from other mourners only made the situation seem more hilarious.  I peeked at the bewildered, misguided man seated beside me.  He was laughing; too, as he glanced around, deciding it was too late for an uneventful exit.  I imagined Mother laughing.  At the final 'Amen,' we darted out a door and into the parking lot.  'I do believe we'll be the talk of the town,' he smiled.  He said his name was Rick and since he had missed his aunt's funeral, asked me out for a cup of coffee. That afternoon began a lifelong journey for me with this man who attended the wrong funeral, but was in the right place.  A year after our meeting, we were married at a country church where he was the assistant pastor.  This time we both arrived at the same church, right on time... In my time of sorrow, God gave me laughter.  In place of loneliness, God gave me love.   This past June, we celebrated our twenty-second wedding anniversary.  Whenever anyone asks us how we met, Rick tells them, 'Her mother and my Aunt Mary introduced us, and it's truly a match made in heaven.' If you Love God, and are not ashamed of all the marvelous things he has done for you, send this on to others. REMEMBER, God doesn't make mistakes. He puts us where we are to be.

SEDONA, AZ

Last week Connie and I spent a R & R up at Sedona, AZ. The area is full of wonderful photo shoots of red rock formations. They change hourly with the sun and shadows. We had a restful week and one day we took a train ride on the Verde Canyon RR. It leaves from Clarksdale and goes to Perkinsville where the engine goes to a different siding and takes you back. Takes about four hours and very restful. About 40 miles and the scenery is desert, dry and wonderful. Serve food and drinks and open cars for taking photos. We have gone on it three times and never get tired of the trip. One could go on different times of the year and see a different scene each time. Saw two bald eagles along a river. Will try next time to take the caboose as it holds only six people . Great Day.

SEDONA, AZ

CHAPEL OF THE HOLY CROSS

BEAUTIFUL RED ROCKS

PIONEER CEMETERY IN SEDONA