On this Thanksgiving Day in America, I am thankful for an abundance of things--family, good friends, a warm place to live, adequate food, and special memories of events and people that changed my life.
As a young person growing up in a small town in Wisconsin, I was very insecure and self-conscious--a true introvert. My parents recognized that, and although they encouraged me to get out and do more things socially, that's not where I felt comfortable. I had friends and was reasonably well-liked, but I never quite felt like I fit in. And then something happened that changed my life forever. My parents decided to make a giant leap and invite a foreign exchange student from Germany to become part of our family life for a year. Nothing could have made me happier. Christa was like the sister I never had. She loved being shown around our little town and being part of activities in our small high school. Everyone seemed to love her, and I never remember an unkind word spoken by her or about her. Boy, was I lucky!
That year we spent together helped me become more outgoing and involved in school events. I also had a chance to grow and learn to view things from another perspective. My friend grew up in another culture, and that expanded my world as well. When she left for home the following summer, I was terribly sad, but determined that I wanted to visit her in Germany the following summer. I worked as a recreation leader the summer she left and saved money so I could visit her the following year. I spent the summer of 1966 with her family, and it was there that I met a friend of hers who was to have special significance in my life. Three years later that good friend moved to America and became my husband. Although we're no longer together, we've shared many happy times, raised three children, and welcomed countless students from other countries into our home for various periods of time. I also became a supervisor for a foreign exchange program in the Twin Cities and have kept in close touch with several students. I studied German in college, and although my grammar is far from perfect, I can still carry on a conversation.
I will always be grateful to my parents for creating a wonderful opportunity for me. Little did they know then how it would change my life. I am grateful to Heinz as well, for taking a chance on that shy, quirky, but feisty young woman. Today--Thanksgiving Day--my daughter and I will celebrate with him and his wife in their home. We've come full circle, and have a wonderful friendship, as well as three terrific kids. On this Thanksgiving Day, I'm especially grateful!
Featured Post
THE WAVES OF OUR LIVES!
Having recently been invited by a dear friend to spend a week at a beautiful cabin on the North Shore of Lake Superior, I’m reminding ...
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
LESS IS MORE!
As the holiday season approaches, I'm overcome with a mixture of joy and sadness, as well as memories of Thanksgiving days spent with family and friends. My mother, in particular, spent many hours getting ready for our wonderful feast. My dad was eager to help in whatever way he could, especially when it involved carving the turkey. He took special delight in that. And like many American homes, when the meal was over, all eyes turned to the television to watch the Packers-Lions football game. No matter how good the Packers were in any given year, the Detroit Lions always seemed to give them grief. Just once I would have loved to have seen the game played in Green Bay! I probably won't be watching football on Thanksgiving this year, but I'll certainly be remembering the roar of the crowd in years past, and my mother Millie's reward for getting up in the middle of the night to start preparing the turkey. She loved football, and nothing could stop her from watching the Packers, not even a Thanksgiving get-together.
As I sat by Medicine Lake recently--one of my favorite places in the Twin Cities--I thought of my parents and their appreciation of the simple things in life. I'm grateful for their humble beginnings and how they taught me to value people and places, rather than "things." They exemplified the thought expressed by the wonderful poet of the nineteenth century, Robert Browning, who said, quite simply, "Less is more." Indeed it is! And when it comes to observing natural beauty, nothing thrills me more. That is my REAL life! Ann Landers, the former American advice columnist once said, "You can't have everything. Where would you put it?" I don't have a clue, and this year, more than ever, I cherish simplicity, and the joy in nature's surroundings. As the German philosopher Nietzsche once said, "Our greatest experiences are our quietest moments."
Sunday, November 23, 2014
ONE INCREDIBLE COACH--"MAKE EACH DAY YOUR MASTERPIECE!"
As the college basketball season unfolds, I think of an incredible coach named John Wooden, who died in 2010 at the age of 99. He was named The Greatest Coach of the Twentieth Century, but he was so much more than a basketball coach. He was the caring, dedicated teacher, who recognized the life long impact a teacher could have. He once said, "After my father, my teachers had the most profound impact on my life." He offered this advice--"Make each day your masterpiece."
John Wooden's UCLA teams won 88 straight games, an amazing accomplishment, and in addition, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Few people probably know that he was also an All-American as a player. But true to himself, he reminded his players that "what you are as a person is far more important than what you are as a basketball player." He once said, "Teaching players during practice was what coaching was all about to me."
John Wooden never forgot about the note card his father gave him when he graduated from a country grade school. On it were suggestions to follow along the road of life.
Those important suggestions included being true to yourself, helping others, reading good books, giving thanks for your blessings, valuing friendship, and praying for guidance. Coach Wooden remarked in his book, The Wisdom of Wooden, "My father told me over and over and over that nothing is stronger than gentleness." He added, "Life goes by in a flicker. We are all pilgrims passing through on our way to eternity. Each day matters. Make each day your masterpiece."
To John Wooden, there was nothing more important in the world than family and love. When his wife Nellie died after decades of marriage, he would go to her grave site on the twenty-first of every month, after writing her a love letter, and return home to place it on her pillow.
For years I followed John Wooden as an exceptional coach, but knew little about his personal side. The book titled The Wisdom of Wooden is wonderfully inspirational, even if you're not a big basketball fan.
Here are some uplifting quotes about Coach Wooden, as well as his own reflections on life and the things we need to value. He was truly one of a kind.
John Wooden:
"It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen."
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
"Love is the most important thing in the world. Hate, we should remove from the dictionary."
Remembering John Wooden and his influence on basketball, as well as the players he coached, here are a few comments by sports writers and commentators who knew him well:
Bob Costas: "One hundred years from now they will still be talking about his accomplishments and his approach."
Dick Enberg: "By any measurement, Coach Wooden will always be the greatest coach/teacher/counselor in the history of his sport--perhaps any sport."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Wooden's UCLA teams won 88 straight games, an amazing accomplishment, and in addition, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Few people probably know that he was also an All-American as a player. But true to himself, he reminded his players that "what you are as a person is far more important than what you are as a basketball player." He once said, "Teaching players during practice was what coaching was all about to me."
John Wooden never forgot about the note card his father gave him when he graduated from a country grade school. On it were suggestions to follow along the road of life.
Those important suggestions included being true to yourself, helping others, reading good books, giving thanks for your blessings, valuing friendship, and praying for guidance. Coach Wooden remarked in his book, The Wisdom of Wooden, "My father told me over and over and over that nothing is stronger than gentleness." He added, "Life goes by in a flicker. We are all pilgrims passing through on our way to eternity. Each day matters. Make each day your masterpiece."
To John Wooden, there was nothing more important in the world than family and love. When his wife Nellie died after decades of marriage, he would go to her grave site on the twenty-first of every month, after writing her a love letter, and return home to place it on her pillow.
For years I followed John Wooden as an exceptional coach, but knew little about his personal side. The book titled The Wisdom of Wooden is wonderfully inspirational, even if you're not a big basketball fan.
Here are some uplifting quotes about Coach Wooden, as well as his own reflections on life and the things we need to value. He was truly one of a kind.
John Wooden:
"It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen."
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
"Love is the most important thing in the world. Hate, we should remove from the dictionary."
Remembering John Wooden and his influence on basketball, as well as the players he coached, here are a few comments by sports writers and commentators who knew him well:
Bob Costas: "One hundred years from now they will still be talking about his accomplishments and his approach."
Dick Enberg: "By any measurement, Coach Wooden will always be the greatest coach/teacher/counselor in the history of his sport--perhaps any sport."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please note: The items listed below carry a 20% discount through December 2014
For a complete list of the pictures click
here
Please make payments via PayPal at Lynda.clark84@yahoo.com
Saturday, November 8, 2014
A SOLITARY PATH!
Sometimes I have to really coax myself to get out of my lazy Sunday afternoon routine and go for a long walk. Eventually I realize that no one is going to be there to motivate me, so I'd better get moving on my own. And today is one day that I felt like I'd made an especially wise choice!
Perhaps the best part was having the nearby wooded path to myself. I am often a creature of solitude, and today was a splendid day for that. May Sarton, one of my favorite writers once said that "solitude is the richness of self." So it seemed today!
As I made my way along the path, I heard some rustling above me. I looked up to see two deer chasing one another. It made me smile and wish that I'd moved fast enough to capture a picture. Perhaps it was just as well;
they were doing fine on their own, without being disturbed. Not long after that I stopped and marveled at the beautiful, changing sunset. It's an amazing feeling to just observe something so perfect and realize that it's YOUR moment in time. I was happy that no one else was around.
An amazing woman named Sara Teasdale once said, "Look for a lovely thing and you will find it, It is not far--It never will be far." And it wasn't!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For a complete list of the pictures click
here
Please make payments via PayPal at Lynda.clark84@yahoo.com
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
"IF ONLY WE HAVE EYES TO SEE THEM!"
Yesterday I decided to get voting out of the way early so I could get back to "real life." To me, that's what being out in nature is all about. I couldn't wait to get past the polling place, the election chaos, and obnoxious, degrading ads which dominated the airwaves and highways. I found a safe, serene place, and thankfully it was a perfect spot to spend some "alone time" enjoying the lake and nearby woods. It wasn't as colorful as October, but it had a unique beauty all its own. And what a great place to collect your thoughts!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For a complete list of the pictures click
here
Please make payments via PayPal at Lynda.clark84@yahoo.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)