tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44797152169162289902024-03-12T19:32:16.510-07:00Savvy and SageWit and Wisdom from my quote closet.The Savvy Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068982349795252478noreply@blogger.comBlogger192125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479715216916228990.post-36608066716403402542016-03-24T18:51:00.000-07:002016-04-07T03:06:29.928-07:00DIY Soda Fountain Table Centerpieces<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K41T9L3scJw/VvSP_qRXoTI/AAAAAAAAAiM/tkvKIoqyXawbLo8kq3a6Jc5tv6dUDY6-w/s1600/IMG_5400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K41T9L3scJw/VvSP_qRXoTI/AAAAAAAAAiM/tkvKIoqyXawbLo8kq3a6Jc5tv6dUDY6-w/s320/IMG_5400.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Ingredients: <br />
<ul>
<li>11 White Carnations (Full Size)</li>
<li>8-10 Purple Carnations (Mini Size)</li>
<li>1 Medium-Sized Vase</li>
<li>1 Paper Straw (purchased at Target) </li>
<li>1 <u><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/FloraCraft-SimpleStyle-25-Piece-Decorative-Cherry/dp/B008B9YU26/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1458868595&sr=1-1&keywords=floraCraft+Mini+decorative+cherry">Decorative Cherries</a></b></u></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/PURPLE-Beads-Pearls-Centerpiece-Wedding/dp/B007A5SI8O/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1458868642&sr=1-1&keywords=purple+water+beads">Purple Water Beads</a></b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/PURPLE-Beads-Pearls-Centerpiece-Wedding/dp/B007A5SI8O/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1458868642&sr=1-1&keywords=purple+water+beads"> </a>(see note below)<b><br /></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/-Almost-Jelly-BeadZ%C2%AE-Water-Bead/dp/B00KUCO61C/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1458868722&sr=1-2&keywords=white+water+beads">White Water Beads</a></b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/-Almost-Jelly-BeadZ%C2%AE-Water-Bead/dp/B00KUCO61C/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1458868722&sr=1-2&keywords=white+water+beads"></a><b> </b></li>
</ul>
<br />
Directions: <br />
<ol>
<li>Hydrate water beads 12-24 hours before needed. Just pour the beads into the bottom of a clean trash can or storage bin and fill it with water. No exact measurement of water is necessary. Just make sure you fill the container pretty full with water so that there will be enough for the beads to expand (they grow as they take on the water). For the packs of beads I used, I probably used about 10 gallons of water each. It might be a good idea to do a practice run with a few beads beforehand so you get the hang of it prior to your event. </li>
<li>Fill vase with water beads using a plastic cup or scoop. Layer colors as desired. (Don't try to cut corners by mixing the colors evenly. We tried it and it ruined the Ice Cream Soda effect.) You will need to fill the vase nearly to the top.</li>
<li>Cut stems of 8 white carnations to about 3 inches below the flower and put them in the vase around the outside edge.</li>
<li>Cut the stems of the purple mini carnations to about 5 inches below the flowers and place them above the white carnations around the circle. Make sure their stems extend into the water beads or they will wilt after a few minutes.</li>
<li>Cut the stems of 3 white carnations long enough to extend into the water beads and bundle the flowers tightly to fit into the small space left above the purple carnations. </li>
<li>Make any arrangements necessary so that the purple flowers show and everything is lined up nicely.</li>
<li>Nestle the fake cherry between the cluster of 3 carnations in the center.</li>
<li>Shove the straw in between flowers at an angle. </li>
</ol>
We placed these centerpieces atop a single record for my daughter's 50's themed wedding.<br />
<br />
Simple. Cute. Effective.<br />
<br />
People raved about them all night long!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div>
<br />
<u><b>FYI</b></u><b>: </b>A few water beads go a LONG way! Each one of the above packs of water beads filled a tall kitchen trash can once hydrated (2 trash cans total--one for purple, one for white). I didn't know exactly how much I would need, so I hydrated them all. But I barely made a dent in them to fill 22 vases. Seriously, once all the vases were filled, I could hardly tell I used any! And they are the coolest thing ever! They feel really cool in your hands. I'm told they can also be dehydrated again after use and you can re-use them over and over again.<br />
<br />The Savvy Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068982349795252478noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479715216916228990.post-47735849246635522492013-08-19T16:06:00.002-07:002013-08-19T16:07:43.627-07:00Sorrow's Softer Side<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vYhwYED4DKQ/UhKkEJLZNYI/AAAAAAAAAfI/ckaf161qqQ0/s1600/Sorrow+prepares+you+for+joy+-+Rumi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vYhwYED4DKQ/UhKkEJLZNYI/AAAAAAAAAfI/ckaf161qqQ0/s400/Sorrow+prepares+you+for+joy+-+Rumi.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />The Savvy Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068982349795252478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479715216916228990.post-27313448266604391212013-02-06T09:40:00.000-08:002013-02-09T13:21:50.884-08:00How to Ask a LOTR Fan to Sadies<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]--><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Three Rings for the Elven-kings
under the sky, </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Seven for the Dwarf-lords in
their halls of stone, </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Nine for Mortal Men doomed to
die, </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">One for the Dark Lord on his
dark throne </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In the Land of Mordor
where the Shadows lie. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">One Ring to rule them all, One
Ring to find them, </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">One Ring to bring them all and
in the darkness bind them </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In the Land of Mordor
where the Shadows lie.</span></span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">--J.R.R. Tolkien<span style="font-size: large;">,</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-size: small;">epigraph to <i>The
Lord of the Rings</i></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">My daughter wanted to ask a boy with a love for The Lord of
the Rings to the Sadie Hawkins (girl’s reverse) dance. This is what she came up
with.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">First, she used her ninja skills to learn his class schedule
at school so she could do a progressive invitation to keep him guessing
throughout the day. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Next, she found Lord of the Rings fonts and typed out the
poem above in both Elvish and English, changing “Mordor” to “Sadies”. </span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">She then split the poem into five sections to correspond with
each of the boy’s classes and printed it all out on golden parchment (pictures below).</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black;">
</span></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><u><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">First Hour</span></span></u></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black;">
</span></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Three Rings for
the Elven-kings under the sky,</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black;">
</span></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black;">
</span></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><u><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Second Hour</span></span></u></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black;">
</span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Seven for the
Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,</span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<u><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Third Hour</span></span></u></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Nine for Mortal
Men doomed to die,</span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<u><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Fourth Hour</span></span></u></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">
</span></span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">One for the Dark
Lord on his dark throne</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">
</span></span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">In the Land of [Sadies] where the Shadows lie.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<u><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Fifth Hour</span></span></u></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">
</span></span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">One Ring to rule
them all, One Ring to find them,</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">
</span></span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">One Ring to bring
them all and in the darkness bind them</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">
</span></span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">In the Land of [Sadies] where the Shadows lie.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">She cut the sections apart and burned the edges.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Then she bought three different kinds of donut gems and one
big glazed donut to correspond with the rings in the poem. She packed each of
the first 3 portions of the poem with the corresponding number of donuts into
little red gift bags with black and silver tissue paper. Here’s how they came
together:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KwYXivYGQNk/URKO5eQ_E-I/AAAAAAAAAbw/GlEoAxOdq8k/s1600/January+2013+149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KwYXivYGQNk/URKO5eQ_E-I/AAAAAAAAAbw/GlEoAxOdq8k/s400/January+2013+149.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HtACumFTczc/URKO5g0i01I/AAAAAAAAAb0/Jt71A1NsLAA/s1600/January+2013+150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HtACumFTczc/URKO5g0i01I/AAAAAAAAAb0/Jt71A1NsLAA/s400/January+2013+150.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N8m4RDTEr-E/URKO50cj43I/AAAAAAAAAb4/aJSQB5-w48M/s1600/January+2013+152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N8m4RDTEr-E/URKO50cj43I/AAAAAAAAAb4/aJSQB5-w48M/s400/January+2013+152.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black;"></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: black;"></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;"></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">For the fourth part of the poem, she did an image search for a
map of Mordor and photoshopped the word “Sadies” onto the map like so:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Yr48580X8pI/URKPBKKBEGI/AAAAAAAAAco/D5Nvbqje6bE/s1600/January+2013+160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Yr48580X8pI/URKPBKKBEGI/AAAAAAAAAco/D5Nvbqje6bE/s400/January+2013+160.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black;"></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">She burned the edges and rolled it into a scroll with the fourth part of the poem attached.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F2q7q8ZwnNU/URKO4koNfII/AAAAAAAAAbg/GiGp48eu-l8/s1600/January+2013+147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F2q7q8ZwnNU/URKO4koNfII/AAAAAAAAAbg/GiGp48eu-l8/s400/January+2013+147.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black;"></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">The very last lines of the poem and the big glazed donut were pack<span style="font-size: small;">ed into a bigger bag to set </span> it apart from the
others. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N37C9gMAMyg/URKO6xjgsfI/AAAAAAAAAcI/UrT6owbyWuY/s1600/January+2013+153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N37C9gMAMyg/URKO6xjgsfI/AAAAAAAAAcI/UrT6owbyWuY/s400/January+2013+153.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">Th<span style="font-size: small;">e picture (above) shows<span style="font-size: small;">, <span style="font-size: small;">"One ring to rule them all<span style="font-size: small;">" written on the bag, bu<span style="font-size: small;">t the message was actually changed to<span style="font-size: small;">, </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“Journey
to the Theater<span style="font-size: small;"> a</span>fter your last class."</span><span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">She arranged for a couple friends to deliver the little
packages to each of his classes throughout the day<span style="font-size: small;">, but<span style="font-size: small;"> t</span></span>he final wax sealed
invitation (below) <span style="font-size: small;">wa</span>s delivered by my daughter in person in the Theater<span style="font-size: small;">. He said <span style="font-size: small;">"Yes!"</span></span></span> </span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2Ipv9E-08RM/URKPAoOEWYI/AAAAAAAAAcg/oDzPdYzPTWA/s1600/January+2013+156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2Ipv9E-08RM/URKPAoOEWYI/AAAAAAAAAcg/oDzPdYzPTWA/s640/January+2013+156.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
The Savvy Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068982349795252478noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479715216916228990.post-67981146445927283812013-01-11T13:04:00.000-08:002013-01-11T13:04:23.039-08:00Sage Thought of the Day: Forgiveness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_OTxHeRbyHA/UPB8S_fbtoI/AAAAAAAAAa4/uvYqMZdrR3s/s1600/Accept+apologies+you+never+get.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="372" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_OTxHeRbyHA/UPB8S_fbtoI/AAAAAAAAAa4/uvYqMZdrR3s/s400/Accept+apologies+you+never+get.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />The Savvy Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068982349795252478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479715216916228990.post-27224550914077895282012-12-26T19:50:00.000-08:002012-12-26T21:29:01.781-08:00The White Stocking<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Christmas means giving. The Father gave his Son, and his Son gave his life. Without giving there is no true Christmas, and without sacrifice there is no true worship."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> --Gordon B. Hinckley</span></span></span></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Cv8pUb4Ikek/UNtcwJy_Q8I/AAAAAAAAAX0/dXP54951Z5A/s1600/December+2012+-+The+Jesus+Stocking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Cv8pUb4Ikek/UNtcwJy_Q8I/AAAAAAAAAX0/dXP54951Z5A/s320/December+2012+-+The+Jesus+Stocking.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The White Stocking</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">One of my family's most cherished Christmas traditions is the White Stocking. There are six people in my family, but every
year we hang seven stockings. Six stockings are embroidered with each family member's name and decorated with the traditional
symbols of the modern Christmas culture: Santa, reindeer, elves, and
jingle bells all trimmed in red and green. </span></span></div>
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</div>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But the seventh stocking is not like
the others. </span></span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It is plain white with white beading as its only embellishment. There is no name embroidered on the cuff, just some strings of hanging beads that lightly knock against each other when we open and close our front door or someone breezes by the mantel in the hustle and bustle of the season. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Th<span style="font-size: small;">is</span> White Stocking belongs to Jesus. </span></span></div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Every year on Christmas Eve <span style="font-size: small;">the six of us gather tog<span style="font-size: small;">ether <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">to read the Nativity story (Luke 2) and fill Jesus' stocking with gifts we think <span style="font-size: small;">He would like</span> most. We never put anything t<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">angible</span> in <span style="font-size: small;">the stocking, just<span style="font-size: small;"> little sl<span style="font-size: small;">i<span style="font-size: small;">ps of paper <span style="font-size: small;">upon which we write</span> specific goals/promises to make the world a better place by aligning our lives and hearts more diligently <span style="font-size: small;">with</span> His<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">The gifts are very personal<span style="font-size: small;">, so </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">we usually don't share them with each other. We fold the little s<span style="font-size: small;">lips up and <span style="font-size: small;">address them like a gift, <span style="font-size: small;">making sure to note the year. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">We keep these little folded slips of paper in the stocking even after it has been taken down and stored <span style="font-size: small;">away until the next year. We love to read our gifts from the <span style="font-size: small;">last year and <span style="font-size: small;">ponder on how well w<span style="font-size: small;">e <span style="font-size: small;">gave the gift. We have several years of slips stored in the stocking and it is really <span style="font-size: small;">interesting to read them year by year</span>. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Below is the article we read <span style="font-size: small;">immediately before we filled <span style="font-size: small;">Jesus' stocking with gifts this year. I<span style="font-size: small;">t was <i>extremely</i> moving. <span style="font-size: small;">I'm not really a cr<span style="font-size: small;">yer, but I</span> wept three times while I read it aloud to the family. This article<span style="font-size: small;"> will definitely be<span style="font-size: small;">come part of our yearly tradition. It just puts you in the right frame of mind to give gifts to the Savior. Enjoy!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">========================================<span style="font-size: small;">==============</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-large;">Three Levels of Christmas</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">William B. Smart</span></span>
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<span class="textexposedshow">=============================================================</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="textexposedshow">Christmas is a beautiful time of the year. We love
the excitement, the giving spirit, the special awareness of and appreciation
for family and friends, the feelings of love and brotherhood that bless our
gatherings at Christmastime. </span></span></span></span></span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></span></span></span></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">
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<span class="textexposedshow">In all of the joyousness it is
well to reflect that Christmas comes at three levels. </span><br />
<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-98zjKNc1c0E/UNvHOH7d6RI/AAAAAAAAAYY/nVBPqZILBaM/s1600/Christmas+santa+with+reindeers.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-98zjKNc1c0E/UNvHOH7d6RI/AAAAAAAAAYY/nVBPqZILBaM/s200/Christmas+santa+with+reindeers.bmp" width="200" /></a></div>
<span class="textexposedshow">Let’s call the first the Santa Claus level. It’s
the level of Christmas trees and holly, of whispered secrets and colorful
packages, of candlelight and rich food and warm open houses. It’s carolers in
the shopping malls, excited children, and weary but loving parents. It’s a
lovely time of special warmth and caring and giving. It’s the level at which we
eat too much and spend too much and do too much – and enjoy every minute of it.
We love the Santa Claus level of Christmas. </span></div>
</span></span></span></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z0L7x5bfkSA/UNvK2O06ujI/AAAAAAAAAZw/T2l1GsNr_7o/s1600/Christ+-+Birth+-+His+Name+Shall+Be+Called+-+Simon+Dewey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z0L7x5bfkSA/UNvK2O06ujI/AAAAAAAAAZw/T2l1GsNr_7o/s200/Christ+-+Birth+-+His+Name+Shall+Be+Called+-+Simon+Dewey.jpg" width="200" /></a><span class="textexposedshow">But there’s a higher, more
beautiful level. Let’s call it the Silent Night level. It’s the level of all
our glorious Christmas carols, of that beloved, familiar story: “Now in those
days there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus....” It’s the level of the
crowded inn and the silent, holy moment in a dark stable when the Son of Man
came to earth. It’s the shepherds on steep, bare hills near Bethlehem, angels with their glad tidings,
the new star in the East, wise men traveling far in search of the Holy One. How
beautiful and meaningful it is; how infinitely poorer we would be without this
sacred second level of Christmas. </span></div>
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<span class="textexposedshow">The trouble is, these two levels
don’t last. They can’t. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">
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<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-apjHZ9fxfK0/UNvLSzbN9GI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/G9DsThkUegQ/s1600/Christmas+ornaments.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-apjHZ9fxfK0/UNvLSzbN9GI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/G9DsThkUegQ/s200/Christmas+ornaments.bmp" width="200" /></a><span class="textexposedshow">Twelve days of Christmas, at the
first level, is about all most of us can stand. It’s too intense, too
extravagant. The tree dies out and needles fall. The candles burn down. The
beautiful wrappings go out with the trash, the carolers are up on the ski
slopes, the toys break, and the biggest day in the stores for the entire year
is exchange day, December 26th. The feast is over and the dieting begins. But
the lonely and the hungry are with us still, perhaps lonelier and hungrier than
before. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span class="textexposedshow">Lovely and joyous as the first
level of Christmas is, there will come day, very soon, when Mother will put
away the decorations and vacuum the living room and think, “Thank goodness that is over for another year.” </span></div>
</span></span></span></span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">
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<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ikhPBW7dIww/UNvK1Ces5nI/AAAAAAAAAZo/D3Z_8OSkgTU/s1600/Christ+-+Birth+-+For+Unto+Us+a+Child+is+Born+-+Simon+Dewey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ikhPBW7dIww/UNvK1Ces5nI/AAAAAAAAAZo/D3Z_8OSkgTU/s200/Christ+-+Birth+-+For+Unto+Us+a+Child+is+Born+-+Simon+Dewey.jpg" width="142" /></a><span class="textexposedshow">Even the second level, the level
of the Baby Jesus, can’t last. How many times this season can you sing, “Silent
Night?” The angels and the star, and the shepherd, even the silent, sacred
mystery of the holy night itself, can’t long satisfy humanity’s basic need. The
man who keeps Christ in the manger will, in the end, be disappointed and empty.</span></div>
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<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VEhHo4jKKK4/UNvJi9-lE2I/AAAAAAAAAZA/E19vugQXQDs/s1600/Living-Water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="164" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VEhHo4jKKK4/UNvJi9-lE2I/AAAAAAAAAZA/E19vugQXQDs/s200/Living-Water.jpg" width="200" /></a><span class="textexposedshow">No, for Christmas to last all
year long, for it to grow in beauty and meaning and purpose, for it to have the
power to change lives, we must celebrate it at the third level, that of the
adult Christ. It is at this level—not as an infant—that our Savior brings his
gifts of lasting joy, lasting peace, lasting hope. It was the adult Christ who
reached out and touched the untouchable, who loved the unlovable, who so loved
us all that even in his agony on the cross, he prayed forgiveness for his
enemies. </span></div>
</span></span></span></span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QhJzPxqVf6M/UNvJsgz5QnI/AAAAAAAAAZI/d0De5kSMwF0/s1600/Christ+Divine+Redeemer+Simon+Dewey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QhJzPxqVf6M/UNvJsgz5QnI/AAAAAAAAAZI/d0De5kSMwF0/s200/Christ+Divine+Redeemer+Simon+Dewey.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="142" /></a><span class="textexposedshow">This is Christ, creator of
worlds without number, who wept because so many of us lack affection and hate
each other – and then who willingly gave his life for all of us, including
those for whom he wept. This is the Christ, the adult Christ, who gave us the
perfect example, and asked us to follow him. </span></div>
</span></span></span></span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span class="textexposedshow"><span id="goog_497093735"></span><span id="goog_497093736"></span>Accepting that invitation is the
way<span style="font-size: small;"> - </span>the only way – that all mankind can celebrate Christmas all year and all
life long.</span></div>
</span></span></span></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"></span> </div>
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<![endif]-->The Savvy Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068982349795252478noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479715216916228990.post-31322416310892315332012-11-02T06:00:00.000-07:002012-11-02T06:54:49.171-07:00Fortune Cookie Friday - Facebook<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The fortunes I will share today are a little slice of the relationship between my husband and I. Perhaps you will not find it funny, but like it or not, this is "us" and we thought it was hilarious!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My husband is anti-Facebook. Well, he doesn't discriminate; it's probably more accurate to say he is anti-Social Networking. He claims it is a "sign of the decline of Western Civilization" or some such nonsense. He scoffs at those of us who fall prey to the charms of the Social Network. Especially me. He teases me incessantly about it. But then...I also tease him about his cranky, anti-social ways. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Our most recent trip to our favorite Thai place turned up a couple of fortunes that we converted into jabs for and against Facebook. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">After finishing our lunch, I cracked this baby open and instantly went for the punch. </span><span class="userContent"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="userContent"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"This is why I use
Facebook," I said, handing him the little paper. </span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6k5thUDkyrA/UI_ttbp2HXI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/DKwDdVNzp-s/s1600/Fortune+Cookies+-+Ahead+of+the+Herd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6k5thUDkyrA/UI_ttbp2HXI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/DKwDdVNzp-s/s400/Fortune+Cookies+-+Ahead+of+the+Herd.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="userContent">He smiled, handed his fortune to me and replied, "This is why
I don't."</span> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tHC-TlsCzR0/UI_s0phcbxI/AAAAAAAAAXA/q14OzgQYBVo/s1600/Fortune+Cookies+-+Impose+no+Burden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tHC-TlsCzR0/UI_s0phcbxI/AAAAAAAAAXA/q14OzgQYBVo/s400/Fortune+Cookies+-+Impose+no+Burden.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
The Savvy Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068982349795252478noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479715216916228990.post-38579323793367188932012-10-24T18:01:00.000-07:002013-03-14T06:59:11.958-07:00Being "Wrong"<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<h6 style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">"Mistakes
are a part of being human. Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious
life lessons that can only be learned the hard way. Unless it's a fatal
mistake, which, at least, others can learn from."</span></h6>
</blockquote>
<h6 align="right" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">--Al
Franken</span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></h6>
<h6 align="right" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: normal;">"Oh,
the Things I Know," 2002</span></h6>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It is election
season and I am a Facebook user; therefore, I have been exposed to a lot ideas and opinions that conflict with my own in the past few months. This time around, I decided to keep my
opinions to myself and observe my own reactions and assumptions when someone thinks differently than me. It has been extremely
eye-opening! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">During my observations of myself, I
have often reflected on the following fascinating TED Talk by author Kathryn Schulz.
I watched it over a year ago and loved it so much I purchased and read the
corresponding book, <u>Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error</u>. It is so interesting how very "right" she is about
being wrong! </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">What I learned
about myself from simply paying attention to my thoughts and reactions with the "Series of Unfortunate Assumptions" in mind has helped me to be more
tolerant and entertain different ideas without being offended by them. </span>I have also learned to value the diversity of thought out there. It's incredible how we can all experience the same things and come away with as many different perspectives as there are stars in the sky! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In the past, I have been guilty of making all three of the Unfortunate
Assumptions (below). Have you? If so, have you ever wondered why? If you're brave
enough to ask yourself the question, your answer will most likely shift your
paradigm for the better, like it did mine. Enjoy!</span><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Excerpt from TED Talk, "On Being Wrong," by Kathryn Schulz. </span></h3>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(Video of Talk in its entirety below excerpt.) </span></h3>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">======================================================</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Think for a moment about what it means to feel right. It
means that you think that your beliefs just perfectly reflect reality. And when
you feel that way, you’ve got a problem to solve: How are you going to explain
all of those people who disagree with you? It turns out most of us explain
those people the same way -- by resorting to:</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QI2-q49gL6k/UIiEY_xeWYI/AAAAAAAAAWU/tPLWss5kboM/s1600/Being+Wrong+-+Series+of+Unfortunate+Assumptions+-+No+Header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QI2-q49gL6k/UIiEY_xeWYI/AAAAAAAAAWU/tPLWss5kboM/s400/Being+Wrong+-+Series+of+Unfortunate+Assumptions+-+No+Header.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<ol>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u>The
Ignorance Assumption</u></b>: They must not have the same information as you. </span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u>The
Idiocy Assumption</u></b>: They have the same information, but are too moronic to
put the pieces of the puzzle together properly.<b><u> </u></b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u>The
Evil Assumption</u></b>: They know the truth and they are deliberately distorting
it for their own malevolent purposes.</span></li>
</ol>
</div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is a catastrophe! This attachment to our own rightness
keeps us from preventing mistakes when we absolutely need to, and causes us to
treat each other terribly. To me, what's most baffling and tragic about this is
that it misses the whole point of being human. It's like we want to imagine
that our minds are these perfectly translucent windows and we just kind of gaze
out of them and describe the world as it unfolds. And we want everybody else to
gaze out of the same window and see the exact same thing. That is not true! And
if it were, the world would be incredibly boring! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J-lW7vGDoMQ/UIh_ICh31ZI/AAAAAAAAAVw/igM8ALb-Cfs/s1600/Being+Wrong+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J-lW7vGDoMQ/UIh_ICh31ZI/AAAAAAAAAVw/igM8ALb-Cfs/s320/Being+Wrong+Cover.jpg" width="212" /></a> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The miracle of your mind isn’t that you can see the world as
it is. It’s that you can see the world as it isn’t. We can remember the past,
we can think about the future and we can imagine what it's like to be some
other person, in some other place. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">St. Augustine
said, "Fallor ergo sum: I err, therefore I am." Augustine understood
that our capacity to screw up - it's not some kind of embarrassing defect in
the human system; something we can eradicate or overcome. It's totally
fundamental to who we are. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We need to step out of that tiny, terrified space of
"rightness" and look around at each other. And look out at the
vastness and complexity and mystery of the universe. And be able to say,
"Wow...I don't know...maybe I'm wrong."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">--Kathryn Schulz</span></span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Related Posts: </span> </span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://savvyandsage.blogspot.com/2011/07/beauty-and-beast.html">Beauty and the Beast</a></span> </span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://savvyandsage.blogspot.com/2011/10/got-glue.html">Got Glue?</a></span></span>
</div>
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" scrolling="no" src="http://embed.ted.com/talks/kathryn_schulz_on_being_wrong.html" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="560"></iframe> The Savvy Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068982349795252478noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479715216916228990.post-92188092242287208392012-07-31T08:54:00.000-07:002012-07-31T09:16:17.728-07:00On Profanity<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">“Al Gore took a Viagra and grew two feet.” </span></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: large;">--Larry the Cable
Guy</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">
Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t use profanity. I’m
not a total prude about it; it’s just a personal preference not to use words
outside of their defined meanings. I also like to be a little different than
the rest of the herd, and let’s face it, swearing is definitely not unique. On occasion,
I have been known to use a curse word when quoting someone else, or when I
believe the word will enhance a point; mostly for comedic purposes. But I’m not
really that funny, so that’s decidedly rare. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">
But I love the word bastard. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">
Where the other, crasser curse words don’t tempt me, bastard
does. It’s so little used and has such a funny sound, it appeals to my sense of
humor and love of the uncommon. However, I can’t really find an appropriate way
to use it in line with its definition, so I never get to say it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">
But I have found an old, similar sounding word that isn’t considered
profane and can be used according to its definition. At first I
thought I made it up because I had never heard it used as a noun. But I looked
it up in the dictionary, and there it was; a real word:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;"><u>Dastard</u>:</span> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">n.</span></i><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> A<span class="ssens"> person who acts treacherously or
underhandedly. Cowardly. Sneaking. Malicious.</span></span></div>
</blockquote>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">
It’s uncommon. It’s got that same funny sound that feels alive
and bouncy in my mouth. It can be easily used in line with its definition. It’s
a little shocking. It’s perfect!<br />
<br />
I used the Larry the Cable Guy quote above for this post because I thought it would be funny to play a little passive aggressive fill in the blank. Just take out the Al Gore and replace it with your favorite dastard. Don't forget to post it in the comments!<br />
<br />
"<u> </u> took a Viagra and grew two feet."</div>The Savvy Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068982349795252478noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479715216916228990.post-88364086136553145772012-07-20T14:15:00.000-07:002012-07-23T01:16:32.622-07:00God and the Universe<div style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">{Edmond Dantè</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">s}:</span> I don't believe in God.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-size: small;">{Priest}:</span> It does not matter. He believes in you.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #b45f06; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">--<u>The Count of Monte Cristo</u>,</span><span style="font-size: small;"> Alexandre Dumas</span> </span></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I
have a quote I’d like to share (below). I like almost everything about this quote, but
one thing bothers me and I need to address it before I share. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I
don’t know what the deal is lately, but I have noticed a new-age fascination with
the term “the Universe” when referring to spiritual things. Is it just because people view God as inaccessible to our
modern sensibilities? Or is it because “the Universe” can integrate many
differing beliefs into one broad term? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Well,
whether it’s for accessibility or unification - or even some completely different
reason - it bugs me. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I
believe in God and I personally believe “the Universe” diminishes him. He
created the Universe; He is bigger than the Universe. And I refuse to reduce
His infinite value by perpetuating the term “the Universe” in relation to Him and/or His works. Therefore,
wherever the Universe is mentioned in the following quote, I have changed the
wording back to what it should be: God. I still resent the brackets, but at least now the principle can ring through without all the distracting noise from "the Universe." ;)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #38761d;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">“If
you say to [God], 'Gimme, gimme, gimme,' then [God] gives you back what you
offered out. You get more 'gimme, gimme, gimme.' “Gimme” means you don’t have
enough. You have a shortage. [God] just keeps giving you more shortage because
of what you’re thinking and saying.</span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #38761d;">
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">“If,
on the other hand, you say to [God] again and again, 'How may I serve? How may
I serve? How may I serve?' and you live a life of constancy reflecting that
principle, [God] will respond back, 'How may I serve you?'”</span></div>
</blockquote>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="color: #38761d; font-weight: normal; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">--Wayne
Dyer</span></span></h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</h3>The Savvy Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068982349795252478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479715216916228990.post-28525218350772359942012-06-24T17:47:00.000-07:002012-11-01T07:14:09.730-07:00What is Love?<div class="stanza" id="" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<div class="line" id="">
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #b45f06;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"The words of Jesus, “Love one another as I have loved you,”
must be not only a light for us but a<i> </i>flame that consumes the
self in us. Love, in order to survive, must be nourished by sacrifices,
especially the sacrifice of self. Love, to be real, must cost—it must hurt—it must
empty us of self."</span></div>
</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">--Mother Theresa</span> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="line" id="">
<br /></div>
<div class="line" id="">
<span style="font-size: large;">“I love you, <span class="highlight" id="searchQueryTerm">mother</span>,” said little John;</span></div>
<div class="line" id="">
<span style="font-size: large;">Then, forgetting his work, his cap went on,</span></div>
<div class="line" id="">
<span style="font-size: large;">And he was off to the garden swing,</span></div>
<div class="line" id="">
<span style="font-size: large;">Leaving his <span class="highlight">mother</span> the wood to bring.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="stanza" id="" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<div class="line" id="">
</div>
<div class="line" id="">
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“I love you, <span class="highlight">mother</span>,” said rosy Nell;</span></div>
<div class="line" id="">
<span style="font-size: large;">“I love you better than tongue can tell;”</span></div>
<div class="line" id="">
<span style="font-size: large;">Then she teased and pouted full half the day,</span></div>
<div class="line" id="">
<span style="font-size: large;">Till her <span class="highlight">mother</span> rejoiced when she went to play.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="stanza" id="" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<div class="line" id="">
</div>
<div class="line" id="">
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“I love you, <span class="highlight">mother</span>,” said little Fan;</span></div>
<div class="line" id="">
<span style="font-size: large;">“To-day I’ll help you all I can;</span></div>
<div class="line" id="">
<span style="font-size: large;">How glad I am that school doesn’t keep!”</span></div>
<div class="line" id="">
<span style="font-size: large;">So she rocked the babe till it fell asleep.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="stanza" id="" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<div class="line" id="">
</div>
<div class="line" id="">
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Then, stepping softly, she fetched the broom,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And swept the floor, and dusted the room;</span></div>
<div class="line" id="">
<span style="font-size: large;">Busy and happy all day was she,</span></div>
<div class="line" id="">
<span style="font-size: large;">Helpful and happy as a child could be.</span></div>
</div>
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</div>
<div class="line" id="" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“I love you, <span class="highlight">mother</span>,” again they said—</span></div>
<div class="line" id="" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Three little children going to bed;</span></div>
<div class="line" id="" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">How do you think that <span class="highlight">mother</span> guessed</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
Which of them really loved her best?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="label">
</span></span>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: large;">--Joy Allison, “Which Loved Best?” </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: right;">
<span class="emphasis">(McGuffey’s Third Eclectic Reader</span>, 1879, 146–47) </div>
The Savvy Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068982349795252478noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479715216916228990.post-1846361702980063892012-04-17T16:48:00.000-07:002012-04-17T16:48:39.656-07:00Love is...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0zZuCjNGtSQ/T44BMJUoWdI/AAAAAAAAAVg/QydMRaRaN-k/s1600/Love+is+spelled+T-I-M-E+Uchtdorf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0zZuCjNGtSQ/T44BMJUoWdI/AAAAAAAAAVg/QydMRaRaN-k/s640/Love+is+spelled+T-I-M-E+Uchtdorf.jpg" width="498" /></a></div>The Savvy Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068982349795252478noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479715216916228990.post-27263087050837736932012-04-10T09:23:00.000-07:002012-04-10T09:23:13.000-07:00Advice is Like Snow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7OnHajXinJ0/T4Rdrrc8oZI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/m5e-RaP1XvM/s1600/Advice+is+like+snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7OnHajXinJ0/T4Rdrrc8oZI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/m5e-RaP1XvM/s400/Advice+is+like+snow.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The Savvy Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068982349795252478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479715216916228990.post-21427422174139627302012-04-05T12:25:00.001-07:002012-04-12T21:22:41.968-07:00Forgive and Forget<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hvVuCZ91jug/T33w8nkHXZI/AAAAAAAAAVI/wxxnZpxlR9k/s1600/Forgive+and+Forget+-+NOT+-+Revenge+and+Regret.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hvVuCZ91jug/T33w8nkHXZI/AAAAAAAAAVI/wxxnZpxlR9k/s400/Forgive+and+Forget+-+NOT+-+Revenge+and+Regret.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The Savvy Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068982349795252478noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479715216916228990.post-45651817926457653702012-03-06T08:46:00.001-08:002012-03-06T08:47:53.356-08:00Turn off the TV and Get a Life!*<blockquote class="tr_bq"><div style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">"I must say I find television very educational. The minute somebody turns it on, I go read a good book."</span></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">--Groucho Marx</span> </span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Start Living in Prime Time </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">by Denis Waitley </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Prime time is that period between 6 and 10 p.m. during which most of the general public watches television. Commercials in prime time are the most expensive, approaching a million dollars per minute. Your real success in life will take a quantum leap when you stop watching other people making money in their professions performing in prime time, and start living your own dreams and goals in prime time. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Time is the ultimate equal opportunity employer. Time never stops to rest, never hesitates, never looks forward or backward. Life's raw material spends itself in the now, this moment, which is why how you spend your time is far more important than all the material possessions you may own or positions you may obtain. Positions change, possessions come and go, you can earn more money. You can renew your supply of many things, but like good health, that other most precious resource, time spent is gone forever. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Each yesterday, and all of them together, are beyond your control. Literally all the money in the world can't undo or redo a single act you performed. You cannot erase a single word you said. You can't add an "I love you," "I'm sorry", or "I forgive you", not even a "thank you" you forgot to say. Each human being in every hemisphere and time zone has precisely 168 hours a week to spend. And some of the most precious hours occur in prime time. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Consider this: most of your daytime hours are spent helping other people solve their problems. The little time you have in the evenings and on weekends is all you have to spend on yourself, on your own dreams and goals, and personal development. Some thoughts to ponder: </span></div><ol style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">Have supper with your loved ones at least two to three times per week. It's the best time for casual conversation to listen to what those close to you feel is important in their lives. Mealtime is a time to dialogue.</span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">A television set is an appliance. It should be used, at most, for two hours at a time. It should be off, unless specific programs of interest are selected. It should not be used as a one-eyed baby sitter. For the most part, TV exposes us to negative role models.</span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Instead of watching television why not read a good fiction or non-fiction book, write a letter, engage in a hobby or craft, call a friend or someone in need of encouragement on the phone, network on your computer, go out to an ethnic restaurant, a home show, an entrepreneurial show, a musical recital, a play, a fitness class, or cultural event. Take an art or photography class. Use prime time to live the kind of life others put on layaway. </span></li>
</ol><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Action Idea: If you and your family/friends watch TV, try not turning it on for one week. When you do watch TV, reduce by 50% the amount of time you spend watching it. Concentrate your evenings and free time engaged in hands on, real life experiences, you can touch, feel, smell and engage all your senses in. Instead of virtual reality, insist on the real thing.</span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">*Thanks to John Bytheway for sharing the article used for this blog post in his excellent talk on CD entitled, <a href="http://www.ebook3000.com/John-Bytheway---Turn-off-the-TV-and-get-a-life_13353.html">Turn Off the TV and Get a Life!</a> </span></div></blockquote></div>The Savvy Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068982349795252478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479715216916228990.post-64085211508457544862012-02-14T12:05:00.000-08:002012-02-14T12:05:28.010-08:00Calvin and Hobbes: Valentine's Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gCee2dQnfhE/Tzq8dCwVOaI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/VOaDnHj2bkk/s1600/Calvin+and+Hobbes+-+Valentine+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="122" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gCee2dQnfhE/Tzq8dCwVOaI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/VOaDnHj2bkk/s400/Calvin+and+Hobbes+-+Valentine+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8i8_JcSP5HM/Tzq-EsuYDTI/AAAAAAAAAU4/cRjnK9MbfXk/s1600/Calvin+and+Hobbes+-+Valentine+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8i8_JcSP5HM/Tzq-EsuYDTI/AAAAAAAAAU4/cRjnK9MbfXk/s400/Calvin+and+Hobbes+-+Valentine+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n0Wduz6hQnw/Tzq-FNV9l-I/AAAAAAAAAVA/l0fHxlCFH-s/s1600/Calvin+and+Hobbes+-+Valentine+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n0Wduz6hQnw/Tzq-FNV9l-I/AAAAAAAAAVA/l0fHxlCFH-s/s400/Calvin+and+Hobbes+-+Valentine+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eRsgmMmtW6I/Tzq8gvmyGfI/AAAAAAAAAUg/UEF7yvJSdOA/s1600/Calvin+and+Hobbes+-+Valentine+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eRsgmMmtW6I/Tzq8gvmyGfI/AAAAAAAAAUg/UEF7yvJSdOA/s400/Calvin+and+Hobbes+-+Valentine+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-taFRCxmfpCk/Tzq8hQ4XT0I/AAAAAAAAAUo/sgbQb5oztOs/s1600/Calvin+and+Hobbes+-+Valentine+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-taFRCxmfpCk/Tzq8hQ4XT0I/AAAAAAAAAUo/sgbQb5oztOs/s400/Calvin+and+Hobbes+-+Valentine+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WuE3z5_r0rI/Tzq8iFhaRkI/AAAAAAAAAUw/SBqmu72BOuw/s1600/Calvin+and+Hobbes+-+Valentine+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WuE3z5_r0rI/Tzq8iFhaRkI/AAAAAAAAAUw/SBqmu72BOuw/s400/Calvin+and+Hobbes+-+Valentine+6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The Savvy Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068982349795252478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479715216916228990.post-10772208280306763152012-02-10T07:12:00.001-08:002012-04-05T12:26:34.936-07:00Success<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uGLwn-hV-g8/TzUy_zdkoAI/AAAAAAAAARo/zgK6CDheMv8/s1600/Success+-+not+always+what+you+see.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uGLwn-hV-g8/TzUy_zdkoAI/AAAAAAAAARo/zgK6CDheMv8/s400/Success+-+not+always+what+you+see.jpg" width="386" /> </a></div><h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":1}" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-weight: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">"My mother drew a distinction between achievement and success. She said that achievement is the knowledge that you have studied and worked hard and done the best that is within you. Success is being praised by others. That is nice but not as important or satisfying. Always aim for achievement and forget about success." </span></span></h6><h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":1}" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-weight: normal; text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">-- Helen Hayes</span></span></h6>The Savvy Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068982349795252478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479715216916228990.post-6572683816172633472012-01-15T09:40:00.000-08:002012-02-16T06:59:57.063-08:00C.S. Lewis Sunday - Progress<div style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Would you think I was joking if I said that you can put a clock back, and that if the clock is wrong it is often a very sensible thing to do? ... We all want progress. But progress means getting nearer to the place where you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man. We have all seen this when doing arithmetic. When I have started a sum the wrong way, the sooner I admit this and go back and start again, the faster I shall get on. There is nothing progressive about being pig headed and refusing to admit a mistake. And I think if you look at the present state of the world, it is pretty plain that humanity has been making some big mistake. We are on the wrong road. And if that is so, we must go back. Going back is the quickest way on."</span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">--C.S. Lewis, </span><i style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mere Christianity</i></span><br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><u>Related Post:</u></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><u> </u></span></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://savvyandsage.blogspot.com/2011/05/tag-youre-it.html">Tag, You're It!</a></span></div>The Savvy Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068982349795252478noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479715216916228990.post-44754694553808845812012-01-04T07:05:00.000-08:002012-01-04T07:12:09.139-08:00Wiseguy Wednesday: Resolution<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">I don’t believe this (at all), nor do I advocate any such philosophy, but I thought it was funny, so…</span></div><br />
<div style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">"Now there are more overweight people in America than average-weight people. So overweight people are now average… which means, you have met your New Year's resolution."</span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">--Jay Leno</span> </span></span></div>The Savvy Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068982349795252478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479715216916228990.post-62715483529558553822011-12-30T11:34:00.000-08:002011-12-30T11:34:27.751-08:00Fortune Cookie Friday: Banish Lucky<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">A quick perusal of my last several posts will certainly let you in on how my life has been going the last month or so. I deliberately refrained from posting very much so as not to bother anyone with all my whining. Suffice it to say that with the exception of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, December 2011 was probably the worst month I've had in years. YEARS! </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">I blame the Lucky Fortune <a href="http://savvyandsage.blogspot.com/2011/12/fortune-cookie-friday-lucky.html">(Fortune Cookie Friday: Lucky)</a>. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">From now on, if you ever see a fortune that says 'Lucky is coming your way'....RUN! Trust me, you don't want 'Lucky' to find you unless you <i>like</i> shedding your entire savings account on things like: expensive car repairs, getting violently ill (numerous times) and having to pay doctors and dentists, losing your paycheck, finding random useful things broken for no reason, cancelling highly anticipated trips, waking up to a flood in your house caused by a broken water heater, bouncing checks (oh yeah...and make it as embarrassing as possible), children misbehaving, etc., etc.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">Oops! I said I wouldn't whine. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">Well, since Lucky turned out to be such a destructive jerk (I knew stale marshmallows had to be a bad sign), I have to say I was a little leery to open another fortune cookie. But I'm so glad I did! I certainly hope this one banishes Lucky...or I'm completely ruined! Goodness knows I don't have much left to lose...</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i6jUJdh7Zsg/Tv0C5ZI9rVI/AAAAAAAAARY/NbHlQFqKyDs/s1600/Fortune+Cookies+trouble+cease+fortune+smiles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i6jUJdh7Zsg/Tv0C5ZI9rVI/AAAAAAAAARY/NbHlQFqKyDs/s400/Fortune+Cookies+trouble+cease+fortune+smiles.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The Savvy Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068982349795252478noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479715216916228990.post-2568558254905773012011-12-22T14:36:00.000-08:002011-12-23T00:18:58.219-08:00Listen for Christmas<div style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span id="goog_1170722119"></span><span id="goog_1170722120"></span>"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."</span></div><div style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">--Bobby</span></div><div style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(a 7 year old answering the question, 'What is love?')</span></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">This quote has been my favorite Christmas quote for many years now. My love for it originated several years ago when our finances were in dire straights. My husband had been unemployed for many months and we were trying to support our family of 6 off of a meager unemployment check. We received food from our church that December so that we could spare $100 to spend on gifts for our 4 children for Christmas. It was very difficult to meet all the expectations of the family traditions we observe (pajamas on Christmas Eve, stockings, gifts, etc.) with $25 per child, but with the help of the dollar store, we pulled something off. It wasn’t much, but it was the best we could do.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">I was a basket case all month long as I collected small gifts for them. They had never experienced such a meager Christmas! I was afraid they would feel less loved and cry for the things they wanted but would not be receiving. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-skWeSFFCyVI/TvOysLJzrYI/AAAAAAAAARA/raMz3TzsSxE/s1600/Christmas+Day+by+Sandra+Kuck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-skWeSFFCyVI/TvOysLJzrYI/AAAAAAAAARA/raMz3TzsSxE/s200/Christmas+Day+by+Sandra+Kuck.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>But to my great surprise, it was the BEST Christmas we ever had! I will never forget how I reflected on this quote and stopped to listen as my children opened and adored their tiny gifts on Christmas morning. How could I ever have been afraid my children would feel LESS love? The love in the room was so thick, it was almost tangible! It brought tears to my eyes; a fact which was shamelessly recorded for posterity by the video camera on a tripod in the corner. It was the only gift I received that year, but it was by far my most favorite of any I ever received. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ey6BpaLk9Jc/TvOzZL1FvzI/AAAAAAAAARM/LoFcNT9HmyA/s1600/nativitystorythe_photos_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ey6BpaLk9Jc/TvOzZL1FvzI/AAAAAAAAARM/LoFcNT9HmyA/s200/nativitystorythe_photos_1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Every year since, as soon as the Thanksgiving dishes are done, I start thinking of this beautiful quote and the love I felt in the room on that humble Christmas morning. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i><br />
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<i>THAT</i> is what Christmas is all about; not the quality or quantity of the gifts given or received. Christmas is a celebration of the Love that was born in a humble stable that blessed and changed the whole world forever after. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">Celebrate Christmas by stopping to listen for it in your room this year…</div>The Savvy Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068982349795252478noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479715216916228990.post-69508245054440426302011-12-12T23:47:00.000-08:002011-12-19T16:56:10.699-08:00Bring It!<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #b45f06;"><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Danger? Hah! I walk on the wild side. I laugh in the face of danger. Ha! Ha! Ha!" </span></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">--Simba, </span><i style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Lion King</i></span></div><br />
I have been having a hard time lately. It just seems as if life is dealing out blows at a feverish pace; I'm not even recovered from one impact before another blow rocks my world. But something strange is happening to me in the midst of all this trouble. I think I'm either getting stronger or my brains have gone addled like Rocky Balboa, because the blows are starting to take on a decidedly comical air. Does this ever happen to you? It's like all I can do is laugh. There's a smidge of surrender in it and yet...a big dollop of defiance is waiting in the wings. It's an odd sensation; this feeling. It reminds me of a scene in one of my favorite movies of all time: The Count of Monte Cristo. At his birthday party, the Count gives young Albert Mondego a birthday toast that resonates with me because of it's likeness to my current feelings. The toast starts at precisely 1 minute in the following clip (or the text is below, if you don't feel like watching):</div><br />
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<div style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">"Young Albert has made far too much of the assistance I gave him in Rome. When I arrived in the catacombs, I watched as the criminals - who tied Albert to a wall - threatened to cut off his finger and send it to his father as evidence of his abduction. The boy's reply to all this was, 'Do your worst!'<br />
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"Life is a storm my young friend, you will bask in the sunlight one moment; be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes. You must look into that storm and shout as you did in Rome, 'Do your worst for I will do mine!' Then the Fates will know you as we know you...as Albert Mondego, the man." </div><div style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: right;">--Edmond Dantes, as the Count of Monte Cristo</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: right;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">Now, I'm not trying to "man up" or anything. Heaven knows I'm as surprised by my reaction as much as anyone. But I do feel like this shattered-on-the-rocks stage I'm in right now has pushed me around as long as I'm going to let it! These continuous blows have awoken the sleeping giant inside of me and I find myself shouting, 'Bring it, storm!' Or like Albert in Rome, "Do your worst for I will do mine!" I may continue to get knocked around, but I'm gonna give this storm a run for it's money, dangit!<br />
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Is that weird, or what?</div>The Savvy Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068982349795252478noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479715216916228990.post-8970866270832741152011-12-04T15:57:00.000-08:002011-12-13T07:11:02.746-08:00C.S. Lewis Sunday - Count the Cost<div style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Law, in his terrible, cool voice, said,...'If you have not chosen the Kingdom of God, it will make in the end no difference what you have chosen instead.' Those are hard words to take. Will it really make no difference whether it was women or patriotism, cocaine or art, whiskey or a seat in the Cabinet, money or science? Well, surely no difference that matters. We shall have missed the end for which we are formed and rejected the only thing that satisfies. Does it matter to a man dying in a desert by which choice of route he missed the only well? </span></div><div style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">"It is a remarkable fact that on this subject Heaven and Hell speak with one voice. The tempter tells me, 'Take care. Think how much this good resolve, the acceptance of this Grace, is going to cost.' But Our Lord equally tells us to count the cost. Even in human affairs great importance is attached to the agreement of those whose testimony hardly ever agrees. Here, more. Between them it would seem to be pretty clear that paddling [near the shore] is of little consequence. What matters, what Heaven desires and Hell fears, is precisely that further step, out of our depth, out of our own control." </span></div><div style="color: #38761d; text-align: right;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #38761d; text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">--C.S. Lewis, <i>The Weight of Glory</i></span></span></div>The Savvy Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068982349795252478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479715216916228990.post-64118961560010610522011-12-03T17:55:00.000-08:002011-12-03T17:55:17.297-08:00Calvin and Hobbes: Anatomically Correct<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RnvTLzNs-ro/TtrS8xDyP1I/AAAAAAAAAQY/NW1Ui0q1AAc/s1600/Anatomically+Correct+Snoman+vertical.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RnvTLzNs-ro/TtrS8xDyP1I/AAAAAAAAAQY/NW1Ui0q1AAc/s400/Anatomically+Correct+Snoman+vertical.jpg" width="317" /></a></div>The Savvy Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068982349795252478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479715216916228990.post-51314113724378891572011-12-02T11:45:00.000-08:002011-12-03T09:35:58.986-08:00Fortune Cookie Friday: Lucky<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Maybe it's just me and my 80's upbringing, but when I read this...</div><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I thought of this...</div><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Hmm...maybe this would be exciting if I actually liked Lucky Charms, but I don't. Not even a little bit. I never really cared much for stale marshmallows. So, now I'm thinking the cookie was less fortune and more warning. Maybe it isn't so much, "They're always after me lucky charms!" but more like, "Lucky is always after me."</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Yikes! That's disturbing.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Oh, well. Happy Friday! Maybe some regular old luck will find you...or maybe some Lucky will find you. Either way, have a "magically delicious" day! ;)</span></div>The Savvy Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068982349795252478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4479715216916228990.post-82139615587614985242011-11-30T08:21:00.000-08:002011-11-30T13:58:29.329-08:00Wiseguy Wednesday: Kris Creeper<div style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Since 'it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas' lately, I figured I'd dedicate this week's Wiseguy Wednesday to a favorite family Christmas memory. </span></div><div style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">My oldest son has always been a bit of a worry wart. Since he first started talking, I've fielded numerous ridiculous concerns for him. As a two year old he would routinely ask, "Do we have enough gas?" as I was driving up a freeway ramp. We've never once run out of gas in his life, so I can't imagine where he got the idea to be worried about such a thing. But worry he does...about <i>everything</i>. So it was just sort of taken in stride when at Christmas time in his fourth year, he started worrying about the state of the blinds at bedtime. When I would tuck him in at night, he wouldn't let me leave the room unless I had checked and re-checked the blinds. Are they closed? Are all the shades in line? Are the curtains covering the gap between the blinds and the window frame? Can you check just one more time?</span></div><div style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">After a week or so of this, I finally asked him what the heck he was so afraid of. It had never worked for him before, but I thought maybe this time I could alleviate his fears and stop with the obsessive blind checking, already. I will never forget his answer. With blankets pulled up over his head, he replied with great trepidation,</span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">"<i>He sees you when you're sleeping!</i>"</span></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Poor Santa had been reduced to </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">a creepy peeping-tom at my son's window each night! "You better watch out," indeed!</span></span></span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">--The Savvy Sage </span></span></span></div></div>The Savvy Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068982349795252478noreply@blogger.com0