Posted on by ChatterLei

His Bark Was Bigger Than His Bite

Why do you blog?

I like to blog for the challenge of filling the blank canvas (screen) with a thought or two. Plus, I love seeing the words fill the page.

Back in 2010, I started a blog because my friend and I were walking and talking and laughing and I said that we should write down some of our funny experiences from our daily walks. As it turned out, she was funny when talking, but could not convert those same thoughts in writing. So, I blogged my own thoughts and experiences… which was not quite as funny as when we were together, but it was ok… except the story about our bikes and a dog…

One time, instead of walking, we decided to go for long (in our opinion) bike ride. Our ride took us over five miles on winding country roads, ending at a bridge over the fast flowing Snake River, a favorite place for fly fishing.

We were enjoying our ride along farmground, trees, and houses spread out beautifully along the way. My friend was riding a little ahead of me when suddenly there appeared a medium-sized barking dog that came shooting across the lawn from the house.

When this sort of thing happens, you find out really fast who your friends are. My friend left me in the dust! She was nothing but a blur… GONE! I peddled as fast as I could to catch up to her. She finally slowed her bike to a stop. I started laughing when I pulled my bike up behind her.  I said she must have learned that lesson about how to avoid being eaten by a bear.  You simply have to run faster than your friend! She and I laughed so hard!

She shared a story about a time, as a teenager, she went to knock on the door at her friend’s house and the friend’s very large dog came running around the corner straight at her. She felt trapped and so scared… so scared that she fainted right there on the doorstep! She has had a fear of dogs ever since that day.

Anyway, we made it safely to our destination and back home again.

Sharing stories is also another reason I like to blog. 😉

Posted on by ChatterLei

Good Habits, Best Results

What daily habit do you do that improves your quality of life?

I don’t do as many good daily habits as  I know I should for better health and attitude. Oh sure, I get up early, shower, and brush my teeth every day before heading off to work.

The things I want to do are: get up before hitting the snooze button three times, exercise for 30 minutes to get my blood pumping and release those all important endorphins to start my day right, and read the scriptures to focus my heart and spirit on the good things. What a great start that would be for my body, mind, and spirit!

My husband and I were reading scriptures and praying together every night before bed. It was great for our spiritual growth as well as connecting us at the end of every day because of the great discussions we had while reading. Then, he had a major surgery that kept us apart for 10 weeks while he was recovering. We got out of the habit of reading and praying together.

Not only that, but I started down a destructive path of reading material that put questions in my mind about everything I believed. I began to question my faith, and I flirted with other destructive behaviors because of my new way of thinking… you know… thinking that we only go around once, so what does it matter if I do this or that.

People tend to get hurt when we start behaving in ways that are not in keeping with what we value. If we value our marriage, we develop habits to keep that relationship strong. If we value building our understanding of our relationship with God, then we keep in the habit of doing things to maintain that. If we value family, then we spend quality time with them. ETC.

Daily good habits will improve our quality of life in the areas where we focus those habits. The opposite is also true. If we do not make time in our lives to form and maintain good daily habits, others will fall in their place.

“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”

-Gandhi

Here is a great blog post about creating new habits:

Posted on by ChatterLei

Morning!

What’s your favorite time of day?

Easy. Anyone who knows me very well knows I love mornings! The air is cool and crisp…well, not so crisp in the dog days of summer, but still cooler than midday in mid summer. 😎 

Mornings are when everything good happens, like the start of a trip,  a morning walk before breakfast, or….picture this….

A stay at the cabin on the 8th Crow Wing Lake in Northern Minnesota. It is early in the morning. You wake your family, grab your  lunch and fishing gear gathered the night before, and head from the cabin down to the lake.

The light is barely peaking through the cloudy sky. The steam is lifting from the lake, creating a misty appearance all around. The water is still and glass-like, the air so quiet that you can not avoid hearing the creeking sound of the wooden planks beneath the tip toes of your feet. The rocking as you step down inside the boat breaks the glassy appearance, forming the first mini waves across the water, and the quiet talking and laughter is an indication of a family fun day ahead.

Starting the motor cuts through the silence, deafening the tinkling of the lures dangling at the end of each fishing poles that are clanking while being secured for the chilly morning boat ride toward the perfect fishing spot near the lilly pads on the other side of the lake. (Because the lilly pads on this side of the lake are not good enough for fishing. One must always boat to the other side!) 😉

Crossing the misty lake, zipping my jacket all the way up, stretching the sleeves over to warm my hands, creating fresh wake behind the boat, I can’t help but smile a sleepy smile looking forward to a day of fishing with my family, each of us hoping to catch the first fish!

Yes! Morning is:  awaking to a fresh start, a new day, the beginning, the start of something great. It represents hope for good things to come. And if you are lucky, it starts with a beautiful sunrise!

Posted on by ChatterLei

Movies?

What are your top ten favorite movies?

Who has time for movies? I dont know if I have seen 10 movies! Although, Footloose is one of them! It’s a favorite

Seriously, my husband likes movies. He likes to go watch movies at the theater. I like popcorn. I go to the movies for the popcorn. And.. to nap. 🤷‍♀️ It has to be a pretty good movie for me to stay awake through the entire movie, especially when the popcorn is gone. I can’t help myself. The chairs are comfy. It’s dark. And, I’m relaxed. I have nothing to do, so I sleep.

My husband is ok with it… until I snore. Then I get the gentle nudge that stops the snoring… and the sleeping.

Next time he invites me to a movie, I’ll encourage him to take us to the matinee for half the price.

Enjoy your day!!

Posted on by ChatterLei · 3 Comments

Gratitude

Daily writing prompt
What positive emotion do you feel most often?
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Lately, the positive emotion I feel most often is gratitude. Especially for my husband. Because of him, my mom, and one of my daughters, I know what unconditional love feels like. My husband loves me as I am, no expectations for me to be someone other than I am. All he has ever wanted is for me to be happy. I used to think he did not care enough to share an opinion, but now I realize it is because he loves me as I am. He does not want to try to make become what HE thinks I should be. He wants me to be my own best self according to what that looks like for me.

He also believes in 2nd and 3rd and 4th and… so on… chances. He is very forgiving, loving, and kind. He is respectful, so very respectful. He always has my back. I can count on him to always be there for me. He has my best interest at heart, not his own selfish desires.

I took it for granted. But, never again. I am so GRATEFUL for my husband. He is not perfect, but he is perfect for me, as the saying goes. We are perfect for each other.

Posted on by ChatterLei

My Dream Boutique

Daily writing prompt
If you were going to open up a shop, what would you sell?
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If I were to open shop I would want it to be a clothing boutique catered to the plus-sized down to the smallest of women. We would sell beautiful unique accessories, perfect for any outfit and occasion. There would be framed prints and canvases hanging on a gallery wall, available for purchase to beautifully adorn any wall at home or work, as well as books and cards for gift giving and letter writing. These all would showcase the talent of outdoor photographers from all of the gorgeous places from West to East, from the Pacific Northwest across the Rocky Mountains through the Appalachians to New York City, from Southern Texas to the Everglades of Florida, from the oceans to the deserts of our amazing country. It would be a joy to meet people and learn about their lives and what brings them into our quaint little boutique. What a lovely dream!

Posted on by ChatterLei

Scotland or Hawaii

Daily writing prompt
If you won two free plane tickets, where would you go?
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If I won two free plane tickets, it would be a toss up between going to Scotland or Hawaii. Ever since our daughters traveled to Scotland and shared their stories and photos about their time in that land of castles, I have wanted to go.

I have always wanted to go to Hawaii, but have never had the opportunity. As a former professional photographer, I have always been drawn to those beautiful islands. They appear to be lands of beautiful photography opportunities. It would be great to experience Hawaii with my Canon in hand shooting every beautiful moment I could possibly capture.

The book of photos from there would be a beautiful treasure of memories to rest on the sofa table and share with family and friends. It is on my bucket list and hope to visit there before I am too old to enjoy it!

Posted on by ChatterLei

Hungry

What is one word that describes you?

I asked my husband this question about me. He said “Hungry.” He said I am hungry for knowledge and for experiences. He is so right!

In fact, here is an article I discovered  today. It is one that lists many accomplishments of our president at the time. These are not all well-known or all-inclusive of his accomplishments while in office. I may or may not agree with some or all of them. I do appreciate learning about them, however.

https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/fact-sheet-the-historic-results-president-donald-j-trumps-first-two-years-office

I am not trying to get all political or trigger anyone. Just sharing a discovery today.

Which one word describes you?

Posted on by ChatterLei

Definitely by Car

You’re going on a cross-country trip. Airplane, train, bus, car, or bike?

There is something about neatly packing the last needed clothing item in the already full suitcase, putting all of your strength and weight into closing it tight enough to zip all of those precious belongings inside, the night before leaving on a cross-country trip.

Waking up early in the morning on the day of the trip is so fun! The excitement in the air is palpable. A quick shower, clothes thrown on, and last-minute toiletries are added to the overnight bag. Loading everything into the trunk of the car is like winning a game of tetris before breakfast.

In the car, prayer prayed, ready to go!

“Hey, Google. Navigate me to Tampa, Florida.” Looks like it is over 2000 miles.

The country music is cranked, Yacht Rock Radio on XM is playing, or talk radio is keeping us company

We like to stop for meals at local restaurants to enjoy the flavors we can’t get just anywhere. Interesting “home-grown” types usually serve the food and have a story to tell about their lives or the locals there.

We have learned over the years that the destination is not the trip. Side trips are fun, rivers are beautiful, mountains are majestic, forests can be earie, freeways are fast, cityscapes are cool, and the ocean and warm sand on a sunny day is the BEST!

Ahhhhh… I can’t wait for our next car trip!

Posted on by ChatterLei

Thanks Dad!

Daily writing prompt
What is your all time favorite automobile?
View all responses

The one my dad surprised me with when I was seventeen!

It was a rainy fall day. I remember my parents leaving to go run an errand. When they returned, I was sitting in the living room. My parents walked through the door. My dad smiled at me and said go look in the driveway. With a curious look on my face, I walked over and looked out the kitchen window. Sitting in the driveway was the cutest maroon-colored Ford Mustang with a creamy white top. Not a convertible, but a darling car…especially for my first car.

I turned back to my dad with a look of shock. “Is that for me?!” He explained it was a car for me, but I would need to pay for half of it, pay the insurance, and buy my own gas for the car. I had a job, so that was not an issue.

“Go take it for a drive and let us know what you think.”

It was my senior year in high school. I had been driving my parents’ car for two years. I’m sure they were ready for me to get my own car so they did not need to share their car with me anymore. But, I never would have dreamed that they would help buy a car for me and surprise me with it! My parents did not have a lot of money. I grew up in the poorer part of town. We never seemed to lack what we needed, but we didn’t always get to have all of the fun “toys” several of my friends had. That is why this came as such a surprise to me.

The Mustang was a “four on the floor” standard transmission vehicle. It was the most fun car to drive. At age 17, it could not have been more fun! My friends loved it too. Plus, it was like a rabbit in the snow. When other cars were stuck in the snow in the winter, my car seemed to just climb and twist right out of any near mishap situations.

As an adult I have owned several fun cars to drive, but the one I will always love the most is that ’74 Ford Mustang II for all the feels it brings up and the memories.

My car was just like this, only dark maroon and no sunroof.
Posted on by ChatterLei

Both

Beach or mountains? Which do you prefer? Why?

My husband and I discussed this just last week.  We both agree that we like mountains and beach for different reasons.

At the beach near the ocean, the sound of the waves crashing on the shoreline is calming and peaceful in a way that causes deep reflection.

The mountains have a way of taking me back to early days of my youth. The smell of dust blowing in the breeze, kicked up into the air from our running around on the dirt roads or walking near the fire pit. The smell of wood and pine from the surrounding trees, as well as the sound of water from the rivers and streams, bring out a feeling of serenity and security. It feels like home. I feel deep gratitude in the mountains for the creation of this earth and the blessing and gift my life is from God. I feel closest to God in the mountains. It’s why I long to go camping in the mountains again, someday….

Posted on by ChatterLei

MFP

Who are your current most favorite people?

I try not to have favorites. But, if I do, they know who they are! LOL! 😉

All of our daughters think they are the favorite. All of our grandchildren think they are the favorite. Wisdom has taught us well.