The Greatest Discovery

The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.

~William James

J

Happiness is an Attitude

Happiness is an attitude.  We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong.  The amount of work is the same

~Francesca Reigler

J

Paint Job

I am smiling a lot right now.  For the last week, I have been painting my kitchen.  It has needed an update for a long time and now, it’s gorgeous!

It’s amazing what a little paint can do to transform a room – it’s warm and cozy now, fresh and crisp.  It was a lot of work and I’m pooped, but it was well worth the time and the effort.

I am sure you will want proof – with pictures - and I can understand that, but I haven’t taken any yet, so for now you can smile with me knowing it’s wonderful and maybe I can post some pictures soon!

J

Warm Robe

Last winter, while I was freezing in my summer robe, I decided to buy some fabric and make myself a warm robe.  All summer I looked at that fabric and just thought, “That’s my new warm robe for the winter.”

Then December came and I was once again freezing in my summer robe.  Time to get to work!  

Finally!

It only took me a few days and now I am warm, really warm in my lovely, long, dark blue robe!

When I’m warm, I smile!

J

Volunteer

noun – a person who performs a service willingly and without pay

verb – to offer oneself for some service or undertaking

Something that always makes me smile is volunteering.  There are so many options available – you can find almost anything from helping kids learn how to read to delivering meals or books to the elderly and shut-ins. 

If you are looking for something to do or someone to help, consider volunteering your time and expertise to help others.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said,

            “We are prone to judge success by the index of our salaries or the size of our automobiles, rather than by the quality of our service relationship to humanity.”

J

Smile - a lot.

Smile - a lot.  It just might save your life - pretty great article from USA Weekend Magazine.

http://www.usaweekend.com/article/20111223/HEALTH01/312230004/Smile-lot-just-might-save-your-life-?odyssey=tab|topnews|img|Frontpage

J

Quote

No man remains quite what he was when he recognizes himself." 


       -- Thomas Mann

J

New Quilts

I recently finished a couple of new quilts.  

I love the colors and textures and every time I see them in the living room, they make me smile!

J

Coming Home

When you move to a new place, it takes a few returns to that new house to make it feel like home.  When we came home from our Thanksgiving trip to Oregon and Washington, there was a view I was waiting for.  It always says, “Welcome home!” to me.

I was born to live in the Bay Area – I said I would “never” live in California – especially the Bay Area – ha ha – never say never.  




The fact that I said that and for a time lived by that statement still makes me smile today.

Here’s the view that welcomes me to my lovely home where I truly am at home!

J

Knit One Purl Two

During the last term in my quilting group I had one of the ladies teach me how to knit.  Well, to at least get me started.  I started a newborn cap – it seemed pretty easy and I got the hang of it that night.  Then I went home…

It always happens when you are trying to learn something new, it is only awesome while someone who really knows what they are doing is right there and available to help.  Enter:  YouTube.  I found a great video on YouTube which taught me how to cast on stitches again – I ended up trying again at least four times.  I’ve got the hang of it now – at least until we are back in class again and she shows me how to finish the cap.

While we were on our Thanksgiving trip I discovered that my sister-in-law is also learning how to knit.  My daughter was also learning where she was for Thanksgiving.  While I was working on my little cap in the bowling alley one day, a lady came up and encouraged me to keep at it.  My sister, who knits socks, encouraged me too.  Today, while I was looking at some knitting needles at the thrift store, a gal came up and told me she was learning how to knit and wanted to know if I could give her any pointers – ha ha….I told her about YouTube. 

I am finding out that there are a lot of new knitters out there.  I am also finding out that the knitters who know their way around a knit and a purl are pretty nice people, encouraging us to keep at it – that makes me smile!

J

Those “Great” Kids

I have fifteen great nieces and nephews.  I haven’t met them all yet, but they are pretty special to me.  Some of them are young adults and some are teens and some are little children and a couple are babies.  We have a pretty big family and it was spread out, so the “greats” have come along for awhile.

They make me smile – all of them, even the ones I haven’t met yet because they are really great kids.  They have some pretty great personalities and I love looking at pictures of them – thanks to Facebook!

The thing that really makes me smile though is how much they make my siblings (the grandparents) smile.  There is something pretty special about seeing my sisters and brothers come alive when interacting with their grandkids. 

J

Some Mondays

Some Mondays you just need a little something extra, something to get you back into that work week, back into the stuff you have to do.  How do you get back into it?  How do you push through?  You have to take on a certain attitude of invincibility, an attitude of attack and don’t look back.

Whenever I am having one of those days – whether it’s Monday or not – I look at this picture.  It makes me smile, it says it all, "Here, take that Monday!"

J

(Thank you my dear, sweet, invincible great nephew, Anton)

The Wise

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet.  


~James Openheim

J

Adjust Your Sails

"I can't change the direction of the wind, 
but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination."
Jimmy Dean

J

Feeding the Whole Neighborhood

We have a fig tree in our backyard – it’s a pretty good sized tree and it always gives us lots of figs each year.  My husband loves figs, I can pretty much take them or leave them, but it’s a really great tree to watch.

The buds come out very small in the spring, but you can almost see them grow.  Fig leaves are huge – it’s easy to understand why Adam and Eve sewed clothes out of fig leaves. J

But the fig tree is also a great gathering place for animals and birds.  A few weeks ago, I heard something in the tree during the night.  I looked out the window with a flashlight and there were two masked bandits stealing our figs – raccoons!  There are always squirrels in the tree looking for a free meal, we like to open the window and growl at them, they jump straight up into the pine tree – that’s a hoot! 

Today we had a deer eating fig leaves and figs under the tree – it’s a wonder he didn’t get his antlers stuck in the branches. 

J

More about Mac

Okay, one more (at least) about McMinnville, Oregon!  The downtown is a great place to hang out.  McMenamins is right downtown along with Wildwood Café and some of the other great places we love to go to when we are visiting….here are a few of the other “musts” when we are in town:

First – Cornerstone Coffee Roasters – really good coffee, better marionberry scones!  The atmosphere is homey and warm.  Lots of tables and they do soups and sandwiches too.

Second – Boersma’s – Quilt and Knit shop – it’s a huge store, upstairs, downstairs, main floor and the yarn shop is across the street next to Wildwood Café.  I lived there 16 years and took up quilting after I left – boo hoo!

Third – The Sage – great little spot for soup and homemade bread.  Their broccoli cheese soup is the best!  Their pies and cobblers are great too.  I used to meet my mother-in-law there for lunch when I worked at Linfied College.

Fourth – The Red Berry – wow – a great “little” shop with so many cool things, I can’t list them all.  They started out as a small little place on 3^rd Street then moved to a different location – we were very happy they were back downtown with a large shop below The Sage.

Fifth – Oregon Stationers – such a great store, so many things from office supplies to chocolate.  I have to go in there to get my fix of Twila’s English Toffee.  Yep – that package didn’t even make it home!

Well, if you have time, you might want to look around Found Objects and get an ice cream cone at Serendipity, or go shopping at Harvest Fresh.  Ah yes, so many great places – not enough time!

http://www.downtownmcminnville.com/

No, I do not work for the McMinnville Chamber of Commerce, or the McMinnville Downtown Association – I have been accused of it before. McMinnville just makes me smile!

J

Wildwood Café

Another smile from McMinnville, Oregon today.  I lived in McMinnville for 16 years – and I went to a lot of these great places.  Now when I visit, I feel like a tourist who has to hit all the high spots!

Wildwood Café is one of those places for me.  It’s a small café with homemade bread and jam.  The food is delicious and the coffee is the real deal.  I always order “Katie’s Calamity,” a glorious combination of eggs, avocado, cheese and salsa.  It comes with home hash browns and homemade toast.  I also get an order of “Wildwood Toast,” which is French toast with a granola topping – incredible.  I’ve tried to make it here at home and I’ve come close, but when I’m in town I have to eat some of that!

The décor is eclectic and old fashioned.  When you look up you see a bunch of egg beaters and potato mashers hanging from the ceiling.  The staff has changed over the years, but they seemed friendly and on top of things.

If you ever happen into McMinnville, stop by and try Wildwood Café.  You may find a line up waiting outside to get in - grab a paper or start a conversation with those waiting with you.  “Mac” is a very friendly town!

J

McMenamins

One of my favorite places in McMinnville, Oregon, another stop during our Thanksgiving trip, is McMenamins.  This is one of many historical buildings purchased and refurbished by the McMenamin Family.

We stayed at McMenamin’s Hotel Oregon in McMinnville; we’ve also been to the pub in Salem, the Thompson Brewery & Public House.  Both are great and have different features.

Hotel Oregon has a great restaurant, roof-top bar, pool table, and rooms that take you back to a different time.  There are no televisions in the rooms and they are decorated with antiques and just have that “old-time” feel about them. 

If you ever find yourself in McMinnville, Oregon – stop in, have a beer or better yet, stay a night!

http://www.mcmenamins.com

J

Happy Deer

This morning while preparing and cleaning up after breakfast, I looked out the window to see a small deer sashaying down the street – right down the middle of the street! 

He was obviously happy, his feet barely touched the ground, his ears were up and he was looking at all the houses and lawns. 

He was just out for a morning jaunt, but his happy jaunt was my smile for today!

J

Rocks from Mars

On our travels for Thanksgiving, we were able to see a lot of family.  Family makes me smile.  At one of our stops we learned a lot – about Norway, where Ken’s sister and her husband will be living for six months, about rocks from Mars, which Ken’s brother-in-law works with as part of his job, about names and remembering them, about South Africa where our niece spent a semester abroad, etc. 

It’s amazing when you visit someone who you don’t see often, they have so many things to teach you about what they are doing and what’s important to them. 

While we were there we got to hold a rock from Mars in our hands.  It was sliced and polished and placed between two pieces of glass so it could be easily examined with a microscope. 

Things like that take a while to sink in….I was holding a rock from another planet in my hand. 

It’s exciting to talk to family and friends and learn new things – it opened my perspective and gave me something to smile about!

J

A Winey Smile

I saw the following on a license plate frame this week, thinking about it always makes me smile!


"Life is a Cabernet"

J

What Are The Chances?

So, I’ve been doing some traveling – funny things happen when you travel.  When we arrived in Tulsa, Oklahoma, we took the shuttle to the Embassy Suites.  We were escorted by a really nice driver who told us all about the great chef on premises and to be sure to ask for an omelet in the morning. 

When we went inside to check in, the gal at the desk said, “Oh, it’s you, wait right here, someone is waiting for you!”  Then she went to the back door and called out, “She’s here!”

Then, there she was, Joy Vai (pronounced “vie”).  She rushed right out and called my name, “Are you Joy Vail?”  Ha ha.  We sort of have the same names – she wanted to take pictures to remember the moment, thankfully, Jen was there with her camera!

Joy is the Front Office Concierge Lead at Renaissance Tulsa Hotel and Convention Center and the Assistant Front Office Manager at Embassy Suites Tulsa.  What are the chances that someone named Joy Vail would make reservations at a hotel in Tulsa and meet someone like Joy Vai?  Not sure what the chances are, but she really made me smile!

J