Shortcuts

I really see the benefits of not taking shortcuts.  By this I mean, seeing things through; ‘short term pain for long term gain’; perseverance….. I am sure you get what I mean now. There really are long term gains in not rushing into things; taking the time to plan; examining situations; and taking baby steps.  I seem to meet more and more people nowadays who want instant gratification. They do not want to put in the time, energy or resources now for the future.  It seems there are fewer and fewer people waiting on things – enduring.  Shortcuts may look good at the time, but the benefits diminish and can come at a great cost. For years, my husband and I endured and stuck to what we believed to be right, and it really has paid off. We stuck it out through the valleys of our marriage; invested time in our children; developed friendships; managed debt/credit; saved money; are/were content with our first home; and pay/paid for holidays upfront and on and on.  Although all these things may seem boring, they have allowed us to have a comfortable life now. Ladies, please do not take shortcuts.  Work for the things you would like and spend time nurturing your soul and your relationships. Consciously take the necessary time and steps to line things up for a fulfilling future. Don’t just live for today, live for tomorrow too. Persevere.

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Homemade Jewelry Cleaner

Ladies, it is so easy to have your jewelry looking nice all the time. Just soak it in jewelry cleaner for a few minutes; scrub with a very soft toothbrush; rinse with cold water; and dry with a soft clothe. Jewelry looks so much nicer when it is clean .  Here is a recipe that I have been using for over 20 years. Use it on gold, silver and costume jewelry. I have been told not to put gemstones in homemade cleaner.  I make a new batch about once a year. Give this cleaner and try, I am sure you will like it.  Shine on. Linda

2 TBSP liquid dish soap

½ tsp ammonia

1 cup water

Mix and store.

Once a year, at Christmas time,  I take my wedding rings to the jewelers for a professional cleaning – it a free service.

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What You Hear and Say About Others

You know ladies, I have been thinking about my relationship with my mother. I am very happy for the gift of her life and the years that I had with her. I wanted to write about something that has been troubling my mind lately but could not seem to put it down eloquently.  I decided just to be transparent and share part of my journal entry June 15, 2010.

The more I think about mom and the more I have reviewed her personal things and her affairs, I realize that many negative things I thought about her were untrue. When I try to determine where these opinions/beliefs came from, I realize they were things that people in my family told me – going back to my childhood years.  I really wish my relationship with mom could have began on a clean slate. I am very saddened to now know that some of my notions about her originated by the untruths of others – wrong perceptions.  My relationship with her could have been far richer – for both of us.  I am going to try very hard to never influence someone’s opinion of another by my comments. I will strive to allow relationships to grow organically. I hope to never poison something that could otherwise be more beautiful.

Ladies, I hope you will contemplate my words and strive for the same. Please guard your mind with regards to what people are saying about others and don’t contribute negative things. Linda

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Garden Stones

(The main glass in this stone came from a few porcelain saucers that I picked up at the thrift store)

A couple years ago I made my first garden stone.  It really is fun and adds a nice touch to the garden. Recently, had a few friends over and we each made one while we caught up on each others lives. I hope  you give this a try.

Supplies

–          Mold/form – plastic container or a tin baking pan.  Shapes that are rectangular, heart, round will work well. It needs to be at least 2 ” deep.

–          A coloring page sheet (this is your template) It must fit into your form – unless you would prefer to work free hand

–          Clear plastic shelf liner

–          Mortar mix – mostly sand and no gravel (about 7.00 for 22 kg)

–          Broken Glass, stones, marbles, beads, broken tile, potter, china

–          Petroleum Jelly

Instructions –

Place clear sticky shelf liner over a coloring book page – sticky side up.  Tape both in place on a work surface, like a table. Lay colored glass on the sticky paper – using coloring pattern as your template. Remember, you are seeing the reverse of your stone – put the side you want to see facing down on the sticky paper.

When the design is complete then mix the mortar according the package directions. The consistence should be like mayonnaise. Apply a layer of petroleum jelly inside the form.  If you do not do this, you will not get your stone out.  Pour the mortar into the form – about 1 ½ inches. (The larger the form – the thicker the mortar). Place sticky shelf liner with glass attached down on the mortar.  The sticky paper will release with time.

Before moving, let set for 24 hours – otherwise you may crack your stone. After 24 hours you can wash the glass with water and a tooth brush to remove the slurry.  Let sit about 36 hours before removing from the form and about 2 weeks before putting in the ground. After a week wash the whole thing down with dish soap and water.

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Hula Hooping

Ladies, have you tried to hula hoop lately? If you are like I was awhile ago, you may not have used one since you were a child.  A friend of mine once told me that her 65 year old cousin  still maintained a nice figure by  hula hooping  daily. I thought ‘I am going to try that’. So off I went to the toy store and purchased a child size hoop.  It took about a week for me to get the rhythm and keep the hoop up for longer than a few seconds. I now have larger weighted hoop that was given to me at a garage sale. I use both sizes regularly. I put one foot in front of the other; hold the hoop against my back; push the hoop; and shift my weight back and forth to keep it up and moving. Smaller hoops make the hoop rotate faster and larger ones make it rotate slower.  Hooping improves balance, tightens the belly and reduces the waist. Overall, I find hooping quite fun. It is very easy and convenient. I usually use the hula hoop before and after a workout for a few minutes – primarily to tone my mid section. Once, I had a few friends over and I had a hoop for everyone. My husband said he could hear the laughter down the street and wondered what the heck was going on. Why not give it a try. I think you will like it. Have a nice day. Linda

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