About Pat

Here is a place where you can come to get a lift for the day, perhaps, a little insight to carry you through onto the next adventure of your life. A place where I’ll share a story, perhaps a thought and some reflections and we’ll meet somewhere in the middle. I like to think of it as a gathering around the kitchen table late at night when everything is still and the world has quieted down to rest. Occupation: Writer, blogger, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, daughter and one learning and sharing stories in my life. Location: Bailey, CO Introduction: 2007 Plain Talk and Ordinary Wisdom came out of Wisdom for the Ages, which was born in the corporate world where I gave workshops and facilitated talking-stick discussion groups. When my employer closed their site in 2002 and relocated back East, I took it outside corporate giving presentations as a speaker at Kiwanis, Mile High Sales Professionals, CWEE (Center for Work, Education and Employment) and Business Honoring Spirituality meetings. I also led weekly discussion groups at Morningstar Assisted Living Center. I am passionate about creating a safe environment where people can put aside their differences, share their experiences and wisdom without being right or wrong and benefit from truly listening to one another. It all started with inspiration from a quote from Ram Dass in his book, "Still Here": ….”when there is true surrender and service between people, the roles of helper and helped and the boundaries between those in power and those who are powerless begin to dissolve.”

Reblogged: Musical Tributes to Nelson “Madiba” Mandela

Posted on December 6, 2013 by Pat

Thank you, Dr. Rex, for posting this beautiful tribute to a special man. I pray he will always be remembered for the life he lived, what he stood for and how he accomplished it.

He showed us it is possible to forgive, not hate. He showed us we CAN live together in peace no matter the differences. He truly saw another way . . . he saw a rainbow.

May You Rest in Peace, “Madiba” — God Bless You!

~~~~ Continue reading →

Acknowledgements: Content reblogged from Dr. Horty Rexa more...

Baby, It’s Cold Outside!

Posted on December 5, 2013 by Pat

It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago, when we were up in the Rocky Mountain high country, just a short drive from where we live, taking pictures of the aspens in their transformation to Fall with the change of color in their leaves.

Here, it’s 3 months later and it’s snowing and we’ve gotten almost a foot of snow overnight with temperatures today barely reaching 10 degrees. Continue reading →

Oh Boy! Got More Awards for Which to Give Thanks and Share

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Pat

Words can’t express how truly thankful I am for the following 3 awards given to me by my Scotland friend, Shaun Gibson at “Praying for One Day”. We made an instant connection, when I noticed he lived there as my paternal grandparents were from Scotland. It’s a place that has always fascinated me and I’ve put it on my bucket list as one of the first places I want to visit. I had the chance to Skype with him and loved hearing that accent once more ― put me in tune with my roots.

Shaun lives with chronic Fibromyalgia pain which limits a lot of what he’s able to do, as a man of 40 with a young family. So, he posts on his site on a variety of topics from music, family, personal reflections, ghost stories, space and current events to politics. He researches and passes along what he finds and is pretty successful, I’d say, with 1000+ followers and 100,000+ views. You don’t have to agree with all of what he says, he just wants you to care, be open and be a part of the solution. No doubt, I’m sure you’re bound to find something that will keep you coming back to his site for more.

The 3 awards I’ve been blessed to receive from Shaun are “Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award” (yes, I know it’s a girly award from a guy ― that didn’t stop Shaun), “Semper Fidelis Award” and “Peace and Justice Award”. I’ve acknowledged each one below and followed the listed rules. I hope you will visit the fellow bloggers I’ve nominated for I have grown close to them and enjoy their stories and the messages in their writing. I know I keep choosing some of them for awards over and over only because I feel they are so worthy of recognition.

I know I’ll be posting the pictures of these awards again further on in my post, as I acknowledge them and choose my nominees. I thought they were especially nice and colorful so I just wanted to put them together here, first.

――――――――– Continue reading →

Let Grateful Days Be Endless

Posted on November 27, 2013 by Pat

Photo by rachel_titiriga Courtesy of PhotoDropper

All across our land, friends and family will be gathering to share love and . . . be thankful. It’s the day when we celebrate Thanksgiving in the U.S.

We travel far and wide to see family, go back home or visit old friends. It rekindles our spirit to reunite and break bread together remembering those no longer with us and celebrate what we’ve done. Continue reading →

Do You Remember? 50 Years Ago Today!

Posted on November 22, 2013 by Pat

1 – John F Kennedy White House Photo – Courtesy of en.wikipedia.org at Free Use Images on Google Search

Yes, I do, as if it were yesterday. I remember where I was and what I was doing, when I first heard the news about President Kennedy.

I remember hearing the tapping and then crackling of the PA system, as sound sputtered from the speaker on the wall, preparing for an announcement. I was in a History class, in a high-school band room, when the interruption made everyone stop, look up and listen. Continue reading →