Hearts Full of Thankfulness

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Pat

Cornucopia of Foods from Autumn Harvest – Microsoft Clipart

Here we are rounding out the end of the year beginning to celebrate major holidays in the US and many countries around the world.The Thanksgiving holiday is almost upon us.

It’s that time when we gather with family and friends for good food around the table, conversation and football games. But more importantly we gather to say ‘Thank you’.

It may be especially tough this Thanksgiving for many people – a test of love and faith.

Through the trials, I pray we’ll become tender and yet stronger. I pray we’ll take the time to appreciate the little things and the many people who cross our paths noticing the important roles they play in our lives.

For everything no matter how big or small, hard or easy – I am thankful! – Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuaC6h_4AB8&feature=related

Pat – from the ol’ kitchen table

Crafting My Story

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Pat

Who I Am

It’s autumn and an icy rain has just fallen.

You can see the breath of a 7-year-old girl huddled in the dark, cold streets of an East coast suburban neighborhood with an ice pick in her hands about to flatten some tires.

Her mother crazed with jealousy sent her on this mission in an attempt to falter an imaginary affair between her dad and a neighbor.

Fast forward to a warm, balmy day in a small, southern beach town where this girl and her grandmother reunite with grandfather, sister and cousins for their annual vacation.

Summer excursions with Grandmom, ghost stories and simple love and truths accepting her for who she is are the saving grace and essence of who she wants to become. This is where I find myself – this is where I am loved.

What I Do

There are many tales to tell that got me from that suburban street to where I now live in Colorado and it started with writing these stories and what I’ve learned to become. It gets more interesting, as daily life ebbs and flows. Days, months, years pass and intriguing family characters emerge as stories of my life unfold.

I write about the magic of love, forgiveness, despair, faith and the supernatural. I write to find understanding and wholeness in my life from what I see as a mixed-up world yearning to connect with one another and find meaning.

The more I tell these stories the more I realize how unique they are in the telling yet not unlike a similar story someone else would tell in trying to make sense of it all.

Why I Do What I Do

I want to connect with others, touch a place in their heart and help them feel loved. I want to help them find who they are by telling stories and give them hope as my grandmother did for me many years ago. Some of the stories may make you laugh when I tell of my “fruitcake moments”. Or they may be similar to yours in the telling of an imaginary friend, mother’s jealousy, 3 rabbits, rooster named Goldie or grandmother’s backyard connection to a funeral home to name several.

In the crafting of my story, I hope it gives a little insight on who I am and together in some small way maybe we can make the world a better place for having just lived to pass along our life’s tales.

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Is It A Sign Of The Times?

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Pat

It seems like everyone I talk to have some challenging life issues they’re facing. I’ve seen some of it in my life, as well, and not just a minor incident here or there. I know change is inevitable but this is crazy and within the last month – super hurricane, surgeries, sick pets – not to mention a presidential election, political unrest, poor economy and an embassy bombing! In biblical times, it was famines and plagues – today extremists may call it the “end of the world”.

No gloom and doom picture intended here – just fast-pace changes in the times we live. Have you noticed? Life and change have intersected and happening fast and furious – one event after another I’m hardly catching my breath.

If I step back and tune into the rhythm of my heart, I can sense a shift in energies, noting how the events in the world today have intensified. I marveled at the lunar eclipse and meteor showers this summer but similar phenomena have occurred down through history and appear only to enhance the mysteries and attempt to illuminate the shifts within.

How often have you heard someone say, “I hate change – I don’t deal with it very well?” Most of us would probably agree we would prefer status quo and not multiple, frequent changes, if you note the types of misfortunes we’ve seen lately. But, if you stop and reconsider, change in and of itself is normal, frequent, constant, and it would be far more painful if there were no change. Change is not typically something bad – change is good meaning there is life and freshness.

For example, inhabiting this ‘big ball’ we call earth, change is occurring every day when the sun rises and moves across the sky and sets. Change occurs with every tick of the clock – when the moment is gone it can’t be reclaimed.

First Snowfall Photo in Bailey by Pat Ruppel

In the Rocky Mountains, I saw a change in the seasons last month with our first snow.

And, if everything remained status quo, it would be impossible to digest the burrito I just ate.

The next time, when encountering a challenging change in between ‘putting out fires’ and taking a breath, please join me in the following:

1) Calmly assess and do what needs to be done to handle the immediate situation at hand.

2) Step back and look at the bigger picture – tune into feelings, emotions and align with positive possibilities and opportunities.

3) Focus on something for which to be thankful no matter how minor it may seem.

4) Don’t stop loving.

5) Don’t quit.

Do you have happy changes you’re experiencing? Or are you noticing challenging life changes in your life? What are you facing and how are you handling it? Will you share some positive tips on what you’re doing to work through them?

Pat – from the ol’ kitchen table – Please leave a comment or question. I’ll be grateful!

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~~~~~~~~~~

Election Day

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Pat

American Flag Photo – Microsoft Clipart

It’s Election Day for Americans. We’ve listened and watched as the candidates gave their spiel repeatedly on TV, radio commercials, through internet and newspaper reviews nonstop for the last 2 years.

By now, near sundown, I would venture to say most have cast their vote and maybe most 2 years ago already knew for whom they would vote.

Americans, we are a curious lot with our mixture of beliefs, passions, love of freedom and country. Though weary sometimes of the process, we wouldn’t trade anything for the right to vote and honor it as a privileged part of our heritage.

I remember the year I turned 21 and was eligible to vote for the first time. It was memorable to me because of our location and the time in history. Our country was still fighting the Viet Nam War and my husband and I, stationed in the Air Force, lived in a small town in Virginia. Instead of base housing, we rented an upper-story vacant, southern house surrounded by a network of corn and potato fields and miles of country roads.

It was a slower pace of living, far from the big cities and traffic lights. A mile from our house was an old-style country store along one of those back roads. It looked as if it had been an old farm-house at one time with wooden steps going up an old porch leading to a weathered screen door on the front. It was the local polling place.

My husband being in the military had already cast his absentee ballot and accompanied me up the steps to inquire about voting where there was an old man cutting a child’s hair. Yes, this is where I was to vote and I truly didn’t know what to expect. It’s a little difficult to paint this picture, as I felt as if I had been transported to an era 40 years prior.

We stepped inside surprised to see a lot of people. They were picking up a few groceries and voting at the same time. I got in line with the others to get my paper ballot, then moved on to find my spot at one of the few counters spread throughout the store, write in my vote and deposit it in a big box by the cash register. There was nothing fancy or commercial, just simple and warm exercising my God-given freedom.

No matter what party you’re affiliated with or what candidate you chose, I hope you voted today and maybe stopped for a moment to feel the love in your heart for this great country and the many people who have fought and are still fighting for it ~~ Thank you!

“American the Beautiful” – Ray Charles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOvA-Hn4_ZM

I Have Been Nominated For The Liebster Award

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Pat

Microsoft Clipart

I have been nominated for the Liebster Award and want to thank Wendy McCance for the nomination. Please check out her site at Searching for the Happiness where she writes about her life’s journeys. I love reading her take on handling the everyday highs and lows with a positive outlook.

(From sketchy information in a Google search on the Liebster Award, I believe it is a type of chain letter. Possibly originating in Germany in 2010 it was created to help showcase sites with a smaller following.)

For the award, Wendy gave me 11 questions and here are my answers. I hope you enjoy this post and have as much fun reading as I’ve had being a part of it. 🙂

1. What has been the most rewarding part of blogging for you?

I love sharing stories, connecting, listening to and exchanging nuggets of hope, words of wisdom and inspiration. I get so excited when a post materializes (it still amazes me in writing when it takes on a life of its own). I can’t wait to share especially when someone relates to a topic and comments. I enjoy hearing their perspectives – stories.

2. What have friends and family said about you having a blog?

My family has been surprised and happily nostalgic reading the recounting of my memories about our grandparents, parents and our children. It’s brought us closer together. Friends, co-workers and acquaintances that relate to a topic I think we’re getting to know each other better on a different level.

3. Has your blog helped you professionally or is your blog just for fun?

Yes, I’ve discovered that writing let alone reading is not so bad. As a kid, reading used to be my pet peeve. My dad was a “bookworm” and I thought life was just passing him by while he was reading what other people were doing instead of going out and doing something himself. Still today, to my regret, I haven’t read most classics. I’m a novice to writing but I love how it makes me feel when a story stirs inside crying to be told. I’m also learning to write e-books, social networking and the complexities of the internet.

4. How long have you been blogging?

5 years since 2007 but not exclusively (wrote sporadically while working in the corporate world) – just converted my site last summer from Blogger to WordPress.

5. What state or country do you live in?

Colorado (US) Rocky Mountains

6. What is your favorite hobby?

Flowers and plants – nature

7. What is your favorite type of food?

Seafood and Mexican food

8. Do you have a pet? If so, what type?

2 dogs (Riley an older guy 12-1/2 years old and Abby a new female puppy 6 months old) – both are mixed breeds. Riley is black lab/border collie and Abby is black lab/pointer.

9. What is your favorite book?

“Life of a Scotch Naturalist” – 100-year old book I inherited about my great-great grandfather Thomas Edward.

10. What is your favorite movie?

“It’s a Wonderful Life” – I set up the DVD player every Christmas eve after everyone has gone to bed and sit up and watch – just me and the Christmas tree. The family has gotten tired of seeing the movie every year. This old black-and-white 1947 movie is inspirational and magical to me – it doesn’t seem like much has changed in the struggles people had then and today except how people cared and helped each other. Gives me hope for the new year to come.

11. What is your favorite thing to do when you have free time?

This is so ironic (if you’ve read my earlier answer to question #3) – I like to read. Over the years, I’ve learned to really get into it – sort of escape. I also like to explore new places taking day trips or travel in general. I haven’t been able to do much of it but what I’ve done has been a ‘kick’.

Now, I’m supposed to choose 11 of my ‘dearest’ (German Google interpretation for Liebster) fellow bloggers I’ve enjoyed and want to showcase:

Elle Sommer – “Reflecting A Life” – http://reflectingalife.com
Denise Baer – “Skipping Stone Memories” – http://skippingstonememories.blogspot.com
Patricia Singleton – “Spiritual Journey of a Lightworker” – http://patriciasingleton.blogspot.com
Maureen Sullivan – “Magnificence” – http://magnificence.authorsxpress.com/
Patricia – “Patricia’s Wisdom – Helping Individuals Create Positive Life Change” – http://patriciaswisdom.com/
Barbara Swafford – “Blogging Without a Blog” – http://bloggingwithoutablog.com/
Brian – “Just Me” – http://wordsfrommymouth-personaddiction.blogspot.com/
Tom LaRotonda – “My Core Reflections” – http://blog.tomlarotonda.com/
Suzie Cheel – “Abundance Highway” – http://www.abundancehighway.com
‘Laura Quinn’ – “Surviving Myself” – http://survivingmyself.authorsxpress.com
Melody Fletcher – “Deliberate Blog” – http://deliberateblog.com

Thank you fellow bloggers for the warm, inspirational and informative posts you’ve written. I value your friendship, support and exchange of commentary in the reading of my articles.

And then, there are 11 questions I’m supposed to ask (perhaps a bit more philosophical than my questions – but I’m curious what your answers will be):

What part of the world do you live in?
What do you want to accomplish with your site?
If you could write only one story about your life knowing it would make a difference in the world, what would the title be and why?
Where do you hope to be professionally in 5 years and how do you think your site has gotten you there?
Is there something you’ve discovered about yourself in writing and creating this site and what is it?
If you had a ‘bucket list’, what would be at the top?
Name one thing you can talk about that will help me remember you?
When are you the happiest?
What is one of your most memorable experiences?
If I came to your site, what would you want to teach or share with me? And, how do you get me to come back?
If you had One wish, what would it be?

My One wish for you in this nomination is that it will open new doors for more people to find you, learn and connect until it circles the globe.

If life is a bit busy these days and time is limited – no worries. This particular award can be a lot of work. I’m happy you’ve stopped by to read and hope you’ve enjoyed it. It’s been an honor to nominate you. 🙂

If you’re able to take part, please link back to those who nominated you; likewise, please link to those you are nominating to let them know. If you have time, it might be fun to check out some of the other nominees’ sites on your list.

Thank you again Wendy for nominating me – I loved doing it. Congratulations to all the nominees! All the best to you. 🙂