Saturday, January 23, 2021

Cats and Words Of Wisdom


Listening to music that motivates us, using positive affirmations, reading motivational books and listening to podcasts can all make us want to jump right back up again.


When you change the quality of your thinking, you change the quality of your life, sometimes instantly. Just as positive words can make someone smile or a well-timed humorous quote can make someone laugh, our thoughts react to the world in real-time.



You have complete control over only one thing in the universe — your thinking – and that’s where motivational quotes come in!


You can decide what you are going to think in any given situation. Your thoughts and feelings determine your actions and determine the results you get. It all starts with your thoughts – and I have found that inspirational words are a quick way to retune your thinking.


Try keeping a few uplifting excerpts or positive proclamations on hand. If you ever notice your energy or your spirit begin to drop, simply recite an inspirational and uplifting quote to quickly boost your mood.


When you replace ‘lose’ with ‘learn’ in your vocabulary, the thought of failure becomes less daunting and lets you focus on growth



“People Who Are Crazy Enough To Think They Can Change The World, Are The Ones Who Do.” – Rob Siltanen



“Failure Will Never Overtake Me If My Determination To Succeed Is Strong Enough.” – Og Mandino


“We May Encounter Many Defeats But We Must Not Be Defeated.” – Maya Angelou



“Knowing Is Not Enough; We Must Apply. Wishing Is Not Enough; We Must Do.” – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe



“We Generate Fears While We Sit. We Overcome Them By Action.” – Dr. Henry Link


www.briantracy.com

 

Friday, January 22, 2021

Growing older gracefully. - “And the beauty of a woman, with passing years only grows!” ― Audrey Hepburn






 




Virna Lisi 


1965


Virna Lisi 2007



Lana Turner



Sofia Loren1954


Sofia Loren 1958








Sophia Loren in June 2009 at 77 yrs


Raquel Welch 1970




Raquel Welch 77 yrs


 

Funny Story. Student too smart for first grade.

 





MUSHROOM STUFFED POTATO CAKES

 

Makes – 8-10 cakes

Ingredients

1 kg potatoes, peeled and diced
3/4 cup gluten-free plain flour. Regular plain flour will also work
Salt & pepper to taste

For the mushroom filling

250g mushrooms, finely diced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
15g dill, roughly chopped
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste
Pinch of chilli flakes
More oil for frying

Method

Add the diced potatoes to a large pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and leave to simmer until cooked through (20-30 minutes). Drain, mash and season well with salt and pepper. Leave to cool while you make the filling.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan and sauté the onions for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, mushrooms, lemon juice, chilli flakes and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the mushrooms and soft and most of the liquid has evaporated. Take off the heat and fold in the chopped dill.
Mix the flour into the mashed potatoes and start shaping. Take a couple of tablespoons of the dough and flatten them out into flat patties. Add about a tablespoon of the mushroom mixture in the middle, then top with more of the potato mixture and shape into round potato cakes.
Heat some oil in a frying pan on high. Once the oil is hot, add the potato cakes and cook on each side for about 2 minutes or until golden brown.
Enjoy!

nadiashealthykitchen.com


Thursday, January 21, 2021

A NYC Taxi driver wrote:


I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I honked again. Since this was going to be my last ride of my shift I thought about just driving away, but inst

ead I put the car in park and walked up to the door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.

There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard
box filled with photos and glassware.

'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her.. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.'

'Oh, you're such a good boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive
through downtown?'

'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly..

'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice.

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice..'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired.Let's go now'.
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.

Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move.
They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

'How much do I owe you?' She asked, reaching into her purse.

'Nothing,' I said

'You have to make a living,' she answered.

'There are other passengers,' I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug.She held onto me tightly.

'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.'

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut.It was the sound of the closing of a life..

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day,I could hardly talk.What if that woman had gotten an angry driver,or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.

But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.....Wishing you all a wonderful weekend...

Vintage lace and ribbon embroidery
















 




THE SERENITY PRAYER

GOD GRANT ME THE SERENITY
TO ACCEPT THE THINGS I CANNOT CHANGE;
COURAGE TO CHANGE THE THINGS I CAN;
AND WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.

LIVING ONE DAY AT A TIME;
ENJOYING ONE MOMENT AT A TIME;
ACCEPTING HARDSHIPS AS THE PATHWAY TO PEACE;
TAKING, AS HE DID, THIS SINFUL WORLD
AS IT IS, NOT AS I WOULD HAVE IT;
TRUSTING THAT HE WILL MAKE ALL THINGS RIGHT
IF I SURRENDER TO HIS WILL;
THAT I MAY BE REASONABLY HAPPY IN THIS LIFE
AND SUPREMELY HAPPY WITH HIM
FOREVER IN THE NEXT.
AMEN.

--REINHOLD NIEBUHR