Are We Born To Fulfill A Destiny? Readers Comments in Post-

Readers/Bloggers comments are posted after the main post with a link to their blogs~

This group of Tuesday's Question Participates had some interesting opinions about whether we're born to fulfill a destiny. What do you think?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Hello, and welcome to the 38th Tuesday's Question posted on A Nice Place In The Sun. All participates answers will be posted today in this very post along with a link to their site, but you don't have to own a blog to participate. All you have to do is write your answer in comments and I will do the rest~

All participates are welcome to a Tuesday's Question Brag Badge posted with a code in the sidebar. The Brag Badge gives you the opportunity to bring your visitors to archived Tuesday's Questions where you can show off your ingenuity in past comments

Whether you are participating or reading I thank you for stopping by for a visit. Answers will be posted as quickly as possible throughout the day with a link to the bloggers who commented, therefore, don't forget to visit the participating bloggers blogs. Chances are if you liked their comments you will like their blogs. Have Fun, and remember Tuesday's Question is a weekly post of original questions, well, questions off the top of my head anyway. ~
My answer: When I was in the first grade I remember staring at the word author in a book we were reading. I don't know how to explain how I knew, but I knew I would write books or be a writer some day.

I remember it like it was yesterday, because I didn't want to write books; I wanted to be a veterinarian.


I've heard others say the same thing about their professions. An old friend of mine used to say she knew she would be a doctor. We've known each other since childhood, and all she did was talk about becoming a physician, the opposite of me, who avoided a scholarship to study English Literature at L.S.U.

Anyway over the years, my friend and I took many twists and turns that were taking us down an altogether different highway. I never dreamed that she would make it through medical school, or that I would live to write about anything. But she did become a doctor and I continued to turn down the wrong roads for awhile, until something miraculous happened- I grew up- and turned down the highway that brought me back to my passion- writing.

I took many chances and made some major mistakes that kept me away from writing for a long time. Although, I always wrote something down on paper, I didn't understand that what I was doing meant something deeper. And I didn't appreciate the gift I'd been given or what it meant... I had short stories, magazine articles, poems etc, stashed away in dusty piles in my mother antic-

In closing, I believe we are born with a destiny and as time marches on we either bump into it by accident, friendship, or opportunity.

It is up to us to keep our eyes open for the signs that help us make the right choices. Because fulfilling a destiny is what many call the road less traveled- if you're following the road your authentic self should be traveling, it will be a challenging, if not rewarding experience. However, if it's easy and comfortable, something is wrong with the road you're on - and you need to turn around~

Now, it's your turn: Is it determined before we are born what we will contribute to the world, or is it left up to chance?

My first comment is from my dear friend Dawn at Twisted Sister


"I don't know how to explain how I knew, but I knew I would write books or be a writer some day."

These kind of statements have always fascinated me because I have never felt that in my life. I often wonder why some people know what their calling is while others of us have no clue.
I missed the boat on this one Ann! If I'm here to fulfill some kind of destiny then I wish someone would let me in on the secret :D
I think this is one of your best questions so far... I only wish I could have answered it!

June 24, 2008 4:49 PM

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next, another great friend Ferd from The Best Parts
gave a very well-written and articulate response:

I don't believe there is a pre planned destiny. But I know that each of us is blessed with a set of skills and talents, and cursed with a set of character defects. None of us are perfect. And then there are the factors of the family and socioeconomic conditions into which we are born, providing us with nurturing and opportunities or lack thereof. What we do with our lives comes out of all this.

As we develop as people, and come into our own, we do stuff. This stuff we do affects other people, in good ways and in bad. We do have a lot of choice in that matter. The facts and consequences of these actions become our "destiny."

I do hope that wasn't just a bunch of BS. I read it over and it sounds a little weird. I almost deleted it, but here goes.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Then, Dawn remembered that she did look for her destiny once:

Ann,
I often thought I must have hidden talents and I just need to find them... but I didn't have a map!
You're not the only one who wasn't born to perform brain surgery.LOL!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Then, my other dear friend Sandee at Comedy Plus gave us her opinion and another well-written perspective:

I think I was destined to have each different position that I had through the years and would grow to the end of that and realize that there was more that I could or needed to do.

When I was a waitress I thought that was the best job ever. Then I ran cocktails and that was even better. Then I was a bartender and I thought that would be my last job. Of course it wasn't, but you get the idea.

The last 25 of my working years I was truly doing what I was meant to do. So yes, I do think destiny plays a part in what you end up doing. There are many jobs, but when you find what you love destiny has shined on you. :)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My next comment came in on Wednesday from Maunie at Spring Wonderful Spring


Ann, honey, I still don't have a clue...In girl scouts we had to write letters to various people for different reasons..my letters were always chosen but my penmanship was so bad someone else would have to copy it over for me...my leaders said I would be a great comedy writer some day...
yeah sure..
anyway I too have tried many different things but still haven't found what I'm looking for...I think I was made to work with children in some capacity but what do I know...as usual I am rambling..I hate that about me..hope this gives you some insight...laughing...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, Maunie, you haven't just given me insight, you given me laughter~ Thank you~

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Special thanks to all of you for letting me get to know you a little better each week~ In some special way, I truly care about each of you, and thank you for sharing a piece of who you are individually with me each week~

Cheers and see you next week, if not, before...wait a minute...I don't suppose I will see you...anyway you know what I mean~ Cheers, until we meet again~ Bye~ Annie

Anyone else who would like to still comment I will be happy to post your answers, and share some link love- Also if you answered a comment you are eligible for a Tuesday's Question brag badge displayed in my sidebar.

Saturday's Favorite Movie Moment: Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

This Saturday's favorite movie moment is my favorite scene from the film adaptation of Tennessee Williams Pulitzer prize winning play by the same name Cat On A Hot Tin Roof.


The film stars Elizabeth Taylor as (Maggie "The Cat") and Paul Newman as (Brick Pollitt,) whose marriage is falling apart, although, as long as Maggie has anything to do with it, their marriage will appear just fine to the rest of the world, including family. The play centers around Maggie and Brick's visit to his families home in Mississippi to attend the birthday party of Brick's father "Big Daddy." (Burl Ives)


Tennessee Williams felt some parts of Bricks character and a High School friend's suicide bowdlerized or toned down the adaptation of the play, however, I enjoyed the film version and the written play. Brick Pollitt is an extremely complicated character, therefore both the play and the film adaptation are engrossing work.

This scene in the film depicts Maggie's unconditional love for Brick, and although Brick is conflicted, and angry, he does love Maggie as well- The movie and screenplay are made the way movies used to be filmed: that is, this finely tuned cast's acting is understated, yet passionate; and they perfectly time the melodramatic flare-ups common in a Southern household -

To wrap up my professional review (which gets three scoops of peanut butter fudge swirl: the highest rating) I listed some of my favorite dialogue...

The dialogue begins with Maggie, which is also in the clip:

Maggie:

Maggie: You know what I feel like?



I feel all the time like a cat
on a hot tin roof.



Brick: Then jump off the roof, Maggie.



Cats jump off roofs and land uninjured.
Do it. Jump.



Maggie: Jump where?



Into what?



Brick: Take a lover.



Maggie: I don't deserve that!



I can't see any man but you.



Even with my eyes closed, I just see you.



Why can't you get ugly, Brick?



Why can't you get fat or ugly or something,
so I can stand it?



Brick: You'll make out fine.
Your kind always does.



Maggie:I'm more determined than you think.



I'll win all right.



Brick: Win what?



What is the victory
of a cat on a hot tin roof?



Maggie:

Just staying on it, I guess...



...as long as she can.




Thank you Drew's Script-o-Rama for excerpt of Dialoque, and Wilkipedia for information about the play and movie. Link is in post

I hope you enjoyed this Saturday's Favorite Movie Moment, and that you're having a fantastic week-end.~

What Activity Was The Most Difficult For You to Learn In Childhood

I have Seven Readers comments with links to their sites: Scroll down and click on "Read more"



Hello, and welcome to my weekly feature entitled Tuesday's Question. Again, I apologize for posting the question this late in the day. I'm wrestling with some computer problems (that calf) that I hope to tie up soon. That is, when I understand what in the world in going on. I write a post and it disappears-forever- I've also had a few e-mails disappear- Although, my adviser assures me that it's probably the calf shutting something off again- therefore, we have nothing to worry about. Because once we diagnose the problem it will be up hill from there, and we can put this problem out to pasture.

Now finally, with that out of the way and most of the day behind us, let's answer Tuesday's Question. I will have my comments unmoderated and I will post your comments with a link to your blog throughout this evening and tomorrow.

Thanks to all of you for having the patience of a Saint~


What Activity Was The Most Difficult for you to Learn In Childhood?

An example, and my answer: Learning how to Jump Rope

Before entering the second grade, I remembered begging God to help me learn three things before I finished the school year. I wanted to learn to ride a bicycle, swim, and jump rope. These three tasks seemed impossible to master and I never thought I would learn them, plus other children made it worse. Particularly the kids who were proficient at playing reindeer games- My inability to master these goals made me ashamed around other kids at school and at home...



One time, I told a bully at school, Gracie Buckethead (I change names to protect the innocent) that I did know how to jump rope, and she said,

"Well Ann, if you do know how to jump rope then you shouldn't have a problem jumping rope with us at recess tomorrow, right? "

To which I replied, "That's right."

Then Buckethead added, "And if you can't jump rope, then you will agree to eat dirt?"

"Of course," I said, " Now, would I agree to do that if I couldn't actually jump rope? I don't think so..." I said, trying to steady my shaking hand on my hip.



Consequently, I had a really bad stomach ache that evening and couldn't go to school the next day- although I did eat dirt the next day. And to my surprise, this saga had a happy ending- one of the little boys who saw me eating dirt, (well, everyone did) gave me his ID Bracelet. (That meant we were going together)

Hence, that action put a dent in Miss Buckethead's plan, because everyone forgot about the dirt and ran over to see my ID bracelet. The boy who gave me the bracelet was my first Boyfriend Dexter, the boy many of you have heard me write about before- he was so cool~

However, he wanted his bracelet back the next day, because his Dad gave it to him for his birthday. He was just trying to help a friend out of a jam.

Now, it's your turn~

What Activity Was The Most Difficult for you to Learn In Childhood?

My first comment was from my dear friend and dedicated Tuesday's Question Pro, Sandee from Comedy Plus.

"I was raised on a farm and being the oldest everything was difficult to learn as a kid. Bucking hay was a challenge. Building a loafing shed was a challenge. Learning my multiplication tables was a challenge. I learned everything the hard way. Why? I just don't know. My father just expected me to be born a boy and that just didn't happen. In fact it was the third and last child that was a boy and that was some nine years after me.

So, everything was difficult. I hated growing up on a farm until I was much older and then I realized that all the really hard things I'd already done. It made my adult life so much easier. In other words...I was very fortunate to be raised on a farm. Have a great day all. Big hug and lotsa lovies Ann. :)"

June 17, 2008 4:46 PM

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And the next comment is from another dear, dear friend, and supporter of Tuesday's Question, Dawn, from Twisted Sister

"Well I guess I would have to say swimming... my fear of water has been a big problem all my life. I was still in the kiddie pool while my friends were in the big kids pool!
Good question Ann!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My next comment is from Arv, at ...on the Wall

Hello Ann,

nice post. For me it was swimming but then we didnt have many swimming pools around back then :)

Have a nice day... Cheers...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Next is my good friend Maunie at Mauniejames3 and Spring Wonderful spring

Hello Ann,
Hmm the hardest thing for me was to keep quiet while the teacher was speaking...it's still hard for me today.
My Dad and I lived with a aunt for a couple of years while my father was building a new house (my Mom and sister were living in another city)
So, my Aunt helped me read when I was quite young, and no one showed me how to be patient.
I was the center of attention with two aunts and an uncle and my father doting on me all the time..
(the poor child needs her mother)
Not so much..
I still have a problem and I am trying to correct it..I always feel whatever someone eles is speaking about, my take on it is much more important..there I said it..I should wear duct tape on my mouth.
How on earth can I learn to just be quiet while others are speaking.
It's so funny...I remembwer almost day to day occurances while I lived there...yet most of the rest of my childhood is a blur...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My next comment is from Ferdc from Crazy Medical Cases, a Crazy well written and entertaining Medblog full of interesting medical cases. Ferd is also the author of The Best Parts
Both blogs are great reads~


I think the hardest thing for me was simply learning how to fit in. We moved from Mexico to the USA, then back to Mexico, then back to the USA when I was in grade school. There was a lot of culture shock, language barriers, cliques, girls, you name it. A lot to get used to and I remember it as stressful.
Much later in life I learned through my MBTI that I am an introvert, and that explained a lot.
I eventually got along alright. And I now know that a lot of people have that same feeling of not fitting in. So I don't really feel bad about it, I just remember it was hard at the time.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another great comment from Confused at Black Tie and Sneakers who had to get a little help from Mom~ Thanks Mom

this was long ago so I had to ask my dear mother bless her soul..apparently it was behaving..:))

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My next comment is from Chelle at It Might Be Love who had the same fears I did:

For me it was learning to ride a bike and swim. Where I lived we had no good places for riding a bike (it was all hilly!) and I was afraid of falling & getting hurt (this was before bike helments were popular)

Swimming was hard for me too since we didn't have a pool or know anyone who did so I didn't go swimming enough to learn. Finally in high school they made us all swim and while I hated every second of it I finally got the hang of it.

Great question - hope you get your computer problems resolved soon!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't forget to check out these bloggers sites, they're hilarious, and you'll find yourself going back again and again for more laughter.

Thanks for reading, and don't forget I will be posting comments, along with a link back to your blog, or simply posting your comment if you're not a blogger all day Wednesday as well- since we got such a late start yesterday~

Happy Father's Day Atticus Finch / Saturday's Favorite Movie Moment

Since this is fathers day week-end I decided to post the film To Kill A Mockingbird, directed by Robert Mulligan, and starring Gregory Peck for this Saturday's Favorite Movie Moment. The movie classic is based on the best selling Pulitzer prize winning novel To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee.

Harper Lee manages to create some of the most memorable characters I've ever read in print or witnessed on the screen. To Kill A Mockingbird, her only novel, won the Pulitzer Prize and the film adaptation won an Academy Award in 1962.

I've met many people who either wished they had a Dad like Atticus Finch or said he reminded them of their own fathers. Therefore, I thought it would be an appropriate choice for this week-end.



Happy Fathers day dads, and be careful with those barbecue pits tomorrow, that is, if you're doing your own cooking.

And if you've never read to Kill A Mockingbird, read it, because they say it is one of the books you should definitely read within your lifetime. You could cheat and watch the movie which is also fantastic, but I think you'll regret it if you don't read the book first.

So read the book, then rent the movie, and come back and tell me what you thought about it. Although, I know most of you have read it, so enjoy this clip and have a fun day.

If you haven't seen the film, it's a movie the whole family will enjoy, and like all books it will withstand the test of time. Because it presents many issues we are still dealing with today, for example, racial inequality, single parenting, and every parents struggle to protect their children's innocence.

I will post again tomorrow, but I still want to tell all of the Dad's out there to begin having a Happy Fathers Day this instant.

Someone To Watch Over Me

I'm having one of those melancholy days. The kind of day when it feels as if your heart and soul are a million miles away. I hope he hears my song.

And I wish the rest of you a fantastic evening...

Oh yes, I almost forgot- this is a Gershwin Tune sung by Jean louisa Kelly on the David Letterman Show.

What Is The Weirdest Situation You've Ever Been In / Or Strangest Place You've Ever Visited?

What is the weirdest situation you've ever been in or strangest place you've ever visited?

I have Four bloggers comments posted:


Hello, and welcome to another Tuesday's Question, although I know it's Wednesday- I apologize for yesterdays inconvenience, and I hope you're back today. I usually work on my novel in the morning, and post Tuesday's Question later, that is, after I've racked my brain a few hours. Although, since I missed yesterday, (due to the calf) I'm writing on my blog in the morning, and you know I feel a little out of sorts, but it's a nice feeling of displacement, like I've just rearranged the furniture or something.

Which brings me to the topic of this Tuesday's Question, which is, What Is The Weirdest Situation You've Ever Been In Or Strangest Place You've Ever Visited?

Because the question suggests feeling out of sorts. Although it's the kind of "out of sorts" or unfamiliarity you feel when you're in a weird situation or in a strange place. The "This is weird and I don't know what to do" kind of feeling, that suddenly makes you wish you had a compass or had paid attention in Indian Guides, but it's too late. Yep, it's just you and the weirdness, knowing you will laugh about it later, but that nothing can help you in the meantime...


Here's the weirdest situation I've ever been in, although I've also witnessed some strange places, but this is by far the weirdest predicament:

It's a situation I found myself in with my maternal grandmother years ago...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My story begins with my grandmother sitting on her front porch and my brother and I walking toward the house. My grandmother is the first who speaks.




"Ann! Is that you I hear? Or Stuart?"

"Tell her it's you" my brother whispered, as we made our way up the steps and through the door to her porch.

"I heard you Stuart" my grandmother said from her favorite chair on the front porch.

"Oh, hey Nana, we thought-"

"I was inside" my grandmother said finishing his sentence."

"What's this "we" I interjected.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Ann"

"Yes you do, you told Nana that "we" thought she was inside, when I was smiling at her. Isn't that right Nana?" I laughed. My grandmother Nana smiled back at me.

"Yep, whatever you say Ann. I thought your back was bothering you?"

"It is. Mainly, when I pick Taylor up, but it's o.k.," I said, as my brother walked past us to bring my grandmothers groceries inside.


"Well, that baby is getting too big for you to lug around all day. But, I think I found a solution. I ordered a back massager from a magazine at the beauty parlor the other day and it just came in the mail. I think it will do wonders for your back, come and see." My grandmother said as she crossed the front porch to go inside the house.

I dutifully followed her, playfully hitting my brother as he passed my grandmother and I in the living room, before going to sit on the front porch.

"Come on honey and follow me" she said, so I followed her into her bedroom.




When I saw my grandmothers "massager" I think I swallowed my tongue and I know my face was turning different shades of purple, but she didn't notice, she was too excited about her accomplishment. And I didn't have the heart to tell her that it was a massager alright, but not for backs....

Then, she said as she was taking the wrapping off, "Let's go into the living room and I'll massage your back on the couch."


O.K. I had recovered my tongue the first time, but this time I believed I swallowed it forever, or bit it because it was too thick for me to talk. I could see my brother walking back and forth on the porch, so I tried to get his attention, but it seemed impossible. Although, because it was summertime, the windows and drapes were open, so I keep talking out loud, saying things like, "Nana, are you sure this massager is used for backs? I mean, isn't it shaped kind of funny? I've never seen a massager shaped like this, I mean it looks, well, it looks like a banana."

That's when I knew my brother was ease dropping because he started laughing after he heard my description of the novelty my grandmother picked up from a magazine. And unfortunately, she didn't see the correlation between my hesitation to have a back massage and my brothers hilarity.

"Oh for Pete's Sake, just sit down Ann, it's not going to hurt. For crying out loud, I was thinking of you, and you aren't the slightest bit grateful, just sit still"

(More laughter from my brother)


So there I sat, tied to a stake, and listening to the hum of the motor as my grandmother manipulated the massager across my back. But, at least I had the added benefit of my brother's laughter from the front porch to entertain me. He kept pretending he was on the phone, and of course my grandmother was too busy playing Chiropractor to notice.

She keep asking me, "Now, how does it feel? Does it feel better here or here?" at which point my brother would burst into hysterics, because I could see him, and she couldn't.

I can still see his head bobbing up and down behind the window from bending over in laughter. This made it more difficult for me not to laugh, although at the same time I felt bad for her, so I never told her the truth about her beloved discovery.

My family hid the massager from her because she would bring it out to show people from time to time. The last time I saw it she was showing it to a home health nurse who helped me hide it again.

My grandmother was a bright intellect woman all her life, even when she got older. She was a retired social worker, who managed three acres and reared two children on her own. She just didn't know that kind of massager existed, and if she did, she wouldn't have expected to see it advertised in a magazine. In addition, telling her was not an option. My grandmother was a proper southern lady with nothing but dignity and guts, therefore we kept her secret safe within our southern haven- until now- So shhh... In any event, it was the weirdest thing that ever happened to me.

The things we do for family.


Now it is your turn ladies and gents, What Is The Weirdest Situation You've Ever Been In Or Strangest Place You've Ever Visited?


Remember, I will post your comments throughout the day and into the evening. I have to go and wrestle the calf that keeps pestering me into a stall where he belongs and I have a doctors appt. today. But I will leave my comments unmoderated, and will read and posts your comments as soon as I return. All of you mean a lot to me, and I love reading what you write each week. (you know who you are) Please excuse my absence yesterday and being in and out so much today. I appreciate your patience.


If you participated in Tuesday's Question today, or at any other time, please feel free to grab the code for Tuesday's Question button on your way out (it's on my sidebar)~ And thanks a million to those of you who have posted the brag badge already. I know who you are and you're the greatest... :))



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My first commenter is from a dear friend and skilled professional at Tuesday's Question is Sandee from Comedy Plus.

Okay, I've had a very boring life because nothing, absolutely nothing comes to mind. Just nothing. I did love your story though. Now that is rich. Have a great day Ann. Big hug and lotsa lovies. :)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And my next comment came from another dear friend and skilled professional, Dawn at Twisted Sister.

LOL... no way can I beat that story!
Your poor grandmother!
I guess the strangest place I ever visited was my first time at my grandmother's house.
I was a city kid and had never seen anything like it... it was very old fashioned with a wood stove and even had an outhouse out back. There was a daybed in the kitchen and a rocking chair. My grandmother would sit next to the stove rocking and knitting. It wouldn't seem strange to me now, but I was 11 years old the first time I saw it... and I thought it was pretty weird!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My next commenter is, yes, another good friend and hilarious commenter Bud from WTIT Tape Radio

I think my visit to "The Desert of Maine" was the strangest place. An old guy gave the tour of a sand drop and stated, "If you got as much rain in the Sahara as we get here there'd be no desert. So this is the world's only true desert." It was so weird...

June 11, 2008 2:49 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My fourth commenter is also a good friend and fellow blogger Maunie from Mauniejames3 and The Blue Ribbon Bloggers

When I was a senior in high school I had a boyfriend named "Joe"..he was my very first real boyfriend and was in college..at Christmas time we spent some of Christmas Eve at my parents and then went to Joe's..His family invited his old girlfriend because she was "part of the family" I was horrified.. they hardly spoke to me and treated her as if she really was family..it was my first encounter with deliberate cruelty...it took me a long time to get over the fact that not everyone liked me..not surprising when I broke up with him he was not at all shocked.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please be sure and visit these bloggers posts, they are terrific and funny, and I promise you will not regret it~ :))

That Calf Is Back Again

That calf is back again. Therefore, I'm going to have to postpone Tuesday's Question until tomorrow. (which is Wednesday here in the States)

Please forgive me, this is just a strong animal, so it'll take some time for me to free myself, but free myself I will...don't you worry about that- and I will post in the A.M.--watch and see, you know I will. :))

Thanks for stopping by, especially my regular group of Tuesday's Question commenter's, and I promise, I will have a question posted in the morning.

I wish this calf would put my hat on...

(P.S. I'm not going to moderate my comments, so please enjoy my other posts and feel free to leave a comment- I promise, I'll reply as soon as possible. Oh come on, I know you haven't read everything I've written.) :))

Saturday's Favorite Movie Moment: Seabiscuit

"You don't throw a whole life away just 'cause it's banged up a little." Tom Smith (Chris Cooper) says to Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges) at the beginning of this powerful film about one of America's legends the race horse Seabiscuit; only to have his own words thrown back at him later on in the film by Howard when speaking of Red Pollack (Toby Maguire) Seabiscuits' soul mate and jockey.

I decided to show a clip in honor of Seabiscuit today, because today is the 140th running of the Belmont Stakes. The Belmont Stakes is the third and final race of the top 3-year-old thoroughbred horse racing season. The first two races are the Preakness Stakes and the Kentucky Derby which were both won this year by Big Brown, therefore, Belmont Park just may turn up the first triple crown winner to win the triple crown since Affirmed in 1978.

The Belmont Stakes 140 is at at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, and is one of the oldest thoroughbred races in North America. Good Luck Big Brown~

Moving back to Seabiscuit, it's a wonderful film about hope, love, friendship and courage- in addition to second chances. I loved everything about the picture, the screenplay, the acting, the scenery, but most of all the passion and heart of the characters. This movie also reminded me of one of my own passages;

Most of the worlds' great things were born of adversity and hardship; because these roadblocks encourage us to dream, imagine and believe.- ac

You must rent this film- it's a giver and a keeper~

Have a happy Saturday and keep on going..."don't stop, don't ever stop"~

Dona Nobis Pacem ~ Grant Us Peace~ A Revolution of Words

Thank you Paula from Six4Paula for designing such a fantastic Peace Globe, you did a wonderful job


I'm excited to join the fourth annual Blogblast For Peace, which began as a simple post by Mimi from Mimi Writes in the fall of 2006. The message Mimi sent in her first post "Dona Nobis Pacem" Latin for "Grant Us Peace" has traveled from blog to blog reaching 35 countries and 46 states, an amazing accomplishment, that makes you feel warm all over. And today, I'll be jumping on this train carrying " A Revolution of Words" with other bloggers throughout the blogosphere. Together we'' ll have our Peace globes posted along with our favorite words about what peace means to each of us individually- Here is the link to Mimi's Official Site for Blogblast For Peaceif you would like more information on this movement or would like to join.

One of my favorite writers, Ralph Waldo Emerson, summed the idea of peace up nicely for me, when he wrote of a way for an individual to contribute to the harmony in the world, he said,

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children...to leave the world a better place...to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."


To leave the earth a better place starts with one person, although when people "Get Together" like we have today, a loving harmony emerges that prepares us to accomplish anything....even peace.




The Youngbloods- Get Together

What Was Your Worst Or Most Unpredictable Morning?

Two excellent comments published: Just click "Read More"




Hello, And Welcome To Tuesday's Question

Hey diddle, diddle
The cat and the fiddle.
The cow jumped over the moon.
The little dog laughed to see such a sport
and the dish ran away with the spoon.


Hey Diddle, Diddle, my son's favorite nursery rhyme, was playing in my head when I woke up this morning. This rhyme reminds me of all the unpredictable and humorous moments in life- the kind of moments I usually have in the morning. Because in the morning when I'm barely conscious, I try to perform tasks my mind and body are incapable of grasping, that is, until I have a few cups of coffee.

This morning was pretty nice except, I had another attack of writer's block concerning Tuesday's Question. And then, I thought of the nursery rhyme and it hit me, why not ask you, "What Was The Worst Morning Of Your Life? Or the most unpredictable?


My answer is an excerpt of a post I wrote about one of my worst mornings in August of 2007. Hence, if you're a new reader, you can click on this link to read the whole story about that morning, or just get the idea of the ending from this excerpt.

Here it is, and then, it will be your turn...your answers will be posted today and tomorrow due to my tardiness.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My most unpredictable Morning linked here

My cat, Simon, insists on eating the instant I open my eyes, so this morning I climbed from my uncomfortable bed and delivered Mr. narcissism his breakfast. I fumbled around in the kitchen, my eyes barely focused, and my mind in a dreamy haze, searching for the cat’s breakfast, and listening to his chorus of, MEOW, MEOW, and MEOW. Why do cats pretend you cannot hear their loud meowing instructions? They just keep meowing when you are moving as fast as you can, which I was doing while trying to remember what I keep forgetting at the grocery store.

Hence, there I was moving as fast as I could when I sliced the top of my right hand, spooning the contents from the bottom of a cat food can.

I saw the blood before my brain could register the pain, so I didn't panic, I just stared at the back of my hand thinking about the rest of my day. I ran to the bathroom and put my hand under cool running water, thinking about my immediate future as I watched the blood wash away.




Mothers cannot have cuts on the top of their hands, we simply do not have the luxury of an injury, even a small injury. Families depend on Mom in special ways, even Mom's with adult children. (empty nest syndrome sufferers.)

Consequently, I envisioned my whole house of cards tumbling down, and my family crumbling to pieces, all because of a small cut on the back of my hand.

After running cold water on the cut, to stop the bleeding, I searched the medicine cabinet with my left hand for a band-aid, but I could not find one...

While frantically searching the cabinet with my good hand, I tried to move the injured hand away from the running water, but the bleeding was profuse, so I quickly put it back under the cool water splashing out of the bathroom faucet. I couldn't believe I was stuck at the mercy of my of my bathroom faucet, just because I couldn’t find a band-aid.

And I still could not remember what I keep forgetting at the grocery store, whereas, I clearly remembered what it was the night before...what an unpredictable morning.


To my regular readers: Do you remember the name of this post?

And to all of you, What was your worst or most unpredictable morning?


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first comment I received from this question really touched me.

It's from my dear friend Sandee at Comedy Plus

As soon as I saw this question I remember the worst morning of my entire life. It was September 11, 2001. I remember getting out of the shower and turning on the television to catch the morning news before I went to work. I couldn't believe the images that I saw. It just couldn't be. This cannot be real. Someone is playing an awful joke.

Hubby was still in the shower and I told him what was happening and he just stared at me for the longest time. He quickly got out of the shower and we both dressed as we watched the horror unfold.

I was the commander of the Honor Farm that housed around 300 male inmates. Most of these inmates were on work details all over the county. I remember calling the Operations Sergeant and having him pull all the inmates back in to the farm. We just didn't know what else may happen.

I remember going to a meeting with all the rest of the managers and the Sheriff that afternoon and I was still in a fog. I think we all were. We needed to brief the Sheriff on our resources and contingency plans in the event we suffered the same on the West coast. We knew what we needed to do, but we were in disbelief none-the-same.

Of all the many weird mornings that I've experienced, 911 is hands down the worst morning of my entire life. Those photographs and news footage will forever be part of my being. Bless all the families that suffered such loss of family, friends and co-workers.

~Stunning post Sandee, thank you~
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You know, I'm going to have to be careful about who follows me on Tuesday's Question.

Because the first two comments I've received are so articulately written, it makes me look kind of like a silly chump.

In next comment Ferdc at Crazy Medical Cases writes about an interesting and unexpected morning from his childhood, in a stylish prose that pulls you in for more. Just read this:



My response is more in the "unpredictable" category, and I have been thinking about this because my father and I just reminisced about it the other day.

Most of our extended family live in Mexico City. I remember the day my grandfather died. I was awakened with the bad news very early in the morning, having no idea I would not see a bed or sleep again for the next 48 hours. As they do not embalm in Mexico, the deceased person is buried within a day's time. Between the death and the burial is a real wake, all day and all night, as family gathers from wherever they might be. Well, we were in Toledo, Ohio. My father told us he was finding a flight and leaving right away. I told him I wanted to go with him, and so I did. A few hours later we were on a plane in Detroit. A few hours after that, I was in a funeral home in Mexico City. From then on, I was with my cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. for the rest of the day and all night. We cried, we laughed, we caught up, we told old stories. The following morning, with everyone finally gathered, we left for the burial site, in another city. It was a horrible, memorable event, especially watching my father weeping as he literally shoveled dirt into my grandfather's grave. Perhaps this was all the more emotional because we were plain exhausted by that time. We eventually made it back to Mexico City, settled into more conversation, until we all collapsed, about 2 days from the onset of this trip.

Yep, I think this qualifies as one of the most unpredictable days of my life.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My next comment is from my dear friend Speedy at Speedcat Hollydale Page

Another excellent answer as well as example of good writing...thanks Speedy...

[8 Stories]

The worst?? I can think of the saddest ... but I would rather go with "worst".
I woke up to find myself burried under 5 feet of snow! This was an important day, and I needed to get on the road. There was no plow in the parking lot, and the only way to get to the road was shovel. I shoveled for 4 1/2 hours to get my car out. Of course, me being me, I tried to do a half hazzard job and just got stuck ... once, twice, three times. It seemed I had used my last bit of strength, and was covered in sweat as the cold winds blew on my face as the victory moment occured. The plow also came at that very moment, and did what I did in 15 minutes. I could have just waited.
This blizzard was on Halloween night in 1992 in Minnesota. Ask anyone from this area about that storm, and they will have a similar story to tell as well!