True Friends

A girl asked a guy if he thought she was pretty, He said...no. She asked him if he would want to be with her forever.... and he said no. She then asked him if she were to leave would he cry, and once again he replied with a no. She had heard enough. As she walked away, tears streaming down her face the boy grabbed her arm and said.... You're not pretty you're beautiful. I don't want to be with you forever. I NEED to be with you forever. And I wouldn't cry if you walked away... I'd die... I like you because of who you are to me.... A true friend. Remember: A good friend will not come bail you out of jail.... But a true friend will be sitting next to you saying ... WE screwed up! I've learned....That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes. I've learned....That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for. I've learned....That money doesn't buy class. I've learned....That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular. I've learned...That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved. I've learned....That the Lord didn't do it all in one day. What makes me think I can? I've learned....That to ignore the facts does not change the facts. I've learned....That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you. I've learned...That love, not time, heals all wounds. I've learned...That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am. I've learned....That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile. I've learned....That there's nothing sweeter than sleeping with your babies and feeling their breath on your cheeks. I've learned...That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them. I've learned....That life is tough, but I'm tougher. I've learned...That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss. I've learned....That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere. I've learned...That I wish I could have told those I cared about that I love them one more time before they passed away. I've learned....That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them. I've learned....That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. I've learned....That I can't choose how I feel, but I can choose what I do about it. I've learned....That when your newly born child holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life. I've learned....That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness, and growth happen while you're climbing it. I've learned....That the less time I have to work, the more things I get done.

Cheers!

Patricia

Randy Pauch: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

A few nights ago my husband and I had an extraordinary opportunity to view a lecture by Professor Randy Pauch from America on the television here in New Zealand. It was a lecture that we will never forget, and I so wanted to share this lecture on my Inspirational Blog for all my readers.

While you take the time to view this YouTube Lecture I will be off to paint my Beading Studio with my own artistic renditions of Space Shuttles, the planets and super novas. You will know why after the lecture.

Enjoy!

Patricia

The Obstacle In Our Path

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's condition.

America's Independence Day

The Arbitrary, Yet Symbolic, Nature of the Fourth of July©

Isaac M. McPhee
Mar 12, 2008

American's have celebrated the signing of the Declaration of Independence ever since it was first signed in 1776 - but why exactly was this day chosen above the others?
The Fourth of July.

It is a date thoroughly engrained on the consciousness of all Americans; synonymous with all of the freedoms and liberties which Americans hold dear. Even if nothing else is retained through the years of public education, at the very least this one fact will be always remembered: America first gained its independence from England with the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776 – the very first Independence Day.
It is one of those “sure things.”
The Real Independence Day?
Students of history should be sufficiently prepared to accept that most things are never quite so black and white.
Independence Day is the holiday which is intended to celebrate the signing of The Declaration of Independence, that document which dramatically spells out the grievances of the colonists against King George and the English Parliament and which demands American sovereignty, even if it means the shedding of blood.
It is a striking document to say the least, and certainly opened up the American colonies to quite a bit of British aggression.
But should it really be celebrated on July 4th?
The timeline that most people are not fully aware of goes like this:
The Declaration of Independence was completed by Thomas Jefferson (with a great deal of help from his lifelong friend and later political adversary John Adams, as well as Benjamin Franklin) by July 2nd, at which point the continental congress voted unanimously to disunite the colonies from Great Britain and form an independent state.
From here, the next two days were spent by the congress reworking the Declaration, perfecting it for public consumption (all of this was so far done in secrecy). Finally, the document was accepted by the congress on July 4th, and signed by the congress' president, John Hancock (in that most famous of all signatures; large, bold and proud, practically begging the British to try to take back their colonies; and, coincidentally, where the term “put your John Hancock right on this line” comes from).
The rest of the members of congress didn't actually sign the document until August 2nd, while some waited even longer than that.
What Does This Mean?So when, exactly, should American independence be celebrated?
Should it be the day when America first officially declared her Independence? Then it should be July 2nd.
Should it be the day that the final declaration was accepted? Then it should remain as it is, on July 4th.
Should it be the day Americans first celebrated their independence? Then it should be on July 8, for on that day in 1776 the Declaration was first publically read, and throughout Philadelphia there was great celebration.
Should it be the day that the delegates all finally got together to sign the document, thereby making it official? Then it should surely be August 4th.
Or should Independence be celebrated on the day independence was actually won; the day the war for American Independence ended with the Treaty of Paris, on September 3rd, 1783?
The SolutionWhat should be done in response to these very valid questions?
Nothing, of course. After all, it doesn’t matter in the least what day something is celebrated (just look at Christmas as an example) – what matters is what it represents. Independence Day represents the American colonists throwing off the yoke of English oppression and was symbolic of a young nation finally deciding that she was able to stand on her own.
July 4th is as good a day as any. At least, so thought the United States Congress of 1870, which named the day an unpaid federal holiday, as well as the congress of 1941, which bumped the day up a notch to become a paid federal holiday.

That should be good enough for any American.

Cheers And Happy Fourth Of July

From Patricia

I'm Inspired....And I'm Back!

Well I'm back blogging after a very long hiatus due to some health issues, and more recently busy with my jewelery business. I hope to be able to stay more current so that I can provide all of you that read my Blog all kinds of interesting goodies and items worth noting. Yes, all these months away from blogging has been a bit disheartening but hopefully things will pick up. I thank all of those who have still been reading my blog during my absence and look forward to having you all back again.
A very special Happy Fourth of July to all of my American Family and Friends and Readers. Actually the 4th happens also to be my Wedding Anniversary. This year on the 4th my husband and I will be married ten years. So hard to believe that I moved here to New Zealand from New York just ten years ago to marry my Kiwi fiancé It seems like just yesterday quite frankly.
I have been pretty busy just lately setting up my new web site for my jewelry business:


Irresistibly Ewe
At
Patricia's Beaded Treasures


I would love for you to stop by for a visit, although I do not have any jewelry uploaded as yet but hope to be ready to go within the next week or two weeks. All of my jewelry is hand-crafted personally. I will be offering beaded jewelry, beaded charms fobs, and beaded bookmarks. There will also be links for other items for offer such as Home Decor, Vintage Treasures, and Shabby-Chic. You may also have interest in auctions, and they will be available via my boutique as well. I will post to my blog to let you know when I am up and running, but feel free to have a peek at my web site itself.
Well...good to be back all.....and as always I welcome your feedback at any time. Have a good look around as there are lots of things to see and make you think on my all my blogs.


Cheers From Patricia