Sunday! For some it is the end of the week; for others it is the beginning of the week. Which are you?
Although most calendars show Sunday as the beginning of the week, I find Sunday falls at the end of the week. Let's look at some of the reasons.
First, Sunday is considered a "day of rest." I get to sleep late, and generally, I use the time to recuperate from the hectic week. I can sip my coffee with pleasure and not gulp it down before I have to leave for work or errands. I also make time to play my computer games, read for pleasure, and what ever else I want to do.
Sunday is also the end of my week because I take time for planning: planning meals for the next week, planning activities for the next week, and planning my goals for the next week. How, then, could Sunday be anything but the end of my week.
I generally wash clothes for the next week, grocery shop for the next week, and clean to start the week with a good feeling. If I have eaten healthy all week, I tend to give myself a treat on Sunday (or at least I try to eat healthy all week).
When the alarm goes off on Monday morning, it is a new start - a new beginning - a time to begin. A time to attempt to exercise before I take a shower and get ready for work, and to plan to eat right.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ...
Someone once said that "Money is the root of all evil." That concept is also mirrored in the literary themes that involve materialism, greed, and money. If you remember old Ebenezer Scrooge, he hoarded his money and didn't pay his employees what they were worth until he was encountered by his potential demise. He didn't want to die lonely and unloved. His ghostly visitors changed his materialistic greed. I find our world to have too many Ebenezers: government, CEOs of corporations, corporate administrators, high level school officials. All would rather cut the salaries or hours of their employees than cut their own income.
With this in mind, I find it interesting that politicians want to increase taxes because the tax base isn't funding the government and its programs or employees. Food producers, industries, and merchants are raising prices because the cost of creating and transporting their product is rising and they can't pay their bills.
It is too bad that they don't see what is going on here. Let's take a look.
If students were held responsible for what they were taught each year, teachers could move education farther forward.
If employers appreciated a job well done, more people would care about job performance.
If more people valued education and working hard for what they wanted, being on welfare wouldn't be as desirable as it is to some people.
If people who applied for welfare were held accountable for improving their education and obtaining a job, and if welfare was not such an all or nothing proposition, then being on welfare would be less desirable.
If we stopped giving so many people so much for free, people wouldn't expect more for free and they would understand that wants need to be supported with hard work.
If it was less desirable to be on welfare, then the government could spend fewer tax dollars on welfare.
If the government needed to spend fewer tax dollars on programs that gave people things for free, then the need to raise tax dollars would be eliminated.
Back to the beginning of the circle.
Too bad too many young people see the way to monetary success is through illegal activities: selling drugs, prostitution, stripping, etc. They see dollars as a way to success rather than seeing education and hard work as a viable way to the dollars they want.
Maybe I'm way to old fashioned, but this all is excessively frustrating.
With this in mind, I find it interesting that politicians want to increase taxes because the tax base isn't funding the government and its programs or employees. Food producers, industries, and merchants are raising prices because the cost of creating and transporting their product is rising and they can't pay their bills.
It is too bad that they don't see what is going on here. Let's take a look.
If students were held responsible for what they were taught each year, teachers could move education farther forward.
If employers appreciated a job well done, more people would care about job performance.
If more people valued education and working hard for what they wanted, being on welfare wouldn't be as desirable as it is to some people.
If people who applied for welfare were held accountable for improving their education and obtaining a job, and if welfare was not such an all or nothing proposition, then being on welfare would be less desirable.
If we stopped giving so many people so much for free, people wouldn't expect more for free and they would understand that wants need to be supported with hard work.
If it was less desirable to be on welfare, then the government could spend fewer tax dollars on welfare.
If the government needed to spend fewer tax dollars on programs that gave people things for free, then the need to raise tax dollars would be eliminated.
Back to the beginning of the circle.
Too bad too many young people see the way to monetary success is through illegal activities: selling drugs, prostitution, stripping, etc. They see dollars as a way to success rather than seeing education and hard work as a viable way to the dollars they want.
Maybe I'm way to old fashioned, but this all is excessively frustrating.
Monday, January 3, 2011
DREAD OF THE ALARM CLOCK
I'll admit it; I looked forward to my two week break from work. I shopped before Christmas, and, for the first time, I actually had everything wrapped BEFORE December 23rd. I don't believe that has ever happened before. I didn't mind waking to the alarm clock to bake eggnog bread and poppyseed bread; I didn't mind waking to the alarm clock to confront the crowds to find the perfect present for each person on my list. Even after Christmas was over, I didn't mind waking to the alarm to work on cleaning and reorganizing my home.
But,
when the alarm went off this morning to wake me for work, I groaned. I hit the snooze button and rolled over. The second alarm went off on a different alarm clock. I hit the snooze button and told the clock that it was rude to wake me when the sun had not risen yet. I was still tired; I hadn't slept well. I rarely sleep well the night before I have to go back to work.
I go to bed early, knowing that the alarms will go off early, but the eyes won't cooperate. They pop open and stare at the walls through the darkness. Then, when I finally drift off to sleep, I wake up within the hour, and every hour after that. I'm worried, worried that I'll oversleep and be late to work. I worry that we'll have a power outage and the alarms won't be on time to wake me.
I wish the world could truly work with people setting their own scheduled starting and quitting times. Then, I could rise with the sun, take my walk, and go to work relaxed and refreshed with my coffee in my hand. But since that is not reality, I'm ready of another night where I worry about waking up on time, but hating the alarm clocks that yell at me to wake up.
But,
when the alarm went off this morning to wake me for work, I groaned. I hit the snooze button and rolled over. The second alarm went off on a different alarm clock. I hit the snooze button and told the clock that it was rude to wake me when the sun had not risen yet. I was still tired; I hadn't slept well. I rarely sleep well the night before I have to go back to work.
I go to bed early, knowing that the alarms will go off early, but the eyes won't cooperate. They pop open and stare at the walls through the darkness. Then, when I finally drift off to sleep, I wake up within the hour, and every hour after that. I'm worried, worried that I'll oversleep and be late to work. I worry that we'll have a power outage and the alarms won't be on time to wake me.
I wish the world could truly work with people setting their own scheduled starting and quitting times. Then, I could rise with the sun, take my walk, and go to work relaxed and refreshed with my coffee in my hand. But since that is not reality, I'm ready of another night where I worry about waking up on time, but hating the alarm clocks that yell at me to wake up.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
NEW TRADITIONS
I feel like I have started a couple of new traditions for New Year's Day today. Last night my mother called and asked if my hubby and I wanted to go to the local Swedish restaurant for Swedish pancakes. I declined; I like mine better and had decided to make them for hubby and me this morning. So, I invited her to come over, watch the Rose Bowl Parade, and feast on homemade Swedish pancakes. Then, I thought that I would invite my two boys and their "friends."
As the sun rose this morning and the dog begged to go out, I put the bacon in the oven (Yes, that's right. I bake my bacon.) and pulled the mixer out to whip the eggs, add the rest of the ingredients for Swedish pancakes (There is a family secret to our better than restaurant recipe.), heat the skillet, and develop a New Year's Day tradition that will endure.
The Rose Bowl Parade entertained the family, and I worked my way through a triple recipe of batter. (Good thing my oldest and his girlfriend didn't show up. The five of us polished off all of the pancakes.)
With plenty of coffee, pancakes, bacon, juice, and fruit, we feasted on the first meal of the New Year. We oohed and ahhed over the floats that the cameramen focused on for our pleasure. At one point, a friend of my son's texted him with the following concept that will not repeat itself for one hundred years: It was 11:11 on January (1) first (1) in the year 2011 (11) - thus, 11:11 1/1/11.
Happy New Year to all, and to all a fantabulous year.
As the sun rose this morning and the dog begged to go out, I put the bacon in the oven (Yes, that's right. I bake my bacon.) and pulled the mixer out to whip the eggs, add the rest of the ingredients for Swedish pancakes (There is a family secret to our better than restaurant recipe.), heat the skillet, and develop a New Year's Day tradition that will endure.
The Rose Bowl Parade entertained the family, and I worked my way through a triple recipe of batter. (Good thing my oldest and his girlfriend didn't show up. The five of us polished off all of the pancakes.)
With plenty of coffee, pancakes, bacon, juice, and fruit, we feasted on the first meal of the New Year. We oohed and ahhed over the floats that the cameramen focused on for our pleasure. At one point, a friend of my son's texted him with the following concept that will not repeat itself for one hundred years: It was 11:11 on January (1) first (1) in the year 2011 (11) - thus, 11:11 1/1/11.
Happy New Year to all, and to all a fantabulous year.
LOOKING TOWARD THE NEW YEAR
As I stood in the check out line yesterday at our local Kroger / Highlander grocery store, the cover to the newest Oprah magazine displayed a large bold headline that challenged readers to identify "What's your next chapter?"
What a fabulous way to look at the new year and the resolutions I might make. This new chapter, chapter 53, begins this morning. Learn to live simply and adopt a healthy lifestyle.
So, 2010 has come to an end without much fanfare or celebration, and 2011, coming on the tail of a lunar eclipse of a full moon on a winter solstice, will have to prove itself as spectacular as my Yahoo astrological prediction says it will be.
What a fabulous way to look at the new year and the resolutions I might make. This new chapter, chapter 53, begins this morning. Learn to live simply and adopt a healthy lifestyle.
So, 2010 has come to an end without much fanfare or celebration, and 2011, coming on the tail of a lunar eclipse of a full moon on a winter solstice, will have to prove itself as spectacular as my Yahoo astrological prediction says it will be.
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