A REASON, A SEASON, OR A LIFETIME

People come into your life for a reason, a season, ora lifetime.

When you figure out which one it is, youwill know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON . . .

It is usually to meet a need you have expressed.

They have come to assist you through a difficulty,

to provide you with guidance and support,

to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually.

They may seem like a godsend, and they are!

They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrong doing on your part,

or at an inconvenient time,

this person will say or do somethingto bring the relationship to an end.

Sometimes they die.

Sometimes they walk away.

Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.

What we must realize is that our need has been met,

our desire fulfilled, their work is done.

The prayer you sent up has been answered.

And now it is time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON . . .

Because your turn has come to

share,

grow,

or learn.

They bring you an experience of peace,

or make you laugh.

They may teach you to do something you have never done.

They usually give you an unbelievable amountof joy. Believe it! It is real!

But, only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons;

thingsyou must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.

Your job is to accept the lesson,

love the person,

and put what you have learned to use in all

other relationships and areas of your life.

It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Author Unknown

Music

Since I've had more than one person comment on my choice of music playing on this blog I thought I would explain. I like just about any type of music except rap and all the predecessors of rap. Occasionally I'll hear what may be a rap style that I like but that's a rare event. Most of the songs I have on this blog have a lot of meaning for me. They bring back vivid memories of fun times, sad times, and high school and college times.

Without a doubt Over the Rainbow is my favorite song. The two versions on my blog are among the best. Eva Cassidy stunned me when I heard her arrangement. What an amazing talent. She died of skin cancer before she made any labeled recordings. Israel "Iz" Kamakawiwoole, a Hawaiian, also died at a very young age (38) of complications from morbid obesity. He weighed 757 pounds. This version combines Over the Rainbow with What a Wonderful World. It's so uncomplicated.

Josh Groban's voice is just so good. I went to a workshop someone famous presented and all I remember about it is his playing The Prayer.

As several people have mentioned, I really enjoy good novelty music such as The Puppy Song and Rainbow Connection and MTA. I'm still looking for my absolutely favorite novelty song of all time: The Merry Minuet by the Kingston Trio. I've found downloadable versions but don't know how to put them on the blog. Utube has a slide show with The Merry Minuet as the commentary. Please, listen to the words - amazing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhaDtSBmIrI

lyrics to The Merry Minuet

They're rioting in Africa. They're starving in Spain.

There's hurricanes in Florida, and Texas needs rain.

The whole world is festering with unhappy souls.

The French hate the Germans, the Germans hate the Poles.

Italians hate Yugoslavs, South Africans hate the Dutch.

And I don't like anybody very much!

But we can be tranquil and thankful and proud,

for man's been endowed with a mushroom-shaped cloud.

And we know for certain that some lovely day,

someone will set the spark off...

and we will all be blown away.

They're rioting in Africa. There's strife in Iran.

What nature doesn't do to us... will be done by our fellow man.

I Wish I Had A Pencil Thin Mustache takes me back to my junior high and high school days. I never, NEVER smoked Marijuana but the rest of it is so, so real. It's the same with the Beatles, Mama Cass and We Five.

As for Mr. Bojangles - Roland used to say we had huge differences in musical preferences. Then he would grin and say "the same person wrote my favorite song and hers. Hers is Mr. Bojangles and mine is Up against the Wall, Red Neck Mother. Both are by Jerry Jeff Walker."

I guess really each song I've chosen transports me to another time in my life. Another Place. Not better by any stretch but memorable.

Any man can be a father. It takes someone special to be a dad.

Any man can be a father. It takes someone special to be a dad.

I was thinking about all the fathers in my life - the ones I especially appreciate and am thankful for. My Grandfather, Bob Coston, taught me to see nature; birds in trees, turtles and snakes on logs and other wild animals that hid themselves so they would'nt be seen. Old John, a black share cropper was one of his best friends - unheard of in Louisiana in the 40s. He was a loving and gentle man. My father, Harvey Harrison, loved my mother and me more than life itself. He was kind and charming and he let me swing on the trapese upside down (my mother thought that activity might damage something). My husband, Roland Gatlin, was a wonderful father. He knew things most people don't know. He was the smartest person I've ever known. And he was kind and loving and the single worst driver I ever rode with - in the car with him driving is where I learned to really pray.

My sons, Ten Bears and Brady, are terrific fathers. Ten Bears, an outdoorsman, loves taking his son and neices and nephews horse back riding and teaching them about wildlife and geological surprises. Brady has a wisdom and playfulness with his children that is amazing. He is a loving father; very gentle and fair. My son-in-law, Jamie Stephenson, is also a wonderful, fun-loving father and he truly enjoys his children. And Wesley Woods, Deanna's father, is a great dad. He supports Deana in her activities and maintains a close relationship with her and the rest of us. These guys love my grandchildren!

Each of these fine men bring something special and individual into my life and I'm so very fortunate to have them. I love them - each and every one. I hope they have a wonderful Father's Day with ugly shirts, funny socks, soap-on-a-rope and silly, mushy cards.

The embodyment of Roland's favorite phrase

I got this e-mailed to me to day and had to laugh. Someone, somewhere has a sense of humor that says "it doesn't have to be boring just because it's work." I love this.

Austin's Graduation

Family Fun?

What an eventful week (and it's only Monday). Austin fractured his collar bone when he tumbled off his bicycle at his Grandpa's house. He hates being incapacitated and last I heard he was refusing to wear the sling the Doctor gave him. He also got a black eye and skinned up face. Jamie shaved his head - I think Brady gave him the idea. Everyone loves it but Kelly. Holly thinks she may have shingles but that's not a sure thing. Delaney started to summer school today. And I went to the Dentist for the next in my series of procedures.



Seems like the family can go for months - even years - without any serious injuries then they start. While I was in Europe Bradyn walked into the swing his big brother was in before Megan could get to him. Besides the black eyes and broken nose he ended up having to have surgery to fix it. I think he is ok now; until the next time. Lexie in her own distinctive way is staging a rebellion. She wouldn't pick up her toys so they were bagged up and put away. Now she is slowly loosing her clothing by leaving it in the floor and refusing to pick up. Wyatt is doing great I think.



Anyway, check out the slide show for some of the antics of the week.

Memories and Complaints and fears

I came home from work yesterday and there was a chalk hop scotch game drawn on my driveway. Delaney and Austin had drawn it. I was surprised that children still play hopscotch and was immediately transported back to grade school in Shreveport, Louisiana. We played hopscotch all the time. The deal was you needed a heavy chain bracelet to serve as the rock. When it was your turn you threw a "rock" on the next square. You had to jump over squares with rocks in them. Sometimes there would be so many rocks in a row it was impossible to jump over all of them so there were some cheat lines which moved you closer to an empty square. The first player to complete all the squares up and back won the game. You had to hop on one foot the whole way up where there was a rest circle then hop on one foot all the way back. Strange the things we remember.

I went to see Indiana Jones this week. It isn't worth seeing - I don't care who the director is. Surely it was some kind of spoof. Terrible! I hate it when I waste money on such crap


Had my second dental appointment today. Things sure are interesting at that office. The first time I went I opened the door to leave and a snake came in. I knew it was a garden snake but no one else did. It was total chaos. One of the receptionists was standing on the desk screaming. A couple of the dental techs got brooms to try to sweep him outside and the rest of the patients were standing on chairs. I held the door open until it dawned on me that those brooms could sweep the snake on me. The snake was panicked and trying to find a place to hide. He finally headed for the door and escaped. The receptionist, I found out, has a snake phobia.


Today when I got there the phobic receptionist was on the phone with someone who wanted free dental services. She patiently told him he had to pay over and over again. Finally he apparently threatened the dentist and she said she was calling the police. I don't know what happened after that because they called me back but I did hear one of the assistants say the police were on the way.


The entertainment makes the appointments a little more bearable.