Smokey Mountain Memories

Smokey Mountain Memories
A Little Slice of Heaven

6.27.2011

Quote of the Week





The greatest discovery of any generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes.
                                                                                  Albert Schweitzer


6.22.2011

Let It Rain, Let It Rain, Let It... Alright Already!


Today is supposed to be the first full day of summer.  By the calendar that is true.  By the weather outside, now that's an entirely different story.  Since April we have had winter, winter, some more winter, fall, a splash of summer here or there, a smattering of spring and our own monsoon season.  

There have been a proliferation of wet, rainy and often violent weather days.  I can count on two hands the number of perfectly beautiful days I've seen in the last two months.  It doesn't even fill all ten fingers on those two hands!  

I'm not depressed about the weather or anything, but I am sharing an observation of the changing weather.  Every year seems to be worse than the previous year.  If this trend continues, I will have to send my husband out next year to build an ark!  Perhaps I should start gathering animals...

But seriously, last week it took me three times the normal amount of time to get to work due to standing water.   It wasn't from an overflowing river.  It was from the amount of rain that fell in an eight hour period over night.   

Streets that normally never have standing water, were covered in several inches of it.  The storm drains were unable to take in all of the water and it backed up into the surrounding streets and yards.  Traffic had to be redirected around some of the areas, which caused major traffic snarls.   

I sat in one spot for twenty minutes before I was able to crawl to the next spot to wait.  I had plenty of time to practice meditation while I was waiting to move.  

When I was finally able to get around all of it, there were lots of places where the traffic lanes were blocked off by the police due to the high water.  Numbers of cars were left abandoned.  They had tried to drive through the high standing water and the vehicle's engine had died.   Why do people try to do that?  They aren't driving Land Rovers. 


A police officer escorted me past one area, where almost all three lanes of traffic were under water.  I drove on the median to avoid it.   Another day I didn't have my camera with me when I should have AND I had forgotten to charge my cell phone!  I missed another photo op.   I have to start thinking like a photojournalist.

I thought about asking one of the truck driver's stuck in traffic with me to use their CB, so I could let the people at work know I would get there some day!  I tried not to drink too much water so I wouldn't have a potty break concern. Luckily I had plenty of healthy snacks with me.    Half of which I ate before I got to work. 




6.20.2011

Quote of the Week





                    What you are comes to you.    Ralph Waldo Emerson


6.18.2011

Fathers Day






Dearest Dad.  Happy Father's Day.  You were there at the beginning of my life and I was there with you at the end of yours.  I would never trade that moment for anything, to be with you at the end.   We shared a very special bond.   I was always Daddy's little girl.  

You gave me the gifts of music and gardening.  I have your temper, oh yes, you bet I do!  My husband even pointed it out a couple of weeks ago.  But I also got your smarts.  You taught me so much.  

I so am happy I got to spend so much time with you in those last months of your life.  Our bond only grew stronger and stronger.  Your smile would light up the room whenever you saw me.   Talk about making someone feel so very special!  I always knew I was number one in your heart.   But I promise, I won't tell Mom!

Whenever I hear thunder, I image that you are up in heaven bowling another "300" game, with all of the angels.  

Your Loving daughter



Happy Father's Day to all of the Dads out there and everyone who acts as a father figure to others.



6.13.2011

Quote of the Week


     Truth has no path, and that is the beauty of truth, it is living.  Krishnamurti




6.11.2011

For the Love of Flowering Trees



A visual feast for the eyes.  I'm posting these for the tree lovers everywhere.  There's nothing quite like the sight of a majestic tree in full flower.






6.07.2011

The Joy of Frozen Yogurt


I rarely eat ice cream or frozen yogurt.  Are you surprised at that?  It's not because I don't like it or because I'm trying to be so good at not eating "junk food".   It just one of those things that is special if you just don't have it too often.  Do you know what I mean?  If I have it once in awhile I look forward to eating it more and savor every slurp.   
 
I don't need any elaborate creations with nuts, chocolate sauce, cherries or candy sprinkles or anything like that.  I don't even care if it is some exotic or new flavor.   It doesn't even have to be in a cone; a cup or a dish with do just fine.  I like some plain old vanilla or chocolate; or both swirled together.   mmmmmm.  Doesn't that make you hungry and your mouth water just thinking about it? 
 
I think a natural ice cream or frozen yogurt is better for you, but I'm not going to pass up the other kind either!   Now and then is just fine with me.  So as the temperatures climbed, I started thinking more and more about eating some ice cream.  I drive past an ice cream parlor on my way to work.  It's kind of hard to miss it with it's red and white stripes and huge revolving vanilla cone on the roof!
 
So yesterday as the day got hotter, I asked my good friend who is always up for a trip to the ice cream parlor, if she wanted to go with me and get some ice cream.   I didn't have to ask twice.  In fact, I barely got my question out before she she said yes.  We had an errand to do and stopped at the parlor I just have to look at every other day.  
 
We both ordered the same thing; a generous cup of chocolate frozen yogurt.   We sat for a long time at the tiny table, talking.  I took tiny spoonfuls so it would last longer.  You know so little that you barely get any on the spoon, and get just a tiny bit of deliciousness.  Yum!    It lasted for a long time and it was sooo good.  

I had forgotten just how much I liked chocolate frozen yogurt.   It was so smooth, cold and tasty going down.  Ahhhh, frozen satisfaction!   Now that's one of the tiny things in life that just make it worth living.   If you like frozen yogurt... and I certainly do!

6.06.2011

Quote of the Week





           The dew of compassion is a tear.    George Gordon Noel Byron 



6.05.2011

What Is Mine Is Yours, With Conditions

An odd situation came up the other day.   An individual I work with lost some papers that were left out in a common area.  She came to me first (I found out later) and asked if I had thrown them away.  I didn't get the real point at first.  I had a "Sometimers" moment.  I thought it was terrible that someone would throw this person's papers away.   Why would someone do that?  Right?  That's right; threw them away. 

Apparently she checked the shredding box and the papers were there.   My closet friend filled me in later, as she helped search for them.  I didn't remember seeing them.  I did however see the two reams of colored paper that had been taken from my office and used by this very same person.  But did I say anything about that?  No of course not.   I wasn't upset, just surprised that someone had used so much of it and cleaned me out of that color.  I asked who it was.  When I was told I wasn't surprised that she had used it, just that she used so much.

But did I go and hunt that person down, knowing who used the paper and confront her about it?  No of course not, what would be the point?  The company's money paid for the colored paper, not me personally.   So even though everyone thinks of it as my paper, it's not.  So why would I make a big deal out of it?  Why be so mean spirited as to throw her papers away.  Hmmm??  Technically our offices and everything in them except our personal things are open and available to all.  

Now originally I didn't take offence to that question.  Although I thought at the time that it was odd to ask someone in a very accusatory manner.  Later I offered to scan her papers and create a word file so that this person would have a copy.  One because I felt sorry for her and two because I didn't want any more drama if they disappeared again.  But I guess the papers had bar codes on them and you can't scan a copy, the scan can't read the bar code.  It's always something!

Well wouldn't one think that the fact that I didn't know the papers were bar coded, should have been the first clue that I hadn't seen the papers.  I realized later that perhaps this person had a guilty conscious.  After all, remember she used "my" colored paper.  She went to my office, had someone unlock it and took it out of my closed cabinet.  I would think that's on par with papers being being dropped in the shredder.   No wonder she assumed it was me.   

Guilt by default no less?  In turn she may have turned the situation around on me unconsciously.  Everyone knows that I have to make a special trip to buy the colored paper.  It's something that cuts into my work day, and I'm the only one who uses it.  So no wonder everyone acts like it's my property.  I store it in my office and I buy a bunch of reams so I don't have to go very often.  I don't like going to get it, but no one knows that till now!

Whatever the situation, I am am proud of myself for not getting upset and bent all out of shape and accusing her right back.  I'm quite pleased  at the yogic, calmer side of me.  Now I have to work on not writing about this stuff too!  But what fun would that be?



6.03.2011

My Quotes






Awaken my children from a long winters sleep.  To push your heads up to the sun.  It’s time to show off your colors of pink.   Your beauty is now at its peak.