Happy International Jazz Day

It's International Jazz Day and because I've always rather liked jazz music and one of my favorite jazz songs is called It don't mean a thing (if it ain't got that swing) and I really like how the singer Cleo Laine sings it. (Cleo Laine is a British jazz and pop singer who I think is pretty awesome!) Anyway, enjoy and keep swinging! 

The nicest thing about caring

"We are afraid to care too much, for fear that the other person does not care at all."-Eleanor Roosevelt
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/eleanor_roosevelt_109476

The nicest thing about caring about people is that it can be shown in so many ways. I've found that I like knowing that I can always care for people  and show love to them in being a good friend and being kind and doing things that make people feel happy. So in that way I don't think I've ever been afraid to care about people as much as I possibly can. To that end, I keep this blog in the hope that it'll help people feel good inside.  I figure there's never too much love in the world and there's always room for more of it. So I send much love to everyone!

Something that belongs to everyone

The present time has one advantage over every other - it is our own."-Charles Caleb Colton
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/charles_caleb_colton_161534

People always want things and so I'm glad that one thing that everyone has is time. Being able to live in the moment is a wonderful thing and regardless of how much time I think I may or may not have, I'm especially glad that I can live in the moment and enjoy it! In that spirit, here's a song that reminds me to keep living in the moment and finding peace in it.

Laughter gives people voice

I saw this clip of this comedian who is incapable of speaking but is really funny. I liked watching this clip of him performing because it shows me how laughter and humor are something that everyone can share. I hope wherever you are, that you have many reasons to laugh each day.

Keys to success!

"He [or she] has achieved success who has worked well, laughed often, and loved much. Elbert Hubbard
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/elbert_hubbard_103488

In the spirit of this quote, here's a reason to laugh today! Happy Thursday everyone!

I wish blue skies for everyone

The singer Ella Fitzgerald was born today in 1917 and she sang this lovely song called Blue Skies and I like it because although it's a love song I'd still like to send it out to the world to wish may blue skies and happy days to everyone!

Staying young at heart

“There's a part of you that always remains a child, no matter how mature you get, how sophisticated or weary.”-Barbra Streisand
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/barbra_streisand_463932

I like the idea that thre can be at least a little bit of innocence in everyone. I think it helps people be creative and fun! So I say, stay young everyone!

Dreams for the future

"We are such stuff as dreams are made on." -Prospero from The Tempest

I like the play the Tempest and this quote from it. To me it speaks to how people are dreams and how people can have so much faith and so many dreams for each other. I know that my parents always have had dreams for me and my siblings, mainly that we would all be successful and happy. They've always wanted the best for us.  I've always done my best to be a good person and to work hard so that they'd always know that their dreams continue to be realized. 

Happy Earth Day

Today is Earth Day and this got me thinking about all the things I like best about the world and why I will always think it's worth preserving.

Some of the more nature based things I like best about the earth include:

• Sunlight-It makes me happy even if it gets too hot for my liking.
• Flowers/plants/trees-they're some of the best things. 
• Strawberries-I love them.
• Peaches-Same sentiment above applies!.
• Water-I like it because it's- wet!
• The sea-I always feel more peaceful when I'm by the sea.
• Rainbows-They make me feel hopeful.
• Rain-as much as it can be destructive it can also be peaceful at times. 
• Butterflies-I think they're beautiful.
• Birds-I like to hear them sing.
• Dogs-I love dogs!
• Dolphins-I think they're fun!
• Penguins-I think they're funny!
• Spices-they keep food interesting!
• Clouds-Sometimes I like looking up and thinking about what the shapes look like to me.

Happy Earth Day everyone!

Because I missed a bus

I missed my bus on the way home today so I decided to walk back home because the weather was nice this evening and I was able to see part of the sunset. So in a way missing the bus allowed me to see something lovely! Happy Saturday everyone!

Spread happiness!

 I saw this sign when I was coming home from work today and really liked it. In an effort to follow the sign's instructions, here's a joke for today! Happy Friday everyone

RYAN: A nickel and a dime were walking across a bridge. The nickel jumped off, but the dime didn’t. Why not?
JOSH: I don’t know.
RYAN: The dime had more cents. 

This joke came from: https://jokes.boyslife.org/jokes/page/2/

 

Fun fee advice on car safety

"The best car safety device is a rear-view mirror with a cop in it."-Dudley Moore
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/dudley_moore_195256

Drive safely everyone!

Something to think about

"If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what is the significance of a clean desk?"-Laurence J. Peter

I have been known to have a rather messy desk (at least in my home) but I rather like it that way because even if it seems messy to an outsider, I can still find things I need in it. I think it shows how life is messy but there still is some order in it and to me, finding order in disorder is what makes life fun!

Funny quote for tax day

"What the world really needs is more love and less paper work." Pearl Bailey
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/pearl_bailey_106221

Despite the fact that it's tax day, I still say spread the love!

Making people laugh by singing!

Charlie Chaplin was born today in 1889 and I like the fact that he was (and still is able) to make people laugh even just by singing  I found this clip of him singing and dancing and I had to share it here because it made me laugh. Happy Monday everyone

Kids can be the best audiences

"Children are the most wonderful audiences. What's struck me most is that that they watch it so silently, until the end when they shriek and shout and clap." Emma Thompson
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/emma_thompson_360153

This quote makes me think of how kids can be really great audience. For example each Sunday in the church I go to the reverend takes 10-15 minutes out of her sermon to talk directly to children and today it was really sweet because she read this children's book called The Runaway Bunny and I couldn't help but like the fact that the kids seemed so happy to hear it. (It's about this bunny who threatens to run away and the bunny's mother tells him that wherever he runs she'll always be there for him and so he eventually decides not to run away and eats a carrot instead.) My hope for all children is that someone reads to them on a fairly regular basis just because I feel like a good story can bring more happiness to their lives.

To be rich in warm thoughts

"The glow of one warm thought is to me worth more than money."- Thomas Jefferson
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/thomas_jefferson_133836

To me, warm thoughts are all about happiness and helping people feel happy. So my warm thought for the day is: may you always find the light and happy things  (however small they may seem) that exist in every day.

Happy Birthday to my Mum!

It's my Mum's birthday and I have to say, I'm really glad she's my Mum because she's the best! She always seems to know how I'm feeling and how to make things better. She always works to see the best in situations and has taught me to try to see both sides of an argument. It's nice to be able to do nice things for her and help her because she's always done everything she can to help me and my family. Most of all, I love my Mum because she is my Mum!

A Thursday wish!

I’m using this post to wish everyone happy Thursday and an even happier Friday yet to come!

There is a Wednesday Dance!

Although I think every day is a day for dancing, I was pleased to find there's a Wednesday dance! I wish everyone a very happy Wednesday and I hope you always have a reason to dance!

Having an impact

Today I was thinking about the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" as it's all about the impact that each of us can have on so many people's lives.  I feel really blessed that so many people have come into my life in one way or another and they've all impacted me in many positive ways. I'm also glad that I (like everyone else) have the ability to do things that positively impact people's lives.  Plus, there is always the possibility that maybe something I do now will help someone later on.  So, in an effort to bring some more positivity into the world, I wish everyone the happiest of days!

Find your passion!

"Find something you're passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it."--Julia Child
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/julia_child_166923

I like having something to be passionate about. I've always been rather passionate about writing and helping people and I'm glad I now have a job where I can do both of those things and I find I'm always interested in them. There's always something new to write about and more things I can do to help people. I hope that wherever you are reading this, you have at least one thing you're passionate about and that you have a lot of fun pursuing that passion!

A walk home

I had a lovely time walking home with a friend named Marsha from my church who, although she may be older in years, she's always been young at heart. We talked about how we (or our families) had played practical jokes on people sometimes and we laughed a lot about that. My favorite practical joke she pulled off a few years ago, was this. Marsha had a fried who had been given some live lobsters to make for dinner. Her friend couldn't bring himself to cook the lobsters so instead, he took them to the nearest beach and put them in the sea.  When he told Marsha about it, she got a bunch of her  other friends who lived in different places by the sea all over the world, to take pictures of themselves holding live lobsters and then Marsha would send the pictures with postcards to her friend  so it made it look as though the lobsters he put in the sea had gone all over the place. For whatever reason, Marsha's friend had a very hard time figuring out who was sending him all these pictures of lobsters until one day, when he was about to move away to start a new job, Marsha finally sent him a picture of herself holding a lobster. I thought the story was pretty funny and it made me think of how nice it is to have friends to walk home and share stories and laugh with.

A wish for each day

"With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts."-Eleanor Roosevelt
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/eleanor_roosevelt_143006

To all who read this, in the spirit of the quote above, I wish you many days that bring you a lot of strength and good thoughts!

To have no regrets

"Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it."George Halas
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/george_halas_160094

My parents always encouraged me to do my best and even if I didn't immediately get to the goal I was trying to achieve, somehow it did feel good to know that I'd worked hard and in working hard I accomplished something, even if it was simply the will to keep going. So my encouraging thought for today is that to whoever reads this, I hope you never give up and always do your best!

Some peaceful music for a Thursday

I was listening to the Pandora music streaming service today and this song came on which really made me feel at peace. I post it here to wish everyone a very peaceful Thursday and a happy Friday yet to come!

Thought for today

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”- Maya Angelou
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/maya_angelou_634520

My hope for everyone is that they can laugh each day, live with passion, have a lot of compassion for others, and thus thrive in life! So here’s to surviving and thriving!

Life is just a bowl of cherries

It's the singer Doris Day's birthday and she sang a song called Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries. I like it because it's all about being happy and seeing the good things that life can bring. This song reminds me of my home where I grew up in Michigan in some ways because Michigan is known for its cherries. Every year there's a cherry festival in July and up in northern Michigan there's a cherry festival and if you drive down some main roads in the northern parts of Michigan people put stands out with bags of cherries and a tin for people to put money in to pay for it.  I like it because the cherries are fresh and taste really good. I also like the fact that (at least when I was younger) people can trust each other enough to leave the cherries out and trust that they will be paid for and enjoyed. So I say, here's to cherries, Michigan and enjoying life!

Happy Monday!

I send this message  with much love and because today is Monday I wish everyone who reads this many very happy Mondays yet to come!

Easter flowers

I like the fact that the holiday of Easter  (celebrating the resurrection of Jesus) is sometimes associated with flowers. Today in church the pastor had us all put flowers on this big cross in the front of the church and it was really beautiful. I always like flowers because they're pretty and to me they symbolize new life. The church I go to regularly gives flowers on Easter to people who are ill or who have had family members who have died recently. Getting flowers can be the nicest thing sometimes. When I was ill one year around Easter some people from my church brought me flowers which made all the difference to my life.  In lieu of real flowers, here is a picture of a flower to wish a very happy Easter to all who celebrate it!