Nothing can sustain the high pitch of romance better than beautiful love words, generously and endlessly spoken. Love words are a tonic for love, an elixir for passion, a medicinal balm for fading romance. Life is full of ordinariness, and there isn’t any reason love should be too.

Love is what we fall into in order to partake of magic; Loves is how we fly. Words are the wings of romance, the way in which, more than any other, we elevate ourselves above the ordinary and pedestrian. Everybody wants to hear how much, and precisely why, he or she is loved. Even when we’ve been chosen, even when we’ve tied the knot, we still need verbal reassurance that we are loved.

We need to be endeared, to feel that we are special, delightful, precious, irreplaceable to the one we love. We want to be singled out, to be told we are loved above all by the person who has chosen us. We often think that having feelings about someone is as good as saying it, but it isn’t. Make no mistake . . . words mean a lot to all of us.

We all walk around with a huge collection of insecurities, and none of us is so sure, so cut and dried in our conviction about our own self-worth that we don’t need the inspiration of being told every which way, over and over again, exactly why, how , and how much we are loved.

We need to be told, and the words have to be heartfelt. There’s just no comparison between the abstract  “Of course I love you” and the direct “I love you” no contest between silence and “you’re the light of my life: I want to be with you forever.” Even though some people may think it’s corny, in the delicate layer of even the coolest of cucumber hearts is a lover who yearns to be adorned. There’s a hidden romantic in each of us, the person who fell in love, who was tantalized by music and moonlight, who waited breathlessly to hear the words of  love “I adore you. My Life is better with you in it.”

We want our hearts to be filled by hearing the love words over and over again. So call your sweetheart by a special name and tell her/him often what delights you about her, why you so deeply love him or her. Say the mushy/gushy things you think people only say in love stories and the more romantic and delicious the better. “You’re the woman of my dreams”.  Don’t say you’re the woman of my night mares . . . if that is the truth then heaven help you.   Say things like  . . .  “I love you to pieces.” “You’re my angel.” “You’re my wonderful man.” “You’re a fabulous lover.”

Some people are confused about romance and think it can be bought. While money may be able to help create a romantic atmosphere, romance itself doesn’t ever have a price tag attached to it, nor can it be wrapped up in a box from Tiffany’s. It just needs to be a significant part of you: a thought, block of time, a sympathetic ear, some warm arms, the pressure of a back rub, the flutter of a kiss. Love needs to nestle in the cocoon of romance. You don’t need threads of gold and silver to weave your own safe haven of love. All that’s required is a small part of yourself.

~ Granny In Training~

Throughout the seasons of life all of us on occasion endure losses that leave us breathless. Sometimes, of course, it is not we but instead our friends who face adversity. When they do, our mission is simple: We must help in any way we can, either with an encouraging word, a helping hand, or a heartfelt prayer.

This is practical advice: “Make it a rule, and pray to God to help you to keep it, never, if possible, to lie down at night without being able to say: “I have made one human being at least a little wiser, or a little happier, or at least a little better today.”  Amen to that  . . . Especially when times are tough.

When a friend is in trouble, don’t annoy him by asking if there is anything you can do. Think up something appropriate and do it. Advice is easy to give and harder to take. Edna St Vincent Millay wrote to a friend requesting, “Please give me some good advice in your next letter. I promise not to take it.”  Remember it’s very wise of us to follow good advice and we all have a potpourri of wisdom worth sharing and receiving with our friends but we must also remember that it’s all in the delivery  . . .  timing is everything. Isn’t it?

~ Granny In Training~

This captures the small bedtime rituals a little girl as she is settling down for the night, and offers glimpse into a dream time world as the she drifts gently into sleep.  Come along with her and snuggle down, close your eyes , and imagine yourself drifting gently away with her on this sleepy, dreamtime journey as she says  ”Night-night” to the world.

Before she goes to sleep at Grandma’s and Grandpa’s house they read her favorite “Veggie Tales Stories” to her and they laugh and laugh and laugh and then they give  her lots and lots of  hugs and kisses to their  precious grand-daughter and say, Night-night. She can hardly stop giggling to give them hugs and kisses. Night- night Grandma. Night-night Grandpa she finally says as she stops giggling.

When her mother puts her to bed she reads to her lots and lot of her bedtime stories and at the end she hugs and gives her a goodnight kiss and always says, Night- night. She hugs and kisses her mother back and says, Night-night mommy. When her daddy puts her to bed he reads her a story called ”The Little Red Sailboat ” and when the story comes to the end  he hugs and gives her a goodnight  kiss and tells her Night-night.  Night-night, Daddy she replies.

 After they leave the room and tune out the light, she starts to wonder where Big Dog is? There he is. Night-night, Big Dog. Before she goes go to sleep, he kisses Big Dog and Mr. Teddy bear good night. Night-night Big Dog and  Mr. Teddy Bear. Then she asks Miss Kitty if she is sleepy yet and Miss  Kitty is never sleepy . She wonders where does Miss Kitty go at night? Before she goes to sleep she’ll snuggle down and close her eyes and sail away in her little red sailboat over to Grandma and Grandpa’s house.  Night -night again Grandma and Grandpa and then across the pond to say, Night-night, ducks. Night -night sky.

Night -night, Mr. Moon. Night-night,  Sparkly Stars. Night-night, Big World.  Night-night Big dog and Mr. Teddy Bear, are you sleepy yet? She is almost home, now. Night-night, Me. Night-night, You. Night-night Everyone. I don’t know about you but  for a few moments it was sure fun pretending to be sailing with her in The Red Sail Boat.

The best kind of friendship are the lasting , warm, and wonderful kind. They’re the kind when the caring never goes away and the two friends are so near in their hearts that they’ll stay closes forever. Our friendship is like that. We have a trust, an honesty, and a history together that make me think of you as so much more than a friend. You’re at the center of the circle of my life and you’ve been a precious part of so many yesterdays.

I know you’ll always stay that way, because when a friend is as close as you are, she’s just like family. You’ve always been and you always will just like a sister to me. We didn’t have all those yesterday’s of being little girls together. We didn’t share the same mother and father, or help each other blow out our birthday candles.

There weren’t any days of playing hopscotch or tag or of staying up nights giggling and planning our future’s. We never experienced the gift of love sisters share, until now. I have had many friends but none of them knows my heart and my spirit as you do. Your have given me something very special. . . the gift of a sister’s love. “What I’m trying to say is this: As long as you have me and I have you for a friend, life’s never going to be lonely, boring, or without someone special in our lives.

When life puts a mountain in your way don’t forget you’ve faced mountains before. Don’t be afraid. You’re strong. Just start climbing. Imagine yourself reaching your goal. Changing your attitude can free you or keep you bound. You have what it takes . Y

Ten Things to Remember During The Ups and Downs After Calling Your Best Friend . . .

1. Your life is a gift to you. Appreciate this gift with all your heart.
2. Know that God is always with you. Pray to Him often, Listen to His guidance, and don’t forget to thank Him for your blessings.
3. Respect yourself and make wise choices about your life.
4. A balanced life is based on give and take. Give joyfully out of your own need, and you will draw whatever you need to you.
5. You’re thoughts, words, and actions paint the total picture of who you are. Be good as your word, and be good.
6. Treat others as you want to be treated, no matter how they’ve treated you . . .
7. Don’t judge others. Don’t try to change others especially your sister or your best friend; it won’t work. You’ll have enough trouble changing yourself.
8. When you’re down, get up and try again. Whatever you’re going through will look different on another day.
9. If you wrong someone, ask forgiveness, and when someone wrongs you, be quick to forgive.
10. Choose to love others, for when you show love, you are making a positive difference and don’t forget to call your best friend.

I hope you will look at all your good qualities and realize how important you are to those who love you. Start reflecting on your own attitudes, your accomplishments, and all the things that make you who you are. I know you will find ways to make the difficult times easier, your cares lighter, and the days brighter. I pray that revelations and secrets will unfold for you to make a difference as you tap into that source of strength I know is within you, that place where hope and courage lives  and new dreams are born.  I hope you will connect with the kind of faith that helps you to reach your desired goals.

~Granny In Training~

Girlfriends always carry each other in their hearts, whether they live near or far from each other. Girlfriends walk through life together. They’re there for each other no what, sharing everything.

They wouldn’t trade their friendship for anything and nothing else could begin to bring them contentment, the craziness, the laughter, and all the thousands of things they share together. Friends like that don’t need to see each other everyday . .  . no matter how long it’s been since they were last together, they just pick right where they left off. Friends like that just understand that life isn’t always bright, and they take turns cheering each other up. Girlfriends like that don’t need to tell each other how much they care . . .  They can just feel the strength of their friendship in their hearts and that’s the very best kind of friendship of all.

A major key to experiencing success in our lives is found in making good habits, and breaking bad ones. In other words it’s a “make or break” principle for us. We all have habits. Some of them are good and some are bad. The good ones benefit us and add joy and power to our lives, while the bad ones do nothing but steal our peace and joy and prevent our success.

The truth is we all have things about ourselves we’d like to change. And no matter what they are e, when we can’t seem to stop or even slow down unwanted habits, it can be very discouraging. Some people respond to this discouragement by making excuses for why they can’t change.

Others decide that they’ve failed because they didn’t read the right book or on the right program. And some just give up and refuse to try again.

I want to give you a fresh perspective today it’s not a new one, in fact it goes all the way back to the beginning of time and hopefully you’ll experience  an aha moment  like I did when I read this.

The entire Bible takes place in an agricultural world . . . that’s why Jesus used so many examples about farming, planting and gardening.

For example, a farmer goes to bed every night trusting that the seed he planted in the ground will produce fruit. His life depends on it. No matter how great last season’s harvest was, his future depends on his seed producing again this season. It may seem simple, but he knows if he plants corn, he’ll get corn. If he plants wheat, he’ll get wheat. And if he doesn’t plant at all, he won’t get a crop.

Here’s how this principle works in our lives . . .

Today, we can get so busy that our days turn into weeks . . .  weeks turn into  months . . . and months turn into years as we cruise along without realizing that we either aren’t planting for the future or we’re planting things that won’t yield a good “crop” in our lives.

Sometimes we can become discouraged by current situations in life without realizing we’re simply reaping what we’ve sown. If this is the case for you . . . there is hope for change and for letting go of the old habits and that have keep you from the life you long for.

Good habits lay the foundation for any other habit we need or want to develop. What is your number one priority  ? Is it your job, children, looks, material things, or taking care of a loved one? These are all important and honorable.

In order to be successful in developing good habits, it’s going to require commitment on your part to do whatever it takes to succeed and start planting the right seeds into your life.

As you do this each day, you’ll find focusing on good habits not only establishes good behaviors you want in your life but also helps you break the bad habits in the process. As you are thinking about your choices remember that God has a plan for your life and wants you to prosper.

What’s your motivation to change a bad habit to a good habit is it health, money, love, children, material things, ego or God? The right kind of “farming” starts with planting the right  seeds.

What seeds are you planting are they seeds of love or seeds of selfishness? Where does your love, health, money, children, material things, ego come from?

Having the courage to say “No” means that you trust yourself and your relationship. It means  that  you believe  your bond has the strength and resilience to absorb your “No” as well as the power to grow in moral fortitude.

In saying “No” you exercise the faith that the two of you, together, can live by the values represented by your “No”; recognizing  that these values will take you to a level higher than the one embodied by the things that you are choosing to resist.

Important “No’s” can be small and simple, an  unadorned statement of preference that’s a quiet affirmation of your right to be yourself: “No”, I don’t want to go to the late show; I’ll be to tried for work in the morning.”  No”, I don’t want dessert. “No”, I don’t want to go to the party.”

 Saying “No” requires that you actually take a stand: “No”, I don’t want to buy a . . . We’re already too much in debt, or sometime you might have to make life and death decision that requires a hard  “No”. 

“No”,  I wouldn’t give up pursuing my degree or my career to spend Tuesday nights with you but I am available all day Saturdays to be with you. You can end up loosing your integrity and become resentful.  A ”No” is a choice for the good and truth in the relationship.

 It’s  for the power and the possibilities of the relationship itself. Have the courage to say “No” as you go through life and remember sometimes the greatest perils come tiptoeing in sight unseen, and one of the most lethal of these sneaky assassins is saying “Yes” when you really mean “No”.

Want a mini vacation that’s almost as fun as it was the first time around?  Try becoming a time traveler and still be home in time to pick up the kids from school. How far? Fix yourself a quick snack curl up in a quiet, comfortable spot, and break out your photos. Go all the way back. Baby pictures? How about that shot of you dancing naked in your crib or

 Here’s one. . . . must have been Halloween. Oops! Sorry. I guess that was the style back then. Prom photos, wedding photos . . . that attractive shot of you in the hospital gown, looking like you just got run over by a Mac truck yet beaming nonetheless as you hold your first-born child.

Making time to put them in photo albums can be a challenge at any age.  My photo albums are fine, but the real treasure troves are the six large girly cardboard  hat box’s that I  started storing a few photos in  nearly a decade ago that are full of memories and it seems like it will take four men and an act of Congress to move them from room to room. I went through the box’s a couple of weeks ago and spent hours pouring over photos, kindergarten master pieces, and yellowed birthday cards.  I had reached the bottom of the last hat box when the phone rang. Phone?  Wait . . . where was I? Looking around for my living room, it took a moment for the memories to fall away and for me to place myself back in the present. What time was it anyway? How long had I been gone . . .  I mean busy?

Take a trip down memory lane. You’ll not only enjoy a diversion from current stress, but you’ll also come away with a whole new perspective. Reliving those fond Kodak moments and being reminded, at the same time, just how fast time flies! May very well leave you with a new commitment to enjoy and cherish the time you have with your family today.

Truth is a journey toward it’s self and it includes an empathetic moment when we surrender, expressing our own urgent truths in order to be with another during the unfolding of his, or her truths. To live the truth is to be aware that, as your context changes, so will your view of the truth and the range of the truth that your heart and soul can contain.

Your truth may not be now what it once was or what it will be in the future; but it is your duty to live and speak your truth of the moment and to be willing to change it, should some larger truth be revealed to you.

In relationships we begin with the small truths that  are true at the moment for us and speak them, in love, to the persons we love. We start with our stories, our needs, our hope, and our dreams, then move on, through the many and varied vicissitudes of our ever-unfolding personal selves, toward the truth that embraces us all.

For the ultimate truth is immense; it swallows up all other truths, our little individual truths, the contradictions we all are living, and even the bigger truths of paradox and dogma, of principles and rules.

There is nothing purer than the truth, it stands inviolate on its own merit, searing through falsehood and equivocation, shining brilliant as the spiritual totem around which our whole lives are organized.

The truth is indivisible, stunning, eternal, the alpha and the omega of our mortal human existence. Nothing less than the truth can ever pass for it. Begin your journey toward truth today.

 Search for the truth inside you that is longing to be expressed and find the words to speak it. See the truth that stands in your midst, that is carried , embodied, and spoken by all your strangers and friends.

Live the higher truth as you know it, as it is revealed to you, through art, in music, in literature, in nature, and in God given dreams. Receive the truth that surrounds you, for truth is the ultimate light. Align yourself with the truth, for to live your life in truth is to live in perfect freedom. Begin your journey today!

To create your perfect boyfriend fill in the blanks on this page with the words called for. Then using the words you have selected, fill in the blank spaces to the story. Have fun creating your own hilarious lines and lighten up a little!

Create Your Perfect Boyfriend . . .

Noun____________

Noun____________

Number__________ 

Noun____________

Adjective__________

Adjective__________

Plural Noun__________

Verb Ending in “ing”__________

Plural Noun___________

Adjective_________

Noun___________

Noun___________

Celebrity  (Male) ____________

Verb Ending In “ing”__________

Now that you have selected your own words read the story below and fill in the blanks with the words you already selected above. Have fun!

Let’s imagine the perfect boyfriend. He would wake up every morning with a cheery_________. He would call you and send flowers _______times a day. He would rub your weary______after a/an_______day at the ____office. He would help you shop for ________without________  one bit. He would charm all of your girlfriends with his __________personality. He would never click over to a pro _________game while your watching your favorite chick flick called_________. And he wouldn’t be at all jealous of your obsession with________. Ladies, he is out there just________ for you!

Gentleness can be everywhere: in what we say, in how we move, in the people and circumstances we quietly choose to bless ourselves with. It is moving easily instead of roughshod through life, speaking with kindness rather than blurting things; making room for the stranger who arrives, the beautiful things that unexpectedly happens.

Gentleness is the soft virtue, the cloudy featherless of spirit that allows you to move forward toward the person you love, and through each circumstance you face, in an easy, graceful, and gracious manner touching delicately, listening openly, feeling with empathy, seeing with eyes of compassion. Gentleness eases the way, adds refinement and grace to the journey , softens the blows, cushions the sorrow, lightens the burdens.

Kindness is the sweet virtue. It soothes and calms and renews. It remembers and adds touches of color like a rainbow or a bouquet of spring flowers. It offers the unmasked-for word, the spirit-cleansing compliment, the nurturing embrace. It is soft; it reaches out to mend and amend. Can I help you?  Is there anything I can do? I’m sorry. I hope things will change. Kindness is the unnecessary necessity, the unasked-for moment of beauty that adds a hopeful texture to every measure of our lives.

Patience is a quiet virtue, the ability to willingly wait for what is unseen to gradually be made manifest. Patience is faith, the conviction that what you imagine, need, or believe to be the highest fulfillment of how you think things ought to be for yourself, for your relationships, for the whole amazing span of your life, will gradually and beautifully reveal itself in time.

Patience with one another is also a quietness of spirit, a deep inner knowing that rests secure in the knowledge that you are on the right journey, that your sweetheart, and that no matter the pitfall or detours , you can stand at his side, be in her presence, quietly waiting. . .  with patience.

Love waxes and wanes with the seasons, with out hormones, and our circumstances, but love of the heart and soul must be constantly nourished and tended to. Patience gives us hope for the future; gentleness gives us grace in the moment; kindness dissolves the wounds of the past. Be gentle, kind and patient with one another and watch your love beautifully flourish.

Your love is like a garden and unless you tend to it, you’ll never reap the full rewards that loving someone can bring. The ground needs to be tilled with kindness so your seeds of love can spout.

The seeds have to be planted with care if they are to penetrate your sweethearts heart. Love needs to be watered with kind words and compliments.  Love must bask under the warm sun of your undivided attention.

The weeds of pettiness and lies must be pulled from the field of love. The fruits of love need time to grow and cannot be picked until they are ripe. If you don’t put the required effort  into your garden of love, you can be certain that the weeds will invade and your garden will yield little in the way of love. But if you work at it , you’ll find a bumper crop of love waiting for you to harvest each and every day.

So look at a cry for help as an opportunity to prove the strength of your love to each other. And never be afraid to ask for help… not from the one you love and who loves you. It can be difficult to ask for it. You don’t want to appear weak or stupid. You don’t want to be turned down or put down. You don’t want to be yelled at or ignored. You don’t want to lose face or have a face made at you again.

But once you cry for assistance and that helping hand is next to yours, it’s  such a relief and it makes you wonder why you waited so long to ask. There’s no better feeling than to ask for help and be told that help is on the way. Especially if it comes with two strong hands, a wealth of expertise, a blanket of caring, and you see, giving and receiving help is a sign of love.

Couples who do things together are couples who have good relationships. If they’re schussing down the slopes or batting tennis balls across a net or scouring the countryside for antiques or cooking up a storm in the kitchen or spending a leisurely day at home together or building a house for Habitat for Humanity or singing in a choir or running a business together. . .  then you can be almost certain that their love is strong.

It’s not that you must spend every minute of your lives in each other’s company to have a good relationship. Every individual needs some space, but the more you bathe in each other’s aura, the stronger the ties that bind will be.

Just because you’re drawing breath in the same room doesn’t mean that you’re together. Passive time, like sleeping in the same bed, watching the same glowing TV all night, reading different  sections of the same newspaper, or taking on the phone to other people, doesn’t build a relationship. To brew a strong relationship, you must mix both the quantity and the quality of the time you  spend together.

When choosing activities to do together you are planning for the long haul. There will come a time when your children have left the nest and you’ll want to be able to fill the time with activities you both enjoy.

I can’t  wait to experience the emotions that will come to the surface. Will I laugh till I cry or will I cry till I laugh? Will I think about experiences I’ve shared with friends from my early school years? Will I be taken back to a time in my childhood when I was a happy and carefree sixth grader riding my bike down to school or to the beach. Will I feel like I just stepped into a Norman Rockwell painting ? Will I think about my first love, my wedding day or the birth of my children? Will I agree or disagree with the author? Will I be moved to make a change in my life, community or even globally because of what some one wrote in a book? Will I give up one or two hours of sleep for this book because it speaks to my heart and soul? Will I feel energized and motivated the next day? Will it seem as though the author knew me and I just know the book was just for me?

Every time I walk into a lovely used  book store  or browse through my local library I am full of excitement and anticipation and I can’t help but wonder what adventure will I be taken on while browsing through all those wonderful books?  Every now and then a movie comes along that resonates with us it maybe a romantic comedy, drama, religious, political or your favorite childhood movie but one thing that is guaranteed you’ll be thinking about possibilities.  One of my favorite movies is a 1940s movie called ”The Shop Around The Corner ” Kralik , puts a red carnation in his lapel and finally reveals to Miss Novak that he is in fact her mystery correspondent . . . her “dear friend” and the two kiss and embrace. While watching the movie you just think  they are perfect for each other but will they or wouldn’t they fall in love?  That’s the question!

In the 1981 film “Steel Magnolias“ at her daughters funeral and  after the other mourner have left. M’Lynn  ( Sally Field) breaks down in hysterics in front of four of her best friends crying out in anger “WHY” and her friends are able to give support to her through love and humor. Later M’Lynn begins to accept her daughter’s death and focuses her energy on helping raise her grandson and life goes on.  Toward the end of  Steel Magnolias you might feel like you are on an emotional roller coaster ride full of sadness when M’Lynn is asking “WHY” and is expressing her anger that her daughter died. I always cry, cry, cry,  then I start feeling better as M’Lynn goes from asking “WHY” to loving and enjoying her grandson and I find myself returning to joy  and laughter as I watch her with her with family, friends and grandson enjoying an Easter Egg hunt.

In the 1998 movie “You’ve Got Mail“ Joe, known as ”Ny152″  mysteriously postponed meeting shop girl in the beginning of the movie and at the end of the movie they finally meet for the first time. Brinkley, Joe’s golden retriever, who is the topic of many e-mails is with him and Kathleen admits that she had wanted “NY152″ to be Joe so badly, and the two kiss.  “Brinkley” Joes golden retriever steals the show and once again we are reminded anything is possible. Shop Girl forgives Ny152 for being part of the big business world that contributed to closing  her family  book store that she had inherited   from her mother . . .  there we have it a Hollywood ending . . .  they happily ever after.

This is a story about Stella who changed her disappointments into determinations and had a dream come true and if it can happen to her it can happen to you too! Stella owns a Vintage Victorian shop in Bouzigues. France, half an hour west of Montpellier. Her shop offers a bit of paradise to everyone who stops in to see her and the tourist love to come from all over to buy antiques from her.

It ‘s no surprise that Stella recognizes a real treasure when she finds one and evidently so did David as they stood in a vintage consignment shop that was mixed in among the beautiful high-end galleries. As Stella stood there admiring a vintage painting of a 17th century The French formal garden, also called jardin a`la francaise Stella noticed that the man admiring the same painting wasn’t wearing a wedding ring either. Stella was feeling out-of-place when she realized how she was dressed and it wasn’t exactly an out fit that would encourage a guy to ask a girl for her phone number or out for a cup a coffee. It was a Friday night and she was on her way to a local flea market and dressed in what she called her flea market cloths.

She had learned after many years of shopping for items to buy to resale in her shop that if she dressed a little shabby people seemed to show favor to her and she could haggle them down on the prices which always made her feel good but this Friday night she regretted not being dressed up but then again she hadn’t planned on meeting David.

At first Stella contemplated leaving when she realized that the handsome man in a well-cut suit would probably out bid her for the painting. She came to this conclusion based on the way the receptionist was eyeing her jeans and shabby blouse not to mention how frazzled her hair looked after riding a motor scooter around town with out a helmet on.

She thought to herself: How could she possibly win the receptionist over?  After all the man was exceptionally handsome and charming in a George Clooney kind of way. Before she knew it the man in the well-cut suit said, “David Morgan.”  I’m an appraiser as they shook hands.  She said, I hadn’t expected the appraiser to be tall, thirty-ish and so good-looking. He took the painting and said “ Nice landscape, I love the way the colors glow.” Don’t you? She wanted to say, I love the way your eyes glow when you look at this painting. He said, I admire the amber-toned wheat field and then glanced at her. Suddenly aware of how close to him she was standing, she stepped back. He studied the signature as he said, ”I remember this picture it was part of an estate auction and the artist is pretty obscure.” Then he said, I need about an hour to research this painting to come up with a fair price for you, he went on to say if you leave your email or cell number I’ll call you in about an hour or so.

Stella handed him one of her business cards and went home. She was thrilled at the thought of having an hour of to put herself together and was hoping that she would  make a lasting impression on him. She knew exactly which dress to wear to gain his attention it was her new summer crêpe dress with its playful details on it. She paired  it with a pair of stacked sandals an oversized leather tote and added an  oversized stylish leather belt and matching hat.

Stella called her friend Bridget who is a make up artist and hair stylish to came over to do her hair and make up and when Bridget had finished Stella said, that she didn’t recognize the beauty looking back in her in the mirror. Bridget couldn’t help but notice that while she was doing what she does best making women look gorgeous Stella hadn’t stopped talking about David for even one second. So Bridget said, don’t forget to invite me to the wedding. Stella blushed and wrote down David Morgan is my husband thank you God.

David called Stella exactly when he said he would and they met back at the flea market but this time David looked like an unmade bed. Stella couldn’t help but to start blushing because she thought it was obvious that she had gotten all dazzled up to impress him. David took one look at her and said, vous allez faire une belle mariee bientot  translated into English means: you are going to make a beautiful bride soon Stella took his words as a sign and one year latter Bridget was her maid of honor. . . Isn’t God good she said?

Have you ever felt that you walked the path of your life alone? That you were the only woman who has ever made a painful, stupid mistake? That you settled for less than you deserved?  Did you desperately desire love above all else? Did you yearn for a real partner so much it hurt: Have you ever thought “Why is every woman but me in a great relationship?  “Why can’t I be that happy?” Or found yourself rejected by the person you loved and it left you feeling that something was wrong with you?

When a devastating breakdown of a relationship ends it can feel like a wild boar‘s tusk ripping through your heart. You can become convinced that you are the only woman who has ever made a complete mess of your life. You feel alone, rejected, and furious that you had deceived yourself for so long. That you had given up on “yourself” to keep the love of another for years, only to be left with a heart torn to shreds.

What women learn shortly after the initial blow of their relationship’s end is that, they failed to understand above all else, is that they needed to honor the most important relationship of all “the one with themselves.” The ending of a relationship becomes the beginning of a journey for women  to learn many things about themselves and how to love and honor themselves.

The journey of being a woman can seem crazy and confusing but for better or worse, women have many of the same stories, heartbreak, obstacles, and expectations. The good news is that women don’t have to remain captive to the limiting beliefs swirling in their psyches and in society, which keeps them far from their dreams. We always have a choice. Along life’s path, we all have the opportunity to gain wisdom from our mistakes, the self-awareness that comes from healing our wounds, and clarity by claiming our needs.

If we are lucky enough to wake up to the immense power that is available to heal our hearts and teach us how to love ourselves, we have a responsibility to share our stories and insights with others. Otherwise, the true power of our realizations will be lost. Sharing allows us to see ourselves in the words of others, gain witnesses to our personal journey, and broaden the possibilities that lie before us.

I, too relied on the wisdom and support of many women, some of them total strangers, to progress through my journey to wholeness.  By watching others and listening, I learned that to fully and wholeheartedly love another I first needed to fully and wholeheartedly embrace “ myself.” This realization is a major source of inspiration in my decision to share my knowledge and experiences with  other women. Women need to share the wisdom gained on their personal path as they went from being a person they thought they had to be to be loved to being the one they actually are.

In them I gained wisdom while on my personal path as I went from being  a person I thought I knew and loved to being one I actually do know and love. We shared our stories about living ordinary lives, raising children, creating a safe home life, the ups and downs of stay at home moms to the working moms. Some of us were married and some single. We talked about many issues like paying bills, being young, and getting older and the list goes on and on and lets not forget divorce as well. We also talked about trying to find sources of love and happiness but often looking in the wrong places. When we stopped and took a careful look at the life we had created and honesty answered this question “Am I honoring the most important relationship in my life first?  The one with my self and God.

We discovered reclaiming our lives meant giving up the fairy tale that we had created about ourselves and instead finding out what reality was. The new path may did not seem clear at the beginning to us  and we felt like we were fumbling in the dark grabbing for something to hold to, then one of my dear friends said, remember this is a normal feeling and keep moving forward and don’t go back. During this time we discovered within ourselves the spirit of survivor and a deeper faith we never knew existed.

 We also learned that loving ourselves is knowing ourselves, enjoying and valuing the women that we are, and understanding that getting to know ourselves and God  is a lifelong personal enterprise. It meant that we needed to  appreciate ourselves as much as we appreciate the ones we love. Loving ourselves is recognizing our gifts and talents and then putting them to good use, acknowledging our flaws and forgiving ourselves for them. We learned that loving ourselves was reaching for more, it was reaching for the best, in ourselves. We discovered that our hearts can only hold as much love as we believe it can. So often women put up with shabby treatment in love because they don’t believe they deserve better or they are still stuck in fairy tale thinking.  So treat yourself better, believe you deserve to be treated well, and you will get treated even more wonderfully in love than any fairy tale woman has ever been. 

Carol. M.

Flowers are a beautiful addition to any wedding decor, as well as a lovely adornment for the wedding party. Brides make sure they choose flowers with care and consideration to enhance their ceremony. It’s been said, that during Victorian times, lovers would send messages to each other using different flowers, with each flower having its own meaning. These associations were soon adopted for the bride’s bouquets and are still used today by many brides. Isn’t that romantic?

During Roman times, brides and grooms wore floral garlands to signify new life and hope for fertility. The custom of the bride carrying flowers has its roots in ancient times. Strong smelling herbs and spices were thought to ward off and drive away evil spirits and ill-health.

Flowers are love’s truest language and here is a few of the most popular wedding flowers preferred by brides today and their symbolic meanings.

• Anemones: Represents expectations and they bloom in either single or double blossoms an is in season from fall (Japanese) to spring (Wood or De Can)
• Baby’s Breath: Represents innocence and is best used as a filler in bouquets, corsage and are in season year round.
• Calla Lily: Means magnificent beauty and this large tropical flower is very popular in weddings.
• Carnations: Pink represents boldness, red symbolizes love and white indicates talent, some other colors have negative connotations. Carnations are in season all year-round and have a very light fragrance or none at all.
• Chrysanthemum or Mum: Meaning wealth, abundance, truth and the name literally means “Golden Flower” used most often in the fall.
• Daffodil: Meaning regard and is most often used in the spring.
• Daisy: Meaning share your feelings and are in season year-round.
• Freesia: Meaning innocence and spring brides enjoy the sweet fragrance of the freesia flower.
• Gardenia: Meaning purity and joy.
• Hydrangea: Meaning understanding and is used by spring and fall wedding bouquets and arrangements.
• Iris: Meaning a message of faith, wisdom and spring brides enjoy this beautiful flower as part of their wedding bouquets.
• Lilac: Meaning love’s first emotions with a strong fragrance. A little flower fact: The local lilac is grown like a bush, and is used as a filler because of the greenery. The French lilac is more flower like and can be used as such in bouquets and arrangements. This exotic flower comes in a variety of colors and sizes.
• Lily of the Valley: Meaning happiness and these small, fragile, bell-shaped flowers are considered traditional marriage flowers.
• Magnolia: Love of nature and are best used for flower arrangements by spring or summer brides.
• Orchid: Meaning love, beauty and is best used for bouquet, boutonnieres and corsages.
•  Roses:  Meaning love, joy and they are the most popular wedding flower.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
•   Stephanotis: Meaning marital happiness. They are best used for bouquets and arrangements. Brides love their trumpet shape blossoms consider them traditional bridal flowers, no doubt due to their meaning.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
• Tulips: Meaning love, passion this flower is a favorite for spring brides. Flower fact: These sweet and stately flowers can be found in myriad of colors. Let’s not forget the Sunflower many country brides love their sunflowers!

Brides and Grooms will be celebrating World Marriage Day on the second Sunday in February and it honors husbands and wives as the basic units of society, and statutes for ”the beauty of their faithfulness, sacrifice, and joy in daily married life. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate with flowers that express your truest love language to your sweetheart.

Carol. E.

I’m a little bit more in love with you each morning when I wake up. I’m  little bit more in love with you every time you say my name. I’m a little bit more in love with you every  time you walk into the room. I’m a little bit more in love with you everyday. I love you today and I’ll love you tomorrow. I love you in good times an I’ll love you in sorrow. I’ll take you just the way you are or any way you choose to be because I love you.

The day you came into my life . . . the sun shone brighter, the flowers opened wider, the stars spun in the sky and my heart was happy. Thank you for believing in me when I pushed you away.Thank you for taking the time to  help me find my way. Thank  you for standing beside me. Thank you for each day you were there for me. Thank you for riding through the rough waters of change with me and holding my hand but most of all thank you for loving me.