Sunny Side of life

I love these songs that are optimistic but recognize "the dark and the troubled side of life" as well.



Calvin got me into Gillian Welch a while ago and I am obsessed!



And I love this song, I didn't know it was her!

Mother Teresa

Was thinking of this poem of hers while I was out for my run last night. I am trying to run as much as possible in preparation for the Thanksgiving point half marathon that Mokey (Sarah E) and I are running at the end of the month. Lately I've been running a loop that includes the stairs that lead up to "Old Main" at the Utah State Campus. This poem kept popping into my head.
I think it was because I had just finished reading a section on interview questions in one of my text books for the recruitment and selection course I am taking. The question was, "If you could sit down and have a conversation with any celebrity, character from history or fiction, who would it be?

I think Mother Teresa would be the real life person I would like to meet and Anne of Green Gables would be the fictional one. Anyway, here is the poem that kept flashing into my mind:


People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

On the other hand, I would love to meet Florence Nightingale. I have read two biographies of her and I am smitten. One I read was in high-school when I was procrastinating an assignment and the other I read for an assignment I did in a Women's Studies class back in my Cap College days. Florence was an amazing woman who shunned having a pleasant and social life to establish nursing as a credible, honorable profession (nursing used to be synonymous with prostitution.) Her work saved thousands of lives and established a new field and a new realm for women to enter.

MOABS

About a year ago, Calvin and I took a trip to Southern Utah with Nita, Andy and the boys. We stayed in this hilarious motel that was decorated like a grandmother's home. It had crocheted doilies and outdated floral print linens and weird golden gulls affixed to the walls. James thought it was beautiful and wanted to return and stay in the same room because it was just sooo beautiful! The boys kept referring to Moab as "Moabs" and were very good sports about going hiking and exploring the area. We checked out Arches National Park and just enjoyed each others company.

We also had western style photos taken of us all and the boys were the most adorable little cowboys in "da whole white world"! (one of Finn's favourite expressions these days.) Anyway, Nita and I came across the photos from our trip the other day and I had to scan them and "save them forever and ever even after I die." (Another one of Finn's favourite expressions these days only he is usually referring to toys that he is giving me and wants me to keep at my house forever and ever even after I die)