We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. then we are frustrated that the kids aren't enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire.

The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? I have realised that late in life i am afraid but i just wanted to tell you younger members.

Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred D Souza. He said, "For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid.
Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life".
This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So, reassure every moment that you have. And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time...and remember that time waits for no one...
So stop waiting until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until winter, until you are off benefits, until the first or fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you've had a drink, until you've sobered up, until you die, until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy..

Happiness is a journey, not a destination. Get a life now!!!

I dont seem to get here much these days as i have been trying other facilities i.e myspace,blogger,wordpress etc. But i have settled at Windows Live Spaces. Windows live offers so much and as i have a msn and hotmail account there is no end to what Windows live offers.even 5GB to storefiles and folders,graphics and much more. You can find me here if you have an msn/hotmail account you can even start your own blog.

Anywayff on my travels again

Easter is Sunday, much earlier than usual this year, and many people are scratching their heads. Isn't it still cold out? Didn't we just celebrate Christmas?

As it turns out, there's a very simple explanation, and it has nothing to do with the church, a vast religious conspiracy or even a complex marketing scheme on the part of candy-makers and egg farmers.

It's the moon  SO NOW YOU KNOW!!!

In the UK and Europe, the earliest Easter eggs were painted and decorated hen, duck or goose eggs, a practice still carried on in parts of the world today. As time went by, artificial eggs were made and by the end of the 17th century, manufactured eggs were available for purchase at Easter, for giving as Easter gifts and presents....

It's healthy!  Chocolate is good for you...
Recent research from Italy suggests that chocolate can lower blood pressure, neutralise free radicals and boost the body's ability to metabolise sugar. However scientists pointed out that the effects were only found in dark chocolate and warned that anyone seeking to boost their health through chocolate should make alterations in their diet to counter the additional calories. Chocolate helps you concentrate... It contains a caffeine-like stimulant called theobromine and chocolate can boost low blood-sugar levels. Also chocolate is a good source of chromium, which helps to control blood sugar.

If you dont like the idea of your chld having too many chocolate Easter egss why dont you do what we did years ago..its fun for all. make your own painted eggs and hide them around the house/garden and after they have all been collected give each child a little treat i.e and outing or do a favorite activity with them. Alternatively you can use this as an activity and display the eggs in a basket over the Easter. Your kids will be proud of what they have done

 Materials Needed:

·A Raw Egg
·Pin, Needle, Nail or Tack
·Craft Paints
·Paint Brushes
·Sponges, Stamps, Toothbrushes and Strings
·Newspaper (to cover work surface)
·Candle sticks or Soda bottles
·Clear Polyurethane Spray -OR- Clear Nail Polish
·Small Bowl

Cover the work area with newspaper to protect surfaces. Press the nail, pin or tack into both ends of the egg (round end and pointy end). Make a small hole at each end. Use the pin to enlarge the hole, by chipping away at the shell.

Stick the pin into the hole and stir up the egg. Holding the egg over the bowl, blow as hard as you can into one of the holes. The egg will come out of the other hole. If you did not stir up the egg, the yolk will not be broken and it will be Very hard to blow out.

Save the egg, for scrambled eggs tomorrow morning. Thoroughly wash the inside and outside of the egg with warm soapy water.

Allow to drain and dry completely. Let the kids paint the eggs with the craft paints. Use sponges, toothbrushes, stamps or anything you like to help decorate the egg.

Place the egg onto a candle stick or soda bottle to dry. When egg is totally dry, spray with clear polyurethane, or paint with clear nail polish.

Apply a second coat of clear finish.

Allow to dry as noted above.

Place these beautiful eggs in a basket and display them on the kitchen counter!

Note- If you have trouble blowing out the egg, make the holes bigger and stir the egg again, or shake it.

by the way.................can you guess where the Easter Bunny is ?

Its been a while since i wrote in my journal but i thought i better come and post otherwise people will think i've emigrated to Turkey

According to some health experts one out of every six people suffers from some form of winter depression. The average adult will gain a couple of pounds and suffer from one to two respiratory illnesses each year.(how about 8lbs?)

Doctors say there are some things you can do to fight the winter blues. Spend more time in the sunshine even if you have to bundle up, head outdoors and get some fresh air. Even if you crave fattening foods try to eat more fruits and vegetables. Exercise, and if you're feeling really depresses, see your doctor, you might be a candidate for anti- depressants(no way!) or light therapy (Gosh! do you know how expensive light therapy is.on top of our ever soaring electricity bills?.no wonder i'm depressed!!!) Some clever chap actually invented an anti rain device thats proven to increase happiness by the power of 2 when its raining outside, its called a coat. I Spend my money on one of them rather than a dumb light.

It's proven that reduced exposure to sunshine can make you unhappy. It's not the rain itself thats the problem, but lack of sunshine. For me, being a Leo and a sun sign this cold dreary weather in the UK is pi*****g me off!!!

Good job i'm off to Turkey in 4 weeks

Well its been 6 years since my foster daughter came to me and last week she left. She is now married.

the wedding went great! I bet she could not have dreamed of this fairytale event when she was with her own family in Iraq.
The happy couple are on honeymoon in Egypt. I thought i would like to share a few pictures with you.

Ihave an empty nest now . I went shopping this weekend intending to shop for two but came back with too much. I am going to have to adjust!

The girls these days have more of a choice in their wedding outfits so its not traditionaly red as some people might have thought. After all she is Iraqi and they wear white! Fortunatley my foster daughter and i have similar tastes so we loved the light cofee cream I bought the grooms outfit as i knew that on the evening of the celebrations he would be wearing a suit. Thankfully, he loved it.
The pink and lilac outfit she wore in the evening was bought by his family.

This is me hubby and my daughter

New Year's resolutions have come under fire over the years. The problem seems to be that most New Year's resolutions are never kept… that most people who make them, never fulfill them.

Well, duh. Welcome to human nature, where we customarily over-promise and under-deliver. Probably more to ourselves than others. That said, there's nothing wrong - and everything right - with resolving to do or achieve something in the new year… if you are committed to following through on your resolution.

Given that it's the follow-through that's important, I suggest abandoning those lofty goals that sound great… but you feel, deep down, are just too implausible. (We can work on changing your mindset about what is, and what is not, implausible later!)

Instead, choose just ONE thing you want to do, achieve, have or change in 2008 that, while it may pose some slight challenges, you KNOW you can accomplish. Then (a) write it down or share it with someone who cares and(b) begin the process of achieving it within the first few days of 2008.

Doing these two things will help you commit to your goal.

My goal is as usual.LOSE WEIGHT!!!

The custom of sending Christmas cards began in London in 1843 when Sir Henry Cole commissioned a card with an illustration by John Callcott Horsley. A batch of 1000 cards was printed off and sold for a shilling each. At that time the focus was more on the picture than on the Christmas greeting message inside. From around 1860, Christmas cards were produced in larger numbers As printing methods improved.

The Development of Christmas Cards

Traditionally, Christmas cards showed religious pictures illustrating parts of the Christmas story. The religious aspect became less popular in the late 19th century and cards became more lavish. At the turn-of-the century European Christmas postcards were introduced and remained popular for the next 10 years. And from then on designs and fashions in Christmas Cards and their greeting messages have developed through the hand-painted cards were popular during the 1920s and heavily influenced by the Art Deco movement, those making fun of poverty and prohibition during the 1930s, to more humorous cards that were introduced in the 1950s. Humor continues to be popular today, as does religious motifs, winter pictures, Father Christmas, or romantic scenes of life in past times.

May the forgiving spirit of Him to whom we dedicate this season prevail again on earth.
May hunger disappear and terrorists cease their senseless acts.
May people live in freedom, worshiping as they see fit, loving others.
May the sanctity of the home be ever preserved.
May peace, everlasting peace, reign supreme.

Close the door of hate
and open the door of love all over the world.
Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting.
Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings,
and teach us to be merry with clear hearts.