The Book of Virtues

My husband bought this book several years ago when our two boys were small. But I put it up and forgot all about it. There is a wonderful selection of stories from long ago that I have forgotten but came back to me like it was yesterday that someone had read these treasures to me. Here is one that has recaptured my heart, The Arrow and the Song by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The author notes:


In this poem, Longfellow suggests that if we offer something of ourselves to the world~ a good deed, a kind word, our love~ eventually we will discover its effects. It may come back to us in a form of a friend:

I shot an arrow into the air,

It fell to earth, I knew not where;

For, so swiftly it flew, the sight

Could not follow it in its flight.

I breathed a song into the air,

It fell to earth, I knew not where;

For who has sight so keen and strong,

That it can follow the flight of song?

Long, long afterward, in an oak

I found the arrow, still unbroke;

And the song, from beginning to end,

I found again in the heart of a friend.

This is my mother and father at Christmas in 2008. My father

has dementia. His short term memory is gone.

I believe he found his best friend long ago. Don't they look sweet?

2009 - We Shall Have a Prosperous Year!

Yes, why not? Let's begin the new year on a positive note. I know this is my year of great happenings. It's like something is stirring up, like something I've been waiting for all my life. This is the year it comes to pass. All of my inner feelings of things to change for the better. It's this year! What an amazing thing to realize and feel deep in my soul.

My newest little grandaughter came into the world on December 16th. Her name is Madyson Gayle. What a pretty little thing she is too! That makes number four! Wow - I can't wait to see how all my grands grow up and decide what they will do with their lives. First and foremost I hope they all will have that special relationship with our heavenly Father. If they start with that then they will be able to get through anything that comes their way. I know this to be true. How He has helped me to endure a marriage that almost wasn't, death of loved ones and friends, joblessness, financial troubles, you name it ~ it probably happened to us one time or another. And we've come out on the other side - very blessed.

Losing loved ones is inevitable. My parents are elderly and not in the best of health. So I know I may lose one of them this year but we know where they are going and that gives us peace.

Our new commander and President, Mr. Obama, is sure to change things for the better. But we must pray for him. We must uphold him to the Lord and ask the Lord to guide this man to the will of the Father. I will do my part. Please do yours. And do it One Day at a Time!