Enjoy Your Hot Chocolate

Here I go again. The following essay was in the latest edition of the Cook'n Newsletter. Just when we think we've got it all....

ENJOY YOUR HOT CHOCOLATE

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives.

Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups - porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: 'Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.

What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eying each other's cup.

Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate: your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us. God makes the hot chocolate, man chooses the cups. The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have.

Live simply.

Love generously.

Care deeply.

Speak kindly.

And Enjoy your hot chocolate.

What else can I add?

B

Introducing Mr & Mrs David Nelson

It's official - I'm a mother-in-law and a step-grandmother! We have truly been blessed.

It was a perfect day for a perfect wedding. It was as if nothing could go wrong. Isn't that the way weddings are supposed to be?

Of course, it's not just two people joining their lives into one. It is also each one's family and friends that will also be joined. We were delighted to meet our "in-laws." Jessica has a large extended family. Two of her grandmothers were able to attend, along with lots of uncles, aunts, and cousins. As an added bonus, we had the opportunity to visit with John's nephew and his new bride. Tom and Jessica are a great match and they have so much in common with Dave and Jessica. I'm sure they will be visiting often. And we all had a great time after the wedding.

And now, Jessica and Dave are off on their honeymoon. They are cruising the Gulf of Mexico for five nights before returning to a beautiful home. We are wishing them a long, loving marriage (with lots of kids???).

It's All Coming Together!

We are on the final week's countdown for the wedding next Sunday. As usual, the closer it gets, the more worries. All the same, all weddings seem to work out just fine.

We had another goose-drowner rain last night. We are all focusing on the weekend forecast which is for warm and dry.

The Cuellar workforce has taken control of the house preparations and moving arrangement. I think everything is coming along with time to spare.

So for now, please keep thinking peace, calm, and dry weather.

Where's Noah When You Need Him?

Rain has continued here in Batesville IN. Last night's rain was hard and heavy at times. Today is overcast with rain in and out. However, in light of the morning news' reports of tornadoes, hail and heavy rain makes me glad we were not there. I really feel for people affected by all the storms worldwide.

John decided to get out his lathe yesterday. At the time it as sunny. He hadn't had it out on the picnic table for 15 minutes before the rains came back. I hope he gets a chance to work on it soon. He always enjoys it so much.

He went out to make sure the tarp was over the lathe and checking the outside of the motor home. Remember that bird's nest in the last post? We have eggs!!! The nest has been "redecorated" and occupied. I'm so glad we don't have to move for a while. I don't know how long it takes for the eggs to hatch, but I'm looking forward to watching the nest. Since I'm not a birdy personn, I don't know what type of bird we have. It does seem to be opportunistic to take over someone's abandoned nest.

David & Jessica brought Lindsey out for dinner last night. We had a nice visit and some pretty tasty food. I am loving getting to know our new family members. They are taking us to a Reds baseball game next week. Seeing a major league baseball game has been on my list for years. Even when we lived near Dallas TX, I didn't get to a game so this will be my first. Can't wait!

May Day 2008

Welcome to a new month - hopefully one that will see great weather wherever we are!

We made it into Indian Lakes Thousand Trails Park in Batesville, IN yesterday afternoon. Since we are going to be here three weeks, we did the whole enchilada setup - screens, mat, chairs, tables, etc. Finally finished that up this afternoon.

The wind is really whipping around here. John took this picture of our flag beside the motor home. You can see that it is straight out (but not always in the same direction). I found this flag at the Western Gypsy Gathering 2008 in Casa Grande, AZ. It has the MIA/POW emblem on one side of the eagle and the US Flag on the other. The eagle has a banner in his talons "All Gave Some - Some Gave All.

John found this birds' nest when he got the ladder off the back of the rig. The hoses you see were coiled behind the ladder on the rooftop ladder. I'll bet that was one confused bird when she came home to no home! They had tried to build a nest in our dryer vent (from the outside). One of our neighbors came over and told us what was going on. John got most of the twigs and grass out. Next time I did laundry, I checked the vent filter. It had a bunch of twigs and grass in it.

We were sitting in the living room the other day. I looked out to see a pair of birds doing their mating dance. Two steps to the left and then two to the right. A couple bounces forward and then back. All in precision movements. Amazing.

One more bird story - on our stop at Costco in Memphis we saw a little bird and baby bird. I think they were chickadees - the ones that have a black and white pattern. Mom would fly off and try to get Casper's attention with the broken wing trick. It was so amazing to see this little baby that looked just like mom, only smaller.

During our stop in Jackson, John missed seeing Mike at the Post Office because Mike was in Norman at a school. They did talk, though, on the phone. We learned that Mike's daughter had been killed in an accident just a few weeks ago. From what we heard, she hadn't been driving long and over-reacted to a slip or skid. Our hearts go out to Mike and his family. It has often been said that no parent should have to bury their child. We can only imagine their grief. We'll pray for them and hope you will, too.

David, Jessica and Lindsey are due out to visit tonight. Since I am such a wonderful housekeeper, I have nothing better to do than write on my blog (if you believe this.....). At least I can get the dishes put away and the floors vacuumed. There's really no point in dusting as long as this wind is whipping around. So that leaves me time to frost a cake for dessert.

Happy Spring - Rejoice and be glad in it!