TALL PINES

TALL PINES THEY RISE ABOVE US LIKE PROTECTIVE UMBRELLAS
                               TO ALL THAT IS BELOW THEM.

        THEY SHOWER US WITH SHADE ON HOT SUMMER DAYS

               THERE AROMA OF PINE IS COMFORTING TO US

        WHEN THERE NEEDLES DROP THEY COAT THE GROUND
                             LIKE A BEAUTIFUL COMFORTER
                FOR ALL THE WILDLIFE BELOW TO REST ON

 JUST SOME WORDS ON THESE TALL TREES THAT RISE ABOVE US...

                     
                                                              



BAD HAIR DAY

OK SO TODAY I DECIDE TO TRY NOT TO SAY ANYTHING NEGATIVE FOR A WHILE.
THE DAY WAS GOING GOOD THE USUAL COFFEE, BACON, THE NEWS PAPER.
I'M THINKING IT'S EARLY I'LL GO GET MY HAIRCUT.

I GET THERE AND THE GIRL THAT CUTS MY HAIR IS NOT THERE
OK DON'T EVEN THINK ANYTHING NEGATIVE JUST ROLL WITH IT...

WELL I MUST HAVE BOUGHT MY CALENDAR AT THE DOLLAR STORE
BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS NATIONAL BAD HAIRCUT DAY...

I MEAN THIS GIRL WAS LIKE HOW'S IT LOOK I HAD TO TELL HER FIVE TIMES
SHE MISSED SOME.

AND THEN SHE'S TELLING ME HOW BAD HER EYESIGHT IS. " REALLY "
ALL I'M THINKING IS THE PERSON WHO HIRED HER SHOULD BE FORCED
TO GET A HAIRCUT FROM HER...

WELL I DECIDED TO RISE ABOVE MY EVIL THOUGHTS
POLITELY SAY THANK YOU AND GO HOME AND RECUT MY HAIR...

THANK GOD IT'S ONLY HAIR AND IT'LL GROW BACK!
I AM GLAD I DIDN"T HAVE TO GO TO THE DOCTOR FOR ANYTHING TODAY...

I THINK I DID PRETTY GOOD WITH NOT SAYING ANYTHING NEGATIVE.
ALTHOUGH SOME MAY CONSIDER THIS AS SAYING SOMETHING NEGATIVE...

OH WELL HOPE YOUR DAYS POSITIVE!

SUCCESS IS ?

I WAS THINKING ABOUT SUCCESS AND WEALTH AND WHAT MAKES IT SO ATTRACTIVE.
IT'S NOT JUST THE FACT THAT YOU COULD BUY ANYTHING YOU WANT...

SUCCESS TO ME IS THE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT, THE FEELING YOU GET FROM
SEEING SOMETHING YOU WORKED SO HARD ON. YOUR THOUGHTS BECOME REALITY!

SUCCESS FOR ME COMES TO ME IN MANY WAYS.
MY PAINTINGS, RESTORING OLD CARS, GOING TO WORK AND DOING A GOOD JOB,
I COULD GO ON BUT MY FAVORITE SUCCESS IS FAMILY!!

WE ARE ALL LOOKING TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER...

SUCCESS MAY BE RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!

YOU JUST NEED TO RISE ABOVE AND LOOK IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION...

CRYING OVER SPILT MILK...

I WANT TO BE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE,
YOU KNOW THE ONES
THAT AFTER LOOKING FOR THE MILK
FOR THEIR MORNING COFFEE
JUST TO FIND OUT THERE IS NONE
THEY JUST GO ON WITHOUT
MISSING A BEAT, YOU KNOW
I'LL JUST HAVE IT BLACK
OR BE RIGHT BACK GOING TO GET MILK...
I KNOW I'M BABBLING ABOUT NOTHING,
BUT WHEN THERE'S NO MILK
IT REALLY RUINS MY DAY
ANYWAY I WANT TO RISE ABOVE ME
AND BE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE
I JUST NEED TO STOP
CRYING OVER SPILT MILK...

HAPPY EASTER

                                                    I WILL RISE ABOVE ME TODAY.

                             AND THANK GOD FOR THE RICH LIFE HE HAS GIVING US.

GOOD CLEAN FUN

                   SO HERE I AM TRYING TO GET BACK ON MY BLOGGER TRACK.
                           I THOUGHT I'D SHARE SOMETHING WITH YOU TODAY.
                            IF YOU READ MY BLOG YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY THIS
                                 OVER AND OVER I SHOULD BE IN ADVERTISING..

                            ANYWAY THE OTHER DAY AT WORK WE GOT A NEW
                                            BATH PRODUCT IN CALLED STICKUMS.
                            BASICALLY SUCTION CUP SOAP DISHES AND HOOKS.

                    THIS IS MY ATTEMPT TO GENERATE SALES ON THIS PRODUCT.

                     I DON'T KNOW MAYBE I'M CRAZY BUT EVERYBODY SEEMED TO
                                                SMILE WHEN THEY LOOKED AT IT...

                                               TOO BAD I HAD TO TAKE IT DOWN.
        BUT ANYWAY EVERY TIME I THINK ABOUT IT THE CORNERS OF MY MOUTH
                                                                    RISE ABOVE...

RISING ABOVE THE BLOCK

I'VE GOT BLOCK...
IT'S THE SAME THING AS WRITER'S BLOCK
EXCEPT FOR I DON'T CONSIDER MYSELF A WRITER...

BUT TECHNICALLY I'M WRITING SO I GUESS I DON'T HAVE BLOCK?
ANYWAY TOO MUCH GOING ON IN MY HEAD TO GET OUT THE GOOD STUFF.

I WON'T BORE YOU ANYMORE.
I WASN'T GOING TO WRITE TODAY BUT I NEEDED TO RISE ABOVE THE BLOCK...

HOPEFULLY SOMEDAY I'LL HAVE WRITERS BLOCK!

MAKING IT HAPPEN

OH WELL. RESULTS FROM MY INTERVIEW ARE BACK DID NOT GET THE POSITION..
SO I SENT OUT MY RESUME TO A BIGGER COMPANY, NO REGRETS IT'LL HAPPEN!

ANYWAY IN MY MAKING IT HAPPEN MOOD I DECIDED TO GIVE MY LITTLE
SKATEBOARDER SON DEAN THE ROOM HE ALWAYS WANTED

I GOT OUT THE WOOD AND MADE SOME SKATEBOARD WINDOW SILLS.

SOME OLD SKATEBOARD PARTS, MADE A COOL SHELF..

A HEADBOARD SIGN.

THE LITTLE LADY PAINTED AND PUT UP NEW CURTAINS
AND NOW HE HAS A COOL SKATEBOARD THEME ROOM.

JUST RISING ABOVE AND MAKING IT HAPPEN...

THERE IS NO BETTER TIME TO BE HAPPY THEN RIGHT NOW

           WITH A NEW DAY COMES NEW GOALS!
 SO TODAY I DECIDE TO GO AFTER MY NEW GOALS..

              EVEN THOUGH I HAVE A GOOD JOB,
AND I INTERVIEWED FOR A BETTER POSITION THERE.
   I AM GOING TO APPLY FOR JOBS THAT I KNOW,
                         I WOULD BE GREAT AT!

    I NEED TO GET BACK TO HAPPY, HAPPY MEANS,
                  WORKING AT A JOB YOU LIKE.
MONDAY TO FRIDAY. NO SATURDAYS OR SUNDAYS!
                 YOU SHOULD BE WITH FAMILY...
                
      REMEMBER THERE IS NO BETTER TIME TO BE
                      HAPPY THEN RIGHT NOW!

                       IT IS WHAT WE MAKE IT...
       RISE ABOVE AND GET YOUR HAPPY BACK!

SUNRISE

         THE ONE THING WE COULD ALWAYS COUNT ON IS A BEAUTIFUL SUNRISE...
    BUT FOR SOME REASON,LIKE MOST OF US I CANNOT REMEMBER THE LAST TIME
                                  I ACTUALLY WAITED AND WATCHED THE SUN RISE.

                                         ANYWAY TODAY I LEFT EARLY FOR WORK
               AND PULLED OVER TO SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WATCH THE SUNRISE.

                                                         IT WAS TRULY BEAUTIFUL...
                                                    LIKE IT WAS GOD'S GIFT TO ME.

                               IT FELT GOOD WATCHING THE SUN RISE ABOVE ME...

KIDS ARE FUNNY

BOYS WILL BE BOYS, TODAY AFTER I PICK UP MY SONS FROM SCHOOL.
WE PULL IN THE DRIVEWAY AND GET OUT AND MY ONE SON IS TRYING
TO GET OUR ATTENTION.

YOU GUYS HAVE TO SEE THIS IS ALL HE KEPT ON SAYING. OVER AND OVER.

SO WE FINALLY GO TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON, AND HE SHOWS US THIS.
CHECK IT OUT. A DEAD BUG. COOL RIGHT? I'M THINKING OK.

BUT THE FUNNY PART IS. HE SAYS THAT'S NOT WHAT I WANT YOU TO SEE
LOOK AT THIS.

HE GOES LOOK AT THIS THAT BIRD DEFINITELY HAD TO GO NUMBER TWO.
YES THAT'S BIRD POOP! AND YES IN THE MIDDLE IS A NUMBER TWO...

ANYWAY, NOW WE ARE GOING TO RISE ABOVE THE POOP AND
LOOK FOR MORE NUMBERS.

47 YEARS

 THE WAY I FIGURE IT, THAT'S HOW LONG IT TOOK ME TO OPEN MY EYES,
 TO WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND ME, I'M NOT SAYING I WAS COMPLETELY
        BLIND TO EVERYTHING JUST MOST OF THE IMPORTANT STUFF...

 SO MUCH HAS CHANGED LIKE MOVING A COUPLE OF THOUSAND MILES
      AWAY FROM EVERYTHING THAT MADE ME FEEL COMFORTABLE.

        IT'S THE CLOSEST THING I COULD IMAGINE TO BE LIVING IN A
                                               FOREIGN COUNTRY!

     YET IT'S BEEN SUCH A POSITIVE MOVE, DEPENDING ON NOBODY
                                 LEARNING TO FEND FOR FOR MYSELF.

LIFE IS GOOD! AND I KNOW I'VE SAID IT BEFORE BUT I'M GOING TO SAY IT
      AGAIN YOU JUST NEED TO KNOW WHICH DIRECTION TO LOOK!

     I AM NOT SAYING EVERYTHING IS EASIER NOW, I JUST KNOW WHAT
  I WANT TO DO AND WHERE I WANT TO BE, AND I AM DOING IT A LITTLE
         BIT AT A TIME, AND NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS I AM GOING IN
                                               THE RIGHT DIRECTION...

     THIS IS A GREAT FEELING, TO RISE ABOVE DOING WHAT EVERYONE
          ELSE AROUND YOU IS DOING, AND BECOMING INDEPENDENT,
               GOING AFTER YOUR GOALS IN YOUR OWN DIRECTION!

YOU SHOULD

FOR YEARS I HAVE BEEN PUSHING MY THOUGHTS ON PEOPLE.
             YOU SHOULD DO THIS, YOU SHOULD DO THAT...

    I THINK BACK AND IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN COMING OFF AS
                                         Mr KNOW IT ALL.

     BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT I INTEND, I WAS TRYING TO GIVE
           ENCOURAGING WORDS LIKE YOU SHOULD GO FOR
           THAT JOB YOU WANT, YOU WOULD BE GOOD AT IT...

     I THINK THE PROBLEM WAS I WOULD START BY SAYING
                                            IF I WAS YOU.

  WELL SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO STEP BACK AND LOOK AT
                                         YOUR OWN LIFE.

              I HAVE BEEN LOOKING REAL HARD AT MINE...
    FOR THE LAST YEAR, IF I SAD TO MYSELF "YOU SHOULD"
         I DID! AND IT'S WORKING I'M IN A BETTER PLACE...

                I JUST INTERVIEWED FOR A JOB AT WORK
 NORMALLY I WOULD SAY, I WISH I COULD HAVE THAT JOB.
AND NOT GO FOR IT. BUT THIS TIME I PUT MY NAME ON A BIG
            LIST OF PEOPLE HOPING FOR THIS GREAT JOB.

 I STILL DON'T KNOW THE OUTCOME YET, BUT THE PAY OFF
   FOR ME WAS OUT OF ALL THOSE PEOPLE ON THAT LIST
         ONLY SIX PEOPLE QUALIFIED FOR A INTERVIEW.  

            THAT MADE "YOU SHOULD" FEEL REAL GOOD...

                   I GUESS WHAT I I'M TRYING TO SAY IS,
         YOU SHOULD RISE ABOVE YOU AND GO FOR IT!

DON'T BE CHEAP

can we talk about landscapers for one minute, these people are the best investment you can make. i mean for gods sake on my day off do i really want to be mowing, trimming, raking, digging, you know what i mean. and what dose god sake mean anyway? oh well all i can say is smart moves in life having a professional fix your teeth and getting a landscaper need i say more!!

                           RISE ABOVE AND SPEND MONEY WHEN YOU NEED TO
                                                 AND YOU CAN SMILE DOING IT...