I DARE YOU

"Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.Dream.Discover."

It is that time where I feel I am ready to do just this. Sometimes in life we allow ourselves to stay at a stand still - somewhat settling ourselves our dreams our goals our destiny to be with those we love. Just as we are all different in this life there are no two people alike the same goes for living this life. Some are utterly happy sewing. reading. having a family. setting down roots - raising a children. climbing the career ladder. dating. building. learning. traveling. We all live our lives well the way that we think is best for our selves. Some of us share this life with a partner a husband a wife. Some of us have children some of us have pets.  Some alone some with friends some with family. However we live our lives or who we live our lives with one common trait links us all together. We all are just trying to make our way thru this life and be happy. Its that simple we want to be happy. And one thought that tends to be the same for all of us iswe all want a better life... we all want to improve our lives to be living our best life possible. The question that we all are trying to figure out is how do we get there... How do we have and live such a life. I won't pretend to even begin to think I have the answers but for me its found when I take chances. do something I fear. When I allow change. When I am willing to go outside my comfort zone and experience life in a different culture thru different eyes. When I don't allow myself to settle. I am looking forward to this winter and the days to come because I am ready to set out and explore. to take chances. to allow change into my life. To live outside my comfort zone...I am ready to set out to improve my life.To change my life - I am ready to journey on the path of happiness that will include challenging myself and see where it will lead and take me. I have been at a stand still and ready to venture out to see what is beyond the life that I have lived... what else is out there for me to learn. to grow. to experience. to see. I am ready to see  where this journey will take me and who I will meet along the way. I am focus and determined that I will embark on this new path and find a part of myself that has not been found... Life its about growing and learning and if you aren't growing and learning then I highly think you need to make a change in your life. I highly think you need to take a chance. There is so much out there in this world for you not to be growing and becoming... I dare you to... to make a change. to take a chance. to step outside your comfort zone. I DARE you to join me... I am in quest of an uncharted path... that will let me discover explore learn and become thru simply life and living...and maybe just maybe along the way I will touch a few lives and a few lives will change me... We all can make changes to our lives... they don't need to be huge massive changes or taking a rambling chance it can be small as exposing yourself to a different culture eating at a new place instead of the place you know the menu by heart. It can be learning something new sewing hunting buliding cooking. It can be big like finally getting a different job one that you will like and look forward to going to instead of hating it and only living for saturdays and sundays... It doesn't matter what it is... Its YOU that decides... Its YOU... I DARE YOU... you going to take a chance... you going to allow the change... you going to step outside your comfort zone... I bet there is a life just awaiting for you to explore and discover but best of all an untouched source of happiness awaiting for you to find... I DARE YOU

Life with you know who...

Oh Clark... here are just a few things I have wrote down -- over the past couple of months that Clark was caught saying....they are pretty humerous some others I am pretty sure resulted in either A... my mom rolling her eyes or B my mom smacking Clark in the back of the head... OH CLARK

*At a funeral-wake Clark informs my mother in a loud voice across the room...'HEY PAULA...this isn't a basketball game...we don't have to be the last ones out of the gym."  SO nicely and heartfelt put Clark. Thankfully the mourning family knows Clark quite well and laughed.

*We were talking about ping pong one night... don't ask why my family has a history of talking about random and complete off the wall topics... Clark's comment...ping pong the first sport I kicked Paul's ass in (his son) then paused and said and the only....

*This one isn't something Clark says but does... My grandfather lives in an asst. living center - a very nice place...When we take my grandfather places you are required to sign him in and out at the front desk... The entire sheet goes something like this Jane Jackson out 9:04am back 3:45pm and so on...I happened to take a look at what Clark writes... Goldy Goldmann out 14:00 but 21:00... Clark who has never been in the military loves to sign my grandfather out in military time when the either sheet is listed in standard time... Nice Clark.

Oh Clark we love you... you keep life always an adventure...always making us laugh always making us smile... Life is always a ride with you.



Finding your way.

Aren't we all a little crazy... don't we all drop off into the deep end of the pool... don't we are do things and say things we shouldn't... take on too much... over extend ourselves...haven't we all been there... when life gets to be too much... when we stomp our feet like we are five and drag them in the mud like we are um... 30... don't we all do this... there is no age limit right???

I am stubborn ok beyond stubborn in certain areas of my life... leaning on others for support... asking for help...to realize I am in over my head...pretending everything is fine when its not... just to name a few. I just figure that sooner or later it will get better... I mean it has to right...what's the point of bothering someone with my worries. my stress. my problem. my mess. my mistake is the way I see it. YA YA i would prolli skin friends alive if they have the same attitude or view point that I am taking... don't you just hate that when they throw things esp your morals or way of life back in your face and well you know... nothing worse then being wrong and then being called out on it... oh well life goes on...
I just figure this we all are trying to find our way in this life... whether you are 98 68 38 18 8 ... we are all simply trying to find our way... sometimes its one hell of a ride... sometimes its sunshine other times its a down pour... but we hang on...we carry on... what other choice do we have then to simple live. So go ahead and be a little crazy. go ahead and drop off into the deep end... just live your life. who cares what those around you think... get lost... its the best way to find your way, if you ask me... however I may or may not still be lost and trying to find my way sooo take my advice with a grain of sand...or is it salt??

Life with you know who

Clark has been getting busy has taken up walking these days with Kobe and now the new puppy Gauge. Oh course its not just going out for a normal walk not with Clark....First off it took some major talking to have him realize hiking shoes are not the same as tennis shoes for walking he kept getting blisters and couldn't understand why.... CLARK you are walking not scaling up a mountain. Well he finally went out and bought some shoes. I was home the other weekend and went in the kitchen to get a glass of milk when I opened up the cabinet door I was shocked to see 4x4 pieces of white paper taped to the inside of the door... I could tell by the handwriting it was Clark's doing... I looked and notice a bunch of numbers and couldn't help but ask my mom what this was all about... Her reply was "well that's your father's walking/running records." I called in Clark.... CLARK...i said as I opened the door of the cabinet WHAT'S ALL THIS... he started cracking that Clark grin as soon as he noticed what I was going to talk to him about. I said Clark you training for the Boston Marathon here or something. I then noted I could be wrong but I believe if you wrote smaller you could prolli fit 4 days wrote on one piece of paper not using a new piece of paper everday.... I mean really Clark you taped this many to the cabinet door you are going to run out of cabinets --- I am awaiting to come home to see how many cabinet doors he has filled up with paper. On a plus Clark did make a good point I thought it would be better to tape them to the cabinets then to leave them taped to the counter.... Oh Clark! Sometimes Kobe can't do all this walking with Clark. He is getting up there in age and his hips can't take it so most of the time Clark loads Kobe up in the new Traverse... This new SUV is loaded to the T. This includes XM radio- Clark loves to blast his tunes he the guy who is listening to MTV music and Top 40 knows all the words to Lady Gaga Rihanna Usher Flo Rida... HE LOVES music you would hear playing at a club... well this XM radio doesn't help at all... SO he will load Kobe up pop the back hack let him climb in and they take off jamming to music. They get to the spot he lets the dog out on some dirt road by hitting a button... Clark doesn't even get out of the car now days to let the dog out. He rolls down the windows to give Kobe some running music as he calls it... He slowly drives down the dirt road listening to his tune while Kobe runs besides him - I mean the car.... its quite a sight. Then when its time he hits the button and the back hack opens up again and Clark shouts out the windown Kobe Kennel... he loads up and Clark hits the button and they drive back home.... Well he hasn't been able to do this Gauge doesn't quite have this whole Clark style of running down yet... But I am sure it won't be long til the new guy knows just as much as Kobe. And I am sure that will come with more Life with Clark - I mean Mark stories... Life is always an adventure with Clark....ALWAYS

Missing Her...

They say you will never forget where you are and what you are doing when your life changes... its true. My life changed forever on this day - this is the date Granny left us for a better place. We still think of her. We still remember her. We still love her. I believe thats how it will always be. She's still her with us in our memories in our hearts but sometimes well it just doesn't seem to be enough yet thats all we have so we carry on. I live to honor her. When I have a fall make a mistake have a bad day i think of her and how she would handle life or what she would say to me. Sometimes I don't truly listen to what she would have said and learn the hard way but most of the time i hold myself up or pick myself up and carry on with a smile. She taught me that life is worth it... life is worth living even thru sorrow thru heartache thru stumbles thru mistakes thru failures... its worth it to still give it your very best. Today (everyday) I honor you Granny.... I Love You.

B-DAY shout OUT

Want to give a special shout out to my aussie mate M. Davis and wish her a happy 'AMERICAN' birthday. She celebrated her aussie day about 24 hours ago you know how it is when you are living a day in the future. I am hoping she is still rockin; her big day. She's a pretty top shelf kind of gal - she's pretty much a rockstar. Wishing you 365 days of happiness laughter and just life. Love ya mate.

Growing Old

A Letter from "Mom and Dad"... My child, When I get old, I hope you understand 'n have patience with me In case I break the plate, or spill soup on the table because I’m losing my eyesight, I hope you don’t yell at me. Older people are sensitive, always having self pity when you yell. When my hearing gets worse 'n I can’t hear what you’re saying, I hope you don’t call me ‘Deaf!’ Please repeat what you said or write it down. I’m sorry, my child. I’m getting older. When my knees get weaker, I hope you have the patience to help me get up. Like how I used to help you while you were little, learning how to walk. Please bear with me, when I keep repeating myself like a broken record, I hope you just keep listening to me. Please don’t make fun of me, or get sick of listening to me. Do you remember when you were little 'n you wanted a ballon? You repeated yourself over 'n over until you get what you wanted. Please also pardon my smell. I smell like an old person. Please don’t force me to shower. My body is weak. Old people get sick easily when they’re cold. I hope I don’t gross you out. Do you remember when you were little? I used to chase you around because you didn’t want to shower. I hope you can be patient with me when I’m always cranky. It’s all part of getting old. You’ll understand when you’re older. 'n if you have spare time, I hope we can talk even for a few minutes. I’m always all by myself all the time, 'n have no one to talk to. I know you’re busy with work. Even if you’re not interested in my stories, please have time for me. Do you remember when you were little? I used to listen to your stories about your teddy bear. When the time comes, 'n I get ill 'n bedridden, I hope you have the patience to take care of me. I’m sorry if I accidentally wet the bed or make a mess. I hope you have the patience to take care of me during the last few moments of my life. I’m not going to last much longer, anyway. When the time of my death comes, I hope you hold my hand 'n give me strength to face death. 'n don’t worry.. When I finally meet our creator, I will whisper in his ear to bless you. Because you loved your Mom 'n Dad. SOMETHING we all need to remember. I think of my grandma and my gramps and i can't help but learn from this letter. Even I have some room to do more.to listen more. to give more. to understand more. to love more. I owe my grandparents so much for all the love support guidence encouragement time respect they have given me... and when this letter applies to my parents I owe them just as much. When I hope I never forget what this letter says and if I do I hope I to read this letter to remember