What is a gift? It's a present, it is something we give to another and something we receive from another.

The gifts of my life are so abundant they fill me with joy each day.

The greatest gift today is Chloe my little granddaughter who is now a toddler. She is on her feet moving and exploring her world all day everyday. I marvel at her experiences this Spring knowing that the world is all new to her from the flowers (dandelions) growing in the grass to the dirt and rocks outside. It is all so different from the snow covered world of winter to green grass, leaves and flowers. I always appreciate the difference of the seasons and the beauty of Spring but this year I am seeing it with much more awe and wonder thanks to her little eyes. For Chloe everyday is an adventure filled with new and wonderful things. It was hot last weekend and she was able to enjoy buckets of water and the fun of water play outside!

There are so many mysteries of her world that she is yet to experience and it is with delight I am able to watch her explore!

Then there is the gift of having had surgery on my foot, Achilles' tendon surgery that I just couldn't put off any longer. How interesting it is to be a bit "handicapped" only for a short time. First of all I get to experience the struggle of climbing and descending many stairs on one capable foot. I also get to experience the inability to get around without a great deal of effort as well as finding the places I can and can not get into with my knee scooter. I realize how fortunate I am to only be in this position for a short time and that I will have both legs working properly in no time.

I am humbled by accepting help and allowing others to be of service to me. I love to be independent so asking for and accepting help has been quite the lesson for me. I have so much more empathy for others who are more handicapped or just struggling to have a working body.

My mother had RA when I was growing up and I was often embarrassed that she couldn't get around easily like other Moms, now I have a little bit of understanding of her challenges with sore knees, ankles, wrists and elbows. How fortunate I feel to have a body that works with very few aches and pains. Another wonderful gift from this Achilles experience.


Life is full of gifts of wonder and joy if you look for them - please take a moment today and appreciate the gifts you get to experience each day, it makes the days so much better!

Everything that happens in life is neither good nor bad. It just depends on your perspective. And no matter how it turns out, it always ends up just the way it should. Either you succeed or you learn something. So stay positive, appreciate the pleasant outcomes, and learn from the rest. Your positivity will rub off on everyone around you. ~ Positive Thoughts


I just came home from a fabulous adventure in Canada. The day I was to leave it was -30C which is cold, ok VERY cold!!! I got myself all checked in at the airport, made it through customs and security and was comfortably seated and ready for my journey home. The route for my flight was Edmonton, Pheonix, Charlotte and finally Portland, Maine at 8:15pm. The pilot came on the intercom and told us we should be arriving in Pheopnix early with the tail wind pushing us along. All was well but we weren't going anywhere and people kept coming on and off the plane into the cockpit. That seemed weird but I wasn't at all worried, I was just ready for my adventure home! After an hour it was announced that there was some difficulty getting the engine started because it was so cold. Again I was convinced that they would get it started and we would be on our way. Ha ha, not so....after about an hour and a half they told us this plane was not going anywhere and we were all asked to deplane. Again I was sure this was only a glitch and we would be on our way soon. After much waiting around and wondering what was next we were sent back out through customs to collect our baggage and to check in with the agents for new flights. Well this is an interesting turn of events, I wonder where I will be going today and how i will get home! I waited patiently for the agent, asked her to be clever and creative in finding me a new flight home and was confident in her ability to do that! I already had chatted with several other passengers who were staying over and taking another flight the next morning so I knew that was an option but I was ready to get home that day! After a little checking I was pleased to get on a flight from Edmonton to Toronto and then one from Toronto to Portland. I would arrive 2 hours later than originally scheduled and I did not need to fly all over the country to get home either!! It was a wonderful adventure, I enjoyed conversation with many lovely people from all different and interesting walks of life and was happy to sleep in my own bed that night!
Now I also had conversation with several people who were in a panic about the change in plans, they were yelling at others on the phone about the situation and were generally disgusted with the airline. Can you imagine how different there day was than mine? That no matter what flight they were put on or how much they were helped by the agents they were not happy with the situation at all. They couldn't get a good seat and their day was messed up and no matter what anyone said to them they were disgruntled.
I spent my day smiling at people and carrying with me a sense of joy and pleasure and that is what I got back as a result.
My point is that when you keep a positive attitude and enjoy the advenuture the Universe looks after you and things work out just the way they should! 
So the next time you are faced with a challenge keep a positive attitude and trust that the Universe will provide you with the exact right outcome. Enjoy the adventure!