Amazed

It never ceases to amaze me to see the eagerness of children to learn. Due to the heavy and frequent snows this winter, two of my daughters had school today to make up some of the excess snow days. It would have struck me that most kids would have talked their parents into letting them stay home on a Saturday school day, but it seems a good majority actually attended school. My youngest daughter Grace went to school and the teachers used today as a day to invite parents into the classroom to view the classroom and projects the children were working on. My wife had to work today, but I took advantage of the initiation and was amazed to see the eagerness of the kids in her class. Grace's 4th grade teacher Sarah Olkkola was doing a project in science called a water table, and when she was going over the project I witnessed kids very attentive to what she was saying and actively participating in the reading of the instructions. When it was time for the actual project, I saw the whole class participating. They all jumped in and took a job in the experiment which was to pour water into a water table and create a stream, then to observe how the stream reacted to the terrain in the soil that was in the table. The group my daughter was in was very observant, and readily picked out the features they were asked to, as well as trying to understand what was happening on the table in front of them. It was very refreshing to see the inquisitiveness that prevailed in the classroom.

The children were also very eager to bring the parents that came into the project and show them what they were learning. Kudos to the school for inviting the parents in, and kudos to the parents who attended to see how excited their children were to learn. Keep up the good work.

Presidential Primaries

As a veracious reader, i read just about anything. One of my favorite reading is the letters to the editor section of the newspaper. One thing that upsets me is the people who don't have a clue. I think it is time to bring the primaries back to what they are supposed to be. The primaries are supposed to be a vehicle for those that are registered to a particular party whether it be Republican, Democrat, or the East Overshoe Squirrel Hunting Party to cast their vote for the person running on their ticket from all the people who throw their hat in the ring for that party. It is not a vehicle for every registered voter to be able to cast a ballot. Registered Republicans vote in the Republican Primary, and registered Democrats vote in the Democrat Primary. Independents, or un-enrolled not being registered in a party do not vote in a primary simple as that. It frustrates me to hear that people feel they are disenfranchised if they are not allowed to vote in a primary for which they are not registered. I voted in the New Hampshire primary as a long time registered party affiliation. After the primary I heard a local "independent" make the comment that they went to the primaries and took a republican ballot only to be dismayed to find neither Hillary Clinton or Barrack Obama's name on the ballot so he wrote in Hillary's name. The general election is the time to pick who you want for President, the primary is the time for the party people to vote for who they want to run for President. Take the time to learn the process and understand it.

Necessity or Luxury

Well my typing should get better as I put a new keyboard on my laptop and now my keys are not sticking, it is nice to be able to type and not have to go back and continually check to see if the letter I pressed actually appeared on the screen.

I was reflecting the other day on the economic situation of a lot of families. We are in a definite downturn, and depending on who you talk to we are either in a slowdown or a recession, while by the actual definition of a recession, we are no there yet, but close. Part of the problem I see in society is that we have turned a lot of luxuries into necessities, and now we as a society do not know how to live without them. Rather than put up with cooking on a stove or oven, we have to have a microwave because we are impatient and need our food immediately. We not only need a television but unless some people have the latest and greatest wide screen HDTV with blue ray players. Not only do we need computers but it seems people always need the fastest most tricked out computer on the market. As a society we do not seem to be happy with the basics, our cars keep getting bigger and more equipped, rather than use maps we need to have GP units in the vehicle, rather than broadcast radio, satellite radio has become the necessity. On Star is becoming more and more of a standard feature on cars every day. The luxuries of yesterday become the necessities of today. Where does it all stop Can we actually live with less? I think so, and in the meantime I think our society would become stronger and more independent.

Slow down and recharge

Remember the Sabbath and keep it Holy. Most of us recognize this as one of the Ten Commandments,but what does it mean in todays life. We have become a society of rush here and rush there, everywhere in a rush. We don't take time for ourselves to relax. I live in a vacation destination and I even see those up here on vacation rushing around trying to adhere to a tight schedule like they do at home. I drive down the road at the speed limit and a passed by cars with out of state plates with skis, kayaks, campers or what have you flying by missing the beautiful scenery I get to observe on a daily basis. They don't take time to smell the roses, life has become a big blur with so much to do.

The human body needs rest to rejuvenate. We need time to slow down and let the rigors of life just roll off of us. We were not designed to go 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.

I can remember as a kid when most stores were closed on Sunday, and the scheduling of events like Little League and Pop Warner was just about a no-no. Sunday was a family time with the exception of the Jewish community in Providence where the Saturday was the family day. It was a day of picnics, and sitting on the beach.It was a day of the family dinner in the winter or recreation, walks to the reservoir with my dad. Walks in the woods, it was a time of relaxation, not a time to be scheduled like clockwork with running here and running there. Today in this hustle bustle world, Sunday has just become another day. A day to work, a day to be busy and schedule every micro-second out of. We have become a people of what can I do to cram in the time I have.I have never been a person to sleep in late n any day, with getting up at seven being the sleeping late mode, but I do try to keep Sunday as a day where the schedule is thrown out the window. I relax and read the Sunday Paper, Kickback in the easy chair, go to church with the family, eat a leisurely lunch take a walk out in the woods, or go to the lake. It is a time of relaxation a time to shut my brain off and let nature take over and let me relax. Recharge my batteries and get ready for the week ahead. We all need t down shift our lives and slow down. You never know what you will find there. I find a deep inner peace and tranquility. I find myself less irritable with the kids ,and less likely to lose my temper. I find myself more willing to help my wife during the week.

Even if you are not religious or spiritual, you still need the time to recharge and restore yourself.

"Dangerous Journey"

"The fisherman knows the seas are dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these reasons sufficient for staying ashore. " -Vincent Van Gogh.

Another very similar quote is
"Ships are safe in Port but that is not what ships are made for"

As a young officer in the United States Navy during the early to mid eighties, we had a cruise to the North Atlantic and through the North Sea We encountered seas during that cruise that boggled my brain. The time frame for this cruise was in the dead of winter so we not only had the high seas to contend with but also bitter temperatures. Yes our ship would have been much safer had it not left it's safe berth at Norfolk Naval Base and ventured this far north, but the overall reward to me far surpassed the discomfort of the raging storm. During this cruise we made our way to Denmark to work with the Danish Military and then further up to Tromso Norway. While traveling to Tromso we worked our way up the coast f Norway doing exercises along the coast, and I got to see some of the most amazing scenery in the fjords along the coast, and then spend some time in a culture that makes its daily life north of the Arctic Circle. On this cruise we also made port in Wilhelmshaven Germany. Therefore in my personal opinion the discomfort of the storm was far outweighed by the experiences I was able to have which I would never have been able to take part in.

Not only at sea is this quote applicable in our lives. We must go out on a limb at times in our lives, take risks, and put our necks out on the line in order to experience some of the most fantastic experiences that life has to offer. The person who is to afraid to climb the scary mountain misses out on the chance to see the spectacular views from the top. The person who is afraid to enter the dark dank woods, misses the chance to see the wonderful mossy glade with the sunlight filtering down through the trees.

Man is designed to face the dangers and to thrive on the exhilaration that ensues. For it is through these dangers that we succeed and move on to new levels in our lives. I have a confession to make in my early life I was one of those who took the risks and went t see what the world had to offer. When I graduated from high school I could have stayed near home and worked for my dad and maybe someday taken over the business from him, but I elected to move away from home and be the first in the family to go to college. Then I joined the Navy and traveled a good portion of the world. It was after I came home and got married that I started playing it safe. I took a company job and worked for someone else all my married life so far, even though a little voice inside me told me something else was waiting for me outside the norm, but the desire to make sure my family was provided for and taken care of far outweighed the risks that would be involved and even today I look at my life and say that the risks are far to high to venture out of the envelope, ideas I have but the warm and secure seem to hold me back. I am not saying life has been easy, and I find myself starting over from the start more often than not, thus telling me the secure is not even that secure anymore. The days of taking a job out of schol and retiring from that job in your 60's is long gone.
So here is hoping I can break out of that "secure safe lifestyle" and take some risks and continue on my amazing journey.

Winter in Full Retreat

I just got back from my nightly walk in the fields behind the house. It is amazing how fast winter has retreated over the last week or so. It was not so long ago that the only way I could get back there was on my snowshoes. With one of the most horrendous winters behind us with more snow on the ground than we have had in many years, it is all but gone from the fields, and the yard as well. Oh yes there still are pockets such as on the north side of the house where the warming sun does not get, and back at the wood line the snow is still piled thick however you can tell it is still in a hasty retreat, it seems to go back a little further each night I get back there. The deer have been active, there is sign all over the field piles here and there, and tracks in the few remnants of snow scattered through the field.

When winter is full upon us we live in despair that we will never see bare ground again. It is amazing how as the days grow longer that we seem to lift out of that despair more and more every day, and then when the warm temperatures hit it is like a life preserver has been thrown to us. This has been a very extraordinary year with record snow amounts on the ground the saving grace has been that the snow pack came and stayed before the frigid cold weather. The frost was not driven deep into the ground as has been the case in years past, so as the snow melts the ground has been able to absorb it and the mud and flooding that most people feared has not really materialized. On top of that the heavy rains April is known for in New England have not reared their ugly head causing a huge rapid melt off. Life is a cycle and we are slowly being born anew in northern New England. There is a crocus in bloom in the front garden the purple hue a welcome change to the life of white and gray we have know for so long. the daffodils are growing and I saw evidence of their buds on the delicate stems. If you look close under the brown stalks of grass you can see the slightest hint of green coming out of the ground in the field that is lush in the summer months. It reminds me that no matter how bleak your life may seem there is a spring around the corner to help lift you out of your despair, and it has been a winter of despair here this year with the building industry in its tailspin. I tried to keep a bright positive outlook but it was so hard when you watched your checking account empty out faster than the money was coming in. But with the spring comes a new perspective and a rebirth so to speak. it is easy to feel invigorated and energized with the warming weather and retreating snow.

So here is to a rebirth and a new outlook on life.

Attittude or Aptitude

Zig Ziglar once said it is not your aptitude but your attitude that determines you altitude. For those who know me know that I make my living in the construction industry, and we are going through a major correction in the building industry at this time. For that matter we are also going through a very trying economic time with gas prices at record highs, food prices rising daily, and if you listen to the press every one is on the verge of losing their homes to foreclosure (this is not true while the rate of foreclosure is at a record high it is still a minority of homeowners facing foreclosure).

I received an e-mail from the executive vice president for the company I work for with an article by Bill Lee entitled The only disability in Life (and business) is a bad attitude. In my day to day interaction with builders of all walks I have noticed that the contractors who talk all doom and gloom and do all the complaining are the ones who are not busy, their negative attitude builds upon itself and does not allow them to raise t the surface. The contractors who are upbeat and positive, have been able to build that attitude into a successful business altitude where even in this down time they are still booked out 2 to 3 years. You can soar like an eagle or you can hunker down in the mire and quack like a duck.

Do not blame anyone but yourself for your failures. The other guy did nothing to make you lose, the government is not to blame, it is up to you. A little phrase I learned at a sales meeting is "IF IT IS TO BE IT IS UP TO ME". Most of the people around me laughed at the phrase and commented about how hokie it was. I realized how true it was. I looked back at my own failures and realized it was all my fault for my my failures

Refuse to use a loser's language. Those who talk like a loser become losers. Those who are winners never talk like losers. Tiger Woods one of Golfs best players ever, even when he loses never talks negatively. He continually has an upbeat outlook and places the blame on himself, and this leads us to the third point.

Continue to believe in yourself. Tiger always believes in himself, and you have to also. Ask yourself who is more enjoyable to be around the positive upbeat person who always sees the glass as half full, or the person who sees the glass as half empty and never sees the bright side of anything.