I was looking at old photos as I was moving some boxes into the new house, and in the background of one in the band room of my old high school was a sign that read as follows:
“If only the best birds sang in the forest, the forest would be a quiet place”
I don’t know if I’d ever noticed that sign in the background of the photo, but found it funny I should notice it now. I often get down on myself for not being the smartest (at least by comparison to the hubby), or being the best at whatever, but only a small few are. What a boring world we’d live in if only the best birds sang…besides that, not much would ever get done! Because much of the work is done by the rest of us, not necessarily by the best of us.
My second thought is this, how blessed are we in life if we can be surrounded by good people who care for us. Everything else is gravy.
Anyone looking to move to West Park? Will work with buyer’s agents.
Great neighborhood for young families with kids or for buying a starter home. 3-bedroom/2-bath brick home on beautiful street in desirable West Park neighborhood. Hardwood floors and 8 ft. ceilings, including 2nd floor master suite. Roomy eat-in kitchen plus formal dining room, both with built-ins. Wrought iron and woodwork details throughout plus granite windowsills and six-panel hardwood doors. Two brick fireplaces. Insulated sunroom with double-pane casement windows and third entrance into home — great for self-employed with access to 3rd bedroom/office wired for internet. Safe, friendly neighborhood within walking distance to grocery store and Warren Village plus 10-mile drive to downtown Cleveland, Crocker Park shopping, or Lake Erie. Easy access to all highways and RTA Rapid Transit (lightrail) station.
Windows replaced with Regency double-pane windows in 2007, newer furnace and central air, new stove/oven. Dishwasher installed in 2003, garbage disposal in 2009. Finished room in basement remodeled in 2005 with built in home theater system — projector, 92-inch wall-mounted screen and surround sound stays.
Contact me if you are interested and I can provide more details. Asking $140,000 to compensate for current market conditions, willing to negotiate (bought at $155,900 in 2003), Feel free to pass along/share.
I came across this article from last year and thought it was a good one. I liked the “13 steps” this guy came up with:
13 steps to a better life
What does all this mean to you? If money won’t bring you happiness, what will? How can you stop making yourself miserable and start learning to love life? According to my research, these are the thirteen actions most likely to encourage happiness:
Don’t compare yourself to others. Financially, physically, and socially, comparing yourself to others is a trap. You will always have friends who have more money than you do, who can run faster than you can, who are more successful in their careers. Focus on your own life, on your own goals.
Foster close relationships. People with five or more close friends are more apt to describe themselves as happy than those with fewer.
Have sex. Sex, especially with someone you love, is consistently ranked as a top source of happiness. A long-term loving partnership goes hand-in-hand with this.
Get regular exercise. There’s a strong tie between physical health and happiness. Anyone who has experienced a prolonged injury or illness knows just how emotionally devastating it can be. Eat right, exercise, and take care of our body.
Obtain adequate sleep. Good sleep is an essential component of good health. When you’re not well-rested, your body and your mind do not operate at peak capacity. Your mood suffers.
Set and pursue goals. I believe that the road to wealth is paved with goals. More than that, the road to happiness is paved with goals. Continued self-improvement makes life more fulfilling.
Find meaningful work. There are some who argue a job is just a job. I believe that fulfilling work is more than that — it’s a vocation. It can take decades to find the work you were meant to do. But when you find it, it can bring added meaning to your life.
Join a group. Those who are members of a group, like a church congregation, experience greater happiness. But the group doesn’t have to be religious. Join a book group. Meet others for a Saturday morning bike ride. Sit in at the knitting circle down at the yarn shop.
Don’t dwell on the past. I know a guy who beats himself up over mistakes he’s made before. Rather than concentrate on the present (or, better yet, on the future), he lets the past eat away at his happiness. Focus on the now.
Embrace routine. Research shows that although we believe we want variety and choice, we’re actually happier with limited options. It’s not that we want no choice at all, just that we don’t want to be overwhelmed. Routines help limit choices. They’re comfortable and familiar and, used judiciously, they can make us happy.
Practice moderation. Too much of a good thing is a bad thing. It’s okay to indulge yourself on occasion — just don’t let it get out of control. Addictions and compulsions can ruin lives.
Be grateful. It’s no accident that so many self-help books encourage readers to practice gratitude. When we regularly take time to be thankful for the things we have, we appreciate them more. We’re less likely to take them for granted, and less likely to become jealous of others.
Help others. Over and over again, studies have shown that altruism is one of the best ways to boost your happiness. Sure, volunteering at the local homeless shelter helps, but so too does just being nice in daily life.
I think this is great advice. You can read the entire article here.
4 FOR $40!
SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR THE CHILDREN’S THEATER SERIES AVAILABLE NOW!
Beginning this fall, PlayhouseSquare is set to roll out the carpet for a new season of family-friendly entertainment! The 2009-2010 Children’s Theater Series at PlayhouseSquare is the perfect way to spend quality time with the youngsters in your life at an ultra-affordable price…. 4 show subscriptions are now available for only $40! This season sees the triumphant return of some of our favorite past performances as well as some new productions that promise to engage the entire family.
Stellaluna – October 24, 2009
The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other Eric Carle Favorites – January16, 2010
Junie B. Jones – April 17, 2010
Dream Jam Band – May 8, 2010
So, “See the show, see them grow” subscribe today! Call Moira Beale at 216-664-6044 to secure your season of family entertainment.
The Children’s Museum of Cleveland Welcomes NASA Glenn’s Journey to Tomorrow
DATE: Saturday, May 30 and Sunday, May 31
TIME: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
ADMISSION: Included FREE with paid Museum admission or membership
MORE: NASA Glenn’s newest traveling exhibit, Journey to Tomorrow, is an interactive environment packed with hands-on activities and digital learning stations.
Positively Cleveland, the city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, is running a Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism Video Contest on YouTube. Two great videos, created by two awesome Cleveland lady bloggers, are below. Check out all of the entries and leave comments for your faves at:
And while we’re at it, a significant percentage (I’ll try to get a real estimate) of visitors to Cleveland are those categorized as “VFR”, meaning, visiting friends and relatives. I have to admit, the majority of vacations I go on, fall into this category, and especially in Cleveland this comes as no surprise to me. I’d thought of making my own Hastily Made video, related to the places we take our friends and relatives when they visit, but just don’t have the time. So, if you have a moment, leave a comment below about your fave places to take visiting friends and relatives, or a story about your favorite memory of these experiences.
My personal faves have been the West Side Market and Cleveland Botanical Garden, plus dining at a great number of places. Places I am really looking forward to taking out-of-towners (read: my in-laws from NJ, just outside of NYC), are Amish Country, some of the many wineries, the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the presidential museums, and the Lake Erie Islands/Sandusky/Put-In-Bay area.
Well, not really a new house, but the house we just purchased (NOT the current one we are planning to sell). Apparently it needs some roof repair work done ASAP. Anyone want to recommend a roofer?
The Children’s Museum of Cleveland will be open on Memorial Day, May 25, 2009 from 10 am to 5 pm. Admission is half price – only $3.50 for children and $3.00 for adults. This special day of reduced admission is sponsored by The Wachovia Foundation in conjunction with our Money, My Community and Me Program.
In addition to its permanent exhibits, The Big Red Barn, Bridges to Our Community and the ever popular Splish! Splash!, The Children’s Museum is proud to offer again its Blast Off! Families Exploring Space Together exhibit. Blast Off!, developed in collaboration with experts from NASA’s Glenn Research Center, is designed to allow young children to pretend/play and explore space in a fun and creative atmosphere. By encouraging family participation and incorporating hands-on family learning in an interactive environment, the whole family can let their imaginations soar!
Offering a variety of hands-on, family-oriented exhibits and programming, The Children’s Museum of Cleveland is ‘the’ Northeast Ohio destination and resource for all young children, parents and caregivers to engage in fun, innovative, interactive play that accelerates the child’s creativity, development and education. The Children’s Museum is located at 10730 Euclid Avenue in University Circle. The Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Regular admission is $6.00 for adults; $7.00 for children ages 1 to 12 years; infants 11 months and under and members enter free. For more information about The Children’s Museum of Cleveland visit www.ClevelandChildrensMuseum.org.
