Inspiring Words

Bill Witcher, co-founder of Computer School for Seniors will be sharing words of encouragement, inspiration and hope with you each Sunday.

“The Thoughts in Your Mind Will Always be More Important Than the Things in Your Life"

In a golf tournament a while back, one of the seasoned Pros only needed to get down in two from 12 feet away to qualify for the Fed EX Cup Championship. For a professional golfer, that’s no big deal. Twelve feet, 2 putts. No problem. Four putts later, his ball was in the cup and he was out of the finals of the championship. His terrible putting cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars.
When asked what happened, he admitted that the 12 feet on the green was not the problem. The six inches between his ears is where the problem occurred. He lost his concentration and allowed negative thinking to ruin a great opportunity.

John Maxwell says in his book, Today Matters, that your attititude can give you a winner’s perspective or it can make you a loser. It’s our choice. Our actions will follow our thoughts.

On June 28, 1939, Joe Louis defended his heavyweight boxing title against Tony “Tow-Ton” Galento in Yankee Stadium. Galento wasn’t a particularly talented fighter, but he could take a punch and he was a big hitter. In the second round, Louis knocked Galento down and seemed to be controlling the fight. But in the third round, Galento knocked the champ down.

Louis immediately jumped back to his feet and went after his opponent. When Louis went to his corner, his trainer chastised him: “You know you’re supposed to take the full count when you go down. Why didn’t you stay down for nine?”

“What!” answered Louis, “and give him a chance to rest?” Louis pummeled Gelento so badly in the fourth round that the referee stopped the fight.

In today’s competitive culture , everybody is looking for an edge. Top athletes and top businesspeople alike know that—all things being equal—attitude wins. But this is also true: All things not being equal, attitude sometimes still wins. Possessing a great attitude is like having a secret weapon.

Your Attitude—Not Your Achievements—
Gives You Happiness

Samuel Johnson, the eighteenth-century poet and critic, stated, “He who has so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by changing anything but his own disposition will waste his life in fruitless efforts and multiply the grief which he purposes to remove.” He understood that contentment was generated internally, based on attitude.

The thoughts in your mind will always be more important than the things in your life. Fame and fortune are fleeting. The satisfaction that comes from achievement is momentary. The author of the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes observed, “He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase.”

You cannot buy or win happiness. You must choose it.

Monday's Munchies

Many of us are wonderful cooks and generous about sharing our recipes. Mondays are for "make it happen" people. What could be a better way to encourage each other and create than to share what is going on in our kitchens.



A Real Treat!

Here is another gem from the kitchen of Patti Berry. A little something to bake that will stick to your ribs!

RASPBERRY CREAM CHEESE CAKE

This is a delicious cake that isn’t too sweet, but it is very pretty with the ribbons of raspberry jello and real raspberries throughout! YUM! You can make it in a sheet cake so it is easy to cut into 24 servings or make it in a bundt pan for a pretty presentation! If you are looking for a lighter cake, use the powdered sugar dusting…but I say GO FOR IT and enjoy the cream cheese frosting (good on almost everything in my opinion!!)

1 package yellow cake mix

4 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened

1+1/2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen

1 T bsp flour

1 pkg raspberry jello
Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, milk, oil, sugar and vanilla. Beat on low speed for one minute and then on medium for another minute. Add the cream cheese and beat on medium for two minutes. Put the raspberries in another bowl and toss with the flour until coated. Drop the raspberries and the jello mix onto the cake batter and gently fold them into the batter, do not mix completely, it should appear marbled in the bowl. Pour the batter into a greased and floured bundt pan or a 13x9 cake pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until it tests done. If using bundt pan, cool in pan 10 minutes and then turn out onto serving platter, dust with powdered sugar. If using 13x9 sheet pan, frost with cream cheese frosting or dust with powdered sugar for a lighter cake.

Frost with a cream cheese frosting, or you can simply dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 tsp vanilla3 3/4 - 4 cups powdered sugar

Mix together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the vanilla and then the powdered sugar, one cup at a time until it reaches the desired consistency…perhaps a little more or less than called for here.

Our special thanks to Patti Berry for this delicious munchie idea!

Internet Magic

Jane Booras is the Editor of numerous newsletters. From time to time, she will
be sharing how you can find whatever you need - photos, clipart, information,
maps, phone numbers - on the Internet.



So one evening you’re watching the classic movie channel and enjoying one of your favorite old black and white movies. “Who is that actor?” you say to your wife (or husband). “Oh, I know who that is, but I can't think of his/her name!” Sound familiar? So we play a guessing game. We rack our brains and throw out a few names. My husband is apt to say, “Oh, yeah! That’s ‘what’s his name’.”

So you wait for the credits to roll. Then one of two things happens. One, since there were no commercials, you have to head for the restroom as soon as you see “The End” come up on the screen. (Ever notice that the new movies don’t say “The End” anymore?) Or, two, the credits run alright, but they are so teeny tiny that you can’t read them – even if you get up and put your nose right up to the screen. Well, darn. How will you ever know who that actor was?

GOOGLE! Just go to your computer and Google the name of the movie. Say, “State Fair” made in 1945. Try it and identify the picture below.

Or, “Slattery’s Hurricane” made in 1949. Same thing. Google it.

My sister and I flew to Cancun, Mexico for a 5-day vacation on the Yucatan Peninsula. It was wonderful. One day on the way to a snorkeling adventure, the van driver stopped suddenly on a back road. There along the road in the underbrush were several raccoons, along with another animal that looked like a raccoon, but had a long tail like a monkey. The van driver told us what it was, but with his accent, we couldn’t quite get the name. Then my sister remembered that she often googles answers to crossword puzzles when she gets “stuck.”

When we got back to our hotel, we went to the business center where free Internet service is offered and googled “Mexican raccoon-like animal.” Google took us to this web site: http://www.brandywinezoo.org/coati.html. Click on the link and see the results for yourself.

Now mind you, my sister only googles answers after she has exhausted all other options – her brain and her precious crossword dictionary. But when things “niggle” at you for just so long, you have to know! That’s when you Google.

I wonder what ever happened to Encyclopedias. I suppose they are on the Internet now. Let’s google it and see what happens!

Dirt Muffins for Monday's Munchies

Many of us are wonderful cooks and generous about sharing our recipes. Mondays are for "make it happen" people. What could be a better way to encourage each other and create than to share what is going on in our kitchens.


Delicious Treats

Last year a group of students in one of my classes at a local community college in Dallas started the delicious tradition of bringing treats for our break. On the last day of class we were talking about how we would miss these excellent treats and someone came up with the idea of sharing them on the blog which is where "Monday's Munchies" got its start.

This week we are bringing back that great idea. Today we will feature "Dirt Muffins" contributed to us by Patti Berry. Patti is a marvelous cook. She has worked for years in the capacity of a volunteer by taking her wonderful baked goods to a hospital near where she lives. She has a real talent for baking along with a big heart!

DIRT MUFFINS (Makes 12):

1+3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup cold butter or margarine
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/2 cup applesauce
16 filled chocolate sandwich cookies, chopped
(I always use Doublestuff Oreos)

Topping:3 Tbsp flour
3 Tbsp sugar
5 cream filled chocolate sandwich cookies,
finely crushed (remember the Double stuff Oreos!)
2 Tbsp cold butter or margarine
2 squares or cubes of vanilla bark
1 Tbsp shortening

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and baking powder. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In separate small bowl, beat egg and milk and applesauce, stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Gently fold in COARSELY chopped cookies. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full.

For topping, combine flour, sugar and finely crushed cookies. Cut in the butter until crumbly, sprinkle about 1 Tbsp over each muffin. BAKE at 400°for 15-18 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan. In a microwave, melt vanilla chips and shortening until smooth (30 seconds at a time at full power, and stir). Drizzle over cooled muffins. Makes 12 muffins.

A special thanks to Patti Berry for helping us kick off the 2012 Monday Munchies on our blog!!

Installing Love

Bill Witcher will be sharing words of encouragement, inspiration and hope with you each Sunday.




Around Valentines Day I received an inspirtional email from My Daily Insights (www.MyDailyInsights.com) that I thought was very appropriate for our computer savvy students and I would like to share a portion of that email with you. It was based on an interesting concept. What if LOVE was a software program that you could install in your Heart? What would you have to do to get this very valuable program installed? Obviously, the first thing would be to call Tech Support and ask for help.

Tech Support: Hello, how may I help you?
Customer: Well, after much thought, I've decided to install LOVE. Will you guide me though the process?
Tech Support: Yes. I would love to. Are you ready to proceed?
Customer: Well, I'm not very technical, but I think I'm ready. What do I do first?
Tech Support: The first step is to open your Heart. Have you located your Heart?
Customer: Yes, but there are several other programs running now. Is it okay to install LOVE while they are running?
Tech Support: What other programs are running?
Customer: Let's see, I have Past Hurt, Low Self-Esteem, Grudge, and Resentment running right now.
Tech Support: No problem, LOVE will gradually erase Past Hurt from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory but it will no longer disrupt other programs. LOVE will eventually override Low Self-Esteem with a module of its own called High Self-Esteem. However, you have to completely turn off Grudge and Resentment. Those programs prevent LOVE from being properly installed. Can you turn those off?
Customer: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?
Tech Support: With pleasure. Go to your start menu and turn on Forgiveness. Do this as many times as necessary until Grudge and Resentment have been completely erased.
Customer: Okay, done! Wow, LOVE has started installing itself. Is that normal?
Tech Support: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin sharing and connecting to other Hearts in order to get the upgrades.
Customer: Got it. Hey! My heart is filling up with new files. Smile is playing on my monitor and Peace and Contentment are copying themselves all over My Heart. Thank you for all your help.

This weeks message is a simple one. Install LOVE in your heart and start sharing it with everyone you meet. Have a blessed week. - Bill

Magical Sayulita

Traveling is a passion for many people. And if you have a camera and Photoshop skills, you can create some wonderful images.

The unique text effect you see above, and the charming collage in the image below were created in Photoshop Elements by one of my talented students, Jack Murphy. He visits Sayulita, Nayarit, Mexico often and fortunately for us takes lots of pictures!

Jack grew up in the 50's in Southern California during a time when Californians were lucky…they had the weather, the immense growth, and a melting pot of people that made everything interesting.

Jack met Jeanette, his wife, at Macy's department store in the 60's and they were fortunate to be able to travel all over the United States and Europe due to his job and just curiosity.

Back in 1999 they found Sayulita, Nayarit, Mexico and because of its beauty, weather, natural art and simpatico people they decided to purchase something they never planned on, a second home.

I asked Jack to describe this fascinating place, and he said, "Sayulita is a beautiful quaint fishing and surfing village 35 miles north of the Puerto Vallarta airport. The waves are perfect for the beginning to intermediate surfer, and during the October through May period the deepsea fishing is boiling with tuna, mahi mahi, toro and mackeral. The reason for the great fishing is Banderas Bay is one of the main breeding areas for the sperm whales. Whales need lots of feed and the tremendous amounts of sardines attract all the other fish and sea birds. After the fishing or surfing it is time for margaritas and a well earned great meal. Sayulita has it all, it is paradise.

All of our family and friends who have visited Sayulita love it. Sayulita is truly magical!”

Thanks to Jack for sharing this lovely spot with us in such a unique way

Seeing Better on the Internet

As we come across computer tips in our online journey we will share them with you on the blog. Here is a handy little item you can use to change your screen view.

It is easy to change the size of the text you see on your webpages when you go out on the Internet.

First, go to the Menu Bar near the top of the screen and click on View and a menu will drop down.

Hover your mouse over the words Text Size and a smaller menu will appear.

Now you can select the size you want. Try several of them to see what suits you. I've selected Larger as you can see in the example below.

Note: If you choose the "Largest" option, you may not be able to view everything on the webpage. To see what is on the far left and far right just click on the scroll bar at the bottom of your screen (see image below), hold the mouse button down and drag from left to right.

Internet Magic

Jane Booras is the Editor of numerous newsletters. From time to time, she will be sharing how you can find whatever you need - photos, clipart, information, maps, phone numbers - on the Internet.

One day last week when I opened the front door, I noticed a new “Yellow Pages” phone book had been delivered. It was thick and heavy, and I lugged it inside and back to the study. There I retrieved last year’s edition of the same book. Together they could easily give me a backache or help a 2-year old reach the dinner table from a dining room chair!

My intent was to replace the old one with the new one on the shelf. But suddenly I realized that, in one whole year, I haven’t once opened the yellow pages! So I hauled them BOTH to the recycle bin.

When I need to know something about something, something about anything, or anything about something or anything about anything – I go to the Internet! Google is my new best friend.

Need a phone number? Internet. Plumber? Internet. Zip Code? Internet. Map or driving directions? Internet. Possible treatments for Aunt Sally’s latest illness? Internet. Picture for a greeting card or church bulletin? Internet.

It goes on and on and a world of information is there at the tips of your fingers.

The Internet is a rich and reliable resource for (almost) anything you need to know. Besides that, it expands what you need to know by taking you to places that tell you what you didn’t know you need to know.

As we blog along in 2012, we’ll explore some of this fascinating new universe. Besides, who needs all those heavy, bulky old phone books anyway?

https://www.google.com/

Don't Miss This Site-davidberry.500px.com

Dave Berry is a wonderful photographer who has kindly shared his knowledge and very special images with our blog over the years. Our post today will send you to his personal website where you can enjoy some delicious images.

Here is his story:

"My name is David Berry and I have been a photographer for about 40 years and Photography has been a lifelong passion of mine since I first picked up a camera. My journey actually started when I was 10 years old when my parents gave me a Brownie Camera. As an adult my Photo Safari has taken me all over the world including the sidelines of the USC Football Team with my longtime friend Arnold Frankel a 50 Year Team Photographer at USC.

My hard drive is filled with over 50,000 images of family, strangers, events, street life, weddings, portraits, concert images and friends. These are just my 'keepers' and over the years I have used about 30 camera's to take these shots.

See, I am a 'photo enthusiast' as well as a passionate photographer. I have been fortunate to use NIKON and LEICA Camera's to capture my passions of Wildlife, People and Landscape images along with Street Photography.

I am often asked why photography is so important to me. My immediate response is that taking pictures is just plain fun and a great creative release for my busy life. It provides a beautiful window to nature and the world. I feel my life as a Photographer has been a blessing of grace, from God.

Photographs cross barriers of age, language and culture; connecting people to one another and touching their minds and hearts. My Camera is my tool for storytelling, recording life as I see and experience it. A photograph is always looked at -- Seldom looked into. As Ansel Adams said so often 'Sometimes I feel I get to places just when God's ready to have someone click the Shutter'.

To learn more about my photographs by you can email me at berrydjb@mac.com or go to:

http://davidberry.500px.com

The Art and Humor of Collage

The Art and Humor of Collage

At different times over the next couple of months I will be displaying the work from my collage class along with what was created in our special effects classes.

Below is a collage that was created by Robert Westfall. Yes it is a collage--it is actually a combination of three pictures! The first image is the hand/phone that was part of a tutorial we did.

The second picture in the collage is the background behind the cameraman. That is actually a picture Bob picked up in Dinkelsbuhl, Germany on the Romantic Road.

Then of course the picture of someone taking a picture. That is a friend of ours, Ernie Eberle, who was taking a picture outside of the Community College we all frequent!

Droll, charming and fun this image creates its own reality. How fortunate I am to be associated with such a creative group of people!

Alan Alda said, "The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself."

A special thank you to Robert Westfall for being a friend of our blog!!

The Lion Chaser's Manifesto

Bill Witcher will be sharing words of encouragement, inspiration and hope with you each Sunday.

Our Pastor shared this with us one Sunday. It's taken from The Community Fellowship’s series of Chase the Lion adapted from Mark Batterron’s In A Pit With A Lion on a Snowy Day.

Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death.

Pursue God-ordained passions.

Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention.

Keep asking questions.

Keep making mistakes.

Keep seeking God.

Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution.

Stop repeating the past and start creating the future.

Stop playing it safe and start taking risks.

Expand your horizons.

Accumulate experiences.

Consider the lilies.

Enjoy the journey.

Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can.

Live like today is the first day and last day of your life.

Don’t let what’s wrong with you keep you from worshipping what’s right with God.

Burn sinful bridges.

Blaze a new trail.

Criticize by creating.

Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks.

Don’t try to be who you’re not.

Be yourself.

Laugh at yourself.

Quit holding out.

Quit holding back.

Quit running away.

Chase the lion!

Photography Tips

Dave Berry is a wonderful photographer who has kindly shared his knowledge and very special images with our blog over the years. Our post today will send you to a great website he recommends.

Simply Spectacular !

Just when you think you have seen it all in photography, you realize there are still unique pictures being taken by some very talented photographers!

Naturescapes.net

has posted it's 2011 images of the year...and they are winners!

There are some amazingly spectacular images in this collection that make you want to simply grab your camera and run out the door....Beautiful, Simply Beautiful !

What I enjoyed the most was photographers offering shooting information and comments which you will find if you click on an image as it appears in the Flash Player.

Don't miss Latest Articles and Latest Discussion Forum Topics right under the slide show.

Hope you have found these photo's as inspirational as I have....Until next week - thanks for dropping by....Meanwhile go out and HAVE FUN WITH YOUR CAMERA !

A Short Tail of Love, Understanding & Brotherhood

Hello All,

Over the past week I've been bouncing around ideas for this weeks tail. When I finally got in front of my computer all I could think about was the inspired posts by Larry, Bill and Ken. They made this Puli stop and look deep inside.

One common thought resounded between the lines...love, understanding and brotherhood. To me, Harry Gareth Edward Spaulding it translated into the importance of saying how much WE, as pets, luv and care for our human families each day.

While being a good dog is an important part of my daily life.....so is giving my best to Mum and Fischer. Besides my writing and modeling, I'm also head of security here at jagielloland. These jobs keep me busy but I stay tuned into their needs and I know when they're not feeling up to par. It's then I spring into action and help any way I can. It can be a little kiss when they least expect it or a snuggle up when we're all watching tellie. This is my way of saying how much I luv and care for them.

On the human side, Fischer and I both know how much our Mum luvs and cares for us. For no reason she'll give us treats, take us on extra long walks so we can visit with our neighborhood friends or a loving word and simple pat on the head. In Fischer's case it's a belly rub.....he goes ballistic for a good belly rub!!!

Mum keeps us healthy too and takes us to the vet for our annual check up and shots (boo). Last week we went to visit Dr. Edwards and she gave us both four paws up!!! We were pleased and so was Mum. It's this give and take of luv and caring which makes this lads life wonderful!

I hope that you will think about this the next time your pet comes round....to play or just be close. WE are all ONE family.

Lastly, here's something to bring a smile to your face. Don't forget to share it with your pet too!

Don't forget Valentine's day is coming.....PETS luv-v-v-v holiday treats!!! Have a great week.

Cheerio y'all.
Your friend,Harry Gareth Edward Spaulding
CSS Puli-at-Large

Caring for Others

Bill Witcher, long time contributor to our blog, will be sharing words of encouragement, inspiration and hope with you on this Sunday.

Change your Thinking and Everything Changes

How many times have you had a bad opinion about somebody that went from bad to good once you got to know them a little better? What changed? The person didn't. They're still the same person. Your attitude about that person changed. A positive attitude puts a different light on everything and everybody.

John C. Maxwell in his book Today Matters says, "One of the secrets of maintaining a good attitude is valuing people. You can't dislike people and have a good attitude at the same time. Think about it. Have you ever met anyone who always treated people badly but had a positive attitude? Likewise, you cannot have a bad attitude and encourage others at the same time. Encouraging others means helping people, looking for the best in them, and trying to bring out their positive qualities. That process drives negative thoughts right out of your head.

Your interaction with others sets the tone of your day. It's like the music of your life. When Your interaction with others is poor, it's like having to listen to cacophonous music. But when you place a high value on people and you treat them well, it's like listening to a sweet melody as you go through your day."

Walt Emerson said, "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

Let your anger go!

Ken Faughn, will be sharing words of encouragement, inspiration and hope with you on today.

Ken says, "The following is my first attempt at a devotional that our church published for the holidays. Zula is a retired teacher and named in the devotional. Her husband is a prize and the 2010 volunteer of the year for his work with the Corpus Christ Police Department. They are also CASA volunteers."

HOW DO THEY KNOW?

New to a church family, and sporatic about attending church, I have thought many times how I missed important things because I failed to participate with others. I have been reminded regularly over the last several years by the First United Methodist Church -Robstown family of how important it is to participate with others in the plan that God has for us. What a blessing fellow Christians are, even with all of our failings. Far more important are the God given gifts we share with each other when we gather.

One recent Sunday morning we had a special guest Elizabeth and her daughter, Madison, in attendance. Sitting in the choir loft I observed that she was having some difficulty that was requiring her to leave to do something outside of the sanctuary, seemingly driven by the text feature of a cell phone.

Zula, one of God’s great gifts to the world, offers a children’s story each Sunday and this particular Sunday the group was joined by Madison. Referencing Ephesians Zula told a story of a young man who had difficulty controlling his anger and his grandfather who instructed him to go to the back fence each time he lost control and place a nail in the fence to represent his failure.

The young man followed the instructions and then asked what he was supposed to have learned with his effort. Grandfather told him he could now control his anger and each time he did he could remove a nail. When all of the nails were gone the young man again sought understanding of his effort. Grandfather explained that the hole left in the fence by the nails represented the hurt or pain he had caused people with his anger.

Zula gave each child a piece of wood with words from Ephesians Chapter 4 starting with verse 29... When you talk do not say harmful things, but say what people need-words that will help others become stronger. Then what you say will do good to those who listen to you.

And from Chapter 31-32...Do not be bitter or angry or mad. Never shout angrily or say things to hurt others. Never do anything evil. Be kind and loving to each other, and forgive each other just as God forgave you in Christ.

A small group went to lunch after church and I was privileged to sit across the table from Elizabeth, the young lady who was still dealing with that pesky text messaging that again took her away from the group while lunch orders were being placed. Upon returning with issues apparently resolved she was able to sit and enjoy the fellowship at the table.

At some point in the conversation she stopped and said “How Do They Know ?”

She began to describe the service and make special note of the children’s time and its impact on her morning activities even though she had missed the story. She explained that her anger had been escalating over the morning because associates had not completed tasks critical to the success of the afternoon. When she returned to the sanctuary from one of those calls, Madison was returning from the storytime with a piece of wood imprinted with words from the Bible about anger management.

Laughing I said that Jan, a close friend of hers also at the table and I had asked each other many times why every Sunday morning the messages seemed to be arrows aimed directly at our hearts.

The exchange was enjoyed so much that I retold the story several times over the next week and one day I was suddenly more aware of the answer to our question than I had ever been. It is not they who know but instead God who knows all and uses each and every one of us in his way to help others receive and understand the arrows that he sends our way.

Janice and Bud

Janice has graciously allowed us a glimpse into her busy life. We got an added bonus with a picture of Bud's latest project. The image you see below was enhanced with Photoshop filters. Sweet things!!

Janice Roden is a productive and busy person, and her skills in genealogy have helped many people. Here is what she sent me in answer to my questions about what was happening with her lately.

This first quote is from the link you will see in the fourth paragraph..."I've been doing genealogy for most of my life. I have always been interested in 'where I came from'. I have derived great pleasure in doing research and I am more than willing to pass on the information that I have. I usually self-publish "compilations" on various family lines. I donate them to the genealogical libraries, in order to insure that they might be of some help to other researchers.

Last year I finished my latest genealogical family book. That makes the 6th book I have created.

Each day I do indexing for the Mormons. I have indexed over 108,000 names. Of course that has been over several years.

I have also uploaded over 8,000 photos to the find a grave site. I always have to photoshop them before they are presentable:) http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=mr&MRid=46857309."

Award Winner

Janice and Bud are very supportive of the State Fair here in Dallas. There is a special place in my heart for this type of community activity because my kids and I often participated in the State Fair of California when they were growing up. They both rode ponies in the 4-H Horse Show where they won much appreciated ribbons for their efforts. Also, one year we did a rather disastrous garden that was great fun but didn’t win anything.

Janice won 2nd place at the Fair for the following image. In this image you see her grandfather in the upper left corner. The watch in the middle of the collage, the brass knuckles and the spurs were his when he was a ranch hand on the Lazy S Ranch in Paducah, Texas in early 1900s. The doll was handmade by his wife who was also cooked for the ranch hands over an open fire.

This gem is an image of Janice's parents at the State Fair in 1930. When they were married she was 15 and he was 25 (he said he was 22 though)! The button and the pin came from the 1934 fair. The cup came from the 1940 fair.


Here are some familiar faces from the Texas State Fair and they won an honorable mention as well.


Here is the collage she won second place with in the 2005 Daughter’s of the American Revolution contest.


What a fun, wholesome way to share pictures about days gone by, our country, or the county fair itself!

More recent entries include images of Janice and her Grandson Carl. Below you can see what a difference a background can make!


Here is an interesting Special Effect. Of course, it helps to be a great hand at working with images the way Janice is!


And last but certainly not least below is an image of Bud's latest creation. If I was a bird, this is where I would want to come for dinner! It has a copper roof and four side feeders.



Many thanks Janice and Bud for sharing with us. These images are as big a treat as county fair corn dogs, roasted corn on the cob and cotton candy!

Make It Happen!!

All over the USA, Seniors are using their years of experience and knowledge to enrich their communities. We are looking forward to sharing the stories of some of these "make it happen" seniors.

Making it Happen at the State Fair

This is a post we put up in one of our past blogs. It is a great example of people getting involved to make fun things happen in their communities.

If you are new to the blog, this post will help you get to know these two special seniors. Friday we will catch up with them and find out what they have been up to lately...

In Texas, Labor Day doesn't just mean Fall is right around the corner. It also means the State Fair is coming. With so many people doing their small part to enter artwork, photography, baked goods, sewing projects, and so much more, the fair comes alive every year. My friends Janice and Bud Roden are two of those participants, and what they contribute is always extra special.

Janice submitted this marvelous collage done as a tribute to a dear friend of hers and placed 1st in the "computer enhanced photo" category.

Janice says, "My dear friend was named John Street. He was a Viet Nam Veteran and he worked religiously at the State Fair of Texas each year at the Viet Nam Memorial Wall. He was completely dedicated to it. He was awarded the bronze star for his conduct during that war. He was afraid of nothing. That is actually what killed him. He has only recently learned to ride a motor cycle, and was riding it one night WITHOUT A HELMET. He hit a deer and that was his down fall. I will always miss him. A wonderful patriot."

One of Bud's many talents is building birdhouses. He won 2nd place in the Creative Arts Project category for this charmer:

He won 4th place for his "little man" figure.

Charming, creative and fun, we congratulate them for their efforts!

Inspiring Words

Bill Witcher, co-founder of Computer School for Seniors, will be sharing words of encouragement, inspiration and hope with you on Sunday.

“Coach, what is success?”

John Wooden is a legend. He coached basketball for over forty years. He only had one losing season (his first). He led his UCLA teams to four undefeated seasons and a record ten NCAA championships, including seven in a row. Wouldn’t you say that is a successful coach? How did he do it? His coaching accomplishments are unbelievable and unparalled – “seven NCAA championships in a row!” Incredible.

In his book Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court, he said…

“I have often been asked when I first started dreaming about winning a national championship. Was it at Indiana State Teachers College or after I arrived at UCLA. Perhaps while I was a college player? I never dreamed about winning a national championship.

What I was dreaming about each year, if you want to call it that, was trying to produce the best basketball team we could be. My thoughts were directed toward preparation, our journey, not the results of the effort (such as winning national championships). That would simply have shifted my attention to the wrong area, hoping for something out of my control. Hoping doesn’t make it happen."

Mix idealism with realism and add hard work. This will often bring much more than you could ever hope for.”

“Success is peace of mind,
which is a direct result
of self-satisfaction
in knowing
you did your best
to become the best
that are you are
capable of becoming.

~John Wooden

New Beginnings

Over the last year I have had the privilege of getting to know Ken Faughn. I was his teacher and now I am his friend. He was a student and now he is a teacher.

When Maya Angelou said... "If you learn, teach. If you get, give."...she was talking about Ken. He volunteers in a senior center and teaches at his local community college. When I asked him if he would consider contributing to our blog, I was truly delighted when he said yes. So here is his first post...


My "new beginning" started with one of those light bulbs above my head.

I was working my way through the frustrations of dealing with service companies by deciding to use email instead of the telephone. I found that I could move the process forward over 1, 2, or 3 days time with a minimum investment of my time. Responses to emails came consistently within 24 hours of my inquiry.

I suddenly realized that if it was frustrating for me it must be really so for people who could not navigate a web site, find contact us, type an email or pay a bill online.

The new beginning got wheels when my research took me to see Deborah at the Greenwood Senior Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. An expression of doubt covered her face as I asked if I could help with her computer lab. “I can get back to you if you leave your name and number,” she said. I asked if her over 50 crowd was frustrated with utilities and others and she said, “When would you like to start”.

I will always be indebted to Deborah for allowing me to begin the experiences that have been so personally rewarding over the last 16 months.
I am looking forward to sharing with you on this blog what I have learned and been able to share with my students.

P. S. I have to take advantage of "bloggers bragging rights" and show you my other new beginnings, Presley, 8 years old, and Mia, 3 years old!

Happy 2012!

Here comes 2012! I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to this new year of opportunity!

“Another fresh new year is here . . .
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!
This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!
I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!”
~William Arthur Ward

We will open the book. Its pages are blank.
We are going to put words on them ourselves.
The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.
~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Glory to God in highest heaven,
Who unto man His Son hath given;
While angels sing with tender mirth,
A glad new year to all the earth.
~Martin Luther
Happy New Year Everyone!