"Laughter is the heart's best medicine."

How many times have we heard this expressed! I recently read a quote by Mary H. Waldrip, who said:
"A laugh is a smile that bursts!"

How pleasant it is to be around someone who truly loves to laugh.
It makes your heart sing, and your thoughts so much easier to handle.

Aren't there just days where you just wish you did not have to face yet another difficulty, another obstacle, another mountain? The only way that I have ever gotten where I am today, and how I have been able to keep my sanity, is by finding something to laugh about. Sometimes, it is just laughing at myself over something that I said or that I did. Maybe it is laughing at a dog chasing its tail, or something someone said in the most difficult and trying times.

A dear friend of my entire family came to my dad's home the day that my dad died. She is a dear family friend. She has been through so much of our lives that it seems she is family too. She pulled into the drive, and parked her car. She came over with a whole meal that day, and as she got ready to leave, her car would not start. And my sisters and myself went outside to bring her back in the house to get someone to start her car back up, and she rolled down the window, and said simply. "Oh girls! Your dad would just die if he saw me right now!" She gasped....Oh, I can't believe I said that. Oh... I am sorry. I am mortified. But as soon as she said it, I just started laughing, and then my sisters started laughing, the funeral director who was there going over things with us started laughing! I said, oh Margaret you have made this day much more bearable. You have no idea how much dad would laugh if he were here! Now 4 years later, we all still laugh about that, and Margaret is still mortified that she said that.

Laughter! It is the best medicine..

I know we cannot go around laughing at everything. But even in times that you think you have cried all you can, it just helps to have the blessing of laughter!

Isn't it nice to be able to laugh instead of cry!
Isn't if nice to laugh at ourselves for something we have done?
Isn't it nicer to laugh at a remark someone said that was possibly hurtful (maybe or maybe not meant) Laughter can put a lid on someone's stinging remark.

I have found that a frown turned upside down is better for me, than the other way around!

Do you remember growing up and looking to someone special. Oh how we wanted to be like that person; to do the things that they did, and to experience the things that they did?

I particularly remember Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. I was the Queen of the West riding the plains on my pony just like Roy and Dale. I spent hours riding and dressing up in my cowgirl hat and boots.

And then there were the friends of my parents; many of whom were farmers like my parents. I loved "Jiggs" he was the sweetest and funniest man. He was the fire chief for the volunteer fire dept and dad was one of the firemen for the same fire dept. It was grand when Jiggs would let me ride up front of the fire engine. Then, when they had the fire dept festival, I loved to fish at the little steel tubs they had set up to fish and win prizes. No one ever went away empty-handed there.

Then there was our neighbor, Charlie Baldinger! He was a wonderful gentleman. He never married, and he was getting up in years when i was growing up. He would come over and help my dad bale hay and do other chores. I used to call him "Charlie Ballgame" He was a real hero! Even after I was in high school, and Charlie was too weak and elderly to come outside, he would sit at the window and everyday he watched so that I was safely on the bus, and then off the bus when I came home. He would wave and smile. He was my hero all those years. He still is. He remains in my heart to this day.

There were the teachers who encouraged us on, to not give up and to give our best, not someone else's best, but just do the best that I could do.

There was Mr. Boggs at the old feed mill where dad bought his seed for crops. I loved to walk into that old feed mill shop. Mr. Boggs always had a big bubble gum for me. He was such a sweet person. I loved to smell the shop, and the pencils and paper he gave us and for free!! The whole pocket pencils, and the pocket grain pamphlets. They were treasures to me. What a hero he was...

Then there was the bookmobile and the lady who drove it. I longed for summer when the bookmobile would sit up at the Old McCoys grocer. It would be there every Tuesday during the summer. Mom would always walk me up there so I could get my precious books to borrow and read. I loved reading, and the bookmobile was a joy and I loved it so much...

There was our old family doctor who made home visits when I was sick as a child. He was my hero too! He would always let me listen to his heart through his stethascope, and I always thought -- he has the biggest heart of anyone on earth. I loved Dr. Mosley. He took care of us all.

You know, when we stop and consider the real heroes in our lives...they are not the movie stars. They are not the politicians. They are not the actors -- but they are the every day people going about each day doing the things that they do. You never know who might be looking to you, and whose hero you are.
It is just something to think about....what kind of a hero would I be to some precious person? I hope a good one...don't you.

The people in my life have been many, and all over the globe, but I have to say to this day, and forever my parents John and Ann Miller are and will always be my heroes.

Well my week has already started for me. Actually it did not really end from last week. We are pulling mandatory overtime for the company I work for on-line from my home. I worked most of the weekend, as many of us did. Today was my regular first day of the work week for me. I normally work Sunday through Thursday, days.

After my supper, I came up and checked my email, and of course, checked in to see how everyone is doing. A lot of great blogs out there. There are so many talented people on blogstream. It is so refreshing, and you feel like you know each one even though you have not met in person, you have a kinship by cyberspace.

I think we all need refreshment. I know on a hot day I love my iced tea loaded with ice. On a cold day, I like my hot tea or coffee and my quilt. It is refreshment we all long for. When you are working or just shopping or whatever it is you might be doing, it is always good to kick back, and refresh your mind, your arms, your feet, and think of those good things...think of your friends here, and know that if you have had an exhausting day, you will be refreshed by so many people's thoughts, stories, poems, life experiences.

Thanks to all!

Rex is my new friend.
Rex is so cute.
Rex loves to run outside.
Rex got stuck on top of a snow drift today.
Rex does not like the cat that lives in his house.
Rex is great company.
Rex makes me laugh.
Rex loves to come see me.
Rex is loyal.
Rex has a face you can't forget.
Rex is white with some black spots.
Rex does not like to be cold.
Rex does not like to wear a coat.
Rex does not like to get wet.
Rex got sprayed by a skunk.
Rex snores when he sleeps.
Rex is my neighbor's dog, but Rex is my dog too.
Rex loves to share himself freely.
Rex is a small bull dog, and what a cutie he is!
Rex can make a gloomy day sunny

I am on this diet, well actually I don't call it a diet, but it is a diet -- because anytime I cannot eat what I want, it is a diet.

I had this wonderful salad today loaded with all sorts of healthy things; it was so good I had one tonight too. Well after I dined on that, and had an orange with a nice hot cup of green tea, I came up to my office to check my email. Well, my friend Amy wrote, as we generally write each other on a very frequent basis. She happened to send along this little tidbit!! Remember now I have just finished off 2 very good salads.

There is picture of a lady holding this wonderful bag of lettuce already chopped up, and all you have to do is wash it, rinse it and eat it. As she is standing there holding this bag of lettuce, she said, look right below the writing on the bag, you will see a frog. Sure enough there was a nice frog having grown up from his little status as "baby" to a nice adult frog, sitting right in the bag of lettuce that she bought at the store. I wrote my friend back, and said you know Amy! I really am glad I got to eat all that lettuce before you sent me that. Ha!

On a serious note, I kid around a lot about being on this diet, starving, and so forth, but we truly are the most fortunate people in the world. I know that things are really going up. Gas is sky high, rent is high, utilities -- well we know all about that!!tuition is high, fees are high, every time you want to use your debit card they come up with a new charge for you --just to let you know that they are still out there and interested in spending our money for us! I know that many people are just running around in this world fearful, panic-stricken, nervous about what we are going to do with all the prices going up. We are going to do just what we are very good at -- we are going to find ways to cut back, and ways to make it. We are going to find ways to bring happiness and smiles to someone special to us. We are going to rise above any crisis that comes our way. Today, I decided to change the grocery store I go too, and now I go to one closer to my home, and it saves me at least 3 gallons or better on gas.

Bottom line, don't let the state of the world get you down. There have been times much harder than these, and our parents and grandparents made it through them, and were the better for it.

Just remember to watch for those frogs when you eat your salad!!