Dear Reader:

Being a product of the Baby Boomer generation… I was raised ( as a future southern wife and mother) to play the role of peacemaker and strong home anchor.

All my life I have tried to avoid personal conflicts when it comes to everyday decisions concerning home, hearth, and issues that force one to take a stance. I normally retreat or perform a balancing act on the fence.

Perhaps my astrological sign-the balanced scales plays a role in my natural tendency to avoid unnecessary conflict .

But life has a way of forcing us out of the corner doesn’t it… when suddenly we find ourselves, by default, in decision/making roles that we know, once announced, will splinter serenity and send out shards of unrest.

Life, itself, must not like fence-sitters because ( in hindsight) I have been knocked off my tight-rope act more times than I care to remember.

… Until one day we finally realize that if we want our lives to feel limitless… we must learn how to create boundaries that protect, nurture, and sustain all we cherish. We must protect the right… the freedom.. to be ourselves and draw that line in the sand.

We must choose to let that inner voice imprisoned within us … out. The voice that tells the world what we believe in and what we stand for… the underlying principles within us that believe in peace, personal freedoms, democracy, morality and respect for all God’s children, regardless of race or religion.

So until tomorrow…Drawing a line in the sand, taking a stance, and finally saying ” NO” enhances our own self-respect. We are giving ourselves the gift of inner strength when our ” No’s” stop robbing us of our inner joys, or distracting us from God’s purpose for us on earth.

And today I am taking a stance against one commercial in order to preserve my sanity! Martha! Martha… don’t call Medicare C… just change channels, hang up or take that truly ridiculously annoying conversation elsewhere!!!!! Anywhere… OFF THE AIR!

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

One of my favorite sit-cons growing up was actor/ comedian Redd Fox ( aka) Fred Sanford who was always faking a heart attack to avoid conflict… he would start moaning and put his hand over his heart… calling out to his deceased wife, Elizabeth, that he was coming and that this was the ” big one.”

Some creative soul posted this yesterday after the Clemson-Syracuse game… leaving me in stitches… the perfect metaphor for that game!

My favorite Halloween creative house decorations in Summerville…

After all the morning boys games, and the Clemson game Saturday, Mollie was off to take Eloise to her pre-school Halloween Extravaganza. ( Oh I remember those days… complete exhaustion! I will take ” now” even with its challenges… once was enough!)