Posts by Pat:
Life lessons from the Wizard…
I’m a big fan of stories from childhood, whether in book or movie form, because I like to glean life lessons from them. And The Wizard of Oz is one of my favorites! Here are six lessons to think about:
1. Never stop dreaming. Dorothy’s trip to Oz was difficult, but she still found a place over the rainbow. After singing about a magical land, she found it and that means that we should never stop dreaming about ours.
2. Never give up. Dorothy never stopped trying to get home even when the Wicked Witch of the West sent flying monkeys after her. So when the going gets tough, let’s stick to the yellow brick road and we’ll overcome our obstacles too.

3.Good friends come in the unlikeliest places. Though the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion aren’t the typical members in our tribe, these three friends always had Dorothy’s back. We don’t want to pass on a possible friend because they’re different than we are.
4.We can accomplish just about anything. The Scarecrow wanted a brain. The Tin Man wanted a heart and the Lion wanted to be brave. Even though they thought they had to ask the Wizard to grant their wishes, they found those traits inside themselves. We too have unacknowledged gifts within us!
5.Real courage is facing our fears. As one author put it…feel your fears and do it anyway. The Lion did this when he put aside his own fears in order to help his friends.
6. There’s no place like home. And that is more than just our living space. It’s where the people we love-and who love us-are found. We can have many different “homes,” and we can always go back!

P.S. Maybe we might want to try the RED brick road, just to see where it will lead us?
Are both true?
Words reflect thoughts. And many of our thoughts are contradictory! Here are some fun sayings that I’ve used (and even believed at different times)! How about you? “Look before you leap” or…“He who hesitates is lost”? What about “Hitch your wagon to a star” or…“Don’t bite off more than you can chew”? What about “The […]
Sunrise to Sunset
We sure do seem to want to mess with time…just consider our Daylight Savings Time process! (You did set your clocks ahead an hour this morning, didn’t you?) Did you know WAY back in the olden days (as in, before sundials were introduced in 203 BC!!), the Romans split their days in two parts: before […]
An old farmer’s advice…
Good advice comes from everywhere (and everyone!) and we often find it humorous just because it’s true! See which ones you find most true (or revealing!) and feel free to share your own hard-earned wisdom in the comments! It doesn’t take a very big person to carry a grudge. Every path has a few puddles. […]
Are you wise or just intelligent?
It has been said “Experience is a great advantage. The problem is that when you get the experience, you’re too darn old to do anything about it.” And maybe this is not just true of us as individuals, but also as groups, as nations, as a species. Some thoughts: Intelligence is pursuit of knowledge; it […]
whether the weather matters…
We do know this! But I do think that it is even more important that we know… As Eckhart Tolle said, “The clouds are what happens, what comes and goes.” Life is no different than the weather. Not only is it unpredictable, but it shows us a new perspective of the world every day. The […]
Can you be like a flower?
A flower doesn’t stop being beautiful just because somebody walks by without noticing it, nor does it cease to be fragrant if its scent is taken for granted. The flower just continues to be its glorious self: elegant, graceful, and magnificent. Mother Nature has provided us with these immeasurably valuable teachers that blossom despite their […]
What can it mean for us?
The Chinese New Year started on February 1st. And it’s the Year of the Tiger! Tigers are the third of the Chinese zodiacs. According to legend, Tiger was confident that no one could compete with its speed and vigor for the celestial race that would decide the order of the zodiacs. However when Tiger climbed […]
More than enough?
There is more than enough air for everyone to breathe. No one has to choke in order for you to breathe freely. There is more than enough love to go around. No one has to be lonely and loveless in order for you to be in love. There is more than enough health for every […]
Some fun with words!
I’m a retired English teacher and bookstore owner and love playing with words, as you probably already know. Today I’ve collected some fun words, some concepts (and even some puns!) Feel free to share any that you have discovered. Have some fun with the following exercise. Maybe you could come up with a similar sentence […]