Treat yourself the way you want others to treat you!

Accept yourself! Insecurity is what’s ugly, not you! Be you, just the way you are, in the beautiful way only you know how. The way you treat yourself sets the standard for others. You must love who you are or no one else will either. And when you are truly comfortable in your own skin, not everyone will like you, but you won’t give a damn!

Your life is all yours, you own it, and what you make of it is purely up to you. Others may support you in your ambitions, but in the end, it’s your creation. You are the only one in charge and with that comes a responsibility. Once you accept this responsibility and stop waiting around for others to make you happy, you will become unstoppable. There will be no denying you. Your life will change, all because of you.

Everyone has special skills and with your skills, your words and your actions, you will change your own world. Choose to let that change be driven by what you love rather than by what you fear.

Focus on the good things, on the opportunities, and on those dreams and values that are genuine. Make yourself the living example of the best you can imagine.

Your life is continually being formed by the way you live it. Even the smallest things have an effect, and all those things combine together to build the life you experience.

Every day is a chance to express the irreplaceable beauty of who you are. Every situation is one in which you can choose to give a rich component and meaning to your world.

Let go of those who aren’t really there. There are certain people who aren’t meant to fit into your life no matter how much you want them to. And the only ones truly worthy of your love are the ones who stand with you through the hard times and laugh with you after the hard times pass.

Maybe a happy ending doesn’t include anyone else right now. Maybe it’s just you, on your own, picking up the pieces and starting over. Maybe the happy ending is simply letting go.

Happy Halloween my friends!

Insincere Expressions!

Have you ever been out shopping and bump into someone you have not seen in a long time and you are excited to see them but the expression on their face is insincere? They always say, “Let’s get together real soon” but never bother to set a date and time? Why do people do that? That is like when you are young and out on a date and the young man will walk you to the door and say “I’ll call you” and never does! Yuck! Why do some adults still behave like teenagers?

 

Some people will call and make plans with you and then cancel the last minute if they get a better invitation elsewhere. Friends don’t do that to friends. The best part is that they actually believe their excuse for canceling is believable to you!!!

Well, then they really are not friends are they? Some people only want your friendship for what you can do for them. Terrible isn’t it? To them, it is like having a “personal assistant” with what each friend has to offer. Sad that people use others like that.

It’s perfectly normal to express emotions. Just remember, when you do, be aware of how your facial expressions or your true feelings may make someone else feel. You need to be sincere with your smiles and your greetings. I wonder sometimes if some people were raised by ill mannered parents.

We all have made some mistakes, but you have to learn from them and keep moving. Even if you’ve been disappointed, transform that displeasure into determination and just keep your thoughts in a positive mode.

 

Things that normally drag you down won’t be able to keep up with your progress if you keep yourself in a positive mode and keep moving. It is foolish to think that someone can say something to you that you know is insincere…..some people are just bad liars! Why bother? Makes no sense to me at all! Their words don’t match the insincere smiles on their faces!

Action is a great way to overcome doubt. Put your energy into action and you won’t have the time for doubt. Making just a little progress is hugely better than making no progress at all, and all those small improvements will soon combine to form a major accomplishment.

Keep yourself in motion and you’ll get yourself to exactly where you want to go.  You need not to rely on insincere people, you can go it alone without any problems!  You just have to do what makes you happy.

 

Keep your true sincere smiles and your true sincere friends and life will be good!

 

Are you wasting food?

It seems like my grocery bills are higher and higher lately. With all of the family-size packaging, buy-one-get-one sales and better deals for bigger quantities, food shopping can be particularly challenging for those of us who live alone or with one other person often end up buying and cooking more than necessary. As a result, we either throw food away or get tired of eating leftovers for three days in a row.

I had to figure a way to manage my grocery purchases so I don’t buy more than I need. I found a dozen ways to downsize my food shopping—and stop wasting food.

I’ve learned to take the time each week to create a meal plan and jot down the ingredients for my recipes each week. When you’re cooking for one or even two, it’s helpful to think of smart ways to reuse key ingredients. For example, tonight’s grilled chicken dinner could easily become tomorrow night’s chicken salad. What’s more, having a menu plan will keep you from overbuying while you shop.  It really helps!

I found that cooking from scratch is a big savings, perhaps not a time saver but nonetheless helpful. Frozen, and prepared foods from the grocery store most always serve four people or more. So, if you’re a household of one or two, you end up paying for twice the food you need. You can easily scale down most recipes to serve one or two people (and shop accordingly). Plus, who wants all the preservatives and added salt in packaged foods.

Be careful with the coupons. We’re all about saving money on groceries, but coupons typically entice us to purchase more than we need—or, to purchase items we wouldn't normally buy. If you’re going to use coupons for food items, stick to pantry staples that won't go bad. I no longer buy something just because I have a store coupon these days. It just turned out to be a waste of money for me.

Larger package sizes are obviously a better deal. You’ll spend more per ounce or per unit by buying smaller quantities. However, consider the alternative: purchasing more than you need and throwing away food you tire of or don’t use. I look for half-quantities or smaller package sizes: You can choose six eggs instead of a dozen, half loaves of bread, half-gallons of milk, and pints of ice cream instead of gallons (probably a good idea anyway).

I no longer keep all of the above mentioned in my fridge anymore but thought it would be a good idea for those of you who still use those products. As a modified Vegan, we don’t eat dairy or meat, only fish occasionally. But, I have recently added a steak every two weeks to my diet, as my new doctor said I was not getting enough protein and vitamin B12 and the only natural way is from lean red meat. I thought I would be thrilled and anxious to have a steak again but after I had it, it was no big deal!!!!! LOL

I shop the bulk food section. Many larger grocery stores and most specialty stores have aisles stocked with bulk bins of items like grains, beans and nuts. The bulk food aisle is the single-shopper’s best friend, because you can scoop out and purchase only what you need.

In the produce aisle, I remove two bananas from a larger bunch, pull two tomatoes off the stem, or ask a grocery employee to split that large bag of grapes in half. Obviously, this is only advisable for items that are sold by the pound and not by the package.

I prepare my beans ahead of time and freeze. I buy a package of dry white navy beans or pinto beans is my favorite, and prepare the entire package. Beans store well in the freezer, and since they have to be soaked in water for the entire night before and the following day cook it slowly for about 2-3 hours, you’ll be ahead of the game next time you make soup or stir fry. I love my escarole and beans or rice and beans and who doesn't love pasta fazool?  I always have a pre-cooked container of beans in my freezer at all times for soups, etc.

Have you ever tried a scoop of leftover mashed potatoes in the middle of a bowl of soup?  Delish!  I always keep a soup starter in the freezer. If you only use a portion of a canned product like tomatoes or vegetables, or have leftover cooked veggies of any kind, use large freezer bags and store these in the freezer. Place the container in a handy spot in the freezer so you can easily pull it out and pour in any unused veggies or cooking liquid—just keep adding to it, and mix it all up! Use it within six months as a base for homemade vegetable soup.

And, of course, whenever I make my gravy and meatballs, (which is not that often these days) that huge pot simmering for hours makes many more dinners when I fill several containers and freeze them for another day when I’m craving pasta.

Shopping and cooking for one or two will always be a challenge, however, with a little creativity, you can stretch your dollars and still eat a variety of healthy foods each week.

Happy shopping and saving!



P.S.  Time for my Vegan lunch!

Boston You're My Home!

Make sure to click on the arrow to view the video!  Click again if you see watch on you tube!

I feel passionate about moving back to my roots but with the advice of a financial planner tells me I can’t afford to make the move. Yet, I really want to pursue it, no matter what anyone else thinks.

I want to cancel out his advice when I’m told I can’t fulfill my dreams. The only place where your goals and dreams are possible is inside your head. I want to go ahead and follow through. Then the fears set in and I know that he is right that financially, it is impossible to make the move.

What scares me is that we all know time flies and years slip away. The time is passing me by and keeping me away from my children, family and friends. I want to make the necessary changes to make me happy. I want to make beautiful memories again, so I can look back with no regrets.

I attempted once to make the move in 2007 and I actually put my condo up for sale but not one bite, the economy was against me. The economy has not changed all that much now to try again unless I want to accept half of what my condo is worth.

Yes, it does cost more to live in Massachusetts than to live in Florida but I’m alone here. Don’t get me wrong, I have friends here in Florida but the hurricane season leaves my heart in palpitations all the time. I hate the humidity and constant heat. The winters are usually glorious but last winter was not……….just hot and then hotter!

I have been living in Florida for 22 years now but since my husband has passed away. All the sunshine, palm trees and blooming flowers are not enough for me to want to stay here by myself.

Someone said to me, “Stay in Florida because eventually everyone will retire in Florida anyway and then you will be stuck up North all by yourself again.” Ughhhhhhhhh! True, that could very well happen. It certainly would be a dilemma for me then for sure!

I actually miss the snow. Of course, I would select a senior place to live where I would not have to shovel snow. I’m retired so I won’t have to freeze and wait for the bus and trains to travel to a workplace. But Mass transportation would be handy if necessary. Seniors in Florida can’t get around like they can up north. Once your driver’s license is taken away from you, you are stuck indoors due to the damn heat.

 

I’m a city girl and always will be!  Boston, you’re my home!

Message from me regarding Spams lately!

I beefed up the security again on both of my blogs. Everyone will have to use the "word verification" which is a pain and also I have to approve all comments before they are posted due to all this spam that came across both my blogs recently. I spent over an hour deleting and reporting spam on many posts this morning. All were about "viagra". Everything should be fine now.

You will not be able to see your comment right after you typed it because they have to email me first to be approved so it will be posted after that.

What a pain in the neck. This all happened because people were complaining about having to deal with the word verification feature and also they thought their comments were not being posted because they did not see it immediately so I removed all of those features and guess what happened???? Tons of spam! So security is back on again.

Hugs, Rose

Labor Day Weekend!

This long Labor Day weekend was a blank canvas on my calendar and all my friends were busy, so I decided to go solo and create my own masterpiece. I had three days to do something for myself instead of just cleaning the house or sitting in front of my computer creating more animations. I decided to get out and enjoy being outdoors after being stuck in the house due to the outer bands that thrashed Palm Beach County from Hurricane Isaac causing flooded streets all last week.

I decided to start day one at the Library. Gosh, I love the smell of the library, don’t you? Love the coffee shop in our new Library, so I headed there after selecting a few books to take home. It was getting costly to purchase books lately. “People watching” is also one of my favorite things to do. I will eventually want to own a Kindle Fire because they look so cool whenever I see someone using them.

Did you know that you can borrow a book from the library and download it to your Kindle all for free???? It is my understanding that there is a time limit to read the book before it is automatically removed from your Kindle. The good thing is that your Kindle only has your germs on it and not like the tons of germs from all the folks that have taken out that library book before you. Yah, I’ve become a bit germ-o-phobic! LOL

Day two, I decided to contact a lovely elderly woman that used to live in my complex but sadly she is blind and her son built an in-law apartment for this lovely lady so she would not be alone and they could care for her. It was getting difficult for him to stop by every day after work plus he has a family of his own.

 

I remembered how I enjoyed reading to her every Sunday when she lived here and would share my leftover food with her since she loved my Italian cooking and she also lived alone.

 

So, I spent a lovely afternoon on day two, reading to this sweetheart of a lady. She was delighted to see me and I realized how much I missed seeing her.

Day three, of this holiday weekend, I decided to take a long walk down the beach. Something I have not done in years! I chose to go to Deerfield Beach, as they have benches along the shoreline, so I can stop when my knee acted up and my back started to ache. It also gave me more people watching time.

I ended the day by going to the movies by myself and after the movies, stopped to have a cocktail at a local lounge.

No, this long weekend didn’t involve a spectacular getaway vacation somewhere or an expensive dinner at one of my favorite restaurants. It was simple yet a unique masterpiece filling my empty calendar designed by me only!

How many times have you wished that you had time to enjoy the simple things of life that didn’t involve anyone else but you? Stop wishing. It’s here. It’s called today. So go where you’ve been meaning to go. Do what you’ve been meaning to do. Go ahead and create your own unique masterpiece.

Most times, I would prefer to be with my circle of friends. I like to choose my audience wisely. I believe it is important to surround yourself with people who see you and appreciate who you really are. It is important to make it a practice to keep the company of those who only want the very best for you. Stop wasting your time trying to convince those who don't "get" you or understand your choices in life.

 

Everyone needs a cheerleader!

50th Class Reunion!

We turned back the clock and walked down memory lane on August 17, 2012 and attended our 50th Class Reunion which was so special and I was thrilled to see so many friends that I have not seen in 50 years! We have known each other all the way through grade school, middle school and high school. Not too many people can say that.

Marriage, jobs, achievements took us all to different directions and went our separate ways after graduation and some of us moved out of state, so, therefore, not able to see each other as the years went by. I’m fortunate that my children and family still live in the Boston area so I have had the opportunity to get together with our Revere Gang whenever I’m up for a visit, as Diane usually plans a Luncheon which is always great fun.

Some classmates traveled as far as from California, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire and Florida. That told me a lot of us still care to travel such a great distance. Yes, we are a great bunch!

Thank you to John Henry and Diane Beatrice for encouraging me to create “The Lantern” which I believe has drawn us closer since inception. To repeat what our dear friend, Arthur Buonopane said “It almost seems as if we are still walking the halls of Revere High and seeing each other every day.” As, that is exactly what it felt like being at the reunion.

The committee worked very hard to put together such an eventful days of events for all of us to enjoy which started with:

Day one: the Reunion at Spinelli’s

Day two: a BBQ the following day at Diane and Chuckie’s lovely home (we never made it to Revere Beach for the fireworks)

Day three: brunch at Deb and John Henry’s house prior to the “All Shook Up” Elvis play at the Beverly Theater.

Day four: onto Diane and Chuckie’s daughter’s home, then a day down the Cape at Linda (Spagnolo) Lattanzi’s home. Shopping and dinner with the girls.

Day five: And, for me, spending time with my daughter and son before returning home to Florida. Did I mention, I was greeted by Hurricane Isaac upon my return home? Ugh.

The memories will always be embedded in the corridors of my mind. As we grow up, we learn that you'll cry because time is flying by so try not to miss these opportunities to get together.

I love taking pictures for the memories, I love to laugh so hard that my stomach hurts, I try to forgive freely as life comes with no guarantees. We lost so many classmates from our very large class and we are blessed that we were able to attend our 50th Reunion together.

A special thank you to Diane and Chuckie for opening their home for me, Janice and Janet to bunk at their home for the weekend. It was very kind and generous of you!

All photos are posted on “The Lantern” Blog!

God Bless all of you and thanks for the memories!

Patience

Patience is one of the seven virtues, the lesser-known cousins of the seven sins. And indeed, “patience is a virtue” – or so goes the saying. But another saying states that “fortune favors the bold.” So which one is it?

I recall a wise woman once told me to "Never run after a bus or a man, there will always be another one." LOL

I find that patience is the main ingredient necessary to get through difficult times. Yes, it is hard to be patient! But, without patience, you would have no hope.

Patience is waiting, not passively waiting, that is laziness but to keep on going when the going gets rough...........now that is patience.

People often handle life as they do bad weather. They waste away the time waiting for the rain to stop. I’m guilty of that myself at times. Yet the tide of opportunity comes to everyone if you have patience. When your chance comes, take advantage of it.

Can anyone name all the seven virtues?

Don't mess with me!

Exercise your brain and get rid of that useless doctor to take care of your medical needs! It takes determination to research for a good doctor and then a lot of luck to find a good one.  It also took me to lose it one day and say "I had enough" with this woman doctor and her idiot assistant!

“Problem solving comes easier with a fit mind.” I have been so chronically fatigued and not knowing why. This symptom is not easy to solve the culprit that is causing it. I only recall that is started after my several dental visits in June??????

I can’t expect my body to stay in shape without regular exercise, so I surely can’t expect my mind to perform to the peak of its ability without use.  And, I can't exercise if I'm constantly sleeping during the day and awake all night long!

I needed to confront the problems that were crossing my path. And, more importantly, taking that step and planning a strategy to make things better.

I was facing seeking a new doctor, as my old doctor was just not cutting the mustard! She and her staff were unacceptable. Not good to always get voicemail whenever a medical issue arises and waiting up to five days for a return call. This was the last straw for me! It is difficult selecting a Primary Care out of a huge book of names.

Finally, all my research and efforts brought me to a good place with a new, knowledgeable, caring doctor and he even returns the calls himself to relate the results of lab work. Whooooooooohooooooooo!

 

I feel like that awful portion of my life is over having to put up with a terrible medical facility/doctor/staff……..so now I have full control and it begins right now. When you are not feeling well, this is not good to have a useless doctor and staff. I invested two years with this doctor and didn’t know where to turn next. It is hard to find a good doctor.

I asked everyone I came in contact with for a referral of a doctor that they truly were happy with how they managed their health.

So, one doctor’s name kept popping up and I remembered this name when my Medicare Card first arrived in the mailbox but at that time, this doctor was not taking new patients, so I dismissed this medical office. I’m so happy that I decided to double check again two years later and he was now accepting new patients!

Wow, what a difference between the old doctor and the new. Like night and day! I now feel like I’m in good hands at last.

 

I still work on letting my feelings be my choice. I realized that there is no need to hold my feelings hostage. Oh the valuable possibilities if I just allow myself to observe the world from a positive perspective!

This new doctor is Board Certified, educated in the Northeast, Italian, knows his stuff, super great staff, pristine office facility, and did I say easy on the eyes! LOL



To My Awesome Cyberfriends!

 

It doesn't matter what you wear

What you eat or what you weigh.

Who cares if your hair's a total mess

Or if you're hundreds of miles away?

To see you in my contact list

Whenever you're online

Reminds me of how glad I am

That you're all friends of mine!

Whenever I need to rant or rave

You're always there for me,

You hear me out on everything

And we so rarely disagree!

Whether there's a problem to solve

Or a funny story to tell,

Though we listen with our eyes,

We understand each other so well.

We've got games right at our fingertips

And funny greetings too,

Whenever I'm at my computer,

There's ALWAYS! ! ! ! ! !

something to do! So here's

to you, my cyberfriends,

You really are the best!!

You make the web sure feel like home

And for that I feel so blessed!

Phenomenal 2 letter Word!!!!!

I'm sure you will enjoy this. Here is one word in the English language that can be a noun, verb, adj, adv, prep.

UP 

 

This two-letter word in English has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that word is "UP". It is listed in the dictionary as an [adv], [prep], [adj], [n] or [v].

It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP?

At a meeting, why does a topic come UP? Why do we speak UP, and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report? We call UP our friends, brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house and fix UP the old car.

At other times, this little word has real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses.

To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special.

And this UP is confusing: A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP.

We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night. We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP!

To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look UP the word UP in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4 of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions.

If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more.

When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP. When the sun comes out, we say it is clearing UP. When it rains, it soaks UP the earth. When it does not rain for awhile, things dry UP.

One could go on and on, but I'll wrap it UP, for now . . . my time is UP!