Mini Vacation Time...

The girls and I are off to have some fun together for a few days before the start of a busy school schedule. My Victoria is so excited because although she's flown on a plane before, she doesn't remember it as she was so young - so she's off the charts thrilled about it! We all are excited!

See you next week and best wishes for a happy start to a new school year for all of you who have kids school age.

Love, Dawn xox♥

If...

August 18 marked the date that my Mother would have turned 83 years old this year. I posted awhile back that she passed a few years ago of Alzheimer's Disease. I'm happy to say that although I miss her dearly, I can look at her picture and smile, think of a memory shared and laugh, but most of all, I feel her presence often and I love the feeling of unwavering support and love she gave me and to this day, I still feel it.

She had a fondness for poetry and one of her favorites became one of my own favorites and so I thought I'd share it with you.

If

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master,
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build them up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

Wow, if only we could all actually live this way, hmmm? Lol! Well, I guess most of us try don't we - at least some of it anyway! I have very fond memories of my Mother reciting different parts of this piece throughout her life, depending on what she was facing at the time. She was so articulate and spoke softly and a smile would slowly appear on her face as if by mearly uttering these words, all would be well... and so it was.

Perhaps something in those words will speak to you - it's wonderful how that happens - sometimes we get to read or hear exactly what we need, when we need it.

Have a wonderful weekend dear ones! xox♥

Keep Moving Forward...

I am so enjoying this summer with time spent with my girls and friends! I can't help but feel a little pang of indulgence guilt as I am not spending much time at all tending to on-line business. All I can say is "It is what it is" and be grateful that I'm able to take this much needed time to just 'be'.

On the agenda the last couple of days has been back-to-school shopping - yay (not!). My girls love to get organized for school early and even though it's a bit of a task, I'm always grateful to get it done early especially when I see all the crazed parents trying to find supplies at the last minute... that's not fun - I did that once and promised myself, never again!

Even though the summer is still a few weeks from its end, my mind is ever busy with thoughts of the year ahead of me. Recently I read a little excerpt of the life that Abraham Lincoln lived - I'll share it with you cuz sometimes we can all use a little reminder to feel gratitude for all that we have.

Excerpt from The Best Way Out is Through,

by B.J. Gallagher

Many people do not know that Abe Lincoln endured many hardships and heartaches throughout the course of his life - at times struggling with severe depression. Consider the following:

• He spent his childhood working on the family farm, with long days of back-breaking toil. Unfortunate circumstances forced his family to abandon their home in Kentucky and move across the river to Indiana, in search of better opportunities.
• His mother died when he was just ten years old, leaving his father to raise the children.
• He went to work for a none-too-scrupulous businessman, who ran the business into the ground, leaving young Abe unemployed.
• He ran for the Illinois state legislature and lost, finishing eighth in a field of thirteen.
• He signed a note to buy into a general store with a friend, but within a year they were out of business, overwhelmed by a better-organized competitor in the same town.
• He fell in love with Ann Rutledge, became engaged to marry her, only to have her die unexpectedly. He was heartbroken and severely depressed.
• He fell in love again and married Mary Todd. Together they had four sons, three of whom died before reaching adulthood.
• He was finally successful in getting elected to the state legislature and made two attempts to become speaker. He was defeated both times.
• He wanted to run for Congress but failed to achieve his party's nomination.
• He ultimately won a seat in Congress. But when he sought to run for the U.S. Senate, he couldn't muster the votes and withdrew from the election.
• He was selected as a Vice Presidential candidate, but due to late entry in the field, he couldn't win enough votes.
• He ran for the Senate again but didn't win the seat because his party failed to gain control of the legislature.

But despite all the struggles and setbacks, at no point did Lincoln ever give up; personally or professionally. He endured great pain and sadness, but he didn't let it stop him. He just kept going.

Finally, he ran for the highest office in the land and became the 16th President of the United States, at a time when our country was facing its worst internal crisis ever: the Civil War. Lincoln won the war, ended slavery, and unified the nation.

If ever there was a man who exemplified perseverance and the enduring of personal discomfort, it was Abraham Lincoln. If he could have such pain in his life and still achieve all that he did, how can you - how can I - let discomfort stop us from achieving our own goals?

As I am Canadian, American history taught at school was brief and so I didn't learn detailed accounts of prominent leaders. But when I read this, it reminded me that his is just one story of many, and when we are faced with adversity and all things that seem impossible we need only to reflect on those people who have seen and dealt with real struggle and kept on going.

So dear ones, if at times you feel a little overwhelmed with the tasks at hand, know that you are not alone - many have struggled before you, many will struggle in times to come. But it is in you, if you want it bad enough, to keep going and never lose sight of your dreams.

Love, Dawn xox♥

Tick, Tock - Time is Flying! ...

It's August 4th already and it seems like summer only started! I can't believe how fast it's going. I have a full month ahead; friends and family visits, my Stephie off on a holiday with her Dad in mid Aug. and then I'm taking the girls to BC for a few days vacation towards the end of the month. Somewhere in between all that, we need to shop for back to school supplies, finish the basement development and find work outside the home. Phew! I'm tired just writing about it, lol!

I hope you all are enjoying a wonderful summer and that you always find time to create - I'm going to heed my own words and make time to create this afternoon! xox♥