Other people's words

Picture from Lolcatz

'We lavish on animals the love we are afraid to show to people. They might not return it; or worse they might' ~ Mignon McLaughlin

I've not been around much in blogland this last week or so. All the things I talked of in my last post are still pertinent: I still miss Bob and grieve for him, the change programme at work is very trying and demotivating (having done an MBA I know a good example of 'how not to manage change' when I see it and no, my input is not required), and I am still battling the lack of energy that accompanies an underactive thyroid. I'm not going to go on about all this though as I even get tired of hearing myself at times.

All is not doom and gloom though. I have a long weekend coming up courtesy of a Public holiday adn a couple of days leave and a new sofa being delivered. The old one was looking very tired and it was time for a change. I am also going to see the Royal Shakespeare Company perform Julius Caesar in Stratford-Upon-Avon on Saturday which I am really looking forward to. I haven't much else to tell right now so I thought I would leave you with words of wisdom from other people. Pick the ones that mean the most to you.

'Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.' ~ Oprah Winfrey

'Labels are for filing. Labels are for clothing. Labels are not for people.' ~Martina Navratilova

'Family is just accident... They don't mean to get on your nerves. They don't even mean to be your family, they just are.' ~ Marsha Norman

'Children in a family are like flowers in a bouquet: there's always one determined to face in an opposite direction from the way the arranger desires.' ~ Marcelene Cox

'If you want children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulders'.' ~ Abigail Van Buren

'People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.' ~ Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

'Some people wear their smile like a disguise. Those people who smile a lot, watch their eyes... You think everything's OK, and it is...'til it's not.' ~ Ani Difranco

Wit and Wisdom

When I am at work I am never, ever in any doubt as to what day it is. It simply isn’t possible with 3 calendars and a diary. I use my diary for all appointments. It is the single place where my daily schedule resides along with future appointments and significant dates. The other calendars are around or on my desk and are gifts.

I have one which was a lovely gift from Naomi of ‘Here in the Hills’. It features photos of many bird visitors to her wonderful garden and others that she has encountered in one way or another. Even on the greyest day it brightens up my little area of the office. I have another which is purely functional. It tells me the day, month year, date. That is it. The third was another gift for Christmas and is a mini page a day calendar which divulges the wit and wisdom of women. Each day there is a new quote from a noted female and they are not all about hair, clothes, shoes, handbags and babies. In fact that vast majority blow that stereotype clean out of the water. I thought I would share a few quotes that have struck a chord or made me smile here:

Whatever you want in life, other people are going to want it too. Believe in yourself enough to accept the idea that you have an equal right to it ~ Diane Sawyer

To be happy with a man you must understand him a lot and love him a little. To be happy with a woman you must love her a lot and try not to understand her at all ~ Helen Rowland

What the vast majority of American children need is to stop being pampered, stop being indulged, stop being chauffeured, stop being catered to ~ Ann Landers

I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish that He didn’t trust me so much ~ Mother Teresa

You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience by which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, “I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

I think Housework is the reason most women go to the office ~ Heloise Cruse

We choose those we like; with those we love, we have no say in the matter ~ Mignon McLaughlin

Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow ~ Mary Ann Radmacher.

I kept the page this last quote was printed on and pinned it next to my desk. It reminds me to cut myself some slack on those days where I fall short of my high expectations of myself.

Remember Me?

Remember me? It’s been awhile I know and I have no defence other than the fact that my previous level of busy-ness escalated for awhile but has now settled down to general chaos. All my good intentions to post and visit over the last couple of weeks have simply contributed yet another paving slab on the road to hell.

I have missed the interaction with my blogging friends and fear that my status as AWOL has meant that some previously well trodden virtual paths between my blog and some others are well and truly grown over. For those tenacious souls who have dropped by just to say hi, I want you to know that I truly appreciated your thoughtfulness. Thank you.

I am afraid I haven’t done much except work or chores or sleep so in the absence of anything interesting to blog about I thought I would share some quotes from a page a day desk calendar I have on my desk at work (given to me by CrazieQueen last Christmas). Everyday it provides a quote about friendship and while some are sickly sweet some are worth sharing:

“A true friend never gets in your way – unless you happen to be going down”

~ Anonymous

“A good friend – like a tube of toothpaste – comes through in a tight squeeze”

~Anonymous

“The proper office of a friend is to side with you when you are wrong. Nearly anybody will side with you when you are right”

~ Mark Twain

“True friends are those who really know you but love you anyway”

~ Edna Buchanan

“The loneliest woman in the world is a woman without a close woman friend”

~ George Santayana

“You can always tell a real friend: When you’ve made a fool of yourself, he doesn’t feel you’ve done a permanent job”

~ Laurence J. Peter

“No people feel closer or more friendly than those who are on the same diet”

~ Anonymous

Based on these I think I can count my real friends on one hand, but then I have never been one to keep associates.

Sailing on the friendship

I have spent a lot of time sat at my desk in front of my computer while I have been doing my MBA project. This of course is a totally different desk and computer to the one I spend the rest of my waking time at which is at work. On my study desk I have a little calendar which was given to my for Christmas by my friend CrazieQueen. It is one of those page a day calendars and apart from telling me what day it is, and which month it is (very important stuff) it also imparts a little thought about friendship in a pretty little floral way. Sometimes these quotes or sayings are philosophical, some are deep and meaningful while others are humorous, but all of them ring true in some way. I thought I would share a few of them with you:

A loyal friend laughs at your jokes when they're not so good, and sympathizes with your problems when they're not so bad
~Arnold H. Glasgow

Friendship is one of the sweetest joys of life. Many might have failed beneath the bitterness of their trial had they not found a friend.
~Charles H. Spurgeon

I don't need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better.
~ Plutarch

When friends ask, there is no tomorrow.
~ Proverb

A good friend is a connection to life - a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world
~ Lois Wyse

Constant use will not wear ragged the fabric of friendship
~ Dorothy Parker

One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives
~ Euripides

I haven't got a huge circle of friends. I tend not to keep associates but would much rather have a few good friends. The sort that are there to enjoy the fun and frolics of the fair weather but also the rough sailing too. My life has been so out of kilter that I have not been able to indulge in my friends as much as I would like to, but I know they are there. And when I get this MBA project out of the way, and then the final essay I can start to return some sort of balance to my life and see my friends again.

I won't be around much for the next few days, due to work and study pressures, but as with my other friends, I will be back to socialise here too very soon.