Ours is a world where people don't know what they want
and are willing to go through hell to get it.

A mistake only proves that someone stopped talking long enough 
to do something.

We live our lives forwards but understand it backwards.
 
'Mothers Covers'

When you were small 
And just a touch away,
I covered you with blankets
Against the cool night air.
But now that you are tall
And out of reach,
I fold my hands
And cover you with prayer. 
 

Steve Terrill in Portland Oregon
 
If your life is unselfish,
  and for others you live,
For not what you get, but 
  how much you give;
If you lie close to God in
  His infinite grace---
You don't have to tell it;
  it shows in your face.
author unknown
The possibility that we may fail in the struggle ought not
to deter us from the support of a cause we believe in.
--Abraham Lincoln

This is a painting that was done by fingers, only 
a brush tipped the birds wings. 
 

Lord may I enter this day without hurry;
May I bear its burdens without complaint.
May I face its tasks without fear,
May I meet its temptations without dishonor,
May I rest at its close without shame.
And this prayer I make to Thee, let Thy
  Kingdom come today in me. 
Author unknown
 

"A good man," said the preacher to his flock, "is like
a tea leaf. His real strength comes out when he is in
hot water."

The World Has Need of You
--Evelyn Whitell

If it's ever so small the part you take,
  The world has need of you.
Be it big or little the effort you make,
  The world has need of you.
If it's only a thought you give by the way,
If it's only love's word you pause to say,
It's a part that nobody else can play.
So the world had need of you.

By your smile you can change another's life;
  The world has need of you.
By a word you can bring peace out of strife;
  The world has need of you.
Then lift your head and never say die;
Count every blessing, stop every sigh.
Get busy...don't let a chance slip by
  For the world has need of you. 
 

Strange Old Lady 

She's very clever. She manages to keep out of sight for the most part; but whenever I pass a mirror, I catch a glimpse of her there; and when I look into a mirror directly to check my appearance, suddenly she's hogging the whole thing, completely obliterating my gorgeous face and great body.  It's very disconcerting.
I've tried screaming at her to leave but she just screams back, grimacing horribly.  She's really rather frightening. 

If she's going to hang around, the least she could do is offer to pay rent.  But no. Every once in a while I do find a couple of dollar bills on the kitchen counter, or some loose change on my dresser or on the floor, but that certainly isn't enough.  In fact, though I don't like to jump to conclusions, I think she steals money from me regularly.  I go to the ATM and withdraw a hundred dollars, and a few days later, it's gone. I certainly don't go through it that fast, so I can only conclude the old lady pilfers it.  You'd think she'd spend some of it on wrinkle cream. Heaven knows, she needs it. 

And, the money isn't the only thing she's taking. Food seems to disappear at an alarming rate.  Especially the good stuff-- ice cream, cookies, candy.  She really has a sweet tooth. She should watch it; she's really putting on the pounds. I think she realizes that, and to make herself feel better, she is tampering with my scale so I'll think that I'm gaining weight too. For an old lady, she's really quite childish. She also gets into my closet when I'm not home and alters all my clothes. They're getting tighter every day. 

Another thing: I wish she'd stop messing with my files and the papers on my desk. I can't find a thing any more. This is particularly hard to deal with because I'm extremely neat and organized; but she manges to jumble everything up so nothing is where it's supposed to be. Furthermore when I program my VCR to tape something important, she fiddles with it after I leave the room so it records the wrong channel or shuts off completely. 

She finds innumerable, imaginative ways to irritate me. She gets to my newspaper, magazines and mail before me-- and blurs all the print; and she's done something with the volume controls on my TV, radio, and phone.  Now all I hear are mumbles and whispers. She's made my stairs steeper, my vacuum cleaner heavier, all my knobs and faucets hard to turn and my bed higher. She gets to my groceries as soon as I shelve them and applies super glue to the tops of every jar and bottle so they're impossible to open. Is this any way to repay my hospitality?

I don't even get any rest at night. More than once her snoring has awakened me. I don't even know why she can't do something about that. It's very unattractive. 

As if this isn't bad enough, she is no longer confining her malevolence to the house. She's now found a way to sneak into my car with me and follow me wherever I go.  I see her reflection in store windows as I pass, she's taken all the fun out of clothes shopping because her penchant for monopolizing mirrors has extended to dressing rooms. When I try something on, she dons an identical outfit--which looks ridiculous on her and then stands directly in front of me so I can't see how great it looks on me.

I thought she couldn't get any meaner than that; but yesterday she proved me wrong. She has the nerve to come with me  when I went to get some passport pictures taken, and she actually stepped in front of the camera just as the shutter clicked.  Disaster! I have never seen such a terrible picture. How can I go abroad now? No customs official is ever going to believe that the crone scowling from my passport is me. 

She's walking on very thin ice. If she keeps this up, I swear, I'll put her in a home. On second thought, I shouldn't be too hasty. First, I think I'll check with the IRS and see if I can claim her as a dependent.
*Copyright©1997 Rose Mula
This piece first appeared May 8, 1997 in the Andover, Mass. Townsman.
It has wound its way through the internet via email and web pages without the proper credit. 

I had it up myself without such until I was sent to Senior Women Web where I received the proper identification.  Now I will search for Ms. Mula to get permission to use it here. I leave it at present as a lesson to all to seek out the source of material.

a

1bonnieb@myway.com