It's Too Hot

It has been just sweltering in Tennessee!! It's too hot and humid to cook, work outside, or BE outside at all. Salads, sandwiches, and the crock pot are my best friends right now. I sneak out in the early morning to water flowers. The weeds will have to wait. (Why don't they wilt in the heat, anyway?)

It's almost too hot to sew. When you have a hot iron in the room to press seams, you might as well have the heat on. I'll stick to design projects, scrap piecing, and straightening up the sewing room until the temperature drops.

Light housework, reading, and chilling out are on my to do list for the time being. Along with drinking icy beverages and eating popsicles. 

Y'all stay cool, now!

“Summer is the time when it's too hot to do all those things you put off last winter when it was too cold.” ~Linda Poindexter

I've Learned...

that you should be very careful who you trust. Not everyone who smiles at you is your friend.

The way people leave tells you everything about their character.

Honesty is much better than sugar-coated bullshit.

People lie because telling the truth takes courage, and liars are cowards looking for the easy way out.

When customers are treated badly, they will eventually take their business where they receive courtesy, honesty, and respect.

On a positive note, while the world seems full of fake people, thankfully there are still some genuine, caring ones around. Kick the fake liars out of your life, so there's more room for nice folks.

And, finally, I've got to stop asking these three questions:

     “How stupid can they be?”

     “Who would do THAT?”

     “What's wrong with people?”

Some idiots are actually taking them as a challenge.

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“Never do anything that you can't admit doing, 

because if you are that ashamed of whatever it is, 

it's probably wrong.” --Ashly Lorenzana

Solitude

Sometimes there is too much going on in life. Crazy politics, media frenzy over horrible news, rude people in crowded stores. Traffic jams, interruptions, distractions. It can be an assault on your senses.

Maybe it's time to turn off the noise. Put aside the to do lists. Sometimes the only thing that makes sense is to retreat and reflect. Sit alone in a quiet place and just be. Release worry and embrace calmness.

Escape for an hour or a day or a weekend. Take a break and enjoy solitude.

“This was my moment to look for the kind of healing and peace that can only come from solitude.” -Elizabeth Gilbert

Independence

What a concept.

Independence means freedom from control, influence, support, aid, or interference of others.

In other words, standing on our own two feet and being proud to do so.

This includes not expecting handouts from the government, our parents, or our grandparents. Independence isn't easy, nor is it guaranteed. The world doesn't owe us anything: not a place to live, an inheritance, a job, or an education.

Too many people think they deserve to have everything provided, so they feel disrespected or offended if things don't go as they wish. They just don't get that we have to actively pursue and earn our independence.

Independence is being responsible for ourselves: learning, working, bringing home a paycheck, using these funds to pay bills—on time, and putting some aside for the future. It's planning, making decisions, using common sense, enjoying life, and finding our way on our own.

I believe that it is a privilege to have the opportunity to be self-sufficient and self-reliant. I'm proud that our forefathers fought for our freedom and our right to pursue happiness and independence.

“Freedom cannot be bestowed — 

it must be achieved.”

Elbert Hubbard