Mrs Justa and attitude

W Clement is quoted as saying " There is very little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is ATTITUDE."

Indi here is showing the difference attitude can make. AS we drive down the road, he will pace in the back of the car sometimes, huffing and puffing, waiting for and invitation to come up and sit in the passenger seat.

Now if we do not allow him to do that he gets an attitude. And sits with his back totally towards us.

This gesture he does makes the air in the car feel thicker, kinda like if people are fighting, or someone has hurt feelings.

He can not keep his attitude in the ignore zone for too long though, He finally weakens and turns around and gives us a smile.

The difference in his attitude changes the whole atmosphere of the ride.

Now I am forced to look at myself, my mannerisms, my words, my body language. What attitude do I portray. What  message am I sending.

At work, at home, on the road, in public. People watch people, people can be affected negatively or positively by just a motion, a gesture, a look.

How do you affect any situation?

I am reminded of working in the hospital, and that second I walked into a patient room was a make it or break it moment. The patient lying in the bed is watching the second you enter, your body language, your gestures, your tone in your voice. Are you acting rushed, put out by them, or are you having an air of compassion flow in your every step and word.

This is how it is in the retail world, in the work world, in situations when you are faced with any type of contact with another living thing. Be careful watch what footprint you are leaving in every moment of your life. Love Mrs justa

43 Things Tags: attitude,setting the tone,atmoshphere,presence,differences

Mrs Justa and depression within

43 Things Tags: depression,hidden feelings,life,reality

Louis L'Amour once said' It is always easier to travel then to stop. As long as one travels toward a promise land, the dream is there; to stop means to face reality"

That is pretty heavy in the reflection of my life. I am always going, always busy. Cleaning, cooking, working, singing, always doing something. I love to be busy, but is it that I love to be busy so I do not have to face me? 

When I have been stopped, mostly due to a medical reason, like a fracture or after a surgery, or maybe with the flu, that is when reality comes up to my face real close!

I remember back when I had had ankle surgery, and the simple procedure had become complicated and I was non weight bearing for 6 weeks. In the beginning the pain was incredible, and I was hostage to the recliner. I found a dark side of me, it is probably always there, but when I am buzzing around, it is hidden .

I found I slept, I found I felt depressed, I found I felt like " Is that all there is" about my life in general.Captive within myself.  I watched Jerry Springer and divorce court to feel better about my hostage life in the blue recliner.

I would watch TV and see people who appeared to have it all, money with no end, unending time to travel, incredible homes, always friends over for parties, it just made me feel like my homebodiness was abnormal.

It is weird, but I feel like a misfit when I stop and really think about reality. I am not the model on TV, or the wealthy person with a social calendar that is unending, I am plain ol me. I think I like who me is. Yeah I do. I love existing with my family, I love being home, I hate crowds, I like watching the same sappy movie over and over again, I like singing to the karaoke songs, I love cleaning and mowing, sewing and taking photos, doing some crafts. I love nursing, love being nice to people, love helping others, love going to church. But am I blah?

So I must keep busy, keep traveling through life, that keeps the dark side covered and the road moving.

So I am off to be busy, bills to pay, laundry to wash... busy me.... Love to all, Mrs Justa.

Mrs Justa and the farmer

43 Things Tags: farmers,God's land,appreciation,hard work

As I drive back and forth to work, I go by many farms. I find myself consumed with the admiration for the farmer. They work hard all day long, toil in the farms and in the fields. They do this for everyone. They are not prejudice in who gets their crops, they are not selfish about the time they give to their profession.

These folks are not wealthy in the stock market wealth, but they are wealthy with life. Taking the Godly gift of the land, and taking their precious moments of the short lives we have on earth and devoting them to the world.

The few farmers I have known in my life follow this lifestyle. Farmers are down to earth people, they are practical, they know how to stretch a dollar. Their kids are respectful. They do not go for the modern fashions, they appreciate what they have.

I do admire them and their families, for as I am going to work , they are already out working the farm, and when I come home at night, they have gone inside to spend the evening with their families.

What a gracious appreciation of life. Thanks to all, love Mrs Justa

Mrs Justa and the Christmas Tree

43 Things Tags: holidays,traditions,Christmas,family,love,sadness,friends,decorations

To the delight of the cat, I put up the actual Christmas tree this year. For the past 3 years Mark and I put up a table top tree, silver, with a color disc that spins around inside the stand and make the tree change colors. It is a cute tree, but in this house we actually have a front window in the living room. So I brought in the 6 foot tree from its comfortable place on the back wall of the shed, and Mark and I reshaped the branches and slowly it came to life.

I like this tree, about 9 years ago, Jeff and I were decorating for Christmas, and the tree we had was a family pass down to the next needy person type artificial tree. It had served its needs, but on a spur of a moment, we flew off to K Mart and got this one. The flier had come and it was marked down 50%, so we got it. The family pass down went to my sister. I do not know if she still has it or not, but it was one of the first made artificial trees and really looked artificial. Jeff had terrible allergies to molds and we found he became more congested with a real tree, hence the starting of artificial.

Usually as I decorate for the holidays, Christmas music is playing and there is either tea, coffee or cocoa on the stove, maybe fresh baked cookies. I hope Jeff remembers those times of decorating for the holidays. We always did it on the weekend after Thanksgiving. We would sing carols as we put hundreds of thumbtacks around the house. There was one year Jeff had blinking lights down the hall and around his bedroom ceiling.

The holidays bring joy and sadness. Sadness for the fact that people have passed on, traditions seem to be scarcer, and well it isn't like it was in days gone by. The joy as we are now grandparents, and there is a magical part of Christmas to children. We still have Christmas Eve buffet dinner and gift opening at my moms old house, now owned by my brother and his wife. And Christmas morning we have coffee and breakfast with Jeff and Amanda , open gifts and they go off to her parents home for dinner.

I love driving around and looking at all the houses that have decorations up. I love the baking, and the secret Santa at work, the cookie exchange, Christmas Carols, and how people seem to be more friendly during the holidays. People actually look at one another and say Merry Christmas. The magic of Christmas and what it stands for to me.

Mark, he likes the tree, although he says if it was up to him, this tree would not be standing up in the living room. He likes the table top tree just fine. Christmas is not as magical to him as it is to me. The cat, well he thinks Christmas means we have hung new toys for him on a tree, and placed tinsel to gnaw on. So it is magical to him too. Indi, the dog, he seems to care less about the tree. And baby Brandon, this tree is up for you ! Love Mrs Justa,