Classy Attitude

The 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud lady, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with her hair fashionably coifed and makeup perfectly applied, even though she is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on her window.
 "I love it," she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.
"Mrs. Jones, you haven't seen the room .... just wait."
 "That doesn't have anything to do with it," she replied. "Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged...it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it.  It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away ... just for this time in my life."
Old age is like a bank account ... you withdraw from it what you've put in.
So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in your bank account of memories. Thank you Nana for your part in filling my Memory bank. I am still depositing. Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

I found this article on my team newsletter.

Classy Kitchen 101

For most women (and some men) the favorite room in the house is HER kitchen. The fastest way to get in trouble is to step out of line in her kitchen. The classy cook in the house will keep a well stocked pantry, a sparkling shiny sink, and a well rounded refrigerator. 

Dream on…. Now let’s come back to the reality of everyday living.

I’m not sure if it’s fate or destiny but 99% of the time after I’ve cleaned the kitchen and swept and mopped the floor, someone comes through and spills a glass of milk or tea. The old saying "don’t cry over spilt milk" comes to mind. Many times you might just feel like crying over that spilled milk.

A good way to keep a well stocked pantry and a well rounded refrigerator is to check the sale papers weekly at your local grocery stores. Basically you stock up on the foods you eat while they are on sale. This past week our local store had Top Sirloin Steak on sale and I purchased 4 or 5 packages. This week they had pot roast and pork chops, again I stocked up. So now I have about 2 weeks’ worth of meat. Another great item to stay stocked up on is can veggies. Watch your store sales and purchase them when they are on sale for a good price. Their shelf life makes them a smart item to stock up on.

Now to keep a fresh, clean kitchen and sparkly sink I follow moms’ favorite advice… “It’s easier to clean a little mess than a big one”.  To get a sparkly shiny sink, I scrub it with Clorox powder. Not only does it shine my sink but it also kills any germs and bacteria.

Many times, especially with larger families, it is a real challenge to stay stocked up and keep the kitchen sparkly. The Classy Family will do the best they can, with the time they have, with what they have. In my own classy family, I’ve learned not to stress over every little thing. Life is more than keeping a perfect house. We just prioritize and do the best we can.