Wrapping Up The Year

This is the day on which another year closes. It is a good time for a quiet, honest look at our personal progress. Has it been a good year, better than those which went before? Has the day-by-day guidance of your personal program brought you to a greater realization and acceptance of yourself, the unique individual that you are? (after One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 31 December)

As we look back over the year just gone, it has been a good year to the extent that we have put good thoughts, good words, and good deeds into it. None of what we have thought, said, or done need be wasted. Both the good and the bad experiences can be used to our profit. In a sense, the past is not entirely gone. The result of it, for good or evil, is with us at the present moment. We can only learn by experience and none of our experience is completely wasted.  We can humbly thank God for the good things of the year. (after Twenty-Four Hours A Day, 31 December)

If you have regrets for errors or omissions, dismiss them.  The new year which lies before us will allow no time for futile regrets. Live just one day at a time, making each one better than the last, as you grow in confidence and faith. (after One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 31 December)

Greetings to everyone who visited Mr. Dickie's Blog or saw it on my Facebook wall during 2012. It is my hope that something I posted made you think, or smile and that nothing I posted offended.

Mr. Dickie

31 December 2012

Year-End Inventory

The purpose of my inventory is to get a clear picture of where I now stand, to recognize shortcomings that still need to be corrected, and not to use any self-deceiving means of justifying them. (One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 1 December) 30 December 2012

We Have Met The Enemy

We have met the enemy and he is us. 

(Pogo in the Walt Kelly cartoon of the same name.)

29 December 2012

I Can See Clearly

Start somewhere to unhook your mind from confusions, but don't do anything about your problems until you can see them clearly. (One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 21 December) 28 December 2012

Don't Take It Lightly

Changing our whole way of thinking is a monumental task, 
not to be taken lightly. 
(One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 16 December)
27 December 2012

You're Killin' Me

When we accept false and violent laws and submit to them, we can neither establish truth nor combat lies in this world. (Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar Of Wisdom, 22 December)

******

This morning I'm getting the books ready for my 2013 daily reading program.  I've selected twenty-five books.  I read part way through at least three of them in the past.  I create a 3x5 bookmark card for each book which I also use to note any pages of particular interest.  I also create a book catalog of the books I intend to read.  I use the freeware CSVed program for this.

Yesterday I finished a project to create a content index to 112 folders of royalty-free folders of some very nice photos on a PhotoHouse CD. This should help me to more easily find photos that I might want to use in my various postings.  Here's an example, a train ready to clear the track.

Mr. Dickie

26 December 2012

The Indescribable Gift

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

(II Corinthians 9:15 (NIV)

(Daily Guideposts - 2011, 15 December)

Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
(Luke 2:15)
(A Gentle Spirit, 24 December)
25 December 2012

Be All You Can Be

• Spread peace, not discord, wherever you go.
• Try to be part of the cure of every situation, not part of the problem.
• Always try to build up, never to tear down.
• Show others by your example that happiness comes from living the right way.
• The power of your example is greater than the power of what you say.

(after Twenty-Four Hours A Day, 23 December)
23 December 2012

Intellect

In order to understand the truth, you should not suppress your intellect. On the contrary, you should purify your intellect, exercise it, and intellectually try to test everything which you can possibly put to the test. (Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar Of Wisdom, 27 October) 22 December 2012

Recess

People do many bad things for selfish reasons: they do worse things for their families.

But they do the worst in the name of patriotism, and they are made proud by these crimes:

• spying, 
• unduly heavy tax collecting, 
• sacrificing lives, and 
• waging wars. 

(Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar Of Wisdom, 9 December) 21 December 2012

Stamp Of Appoval

A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.

(Mark Twain in Touchstones, 30 November)

20 December 2012

Molehill Or Mountain

A fairly usual habit that is irrational and self-defeating is to make big troubles out of little ones. (One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 26 October) 19 December 2012

Good Laws

Those human laws are good which are based on the law of God. Those human laws are bad which contradict the laws of God; we should change those laws. (Giuseppe Mazzini in A Calendar Of Wisdom by Leo Tolstoy, 3 November) 18 December 2012

Behave Yourself

Photo by Mr. Dickie: Rose bush in our backyard

During the day you should behave in such a way that you can sleep at night in peace, and in your youth you should behave in such a way that you can live in your old age in peace. (Indian Proverb in A Calendar Of Wisdom by Leo Tolstoy, 13 December) 17 December 2012

Guilt Trip?

As I look back over this year, I will consider calmly my actions and attitudes, just as though I were evaluating the progress of someone else. I will not make it an occasion for guilt and regret. I will blame no one else for anything that happened ... [or didn't happen]. (One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 1 December) 16 December 2012

It's Not My Problem

It's Not My Problem

15 December 2012

Stop Beating Up On Yourself

... stop beating up on yourself for the things you did not do to everyone else's satisfaction ... (Iyanla Vanzant, Until Today! 14 October) 14 December 2012

Get Over Yourself

We should work at overcoming ourselves, our selfish desires and our self-centeredness. This can never be fully accomplished. (Twenty-Four Hours A Day, 25 October) 13 December 2012

Words

A word is an expression of thoughts; thoughts are the expression of divine force. Therefore, words should correspond to our true meaning. Speech can be indifferent, but it should not be an expression of evil. (Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar Of Wisdom, 6 November) 12 December 2012

Solitude

Too much solitude creates too many conversations with ourselves. (Karen Casey, Keepers Of The Wisdom, 19 November) 11 December 2012

Good Company

Beware of groups of people who are harmful for your soul. Try to avoid them. You should praise good company and seek it. (Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar Of Wisdom, 26 November) 10 December 2012

Focus

Focus your attention and energy on the things that you can stand for. (Iyanla Vanzant, Until Today! 29 November) 9 December 2012

Opinion Poll

Do not neglect the opinion of your enemies. 

(Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar Of Wisdom, 29 November) 

8 December 2012

Pearl Harbor Day - 71st Anniversary

President Barack Obama marked the day on Thursday [December 6th 2012] by issuing a presidential proclamation, calling for flags to fly at half-staff on Friday and asking all Americans to observe the day of remembrance and honor military service members and veterans.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2012/12/pearl-harbor-dead-remembered-on-71st-anniversary-84739.html#ixzz2EN0W38Xu

Phony People

We can all recognize a phony.

(Keepers Of The Wisdom, Karen Casey, 26 November)

6 December 2012

Make A List

There's plenty of work to do, reducing or getting rid of our:

• fears
• resentments
• inferiority complexes
• negative points of view
• self-centeredness
• criticism of others
• over-sensitiveness
• inner conflicts
• habits of procrastination
• undisciplined sex
• wasting money
• substance abuse
• foul language
• boredom
• false perfectionism
• jealousy
• envy of others

(after Twenty-Four Hours A Day, 26 November)
5 December 2012

Good Enough

When you are not sure that who you are is good enough, you will do your darndest to prove that you are better than someone else. (Iyanla Vanzant, Until Today! 22 October) 4 December 2012

Proving The Point

You have survived life-threatening, life-altering crisis and challenges to prove only one point: that you can and have survived! Be at peace with the way you proved the point. (Iyanla Vanzant, Until Today!, 1 December) 3 December 2012

Boredom

Use up the odd moments of your day in trying to do some little thing to cheer up another person. Boredom comes from thinking too much about yourself. (Twenty-Four Hours A Day, 22 November) 2 December 2012

Music

Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. 

(Berthold Auerbach, Touchstones, 1 November) 

1 December 2012

Consequences

Outer consequences are not in our power to control; it is only possible to make an effort, and inner consequences always follow from our effort. (Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar Of Wisdom, 11 November) 30 November 2012

Troubles

I itemize my troubles like a grocery list.

(Marion Bond West in Daily Guideposts - 2010, 10 November)

29 November 2012

Boundaries

... establish and maintain clear boundaries and ... honor the boundaries others have set for themselves. (Iyanla Vanzant, Until Today! 13 September) 28 November 2012

Life Is Short

Life is short. Do not forget about the most important things in your life, living for other people and doing good for them. (Marcus Aurelius in A Calendar Of Wisdom by Leo Tolstoy, 19 September) 27 November 2012

Peace On Earth

People of planet Earth are on a very low level of development. Every day in the newspapers you read the news of military treaties, about the preparations for war, for mass manslaughter. People do not understand that the life of each man is his own personal private property. (Camille Flammarion)

The majority of people now understand not only the uselessness, but also the stupidity and cruelty of any war.

War is murder. No matter how many people get together to commit murder or what they call themselves, murder is the worst sin in the world.

Until such time as people reject the power of government to govern, to tax, to legislate, and to punish, war will never stop. War is the consequence of the government's power.
(All quotations from A Calendar of Wisdom by Leo Tolstoy, 25 November)
25 November 2012

Sick Bay

Illnesses of the mind are much more dangerous than illnesses of the body.

(Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar Of Wisdom, 6 October)

24 November 2012

Support Peace

Refuse to say anything or do anything that will not create or support peace, healing and love. (Iyanla Vanzant, Until Today! 12 September) 23 November 2012

Giving Thanks

There is always something for which to be thankful. (Charles Dickens, The Little Book Of Virtues, 23 November) 22 November 2012

Mine, Mine, Mine

Image of seagulls in the movie - Finding Nemo

It is difficult, if not impossible, to find some reasonable limit for acquiring more and more property. (Arthur Schopenhauer in A Calendar Of Wisdom by Leo Tolstoy, 3 October) 21 November 2012

Life Story

A successful life is the result of making the assumption that you will be successful.

A focused, consistent, positively motivated and disciplined character is essential to making your life story have a happy ending. (Iyanla Vanzant, Until Today! 10 September and 8 September) 20 November 2012

Jump Up & Down

[Get up, get on your feet, jump up and down.] While you are jumping shake off bad habits, bad feelings, bad attitudes, and don't forget [to include] people who may have a bad influence. (Iyanla Vanzant, Until Today! 11 November) 19 November 2012

******

On Sunday night, 18 November 2012 I watched the first two-hour episode of the Ken Burns PBS program - The Dust Bowl.  The rest of the program will be shown in another two-hour segment on Monday night.  I thought the program was excellent, shocking and very moving. I always enjoy anything that Peter Coyote narrates.  During the years of the Dust Bowl my parents were in their thirties and living in central and eastern Nebraska.  My maternal grandfather, John Carlson, was the owner of a hardware store in the little town of Mead in Saunders county.  During the Great Depression he suffered business losses from which he never recovered and which impacted all of us.

Mr. Dickie

19 November 2012

Run Amuck

Do not allow people to run amuck in your life. 

(Iyanla Vanzant, Until Today! 15 October) 

18 November 2012

A Sudden Gem

Hope Diamond

It sometimes happens that the words of those who are unschooled, or those who are negative and confused, can bring us a sudden gem of thought that will help us. (One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 12 November) 17 November 2012

Truth

Once you know the truth, you cannot go back to not knowing.
Living the truth that you know is the greatest service you can offer the world.
(Iyanla Vanzant, Until Today! 1 November)
16 November 2012

The Game Of Life

Life takes new twists all the time. 

Very little works out as we expect. 

(Fran Coyne in Keepers Of The Wisdom by Karen Casey, 25 October) 

15 November 2012

Underpromise & Overperform

Photo: Mr. Dickie - Catoctin Mountain Orchard, near Thurmont, MD

Underpromise and overperform.

That's my motto.

(Fran Coyne in Keepers Of The Wisdom by Karen Casey, 6 November)

14 November 2012

Loyalty

Photo by Mr. Dickie: Honey at Catoctin Mountain Orchard  

November 2012

If you don't have any loyalty to what you are doing, you ought not be doing it. (Tom Harding in Keepers Of The Wisdom by Karen Casey, 15 September) 13 November 2012

Be Prepared To Pay

Everything you do in life causes the effects that you experience. 

When you get the bill, be prepared to pay. 

(Iyanla Vanzant, Until Today! 18 October) 

12 November 2012