Donnie and Marie

by Cindy R. Williams

 Donny and Marie. What does that mean to you? A little bit country? A little bit rock and roll? Paper Roses? Puppy Love? Mulon? Depends what year you were born.

Sure, I grew up with them. I even attended Marie's wedding reception when she married Steve Craig --the first time.

I will be attending the Donny and Marie Show in Las Vegas with my mom, husband, son and daughter and son-in-law soon. It will be my second time seeing them in the past six months.

My mother is a huge Donny fan and gave us tickets to see their Christmas show at the Gammage. It was incredible. Donny and Marie are true showmen/women/people!  Both have incredibly trained voices and insane stage presence.

Let me tell you a little story about my mom and Donny Osmond. A couple of years ago, my brother took our mom to Las Vegas to see the Donny and Marie show for her birthday. (He always does one-up my sister and me.)  They arrived just in time to unload their luggage in their hotel room and change for the show. Mom was so excited that after she brushed her teeth, she forgot to put her one false tooth back in. It is the second from the top front, so yeah, it shows. She, and said brown nosing brother, hurried to the show.

Afterword, there was an opportunity to shake Donny's hand and get an autographed picture. They waited in line and when it was their turn, Mom grinned with her mouth closed but wouldn't talk. My brother is a funny guy. He told Donny that Mom was a super fan, but embarrassed because she forgot her tooth. Mom about melted into the ground. Donny flashed his million dollar smile then quickly grabbed an 8 by 10 glossy, signed it and handed it to Mom.

When they got back to their hotel room, Mom looked at the picture. Donny had written, "To my dear friend. Don't forget your tooth!  Love, Donny.

I am looking forward to the show, not only to see Donny and Marie, but to watch my dear mother act like a kid in a candy shop.

Donny and Marie forever!

LIFE IS NOW!

By Cindy R. Williams

Line upon line, precept upon precept.

One step at a time.
           One day at a time.
Minute by minute.
           Put one foot in front of the other.
You have to begin to find the end.
            Stay put and fail.

There are tons of cliché’s along these lines. Simple? Yes. Profound YES!

The only way to live is RIGHT NOW! This second.

You would be better off getting up right now and taking care of that thing you know you should be doing rather than reading this. However, if you choose to read on, I hope you will find some food for thought that will help you make the most out of your life.

You only have this moment to change your past. Think about it.

We don't live our lives in chunks. We live it right now, second by second.

"Are we there yet?" How many times have you heard this while traveling somewhere? Many of us think that we will be happy when we finish this, or when this is or that is over. This is NOT TRUE. We can and should be happy RIGHT NOW!

When writer Erma Bombeck was dying from cancer she penned a list of things she regretted and would have liked a "do-over." Here are a few items:

ü  "I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for a day."

ü  "I would have talked less and listened more."

ü  "I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage."

ü  "I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded."

ü  "I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life."

ü  "There would have been more 'I love you's' and more 'I'm sorry's.'"

ü  "Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what. Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us."

ü  "But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute, look at it and really see it ... live it and never give it back. STOP SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF!!

Good advice Erma!

So CHOOSE to live RIGHT NOW! Stop living in the past. It is GONE. We can't change it. Let's focus on the happy parts, the good things we did, not the mistakes. Let's live right this minute, think better thoughts and toss that rewinding loop of "Why I Can't Do Something" that rattles in our brain day and night. Toss it right out of your left ear or your right one if you prefer. Just banish it from your brilliant mind.

Goals are great. Living in the moment is greater!

Yes, they go hand in hand. We set our goals, and then we do a little something each day to get there. But it's the getting there that is what it's all about.

Let's ENJOY the ride. Let's take each second and choose to live.

Life Is All About The "Ing."

By Cindy R. Williams

Some serving, some writing, some working, some praying,

Some studying, some eating, some sleeping, some playing,

Some giving, some taking, some going, some staying,

Some crying, some singing and some day after daying.

Now here's the thing, the most important "ing",

The secret of life is living and loving.

One last cliché I read in the wrapper of a piece of Dove chocolate, "I am flawed and fabulous!"

Are we there yet? Yes!

 That special day is today! Choose to live this moment well and when you climb into bed tonight, smile. Tomorrow is another special day!

Today's Thought

 

Life is good.

If it's not, I will make it good.

If I can't make it better, I will be happy anyway.

Christmas

by C.R. Williams

I read a blog posting a few days ago that got me thinking. We celebrate the birth of Christ every year. December 25th always comes whether we have plenty of money to try to shower our loved ones with gifts or very little money so we do the best we can and make do with gifts we create.

I have had both. My children --all five -- often mention the most memorable was the one we took most of the money we allotted for Christmas that year and played Secret Santa for some families we knew had struggles. Filling boxes with groceries and presents, then sneaking them onto porches, ringing the doorbells and then running and hiding was a blast. It was like we were world class secret agents. We were partners in fun adventure. My kids loved it.

We also chose to give each other only gifts we had made. I remember worrying about how Christmas morning would be when our children didn't have the gifts they had fantasized about.

But, do you know what? My worries were for nothing. I was humbled by what happened that Christmas morning. Each child was excited to see the reactions to their gifts they had created. They also absolutely loved what was made for them. I pondered this and realized each of us was emotionally and physically invested in the fits we had worked so hard on. It is one thing to give some thought to what you will buy someone, but a whole other thing to take the time to create something. It really does become a labor of love.

My high school son's gifts for his dad and me were stunning. He borrowed a friends snuggy and created his own pattern adding his own improvements like making them longer and with deeper pockets. He also added more material around the top so you could really snuggle in if you wanted. I love it. I wear it often, especially when I'm writing. While he was on his mission, it not only warmed me, but brought me much comfort. I felt him near me. It really was the best Christmas ever.

This year is a . . . well . . . not so lucrative venture. And that is just fine. I finally wrote the Christmas story about a little girl learning the true meaning of Christmas that I 've wanted to write for years. It has become part of my Christmas gifts to some. We are making gifts to share with extended families, visiting teachers, home teachers, neighbors and friends. You really can do a ton of baking using your food storage and some imagination. Christmas cards are being sent on-line.

We are more focused on each other and our Lord rather than the trappings. We will sing praises to the Christ child in our Ward Choir on Christmas Day. I know I will have tears as we sing Mary's Lullaby. I have not been able to get through the phrase, "You are a King, but tonight you are mine," without crying. My youngest son will sing a lovely song with the Primary children too. I have the opportunity to share my heart by playing my harp for the prelude music. It will be part of my gift to Jesus this Christmas. Then we will come home and continue to celebrate the birth of Christ together around the Christmas Tree that was decorated with much laughter, and . . . tossing of ornaments. (I was lucky this year, only one broke.)

I am grateful for Christmas this and every year. Hearts are softened. Families are together.

I wish each of you the Merriest Christmas and may you feel the Saviors love in your heart.