Miscellaneous Monday…NEW stuff i gotta share (part 2)

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fijiboycoll

Happy Monday (again)! I think this may be the very first time I’ve ever posted twice in one day – but don’t worry, I don’t think it’ll become a habit. :o)  This little Fijian boy captured my full attention when this boat sailed by at the Polynesian Cultural Center.  I had to snap as many pics as I could of him. SO cute! Right?  I read up on Fijian families and traditions {here}.  The wiki article explained the Fijian kinship system and the respect they have for different relationships. I thought of how mutual respect in all relationships is essential…especially in marriage relationships. I thought of my own marriage as well as marriages of people around me, that I love.  Sometimes it can be so hard!

Although I’ve posted about my terrific hubby {here, here and here…to link just a few}, it doesn’t mean we haven’t had our ups and downs. But I’m so grateful we stuck it through the bad times and worked hard to strengthen our marriage, because I have friends and family members who didn’t do the hard work and now I can tell (I know!) they wished they would have!  So – I thought I’d document a few of the lessons I’ve learned through the years:

I heard once the formula for a happy marriage is…

Choose your spouse wisely…then treat kindly.

Overly simplistic?  Maybe, but kindness is HUGE! I’ve learned that I can’t change my spouse….all I can do is change myself.  But I’ve learned that when I am kind, I get kindness in return.  When I am loving, I get love in return.  Now, that IS pretty simplistic, right?  But it works.

I’ve learned that my spouse is not a mind-reader. (dang it!)  If I have needs, I’ve got to communicate those needs (in a loving manner).

I’ve learned that professional counselors can do a lot of good. BUT…not all counselors are created equal!  I know some that are worthless…I mean, very ineffective.  Get recommendations and get appointments with the best…then be humble and teachable…learn some new skills and implement them in your relationships.

I’ve learned that sometimes I’ve just gotta bite my tongue.  Not everything I think has to come out of my mouth.

I’ve learned that I’m usually right (my opinions are typically spot on!!! :o)…but I don’t have to tell the world that I know I’m right. Sometimes, others can think their opinions matter. And that’s OK, most of the time!

I’ve learned to make my marriage relationship a priority.  No other relationship matters more to me…and who I choose to spend my time with reflects this priority.  Seldom does anything trump our date night.  Although, we didn’t always have a specific date night, when I explained to my dear hubby that it was important to me, he made it happen.  We implemented it and it has been a reminder to both of us that our marriage is important.  Plus we get to play together.  Most of our dates are fun and studies have shown that having fun together increases your love quotient.  Just remember the fun dates you had when you started “courting”!  What happened? You fell in love!

I’ve learned many, many more things, but those might have to wait for another blog post, another day. So…go and do or learn something NEW….and if you’re married – you have my sincere hope that it is a very happy relationship.  If not…WORK HARD…and make it so that it is.  It can be done!

 

 

Miscellaneous Monday…NEW stuff i gotta share

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pomoframed1

Happy Monday! I’m sharing just three quick miscellaneous items today:

1) Ah, pomegranates…tis the season!  Here’s an awesome, EASY way to get those juicy seeds out of its membrane – check out {this link here}.

2) A yummy, EASY (3 ingredients!) dip you should try: Chile Verde Dip.

and lastly,

3) A fantastic piano/cello duet: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel …oh!…and this O Come, O Come version by Enya is great too.

Have a great day! Do or learn something NEW!

 

 

 

 

 

a NEW photo and a short Sunday sermon

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mossrocks2

Happy Sunday!

I thought it was interesting how this particular species of moss can survive on these rocks even though the waves must beat over them hundreds and thousands of times a day.  This moss must cling to the rocks.  It must be very strong, resilient and determined to hang on.  I think this is a lesson for us!  We need to cling to our ‘Rock’ – our Savior Jesus Christ.

“Remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.”(source)

If you want to read more…HERE is an excellent article/sermon.

Have a great day! So or learn something NEW!

Miscellaneous Monday…NEW stuff i gotta share

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hawaiiangravestones

Happy Monday!

mightbegene

Okay…yeah, I might be!  Cemetery…with a beautiful Hawaiian ocean scene…me with my camera = SUCH a good vacation day! :o)  Yet, too bad I don’t have any Hawaiian ancestors.

Other miscellaneous family history stuff:

Learn your lineage through your feet (!???!)

Got Quaker ancestors?  I wanna be like Zooey Deschanel and go to Swarthmore College to find mine!  My family history travel bucket list is rather long and getting longer every day.

Have a terrific day!  Do or learn something NEW!

 

 

Miscellaneous Monday…NEW stuff i gotta share

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hawmiscoll

trio

Happy Monday!  Here’s my palm tree ‘Trio’ for the photo challenge.  And also some random, Hawaiian miscellany:

  1. I thought it was interesting to learn about some Hawaiian mythology…like the Menehune.
  2. I didn’t know Kauai’s Na Pali coast was on National Geographic’s ’50 places of a lifetime’ locations.  It was rainy and foggy the day we sailed past this coast, so my pics aren’t the greatest.  But that’s the type of weather you get in a rain forest, right?
  3. I enjoyed learning how the black sand beaches are formed; and I don’t think I had even heard of the green sand beach.  Also, I didn’t realize that Hawaii’s white sand beaches are actually made from parrotfish poop.  (Not sure I wanted to know, either!)

Explanation of collage pics:  Dancers on the Polynesian Cultural Center’s boat parade; My toes in the front of my kayak as I paddled down a river on Kauai;  The octopus our snorkeling guide rounded up to show us.

Have a great day. Do or learn something NEW!

 

 

 

 

 

a NEW photo of my week and a short Sunday sermon

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palmsunset

Happy Sunday!  What do you think of this leaning palm tree?  I’m not really sure how it manages to keep alive.  It certainly isn’t perfect, but apparently it keeps struggling onward…apparently it’s not a quitter or gives up easily.

Have you ever wanted to give up? The scriptures are full of accounts of men and women who showed great courage to do whatever the Lord commanded, even when the tasks seemed impossible, even when they may have wanted to give up.  Read more at “Never, Never, Never Give Up” by Sister Mary N. Cook.

Have a great day! Do or learn something NEW!

 

a NEW taste Tuesday

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dessert

Happy Tuesday! Well, I’ve got to confess that my entire system is in shock!  Hubby and I just spent ten days in Hawaii…temps in the upper 80’s and I haven’t had to prepare a single meal for over a week and a half.  BUT NOW…this is what we’ve returned to:

snow2

…and tonight we are hosting a couple dozen college students (I’m cooking dinner :o).  I thought it best to choose a very simple meal – so Hawaiian Haystacks it is, along with this very simple ‘No-Bake Hawaiian Dream Dessert’ .  Little by little I’ll come out of my shock, but these things take time, ya know!?!.  Have a great day. Do or learn something NEW!