MEMORY LANE ~ Spit It Out ~ November 16, 2011 by Dolores Ayotte

FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE

 

I’ve already told you in a previous post that my husband is a pretty silent man. 

Just the other day, I had the sneaking suspicion that I said something to offend him. I wasn’t a hundred percent sure because we were just heading off to bed after a late night with friends, but come morning there was no doubt about it. 

By now you are probably asking yourself “how does a silent man tell you that you have offended him?”  Body language, that’s how! 

When “Silent Sam” woke up at his usual time, I had been up and at it for about three hours. He got his usual cup of coffee and sat in his rocking chair across from me.  That’s not out of the ordinary.  He gets up, gets his coffee, sits in silence and waits for me to say something to start our day.  

Something was subtlety different this morning and a less experienced eye would have missed it.  He did all the above mentioned things but in addition to these, he crossed his arms and then I knew for sure that I had offended him. 

 

I knew he had “a burr in his saddle” and I suggested he “spit it out” so that we could get on with our day. That’s exactly what he did after a little prodding from me. We, then, discussed what was bothering him and he got it off his chest. It’s best to not let things fester. It’s far better to “spit it out” and then get on with life. Life’s much too short to harbor resentment. It’s much better to clear the air and move on, don’t you think?

Hey Fred….can you hear me now?

It’s hard to believe we met when I was “Sweet 16″ and now I’m “Silly 61″. You always knew I had a sense of humor but little did you know that I would be so “loud “about it.

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QUOTES AND ANECDOTES

“A true friend is one who is concerned about what we are becoming, who sees beyond the present relationship, and who cares deeply about us as a whole person.   (Gloria Gaither)

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MEMORY LANE ~ My “Old Dog” ~ November 9, 2011 by Dolores Ayotte

FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE

I’m sure at one time or another you’ve seen commercials or ads where they say that dogs resemble their masters.  Well, the dog in this picture is not my dog but it sure resembles someone I know very well! 

A few years ago, my husband had double cataract surgery.  His vision could no longer be corrected adequately enough with eyeglasses so it was recommended that he get new lenses. My husband has worn thick glasses ever since he was a young boy. As a result of the surgery, he ended up with extremely good “distant” vision.

On the way home from the eye doctor, after removal of the first patch, I could have sworn he was “winking” at me. He kept opening and closing his eye because he couldn’t believe the difference. He repeatedly placed his hand “on and off” his eye in his state of disbelief at what he could now see.  Good thing I was driving, which is unusual in itself, if we are both in the car. 

After his second eye surgery, he got his eyes tested and the prescription he received was for glasses that would accommodate his now “not so good” near vision. But….there was no way that this man was going to wear glasses, not after wearing them almost all his life. The “old dog” felt certain he didn’t need to wear glasses anymore.  He then decided he could make do with glasses from the dollar store in order to read.

Well, let me tell you, if we don’t have ten pairs of glasses lying all around the house, we don’t have one. They are on or in every nook and cranny you can imagine. Do you see the dog in the above picture? Every time I talk to my husband when he’s reading the newspaper, this is the look I get as he peers over the top of his glasses at me. I now have a husband who resembles a “dog”.  This must be a test.

Com’on girls…is there anyone else out there dealing with the above ”look”? If I can have my glasses on straight, why can’t he?

Don’t you just love it? Now, I can’t help but wonder what my husband would say about me!

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FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE ~ The Weather Channel ~ September 19, 2011 by Dolores Ayotte

Sometimes in life I feel like I am a cross between Erma Bombeck with her wry sense of humor or Phyllis Diller and her silliness about her husband “Fang”.  To quote Phyllis, she states that “his fine hour lasted about a minute and a half.”  I sincerely hope that some of you know who these two admirable women are even though Erma has now left her legacy with us and Phyllis is still hanging in there. I love both these women because they have such delightful senses of humor and they have succeeded in making a lot of people laugh over the years.

How great is that when you can bring a smile to someone’s face, or light up their eyes with mirth, or get a burst of laughter that seems to come from the tips of their toes?  Oh…to bring such pleasure and joy to other human beings. What a wonderful goal to strive for and to emulate.  My hoping to be similar to these two well-known women is quite the aspiration.

When a couple retires, they get a good taste at developing the kind of sense of humor it truly takes to sustain a long time marriage and ride off into the sunset together.  During these retirement years, you have the opportunity to discover what your marriage vows are all about and what it really means to say “I do”.  When there is no one else to look at, you have plenty of time to have a better look at your lifelong partner. Some don’t make it after almost a life time together.  Just take a look at Al Gore and his wife Tipper. After forty years of marriage they bid each other adieu, even after that big smooch we observed on national television just a few short years ago.

You know when you’re retired for sure when you have the Weather Channel on for several hours during the day.  Your love is tested when you ask your husband about what kind of weather to expect and he looks at you, points to his forehead and asks, “Do you see a weathervane on my forehead?”

Hey, it could be worse.  I could have to look at the Weather Channel myself. I much prefer to delegate this small task to my husband instead.  You just can’t help but love this guy. He’s a real “stand up” kind of fellow but sometimes I think he should be a “sit down comedian”. Perhaps he is trying to emulate Jack Benny.  He never ceases to amaze me with his one liners. He probably wouldn’t mind using one of Jack’s famous quotes right about now.  Jack says, “My wife Mary and I have been married forty-seven years, and not once have we had an argument serious enough to consider divorce, murder, yes, divorce, never.”

My husband really does watch the Weather Channel but he insists he’s listening to the music!   What do you think?

 

FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE ~ Early Bird ~ September 8, 2011 by Dolores Ayotte

FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE 

“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.”  (Maya Angelou)

Is it true?  Does the early bird really catch the worm?  Every morning, it’s the very same thing.  No matter what time I go to bed at night, my internal clock wakes me up at about 5:00 am.  In a sense, I should be annoyed and grumpy because a part of me would like to sleep in like other non morning people.  The other part of me loves this alone time.

I cannot tell you how productive I am the first thing in the morning.  I have anywhere between three to four hours before my husband saunters into the den with his morning cup of coffee.  I kind of feel sorry for him because after several hours of quiet, albeit productive time, I am ready to talk to someone.

He’s the only someone around and I’m sure he would like to press my “off” button this early in the morning.  Trust me, it is already late from my angle and I am eager to get started on the rest of my day.

I must admit that I have to “back off” just a little so my husband can have a few moments of relaxation to enjoy his cup of coffee and newspaper first thing in the morning just like I do even if it is over three hours later than me.  Hey, different personalities…it’s what keeps us challenged as we learn to respect each other’s differences.

Yup, early birds can get on some people’s nerves now and then.  I’m sure I rub my husband the wrong way once in a while and get on his “only nerve” with my morning chatter, but what the heck! We’re two older birds in this empty nest of ours and we can enjoy life the way we see fit.  We know how to work it out.

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QUOTES AND ANECDOTES

“Personal relationships are the fertile soil from which all advancement, all success, all achievement in real life grows. “  (Ben Stein)

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FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE ~ Silence Is Okay ~ August 25, 2011 by Dolores Ayotte

I married my high school sweetheart.  No, we weren’t the prom king and queen.  As a matter of fact, he actually got chosen and I didn’t.  He was so gallant that he refused this honor because he didn’t want someone else by his side to share in this teenage moment.

It’s seems like a lifetime ago that we were playing the dating game in our eleventh grade classroom. My high school sweetheart grabbed my attention right at the onset.  Boy…he was one quiet guy and I sure made up for his silence.

Now, over forty years later, he is a little more talkative and I am a lot less.  Although, I still can outdo my husband, I have nowhere near as much to say.  I find that we have long moments of silence in our home and it’s not one bit awkward.  We’ve discovered that we can still be in each other’s company and provide a sense of comfort with silence. I like it and so does he.  The pressure to fill the silence has been removed a long time ago as we embrace each other in this wonderful and pleasant way.

Yes…silence is okay. In fact, in most instances I have come to cherish it and my husband is still gallant enough to “not” admit this truth. 

I may not have been chosen to be the prom queen but I’ve pretty well been treated like one ever since.   42 years and hoping for more! Happy Anniversary Fred!

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QUOTES AND ANECDOTES

“Harmony is one phase of the great law whose spiritual expression is love.”  (James Allen)

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FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE ~ Old “Black Thumb” ~ August 24, 2011 by Dolores Ayotte

When I wrote my first book, I quickly stated that I was “no author” in the introduction.  Some may find this a strange comment coming from a person who was in the processing of writing a book.

At that time, my goal was to reach out to people to help prevent them from experiencing what I had been through with my bouts of serious depression.  I was simply a “greenhorn” when it came to any kind of writing, so therefore, I didn’t claim to be an author.  I merely considered myself to  be a person reaching out to help others.  I wanted to touch as many lives as possible and I didn’t know any other way except by the written word.

My gardening fame falls into much the same category.  I’m “no gardener” but I sure have been trying all my life to be one.  My husband can attest to this fact because he appears to be right there by my side.  Although, he claims he is “no gardener” himself, the two of us persist in our endeavor to be the best at maintaining our backyard so it can be as picturesque as possible. 

As the years have gone by, I know that at some point we crossed the line and can probably now call ourselves gardeners. The term, old “black thumb” that my son-in-law first teasingly called me when he observed my lack of gardening skills may no longer apply.  He has now admitted that I’m actually better at it than he initially thought me to be. The proof’s in the picture.  I now have evidence to show it.

I kind of feel the same way about my writing.  I may have started off by stating that I was “no author” but with perseverance and dogged determination, I must admit I’m becoming one.

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QUOTES AND ANECDOTES

“I do not think there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance.  It overcomes almost anything, even nature.”  (John D. Rockefeller)

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SUNNY SIDE UP — December 2, 2010 By Dolores Ayotte

FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE

Mmmm…mmmm good, don’t you think? This is a picture of my favorite breakfast! Just looking at it makes my mouth water.  Today I am going to use this picture to describe the kind of personality I have and over the years, learned to accept it.

I’m a morning person.  There’s no getting around that fact.  Most mornings I’m up before the crack of dawn, even before the sun pops up.  

I can hardly ever remember getting up on the wrong side of the bed.  Morning people are an odd bunch.  Usually we can hardly wait to start the day and I’m no exception. I vividly recall one such memory that took place many years ago on the way to work with my husband. As I was humming along to a song, he suggested that if I was going to “chirp” all the way to work at 7:00 in the morning, I might have to consider taking a bus.  Ouch!  

My husband is the exact opposite.  At times, he gives new meaning to the term “grumpy” first thing in the morning.  As the day progresses, his face eventually lights up.  By evening I can hardly recognize his sunny nature as my day starts to wind down.  When they say that opposites attract, we certainly prove it in this area of our marriage.

My day coach turns back into a pumpkin long before midnight and certainly long before the “old dog”, as I lovingly refer to him, “hits the sack”.  

My dad used to say, “it takes all kinds to make the world go round”.  How true!  I’m sunny side up and my husband is scrambled. I’m relieved to say that he is definitely not hard-boiled. I like it that way.  It provides for variety in our lives as it challenges us to learn how to respect each other’s differences. It has been said that “variety is the spice of life”.  I know this to be true and I have a sneaking suspicion you do too.

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QUOTES AND ANECDOTES 

“Do what you love.  Know your own bone; gnaw at it, bury it, and gnaw at it still.”  (Henry David Thoreau)

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A LITTLE HUMOR CAN GO A LONG WAY — November 17, 2010 by Dolores Ayotte

FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE

If you happened to read an article I wrote not too long ago about my husband having double cataract surgery, you might get the true humor in this post.  After years of wearing glasses and no prescription able to help his vision any further, he was a perfect candidate for cataract surgery. 

This procedure felt like a miracle to him and he is unbelievably grateful.  I am too, but I must admit now that he can see himself better, he can also see me better.   I heard a cute saying once about God’s  kindness with the aging process.  It goes like this.  As a woman ages, man’s eyesight starts to fail so that he always see her in a good light.  Now what…my husband has never had better vision.  On this humorous note, I sure hope he still likes what he sees. 

A Little Humor Can Go A Long Way — September 29, 2010

FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE

Be sure to check out my blog tomorrow if you enjoy my sense of humor. My post is titled,  “My Old Dog”.  I think you can figure out who it’s about by the above cartoon.

Please Note – Subscriptions to my blog are FREE. 

 

COME SOAR WITH ME — September 16, 2010 by Dolores Ayotte

A Wo-Man’s Voice 

One of my husband’s favorite lines is, “it’s hard to fly like an eagle when you’re surrounded by a bunch of turkeys”. (Source Unknown) 

I previously mentioned in one of my other posts, “The Weather Channel”, that he should consider being a “sit down comedian”.  He certainly has the makings of one. In jest, he used to say the above comment quite often during his working years to express his frustration when dealing with the shortcomings of people. I can’t help but wonder what they were saying about him. 

This silly comment of his made me think of the theme of this little article.  He certainly was not referring to us as writers because he is actually one of us and has had nothing but compliments about the articles on “A Wo-Man’s Voice”. In fact, he was my first subscriber and reads every one of them. He has even written two himself, has promised to write more, and he has started to comment on what he reads.  Good stuff! 

The topic of this post came to me this morning as I was enjoying my second cup of coffee and listening to the softest music.  I was thinking about all my wonderful guest writers and the variety of topics and wonderful talent that they have to share on “A Wo-Man’s Voice”. 

When I look at all you great writers and how we have connected, I know that I am in great company.  I feel like I am soaring with eagles.  There are no turkeys in our group.  We are not a “gaggle of geese” doing a lot of squawking.  We are a bunch of “gifted writers” making a difference by sharing our God-given talents as we work together to make a difference in this world we call home.  You certainly have raised the bar to a higher level than I could have ever dreamed possible. Gobble…gobble!  I’m eating it all up and I hope you are too.  This is one time I don’t mind being compared to a turkey! Guess what guys…we now have surpassed 10,000 profile views on “A Wo-Man’s Voice”. I couldn’t have done it without all of you!  Thank you so much!

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QUOTES AND ANECDOTES

“There is only one thing for us to do, and that is to do our level best right where we are every day of our lives; to use our best judgement, and then to trust the rest to that Power which holds the forces of the universe in His hand…”  (Orison Swett Marden)

“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint”….Isaiah 40:31

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