Things to Keep in Mind

 A hand full of thoughts to help you get back on track when you're feeling a bit lost:

• You have a lot to enjoy, be thankful for, and appreciate.  Get out of your head, its all around you.
• If your big purpose isn't clear, focus instead on the small moments where you can have a purpose.
• A lot of your happiness is based on your mindset and the attitude you bring to the situation - choose to be happy.
• You'll learn 10x more by doing something than studying something - try to learn by doing.
• Too many options?  What's the one thing you want to accomplish today?
• Take the time for the people who matter - when you kick the bucket, that's all that will have mattered - for you and for them.
• Your business always comes first - that is, what's right for you and your family, don't get caught up in your work.
• You can't and won't please everyone, you say and do what's right by you, not them.
• There are lots of mean, nasty, terrible people - just avoid and ignore them, they're not worth your time.

The Feather

Once upon a time a feather fell out of a nest and down to the base of a tree.

The wind blew and swept the feather up into the air where it swirled and it twirled and floated across an acorn strewn meadow and into a stream.

The water whisked the feather twisting and churning around pebbles and in and out of rocks until it was snatched up from the water by a bird.

The bird flew with the feather up into the air higher and higher until it spotted a worm and dropped it into a breeze.

The feather swished gently side to side in the breeze, sparkling in the sun, and caught the eye of a mouse.

The mouse ran to the feather and snatched it up bouncing and bounding across a green grassy field when it was startled by a cat and ran into its hole.

The cat saw the feather and pawed and played with it on the ground near a little girl playing with her dolls.

The little girl saw her cat pawing at the ground and then noticed the feather resting nearby.

She picked the feather up and tucked it behind her ear, then carried her cat home for supper.

The end.

Mr. Bear's Fish

Once upon a time there was a brown bear who lived alone in the forest in his tree house.  Every morning Mr. Bear would pour himself a bowl of Cheerios and look out his front window at the stream and purple butterflies flitting to-and-fro.  After he finished breakfast bear thought, 'it would be nice to catch a fish for dinner'.  So bear walked down to the stream and peered into the water.  'Hmmm.  No fish'  thought bear.  Then he looked downstream and saw the fish splashing about.

So Mr Bear walked down the stream and began to walk into the water but jumped back.  'No, no, that is too cold!' thought bear.  So bear looked about and found a stick.  He reached out into the water towards the fish and slapped at the water but only managed to scare the fish further down stream.

Then bear had another idea.  'I know!' he thought.  He found a big rock and rolled it into the stream.  Then another a bit further out.  And then a few more.  "There." said bear, and he walked out into the stream on the rocks keeping his paws nice and dry.

Then he sat and waited.  And watched.  And eventually a fish jumped out of the water and right into bears mouth. 'Perfect.'  Bear thought happily, and brought the nice fish back to his house.  'You know what would go even better with fish,' thought bear, 'a friend.'

So bear walked down the stream to his friend Mr. Badger's house.  "Hello Mr. Badger.  I've caught a nice fish for supper.  Would you like to join me?"  

"Why, yes!" said badger.  "That would be lovely."  So bear and badger walked back to Mr. Bears house.  "You know," said Mr. Badger.  "You've caught this nice fish, how about I make a desert to go with it!".

"Wonderful idea." said bear.

So Mr. Badger walked out of the house and began to pick berries which he made into a delicious berry pie.  Mr. Bear and Mr. Badger cooked their food and then sat down to the dinner table and ate.

"Delicious." said bear.  "I do hope we can do this again soon."

"Absolutely!" said badger.

And with that they  both headed off and went to bed, and had a nice long sleep, with sweet dreams.

The end.

The Mouse and the Cheese

Maggie was brushing her teeth before bed.  She looked into the mirror and watched the swirling of the electric toothbrush as she scrubbed it back and forth over her teeth in the mirror.  The bathroom was small and well used by the 3 kids in the house.   

As she was brushing Maggie noticed in the mirror a small mouse walk from the hallway and into the bathroom standing on its hind legs.  She pause and turned off her tooth brush, looking at it with surprise and paste still in her mouth.  The mouse looked back and said "Engard, I will take your cheese."  And pulled out a toothpick sized sword.   

Maggie was not afraid – she spit out the toothpaste, held out her electric toothbrush and responded in kind.  "No you will not, I am Maggie and I will defend this house."  And with that the battle ensued.  Maggie and the mouse jabbed and parried.  First in the hallway, and then down the stairs.  They took their fight onto the front lawn.  Back and forth, back and forth.  The toothpick sized sword and tooth brush clicking furiously.  They rolled and dodged until eventually the mouse exhausted, laid on the ground and said "I give, I give, you win."  

Maggie stood over the mouse, toothbrush pointing down, tapped the power and let it spin on and off briefly and said, "That's right, this is my house.  If you want cheese you must ask nicely."  Then she walked back inside and shut the door. 

Maddie Goes to the Grocery

Once upon a time there was an elf named Maddie.  Maddie was bored and asked her Mom if she could go outside.  Maddie’s mom said Maddie could run to the market and pick up supplies for fly soup for dinner.  Maddie was excited. She got some money from her mom and walked down the street to the market. Maddie went inside the grocery store and saw all the mom’s and dad’s getting their groceries.  Maddie felt like a big girl shopping all by herself. She strolled through the fresh fruit smelling the oranges and lemons, plucking a grape and enjoying the sweetness as it popped in her mouth.  She picked 3 bright red apples and put them in her basket. Next Maddie walked around to the bakery. The smell of warm bread filled her nose. Shelves of cakes, and pretzels, cookies and baguette lined the wall.  Maddie pick up a loaf of bread and added it to her basket. Next Maddie walked around to the fresh meat isle. Dark red venison and ground sausages made her mouth water. There were packages of eel, fresh fish, and even containers of worms and toads.  Maddie added a package of flies to her basket. When she walked next into the frozen foods she was greeted with colorful containers of ice cream, frozen fruit ice pops, and custard pies. Maddie though a chocolate pie would go nicely with the fly soup.  She put it in her basket. Finally Maddie wound her way down the beverage aisle. The shelves held bottles of sweet nectar, juice, and exotic animal milks. Maddie picked up a bright yellow jug of lemonade. Maddie took her groceries to the cashiers counter and emptied them onto a long conveyor belt.  The cashier held the items over a machine that beeped as each item passed. At the end a boy put the apples, bread, flies, pie, and lemonade into a brown paper bag. Maddie pulled the money her mom had given her out of her purse and gave it to the cashier. Maddie felt like a big girl. She carried the bag home and put the groceries onto the counter proudly for her mom.  Maddie’s mom smiled as she pulled the items out and put them into the pantry. "Yes, a chocolate pie will go nicely with our fly soup for dinner."

The End

Journey's End

Bitter cold and windy, the Inn looked warm and friendly.
We ambled up looking for sweet respite.
And light bathed the oaken floor, as I open up the door,
to wrap my weary hands around a cold and frosty pint.