Nice Stuff Thread

[RESORT2ME]

You know, time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years.

It seems just yesterday that I was a young girl, just married and embarking on my new life with my husband.** And yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went.* I know that I lived them all...

And I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams... But, here it is...the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise...

How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my babies go? And where did my youth go?

I remember well... seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like...*

But, here it is...husband retired and he's really getting gray...he moves slower and I see an older man now. He's not in much better shape than me... but, I see the great change...* Not the one I married who was dark and young and strong... but, like me, his age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd be.

Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore...it's mandatory! Cause if I don't on my own free will...I just fall asleep where I sit!

And so, now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things.

But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last...This I know, that when it's over... I will enjoy the Spring in the arms of my loving Father...and wait for my loved ones to come when their winter is over too.

So, if you're not in your winter yet...let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly!

For remember that scripture?...our life is but a vapor, it vanishes away... So, do what you can today, because you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not!

You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life...so, live for God today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember...

"Life is God's gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to God. Make it a fantastic one."

LIVE IT WELL!!

=========================================

[RESORT2ME]

http://www.riversongs.com/christmas/quiz.html

[RESORT2ME]

* Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.

* Keep skunks and bankers and lawyers at a distance.

* Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.

* A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.

* Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled.

* Meanness don't jes' happen overnight.

* Forgive your enemies. It messes up their heads.

* Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.

* It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.

* You cannot unsay a cruel word.

* Every path has a few puddles.

* When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.

* The best sermons are lived, not preached.

* Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway.

* Don't judge folks by their relatives.

* Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

* Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.

* Don't interfere with somethin' that ain't botherin' you none.

* Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.

* If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.

* Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.

* The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin'.

* Always drink upstream from the herd.

* Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.

* Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in.

* If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.

* Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

[RESORT2ME]

The following article appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News on December
22, 2005

"Here's a Yule Story That Ought to be a Movie"
By Ronnie Polaneczky

AND NOW, in time for the holidays, I bring you the best Christmas story
you never heard.

It started last Christmas, when Bennett and Vivian Levin were
overwhelmed by sadness while listening to radio reports of injured
American troops.

"We have to let them know we care," Vivian told Bennett.

So they organized a trip to bring soldiers from Walter Reed Army
Medical Center and Bethesda Naval Hospital to the annual Army-Navy
football game in Philly, on Dec. 3.

The cool part is, they created their own train line to do it.

Yes, there are people in this country who actually own real trains.
Bennett Levin - native Philly guy, self-made millionaire and irascible
former L&I commish - is one of them.

He has three luxury rail cars. Think mahogany paneling, plush seating
and white-linen dining areas. He also has two locomotives, which he
stores at his Juniata Park train yard.

One car, the elegant Pennsylvania, carried John F. Kennedy to the
Army-Navy game in 1961 and '62. Later, it carried his brother Bobby's
body to D.C. for burial.

"That's a lot of history for one car," says Bennett.

He and Vivian wanted to revive a tradition that endured from 1936 to
1975, during which trains carried Army-Navy spectators from around the
country directly to the stadium where the annual game is played.

The Levins could think of no better passengers to reinstate the
ceremonial ride than the wounded men and women recovering at Walter Reed
in D.C. and Bethesda, in Maryland.

"We wanted to give them a first-class experience," says Bennett.
"Gourmet meals on board, private transportation from the train to the
stadium, perfect seats - real hero treatment."

Through the Army War College Foundation, of which he is a trustee,
Bennett met with Walter Reed's commanding general, who loved the idea.

But Bennett had some ground rules first, all designed to keep the focus
on the troops alone:

No press on the trip, lest the soldiers' day of pampering devolve into
a media circus.

No politicians either, because, says Bennett, "I didn’t want some idiot
making this trip into a campaign photo op."

And no Pentagon suits on-board, otherwise the soldiers would be too
busy saluting superiors to relax.

The general agreed to the conditions, and Bennett realized he had a
problem on his hands.

"I had to actually make this thing happen," he laughs.

Over the next months, he recruited owners of 15 other sumptuous rail
cars from around the country - these people tend to know each other -
into lending their vehicles for the day. The name of their temporary
train?

The Liberty Limited.

Amtrak volunteered to transport the cars to D.C. - where they’d be
coupled together for the round-trip ride to Philly - then back to their
owners later.

Conrail offered to service the Liberty while it was in Philly. And
SEPTA drivers would bus the disabled soldiers 200 yards from the train to
Lincoln Financial Field, for the game.

A benefactor from the War College ponied up 100 seats to the game - on
the 50-yard line - and lunch in a hospitality suite.

And corporate donors filled, for free and without asking for publicity,
goodie bags for attendees:

From Woolrich, stadium blankets. From Wal-Mart, digital cameras. From
Nikon, field glasses. From GEAR, down jackets.

There was booty not just for the soldiers, but for their guests, too,
since each was allowed to bring a friend or family member.

The Marines, though, declined the offer. "They voted not to take guests
with them, so they could take more Marines,” says Levin, choking up at
the memory.

Bennett's an emotional guy, so he was worried about how he’d react to
meeting the 88 troops and guests at D.C.’s Union Station, where the trip
originated. Some GIs were missing limbs. Others were wheelchair-bound or
accompanied by medical personnel for the day.

"They made it easy to be with them," he says. "They were all smiles on
the ride to Philly. Not an ounce of self-pity from any of them. They're
so full of life and determination."

At the stadium, the troops reveled in the game, recalls Bennett. Not
even Army's lopsided loss to Navy could deflate the group's rollicking
mood.

Afterward, it was back to the train and yet another gourmet meal -
heroes get hungry, says Levin - before returning to Walter Reed and
Bethesda.

"The day was spectacular," says Levin. "It was all about these kids. It
was awesome to be part of it."

The most poignant moment for the Levins was when 11 Marines hugged them
goodbye, then sang them the Marine Hymn on the platform at Union Station.

"One of the guys was blind, but he said, 'I can't see you, but man, you
must be f---ing beautiful!' “says Bennett. "I got a lump so big in my
throat, I couldn't even answer him."

It's been three weeks, but the Levins and their guests are still
feeling the day's love.

"My Christmas came early," says Levin, who is Jewish and who loves the
Christmas season. "I can't describe the feeling in the air."

Maybe it was hope.

As one guest wrote in a thank-you note to Bennett and Vivian, "The fond
memories generated last Saturday will sustain us all - whatever the
future may bring."

God bless the Levins.

And bless the troops, every one.

[RESORT2ME]

Originally Posted by RESORT2ME

It took off elsewhere. Who all is in favor of one starting HERE?

It is difficult for me to understand why all the membership finds no NICE STUFF to share. We talk about the cold weather or the heat, death, illness, bad experiences, etc.

How about sharing happenings and articles you read that cause warmth inside. Things that come your way that makes your heart smile.

Pass them along so another might feel good about life.

[RESORT2ME]

"About wisdom...
and about Dogs.


Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish
Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their
little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker and they were hoping
for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family there
were no miracles left for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia
procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good
for the four-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though
Shane
might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family
surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last
time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few
minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept
Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion.

We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the
sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had
been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me.
I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said:

"People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life --
like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?"

The four-year-old continued:

"Well, dogs already know how to do that,
so they don't have to stay as long."

[bigfrank]

Originally Posted by RESORT2ME

It is difficult for me to understand why all the membership finds no NICE STUFF to share. We talk about the cold weather or the heat, death, illness, bad experiences, etc.

You want to hear of a nice thing that is right here. Here you go
http://www.timeshareforums.com/showthread.php?t=5837

[RESORT2ME]

Originally Posted by bigfrank

You want to hear of a nice thing that is right here. Here you go
http://www.timeshareforums.com/showthread.php?t=5837

Now, that is more like it. He is swell.
Scott is doing this with reason. A few years ago I gave one away at Christmas time just because I felt like giving. Now he has that topped by wanting a vacation to go to the deserving. Way to go!

Thanks Frank

[RESORT2ME]

Today I read this in an email from my older sister. My mind went to the helpful folk in the timeshare groups.

Life as it should be……



Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it.



From a distance each looks like every other horse. But if you stop your
car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing.



Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him.

This alone is amazing.



If nearby and listening, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking
around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the
smaller horse in the field. Attached to her bridle is a small bell. It lets her blind friend know where she is, so he can follow her.



As you stand and watch these two friends, you’ll see how she is always
checking on him, and that he will listen for her bell and then slowly walk to where she is, trusting that she will not lead him astray.



When she returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, she stops
occasionally and looks back, making sure her friend isn’t too far behind
to hear the bell.



Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just
because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges. He
watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we
are in need.



Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives. Other times we are the guide horse, helping others see.



Good friends are like this……..You don’t always see them, but you know
they are always there. Please listen for my bell and I’ll try to remember to listen for yours.

[KHolleger]

Originally Posted by RESORT2ME

The Sandpiper by Robert Peterson

Thanks!
I have a wonderful picture that shows this little girl on the beach. I printed this out and taped it behind that picture.