These are a few pictures of the grandkids that I took with my Iphone.  Not too bad for a phone. I'm really amazed at all that gadget can do.  I keep forgeting that I have it and am able to really do a lot with it.

 My son, Rocky put a running app on it - so that I could find out for sure how far I am walking/running and how fast.  Well, the other day I turned on the app at the beginning of my walk - but then forgot all about it until later that night.  So I've gotta remember that I even have that and can look at it when I'm done. Oh brother! I can't believe I forgot all about it. So that makes me think - do we really need all these extra gadgets and gizmos???   I'm lucky that I even remember to bring the phone with me. :)

Well, Rocky is home from all his interviews and wants to walk/run the river tomorrow. We'll see if we get time for that!  I'm feeling pretty good today after yesterday's long walk.

Here's another pic of Staci and the kids:

This is on her Birthday of course. (last week)

Now this next picture is of Kallista and how she looks after eating.  Yep, she's a very messy eater!

An everyday quote....

'Don't put up your umbrella before it rains'

This is a quote that I heard a few times from a friend of mine. (Dorothy Bair).  She's known for her quotes.  She has put together 3 booklets filled with quotes that she has heard and found over the years.  Dorothy is in her 80's - so she has seen a good share of life. 
 I like to get out her little books every now and then  - and read those quotes.
The   'Don't put up your umbrella before it rains'   quote is a favorite of mine, because it always makes me think of Dorothy.  It's one that I use quite often (for some unknown reason).  I'm sure my kids will attest to that.
  Well, I still have the cold, but I decided to walk/jog the river today and that may not have been a good decision on my part.  It was freezing cold!!  I'm sure that's the coldest it has ever been for me - in all my walking days.   And Jay had told me that it was suppose to be in the 40's, but I kept looking at the temp on my Iphone and it was always 32 degrees with a wind chill factor!

Yep, I'm feeling not so good right now - but you never know how I'll feel tonight. :)  Our bodies are amazing works of art.  They really can bounce back from almost anything - if we are good to them.
So I'm going to take a loooooong hot tub and I'll let you know if I feel better later.

Grandkids again

This is a post that I put on last fall, but I thought I'd put it up again - since I was talking about the Grandkids. :)

Grandkids

Here's a couple pics of the Grandkids. The first one is of Analee and Weston making a fort with the couch pillows.  And the next one is of little Kallista. (Isn't she beautiful?!)  She was not feeling very well while I was there last week - so I held her a lot. I enjoy holding and rocking the little ones. 
That time frame - where they will let you hold them - is so short. 
Anyways, I hope I don't have her cold, but I'm feeling a sore throat coming on.
 Yep, I've gotta try and scare it off.  :)
This morning I walked on the treadmill (5 miles).  I thought I could sweat out any kind of sickness that might be coming on, but I don't know if that is going to work.  We'll see.

Tonight we went  to the show "Extraordinary Measures".  It was good, but made me feel sad for all the parents that have to deal with sick children.  It is really scary to have your children so sick and terminally sick at that.   You would do anything to make them better and when you can't - you feel so helpless. It's so heartwrenching.

Gratitude

Quote from the book, 'The Happiness Project' :

One of the best ways to make myself  happy is to make other people happy.
One of the best ways to make other people happy is to be happy myself.

Yes, I've been reading this book, (The Happiness Project).  Pretty good book. No earth shaking advice in it. But it's good to be reminded of things that I pretty much already know. 
I want to be a Happy Person and I want to be able to control myself when I'm unhappy.  I don't like myself when I'm honery and moody around my family and friends. (who does?)

One thing that has helped me in the past - was to keep a gratitude journal. I always stop and start this again and again.  But when I sit down and read it - it gives me such a boost that I'm ready to start it up again. So I guess that's just how it is with me.  :)
 It always reminds me of how much I take for granted.  It makes me push myself to appreciate better the fundamental elements of my life, as well as the problems that I don't have.

Well, I did 40 minutes on the Eliptical yesterday, but that's about it for excercise, lately.  I've been enjoying the grandkids too much.  Little Kallista has been sick and I'm afraid that I may have a touch of her cold(flu) coming on.  I didn't make it home today from Idaho Falls.  I was feeling sick around Mountain Home, Idaho.  So I'm in Boise right now in a hotel room - trying to feel better.  Life is good........yeah, keep telling myself that.

Eliptical

Today is the first time I've tried the eliptical.(sp?) I'm at my daughter, Staci's house and they have one. I decided to give it a try. I've heard good stuff about it.  It's suppose to be great for people that have had plantar fasciatis problems on the bottom of their feet.  That's me!
 
Well, I did a 30 minute work out on it.  And I think I like it!  It's been a few hours and my feet feel great!
You work your arms quite a bit at the same time - so we'll see if they feel sore. (not yet)

It's sure freezing here(Idaho Falls) - colder than at home. There's a lot of snow on the ground and it's snowing as we speak.  I do enjoy being here with my grandkids and daughter and son-in-law. What a darling little family. It's quite a drive down here to get to see them - but well worth it.
I just like to sit and watch the kids play. I love to babysit and let Staci & Chad go do what they want.
Everytime I come - I'm amazed at the change in the kids and how much they've grown and learned in their young lives.  I'm not normally around small children anymore and I forget how much they can teach you.
I feel like you just can't love them enough. I certainly adore mine and I'm not biased or anything.  :)

Sunday Blahs

Boy, I felt very "Blah" today.  Maybe it's the weather. The rain does that to ya.

Usually on Sundays - I feel very upbeat.  I think it's cause I like going to church and socializing with friends.
Not today     ...It was one of those days where I just couldn't wait to get out of church!!

I guess we just go through these days.   It's like my dad always says, " You've gotta take the bad with the good or you don't deserve the good!"

I did walk 4 miles outside yesterday morning in the messy, muddy cold.  At least - it wasn't as cold as it usually is.
Jay and I watched two movies in one day! (yesterday)  We don't usually do that.  We went to Spokane to pick up Rocky at the airport and we had plenty of time and didn't need to shop for anything.  They were kind of boring and long movies - so I don't think I'll even mention them here today.....:)
Boy, I really do feel 'Blah' right now.   :)

10 miles.

Yes, I finally got to walk the 10 miles around the Columbia River in Wenatchee. (yesterday)
As I've said in this blog (quite often), that I love to walk around the River there. I've never actually gone and done it with someone else.  I always go by myself at my own speed.  Well, I still did my own speed, but this time Rocky Jay went with me.  He ran the whole 10 miles and then waited for me to get back to the car.  But he did say that he can see why I like to do that walk (around the river) and not walk around the farm here so much.
I've been so sick of the treadmill - that this was a great change - even though it was raining part of the way.  Today would have been a better day to do it, but Rocky had to leave to Philadelphia today for an interview.
Now I'm really ready for Spring to get here.
I still think I will try to walk the 10 miles once every 2 weeks now.

A lot has been happening with the aftermath of the big earthquake in Haiti.  It's so disturbing to see all the chaos and hear of all the deaths there. They are saying that over 100,000 are dead (at this point)  and that 3 million people are affected in that region.  I also heard on the news today- that people can hear the screams of all those that are still buried under all the ruble and can't get out.  Hopefully, they are doing all they can to get them out. 
All someone like me can do at this point - is to donate money.(and to pray for them)
  There are a lot of capable organizations going in there and helping out. (Mostly from the USA)
 I'm thankful to be a part of the LDS church that is supplying a lot of aid to this catastrophe.

More on Energy....

I found another quote on Energy that I like:

'Everything we do is infused with the energy with which we do it.  If we're frantic, life will be frantic.
If we're peaceful, life will be peaceful.  And so our goal in any situation becomes inner peace.  Our internal state determines our experience of our lives; our experiences do not determine our internal state."
-Marianne Williamson

I really like that.   Now if I can just keep telling myself this. 
To me - our attitude and how we perceive things - makes all the difference.

I'm sure we've all experienced or heard about situations - where you ask the people that were involved or were there what happened in this particular situation
-  and you get a totally different view or answer about  whatever it was that happened.   Now maybe this is hard to follow.  I have an example.:

A courtroom judge once told me (& the other jurors) about a murder.  The murderer walked into the bar with a gun and shot the victim dead - in front of a room full of people.  The case went to trial and each witness had a different story.  They all saw something different.  It was so confusing with all the different stories - that the jury didn't  feel good about convicting the guy that was on trial.  They were pretty sure he did it,  but every person's view was so different - they couldn't say beyond a shadow of a doubt.    
  It just brings to mind - how we all look at things so differently.

I do want to always be optimistic, but have some reality in there, too.
hmmmmmmmmmmm.......inner peace isn't as easy as it sounds...

Energy

' The first thing to realize is that you are in control of your own energy.  I know it doesn't feel that way sometimes.  Depression can take hold like an invading germ; anxiety can cause fear to leap out of nowhere; anger can simmer like a pot on the stove.  Yet these conditions do not define you, and in fact you can begin to use basic energy -- the kind that comes from food, air, loving relationships, nature's beauty and the flow of creativity--for your own good. 
All these sources of energy are available to you all the time.  They are part of your birthright; they connect you to the flow of life, which is constantly renewing itself."
-Deepak Chopra

Yes, I believe this to be true.
But I have trouble controlling my energy. Take last night for example:
we ate a delicious dinner at a friend's house. Oh, man, I can't remember overeating this bad (since maybe the holidays :)   I guess that's not a very long time is it?  Anyways, my energy had stopped - I felt drugged, because I was so full.  Now why can't we feel some good energy when we overeat?!  That's just not fair. 
Well, I know that's not what you are thinking when you read the above quote.
But I thought of it and I'm always having to remind myself that I am the one controlling my thoughts and actions.  It's a constant struggle - to try to keep the energy that I'm in control of on the up and up. :)  I hope that makes some sense.
So now I'm going to go take a shower and try to start the day with a wonderful, loving flow of energy.  They say that our energy is infinite. Sometimes that is very hard to believe.
Well, I did do 4 miles on the treadmill last night. It's the first time I've done that so late.  Usually I walk in the mornings.  But of course, I was trying to control my energy after feeling so bloated for hours.  (smiling)

Good Weekend

I've really had a good weekend so far.  We'll have to see if it keeps up.
We've got church meetings starting at 1:00 pm this year. ( It takes some getting use to. )
After the 3 hours worth of meetings, we have Choir practice.  And my stomach is really growling by then.
I like the 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM starts better.  Oh, well.................

   On Friday I was able to walk on the treadmill for 3.5 miles and I haven't had the pain in my feet - like before.  So that's good, maybe I can start doing it every other day now again. :)
Friday afternoon I drove over to the lower Yakima Valley - where I was raised. (Toppenish).  I met with a good friend (Peggy Shaul) at El Porton's and we had a wonderful visit.  Then I went over to Mom & Dad's and visited for awhile.
Then we went to my Sister Mindi's Girls Basketball game.  Mindi coaches for Zillah High School. It was an exciting game, but they lost by one point. (darn)
I stayed overnight at Mom & Dad's and had a great visit with them the next morning (yesterday) and then went over to my brother's house (Rock).  I had a great visit with him & Jackie (my sis-in-law)  and then Jackie and I went shopping in Yakima.  We really didn't do much shopping - we ended up talking & talking some more- but we did go to Applebee's for lunch.
Then I drove home (2 hour drive) to a waiting Jay and Rocky Jay. 
Jay and I had tickets to see 'Jon Schmidt'  (a fabulous piano player).  So we went to Yum Yum's in Ephrata for dinner and then went over to the show.  Man, that was such a fun show.  I was quite impressed. I really didn't think it would be that entertaining - with just a piano player - but this guy delivers.
I've gotta get some of his CD's - he's the one that put 'Love Story' by Taylor Swift  and Viva La Vida' by Cold Play together with his Celloist (sp?).  It was quite a hit on UTube a few months back.
Anyways,  that was my perfect day.

Here's the link to Jon Schmidt's website. You won't be disappointed in his music. (Fabulous)
http://www.jonschmidt.com/catalog/product_imeem.php?plname=Songs%20Most%20Often%20Performed&osCsid=bb44ddf59a502af9abd8ccda61e2f17b

True cop story

Yes, I've been fuming for a couple days, because I was stopped by a cop - going 65 in a 60.  Maybe I deserved the ticket, but I didn't deserve the comment,
"Mam, experienced drivers would never be going that fast."
He says this as people whiz by us going 70 miles an hour. (I'm sure)

Reasons why I'm fuming:
#1. This kid (cop) looks the age of my youngest child.
  I know I've been driving long before he was even in diapers!!
#2.  How dare he say that I'm an inexperienced driver!  If he knew how many miles I put on a car in one year,(my husband can witness to this)- he would probably give me a medal instead of a ticket.
#3.  The last time I got pulled over - the cop was wondering why I was going so slow.  He checked in the back of my car for beer bottles.  And it was just because I had a friend with me and was having a nice conversation  - so I was trying not to be a careless, fast driver.

Now aren't those good reasons to be fuming???

The Ultimate Goal

Quote by Mike Robbins:
'The Ultimate goal of being ourselves in an authentic way is actually about loving ourselves in a generous way.  If we truly love ourselves, most of what we worry about and even much of what we strive for in life becomes meaningless.  We may still have some worries, and we'll definitely continue to have goals, dreams and desires.  However, from a place of true self-appreciation and self-love, the fear behind our worries and the motivation for our goals dramatically changes from something we have to avoid or produce in order to be accepted and valued, to something we we're genuinely concerned about or really want to accomplish."

This is definitely food for thought.  I'm glad I have some time to think about these things.

 I've spent most of today going through old pictures and cleaning out some of my files. I do tend to collect things.  I'm trying to clean out and I'm getting much better at that - especially with my clothes.  I've hung on to some things that I keep thinking I will wear if I lose that 10 extra pounds, (but I've hung on to these things for years.)  I'm starting to be a little bit better about getting rid of things.  I really don't like having too much stuff around me - it makes me feel like I'm a hoarder.  Like those that you see on TV.  So maybe that's why I'm an OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) person.

Well, now to talk about my walking/jogging goals.  As of lately, I haven't been doing any walking on the treadmill - because of some plantar fasciatis problems in my feet.  So I'm giving them a little rest, but I do intend to be right back at it very soon. 
Today the Sun was shining and I really wanted to go out for a walk, but then I opened the door!  Yes, it's 34 degrees and the wind is blowing.  A little too cold for me.  I'm waiting for that warmer day to get out there.
   But I will go back to the walking/jogging every other day at least 4 miles.  Then on the weekends or Fridays I hope to do the long 8-10 miles walks.  Janene Cobb (my friend) and I  are planning to do a 1/2 marathon in April. (The Wenatchee Mara, probably)
And I'm going to find one to do in February. (Maybe the Rochester, WA one)  Other than that - I will do the Canal Caper in March and the Seattle 1/2 marathon in June.
I still haven't decided on where to do the full Marathon this year, but I probably won't do it until this fall anyway.  
Well, that's the goals I have for walking this year.  Yes, just to do these races. I really don't care if I get better times  on these races - I just hope to get around the same time that I usually get.
My goal is just to keep doing what I did last year.
It would be nice to lose that extra 10 lbs., tho, too!!

Goals

Well, I just re-read what I wrote yesterday. Man, I just feel so blessed after reading that . I'm so grateful that I was able to do all that stuff last year.  (Sometimes I forget how good I have it.)
Now I'm thinking a lot about 'goals'  because it is the begining of a New Year.  I always have goals in my mind, but most of them aren't long term or they are very general  like:  'Be a better wife to my husband'.
So I'm going to put up a quote that I just read and then ponder about this subject some more.....

"Write down your goals.  Don't worry if they are reasonable or not.  The first step is to acknowledge them.  Keep a journal or a little pad of paper, and write down your goals as well as the changes you create and the intutive information you receive.  Review this every day, and you will see how powerful you are at creating your own life and having an effect on the lives of those around you."
- Laura Day.

Well, I've sort of done that throughout my life, but the one thing I forget is to review my goals every day.
I'm going to try to be better this year.  Isn't that what it's all about??  Trying to do better every year??
I know that I've slipped and stumbled a lot and I probably always will.  But if I have some kind of goal or goals in mind - I know I will be better than I could ever imagine.  This is my belief- now I'm going to try to implement it.  I will be thinking of this a lot this month, as it looks like I may have the time to do it.  :)
I haven't yet written down the goals for this year, but I will.
(So more on this in the blogs to come.)

Re-cap of 2009

I thought I'd do a quick re-cap of the main events for me in 2009.

But before I do, I will quickly say that- although it was very eventful,
2008 had more major events for our family.  Rocky had graduated from Medical School, Greg & Heidi got married, and Staci had little Kallista Marie in March of that year.

Still this year was amazing to me - as I look back.
1. As a start to the New Year  -we had just got back from a vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.  Greg & Heidi and Rocky Jay came with us (Jay & I).  It was wonderful !!(even tho, Jay & I had a few transportation (airplane) problems getting down there.  Our lucky kids were there for a few days before us - living it up on our dime!
(And thus,it made us decide that we shouldn't count on the airlines to get us anywhere during the holidays in the years to come.)

2. In January - Jay & I flew down to Carlsbad, CA to meet Rocky Jay - so that Rocky and I could do the Carlsbad Marathon. (of course, I did the 1/2)  But it was a fun trip for us before the marathon - because Jay & I spent a couple days in San Deigo having fun.  We went to the big Zoo there and took a tour of the whole city.  What a beautiful city - I wouldn't mind living there!

3.  Jay & I took a few nice trips to Montana during February and March  - we saw a lot of country and had a good time - but I'd rather go when it's much warmer - say summertime!

4.  I went down to see the boys at the end of February - I love going on those long trips in the car alone to think (soul search) and listen to my CD's and my XM radio.  I'm a traveler at heart and will always be.....

5.  Jay ran the Canal Caper with me in March. (10 K)  He did a great job, but at the end was complaining - so I left him in the dust.      : -)    We laugh about it now.

6. I went to Idaho Falls during the year (by myself) - at least 3 times.  I love to babysit - while Staci & Chad go to the movies or whatever else they want to do.  We always have a good time.  I love being with those kids.  (and their parents)  :)
Jay doesn't usually get to go - because he is staying home making the mula so I can go to all these places!  :-)

7.    WALKS around the Columbia River in WENATCHEE.  Yes, that's a very big thing for me this year.  I was able to do many, many walks/jogs around the river.  More than any year prior.  I loved it - I can only hope and pray that I will be able to do as many this year.  I'm sure going to try.

8. Can't believe it,
but we accomplished a 16 day trip to Russia this year and we survived to tell about it. 
 Plus we did it with our son(Greg) and daughter-in-law (Heidi).  Of course, we wouldn't have been able to do it without Greg - he was our interpreter.  He had served a 2 year mission there 7 years earlier - so we went to almost all the places that he had been.  I think we enjoyed Moscow the most, tho.  I feel that I'm forever changed - because of  that trip.

(Boy, I could say so much more, but I'm trying to keep this short) :)

9. When we got home from Russia, Jay's mom (Vera) was ready to stay with us.
She stayed for a month, but towards the end - she had some health problems.
WE had to take her to the hospital , because she was dizzy and passed out.
Luckily, she's been much better since.

10. After Vera, we went to Newport, Oregon for a few days to stay at the Shilo Inn
with my side of the family (The Winters')  It was great for us, because it was the only time
this year that we had all three of our kids and our grandkids together.  So that's the only pic we have of our family this year.

11. In  August, Staci and I  were able to do a  10K  in Snoqualmie, WA. 
WE had a great time together.  Staci was able to fly up for a few days while Chad babysat the kids.   While we were doing that, Jay flew down to SO. CAL. to play golf  w/his boys.
Life is good.

12.     This was the big thing of the year for me !!
THE MARATHON in Salmon, Idaho.   Staci and I met there to do it.
I know I've written about it in this blog, but I'm sure I'll keep saying more about it - because it was a very big thing to me to be able to do this.  I still can't believe my body actually did it. :)

13.  Jay and I went to Colorado at the end of September for a week.  It was absolutely wonderful for us.  Since we both love to drive places and explore.  That's what we did all week.  We flew to Denver, rented a car, and then drove it over 1,000 miles. 
YA-HOO. Loved it.   It was a beautiful time of the year to go.  We've both never been to Colorado. So we saw a lot of things that we've never seen.  (wonderful ! is all I can say!)

14. I went to Utah to be at General Conference in Salt Lake City  w/ my parents . Then we went up the road  to Park City and stayed in our(Jay & I's) timeshare for a few days. 
 That was great, but I left early to go to Idaho Falls to spend sometime w/Chad & Staci and the grandkids.  So mom and Dad stayed and had some of my Aunts and cousins over to visit. 

15.   In November,
Jay went down to LA to help pack up Rocky's stuff and he brought it all back in a U-haul.
(Roger his brother also, went down with him)
Rocky then went to Sacramento to interview and then he drove up to Salt Lake City to meet the rest of us.  Greg & Heidi were suppose to be there, but couldn't at the last minute.(They were closing on their condo).  But we still had a great time staying at the Residence Inn in Salt Lake and spending Thanksgiving Time there.  The kids(Staci & Chad's) loved to play in the pool - we really enjoyed our time together there, because we knew we weren't going to have them for Christmas.

16.  That brings us to the end of the year, where Rocky and I went on the trip back east -that I wrote about a few blogs ago!  So I won't bore u with anymore details.

17.  I know I've forgotten things.  In fact, I just remembered the Seattle  Rock-n-Roll 1/2 mara that I forgot to mention.  Yes, that was at the end of June - while we had Vera staying with us.  Jay and I went over night to Seattle  and then came back home after the mara.
I really enjoyed that one.  I'm planning to be apart of it this year, too.

( I know I've written about all these things in my past blogs, so please forgive if you have to read the same thing over again.)

Okay, I think I'll stop for now!!

But this does make me realize how much you can do in one year.  I've forgotten all the wonderful things we've been able to do this year.  Wow. 
I hope this next year is as great or greater!!    One thing that I haven't mentioned is that our daughter is expecting our 4th grandchild in May!!  That will be something to look forward to!  We are so blessed.

Tiger Woods

This was a post that I started today on Facebook. I really got a lot of feedback on it - so I thought I'd put it on my blog.
Marie Winters Adams -
Disappointment of the year for me - Tiger Woods. My boys adored him and even got to see him play once. Not a very good role model anymore.

Marianne Folsom Anderson couldn't agrre more.

 · Claire Hansen -OK, I am not TW fan, but you know what? He is seeking help and he didn't lie about anything and he has to deal with his family. This is a man with whom the law of marriage was difficult. I don't see him saying, "Look at me, mold your idea of a hero after this!".

Nope, he just played golf, made commercials, and gained endorsements. That's the part that had anything to do with us, the general public.

So, it can be said of Tiger Woods that he was a hard worker, consistent in his craft, and a reallly great golfer. That's what your kids will remember, they weren't married to him.

It is a sad tragedy to see a man and his family fall apart on national TV. He hasn't retaliated against the media, spoken cruelly of his spouse or the women he was infidelitious with. He tried to keep it quiet. There is still a semblance of dignity there. No one wants Tiger to succeed at home, not the media (bcuz that is more cash flow). not his fellow golfers(because he is a Titan and this might be TW's breaking point), and most of all Tiger(he has to confront what he thinks success means and deal, and it willmean becoming someone he never knew himself to be).

How sad...
So, don't be so hard on the Wood. He has enough to deal with.

 · Sylvia Hammond
@Claire, you are very generous and kind to see the human side of this tragedy. However, the mothers of young golfers will no longer be saying, "Work very hard and someday you may grow up to be just like Tiger Woods!"

 · Betsy Ide Dunbar
 I feel the same as Marie. When you are in the public eye, you have the responsibility to be a role model.

· Diane Folsom Packham
Marie, I agree with you wholeheartedly. There are too many athletes and celebrities who get caught up in themselves that they forget all that's right. It is only when they are "caught" that they act "sorry"??

 · Jackie Bell
I'm so disappointed too. I truly admired him. However, I think the women who got involved with him, (for what reason I wonder )then told all of the details are disgusting. Why would you want the public to know that you had involved yourself, and took money/gifts from a married man? I agree that Tiger really messed up. That said, I am so glad ...
that my life is not played out in the media....how horrible to have your mistakes publicized and speculated upon. I think the public has placed him on a pedestal...and the only place to go from there is down.

 · Roger Pugh
 Technically, he was never a good roll model - now he is simply a caught role model!
There is a difference in an honest man who lies about nothing and an honest man who lies about nothing when he is caught!!

· Sue Farias
People need the Lord. And in this case, the Lord, and a good sexual addiction therapist. Sad situation - his poor wife and children. She thought her husband was faithful and committed, and although she will be secure financially in the settlement, it can't compensate for the broken trust and heartbreak this has brought to her life. I pray for them. Never really did follow golf, though, but when something like this happens, everyone hears about it in the media.

 Marie Winters Adams -
Thanks for all the feedback everyone. Good comments - something to think about...

Claire Hansen :
We are all still trying to make Tiger fail proof.
Sylvis has a good point, and I'd like to add that
there is nothing wrong with telling your kid if he works hard he can succeede at what he does, even like Tiger. That guy earned everything he got, everything. We all do.
No one used Tiger as a model husband, except his wife.
I don't know that they, " act sorry", conscidering they are dealing with a complete train wreak in a public light. What we see is the residual coping face that seems dishonest, it is in a moment of hard fought realization that things will be different. If we forget to show compassion there will be no charity....
I am glad that people are human. It's a good thing we aren't born perfect. All of us would fail miserably and we'd be saying all this stuff aboout ourselves. However, we have perfection to be within us.
Jackie is right, pedastals are meant for heroes who fall before we see them as human.
Not only that, but a kid should be able to look to his parents and know that they work hard for everything they got and one day, that kid can do the same for him/her self.
It is a cultural fallacy to see talent as superiority within perfection, it is talent, a God given right to them that use it. A tool to perfection.

 Maurine Winters -
Good comments everyone! It is always so sad to see someone you look up to cause so much destruction with their family and friends.....those who trust them. They have no idea how much their actions hurt those who love them.

 Mindy Catlett Doty
Tigers entire life was a lie and there is absolutely NO dignity in betraying your wife over and over again with fame seeking women who care nothing about family or themselves. He carefully plotted and paid off people to have his secret life kept secret from the public. There is NOTHING honest or dignified about that
I hope now that his world has...
crashed he will find help that he needs but he has already destroyed lives and crushed the hearts of golfing fans around the globe. Perhaps the pressure was too great and I don't understand (not being a celebrity) but there are many other ways to deal with the stress than to self destruct. I feel no remorse for Tiger. He got caught. All that he deals with was brought on by himself. I hope he can rebuild himself into a dignified honest man but I don't see that happening anytime soon.
A big shock and let down for 2009.

Jackie Bell
Let's don't forget that what we know comes from the media - who's ultimate purpose it to sell papers/magazines. They are hardly scrupulous, the more scandalous the better. We don't know what actually went on, only those actually involved know. It's not for us to judge, especially when we don't have the facts...


Yesterday at 5:06pm · Terri Hartman Urie
I saw a sign today that said"Tiger Woods is changing his name. It will now be "cheetah Woods". thought It was kinda funny because it took me a minute to figure it out!

Yesterday at 6:47pm · Marie Winters Adams
That's funny, Terri.
I just want to say 'Thank you' to all of the great comments on this subject. I appreciate the response. I feel much more validated on my feelings of Tiger's debacle or should I say demise?! :)

 Marie Winters Adams
As an afterthought to my last post there:

I have to say that Jay thinks this will all blow over and he(Tiger) will be ready to start the next Golf Season and be just as great as he usually is. That will be interesting to see. Any thoughts??

 Claire Hansen
Just a final thought, every word we say here might one day judge us. We all betray family in ways that might not be as obvious as Tiger's, but it is a betrayl nonetheless. As Americans we really do tend to see what we want to see in others.
Mind our words carefully.
Tiger and his family should be in our prayers.

Mindy Catlett Doty
Yes he needs our prayers because it's going to take the Miracle of forgiveness for him to try to "fix" all that he has broken. But come on already Claire, we are talking about a celebrity who betrayed his family in the worst way MANY times on PURPOSE. I for one, DO NOT betray my family in any sort of degree close to Cheetah Woods! And for you to ... See Moresay that we all betray our families is crap. I may disappoint my familiy at times but NEVER betray them. I do feel sorry for his wife and children, the real victims in this whole scenerio. I pray for them that they might rebuild their lives. They are the ones who have been publicly humiliated and they are the ones who deserve their privacy during this trial in their lives. NOT Tiger.

Marie, I whole heartily agree with Jay. Tiger will be back on top in no time. He's still the greatest golfer ever. As much as the media/people like to bring others down they also build them back up pretty fast. Can you think of a celebrity scandal that someone hasn't bounced back from??

New Year's Day

Well,  we didn't get to go to Rock & Jackie's last night.  The snow was coming down very thick and the roads were quite slick. So we stayed home and sat by the fire and watched TV.  We went to bed at 11:00 - I hope that's not an omen, because we are getting too tired to even bring in the New Year.  I hate to say I'm getting old, but I'm starting to wonder.
   I did get up early enough this morning, tho, to run 4 miles on the treadmill.  And I've decided that sometime this next week (even if there is snow on the ground) I'm going for a 8- 10 mile walk outside.  I think I may even try the walk by the Columbia River in the Tri-Cities.  It is usually always warmer down there then it is here.   I pray I can survive this cold month.  I'm really ready to get outside and walk a lot, but I know I can't.
I'm getting sick of the treadmill, already.  Oh, well............ life goes on.  :-)