February 29th, Orange's Day

A Special Day


February 29 is a date that occurs only every four years, and is called leap day. This day is added to the calendar in leap years as a corrective measure, because the earth does not orbit around the sun in precisely 365.000 days.


It is a tradition that women may propose marriage only on leap years. So, fair warning if you will. In many places, it is believed that getting married in a leap year is bad luck for the couple. Thus, for a while couples avoided setting a marriage date in a leap year. Today, most are not so superstitious.


Some lucky people have the special distinction of being “leaplings,” having Feb. 29th as their birthday. So was the case with my grandfather, who was known as Orange. Orange was born Feb. 29, 1904 and lived until April 21, 1979. Orange was 75 years of age, but I remember him telling me, “today was his 18th birthday.” He only got to celebrate his true birthday once every four years.


Orange was one great granddad. He loved to take me with him everywhere. He would take me to town when he would go have coffee with his friends. He would take me to work with him, he worked as a carpenter, and he would always bring me to the work sites. He liked all his grandkids, but I was the favorite. I secretly always enjoyed that. He would let me drive, when no one else would. He just had a way about him that made me feel so special. I don’t know if anyone else ever made me feel as special as he did.


Orange loved to have fun. He wasn’t like most stuffy adults I knew. He was always looking to make the most of any occasion. If it was a family gathering, he would rather gather the kids and do something fun instead of sitting around talking with the adults. All of my family says I am just like him. Many times I have been called Orange myself, and when it happens, I just swell up with pride. He was a great guy. And he will always be remembered as long as I am around.

It brings me joy to remember this good man, Grand Daddy Orange, or as his work buddies called him, "Lemon.”


Oh, and the coffee cup. That is how he liked his coffee, always drinking it from a cup and saucer. I always thought it was odd, but now a favorite memory of mine.


Wishing you well, Ric

Helping Others

What I love about helping others, is that it relieves your pain and makes someone else smile. A smile is one of the best gifts to an aching heart, a smile can help your heart feel the warmth of unconditional love and the joy of life again. ...Ric

Story:

A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said. “Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.” The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man’s mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful. But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, “You have seen Hell.” They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man’s mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons , but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, “I don’t understand.” “It is simple,” said the Lord. “It requires but one skill. You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.”

The Dream Team

You are, in fact, the people you surround yourself with. You're not your house or your car, you're not how much money you make – your success is a direct reflection of those around you and your relationships with them. We must redirect our focus to creating relationships in our life that will help us change our dreams into reality.

It's the idea that people working together can accomplish far more than they could working separately or alone.

Incredible power can be released when people work together. Associating with like-minded, success-oriented, joyful individuals - or Dream Teaming - is the most amazing success tool that exists. Anyone who achieves great success – anyone – must have a Dream Team. Instant solutions exist in Dream Teaming. They help you to take your ideas and expand them into greatness. A Dream Team will help you focus on your goals – whatever they may be.

What characteristics should your Dream Team possess? You have to have a team mate to think through situations and circumstances. These people should have limitless vision and work together for a single goal. Both your hearts and your heads have to be in harmony with one another. You may even have several Dream Teams for different goals – that's okay. Always be on the lookout for the best people and then ask them.

Also, every member should be on a probation period. If they show themselves to be selfish, negative or egotistical they have to leave. It should be determined from the outset – none of you in the Dream Team can allow for "energy suckers" in your group. This is your life you're building – don't make exceptions because a fit may not be quite right. Attitude is everything and it can make or break your success, as an individual and as a group. There should be a spirit of joy and contribution to the group. After all, that's all you should have room for in your life.

The relationships between you and your Dream Team must be confidential. Your results should speak for themselves – they will tell the world what you have going on with your Dream Team. Only the team should know the goal. Only dedicated, committed, joyful Dream Teams achieve great success.

Lastly, remember this: All of us have self-doubt, but remember that your Dream Team sees more in you than you see in yourself. You're there to cheer each other on, to encourage one another when you become weary, to identify bad habits and help change them. The members in your Dream Team tell you the truth so that you can be all that you can be. Together, you and your Dream Team can master and conquer anything.

Ya'll take care....Ric

About Time n Downtown Dallas

Dormant for nearly two decades, the four giant clocks atop downtown Dallas' Mercantile building ticked to life Tuesday night.
The building's 115-foot-tall ornamental spire is also illuminated again. Its white light rings flash upward when temperatures rise, downward when they fall. A star-shaped light at the spire's top glows green when weather is fair, orange-red when it's inclement.
The Mercantile National Bank Building is 430 feet tall with a 115 feet tower. The overall height including the tower is 545 feet. The building is the 27th tallest in the city. The Mercantile Dallas Building was 360 feet tall.

Take care....Ric

The Beginning of Love

♥ ~~~ ♥ ~~~♥ ~~~ ♥~~~♥~~~ ♥ ~~~♥~~~ ♥~~~♥~~~ ♥~~~ ♥~~~♥~~~♥
Ah love, does it get any better than having that someone to love and being loved in return?
To enjoy it though, you have to build on the right foundation. The foundation, the beginning of love, is to love yourself. This is vital.

You must realize your own self value and worth. For many, easier said than done.
We all have value, and we must claim that value. We must claim it ourselves, and not look to others to validate us. So often we overlook and neglect the importance of taking the time to show ourselves the self respect we are deserving of.

Some of us spend our time taking care of others, doing this and that and more and more and more, all the while neglecting ourselves. You go and go until your energy is zapped, and you realize you haven’t anything left. We only replenish and restore this lost energy by taking care of ourselves.

So take care of yourself, and restore the balance you need; here are some helpful tips.
Take responsibility for your life, stop blaming others.
Do things you like to do.
Participate in life at the highest level you can.
Be gentle and kind and patient with yourself.
Give yourself the simple pleasures….wear clothes you feel good in, etc.
Watch what you say…stop being critical of yourself and others.

Remember, it is who we are, not what we do, that is important.
Accept compliments from others without embarrassment.
And treat yourself as someone you really love.
♥ ~~~ ♥ ~~~♥ ~~~ ♥~~~♥~~~ ♥ ~~~♥~~~ ♥~~~♥~~~ ♥~~~ ♥~~~♥~~~♥
Hoping you find that true self appreciation…..Ric

Womanliness

Let’s say I wanted someone to seduce me.

And let’s say, for the sake of argument, that said ’someone’ was a woman. (HaHa-Duh!)

I would want her to have a shower before she came to meet me, and I would expect she would shave her legs. She might wear make-up, and perhaps spray some perfume, or essential oil. She might spend a long time choosing what to wear. Heels, perhaps, or maybe flats. Earrings? Possibly. And, depending on her mood, she might want to emphasize her curves, or maybe hide them; she might accentuate her breasts or rein them in. She would give plenty of attention to the way she looks.

In the moment when we meet - she would want me to experience attraction towards her. This wouldn’t (I’d like to think) necessarily require a cleavage, skirt, or heels - or even make-up or perfume. But, during the course of the evening, she would want her body to be clothed - or exposed - in such a way, that she could allure my attraction, play with it and incite it. She would be expressing herself and communicating with me through her chosen appearance. But also through her personality and attitudes. Her charms would be many. Her smile. Her dress. Her smell. Her softness. Her demeanor. Her spirit. She would radiate beauty in every way. How could I resist her?
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If you think of this with wisdom, you will see that womanly qualities are soft and delicate. In the decorations of womanliness, there is a beauty that is like gold, a beauty that attracts. The energy in their faces and bodies is like a magnet.

This gentleness and outer softness attracts through this outer magnetism residing in the face and form of a woman. In addition to all her outward beauties, the qualities of humility, reverence, devotion to God, beauty, and grace are the qualities of womanliness, the beautiful qualities. She is beautiful outwardly in appearance, but also so beautiful inwardly in character. Her strengths are kindness and thoughtfulness. Others look to her for encouragement, for cheerfulness and for confidence. Her convictions are strong. Her speech is wholesome. Her spirit is loving. Her beauty is undeniable. Like a cool spring of water, she is an unending source of all that is refreshing and good and wonderful.

Womanliness means the personification of, the human expression, as it were, of true beauty.

I like to call it, just … being a lady.

And being a lady, is very seductive. Always!

Take care...Ric