From the Ranch

From the Ranch

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

I Once Had the Priviledge of Listening to Zig Ziglar Speak in Person



Zig Ziglar was a great motivational speaker who had been a salesman who rose through the ranks of several different companies before he started a company of his own.  He achieved world wide fame as a motivational speaker, lived to the age of 84, and was known for his honesty and integrity.  These are two of his most famous quotes. 
  


Sunday, July 21, 2013

I Love Spending Time With My Grand-daughters More Than Anything

I have seven beautiful and special grand-daughters, and three grand-sons who are the most fascinating, strong, and intelligent people.  I love them so much, and teaching Gabby to fish today was such a sweet experience.  It is days like today I will never forget...

Worth Saying Again



There are some people who are born with a capacity to lay it all on the line that surpasses bravery. Any day of the week I can risk my life for one of my grand-children or children, my husband, parents, etc... There are people who, as their primary occupation, will risk their lives for perfect strangers, people of countries other than their own, and even a wounded enemy,  and not just in one moment of a short lived disaster or accident such as a house fire or car wreck, but they will wake up every day... "willing."  Deliberately they stand between threat and danger and me and mine, and for the rest of the world as well. On an ongoing basis, and they think of it as "just doing my job," they are "willing."

Their families are affected by their willingness, but in both positive and negative ways, and because of what they witness in the lives of "the willing," they are enriched in ways that only family members of "the willing" can be.  Their family members share their everyday lives with a living, breathing, genuine hero, and that impacts a person, empowers and inspires their loved ones. Because they are willing to do what the majority of people would never commit to, we all have the freedom to achieve the destiny we would select for ourselves... and inch by inch... the rest of the world is being affected by their stand. 

Daily there is criticism from the uninformed, the miss-informed, and the run of the mill idiots, it just rolls off their backs, and when the aforementioned get themselves in a jam... or the enemy is wounded .... in need of care... being who they are... 

There cannot be too many words of praise, there cannot be too frequent a mention of their deeds, there cannot be too much made of their loss from this world when one of them willingly makes the ultimate sacrifice. We will be utterly lost if we fail in this obligation, if we fail to be faithful to our own scared duty toward these men and women, and their families. For as we celebrate their lives and their willingness, and openly grieve at their separation from this world, we ensure that more men and women with the same heart will answer the call to be "willing."  There is no currency or budget line item that can purchase a willing heart, and the service of the man or woman who possesses it.  It can only be given.

I Saw an American Bald Eagle Today!

I was with three of my grand-daughters, and that made it so very special.  We all got a very good look at the regal white head, wing tips, and tail!  It was flying low to the ground as we came back from town, and were about a mile from the house.  Amazing bird, which soars with such power, and is such a fitting symbol of our great country!

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

I Let the Girls Bring a Whole Barbie Village in From the Barbie Barn


Little girls and big girls too love to "play Barbies."  One of the neat things I have done at the ranch for military families is just for the "girly girls" among our visitors.  Actually, everyone is fascinated by the Barbie collection, and spending hours playing with the little toys engages children for hours.