a picture truly is worth a thousand words and then some!

Happy Birth Day

Dear Baby Noa,
Welcome to your universe, and it is YOUR universe, because you can be whoever you want to be, and you can do whatever you want to do. More specifically, welcome to planet Earth. We call her Mother.
You no doubt already know quite a bit about your birth parents.
Since you've been floating around inside your Mom for nine months, you've picked up a lot. As adults, we don't even know all that babies learn while in the womb. We're all still learning here. And speaking of learning, you'll be doing a lot of that every day of your life. I have read that babies born today, (you were born yesterday, October 29th, 2009), are expected to live 100 years or more! And speaking of 100 years, you will soon meet your Great Grandma Jessica who is almost 100! You've got the longevity genes Baby!
I am your Great Uncle Frank. You'll learn more about me as time goes by. One day I shall show you a photo of your Mom on my lap when she was about six months old. I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy that! There are lots of things I can tell you. We will have lots of time for that. You should know this: You have lots of cousins! You've been born into a big familia! Your every move will be broadcast worldwide. They say it takes a village to raise a child. Well, not only do you have a village, but most of the villagers are your relatives. After all, we are all brothers and sisters. I have yet to determine if I'll write to you daily, monthly, or annually, on your Birth Day.
I'll get back to you on that. In the meantime, you enjoy all the new things coming your way. Mama and Papa will be there to cradle and cuddle you, and you can always text me! By the way, you will soon meet your canine brothers and sisters, so go easy on them. You will receive a package or two from us when you least expect it. We like surprising you. Your very arrival was quite a surprise in of itself. We waited and waited and waited! And now here you are. So welcome again, and we look forward to meeting you soon.
P.S. We love you!
XoXoXo,
Great Uncle Frank y Great Aunt Christyann
:-O

3 generations in Vegas (1 photo), by frank landfield

I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
Click here to view photos

worth reading i think

prevention magazine, november 2009, page 79 to 85, the article "7 foods that should never cross your lips"
enjoy.
peace out.
on YouTube under "franklandfields"

Hugh's Views

Hugh’s Views

THE PRESENT

In lieu of an article this month, the following quote is submitted for your consideration:

“The best way of preparing for the future is to take good care of the present, because we know that if the present is made up of the past, then the future will be made up of the present. All we need to be responsible for is the present moment. Only the present is within our reach. To care for the present is to care for the future.”
--Thich Nhat Hanh (Buddhist monk)


This quote embodies what Buddhists mean by mindfulness. If one can fully appreciate, understand, and apply the meaning of these few sentences, it will change your life. But be aware that accomplishing mindfulness is a lot more difficult than simply understanding the meaning of this quote.

--Hugh R. Winig, M.D.

Bagels

Bagels

I LOVE bagels, always have, always will.

When I was younger I rarely, if ever, thought about doing dishes or dirty laundry. In fact, I cannot remember EVER doing dishes or dirty laundry. I had too many other things to do, primarily revolving around fun. I had a wonderful childhood from what I choose to recall.

Today I LOVE doing dishes and dirty laundry. And bagels.
My life still primarily revolves around having fun even though my fun has changed.

When I was young, I LOVED to water ski and ride my horse. I can no longer do that. I think the last time I water-skied I was 18. I could ski slalom, on one ski, or on two skis. I have it on film and I watch it occasionally for old times sake. I am quite certain I can’t even get on a horse. I prefer my neck unbroken, thank you very much.

I used to LOVE to inline skate. I have finished a half marathon AND a full marathon on skates and have the medals to prove it. (A year apart. I needed to rest up after the half marathon, and train for the full marathon!) After a few falls I decided that perhaps my skating days were over, even though men and women older than I continue to skate. We’re all different.

Now I LOVE to walk and I LOVE even more my golf cart.
I’m finding that as we progress through time (age) we love different things. Our bodies are in a constant state of change and to a certain extent dictate exactly what we can do from one year to the next.

I find doing dishes and dirty laundry very rewarding and refreshing. I love that squeaky-clean sound a dish makes, and the smell of a freshly washed article of clothing. There may be something wrong with me; or not.

As we evolve (age) we find that different things catch our attention. What we used to like and love and do no longer interests us. We discover new likes and loves. We find other things to do, things that we can actually do.

The great UCLA coach and author John Wooden has said:

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”

This is one rule I try to live by. There are others, but none better than this one. What does it mean exactly?
It means obviously something a bit different for everybody. Basically though I think it means that we must focus on what we’re good at. We cannot waste our time on things we cannot do because they will only interfere with those things that we can do. I am not saying that we cannot learn new things. This is always true. We can always learn new things.

I have a friend who is now focused on becoming a Grandpa. This was not always his focus. He evolved into it with help. He is also a published writer with a book that sells!

As we grow from one year to the next, our focus changes, if we can focus at all.

I used to water ski. Now I LOVE doing dishes and going on long walks and riding around in my golf cart, and I LOVE bagels. What does it all mean? I haven’t a clue.

This life is a journey. I suspect the next one is too. I'm not sure how many lives we have, but I am certain that we can only live one at a time. It may even come down to moments, one moment at a time, one after the other.

In the meantime, I continue to do dishes, dirty laundry, walk, golf cart, and LOVE bagels. How about you? What do you love?

October 15, 2009, Thursday, Palm Desert, California

www.franklandfield.blogspot.com
on YouTube under “franklandfields”
Enjoy. Peace.

reform schmorm!

do we really need health care reform? you tell me. everybody has their own perspective on this one.
people with premium health care usually don't think anything needs to change. after their premium, they don't pay a penny more for anything. some of our senators don't think anything needs to change either. they have fantastic health care. how about you? do you pay for anything? well here's an experience i had today, and i am now convinced, even more so than before, we NEED health care reform.
i have been volunteering in schools for thirty years. i've even been a substitute teacher. i had a negative TB test from 1989. i am due again.
i phoned around.
place A wants $105 dollars for an office visit and $18 dollars for the TB test ($123 total).
place B wants $91 dollars, all inclusive.
place C wants $75 dollars, all inclusive.
place D wants $45 dollars, all inclusive.
place E wants $25 dollars, all inclusive.
place F wants $20 dollars, all inclusive.
place G wants $15 dollars, all inclusive.
i guess this is capitalism. it sure isn't much of a love story, unless somebody really loves making money.
after calling place G, i decided i couldn't bare to call one more place.
i'm going to place F. it's across the street from me.
so what do you think? do you need health care reform? are you getting the same care that senators get? do you even want it?
i just wanna understand why a TB test ranges in price from $123 to $15.
capitilism? smells more like greed to me.
what do you think?
i endorse the michael moore movie, capitalism: a love story.
it explains a lot!
my videos can be seen on YouTube under "franklandfields".
enjoy.
peace out.

movie recommendation

i HAVE NOT seen the new michael moore movie titled, "Capitalism: A Love Story".
i have read about it, and seen michael moore on the jay leno show. based on this, i will see the movie. i also believe the movie is worth seeing. one cannot have an opinion about a movie if one has not seen the movie, or so i have heard. i have also heard from people who refuse to see the movie. and they have an opinion. this i DO NOT understand.
michael moore has a reputation for fact-checking everything in his films. on top of that, those facts are available publicly. still if one cannot see their own nose, one cannot see their own nose.
if you see the film, i am interested in your opinion.
further info may be found at:
www.michaelmoore.com
and
www.rottentomatoes.com
the film has already won some film festival awards. this means what it means.
you decide.
good luck.

The Chance Of Pants

The Chance Of Pants

At some point in your life, you will fall or nearly fall while attempting to put on your pants or underpants. This is simply a fact of life.

This fall may be serious. You may break a hip, or your head, or your nose, or something else. And of course you’ll have to explain to the emergency room people just how this all happened.

If you’re lucky, this fall may not be serious at all. In fact, if you’re really lucky, you’ll catch yourself before you fall, and only blurt out a few choice expletives.
This is the preferred outcome.

So how is it possible to predetermine when this might happen? It is next to impossible. We think we’ll always be 25 years old and forever able to jump right into our pants and underpants, with one leap, both legs at a time, while splashing on aftershave. Well, enjoy this fantasy as long as you can my friends.

When you’re ready for reality, we’ll try to figure out how we got to this point.
I’m pretty sure it has something to do with the fact that leg openings on underpants have been increasingly shrinking. At least you can tell yourself that one. Perhaps we simply can’t lift our leg the way we used to? Or bend over as comfortably as we did ten years ago?

We all have our reasons. I noticed the other day while attempting to first put my foot then my leg through my underpants that something had changed. My little toe was getting snagged and my leg didn’t remain up as long as my brain had asked it to. I began falling forward. The edge of the sink was rapidly approaching. I was stuck falling in mid air, or so I thought, until I figured out I’d better just let go of my underpants before my head comes in contact with the edge of the sink. It occurred to me at that moment in time that maybe, just maybe, if I sat down on the toilet and then put my underpants on, that this would be a much safer way to proceed.

Needless to say, it works well for pants too. But how did I get to this point? For as long as I can remember, I’ve been putting on my pants and underpants while simultaneously standing up. And by the way, on one leg!

I keep telling myself, “I’m the guy who did a marathon, on skates!” Then I remember that was nearly ten years ago. I drive a golf cart around town now. Or walk.

There is a bit of a transition period. One can, carefully, lean against something solid to put on one’s underpants. This is not as safe as sitting down, but it’s not as dangerous as trying to balance oneself on one leg at a time either. Sometimes I try this. Sometimes I sit down. I find the sitting down to be safest. But still, how did I get here? Seems like only yesterday I was 16 years old with no cares, aches, or pains. I’m two for three now. I have no cares, thank goodness.

Aging is a fact of life just as death is, although I like to call that “the transformation”. You call it whatever you desire. It is inevitable that we won’t run a 4-minute mile too many times in our life, if even once. We will not be able to always put on our pants standing up. We won’t be able to drive ourselves around town forever. Our hearing will diminish. Our sight will decrease. And as time goes by, we’ll basically fall apart and begin rotting from the inside out. Not to worry. It’s simply nature. We all go through it. Ain’t none of us gettin’ outa this life alive. Dust to dust. We might as well accept it and deal with it as soon as possible. Complaining and worrying only makes it worse. So, what’s the point here? That is for you to decide. It is not my job to make everything OK for you. I’ve got plenty to do just putting on my pants.

In the meantime, one must find comfort and guidance wherever it is discovered. Best of luck.

www.franklandfield.blogspot.com

On YouTube under “franklandfields”
Copyright frank landfield
September 18, 2009