For those of you trying to establish yourself as a business owner, I have one recommendation: Chrissy Herron.
As you all know I've been working a few businesses for a few years. I stumbled upon Chrissy's site a few month's back and it has made a difference. She is hosting a very nice webinar soon: Indie Biz Chicks Conference I've signed up - it's free! and there will be all kinds of great information on a spectrum of topics. If you haven't checked her out, and you want to run your own business, you should!
26 April 2009
Indie Biz Chicks
24 April 2009
Love is all around
Success. Most define it in terms of wealth, position, or power. Mine was defined today in a way. One of my daughters graciously told the world she had inherited my hands. And was to have inherited them. Whenever someone I love pays me a compliment, enjoys a measure of fulfillment through a childhood teaching I count it as success.
“Do we exemplify [a] legacy of love? Do our homes? Bernadine Healy, in a commencement address, gave this counsel: ‘As a physician, who has been deeply privileged to share the most profound moments of people’s lives including their final moments, let me tell you a secret. People facing death don’t think about what degrees they have earned, what positions they have held, or how much wealth they have accumulated. At the end, what really matters is who you loved and who loved you. That circle of love is everything, and is a great measure of a past life. It is the gift of greatest worth’ (“On Light and Worth: Lessons from Medicine,” Commencement address, Vassar College, 29 May 1994, 10, Special Collections).”
How is success defined for you?
The Cab Ride
Recently a story has made the rounds of the internet. I saw it a day ago on Grow a Brain. It went around the bend with some infusion from Zen Moments and of all places dooce.com last September. It is a story titled The cab ride. I've read it along with 100,000,000 other people over time. It is a striking story about human interaction.
The first time I read it was in 2003. I read on a blog called Indigo Insights. (it's the third story down) I remember being struck by the story instantly, and evidently I'm not the only one. I emailed the author of the blog and asked her permission to reprint the story. She, of course, told me no problem. I thought she was the author. After googling around a bit I could not really determine who the author actually was. So when I began blogging I set it aside and didn't blog about this very moving story.
The link at Grow a Brain explains who penned it. Now I know who penned it, Mr. Nerburn explains, more about it and how it has moved its way around the internet for years. You'll notice his explanation is from September 2008. I'm not sure how it came to be at Grow a Brain.
I like his explanation of BlueMoments. I call them something different - prompting of the spirit. No matter what you want to call it, it is proof we each have our link to the Divine and if, we are listening (sometimes - bonked on the head!), gifts come our way that can light up a dark hour.
So if you have a moment like this share it. Mr. Nerburn shared his moment over 20 years ago and it is still touching people, reminding people of the goodness in each of us. And we can all use a bit of goodness!
22 April 2009
Awe on a Bicycle - Danny MacAskill
Most of us get on a bike and ride, get some exercise and go home. Not this guy. He really gets some exercise. This is truly awe inspiring. It could be a corporate recruiting video for a firm looking for the best, of the best, of the best!
You'll never ride your bike again without thinking of this video. Hope. Strength. Endurance. Hat tip: Amish Robot,
Dude
There is just something about the word "dude". We use it a lot around the 1963 remodel. I am not advocating Bud Light. Heck I've never even had a bud light. However, my compliments to the agency, DDB Chicago, that created these commercials.
17 April 2009
Cutest Kid in a commercial EVER
This is another commercial playing in California that just makes you smile.
I just love that kid!
Doe, a Deer
This made me smile for about an hour.
I'd love to be able to witness something like this in person!
09 April 2009
Retinal Detachment
I am learning all I can about retinal detachment. Babe has one. He was going through his day on Monday and his vision got worse and worse. Finally we called urgent care about 2 and they said to come in at 5:30...
Then we got a lecture from the doctor about waiting so long. Who knew? After we reemed him about not knowing what was happening... we got appointments for the next day (yesterday) to see an opthomologist. After seeing him we went to a retinal specialist. Today we are going to the surgery center to have the detachment re-attached. I'll let you all in on the details soon.
06 April 2009
Music - First and Last
I love copying memes from Susan because they always have something to do with music or photography. This one is all about music.
1. What is the first song you ever remember hearing? How old were you?
I was four. My brother got one of those funky little record players with the lid that hinged on and off and could play forty fives. He bought El Paso by Marty Robbins. He must've played that record a hundred times a day. In fact I think I still have it in my stuff somewhere.
2. What was the first album you ever bought on your own? What format?
Oh hmmmm. I remember the first forty-five I ever bought easier than the album. It was Help Me Rhonda by the Beach Boys. I was in fifth grade. My brother, who is a year older than me, was already a record club member and he was buying all the albums. I do remember now! That same year I had have him order me The Dave Clark Five. Vinyl, of course, no other choice at that time.
3. (If you’re old enough) What was the first CD you ever bought?
I remember being ticked off that we had already purchased albums in vinyl, then 8-track, then cassette and now they wanted us to buy CDs???!!! (Just ask me about how I feel about the RIAA) Then like everyone else we jumped on that band wagon pretty quick - first CD - probably Phil Collins (No Jacket Required) or Pink Floyd (Dark Side of the Moon).
4. What was the latest album you’ve purchased?
Does anyone buy albums anymore? We mostly buy songs. The latest songs I've downloaded have been oldies for my iPod. Girl Watcher by the Okaysions was the latest. And a Nickel Creek song.
5. What song takes you straight back to grade school?
Help Me Rhonda and Stop in the Name of Love. I can still see a girl from the sixth grade standing on the play ground pretending she was Diana Ross (I was a lowly fifth grader).
6. What was the theme song of your 8th grade dance and/or graduation?
Oh wow. I remember 7th grade dances better. Our Valentine's dance was Good Vibrations. 8th grade we didn't do graduation just a school dance. I think Hey Jude got played a lot for slow songs.
7. What was your first real concert?
Jimi Hendrix, San Diego Sports Arena I was 14. I always say 15 because I turned fifteen that year but I was only 14 when I saw him. It was in May, my grandmother bought the tickets for my brother and I got to go with him, basically by default as his friends' parent wouldn't let them go. We rode the bus to San Diego and it was a great concert. People were dressed so differently. Some in tuxes and evening gowns (old people) and kids in jeans and tie dyed t shirts. Hendrix talked a lot about the war during the set.
There's an article floating around the net saying that the tickets were anywhere from $2.50 to $5.50 but ours cost $15.00 each. I think in an old scrapbook of my bros is the ticket stub. My grandmother thought it was highway robbery, but still it was a birthday gift for my brother so she didn't complain all that much.
8. What was your latest real concert?
I can't recall. There goes that memory thing. It's been a while. I know there was an Aerosmith concert in Austin, but Babe and middle daughter went to that. I do remember seeing an impromptu concert at Waterloo records with Lyle Lovett in 1993 (i think it was 93).
9. Best concert?
It would be easier to tell you worst concert. Best? Hmmm. I do know best band ever in concert. It was Captain Beyond. They opened for Alice Cooper in San Diego. We were stunned at how good they were. Clean, sharp, in tune and man oh man - tight. We bought their album the next day. The piccolo snare was amazing.
10. What was your song with your first girl-/boyfriend?
Good Vibrations, John. Valentine's dance. Became our song. We went steady for six weeks I think. I moved on to Grant leaving John in the dust.
11. What was your favorite band in high school?
I have to say it changed as music was progressing pretty quickly. Not that I no longer liked the band but I moved through artists pretty quickly. Freshman year it would have to be Cream, then Deep Purple. Then on through the rest of high school were the Beatles as they broke up, and Black Sabbath. Alice Cooper became an all time favorite along with Uriah Heep.
12. What albums were the soundtrack of your senior year?
Senior year Imagine was our senior song. But I'm thinking Pink Floyd Meddle was usually in the cassette player and got exchanged out with Under My Wheels by Alice Cooper quite a bit.
13. What was your first musical discovery at college?
College. Queen and Uriah Heep. Not really a discovery but they were hot. And anything had to be better than my roommate's country and western crap she played.
14. What song(s) did you/do you want played at your wedding?
Oh ugh. I was married in the 70s. Weddings were still like "ruled by parental units back then" We had yet to break out and think for ourselves or at least win the arguments back then. I remember wanting my bridesmaids in navy blue - you know the dark, dark blue on the flag - yeah that blue. My pics reveal my moms ruling, a light blue flowery print. ugh. So I didn't have music at the reception that I can remember at all. I was such a cupcake back then!
I have to chuckle though, I think there was a rendition of Saturday's Warrior at my brothers wedding a year later.
15. Do you have a favorite band now? If so, who?
Favorite band now. Hmmm. I always take a nod from the girls now. The Tall Kid seems to be presenting some good stuff. Right nikugow Rise Against has found its way into the play list.
16. What’s the last thing you listened to?
Yesterday's drive to San Diego included a lot of Hawkwind.
17. What do you want played at your funeral?
Not sure. Let me think about it while I tell this story about my brother's funeral. He was a HUGE Emerson Lake and Palmer fan. The guy loved them. On the Works 1 album they have Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copeland. Bro always said he wanted it played at his funeral. We found a lady in the stake willing to play it and it was perfection. I can't listen to ELP without tearing up to this day.
My funeral on the other hand hmmm. I do know I'd like "I believe in Christ" sung at the memorial and I'll Fly Away.
And at the ash spreading (somewhere the bluebonnets bloom in the hill country of Texas, I'll be home) a good old rendition of Tiny Dancer and Sunshine on my Shoulders possibly.
If you, like me, would like to share your musical memories go for it!
30 March 2009
What the frack happened?
Okay so a couple of weeks ago I went to the post office. On the way home, I was in an accident. I was traveling towards an intersection, where I have the right of way - no stops sign in my direction, when the driver crossing my intersection quickly stops then goes. I notice he is on the phone. I slam on my brakes and veer to the right in hopes of not hitting him. Unfortunately that is not the case. I come in contact with his right front wheel well. There is no damage to his car. Mine on the other hand is messed up to the tune of almost $2000. I did call the police. They came out logged the accident in their system, however did not do a report because as he stated "the damage is so minor". The driver admitted to the police officer that it was his fault and when the policeman heard that he said "well you've exchanged information that's all you need to do."
His insurance company is SAFECO. They sent me a letter today denying my claim and telling me their driver is not at fault. How is that possible? I am so tired of insurance companies. Anyone have any suggestions on how to proceed?
Safeco if Evil. Looks like I will have to go to small claims court.
28 March 2009
Yet another reason to love technology
It plugs into my iPod and records anything I want it to. I love it. It's made by Belkin, found it at Amazon. Lists for between $60 and $70 and picked mine up for $30. I can use it to record Little Miss or my end of a phone conversation or even a podcast - maybe we'll do a tutorial soon! Neat stuff this technology!
24 March 2009
I love Steve
Some of you may have noticed the I love Steve button on my sidebar. No it isn't Steve from 8th grade. Yeah I still love him too, but the Steve I'm talking about is Steve Jobs. He is definitely my favorite Steve. The website that the button takes you to is so you can wish Steve a speedy recovery. I'm not sure who it belongs to, or how they're going about advertising it, but currently there are only 413 people who've sent a note of wellness to Steve.
I'm not pushing the get well thing. I just wanted to brag about being a Mac lover. We fell in love with Macs shortly after making the wrong choice and purchasing a PC junior. OUr neighbors were cooler than us and bought the first version of a Mac. We quickly converted, testifying to all who'd listen, and began being apostles for all things Mac. Our first Apple was a Wozniak IIGS. We owned it up until about two years ago. I regret not keeping it. Think of how much I could have made on eBay with that one! Especially now that Steve "The Woz" Wozniak is on Dancing with the Stars! Sigh.
Oh well. We got iPhones shortly after the new year this year and I am again impressed. I remember when I used to say "I don't want a cell phone!" and my husband mentioning that with all the solitary driving I do around this state if I didn't have one they'd find me dried up and eaten by wolves in the desert if I didn't have a phone. I relented and got a phone.
A phone that made you want to open a window while you were driving and pitch it as far as you could! It had fun stuff like voice recognition on it. You could just say the name of the person you wanted to talk to and it would dial the number fast and efficiently. Yeah right. I'd say call Babe (my husband's nickname) and it would dial my mom. Seriously.
In January when Babe said to "go down to the AT&T store and pick up a couple of iPhones" the door did not hit me in the behind as I darted down to the store. And boy am I ever happy I got one. There are so many features! My favorite is the maps program. It works like my own personal GPS device. Forget Garmin, I've got the iPhone! Then there's the hold button - talk to two people at once! And the Safari browser and email so you can check your email and find out the latest financial news. Did I mention the games? Yep when I don't have reading to do, you can download a Kindle app for your phone now!, I play games to kill time between appointments.
All this neat stuff because of a guy named Steve. Well, maybe two guys named Steve. I love ya, man!
23 March 2009
Chihuly in the desert
I'm going to Arizona!
Saturday our newest issue of Sunset Magazine arrived. There were all the usual coastline enticements for travel. We are waiting for May to come so we can travel to the coast to see family so I paid the ocean air invites no mind. I was on my way to the chicken story!
Then I turned the page that changed it all. Page 34. The beginning of a list of the top ten botanical gardens. hmmm. I love me some botanical gardens. The arboretum in Arcadia, the giant gardens and pools at Balboa Park and now this! Chihuly in the desert!
Dale Chihuly has done for glass what Christo did for fabric. He's taken his art to the people and the land. The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix is hosting Dale Chihuly through May 31st of this year. Not an average exhibit mind you. A Chihuly exhibit. Large glass sculptures throughout the 145 acre garden. The Garden are limiting attendance, you must have reservations. Time available will be from 8a.m. to Noon, Noon to 4 p.m. or 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. You can read more about it here. Make sure you take your camera. Like Christo, this art doesn't last!
18 March 2009
Interesting Meme - Album Cover
I think I could do this all day. I love old album covers and this way of naming a band, an album, and using a photo is really quite interesting. You should try it.
The rules are here:
1 - Go to "wikipedia." Hit “random”or click
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.
2 - Go to "Random quotations"or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.
3 - Go to flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days
Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.
4 - Use photoshop or similar to put it all together. Post on your blog, facebook or where ever you want.
12 March 2009
Adversaries
Jim Collins said it best:
“They do see us as a threat and actively try to take action and publicity to try and negate our positive effect on the market.”
Seems like Hollywood is ticked and will spew what ever they think they need to in order to put people in their rightful place. Tom Hanks and the Big Love drama this week is evidence of that. Tom Hanks stated then later retracted that the people who voted for Proposition 8 were anti-American. Now as an executive produce of the aforementioned television show he has chosen to attack the group, he feels was primarily responsible for the passage of that piece of legislation, by mocking their sacred rituals.
What a grown up he is.
10 March 2009
Raymond Blanc's Restaurant Wars
Can I say how much I am loving this show. It is on BBC America, Tuesday evenings at 6p.m. here. It is a much more refined presentation than anything they've done here in the U.S. I very much like Raymond Blanc. He is a good teacher, throughout the entire series. He shows the competitors what he would like to see and it is a test of whether or not they were listening most weeks. The opportunity to actually work with Raymond Blanc, running one of his flagship restaurants, proves to be quite intimidating for most of them. Crushing self esteem seems to be the rule of the day.
But that's not Raymond's fault. There are some people who have no business thinking they can run a restaurant. You see, they are in a partnership. It's not one competitor, but a two person team - husband and wife, best friends, Mom and son, Dad and daughter, and other combinations of teams. However, when someone says "You should open a restaurant!" they are usually saying it to one person who cooks well and has a passion for being in the kitchen.
In this show the team is one BOH and one FOH. An FOH is the person who runs the front of the restaurant. You do not want a person who has difficulty talking to other people! If they cannot multitask it is probably not a good idea either. There is a lot of work involved in running a restaurant and just because you love the person you're working with doesn't mean their passion can rub off on you!
It is sad to watch week after week, someone's dreams be crushed because their partner just couldn't cut it. Sometimes it's not the FOH, it's the BOH - back of the house person. If you bake the best apple pie in nine counties, open a pie shop! Don't think you can cook prime rib at a moments notice because Raymond Blanc told you to do it.
All in all I love the show. Cringe through the cringe worthy sections and feel bad when they are eliminated. It's way better than having to listen to Gordon Ramsey scream his guts out at a person who never belonged in a kitchen in the first place.
05 March 2009
Be Honest from Jane
Spring has obviously sprung. At least in blogworld. All around us are stories of cleaning, or the lack thereof. Some people hate it, some perople are resigned to it, me I just do it, occasionally. At What about Mom? she's put up a post about home and hearth. And, asking you all to be honest in your answers. I decided to copy it. Sortof like a meme (plagiarism at its finest). heh. So give it a go.
1. How big is your house? How many people do you have living in it?
2. How many hours a day do you spend cleaning?
3. Do you work for money in or out of the home? Do you clean more/less if (now that) you have a paying job?
4. Are you successful at getting hubs (or wife, my two, dear male readers) or kids (what age?) to help? HOW?
5. Do you clean frantically before guests (your mother-in-law) come?
6. Does housecleaning/house-messiness/housecleaning-inequity affect your daily contentment?
7. Have you discovered how effective blogging is at procrastinating/blocking out messes?
Jane
I'll be interested in the answers from everyone. Another sort of the eavesdropping on your lives I enjoy so much. My answers:
1. 1100 square feet. 6 currently and a very large cat.
2. Um. less than one most days. Then I spend a day a month really cleaning.
3. I did work out of the home for three months recently. I did absolutely nothing at home when I was working, thus this past weeks drive to get things in order. I can't imagine working full time away from home like I did recently.When the girls were young however, I did work full time away from home, and keep the house in order. I have one daughter who thinks I was superwoman. However, we have a rule in our house: "You're part of a family, help out. Bus your own plates from the table, rinse them and put them in the dishwasher if it's empty, on the counter if not. My sons-in-law are finding this an interesting rule. Also, if you made the mess, clean it up. And yes, occasionally you can do something to help with general cleaning, it's your home too."
Keep in mind that I run three individual businesses right here out of my home too. Doing that, and working full time was too much. The three here and cleaning is a much better fit for me.
4. See house rule in question 3. Yes, we're in this together. If you can't keep your room clean, keep the door closed. Mine is closed most of the time, beds are never made, unless there's a party or I go on vacation. Speaking of vacations. That's when my house is cleanest. Because you never know if you are going to die away from home, like my great aunt Vera, and then some random stranger is going to go to my house and go "oh wow!" Silly. yes, I know.
5. Growing up, we'd ask my mom who was coming over any time we cleaned. It was not very often. So this week was a mad dash to make up for the lack of deep cleaning over the last three months (and hoping for a remodel laziness) in prep for a party. But usually if my mother, mother in law or anyone else for that matter, usually gets what they get. I am over trying to make someone think I'm something I'm not.
6. Not in the slightest. My husband on the other hand, it bugs him to death most of the time, so we compromise and try to keep things tidy. He does understand a time crunch and always helps out. Except with laundry. It cracks me up when he does laundry. His clothes are the only dirty ones he can locate.
7. Not messes per se, but worthy endeavors. I could be making money right now, if I'd just get off the computer. sigh.
Oh my! It's Thursday?
Wow. I can't believe it's already Thursday. I probably wouldn't have noticed but the sound of the garbage trucks woke me up. Ah, five hours of sleep, it's enough to function on isn't it?
I've been spring cleaning. Yep. Fun. Well, actually to me it is. That "wowzer I can't believe I let stuff get this bad before doing it, and now it's done" feeling. Sense of accomplishment and all that Stephen R Covey stuff. Check it's done! I can feel the endorphins flowing like the time I got a check for $3400 (after taxes) working as a new stock broker feel. Not really.
My kitchen is really small, as is the main bathroom of the house. We keep saying we're going to remodel and then something like the clutch on my car goes out and then the fuel pump on the truck, and the remodel gets that much farther behind schedule. Because you know, driving beats a good tub soak any day.
The problem with saying you're going to remodel though is that you get really lazy about cleaning. You keep saying, "well, we're going to demo this in a month, so I don't have to worry about the base boards being clean...
Not until you schedule a party at your house. Then you turn on the lights and scream just a bit. I don't have before picture, because I'm all about the illusion that it really wasn't that bad, but here's the well, cleaned kitchen (because the build up on this is so strong I knew you were dying to see it):
23 February 2009
Just another sign we should all work for the government.
But wait a minute! If that happened who would pay us? One city in America growing, and with plenty of jobs! In an era of declining real estate values one city hasn't suffered. When Barack Obama opened his speech this evening he mentioned that "if you have not suffered from the economic recession we are currently in, you know someone who has". Well, no one in the room with him does or has.
Amazing but DC has become the stable city in the states. Hmmmm. Government growing bigger at our expense. And they think they can sustain it with zero population growth. Does this concern anyone else?
22 February 2009
Chris, Love, Charity
Saturday as I walked down to get a hot chocolate while waiting for my tire to be repaired, I took this picture with my iPhone. My first thought was I wonder if Chris still loves Charity. The sidewalk has been there a long time. Chris felt deep emotion about Charity back when it the cement was poured, enough, to etch his message in "stone".
Then as I continued to look at the photo over the course a two days, the thought came to me that a simple addition of a letter could change the whole meaning of the message.
Adding a "t" at the end of Chris changes it completely. Christ, Love + Charity. The message is on the sidewalk in a distressed part of town. I have seen many homeless and downtrodden people walk that sidewalk. The simple message to them could be that through love and charity they see Christ. He is in our actions when we sacrifice ourselves for others. The giving and receiving of "gifts" are the things in life that make us better humans. Henry B Eyring has a great talk on the concept here. The talk is worthy of your time and possibly a bottle of cherries some day.
Even in the small bits.
If you wish to read further, I am pasting an excerpt from the talk that illustrates the concept of whole talk:
"Here it is: The Eyring Theory of Gift Giving and Receiving. I call it a theory because it is surely incomplete. And calling it a theory means I expect you will change and improve it. I hope so, because then it will be yours. But at least I can help your theory building along.
My theory comes from thinking about many gifts and many holidays, but one day and one gift can illustrate it. The day was not Christmas nor even close to it. It was a summer day. My mother had died in the early afternoon. My father, my brother, and I had been at the hospital. As we walked out, my brother and I went to the car together, smiled, and looked up at the mountains. We remembered how Mother had always said she loved the mountains so much. He and I laughed and guessed that if the celestial worlds are really flat, like a sea of glass, she would be eager to get away to build her own worlds, and the first thing she'd build would be mountains. With that we smiled and got into the car and drove home. We went to the family home, and Dad met us there. There were just the three of us.
Friends and family came and went. In a lull, we fixed ourselves a snack. Then we visited with more callers. It grew late and dusk fell; I remember we still had not turned on the lights.
Then Dad answered the doorbell again. It was Aunt Catherine and Uncle Bill. When they'd walked just a few feet past the vestibule, Uncle Bill extended his hand, and I could see that he was holding a bottle of cherries. I can still see the deep red, almost purple, cherries and the shining gold cap on the mason jar. He said, "You might enjoy these. You probably haven't had dessert."
We hadn't. The three of us sat around the kitchen table and put some cherries in bowls and ate them as Uncle Bill and Aunt Catherine cleared some dishes. Uncle Bill then asked, "Are there people you haven't had time to call? Just give me some names, and I'll do it." We mentioned a few relatives who would want to know of Mother's death. And then Aunt Catherine and Uncle Bill were gone. They could not have been with us more than twenty minutes.
Now, you can understand my theory best if you focus on one gift: the bottle of cherries. And let me explain this theory from the point of view of one person who received the gift: me. As we'll see, that is crucial. What matters in what the giver does is what the receiver feels. You may not believe that yet, but trust me for the moment. So let's start from inside me and with the gift of the bottle of cherries.
As near as I can tell, the giving and receiving of a great gift always has three parts. Here they are, illustrated by that gift on a summer evening.
First, I knew that Uncle Bill and Aunt Catherine had felt what I was feeling and had been touched. I'm not over the thrill of that yet. They must have felt we'd be too tired to fix much food. They must have felt that a bowl of home-canned cherries would make us, for a moment, feel like a family again. And not only did they feel what I felt, they were touched by it. Just knowing that someone had understood meant far more to me than the cherries themselves. I can't remember the taste of the cherries, but I remember that someone knew my heart and cared.
Second, I felt the gift was free. I knew Uncle Bill and Aunt Catherine had chosen freely to bring a gift. I knew they weren't doing so to compel a response from us. The gift seemed, at least to me, to provide them with joy just by their giving it.
And third, there was sacrifice. Now you might say, "Wait. How could they give for the joy of it and yet make a sacrifice?" Well, I could see the sacrifice because the cherries were home bottled. That meant Aunt Catherine had prepared them for her family. They must have liked cherries. But she took that possible pleasure from them and gave it to us. That's sacrifice. However, I have realized since then this marvelous fact: It must have seemed to Uncle Bill and Aunt Catherine that they would have more pleasure if we had the cherries than if they did. There was sacrifice, but they made it for a greater return: our happiness. Most people feel deprived as they sacrifice to give another person a gift, and then they let that person know it. But only expert givers let the receiver sense that their sacrifice brings them joy.
Well, there it is--a simple theory. When you're on the receiving end, you will discover three things in great gift givers: (1) they felt what you felt and were touched, (2) they gave freely, and (3) they counted sacrifice a bargain." Henry B Eyring, BYU 1980, Gifts of Love
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