Slow Dance

I bumped into this sweet little poem and just had to share it with you . . .

At first glance, it looks a bit long, but it’s really a quick read!

Thank you for your visits and comments this week! I appreciate it so much. 😀

Happy weekend! See ya Monday!

Slow Dance

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.
Don’t dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won’t last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask “How are you?”
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done,
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You’d better slow down.
Don’t dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won’t last.

Ever told your child,
We’ll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
‘Cause you never had time
To call and say “Hi”?
You’d better slow down.
Don’t dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won’t last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift….
Thrown away.

Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

[ Author Unknown ]

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Hugs for all,

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Friday Favorites – Smile!

falltreeleavesIsn’t it amazing to know that when we smile, we actually trigger chemicals in the brain that make us happy?

Of course our smiles can make others happy too!

For this week’s Friday Favorites, I have a poem about smiles. You knew I was going there, right? 😉

It really is a lovely poem though, and I hope you enjoy it.

The Value of a Smile

A smile costs nothing, but gives much.

It enriches those who receive,
without making poorer those who give.
It takes but a moment,
but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.

Nobody is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it, and nobody is so poor but that he can be made rich by it.

A smile creates happiness in the home,
fosters good will in business,
and is the countersign of friendship.
It brings rest to the weary,
cheer to the discouraged,
sunshine to the sad,
and is nature’s best antidote for trouble.

Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen,
for it’s something that is of no value to anyone
until it’s given away.

Some people are too tired to give you a smile.
Give them one of yours, as nobody needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give.

~Anonymous

Hope your weekend is full of smiles.

Here’s one from me . . . 😀

See ya Monday for a new giveaway and new questions!

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Friday Favorites

This week’s Friday Favorites has a blend of three of my favorite things – art, tea, and poetry!

“The Tea”, painted by artist Mary Cassatt, depicts two young ladies sharing the ritual of afternoon tea. It’s currently part of the collection at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. During an exhibition there, a couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to view the painting and the silver tea service that you see, which actually belonged to Cassatt!

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“The Tea”
Oil on canvas, 25 x 36 inches
by Mary Cassatt (circa 1880)
Museum of Fine Arts Boston

And here’s a sweet little poem that would be a great accompaniment to a tea-themed gift basket!

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~A CUP OF TEA

When your day seems topsy turvey
And as stormy as can be
There’s nothing quite as tranquil
As a nice hot cup of tea

While you savor this ambrosia
Your problems fade away
Its warmth will bring you comfort
And brighten up your day

So take a private moment
There’s a calmness as you’ll see
All because you briefly stopped
To sip a cup of tea.

~Anonymous

Are you also a fan of tea?

For more of my take on tea, please click here

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My turn to answer!

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It occurs to me that you may be wondering how I would answer some of the questions I’ve been asking all of you on the “Giveaway” posts! 🙂

Here’s my reply for . . .

“Describe your favorite teacher.”

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I was very fortunate to have several great teachers (Some were nuns!), but my favorite was an English teacher during my sophomore year in high school when I was 15 years old. She was the classic prim and proper lady schoolteacher. She dressed in matronly, out-of-style outfits – overly long skirts and drab-colored dresses. Her shoes were sensible (grandmotherly!) with shoelaces and thick, low heels. This was during the era of the mini skirt and go-go boots, so she seemed desperately out of place. She was probably only in her mid-30’s at the time. Even as a kid, I felt sympathy for the constant teasing that she took (behind her back of course) regarding her nerdy appearance.

However, Miss Dillon’s eyes actually gleamed whenever she read poetry, or passages from great literature. Her voice was almost breathless, as she encouraged us to see the beauty in a phrase or a paragraph that we were studying. Her enthusiasm was absolutely infectious!!

I do believe it was Miss Dillon who most influenced my taste in literature and my love for poetry. And she unknowingly opened my eyes to a very valuable life lesson. After taking her class, I never again judged anyone on appearance alone.

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Friday Favorites

With the start of snowy weather and the holidays just around the corner, it seems a natural choice to select one of Robert Frost’s most well-loved poems for this week’s *Friday Favorites*. Hope you enjoy it! 🙂

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
by Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.