Ray's Daily

There is more to do

Ray’s Daily

July 31, 2020

http://rys-daily.com

The time is always right to do what is right.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

I have led a full and interesting life. I have come to realize that even now that I have retiredfor more than twenty years there are still things that keep me busy that are worthwhile. Know longer travel as I have in the past. I know longer participate in activities that help make the world a better place for others, But I still get to do things that are meaningful. The best part is having the time to care for my wife, and stayinteract with my family.

I do miss having they opportunity to socialize with neighbors and friends. Because of the current pandemic but that will be over someday and I will again be able to participate in otheractivites. Here is a poem that reminds me of what my life has become.

 

A special place

There is a special place in life, that needs my humble skill,

a certain job I’m meant to do, which no one else can fulfil.

The time will be demanding and the pay is not too good

and yet I wouldn’t change it for a moment – even if I could.

There is a special place in life, a goal I must attain,

a dream that I must follow, because I won’t be back again.

There is a mark that I must leave, however small it seems to be,

a legacy of love for those who follow after me.

There is a special place in life, that only I may share,

a little path that bears my name, awaiting me somewhere.

There is a hand that I must hold, a word that I must say,

a smile that I must give for there are tears to blow away.

There is a special place in life that I was meant to fill,

a sunny spot where flowers grow upon a windy hill.

There’s always a tomorrow and the best is yet to be,

and somewhere in this world, I know there is a place for me.

Author Unknown

~~~

Doing the right thing for someone else was like a tonic for me; it was like some magic ointment that made a wound disappear.

Susie Bright

~~~

That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

That love, not time, heals all wounds.

That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

~~~

I’m writing a book. I’ve got the page numbers done already.

~~~

Things To Be Thankful For – Mother’s Perspective

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful to have been born the USA, the most powerful free democracy in the world.

AFTER CHILDREN : I am thankful for Velcro tennis shoes. As well as saving valuable time, now I can hear the sound of my son taking off his shoes — which gives me three extra seconds to activate the safety locks on the back seat windows right before he hurls them out of the car and onto the freeway.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for the recycling program which will preserve our natural resources and prevent the overloading of landfills.

AFTER CHILDREN : I am thankful for swim diapers because every time my son wanders into water in plain disposables, he ends up wearing a blimp the size of, say, New Jersey, on his bottom.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for fresh, organic vegetables.

AFTER CHILDREN : I am thankful for microwaveable macaroni and cheese — without which my children would be surviving on about three bites of cereal and their own spit.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for the opportunity to obtain a college education and have a higher quality of life than my ancestors.

AFTER CHILDREN : I am thankful to finish a complete thought without being interrupted.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for holistic medicine and natural herbs.

AFTER CHILDREN : I am thankful for pediatric cough syrup guaranteed to “cause drowsiness” in young children.

BEFORE CHILDREN:  I was thankful for all of the teachers who had taught, encouraged and nurtured me throughout my formative years.

AFTER CHILDREN:  I am thankful for all of the people at Weight Watchers who let me strip down to pantyhose and a strategically placed scarf before getting on the scale each week.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for the opportunity to vacation in exotic foreign countries so I could experience a different way of life in a new culture.

AFTER CHILDREN : I am thankful to have time to make it all the way down the driveway to get the mail.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for the Moosewood Vegetarian cookbook.

AFTER CHILDREN : I am thankful for the Butterball turkey hotline.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for a warm, cozy home to share with my loved ones.

AFTER CHILDREN : I am thankful for the lock on the bathroom door.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for material objects like custom furniture, a nice car, and trendy clothes.

AFTER CHILDREN : I am thankful when the baby spits up and misses my good shoes.

~~~

In a Silver City, Nevada, cemetery:

Here lays Butch,

We planted him raw.

He was quick on the trigger,

But slow on the draw.

~~~

One Sunday a young child was “acting up” during the morning worship hour. The parents did their best to maintain some sense of order in the pew but were losing the battle. Finally, the father picked the little fellow up and walked sternly up the aisle on his way out. Just before reaching the safety of the foyer, the little one called loudly to the congregation, “Pray for me! Pray for me!”

~~~

If you have much, give of your wealth; if you have little, give of your heart.

~~~

An off-duty police officer, familiar with radar guns, drove through a school zone within the legal speed limit when the flash of a camera went off, taking a picture of his license plate.

The officer, thinking the radar was in error, drove by again; even more slowly.  Another flash.  He did it again for a third time, at an even slower speed.  Same result.

“This guy must have screwed up the settings,” the off-duty officer thought.   He planned to mention the problem to his supervisor when he got to work, but forgot.

A few weeks later, when he received the violations in the mail, he discovered three traffic tickets: each for not wearing a seat belt!

~~~

Happiness and personal fulfillment are the natural consequences of doing the right thing.    

Epictetus

~~~

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.

Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than twenty years to people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at raykiwsp@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at http://rays-daily,com/ currently there are more than 2000 readers from around the world.

 

 

 

They found happiness

Ray’s Daily

July 30, 2019

http://rays-daily.com

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success.

If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.

Albert Schweitzer

Ray’s Daily first published on July 30, 2004

 I heard from another friend yesterday who is taking advantage of a mid-life career change to find those things that he finds meaningful and rewarding, as well as something that will allow him to pursue personal and family interests. Over the past ten years or so I have had the good fortune of spending many hours with people who have decided, often due to job elimination, that they were ready to find the path that would make the rest of their lives all that they want it to be. Many times they are like so many of the rest of us and see job loss as a negative rather than an opportunity that many never get to choose their futures. Too many of us resign ourselves to the belief that we are stuck where we are and must spend the rest of our lives there, at least these people have a great opportunity to break away.

We often sit for hours discussing their wants and needs while developing a model of what they might find that will provide them the greatest amount of satisfaction. We work to develop their market research plan and then use the results to launch an effective self marketing program. I don’t think there is anything better than to have someone understand what they want, develop a plan to get what they want, and then to thrive when they get it. If I make an even miniscule contribution to their success my time is well spent.

~~~

Sometimes you wonder how you got on this mountain.

But sometimes you wonder, “How will I get off?”

Joan Manley

~~~

He said: Parents are justifiably upset when their children don’t get into the college of their choice.  As an admissions counselor for a state university, I took a call from an irate mother demanding to know why her daughter had been turned down.  Avoiding any mention of the transcript full of D’s, I explained that her daughter just wasn’t as “competitive” as the admitted class.  “Why doesn’t she try anther school for a year and then transfer?” I suggested.

“Another school!” exclaimed Mom.  “Have you seen her grades?”

~~~

Life is an adventure in forgiveness.

Norman Cousins

~~~

One day I called my mother from my apartment to make some plans with her.  In the background behind her, I could hear a terrible noise, like a jet plane taking off.

“Mother,” I asked apprehensively, “what’s that awful noise?”

“It’s the dishwasher,” she replied.  “Your father fixed it.”

~~~

The secret to immortality is %^^^~### NO CARRIER

~~~

When I stopped to visit a friend, I found her on the phone with a real estate agent. “That’s a little high!” she exclaimed. “What can I get for less than $500 a month?” The reply was evidently not to my friend’s liking. “I see,” she said abruptly, and hung up.

“What did the agent say you could get?” I asked.

“A car.”

~~~

Never date a woman whose father calls her “Princess”. Chances are she believes it.

~~~

The psychiatrists were attending their first seminar on emotional extremes.

“Just to establish some parameters,” said the leader, “Mr. Nichols, what is the opposite of joy?”

“Sadness,” said the student.

“And the opposite of depression, Ms. Biggs?”

“Elation.”

“And you sir, how about the opposite of woe?”

Bubba replied, “I believe that would be giddyup.”

~~~

She said: A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. And a woman’s gotta do what he can’t.

~~~

Three boys are in the school yard bragging about their fathers. The first boy says, “My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a poem, they give him $50.”

The second boy says, “That’s nothing. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a song, they give him $100.”

The third boy says, “I got you both beat. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a sermon, and it takes eight people to collect all the money!”

~~~

To learn from mistakes you must know you’re making them.

~~~

Wendy tells us that we may not know that many non-living things have a gender; For example..

1) Ziploc Bags — They are Male, because they hold everything in, but you can see right through them.

2) Copiers — They are Female, because once turned off, it takes a while to warm them up again. It’s an effective reproductive device if the right buttons are pushed, but can wreak havoc if the wrong buttons are pushed.

3) Tire — Male, because it goes bald and it’s often over-inflated.

4) Hot Air Balloon — Male, because, to get it to go anywhere, you have to light a fire under it, and of course, there’s the hot air part.

5) Sponges — Female, because they’re soft, squeezable and retain water.

6) Web Page — Female, because it’s always getting hit on.

7) Subway — Male, because it uses the same old lines to pick people up.

8) Hourglass — Female, because over time, the weight shifts to the bottom.

9) Hammer — Male, because it hasn’t changed much over the last 5,000 years, but it’s handy to have around.

10) Remote Control — Female…… Ha! You thought it’d be male. But consider this — it gives a man pleasure, he’d be lost without it, and while he doesn’t always know the right buttons to push, he keeps trying.

~~~

If God had intended women to exercise, he’d have put diamonds on the floor.

Joan Rivers

~~~

In the admitting office of our hospital, some patients were filling out forms, others were being interviewed and still others were being escorted to their rooms.

An elderly woman hesitantly entered my cubicle.  She had completed her admitting forms and, upon my request, handed me her insurance cards. I typed the necessary information and then asked her the reason for her coming to the hospital.

“Just to visit a friend,” she said, “but this had taken so long, I’m not sure I have time now.”

~~~

Hospital is a place where they wake you up to give you a sleeping pill.

~~~

A man returns from vacation and is feeling very ill. He goes to see his doctor and is immediately rushed to the Hospital to undergo a barrage of tests.

After the tests, he wakes up in a private room at the hospital and the phone by his bed rings.

“This is your doctor. We got the results back from your tests and we discovered that you have a very nasty virus that is extremely contagious!”

“Oh my gosh,” cried the man, “What are you going to do, doctor?”

“Well, we’re going to put you on a diet of pizza, pancakes, and pita bread.”

“Will that cure me?” asked the man.

The doctor replied, “Well no, but…it’s the only food we can get under the door.”

~~~

We have a choice: to plow new ground or let the weeds grow.

Jonathan Westover

~~~

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.

Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than twenty years to people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at raykiwsp@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at http://rays-daily,com/ currently there are more than 2000 readers from around the world.

 

 

 

Be Kind

Ray’s Daily

July 29, 2020

http://rays-daily.com

‘You will regret many things in life, but you will never regret being too kind or too fair’

Brian Tracy

I can understand why so many folks are scared and unhappy. So many are unemployed and do bot know where they can find a new job. Some even face evition for they don’t have enough for rent and even food.

We need to try to understand what they are going through and be empathetic. It is time for us to commit to kindness to those who are caring almost unbearable burdens. Think of what it would be if we were in such desperate straits. It is time for understanding and kindness,

If You Were Arrested for Kindness

If you were arrested for kindness, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

What do you bring to your interactions with workmates, friends, and family? Is it encouragement, optimism or kind words? Or is it pessimism, criticism or cynicism?

People often forget what we say and usually what we do, but as Maya Angelou said . . . ‘They always remember how we made them feel.’

Here are some other wise words about kindness:

‘Wise sayings often fall on barren ground, but a kind word is never thrown away’

Sir Arthur Helps

‘Don’t wait for people to be kind. Show them how’

Anonymous

‘The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention’

Oscar Wilde

‘That best portion of a good man’s life: his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love’

William Wordsworth

‘Kindness is loving people more than they deserve’

Joseph Joubert

‘We are made kind by being kind’

Eric Hoffer

‘Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment’

Benjamin Franklin

‘You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late’

Ralph Waldo Emerson

‘Kindness is more important than wisdom, and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom’

Theodore Isaac Rubin, M.D.

‘Today I bent the truth to be kind, and I have no regret, for I am far surer of what is kind than I am of what is true’

Robert Brault

Written by Michael Josephson

~~~

“You cannot do kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

~~~

I knew as early as our wedding what marriage to my wife would be like. The priest asked my wife, “Do you take this man to be your husband.” And she said, “I do.”

Then the priest asked me, “Do you take this woman to be your wife,” and my wife said, “He does.”

~~~

Someday, we’ll look back on this, laugh nervously and change the subject.

~~~

Sherlock Holmes was sent to heaven to find Adam and Eve.  He came back within a day and said he had found them.

Watson: “How did you find them so quickly?”

Sherlock:  “Elementary, my dear Watson, they were the only ones that didn’t have belly buttons!”

~~~

To admit you were wrong is to declare you are wiser now than before.

~~~

Will Rogers said:

1. Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.
2. The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.
3. Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me, I want people to know “why” I look this way. I’ve traveled a long way and some of the roads weren’t paved.
4. When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to youth, think of Algebra.
5. You know you are getting old when every thing either dries up or leaks.
6. I don’t know how I got over the hill without getting to the top.
7. One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it is such a nice change from being young.
8. One must wait until evening to see how splendid the day has been.
9. Being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable.
10. Long ago when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witchcraft. Today it’s called golf.

And finally, If you don’t learn to laugh at trouble, you won’t have anything to laugh at when you are old.

~~~

“We’re all generous, but with different things, like time, money, talent—criticism.”

Frank A. Clark

~~~

Many of us take better care of our cars then we do our mothers and yet we only expect our cars to last 5 or 6 years but we expect our mothers to last for a lifetime. Maybe we need a maintenance manual for mothers so we would know how to take care of them at least as well as we do our automobiles. Here are some items that might be included in such a manual.

Engine:

A mother’s engine is one of the most dependable kinds you can find. She can reach top speed from a prone position at a single cry from a sleeping child. But regular breaks are needed to keep up that peak performance. Mothers need a hot bath and a nap every 100 miles, a baby-sitter and a night out every 1,000 miles, and a live-in baby-sitter with a one week vacation every 10,000 miles.

Battery:

Mother’s batteries should be recharged regularly. Handmade items, notes, unexpected hugs and kisses, and frequent “I love you’s” will do very well! for a recharge.

Carburetor:

When a mother’s carburetor floods it should be treated immediately with Kleenex and a soft shoulder.

Brakes:

See that she uses her brakes to slow down often and come to a full stop occasionally. (A squeaking sound indicates a need for a rest).

Fuel:

Most mothers can run indefinitely on coffee, leftovers and salads, but an occasional dinner for two at a nice restaurant will really add to her efficiency.

Chassis:

Mothers run best when their bodies are properly maintained. Regular exercise should be encouraged and provided for as necessary.  A change in hairdo or makeup in spring and fall are also helpful. If you notice the chassis begins to sag, immediately start a program of walking, jogging, swimming, or bike riding. These are most effective when done with fathers.

Tune-ups:

Mother need regular tune-ups. Compliments are both the cheapest and most effective way to keep a mother purring contentedly. Oh yes, and let’s not forget to speak to mother lovingly and respectfully, especially when she reminds you to drive carefully and have a good time.

If these instructions are followed consistently, this fantastic creation and gift from God, whom we call “MOTHER”, should last a lifetime and give good service and constant love to those who need her most.

~~~

“I think probably kindness is my number one attribute in a human being. I’ll put it before any of the things like courage, or bravery, or generosity, or anything else… Kindness—that simple word. To be kind—it covers everything, to my mind. If you’re kind that’s it.”

Roahl Dahl

~~~

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.

Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than twenty years to people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at raykiwsp@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at http://rays-daily,com/ currently there are more than 2000 readers from around the world.

 

 

 

It is your choice

Ray’s Daily

July 28, 2020

http://rays-daly.com

When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced.

Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice.

Cherokee Expression

Ray’s Daily first published on July 28, 2008

 A new friend and I discussed the differences in the people we have met over the years while we were having coffee this morning. Like I am sure you we also have run into our share of happy people, sad people, angry people, hateful people you get the idea we all meet lots of different types of people. As we talked we realized that some of us seem to have the ability to get along with almost everyone while others seem to always run into people that are unreasonable and disgruntled. Later I started to think about what we talked about and the more I pondered the more I realized that some of us care for most of the people we meet, have the patience to hear them out and the wisdom to try to understand what causes them grief. I think just taking the time and showing interest lets people know you care and when they realize you do the atmosphere changes.

Have you also noticed that some people seem to have all the luck while others spend their days under a dark cloud? In my experience those people who expect things to turn out OK usually benefit and those who expect things to go bad find that things usually do. I don’t think these people are clairvoyant, l think it is that most of the time we get what we expect. If we look always for the bad I can guarantee we’ll find it and if we are open to the good it will show up at our door. My old friend Toby would say it is mostly all a case of attitude, I am sure that is part of it, but I also think it has a lot to do with our outlook and our ability to enjoy what we are given.

Here is a Yiddish folk tale that carries a message that I think we all need to understand.

An old man sat outside the walls of a great city. When travelers approached, they would ask the old man, “What kind of people live in this city?” The old man would answer, “What kind of people live in the place where you came from?” If the travelers answered, “Only bad people live in the place where we came from,” the old man would reply, “Continue on; you will find only bad people here.”

But if the travelers answered, “Good people live in the place where we came from,” then the old man would say, “Enter, for here too, you will find only good people.”

The hidden beauty of this story is the fact that those who move on believing they live among only bad people will never find their place in life and those who appreciate the good in the people around them will be at home wherever they might be.

Me? I know you and it just does not get much better than that!

~~~

“Be glad of life, because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars.”

Henry Van Dyke

~~~

Economics 102: The Energy Debate

A Texas oil tycoon and an Alaskan oil tycoon were debating which state had the most oil…

The Alaskan tycoon said, “Listen, there is so much oil in Alaska that I could buy enough gold to build a wall of solid gold 100 feet tall and 100 feet wide all the way around the state of Texas”.

The Texas tycoon scratched his chin, adjusted his cowboy hat, and said, “Well boy, I’ll tell ya what….you just go ahead and build that wall, and if I like it…….I’ll buy it”.

~~~

What’s the greatest worldwide use of cowhide?

To hold cows together.

~~~

I overheard a friend telling his pal, “I can’t break my wife of the habit of staying up until 5 in the morning.”

“What is she doing?” the pal asked.

“Waiting for me to get home.”

~~~

The lazier the man is, the more he plans to do tomorrow.

Norwegian proverb

~~~

I was working in a scrap yard during summer vacation at an engineering university. I worked repairing construction equipment. One afternoon, I was taking apart a piling hammer that had some very large bolts holding it together. One of the nuts had corroded on to the bolt, so to free it I started heating the nut with an oxyacetylene torch. As I was doing this, one of the dimmest apprentices I have ever known came along. He asked me what I was doing. I patiently explained that if I heated the nut, it would grow larger and release its grip on the bolt, so I could then remove it.

“So, things get larger when they get hot, do they?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said. “That’s why days are longer in summer and shorter in winter.”

There was a long pause, then his face cleared. “You know, I always wondered about that,” he said.

~~~

“I belong to Bridegrooms Anonymous. Whenever I feel like getting married, they send over a lady in a housecoat and hair curlers to burn my toast for me.”

Dick Martin

~~~

The receptionist for the company where I’m employed found some cash in the office, apparently mislaid by a co-worker.

She sent out an e-mail that said, “If anybody can say where he/she lost $66, please let me know and it will be returned.”

Within minutes, one employee replied, “Betting on Super Bowl 2007.”

~~~

NEW WORDS FOR 2008

Essential vocabulary additions for the workplace:

1. BLAMESTORMING: Sitting around in a group, discussing why a deadline was missed or a project failed, and who was responsible.
2. SEAGULL MANAGER: A manager, who flies in, makes a lot of noise, craps on everything, and then leaves.
3. ASSMOSIS: The process by which some people seem to absorb success and advancement by kissing up to the boss rather than working hard
4. SALMON DAY: The experience of spending an entire day swimming upstream only to get screwed and die in the end.
5. CUBE FARM: An office filled with cubicles.
6. PRAIRIE DOGGING: When someone yells or drops something loudly in a cube farm, and people’s heads pop up over the walls to see what’s going on.
7. MOUSE POTATO: The on-line generation’s answer to the couch potato.
8. SITCOMS: Single Income, Two Children, Oppressive Mortgage. What Yuppies get into when they have children and one of them stops working to stay home with the kids.
9. STRESS PUPPY: A person who seems to thrive on being stressed out and whiny.
10. SWIPEOUT: An ATM or credit card that has been rendered useless because magnetic strip is worn away from extensive use.
11. XEROX SUBSIDY: Euphemism for swiping free photocopies from one’s workplace.
12. IRRITAINMENT: Entertainment and media spectacles that are annoying but you find your self unable to stop watching them.
13. PERCUSSIVE MAINTENANCE: The fine art of whacking the crap out of an electronic device to get it to work again.
14. ADMINISPHERE: The rarefied organizational layers beginning just above the rank and file. Decisions that fall from the adminisphere are often profoundly inappropriate or irrelevant to the problems they were designed to solve.
15. 404: Someone who’s clueless. From the World Wide Web error Message “404 Not Found,” meaning that the requested site could not be located.
16. GENERICA: Features of the American landscape that are exactly the same no matter where one is, such as fast food joints, strip malls, and subdivisions.
17. OHNOSECOND: That minuscule fraction of time in which you realize that you’ve just made a BIG mistake.
18. WOOFS: Well-Off Older Folks.

~~~

No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars or sailed to an uncharted land or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.

Helen Keller

~~~

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.

Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than twenty years to people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at raykiwsp@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at http://rays-daily,com/ currently there are more than 2000 readers from around the world.

 

 

 

Be Calm

Ray’s Daily

July 27, 2020

http://rays-dialy.com

Calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence, so that’s very important for good health.

Dalai Lama

We are still on lockdown in our retirement community. There is a plan to losen up including some of our meals in the community dining room. But alas the public has not kept social distancing, nor did many folks wear masks and followed the guidelines for minimizing the spread of the covid-19 disease. The result has been a significant increase in the public infections and deaths.So I am afraid that my wife and me are destained to spend more time in isolation in our  apartment

At least we have each other nad two daughters who provide us with transportation to medical appointments as well as other help. I feel sorry for those who are alone and do not have family close enough to offer assistance. Here is an abridged article written by an author who resides in France and is staying home to avoid infection.

 13 Tips to Help You Stay Calm in the Midst of Chaos

By: Susanna Newsonen

1. Stick to a morning and evening ritual. – It will help you to start the day on a positive note and help you wind down in the evening for a better night of sleep. It will also give you a sense of control in a time where a lot is out of our control.
2. Exercise daily. – Moving your body keeps your mind sane and health supple.
3. Take good care of yourself. – Eat as nutritiously as you can, drink plenty of fluids and do a lot of self-pampering.
4. Have projects. – They’ll give you focus and distract you from the never-ending flow of negative news.
5. Drop the pressure. – Now is the time to allow yourself to feel and do what you can. If that is very little, that is ok. If that is a lot, that is fine too.
6. Practice gratitude. – This can be difficult to do when the world seems against you. But that’s what makes it even more important. If you choose to focus on what you do have to say thanks for, you will feel a lot better.
7. Focus on what you can do (not what you can’t). – A lot of us are going into lockdown mode and being asked to self-isolate to protect both others and ourselves. Listen to this advice. And then get creative.
8. Reach out to your loved ones – virtually. – Just because we can’t see each other face-to-face right now doesn’t mean we should detach ourselves from each other and not talk to anyone. In fact, it’s the opposite. We need each other more than ever.
9. Limit your time reading the news. – It’s good to stay up to date with what’s happening but perhaps focus on your local, regional or national news so you know what you can or can not do.
10. Limit your time on social media. – Just because you’re locked in at home doesn’t mean you should be glued to your smartphone screen.
11. Practice mindfulness. – Now is the time to practice inner calm and contentment. Meditate in silence. Do a 5-minute self-compassion guided meditation. Anything goes as long as it’s helping you focus and calm the mind and soul.
12. Notice the beauty around you. – Even though there are a lot of ugly things happening in the world right now, it doesn’t mean that there is no more beauty. Try to lean into noticing the beauty around you.
13. Breathe. – If in doubt, just breathe. Take long deep breaths from the bottom of your diaphragm. Use Dr Andrew Weil’s calming breathing technique, inhaling for four counts, holding for seven and exhaling for eight.

~~~

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows; it empties today of its strength.

Corrie ten Boom

~~~

Two girls board a crowded bus and one of them whispers to the other, “Watch me embarrass a man into giving me his seat.”

Pushing her way through the crowd, she turned all of her charms upon a gentleman who looked like he might embarrass easily. “My dear Mr. Wilson,” she gushed, “fancy meeting you here on the bus. Am I glad to see you! Why you’re almost a stranger. My, but I’m tired!”

The sedate gent looked up at the girl. He had never seen her before but he rose and said pleasantly, “Sit down, Mary, my girl. It isn’t often I see you on washday. No wonder you’re tired. Being pregnant isn’t easy. By the way, don’t deliver the wash until Thursday. My wife is going to the District Attorney’s office to see whether or not she can get your husband out of jail.”

~~~

“My mom was a ventriloquist and she always was throwing her voice. For ten years I thought the dog was telling me to kill my father.”

Wendy Leibman

~~~

There is a knock on St. Peter’s door. He looks out and a man is standing there. St. Peter is about to begin his interview when the man disappears.

A short time later there’s another knock. St. Peter gets the door, sees the man, opens his mouth to speak, and the man disappears once again.

“Hey, are you playing games with me?”  St. Peter calls after him.

“No,” the man’s distant voice replies anxiously. “They’re trying to resuscitate me.”

~~~

Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.

Marlene Savant

~~~

Steven Spielberg was filming his latest movie in the heart of the Amazon rain forest. The costs involved in transporting tons of movie making equipment into the heart of the jungle were enormous. He literally had a cast of thousands to feed and clothe. It was his most expensive production yet and he sank his entire personal fortune into the project.

The biggest expense was building a faithful replica of an Ancient city in the middle of the jungle. No expense was spared to make the city authentic.

The climax of the movie was to be the complete destruction of the city in a dramatic fire. As Spielberg planned to actually burn the city to the ground there was only one chance to film it.

He set up four cameras:

“Ok, camera one, I want you up in the helicopter to get an over head shot of the whole scene.”

“Ok boss”

“Camera two, I’d like you at the edge of the clearing for a medium range shot.

“OK boss”

“Camera three, we’ve built a special fireproof hut in the center of the city. You can poke the camera through a hole in the side and get a close up view from the heart of the fire”

“Ok boss”

“Camera four, I need you at the top of that hill over there to get a long range shot”

“Ok boss”

Once the cameras and actors were all in place, Spielberg himself lit the match to start the fire.

It was an amazing sight, the fire raged and roared for over an hour as the entire multi-million dollar set was completely destroyed and reduced to a smoking pile of ash.

Spielberg radioed the helicopter, “Camera one, how did it go?”

“Sorry boss but the smoke was so thick I couldn’t see a thing. Then the smoke got into the engine of the chopper and we were forced to land. I didn’t get anything.”

“Damn!” thought Spielberg, “well I guess I can just use the footage from the other three cameras.”

“Camera two, how did it go?”

“Sorry boss but the down draft from the chopper blades fanned the flames and started the bush all around us on fire. We had to run for safety and the camera was burned to a crisp.”

“Crap!, I guess I’ll have to make two with two cameras”

“Camera three, please tell me you got the shot”

“Sorry boss, the fireproof hut worked fine, but the lens of the camera couldn’t take the heat and it melted. I got nothing”

“I can’t believe this!” cried Spielberg. “Thank god I sent that last camera up on the hill. The smoke didn’t blow that way, there was no brush fire or heat to worry about.”

He walks towards the hill, cups his hands to his mouth and yells…

“CAMERA FOUR!!”

And the cameraman yells back…

“READY WHEN YOU ARE!”

~~~

Stress is when you wake up screaming & you realize you haven’t fallen asleep yet.

~~~

A man walked into a dress shop and told the clerk he wanted to buy an evening gown for his wife as a surprise.

“What size?” asked the clerk.

The man shrugged blankly.

Trying to help, the clerk inquired, “Well then, what are your wife’s measurements?”

The man thought for a moment. “Small, medium, and large, in that order.”

~~~

Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be.

Wayne W. Dyer

~~~

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.

Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than twenty years to people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at raykiwsp@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at http://rays-daily,com/ currently there are more than 2000 readers from around the world.

 

 

 

 

Do You Know Yourself?

Ray’s Daily

July 24, 2020

http://rays-daily.com

If we are too busy, if we are carried away every day by our projects, our uncertainty, our craving, how can we have the time to stop and look deeply into the situation-our own situation, the situation of our beloved one, the situation of our family and of our community, and the situation of our nation and of the other nations?

Thich Nhat Hanh

Here is a Daily from years ago that I think still has value.

I wonder sometimes if any of us really spends the time we should getting to know ourselves. So many of the people I know don’t really understand just how good they are and what they have to offer others. They sometime seem to avoid finding out if they can do something because they are not sure enough about themselves to even try.

Sadly, the more we avoid understanding our own reality the easier it becomes to ignore our truths. Our rationale is to delay because I will do it after I complete this course, or after I finish that project, or after the kids are back in school, or after my vacation, or after Christmas often transforms tomorrow into someday and someday into never. How many of us never fulfill our dreams because we just go with the flow never looking at ourselves and into our hearts because it seems easier just to wait until never?

It wouldn’t be so bad if not knowing ourselves resulted in our avoiding pain but most often it means we will never be all we could be and never soar to the heights that we might of if we just opened up our wings once in awhile.

I currently think I am the luckiest person I know. I have probably climbed all the mountains that I will in my lifetime and have seen more than my share of the world. I have had the good fortune to have family and friends carry me through the bad times while sharing with me the good times. But what makes this time of my life so special is watching my friends who are willing to invest in themselves find so many rainbows. Many are in, or even past, their golden years and yet they have found joy in their new found jobs, relationships, and families. Why? Mostly because they took the time to examine themselves and learned what makes them happy and then implemented a strategy to look for the opportunity to enjoy their lives. Many have found a level of happiness they did not think was possible. For me there is nothing better than sitting with a friend who shares their excitement as they relate the details of a new job, the results of a volunteer effort or what they have seen now that they stop and look. I share their joy and basking in their glow. I honestly believe that the world is waiting for us but we’ll never find what it has to offer if we just sit and wait for it to come to us.

~~~

Hide not your talents, they for use were made. What’s a sundial in the shade?

Benjamin Franklin

~~~

“Moving Day”

He said:

In the last 30 or so years, my wife and I have moved at least 12 or 13 times. Sometimes it was across town and sometimes it was from one country to another. This is my advise for those who are getting the urge to splurge with a new house.

1. Hire the cheapest mover in the Yellow Pages. Every mover will break or scratch the same quota of items, so it is better not to pay them so much to do it.
2. Forget about marking boxes. Marking boxes to move is somewhat akin to assembling you kid’s bicycle, because there will be parts left over you don’t know where they go. There will be rooms in the new house that do not fit the rooms they came from.
3. Forget any communications between you and the mover. One, they will forget where you are moving from and lose their directions to where you are moving to. Two, do not expect the mover to be on time. After waiting all day for him to arrive, just as you sit down for the evening meal a truck the size of a football field will pull up on your lawn expecting to get everything done before dark.
4. Do not watch the movers pack. Watching the movers pack is somewhat akin to looking in the kitchen of your favorite restaurant. It will make you sick with an irrepressible urge to throw up.
5. Two days before the movers promise to arrive, send your children off to camp for a month. Movers get along with children like mailmen get along with dogs. Before the day is over, it is inevitable that either a child will be accidentally boxed, or the mover will trip over a child and sue you for everything you own.
6. As soon as you get into your new house and replace all the broken and missing items, nail everything to the floor. You and your wife cut your wrists, cross arms, and make a blood vow never to move again.
7. The three most important things to remember about moving are . .
8. Plan ahead
9. Don’t do it
10. Consider the cost of the move as three times the cost of your new house.

~~~

“There are souls in this world which have the gift of finding joy everywhere and of leaving it behind them when they go.”

Frederick Faber

~~~

She said:

For our 20th anniversary my husband and I vacationed in Hawaii, where we went snorkeling. After an hour in the water, everyone got back on the boat, except for me and one handsome young man. As I continued my underwater exploring, I noticed that everywhere I swam, he swam. I snorkeled for another 40 minutes. So did he.

I felt very flattered and, as I took off my fins, asked him coyly why he had stayed in the water for so long.

“I’m the lifeguard,” he replied matter-of-factly. “I couldn’t get out until you did.”

~~~

“One of the most difficult things is not to change society – but to change yourself.”

Nelson Mandela

~~~

“Well, Ted, you’re certainly coming up in the world. What’s the idea of playing golf with not one, but two caddies?”

“Oh, it was my wife’s idea.”

“Your wife?”

“Yeah,” answers Ted. “She thought I should spend more time with the kids.”

~~~

Argue if you must, just remember I’m right!

~~~

A little boy was walking down a dirt road one Sunday afternoon when he met a little girl going in the same direction.

“Hello,” said the little boy.

“Hi,” replied the little girl. “Where are you going?”

“I’ve been to church this morning and I’m on my way home,”

“Me too. I’m also on my way home from church. Which church do you go to?”

“I go to the Baptist church back down the road. “What about you?”

“I go to the Methodist church back at the top of the hill.”

After they’d walked a short distance together they came to a low spot in the road where rains had partially flooded the road. There was no way they could get across to the other side without getting wet.

“If I get my new Sunday dress wet my Mom’s going to skin me alive,” said the little girl.

“My Mom’ll tan my hide too, if I get my new Sunday suit wet,”

“I tell you what I think I’ll do. I’m gonna pull off all my clothes and hold them over my head and wade across.”

“That’s a good idea. I’m going to do the same thing with my suit.”

So they both undressed and waded across to the other side without getting their clothes wet. They were standing in the sun waiting to dry before putting their clothes back on when the little boy remarked … “You know, I never did realize before just how much difference there really is between Baptists and Methodists.”

~~~

To succeed, we must first believe that we can.

Michael Korda

~~~

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.

Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than twenty years to people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at raykiwsp@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at http://rays-daily,com/ currently there are more than 2000 readers from around the world.

 

 

 

 

How Is Yours?

Ray;s Daily

July 23, 2020

http://rays-daily.com

It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.

Epictetus

I don’t see many people these days. With my wife and me being in the high-risk class we pretty much just stay in our apartment. We do see our daughters who help us with we need to do. What I like about them is they are always upbeat. I can say the same thing about my physical therapists.

The people I have always liked best were those who always had a positive attitude. Right now we need those kind of folks to help us through these troubling times.

What Am I

I am seldom considered, though I do more to influence everything about you than virtually any one thing in your life.  I often control the time you get up in the morning, the time you go to sleep, what you eat and drink and the very thought that runs through your head.  I can make you either happy or sad, loving or hateful, cheerful or remorseful, congenial or spiteful and in doing so, control the very capacity that you have for success. 

No, you don’t often think of me instead you BLAME the problem I create on the shortcoming of others, or the state of the economy, or your family or a million other reasons.  Often at times unable to find anyone else to BLAME you look for shortcomings within yourself on which to lay the BLAME. 

When my impact on your life fully is considered in your every thought and action, when you are mindful of my awesome power, when you nurture and groom me for positive use in your life, I can become more contagious than the most prolific disease ever witnessed by man.  My influence will spread to every person you come in contact with.

Groomed and nurtured in a positive manner there will be no person or obstacle that can stand in the way of my success or fail to be impacted for the better.

‘I Am Your Attitude’

Author Unknown

~~~

“Every day, it’s important to ask and answer these questions: “What’s good in my life?” and “What needs to be done?”

Nathaniel Branden

~~~

The city slicker was spending some time with his country cousins. The first morning the farmer said, “We need some help today. I’d sure appreciate it if you could take the bull to pasture three to breed with the cow there.”

The city slicker agreed. Six hours later, he staggered back to the farm house, his clothing all torn and disheveled. The farmer took a look, then asked, “The bull give you a problem?” “Hell, no. the bull was eager and raring to go.” “Then why did it take you all day?” “Because,” the city slicker replied, “The cow fought me for hours before she’d roll over on her back.”

~~~

My weight is perfect for my height, which varies.

~~~

Finally, the good-natured boss was compelled to call Smith into his office.

“It has not escaped my attention,” he pointed out, “that every time there’s a home game at the stadium, you have to take your aunt to the doctor.”

“You know you’re right, sir,” exclaimed Smith. “I didn’t realize it.

You don’t suppose she’s faking, do you?”

~~~

We tend to live up to our expectations.

Earl Nightingale

~~~

He said: While I was driving my daughter home from kindergarten, Melody Raye started trying to get me to look at the numerous crayon drawings she’d made that day.

After trying to keep the car between the ditches while looking at the drawings, I told her I would look at the rest later because right now I had to watch the road. She immediately put a drawing in front of my face and said, “You look, Daddy, I’ll watch the road for you.”

~~~

He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know.”

Abraham Lincoln

~~~

She said: I had this boyfriend who told me he thought I needed to lose weight. He really hurt my feelings, but he was right. I’m proud to say I lost 173 pounds, when I dumped him. I can’t tell you how much better I feel.

~~~

Whatever is begun in anger, ends in shame.

Benjamin Franklin

~~~

Four regulars were playing their weekly game of golf, and one remarked how nice it would be to wake up on Christmas morning, roll out of bed and without an argument go directly to the golf course, meet his buddies and play a round. His buddies all chimed in and said, “Let’s do it! We’ll make it a priority, figure out a way and meet here early Christmas morning.”

Months later, that special morning arrives, and there they are on the golf course. The first guy says, “Boy this game cost me a fortune! I bought my wife such a diamond ring that she can’t take her eyes off it.” Number 2 guy says, “I spent a ton, too. My wife is at home planning the cruise I gave her. She was up to her eyeballs in brochures.” Number 3 guy says “Well my wife is at home admiring her new car, reading the manual.”

They all turned to the last guy in the group who is staring at them like they have lost their minds. “I can’t believe you all went to such expense for this golf game. I slapped my wife on the butt and said, ‘Well babe, Merry Christmas! It’s a great morning, is it sex or Golf Course and she said… “Take a sweater – it’s a bit cool this morning…”

~~~

My wife and I were happy for twenty years. Then we met.

Rodney Dangerfield

~~~

And remember… Any time you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there’s a 90 per cent probability you’ll get it wrong.

~~~

Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behavior. Keep your behavior positive because your behavior becomes your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.

Mahatma Gandhi

~~~

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.

Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than twenty years to people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at raykiwsp@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at http://rays-daily,com/ currently there are more than 2000 readers from around the world.

 

 

 

We Care

Ray’s Daily

July 22, 2020

http://rays-daily.com

“Are you upset little friend? Have you been lying awake worrying? Well, don’t worry…I’m here. The flood waters will recede, the famine will end, the sun will shine tomorrow, and I will always be here to take care of you.

Charlie Brown to Snoopy”

I am too tired to think this morning so here we go again.

Ray’s Daily first published on July 22, 2009

As we face today’s challenges there will be folks whose lives will never recover for they have not learned that there is more to life than wealth and material things. Fortunately, there will be far more who will find more in their lives than they ever thought possible. These are people who learn that the intangibles add luster and brilliance that they overlooked when they were driven by the pursuit of so-called success, fame and fortune. In my case my new found joys have come from people and not things. New friends have not only given me comfort they have also provided stimulation and new shared experiences. I also have found that looking more closely at friends and family I see things too easily missed in the past, everyone is special in their own way and I have learned to appreciate what they are versus agonizing over what they are not.

OK, why these thoughts today, it is because I just read what Tina, one of our readers sent me. You can see for yourself what triggered my reaction, here is what she sent.

The Wooden Bowl

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson.   The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor.   When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess.   ‘We must do something about father,’ said the son.   ‘I’ve had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor…’ So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner.   There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner.   Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.

When the family glanced in Grandfather’s direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor.   He asked the child sweetly, ‘What are you making?’ Just as sweetly, the boy responded, ‘Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up.’ The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took Grandfather’s hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family.. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

On a positive note, I’ve learned that, no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.

In my experience the brightest light that will ever shine upon you is the light that is reflected off of the heart of someone who knows you care for them. When we give the gift of our understanding and really care for others we will never have to worry about ourselves for we will never live our lives alone.

Ray

~~~

“Life is short, don’t waste time worrying about what people think of you Hold on to the ones that care, in the end they will be the only ones there.”

Author Unknown

~~~

Jimmie, an 80-year-old gentleman, retired to Florida after his wife of 58 years had passed away. He was quite alone in the world and longed for companionship. One day, as he was walking through a public park, he spied what he considered to be a very pretty silver-haired lady sitting alone on a park bench. Getting his nerve up, he approached the lady and asked graciously, “Pardon me, ma’am, but may I sit here with you.”

The silver-haired Marcia looked up to see a distinguished looking white-haired gentleman and replied, “Why certainly,” and scooted over gently to give him room to sit down.

For the next two hours the two sat and talked about everything. They discovered that they came from the same part of the country, liked the same big band music, voted for the same presidential candidates, had had long happy marriages and lost their spouses in the last year, and in general agreed about almost everything.

Finally, the old gentleman cleared his throat and asked sheepishly, “Ma’am, may I ask you two questions?”

With great anticipation Marcia replied, “Why certainly!”

The old gentleman removed a handkerchief from his coat pocket and spread it out on the ground before her. He very gingerly got down on one knee and looked her softly in the eyes. “Marcia, I know we’ve only known each other for a couple of hours, but we have so much in common. I feel I have known you all my life. Will you marry me and be my wife?”

Marcia grabbed at Jimmie’s hands and said, “Why, yes, I will marry you! You have made me so very happy!” She reached over and kissed him gently on the cheek. Then Marcia said, “You said you had two questions to ask me. What is the second question?”

Jimmie scratched his neck and said, “Will you help me get up?”

~~~

You can learn many things from children…like how much patience you have.

~~~

A priest was given the job of hearing the confessions of an order of monks. The priest returned to his parish that night and complained to one of the nuns about how long each of the monks took to enumerate all of their sins.

“Oh Father,” said the nun. “It couldn’t have been that bad.”

The priest replied, “Oh it was worse than you can imagine. It was like being stoned to death with popcorn.”

~~~

“No birth is an accident, no experience is without meaning, and no life is without value.”

Gary Zukav

~~~

The kindergarten class had settled down to its coloring books. Willie came up to the teacher’s desk and said, “Miss Francis, I ain’t got no crayons.”

“Willie,” Miss Francis said, “you mean, “I don’t have any crayons.’ You don’t have any crayons. We don’t have any crayons. They don’t have any crayons. Do you see what I’m getting at?”

“Not really,” Willie said, “What happened to all them crayons?”

~~~

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”

Lewis B. Smedes

~~~

A crew of highway maintenance workers were sent to repair some road signs that vandals had knocked down in a forested area. The first one they put back up was a symbol warning of a deer crossing the road.

As they moved down the road to repair the next sign, one member of the crew looked back and spotted a deer running across the highway. She turned to a co-worker and said, “I wonder how long he’s been waiting to cross.”

~~~

To be civilized is to be incapable of giving unnecessary offense, it is to have some quality of consideration for all who cross our path.

Agnes Repplier

~~~

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.

Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than twenty years to people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at raykiwsp@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at http://rays-daily,com/ currently there are more than 2000 readers from around the world.

 

 

 

Be one of the good folks

Ray’s Daily

July 21, 2020

http://rays-daily.com

Doing the right thing is more important than doing the thing right.    

Peter F. Drucker

It seems these days that more than ever we can be part of the solution or part of the problem. I cannot remember a time when all of our citizens were needed to help mitigate something as terrible as the Covid-91 pandemic. I am dismayed that so many are failing to take the precautions that can help reduce the spread of this awful disease.

I think the failure to wear a mask, to maintain distance separation and to wash and sanitize regularly shows a lack of intelligence and a disregard for others. It is not bad enough that they put themselves at risk of illness and even death it is even worse that they threaten so many others.

Please be one of the good people that are smart enough to protect them selves and those around them.

Promise yourself

• To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
• To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.
• To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
• To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
• To think only the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.
• To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
• To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
• To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
• To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
• To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear; and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
• To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud words, but in great deeds.
• To live in the faith that the whole world is on your side so long as you are true to the best that is in you.

C.D. Larson

~~~

You cannot make yourself feel something you do not feel, but you can make yourself do right in spite of your feelings.

Pearl S. Buck

~~~

DEEP OBSERVATIONS ON LIFE

1) When I die, I want to die like my grandfather–who died peacefully in his sleep.  Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.”

Author Unknown

2) Advice for the day: If you have a lot of tension and you get a headache, do what it says on the aspirin bottle: “Take two aspirin” and “Keep away from children.”

Author Unknown

3) “Oh, you hate your job?  Why didn’t you say so?  There’s a support group for that.  It’s called EVERYBODY, and they meet at the bar.”

Drew Carey

4) “The problem with the designated driver program, it’s not a desirable job, but if you ever get sucked into doing it, have fun with it.  At the end of the night, drop them off at the wrong house.”

Jeff Foxworthy

5) “If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant’s life, she will choose to save the infant’s life! without even considering if there is a man on base.”

Dave Barry

6) “Relationships are hard.  It’s like a full time job, and we should treat it like one.  If your boyfriend or girlfriend wants to leave you, they should give you two weeks’ notice. There should be severance pay, the day before they leave you, they should have to find you a temp.”

Bob Ettinger

7) “My Mom said she learned how to swim when someone took her out in the lake and threw her off the boat.  I said, ‘Mom, they weren’t trying to teach you how to swim.'”

Paula Poundstone

8) “A study in the Washington Post says that women have better verbal skills than men.  I just want to say to the authors of that study: “Duh.”

Conan O’Brien

9) “Why does Sea World have a seafood restaurant??  I’m halfway through my fish burger and I realize, Oh my God…. I could be eating a slow learner.”

Lynda Montgomery

10) “I think that’s how Chicago got started; Bunch of people in New York said, ‘Gee, I’m enjoying the crime and the poverty, but it just isn’t cold enough. Let’s go west.'”

Richard Jeni

11) “If life were fair, Elvis would be alive and all the impersonators would be dead.”

Johnny Carson

12) “Sometimes I think war is God’s way of teaching us geography.”

Paul Rodriguez

13) “My parents didn’t want to move to Florida, but they turned sixty and that’s the law.”

Jerry Seinfeld

14) “Remember in elementary school, you were told that in case of fire you have to line up quietly in a single file line from smallest to tallest.  What is the logic in that?  What, do tall people burn slower?”

Warren Hutcherson

15) “Bigamy is having one wife/husband too many. Monogamy is the same.”

Oscar Wilde

16) “Suppose you were an idiot and suppose you were a member of Congress… But I repeat myself.”

Mark Twain

17) “Our bombs are smarter than the average high school student.  At least they can find Afghanistan.”

Whitney Brown

18) “Women need a reason to have sex.  Men just need a place.”

Billy Crystal

19) “You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, ‘My God, you’re right! I never would’ve thought of that!'”

Dave Barry

20) Do you know why they call it “PMS”?  Because “Mad Cow Disease” was taken.

Unknown, presumed deceased

~~~

Your friends may lie to you, your mirror deceive you, but a flight of stairs will be brutally frank.

~~~

A man walked into a supermarket, asking to buy half a head of lettuce. The stock boy told him that they only sold whole heads of lettuce, but the man was insistent: he did not need a whole head, only a half head. The boy said he would go ask his manager about the matter.

The boy walked into the back room and said, “There’s some jerk out there who wants to buy only a half a head of lettuce.” As he finished speaking, he turned around to find the man standing right behind him, so he added, “–and this gentleman wants to buy the other half.”

The manager okayed the deal and the man went on his way. Afterward, the manager said, “You almost got yourself in a lot of trouble earlier, but I must say I was impressed with the way you got yourself out of it. You think on your feet and we like that around here. Where are you from, son?”

“Texas, sir.”

“Oh really? Why did you leave Texas?” Asked the manager.

The boy said, “Nothing but loose women and ball players down there.”

“Hey!” Said the manager, “My wife is from Texas!!”

“No kidding!” Says the boy. “What team did she play for?”

~~~

My basic principle is that you don’t make decisions because they are easy; you don’t make them because they are cheap; you don’t make them because they’re popular; you make them because they’re right.    

Theodore Hesburgh

~~~

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.

Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than twenty years to people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at raykiwsp@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at http://rays-daily,com/ currently there are more than 2000 readers from around the world.

 

What are you gping to do?

Ray’s Daily

July 20, 2020

http://rays-dail.com

“The true secret of happiness lies in the taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.”

William Morris

Here we go again, another week. I don’t know what you have planned but Nancy and I will mostly continue our staying in and avoiding the risk of Covid infection. It is something we have been doing for months, we have learned how to make the time fairly enjoyable.

To tell the truth we spend a lot of time in our recliners watching TV. We have access to a wide varity of offerings including a number of streaming services. We tend to record and watch nostalgia pieces as well as the news. Our retirement community staff also provides us with various diversions and we are always grateful for the chance to do something different.

Here is an abridged article with ideas on how we can get more enjoyment out of our days during these troubled times.

18 Easy Things You Can Do Right Now to Make Yourself Happier

Written by Zina Harrington

Below are eighteen simple self-care actions you can do right now to bring joy to your life:

1 | Set an alarm to remind you to watch the sunrise tomorrow. – You have the opportunity to calmly start your mornings this way every single day.

2 | Write down three things you are thankful for today. – Using a gratitude journal is one of the simplest things you can do to start your day off on a happy note

3 | Take a photo. – One of the most pleasant, yet unexpected, side effects of learning more about photography is that you start to notice the beauty in every day — in small moments with your family, in how the light catces, in the little everyday details of life.

4 | Go for a walk, run, or hike. – It is a great art to saunter. Henry David Thoreau *love this quote.

5 | Practice saying no. – We’ve all taken on too much. Steer clear of time-sucking activities that don’t add meaning to your life. Say yes to less.

6 | Watch a TED Talk. – Check out the life-focused TED Talk playlists and find something that catches your attention.

7 | Make plans to travel alone. – Plan a short weekend getaway, just for YOU. Eat where you want. Stay where you want. Do what you want. And it’s all on YOUR timetable.

8 | Enjoy a catnap. – in the middle of the afternoon. Guilt-free.

9 | Make a date with yourself at the bookstore or library. – Slowly wander around. Enjoy the quiet while you browse titles, slow down, and feel inspired by all that’s around you.

10 | Appreciate the beauty in our world. – Give yourself flowers. Order them online or pick yourself up a bouquet at the local farmer’s market.

11 | Try a 5-minute meditation. – Scientific studies continue to show the positive effects meditation can have in your life. You have 1,440 minutes today; find 5 for yourself.

12 | Get creative in the kitchen.- Experiment and try a new recipe. Have fun making it—and then EATING it.

13 | Give someone you love a 6-second hug.- Wrap your arms around them and hold them tight for a full six seconds. You’ll BOTH feel the benefits.

14 | Watch a movie. – …by yourself. Head to the bedroom (or any private place) with your laptop in hand, or go to the local movie theater with popcorn money in your pocket.

15 | Enjoy some fresh air and the warmth of the sun.- Head outside for a nature break, or stand in the light of an open window to feel the sunshine warming your face or a breeze blowing in. It only takes a few minutes to do wonders to reset your mood.

16 | Join a book club for “recovering readers.” – Love to read, but haven’t picked up a fiction book in years? Then this low-stress, online book club is for you. If you feel like you need an excuse to sit down with a book, this is perfect.

17 | Smile at strangers. – Take a quick walk around your block holding hands with your partner and say “hello” to smiling strangers.

18 | Watch the evening sky. – Steal a minute to enjoy the sky as it transitions from day to night.

BONUS TIP: Forgive yourself.

Did today not go the best? Let it go… Tomorrow’s a new day.

~~~

“There is no happiness like that of being loved by your fellow creatures, and feeling that your presence is an addition to their comfort.”

Charlotte Bronte

~~~

It was mealtime during our trip on a small airline in the Northwest.

“Would you like dinner?” the flight attendant asked the man seated in front of me.

“What are my choices?” he asked.

“Yes or no,” she replied.

~~~

Misers aren’t much fun to live with, but they make great ancestors.

~~~

Grandma Goldberg, a woman of 85, was slowly ambling down the street when she met her physician Dr. Cohen. Dr. Cohen, a dapper graying man in his early 60’s asked the elderly lady, “Mrs. Goldberg how are you feeling?”

For a long moment the woman gave the good doctor a terrible stare and then she said — “You ask me how I’m feeling! I’ll tell you how I’m feeling!! My legs hurt, my chest is sore, my heart is beating too fast and I can’t sleep!!! I have horrible headaches and stomach pains too!”

The good doctor looked at the elderly lady with compassion, “If you’re feeling so awful, why didn’t you come and see me right away?”

Grandma Goldberg let out a sigh and said, “I was just waiting until I felt a little better.”

~~~

“A man sent a postcard from Las Vegas to a friend: Having a wonderful time. Wish I could afford it.”

Myron Cohen

~~~

Two tourists were driving through Wisconsin …As they were approaching Oconomowoc, they started arguing about the pronunciation of the town’s name. They argued back and forth until they stopped for lunch.  As they stood at the counter, one tourist asked the blonde employee.  “Before we order, could you please settle an argument for us?  Would you please pronounce where we are… very slowly?

The blonde girl leaned over the counter and said, “Burrrr, Gerrrr, Kiiiing.”

~~~

To keep the heart unwrinkled, to be hopeful, kindly, cheerful, reverent that is to triumph over old age.

Amos Bronson Alcott

~~~

The Association of Southern Schools has decided to seek a grant designating Southern slang, or Y’allbonics, as a language to be taught in all Southern schools. The following are excerpts from the Y’allbonics/English dictionary.

1) HEIDI – (noun) – Greeting.

2) HIRE YEW – Complete sentence. Remainder of greeting. Usage: “Heidi, Hire yew?”

3) BARD – (verb) – Past tense of the infinitive “to borrow”. Usage: “My brother bard my pickup truck.”

4) JAWJUH – (noun) – The state north of Florida. Capitol is Lanner. Usage: “My brother from Jawjuh bard my pickup truck and took it to Lanner.”

5) BAMMER – (noun) – The state west of Jawjuh. Capitol is Berminhayam. Usage: “A tornader jes went through Bammer an’ left $20,000 in improvements.”

6) MUNTS – (noun) – A calendar division. Usage: “My brother from Jawjuh bard my pickup truck, and I ain’t herd from him in munts.”

7) THANK – (verb) – Cognitive process. Usage: “Ah thank ah’ll have a bare.”

8) BARE – (noun) – An alcoholic beverage made of barley, hops, and yeast. Usage: “Ah thank ah’ll have a nutter bare.”

9) IGNERT – (adjective) – Not smart. See “Arkansas native.” Usage:” Them Bammer boys sure are ignert!”

10) RANCH – (noun) – A tool used for tight’nin’ bolts. Usage: “I thank I left my ranch in the back of that pickup truck my brother from Jawjuh bard a few munts ago.”

~~~

Hospitality is making your guests feel at home, even if you wish they were.

~~~

Nadine and Jill were talking about a friend who had just given birth to triplets.

“You know, that only happens one in twelve-thousand times?” said Nadine.

“Amazing!” said Jill. “How did she ever find time to do any housework?”

~~~

Law of Institutional Food: Everything is cold except what should be.

~~~

An expert on whales was telling friends about some of the unusual findings he had made.

“For instance,” he said, “some whales can communicate at a distance of 300 miles.”

“What on earth would one whale say to another 300 miles away?” asked a sarcastic member of the group.

“I’m not absolutely sure,” answered the expert, “but I bet it sounds something like. “Heeeeeeey! Can you hear me nowwww!?!'”

~~~

“Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it’s at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored.”

Earl Nightingale

~~~

Ray Mitchell

Indianapolis, Indiana

Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.

Ray’s Daily has been sent for more than twenty years to people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at raykiwsp@gmail.com. Back issues are posted at http://rays-daily,com/ currently there are more than 2000 readers from around the world.