I used to believe that I had life all figured out. As I saw life, it was a pretty straight forward three step process:
Step #1 - Observe and determine what needs to be done.
Step #2 - Do it.
Step #3 - Reap the benefits.
I guess maybe that philosphy might be accurate, but I think I need to add some detail to some steps. For instance, at the moment I seem to be stuck at step two. But I think that's nothing new. I think I've been stuck at step two for quite some time. Most people can probably identify with me here. For example, as difficult as losing weight may be, it's a piece of cake (note sweet food reference) compared to keeping the weight off. I know of some people who can truthfully say they've lost TONS of weight over several years. Of course as soon as they've lost the weight, they seem to find it again. The best goals in the world won't help a person who for whatever reason refuses to move toward that goal AT THIS MOMENT.
Take me for example. I know what I need to do in order to lose weight, have a super marriage, get rich, etc. I just seem to refuse to do it AT THIS MOMENT.
This causes me to wonder. Why do I not do what I 'want' to do? Do I not want it bad enough? Do I truly NOT want it at all? Am I just plain lazy?
I think maybe I'm just undiciplined. Which begs the question "How does one develop self-discipline?"
Stick around as I try to figure this one out.
Check back soon (and often),
Dave and (The Princess) Julie
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Now What....
One week ago today I graduated from the University of Findlay. If you were a fan of the TV show "The Wonder Years" then you remember the character Kevin's observation on life "Life never goes quite the way you have it planned". Once again, I'm living proof of that. This degree is, and has always been, considered a waypoint on the educational portion of my journey through life. Unfortunately, having reached that waypoint I find that I'm "out of fuel" (that being money) to continue my educational journey for the time being.
So I find myself with a decision to make. What should I do with my life while I wait to assemble the financial resources to continue on to graduate school? Borrowing an idea from the folks in Real Estate, I'm looking for the "highest and best use" of my time and my life. I have a few ideas I'd like to share (and have your comments on)
1. Take better care of this body I've been loaned. - In the course of only taking two semesters off over the the last five years, I've really let my health go. I spent too much time living on fast food, heavy metal 'motivational' music, and MASSIVE amounts of caffeine.
2. Get my financial house in order. - Like my physical health, while I was running 'helter skelter' through classes (and the rest of life) I only payed the absolute minimum of attention to finances, reducing debt, budgeting, planning, saving, etc. In short, I created a mess. Now I need to clean it up.
3. Spend appropriate time on the vineyard and developing landscaping here on the farm. - I can't thank my mom and dad enough for the hours they've spent in the vineyard while I was reading, writing, researching, or just collapsed in exhaustion.
4. Practice what I preach!
Early in my blogging history I said I wanted to focus on living a 'balanced' life. What I have done over the past few years is the absolute OPPOSITE of that. I need to bring my focus back to my Family, my Faith, and my Friends.
And I have to thank The Princess beyond all. A lesser woman would have 'bailed out' to save herself. The Princess has been my biggest supporter, cheerleader and 'cattle prodder' when necessary. I can't thank her enough.
One of my goals in regaining balance is to blog more often. I hope you'll all continue to stick with me through "Mi Vida Loca".
Check back soon (and often),
Dave and (The Perpetually Patient Princess) Julie
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Reboot
Ten Rules for Being Human
by Cherie Carter-Scott
1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it’s yours to keep for the entire period.
2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called, “life.”
3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial, error, and experimentation. The “failed” experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that ultimately “work.”
4. Lessons are repeated until they are learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson.
5. Learning lessons does not end. There’s no part of life that doesn’t contain its lessons. If you’re alive, that means there are still lessons to be learned.
6. “There” is no better a place than “here.” When your “there” has become a “here”, you will simply obtain another “there” that will again look better than “here.”
7. Other people are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.
8. What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.
9. Your answers lie within you. The answers to life’s questions lie within you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.
10. You will forget all this.
by Cherie Carter-Scott
1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it’s yours to keep for the entire period.
2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called, “life.”
3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial, error, and experimentation. The “failed” experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that ultimately “work.”
4. Lessons are repeated until they are learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson.
5. Learning lessons does not end. There’s no part of life that doesn’t contain its lessons. If you’re alive, that means there are still lessons to be learned.
6. “There” is no better a place than “here.” When your “there” has become a “here”, you will simply obtain another “there” that will again look better than “here.”
7. Other people are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.
8. What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.
9. Your answers lie within you. The answers to life’s questions lie within you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.
10. You will forget all this.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Vacation Day 1 (aka So far, so good.)
We made the first leg of the journey with no problems. The blind guy even drove part of the way. We’re presently camped at the same campground I stayed at with my parents when I was a child. 
This place brings back lots and lots of memories. We’re only a few spaces away from the campsite where I recall watching news footage of hurricane Camille (now I’m dating myself). It’s amazing the stuff you remember from your youth. We made a sightseeing trip to the Interlochen Center for the Arts and then had dinner at a Mongolian Grill. After dinner we shopped at the biggest darn Meijer superstore I’ve ever seen. I think I’ve been in auto assembly plants that were smaller than this building. We found everything that was on our list (which is unusual in itself). And have now returned to the camper for the evening.
Tomorrow is to be a day that includes touring a farm I read about in “County Living” magazine that I plan to get ideas from. I’m sure that we’ll also visit our share of vineyards and wineries (as is our custom). The Princess is always fun when she’s ‘pickled’ before lunch.
Well, I better start getting ready for tomorrow.
Check back soon (and often)
Dave and (the soon to be pickled Princess) Julie
This place brings back lots and lots of memories. We’re only a few spaces away from the campsite where I recall watching news footage of hurricane Camille (now I’m dating myself). It’s amazing the stuff you remember from your youth. We made a sightseeing trip to the Interlochen Center for the Arts and then had dinner at a Mongolian Grill. After dinner we shopped at the biggest darn Meijer superstore I’ve ever seen. I think I’ve been in auto assembly plants that were smaller than this building. We found everything that was on our list (which is unusual in itself). And have now returned to the camper for the evening.
Tomorrow is to be a day that includes touring a farm I read about in “County Living” magazine that I plan to get ideas from. I’m sure that we’ll also visit our share of vineyards and wineries (as is our custom). The Princess is always fun when she’s ‘pickled’ before lunch.
Well, I better start getting ready for tomorrow.
Check back soon (and often)
Dave and (the soon to be pickled Princess) Julie
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
The Cure.
As obvious as it may seem, I’ve just realized that the cure for not getting something accomplished is JUST DOING IT! Hence, here I am back at the blog. Summer semester is over for me now so hopefully life will calm down to a ‘dull roar’ for a while (yeah right) so I can keep up with the blogging Joneses.
This season is doing well for the vineyard. Now if we can keep the ‘critters’ out of the fruit, we should have a decent harvest. We got the barn roof fixed last month (only two years overdue) so hopefully we’ve delayed some decay for a while. I still have potential plans for it so I don’t want it falling down around us. A pile of barn would only detract from the beauty of scenes like this.
I’m also happy to report that now a year post-op, the Princess is finally getting ahead of everything and says she is starting to feel like ‘her old self’ again. She still has a few kinks to work out, but I think she’s well on her way to wholeness. She even reports losing weight. That is an accomplishment to be applauded! I seem to be stuck at between 20 and 25 pounds lost.
I’d like to wax philosophic, but I’m to ‘burnt out’ right at the moment so I’ll sign off until a time hopefully in the near future.
Check back soon (and often),
Dave and (the slowly healing and shrinking Princess) Julie
This season is doing well for the vineyard. Now if we can keep the ‘critters’ out of the fruit, we should have a decent harvest. We got the barn roof fixed last month (only two years overdue) so hopefully we’ve delayed some decay for a while. I still have potential plans for it so I don’t want it falling down around us. A pile of barn would only detract from the beauty of scenes like this.
I’m also happy to report that now a year post-op, the Princess is finally getting ahead of everything and says she is starting to feel like ‘her old self’ again. She still has a few kinks to work out, but I think she’s well on her way to wholeness. She even reports losing weight. That is an accomplishment to be applauded! I seem to be stuck at between 20 and 25 pounds lost.
I’d like to wax philosophic, but I’m to ‘burnt out’ right at the moment so I’ll sign off until a time hopefully in the near future.
Check back soon (and often),
Dave and (the slowly healing and shrinking Princess) Julie
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Wisdom
Since I have nothing original to say, I'll post an email that a good friend sent me last night:
Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone...
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first pay check.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, and wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion…
Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28.. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."
Check back soon (and often),
Dave and (the ever busy Princess) Julie
Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone...
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first pay check.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, and wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion…
Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28.. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."
Check back soon (and often),
Dave and (the ever busy Princess) Julie
Monday, May 4, 2009
At least I'm consistent.
Well, here it is May and I'm REALLY behind in blog posts. My only excuse is my schedule. I had classes 3 nights a week this past semester. I'm in no hurry to do that again. I'm pleased to say that the semester is now over and I got an A in my Business Ethics class. As for my German.....well all I can say is "Mein Deutsch ist nicht sehr gut".
With school out of the way (for a few days) I've been able to get some work done outside. This year we re-planted 20 Delaware vines to replace the ones that did not survive the drought, plus 25 Diamond, plus 25 Cayuga vines.
I was in the vineyard tonight looking at how the vines came through this past winter. I'm pleased to say that in spite of the brutal weather we had, it looks like most of the vines made it. I have only seen one mature vine that may not have survived the winter. That's a good thing.
In addition to the new grape vines this spring we also have another new addition to the farm.
His name is Maxwell (or Max for short). He is a "full grown" Corgi that we got from a rescue organization in Eastern Ohio. Even though they tell us he's probably about a year and a half old and full grown he's only about 15 pounds (about a quarter of Eli's size). He's a great little character and we enjoy having him around.
Beginning in June, Morgan (our FULL GROWN Chocolate Lab) has the Princess enrolled in obedience classes. We'll see how that works out. I'm sure SOMEONE will get educated (it just remains to be seen WHO will get the education). I'll try to keep you posted on how that all turns out. Well i need to sign off and get back to less meaningful pursuits.
Check back soon (and often),
Dave and (the ever learning Princess) Julie.
With school out of the way (for a few days) I've been able to get some work done outside. This year we re-planted 20 Delaware vines to replace the ones that did not survive the drought, plus 25 Diamond, plus 25 Cayuga vines.
I was in the vineyard tonight looking at how the vines came through this past winter. I'm pleased to say that in spite of the brutal weather we had, it looks like most of the vines made it. I have only seen one mature vine that may not have survived the winter. That's a good thing.
In addition to the new grape vines this spring we also have another new addition to the farm.
His name is Maxwell (or Max for short). He is a "full grown" Corgi that we got from a rescue organization in Eastern Ohio. Even though they tell us he's probably about a year and a half old and full grown he's only about 15 pounds (about a quarter of Eli's size). He's a great little character and we enjoy having him around.
Beginning in June, Morgan (our FULL GROWN Chocolate Lab) has the Princess enrolled in obedience classes. We'll see how that works out. I'm sure SOMEONE will get educated (it just remains to be seen WHO will get the education). I'll try to keep you posted on how that all turns out. Well i need to sign off and get back to less meaningful pursuits.
Check back soon (and often),
Dave and (the ever learning Princess) Julie.
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