What is your Daffodil Principal

Have you read the Daffodil Principal? It is a real garden open to the public although it will close in 2009. The links to the story and some pictures of the garden are at the end of this article.

It is now 50 years since the beginning of the daffodil garden on the mountain. It got me to thinking about all the things that could have been done in 50 years.

If you saved a dime a day for 50 years you would have $1800 without interest.

If you had given up a cigarette a day of a 2 pack a day habit - it would have been so long ago that you were a smoker that you might as well have never smoked.

If you had not sold that first house, it would be paid off now and all you would have to worry about is taxes and insurance which would be higher now than the original monthly payment.

If you had walked a mile a day you would have walked over 18000 miles. If you take the average distance from east coast to west coast of the USA as 3000 miles, that means you could have walked across the USA 5 times.

If you were a child in the 50's, you have probably raised children of your own, possibly buried your own parents and are now looking at retirement. You no doubt look back occasionally and fret over all the time you wasted. If you read the daffodil principal you think of some magnificent project you could have done that would be your lasting legacy.

Did the daffodil project start out as a magnificent endeavor or just a 48 bulb garden? Did it grow until it took on a life and death of it's own? How many times have fires destroyed this garden?

When the owners of this land move on, who will take over the garden? Will they charge an admission fee to cover the cost of maintenance and further growth? Will it eventually fade away with only the occasional bloom popping up in the spring?

I have a little saying on my computer desktop - sorry I don't know the author name.
Start where you are, Use what you have, Do what you can.

I think this is the true daffodil principal. Where ever you are today, what ever your circumstances are, what ever the state of your health or finances, you can still make a difference.

Maybe you can plant a tree to help clean the air. Maybe you can walk around the block and smile at those you see, if you see any one. Maybe you can eat a better diet to try and ensure that you will be around to see all those great-grandchildren. Maybe you never had children. There are thousands of children that need a sponsor, not just financially but mentally.

Maybe you can start today on the book about your life. That is a legacy for your children and their children. Who can tell history better than one who has lived it. You don't have to write the whole thing at once - just a paragraph or a page a day. It does not have to start at the beginning, it only has to start. Who knows, maybe one of your children or grand children will take up the story and cause it to continue for generations.

My mother did a grandparent book for each of my children, telling them about her life, pasting in pictures and certificates. I have started one. I had to. One of my grand children asked me once if I had electricity when I was little. Just because I told him, I did not have a TV as a child.

Gene and Dale Bauer, the keepers of the garden, began planting on their mountainside in the 50's with 48 bulbs.
http://activerain.com/blogsview/447959/The-Daffodil-Garden-in

the entire story about the day with directions to garden and request for donations to replace bulbs lost in fires

http://www.holisticpractitionersnetwork.com/Articles/daffodil_principle.htm

until next time - smile
Sharon
Answers For Your Health

Actions and Results

Did you ever take some action that was supposed to bring wonderful results? Might have been a lose weight program or a build muscle program or a Christmas savings account.

Lets take for granted that any action you take is supposed to bring wonderful results into your life.

We have two large Live Oak trees in our front yard. One of them is right next to the drive way and I was really getting tired of the birds decorating my car every day. So we decided to trim off a very large branch - no more over hang on the drive.

It was a most interesting series of events not to mention that we almost crushed our pop-up camper.

Finished and the branch is gone and my car is graffiti free.

Most mornings my routine is to take a cup of coffee outside on the front porch. I fill the bird feeder and then relax and plan my day and watch the birds eat. I have a squirrel that has figured out how to climb down the wire hanger to get the seed so he is fun to watch too.

If you know anything about Live Oak trees, you know that they drop leaves all year round.I have to sweep the sidewalk in front of my porch. I don't do it everyday, just when the leaves start gathering on my porch.

It finally made it through to my brain -- the sidewalk, under a tree branch, is now covered with the bird decorations. That branch will have to be trimmed also. It is touching the roof so it does need to be cut back.

My point is, although the original goal was achieved, the results were less than satisfactory.

If we had thought it through, we would have trimmed the other branch as well. Now we will have to repeat our actions.

So consider, is the diet program going to bring you the results you want or will you have to take additional action in adding an exercise program? You are concerned with heart health so you exercise every day, but have you cut the sugar and excess fat from your diet?

And the Christmas savings program - did you follow through with a deposit every payday? Hey, Christmas is only 4 months away - is it going to be a cash Christmas or a credit card Christmas?

Take action, but take the time to try and see what the results of that action will be.

*****

Jokes from the friendly call center support desk:

Actual call center conversations!

Customer: 'I've been calling 700-1000 for two days and can't get through; can you help?'
Operator: 'Where did you get that number, sir?'
Customer: 'It's on the door of your business.'
Operator: 'Sir, those are the hours that we are open.'

Samsung Electronics
Caller: 'Can you give me the telephone number for Jack?'
Operator: 'I'm sorry, sir, I don't understand who you are talking about.'
Caller: 'On page 1, section 5, of the user guide it clearly states that I need to unplug the fax machine from the AC wall socket and telephone Jack before cleaning. Now, can you give me the number for Jack?'
Operator: 'I think it means the telephone plug on the wall.'

Then there was the caller who asked for a knitwear company in Woven.
Operator: 'Woven? Are you sure?'
Caller: 'Yes. That's what it says on the label -- Woven in Scotland.'

Tech Support: 'I need you to right-click on the Open Desktop.'
Customer: 'OK.'
Tech Support: 'Did you get a pop-up menu?'
Customer: 'No.'
Tech Support: 'OK. Right-Click again. Do you see a pop-up menu?'
Customer: 'No.'
Tech Support: 'OK, sir. Can you tell me what you have done up until this point?'
Customer: 'Sure. You told me to write 'click' and I wrote 'click'.'

until next time - smile----and take a moment today to say Thank You to someone in your life.

Sharon
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