slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

An e-mail from a dear friend arrived this morning that I felt worth sharing, just as it came to me:
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Lisa Beamer on Good Morning America -If you remember, she's the wife of Todd Beamer who said 'Let's Roll!' and helped take down the plane over Pennsylvania that was heading for Washington, DC back on 9/11.

She said: It's the little things that I miss most about Todd, such as hearing the garage door open as he came home, and our children running to meet him.

Lisa recalled this story: "I had a very special teacher in high school many years ago whose husband died suddenly of a heart attack. About a week after his death, she shared some of her insight with a classroom of students".

As the late afternoon sunlight came streaming in through the classroom windows and the class was nearly over, she moved a few things aside on the edge of her desk and sat down there. With a gentle look of reflection on her face, she paused and said, 'Class is over. I would like to share with all of you, a thought that is unrelated to class, but which I feel is very important.

Each of us is put here on earth to learn, share, love, appreciate and give of ourselves. None of us knows when this fantastic experience will end. It can be taken away at any moment. Perhaps this is God's way of telling us that we must make the most out of every single day'. Her eyes, beginning to water, she went on, 'So I would like you all to make me a promise. From now on, on your way to school, or on your way home, find something beautiful to notice. It doesn't have to be something you see; it could be a scent, perhaps of freshly baked bread wafting out of someone's house, or it could be the sound of the breeze slightly rustling the leaves in the trees, or the way the morning light catches one autumn leaf as it falls gently to the ground. Please look for these things, and cherish them. For, although it may sound trite to some, these things are the "stuff" of life. The little things that we are put here on earth to enjoy. The things we often take for granted'.

The class was completely quiet. We all picked up our books and filed out of the room silently. That afternoon, I noticed more things on my way home from school than I had that whole semester. Every once in a while, I think of that teacher and remember what an impression she made on all of us, and I try to appreciate all of those things that sometimes we all overlook.

Take notice of something special you see on your lunch hour today. Go barefoot. Or walk on the beach at sunset. Stop off on the way home tonight to get a double dip ice cream cone. For as we get older, it is not the things we did that we often regret, but the things we didn't do.

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

GOD Bless you every day of your life. The nicest place to be is in someone's thoughts. The safest place to be is in someone's prayers, and the very best place to be is in the hands of God.

If you like this, please pass it on to a friend.

HAVE A GREAT DAY AND GOD BLESS YOU AND AMERICA!
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I hope all take a break from the vitriol of OPP and give Mrs. Beamer's words the thought they deserve.

Big dog

I will, I promise.

jwg

Beautiful. We need more of this attitude, it's great.

no propaganda please Loc: moon orbiting the third rock from the sun

All I have to do is stand in our yard and watch the Cardinals in the trees, the deer eating the weeds, and the swallowtail butterflies on the flowers to realize that god has created so many beautiful and marvelous things for us and give Him thanks. I take it back--I also need to share those things with SWMBO, my wife, who is the most beautiful of all. Time to thank God for all his gifts.

All Good Gifts- Godspell - YouTube
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBklIr1cOuM

Boo_Boo Loc: Jellystone

I love threads like this. Each morning I wake before the sun even thinks about rising and I go for my run. This morning there was a light fog hugging the ground and the lingering smell of fresh cut alpha in the air. A perfect morning for a run. I have a rescued horse, a Friesian, if you do not know what they look like... I attached a pix, this is not my horse, but he looks like our Henry. Henry finds pure joy in running, not galloping, but full on run. He was found in a small backyard... yes, a backyard. His eyes were distant, the eyes of one who was stripped of soul and spirit. He now runs the farm, his stall is open to 12 acres of grass and a few shade trees. Now back to the vision of beauty. This morning on my return home, I stopped on a knoll, just a perfect view of the farm and stable, I spotted Henry and stopped for a time to watch him play in the fog with a tiny little dog trying to stay hot on his heels. The dog was left in the dust, with Henry being fast as a race horse and then he stopped and waited for his friend to catch up... just to bolt off again. This happened as the sun was breaking the mountains. This was the most beautiful act of play and friendship .... stagged, as it would seem, by the unseen hand of G*d.

no propaganda please Loc: moon orbiting the third rock from the sun

I had my hands on one and watched him move free running. Solid muscle, nd with the spirit of the wind and the heavens in every step.
thought some people would appreciate looking at one in motion

https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=sfp&hsimp=yhs-001&hspart=mozilla&p=friesian+horses#id=1&vid=ec66178deb2bcbb8c0024228b9e34b37&action=click

Boo_Boo Loc: Jellystone

Perfect! Thank you. Henry is not a small beast, but he is wonderfully gentle and he seems to have a genuine friendship with his dog. I should have mentioned, the dog was also rescued. When I met Henry, I think I wrote about it over a year ago... anyway, I fell instantly in love with him... all tangles and his sad eyes. I am blessed with watching him run. I am guessing his age, about 5... so, with the grace from above, he will be around for many years.

Again, thank you for the videos. They are inspirational animals!

no propaganda please Loc: moon orbiting the third rock from the sun

You are welcome. I find it is easier to relate to a discussion if a video is provided. Particularly when it comes to animals the videos or photos make it much more interesting. There are a number of videos of them as carriage horses and in show competitions. Huge beasts, and strong boned but with a special spirit that is apparent in the videos.

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

Thank you for the wonderful link to videos of the magnificent Friesians.

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

I loved reading your post...just the response I was hoping for with this thread.

no propaganda please Loc: moon orbiting the third rock from the sun

the 6 minute video is of one stallion "Frederik the Great" I wonder how much genetic influence he has had on the breed. Great horse!!

PoppaGringo Loc: Muslim City, Mexifornia, B.R.

archie bunker Loc: Texas

Great post Slats, and so true. I do think that I notice things every day that make me appreciate this ride called life. I love to come home from work in the morning and sit on the porch and just watch. We also have a horse, and sometimes just to go sit, and listen to him chew his hay is the most peaceful time in the world for me.
There is a small grey fox that lives in the neighborhood around my work in the middle of the city. After I saw him come by a couple of times, I put a small bite of my lunch out by the truck bay for him, and now it's almost a nightly deal with us. I've started taking my desk chair out in the warehouse so I can sit and watch for him now. I didn't see him last night because of the rain. Maybe tonight. I have a bite of chicken for him if he comes by.

no propaganda please Loc: moon orbiting the third rock from the sun

You could keep a few cans of cat food at work in case you don't have any chicken for him. While they love chicken, preferably alive, they will eat cat food, particularly chicken flavored. They are great rodent control.

Peewee Loc: San Antonio, TX

Good morning and welcome back. Hope you enjoy your special days. Enjoyed your and Slats post and videos. Our neighbor had 600 acres and would allowed me to ride all over it to keep an eye on his cattle for him and sometimes we would also turn our horses onto his place just to enjoy the space. My trusty sidekick was my dog Peewee. Colored like a shepard, body like a beagle but with short ears. We had a special whistle that the horses would come home to, but sometimes they were to far away to hear. Could tell Peewee to "go get the horses" and he would take off. About thirty minutes later here they would all come running with Peewee in the lead and my horse Concho would be trying to run over Peewee who would dart right or left just before he got run over. They both loved their little game and Peewee never got run over. Always wondered what it would be like to sit upon one of those "big" horses and pretend to be a knight in middle ages. I had/have an active imagination.