Three Quotes

Out in blog land, some bloggers are taking the three quote challenge where they share three of their favorite quotes. Lois at TheEcoGrandma has shared hers and tagged me to do the same. It's not as easy as it sounds. As we all know if you have access to the internet, you also have access to endless numbers of meaningful, humorous, or helpful quotes.  So picking just three was next to impossible. However I "tried not to sweat the small stuff" and pick three that I have gone back to then and again over the years.

1. Everything you've ever wanted is one step out of your comfort zone. - Anonymous -

I am a cautions person by nature. I like to have things planned and predictable. My sisters say that I like to have control over things and I think they're right. That's how my cautious personality feels the most comfortable. And most of the time, planning is a very good thing. I find I waste fewer things including time and money when I have a plan. However, I think I miss out on somethings when I am always trying to be in control. 

One of the views from our spur of the moment hike.

So while I wouldn't exactly call me spontaneous or a risk taker, I am trying to get out of my comfort zone more often these days. For example, one time while driving the long drive back from my mother's house, I suggested we stop at one of the parks along the way for a hike. Usually the only stops are bathroom stops because we "have" to get back and do our laundry and whatnot to get ready for work the next day. Well, we did stop and had a lovely hike that took us to a great view. And we didn't really use up that much time. Now this is a favorite stop of ours. That was a small step out of my comfort zone, but one that had a big payoff.

When I thought about the quote more, I realized that I have more examples to share where I have stepped out of my comfort zone that have really made a difference for me, but it's time to move onto the next quote. I'll share those another time.

2. Despite the gardener's best intentions, Nature will improvise.  ~Michael P. Garafalo,  gardendigest.com

Anyone who has tried to grow anything can relate to this one.  No matter how hard you try to plan (see quote #1), you have to realize that you can't control everything--especially Mother Nature. It might rain too much or it might rain too little. Storms may blow down branches (or whole trees) or hail may pelt your plants into oblivion. The bugs, birds, deer, rabbits, groundhogs, etc. may eat your whole garden one morning for breakfast. I've had all of these things happen to my gardening attempts--many times. When these things happen if "I didn't laugh, I'd cry."

The rabbits eat more than their fair share of what I don't want them to, but they sure are cute to watch.

So how do I deal with it? Sometimes not very well, at first, but then I remember Nature is a much bigger force than man/woman will ever be able to control and and you'll drive yourself crazy if you think you can. Then I try to shift my attention away from my garden to other parts of nature. How do thunderstorms form? Where are the rabbits' nests? What kind of bug is that? How many eggs did that bird lay? And I find that I get such enjoyment out of learning about those things that I forget about when my gardening doesn't work out the way I wanted. Well, I really don't forget about how all of my hard work was "changed" by Mother Nature, but I do try to "make lemonade out of lemons." That has been the whole purpose of my Second Looks. :)

(By the way, does anyone remember the Chiffon Margarine commercial from the 1970's with the quote, "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature!" That is what has been playing in my head since I started writing about the gardening quote.)

3. He who laughs.....lasts. Erma Bombeck

Erma Bombeck had a great sense of humor especially about every day things and she was a great role model for us all. I try to channel my inner Erma and when I'm not in the best of moods, I try to remember that "Laughter is the best medicine" and do something to have a good laugh. It might be watching an old Andy Griffith show or a funny video on YouTube. Or I may just take a trip down memory lane and remember some of the silly things Wally and Theo used to say. Or maybe I'll check an Erma Bombeck book out of the library to read. 

Now for our laugh of the day, take a look at the titles of some of Erma's books.

• Just Wait Until You Have Children of Your Own, Doubleday, 1971. Written with Bil Keane.
• I Lost Everything in the Post-Natal Depression, Doubleday, 1974.
• The Grass is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank, McGraw-Hill, 1976.
• If Life is a Bowl of Cherries, What Am I Doing in the Pits?, McGraw-Hill, 1978.
• Motherhood: The Second Oldest Profession, 1983.
• When You Look Like Your Passport Photo, It's Time to Go Home, 1991.
• A Marriage Made in Heaven ... or Too Tired For an Affair, 1993
• All I Know About Animal Behavior I learned in Loehmann's Dressing Room, ISBN 0060177888 HarperCollins 1995