Tweak a Little...

There is nothing better than doing a little tweaking. That is exactly what I did this past weekend. There is not a lot of light in our basement and I am always trying to get more light down there. I had a lamp and knew where I wanted to put it but didn't have a table to sit it on. This is what I came up with...


I had an old school desk, so I decided to use it as a table. When I sat the lap on the desk, it seemed too low. To raise the lap, I sat it on a old wooded box. This raised the lap enough. Then I decorated the desk/table with a picture of my grandpa, a star pillow, some old school books, a chalk slate, and some children blocks spelling out the word school. The extra light has helped and I think it looks pretty good. What do you think?

I hope you are enjoying your evening and are spending it with someone you love. Thank you for visiting Yesterday Once More!

All my Best to You,
~Dan~

We All Do What We Can

So often in the fast paced world that we live in we forget that it is the simple things that can bring the most joy. We all strive for perfection and sometimes feel like we never do enough or that what we do does not meet the standards that we have set for ourselves. I was thinking about this today and wanted to give you a couple examples of people who do what they can and take pride in what we deem as the simplest things in life.

Jeff was telling me a story about a young lady at his school. She is in the Choices program which is a class made up of kids who have severe disabilities. These kids may never function in what we call the "real world". They will never be doctors, lawyers, or teachers. Many of them may end up living in a group home with other individuals like themselves.

This young lady at Jeff's school has a job that she performs everyday. Her job is to clean the cafeteria tables everyday after lunch. Jeff said that she does this with a smile on her face and pride in her step. He said it is very obvious that she is proud of what she is doing. He said that it shows in her work. She does a great job, and she knows it.

I experience similar situations at my school. Many of the kids I teach do not fit in with the norm. Their disabilities limit what they can do or will do. When I have kids like this, I always try to give them little jobs to do everyday. It may be as simple as opening the door to let a teacher in the building, going to a classroom to pick up another student or delivering something to the office. I could do these particular tasks, but I know that it makes some of my kids happy to get to do them. I have on little boy in particular who can always tell when I am going to ask him to do something. When I say, "I want you to take this to the office." He stands a little taller, and puffs out his chest and says, "Yes, sir." When we comes back I thank him and tell him how much I appreciate his help and he beams with pride. Not only does he feel good about himself, but I feel happy to see the sense of accomplishment on his face.

As you go through your daily life, I want you to think about all of the tasks that you take for granted. Think about the jobs that you perform and don't like doing. There is someone performing that job and getting a sense of pride and satisfaction for a job well done.

Thank you all for your words of congratulations and encouragement in my recent addition to A Primitive Place Magazine. I am very excited and honored to be a contributing writer. I hope that I will do a good job and be a valuable addition to their team.

My Best to You Always,
~Dan~

~A Primitive Place Magazine~

Did you all here the good news??? A Primitive Place is becoming a magazine! I was so excited when I heard the news that I quickly ordered my subscription. The first issue come outs in August, 2010. To order your subscription, click here.




I have some more good news to go with the Primitive Place Magazine announcement! When I read about the new magazine, I told Jeff about it. He said, "Contact them and ask them if you can do something." At first, I thought, "No, they can not use me. What do I have to offer?" Then when I woke up the next morning I thought, "The worse thing that can happen is they tell me no." So I sent an e-mail to the Editor, Kristine, expressing interest in helping out in some small way. I was so happy to receive a response. We have been e-mailing back and forth over the last couple of days, Kristine, contacted me today and asked me to write some small articles for the magazine! I really am not sure what they are going to want me to write about, but I am so excited! I couldn't wait to share my news with you all. I have wanted to work for a magazine for a few years, and now I am! I am nervous and excited at the same time. I hope that I will do a good job and they will like what I write. I am so grateful to have this opportunity and I want to do my very best!

I hope your evening has been as exciting as mine and that you are spending some time doing what you love to do!

My Best to You Always,
~Dan~

The Keeping Room

Welcome to our...

When you enter the back door, you are there.




Maybe you would like to spend some time rocking.



Or maybe sitting on the couch, looking at a magazine.




You may sit close to the light to look at the magazine and sit
your coffee down.




Don't forget to look at the pictures of our babies!




Just sit back and enjoy yourself.




Please come back to our Keeping Room sometime
very soon!

I hope you enjoyed your visit to our Keeping Room. It was actually meant to be the eating area of the kitchen, but we enjoyed sitting in the kitchen so much we decided to make it more comfortable. The P's love to sit on top of the couch and rule the world. They also like to do a little sleeping up there too. We spend many hours sitting in our Keeping Room talking, reading, and listening to music. I hope you have a room in your house where you feel comfortable and are able to relax and let the troubles of the day fade away!

My Best to You Always,
~Dan~

Unconditional Love

"I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role models for being alive." ~Gilda Radner~

We often talk or hear about unconditional love.
It is a phrase that is thrown around
everyday.
The thing about unconditional love is
we do not know what it looks like.
We can not put a name or
a face with it.
Continue to read and I will
solve the age old question for you.
Unconditional love looks like this...

Its name is...




Parker McKenzie &

Peyton McEntire




My sincere hope is that you heart is as full
of unconditional love as mine is!

My Best to You Always,
~Dan~

Fiesta

Vintage

Colorful

Collectible

You know what the best thing about Fiesta is...???

It makes me smile! : - )

It is no wonder Fiesta means party!!!

Now it is your turn; tell me what makes you smile.

A smile is contagious, pass it on!

My Best to You Always,
~Dan~

Spring

"Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn." ~Lewis Grizzard~

Remember this...

It has turned into this...

There is nothing more beautiful than new grass. The grass never seems so green as it does when it first comes back to life. Nothing reminds us of life more than the coming back to life of our yards in the spring. Let this be a reminder to all of us that just when you think you can not take anymore spring comes and life is full of the joy of new life.

I hope spring has sprung in your neck of the woods. Breathe in the fresh air, sit back, and enjoy. You deserve a break today.

My Best to You Always,
~Dan~

Top Five Favorites

For today's post, I thought it would be fun to give you my top five favorite actresses, actors, and movies. I thought this would be a good opportunity to give my new readers a chance to get to know me better. I hope you enjoy the lists.

Top Five Favorite Actresses:

Doris Day: Who doesn't love Doris Day? To me she epitomizes the late '50s and early '60s. She was so cute and talented. Doris Day began her career as a dancer, but due to a car accident she could not achieve that dream. She became a singer and later an actress. She has a beautiful singing voice and is an advocate for animals.

Judy Garland: Millions of people have grown up watching Judy Garland in the Wizard of Oz. Most people only know her for this movie and for her tragic death. Judy Garland was a great actress and a wonderful singer. If you have never checked out her other movies, you really should.


Grace Kelly: Grace Kelly only made a handful of movies during her career. The fact that she is so recognizable today speaks for her talent.


Katharine Hepburn: She is one of the most celebrated actresses of our time. She was the only actor to every win four Academy Awards.


Marilyn Monroe: In my opinion, people never took Marilyn Monroe as seriously as they should have. It takes a lot of talent to act dumb, and she did it so well.


Top Five Favorite Actors:

Cary Grant: Cary Grant was the pure definition of suave and debonair. The fact that he could act was an extra bonus.


James Stewart: He was a talented actor and deemed the average man by director Alfred Hitchcock.


Bing Crosby: The "crooner" took a leap into acting and later went on to win an Academy Award for his role in Going My Way.



Gene Kelly: He was one of the best dancers of all time, who went on to direct the movie Hello Dolly.



Rock Hudson: He was a truck driver turned actor who was most famous for his movies with Doris Day.


Pillow Talk: One of the best movies Doris Day and Rock Hudson made together. Doris Day was nominated for an Academy Award for this movie.


All About Eve: Until Titanic, All About Eve held the record for the most Academy Award nominations. Bette Davis and Anne Baxter star in this movie about what goes on behind the scenes of an aging actress.


Guess Who's Coming To Dinner: This was Spencer Tracy's last movie. It was a ground breaking movie about an interracial couple who are going to be married.


How To Marry A Millionaire: This movie is about three young women determined to marry a millionaire. It stars Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, and Betty Grable.


That Touch of Mink: This is another great movie with Doris Day. This time she stars with Cary Grant. I love the scenes at the auto-mat with Audrey Meadows

I hope you all enjoyed my top five favorites. I hope you were not too board.

I always wanted to share with you that I was the winner of Jen's drawing. The name of her blog is Taylor's Farmhouse Attic. She has a beautiful house that will be featured in the May edition of Country Sampler. Jen makes sticheries and she does a wonderful job. You can check out her blog here.

Here are the goodies that I won. Aren't they great?

Maggie from Just Between Me and You asked me to write about myself for one of her "blogazine" entries. She has a great blog, and you will enjoy your visit. To visit her blog and read my article, click here.

Thank you for visiting Yesterday Once More. I appreciate you making it part of your day. I hope that you are all having a relaxing evening and get rejuvenated for the week ahead. Thank you all for your nice comments and e-mails. That means a great deal to me. Never forget to life each day to its fullest.

Take Care!
~Dan~

And The Winner Is...

Today is the day that I announce the winner of my second giveaway. I was overwhelmed and amazed my all the entries. I wish everyone could have won! You are all so special to me and bring me so much joy with all of your wonderful comments. Just as a reminder, the winner will receive all three of these items.


I used www.random.org to help me select the winner. So without further ado, here is the winning entry:

Hi Dan, I have been following your posts since mid February and am grateful to have found your post. Please enter me in your wonderful giveaway. I will add your giveaway to my sidebar. Congrats on 154 and counting!!!
Prim Blessings,
Jean

Congratulations Jean of Prim Craft! Jean has a great blog, and you may visit her here Jean please e-mail your address to me, and I will get your package out as early as tomorrow!

Thank you for visiting Yesterday Once More. I appreciate you making it part of your life. I Thank you for all your wonderful comments and e-mails. I hope everyone is having a relaxing weekend, and you are spending it with the people you love doing something that you enjoy. Never forget what a blessing you are to all the people that you come into contact with!

Take Care!
~Dan~

Until We Walk a Mile...

So often we get mired down in our own problems that we do not see another person's problem. Their problem makes our problem look like a walk in the park. This exact thing happened to me today, and now my problems do not seem like such a big deal.

Jeff told me a story tonight. As some of you know, he is a librarian at a local high school. He said that a student came in today and wanted to return a book that he had had checked out for a long time. The book had been reported lost. He had a fee for the lost book, which he had, and had a late fee. He needed to pay his late fee so that he could receive his report card tomorrow. Jeff said that this boy is a really nice kid. He is always smiling and friendly. Jeff looked up his fines and it said that he owed $36.00. He didn't have to pay the $35.00 because the book was not lost, but he did owe $1.00 for the late fee. As Jeff was talking to the student, the library phone rang, and Jeff's assistant answered it. While she was on the phone, Jeff told the student that all he owed was a dollar. The kid said he did not have a dollar with him. Jeff told him that was okay. He would call the secretary and tell her to go ahead and give him his report card tomorrow, because he was going to pay the fine. The young man said he wouldn't get his report card tomorrow anyway because he hadn't taken any of his finals. Jeff thought this was strange, but said, "Okay." As the kid left he said, "Thank you for your help, and have a good day!"

When Jeff's assistant came out of her office after talking on the phone, she told him that she had been talking to the secretary from the main office. The young man had been in her office a little earlier asking if he owed any money. She knew that he was coming to the library to check on his fines and she wanted to make sure that they told him he didn't need to pay the fines. In fact, the office staff had already decided they would pay anything he owed out of their own pockets!

Here is his story. This kid is 17 years old. His dad is in the final stages of cancer and is dying in the hospital. The kid is working a full time job on third shift. He goes to school, goes to the hospital to see his dad, takes a nap, and works all night, and then starts all over the next day. Jeff said you would never know he had any problems. He is always friendly and has a smile on his face.

This story really made me think. So many times we think our problems are so big. Sometimes we make the littlest things out to be the end of the world. We all know people who have a good life, but they are very unfriendly and never smile. Here is this kid dealing with issues that would discourage an adult and he does it with a smile on his face. We often talk about inspirations; this kid should be an inspiration to us all.

If he can go through life being friendly to people and with a smile on his face, so can we. I would like you all to pray for this young man. Pray that he is given the peace and the courage to deal with this difficult situation. Pray that he never loses his positive attitude, and that everything works out for him. Let us all try to be an inspiration like this young man. If he can do it, so can we.

Speaking of inspirations, have you visited Kim at Dear Daisy Cottage. Her home was featured in the 2009 Home Tour Edition of Country Sampler Magazine. She has a beautiful house, and is a very talented writer and photographer. I really enjoy visiting her blog, and I think you will too. Tell her Dan sent you. To visit Kim's blog, click here.

Thank you for visiting Yesterday Once More. I appreciate you making it part of your day. Don't forget to enter my give away; the deadline is March 20th. Check out my March 11th post for details. I hope you are having a wonderful evening, and that you are spending it doing something that you love. Never forget that there is always someone out there with bigger problems, and continue to be the inspiration that you are to so many people.


Take Care!
~Dan~

Country Sampler Photos

I just received a few photos of my house that appeared in the 2010 Home Tour Edition of Country Sampler. I know some of you have already seen the magazine, but I wanted to share the pictures that I received with you. I really appreciate Country Sampler sending these pictures to me.

Basement Family Room:


Upstairs Kitchen:


Sun Room:


The Family: This picture has actually taken as we were getting the P's set up for the picture. I guess they chose this picture because it looked like we were playing with the P's. I am actually trying to coax Peyton into coming and sitting on my lap. He was very excited and wanted to get some love from Bill Matthews, the photographer, and Gloria Gale, the stylist. I do think the picture turned out cute though.


I still can not believe that my house actual appeared in Country Sampler Magazine. I sometimes just get the magazine out and look at it over and over again. It has truly been a dream come true. I can not thank Donna Marcel, the editor of Country Sampler, and all the other people from the magazine for all they did to make my dream come true.

Thank you for visiting Yesterday Once More. I appreciate you making it part of your day. I hope that you all had a wonderful St. Patrick's Day, and that you found time to relax. Don't forget to sign up for my giveaway. There is still plenty of time. Just check out my March 11th post for details. Never forget how much you mean to so many people. You are a very loved person!

Take Care!
~Dan~

It's Not Easy Being Green

"Green how I want you. Green Wind. Green Branches." ~Federico Garcia Lorca~

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I thought I would share with you some of the green items that I found around my house.

To me, green is a soothing color. Green is the color of grass, which represents new life. It is the color of money, which represents financial security. There are many shades of green. Light green, dark green, medium green, hunter green, etc. It is almost impossible to see the color green and not think of St. Patrick's Day. So, without further ado, here are my green items. I hope you enjoy them.

Shelf in Katie's Room


Old oar that once belonged to my Grandpa. I painted it green


Old tool caddy that I use to store magazines


Lantern that belonged to my Grandma


Green table that my mom got in the late 1960's and cut the legs off to make a coffee table


Quilt


Green garden tool


Old sink with green legs

Quilt made by my Great-Grandma

Old green fan


Green kitchen utensils


Green scale and tea container


Green handled rolling pins and green potato mashers


More green handled rolling pins


Jade-ite and more green kitchen utensils


Green checker board


Old green Bobbsey Twin books


Green yarn darns


Parker in her St. Patrick's Day shirt

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
And the rain fall soft upon your field.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Thank you for visiting Yesterday Once More. I appreciate you making it part of your day. Don't forget to check out my March 11th post for details about entering my giveaway. Thank you all for your wonderful comments and e-mails. They always make me feel very special. I hope you are having a wonderful relaxing evening. Never forget how blessed you are. I hope you have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day! Don't forget to wear green!

Take Care!
~Dan~