Lifes Journey In Words

A group called the   TripAdvisor.com asked it's users to rate  the best U.S. Parks- see the list below.

1.  Zion National Park, Utah

2. Grand Canyon N. P., Arizona

3. White Sands National Monument, New Mexico

4. Hawaii Volcanoes N.P., Hawaii

5. Redwood N.P., California

6. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Nevada

7. Grand Teton N.P., Wyoming

8. Mt. Rainer N.P., Washington

9. Yosemite N.P., California

10. Acadia N.P., Maine

That's a great list- have you been to any of these?  Why not make your next trip to one of them? Show the future adults to be something before it is gone!

Mary Caliendo

 By Mary Caliendo

With the economy on the down-turn, and so many out of work, turning back the clock a bit to a bygone era, is not only a responsible thing to do it may be one out of necessity.

How long has it been since families sat every night on their front porch, or a family outing was taking a slow car ride into the country to buy sweet corn from the farmer and on the way back you might have stopped at the favorite family ice cream shop for a cone. All the while you bonded as a family, spent quality time together and it only cost a couple of dollars?

Maybe it hasn't been long; perhaps your family has never done the bonding type trip-it may be time to do it now!  Before the weather gets cold, go on pack a cooler, and some picnic baskets and head out to adventure!  This adventure depends on you and your family. Go to the forest preserve, play games, take a hike, spot small wild animals, go fishing, take a canoe, fly a kite, play ball, then come back to your picnic site and have a great lunch. Go to free wild life presrves learn about your area!  Take in tours and museums that are free. Go to farmer's markets and teach your children what it means to help sustainability of the land and farmer.

There is so much you and your family can do-pick a "thing" each day, or a weekend full with free things. Try to make your lunch baskets from things only found already in your home, without buying anything. Try to make your lunch basket free from any thing that needs to be thrown away. (garbage free).

I think that spending great quality time together in the great outdoors will not only bond you, you will all want to do it again as soon as possible because you all will have had a great time and it is so easy on the wallet!

 By Mary Caliendo

With the economy on the down-turn, and so many out of work, turning back the clock a bit to a bygone era, is not only a responsible thing to do it may be one out of necessity.

How long has it been since families sat every night on their front porch, or a family outing was taking a slow car ride into the country to buy sweet corn from the farmer and on the way back you might have stopped at the favorite family ice cream shop for a cone. All the while you bonded as a family, spent quality time together and it only cost a couple of dollars?

Maybe it hasn't been long; perhaps your family has never done the bonding type trip-it may be time to do it now!  Before the weather gets cold, go on pack a cooler, and some picnic baskets and head out to adventure!  This adventure depends on you and your family. Go to the forest preserve, play games, take a hike, spot small wild animals, go fishing, take a canoe, fly a kite, play ball, then come back to your picnic site and have a great lunch. Go to free wild life presrves learn about your area!  Take in tours and museums that are free. Go to farmer's markets and teach your children what it means to help sustainability of the land and farmer.

There is so much you and your family can do-pick a "thing" each day, or a weekend full with free things. Try to make your lunch baskets from things only found already in your home, without buying anything. Try to make your lunch basket free from any thing that needs to be thrown away. (garbage free).

I think that spending great quality time together in the great outdoors will not only bond you, you will all want to do it again as soon as possible because you all will have had a great time and it is so easy on the wallet!

By Mary Caliendo

I am an advocate of the the thought process of paying it forward idea. As you can see through the many blog postings that I like to continue to pass that idea on; continually.

I have yet another way to communicate- I have been asking people to send your elder individuals cards, letters, and notes. This is a slower, and some think dinosaur way to communicate with others. However,(not just for gramma) it is nothing more fun than to see a childs' face light up when he/she receives a card or piece of mail in the box!  A postcard from a vacation to your great aunt is beloved and becomes part of her scrapbook for all to see for an eternity!(a legacy left behind tells a story of family history)

The written words of another expressing their love during dating becomes a prized possession upon the death of the loved one.

With the age of computer,IM's, blackberry, everyone on some type of social network, it is all the more reason to continue the communication process to those who are not in the electronic age.  If you're on twitter, and facebook for example but your parents are not and you want to send things but you plain just don't have the time- you can get a new service to do just that for you!  Yes!

A Glendale, CA company just thought up a connection to bridge the gap between the new and the old in www.Sunnygram.com  

This company's innovation will convert over your e-mail messages and pictures over to a newsletter for your loved one and then send it to their mailbox!  What a great thing to do all for $9.95 per month.  To me this sounds like a great investment!

For the cost of one large fruit basket at Christmas you'll get back so much when the family communication continues without stopping for long periods because you can't get to it!

Not only that you will continue to help revive the lost art of letter writing and keep meaningful postal jobs/people employed!  That's not bad! 

Have you yourself or anyone you know accepted the call to volunteer as a response to President Obama's call to volunteer?

If you have, is this a grass-roots operation, or have you joined a national effort?

What is your personal view as to what you will get out of this experience, and will you be committed enough to carry this into next year and well into the future?

Leave your comments as well as you particular organization and we will highlight it on our showcase page!

Thanks Mary Caliendo

Always paying it forward............

With Memorial Day just past, and thoughts are focused on others' loss, how do Americans continue to cope?

Friendships and families binding together to help each other. Loss of employment for one has been putting strain on famnilies. The burden of daily living for some has become insurmontable! In today's world the glut that was out there was incredible! In some ways, it is great that people are taking a break form their spending habits. It is great in an underlying way that people slow down and make very conscious choices in their habits and spending. By having to take a step back and ask yourself- do I really need that?  Or do I just want that? Americans are having to take time to look at their lives. Some people had extremely crazy spending habits, and while some businesses will suffer, perhaps there were too many stores, car dealers, coffee shops etc!

We all may find each other in the time that it takes us to realize that getting together with our kids and doing free things like flying a kite in the park, will not only get us in touch with our family where we can teach and love them, but we all may find some wholesome qualities in ourselves!

Cope by giving and recieving love and through that find ourselves too!

Mary Caliendo

Hopefully everyone who can read this is working and continues to be in good status with the bills that come in the mail box! I am hoping that if you are in the group that has lost your job and cannot find anything available to help you I have found another job source for you to pass along to a friend or family member in need.

I cannot and do not personally know anyone that has used this service, but once again, I'm passing it along in hopes that at least one person may benefit from it.

Since October over 200,000 jobs have been posted at : www.USAJobs.gov  it is an online clearing  house for fed. jobs. They appear to be looking for people in the fields of, administration,business, information tech.  Banking and realestate is also being looked for.

Although I am sure people are fighting for the jobs- it is one more place to look!

Please pass this along to anyone who know is out of work!

Good Luck everyone- much love and peace!

Mary Caliendo

Jennifer Hudson came home to Chicago this past Saturday!

She played but 50 minutes, the sold out crowd loved her, and can't wait for her return. She belted out her songs with raw emotion!

Any thoughts?

Once again, I'm glad to be an American!  It is unfortunate that our Navy Seals and sharp-shooters had to do what they had to do to rescue our American.  Somali pirates have been tormenting the seas for awhile now. Perhaps this is the first step in the change of tides and perhaps a rethinking in what the pirates are doing. In all hopes we can continue to pray for peace the world over! Captain Richard Phillips was rescued overnight and I am proud of the Americans who have risked their lives in his safe return to American soil.

We have the opportunity to continue to live as free and strong Americans, please display our country's flag in a proud manner for all to see. Be proud and show it!

Mary Caliendo