Happy Halloween!

This is how I like to look at Halloween...fun and cute. Nothing scary about this picture!

Or how about this silly boy...not scary at all, but he is having a great time and he came up with the costume on his own, as he did EVERY year!

My daughter asked me what Halloween was all about.  We went back to the Celtic origins and talked about those beliefs.  She finally just said, "Na, it's just about the candy!"

This is what I found about Halloween...

Halloween is on October 31st, the last day of the Celtic calendar. It was originally a pagan holiday, honoring the dead. Halloween was referred to as All Hallows Eve and dates back to over 2000 years ago.

All Hallows Eve is the evening before All Saints Day, which was created by Christians to convert pagans, and is celebrated on November 1st. The Catholic church honored saints on this designated day.

Some fun and interesting facts....

Orange and black are Halloween colors because orange is associated with the Fall harvest and black is associated with darkness and death.

Jack o’ Lanterns originated in Ireland where people placed candles in hollowed-out turnips to keep away spirits and ghosts on the Samhain holiday.

Pumpkins also come in white, blue and green. Great for unique monster carvings!

Halloween was brought to North America by immigrants from Europe who would celebrate the harvest around a bonfire, share ghost stories, sing, dance and tell fortunes.

Tootsie Rolls were the first wrapped penny candy in America.

The ancient Celts thought that spirits and ghosts roamed the countryside on Halloween night. They began wearing masks and costumes to avoid being recognized as human.

Halloween candy sales average about 2 billion dollars annually in the United States.

Chocolate candy bars top the list as the most popular candy for trick-or-treaters with Snickers #1.

Halloween is the 2nd most commercially successful holiday, with Christmas being the first.

Bobbing for apples is thought to have originated from the roman harvest festival that honors Pamona, the goddess of fruit trees.

If you wonder what your favorite candy says about you, read my recent post....

http://vlakeyblueskies.blogspot.com/2011/10/your-favorite-candywhat-does-it-reveal.html

Or how about a little fun with BATS!  

http://vlakeyblueskies.blogspot.com/2011/07/do-you-have-bats-in-your-belfry.html

Personally, I prefer to stay away from the dark side of Halloween and make it a fun time. Have a safe and Happy Halloween...enjoy those little ones!

Number 34

Thirty four is a great number...Walter Payton, Earl Campbell. We weren't sure why our son picked #34.  he wore it in high school and is wearing it in college. I joke that it is because I wore #4 and my husband wore #30, so our son was trying to please us both.  My nephew is also wearing #34 in college. As I said...a great number.

Today it means something different to me. After 34 more views on my blog I will have hit 6000. That is exciting to me! I have really enjoyed writing a blog every day and am so blessed that anyone wants to read it. To think it has had 6000 views, wow!

So, my lucky #34...maybe it will happen today. Thank You everyone who stops by to read...it means a lot!

The Dog Ate May Homework

My alarm didn't go off. My car broke down. My computer wouldn't turn on. The dog ate my homework. We were out of coffee. The power was out....Do you believe any of those? It was all I could come up with. 


I am being held accountable. If I miss a day of my blog, I have people asking me why? I missed writing yesterday and I feel like I need an excuse written by my mom! I really don't have a valid excuse....except...


I left for Redding early for what was supposed to be a short day and back home quickly. Then I was going to do my blog and my newspaper articles before going to the football game. My day didn't go as planned.  


An appointment that was supposed to take an hour...took three. This is in addition to the three plus hours of total driving time. There you have it, six hours already gone from the day. I made one more short stop and then raced home for the football game. So, no time for writing. That is my excuse. Is it excused? If not, I guess I will have to accept an unexcused absence.


Many days don't go as planned and I have been trying to learn to adapt. I am a planner and really like to have my day scheduled. When a day like yesterday occurs, it throws me off a little.


I have made the adjustment. My writing will be completed today. From now on, I will try to have a more valid excuse. Have a great (flexible) weekend!

The Great White, Old Smokey and The Rain Goat

He flew down to pick it up just a few days after our daughter was born.  It was a deal that couldn't be passed up and it was just what he was looking for...a Dodge Ram 4 x 4.  He always did a lot of research about engines, transmissions and what he wanted.  In this particular time frame, this pickup had the engine he wanted, plus we has a friend that had one and he really liked it.

I liked it too, except the silly hood ornament! Our friend's truck was bright red with a big ram head on the hood.  I thought that looked ridiculous.  So when it cam time to go pick up our version of the truck, I told my husband, "I sure hope it doesn't have a goat on the hood!"  Well, it did! A light brown Dodge Ram with a goat on the hood!

Our three year old son was pretty excited about the truck, in fact he named it..."The Rain Goat." The name stuck.  Anytime we went to leave he would ask, "are we taking the Rain Goat?"

This became a common thing in our family, our son liked naming the vehicle.  The funny thing is, he was right on with the name and the personality of the vehicle. Hard to think of a vehicle with a personality, but on our ranch it's true.

We have "Old Smokey"...yep, it smokes a little. Then there's "The Great White" another old Dodge with a flatbed...a whole other story about finding this treasure. I say this truck is run by gremlins.  The Great White definitely has nine lives.

We have had Scooby -Doo, The Old Green Goose and a few others.  We have even named cars...the Goober-Mobile and Soobie.

Most people name their animals...we name our trucks...I wonder where the old Rain Goat is now?

Lilly versus the Hawk

"Mom, Lilly has a REALLY big bird on the porch." These are the words I woke up to this morning.  Didn't seem like anything out of the ordinary...Lilly has a bird every day!  A day doesn't go by that I don't have to sweep feathers off of the porch.

Lilly is our kitten.  She is about four months old and is growing into a pretty big cat. I have my issues with Lilly, she likes to meow, always needs "fresh" food and loves to jump up on me with all four sets of claws out.  My issues aside, she is turning into a great hunter. Which is why we want a cat in the first place. Living on a ranch, a good mouser is a necessity.

One little problem...Lilly catches probably five birds to every one mouse.  She just loves to catch birds. She must be out to catch one of each specie because I haven't seen her catch the same type of bird twice.

This morning was no different...she seems to be challenging herself a little more each day.  When my daughter told me Lilly had a big bird on the porch, I had no idea.  I went to the porch and looked out the window on the door.  Here is Lilly with this bird cornered in the screen and the battle is on.  We didn't think this was going to end well...and it was probably going to go on for hours considering the size of the bird. We had to get Lilly away from the bird.

Seizing the perfect opportunity, my daughter grabbed Lilly and put her in the house. Lilly was NOT happy...she paced and meowed and wanted back out. Now it was time for dad to come and save the traumatized bird. 

He went out and was ready to catch it and release it off of the porch, when he decided touching it wouldn't be the best idea, given the size of it's claws and beak.  He was able to get it free using a piece of wood.

In the meantime, Lilly was frantically trying to get back outside...How dare we take her away from her biggest bird yet...A Hawk! What cat (KITTEN) is brave enough to catch a hawk?

As Old As you Feel

Judging by how I am seeing things lately, I am pretty old.  My arms aren't quite long enough to see what I need to see. I have always said, you are as old as you feel and some days that is older than others.

I past the 40 mark five years ago and am now on the down hill side to 50.  Some days I feel it, some days I feel like I am 25 again...those days are few and far between. I think what gets me is the things that aren't quite the same...like my eyes.

I have always had great vision.  When I was younger I wanted glasses because I thought they were cool, but I didn't need them. Now, I can't even read the instructions on a box without holding it an arms length away.

We went on a girls trip last summer for a friend's 40th birthday.  I thought it would have been a great time to get my eyes checked. I even suggested that while they were shopping in the mall I could get that done.  Seemed like a logical time to me. I was promptly told no.  Apparently being practical showed my age a little too much!

So here I am, my eyes still getting old.  I guess I am going to have to schedule and appointment and get that done before my hearing goes!

Happy Monday!

It's definitely a Monday!  I cannot seem to get things going.  I made my list for the week, I organized my stack....but that's as far as I have got.  Why do I have such a hard time getting going on a Monday? I have even struggled with my blog this morning.  This is the fourth time I have sat down to write it.  My mind has been blank!  Who can relate?

So what is it about that first day of the work week?

Singers have sung about this day....

Monday Monday – The Mamas and The Papas

• Monday Morning – Melanie Fiona
• Manic Monday – The Bangels
• Rainy Days and Mondays – The Carpenters
• I Don’t Like Mondays – The Boomtown Rats
• 
  

Writers have written about this day....

Monday Begins on Saturday – Boris and Arkady Strugatsky

Mister Monday – Garth Nix

Monday Mourning – Kathy Reichs

Monday with a Mad Genius – Mary Pope Osbourne

Several holidays fall on Monday...

Labor Day, Memorial Day, President's Day, Columbus Day and Veteran's Day.

Some say...

If you were born on this day, then you're not homely. Afterall, the old rhyme goes, "Monday's child is fair of face". 

When you're going to shop for a new car, do it on a Monday. Car sales people make the bulk of their sales on the weekends. When Monday rolls around, there are usually few customers in sight, and the weekend is a long ways off. That's why car sales people are more desperate on Monday, and they'll be more willing to cut you a deal.

Interesting fact about Monday....

One in every 702,203 Americans is named MONDAY and popularity of name MONDAY is 1.42 people per million.

That pretty much sums up how my mind feels this Monday morning...jumbled.  Since I couldn't figure out how to get going on this Monday morning, I figured I'd throw a few trivial facts at you to encourage you to get started with a great week! It's bound to get better after this...right?

You Hold the Key To Your Success

How do you achieve success? Well, for one thing, you don't define it before you achieve it.  ~Robert Brault

Success...what does that mean?  The definition is:

-The favorable outcome of something attempted

-The achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted

-The gaining of fame or prosperity

To me success can be measured in many ways.  I just had the conversation with my volleyball team about how to measure success. It is not always measured by wins and losses.  Sometimes there have to be other ways to measure success. In the case of a team, possibly it is based on learning skills, minimizing mistakes and making progress as a team or individual.

I love the quote at the top of the page...I believe we shouldn't predetermination what is going to make us successful.

The fact is that you hold the key to your own successes and failures. Your hard work, determination, perseverance and effort will contribute to your successes.

There are a few factors I believe are important to success....

S....Serve.  Be willing to help others

U....Unselfishness...Don't put all of your focus on yourself and your life.

C....Character. Demonstrate a quality character always. 

C....Consistency. 

E....Effort. Try hard, work hard and don't quit.

S....Sincere. Mean what you do.  Have heart and enthusiasm.

S....Self-Esteem. Believe in yourself.

There is no set way to measure success. You hold the key to your success...

Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally.  ~David Frost

Gotta Love That Hairspray!

Wow!  It smells like hairspray!  I walked in the house just about an hour after the girls started getting ready and the whole house smelled like a can of Aquanet! Gotta make that hair able to withstand a long evening of Homecoming festivities.

I really enjoyed watching those three girls get ready. This was one of those high school events that go into the memory bank. A big part of the memories is what was going on at our house in preparation...  the laughter, the advice, the encouragement and compliments...made it obvious that these girls aren't just beautiful on the outside. They have beautiful hearts, they are wonderful young adults.

I felt it a privilege for these young ladies to share their afternoon at our home. Girls...continue to let your light glow...you are beautiful!

Shhhhh....I'm Recording!

"You're so vain, I bet you think this song is about you...You're so vain..." The song went on and everyone in the green Pinto wagon was silent.  Someone coughed!  "Shhhhh....I'm recording!"

This went on the rest of the drive and when we were home I had four or five songs recorded off of the AM radio, with just a LITTLE background noise.

I got the cassette recorder for Christmas. There was even a message from Santa left on it.  I must have been in 3rd or 4th grade. It was my gift of choice and I couldn't have been happier. For the next few weeks, even months, all I did was record songs from the radio.  I eventually built up quite a "My Tunes" library.  I even would record songs in my room as I played them on my 45 record player.

Those were the days!  I have some 45 records and vinyl albums still.  When the kids were little they were really confused about what they were...Big Cd's?  If they only knew!  I have experienced 45's, 8-Tracks, cassettes, CD's, DVD's, MP3's....That should make me an audio expert.

Now when my kids are downloading music on their IPods, computers and phones I instinctively feel like I need to be quiet. Pretty amazing, I would say, the way technology has advanced something as simple as recording a song.  

I still think this generation is missing out.  The thrill and excitement I had over that silly little cassette recorder that provided me with endless hours of entertainment and poor quality music. The way I would save my money and eventually get to take a trip to the record store in the mall and buy one maybe even two 45 records. Where's the anticipation and excitement of downloading a song...RIGHT NOW?

And the Roles Reverse....

Oh no!  That's not my flag...those are my shorts! My "red terry cloth with white piping" shorts! Do I keep running for the end zone or stop and pull up my shorts?  I chose the shorts.

That was "back in the day", the 80's to be exact.  We were in the middle of an intense powder puff game.  I was carrying the ball on a pretty long run when the defender grabbed my shorts instead of my flag!  Pretty embarrassing to say the least. 

Great memories though.  We loved playing Powder Puff football during homecoming week. It was a big tradition.  The tradition has faded a bit and it is hit and miss as to whether schools have a Powder Puff game.

The first Powder Puff game was played on October 20, 1945 in Madison, South Dakota at Eastern State Teachers College, now known as Dakota State. 

"Eastern had cancelled many campus activities for the duration of World War II. Among these were the annual homecoming celebration and intercollegiate sports, including football. With the signing of the Peace Treaty with Japan on September 2, 1945, and the war’s official end, Homecoming was again on the schedule at Eastern. The traditional football game seemed out of the question, however. Just three men enrolled for the fall term that year. 

“A bunch of us were sitting around after gym class and we thought, if we’re going to have Homecoming, we’ve got to have a football game,” said Susie Lowry, who was a freshman at Eastern in 1945. “We decided we should have a game of our own."

And so the tradition of Powder Puff began.  The game is always fun 

"talking" before the game...especially from the coaches! 

Traditionally, the girls are the players, the boys 

are the coaches and cheerleaders.

They have a few practices, see who can catch, 

throw and run and put together

their roster...then the game is on.

For the spectator it is pure entertainment seeing the role reversal.

If you think you are in the mood to watch a little Powder Puff action...

you're in luck if you you're in luck if you live in McArthur.

The Fall River High School students are ready to play tonight...

Kickoff is at 6:30 pm.

How to give Up Chocolate Crumbs

She was a stinker, yes she was.  She wanted what she wanted, when she wanted it.  She was only four years old, but she was starting to figure it out.  The more persistent you are...the better chance you have of getting what you want.

In this case it was a Ho-Ho. There was a brand new box sitting in the kitchen. Her mom had just bought them and they were supposed to be for a treat for later. All she could think about was those foil wrapped chocolate crumbs with the cream inside. It was fun to unwrap the Ho-Ho, peel off the chocolate coating and try to unroll the Ho-Ho.

Her mom was gone and dad was in charge. "This should be easy, she thought, dad will let me have a Ho-Ho before dinner." She persisted, but it wasn't working. He kept saying no, not until after dinner.  He held firm on the fact that the Ho-Ho's are for later. She, in her four years of wisdom, had learned to never give up.  She kept after her dad..."I want a Ho-Ho!"

Finally, dad caved and gave her the Ho-Ho.  She unwrapped the shiny foil, peeled a little of the chocolate coating off, took one bite...and pushed it away!  "I don't want it." 

Well...after all of the persistence do you think dad was going to let that get by? Not a chance. "You wanted it, so you eat it." She sat for what seemed like an eternity eating those icky chocolate crumbs and she didn't even have a glass of milk.

Moral of the story...Be careful what you ask for!

For more than ten years after the great Ho-Ho experience, the girl wouldn't eat "chocolate crumbs".  Birthday cakes in chocolate were never had.  I'm not sure what changed her mind about the chocolate crumbs, but she still won't eat a Ho-Ho.

She was a stinker as you can see...Now, I have to admit, that little girl was ME!

The Bumps Are What We Climb On

“It's when things get rough and you don't quit that success comes.”

Bumps. Obstacles. Problems. Challenges. Rough Spots....Whatever you call them, we all have them.  No road in life is smooth.  There are always things that get in the way.  Problems arise, mistakes are made, things don't go as planned.  This is life.  It is what we do with those bumps that determine the path we continue on.

The bumps are what we climb on. The bumps are what we can use to make our life better. Sure, the easy way is to try to figure out a way around and not face the obstacle head on, but what will we learn from that situation.

When things are rough, our perseverance and hard work make us stronger.  The challenges show our true character.  The mistakes show if we can rebound and make things right.  All of this builds into our foundation of life.

Approaching a rough road with fortitude can make it easier.  Be strong and know that once you climb those bumps, face those challenges, correct those mistakes and over come those obstacles...when you are at the top of the bump...you can make your descent down...taking with you a valuable character builder.

“It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness.”

Your Favorite Candy...What Does it Reveal About You?

Something about October makes me crave candy corn.  I have to be careful, I could eat a whole bag of the sugar filled triangles.  It's a good thing they are really only available during the fall.

What is your favorite candy?  When looking at your (or your kid's) trick-or-treat bag which do you pick first?  This can say a lot about your personality...read on...

Candy Corn...If you are like me and pick Candy Corn, you are a secret weirdo. You may be quirky, have a strong character and are bright, cheery and fun.

Snickers...You are a beloved friend and a popular person.  People can always find something to like about you. You are friendly and playful, but also have a substantial personality.  A friend that everyone can count on.

Twizzlers...You are a big kid. You have a short attention span and are easily distracted. You are drawn toward anything fun and will always be a kid at heart.

Twix...You are gooey hearted.  You are generous and caring.  You can be a pushover.  You feel more comfortable with other people.

M&M's...You are a trendsetter. Your are energetic and full of inspiration. You love living and stay flexible and are open to wherever life takes you.

Jelly beans...You are giving. You are generous and open-minded.  You have many sides and often surprise people with something new about you.   

Butterfinger...You are a natural charmer.  You can get away with almost anything. You are complicated and people crave your company.

Did you find yourself on the list?  Is it close to being true?  I'm not so sure, but that won't keep me from enjoying candy corns for a few more weeks!

The Better To Hear You With

The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention.  ~Thich Nhat Hanh

We have two ears and one mouth...that means we should listen twice as much as we talk. Listening is as much a part of communication as talking.  More importantly, listening is an important part of being a good friend.

We all know what it is like being a part of a conversation just waiting for our turn to talk and not really hearing what the other person has to say.  Our minds are thinking about what will come out of our mouth next and not listening to the other part of the conversation.

Listening is valuable...we can learn new things, we can learn about each other and we can recognize when there are situations that may need our attention. We need to be attentive to listening carefully.

Too often are people quick to open their mouths.  Have you ever played the telephone game?  The one where you start out with a sentence or phrase and whisper it to the person next to you.  The phrase is passed through multiple people.  By the time it gets to the end of the group, it is rarely the same groups of words that was said at the beginning.

Two problems here...People aren't listening closely and they are just hearing and repeating what they chose to hear.

This game is a good example of why it is important to listen and to not repeat things that you are unsure.  I heard something the other day that was so twisted as far as the truth.  I happened to be there at the initial occurrence and knew what happened.  When someone said, "Did you hear...", I knew it was wrong information.  Don't take what you hear as the absolute truth.

Being a good listener is a challenge we must tackle everyday. Be diligent in using the two ears God gave you.

There are two good rules which ought to be written on every heart - never to believe anything bad about anybody unless you positively know it to be true; never to tell even that unless you feel that it is absolutely necessary, and that God is listening. 
Henry Van Dyke 

You Have the Skill...Do you Have the Heart?

What is the difference between good and great?  The line that separates the average from the exceptional? 

Heart.

Putting your heart into what you do can be the defining difference in winning and losing, success and failure, joy and sadness...your heart is the difference maker.

I am a coach and have watched many great athletes and teams not have the success they could achieve.  What do I tell them?  I let them know that, yes, you have the skills, you know the plays, you understand the game...but until you start playing with emotion, determination and heart...all of that isn't enough to reach your full potential.

What does it mean to play with heart?  It means to put your self out there completely.  It means to do your absolute best and put forth all of your physical and emotional energy.  It means to be able to walk off of the floor or field and know that you have given your BEST effort...win or lose.

There is a video clip I love....The Last Play.  It is a football clip, but it is a life lesson...

THE LAST PLAY

I am listening to this video clip as I type.  EVERY TIME I get goose bumps. This video defines playing with heart...play like it is your last play every time.  Play with emotion and determination.

So I ask, you have the skill, do you have the heart?  I am not just referring to sports.  I am referring to life...Do you live each day to it's fullest with your whole heart?  Do you love, cherish and support those around you?  Do you do the things you have always wanted to do?  Do you approach new things and challenging things with determination?

I posted this video clip and a friend commented..."This is how we need to live our lives, as if it's our last day, telling others about Jesus Christ."  When I read that, I found another way to interpret this video clip.

Determination, emotion and heart....the difference maker.  Approach everything as if it is your "Last Play" with your whole heart.  How do you want your last play to be?  How do you want to be remembered?

Here's a Thought...

Personally I get pretty tired of professional athletes and owners bickering over money.  These people are making more money than they will ever need.  Then there are the people that are their FANS that are barely getting by and scrimp to pay the cable bill in order to watch the games.

Have they forgotten a game is meant for fun?  Obviously, because for a lot of them it has become about the money.  Just how many gold chains can you own or how big of a diamond can you put on your ear?  How many houses and cars do you need?

Take a look at the other side....how many families that are watching these athletes play would give anything for a home or a family car.  How many husbands would love to surprise their wife with a fine piece of jewelry on their birthday?

I recently read and article in ESPN magazine about a professional athlete and his collection of Nike Air shoes.  The collection was worth about $150,000.  All I could think of was how many kids go without new shoes.  Maybe this guy does donate shoes to kids, I don't know.  But if you can have that many pairs of shoes in your closet, I think it would be a nice gesture to put shoes on someone else's feet.

I know there are a lot of athletes who do give back and I love to read about them. Many years back a NFL player from Northeastern California gave back to his high school in the form of an all weather track and lighting and basketball shoes for the basketball team.  Mt. Shasta High School was fortunate to have Jason Sehorn give back and show he cares.

Detroit Lions, Ndamukong Suh, star at Nebraska gave back to his university.  He, along with Jahvid Best, recently gave to a Detroit school when their football equipment was stolen.  The two NFL players  donated helmets, cleats and gloves in time for their upcoming game.  

These things mean a lot.  As I said, I know a lot of players are very generous and do this kind of thing.  I would like to hear more about it, instead of how pro athletes are holding out for more money. Put your money where your mouth is.

I have always thought a great part of contracts for owners and athletes alike would be a requirement for some sort of philanthropic act each year...maybe building one modest house for a homeless family in your community.  There are about 1700 players in the NFL and about 450 in the NBA...that is 2150 players....2150 families could move from homeless status each year...what a thought.  

Maybe it's not building a house, but donating to a school, homeless shelter, program for training unemployed adults...the ideas are endless.  Although there are already many that are very generous, I think they should all quit worrying about how much money they make and be required to put a percentage of it to good use....

Just a thought...

In this world it is not what we take up, but what we give up, that makes us rich. ~

Henry Ward Beecher

Wow!

Your love and wishes lift me

Make my day so bright and full

The cheer and laughter of your friendship is a blessing

I love you one and all

You woke me with your words of kindness and cheer

Welcoming me to another year

You'll never know how it fills my heart

and for my day...what a start!

Friends I have had for my life 

and others for a shorter time

Family wishes, hugs and more

Let me know what my day has in store.

I thank you all for who your are

Blessing me with a part of your heart

Taking the time to share from near and far

Know from my life...you will never part.

I have had the best morning...Yes, I am 45 today!  Ughh!  The love and cheer I have felt from my family and friends is amazing.  I am so blessed and appreciate you all for the amazing part you are in my life.  Thank you for starting my day off so perfectly!

Defining Your Character

The measure of a man's real character is what he would do if he knew he never would be found out.  ~Thomas Babington Macaulay

Character: one of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual.

Who are you when no one is around? Do you do what is right even when no one is looking?  Just because you have the right to do something, does it mean that it is right? How is your character defined? I have always been told that your true character comes out in adversity and your character is defined by how you act when you think no one is watching.

Character is defined in many situations.  We see a lot of defining moments in sporting events.  After a big loss, how does the team and individual athletes handle the challenge put before them?  This is a defining moment of character. They can either pull themselves up, dig in and support one another to make the best of the situation. OR...they can implode, blame and continue the downhill travel.  At this moment character becomes the foundation of the future.

In school and in the workplace character is tested daily with people and circumstances.  Character of the individual is what will make a situation better or worse. 

It is hard to always have a strong character.  There is a quote I love that reminds me to try my best...

"Your life may be the only Bible some people read."

What are the key elements to good character?

*Trustworthiness - don't lie, cheat or steal.  Be reliable, loyal and honest.  Stand by your family and friends.

*Respectful - Follow the Golden Rule, treat others as you wish to be treated.  Be considerate, tolerant and accepting.

*Responsible - Be accountable and disciplined.  Take responsibility for your actions.

*Fair - Be open-minded, don't place blame, be a good listener.

*Care - Be kind and compassionate.  Be forgiving and grateful.

*Citizenship - Be a good member of your community, be involved.  Cooperate, stay informed and respect authority.

Most importantly, remember your character defines who you are.

A man has to live with himself, and he should see to it that he always has good company.  ~Charles Evans Hughes