Nashville Dry Cleaners

I got this from my daughter who lives in Nashville:

Check out Sunday store hours!!!! Only in Nashville!

Moroccan Party

My friend Sue hit the 60 mark so we sent her over the hill in style.  We all dressed for the occasion and took a limo (a stretch white Hummer) to the Marrakesh Restaurant in La Jolla.  I promise you, it was a night to remember.

Happy Birthday Sue!

Happy 6th Anniversary Amy & Kyle!

Happy Birthday Kyle!

Kyle and Amy on vacation

Character Counts

Don't just pick ONE...They are ALL important!

Ability will enable a man to get to the top, but character is the only thing that will keep him there.

November Election

Take a look at this and remember to vote in November  

U.S. House and Senate have voted themselves $4,700 and $5,300 raises. 1.     They voted  NOT to give you a S.S. Cost of living raise in 2010 and 2011. 2.     Your Medicare premiums will go up $285.60 for the 2-years and you will not get the 3% COLA: $660/yr. Your total 2-yr loss and cost is -$1,600 or -$3,200 for husband and wife. 3.     Over 2-yrs they each get $10,000 They will have a raise and better benefits. Why care about you? You never did anything about it in the past. Do you really think that Nancy, Harry, Chris, Charlie, Barnie, et al, care about you?  SEND THE MESSAGE--  You're FIRED. IN 2010 YOU WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO GET RID OF THE SITTING CONGRESS:  Up to 1/3 OF THE SENATE, AND 100% OF THE HOUSE. MAKE SURE YOU'RE STILL MAD IN NOVEMBER 2010 AND REMIND THEIR REPLACEMENTS NOT TO MESS UP. Maybe it's time for a new amendment........ Amendment 28 "Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators or Representatives, and Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States."

Our Top WEDDING tips:

June is just around the corner and brides-to-be are busy planning their weddings.  Here are our top wedding tips:

1. Make your wedding day personal. Have it reflect your personality.

2. Remember, this is just the wedding and reception - don't get carried away and stress yourself out. It is the "marriage" that is the most important thing. Keep your focus on the marriage - not the celebrations.

3. Make every effort to keep within your budget. Don't start out your marriage in debt. Marriage is all about compromise - start practicing that ideal when planning your celebrations.

4. Ladies, contrary to popular belief, your wedding day is NOT all about you. It is also your fiance's big day. Is there anything he'd like to incorporate into the plans? Did you bother to ask?

You can find our website at asimpleldswedding.com We've posted all of the overflow material from our book on the website to supplement the book. The book is available at the BYU Bookstore in Provo. (You don't have to buy the book - or be a "Mormon" - to use the website.)  We wish you a happy wedding, a happy marriage, and a happy life together.

 Jeri-Lynn Johnson & Amy Jones

Happy Birthday Amy!

Volcano shuts down flights across Northern Europe

A volcano eruption in Iceland has totally shut down 313 airports from Ireland to Bulgaria (including Stockholm, Oslo, Paris,London, and Frankfurt.  17,000 flights were canceled the first day, and over the last four days, 63,000 flights were canceled.  Mother nature has been showing us humans who is in control.  The last few years have been wrought with devastating hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, wild fires, record snowstorms, record heat waves, and now this.  We can't say we haven't been warned.

I don't let it change how I live my life...except for the fact that I've been reassessing my food storage and emergency preparedness plans.  I'd rather be prepared than be sorry.

Parenting in the Age of Computers

The computer has pretty much taken over my life.  I spend waaay too much time on it. Some of the time spent is worthwhile:  I’ve created family history books for my grandchildren, I wrote my autobiography, I’ve written (and published) five books, etc. and the internet has allowed me to connect with people that would have drifted out of my life.  The downside has been that I spend a lot more money because in the old days when I actually had to leave the house to go buy something, I could spend all day just looking for a pair of white pants – now, I can find them in five minutes…and in the process, find about three other things that I wasn’t even looking for. I'm on Facebook, MySpace, I have built numerous websites, and I blog.

The one thing I am really grateful for is that I didn’t have the internet when I was raising my family.  My girls turned out perfect (pardon me for bragging) because I was really truly there for them.  If I had spent as much time then on the computer as I do now, they would be completely different people:

When they’d say “Mommy, mommy, mommy,” I’d say “go out and play.”

When they'd get on my nerves, I would have said, "it's time for a nap.  I don't care if you've already had two naps today - you need another one."


They would have gone to bed at 5:00 p.m. and I wouldn't have let them out of their rooms until 9:00 a.m.


Fortunately for them, that wasn't an option.  However, to all of you mom's out there, this is a head's up.

There are ways to use the computer to educate your children.  When my grandchildren come over, they sit on my lap in front of the computer and we watch YouTube videos of the Three Little Pigs, Lightning storms, and dogs sliding down slides and doing other funny things. I've made books for them with photos I got off the internet of things they are interested in.  There are educational games to play.  Just keep in mind that they need to go outside and use their brains for fantasy play and they need the exercise - so don't use the computer as a babysitter.

How do I feel about being "old?"

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, or my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60 &70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to stay in my pajamas all day, ..... I will.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face.

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day (if I feel like it).

(I received a longer version of this in an email and whittled it down until it expressed my sentiments exactly, so I’m sharing it with you. Well, not “exactly”exactly – I’ve never bought a cement gecko, but I have lots of equally tacky treasures around - and my “grooves” aren’t as deep as most women my age, so I’m pretty thankful for my gene pool)

I'm 65 - (How did I get to be this old?)

This is how I thought I'd look when I was 65 (like the two old geezers on the left and right). But actually, I look more like the old geezer in the middle.

It's funny how everyone wants to live long but no one wants to grow old. Old age is viewed as an unavoidable, undesirable, problem-ridden phase of life that we all are compelled to live. Well, guess what - It's not as bad as I thought it would be.

Here are some thoughts about being "Old:"

Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.

Don't let anyone tell you you're getting old. Squash their toes with your rocker.

The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.

Old age is when former classmates are so gray and wrinkled, and blind they don't recognize you.

If you don't learn to laugh at trouble, you won't have anything to laugh at when you are old.

They say your memory is the first to go when you get old.  I can't remember what the second thing is.

It's My Birthday!

 

Here are all my friends celebrating.

I'm the one you can't see, in the back - with the pink umbrella and orange juice.

(just kidding - but they're old enough to be my friends - except for the really old geezer in front)

Actually, my best friends are all much younger than I am. My two very best friends are five, and six years younger.  Why?  I don't know.  Just lucky I guess.  Having younger friends helps to make you feel younger. Hmmm, I think I'll start trying to cultivate some friendships with the 50 to 55 year old crowd.  That would be fun. (I wouldn't dare go any younger than that - I wouldn't want people to assume I was their mother!)

Happy Easter

Not Ready to Let Go

Those of you who know me know that my daughter is a singer/songwriter who lives in Nashville.  This is one of her most popular songs (sad, but great).  Enjoy.   (To hear more, go to Myspace.com/Zuffinetti)

My Living Will

"Last night, my kids and I were sitting in the living room and I said to them, 'I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine. If that ever happens, just pull the plug.'
They got up and unplugged the Computer.
They are SO on my shit list ... "

(My daughter, Jennifer, sent this to me... I just had to post it -- I apologize for the sh_ _ word.  I never use it myself, but it is part of the quote, so deal with it.)

Obama aplogizes for America's "Arrogance"

President Obama apologized to leaders in Europe and the Middle East for our country’s “arrogance.” He has obviously confused arrogance with leadership.

104,366 brave Americans have died defending foreigners against their enemies and are buried in European soil. How many French, Dutch, Italians, Belgians, and Brits were buried in our soil defending us against our enemies? We have absolutely NO need to apologize.

Charles Krauthammer asserted, "We're a country who went to war six times on behalf of Muslims in the last 20 years, and we're apologizing?"

Keep this in mind in November

Obama's Wrecking Ball - Mark your Calendar

                                 
Today is the day that will change America forever.  Obama just signed his infamous health care plan into effect. 200 years of free enterprise is going down the tubes.  We are now headed down the road of Socialism (and bankruptcy).  He proved he and his cohorts could muscle congress to do whatever he wants.  What's next?  I'm scared - you should be too.

Do You Hate Your Life?

Your life is the result of the choices you've made.  If you don't like your life - make new choices.

It is never too late to become the person you were meant to be.

Looking for Mr. Perfect?

Why is it that everyone is looking for Mr (or Miss) Perfect - and they are not willing to settle for less? If you find him, do you seriously think he'd be interested in you?  Are YOU perfect?  Why would HE settle?

So, what's wrong with you?  Do you know? If you know, what are you doing about it?  If you don't know, ask a friend.  They are probably dying to tell you but never would because they don't want to hurt your feelings.  But if you ask them, and tell them you REALLY want to know.  They'll tell you.  But, if I were you, I'd preface it by asking for only ONE thing.  "What do you think is the number one reason why I can't find Mr. Perfect?" Otherwise, you are opening yourself up to a laundry list that truly will hurt your feelings.  The goal is to try to get some constructive criticism, not to make yourself feel like crap.

Think of the kind of guy you are trying to attract, and then become the woman HE is looking for.

The goal is not to wait for the right person but to be the right person.

Easter Centerpiece

I was surfing the web for ideas for my Easter centerpiece and I found this.  So cute, I thought I'd share it with you.  Kim Byers is a party planner so she's full of creative ideas.  check her out at  CelebrationShoppe.com

Here's what she wrote on March 19th, 2009 by Kim Byers

As you can see I’ve been looking through magazines again. This simple and beautiful idea is from our friends at All You Magazine. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Two similarly shaped vases, one 3″ narrower than the other
• Peeps
• Jelly beans
• Flowers

Here are the easy steps to pulling it together:

1. Insert the smaller vase inside the large.
2. Layer jelly beans in the space between the two.
3. Arrange Peeps on top of the jelly beans.
4. Arrange your flowers.

Happy Birthday Alan!

Chairman of the Board
(and my better half)

The Memory Book

I have a terrible memory.  I've been known to blank on someone's name when I'm introducing them - and I'm talking about people I've known for 30 years.  I have to stop and think whether I'm trying to say Alan, or Adam.  I get the two confused - and this is not a recent event.  I've had this problem all my life.  I even bought a book once called "The Memory Book,"  but I forgot where I put it.  Well, I just found it while cleaning out my bookcase.  I decided to read it.

I found an interesting chapter on how to remember telephone numbers, or any string of numbers, no matter how long.  Okay.  I'll try this:
1= t     (one downstroke)
2=n     (two downstrokes)
3=m    (three downstrokes)
4=r      (four ends in r)
5=L     (your five fingers extended with the thumb out looks like an L)
6= j      (mirror image of 6...sort of)
7=K    (two 7's form a K...sort of)
8=f      (a cursive f looks like an 8...sort of)
9=p     (mirror immage of  9p...sort of)
0=z     (zero starts with z)

okay so  7412   is Krtn   so think "curtain"
3212  is mntn  so think "mountain"
0141 is ztrt  so think "street"
4952 is rpLn  so think "airplane"

the example of a long number was:  91852719521639092112
ptfLnKtpLntjmpzpnttn  so:  Beautiful naked blonde jumps up and down.

Really? You've got to be kidding.  I gave up and threw the book away.

Obama's Health Care Plan

Paul Ryan, Member U.S. House of Representatives, had this to say about Obama’s health care plan:

“Under the terms of our Constitution, every individual has a right to care for their health, just as they have a right to eat. These rights are integral to our natural right to life—and it is government's chief purpose to secure our natural rights. But the right to care for one's health does not imply that government must provide health care, any more than our right to eat, in order to live, requires government to own the farms and raise the crops.

Americans understand that the problems facing our health care system today, real as they are, can be addressed without nationalizing one-sixth of the American economy and moving us past the tipping point toward a European-style social welfare state. They know that we can solve these problems while at the same time remaining a free society and acting consistently with the principles that have made us the greatest and most prosperous nation on earth. It is our duty now as their representatives to come together and do so.”

Reprinted by permission from Imprimis, a publication of Hillsdale College.

Obama's Health Care Plan in a Nutshell

$1.5 million Dress!

Get your checkbook ready, girls. Actually, get Donald Trump's checkbook ready.

Fashion designer Jad Ghandour and Danasha Luxury are set to unveil a luxury dress valued at $1.5 million during Miami International Fashion Week.  Here's the designer's sketch:

I can't wait to see what it actually looks like (I'll post it if I can find it - and oh..., I'll find it!)
Okay, here it is: (I'm sure it is better looking in person)

Here is how it looked coming down the runway - and a closer look at the diamonds

The "Perfect" T- Shirt:

I KNOW I'M

NOT PERFECT

BUT I'M

SO CLOSE

IT SCARES ME

I saw this T- shirt in a video and I want it!  The video is something you ALL should see.  It is a great way to show people how much they mean to you.  Be sure to watch it to the very end.  It is very moving!!!!! (and it could change your life).

http://blueribbonmovie.com

Hologram TV and Movies

I envisioned this as the future of television and movies, but I didn’t think it would happen in my lifetime.  Ta dah... it is already in the works!

My vision of the future is that the now popular “home theatre” will be replaced with the "HV" Room (the Hologram Viewing Room), which will be a square or round room with seating around the perimeter to view the shows.  The action will take place in the center of the room and be viewed like theatre in the round.  You could actually walk through any scene and stand face to face with your favorite actor.  Action video games could be played against the holograms, etc.  Apparently this isn’t as far off as I thought.  The technology is already being developed. 

Challenges and Difficulties

 

Are you crumbling under pressure?

"Mortality is a period of testing, a time to prove ourselves worthy to return to the presence of our Heavenly Father. In order for us to be tested, we must face challenges and difficulties. These can break us, and the surface of our souls may crack and crumble—that is, if our foundations of faith, our testimonies of truth are not deeply embedded within us."  --Thomas S. Monson, "Being Spiritually Prepared", Ensign, Feb 2010

We are in the midst of very difficult times. America is changing, and it is a scary change. People are out of work. People are losing their homes. Families are being crushed because of the pressures coming from every direction. Our current administration believes they are saving us from ourselves, when in fact, they are destroying everything America has stood for for over 200 years. What can we do about it? Our safety belt is the Lord, so: Buckle up. It's going to be a bumpy ride!

 

Note:  There have always been left-wing radicals in this country.  This is America.  Everyone has a right to their own opinion.  However, we've never elected one as President...until now.  I hope you've learned your lesson. Kick the Democrats out in November so he can't do any more damage.  America is not Chicago.  He can't use the good ol' boy tactics he grew up with to control Washington.  Washington reports to a higher power...we the PEOPLE!  Remind them of that fact.

Pie Birds & Pie Irons

I love how adding the word "pie" to another word makes you feel all warm and cozy.  I saw a collection of pie birds in a magazine (probably Martha Stewart's) and I thought they were adorable.  They actually have a practical purpose, if you bake berry pies (which I don't).  But I just wanted them to add a cozy feeling to my kitchen.

We recently had a power outage for 12 hours and it got me rethinking my cooking options.  I have a fire pit and a gas BBQ grill outside so that would take care of cooking.  But I only have one cast iron fry pan.  So I was looking for pans to cook on my outdoor grills and low and behold, I found "pie irons."  I had no idea what they were, but I wanted them.  I bought one single one and one double one.  They'd be good for making S'mores and grilled cheese sandwiches.  I figure I could also fry eggs in them.

Earthquakes

There are hundreds of earthquakes every year that are large enough to do some damage.  Really big ones (7.0 and greater) aren't as frequent.  We rarely hear about them because they usually take place in remote areas of the world with little populations. When they hit heavily populated areas, they are devastating! We are focused now on Haiti (7.0) and Chile (8.8 - one of the highest ever recorded). 230,000 people were killed in Haiti and 1.5 million people were left homeless (It moved the entire city of Conception 10 feet to the West!). There were fewer deaths in Chile (800), but 1.5 million homes were damaged. Every time a big one hits a metropolitan area, I remember the 8.1 that hit Mexico City in 1985.  10,000 people were killed and $3 to 4 Billion (with a B) damage (that quake was felt in Los Angeles and Houston!).

Here are a few stats from the last four years:

2007:   17 quakes over 7.0  (and four of them were over 8.0!)
2008:   12 quakes over 7.0
2009:   17 quakes over 7.0 ( one over 8.0)
2010:     4 quakes in the first two months of the year (one of them over 8.0)

We need to pray that these large quakes don't hit in heavily populated areas.

Letter to Pelosi

I finally got tired of complaining to all my friends about the current administration and decided to voice my concerns to someone who is in a position to do something about it. I got tired of her calling everyone who disagrees with her (and Obama) "un-American."  Are WE out of touch with reality, or are THEY?

I hope she gets a flood of letters.  Here's how you can reach her:

Ms. Nancy Pelosi
Office of the Speaker
H-232, U.S. Capitol
Washington, DC 20515

and/or:

Ms. Nancy Pelosi
450 Golden Gate Avenue, 14th Floor
San Francisco, Calilfornia 94102

Old Geezers

My New Diet Plan

This is GENIUS!  I'm doing it from now on.

The Man Your Man Could Smell Like

Obama T-Shirts

Olympic Medals

If I were an athlete competing in the Vancouver Olympics and won the gold,  I'd be ticked off when I saw the ugly thing I had worked 8 hours a day for ten years training for.  This is it???  I'm supposed to hang this on a wall for all to see?  Ugh.  It even looks worse on TV.  (My favorites would be the Beijing Summer Olympics - now those were medals to be shown off:)

Easter Cupcakes

Get these cute Easter cupcake baskets at Sur la Table.  You get 12 for $3.95 ! (Easter is April 4th)

Happy Valentine's Day!

From Lincoln (3-1/2 ) and Emerson (2)

My Favorite Olympic Commercial

I Hope to Live Long Enough to Embarrass my Kids

This ought to do it!

Jennifer at the Blue Bird Cafe

Here's a sample of what we enjoyed in Nashville. This is my daughter Jennifer's first performance at the Blue Bird. Enjoy.

Kitchen Fires

Sooner or later you will have a "flare up" on your stove.  A pan of something you are frying will catch fire. Do you know what to do?

Do NOT try to throw water on it!!!! (that is the WORST thing you can do)

You can pour baking soda on it - but your dinner will be inedible.
You could stick a towel under the faucet, wring it out and cover the pan - but that takes too much time.

The BEST thing to do is have a large lid that will cover even your largest frying pans close to your stove where you can reach it in a hurry if necessary.  The lid will put the fire out - then turn off the heat.  Yes, the outside of the meat will probably be blackened, but the dinner can still usually be served. (if you have a pot rack hanging over your stove, be sure that lid isn't directly over the stove, you don't want to have to reach across the flames to reach the lid!)

I've only had two of these fires in 40 years.  What prompted this post is that I just had one last week and by the time my ex-cop son-in-law got the baking soda, I had put the fire out with my handy lid.  Go me.

Cooking Oils - what to use when

It depends what you are cooking. 

If you are cooking at temperatures over 500 degrees, use Safflower oil. If you are using low temperature cooking, less than 300 degrees, use butter (come on, you know you want to - it just tastes better.  Not as healthy as other choices though). These are the oils I keep on my shelf:

Olive Oil - Is a healthy oil - reduces risk of heart disease.  But: don't cook over 320 degrees.  DON'T use in baking sweets or frying sweets because it is one of the strongest flavored oils and will ruin the taste and smell of your cakes, donuts, etc.  Olive oil is my go to oil for salads, marinades  and any meditteranean cooking. (Don't buy in large quantities, it goes rancid faster than other oils). Note:  Extra virgin oils have a lower cooking temp than virgin oils. Don't use Extra virgin over 320 degrees (it will smoke and burn)

Corn Oil - is a healthy oil.  Lowest in saturated fat (only 13%).  Good for baking, frying, salads, you name it.  It is your best all around oil.

Peanut Oil  (use refined, not filtered) - is a healthy oil.  It lowers bad cholesterol levels - 18% saturated fat.  Good for deep frying (use up to 448 degrees).

Canola Oil - is the healthiest choice of all for your heart - only 6% saturated fat.  Good for stir frying and baking. (I don't like the flavor so I don't use in salads or marinades)

Emerson's Winnie the Pooh Birthday Party

Emerson's birthday is February 7th, but since that falls on a Sunday, we had the party on the 6th.  Emme's TWO!

The only competing we need to do is with ourselves.

I gave up comparing myself to others a long time ago. My "a ha" moment came when I found out that the person I was admiring and thought was so perfect in every way turned out to be a train wreck. When I got to know her I wouldn't have traded places with her for anything. Suddenly I was okay - actually, better than okay.

When we stop comparing ourselves with others, we can actually increase our progress. We won’t be so discouraged—and we will be able to be more productive. We can try to be better than we were yesterday, last week, last month, or last year.

I guess that's why I've always liked golf better than tennis. With tennis, everyone is either better than you are and they don't want to play with you - or they are worse than you are and you don't want to play with them. With golf, you have a "handicap" to level the playing field. You can play with anyone and have a good time.

The photo above is me - thirty years ago (age 34). I had a picture perfect swing and everyone I played with said, "you're going to be a really good golfer." They were wrong. Yes, I could hit my drive (actually a three wood) 220 yards and could be in front of the green in regulation - but then it would take me five strokes to get the ball in the cup! I've only broken a hundred about ten times in my life. But you know what? I don't care. I just always played the best I could, and I had a good time. I was capable of paring any hole on the course, and I even had a few birdies.  I won lots of tournaments (I had a really high handicap, so when I had a good round, nobody could beat me ). I always looked like a good golfer having a bad round and I was happy with that.

So, if I find myself becoming overly impressed by someone else's talents, I just remind myself that I am just as talented and important in my own sphere of influence...and then I eat a cookie.

Where Do You Draw the Line?

Don't abandon your morals for anyone, anytime!

When I was a teenager, I joined the YWCA so I could go on a camping trip the the Seattle World's Fair. As we sat around the campfire one evening, someone read this poem by Edgar A. Guest, and it has been a favorite of mine ever since. I wish ALL teenagers could read it:

"I have to live with myself, and so
I want to be fit for myself to know;
I want to be able, as days go by,
Always to look myself straight in the eye.
I don't want to stand with the setting sun
And hate myself for the things I've done."

Happy Birthday Jennifer!

"All the World's a Stage, and men and women merely players...."

Boyd K Packer said, “The plan of redemption, with its three divisions, might be likened to a grand three-act play. Act I is entitled “Premortal Life.” The scriptures describe it as our First Estate. (See Jude 1:6; Abr. 3:26-28)  Act II, from birth to the time of resurrection, the “Second Estate.” And Act III, “Life After Death or Eternal Life.

In mortality, we are like one who enters a theater just as the curtain goes up on the second act. We have missed Act I. The production has many plots and sub-plots that interweave, making it difficult to figure out who relates to whom and what relates to what, who are the heroes and who are the villains. It is further complicated because you are not just a spectator; you are a member of the cast, on stage, in the middle of it all!” (from The Play and the Plan – May 7, 1995)

So - Shakespeare was right.  The world is a stage and we are but players.  The truth is our lives ARE a three act play.  Act I  IS the pre-existence – the spirit world from which we came.  Act II is our life on earth – where too many people expect to live the happy ever after fairy tale.  But the truth is, you don’t have “happy endings’ in the second act.  Act III is our life after death – THAT is the happy ending we are all seeking.

Our job is to “seek” happiness.  In order to find happiness here on earth, we need to re-evaluate what makes us happy.  Make a list of what you think makes you happy.  How is that going for you?   If you think riches and power will make you happy, you will never be happy.  Happiness is closer than you think.  Your happiness lies within your reach.  It is the people who surround you that can and should be your source of happiness. 

To get closer to those people, you need to change your focus from  “how can they make me happy?” to “what can I do to make THEM happy?”  If everyone did that, we’d ALL be happy. (or, as George Bernard Shaw once said, "We have no more right to consume happiness without producing it than to consume wealth without producing it."   Amen.)