The choice is ours

?~"Every test in our life makes us bitter or better, Every problem comes to make us or break us, The choice is ours whether we become victims or victorious.~ ?

One of the worst battles you will have to fight is ...?

?~"One of the worst battles you will have to fight is the one between what you know in your head and what you feel in you heart.~ ?

Let's start noticing and living in the present

?~"Right now is a miracle. Right now is the only moment guaranteed to us. Right now is life. So let us stop thinking about how great things will be in the future. Stop dwelling on what did or didn't happen in the past. Learn to be in the here and now and experience life as its happening. Appreciate the world for the beauty that it holds, right now. Let's start noticing and living in the present !!~ ?

Never assume you know someone completely

?~"Never assume you know someone completely unless you have traveled the journey of their heart. Smiles, tears, love, and fears are not always seen in the actions or eyes of the one you look at through your own eyes.~ ?

We never forget our past

?~"We never forget our past, we only learn to live with the pain and scars. But those memories are always at the back of our mind, no matter how hard we try.~ ?

The most important thing is not to be bitter over life's disappointments

?~"The most important thing is not to be bitter over life's disappointments. Learn to let go of the past... and recognize that everyday won't be sunny. And when you find yourself lost in the darkness and despair... remember it's only in the black of night you can see the stars, and those stars will lead you back home.~ ?

eat: coconut cake with lemon glaze

I made this coconut cake for our book club, last night. It got rave reviews - which made me so happy because it was my first attempt at making it. Who knew coconut and lemon would make such a great couple?

In non-cake related news, all kinds of lovely is now on facebook (I'm SO late to the party). Pop by and say hello!

Happy Monday, friends!

p.s. This is the book we just finished reading. Now, we're on to this one.

Friendship is that sheltering tree ...

?~"Friendship is that sheltering tree which covers you with warmth when you are cold with sorrow, balms your soul when you are hurt in heart and bandges with love when you bleed inside...~ ?

True friendship is seen through the heart, not through the eyes

?~"True friendship is seen through the heart, not through the eyes. True friendship is not measured in days or decades. Real friendship is shown in time of troubles, prosperity is full of friendship.~ ?

                                                                         

VALENTINE

is pleased to present

new and recent paintings by

 

Robert Franca

Linda Gottesfeld

Rachel Youens        

 opening Friday May 31 from 6-9

this exhibit runs through Sunday June 23

VALENTINE is open Friday -Sunday 

The hours are 1:00 - 6:00
and by appointment

valentineridgewood@gmail.com

Sometimes things happen in life that are not part of the plan

?~"Sometimes things happen in life that are not part of the plan. When that happens, don't give up on your dreams, just find another way to reach them.~ ?

loving someone gives you purpose

?~"For whatever reason, loving someone gives you purpose. It fills you with hope, joy and a sense of optimism. But when that person leaves you; abandons your love without warning, what do you do? You are left in love, alone and desperate to feel that sense of belonging and worth again.~ ?

Don't be angry with the world

?~"Don't be angry with the world. It will never hear you, sympathize with you or care about you. Life is a privilege not a right. You make your own luck. You get what you put in.~ ?

You Might Feel Worthless To One Person, But You're Priceless To Another

?~"Never forget how much you really mean. If someone doesn't treat or value your friendship and takes your love for granted, then it may be time to either communicate the way you feel so that a change may be made, or it may be time to give them much less of yourself. Love, real love, is such a powerful, and wonderful experience, we all should be able to live with in our everyday lives. God put so much into us that settling for less than what he meant for us will do nothing but bring you down, and will eventually bring you down all the way. Get up now! Get your life to where you want it to be, and with the people you want it to be with. Don't go where you are tolerated, go where love is celebrated, and not where love is shunned.~ ?

?~Life Tips

?~"Don't wait for time. Make it. Don't wait for love. Feel it. Don't wait for money. Earn it. Don't wait for the path. Find it. Don't wait for opportunity. Create it. Don't go for less. Get the best. Don't compare. Be unique. Don't fight your misfortune. Transform it. Don't avoid failure. Use it. Don't dwell on mistake. Learn from it. Don't back down. Go around. Don't close your eyes. Open your mind. Don't run from life. Embrace it.~ ?

When you really love someone

?~"When you really love someone, there is no amount of distance between you two that can stop you from loving him or her. Real love doesn't just fade away or turn off like the switching on and off of a light, even though many of us would like for it to when things start to go wrong, or when the love you feel is causing you pain, but we must remember that there are always risks in giving someone your heart.~ ?

You may encounter many defeats

?~"You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, and how you can still come out of it.~ ?

Cleaning Up The Past Will Always Clear Up The Future

?~"Sometimes we make messes so big, that no matter what we do, we just can't clean them up. This especially relates to the wrongs we have committed in our pasts that will inevitably force us to keep messing up in the present. Only God can make things right that we know will affect us for years to come. You have to remember that the person that you used to be doesn't have to be who you are today. You arent merely just your past, because if you believe, you should be defining yourself for who you really are, by what you do now in these present times. Ask questions, and be open with yourself. The way that you think, and the things that you do will always be defined by who you identify with the most, so if you only describe yourself as the person you were in the past, that is all you will ever be.~ ?

Just Be Happy

?~"Just being happy is something that we can all do. Often times we look at the things we don't have and we complain, instead of being grateful for the life that we already have, and the fact that our lives will always have the potential to get better. Many of us focus on things like how high gas prices are, instead of the fact that we are fortunate to have a car, since not everyone is as fortunate as us to have one. Instead of seeing the wrong, or the shorter side of each situation, try to see the cup as half full. Eventually there will be a time when you realize that it is the times that you struggled that make life worth living, not just being successful. Just be happy, never take a moment for granted, and continue to live your best life in the pursuit of happiness!~ ?

The best way to move on

?~"The best way to move on is not just about forgetting the one you loved but it's about accepting the fact that you can never be together.~ ?

keep moving forward

?~"You may have seen better days, but you have also seen worse. You might not have all your wants, but you do have all your needs. You woke up with a few aches and pains, but you woke up. Your life may not be perfect, but it is good. And more good things are coming down the road as long as you keep moving forward.~ ?

Life rarely turns out exactly the way you want it to

?~"Life rarely turns out exactly the way you want it to, but you still have an opportunity to make it great. You have to do what you can, with what you have, exactly where you are. It wont always be easy, but it will be worth it in the end. Remember that there is no perfect life, just perfect moments. And its these moments you must cherish; its these moments that make the whole journey worthwhile.
.~ ?

Cherish those who have proven their love

?~"Cherish those who have proven their love. It's a lot easier for someone to be nice to you on a beautiful day when the sun is shining, but in a heavy storm is where you learn who truly cares. That's why you need to pay attention to who was there for you when no one else was. Because the people who stood beside you through your darkest nights, are the ones worth spending your brightest days with.
.~ ?

A HEART BREAKING SHORT STORY

On my wedding day, I carried my wife in my arms. The bridal car stopped in front of our one-room flat. My buddies insisted that I carry her out of the car in my arms. So I carried her into our home. She was then plump and shy. I was a strong and happy bridegroom. This was the scene ten years ago.


The following days were as simple as a cup of pure water: we had a kid; I went into business and tried to make more money. When the assets were steadily increasing, the affection between us seemed to ebb. She was a civil servant. Every morning we left home together and got home almost at the same time. Our kid was studying in a boarding school. Our marriage life seemed to be enviably happy. But the calm life was more likely to beaffected by unpredictable changes.

Dew came into my life. It was a sunny day. I stood on a spacious balcony. Dew hugged me from behind. My heart once again was immersed in her stream of love. This was the apartment I bought for her. Dew said, you are the kind of man who best draws girls� eyeballs. Her words suddenly reminded me of my wife. When we were just married, my wife said, Men like you, once successful, will be very attractive to girls.

Thinking of this, I became somewhat hesitant. I knew I had betrayed my wife. But I couldn�t help doing so. I moved Dew�s hands aside and said you go to select some furniture, O.K.? I�ve got something to do in the company.

Obviously she was unhappy, because I had promised to do it together with her. At the moment, the idea of divorce became clearer in my mind although it used to be something impossible to me. However, I found it rather difficult to tell my wife about it. No matter how mildly I mentioned it to her, she would be deeply hurt. Honestly, she was a good wife. Every evening she was busy preparing dinner. I was sitting in front of the TV. The dinner was ready soon. Then we watched TV together. Or, I was lounging before the computer, visualizing Dew�s body. This was the means of my entertainment.

One day I said to her in a slightly joking way, suppose we divorce, what will you do? She stared at me for a few seconds without a word. Apparently she believed that divorce was something too far away from her. I couldn�t imagine how she would react once she got to know I was serious. When my wife went to my office, Dew had just stepped out. Almost all the staff looked at my wife with a sympathetic eye and tried to hide something while talking to her. She seemed to have got some hint. She gently smiled at my subordinates. But I read some hurt in her eyes.

Once again, Dew said to me, He Ning, divorce her, O.K.? Then we live together. I nodded. I knew I could not hesitate any more. When my wife served the last dish, I held her hand.  I�ve got something to tell you, I said. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes. Suddenly I didn�t know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the serious topic calmly.

She didn�t seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why? I�m serious. I avoided her question. This so-called answer made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn�t talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage.  But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer, because my heart had gone to Dew. With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. I felt a pain in my heart. The woman who had been living ten years with me would become a stranger one day. But I could not take back what I had said.

Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be
firmer and clearer. Late that night, I came back home after entertaining my clients. I saw her writing something at the table. I fall asleep fast. When I woke up, I found she was still there. I turned over and was asleep again.

She brought up her divorce conditions: she didn�t want anything from me, but I was supposed to give her one month s time before divorce, and in the month�s time we must live as normal a life as possible. Her reason was simple: our son would finish his summer vacation a month later and she didn�t want him to see our marriage was broken.

She passed me the agreement she drafted, and then asked me, He Ning, do you still remember how I entered our bridal room on the wedding day? This question suddenly brought back all those wonderful memories to me. I nodded and said, I remember. You carried me in your arms, she continued, so, I have a requirement, that is, you carry me out in your arms on the day when we divorce. From now to the end of this month, you must carry me out from the bedroom to the door every morning.
 
I accepted with a smile. I knew she missed those sweet days and wished to end her marriage romantically.
I told Dew about my wife s divorce conditions. She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she does, she has to face the result of divorce, she said scornfully. Her words more or less made me feel uncomfortable.
My wife and I hadn�t had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. We even treated each other as a stranger. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mummy in his arms.
His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly, Let us start from today, don�t tell our son. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for a bus, I drove to the office.
On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. We were so close that I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn�t looked at this intimate woman carefully for a long time. I found she was not young any more. There were some fine wrinkles on her face. 

On the third day, she whispered to me, the outside garden is being demolished. Be careful when you pass there. On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I seemed to feel that we were still an intimate couple and I was holding my sweetheart in my arms. The visualization of Dew became vague.
On the fifth and sixth day, she kept reminding me something, such as, where she put the ironed shirts, I should be careful while cooking, etc. I nodded. The sense of intimacy was even stronger. I didn�t tell Dew about this.
I felt it was easier to carry her. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger. I said to her, It seems not difficult to carry you now. She was picking her dresses. I was waiting to carry her out. She tried quite a few but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I smiled. But I suddenly realized that it was because she was thinner that I could carry her more easily, not because I was stronger.
I knew she had buried all the bitterness in her heart.
 
Again, I felt a sense of pain. Subconsciously I reached out a hand to touch her head. Our son came in at the moment. Dad, it�s time to carry mum out. He said. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had been an essential part of his life. She gestured our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face because I was afraid I would change my mind at the last minute. I held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly, as if we came back to our wedding day. But her much lighter weight made me sad.
On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. She said, actually I hope you will hold me in your arms until we are old. I held her tightly and said, both you and I didn�t notice that our life lacked intimacy. I jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my decision. I walked upstairs. Dew opened the door. I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I won�t divorce. I�m serious.

She looked at me, astonished. The she touched my forehead. You got no fever. She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Dew, I said, I can only say sorry to you, I won�t divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn�t value the details of life, not because we didn�t love each other any more. Now I understand that since I carried her into the home, she gave birth to our child, I am supposed to hold her until I am old. So I have to say sorry to you.
Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove to the office.
When I passed the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet for my wife which was her favorite. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I�ll carry you out every morning until we are old�.
That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in bed � DEAD. She had been fighting Cancer for months and I was so busy with Jane to even notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from whatever negative reaction from our son, in case we push through with the divorce. At least, in the eyes of our son� I�m a loving husband�

�The small details of our lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So, find time to be your spouse�s friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy.�

~ DO HAVE A REAL HAPPY MARRIAGE LIFE ~ 

A TOUCHING LOVE STORY THAT 'LL MAKE U CRY

A touching love story that 'll make u cry"

10th Grade:-

As I sat there in English class,
I stared at the girl next to me.
She was my so called 'best friend'.
I stared at her long, silky hair,
and wished she was mine.
But she didn't notice me like that,
and I knew it.


After class,
she walked up to me and asked me for
the notes she had missed the day before.
I handed them to her.She said 'thanks'
and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

I want to tell her, I want her to know
that I don't want to be just friends,
I love her but I'm just too shy,
and I don't know why.

11th grade:-

The phone rang. On the other end,
it was her. She was in tears,
mumbling on and on about how
her love had broke her heart.
She asked me to come over
because she didn't want to be alone, So I did.

As I sat next to her on the sofa, I stared at her
soft eyes, wishing she was mine.
After 2 hours, one Drew Barrymore movie,
and three bags of chips,
she decided to go home.

She looked at me, said 'thanks'
and gave me a kiss
on the cheek..I want to tell her,
I want her to know that
I don't want to be just friends,
I love her but I'm just too shy,
and I don't know why.

Senior year:-

One fine day she walked to my locker.
"My date is sick" she said,
"hes not gonna go" well,
I didn't have a date, and in 7th grade,

we made a promise that
if neither of us had dates,
we would go together just as 'best friends'.

So we did.
That night, after everything was over,
I was standing at her front door step.

I stared at her as She smiled at me
and stared at me with her crystal eyes.

Then she said- "I had the best time, thanks!"
and gave me a kiss on the cheek.
I want to tell her,

I want her to know
that I don't want to be just friends,

I love her but I'm just too shy,
and I don't know why.

Graduation:-

A day passed, then a week, then a month.
Before I could blink, it was graduation day.

I watched as her perfect body
floated like an angel
up on stage to get her diploma.
I wanted her to be mine-but
she didn't notice me like that, and I knew it.

Before everyone went home,
she came to me in her smock and hat,
and cried as I hugged her.

Then she lifted her head from my shoulder
and said- 'you're my best friend,
thanks' and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

I want to tell her,
I want her to know
that I don't want to be just friends,
I love her but I'm just too shy,
and I don't know why.

Marriage:-

Now I sit in the pews of the church.
That girl is getting married now.
and drive off to her new life,
married to another man.

I wanted her to be mine,
but she didn't see me like that,
and I knew it.
But before she drove away,
she came to me and said 'you came !'.

She said 'thanks' and kissed me on the cheek.
I want to tell her,
I want her to know
that I don't want to be just friends,
I love her but I'm just too shy,
and I don't know why.

Death:-

Years passed, I looked down at the coffin
of a girl who used to be my 'best friend'.

At the service, they read a diary entry
she had wrote in her high school years.

This is what it read:
'I stare at him wishing he was mine,
but he doesn't notice me like that,
and I know it.

I want to tell him,

I want him to know that
I don't want to be just friends,

I love him but I'm just too shy,
and I don't know why.

I wish he would tell me he loved me !

.........'I wish I did too.... ?