Have you ever gone against the will of a group and stood by your beliefs, despite the pressure that is being put on you? My dad has just left after a relaxing afternoon of catching up and I'm left here to sit and reflect on what has just happened. Three and a half years ago my grandad, David Shaw, died, aged 94. Two years earlier I sat down and chatted with him about his life and recorded the conversations. For the first time since I have just sat down with my dad and listened to them again. It was as though he came down to join us one more time, bearing some powerful lessons. He lived in a different time, almost a different universe. With no money, he joined the RAF, in 1940. He had to go and train in the USA and then in Canada....

http://gomestic.com/do-it-yourself/make-your-own-coffee-table/ The article above demonstrates how I save the material from wind damaged trees and build something good from it. I have salvaged over 1,000 trees in the last eight years. I have to admit, not every tree will be worth $1,600 because of the way the wind blows it down splitting it or cracking it badly and not all trees are suitable for the projects shown in the link above. For eco conscientious  people this is a pleasant way to use your hobby time with a very small outlay of tools. All of my tools were bought on sale and one or two projects paid for my entire shop. Take a look, if you like what you read in the link, click the I Like button. Dr Robert E McGinnis http://w...

It has almost been two weeks since I left Dallas on a journey of self-love.  I packed up my car and drove to New Mexico to see friends in Santa Fe and followed up that delightful visit by heading to Colorado and seeing different sets of friends--staying at their homes and mixing in their lives for a few days at a time.  I call it a journey of self-love because I keep clearing away the clutter in my mind and when I look out I see these wonderful people reflecting love back to me.  I spent time in Eagle with some amazing and delightful children, and now am on my way to see my grandson.  Children are so inspiring because they are always in the present.  And that is pretty much what this journey has been about for me.  Loving simply being...

Several years ago, I wrote a book for my children. this is but one out of hundreds. Beyond our genetic limitations, we may have a lot of say so over our aging process. This process started long before we were born and, physically, will terminate about the same time we do. However, what happens during the time between your birth and demise may have a lot to do with how long you live. There are many who espouse the principal of exercise, hard work, etc, and then we have those who depend on a good and steady diet of healthy foods. Is this enough? Is this necessary, or is something missing? What if, and I only suggest, what if, it is our outlook, attitude and relationships that give us the greatest strength in a long and very happy li...

I had never been burgled before. When I returned home earlier I walked in to find the back door of the house had been kicked through and was broken in half. It came as a surprise. What does one do in such situations? Glass and wood debris lay in the house and out. The mangled lower half of the door was hanging by the hinge. I have had many more pleasant experiences in my time. A few hours later I had a door in place and a great deal of gratitude for what has just happened. Although the assailants had broken the back door they had largely left the house alone. The contents of one of the draws had been emptied onto the bed and a small amount of money had been taken. Amongst the contents on the bed were a few envelopes of gratitude notes th...

I was having a discussion turned argument today with my dad. This is the usual for us. We have a hard time with 'discussions' due to the ego-flairs that happen. You see, we tend to disagree quite a bit in our view of the world, and he is always right. :-) And when he insists that he is right, my ego just can't seem to sit back and take it. Then I want to beat myself up for getting sucked into that trap again and again! Alas! This is the cycle I am trying to end. I am a great studier of communication, and I typically enjoy discussing issues with people who have a different point of view. It is actually a great learning experience in that you learn a different point of view and you learn how to better understand others and yourself. If t...

Does the word, 'discipline' carry a lot of bad press for you as a parent?  Does it remind you of something used by controlling parents in the 50's who just didn’t get it?  Many parents of the millenium express the desire to be friends with their teens. That ideally behavioural issues diminish simply by having an open, mature and equal relationship with them. Is this a realistic desire given that parents often experience behavioural problems with their teens, and increasingly with their preteens? What to do when the boundaries and rules keep getting breached? How do you discipline your teen, particularly where issues of safety and welfare are concerned? How do you respond when she not only appears unappreciative of the difficulty ...