Greet the Day with Thanksgiving and Praise

This is the day the Lord has made

Each new day is a clean slate

A chance to begin again

Greet the day with thanksgiving and praise

Don't worry

It gets you nowhere

Make a choice

To choose faith instead

Awaken and welcome the new day

Whether the sun is shining

Or the rain is falling

Greet the day with gratitude

Life is good

All the time

Every day

In every way

Instead of complaining

Choose gratitude

Instead of worry

Choose joy and happiness

When troubles come your way

Don't dwell on them

Mom always said

This too shall pass

From the rising of the sun in the East

To its setting in the West

Beauty is everywhere

Just look around you

Be grateful to God

For the sun's rays

For the moon's light

For beautiful sights

As you pass through the day

THINK before you speak

Speak what is true and helpful

Inspiring and necessary and kind

Learn about love

By watching children

They love deeply

And forgive easily

Making a living is important

But don't forget

To take the time

To make a life

Each person is unique

Created with special gifts

Be who God meant you to be

Set the world on fire

Take time each day

To be still

And take delight

In the simple pleasures of life

Let your love shine through

In all you say and do

It sounds so easy

It's all up to you

For life is beautiful

Despite the challenges

No matter the worries

You have but one life to live

Give thanks to God each day

For the blessings He gives

More than we deserve

Given freely with love

Share the love

Find joy in the simple things

Love makes the world go around

Pay it forward and pass it on

At the end of the day

Give thanks for the blessings

Faith, family, friends

Let go of your failures

Each day is a gift

It's here and then it's gone

You'll never have it again

Embrace the day and enjoy

Mom Showed Me the Way

They say that only a Mom really knows
How quickly life moves, how fast time goes.
From babies to toddlers to school girls and boys
Rattles and stuffed animals to being too big for toys.

Those older and wiser try to tell the young Mom
To live life while they're young, they'll soon be at prom.
Soon driving and laughing, or texting all day
Growing and changing and moving away.

A Mom's heart breaks with each ache her child feels
Though she tries to soften the blows making deals.
With God or with man or whoever she can
To help her son grow up to be a man.

To moms everywhere on any given day
Your job is to see your children on their way.
To manhood and to womanhood too
Until you soon have no more job to do.

Moms take the blame for whatever goes wrong
And pass out the praise when the boy's big and strong.
'That's my boy' or 'That girl is mine'
Pride in your voice, eyes that do shine.

As I look toward my children, now all grown
I know that I'd give up all that I own.
To go back in time, if just for a day
To a time when a tiny baby in my arms did lay.

The future still so far far away
For now just only time to play.
And knowing then what now you know
How quickly that little baby would grow.

A good Mom works herself out of a job
The kids grow up and time does rob
The days away and memories too
Leaving Mom sometimes sad and blue.

But don't despair, Moms here and there
Before you know, life will soon be fair.
When that baby of yours has a baby too
For you to hold and rock and sing to.

That's what the older ones all know
Life's endless circle as little ones grow.
You've done your job, you did your best
And now you've earned your little rest.

Thanks to all the Moms, especially mine
You raised all eight, should have been nine.
You saw us all through thick and thin
You did it all while wearing a grin.

Because you knew our time would come
We'd have to let go of our own little ones.
Wave good-bye and choke back our tears
Let them go their own way despite all the fears.

Thanks dear Mom for showing me the way
And for teaching me how to sing and to play.
Showing me what a good Mom should do
When I grew up, I became just like you.

-- Original version was published on Yahoo Voices as a Mother's Day tribute to my Mom for Mother's Day 2012. This tribute has been revised for publication on my blog.

Central Virginia Summer Family Bucket List and Fun Road Trip Destinations

Summer is the perfect season for family fun in Central Virginia. Create your family summer bucket list this week. Write down favorite family activities and fun places you'd like to visit this summer.

Heat up your summer fun with lots of local events on the Lynchburg Macaroni Kid website. It's free to subscribe to the weekly newsletter, so share the page with family and friends.

Gather up the kids or grandkids and check out summer bucket list fun, Central Virginia style. You'll also find lots of summer road trip ideas, perfect for kids of all ages.

Central Virginia Staycation Bucket List

Ride bikes on the Blackwater Creek Bikeway
Food Truck Thursdays at Miller Park – Thursdays from 11-3
Miller Park Pool – open daily through mid-August
Sprayground at Riverside Park – open daily May to October
Shaved ice at Rita’s in Forest
Summer Reading at Lynchburg Public Library
Lynchburg Hillcats home game
Riverfront Park Fountain – open daily May to October
Ivy Creek Park canoe and kayak rental – summer weekends
Trout fishing at Ivy Creek’s Clemmons Lake
Tennis lessons through Lynchburg Parks & Recreation Department
Swim lessons at Miller Park Pool or the YMCA
The Nature Zone – Friday and Saturday at the Miller Center
Chess for Kids at Lynchburg Public Library – summer Saturdays
Summer movies at Holy Cross Regional Catholic School
Ice cream or frozen treats at Monkee Joe’s in Forest
Outdoor summer movies at Riverside Park
Play on the playground at your child's school
Hike Creekside Trail, off the Blackwater Creek Bikeway
WonderCamp Day Camps at Amazement Square
National Parks & Recreation Month in July
National Picnic Month in July
Kids Cove at Thomas Road Baptist Church
Bike or hike at Percival’s Island
Play at Bounce About in the River Ridge Mall
Ice cream at I Scream, You Scream
Visit Lynchburg Museum
Visit the Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College
Play mini golf at Tiny Town Golf
Visit the Anne Spencer Garden
Ice cream or frozen treat at Mister Goodies
Visit Old City Cemetery and swing on the big swing
Ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery
Summer Movie Express at Regal Cinemas
Go bowling at Fort Hill Bowling Center
Visit Dairy Queen for a dipped cone
Go bowling at AMF Lynchburg Lanes
Play at Putt-Putt Fun Center
Skate at FunQuest Family Entertainment Center
Ski, snowboard or snow tube at Snowflex
Disc golf at Peaks View Park
Hike the Alpine Trail at Riverside Park
Ride bikes on the trails at Peaks View Park
Read a book
Play board games
Enjoy a family game of kickball
Teach your kids to jump rope
Explore your family's history
Back yard barbecue
Blow bubbles
Draw with sidewalk chalk
Have a spa day – paint nails, do pedicures, try new hairstyles
Bake cookies
Make a family scrapbook
Let the kids teach you their favorite video game
Host a summer block party
Plant a garden
Pop popcorn and have a movie marathon
Camp out in your backyard
Have a craft day
Play dress up with Halloween costumes
Start a summer journal

Day Trip and Road Trip Summer Fun

Visit your favorite local, state or national park
Learn about history at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford
Day trip to the Peaks of Otter
Visit the Museum of the Confederacy in Appomattox
Day trip to Crabtree Falls
Swim or boat at Holliday Lake State Park
Feed the big fish at Bridgewater Marina at Smith Mountain Lake
Visit Appomattox Court House National Park
Take a day hike in a Virginia State Park
Hit the beach at Smith Mountain Lake State Park
Day trip to Otter Creek on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway – bring a picnic lunch
Play all day at Chuck-E-Cheese in Roanoke
Day trip to Green Valley Book Fair near Harrisonburg
Drive the Skyline Drive
Visit the Childrens Garden at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens
Go see the Roanoke star on Mill Mountain
Rent paddle boats or canoes at a Virginia State Park
Visit the Children’s Museum of Richmond
Road trip to North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro
Visit Virginia Museum of Natural History in Martinsville
Road trip to Splash Valley Water Park in Roanoke
Visit Charlottesville’s Virginia Discovery Museum
Visit Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond
Take a day hike on the Appalachian Trail
Learn and play at Danville Science Center
Visit Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke
See the trains at Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke
Road trip to Virginia Beach
Go camping at a Virginia State Park
See the sights in Washington, DC
Beach trip to Myrtle Beach
Get back to nature in Smoky Mountain National Park
Enjoy big city life in New York City
Cross-country road trip
Visit the Inner Harbor in Baltimore
Spend time with family or friends who live far away
Make a family movie about your summer

Before summer disappears, create a summer bucket list with all of your family's favorite activities and places to visit. Use your summer bucket list for ideas to enjoy on vacation days. Let each child choose one thing to do or decide together on a few activities to enjoy each week while school's out.

If Every Day Was Saturday

If every day was Saturday

I don't know what I'd do

Start each day with a grateful prayer

God's mercies start anew

Get up at daybreak to see the sun

Brew coffee at the crack of dawn

Take hikes to all the mountain tops

And hang out with family on the lawn

Volunteer with my favorite charities

Worship God and help others each day

Eat lunch every week with the grandkids at school

And stay to watch them learn and play

Road trips to visit family and friends

Scattered far and near

Seeing new, exciting places

My heart filled with joy and cheer

Sunrise along the Skyline Drive

Stopping to see the view

Drives on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Every day brings something new

I love the mountains 

But the beach is awesome too

Sunrise to sunset, sand between my toes

Hand-in-hand with you know who

Wherever I'd go and whatever I'd do

Kenny would be at my side

Maybe even on the trails

Looking for bears that hide

But for now I have to work each day

Selling stamps to those I greet

But when every day is Saturday

Retirement will be so sweet!

Blogging Grandma Sandy, signing off for now

Dreaming retirement dreams, when everything will be like WOW!