12/13/12 - NNHS Newsletter Ther

I walked into a coffee shop on Halloween to find the woman behind the counter with a bunch of sponges pinned to her uniform.

"I'm assuming this is a costume, but just what are you supposed to be?" I asked.

The waitress responded proudly, "I'm self-absorbed."

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Wisdom

Sally was driving home from one of her business trips in Northern Arizona, when she saw an elderly Navajo woman walking on the side of the road. As the trip was a long and quiet one, she stopped the car and asked the Navajo woman if she would like a ride. With a word or two of thanks, she got in the car.

After resuming the journey and a bit of small talk, the Navajo woman noticed a brown bag on the seat next to Sally.

"What's in the bag?" asked the old woman.

Sally looked down at the brown bag and said, "It's a bottle of wine. Got it for my husband."

The Navajo woman was silent for a moment, and then speaking with the quiet wisdom of an elder said, "Good trade."

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Smell the Bacon?

Two Mexicans are stuck in the desert, wandering aimlessly and close to death. They are close to just lying down and waiting for the inevitable, when all of a sudden...

"Hey Pepe, do you smell what I smell. Ees bacon, I is sure of eet".

"Si, Luis, eet smells like bacon to meee".

So, with renewed strength, they struggle off up the next sand dune, and there, in the distance, is a tree, just loaded with bacon. There's raw bacon, dripping with moisture, there's fried bacon, back bacon, double smoked bacon... every imaginable kind of cured pig meat you can imagine!

"Pepe, Pepe, we ees saved. Eees a bacon tree".

"Luis, are sure ees not a meerage? We'ees in the desert, don't forget".

"Pepe, when deed you ever hear of a meerage that smell of bacon...ees no meerage, ees a bacon tree".

And with that... Luis races towards the tree. He gets to within 5 metres, Pepe following closely behind, when all of a sudden, a machine gun opens up, and Luis is cut down is his tracks. It is clear he is mortally wounded but, true friend that he is, he manages to warn Pepe with his dying breath.

"Pepe... go back man, you was right, ees not a bacon tree!"

"Luis, Luis mi amigo... what ees eet?"

"Pepe... ees not a bacon tree... ees a Ham Bush!"

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Good Compliments

A man walked into a bar, sat at the counter and ordered a beer. As he sipped the brew, he heard a soothing voice say, "Nice tie." He looked around but nobody was there. The place was empty save for himself and the bartender, washing glasses at the far end of the counter. A few moments later he heard the disembodied voice again: "Beautiful shirt." A little shaken, the man called the bartender over.

"Hey, I must be losing my mind," he said. "I keep hearing these voices saying nice things, and there's not a soul in here but us."

"It's the peanuts," answered the bartender.

"Say what?" replied the man in disbelief.

"You heard me," said the barkeep. "It's the peanuts . . . they're complimentary."

(Hmm. I should probably apologize for that. But let's talk about compliments.)

Fulton Sheen once said, "Baloney is flattery laid on so thick it cannot be true, and blarney is flattery so thin we love it." I'm not talking about baloney or blarney, but rather about sincere compliments and power they can have.

Eleanor Roosevelt never remembered being complimented by her mother. Anna was deeply disappointed in her daughter's looks and demeanor. She often called young Eleanor "Granny." To visitors, she would say, "She is such a funny child, so old-fashioned that we always call her Granny."

"I wanted to sink through the floor in shame," an older and wiser Eleanor later recalled.

In a similarly harsh vein, Anna sometimes admonished her young daughter, "You have no looks, so see to it that you have manners." Yet through it all, Eleanor forever wanted her mother's approval. But it wasn't to be, for Anna died at the age of 29, when her daughter was only eight.

What could it have been like for little Eleanor if her mother shamed less and complimented more? Sincere compliments and acts of appreciation have the power to transform. We often remember them for years and they have a proven way of influencing future behavior.

Using compliments wisely was one of the secrets of the phenomenal success of Mary Kay Ash (of Mary Kay Cosmetics). "Everyone wants to be appreciated," she often said, "so if you appreciate someone, don't keep it a secret." Likewise, Mark Twain famously said, "I can live for two months on a good compliment." That probably goes for most of us.

What's a GOOD compliment? It's one that is both sincere and timely. Insincere flattery is false. It patronizes at best. But a sincere compliment is a heart-felt expression of appreciation. And when said in the right way at the right time, it has the power to call forth something beautiful in another.

One man changed his life by learning how to offer a simple compliment. "I never let a day go by without giving at least three people a compliment," he says. He challenges others to give it a try. Since adopting this exercise, he says he has discovered an extraordinary response from other people. He adds that he is experiencing a growing appreciation for the various people in his life.

I have begun practicing the exercise myself. I am discovering that few things can so quickly change a relationship as the right word said at the right time. And what's more, surprising someone with a compliment can be a fun thing to do.

Besides -- you can't always depend on the peanuts to be complimentary.

~ Steve Goodier ~

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Free to Be Me

I like what Quentin Crisp said about social mobility: "Keeping up with the Joneses was a full-time job with my mother and father. It was not until many years later when I lived alone that I realized how much cheaper it was to drag the Joneses down to my level."

And speaking of social mobility…two women happened to be seated next to each other on a plane and struck up an earnest conversation about their respective hometowns.

“Where I’m from,” one woman sniveled, “we place all our emphasis on breeding.”

Her new companion, unimpressed and uninterested in this yardstick for measuring the value of a person, just smiled. “We think that’s a lot of fun, too – but we do find time for other pursuits.”

Some people try to impress. They want to elevate themselves by conspicuous breeding, social standing, education and life-style. They believe that to be “well-bred, well-fed, well-read and well-wed” just may help them find some happiness (and a satisfying bit of deference from others).

These symbols have little meaning for other individuals. They care little about how people see them. The only standards which concern them are those they set themselves. The person they really want to please and impress most is the one looking back from the mirror.

I believe that, more than anyone else, these people know what it is to be free. Why? Because they’re free from what others think about them. They are free from feeling like they always have to please other people. They are not programmed to behave a certain way because others expect it.

One man I know likes to say, “Be yourself. Everybody else is already taken.” But I think that author and educator Leo Buscaglia may have said it best. “The easiest thing to be in the world is you,” he said. “The most difficult thing to be is what other people want you to be. Don't let them put you in that position.” And that’s advice worth following.

Who decides what you will do? Who decides who you will be? Who decides what is important to you? Who sets your standards? Ultimately, who do you REALLY want to impress? Somebody else … or yourself?

The point is this: you can’t please everybody, nor should you try. So why not be sure you at least try to please the right person? That’s REAL freedom.

~ Steve Goodier ~

Thanks so much, Shari!

Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays, 'Cause no matter how far away you roam When you pine for the sunshine Of a friendly face For the holidays, you can't beat Home, sweet home I met a man who lives in Tennessee And he was headin' for Pennsylvania And some home made pumpkin pie From Pennsylvania folks a travelin' down To Dixie's sunny shore From Atlantic to Pacific, gee The traffic is terrific Oh there's no place like home For the holidays, 'cause no matter How far away you roam If you want To be happy in a million ways For the holidays, you can't beat Home, sweet home

	Quick Chicken A La King
	3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken 1/2 cup butter 2 cans cream of mushroom soup 2 cups instant rice	2 soup cans water garlic, salt and pepper to taste 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
	To Use Immediately: Preheat oven to 350°. Place chicken breasts in 9” X 13” baking dish. Spread dry rice evenly over chicken. In separate bowl mix together soup, melted butter and water; pour over rice & chicken. Season with garlic, salt, and pepper to taste. Bake (or Freeze) 60 minutes or until chicken is tender and done. Remove chicken and mix together rice and juices – let stand for 5 minutes. Serve rice, with chicken on top and sprinkle with grated cheese To Freeze: Prepare entire dish as directed above and freeze prior to baking. Place cheese in separate ziplock on top. When ready to use, thaw in fridge over-night and bake as directed (350° for 60 min) or bake straight from freezer for 2 ½ hours at 350°.

Finally got my tree up! With all this shopping, wrapping, cooking and decorating I'm too tired to go to all the Christmas Parties :/
		Whew ...got the tree up. Nothing like that fresh pine smell during the holidays!?!? Thanks, Cheryl!