IT'S STILL RAINING HERE IN COLONIAL HEIGHTS

I think it has rained some about the last 5 days and it is still raining here in Colonial Heights this morning. The sun did make a brief appearance yesterday afternoon before it started raining again. Down at the beach they got over 2 inches of rain yesterday and down in Georgia the weather doesn't look like it is any better down there either. I don't think there is anyway that we will play baseball tomorrow at Shepherd Stadium since the sun isn't suppose to come out till Tuesday. We are suppose to have three games next week but it doesn't look to likely in opinion. Well Kansas and Memphis moved on to the finals of the NCAA basketball tournament, Kansas beat UNC 84-66 and Memphis beat UCLA 78-63, I am predicting Memphis will be the national champs. Well the Washington Capitals captured the Southeast Division of the NHL last night with a 3-1 win over the Florida Panthers, the Caps will be the #3 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs when they start next week. The Caps were worst team in the Eastern Conference in mid December, thats I pretty good turnaround. The Caps were 6-14-1 - when coach Bruce Boudreau took over and they finished 43-31-8, Boudreau lead the Caps to a 37-17-7 record not to bad for rookie coach in the NHL. Some of you fellow bloggers might remember Boudreau from when he coached the Mississippi Seawolves in the ECHL when the beat the Richmond Renegades in ECHL finals when the Gades had a 3-2 series lead only to lose the final two games of the series. Well at least I will have two teams to root for in this years NHL playoffs, I just hope the Caps and Rangers don't meet in the 1st round. Kyle Busch won yesterdays Nationwide race at Texas. The blog sure was dead yesterday. MICKEY

There are plenty of teams in every sport that have great players and
never win titles. Most of the time, those players aren't willing to
sacrifice for the greater good of the team. The funny thing is, in
the end, their unwillingness to sacrifice only makes individual
goals more difficult to achieve. One thing I believe to the fullest
is that if you think and achieve as a team, the individual accolades
will take care of themselves. Talent wins games, but teamwork and
intelligence win championships.
Michael Jordan

Andre Previn Pianist, conductor 79
Billy Dee Williams Actor 71
Merle Haggard Country musician 71
Roy Thinnes Actor 70
Barry Levinson Director ("Rain Man," "The Natural") 66
John Ratzenberger Actor ("Cheers") 61
Marilu Henner Actress ("Taxi," "Evening Shade") 56
Janet Lynn Figure skater 55
Michael Rooker Actor 53
Vince Flynn Author 42
Ari Meyers Actress 39
Paul Rudd Actor 39
Jason Hervey Actor ("The Wonder Years") 36
Markku Lappalainen Rock musician (Hoobastank) 35
Zach Braff Actor, writer ("Scrubs") 33
Candace Cameron Bure Actress ("Full House") 32
Bret Harrison Actor 26

Attitude, Achieving The Spontaneous Smile, By Terri Marie

Can’t you wait? Can’t you wait to reach the point when life gets so good, you notice you are smiling? The smile that bubbles up because it has to come out. Your smile is spontaneous.

How do you reach a state where this happens?
How do you put yourself in the path of joy?

I do some things that make this smile more likely to find its way to my face.

Here they are.

Call a Good Friend

How can a good friend not make you smile? Even through the tough times, those who I call good friends, can always create at least a gentle smile on my face. In the rest of times, the best of times they give me a bubbling, full-of-life smile.


Go Look at a Garden

If you can watch things come to life and not smile, you need some major time off. A garden can bring the spontaneous smile to many a woman’s face. And more men should try this. That green-all-around feeling is helps make golf even more attractive. Whether formal or charming, a garden grows life. Growing life should make us all smile more.

Do What You Love

It may be said again and again but what you love, really love, should make you smile continually. When I ride a horse, I am smiling. When I go to the ocean, how can I help but smile? When I take a snowmobile ride or ski, I smile without thinking. I just smile. The smile has arrived like the butterfly sitting on your shoulder. Everyone knows deep down what they love and what brings them joy. Be kind enough to yourself to give you what you love. Just as you would treat a dear friend - treat you. To the things you love. Women – would a massage bring this smile to your face? Men- would a pair of Laker tickets do this for you? Or a day of fishing? Love is what creates the best smiles.

Try Something New

Trying new things opens our minds to new places where our smiles may just be hiding. I tried whale watching and now I love getting out on any kind of boat and feeling the crisp, salty air. The smile forms as soon as I see that boat.

Be Around Smilers

No one can be around my Aunt Bev without not just smiling, but without laughing out loud. Bev has been through a lot. But she can also see through a lot to the smile still inside someone else. And she can bring out that smile. Find those people who wear smiles and catch one of them as they pass it along to you.

Go Through a Memory Box

Keep little treasures from childhood or from your accomplishments. Look at old letters or a good report card. Keep a book of praises that people have sent you. Surround yourself only with things that you love and you will have many more spontaneous smiles arriving. For instance you will notice the light hitting your favorite vase, or painting just right. You find the spontaneous smile when you see a card someone sent you to cheer you up. Make sure you have a good memory box to take out when you need to smile.

Go Ahead and Have Some Comfort Food

No, not at every meal. But have some meals or food that cheers you up on occasion so that you look forward to it as the gift it is. Food is a gift. I’m not talking about abusing food or your body, but using food once in awhile to nourish your heart and soul.

Help Someone

When you do something from the heart it turns up the corners of your mouth. Because you are living life the way we were intended, to - to help others when we can. Chances are, when you help someone, you create two smiles – yours and theirs. That should make you smile even more.

For No Good Reason

For no good reason just look at someone and smile. More times than not they smile back. That should make your second smile turn into a spontaneous one. For no good reason – smile. Do it right now. I just did. I do believe I can feel you smiling too, and that brings a spontaneous smile to my face.

Watch for Rainbows and Cardinals

Watch for the spontaneous gifts God gives to make us smile spontaneously. A baby smiling at you from a stroller. A bird song in the morning. Watching two lovers look at each other. A young boy rushing on his bike. An old woman pushing a shopping cart. Savor the daily gifts of life. They are everywhere and with them are smiles to be used and cherished. I love the Louis Armstrong song, “What a Wonderful World, ” because I believe it is. The way the light brings alive a leaf or a flower can make me smile. Words written in joy make me smile. Every sunset makes me smile because for about 20 years I rarely saw one. We live in a living, changing, painting of life. Enjoy the colors, the textures and smells of life. Your senses will help you create your spontaneous smile.

Read Good Jokes

A sense of humor is critical to a true smiler. How could he or she who loves life, not smile, chuckle, grin or howl from humor that tickles our mind? Even in the midst of a serious family crisis, I went to a bookshelf, looked for the joke books, and found myself laughing and “forgetting” the crisis. Humor is the sunshine through the rain.

Make Other People Smile

Gosh this is my favorite. Because how wonderful the world is when it looks as if we are all posing for a family portrait.

What all the above actions have in common is this - the spontaneous smile will arise because of a feeling. If you don’t have that spontaneous smiling feeling right now, a change of thought and emotion (a “theeling”) can change the feeling. That will allow the smile to come out. It is there inside you always waiting for the right “theeling’ to release it.

And when you do. Smile, smile, smile.

Live like a hero!

Terri Marie