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Tag Archives: Wife

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – My Wife Graduated!!

14 Thursday Oct 2021

Posted by Dave Gardner in Thankful Thursdays

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Grateful, Love, Masters Degree, Proud, Sociology, Thankful, Thursday, Wife

Today, I’m grateful again, for my wife. Yesterday, she graduated from Grand Canyon University with a Masters degree in Sociology. I am so proud of her. After two years of hard work, working a full-time job, and dealing with all of life’s surprises (Can you say menopause?), she got through it. I cried yesterday, when she walked the stage. I am just so damned proud of her.

So today, I’ll be short. Here’s to my wife. She has conquered every challenge life has thrown at her and she is still as genuine and generous as they come. I love you, dear.

Have a great Thursday, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – I’m back!

19 Monday Jul 2021

Posted by Dave Gardner in Motivation Monday

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Bodybuilding, Dad, family, God, Home, NIece, Wife

Well, folks, my nieces have headed back home to Virginia and Arizona respectively, and we are finally back on schedule. It was a great time! We played board games like Scrabble, SkipBo, and Boggle. Mom and the niece even gave Upwords a shot, although this game is deceivingly challenging, despite its ease of play.

The most important part of their trip was to visit Mom and Dad, particularly Dad, who has deteriorated quite a bit. The highlight was the two nieces watching a movie with Dad. Dad loves movies, but has given up watching them mostly, because he cannot understand them anymore. He enjoyed hanging out with the nieces though.

Some folks have a hard time with situations like this. Admittedly, I had a tough time of it, initially. Over time, however, I realized this is how it works. Our loved ones, our friends, everyone gets old. When we get old, there are certain things that happen, particularly with the brain. It just doesn’t work as well as it did when we were younger. I made my peace with Dad’s passing. I hope he stays with us longer, but when its time for Dad to leave–it’s time for Dad to leave.

For those of you who still have your parents around; enjoy them. I consider it a privilege to have gotten back home and enjoyed Dad before his decline. We got in a lot of tv time, movie time, and some good discussions. I will cherish them forever. Now, all Mom and I can do is keep him comfortable, and be ready when the day that Dad leaves.

If you haven’t noticed this before, watch your pets. They teach you a great deal. Both of the dogs we lost both slept most of the day, when they were getting ready to pass. You could see their paws moving as they slept, and hear a muffled bark. In my religious path, this is God’s way of preparing them for their next life. They get to see what they will be doing, where they will live, and the whole thing. I picture Goldie and Weezer, running in parks, totally healthy, with their new families. God is doing the same thing for Dad. He is preparing Dad for his next home.

I hope each of you are having a great summer. It is hot and muggy here, but still nice with blue skies. We had a little rain while the nieces were here, but they had a great time going out to eat with Mom, walking along the St. Clair river, which runs right next to our town, and even got to a Van Gogh exhibit in Detroit. Mom has been wanting to go, but didn’t have anyone to go with. Her friends were busy, and with our current situation, one of us has to be here at all times. So, one of the nieces did some research and got tickets for them to go. Mom had a great time.

My wife, just finished her third bodybuilding competition. She placed 2nd in one category and 5th in another. She was very proud of herself, and she busted her butt to get ready. We were all very proud of her. In the three years she has spent competing she has added 20 pounds of muscle! Anyway, I wanted to brag about her a bit, because the work she does in the gym and her diet are very impressive.

Well, that’s it for now. We’ll be back on schedule tomorrow.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Update – Bonus Content

01 Tuesday Dec 2020

Posted by Dave Gardner in Bonus Content

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Adapt, Arizona, Brother, Chaos, Close the Year, creativity, December, Disruption, Improvise, Set Goals, Thanksgiving, Unexpected, Wife

I’ve been offline for a few days. My brother came out to visit for Thanksgiving, and we had a terrific time. I took a few days off from everything, to maximize my time with him.

I’ve also been busy helping my wife, who is in Arizona with some things, that took a lot of time.

Well, folks. Here we are in December. This is the month I use to begin preparing my goals for the new year, assessing where I ended up with my goals this year, and continuing to make adjustments to life and my daily rituals, in light of the unpredictable actions of our government in Michigan.

Like most states, everyone is freaking out about the second outbreak of COVID-19. What is the solution to all of this? It’s simple. Do not react to things you have ZERO control over. Can we do all the things we used to do? No. Can we go to the library, our gym, our coffee house, a sit-down restaurant? No. What can we do. We can follow the guidance we are given, be good citizens, protect ourselves, and continue to push forward with our goals.

It looks like going to the gym is going to be a hit or miss in 2021, so I invested in a professional set of exercise bands to use in my home. Daily exercise–check! Social activities are going to be on hold for the distant future, so now it’s all about digital social activities, whether they are ZOOM calls, phone calls, or various websites that allow one to interact with other people. Be flexible, folks.

So this year, knowing what we now know, will involve some creativity and improvisation to achieve what we set our sights on. Don’t fight reality. Accept it. COVID is not going away, and the likelihood of getting a vaccine is even more remote, since they only have about 40 million vaccines, which will likely go to government officials and their families, and those with underlying conditions and other folks with more susceptibility to COVID than others. Personally, I think everyone in a retirement or senior living facility should be given priority, followed by anyone with underlying conditions that COVID tends to kill, before the rest of us are given anything. I would then move to first-responders and teachers. I don’t know how the U.S. government will respond to this, but if 2020 was any indication, they’ll muck the whole thing up.

Plan on lockdowns in 2021. Plan on more disruptions in 2021. Plan on more unpredictability in 2021. All these things are now our reality. If you plan accordingly, you’ll succeed at selecting goals to shoot for that cannot be disrupted. That’s going to be my focus for December.

Well, that’s all I got today. Tomorrow, we’ll be back on track with postings. Have a great Tuesday, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursdays – What I am Grateful For

05 Thursday Dec 2019

Posted by Dave Gardner in Thankful Thursdays

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Friends, God, Goodwill, Nature, Parents, pets, Siblings, Stepdaughters, Wife

I am thankful for the holiday season. I enjoy spending time with my family, connecting with friends, sending out cards, gifts, and all the great food we’ll enjoy together.

I am thankful for the seasonal shows that warmed my heart as a child that are still on television today.

I am thankful for my Mom and Dad, Brother and Sister, Wife and Stepdaughters, Friends and Colleagues, and the spiritual community I am part of.

I am grateful for the bad times when I learn a great deal and the good times when I can rest and lick my wounds.

I am grateful for a safe place to live, enough food to eat, and my health.

I am grateful for what I have and the blessings that sprinkle down on me in every waking moment.

I am grateful for social media and this blogging community. The stories you share are heartfelt, sad, happy, and span the entire spectrum of emotions we have access to. I am also grateful for those of you who have shared a comment on my writings, interacted with me, albeit briefly, and let me peek into your world for a few moments. These moments are precious to me.

I am grateful for the pictures, the tales of your travels, the recipes, the makeup and clothes you wear, the exercise routines you follow, the books you read, and the food you eat.

I am grateful for the battles you fight, the challenges you face, and the victories you achieve.

I am grateful for the authors that write their books for me, the directors that create movies for me, the musicians that create their music for me, and the artists that create their pictures and drawings for me. I am grateful for the poets that expose their soft center to me.

I am grateful for the teachers who have taught me, the mentors that have coached me, and the leaders who have led me.

I am grateful for the dentists, doctors, nurses, and surgeons that have healed me.

I am grateful for the women who have loved me and shared their lives with me. I am grateful for the friends who liked me for who I am. I am grateful for the stranger that lets me jump the line when they see I have little to purchase. I am grateful for the smiles of the young children who give them to me freely.

I am grateful for the pets that have blessed me with their undying love, loyalty, and companionship.

I am grateful for the beauty of nature. I am grateful for the trees that provide the shade during the summer, and gleam with a fresh snow in the morning. I am grateful for the animals that visit us to enjoy the food we put out for them.

I am grateful for the gifts I am blessed with.

I am grateful for this life.

I extend my goodwill to all in the universes of God.

May the blessings be.

Until next time…

Dave

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Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursdays – Family

22 Thursday Aug 2019

Posted by Dave Gardner in Thankful Thursdays

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

family, Good Food, Good times, Grateful, Nephew, Netflix, Sister, Thankful, Wife

Our nephew visited this last week for a few days. It was great having him here. We went out to some restaurants, hung out on our deck, watched some shows on Netflix, and got in a little Xbox gaming. He got plenty of face time with Mom and Dad and we all enjoyed his stay. He headed back yesterday to get ready for his senior year at ASU, which started today. My sister also came up for a few days. While she was here we binge-watched Mindhunter Season 2 on Netflix. If you haven’t watched the Mindhunter series, it is worth your while.

I have been working with my wife to help her get ready for her teacher’s certification. We have been burning the midnight oil every day for the last few weeks for a few hours each night. It’s nice to help her get ready.

I am thankful for all the opportunities to spend time with family. I am blessed that I could be in the situation to spend time with my folks during their senior years. It was great seeing the nephew this week. It is also nice to spend time with my wife, while she pursues her career in Arizona. I am so proud of her.

I am also grateful for the new followers this week. Daily Ramblings is slowly creeping toward the goal of 1000 followers this year. It is nice to see new followers when I check into the Daily Ramblings blog site on WordPress. Thank you to all who have opted to follow my blog.

Over the next few days, I’ll be on a religious retreat, so Friday and Saturday postings will not happen. I’ll be too busy with the retreat and will not have time to get something up on the site. I’ll see you all on Monday!

I hope all of you have a great weekend!

Until next time…

Dave

42.997350
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Daily Ramblings – The Social Dimension

08 Wednesday Mar 2017

Posted by Dave Gardner in Four Dimensions of Life

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Commitments, Communicating, family, Friends, Husband, Listening, Lover, Synergy, Wife

Human beings are definitely social entities. We all want friends. Most of us want to be with our families. We enjoy our children. We enjoy going out and doing things with our loved ones and friends. The list goes on and on.

The Social Dimension of life is yet another part of the four dimensions of life described by Steven Covey in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This dimension is critical to effectiveness because it requires that we interact with others. We have to listen. We have to make our point. We have to keep our agreements. We have to protect. We have to love others. We have to serve others.

Here are some key points. The habits that address this dimension are Habit 4, Habit 5, and Habit 6. All of these habits compose what Covey calls the public victory. Habits 4, 5, and 6 are dependent on a person’s ability to do Habits 1, 2, and 3. Habit 4 is “Think Win-Win.” Habit 5 is “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” Habit 6 is “Synergize”.

Habit 4

Let’s start with thinking win-win. In order for us to survive as a species, we all have commitments and agreements we enter into. To make money, we have to show up to work on time, perform our jobs to our employer’s satisfaction, and interact with others to accomplish the goals of our employer. This requires that we agree to certain things in exchange for certain things. We also make commitments to the phone company, the bank, the utility companies and so on, that we will pay a certain amount of money each month at a specified time for the services these entities provide us. Beyond these common agreements, there are other agreements that we also have committed to.

If you are married, you commit to taking care of your partner, remaining in the relationship, and being true to them. These are the implied commitments we make when we take our vows or holy sacraments. What about chores, paying the bills, fixing the cars, getting up to feed the baby, and all of these little mini-agreements. Win-Win agreements mean that both parties are satisfied with these agreed-upon relationships. The Husband wins and the Wife wins. When we keep our word, perform something nice for our partner without any expectation of reward, we make a deposit in what Dr. Covey calls the “emotional bank account”. Think about it. Isn’t it nice to come home to find a clean home, the smell of a meal permeating the kitchen, and your wife smiling when you walk in the door? To flip the tables, isn’t it nice when you are in bed and sick, to have a husband waiting on you hand and foot to take care of you and your responsibilities while you get well? This is the Win-Win habit.

Habit 5

Seeking first to understand, then to be understood is all about communication. This habit dictates that we listen and speak in the same proportion that we have a mouth and two ears. It is more than active listening (uh huh, etc.), or even reflective listening (so you are saying this, is that right?). It is empathic listening, which Covey describes as really being able to sense what another person is saying by the combination of what they say and more importantly what they do not say. It also involves non-judgement. It is truly offering what Covey calls psychological air. The ability to discuss anything without judgment or interruption until you truly understand what the other person is communicating. Once you have confirmed your understanding, then, and only then, do you get to make your point. Interestingly, Covey states that if you truly follow this method of listening, many times there is nothing to add on your side because you ultimately end up agreeing with them. If not, both parties are both very open to one another’s ideas and are really geared up to committing to a win-win solution to a problem.

Habit 6

Synergy occurs when we can create more together than we could working alone. The best example of this is having a child. A man or women could not produce a baby on their own. They need the opposite to do this. In this case, 1 + 1 = 3. This is synergy. But it is even more dramatic when you have more than one person. In these cases, you could have 1 + 1 + 1 = 5, 10, or 1000. The state of synergy is all about a team of people who interlock like a puzzle. Each contributes their special talents to the team’s efforts to create things that no one or two people could create themselves.

People vs. Things

One more point as we wrap up this week’s installment to the Four Dimensions. Things don’t take a lot of time, but people do. It takes time to build a relationship of trust. It takes time to cultivate a long-term relationship. People need time.

If this article accomplishes anything, I would hope it would inspire people to take care of their relationships. Spend time with your kids, spend time with your wife or husband, spend time with your good friends or lovers. Really spend time with them.

When you go out to eat with a loved one, put the cell phone away. I swear to God. If you go to any restaurant today, it is guaranteed you’ll see two people sitting in front of one another looking at their phones. Not talking, but texting and interacting on social media. Is there anything more upside down than that? I hate to tell you this folks, but the people you think are your friends on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn aren’t. There is a caveat to this: If it’s your Mom, Brother, Sister, cousins, wife or husband, that’s the exception. At best, and I really mean at best, these folks are electronic pen pals. You are not going to establish a meaningful relationship with someone by clicking like on a funny video they posted yesterday or retweeting a quote they posted. You build relationships, meaningful relationships by doing things that are meaningful to them.

Going to a Star Wars movie when your girlfriend isn’t into that isn’t a gesture that builds a relationship unless she is going to please you. Going to a “girly movie” that she will enjoy, even though you don’t, is what I’m talking about. Doing something for someone else because you love them and you know they enjoy those things is what matters. Particularly if you do not expect anything in return. Making your wife a nice breakfast on Sunday morning, even if you can’t cook that well is another example. Bring home flowers just because. Going shopping with her and watching how her eyes light up when she sees a dress she wants or a nice pair of shoes. Going to a coffee shop and letting her tell you about her week and just listening. Spending time with your Mom and Dad, hanging out with your brother, taking your dog for a walk (Animals are people too). Hopefully, you get the gist of this.

Putting this into Action

Plan your week and identify the people you want to spend time with. Real time. Maybe it’s a night out with your wife. Maybe it’s helping your brother with a home project, followed by a home-cooked meal. Maybe it’s playing Scrabble with your Mom or watching a movie with Dad. Whatever your ideas are, plan them out and commit to going and leaving more than enough time to really spend a good amount of time with the important people in your life. It all pays off, believe me. It all comes back to you.

Until next time…

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