As difficult as it is for me to understand, some people have more money than they could possibly spend in a lifetime. A lot of them have acquired their wealth through fraud or by having no scruples. Some individuals are so greedy that the acquisition of money seems to be their be-all and end-all. I question the quality of life of those whose bottom line is always the Almighty Dollar. In this American society, the people who are most rewarded, in terms of dollars, are those who are not worthy of the kind of big payouts that are distributed. For examples, we have to look no further than the evening news, or Michael Moore’s movie, “Capitalism.”

I have always considered it a fact that a person is doing well when he/she has a warm, comfortable bed, adequate food, and is loved. Why anyone would want to own more than one house is beyond me. Why anyone would want to have so many assets that an accountant would be needed, to keep track of them all, is crazy, in my opinion. We should be happy to have sufficient resources to live comfortably. After all, even the richest person cannot take his money with him in a 6′ x 6′ space, and the Bernie Madoff’s of the world cannot buy a more plush prison cell.

To make a life requires attention to detail. First, you have to set priorities. What is it you want, exactly? If you have to go into hock to pay for your “wants,” then perhaps you have too many wants. Try being satisfied with what you have. Acceptance of things that cannot be changed goes a long way toward being a happy person. Appreciate the people and things you already have in your life. Let them know you value them.

I’ve come to the conclusion that money in itself is not the key to joy. I do not have a diamond ring and don’t want one. Had one, at one time. Times change. Now, I don’t want to wear anything so valuable that someone would want to cut off my finger to steal it. A diamond ring is supposed to be symbolic of love, but when one is certain of someone’s love, a diamond ring is just superfluous. It is for show. Who needs show? I don’t. See what I mean about getting priorities straight?

To make a life happy, all it takes is to be a creative person – whether that means playing with dough, doing ceramics, painting, making jewelry, knitting, crocheting, quilting, making clothing, working with non-traditional materials for sculpting, or even writing or cooking! When we create something new, we feel happiness, a deep down satisfaction that money cannot buy. The response from others to our creative work feels like love.

In the words of the Beatles, “Money can’t buy me love.”

Bee creative!

Patricia Cummings

About this time of year, when the exterior environment has taken on autumn hues, soon to be replaced by winter’s colors of white, black, and gray, my thoughts turn to last May and a patch of Daisies that grow near the old clothesline. Unbeckoned, they thrive there with wild abandon and reappear each year.

Today, I am thinking about the word “Daisy” as a synonym for simplicity, and as a word that has come to symbolize love itself, in its most simple form. In antique images for embroidery, we see a boy holding a flower, yes – a Daisy. “She loves me, she loves me not,” he repeats as he pulls off each petal. The unlucky lad is the one who will run out of petals with a final blow of “She loves me not!” (The petals are so easy to embroider with the “Lazy Daisy” stitch!)

We have all heard the saying, “Fresh as a Daisy.” I wonder if that is why the razor company named their product “Daisy Razors?”

There is something fundamental about a Daisy. The flower makes no pretense. It is not an orchid. Comparing the two would be like lining up an old pickup truck and a Rolls Royce side by side. The pickup just “is” and makes no charge at being more important.

Since we do not hear the woman’s name, “Daisy,” very often today, we could think of it as a revisitation of former times. How many people actually name a child after a flower any more? In “the old days,” people were named “Rose” and “Hyacinth” … and “Daisy.”

Another, off-the-top of my head reference is the euphemistic term, “pushing up the Daisies,” something we shall all do, sooner or later.

To leave you on a more upbeat note, do you recall the movie, “Please Don’t Eat the Daisies?” I suppose I am showing my age now.

I hope that you enjoy Jim’s photo of Daisies. He has a way of capturing meaningful images in the common things around, and I suppose that reflects his own values as a simple man when it comes to enjoying all that God and Nature have to offer.

A song that I sing is called “,” written in 1892.

Until later,

Patricia Cummings