I Am Inspired

28 Jan 2016 9 Comments

by Sheila Clapkin in Family Activities, Family History

another clapkin clan.

I am inspired this morning to share a “what if” thought. Usually, if you are on a solid track, you don’t go off into that dark patches full of what if’s. Today is a day I am going to let myself travel in that direction.

One thought I have never shared, and it is a “what if”. Once we lived in a lovely part the City of Los Angeles called Cheviot Hills. Our family grew and grew, and very soon there were 7 of us. Our beautiful English Tudor three bedroom home shrank and shrank until finally we had to make a move to accommodate our growing family. Our question was to stay in the city or move to the Valley beyond.

We moved to the Valley beyond. Every so often we talk about how our lives would be different and how the lives of our children would be different if we stayed in the city and NOT moved to the Valley Beyond!!!

We could not have a nicer family. The children and grandchildren are all well, educated and settled. We still live within a short driving distance to all of them. So you see this “What if” question of whether this or that or something else is not even pie in the sky. We have already received our rewards. Now it is still up to those in the photograph to continue growth and development.

Keep on the right road kids and mom and pop, good job!

clapkin van

Necklaces Grace Your Face

14 Jan 2016 4 Comments

by Sheila Clapkin in Uncategorized

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What you can do to add the twinkle and shine to your face? Well, some of you have gone a very surgical route to skim and repair, lots of vanishing creams, and rough scrubs. What in the world are you all doing to your selves? All you really need to do is to find a necklace that compliments your face and put it on. Take this test. Get all dressed up and ready to go out to a party. Look directly in the mirror from shoulders upward. Yes, it is you. Now find your favorite necklace and put it on and stand back. Does it not Grace your face? Does it not give you a new glow, a bit of a twinkle, a soft cast of a new private liking of your face? Does it not brighten your eyes; shrink your nose, smooth out most of the rough spots? Oh, there you go, you are smiling. What a smile does for a face is unbelievable, fantastic, extraordinary, just plain incredible. The problem when you smile is that you don’t see it. You cannot tell how it brightens the look of your face. Study faces as they look back into your eyes when you smile. This is how you can tell that your smile has brightened them. Learn to study the face that smiles back to your smile, and you can see in their eyes that your smile has uplifted their spirit. Your spirit is lifted as well. Brilliant exchange.

Now that you know this new necklace trick, set aside some time, to hide in your room and play the game of Necklaces Grace Your Face. Make some space, now take out your necklaces, and line them up. Try on some colorful clothes from your closets, and go for an afternoon of gracing your face. After some time at my mirror gracing my face, I went outside to pick up the newspaper. My neighbor just happened to be out picking up his paper as well. He said, ‘Oh I see you are wearing your pearls, big day ahead?’

I answered, “Yes Sir.” He should only know that I finished the day, dusting, cleaning up the kitchen, vacuuming, finished washing and folding the laundry, pulling weeds and other tidying up. But I write to tell you that a necklace not only will grace your face, but also adorn you with dignity, sparkle, charm, polish, and a heretofore hidden beauty. Nothing more or less than a well-chosen necklace will grace your face.

 

 

Creations are Godly Interpretations: Photo by Bruce Lloyd

01 Jan 2016 6 Comments

by Sheila Clapkin in Uncategorized

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The change from round bobbing to elongated patterns is perhaps the root of existentialism. Maybe something that exists one way is not necessarily its purpose and therefore can be viewed with human extensions unbeknownst at the time.

Perhaps you have cracked some sort of universal code.

All that you see can be converted. Wind and water have the power to distort.

Changes are made in truth whether you see them or not. Witness is not always truth.

It can be a distortion of what you think you see. Distortion comes in degrees.

Patterns are created whether the mind can transmit them or not.

Round does not necessarily transmit round.

Creations are Godly interpretations.

A Thousand Year Old Wind is Still Blowing in our Backyard

15 Dec 2015 7 Comments

by Sheila Clapkin in Uncategorized

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The wind is blowing unusually swiftly today, and I realize you can only write about the wind when you are standing in the midst of leaves twirling, boughs bowing, birds swooping against the forces, the wooing, howling sounds, the brushing on your body, hair moving uncontrollably, scraping sounds of wires being tugged across the walls, scratching of limbs not quite finished leafing.

You begin to notice places where the wind has blown dust particles, and bits and pieces of elements you did not know were hiding in some places you barely noticed. Now the gleam of wind cleaning makes them eye popping. Now that I know this concept, I can use the concept of winds to sweep many places with my mind. There she goes again. Well, relax and listen.

The next time you have an opportunity, go out into the wind and watch. Take mental notes. Wind swept areas change dimensions, leaving a wider range of sharing habitats. What can you do by changing elements? First, accept that everything changes. With changes comes new learning. New learning and change can be ecstatically wonderful or difficult. I strive to find joyous changes, but even so, the difficulties arise and you are to embrace them and change until it suits you.

Keep in mind that you need to keep yourself on a happy road. I know this sounds trite, but it is not. I noticed a few people on my happy road that are not happy. I smile at them, courtesy and keep on going. I celebrate a task well done. How do I do it? Simply. Mine is a second cup of coffee. I’d like to know yours. Celebrating little victories will offer me many a second cup of coffee. Now they say coffee is good for you. Good deal! This news comes at a good time for me. How about you?

I saw a lady coming out of “Home Goods,” jumping up and down in joy and screaming, “Hail Mary.” She must have scored big time. Oh how I envied that momentary joy and went next door to Gelson’s and created my own jump for joy in the fruit department, as I grabbed the last freshly cut up Mango Salsa! YUM!

We do not have to envy the joy of others, because we can achieve it. Keep the target in view and shoot. Practice creating joyous moments, and grab them when you recognize them. Every morning Mr. C reads our horoscopes out loud, but this morning he said he would not read mine because he didn’t like it. I registered the comment and made a mental note to go back and see what was so bad about my upcoming day. The paper has been thrown out and gone in the trash truck. I am stuck with a bit of a not knowing, so, I will look deeply into this day and make it astounding on my own. Somehow, I do not think, I will ever want a read out loud horoscope to every run my days ever again.

Oops, two days later and the truth is, I have had spectacular days. And another truth is, I cannot stop myself from asking about my horoscope or taking the paper and reading it. Today’s horoscope is perfect for me. I have accepted a position as Recording Secretary and Corresponding Secretary of my favorite organization, Brandeis. I have not served as Secretary of anything in many years. But, alas I have attended and taken notes for my first batch of minutes, and truth shall be known, I feel like a little fish out of the big water. One nice thing is that everyone is there to help. Today under Virgo, it says something that will help me in my new job, as I wrestle with the minutes for the first time. Virgo: “Your need to work is strong. Get it done, but don’t turn it all in yet. Save it to review and refine tomorrow.” I like this one. Don’t you?

The wind has blown light and fluffy looking clouds over the vistas over our bluff. A little boy once asked, “What do clouds feel like?” I wish I knew for sure, but my answer now would be, “Soft, smooth, tickling, soothing, and fluffy. But the truth, I know you know.

 

 

 

 

The Second Hand Hanukkah Party

06 Dec 2015 22 Comments

by Sheila Clapkin in Entertaining, Holiday Celebrations, inspirations, Reflections

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I am having a Second Hand Hanukkah Party this year. Instead of bringing my vintage pre antique treasures to the Good Will, I have begun to put them on the dining room table and will allow guests to choose their vintage Hanukkah gifts. The youngest will go first and so on, round and round until the table is empty. I have decided to tell them that we put a hundred dollar bill in one of the gifts to add extra excitement to the gift giving.

So many people are downsizing and those two words stick in my craw. In downsizing, people cram their blessings from the past into cartons and bags and shed tears as they drop them off and get their coveted tax exemption receipt.

Now you may want to know how hard it is to give your treasures away. It might have had some difficulties years ago, but not today. They opened a Good Will down the street from us and we drop in on occasion. There are my things, or shall I say things like mine. Anytime I want a dish for graceful grapes, or a dish for dainty olives, or a platter for large meat dishes, or perhaps a scalloped dish for creamy veggies, or a dish for cheese and crackers, all I have to do is go down the street to the charity shop and for $ 2.99 I can buy something I may need. If I need a very dressy jacket, a sporty cashmere sweater, or a never worn crispy blouse, I can go and get one for a few dollars. I don’t need to worry yet, because my stuff still has stuff.

I did shop in the various stores where in the past I have purchased great gifts, but my mind turned to the drawers full of my treasures, soon to belong to others via the Second Hand Hanukkah gift share. I feel happy.

 

I’d Give Anything..

22 Nov 2015 12 Comments

by Sheila Clapkin in inspirations, Reflections, Uncategorized

IMG_3617.Photo by Jim Meredith@ jim-meeredith.com

 

I realized lately that I have been saying to myself that I would give anything to be young and strong. I would give anything to feel great everyday at the crack of dawn, plus for the whole day, falling into a well-deserved slumber the whole night through. I tell myself, I’d give anything to do this and that, here and there. I say to myself I’d give anything to be thin at will. I realized this negative self-talk when three big burly brutes set up tables and chairs for a gathering at our home in twenty-four hours. I said to the boss, “Enjoy you youth and your strength, because I’d give anything to be strong like you fellows.” Then and there, I realized my lie.

Well, I’ll have you know, I am totally lying to myself by saying I’ll give anything because I will not. I realize I am begrudging myself as I am. I am telling myself I want to go backwards when in reality all we all have is to go forward.

I would never give up my home, my family, my friends, and life as it is for anything.  Faced with a trade off, I would end up the same as I entered. That’s the truth. I would never change my health situation for something someone else has because there is too much out there that I will not trade even for a second.

So if you say or hear anyone say, “I’d give anything for this or that, they are lying to themselves and don’t even know it. It gives them a momentary spurt of influence, but not a reality.

FROM A GRASSHOPPER’S MIND

14 Nov 2015 4 Comments

by Sheila Clapkin in inspirations

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A grasshopper, when observed, flits from one space to another, not traveling very far from each landing.

A grasshopper’s mind does not seem to run far and wide from my perspective, but from his or her perspective it is everything.

This critter is living wholly in the moment, knowing only what it sees, hears, and what it can eat in its surroundings.

The relatives of the grasshopper family, the crickets, join in the space and sing way into the night. Their party is an open invitation

I know because I have a grasshopper and a cricket in the down stairs living room. It is totally quiet, until we walk within range, and then the cricket sings and the grasshopper explores.

Shall we learn from the grasshoppers and the crickets? Live in a small space, look only to live within means, explore, invite the relatives, party all night, and rock to the rhythm of the universe

The House Next Door

01 Nov 2015 4 Comments

by Sheila Clapkin in Family Activities, inspirations, Reflections

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The house next door is getting a new roof. After so many years of wear, it began to leak. I did not know how intricate the work of art between man and materials is in the job of receiving a new   roof, and I have learned to respect it greatly.

Many men have worked the past two weeks, weekends off, to finish the job. I have the best view out of my two-story bedroom window. Men working on the first phase made the most terrifying grinding, ripping, scrapping, wrenching noises as they worked to pull off the old, and tired roof tiles. The tiles were gone, but still they scraped and pulled. Then some slight banging began to secure the edges of the chimney.

The next task was to unload all of the tiling necessary to complete the roofing job. As these men transferred the tiles to the roof, they threw each tile to one man on the first level, who in turn threw the tile to the next level. Tiles passed hands for the rest of the afternoon and were placed in rows where they would be nailed into place beginning the very next day. Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang! Double bang, bang. Triple bang, bang, bang. Bang, bang, bang for the week and into the next. The roof stands newly shining in this morning’s sun.

The house next door had a big family. The four children were raised, and left to live their own lives. Their sweet, precious, kind and generous momma died and dad is left to live his life. Dad is a righteous, trustworthy, caring, kind person winning a Great Neighbor award.

The yard of the house next door is full of roses, fruit trees, and perch with a view that extends to the valley below all the way to the Santa Susanna Mountains. Now sparkling from the new roof are waves of reflective light and some twinkling going on.

God Bless all of you from the house next door and thank you for all of your kind attention these many years.

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A Metamorphosis

26 Oct 2015 4 Comments

by Sheila Clapkin in inspirations, Reflections

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My eyes have been opened and I am in awe of the process. The first eye opening process came from being very nearsighted.

I saw everything in magnifying glass dimensions. Everything was up close and personal. I was caught looking at another student’s paper during a test in the beginning of 4th grade. The teacher went ballistic on me. After her horrid diatribe, I had the wherewithal to tell her I could not see the board and I did not copy answers. I told her that I had my own answers, but I could not see the board, so I did have to copy the questions. This ended up after much hullabaloo with me seeing an optometrist and getting fitted for my first pair of GLASSES.  I thrived for the next segment of my life, but the nearsighted view of the world, put me into a self-centered arena. Being self-centered is where most people reside. You know what you see, you add what you hear, and you do what you do. For me, the self-centered existence has lingered for the longest time and been the most profound.

The next segment for me was the cocoon, the chrysalis, and the metamorphosis, which is “a change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one, by natural or supernatural means.” This change was paramount to me. Becoming a nice, fairly well rounded person, who has never stopped being nearsighted, self-centered, and just out of a cocoon and constantly learning new things, is a metamorphosed entity in which I hope we all will thrive.

As a Metamorphosed entity one still captures all of the past as it morphs into a new whole. Regarding the nearsightedness in human beings, I want you to know that what I love about myself is that I have been nearsighted all of my life and I live that view. Now that cataracts are just beginning to grow, some one of these days I will have to have cataract surgery. Then, you as well as I have to make a decision. Do you put in a nearsighted lens or a 20/20 lens, or wait until you are nearly blind with indecision. I want to be nearsighted. I can see the world in old dimensions. I can pick up the teeniest little bit of information and I can see this world, as few others have been able to see it. How many of you can say you have seen the world under a microscope? You have no idea what you can see being nearsighted. It is like going around in your life here and there using a magnifying glass. That will/would be hard to give up wouldn’t you say?

Putting in 24/7, 20/20 vision lenses in my eyes to be used day and night, day in and day out, here and there and everywhere would cast my view in completely different vistas. I would not be able to go into my heretofore known world without help. So I would be beholden to the nearness or handiness of a magnifying tool that my eyes have always done for me.

My friend C. says to get the 20/20 vision lens because when you are a really, really old lady, in a retirement or care facility, they will always be losing your glasses, so 20/20 will be helpful. Not having to look for your glasses everyday more than once or twice would be fantastic.

To become a nearsighted lifetime adventurer, a self centered one, or a morphed one will be a future decision, so I am going to, and hope you do, too, make the best of things as they are right NOW!

Here me howl!!! ahhooowwwooooolllllll

This is what I hope the howling brings: a feeling of being alive, conscious aging, realizing a gentle Elder Ego, which is the part of the aging soul. Let each howl fan the flames in which there are steady beams of light announcing that we are still here. I hope that each howl brings peace for our souls, energizes our molecules and electrolytes beyond recognition. Start howling!!!

And tell me what lenses you will request.

The Power of Life!

19 Oct 2015 6 Comments

by Sheila Clapkin in Reflections

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Is the power of life a happy accident, a real miracle, or a measured phenomenon?

We realize what we are supposed to understand as we approach living life to the fullest. So, you’ve heard it, and you’ve tried it, and living life to the fullest is only possible when you allow yourself to be satisfied.

Listen to what the 14th Dali Lama says: “Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future, he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”

If you are going to appraise your satisfaction with life, as you know it, you will have to rate it as a whole rather than how you currently feel. We have our ups and downs, our ins and outs, but if you are going to rate your life be very generous. In generosity you will find satisfaction.

It is suggested that you not lie in wait for satisfaction, give it to yourself immediately, so you can start now living in virtuous satisfaction with your life.

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