Today is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life!
Each morning, when I open my eyes and welcome a new day, I see it is an opportunity!
An opportunity to make it the best day that it can be.
This opportunity means that I try to live each day as if it were my last!
One day it will be -- but until then -- I'll be sharing with you a variety of things that I've learned,
discovered, and even laughed at along the way. Enjoy my journey with me as we live it One Day at a Time! Read more
Grits, Eggs, and the Evolution of Friendship: Reflecting on the Past, Embracing the Present
As I sat down in my chair on the patio and watched the ingredients in the bowl on my breakfast tray change from white to yellow, memories started flooding back. I had not had a bowl of grits with an egg for years. That is not until this … Read more
Planning for Chaos in a Chaotic World
We all know the feeling. We get up early and work all day. Before we know it, it’s time to go to bed and we still haven’t gone all the way through our “To Do” list. Sound familiar? Owning your own business, or even just working at a … Read more
Making the Rest the Best
When we recall the past, we usually find that it is the simplest things —not … Read more
When Memories Become History
We recently celebrated D-Day with the very few remaining participants. They range in age from 99 to over 100 years old. This will probably be the last day that most will be here to share their memories. Then their memories—like those who participated in prior wars– become history. … Read more
Reliving the Magic of Route 66 in the 1960’s
Crusing Down Memory Lane Reliving the Memories of Route 66 in the 1960’s It was early March 1961. After spending the first five months of our married life in Washington, DC, Ron ended his military tour of duty and we were on our way “home” to California. To … Read more
Today is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life
“I hope in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you’re making mistakes, you’re trying new things, pushing yourself, changing yourself and your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before.” Neil Gaiman Every morning that I wake up, I consider it to be a gift, an … Read more
Discovering the Magic of Flagstaff, Arizona
The Magic of Flagstaff, Arizona It was a place to stop and stretch your legs while on the way to the Grand Canyon, California, Chicago, or some other faraway place. You could have a cup of coffee at Miz Zips or another local diner, fill your tank with … Read more
Celebrating 83 Years of Living and Learning
It’s Taken Me 83 Years to Learn All This – And I Have a Ways to Go! For those who only know me as “Creative Gifts” or “Gift Basket Network,” my name is Joyce Reid and I live in Flagstaff, Arizona (not the desert part of the state … Read more
And You Thought Coffee Filters Were Just for Making Coffee!
In today’s economy, Benjamin Franklin’s sage advice that “A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned” is truer than ever before. This blog is not going to be your everyday kind of blog. This is my opportunity to share with you 82 years of life experience in a changing … Read more
A Time of Renewal
Just came back from a walk with Grayson, my dog with three paws, and discovered that spring is finally peaking it’s head out of the snow. Crocus are blooming, daffodils are sprouting, the sky is a brilliant blue that can only be found in a few places in … Read more
Not an Obituary – But A Celebration
Not an Obituary But a Celebration of the Wind Beneath My Wings When Ron Reid, my husband of 63 years died the end of November, I honored his wish to not have an obituary in our local newspaper. He said that no one would remember him. He was … Read more
Memories From the Past
Share Those Memories Before They Are Gone They will disappear with you! Memories are triggered by different things but they are yours. Once you are gone, they disappear as well unless you share them. That is what I am doing with this post and this blog. Today’s memory … Read more
Being Green Back Then
Being Green Back Then! Since many of you who read this blog are from my generation, I felt that you would enjoy reading this “oh, so true” post that a friend posted on Facebook: Being Green Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the older … Read more
The Magic of Everyday Moments: Finding Joy in the Ordinary
The Magic of Everyday Moments: Finding Joy in the Ordinary We get excited when special events and extraordinary experiences occur but oftentimes overlook the enchantment and magic that hides in plain sight, right in the midst of our everyday life. I’ve discovered that, by living one day at … Read more
Quirky Things You May Not Know about Me
30 Quirky Things You May Not Know About Me (or even care to know) During the pandemic, many of us were limited to using the Internet to make contacts with people. And we made a lot of new friends. But you can’t really get to know someone via … Read more
Corn Husk Dolls – The Past and the Present
When my two daughters were little, we created corn husk dolls for them to play with. Living in a very isolated Northern Arizona community of Happy Camp while my husband worked for the U.S. Forest Service, there weren’t a lot of activities for them to take part in. … Read more
DIY Towel Teddy Bear
This DIY Towel Teddy Bear is a great idea for a uniquely different way to add a towel or washcloth to a gift. Create it using baby washcloths for a baby diaper cake; using kitchen towels for a wedding towel cake; or to add to a bear hug … Read more
Learning from those who have been in the trenches and survived
It seems like yesterday, but in actuality it was many, many years ago. The afternoon heat in the deep South drove us to the front porch where there was occasionally a breeze flickering through the leaves of the trees around us. My sister and I worked on the … Read more
The Life of an Entrepreneur
Becoming an entrepreneur can be very exciting but is rarely very glamorous. Managing the daily activities of running a business can be anything but a dream. Unless you’re just working on a hobby, your days won’t be easy and worry-free, particularly in the beginning. But if you really … Read more
Learn to Live With the Pricks in Your Life
I don’t know who first wrote this this as but applies to us both as business owners and as people: Fable of the porcupine It was the coldest winter ever. Many animals died because of the cold. The porcupines, realizing the situation, decided to group together to keep … Read more
How Smokey Bear’s Timeless Marketing Campaign Can Inspire Today’s Marketers
When I first saw Smokey Bear at the Washington National Zoo back in 1960, he was already ten years old and well-known to kids everywhere as the symbol of the U.S. Forest Service’s Fire Prevention campaign. The story of his life along with the evolution of the “Prevent … Read more
Creativity and Passion – When You Lose It
If you have a business, you may have started it for many different reasons. To stay home with the kids. To get away from the 9 to 5 routine. Where you could make lots of money with little investment. But that’s not most of us — particularly those … Read more
Make a Difference – The Choice is Yours
Make this world a better place. Make your industry a better place. Make your home a better place. A tall order? Impossible? Not at all. You can do it—starting with you. Many years ago, when I was living in Yreka, California, I saw problems in the town — … Read more