We often feel as if we live in a hectic, chaotic world where daily responsibilities can be suffocating and the burdens of this life can be unbearable. So where do we find relief? The answer to that question certainly varies depending on each individual, but for many of us, we seek solace in nature. A quiet walk through the woods without ringing phones or doorbells can be all we need to refresh us and prepare us to take on the next task. But what if we live in the city, not close to any sanctuary of nature? That is when we must, once again, take matters into our own hands and create our own utopia.

In Create a Backyard Bird Sanctuary, ElizabethJeanAllen gives us terrific advice on how to begin. This article is about creating a sanctuary for birds, but I have found that in creating a place of beauty and restoration for other creatures, we are in fact creating a place for ourselves. She suggests that when we select flowers or shrubs that we choose our favorites and theirs. Isn’t it amazing how such beautiful additions to our own backyards can and will feed the bird’s little stomachs while the very same bloom will feed our souls? Sometimes just the fragrance of a rose or the sound of a mourning dove is all that is needed to calm our spirits. I have a very dear friend who recently shared with me that the dance of a raven made her giggle. What a wonderful way to start any day; calm in spirit and laughing at the gift that is literally just outside our window.

We should strive to find peaceful surroundings and if they are not already available, then we should make our own harbor of refuge that will wait for our return.

Visit: Create a Backyard Bird Sanctuary

Many years ago, there was a commercial jingle that sang “We love baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet.” Do you remember that? It still plays over and over in my head. As I recall, it was about American favorites and traditions.

I have to admit, there was absolutely nothing that compared to spending a Saturday afternoon attending a local baseball game, eating hot dogs and drinking a mixture of soft drinks. Saturday nights were spent “cruising” in our cars which, as often as not, were Chevys.

Then there was the apple pie; truly considered a family tradition. Why, you couldn’t have a Sunday meal without apple pie and then the nightly kitchen raids for the leftovers. It was indeed all part of growing up in “the good ole USA.”

I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by nostalgia as I read IntuitiveHealer’s Memories of Apple Pie. I thought about my own precious grandmother peeling apples, rolling out and shaping the crust with her fingers, cutting the slits in the top and slipping the pie in the oven to bake. When the pie was finished, we would sit down at the table to enjoy a hot piece of pie and just talk. I don’t remember what we talked about, but I do remember the time she spent making her house a home.

Just like IntuitiveHealer, many of us never learned how to make apple pie from scratch or we simply do not have the time in this fast paced world, but we can still enjoy a solitary moment of divine pleasure or recreate the family setting by purchasing a premade apple pie. Better yet, she has provided us with videos of step by step instructions on how to make an apple pie. Wouldn’t it be fun to grab a friend, family member or even your spouse and venture back into yesteryear by making your own slice of happiness? Just don your apron, cruise on over to Memories of Apple Pie, and let the games begin!

Visit: Memories of Apple Pie

While we may be enjoying our summer break, we all know the beginning of a new school year is just around the corner. Even in the primary through high school years, there is a lot of planning and a great deal of preparation required before that first day.

When you are preparing to send a child off to college, there is a whole new world of concerns. One of the first challenges we face is the cost of tuition. In these uncertain economical times where job loss, downsizing and bankruptcies are a part of everyday concerns, the last thing we need is the fear of not being able to give our children what they need to prepare to provide for themselves in the future. A college education has become a necessity in many occupations and as parents; we want our children to succeed. However, for many of us, tuition is staggering and we have no idea how we are going to financially survive the first year, much less the subsequent years required to obtain a degree. Frequently, parents sacrifice a few non-essentials; perhaps even forego a vacation in order to subsidize our children's education. In some homes, it may become necessary to make even greater sacrifices.

I recently read an article about an intelligent and giving young woman who will be starting college in the fall. This young lady has already proven her academic ability during her high school years. In addition to her studies, she has earned her wings by becoming a licensed glider pilot and now works in that industry. She also gives her time to charitable needs in her community by volunteering with Habitat for Humanity.

I think we would all agree that this young woman deserves the opportunity to attend college, but the story doesn’t stop here. There is the question of tuition. I was deeply touched when I originally read this article because of the sacrifice her mother, Evelyn, is willing to make in order to help her daughter. In addition to any proceeds Evelyn earns from her articles on Squidoo, she is offering to sell her own new handmade quilt.

Now I ask you to think about that for a moment. It takes hundreds of hours of painstaking work with a needle and thread to hand make a quilt large enough to cover a queen sized mattress. Some quilters work on just one bedspread over the course of years before it is complete and ready to use.

Yes, I would say this is a sacrifice! It will not be a blanket easy to replace. Actually, it will be irreplaceable and yet this mother is willing to sell her quilt. Whether it started as a labor of love, I cannot say, but I do know this quilt symbolizes a true gift of love.

Education is one of the most valuable gifts we can give to our children, but love is the greatest gift.

Visit: Handmade Quilt for College