As we all know, Life can and will toss you a curve ball sometimes. By my experience, it is right about the time your Joy and Relaxation are on the rise. I have learned there are only a couple of choices on how to handle the curve balls: 1. let my emotions get the best of me and throw a temper tantrum 2. Take some deep breaths and/or a walk all the while asking God show me the Way to catch it, handle it, or toss it back!

I had one of those curve balls thrown at me the last day of my vacation. My vacation had been Great! Even had some unexpected blessings which really had me Full of Joy. I had turned in my rent a car and was waiting on one of my Legacy sisters who lives in Memphis to pick me up for lunch and I decided to call my director/friend from work. Lord have Mercy, did she throw a curve ball when she said these words: ” they’ve laid off Again and sent all your team except you to Offshore services” I was stunned! You see they had already laid off down to skeleton crew and sent a lot of the work to an offshore team months prior.. We were already struggling after that since the offshore team wasn’t doing so hot but, this time there was no preparation and the offshore team had not even had training. My thoughts were: What the heck? Who does that? Once again, life had tossed a curve ball and I was almost dizzy with the news. It wasn’t long I started getting calls from my team with the news. I tried to think and choose encouraging words to calm them and myself down and finally said, ” I will have to call you back, I just need to finish my last vacation day please.” I really just needed a little time to process the news.  In one way I was glad I got the news in advance and another really irritated they couldn’t even wait until my Director & I finished our vacations.. yes, she was on vacation too.

I had so been looking forward to my lunch date with my Legacy sister and for a minute I left it take hold and almost ruin my time with her. But, then God sent a call to her that reminded me, “it could be a lot worse“. You see she works for Catholic Charities with people who are homeless and helps get them on their feet and going. That day she had two calls actually of one who was getting set up with a roof over her head but, concerned that the job she just got was going to knock her out of the help she so desperately needed. The other’s daughter had ran away and they were living in a shelter. These women brought back memories of times I had been in their position and clearly showed me where I am now – out of California & Blessed with a home. I still have my job and even if I were to get laid off I am over 62 and could take my SS and get a part time job keep my home. Both my daughters grew past their troubled teens and are doing well and my grandkids are too… then it flashed across my mind: Look you are even able to take a vacation! We ended up having a great lunch at Olive Garden (which was another blessing, we were both well able to have lunch out) & by the time I got back to the airport I sat there holding back the tears in Thankfulness instead of anger at that ball that had come my way. Then I began to do exactly what I should have done in the 1st place; Pray and call my fellow prayer warriors and ask them to pray. I called the employees back and tried my best to comfort them and assure them God will catch their curve balls too and open doors of provision, never fear…just Trust Him and start sending out those resumes.  As for me, God further blessed me with a wonderful young lady sitting next to me on the plane who had a tough day too. Together threw the curve balls back and took on the attitude of We can do this! (with only a little bit of whining) I got off the plane with a new friend and by day 2 of my return to work I could feel that inner spirit saying, ” do the Best you can do and live in this moment knowing and trusting God’s got your back too”.

Yes, Life can and will serve curve balls and we may have some burdens to bear when it does but, with God we can Survive!  Why because God is a Fantastic Catcher, He’s on time all the time, & will carry you thru to home base – if you will just let Him!

Have a Great Day!

Hello! Hello! I’m Back!  Needed to take a bit of a sabbatical and process the direction I was taking. Something I think we should all do occasionally. In fact, while I was away I was listening to AR Bernard and he said, “every so often we should all ask ourselves these questions: 1. Who am I now? 2. Where do I want to be? (be specific) 3. Why do I want to be there? (this is your motivator that gives you strength) 4. What do I have to do to get there?  Good questions don’t you think?

I also had a very enlightening conversation with the editor of our local Niagara newspaper. In that conversation there was one thing she said that jumped out at me: “that is not so much our audience”.  I knew right then God was using her to guide me back in the direction He wanted me to go. You see I was starting, once again, to wander from the way He wanted me to go. Which was not writing a column for the local paper.  Like I always say, “God is on time all the Time!”. My path is writing these posts &  finishing the second book God told me to do! I must say I am so Grateful for Michelle taking her time to chat with me that one morning at the local coffee shop. I was her audience for that hour and she sure left a deep impression. One that energized me, made me look at my life, and sent me back skipping along My yellow brick road asking, “Who is my Audience? What Audience do I want to reach? and How do I want to reach them? These questions made me dig deep and I realized what God wanted me to see: we all have an audience everyday. At home, at work, each time we step out to interact with others. They are watching, listening, and yes most of the time judging us in all we do. Never think what you say & do has no effect in the lives of others…even strangers. Has it ever occurred to you we all are writers? Storytellers. And we all have a story to tell and do tell it on FB, in tweets, on the phone, in our day to day interactions. Your story may be a drama, a how to, a joke or two, and the list goes on. Think about your actions, what is coming out of your mouth whether it is talking out loud or texting, tweeting, sharing pics, and so on. Now who are you doing all that with? Your Audience! (Unless you are a total recluse) As we all know words & actions create which means you do affect their lives. In some fashion we all are imitating someone in our growth process to become who we are to Be.  Here is an example of a small affect I had today: a man at the store who had been listening to me talk when I reached the register said: ” where’s that southern accent from? It sure sounds nice, calming.”  No, he wasn’t flirting, he took my money and said “have a great day.”  For that moment he was my audience & my accent in my words had a calming affect. And I didn’t even know it. See I did have an effect on his day and he on mine.  It was a nice compliment that made me Smile.

Finally, after all my pondering on “who am I trying to reach? and how can I reach them? I realized as I sat to write this post, it’s whoever God puts across my path. Whoever decides to read my posts and share them. It’s anyone I interact with, those that like my style, & who my words speak to. The only thing I need to concern myself with is this:  that I listen to God, Be my Best ME, and keep in mind, I do have an audience so think before I do or speak. LOL

And if you have read this post; “thank you for being my audience”. I pray you enjoyed and gained something from these words.

Hugs!!! Renee’

As everyone left work Friday for the Memorial Day weekend, I heard these words:

” Have Fun, what plans do you have, boy will it be nice to have a 3 day weekend.” I was of course feeling the same when it hit me: don’t forget to Honor those who died in service fighting for our rights and safety. Memorial Day : a day on which those who died in active military service are remembered.

Then as usual this morning I opened my eyes looking at my picture of my Lord and Savior Jesus. Only this morning, my spirit heard loud and clear: ” And don’t forget God the Father, Jesus the Son, and all those Warriors in days of old as you honor those who died in active duty.”  I had never really thought about it in that way but, that one thought brought about a flood of memories out of my recent studies. You see I have been reading and studying the Bible including the culture, history, and lives of those written in the pages. Not reading from a Religious place but, from a place of wanting to Know & Understand God, to understand how things got from Point A to Now. And I want to understand where things are going and our part in it all. That’s another conversation…moving on.  Has it ever occurred to you how God, Jesus, and leaders chosen by them dedicated their lives to serve & to fight so we could be where we are today?  They too sacrificed to the point of death, no matter what or who came at him. And like our men of service they stood their ground for what They believed in: Love and Righteousness for All mankind on Earth as it is in Heaven. (and They still are!)  There were times Jesus and His disciples had to have secret meetings to discuss how to handle the enemy, times to rest and enjoy the community they were in, & times to share their reason for being there. There were times to heal and console and times to Fight!  When you take the time to read the Bible you will see Life repeats it’s seasons including times of war. In fact, the reasons for the wars haven’t really changed much at all. Only the packaging has changed in how we fight but, not the why. Don’t take my word for it:   Read it for yourself.

I look forward to the day we no longer have to fight and it will come…it’s in the Book.  However for now, I pray you enjoy the three day weekend and just remember to take a moment of prayer to honor All of those who have died in active duty and their families who sacrificed with them along The Way.

Hugs!

Prior to my moving to Niagara Falls a year ago I was told the crime is high. I was even told you should move to LaSalle or Amherst not Niagara Falls. I highly disagreed. While I was house hunting I met lots of nice people in the Hyde Park community and tons of natural beauty. I had been praying for 7 years for God to show me where to go to semi retire cause I sure couldn’t sustain myself retired in San Diego. I had created a vision board asking & believing for a community with Water Falls ( I just Love waterfalls), lots of beauty of nature, an urban feel but, not big city (I was tired of that), if possible a home under $100,000, & Diversity… For 35 years, I had lived where there are all types of people from all over the world & I do love that. All my friends said, “ You are crazy, you won’t find a place in a city with all that, maybe in the country but, not the city.” My response was, “ The Word says, “ Ask, so I am asking“   I had never really been to the east coast but, Niagara Falls was on my bucket list. I never thought to look at it as where I would settle down as I had always heard New York was just as crazy expensive as LA and San Diego. So when I came here it was to knock it off my bucket list after a women’s seminar I had attended. Low & behold as I drove around I found myself going, check, check, check on my vision board including the home under $100,000!! So, I returned for 5 weeks in February, just to be sure I could handle the cold, I loved it and bought a home and now one year later I still just love it!

The only thing that concerns me is the outlook so many have about the community. Since I have been here, I hear grumbling complaints about the crime in Niagara Falls yet when I ask “ what are you doing to aid in the prevention of crime in your neighborhood?” The answer given is: “that’s the police job or there is nothing I can do about it – it is what it is. “ Not True. I am so grateful for my home in Niagara Falls and in our little 10 houses here on the end of the street, I do feel the love from my neighbors.

We all need to take responsibility for sustaining our neighborhoods & in making that choice is how we Revive & Create better neighborhoods in Niagara Falls. Actually America. It doesn’t take a bunch of money either. San Diego downtown in the late 60’s & early 70’s was Very much the same as Niagara Falls is now. It needed some TLC. Bit by bit each neighborhood got together and decided to Revive San Diego and create the neighborhoods they wanted. It began with a Neighborhood Watch Program were the neighbors met at the local Senior center and agreed to swap phone # and keep an eye out calling that neighbor if they saw anything odd. Or if saw an actual crime called the police… Not just sit in the house saying, “ that’s a darn shame but, I don’t wanna get involved” Groups also began monthly Walks to pick up trash in each in a 1 mile radius of your home. The walks varied it would be families together or groups in the neighborhood walking and picking up trash. I still keep a plastic grocery bag in my car and wherever I go take my walks pick up trash as I go along. Why?  I am a resident of Niagara Falls and I am responsible to do my part to keep Niagara clean. Don’t like any of these ideas? That’s ok, just keep your own home and yard clean and have respect for your neighbors. Think before you crank up your music. I love music and I turn mine up too but, I do try to keep it at a level it doesn’t rock my neighbor’s house or keep grandma or the baby awake. Smile  If you are going to have a party that could get kinda loud, step over and let your neighbor know and by 9 pm tone it down and take it indoors. And whatever you do, don’t get to yelling and fighting, your neighbors don’t want to be involved in your drama.  These are Zero Cost ways of Improving Niagara. Simply put
“ Love & Respect your neighbor as yourself. You reap what you sow no matter what neighborhood you live in.

So, if you aren’t already taking responsibility and doing your part to Sustain your hood, get started today by saying Hi to your neighbor, get to know them a little… you don’t have to hang out (unless you want to) just show Respect and be Kind.

HAPPY MOTHER’s DAY!!!!

Mom’s: the most important of gardens on Earth. In our younger days we all too often take for granted our Moms and what being a Mom is about. Mom’s are the very definition of “sustainability”: the development that satisfies the needs of the present without adversely affecting the ability of our future generations needs.

All to often, Mom’s are not recognized or respected for their major role in the lives of the new creation they bring into the world. Even by themselves. When we say “yes” to allowing the seed(s) of life to be planted within our inner gardens, we are also saying “yes” to sustaining the life of that new being. In our lack of recognition and respect of this Truth our future generations do suffer. Life experience and studies of families have proven this fact. Mom’s influence most every segment of our lives. To sustain something/someone means to provide for support of; to maintain & provide sustenance/nourishment, to carry the weight/burden of; to strengthen the spirit thru comfort and encouragement.  In most homes, who does that? Did you know that there are more than 15 million single moms in America today? Or that they are currently raising more than 22 million of America’s youth? Does that bring attention to the Importance of Mom’s , their role, and America’s (the world’s) ability to sustain itself?

I can testify, I wasn’t the greatest role model as a Mom, mainly because I didn’t grow up with the best role models…see how history can repeat itself? I wasn’t awful but, I didn’t have a good view of myself or how important my role was in my girls lives so together we struggled. However, Praise God, angels (other Mom’s) were sent our way who comforted, encouraged, and planted seeds of wisdom and knowledge within the hearts of me and my girls. Over time weeds were pulled and in each season I saw the chains of bondage broken and new hope & changes in my life, my girls lives, & my grandchildren, the next generation.  If we all had not chosen to allow those seeds to be planted, the weeds would have taken over and once again history would have been repeated, almost did. I am so thankful our hearts were softened and we all have grown and become more aware and enlightened to how Important Mom’s are in the lives of those they bring into this world. How we are vines that bear fruit and how those vines must have strong roots.

May the readers of these words Know This: Mom’s ARE SO IMPORTANT! You, Mom’s are the master gardener of the home sharing your harvest. You are the roots, the beginning of your child’s life. You are the sustainer that cultivates, comforts, and waters them with your Love, wisdom, and knowledge. Are you one that feels like it is to late, you’ve done to much damage; Not so, together it is never to late to weed out, plant new seeds, and restore the gardens of the heart.  I heard this in a movie once: “Love is like a vine, if you don’t tend to it – it will wither and die.”  This is true both for the child and the Mom.

So, Today Honor, Share, and Show some Love to the Mom’s of the world.  We will all reap the benefits of that harvest.

HUGS and LOVE to ALL..

They just keep popping up!  The same goes for weeds in the garden of the heart and nature. The Good News is: like tissues they serve their purpose and are tossed away.

The nature of things in “any” garden has a season. A time for all things and all things in their time. The key is to have the wisdom & knowledge to know the “timing’ & when things have gone to seed & when to pull the weeds. (as I’ve said in prior posts: weeds do serve a purpose) How are we to “know” the right timing? “Google It” LOL  Just playin’, well sorta. Thanks to the continuous toiling many of techies, educators, & writers in education and cyber gardening, we have access to an unimaginable plethora of knowledge. Some tried and proven and some in various stages of trial and error. Hence, the sorta… We must be careful and conscious of our Choices and Seek Wisdom from the tried and true Master Gardeners. After Much seeking it is my experience the most trusted of those are: God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.  In the spiritual garden, the knowledge of the when’s and how to is done by diligently seeking the Wisdom of God which gives us Power & produces Benevolence thru the renewal of our Minds. Benvolence: kindness, kind-heartedness, big-heartedness, goodness, goodwill, benignity, compassion, consideration, thoughtfulness, decency, public-spiritedness, social conscience, charity, charitableness, altruism, humanity, humanitarianism, philanthropism & More… (Love)

In the earthly garden, much necessary wisdom is also found in His Word and thru the science and toil of mankind. After all, God did give man authority on Earth and the responsibility to cultivate and maintain Earth in which God promised: ” If ” done in the Way would provide and produce a good harvest for ALL living in the garden. Genesis 1:26 “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth”  That said, How are you ruling? What seeds are you planting and cultivating as each day goes by?

As we can See by it’s Fruit clearly mankind has not perfected nor been doing the best gardening that could be done on Earth. Like the title of by book, ” Somewhere In Between”, I am one of many who have lived “in between” good choices & bad choices. Why? Due to my lack of knowledge and seeking the Wisdom of God in ALL things. To often operating out of emotions, or lost in the keeping up with the Joneses, and because I have been hard headed operating in the outlook of ” I will try it & we’ll see what happens”  Not thinking of the long term consequences or possibility I was choking out some of my blessings with my half steppin’ attitude of ” Que sera, sera whatever will be, will be, the future’s not ours to see”  Not TRUE!  I have learned the hard way thru much toil and anguish the future IS Ours to See. The future counts on us having ears to hear and eyes to see, that we Can cultivate, fertilize, and develop on the garden given us on Earth as it is in Heaven… a place that bears Only the sustaining fruit of Love.  It takes LOVE to grow a healthy sustainable Life giving garden both within and without. The last few years the seeds God planted within me have been coming forth and opening my ears to hear and eyes to See. The Good News IS: It’s never to late to Restore the garden(s). As I speak, my inner garden & outer garden are being transformed thru the renewal of My Mind.  An important tool in gardening to remember; the quality of your thinking determines the quality of your Life which also affects your earthly garden. The quality of the seeds you plant, the qualify of your care determines your harvest. You cannot throw some seeds out and expect them to develop, grow, & bear a harvest on their own. All seeds (words/ thoughts) within and Seeds planted without require TLC – Loving attention (pulling of weeds), fertilizing (food) , cultivation (the process of developing) , and watering. (spiritually & physically).

As we walk into Spring and the Resurrection of Life thru Jesus this month, may you all consider what you are choosing for your gardens this season. May you Seek Wisdom and Knowledge with all your heart and choose good things that they may bear a good harvest for you and your neighbors. Tip: some good spiritual seeds are in the book of Matthew and some good earthly seeds are: Tomatoes, squash, kale, lettuce, potatoes, edible flowers, herbs, and the list goes on.. check out You Tube or the ever faithful Farmers Almanac for tons of knowledge in the growing of your garden. Not to mention, for all the ways to grow a garden: on the patio, in the house, in the yard, & even on a rooftop!

https://www.almanac.com/vegetable-gardening-for-beginners#

Take Care and Have FUN in your planting and caring of your garden(s)

Morning!

Today as I was doing, as my friend says, “my domestic Goddess chores” I pulled out some of my ole tape cassettes. Yes! tape cassettes and yes still have my little stereo with cassette player. LOL  Anyway, I was playing a mixed sounds tape from back in the day and Erykah Badu songs began to play. Some of those verses really spoke not only to my soul but my spirit and of course brought so many memories of days gone by. Both the words of the songs and the memories reminded me of what a long way I have come in my journey of life. How many weeds popped up thru so many seasons and how many GOOD seeds were planted by people many would see as ” walkin’ on the dark side”. Funny thing as I walked down Memory Lane as I listened, I realized how many times those considered by many ” those people – the less fortunate of life” were the very ones I gained the most knowledge and felt the most love. The very ones that planted the best seeds in my heart & that are now & have over the years reaped a lovely harvest within my inner garden. (when I allowed them too)

Erykah’s words reminded me of how much the love of my life taught me over the years thru the pains we shared. I had come to him one messed up young girl, he and his Mom taught me The Way of Jesus Unconditional Love and then as I tried tell him right, he kept choosing to do wrong.  Even though I understood the game he was involved in I struggled when it came to why he couldn’t just get out, why when he realized he couldn’t or wasn’t going to change, he pushed me away and forced me to move on with our child. Back then all I could see and feel was the pain. I see now how much of what he & his family did, in that pushing me away, ultimately gave me the life I came to live. Honestly, gave my girls & I the lives we live and songs we’ve come to sing. His pushing me away wasn’t only to keep me out of the dark side but, was to put the pressure on me to develop, cultivate, and make those seeds of Love we shared Grow. I see now how his precious seeds planted within me have grown & still  blossom every year. More than I could have ever imagined.

Here are a few seeds that have brought me the good harvest of humbleness.

Never underestimate who and how God will use people in your life. Never get so Bougie & all that where you miss the angels unawares. As they do come in all shapes, forms, and cultures of life. Never think one neighborhood/culture is so much better than another; the human condition happens in all walks of life, just shows up in different packages. No not one of us is better than….on a different place on the road maybe, making some bad choices sometimes on what is planted in the garden but, with life/ stuff happens everywhere. Just remember it is our attitude or words that are planting seeds in the lives of others too and with Love all things are subject to Change and growth – to the good.

Shalom!

Yippie! Hallelujah! Spring is knocking at the door!  It’s time to choose the seeds to plan to plant, begin digging in to cultivate the ground, and even do some seed starters. So in this post I am sharing some of my seeds for both the inner garden and the outer.

Personally, I have chosen to plant nothing but good word seeds this season, within my heart & mind. I am making it a point to think before I speak, in some cases just plain Zip It, and in others be consciously aware to speak out of love, consideration, & respect to myself first then my neighbor. We say we are going to do this a lot but, pay attention to the seeds you plant with your words for a few days and let me know what was revealed. smile  We Must plant His Words of Love within our own garden 1st because what floweth from the mouth comes from the heart and as I say often, ” as a woman/man thinketh so is he/she“. So here are a few seeds I would like to share and of course it is your choice whether to plant them. smile

Remember: Loving yourself starts with liking yourself, which starts with respecting yourself, which starts with thinking of yourself in loving positive ways. How do you view yourself?  You do realize: If you aren’t good at loving yourself, you will have a difficult time loving anyone else.  (took me a few years to really grasp what that means) But, I got it now and I am a good work in progress.

I was born an original work of art & Originals are worth more than imitations. Suzy Kassem

I am a child of God, loved and full of His seeds of Love, overflowing, and full of Light & Joy. Renee’ Jones.

It isn’t what they call you, it’s what you answer to.. W.C. Fields

Now some suggestions of good seeds for the outer garden. Gotta love your body too.

Squashes:  Did you know they give you a health dose of Fiber? And we know what that means; you stay regular and have better digestion.

Endive: typically eaten in salads & if you drink Community Coffee with Chicory – the Chicory is the root of the Endive plant. It’s a bit bitter but, loaded with good nutrients. It is another one to aid in keeping regular, it lowers blood pressure due to the potassium in it, helps overcome anorexia, and prevent gallstone disease & it strengthens functions of the brain aiding in prevention of Alzhiemer disease…just to name a few things.

Tomatoes:  Most all of us love tomatoes right and there are so many varieties! Did you know they are good for your skin, your gut, and more? Did you know it is technically a fruit? Why ? cause it is seed bearing and develops from the ovary of a flowering plant. They are a great source of Vitamin C, Vitamin A, which supports immunity, vision, and skin health, and vitamin K, which is good for your bones, and like the endive it too has potassium, a key nutrient for heart function & maintaining healthy blood pressure.

These are just a few pretty darn easy to grow things in your garden, in a pot on the patio, or even indoors with the right lights. And what a fabulous salad they turn out to Be! Love, Love, Love them all & since they turn on the Love juices they are fertilizing your inner garden too!

Well, that’s it for me today, I am off to make a salad with all of the above!

Big Hugs and Much Love!

Recently I took a “workcation”, which taught me the value of taking an actual Vacation: an extended period of leisure and recreational period of suspension of work, study, or other activity, usually used for rest, recreation, or travel; recess or holiday.   For years I have taken “workcations” and now that I am older I realize what a dis-service that is to Me and to my job. When we work long hours and don’t take a break to re-charge it Does take it’s toll. Taking a day before or after the weekend is Not a Vacation or a day in the middle of the week then work and take the weekend…nope not a vacation. Your body doesn’t have time to distress, relax, rest, and our stress level only continues to rise. Did you know stress creates a multitude of diseases as well as actual chronic diseases for real?

Here are just a few Proven end results of stress: Of all the toxins in the world, stress might be one of the most damaging. If left untreated, it can lead to chronic inflammation, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and obesity. Symptoms of stress can include chest pain, rapid heartbeat, headaches, fatigue, insomnia, muscle or joint pain, increased or decreased appetite and sex drive, and overwhelming feelings of anxiety, sadness, or irritability. Here are ten scary truths behind the effects of dealing with chronic stress.  Dang, sounds like a drug commercial list of side effects doesn’t it?

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, chronic stress impairs the ability to concentrate, which increases the risk of accidents. Stress also has negative consequences on learning and memory because it kills brain cells. According to one study, the hippocampus in people who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder shrinks by eight percent. The hippocampus is the area of the brain responsible for memory and learning. Another study indicated that stress disrupts glucose channeling to the brain, which cuts off the brain’s energy source.  It’s no wonder Alzheimer’s is on the rise especially in women since they are juggling family, home, & work.  Did you know, there are 74.6 million women in the civilian labor force.  Not to mention, the workload employers expect these days. Greed has driven that to unreasonable levels – we are back to days of Old testament: “Do not supply any more straw for making bricks. Make the people get it themselves!”  In other words: more work, no more pay or training & in fact less if we can offshore, & let them (ALL workers) figure out how to produce more for less themselves. Now don’t get me wrong.. there are always exceptions and maybe you are employed by a boss that still appreciates your hard work and dedication or at least a boss/mgr. who does. However unfortunately, that is becoming less and less also. It is sad.

Which brings me back to the NEED to take Your week or two Vacation! Unplug from it all and I do mean unplug! Turn off the phone, don’t lug your computer with you saying, “ I will be available if you need me“. Your vacation time is time you have worked hard for & well EARNED break !  It is a labor law you do Not have to be available and your position should be covered and not by you. In today’s world if you plan on any kind of decent health you Must take care of yourself and part of that is ENJOYING your vacation! Not stressing thru it about work, studies, housework, and so on. And if you are traveling on vacation you darn sure should be enjoying it- you are paying A lot of money to take that vacation. (yep even short vacations are not cheap these days – so for goodness sake unplug and get what you paid for)

Now go back to the top and read the definition of a Vacation. smile

Shalom!