Pope Francis – Well Done!
On Sunday, during his sermon at mass, Pope Francis made an historic invitation. Read more
May 28
On Sunday, during his sermon at mass, Pope Francis made an historic invitation. Read more
May 26
Today, Memorial Day, we remember and honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Read more
May 22
Sandra Bullock of Blindside movie fame, surprised, or one might say “blindsided” graduating high school students on Monday when she gave this commencement speech: Read more
May 21
HRH The Prince of Wales and his wife, HRH The Duchess of Cornwall arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia on Sunday and were greeted by masses of Canadians! Read more
May 15
May 14
Then…. and now! The original cast of the wonderful Rodgers and Hammerstein production, The Sound of Music. Read more
May 12
No matter how down you may be, how impossible your situation may seem, how unlikely success appears…stay humble and press on. Great things just may await you! Read more
May 11
If you are someone’s mommy, grandmother, nana, auntie, tia, or godmother, so basically if you are a woman who cares about anyone’s children including, and especially your own, this is for you 🙂 Read more
May 7
(Photo courtesy of Press Association)
Yesterday, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth visited the Feisted School in Essex (England) to commemorate its anniversary. Read more
Apr 30
“Dear Chums,
My son balks at taking his hat off when sitting down to a meal. What is your feeling on this subject?” Read more
Apr 29
Prince William, The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George have had a wonderful trip to NewZealand and Australia! Read more
Apr 21
“Opportunity…it often comes disguised in the form of misfortune or temporary defeat.” – Napoleon Hill We’ve all had set backs or been discouraged as we pursued our callings of one kind or another. Here are some folks who overcame their discouragement and pressed on.
Apr 16
Apr 8
The dental hygienist who has cleaned my teeth for years recently lost her son.” Read more
Apr 7
If you have ever been rejected or turned down …congratulations! You are now a part of a group of very well known and successful people who have also had this same experience. Read more
Apr 3
Yes, little Prince George certainly is growing up and seems to be more captivated with Lupo, his cocker spaniel, than anything else! Read more
Mar 31
We always love to share heartwarming stories that we hear about. This one came courtesy of The PostGame Staff.
Mar 27
Mar 25
Mar 18
Rumour (in England, this is how it is spelled) has it that Prince Harry is getting quite serious about Cressida Bonas! Read more
Mar 11
Just over thirty years ago, Prince Charles and Diana insisted that William be with them on an official tour of Australia and New Zealand. He was nine months old at the time. Read more
Mar 4
Yes, today is “Fat Tuesday” or what is more commonly called “Mardi Gras”. There is celebrating going on throughout a lot of the Christian world with lots of music, parades, and partying.
Feb 28
Philomena! Without a doubt, your Two Chums appreciated this movie – this movie depicting another true story, this time about Philomena Lee, an Irish girl who found herself pregnant, out of wedlock, at a time when this was certainly “not done”. Read more
Feb 21
With so much emphasis on the outward i.e. our body, our hair, etc. we were struck by this wonderful letter from Dr. Kelly Flanagan, a clinical psychologist, to his daughter. Read more
Feb 18
Feb 17
Without the amazing leadership qualities, the force of character, and the wartime experience of George Washington, The United States of America might still be a colony of the United Kingdom. Read more
Feb 6
We learned that there is more than just the Olympic games bringing people together in Russia! Read more
Feb 5
Do you know what the five rings and the five different colors of the rings represent? Well ….. Read more
Feb 4
This is a wonderful story that we read on Momastery. We want to share it with all of you.
We say, “Well done” to this amazing teacher.
Jan 30
Why did Diana become a princess when she married Prince Charles and Kate did not when she married Prince William? Read more
Jan 15
Jan 9
In honour of her turning 32, here are 32 reasons why we love Katherine! Read more
Jan 7
People have learned so very much from President Ronald Reagan. We came across this touching letter from President Reagan to his son, Michael, which he wrote days before Michael got married. Read more
Jan 3
Sketch courtesy of The Lazy Mom Diaries
These 10 old fashioned ways of dating popped out at us on Facebook and we thought it would be fun to share them. Read more
Dec 19
I have just become in awe of snowflakes! Read more
Dec 13
When the surprise takes the form of what looks and feels like a Christmas miracle it is all the better! WestJet , a Canadian airline, provided one such miracle for a plane full of unsuspecting passengers. If you haven’t found your smile yet this holiday season or shed tears of joy, you will get your chance right here.
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Dec 12
As the beloved Maria in the Sound of Music sang, “These are a few of my favorite things”. Read more
Dec 10
To quote President John F. Kennedy, ““We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” Read more
Dec 2
Thanksgiving 2013 may be over, but that’s no reason to stop giving thanks or showing gratitude. Read more
Nov 22
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the death of two men who greatly influenced the world and our individual lives…President John F. Kennedy and celebrated author, C.S. Lewis. Read more
Nov 21
Although the names have been changed to give these people privacy, this story actually took place. A dear chum of ours posted it on Facebook and we were so touched by it that we wanted to share it with you all. Read more
Nov 19
One hundred and fifty years ago today, just ten sentences that took a mere two minutes to deliver became, arguably, one of the most famous of all American speeches. Delivered by President Abraham Lincoln to dedicate the cemetery at Gettyburg, Pennsylvania, this is of course what we now call The Gettysburg Address. Read more
Nov 15
Mr. Rogers had a precious children’s television show, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, for many years – watched by millions. Reminiscing about his mother, he was heard to say this:
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Nov 12
Certainly, Ashton Kutcher is continuing to raise consciousness – create a new mind set – with youth. Ellen DeGeneres recently interviewed him on her show and here’s what he said: Read more
Nov 11
In Canada, Britain, South Africa, and most Commonwealth countries, in the days leading up to the eleventh day of November, Remembrance Day, there are very few people walking along the streets who are not wearing a poppy. People sell them on every street corner and inside a lot of stores. There is no set price – any donation will do. The proceeds go to support the Armed Forces.
Read more
Nov 7
Oct 25
Anyone would be honored to be the godparent of this little dolly, but the fact that he will one day be the King of England makes the job a particularly special honour! Read more
Oct 21
With all of this talk of His Royal Highness, Baby George, and his christening coming up this week, we thought you might find this interesting. There is one more name that is about to go onto this family tree – do you know who? Read more
Oct 16
Growing up in London, as I did, it was never very difficult to get to most countries on “The Continent” i.e. in the rest of Europe. Read more
Oct 10
Those of you who knew my mother, Ruth, know that my pet name for her is Sugarplum – and what a Sugarplum she was and continues to be…..in my heart.
Oct 8
Everywhere we turn we hear about the adverse effects of stress. In only a few minutes a day, do something good for yourself to get rid of stress and feel refreshed. Read more
Oct 2
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have a new Conjugal Coat of Arms which will represent them in heraldic terms as a married couple. Read more
Sep 30
Sep 26
A Dairy Queen employee, Joey Prusak, has certainly hit the headlines this week with his act of kindness. Read more
Sep 16
The mother of one of the 26 victims of last year’s Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre has written a powerful letter to the teachers of America. Read more
Sep 12
Sep 9
How touching it is to read a wonderful story about something good that has taken place in the world. Indeed, we feel that we should magnify and ponder these things and pass them along. So, that we are doing. Read more
Sep 7
It has been brought to our attention that we had our head in the clouds on Thursday when we mentioned that George Carlin was the author of those wonderful observations about life. Read more
Aug 29
Words are powerful…sometimes life changing. Here are a few powerful quotes we have run across lately that we wanted to share with you, our “chums”. Read more
Aug 23
How I wish that a Journal had been started for me when I was a babe and began my travels!
Aug 14
Rarely, well actually never, do Jackie or I post something from someone else’s blog just verbatim. We may reference it or use it for inspiration or suggest that you, our chums, check it out, but copy and paste a whole article….NEVER. Until now 🙂 Read more
Aug 12
When John Kralik was a young boy, his grandfather told him that he would give him a silver dollar. His grandfather also said that, if he wrote a thank you note to his grandfather for the silver dollar, when he received the silver dollar, he would give him another silver dollar and for every thank you note thereafter, he would get a silver dollar. Read more
Aug 8
When life hands you lemons, make lemonade! What a great bit of advice that is. Read more
Aug 1
As the new loving first time parents, William and Kate are all about tradition and duty and teaching their son the lessons he will need to be the future King. You can be sure Uncle Harry will balance them, and in true form, he will be all about fun:) Read more
Jul 31
We hear stories all the time about celebrities or teenagers who shave their heads. They choose baldness to get attention or as the result of a prank or a dare. This is a different story…the story of going Bald for Good 🙂 Read more
Jul 29
In the late 1800’s John W. Nordstrom, at the age of 16 came to the United States from Sweden with $5 in his pocket. Read more
Jul 26
Tootsie. This movie is a classic. It is funny and poignant and is one of Dustin Hoffman’s finest performances. He has some very interesting thoughts about having played the role of a woman. Read more
Jul 9
You know, the English love to bet. They bet on all and anything! So, it does not surprise us one bit that a lot of the English have placed money on whether the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate, will have a girl or a boy and what they will name this precious baby. Read more
Jun 27
As I walked through my laundry room not long ago I saw two pairs of pink Crocs sitting by the back door. One belonged to my daughter, Amanda, and the other to her youngest daughter, Evangeline. There they were, a picture of exactly what was happening day in and day out…little feet were following in the footsteps of the bigger ones and Evangeline was actually, in so many ways, becoming a mini version of her mommy. Read more
Jun 17
When we say “Never Give In”, we mean it in the context that Sir Winston Churchill did when he said, “Never give in–never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” Instead, “Just Let Go”.
Jun 13
In the course of a casual conversation, a young man recently told me that the best advice he ever got came from his father. “My father told me a long time ago, ‘Remember, cheap is usually very expensive. And free is dangerous. You get what you pay for.'” Read more
Jun 12
Today we bring you a story that was originally a Facebook post written by the sister-in-law of one of our chums about her father-in-law who is struggling with early onset Alzheimers. Though we don’t usually use other people’s personal FB posts on Two Chums, it seemed particularly appropriate with Father’s Day just around the corner. What a beautiful message for all of us that no matter our age or physical or mental condition, while our heart still beats, we have value and worth and can make a difference in someone else’s life. Read more
Jun 10
Here we are again with more things that, once let go of, a more abundant life appears! Give it a go this week. Let go of these! Read more
Jun 7
Certainly, one of the greatest figures of our time was Winston Churchill. Not only did Sir Winston have great vision and staying power, which helped to lead parts of the Western World out of Naziism, but he also had a great wit and could easily laugh at himself as well as others.
Jun 4
It has always given me great pleasure to fly into the Bahamian islands during the day. The waters are so very beautiful – something you might see on a picture postcard and wonder, “Could it possibly be that beautiful or has it been touched up to make it more appealing?” BUT it is REAL and, oftentimes, MORE beautiful than the photo represents. Read more
May 29
Today John F. Kennedy would have turned 96 years old. There are some amazing similarities between former Presidents Abraham LIncoln and John F. Kennedy. See what you think! Read more
May 27
As we mentioned last Monday, we are continuing our “series” of “Never Give Up – Just Let Go”. The things we should “just let go” of in order to “Never Give Up” on the good. Read more
May 24
Abraham Lincoln in his famous Gettysburg Address referred to the slain warriors as having given “the last full measure of devotion”. Such a poignant few words and, oh, how true they are! Read more
May 23
Why is it, you might ask, that period pieces such as the PBS Masterpiece series“Mr. Selfridge” that is currently on television and “Call The Midwife” are so very popular? “Downtown Abbey”, which is in between seasons at the moment, took this country by storm – everyone was talking about it and one quickly realized that it was near the top of the “Most Popular” list!
May 20
This past week, one of our good chums, Pam, posted something on her Facebook page that caught our attention and made us ponder just what things we, your chums, are hanging on to that may be keeping us from becoming all we were meant to be. Read more
May 9
As the quote from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet goes, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”. Here’s an idea…another name for those beautiful roses could be “sweet and thoughtful gift”. Read more
May 8
In this 1960 photograph, it seemed such a far way off that Charles would take over as Monarch from his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Read more
Apr 25
You no doubt remember the question the “beautiful” queen asked of her mirror in the classic Disney movie, Snow White. “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” Few of us would ask that question expecting that the mirror would answer us at all much less tell us that we were the fairest, most beautiful. I came across a very interesting video made by Dove soap that examines how women see themselves versus how others see them. Read more
Apr 17
If we had to pick five people in the world who had left their mark on fashion, certainly Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy would be one of those five! Read more
Apr 16
In the wake of yesterday’s horrific events in Boston, we find ourselves once again faced with unexpected, unforeseen tragedy. Read more
Apr 16
If you go down to the woods today,
You’re sure of a big surprise.
If you go down to the woods today,
You’d better go in disguise.
For every bear that ever there was
Will gather there for certain because
Today’s the day the teddy bears have their picnic.
Picnic time for teddy bears;
The little teddy bears are having a lovely time today.
Watch us catch them unawares,
And see them picnic on their holiday.
See them gaily gad about.
They love to play and shout,
They never have any cares.
At six o’clock their mummies and daddies
Will take them home to bed
Because they’re tired little teddy bears.
But….do you know how the “teddy bear” got its name? Read more
Apr 15
There is nothing like the timeless “sailor suit” made popular by Albert Edward, Prince of Wales in 1846. A the age of four, he was given a miniature copy of the of the uniform worn by the crew on the Royal Yacht. Read more
Apr 10
“A Victorian fantasy in the Scottish Highlands”, Balmoral Castle is the place the Queen calls “home” during the summer of any given year. Read more
Mar 27
Looking for something fun and memorable to do with your family over this Spring Break? Here’s an idea that turned out to be a BIG hit in our home! Read more
Mar 26
When I think of eggs, the first thing that comes to my mind are those wonderful, absolutely exquisite, Fabergé eggs!
Mar 18
Why are even those of us who aren’t Catholic surprised and delighted by this new leader of the Catholic Church? Perhaps it is because Pope Francis’ familiar, “regular guy” style has already made a down-to-earth impression on the world. Read more