ed money, I was told by my father that my grandmother never ever complained. For she saw the tremendous amount of abundance for her family in America and she were so grateful that her children and her future grandchildren could be a part of that greatness.

Like many other small farmers, these two individuals rose early in the morning, worked hard all day and went to bed late at night.

Do you have a full plate? When you are asked to do something else, do you immediately react with a bad attitude and inwardly complain about how your plate is "soooo full" that you can't do anything else.

Let's be honest, our country has evolved into a nation of chronic complainers who actively look to what is not working and truly relish being miserable. Pick up the paper and read about all the complaints from the anti-smokers to the anti-progress (not in my back yard). These complainers consistently wear tight shorts that make them constantly uncomfortable as they attend to their daily activities.

If we just take a moment to truly think about our grandparents who truly had full plates, yet continued to embrace life with an attitude of joy instead of misery and abundance instead of scarcity, I believe that many would change their shorts or beliefs.

My father's family immigrated legally from Sweden along with thousands of others in the early 1920's. These immigrants homesteaded 40 acres in northern Wisconsin. Running water was a well with a hand pump about 100 yards from the sleeping cabin. Bathroom was an outhouse. Heat was from a large wood fed cast iron stove in small 2 room main house consisting of a living and dining area along with a kitchen.

Grandfather cultivated 35 years of wheat and corn along with a small herd of milking cows. Grandmother tended to the 5 children, chickens, hogs and day to day activities of farm life. Between cooking on a wood stove, helping her husband learn English, managing the limited money, I was told by my father that my grandmother never ever complained. For she saw the tremendous amount of abundance for her family in America and she were so grateful that her children and her future grandchildren could be a part of that greatness.

Like many other small farmers, these two individuals rose early in the morning, worked hard all day and went to bed late at night.

read about all the complaints from the anti-smokers to the anti-progress (not in my back yard). These complainers consistently wear tight shorts that make them constantly uncomfortable as they attend to their daily activities.

If we just take a moment to truly think about our grandparents who truly had full plates, yet continued to embrace life with an attitude of joy instead of misery and abundance instead of scarcity, I believe that many would change their shorts or beliefs.

My father's family immigrated legally from Sweden along with thousands of others in the early 1920's. These immigrants homesteaded 40 acres in northern Wisconsin. Running water was a well with a hand pump about 100 yards from the sleeping cabin. Bathroom was an outhouse. Heat was from a large wood fed cast iron stove in small 2 room main house consisting of a living and dining area along with a kitchen.

Grandfather cultivated 35 years of wheat and corn along with a small herd of milking cows. Grandmother tended to the 5 children, chickens, hogs and day to day activities of farm life. Between cooking on a wood stove, helping her husband learn English, managing the limited money, I was told by my father that my grandmother never ever complained. For she saw the tremendous amount of abundance for her family in America and she were so grateful that her children and her future grandchildren could be a part of that greatness.

Like many other small farmers, these two individuals rose early in the morning, worked hard all day and went to bed late at night.

y and abundance instead of scarcity, I believe that many would change their shorts or beliefs.

My father's family immigrated legally from Sweden along with thousands of others in the early 1920's. These immigrants homesteaded 40 acres in northern Wisconsin. Running water was a well with a hand pump about 100 yards from the sleeping cabin. Bathroom was an outhouse. Heat was from a large wood fed cast iron stove in small 2 room main house consisting of a living and dining area along with a kitchen.

Grandfather cultivated 35 years of wheat and corn along with a small herd of milking cows. Grandmother tended to the 5 children, chickens, hogs and day to day activities of farm life. Between cooking on a wood stove, helping her husband learn English, managing the limited money, I was told by my father that my grandmother never ever complained. For she saw the tremendous amount of abundance for her family in America and she were so grateful that her children and her future grandchildren could be a part of that greatness.

Like many other small farmers, these two individuals rose early in the morning, worked hard all day and went to bed late at night.

ge wood fed cast iron stove in small 2 room main house consisting of a living and dining area along with a kitchen.

Grandfather cultivated 35 years of wheat and corn along with a small herd of milking cows. Grandmother tended to the 5 children, chickens, hogs and day to day activities of farm life. Between cooking on a wood stove, helping her husband learn English, managing the limited money, I was told by my father that my grandmother never ever complained. For she saw the tremendous amount of abundance for her family in America and she were so grateful that her children and her future grandchildren could be a part of that greatness.

Like many other small farmers, these two individuals rose early in the morning, worked hard all day and went to bed late at night.

ed money, I was told by my father that my grandmother never ever complained. For she saw the tremendous amount of abundance for her family in America and she were so grateful that her children and her future grandchildren could be a part of that greatness.

Like many other small farmers, these two individuals rose early in the morning, worked hard all day and went to bed late at night. They raised 4 sons and one daughter. Their grandchildren and great grandchildren have all graduated high school, some went on to college earning Masters and PhDs.

I remember my grandmother always having fresh cakes, pastries, fruit and cheese on the table along with a pot of hot coffee ready for any visitor. How she managed to cook 3 main meals each day not to mention the snacks on a wood burning stove and all with a positive attitude still confounds me.

Years later when she lived part of the year with us, she shared with me many stories about farm life and her early years in Sweden. I never heard her complain about the hardness of her life. She always encouraged me and my cousins to embrace a positive attitude. Her little phrases such as "You get more with honey than with vinegar" or "Keep on trying and you will get there" are still with me some 50 years later.

So the next time you hear someone say "My plate is full" maybe you should suggest for him or her to eat some of that stuff and stop complaining. For they are truly fortunate to have a full plate where they can choose joy and abundance over misery and scarcity.