Maxine Thanks John Wagner for Maxine

John Wagner, Hallmark artist since 1970, says Maxine was inspired by his mother, his maiden aunts and his grandmother, the woman who bought him art lessons when 'fill in the pumpkins' was about the extent of his art classes at St. John's Catholic School in Leonia
N.J.
John remembers doodling as a preschooler and says both his grandmother and his mother encouraged his artistic interests. He eventually attended the Vesper George School of Art in Boston and landed at Hallmark as part of a new artists group. But it was the birth of the humorous Shoebox Greetings (a tiny little division of Hallmark) in 1986 that added a new dimension to John's professional life. The Shoebox way of seeing the world unleashed his talents and he created Maxine.
'Cartoonists are sensitive to the insanities of the world; we just try to humanize them,' John says. 'If Maxine can get a laugh out of someone who feels lonely or someone who is getting older and hates the thought of another birthday, or if she can make someone chuckle about stressful interpersonal relationships, then I'm happy. Putting a smile on someone's face is what it's all about.'
Those smiles have led to Maxine's becoming a bit of a celebrity. She (and John) have been the subject of media stories, including People, USA Today, Good Morning America, The Wall Street Journal, St. Petersburg (FL) Times, and Las Vegas Journal-Review, and they have been included in a major Associated Press story. Collector and trade publications have reported fans nationwide are collecting
Maxine items. Letters from consumers and fans to John and Maxine reveal a very personal connection to Maxine.

Many people say they are just like her.
Why the name 'Maxine'? 'People at Shoebox started referring to the character as 'John Wagner's old lady,' and I knew that would get me into trouble with my wife,' John says. The Shoebox team had a contest among themselves to name the character and three of the approximately 30 entries suggested 'Maxine'. John says the name is perfect.
John, who says he's humbled by such acceptance of Maxine, admits he's proud of her.
Now you know the story of how Maxine came to be.

Friendship is the golden thread that ties all hearts together!

Life isn't about how to survive the storm but how to dance in the rain.


I like you because of

Who you are to me...

A true friend.

Friendship is the golden thread that ties all hearts together!



Remember:

'A good friend will

Come bail you

Out of jail....

But a true friend will

Be sitting next to you

Saying WE screwed

Up, but we had fun!'

Proud To Be

Your Friend!

Make sure you read

All the way down to

The last sentence,

And don't skip ahead..

I've learned..

That life is like a

Roll of toilet paper.

The closer it gets

To the end, the

Faster it goes.

I've learned....

That we should be

Glad God doesn't

Give us everything

We ask for

I've learned....

That money doesn't

Buy class.

I've learned...that it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I've learned....

That under everyone's

Hard shell is someone

Who wants to be

Appreciated

And loved.

I've learned...

That the Lord didn't

Do it all in one day

What makes me

Think I can?

I've learned...

That to ignore the

Facts does not

Change the facts..

I've learned.....

That the less time

I have to work,

The more things

I get done.

To all of you...... Make

Sure you read all the

Way down to the

Last sentence.

It's National

Friendship

Week.

Show your friends

How much you care.

Send this to everyone

You consider a FRIEND!

Even if it means sending

It back to the person

Who sent it to you.



If it comes back to you,

Then you'll know you



Have a circle of friends.

HAPPY FRIENDSHIP

WEEK TO YOU!!!!!!

YOU ARE MY FRIEND

AND I AM HONORED.

Thank you Terri!

Gratitude...

Melody Beattie said:




"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. I can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."

a new start ...

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.


Carl Bard

just a few quotes ...

"Life is a pure flame, and we live by an invisible sun within us." - Sir Thomas Brown

"A wise man learns by the mistakes of others, a fool by his own." - Latin Proverb

"Hear the meaning within the word." - William Shakespeare

"Years teach us more than books." - Berthold Auerbach

"The way to gain a good reputation, is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear." - Socrates

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." - Helen Keller

"What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?" - Vincent van Gogh

"Happiness resides not in posessions and not in gold; the feeling of happiness dwells in the soul." - Democritus

"After the game, the king and the pawn go into the same box." - Italian Proverb

"The best thing about me is you." - Shannon Crown

God wants you to know ...

God wants you to know ...
that it's time to STOP going through the motions of living, and START living. Are you willing to do that now? Or are you going to wait until all life energy drains out of you and your loved ones who are trying to support you at this very moment? You were not born to follow rules and regulations. Living starts with dreaming. So dream, dream friend, and let dreams show you the path to your bliss.

...difficulty...

"In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity."

~Albert Einstein

Don't Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,


When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,


When the funds are low and the debts are high,


And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,


When care is pressing you down a bit,


Rest! if you must; but don't you quit.






Life is queer with its twists and turns,


As everyone of us sometimes learns,


And many a failure turns about


When he might have won had he stuck it out;


Don't give up, though the pace seems slow;


You might succeed with another blow.






Often the goal is nearer than


It seems to a faint and faltering man,


Often the struggler has given up


When he might have captured the victor's cup.


And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,


How close he was to the golden crown.






Success is failure turned inside out;


The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;


And you never can tell how close you are,


It may be near when it seems afar;


So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit;


It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.

Don't be afraid to take a big step...

Don't be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated. You can't cross a chasm in two small jumps. ~David Lloyd George

faith...

"Faith is not necessary when you know how things are going to work out, - that's knowledge....
It's in the time of unknowing that having faith is what sees you through to the other side.
Faith is what gives you strength.
Faith is that light in your heart that keeps on shining even when it's all darkness outside.
Now is the time to keep that faith alive!"

My hope for our families...

My hope for our families, our places of worship, our businesses, our nation, and our world is an incredible life of permanent purpose that can be achieved when at last we understand: Every move we make and every action we take, matters not just for us, but for all of us and for all time.~ Andy Andrews  author of the Butterfly effect"

Every single thing you do matters...

"Every single thing you do matters. 

You have been created as one of a kind. 

You have been created in order to make a difference. 

You have within you the power to change the world."

~ Andy Andrews

CHANGE...

"CHANGE TO ME IS LIKE AN OLD FRIEND. IT'S NOT MY ENEMY ANYMORE. AND I KNOW IT WILL KEEP COMING BACK TO VISIT AGAIN AND AGAIN. - AUTHOR PHYLLIS GEORGE

"Shay Day"

Two Choices




What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line, there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the same choice?







At a fundraising dinner for a school that=2 0serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its



dedicated staff, he offered a question:



'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection.



Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do.



Where is the natural order of things in my son?'







The audience was stilled by the query.







The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.'



Then he told the following story:







Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it=2 0would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.



I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.'



Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.



In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.



In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.



In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again.



Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.



At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?



Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.



Howev er, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.



The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed.



The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.



As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.



The game would now be over.



The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman.



Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.



Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates.



Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first!



Run to first!'



Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base.



He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.



Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!'



Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.



B y the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball . the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team.



He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for20the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's h ead.



Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.



All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'



Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!



Shay, run to third!'



As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!'



Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team



'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'.



Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!







AND NOW A LITTLE FOOT NOTE TO THIS STORY:



We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life choices, people hesitate.



The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our school s and workplaces.< /font>



If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message Well, the person who sent you this believes that we all can make a difference.



We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural order of things.'



So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice:



Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?



A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.







You now have two choices:



1. Delete



2. Forward



May your day, be a Shay Day.

I've learned that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.


Author Unknown

Life is not brief candle to me.

A few quotes ...

To achieve great things you have first to believe it.







-Arsene Wenger






When one is out of touch with oneself, one cannot touch others.






-Anne Morrow Lindbergh






A professional is someone who can do his best work when he doesn’t feel like it.






-Alistair Cooke






An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.






-Henry David Thoreau






Character is the sum total of all our everyday choices.






-Margaret Jensen






Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.






-Henry Ford














All the mistakes I ever made in my life where when I wanted to say No, and said Yes.






-Moss Hart






Trust thyself.


-Ralph Waldo Emerson














If you want to leave footprints in the sands of time, don’t drag your feet.






-Arnot L. Sheppard






Of all the liars in the world, sometimes the worst are your own fears.






-Rudyard Kipling






No man is free who is not a master of himself.






-Epictetus






Celebrate what you’ve accomplished, but raise the bar a little higher each time you succeed.






-Mia Hamm






Preconceived notions are the locks on the door to wisdom.






-Merry Browne






Imagination is more important than knowledge.






-Albert Einstein






The most important work you and I ever do will be within the walls of our own homes.






-Harold B. Lee






Never be afraid to sit awhile and think.






-Lorraine Hansberry






Chance favors the prepared mind.






-Louis Pasteur






Be sure you put your feet in the right place, and then stand firm.






-Abraham Lincoln






Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another.






-Walter Elliot






Patience is the companion of wisdom.






-Saint Augustine






Past experience should be a guide post, not a hitching post.






-D. W. Williams






You can’t do it unless you can imagine it.






-George Lucas






Slow down, simplify, and be kind.






-Naomi Judd






Dost thou love life? Then do not squander Time, for that’s the stuff Life is made of.






-Benjamin Franklin






Even though they are paid differently, everyone has to feel appreciated.






-Roger Staubach






The first thing any coaching staff must do is weed out selfishness.






-Johnny Majors






The more difficult the victory, the greater the happiness in winning.






-Pele






I like to train. I enjoy challenges, but most of all I like winning.






-Sugar Ray Leonard


















You can only milk a cow so long, then you're left holding the pail.






-Hank Aaron














A champion is afraid of losing. Everyone else is afraid of winning.






-Billie Jean King






I try not to live up to expectation... I just do what I think I can do.






-Danica Patrick










My idea was to do everything better than anybody else ever had.






-Willie Mays






I know that I'm never as good or bad as any single performance.






-Charles Barkley






The really free person in society is the one who is disciplined.






-Dean Smith






You don't cheat anybody out of their experience, whatever it is.






-Andre Agassi






It is easier to do a job right than to explain why you didn't.






-Martina Navratilova






I want to be remembered as a ballplayer who gave all I had to give.






-Roberto Clemente






I feel I've had a consistent career, but I could only be as good as the team.






-Ken Anderson






The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.






-Jimmie Johnson






What I do is prepare myself until I know I can do what I have to do.






-Joe Namath






Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory.






-Bill Russell






Put King Kong in front of me and I'll still keep coming until I knock him out.






-Sugar Ray Leonard






It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret.






-Jackie Joyner-Kersee






Winning isn't getting ahead of others, it is getting ahead of yourself.






-Roger Staubach






I've always thought I could do whatever was necessary to succeed.






-Michael Jordan






I never think about having a bad game because I have prepared.






-David Robinson






If you want to see a great fighter at his best, watch him when he's getting beat.






-Sugar Ray Robinson






You can't get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good.






-Jerry West






If you don't love what you do, you won't do it with much conviction or passion.






-Mia Hamm






When it comes to celebrating, act like you've been there before.






-Terry Bowden






Never limit yourself, never be satisfied, and smile - it's free!






-Jenny Finch






If you fail to prepare, you're prepared to fail.






-Mark Spitz






Do your best when no one is looking.






-Bob Cousy

A lesson that should be taught in all schools and colleges:

A lesson that should be taught in all schools and colleges:
Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha
Cothren, a Social Studies School Teacher, at Robinson High
School in Little Rock , did something not to be forgotten.
On the first day of school, with the permission of her supervisor, she
removed all the desks out of her classroom.
When the first period kids entered the room, they discovered that there
were no desks. 'Ms. Cothren, where're our desks?'
She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me what you have
done to earn the right to sit at a desk.' They thought, 'Well, maybe it's our
grades.' No,' she said. 'Maybe it's our behavior.' She told them, 'No, it's not even your
behavior.' And so, they came and went, the first period,
second period, and third period. Still no desks in the classroom.
By early afternoon television news crews had started to gathering in
Ms. Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy
teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.
The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found
seats on the floor of the deskless classroom, Martha Cothern said,
'Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he or she
has done to earn the right to sit at the desks, that are
ordinarily found in this classroom. Now, I am going to tell you.'
At this point, Martha Cothern went over to the door of classroom and opened it.
Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each
one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows;
and then, they would walk over and stand alongside the wall.
By the time, the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started
to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the
right to sit at those desks had been earned. Martha said, 'You
didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These
heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to
you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, and
to be good citizens.They paid the price, so that you could have the freedom to
get an education. Don't ever forget it.'

Thanks Aunt Jeanie for this email

"'The seasons do not push one another; neither do clouds race the wind across the sky. All things happen in their own good time.'
~~Dan Millman"

a few quotes ...

Discipline and concentration are a matter of being interested.

-Tom Kite

You don't just accidentally show up in the World Series.
-Derek Jeter

Don't cuss, don't argue with the officials, and don't lose the game.
-John Heisman

Never change a winning game; always change a losing one.
-Bill Tilden
It is more difficult to stay on top than to get there.
-Mia Hamm

I've failed over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.
-Michael Jordan

REPUTATION IS WHAT OTHER PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT YOU.
HONOR IS WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT YOURSELF.

If you ever feel a little bit stupid...

Something to make you laugh!

If you ever feel a little bit stupid, just dig this up and read it again; you'll begin to think you're a genius.


(On September 17, 1994, Alabama's Heather Whitestone was selected as Miss America 1995.)
Question: If you could live forever, would you and why?
Answer: 'I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever,'
-- Miss Alabama in the 1994 Miss USA contest .
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
'Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can't help but cry. I mean I'd love to be skinny like that, but not with all those flies and death and stuff.'
--Mariah Carey
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
'Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life.'
-- Brooke Shields, during an interview to become spokesperson for federal anti-smoking campaign. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
'I've never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body.'
-- Winston Bennett, University of Kentucky basketball forward.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
'Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country.'
--Mayor Marion Barry, Washington , DC
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
'That lowdown scoundrel deserves to be kicked to death by a jackass, and I'm just the one to do it.'
--A congressional candidate in Texas
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
'Half this game is ninety percent mental.'
--Philadelphia Phillies manager, Danny Ozark
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
'It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it.'
--Al Gore, Vice President
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix '
-- Dan Quayle while campaigning
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
'We've got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need ?'
--Lee Iacocca
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
'The word 'genius' isn't applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein.'
--Joe Theisman, NFL football quarterback & sports analyst.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
'We don't necessarily discriminate. We simply exclude certain types of people.'
-- Colonel Gerald Wellman, ROTC Instrutor .
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
'Your food stamps will be stopped effective March 1992 because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances.'
--Department of Social Services, Greenville, South Carolina
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
'Traditionally, most of Australia 's imports come from overseas.'
--Keppel Enderbery
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
'If somebody has a bad heart, they can plug this jack in at night as they go to bed and it will monitor their heart throughout the night. And the next morning, when they wake up dead, there'll be a record.'
--Mark S. Fowler, FCC Chairman
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Feeling smarter yet?
Send it on to your brilliant friends.
I just did!!
Thanks Larry for the funny email

quotes

Beauty is living the life you love

Life is 10% what you make it, and 90% how you take it

The world is but a canvas to our imagination

See the beauty in everything

You may be disappointed if you fail but you are doomed if you don't try

Life it happens

Relax the mind
Renew the body
Revive the soul

Treasure the little things in life

Most of us have far more courage than we ever dreamed we possessed - Dale Carnegie

... to accomplish great things, you must not only act, but also dream not only plan, but also believe ...
- Anatole France

May your life be like good wine tasty, sharp and clear, and like good wine may it improve with every passing year - Italian Blessing

Always keep in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other thing
-Abraham Lincoln

You can learn new things ...

You can learn new things at any time in your life if you're willing to be a beginner.  If you actually learn to like being a beginner the whole world opens to you - Barbara Sher

...love leaves a memory ...

"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal but love leaves a memory that no one can steal."
- Hawthorne TNT TV

May you always ...

May you always be aware you are loved beyond measure and may you be willing to love unconditionally in return
- Kate Nowak