BECOMING A PATIENT PERSON:
 Check out the “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” calendar and you will discover the following patience description: “Patience is one of those special qualities where success feeds on itself. Once you reach little milestones — five minutes of patience — you’ll begin to see that you do, indeed, have the capacity [...]

IMPATIENT LISTENER’S LOSS:
 The “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” calendar has the following comment about the ego: “It’s the ego part of us that interrupts someone else’s story, or impatiently waits his turn to speak so that he can bring the conversation and attention back to himself. To varying degrees, most of us engage in [...]

DUMP YOUR EGO: 
Reviewing the “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” calendar, I found the following interesting statement: “There is something magical that happens to the human spirit, a sense of calm that comes over you, when you cease needing all the attention directed toward yourself and instead allow others to have the glory.” • • • [...]

Every year, I caution people against giving the gift of a puppy for Christmas. There are many reasons for this, from the chaos of the season to the coldness of the climate to the fact that it is such a personal decision — essentially the only time you get to choose a family member. Who [...]

SHUT UP AND RELAX:
 “You will notice how much more relaxed you feel when you stop interrupting others. Your heart and pulse rates will slow down, and you’ll begin to enjoy your conversations rather than rush through them. This is an easy way to become a more relaxed, loving person.” • • • HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LADIES!
 Cameron [...]

F’GETABOUTIT:
A glance at the “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” calendar reveals the following reflection: “All of us have unlimited potential and a clean slate in this moment — now. What prevents us from tapping into this great potential is our own mental ties to the past.” • • • TASTY AFFAIR:
 Don’t forget the “Chocolate Affair,” scheduled [...]

In the third and final episode of Backroads columnist Mike Roberts’ reflection on gratitude, he recaps local friends and professionals who were instrumental in getting his 87-year old mother Martha, who suffers advanced COPD, moved across country and settled in Placerville. Anyone within earshot of me from August through December of 2011  soon became aware of [...]