Sagittarius Birthday Eve…

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My husband should blog. Poem courtesy of him.  Thank you to all the amazing fellow bloggers through wordpress. It’s been wonderful to connect, write, and inspire one another. I am so grateful for this community. Sparkle on friends.

I leave you with a few of my favorite things on this 32nd birthday eve:

The Versatile Blogger Award, Rachel’s take

ari and i flowers

First of all, I’d like to thank the academy, “Applause…. applause, thunderous….” Ok, no but really… I would like to thank the blogging community. As a shy introverted sometimes extrovert, generally through my thinking, I have found a voice through my writing. It’s been AMAZING to connect with fellow bloggers and realize that we can support, uplift, and encourage one another through the means of clicking, reading, and responding. I love it. So thank you so much new friends for reading and sharing.

Thank you stephellaneous for being supportive and inspiring. Acknowledging one another’s thoughts and feelings has been awesome. Rock on, or should I say, write on! 🙂 Here is a little bit more about this award: https://versatilebloggeraward.wordpress.com/about/

Seven+2 tid bits about moi:

  1. Sometimes I sing amazing concerts in the shower that can cover a vast array of genres that may or many not include: Jazz, opera, musical theatre, punk, rock and roll, pop, torch songs, standards, songs in Hebrew, Disney….It could be an embarrassingly long list.
  2. Continuing the music theme: I once won $100 cash in a karaoke contest I had no idea that I entered. I went to the restroom after a few songs passed after my last song. A woman bursts into the bathroom shouting, “ARE YOU STILL HERE?!” I left the stall and proceeded to the sink, she gulped,”OH GOOD, don’t leave cuz (wink) I think you’re gonna win!” I squinted at myself as I am doing so now in the dark of my bedroom staring into the lit screen before me. “What?” I left the bathroom and proceeded back to my friends. Sparing a few details…I beat out my husband, and I won the cash prize, who knew? I never even realized that a random Chinese restaurant in a tiny town in Oregon could make for such a profitable visit. Moral to this #2 share is: I win karaoke contests. 😉
  3. When I was a tiny kidlet I could turn the waterworks on quite well. So said my sister, she called them, “Crocodile tears.” When feeling sensitive about something, it is still my defense mechanism. I’m more like the character Rachel Greene from Friends than I care to admit. 
  4. Sometimes I stay up ALL night to finish a book. One text that was worth doing so for was, “Night,” by Elie Wiesel. Haven’t read it? Read it. 
  5. I repeat stories. I learn through stories. I love to connect through stories, and to share through my usage of empathy.
  6. I teach little people during the day, I can tap dance a bit, mainly I dance in sneakers, or bare feet most nights. I sing on the weekends, and I type a lot.
  7. I love the phrase, “Life’s too short kid, don’t sweat the small stuff.” Thanks Dad.
  8. I’ve made a concerted effort the last year to ALWAYS greet any cashier, sales rep, or customer service employee with a smile and ask them how they are doing. Sometimes I find them caught off guard, while others happily chat with me about something random. I love it. The random particulars in life, and the conversations are what make these little moments in humanity wonderful. 
  9. I do this a lot: Smile. 🙂 It makes other people wonder or consider the following: “What is she up to?”  “What’s she so smiley for?”  “Why is she smiling….Oh I bet I know!”  “Ooooh I feel like smiling too.”  “She’s got something in her teeth…should I tell her? Naw…. :-P”

I nominate/recommend checking out the following people/bloggers who are awesome. 🙂

  1. Little Calico: https://xiaohuamaobiji.wordpress.com/2015/10/22/little-steps-definingsuccess-memeespoetryparties/
  2. Meme: Memeesmusings http://memeesmusings.com
  3. Dayna: just breathe and blog:  https://justbreatheandblog.wordpress.com/about-2/
  4. Elizabeth:  The crumbs of my life https://thecrumbsofmylife.wordpress.com/why-are-you-here/who-is-this-crazy-woman/
  5. Jacob: Thats So Jacob: https://wordpress.com/read/post/feed/11349179/841373138
  6. https://phoenixcrimson.wordpress.com
  7. Debbie: The Styling Librarian
  8. Tonya: http://fourthgenerationfarmgirl.com
  9. Jess: jess a dreamer: http://jessadreamer.com
  10. Views of Venus
  11. Liz: http://belovelive.com
  12. Exp10sive 3nTry:  https://howfastisasnail.wordpress.com/about/
  13. Dan: https://hurdlestohappiness.wordpress.com
  14. https://themisfitscloset.wordpress.com

Gratitude and writing

“Gratitude: a feeling of appreciation or thanks,” per the Webster Dictionary.

Someone recognized my writing from across the blogosphere on the inter-web land!  The timing was perfect. It’s been a rollercoaster of a month. Carl, thank you for your recognition and kindness!!

One thing I truly appreciate about your writing Carl is your candid honesty and perseverance for life displayed through your writing. Friends who may be reading this who perhaps have not happened across his work, go check out his blog: http://theoldfellowgoesrunning.com

It’s been an interesting month, or few weeks rather, of my life. My days with summer have been quite wonderful, but also sprinkled with many other emotional moments, and realizations. Here are a few in fine list fashion:

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1. Life may hand me lemons, it’s hard to make lemonade at times, but I do it anyway and I am grateful for it.

2. Sometimes I accidentally hurt my body, my feet for instance, and then I realize just how grateful I am are for those body parts and all that they do for me.

3. Hearing dreadful news about my sister’s health, but I felt grateful for her impending return home; and finally getting that hug we both needed.

4. Learning how to refocus my mind’s motivation is quite challenging, and finding gratitude for the daily to-do’s has helped me seek comfort.

5. Not allowing someone else’s desires to penetrate my mind with their negativity is a work in progress and that is ok.

6. Realizing that gifts are to be shared regardless of the audience’s motivation, or reception.

7. The learning curve can be quite steep when not in one’s own comfort zone.

8. It’s important to push yourself to do one new thing every day. Maybe parking in a new spot in that same bloody parking lot, but it was something new! There’s always a different perspective to be had in life, as small as it may be.

9. The cat will always want to be fed, the dog will want to go on a walk, so I need to get up.

10. Working out, dancing, running, jogging, and walking always help make my days more pleasurable, my emotions more regulated, and my attitude much, much more positive. “Nobody likes a crab, so go take your crab legs out for a dang walk and let it go!”

*I am wishing all of you sunshine and some cool toned rain to wash away any sadness that may be had.Thanks for reading some of my not so sparkly and sparkly thoughts.Look up at the sky today and enjoy those breaths of air. *

Sky photo