Blogging

So as I was deciding my next month of blogs, I was curious to find out where and when the term "blog" came into existence and I found out that it emerged in the late 90's and as of  February 16, 2011, there were over 156 MILLION public blogs in existence! The term "blog" was coined by a guy named Peter Merholz who shortened the term "weblog" (coined by Jorn Barger in 1997). You can find anything you want to know on Wikipedia!

This has been a fun month of weblogging. ;)  Now, on to the next month of blogs.  This will be interesting so continue to follow me as I venture into February with new ideas, photos, stories, experiences and whatever else might come to mind.


Today's Quote:  "Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it." – Bruce Lee

Day 30: What changed this month and what you hope will happen next month.

I learned how therapeutic blogging can be this month. I think it was really good to challenge myself to do a blog every day consistently.  I hope to find something amazing next month to blog about and continue this new adventure of mine.

I started exercising more this month in an attempt to be in better health this year.  It's a slow start but I'm feeling good about it.

I started feeding the birds for the winter. I love feeding the birds and seeing how many I can draw to my feeder.  Now that we're in Virginia I want to get a hummingbird feeder too.  I'll probably do that next month.

This month was the first month of my 62nd year.  I don't like it so far.  Maybe next month I'll like it more.

So for now I'm excited to be starting something new and looking forward to more new adventures.
Today's Quote: "Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think."

Benjamin Disraeli

Day 29: A picture of yourself.

This is me, taken today 1/29/2012:

Day 28: The month you were happiest this year and why.

I think I would have to say last October, the month we moved into our own place.  When we left Alaska and moved to Virginia we were living in our RV until winter set in here in Virginia.  We were too far from an RV park to be continually dumping tanks and refilling propane tanks, so my daughter was gracious enough to let us (and our two dogs) move into her house with her and my grandson.  Then the search began to find us a place of our own.

I found a small cottage to rent in May, but the cottage wasn't available until October.  So, even though we shared some really good months with my daughter and grandson, I'd have to say that the month we moved into our own place was probably the happiest, for all of us! 

Thank you Becky for your hospitality and patience with us and Maggie and Gracie while we got "settled" in Virginia.

Today's Quote: "The world is moving so fast these days that the man who says it can't be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it." Elbert Hubbard 

 

Day 27: Talk about your siblings.

My siblings, what a nice topic. I have 3 brothers, all older than I. I was the “baby” of the family. They are terrific brothers, always have been. The oldest two used to babysit the youngest and me and I used to hate it because the “middle” brother would tease the living crap out of us. But we had fun too and he’s a wonderful, loving brother and I love him dearly. He used to teach us how to drive too and we were only about 10 years old at the time. My oldest brother was always there to watch over me and later in life to scrutinize my dates. My youngest brother is only 18 months older than me so we played a lot together. We had a good family life and made a lot of good memories.

All my brothers served in the military. Two remained living in Virginia, and one moved to North Carolina. All my brothers turned out to be good men, good citizens, good sons, brothers, fathers, and grandfathers. I am very proud of each one and glad that I was their little sister.

Today’s Quote: “There's no other love like the love for a brother. There's no other love like the love from a brother.” Astrid Alauda

Day 26: Your religious beliefs.

I consider myself an evangelical Christian.  I believe that Jesus was born, lived, died, and was raised from the dead; I accept that God became a man in the person of Jesus Christ in order to reconcile all men with Himself; and I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  I speak with Him, He hears and answers my prayers, He is the beginning and the end, He is the Word of God, He was with God in the beginning, through Him all things were made.  There is no other God.

I  believe that God created man from the dust of the earth. I also believe that God alone created earth and all planets in the solar system and beyond.  I don't believe in evolution, the big bang theory, some supernova forming the earth, or any scientific "theory" about how we got here.

I believe that all scripture is God-breathed. I believe that there is a heaven and a hell.  I believe that if we confess our sins that God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins. I also do not believe in replacement theology where the church replaces Israel. Jesus was sent for the Jews first and it was only after they rejected Him that He adopted the gentiles.  God still has a plan for his chosen people who are the Jews (Israel). 

I was raised in a Southern Baptist church and after I married I converted to Catholicism.  After about 10 years, my husband (who was a Catholic all his life) began reading the Bible on his own and made a decision that the Catholic Church had not been truthful in teaching him the oracles of the Bible and we left the Church to enter into a non-denominational, bible teaching, faith-based fellowship and never looked back.  We love to discuss the things of God. We love to watch ministers like Joseph Prince, Jesse Duplantis, Kenneth Copeland, John Hagee, etc.

Today's Quote: "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." C. S. Lewis

Day 25: 10 ways to win your heart.

1. Be kind and polite
2. Be social
3. Be funny
4. Be smart
5. Wear cologne
6. Treat me like a lady
7. Make me feel like I'm important and you can't live without me
8. Be spontaneous and plan a romantic date without my asking
9. Be a Christian and enjoy going to church with me
10. Have a strong work ethic

Today's Quote: "There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart...pursue those." Michael Nolan

Day 24: Things you want to say to 5 different people.

Oh boy, this hits a soft spot.
Person one: My mother.  I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me the most.
Person two: My son Tim. You were my rock and held me together when we were going thru your dad's illness.
Persons three thru five: My children.  You are awesome adults.  I am so proud of who you have become.

Today's Quote:  "All I am, or can be, I owe to my angel mother." Abraham Lincoln

Day 23: Something you always think “what if…” about.

I like this question. We all have lots of "what-if's" in our life.  This is my grandson's favorite thing to say, "Grandma, what if...." and comes up with the most imaginative things to play what if.  I love it.

Mine would be what if I went to college?  I was interested in teaching and should have gone to college but chose not to.
What if I had moved with my good friend after I graduated from high school to the "city" and shared an apartment together?  As it is, I ended up living with my parents until I married (at 21) so I never experienced living on my own as a single person.
What if I married my childhood sweetheart?  Where would I be now?
What if my husband and I had never moved to Alaska? 
What if I followed my dreams without hesitation?
What if I had 19 children, and counting? :)
What if I were a millionaire?
What if I had been born in the 1860's?  Something I find very interesting to think on.  I always thought I was born too late.  ;)

The list could go on forever, like my grandson's what-if's!  LOL 

Today's Quote: "A couple of hundred years ago, Benjamin Franklin shared with the world the secret of his success. Never leave that till tomorrow, he said, which you can do today. This is the man who discovered electricity. You think more people would listen to what he had to say. I don't know why we put things off, but if I had to guess, I'd have to say it has a lot to do with fear. Fear of failure, fear of rejection, sometimes the fear is just of making a decision, because what if you're wrong? What if you're making a mistake you can't undo? The early bird catches the worm. A stitch in time saves nine. He who hesitates is lost. We can't pretend we hadn't been told. We've all heard the proverbs, heard the philosophers, heard our grandparents warning us about wasted time, heard the damn poets urging us to seize the day. Still sometimes we have to see for ourselves. We have to make our own mistakes. We have to learn our own lessons. We have to sweep today's possibility under tomorrow's rug until we can." Meredith Grey

Day 22: 10 things about you people don’t really expect.

Now how am I suppose to answer this question?  I don't know what people don't really expect about me.  I think I'm an open book...no surprises....just me. So here's a try:

1.  That I am 62 years old
2.  That I've been married to the same man for 41 years
3.  That I lived in Alaska for nearly 30 years
4.  That I could drive a 31 ft motorhome
5.  That I drove across country alone
6.  That I never learned how to swim
7.  Can't think of anything else..... sorry

Today's Quote:  "A true leader always keeps an element of surprise up his sleeve, which others cannot grasp but which keeps his public excited and breathless." Charles de Gaulle

Day 21: Something you can’t seem to get over.

I'm not proud of saying this, but it would have to be losing my treasures when the storage unit they were in was sold off.  When I left Virginia some 30 years ago and moved to Alaska, I stored some things in my parent's attic.  They moved and my things went into storage along with some of their things, and my brother's things.  Someone failed to keep up the storage payments (not out of lack of funds but from lack of communication--who was paying what) and everything in storage was lost.  When I moved to Alaska I left my "treasures" like a huge Beetles' collection of records, trading cards, Elvis memorabilia and records, and lots of my photo albums from young adult thru my first child.  I know, you're wondering why I left these things.  It was because we did not drive to Alaska, we flew.  We mailed most of our things and the rest were left for a time when we could afford to have them shipped up to Alaska.

I can't seem to get over it, especially when I see Beetles and Elvis memorabilia selling for thousands of dollars and these latest reality shows like Storage Wars!  And I can't get over losing other collectibles and especially my photos!  Hey, I said I wasn't proud to admit it!  I should just get over it, right?  LOL

Today's Quote: "The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." George Bernard Shaw

Day 20: The last argument you had.

Back to the dictionary, because I don't really have arguments with anyone.  At least what I perceive as an argument. However, when I look at the actual definition: 

An exchange of diverging or opposite views, typically a heated or angry one;

2. A reason or set of reasons given with the aim of persuading others that an action or idea is right or wrong

I would have to say that I fall under the 2nd definition more often than not.  My husband and I rarely have an angry argument but we do have "persuasive arguments" occasionally....me persuading him that my idea is the right one!  LOL

Seriously, I don't like to argue and the only person that I might argue with would be my husband.  I'm non-confrontational and he's been trained in his job how to defuse hostile situations, so you can see how it takes a lot to get us to argue.

Today's Quote: "Never get into an argument with a schizophrenic person and say, 'Who do you think you are?"  Ray Combs

Day 19: Something that never fails to make you feel better.

By far a telephone call from my friend.  The welcome I get from Maggie and Gracie when I come home at the end of the day (no one can greet you like a pet).  When my granddaughter says to me, "I love you Grandma".  A nice romantic dinner with my husband. A day at the beach.  (I miss our girls get-away in the RV at the beach at Deep Creek!) Listening to gospel music. Listening to Joseph Prince preach.  Sitting and relaxing after a long day with hubby and pets watching a comedy tv show. Visiting with my kids, always. 

And the list goes on.....

Today's Quote: "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." Les Brown

Day 18: Disrespecting parents.

I presume we're talking about children disrespecting parents (and not parents who are disrespectful). LOL  I hate it!  I'm from the "old school" and you don't disrespect parents.  The Bible is very clear about it too: Ephesians 6:1 "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right."  Simple as that. Couldn't have said it better myself.  There are lots of other scriptures that talk about respecting your parents as well.  I especially like this one (since I'm gray):  “You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord." Leviticus 19:32  That'll put you in your place real fast!

I loved my parents and I wish I still had them around to lavish them with respect. It seems that the younger generation is missing out by not respecting their parents, and their elders.  Respect doesn't seem to mean the same anymore in our society.  Being disrespectful in any society or situation is not appropriate.  There is ALWAYS another way to handle a situation, you just have to be respectful enough to see it.

Today's Quote:  "A child who is allowed to be disrespectful to his parents will not have true respect for anyone." Billy Graham 

Day 17: Things that make you scared.

Well, I try not to be scared since it has no faith.  But I'm human (still) so there are some things that frighten me, like SPIDERS, major storms that could spawn tornadoes, flying scares me although I know that I'm safer in the air than on the highway.  I don't like heights. Walking on ice scares me. Poverty scares me. The future of our country makes me apprehensive.

I'd like to say nothing scares me because I trust in God and I have thousands of angels assigned to me to protect me, but I succumb to fear more often than I care to admit!

Today's Quote: "For as children tremble and fear everything in the blind darkness, so we in the light sometimes fear what is no more to be feared than the things children in the dark hold in terror and imagine will come true."
-Titus Lucretius Carus 

Day 16: Three things you are proud of about your personality.

I really don't like talking about myself and my personality.  But I cannot leave any question unanswered, so here goes:

1) I am a perfectionist, and proud of it!  I work at doing everything to the best of my ability, sans illness or something broken.  I think I might have gotten that from my father who was a perfectionist in his work.

2)  I consider (and have been told) that I'm a nice person.  I treat people the way I would want to be treated. I'm slow to anger, VERY patient, and can get along with most people.

3) I am a strong, independent woman.  I can do pretty much anything I put my mind to.

Today's Quote: "Personality has the power to open many doors, but character must keep them open." Anonymous  

Day 15: The best things to happen to you this week.

I've been thinking about this question quite a lot.  My life is usually pretty boring, nothing new, stuck in a rut, nothing to really get excited about.  So this question presented a problem for me.  What WERE the best things to happen to me this week.  I have my health, I wake up every morning in a warm home, I have food to eat, I have a loving family, I can see and I can hear...all those things are a blessing.  Then I started to realize that this blog I'm doing is really therapeutic and it makes me feel good. So I'd have to say the revelation of the benefit of doing this blog is the best thing to happen to me this week.

Today's Quote:  Try to learn something about everything and everything about something. Thomas Huxley

Day 14: Something disgusting you do.

Haven't we covered this already? Who comes up with these questions anyway?

I really don't do anything disgusting. I know what you're thinking: 'everybody does SOMETHING disgusting' and 'who does she think she is miss goody two-shoes?'.... so I looked the word up because one never knows--I might be doing something that someone else might think disgusting. Here it is: 

dis·gust·ingArousing revulsion or strong indignation

Trust me, I don't do anything that comes close to that definition.  :)


Today's Quote: "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things."
Philippians 4:8

Day 13: A date you would love to go on.

A romantic day cruise on the river followed by a nice dinner at a fine restaurant followed by an evening on the beach watching the sunset with a bottle of wine, a blanket, and my man, followed by a well-deserved, long-awaiting evening in a hotel, followed by breakfast in bed!
Today's Quote: "Listen to me, mister. You're my knight in shining armor. Don't forget it." —Ethel (Katharine Hepburn) to Norman (Henry Fonda) "On Golden Pond"

Day 12: Things you want to say to an ex.

Okay, now I'm caught up...posted two entries today to make up for yesterday.

I don't really have an "ex" (see my last post). So there really is no one to say anything to unless I went back some 42 years to an ex-boyfriend, Ken, to say that you really made an impression on my parents and it was very nice of you to hire my dad exclusively for all of your remodeling work.


Today's Quote: "For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed hot woman of 40+, there is a balding, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year-old waitress."  Andy Rooney

Day 11: Your current relationship, if single discuss how single life is.

I'm late with this one. I dropped my laptop two days ago and I've been focused on getting everything backed up before I lose everything to slippery fingers!

My current relationship: I have been married to the same man for going on 41 years now (March 6th).  It's been rocky at times but we find that the best method of staying together is two fold: 1) put God first in your life 2) commitment.  Well, maybe three fold: 3) don't fret the small stuff...it takes two to tango.  You think he's a lousy husband? He probably thinks you're a lousy wife! Try walking in the other person's shoes occasionally.  I read a book once "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" a book written by American author, and relationship counselor, John Gray.  An interesting secular book on the differences between men and women.  Not one to leave on the coffee table, however. ;o)   Men are so different from women but us women still tend to try to make them more like us! It will never happen!  Get over it!  He's not going to understand why we are crying. He's not going to understand why we take forever to pick out a pair of shoes....he will get in--pick one--get out! And no, he is never going to ask for directions.  A relationship is what you make of it and what you are willing to contribute.  Sometimes I think the grass might have been greener on the other side, but I'm not willing to scale the fence.  It too will require water and fertilizer to stay green. :)

Today's quote: "The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost." G.K. Chesterton

Day 10: Your views on drugs and alcohol.

Now this is an interesting one today!  Let me say up front that I enjoy an occasional "Red Beer" (here's to you Harley) and an occasional wine with dinner.  I'm not an alcoholic and I don't smoke.  I know people who use both in excess and I've seen the dangers of both.  My mother died of emphysema and my father of lung cancer...they both smoked for many years. 

Now, my opinion of the other drugs: I think marijuana should be legalized, not because I use it, but because I've seen needless arrests made of people in possession for personal use.  I have also seen studies in which medical marijuana has helped people cope with pain from terminal illnesses, and can diminish seizures. I believe there are a lot of beneficial properties in marijuana. 

The "war on drugs" is a failure and a waste of money. Adults should be free to make their own decision about consuming drugs, just like they do with prescription drugs (another debate for another day)  If drugs were legalized they could be regulated just like tobacco and alcohol AND taxed.  That tax could be used for rehabilitation and education for those addicts who are going to use the drugs whether legal or not. 

Today's Quote: "Alcohol gives you infinite patience for stupidity." Sammy Davis, Jr.

Day 9: Your last kiss.

Well, this isn't very specific. What does it want to know about my last kiss? Who, When, Where, What Kind?  I'm going to take a stab at it and say it's about my last kiss and say there were two this morning.

One from my husband when I left for my son's place, and one (and the most recent) from my granddaughter.  She gives sweet kisses.  We exchanged kisses when I put her down for a nap.  She's so darn cute when she sleeps!  LOL

Today's Quote: "A kiss without a hug is like a flower without the fragrance." Proverb

Day 8: Something you’re currently worrying about.

It seems that the older I get my worries change somewhat. I still worry about my kids even though they are all grown and living on their own.  But a mother never stops worrying about them.  But it seems lately I've worried more about the end of my life, and the years leading up to the end.  For example, what is going to happen to me when I get so old that I can't go out anymore. How will I die? What will it feel like? Will I stay healthy to the end? What if I get sick, I don't have insurance or the funds for an illness!  I worry about my husband's health. He's been sick before...will he get sick again?  

I suppose maybe people my age start thinking about things like that.  I also worry about money, of course. I don't have as much any more and that worries me. I worry about my old car holding out until I can afford another one.  Things of that nature. 

Right now I'm worried my coffee is getting cold!


Today's Quote: "It is the eye of other people that ruin us. If I were blind I would want, neither fine clothes, fine houses or fine furniture."  
Benjamin Franklin

Day 7: Your opinion on cheating on people.

Cheating on people is not cool. There is never a good reason for cheating on people. If you are not happy and need to cheat, leave the relationship and move on and save the additional pain that cheating will cause in the end.  It's not worth it. And think about this, if he cheated on his wife when he met you how do you know he won't cheat on you?  Same for the woman.

Today's Quote: "He'll cheat without scruple, who can without fear."
Benjamin Franklin

Day 6: The person you like and why you like them.

This one is not an easy one.  I even thought about skipping it today. There are so many people that I genuinely like and to narrow it down to one person to list here is difficult. And this is why:

I like my husband's sense of humor and intelligence
I like my sister-in-law's kindness and hospitality
I like the way my friends can always tell when I need a good kick in the butt
I like all of my kids' personalities
I like my 94 year old aunt because she's such a hoot
I like my friend and co-worker that I left in Alaska because she had my back

So for this one I'm going to sort of skip it by not choosing just one person in my life.  I like them all! I sure hope tomorrow's question is better. :)

Day's Quote: "People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within." Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Day 5: Five things that irritate you about the opposite sex/same sex.

Now it's getting good! Wouldn't you say? Who wouldn't want to answer this question? 

There are more things that irritate me about the female than male. Here are some statistics (I haven't researched these but find them interesting) about the male first:

Men were 100% of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ
Men are twice as strong
Men are endowed with 3.5 billion more brain cells
Men are 100% of Navy Seals
Men are 100% of the authors of constitutions
Men so far are 100% of US presidents
Men are 80% of murder victims with no "Violence Against Men Act" to protect them
Men are less than 10% of the federal social/welfare beneficiaries
Men are responsible for 90% of average family incomes
Men are more emotionally stable
Men are 40% higher scoring in hand/eye coordination contests
Just to name a few...

Men don't irritate me as much as women. The 5 things that irritate me the most about the same sex:

1.  Too emotional
2.  Too much drama
3.  Women who debase a good man
4.  Women who use bad language
5.  Women who use their femininity to get their way

Today's Quote: "When men and women die, as poets sung, his heart's the last part moves, her last, the tongue." Benjamin Franklin
 




 

Day 4: What you wear to bed.

Really? This is the best you can come up with on Day 4?

PJ's of course, with socks in the winter.  Flannel in the winter, silk or nylon in the summer, sans socks.


Today's quote: "I never leaf through a copy of National Geographic without realizing how lucky we are to live in a society where it is traditional to wear clothes." Erma Bombeck 

 

 

Day 3: What kind of person attracts you.

You would think that today's challenge question would be easy for someone 62 years old and married for 40 years. It is not.  I've met many people in my lifetime and some I liked and some not so much.  I can get along with just about anyone so I don't really focus on someone's personality or what attracts me to that person when I meet them. I like to get to know them first.

But, after giving some thought to this question, and thinking about the people that surround me (my family and friends), I've come up with a few:

The person that attracts me the most would be those of strong, moral character. I like intelligent people that I can learn from.  I am attracted to the person who is energetic, compassionate, and funny. I don't like the selfish, inconsiderate type. I hate drama and whining.  I am attracted to the person who is a Christian and knows and loves Jesus as I do, but I wouldn't ignore those people who may not know Him, otherwise I might miss an opportunity to meet someone of exceptional character.  And, I like conservatives.

Now, if I were to tell you the people who most attract me in the world of movies and television (in the not-so-real world and totally superficial), I would have to say it would be Clint Eastwood, Pierce Brosnan, and let's not leave out Robert Redford!  And the female actress that I most admire (although that's not really the challenge question) would be Meryl Streep.  There you go!

Quote for the day: "Greatness is not found in possessions, power, position, or prestige. It is discovered in goodness, humility, service, and character." William Ward  

Day 2: How have you changed in the past 2 years?

I've changed a lot in the past 2 years.  I've gone from being employed, having a house, being healthy, and living in Alaska to being unemployed, losing my home, going thru major illnesses, losing my father, realizing that I'm not 39 any more when suffering from arthritis I didn't know I had until I moved to Virginia! 

It may sound bad and looking back was painful, but I'm in a better place now, feeling better about my life, and looking forward to the "golden" years with excitement and anticipation.  Two years ago I couldn't see past today, much less looking to the future. 

I think I'm stronger, and I don't take things for granted quite so much anymore.  The past 2 years have given me strength to endure whatever life throws at me and faith to see it through.

Today's quote: "I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see." John Burroughs

Day 1: Weird things you do when you're alone

This is day one of my 1st 30-day challenge for the year 2012.  I hope to do 30-day challenges throughout the year and at the end be a better person for having done it, and have experiences that I would not otherwise have.  

Now, to the challenge "statement".  It will sound boring but I do nothing weird when I am alone. I will occasionally dance, sing, read aloud, things that otherwise might be disturbing or annoying to someone else who might be around, but cannot be considered "weird". 

I hope I don't disappoint readers that I don't do something really weird when I'm alone.  Unfortunately day 14's answer will be as boring.  Stay tuned!

Quote for the day: "Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength." Betty Friedan