Sewing & Crafting-A Labor of Love

Well, it seems as though a hobby of mine and some friends has turned into a labor of love.  We started making some gifts and accessories at the sewing machine for an upcoming craft show and it has turned into something over and above; as people have been viewing our crafts and then…requesting things of their own.  To continue reading: Write Where You Are

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Fashion Eyeglasses Charm Even The Most Self Conscious

Ficklets Eyeglass Charms Are Fun Eyewear

Let’s be honest, most children who are told that they must wear glasses will often not be thrilled with the idea of having to wear eyeglasses.  For many children, it is the idea that others will make fun of them or, cause them to be viewed as being different from other children their own age.  Being bullied because you are visually impaired and have to wear glasses can cause a child to refuse to wear them, out of fear of being made fun of.

No one want to be made to feel self conscious about themselves, especially at certain ages when it is most important to fit in with their peers.  We’ve come along way since the days of having  a choice between wearing heavy black plastic frames or  wire frames that were basically your only choices.

Still, everyone likes to look their best and there are many fashion frames from which someone can choose to fit the shape of their face and their sense of style.   On the other hand, if you are looking to change things up so that you don’t get bored with a certain look once you’ve purchased your eyeglass frames; there wasn’t much you could do except buy multiple sets of glasses…until now.  To Continue reading: Write Where You Are

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Suspicious Sperm Donor: I Knew Nayda Suleman When

        A man, Denis Beaudoin,  who donated sperm for Nayda Suleman during a 3 year relationship, that they shared 10-12 years ago, suspects that he maybe the father of ,at least, her older six children; not to mention the possiblity of being the father of her 8 newborn babies.    Nayda has been the focus of much speculation and news reporting since giving birth to the babies; she has been referred to as the Octo-mom in the press.  All 14 of her children have been conceived by invitro fertilization.  Nayda says that all of her children are the product of invitro-fertilization from the same sperm donor.  Denis Beaudoin says that he knew Nayda Suleman when their friends nicknamed her giggles for her infectious laugh. 

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Christmas Cookies & Grandkids

        Today is a day that I have been looking forward to.  I get to travel some distance to go see my daughter and grandchildren.  I have promised them their first experience of making Christmas cookies with Grandma. 

         They are only 2 & 3 years old…so this will be fun.  Momma is on bed rest due to pregnancy.  So we will take a try over to her and let her help decorate once they are baked.

         The only thing better would be to get to do this also with my other grandchildren who live out of state.  This makes me blue because i would love to do the same wonderful thing with them.  Those grandchildren are a bit older and so the experience would be a bit more artistic.  Maybe next year Grandma will get to see them during Christmas. 

          In the meantime…we are going to enjoy Christmas, cookies, and the gift of Grandchildren! 

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Snow Day

Just a little white blanket to dress things up!

      Depending on your view of a snow day, that probably tells me about your age, unless,  you are an excitable kid at heart.  Many adults find it hard to remember the extreme joy of a snow day.  Adults get bogged down in the difficulty of driving in it, the danger of slipping on the snow and ice, the cost of heating their homes, and the inconvience of having heavy snow and ice removed from the sidewalk and the driveway.  It’s not that those aren’t legitimate concerns…but, there is another side to a snow day; do you remember?

 

         Kids, on the other hand, look at the rare snow day as a gift from God!  LOL   A sn0w day is like a reprieve from death row (school) to a kid.   It is a day filled with endless possiblities, such as: sledding, ice skating, snow boarding, making snow angels, building a snowman, skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, ice fishing, throwing snowballs…in other words…having a blast in the white stuff.

         Thinking about the pristine, sparkly white snow; glittering on the surface of the trees and homes…what beautiful photos that would make.  Send a photo to your friends, in other warmer states, who don’t get to enjoy the fluffy, white blanket that covers everything as far as  the eyes can see.

         So, depending on where you live; what will you do with your next “snow day”.  Today, hmmmmm…it is full of possibilities to the kid in all of us.  Maybe even for some of us older kids…it might just include snuggling up with a comforting cup of  frothy, hot chocolate; and, reliving some of yesterday’s memories of  OUR favorite snow day! 

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High Traffic Scores

       Yahoo… I am so excited.  I did a little test on this blog site on www.HubSpot.com.   I got a score of 48…which they say means that, out of the hundreds of thousands of sites that they have tested, my blog scores higher than 48% of them in terms of marketing effectiveness.   Whoooooo Hooo. 

         But, i am a bit confused.  I am not a marketer.  I just write a blog on all kinds of interesting subjects (at least they are interesting to me).  However, I have written on so many subjects…that evidently, i have hit upon enough various subjects to be effective! 🙂  Cool Beans, I say. 

         Technorati has given me a rank of 372,003 which puts it in the top 0.53% of blogs that they track.  Yes…but, how can this be?  I am not a very technological person.  I only started blogging about 16 months ago.  There are things that I have discovered, which would now cause me to do a few things differently were I to start up another blog…but, that is how I know that I am growing and learning.  That is alright…that knowledge can be applied to future projects.   There is so much more to learn.  It is interesting…but learning new things leads a person to discover new passions.  Before long, you start accumulating large amounts of information that crosses over into other projects or areas of interest in your life.

         If we knew everything when we started out trying something new…would we ever push ourselves to go a little farther?  Probably not, human nature wants to be on familiar ground…to feel confident and comfortable in what we do.  However, the most personal and professional growth comes from pushing yourself to test your mettle…doing something that you do not think you are capable of doing.  I never thought i could do something like write a blog; and have someone come to it, and be interested in what i wrote.  But, i discovered when i gave myself permission to do it for myself…then, i was able to follow through. 

         Everyone tells me that it is simply because of content…regular, consistent postings that the blog is growing.  Writing is fun, reading the interactions in the comment section is rewarding to me.  Touching on subjects that can inform, or, share information is exciting.  Getting to know regular readers is the best part; because, they start to share who they are and what is important to them.  Some of the readers even post things that make a difference in someone else’s life…such as the comments on triple negative cancer…or, suicide prevention; or, some other post that affects people in a real personal way.

         It is a challenge to find something in everyday life that gives a small glimpse into what is happening in the world at that time…trying to make sense of how it affects me or others, that I care about.  Still…reading the report on the rankings of the blog…was eye opening to me.  That is because that isn’t why I started to write the blog; however, it is encouraging to learn as i go… and find ways to improve what i do.

        On top of that…my blog received a Google page rank of 4; but, now that i know it has room for improvement…i want to make it better.   A four is not too shabby.  But, what really excited me was that in the area of traffic…the blog was in the top 4.61% of all websites. 

        This, is like winning some kind of award; such as an Emmy, or an Oscar…maybe a Tony; Is there some kind of award for someone addicted to blogging?  hahahah.  Ahhhhemmmm, I would like to thank my mom, and my dad, and my teachers, and my bus drivers, and anyone else who NEVER let me talk when i felt the need (just kidding) ….LOL     Blogging is fun….Go check out your website rating on www.HubSpot.com.  It is a great tool to work with; if you are in the hopes of improving your site and making it more effective by reaching the people you most want to communicate with.  Find out what you are doing right…and, oh by the way, did you find out anything that you could improve from testing your site on Hub Spot?

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It’s Time For Dancing With The Stars!

        In less than an hour, Dancing With The Stars will premiere this years season opener.  It will be a three night premiere.  I can’t wait to see who starts out the season making a sparkling entrance and who will clearly make a splash.  All of this year’s participants are interesting and talented in their own field…so it will be another season of fun…watching them grow and learn. The celebrities are skilled in athletics, acting, comedy and so on…so it will be cool to see them using teamwork with their professional dance instructors to perform each week.  This first week, two yes i said two couple will leave the competition.

        Watch it with me and feel the tension and competition mount as relationships are formed and the competitors become a fraternity with one another.  It seems that each season has it’s own little close knit group. They have fun and challenge themselves and support other couples who they form friendships with.   I wonder if they ever have reunions together?  I think Mel B will be back on this season making cameo appearances.  It is fun to see things through the former competitor’s eyes!  Who are you rooting for and why?

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Blessing Of The Bikes-Michigan

        Every year on the third sunday of May, is something called, The Blessing Of The Bikes!  It all started about 36 years ago.  The history of the event says, the first year there were 4 bikes and 8 riders who rode their bikes to Baldwin, Michigan in Lake County.  They had a “blessing” on their bikes for safe riding for the year.  The tradition continues each and every year; i know this since, i grew up in a town about 40 minutes south of there on M-37.

       Now days, we hear the sounds of a rip roaring thunder throughout the weekend …usually, starting on Thursday and it continues throughout Sunday; as the bikers, and their bikes, make their way home once again.  It is an awesome thing to behold.  The earth shakes as they pass by. 

         With the economy being depressed by gasoline prices, people are using bikes more for everyday travels when they can.  This lends a different perspective in pocketed areas of our country where saving money isn’t just something nice to do…it is the difference between living and surviving.

       Depending on the weather…the event can be a wonderful kick off for the riding season.  But, if the weather is a little cold (like this weekend) or wet like some other years…it can be a mite uncomfortable.  The smart ones are prepared for any kind of weather.   However, for those who have faith in God …the blessing is not something they wish to pass up simply because of something as changeable as the weather.   Prayer for a fun and safe riding season is almost like having some extra insurance!  🙂

        So, tomorrow, as we try to teach the little ones in church…we will once again…grin and occassionally, plug our ears as we hear the high pitched whine of some, and roar of the others, as they fly by the church building.  We will send up prayers for those who wish to feel the rush of the wind; and, experience the joy of traveling the roads on a hog, chopper, honda, suzuki or whatever form of bike they own. 

        They come from all over the US to get their blessing.  Everyday bikers, plus rich and famous ones too; everyone kicks off the summer riding adventure with joy in their hearts and safety on their minds.   Some bikers take the time to explore Newaygo & Lake County and all of the richness and beauty they have to offer in lakes, rivers, streams and campgrounds. 

       There are those who rave about things such as Cinnamon Rolls the size of a dinner plate at Sally’s Restaurant in White Cloud, Michigan.  It leaves a tasty memory and sounds a bit like a good ole fisherman’s story…but, it is true!  It is a challenge to eat one by yourself… you almost have to share with a friend, or two.  Gotta see it to believe it.  Many take the time to stop in to some of the churchs along the way.  They are welcome!  God bless them all!   http://blessingofthebikes.org/, http://www.lakecountymichigan.com/.

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Dancing With The Stars-Down To The Wire

       Dancing With The Stars continues tonight…it is getting down to the wire.  Who stays, who goes…every week…nobody knows.  Last week was awesome and each week i root for Marissa and all of the contestants…knowing that someone, absolutely has to leave.  They are all so good…but, i just can’t help rooting for Marissa and Tony…they exude such light, joy, laughter and fun…i hate the thought of them leaving.  Yet i know, they are not the most popular contestants. 

      Kristi is just absolutely amazing with her skill and precision.  Jason has grown by leaps and bounds, Christian with the injured arm danced better than he did before the injury; i thought :); in any case, I think skill-wise….Marissa gets huge marks for the amount of growth she has achieved…but, is she popular enough to stay in the competition.  I hope she is…send some votes her way!

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Kids against Grandparents?

         I ran across a news article that talks about how some nursing homes have discovered a new way to encourage physical activity with their residents.  It is competitive  Nintendo Wii video games used as a type of physical therapy.  It seems that they are using the video games to encourage hand and eye coordination, balance, and strengthening of their muscles.  This is great for their physical well being.

          Whether the resident plays the game or is just an observer it may help to aleviate some of the loneliness that some residents experience in a nursing home environment.

         I think this is great.  It promotes a community type competition…a way of socializing and encouraging physical activity within the group of residents in a nursing home.

             Not only that…but, i can’t help but think of all of the families who have to normally drag little Johnny or little Susie to visit grandma or grandpa in a nursing home where there is little for the children to do.  It would be more fun for the children to go to their grandparent’s nursing home if they could enjoy an entertaining activity together.

          I can just see Grandpa or Grandma challenging  the youngsters to a video game.   Maybe even asking for tips on effective game playing…or maybe even winning against the youngsters.  🙂   Anything that brings families together in a healthy way is a good thing. 

         Since we no longer live in our homes with several generations of relatives …we have lost  some of  the ability to connect with one another in many ways.  Could something as simple as a video game help to draw family members towards one another?

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