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 |  Here's to bloggin' around the block--one word at a time. |
| I know it's winter, but you still need a treat. http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/264879#tab=article&sc=0&local= Ben & Jerry’s has renamed the ice cream blend to “YES PECAN!”, which is a buttery ice cream with roasted pecans. Just like Obama stressed everyone to involve in their communities, Ben & Jerry’s want to do the same by helping Common Cause, which promotes citizen participation in the political process. This blend will be available throughout this month and the proceeds will be donated to the Common Cause Education Fund. Common Cause is a nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy organization founded as a vehicle for citizens to make their voices heard in the political process. They are committed to honest, open and accountable government, as well as encouraging citizen participation in democracy. Their Education Fund conducts research, education, and outreach activities. Check out http://www.commoncause.org to take action. You can also participate in this promotional process by visiting Ben & Jerry’s Facebook page. ( http://www.facebook.com/benjerry ) When you join Common Cause in Facebook, Ben & Jerry’s will donate $1 to the Common Cause Education Fund. And if you donate $1 to Common Cause, Ben & Jerry’s will also donate $1 to them. |
| I have several things I need to catch up on today, but I find myself stopping off and on to play Hearts. (I wonder if I can get any lazier.) Anyway, I think I’m trying to set a record for the worst score. The reason I do so badly isn’t just because I’m pathetic. Not really. It’s because I rarely even try to get a good score. Instead, I keep trying to shoot the moon. That means taking a lot of risks, even when the odds are definitely not in my favor. I wonder if I need to be taking more risks in other things – specifically in my writing. I haven’t submitted anything for a long time. Shoot, I haven’t written much of anything for a long time. Maybe it’s getting to be time. I mean, if I can get that excited over shooting the moon in Hearts, think how I’d feel if I won a prize or got published. I just finished reading a novel titled Shoot the Moon by Billie Letts. (She’s the author of Where the Heart Is the book they made into the movie that I’ve watched a hundred times because I couldn’t sleep.) It was one those books that I was sorry to see it end. That’s great story telling. Well, I missed a couple of days, but Happy New Year Day 6 everyone! |
| I don't have much time - and even less creative ability right now - I spent a lot of time trying to change the top of my blog and hated it. I decided to just keep it simple. I like the idea of writing something three days in a row, though. Baby steps. I've been indulging myself this month by reading novels. I bet I've read ten - all different kinds. I'm too lazy to go check the titles right now, but I have a big stack of them on my dresser. If I get some ambition I'll write some reviews. I'm working on keeping a positive attitude. It's not necessarily easy, but I want to do it. After all, the only thing I really have control over is my attitude. Happy New Year Day 3 everyone! How is your year so far? |
| I didn’t realize until yesterday how long I had been away from writing. I have lots of reasons and excuses, but I won’t go into that. Instead I will say that I have been lurking around WDC, commenting rarely and reading my email. I appreciate everyone’s thoughtful notes and cards and I will get around to responding. For now, though, I’ll just list a few things I noticed during my visits. I learned that although Grandpa Eric Wharton  needs a hearing aid he still enjoyed chopping down the Christmas tree. And his sweet wife, Debi Wharton  , is still mothering the world. Special Kay wrote an X-rated version of The Night Before Christmas took her son to see Santa and gave a lovely gift to her niece. And my favorite talented lovebirds susanL and Thomas had a wonderful first Christmas together. I’m so glad that IdaLin has claimed her freedom and that Auntynae has found her dream job. I’m cheering for AL as she whips the kitchen into shape at her new post (and drooling over the pictures of her creations). I shed a tear for zwisis when her beloved Indi crossed the Rainbow Bridge. It’s great that alfred booth, wanbli ska has begun a new blog, but I fear my friend Mavis Moog has deleted hers. I really enjoyed her interview with Carolina Blue who just gave out "Invalid Entry"  I really love sharing Kåre Enga in Montana  ’s simple pleasures and Robert Waltz  ’s wit. And my comrade Z.˚rz always makes me chuckle. I see lizco252 has been Spamming and Dave Gordon has been jamming (and building guitars). Poor Scarlett  has a “two-year” cold and Nada is at sea. There’s much more going on around here, but I’m worn out. For now I’ll say Happy New Year Day 2! And I’ll be back another time. |
I'm slowly reviewing my year in 2008. No wonder I'm a wreck!  My goal is for 2009 to be much more peaceful! Happy New Year & Best Wishes to you all! |
| I know I shouldn't laugh at this, but for some reason I can't help it. (It's either that or total despair for the human race.) Bloggers, check out the last paragraph, too. http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/karaoke-killing/ December 5, 2008, 1:53 pm Karaoke Killing By Robert Mackey A 23-year-old Malaysian man was killed on Thursday night after reportedly enraging other customers who felt that he “hogged the microphone” at what Malaysia’s Star Online described as “a coffeeshop-cum-karaoke outlet” in the town of Sandakan, on the island of Borneo. The Guardian’s Ian MacKinnon adds some regional context: Karaoke rage is not unheard of in Asia. There have been several reported cases of singers being assaulted, shot or stabbed mid-performance, usually over how songs are sung. Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” has reportedly generated so many outbursts of hostility that some bars in the Philippines now do not offer it on the karaoke menu anymore. In Thailand this year, a gunman shot eight people dead after tiring of their endless renditions of a John Denver tune. As The Telegraph reported in March, that maddening John Denver tune was “Country Roads.” According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Malaysia’s official Bernama news agency reports that “two men have been arrested in connection with the murder” in Sandakan. Last year, Bernama reported that Malaysia’s information minister, Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin, had issued a public put-down of karaoke singers by likening them to another group of social misfits: bloggers. Both groups, Mr. Zainuddin said, “take pleasure in their own singing but have no influence.” |
| I’ve been around off and on, but not for long, and usually I’m pretty quiet. I’m exhausted a lot lately. I think I pushed myself about as far as I could push and now I have to slow down just to save my sanity. My final work project is over December 5th and I’m trying not to be overwhelmed by all that I have left to do before then and what needs caught up afterwards. I’ve decided I’m leaving my job at the end of the year. Just knowing that is a big weight off my shoulders. I realize that I’ve been down for so long now that I really need to do something different, but I don’t have to decide right now what that will be. We live simply for a reason, and I haven’t been able to take the time to appreciate my life at all. Burying my mother, an upcoming birthday, and some real signs of burnout have all led me to make some decisions about change. I think they’re good decisions. I’m beginning to look forward to the New Year. Jack and I have decided that 2009 will be our year for renewal. I guess you’re never too old to keep working on personal growth. That can be some pretty hard work, too. But it’s worth it. That’s enough about me. Congratulations to all the NaNo writers! I’m really impressed. Hope everyone has a nice Thanksgiving - if you celebrate it, that is. |
| My mother died Tuesday night. I’ll miss her, but I wouldn’t wish her suffering to go on. She voted early for Obama and would have been so happy to know the results of the election. I’ve had an extremely intense six weeks or so and I may plan my break down for the day after the funeral which will be on Saturday. In the meantime – welcome President-Elect Barack Obama. I’m very proud!! We’ve taken a giant first step to begin to put our country back on the right track. Now the work begins. Yes we can!! |
| It's been so long since I've written anything, it feels funny - but good - to even be here. I couldn't finish a hand written private journal entry this morning without distractions. The bad things that are going on are still going on. I won't go into that. My job is still really busy right now, and it's actually helped take my mind off some of the other "stuff." (Oh, and my marriage is still happy!) My son flew in last Saturday and left on Tuesday. He hadn't been here for two years. Too short of a visit, but it was wonderful to spend time with him. We traveled together to see his cousins and his grandmother - most likely for the last time. Because of him I even visited with my my ex- mother-in-law and sister-in-law. It had been a long time. I've missed writing and keeping up with the blogs here at WDC. I miss you all. Hope I can get back here more often soon. Take care. |
| ...be grateful for what you escape. Most mornings I read a stack of meditation type books to try to begin my day in a positive way. Lately I’ve been waking up feeling anxious, so I really need to keep this ritual right now. One of the books I read is called What If…Daily thoughts for those who worry too much. Worrying can be a real hobby of mine. When I read today’s entry in that book: What if…My spouse has an affair? I told Jack that’s one thing I don’t worry about. I said if it ever happened I guess I’d just have to be the most shocked person in the world. He told me I’d have to be the second most shocked person. He’d be the first. Anyway, I decided since I’ve been either too busy or too anxious to do much writing lately it might be good to go through the book and find a few more worries that I don’t have. Here’s what I came up with. What if… I can’t make my car payments? We don’t have a car payment. About a year ago we sold one of our old cars and bought a new low mileage car. We just sold the other old car, which made me a little nervous. But so far being a one car family is working fine. We’ve lived simply for years and I’m grateful we’ve been able to do this. What if… I lose my inheritance? My dad used to say that when he died we could fight over the bills. It turns out that he was only half kidding. When my mother dies she’ll have left enough to bury her. So losing my inheritance? Not a worry. What if… My children don’t listen to me? My kids are grown and it’s been a long time since they listened to me if they didn’t want to listen to me. Like most of us, they need to learn the hard way. What if… I am never well-known? Is that like notorious? No worry about that for this wall flower. What if… My partner and I disagree on just about everything? Well, the truth is that we don’t disagree on very much of anything important, and so far if we do we’ve managed to work things out. And who knows? It might get kind of boring if we agreed on absolutely everything. What if… Everyone envies me? Sometimes Jack and I joke around and say, “Shhh. If anyone knows how happy we are they’ll want to kill us.” But I don’t think I’m an envious person. I might tell someone I envy them, but it’s more like I’m happy for them and not a jealousy. So I don’t think about anyone – let alone everyone -- envying me. What if… I find I’d rather be someone else? There was a time I was so miserable that I thought I wanted to be someone else – just about anyone else would do. That’s not how I am today. Like the title of Margaret Cho’s book, “I’m the one that I want.” And I still enjoy learning more about who I am. This has been a good way to remember that I have a lot to be thankful for. When those gratitude lists seem to escape me I can remember this: If you can’t be grateful for what you have, be grateful for what you escape. |
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So glad to see your blog again, and I like the idea of a 'new' Clean Slate. I may just do that myself! I look forward to reading more from you! 
