Awards Day – One Lovely Blog, Kreative Blogger, Beautiful Blogger

Today was the last day of school for both my both boys and they were both fortunate to receive academic awards today.  My little guy won 4 of them!  It brought tears to my eyes watching them being recognized not only for hard work, but for their good heart as well.

I too have been lucky this week, and received several awards in the last few days.  I am so touched by the thoughtfulness behind these awards.

A while back Maggie from MaggiemaeIjustsaythis also tagged me in one of her posts, and I don’t think I’ve thanked her enough either.  She shares powerful poetry that always leaves me thinking about life more deeply.

Many thanks to Andrew Gilbert from Influence Versus Control  who nominated me for the Lovely Blog Award, Jay Rando for the Kreativ Blogger Award, and Callow Lea for the Beautiful Blogger Award.  All I can say is Wow to all these awards!  Go check out their sites too!

Here are the rules for the various awards:

Lovely Blog Award

The “One Lovely Blog Award” has similar rules to many blogging awards.

  1. Give generous thanks to the blogger that nominated you
  2. Write Seven things about your self
  3. Make a list of 15 bloggers you admire and let them know how awesome they are! These folks are the next round of honorees for the “One Lovely Blog Award”

Kreativ Blogger Award Rules:

1) Thank the blogger who nominated you 2) Give 7 interesting things about yourself 3) Nominate 7 blogs that you would like to give the Kreativ Blogger Award & let them know!

 

 

Beautiful Blog Award:

The nominated recipients are asked to:

  1. Thank and Link-back to your nominator;
  2. Nominate 7, 6, or fewer (or more) other blogs that you enjoy to receive this award as well;
  3. Post a comment on each of your nominees blogs with a link to your page for the details;
  4. Paste the Award image somewhere on your blog, if so desired;

Being a rebel myself, I’m going to nominate several blogs and suggest the nominees follow the above rules if you wish, or modify them as you like.  I’ll share a few new things about myself in the next few posts to make this post more about the other bloggers.

I am taking this opportunity to nominate five bloggers in each category:

For the One Lovely Blog:

  1. Callow Lea
  2. Erin at Writerlious
  3. MountainMae
  4. Barbara at Idealistic Rebel
  5. Theodora at People, Places and Bling

For the Kreativ Blogger:

  1. Aaron at Jamieaaron03
  2. Olo O’ Matthew at Boblobslaw’s Blog
  3. Otove - I have to love a blog with the tag line – The Borscht of Times, The Wurste of Times
  4. Amy Keast
  5. Stuart at the Change Your Life Blog

For the Beautiful Blog:

  1. Emma at Fashion Art and Life
  2. Elena at mselenalevontraveling.com
  3. Stephen at Life Revelation
  4. Tresorsdeluxe
  5. Cathy at Cathy’s Voice

Hope you take the time to visit these lovely, creative and beautiful blogs!

Death came quickly

Reblogged from mountainmae:

The phone call we all dread will come This time it was my turn to hear the news A dear friend of mine had died Riding the old pan-head he loved I want to know “What were his last thoughts?” I know that doesn’t matter now

He came to visit me 3 years ago after 30 years apart We had both grown, lived but changed perhaps I saw the truck pull in and went to the porch He got out and I knew him He looked up, our eyes met and we both smiled from the heart.

Read more… 47 more words

This poem touched me and reminded me about the importance of connection and saying everything that needs to be said when we can.

How will you make the most of your summer (or winter)?

seasons

seasons (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Seasonally, quite a bit of the world is moving into a slower paced time.

If you’re in the northern hemisphere, summer is beginning and if in the southern hemisphere winter is starting.  In my experience, both extremes of cold and heat, lead to a slowing down.

There is no limitation on when we can start or finish writing projects, but I find that it’s easier for me to finish projects in these slower times, and take on smaller projects that are harder to fit in during the busy seasons.  In that way, I’m ready for the surge of energy that I almost always get in the fall or spring to start something bigger.

" Summer on track "

” Summer on track ” (Photo credit: gmayster01 on & off …)

I’m taking advantage of my natural energy flows by not only for finishing writing projects, but doing simple projects that might be easier to do now.  Reading Brendon Burchard’s book Charge also motivated me to commit to some 60-90 plans in place for this summer, with a focus on the joy of being alive to learn and experience new activities.

Our summer family goals are:

  • Archery class for my youngest son
  • 4-week home French class that I’ve been meaning to do for what seems like forever
  • Family Road trip in July – we still haven’t decided exactly where yet
  • See an old friend of mine who is coming to Chicago in late June
  • Schedule a water park trip for my oldest son
  • Read the Five Ancestors series of books with my youngest son
  • Finish three smaller writing projects for me
  • Each of us is going to follow an exercise program to become more fit by this fall

Do you have any summer (or winter) goals?  This next 60-90 days could be a wonderful time to find new ways to love your life even more than you do now.  What excites you now?

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Every Memorial Day I Remember

First page of the Marshall Plan

First page of the Marshall Plan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Every Memorial Day I remember my father and my brother and my mother.  My mother and brother are still alive.  My mom worked at the Rock Island Arsenal and the Pentagon, and my brother served in the air force as a doctor back in the early 1990′s.  My Dad was a soldier and worked for the government in something called international logistics.

Neither my brother or father ever saw direct combat, which I think was a blessing, though they were both prepared to do so.

My father graduated from West Point in 1945.  I believe his was the only class to graduate in three years because they were needed for World War II.

As it turned out, my father went over to Germany after the war to help stabilize and rebuild the country as part of the Marshall Plan.

War is certainly not simple.  It especially was not simple in World War II.  I am quite proud that my father was part of one of the best things that America did, which was to help rebuild the world after World War II.

My brother and father were healers that happened to be soldiers.  My mother worked at the Pentagon in the department of the army budget office for many years, trying to keep soldiers safe by making sure they had the right tools for their work.

After high school, my father wanted me to go to West Point even though he didn’t like the idea of women soldiers.  He was paradoxical that way.

Somehow, I ended up a staunch pacifist, with views quite different from the rest of my family.  Yet, of course, as things go, my oldest son is talking about going to West Point when he graduates high school. He seems to be more like his grandfather than me.

When I contemplate destiny and courage and peace, there is no simple equation of right or wrong.  Life presents complicated situations that require different kinds of service.

So, today I remember the love of country and love of goodness that has guided service men and women and pacifists alike.  And I especially remember my father and honor him for the service he gave to the world.  I miss his special brand of courage and integrity that only he could give.  You can read more about him if you wish in the West Point obituary that I attached.

May the Spirit of Goodness, which is greater than us all, redeem and forgive the errors of our past, heal the many wounds of war and lead the world to a time when war is no longer necessary.

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Piers Morgan Interview with the Dalai Lama

Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth and current Dala...

Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth and current Dalai Lama, is the leader of the exiled Tibetan government in India. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. Photographed during his visit in Cologno Monzese MI, Italy, on december 8th, 2007. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A few nights ago, I was watching Piers Morgan interviewing the Dalai Lama, which is something I can’t say that I ever expected to see.  I wasn’t too thrilled on how Piers cut the Dalai Lama at the end of the interview.

I’ve read several of the Dalai Lama’s books and find them both thought provoking and comforting.

In this interview, the Dalai Lama surprised me with his answer to one of Piers’ questions.

Piers asked who did the Dalai Lama think was a great leader.  His first answer with prompting from Piers was Mandela.

Then, the Dalai Lama continued and said George Bush.

Piers said which one?  And the Dalai Lama said the younger one.  The look on Piers Morgan’s face was probably the same one that many liberals would have.  He look dumbfounded.

The Dalai Lama went on to say that the younger George Bush was a good man and he liked him very much, but had reservations on his policies.

That exchange made me really think about what a different perspective that would require.   I for one opposed the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and many other Bush policies.    Yet, I somehow found it refreshing to hear the Dalai Lama defy the expected response.  I got the sense that he was able to say this because the Dalai Lama does not hold on to any anger, the way most of us would.

What do you think, could you love someone who you fundamentally disagree with their policies and beliefs?

This way of being goes against what much of what our polarized culture teaches us.  Perhaps, we need to radically let go of judgment and anger to unite the world in new ways.

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Artful Living and Memorial Weekend

the new side bureau is in the background

The closest I come to being a visual artist is when I paint furniture and decorate my home.

Several days ago, I showed a picture of my furniture painting in process.

Here’s a picture of how the painted side bureau that I had picked up for free last fall  looks in my dining room.  The ivory chair in the corner is another free find that I painted and re-upholstered.

Since so many of my readers are artists, thought you might appreciate a post about my “art”.

As I post about my “artful” living on this Memorial weekend (in the U.S.),  I am reminded of all those men and women throughout history who have sacrificed their lives for freedom and liberty.  Not just in this country, but everywhere.

We all live better lives because those who came before us sacrificed for their children and grandchildren to have a better life.  And not just through wars.

It also takes courage to be an artist or a healer or farmer or a pacificist as well.

So, this a good weekend to be thankful to be alive, and think about the legacy that we are leaving our children and grandchildren.

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