Tag: Blogging

Bundling Up

~ Denise ~ 4 Comments

Now that the cat is out of the bag about us moving, I can tell you something funny that happened a few weeks ago.

To be honest, I didn’t find it so humorous on the day it happened.

Being that we are moving to a much colder climate than we have lived in for the last 19+ years I thought I would browse the internet for an acceptable coat to keep myself warm.

We have lived in colder climates before.  We are from Pennsylvania.  However, this move is going to kick up the cold to another notch.  My skin and body temperature has also acclimated to the southern climate.  There were times when we would take a trip to PA and someone would forget a coat because it would be warm here.

I do have a ski jacket.   I guess I could walk around in my ski coat when I meet cold temperatures but quite frankly when I’ve usually worn my ski coat I’ve been wearing ski pants which keep the lower part of my anatomy warm.  Need I say more?

With that in mind I started looking for a parka that had a removable hood (I’m expecting winds) tight cuffs to help keep the cold out and long enough to cover the butt.  The parka also had to keep me warm in temperatures that I figured could reach 20-30 below depending on the wind chill, and it had to not break my piggy bank.

Since stores are highlighting their spring fashions and lighter clothing, they had some good deals on the internet.  Not too many stores in the south selling a winter parka that fit what I was looking for.  I found one online and ordered it.

My parka arrived an early winter day when we had temperatures that was a pleasing near 80 degrees.  Yes, 80’s.

Seriously?

I didn’t try it on for a week or so later.

Brain Sprain?

~ Denise ~ 2 Comments

Yesterday while getting dressed, I thought I had a particularly brilliant moment in the “writing” compartment of my brain.

Yes, I just said it.

The words just started forming in my head and I stopped what I was doing and ran to get paper before I forgot what I was thinking.

Well, that does happen to me.  The forgetting what I’m thinking when I go to write.

It’s either that or I get stuck on something and can’t get it out of my head.

So today I stood there with great anticipation.

I got nothing.  Or as I said in my head “nuthin”

I must have sprained my brain yesterday.

Floss, floss, blog, blog challenge

~ Denise ~ 7 Comments

Dental floss

I admire the discipline that some of my fellow bloggers have to post daily.  Their apparent ease or willpower to pen a post on a daily basis is something that I have not yet acquired.

This morning I was thinking that daily consistency to a blog is like the dentist reminding me to floss daily.  I want to do it, I know I should do it, but sometimes it just doesn’t get done.  Now, just so you don’t think I’m running around with ‘hunks of food’ stuck in my teeth, or that I don’t floss at all (which I do)…I’m just making a comparison.

I mean when the dentist asks me if I floss daily.  I fess up.  I floss, just not every day.  And, if you follow me here at all, you know I post, (duh),  just not every day.  I’d like to post daily, it’s just I don’t do it.

They say it takes, what, three weeks to develop a new habit?

Both flossing daily, and blogging daily are good habits to adopt.

So I’m challenging myself.  I’ve done both today.

Any other flossers/bloggers out there who want to join me in this challenge?  🙂

Fear

~ Denise ~ 8 Comments

Some people write their blogs and have the confidence to push the blue publish button without fear.

Some don’t.

Too often, I fall into the second group.  That is probably why I write in my journal more than I write here on my blog.

Fear of rejection.  Fear of ridicule.  Fear of my own failings.

Well, I’ve been thinking about fear.

It isn’t only in writing that fear rears it’s ugly head in my life.  I really don’t like writing that.  I like to think that I am a strong person.  Writing that sentence makes me feel weak.

I’ve thought about all the different areas that fear has influenced/influences me over the course of my life.

I’ve been a people pleaser, I’ve feared confrontation, I’ve feared ridicule for what I believe in and who I am.  I’ve feared getting hurt.  Fear of the unknown, I like a plan.

Some of those fears come back to haunt me now and then.  Sigh.

That is when I try to remind/question myself, ‘what is  at the root of my particular fear’?

When I get through the layers, and face it, for me it is a lack of trust.

I’m not trusting Him.

We’ve been walking through the book of Exodus on Sunday mornings at Sandhills Community Church.  (Podcasts are available on their webpage).

I am being reminded that we/I am like the Israelites.  They too had trouble with fear.  They too had trouble with trust.

Over and over God took the Israelites, or us  to dilemmas that they, or us  don’t know the answers for to see if we will call out to Him to provide.   For me it has been in areas of family relationships, health, finances and jobs.  Some of those He repeated, I obviously needed to learn something.   As He said to the Israelites, He is saying to me:  “Do you trust Me?”

As the Israelites were afraid of the unknown then, so am I at times.

Are you facing any fears/Egyptians today?  If so, I’d like to encourage you to try what has helped me.

Recognize the fear, give it to Jesus and then you will find you are no longer afraid.  Is it always easy?  No.  Is it worth it.  Yes!  Too often it is after the dilemma that we look back and see the blessing.  That is one thing I have noticed in reading my journal.  You can go back and see the blessings.  So I would encourage you to trust, be still, so you don’t miss it.  Blessings to you gentle reader!  No fear for that “blue publish button!”  🙂

“Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid.  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring today.  The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.  The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”  Exodus 14:13-14

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”  Psalm 46: 10

“The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”  Psalm 46:11

Blogging Community

~ Denise ~ 6 Comments

A while back I posted about the topic of  Community.  I wrote about the community of friends that we have met while feeding the homeless in Finlay Park.  This community has touched our lives just as much as we have hoped to help them.  It is a community that continues to exist, some members entering and exiting based upon what season they are in their lives, not shrinking though, ever growing.  What a blessing to be a part of!

There is another community that continues to grow around me that I’ve been blessed with.  That is my blogging community, one that continually surprises me by the depth of writing, the humor, splendid photography, encouragement, words of wisdom and just plain fun!

I am still trying to find time have a regular schedule of posting at least twice a week.  Somehow, either my journal pages don’t make it to the “publish” button or I’m off doing something else.   Still trying.  I can get distracted.  (I blame it on the meds, or menopause, or both.)

Where was I going with this…..

Oh, now I remember…….

So, I was surprised the other day when Sue over at Letters to Rosa nominated me for the Sisterhood Award!  What a treat!

However, it reminded me that I had neglected to properly thank and follow the “necessary protocol” for the Versatile Blogger award that Patrecia (a.k.a) Miss Whiplash awarded me.  What a ninny I have been for being so lax!

Now, as I have mentioned before I can be “a little” OCD about things.  When I can’t complete a “necessary checklist”  to the “proper specifications” I can have the tendency to procrastinate sort of let it go if not careful.

I like to think I am getting wiser as I get older, (at least that is what I tell anyone who will listen to me) – so I am not looking for the “necessary checklist” for the Versatile Blogger award and am just using the one for the Sisterhood Award, thus making the following changes:

Tell 7 things about yourself, nominate/recommend 7 bloggers.

Here are 7 bloggers to check out:

1.  I’m nominating Miss Whiplash for the Sisterhood Award.  Her blog title says it all “I’ve Been Thinking About“.  I like that so much that it is hard not to “borrow” it as a post title on a regular basis!  What a treat to read her posts!  She was one of the first bloggers that I really started following, and I’ve never been disappointed.

2 & 3.   I’m nominating Sue for the Versatile Blogger Award.  I’ve just recently started following her blogs.  She has two!  Check them both out, particularly if you like tails from Vermont and stories from family history.  You can find her at SueBahr.com and Letters to Rosa.

4.  Want to travel to far off places?  Have visual treats of color presented to you?  Stop by A Word in Your Ear and see what the Skinnywench has to show you!

5.  Need more?  Visit Patrick Latter Photographer at Canadian Hiking Photography for more gorgeous shots.

6.  A new blog I’ve started following is Being Fifty-Something.  If Sheryl didn’t have me at the title, she sure had me hooked at her “Why?” page.  But, I mean “Being Fifty-Something?”, is that not appropriate for me? (snort).  I’m nominating her for the Versatile Blogger Award.

7.  For some new bloggers on the scene I’m nominating Carmen and Grace for the Sisterhood Award.  They blog about sweet things…cupcakes, cookies, cakes, and books!  They are teaching the community that reading can be sweet.  You can find them at Reading & Sweeting.

If you want to check out more blogs, you can always check out my page; Bloggers I Follow.  I try to add to them as I add people that I follow.  There is no order of preference, just generally the order I started following them.

Now, for the 7 things about myself, in case you were wondering about all that…..

1.  I had Amish neighbors growing up.  When I was a child there was a sweet Amish lady named Lydia that help my Mom and even went with us on some of our family trips to Maine.

2.  My Great Grandmother taught me to play the piano when I was 5 on her upright piano.  I still remember the last song she taught me before she died.

3.  I have the piano stool from that upright piano.  My butt sits on it almost everyday at my vanity table.

4.  I almost drowned in our family pool pretending to be a mermaid.

5.  My favorite flowers are tulips, followed closely by lily of the valley.  Guess what my favorite Season is?

6.  My Mother wanted to call me Wendy, but my Dad thought I could get the nickname “Windy” for talking too much.  They chose Denise instead.  My school report cards had “talks too much” on them.   Apparently, the name selection didn’t effect the behavior.

7.  I like your comments.  I do, I really do.  I really appreciate all of you stopping by and reading and commenting on my blog!  Thanks for the encouragement!  I’ll try to answer questions left in comments in future posts or reply to your comments.  Thanks again!