Tag: Community

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?  🙂

“You Is”

~ Denise ~ 8 Comments

You is kind.

You is smart.

You is important.

Some of my favorite lines from the movie, The Help. (Kathryn Stockett)

I was reminded today of someone who made people feel that way when they talked to them.

Let me step back a moment first though.

I’ve recently started a part-time job, and one of the things that I’m trying to do is remember alot of new names and faces.  I was thinking about some of them this morning and also thinking about some of the little personal things that I already knew about them that is helping me remember and building that personal connection or relationship with them.

My community is expanding.

It is when we listen, share and learn something personal about the people around us that we can really learn to care and love each other.  The person who seems distant may be shy or have a relative in the hospital.  A seemingly imposing figure may just be a giant of a teddy bear.  How do we find this out?  By mainly taking the time to listen.

Too often when I’m busy, or when I’m “on a project” I can get so focused, I forget to listen.  I’m so engrossed with what I’m doing or what project I want to accomplish that I tune out what is happening around me.  I can get mired down in the details, particularly when there is a deadline, and focus so much on the details that anyone not working around me I can become critical of.  Sometimes I will tell the person, and sometimes I may not vocalize it, but I’m thinking it.  I’m talking about people doing their job, not just sliding by or passing the buck.

Working hard is okay, being judgemental isn’t.   As I’ve aged, matured I recognize the negative traits in me quicker.  I’m not proud of them, I’m just stating a truth.

Sigh.  Forgive me, Lord for my sins.  I’ll let you handle theirs.  Forgive my impatience.

I’m striving for a more balanced approach.  I’ve seen that example in Scripture, over and over.  (I must not be the only one that needs the constant reminder)  Jesus always took time to talk to people, made a personal connection with people.  Never too busy.

With this strived, balanced approach of being produtive and aware, I was thinking how could I show this to the people I have met?  Perhaps, asking one girl about her van that was in the shop, to show I was paying attention, or asking about the health of a loved one.

I started thinking, ‘I am never going to remember all this’.  (As mentioned, I’m maturing, i.e., mind can only hold so much).

I thought about someone in my life who had a knack for remembering names, details, it seemed about all the people she came in contact with.  I thought about my Aunt MaryAnn.

She had a way of making you feel special when you talked to her.  She remembered things about you.  You were important to her.  She asked questions.  She listened.

At her funeral, my cousin, Michael talked about her special gifts.  He said she had a way of always making you feel special, and when she talked to you and asked you questions, she really wanted to know about you and what was going on.  He said she was so interested in the lives of those she cared for and loved.  He talked about running into people that he hadn’t seen in a while who would know all about him and his family, because his Mom would have talked with them and was current with their families’ going’s on and vice versa.  (We are talking down to children and grandchildren!)

She was an encourager with her words.  You couldn’t stay down in the dumps.  She was a motivator, even during her battle with ovarian cancer.

My last, lengthly conversation with her was happy and bittersweet.  She wanted to know all about my family and how everyone was doing and what was going on.  She wanted to celebrate with me any accomplishments.  She had soothing words for family that is not around.  She had joyous words for loved ones around her.  She had peaceful, confident words for where she was going.  I was able to say goodbye, for now, and I love you.  Too often we don’t get that chance.

So, I’m thinking today about those around me.

Jesus feels the same way about them.  He feels the same way about me.  He feels the same way about you.

You is kind.

You is special.

You is important.

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!