Blonde By Design

Roses are Red ...

Roses are Red Violets are Blue There are a million Reasons (and then some) of why "I Love You" Thank You for including me in your life ans being a special part of mine! Much Love, Sprite and The Ark Kids

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28 Days ... or bust

A couple of days ago a Tweet from Kim Redd caught my eye.  She'd taken a 28 Day Blog Challenge and I was in the mood to lean in that direction.  It felt like just the push I needed.  Maybe not for the reasons all the big kids on the list were doing it, but for a list of my own reasons as well as trying to adopt some of the Chris Brogan and Liz Strauss discipline of actually BLOGGING.  A thing I #fail to do, often.  Wishful thinking on my part.  Using this 28 days to get out of a rut and back on track, finish projects, start projects ... including a few pieces of my Bucket List that I've never shared and I'm so hungry to do.  Life's little victories waiting to be explored and celebrated. I have a lot of things that I think about saying, but I don't. I have a lot of things I need to say, but I don't.  I've leaned toward being the "I Don't Blogger" rather than the "I Do or Just DO It" blogger ... and all those things in my head?  Well, they just go blonde on me.  They sit there, at times causing brain clogs,  waiting, waiting, waiting to come out and wear their own special color of font. While in my brief scanning of Scott Bishop's "5 Blogging Rules" he'd started to make blog changes for himself, I'm all ready working the late night shift and posting during the least likely time to be read (midnight).  But really, come on kids, give me some credit!  I'm posting.  I mean think of it!  I barely do 28 posts in a year and I'm aiming for 28 straight days of posting.  It's like a World Record!! (I'm also adding workouts, less sugar to no sugar and eating healthy in this little mix.  Oh dear God, what have I done?) I'm looking forward to this.  I'll let you know how I'm feeling after I've used up my 2 planned posts.  *smiles* and here we go ...

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My Twitter Friends are Rock Stars ...

Twitter has opened the door and allowed us the opportunity to walk into the lives of some amazing people through 140 characters and pressing SEND.

One of those truly amazing, extremely kind, very sweet, shyly FUN, talented and smart people I've had the privilege of knowing is Annie Boccio.  She's multi-faceted and if it's a technology trend, she's probably been there before you even knew it existed.  She doesn't go out of her way to draw attention to herself, yet she's a Queen at wordpress, helping people who ask, and runs a successful business, pixelcurrents.com where she produces magic for her satisfied clients.  Annie is a pleaser.  She gives, she tries hard and she cares.  She's one of those rare combinations of people that come into your life and touch it in positive ways and yet, you  may not have exchanged more than a few dozen tweets.

 

Some of you may remember The Kandahar Project that I started after connecting with Jim Long (@newmediaJim) via Twitter while he was on one of his many trips overseas. 

What you may not know (because, while I Thanked everyone, I was so exhausted after the project, I dropped the ball on getting ALL the details out to you) is that Annie's husband, Pat, donated 25 very awesome USB Flash drives for the Kandahar soldiers Christmas care packages and they absolutely LOVED THEM! 

Another important FACT you may not know; Kindness and Giving are a part of the framework in the Boccio Family.  Pat, Annie's husband is locally known for his giving and volunteering in Green Brook, New Jersey where they live.

As a matter of fact, Pat, an Electrical Engineer (who runs a successful business himself), is not only Annie's awesome husband of TWENTY-THREE Years, father of three equally awesome sons, but he's also currently running for the Township Council in Green Brook, New Jersey! 

Pat has always been involved in helping out his community and now he's taking it one step further.  Personally, from what I know of Pat and Annie, if I lived in Green Brook, New Jersey, Pat would definitely have my VOTE.

GOOD LUCK, PAT and Thank You, Annie for being such an awesome Twitter friend!

*hugs*

 

The Man in the Moon...

I have this really cool friend, Steph Stockman that works for NASA.  If you don't follow her on twitter, well ... why are you waiting? 

*blinks* 

She's blonde with TONS of brain power!  Your IQ pops up several levels just breathing in her air space!

So, Steph is involved with teaching the teaching community about lunar exploration, planetary science and educating us about the next lunar orbiter.

All the hip kids are putting their name on the moon.  Even on Utube!

So, all YOU have to do to join the million *other* hip kids, men, women and possibly an Ark Kid or two is go HERE, fill in the blanks, and send your name to the moon!

Now, aren't you glad you did & don't you feel much better for doing it?! 

*grins*

(p.s.  All of those links lead some where .. click them & follow along!)

You what???

You forgot to be honest how???

This would definitely be a good night to take drugs ... if I actually did that sort of thing.

*blank look*

A Chance to Make a Difference ...

This week we lost one of the sweetest, funniest, most loving moms you could find, an avid football lover and friend. The loss is still a shock to most of us. 

Imagining what life must be like for her husband, Peter and those two babies of hers, Toby (3) and Lucy (6 wks old)  is next to impossible to think about.

You can  help us make a difference in their lives.

Ashly's family is no stranger to hardship, but this last blow, losing her, has been the worse imaginable.  We have been working on a memorial to help with expenses and hopefully, to give Peter a chance to breath while he decides whether he will remain in America or return to Reading, England where he originally is from.

Giving doesn't have to hurt, and every little bit helps.  Even an amount as little as $5, when added to a sum total, can help make a big difference in Peter, Toby and Lucy's lives in the difficulty of the days to come while this family learns to adjust to life without our beloved Ashly.

If you follow this link, it will give you more information about Ashly and her memorial.

*many thanks and much love*

I'm all right ...

Hey everyone, I'm ok.  Really.  I'm just a bit withdrawn and working my way out of it ... resting.  I've spent most of the last 48 hours in bed with the Ark kids close by watching every move I make.

In all honesty, I think what probably tipped the scales, pushing me into the depths of sadness was a brief call with my Mom that didn't go well at all (as only my mother can do), then when I inquired about the Christmas card I received from my Dad, the answer I got confirmed what I had been thinking.

My Dad doesn't send Christmas cards. 

My Dad doesn't send cards, period.

I knew the instant I saw the wobbled writing on the inside of the card, carefully spelling out 3 letters ... DAD ...  it would probably be the last Christmas my Dad has.    I was all ready dealing with fatigue and an inner sadness, & that just tipped me over the edge I was holding on to.  I'm not the kind of girl that embraces sadness.  I hate it.

Honestly, I'm ok.  I'm just quiet right now ... quiet inside of myself.  I didn't expect my blog post to cause a stir and I'm truly sorry if it worried anyone.  I thought I had worded everything carefully enough so everyone who had inquired about my lack of twitter time would know I was going to be ok, I just needed time to pull my  head out of sadness.

I do honestly & very sincerely THANK each and every one of you for caring and for sharing your thoughts, your concern and your love with me.  It has meant a lot to me. It's touched me, it's made me cry.  It's been totally appreciated.

More than you can ever know.

*sending love, hugs and many thanks to all*

                     

We interupt this blog project to talk about ...

Me.

It's been a rough couple of weeks, getting through the holidays while not feeling well, kissed by headaches from hell and sprinkled with some holiday disappointment.  Dealing with family, people, friends, and friends that say they're friends but don't always act like it, then add an attorney or two.   

All in all, a part of me was left feeling pretty worn out, beaten up and very, very drained.   In attempts to take care of me and the exhaustion I was feeling, I found myself in bed earlier than usual each night, pushing away the verbal pokes and jabs tossed at me. 

Pokes here. 

Comments there. 

Sarcastic jabs at me followed by comments of denial. 

Negative. 

Sarcasm.

... draining. 

Everyday practically, for the first 3 weeks of December.  Hard stuff to deal with on any day, even harder when you're fighting a fever, headaches & not feeling well.   It had no reality for me or the world I live in or how I feel, ... but it had it's tole on me. 

Finally I caved in and sank into a depression despite being one who always reaches for the sun shine.  The combination of all I was trying to accomplish, being over tired, and the mental jabs wore me out and left my holiday in a very vacant, almost empty place.   

I'm working on recovering from that.  Trying to get my head past it all & the echo of negative words stuck in my head.  Brain flushing.

I'm not a depressed type person nor one that ever crosses the doors of depression, but I certainly have my limits.  The month of December added with other aspects during the year, despite all I tried to accomplish, has left me feeling quite sad .... and emotionally drained.

Not a place I choose or want to be. 

A place I refuse to be.

*Izzy sigh* 

I'll work my way past this difficult spot ....  I'm just having to pause and recover me during an intermission in the rebuilding of my life.  No theatrics.  No drama.  Just a much needed rest and a long soak in the tub while I find peace inside my brain once more.

Just writing this out has helped dig me out of some of the burden I've been carrying. 

By myself.

*big hugs, much love* ... and thanks for listening.

Dear Long Neglected Blog ...

I haven't forgotten that you exist despite my neglect of you.  I promise I'll be back soon.  I have people to thank and things to tell, pictures to post and ... you know, stuff. 

Since I moved in June life hasn't seemed to slow down enough to let me breath.  I did think about ordering an oxygen tank, though.  *grins*  I'm guilty, as well, of twittering my life away rather than supplying equal or just a little time to you, dear long neglected blog.

I've been trying to find the *flow* in my new home (which I absolutely LOVE), working hard at working hard (I have SUCH a great job, but I need to learn to take a break now and then), gardening, I had guests from out of town, a bit of dance with the doctors over a medical issue or two, always active Ark children, processing the good, the bad, & the disappointing parts of summer and in between it all, working on the Kandarhar projects.

Over the past month or so, I've sent out approximately 20 care packages or so to Danny and his men in Kandahar.  Perhaps one or two more.  I lost count. 

I'm blonde like that.

I'll tell you all about it as the week unfolds and I continue to make progress on my *catching up what's behind* program.

The most recent boxes to head to Kandahar were stuffed with Halloween gouls, a fake spider or two (not that they probably don't have plenty of the real ones over there), pumpkins, and of course a box filled with treats -- candy and a TON of tootsie-roll suckers!

Nighters blog!  Tomorrow isn't giving me any rest, so I need to find my bed!  More tomorrow....

*******PLEASE NOTE!!  The link to Danny has his OLD ADDRESS.  A new one will be posted shortly!!

 

Fresh fruit ...

I have this totally thoughtful farmer friend, much like a big brother to me, that's always bringing me almonds or grapes from his crops or, at times, fresh fruit and vegetables.  Always a wonderful treat, but often more than I can eat by myself.

Recently I was gifted with fresh apricots, plums, and big, fat, red, juicy tomatoes.  Knowing full well, as wonderful as all of it was, there was no way I could eat it all before it'd start to spoil, I had to find someone to share it all with.

There is this cute little couple I've nicked named Grandma & Grandpa that live catty corner, across the street from my new home.  I'm never sure how old they're going to be each time I talk to them, their ages ranging from 76 to 96, always consistently ending in a six.  I always enjoy a quick visit while they're sitting out front of their home, watching the comings and goings of our little gated neighborhood.  They're like the greeting team, always waving hello or goodbye as I'm coming and going.  Personally, I think they might be better than security or the neighborhood watch team.  They know EVERYTHING and EVERYONE that is coming and going. 

They're adorable and I love them all ready.

I'd hesitated to give Grandma & Grandpa the fresh fruit since I remembered Grandpa had diabetes, however tonight I was able to have a quick word with Grandma, and as it ends up, they not only can eat fresh fruit, but love to have it. 

The only thing better than giving someone something they'd like is seeing how much they totally appreciate it.  I can't remember the last time someone thanked me so graciously for a kindness I'd given or shared ... the blessing was mine more than theirs.