Love and Cookies-The Winning Entry

Congratulations to Laura Bergerson for her winning entry in the Mother’s Day 7-word mini-essay contest. Here’s what she wrote about her fabulous mom, Charlotte Eckart:

Mom: source of love, hugs, and cookies!

Portrait of Laura Bergerson and Charlotte Eckart

Aren’t they adorable?

Thanks to everyone who entered and shared their thoughts about their mothers. Your essays were all terrific, making it extremely difficult to choose a winner. Somehow the cookies said it all.

Share Your Seven-Word Essay about Your Mom

Happy Mother’s Day to all the beautiful, hard-working mamas of the world! In honor of this special day, I’m hosting a seven-word essay contest. What seven words best describe your mom?  Leave your “mini essay” in the comment box below and share what is/was unique about your mother. Humor is welcome! The winner will have his or her essay posted on my blog along with a photo of you and your mom.

Photo of Mom Green, Becky and Olivia

Here’s mine: Loving, supportive character with fabulous funny bone.

 

For the Love of Art, Help Us Decide!

You may have noticed my blog has been quiet lately. It’s not because I’ve been sipping Mai Tais on a tropical beach, reveling in a lack of Wi-Fi (although I must admit, that sounds divine). It’s because I’ve been working hard getting ready to launch an exciting new website in which we’ll be selling small, affordable fine art photography prints of Jeffrey Aaronson’s work.

Our goal is to share some of Jeffrey’s (aka-hubby’s) favorite moments created over the years while traveling around the world on assignments for many of the world’s greatest magazines. By offering these images on a small scale, first-time collectors as well as those without cavernous pockets or massive wall space, will have an opportunity to enjoy a little beauty in their lives without breaking the bank. We hope this approach not only makes acquiring art easy and fun, but also non-intimidating.

But here’s our problem: Jeffrey and I can’t decide which image we should use to launch the site. That’s where you come in, my fabulous readers! I’ve gotten to know many of you over this past year and a half of blogging and appreciate your thoughtful opinions. Take a peek at the three images below and tell us which photograph you think people would be most interested in owning as a small print (we’re talking 8×10 for about $50).

A) Monks walking past a Richard Gere billboard in Bangkok, Thailand.

Photo of monks in front of a Richard Gere American Gigolo Poster in Bangkok

B) A farmer tending his rice paddies in Sichuan, China.

Rice paddies in Sichuan, China

C) Giant champagne bottle in Champagne, France.

Photo of a giant champagne bottle being carried in Champagne, FranceLeave your vote in the comment box, and hopefully in the next week or so you will see which image ends up kicking off the launch of our new endeavor. And of course, many details will follow…including the name of our site!

Thanks for sharing your two cents with us! Your opinion means a lot.

Book Review: Roots by Alex Haley

Photo of the cover of RootsIt may seem unusual to write a book review about a novel written well over thirty years ago, but I do so in hopes of inspiring you to pick up this powerhouse tome once again.

Roots: The Saga of an American Family has climbed to the tippy-top of my all-time favorite books.

For those of you who watched Roots, the blockbuster television mini-series in 1977, but never read the novel, you will be dazzled by the written version, and reminded why you were so mesmerized by Alex Haley’s epic story in the first place. You will also appreciate why it topped The New York Times Best Sellers list for twenty-two weeks, and why Haley was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for it.

Why did I pick up this book after so many years? Simple. I was inspired by fellow blogger, Debra Eve, who wrote a compelling profile about Alex Haley on her blog, Late Bloomers. Click here to read her piece and see why I immediately headed to my Kindle to download this 700-page masterpiece.

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A Bundle of Sticks Can’t Be Broken

It’s my birthday week, and the simple act of adding another candle to my cake always stirs a reflective and celebratory cocktail of emotions for me.  While many people loathe adding another candle to the top of their cake, I say, “Bring it on!” After all, celebrating another year aways beats the alternative, as far as I’m concerned.

Last year I shared my favorite music with you on my birthday and reflected on the impact it has on one’s life (click here if you missed it and care to take a peek).

This year I thought I’d share one of my favorite gifts, which I think you might appreciate as much as I do. It’s one I received a couple years ago from my dear friend, Kimberly Reeder-Riechel.

Photo of a Bundle of Sticks Can't Be Broken

This seemingly delicate, yet nearly indestructible bird’s nest, sits in my office in a place of honor near my computer, and it knocks my socks off every time I look at it–especially when accompanied by Kimberly’s hand-written note: “A bundle of sticks can’t be broken.”

This gift reminds me not only of how much I appreciate Kimberly’s friendship and all the strong qualities that make up my fabulous friend, but it also reminds me that no matter how challenging life gets, I will always feel loved and supported by the many caring, talented and diverse “sticks” in my bundle of life.

This proverb, while simple, is a great reminder that as humans we are infinitely more powerful when we band together to support one another than when we try to navigate through life as individual “twigs.” After all, it’s a snap to break a single twig in half, but nearly impossible to break a sturdy bundle. Just try it and see what I mean.

Somehow this notion seems especially poignant this year as I delve into a particularly fiery social issue (click here to read more) and also push once again to finish my book in the midst of all life’s daily pulls. Knowing that my “sticks” are there to support me gives me a sense of calm and strength, and even patience.

This proverb also makes me think of others around me like my friends who are still trying to recover from Hurricane Sandy and those who are dealing with debilitating illnesses. It also makes me think of those who have lost parents recently or who are struggling to handle parenting issues of their own, all the while trying keep their humor and sanity. And of course, it makes me think of my writing and artist friends who continually try to keep the creative fires burning, who put themselves out there, who yearn to start or complete projects which have simultaneously inspired and tortured their creative souls.

I share my bundle of sticks with all of you to remind you that you are not alone, that we are all in this great big crazy world together; and to remind you that anything is possible with hard work and the support of those who care.

I also share my bundle of sticks to encourage you to be kind to yourself if you feel the need to ask for support. Asking for advice or help once in a while does not make you weak, but rather wise and strong. It shows that you are passionate about what you are doing and have the guts to reach out to make it happen.

The beauty of each of our bundles is that it continually grows and changes, getting stronger with each year and each new person who enters into our lives. I didn’t know my friend Kimberly when I was in third grade nor even college. In fact, I only met Kimberly a handful of years ago, when our daughters went to preschool together. I never could have imagined that such an important friendship could have develop in such a short time.

The same holds true with many of my writing and blogging friends. I may have only gotten to know some of you over the past year or so, but your words and personalities have added nothing but dazzling, colorful sticks to my ever-growing bundle.

On this day that I celebrate another candle, more importantly, I celebrate you, dear peeps, all the beautiful “sticks” in my life (you know who you are). Thank you for making my bundle impossibly strong and abundantly memorable and meaningful.

Favorite Five Friday: Ways to Reach a Goal

It’s that time of year when many of us feel inspired to make goals for the year ahead. I’m curious how you approach the challenges you give yourself. What are your Favorite Five Ways to Reach a Goal? Here are mine:

Graphic for Favorite Five Friday Goals

Drop your two cents (or five) in the comment box below and let me know what inspires you to push to the proverbial finish line?

CouRAGE

I love, love, LOVE the start of a new year and all the possibilities it brings.

The fresh vibe swirling about always kicks my mental cogs in motion, inspiring me to create long lists of goals for the year–everything from big picture ideas to minutia: places to go, races to run, books to read, acts of kindness to perform, things to learn, projects to launch.

This year is decidedly different, though. This year I have only written one word on my list.

That word is courage.

Graphic of Courage

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Stuff

You may have noticed that I fell off the face of the blogosphere for a while. I didn’t leap off gracefully like so many talented bloggers who leave clues as to what they’ll be up to and when they’ll be back. I simply disappeared.

For that I apologize, especially to those of you who worried that something terrible happened.

LIfe has just been brimming full of…well…”stuff.” Good stuff. Bad stuff. Regular stuff. Ridiculous stuff. Magical stuff. Mundane stuff. Maybe you can relate.

But this post isn’t to talk about stuff.

This post is to say hello again and to thank you for making 2012 so memorable. One of the highlights of the year for me has been all the conversations we’ve had here on my blog (and yours). Your comments and your lives have inspired and dazzled me in ways you may never know.

For that I am grateful. And I’m grateful for all the connections, virtual and otherwise, blogging has created. It is a gift I do not take for granted.

As 2013 fast approaches, I hope you’ll think about swinging back by on New Year’s Day. Many of you know I LOVE the start of each new year. Woohoo! This year is no different. Except, well, one thing is decidedly different…

A Bazillion Things that Make Me Happy and Grateful

I wrote this post a year ago, but it makes me happy to share it again, especially knowing I was able to add even more to my list this year. I hope you’ll share your list with me.

•   •   •

This post started out simply enough; in the spirit of Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday), I thought I’d share the top ten things that make me happy and grateful. Within a matter of minutes though, my list became enormous, quickly growing from 10 to 110, then, well…you can see what happened.

My peeps, of course, are what pack my heart most with gratitude…as do my dear friends and the fact that I’m healthy and still relatively fit. Most of all though, I’m grateful that I’m still grateful; that life still feels like an outrageous gift that is meant to be celebrated each day. Here are a few more things that make me happy and grateful:

Teachers
Art
Hand-written letters
My husband’s cooking
Dining al fresco
Laughing until I cry
The view out my window
The way I feel after a long run
The smell of freshly ground coffee
Chocolate
Quiet moments
The feel and smell of a new book
Sand between my toes and hours at the beach
Learning to say, “What the hell, you only live once!” at a very early age
Random acts of kindness
Being surrounded by talented people
Books, books, and more books
Photography
Small world moments
Red licorice
Red wine
Paper stores
People who work hard at making a difference
The smell of eucalyptus trees
My daughter’s hugs
Knowing I can always stand on my own two feet
Levis
Butterfly kisses
Early mornings
Warm weather
Happy endings
Ideas
My three brothers
The Beatles
The blogging community
Writers whose words swirl into magic
Finding something I’m passionate about and diving in head first
Reading in bed on a Sunday morning
When the right words come to mind at the right time
Creativity
History
Old movies
Flip-flops
Globes
Long showers
The sound of rain
Sun streaming through my window when I write
Finding a perfect moment in each day
Quotes that inspire me
Lists
Cupcakes
A fire in the fireplace
Convertibles
Surprise parties
Airplanes that take me on new adventures
Discovering–new places, ideas, cultures, books, music
Neighbors
My daughter’s art
Roasting marshmallows
People with nice manners
When my husband brings me coffee in bed
Long meandering conversations with my BFF
Wrap around porches
Boogie boarding
Learning something new
Aspen
Typography
Real deal lemonade
Eye-crinkling smiles
The smell of Coppertone
Freshly baked bread
Helping somebody
The power of our imaginations
Getting smarter as I get older

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Caption Contest WINNER

First of all…BAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You guys are so damn funny and clever, I love it. That’s the good news. The bad news is that it made it really hard to pick a winner for the caption contest this time.

After much deliberation though, I’m happy to crown TOM MELBERG ”Most Creative,” with his winning caption:

“Is that really John Wayne?”

Photo for Where in the World Contest 2

Congratulations, Tom! Here are the four runner’s up (in no particular order)…

CINDY BROWN: “I know we’re Indians who are really Chinese men, and we’re trying out for the cowboy parts in this movie, so we probably won’t get it, but do you at least think we’ll get a glimpse of Clint Eastwood?”

CARYL: “Think anyone noticed that we’re wearing the same boots? Seriously, call me next time.”

RODGER: ”I think she winked at us as she went by!”

NORM: “Awaiting the election result. The one on the left is a republican.”

Thanks to all of you for participating and sharing your wit. I laughed out loud at many of them!