Sludge Through Monday Morning?

I like Mondays as it’s the start of the new week and there’s much optimism in a new week’s adventures.  I know typically people feel like they are sludging through Monday mornings, but not me.  Maybe it’s just my personality, but to me, it’s a new beginning, like the start of school in September!

But this week can be particularly stressful since Thanksgiving is on Thursday.  All of the last minute preparations for the big feast can wear on those who are hosting the event for family.  Let’s face it, that all-encompassing dinner is a lot to prepare, even for the most seasoned cooks.  Sometimes the stress of being with family is hard too.  Lucky for me, I’m not hostessing this year, so I’m a bit more relaxed.  For those of you who are, well, I’m sending you lots of strength, patience and a delicious meal and well-behaved guests!

This week kicks off the holiday season with Thanksgiving, then Black Friday shopping and the Christmas season coming up.  I find it to be invigorating myself, but maybe I’m an anomaly.   How are you feeling?

I hope you have a lovely week and that today brings a skip in your step and not the dragging of feet.  Keep shining your heartlights and I’ll send you mine!

Shine On!

xo

 

Imagine Christmas Lasting All Year Long!

“My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern,

is very simple: loving others.

Come to think of it,

why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?” 

~ Bob Hope

Bob Hope was wise, don’t you think?  The idea that we can make Christmas last all year long simply by loving others (and ourselves) is the best gift of all!  Why not allow the gift of love to permeate the whole year long in all you do, say and are!

Many people joyously welcome the holiday season of giving with such aplomb, going out of their way to give to others during this time.  However, there are those who fret about our spending and trying to find the perfect gift to give to family, friends and loved ones.  Truly, I know a gift that we can give a gift that is priceless and that doesn’t cost a single dollar.  We can give the gift of love, gratitude and forgiveness.  Imagine receiving such a gift in your life ~ Imagine giving such a gift to others!  What if we were to give that gift of gratitude and love all year long?  Wouldn’t it make every day special?  Wouldn’t it evolve into a year long celebration of love and gratitude?  I can imagine such a world, can’t you?

So this year, let’s try to bring that Christmas spirit of love, peace, laughter and joy to everyone’s hearts and allow it to grow and shine throughout the year!  What a wonderful world this would be!

Shine On!

xo

Life After Death?

They that love beyond the world cannot be separated by it.

Death cannot kill what never dies. – William Penn

Well, we made it through our first Christmas without Dad.  In case you didn’t know, my Dad passed away 6 months ago so we’ve been dealing with many firsts in the last few months, my parents’ first anniversary and his first birthday (is there such a thing to celebrate when he’s not here?), the first Halloween, Thanksgiving and now Christmas.  In the near future looms New Year’s Eve and my Mom’s birthday.  According to helpful friends, the year of firsts without Dad are the hardest which I imagine is true having been through a bunch so far…but it is supposed to get easier with time which is a relief.

I awoke this morning pondering life after death and thought I’d ask you ~  my blogging community ~  to help me again navigate these muddy waters.  Many of you have special gifts that you’ve shared with me so I figure if anyone can help, it would be you.  I”m too close to see the forest for the trees so I’d like to rely on you.

Do you believe in life after death?  Do you believe you can come back to be with your loved ones even for a little bit?  Do you believe that spirits can rattle windows or become squawking birds?  How about hovering around the house and moving objects in a mischievous manner?  Can they enter our dreams to show us that they are happy?  Do they possess the ability to play with electricity?  Can they leave us signs?  Can they turn into cardinals or butterflies to show us they are nearby?

In case you weren’t able to guess, the above happened to our family ~ although I am a bit skeptical since not all of the above were experienced by me.  But to my Mom, they are definite signs of Dad.  In fact, she knows that he’s been back to visit her, to let her know that he’s still around watching over her.

I’d love to hear your experiences if you have had any and if you’d share with me.  Because I think that especially around the holidays, the empty chair of a loved one who has  passed is most felt now.  We tried to make it easier for my Mom by changing it up this year and my sister AAngel hostessed Christmas Day so that we wouldn’t have the memory of Dad’s empty chair.  For the most part, I think it worked well ~  she subtly lit a white candle on her table for him which I thought was most caring.

Have you experienced any after death visits?

Do you believe in the ability for loved ones to come back to visit?

Do you have any suggestions on how to get through the rest of the year of firsts?

Any and all suggestions, stories and experiences are appreciated!

Shine On!

xo

I found a few blogs who had a bit to say on the subject as well ~ I thought you might like to check them out too!

http://rickalonzophoto.wordpress.com/2012/12/22/life-after-death/

http://sarahsana.wordpress.com/2012/12/21/the-two-hearted-woman-in-love-with-an-itsy-bitsy-spider-man/

http://sharingacrosstheveil.wordpress.com/2012/12/19/from-tamara/

http://globalsearchfortruth.com/2012/12/17/is-there-life-after-death/

http://theowlsmoonsoulsupport.wordpress.com/2012/12/12/spiritual-mainframe-qa-2/

Loving the Liebster!

My dear friend at Enchanted Seashells winner-winner-winner-liebster-award  was kind enough to nominate me for the Liebster!  I am honored to be blessed twice by the lovable Liebster although this one is a bit different from the last one I received.  A different Liebster emblem and now the magic of 11s.  As a game player and rule breaker, I accept with much appreciation!  Thank you my friend!

So the rules are: 
I need to nominate 11 other under-appreciated blogs with less than 200 followers. Next comes 11 juicy tidbits about myself and then answer the 11 questions sent to me, and create 11 questions for my chosen group.

11 Tidbits About Me:

1.  I love ‘old’ music and know all the lyrics for songs way before my time.

2.  I am an incurable romantic.

3.  I’m a Pisces.

4.  I met my very best friend in 4th grade when she moved to our school ~ and we’ve been best friends for over 30 years!

5.  My favorite holiday is Christmas!

6.  I love celebrating my birthday and I celebrate for as long as my family will allow ~ usually 2 weeks!

7.  I love gadgets ~ especially for the kitchen.

8.  I’d prefer to make reservations than to actually MAKE dinner!

9.  I long to learn to horseback ride.

10.  I love my SendOutCards business because it allows you to send cards for less than $1 ~ and the feeling you give and get is priceless!

11.  I really love my life.

Here are the questions I was required to answer:

1. How old were you when you first learned to read?  I don’t remember ~ probably 5?

2. Name two of your favorite books.  Oh, so many to choose from!  You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay, The Game of Life and How to Play It by Florence Scovell Shinn and I have to put in Gone With The Wind…

3. What’s your favorite holiday dessert?  Chocolate…anything…but without nuts!

4. What is a Merchant Marine?  Ok, so I took so long to write this post that you answered it for me! 🙂  But for those who didn’t already know the answer:  The Merchant Marine supplements the military in times of war, transporting goods and equipment to areas where it is needed.

5. Who is your role model? I have too many to list…

6. Who is your favorite movie star?  Tough one…first one who came to mind was Vivien Leigh

7. Do you make new year’s resolutions?  Yes

8. What’s cluttering up your life?  Paperwork which isn’t mine!

9. Do you drive a car or a truck?  SUV

10. Do you know how to change the battery in a smoke alarm?  Yes

11. What is your best home remedy for a sore throat? honey

Your questions to answer are:

1. Name your favorite part of your body.

2. Name a book you have reread.

3.  What is your astrology sign?

4. What’s your favorite time of day?

5.  If money were no object, where would you go on your next trip?

6.  What’s your most priceless possession?

7.  Are you a dog lover, a cat lover or both?

8.  Are you happy?

9.  Have you ever seen a double rainbow?

10.  What’s your favorite dessert?

11.  What’s your favorite season?

So here are my nominees!  Please check out their awesome blogs ~ you won’t be disappointed!  Hugs!

Congratulations to:

http://spiritualmysticism.wordpress.com/

http://bluekyanite.com/

http://unshakablehope.wordpress.com/

http://www.dancingsunvt.com/

http://lifesjourneyblog.com/

http://beeskneesphotographync.com/

http://www.tracielouisephotography.com/

http://hopeforheather.wordpress.com/

http://tchistorygal.wordpress.com/

http://msmigraine.wordpress.com/

http://daddylee1969.wordpress.com/

Requesting the Power of Prayer

May the power of prayer comfort and lift your burdens.

I, myself, believe in the power of prayer.  I also believe in the Power of Positive Thinking.  I have friends who ‘vibe’ for me as they are not inclined to call it prayer, but more akin to sending powerful, positive, healing vibrations to me.  Believe me, I accept any and all good thoughts, healing feelings, powerful prayers etc. and I am blessed to say that I have enjoyed the fruits of their Reiki, their loving energy and their healing messages.

So when I ask today for a bit of help from you all, I hope you won’t mind taking a moment of your time to think of me.  You see, it’s been a really hard year for me.  Perhaps I’m throwing a bit of a pity party this morning ~ because in reality, there’s nobody who is always 100% happy and inspirational 100% of the time ~ not even me, although I do try to be ~ I try with all of my heart and being to be.

But this morning, I’m not feeling it and although I debated whether to write this post, I think that it’s only fair to show that I’m a real person who gets down like everyone else, but who, I hope, inspires you all by getting back up everyday and moving forward ~ even if it’s only a baby step forward.  I try to look at the sunshine through the clouds, remember that the rain falls to feed the beautiful flowers (and to make rainbows) and that the age old mantra of what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger makes me a 2 ton indestructable ox today. 🙂

My body is tired and needs extra care now after this surgery.  It seems that after 4 this year alone, it’s just not bouncing back the way it ought to and it’s having some difficulties in healing as I found out from my surgeon’s visit yesterday.  I need my body to heal so that I can continue on with Christmas as it’s only a week away and I’m floundering under this new burden.  Sometimes, we all need a bit of help and for some of us, it’s more difficult to ask for than it is to give.  So I’m learning…and I”m asking…and I have faith that I’ll receive.

I know we’re cyberly connected ~ that’s the beauty of blogs ~ so my request is simple…Please take a moment and send me a healing thought, message, vibe, prayer, Reiki ~ whatever you choose.  I need a little extra strength today and I’m counting on you.  I’m sending blessings out to the Universe with every post and especially this one so if you would please send back some love, I’d be most appreciative.  I started counting my blessings and not my troubles this morning in hopes of turning this situation around, but I feel like I could use a bit of back up ~ hence my post and request.

I believe we are a community ~ I believe that each of us has the power to change lives and together ~ well, together we can make miracles.  I’m not asking for a miracle, just a little healing.  I’m not dying any faster than anyone else ~ but I could sure use some powerful vibes to heal me.  So, if you are inclined, I’d be grateful to you today.

Hugs to all of you ~ you make my heart sing with your words, your blogs and your energies!

Shine On my friends…Shine On!

Thank you!

xo

Christmas Spirit on its way!

So after I put in one of my favorite scenes in movieland ~ Mame’s rendition of We Need a Little Christmas Now, into yesterday’s post, I began thinking about that special movie ~ all the amazing quotes from it that I loved.  Now the one I gave you, was the 1973 version with Lucille Ball and Bea Arthur which is a classic unto itself.  However, my favorite rendition is the original movie called Auntie Mame with Rosalind Russell from 1958.

So I got my computer, put it on the kitchen table, started some broth in a pot on the stove and checked out my trusty Amazon account (thinking of ShareChair http://sharechair.wordpress.com/in the back of my head…what would she do to find a free version of a the movie) and began!  What I found was a FREE VERSION with my Prime account…and I could watch it from my computer, while I made comfort food for my family and myself.

So as I chopped veggies and chicken and whipped up homemade chicken soup complete with a dash of love and then scooped Nestle Toll House chocolate chip ready made dough from a container and ‘baked’ chocolate chip cookies, I watched my movie in the kitchen by myself…fresh balsam candle twinkling and making the house smell like love and Christmas…and with food ready for our bellies, filled with love and comfort.

In the midst of all of my kitchen antics, my doorbell rang ~ my neighbor brought me a huge homemade wreath ~ made with the branches from our street which had fallen and are being picked up by the town this week…TAngel and her husband had painstakingly picked up branches of magnolia trees, spruce and pine and she had woven the most beautiful wreath I have ever seen, complete with colorful Christmas ball ornaments to brighten my day.  I was in awe of her talent, let alone the fact that she had made it for me.  I feel so grateful and so blessed.  To be given such amazing holiday spirit by a kind friend! (See pic above ~ I just took a pic of it, added a border and voila!  It’s the front of her thank you card from me!  If you’re new, check out my website ~ http://www.rememberchristmas.com/deanery

And when I was all done with my movie, chicken soup ready for the family dinner and homemade (ahem) cookies for dessert, I got online to see if I had any emails waiting…and there you all were…our beautiful blogging community…

Thank you my friends.  Your outpouring of loving comments made me cry…

and I want you to know how blessed I feel…thank you.

I BELIEVE ~  Shine On!

xo

Got Christmas Spirit for me?

It’s December 2nd and I’m having a tough time getting into the holiday spirit this year which is so very unlike me!  I am the gal who begins decorating the minute we leave my inlaws house after Thanksgiving dinner!  My enthusiasm begins immediately as I scurry to the basement to begin to bring up all of the holiday paraphernalia ~ an old Santa hat on my head, dancing around, singing off-key Christmas tunes by myself, in utter glee that my favorite season has finally begun!  My family is used to me doing this and the boys/hubby just laugh because they know my joy knows no bounds when it comes to Christmas.

For I STILL BELIEVE!

But this year, it’s different and I’m not sure the reason for it…but I will say, that I don’t like it!  Perhaps it’s the sadness that envelopes my family occasionally, knowing that this will be our first Christmas without my Dad.  Perhaps it’s having endured 3 surgeries thus far this year and in anticipation of my next one on December 10th ~ knowing that I’ll be laid up until almost Christmas Eve.  Perhaps it’s because our church now sings these new holiday songs which nobody knows and not the tried and true beautiful hymns of my memories during Advent.  Perhaps it’s the overload of dealing with the mountains of paperwork and extra responsibility required of me as Executor to Dad’s estate and now taking care of Mom’s affairs as well.  Perhaps it’s just me.

I guess it’s another lesson in my life ~ getting a glimpse into the world of those who don’t carry the Christmas Spirit in their hearts.  For whatever reason, there are people who don’t find the twinkling of lights, the generosity of spirit and the beauty of a loving heart contagious.  It’s not about religion either, as for me, I embrace the holiday spirit no matter if you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa or any other Holiday as long as you do it with a sprinkling of the Spirit of Love!

I’m trying to conjure up my usual enthusiasm…

I’ve watched a few Christmas specials on tv ~ ELF, Eloise at Christmastime (I’m her in my head as a child, but not in reality!), and even put the dvd of Polar Express on!  I’ve got my favorite Fresh Balsam candle burning to make my house smell like my favorite live Christmas tree (which always puts me in the mood).  I’ve had Christmas Carols playing on the radio, I’ve put out a few of the elves and Christmas red and greens, but my spirits haven’t come up yet.

This situation plagues me as even when I was diagnosed with cancer, I still had the Christmas Spirit ~ and I was diagnosed on New Year’s Eve, having endured a biopsy which I was assured wasn’t cancer on December 26th, right after I hosted our entire family to Christmas dinner…which I remember, I LOVED because it was our whole family together, smiling, laughing and exchanging thoughtful gifts.  It’s the magic in Christmas which I adore…the magic of giving, of receiving and of actually feeling the love in the air!  It’s Holiday Spirit ~ when everyone is on their good behavior so that Santa doesn’t think you are naughty!

I’m usually the one who enjoys helping you ~ but perhaps you can help me today. 

Surely I’ll find my holiday spirit soon, but in the meantime, please tell me about yours! 

Like Auntie Mame, I need a little Christmas now…

Shine On and Enjoy!

xoxo

Oh my Deer ~ December 1st!

Hello Everyone!  Happy December First!  You know what you need to do now, right?  Say “Rabbit, Rabbit, White Rabbit White Rabbit!”   If you are scratching your head and wondering what in the world I’m talking about ~ see my post on this monthly family ritual!  https://misifusa.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/rabbit-rabbit/

But that’s not the only reason so sound the alarm for December 1st!  It’s also time to think of your holiday cards and gifts!  I know, I may sound like a commercial, but because SendOutCards does not advertise, you can only hear about it via word of mouth ~ from one system lover to another!  So that’s why I write about it!  I love this company so much for what it stands for, for how easy it is to use, for how inexpensive it is to send a card, a gift and to make something special with my own pictures, videos and logos…you only pay for what you use ~ and it brings a priceless smile to everyone!

I was playing the photostore the other day, making ornaments for friends/family, working on a 2013 family calendar (shh…it’s a secret!) and even trying my hand at making playing cards for our family with our years’ pictures on the cards!  But that’s all for another day…

Today, I give you a little present…check out our webinars for SendOutCards…they are free, informative and let them know that I sent you!

Make your holiday cards and gifts special!

Shine On!

xo

Click here to see SendOutCards Christmas Webinars!