“What’s the Word?” Wednesdays [Blog Hop]: August 8, 2012

Aug 8, 2012 | 6 comments

I’ve been so busy the last few days, I almost forgot to write a blog post! Ever had a season like that? Everything keeps you so very busy that other things slip by? I’m glad that’s usually just for a season.

Dot’s on vacation with her aunt, uncle and cousin. They’re taking her camping. And not just camping. Ground camping. Complete with tent and sleeping bags. No RV-ing it for this trip! I can’t wait for her to come home and tell me all about it.

I’m taking advantage of her absence and getting things done around the house that have been on my To Do List for far too long. Something that wasn’t on my list but made a difference is that I bleached the floors in three of the rooms. That’s right: I used pure bleach to mop the tiles, and oh! what a difference! I didn’t think my floors were all that dirty; I just wanted to give them a better-than-usual cleaning. I can’t believe the Before-and-After. I can’t wait to do another room or two tomorrow.

My goals for this week are to have the house deep-cleaned before Dot returns home, to have my next assignment submitted to Institute of Children’s Literature, and write another chapter in our Fantasy Series. I also want to add to my Apples booklet. And let’s not forget the Safe and Sassy Party I’m hosting on Saturday.

The biggest project I have going on right now is making the commercial for Kickstarter. I call it a commercial, because that’s basically what it is: What I’m offering, and why I want pledges. My friend Wendy is helping me [read: recording, editing, and producing]. She’s amazing. We met earlier today to discuss ideas, and she came up with some great ideas. She also asked some great questions. I told her my basic ideas, and together we came up with the Commercial plot. I honestly can’t wait to have it up and running.

And that’s what I’ve been doing, and will continue to do. So as I now sit back with my cup of coffee, it’s your turn to tell what’s going with you. C’mon… you know you want to.

Here’s some topic ideas:
Read any good books lately?
Are you watching the Olmpics?
What new fall TV show are you most looking forward to?
What’s the weather where you’re at?
If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?

And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!

“What’s the Word?” Wednesdays is a link-up that allows other bloggers and readers to share whatever they want to talk about.
Think of it as a virtual coffee date with some great friends.
What’s going on in your world? Tell us all about it!

A few things to remember:

Each week’s link-up is valid from Wednesday through the following Tuesday. So if you link a post today, you can still come back and link another post tomorrow! In fact, you can link up as many posts as you want.
If you add a link, please put the badge on your post as well.
Each week has a new link-up. Please make sure you grab the correct Badge Code.
Be sure to check out what others are posting, and even leave a few comments.
You can now show your “likes” by voting for your favorite links.

So, c’mon. Join the conversation. After all, a great coffee date is one where everyone gets to chat, dontcha think?

Sweeten my tea and share:

From Beth

Aug 7, 2012 | 4 comments

My dear friend Beth sent me this poem in an email last night. She has no idea of the kind of week I’ve just been through… so all I can say is

THANK YOU.

~

[Jelaluddin Rumi, in Delicious Laughter, translated by Coleman Barks]

A dragon was pulling a bear into its terrible mouth.

A courageous man went and rescued the bear.
There are such helpers in the world, who rush to save
anyone who cries out. Like Mercy itself,
they run toward the screaming.

And they can’t be bought off.
If you were to ask one of those, “Why did you come
so quickly?” He or she would say, “Because I heard
your helplessness.”

Where lowland is,
that’s where water goes. All medicine wants
is pain to cure.

And don’t just ask for one mercy.
Let them flood in. Let the sky open under your feet.
Take the cotton out of your ears, the cotton
of consolations, so you can hear the sphere-music. . . .

Give your weakness
to One Who Helps.

Crying out loud and weeping are great resources.
A nursing mother, all she does
is wait to hear her child.

Just a little beginning-whimper,
and she’s there.

God created the child, that is, your wanting,
so that it might cry out, so that milk might come.

Cry out! Don’t be stolid and silent
with your pain. Lament! And let the milk
of Loving flow into you.

The hard rain and wind
are ways the cloud has
to take care of us.

Be patient.
Respond to every call
that excites your spirit.

Ignore those that make you fearful
and sad, that degrade you
back toward disease and death.

~

I love this poem. I’d never heard of Rumi until last night. I googled the copyrights to make sure I could post, and Rumi and Barks are so intent on sharing his gift of poetry that the caviat is only to cite them as the source and author/translator of this wonderful poem.

Astounding.

And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!

Sweeten my tea and share:

Lessons Learned: The Domesticated Cat Edition

Aug 6, 2012 | 6 comments

1. The best water is from a slow dripping sink faucet.

2. Not leaving the sink faucet on a slow drip may cause Upset Kitty Syndrome, which results in shredded toilet paper in said sink.

What Did I Do?

3. It’s fun to sneak outside. It’s not fun to not be noticed, or be forgotten. The best fun is running around when the Humans tell me it’s time to get back inside.

4. Sleeping is my favorite.