Favorite Things Friday

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Many times my friends and family who read my blog, tell me that they really like my “Friday Favorites” posts the best. This tells me that people like to stay on the light side of things. It is fun to be in the frivolity of life. Life can be just too damn serious, at times. I like the light side, too. It’s just that lately, I have been in a simplify mode. I haven’t been wrapped up in my usual, lustful consumerism. The older I get, the more I know myself, thus, my favorites stay pretty steady. I know what fits, what tastes good, who my favorite singers and authors are, and I stick with them. It’s hard to find new favorites all of the time. So on that note, I am going to write about an article I read this morning that mentions our collective, favorite, “un-cancellable” celebrities. These are celebrities that have very few, if any, detractors. These celebrities are considered to be greatly loved by the masses. These celebrities are among our favorites of all celebrities. Here are some of the celebrities on the list:

Betty White, Dolly Parton, Mister Rogers, Julie Andrews, Alex Trebek, Tom Hanks, Keanu Reeves, LeVar Burton, Jim Henson, Jack Black, Dev Patel, Chadwick Boseman, Hugh Jackman

I look at this list of celebrities, and I think to myself, “It’s true, I’ve never met any of these people, but I do feel a fondness for all of them.” I have never heard anything hateful about any of them. And I ask myself, “Why are these particular people so well-liked?” Universally, on this list, I see people who appear (or who appeared to be, when they were alive) to be kind, true to themselves, in love with what they do in life, generous, full of purpose, self-deprecating, warm, gracious and grateful.

Considering some of the celebrities who are our collective favorites in life, I imagine we could all add a few more to the list, with smiles and appreciation. Sometimes the noisier, more outrageous, opinionated, brash, attention hound, “trainwrecked” celebrities get more of our attention, but our true favorites in life are not the people whom we “love to hate”, but more so, the people who personify love. They unassumingly love their lives, love their crafts, and they are grateful to have the support of the Universe to carry out their purposes. There is a wholesome goodness about these people that seems to emanate from their true cores – well beyond their images. What makes anyone or anything “a favorite”? Who are your favorite people and why? Remember that the traits that you really like about other people, are traits that you secretly like about yourself, too. A favorite person, place, or thing, is something that makes us feel deeply good, in the truest, non-fleeting sense of the word. A favorite anything, is consistently good, and true, and authentically and unapologetically himself, herself or itself. We love our favorites because they vividly bring out our favorite parts and attributes and inclinations, of our very own selves.

Favorite People, Favorite Places, Favorite Memories of the past... |  Picture Quotes

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

Friday Love

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Good morning! Today is my favorite day of the week, not just because it is Friday, but because it is also our 27th wedding anniversary. I share a passionate, loyal, understanding, caring, dedicated love with my husband, the love of my life. I am incredibly grateful for the love and the life which we share. We have gone through many ups and downs, and all arounds, in our shared life experiences, but through it all, we have always been, and we will always be each other’s yin and yang. We fit together really well. I love you forever, J. Happy Anniversary!

Typically on Fridays, I list three favorite things or songs or websites or books, etc. and I strongly encourage you to list your favorites in my Comments section. Please check out previous Friday listings for more favorites. (some “favorites” might be good Christmas gift ideas). That being said, during these last two months, our youngest son’s epilepsy has been kicking our butts. (Don’t worry, we’re still in the fighting ring. We’re just a little beat up and bloodied right now. We will prevail!) So, today, I’m quite literally “listless.” That being said, one of my dearest friends, texted this excellent, life-saving tip to our friend group this week and I wanted to make sure that you, my beloved readers, have it, for your safety file. Here is my favorite tip of the week:

Have a wonderful and fun and thrilling (and safe) Halloween weekend, friends! Thank you for being here for me and having my back. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

Carpe Friday

Hi friends and readers! On Fridays, I try to keep things surfacey on the blog. On Fridays, I list three favorite things, or songs, or books, or shows, etc. that make life something to be curious about. I call it Favorite Things Friday. (Fridays will always be one of my favorite “things”.) Please check out previous Friday posts, for more favorites and please add some of your own favorites to my Comments section.

Here are my favorites for today:

ME Medichoice Antiperspirant I was given this antiperspirant at one of my hospital stays with my son last month. (see, even the worst circumstances can bear small gifts) Anyway, this is some of the best working antiperspirant I have ever used. I noticed that you can buy it on Amazon in bulk and it is relatively inexpensive, too. If you are like me and you have to switch up your underarm protection frequently, try this stuff out! You won’t be disappointed.

MAID – I just binge-watched this series on Netflix in the span of about 2 and half days. (It’s that good!) The series is based on a best-selling memoir of a poverty-stricken single mother, named Stephanie Land, who worked as a maid for six years while eventually earning a college degree. MAID was an eye-opening, heart-wrenching experience, and the acting is superb. Andie MacDowell plays the mother to her real-life daughter, in the series. She is a tremendous actress. This series has many timely themes for today’s world and it will give you lots of food for thought. (which is honestly, my favorite kind of food, although truthfully some of it was hard to swallow)

NspiredMpressions (Etsy) – I recently perused a local craft show and I purchased some amazing block printed, embossed and etched bookmarks from the artist who owns this Etsy store, Judy Bales. Judy is a print maker, who is quite talented and passionate about her work. I don’t see bookmarks available at her Etsy shop right now, but I imagine if you messaged her, she would be able to show you what all she has available to purchase. Here is a picture of my lovely purchases:

I hope that you have a lovely weekend! See you tomorrow!

“After living in poverty for the previous decade, struggling to pay bills by cleaning poop off toilets, it jarred me to be treated as an equal by people who previously could have been my clients” – Stephanie Land

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

Friday People

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Geesh, it seems like it has been a long time since I have gotten the time, mojo, and peace to write one of my normal Favorite Things Friday posts. It feels good to be here, in a normal place, mentally and emotionally and physically, at least for this moment. Whoop! Whoop! Whoop! On Fridays, I try to keep things on the light side. On Fridays, I list three favorite things, or websites, or books, or songs, or foodstuff, etc. that make my heart sing. Here are my favorites for today:

Husbands – Yes, my husband is one of my favorites, for sure. In fact, he is my all-around favorite everything, but the thing is, recently I got a new husband. He holds me, he’s comfy, and he’s covered in a divine, soft, furry leopard print material. I bought myself a husband pillow for the first time since college (where I also found the original human husband 😉 ), and I am really enjoying my husband. If you are like me, and you love to read and/or scroll on your phone in bed, get yourself a husband pillow. They are divine!

Keva Style bracelets – I love these jazzy leather band bracelets. They add a bit of funkiness to any outfit and Keva has so many designs to choose from. I bought a big wide, chunky, off-white bracelet from them, and I feel so chic/hipster when I wear it. Keva also sells leather earrings and watch bands for your Apple watches. Check them out here and get yourself a little treat for some weekend pizazz: kevastyle.com

Spartina Bitty Beads Earrings – Any time that I wear these earrings, I get compliments. They are dangling earrings, that look like beaded shades, or perhaps like tapestries. The earrings are eye-catching, yet tasteful all at the same time. And Spartina makes quality, long lasting items, so I suspect that I will be wearing my Bitty Beads for years to come. Find some that speak to you, and let the compliments come rolling in.

Thanks for stopping by today. As my regular readers know, my family is going through a tough chapter involving my son’s epilepsy. Thank you for your love and for your prayers. I feel them. I am so grateful for you, and for your support. To be honest, I find my inner judge coming out a lot these days. She masquerades as “people”. She says things like this to me: “People will think you shouldn’t write frivolity in times like these.” “People are tired of your sad posts. Write something happy.” “People will think you are so self-absorbed and sitting in your victim chair.” My inner judge never likes to own her own “stuff”. She pushes her own harsh criticisms on to “people.” Honestly though, in my experience, people are mostly good. People are mostly kind. People just want the best for all of us. The people who read my blog, are my kind of people. I think that I’ll try to ignore my own inner disparager this weekend, and I’ll rest in the comfort of my real “people” who love me, and support me and my family. Thank you for being some of these “people” in my life. I love you people very much.

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

Favorite Things Friday

Hello!! Happy Friday!! Happy Best Day of the Week! This Friday is extra special since it is tied into the holiday weekend. Enjoy it!

My regular readers know that I don’t think too deeply on Fridays. On Fridays, I usually list three things that make my material world more interesting and enjoyable. I call it “Favorite Things Friday”. Please list your favorites in my Comments section. It’s always great to discover new products to try, or books to read, or shows to watch, or singers to listen to . . . . .

Today I only have a couple of favorite things to share:

Favorite New Author of Mine: Matt Haig. Matt Haig is a British author, whom I have just recently discovered his writings, and they are wonderful. I have read The Midnight Library, The Comfort Book and I am in the middle of How to Stop Time. I also purchased his children’s book, A Boy Called Christmas, which I can’t wait to devour. Matt Haig’s writing is concise, interesting, imaginative, empathic and full of historical references and personal insights. I love his writing style!

Favorite New Tip: If you have any games or apps on your phone, that are filled with advertisements that annoyingly interrupt and delay your play, put your phone on airplane mode. I only recently discovered this because I was actually on a flight and I was playing a game and while being on airplane mode, the game was still playable, but the ads couldn’t come through. I then tried it at home, and it was the same experience. Voila! If you aren’t expecting any important calls (the kids can call Dad, too, remember), then try this. Uninterrupted Sudoku is a much more enjoyable experience than having your concentration broken by ads for more games that you never have any intention of downloading on to your phone.

That’s all that I have for today. Please check out previous Friday posts for more fun favorites! Have an amazing day!!

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

Coy Koi Friday

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

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Welcome to Friday!!! Welcome to the best day of the week, in my opinion. My regular readers know that I try not to go too deep on Fridays. Facts are, we live in a material world. Our lives are all about experiences, and a lot of those experiences involve tactile things. So on Fridays, I typically list three favorite things or products or songs or books that have made my own life a little bit more intriguing and fun. Please check out previous Friday posts for more ideas about pleasurable things to try and to experience. Sometimes, I admittedly feel like I am being a little frivolous with my Friday posts. There’s a lot going on the world right now, and it gets a little overwhelming, doesn’t it?

40 Quotes for Coping with Things You Can't Control

I like this quote. Today, this is my favorite quote. The world was never hurt by positive people. Remember, you can be realistic and smart, and still be positive. Being positive doesn’t mean wearing blinders, or even wearing rose-colored glasses. Being positive means looking at the world, through your very own eyes, but just making sure that those lovely eyes of yours are connected to the deepest part of your harmonious heart, and to the immeasurable Mariana Trench of your own inner peaceful soul. Be positive. Be kind. It is the difference that you can make in the world, right where you are sitting.

Today, I only have one favorite. (I’ve been in a “less is more” mood lately. Don’t worry, this has happened to me before. It won’t last.) I was in an office this week, and my pretty little eyes spied this adorable koi fish (and koi fish have ALWAYS been a favorite of mine – It’s a good thing that I am not a thief, I was so tempted to snatch it):

This koi fish is an origami wonder, made with just one, one dollar bill. Now if you are crafty and ambitious, you can look up instructions on how to make one for yourself on the internet (supposedly it takes hours and hours), but if you are more of an “instant gratification” kind of a kid, you can buy ready-made dollar bill koi fish, on places like eBay and Etsy. They would make fun, “conversation piece” type gifts!

“Swim!” said the mama. “Swim if you can!” and they swam and they swam, all over the dam. – popular nursery rhyme

Swim, my loves! Your only other choice is to sink. Have a great weekend!! See you tomorrow!

Friday’s in the Bag

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

Happy Friday! Happy Weekend! On Fridays, I typically keep things on the “worldly” side. Usually on Fridays, I list three of any kinds of my favorite stuff: products, books, make-up, websites, songs, etc. Please check out my previous Friday listings for more favorites and please add your own favorites to my Comments section. I have had a busy week, and I still do have a lot on my plate, so for today, I only have one favorite to share.

The other day, when I joined my husband on a drive to his most favorite bike store, I found an adorable, old-fashioned, delicious little bookstore, right around the corner to peruse instead, while my husband was in the bike store. (He likes bikes. She likes books. He likes beers. She likes baubles and bags. They both like boats and bands and most of all, their babies. In short, they support each other’s B—S.)

In this little heavenly bookstore, I purchased this adorable tote bag:

Front:

Back:

I looked at the tag on the bag, and the tote is made by this company: outofprint.com

This website is truly a bibliophile’s dream come true. You’re welcome!! Enjoy and find some new favorites to treat yourself to, this weekend! See you tomorrow!

Friday Partypants

(credit: Classy With a Kick, Pinterest)

Happy Friday!!! Happy weekend!!! My regular readers know how much I love Fridays. On Fridays, I take off my ruminating, philosophy pants and I put on my Friday Partypants. On Fridays, I typically list three favorite songs or products or websites, (basically anything that I really, really like) and I love it when you add your own favorites to my Comments section. I am always excited to have new things to try, or new movies to watch, or new books to read. Here are my favorites for today:

Uptime – This application for your phone is not cheap, (I think that it is about forty dollars a year) but for me, it is worth every cent. This app takes popular non-fiction books and documentaries and basically narrows them down to “the gist” of what you need to know about each source of information. I wish that I had time to read every book that I want to read, but that would take several lifetimes, and it would also create an extremely one-dimensional life for me. Uptime also works as a great tool to figure out what areas and books that I want to explore more about, and also figuring out areas, where settling for “the gist” is all that I need to do.

The Gift by Edith Eger – This book is outstanding. Written by an Auschwitz survivor who later became a successful psychologist (she got her doctorate in her fifties – it’s never too late!), The Gift is incredibly uplifting, inspiring and full of good sense. The theme of the book is to help people find freedom, which Edith Eger defines as “becoming who you truly are.” She says that freedom requires hope, knowing that all suffering is temporary, and staying curious about what comes next. You won’t regret the time you spend reading and soaking in this wonderful, empowering book.

Sharing Knowing Looks – This might be one of my most favorite human experiences. The communication that we share with others, without talking, and yet being able to feel that complete connection and understanding between each other, by just one knowing look, is totally priceless. Yesterday, I was in the middle of getting a pedicure in a part of town that I don’t know all that well. I was getting a pedicure in a shop that I had never been to before. And I was trying to reach my daughter by text, and then by calling her frantically, and I still couldn’t reach her. Thus, (this is the negative side of today’s instant gratification, “reach everybody and everything in one second flat” technology) I flew into a mini-panic attack. I yelled to my nail technician that I had to leave the shop immediately to get to my daughter. I flew out of the shop, dragging along a towel, as my technician was desperately trying to help me to dry my feet, and to help me put on my shoes, as I ran to my car, breathing heavily. My daughter turned out to be fine. It was all a big, scary misunderstanding, but after the fiasco, I knew that I needed to return the towel to the shop. I was horrified and I was utterly embarrassed by my previous “making quite the scene,” but I decided that the best thing, and the right thing for me to do in this situation, was go back to the shop, return the towel, and get pedicures for both me and my daughter, and to leave them a nice tip. The shop was filled with female Vietnamese-American workers and it seemed that many of them did not speak English, but the look of relief and happiness and kindness and understanding on their faces, when they looked at me, almost brought me to tears. Mamas know other mamas’ hearts, without ever having to say a word. Love is the real communication and connection between all of us. And this deep and wise communication doesn’t even require any words. Love and kindness is able to be communicated in a single glance. Love is. Love.

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

Little Spark of Friday

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Good morning, friends and readers! Happy Friday!!! Happy Favorite Things Friday!! On Fridays, I forget about delving deep, and instead, I list three favorite things, or songs, or websites, or whatevers, that have added some zest to my everyday life. I strongly encourage you to add your favorites to my Comments section. Isn’t life wonderful when we have a lot of wonderful things to experience and to enjoy and to celebrate?

Jeff Allen, comedian – I’ve been a little under the weather the last few days. (It’s nothing serious, don’t worry. I think that I’m just a little worn out from all of the atypical activity going on in my life, since about mid-April.) Anyway, I believe that laughter is the best medicine. So yesterday, I stayed in bed, and I watched comedians all day long. There are so many great comedians out there, but Jeff Allen makes me howl with laughter. He’s a clean comedian, and he is hysterical. (If you like to keep it clean with your comedy, check out any of the Dry Bar specials on YouTube.) If you need a big dose of laughter medicine, here’s a clip:

Evian Feed Your Mind Water – This is Evian water in a can! And yet the can is so sleek and elegant looking, you still know that you are drinking Evian. This mineral water is tasty, thirst quenching, zero calories and it is infused with both magnesium and zinc, which have been my go-to supplements since this whole COVID mess started. The Feed Your Mind collection features three different flavors of water. Splurge on this line of Evian. You won’t regret it.

Best Grilling Tip – I recently saw a clip on the internet about putting ice cubes in your burgers when you start grilling them, because it keeps the moisture all locked in and the meat is good and juicy, when it is ready to be eaten. It works! I even tried “the ice cube tip” on a tenderloin that I broiled in my oven and it still works!!! If you prefer not to break your teeth on your meat, get out your ice cube tray.

I hope that you have a lovely, enjoyable, awe-striking, yet comfortable and peaceful weekend, my friends!

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

Friday Favorites!

Hilarious Friday Memes That Perfectly Describe Your Feeling

Happy Favorite Things Friday! On Fridays (my favorite day of the week), I am a material girl. I list three favorites of mine, such as books, songs, websites, apps, etc. which make life so sensual and sweet. Please see previous Friday listings from more favorites and please share your favorites in my Comments section. Here are my favorites for today:

Front Walking Dog Harness – Our two male dogs are pullers when we walk them. I am pretty sure my arms are at least an inch longer now, than before we obtained these young, robust male dogs. These dog harnesses have the leash clip on the chest of your dog. I cannot believe what a big difference this makes! If your dog treats you like an inconsequential, lightweight dog sled, when you are walking your pup, then go to your Petco and pick up one of these lifesavers!

Unstable Unicorns – This strategy card game is hilarious, fun and a lot more complicated that it sounds. It’s one of those games that is hard to get into your groove at first, but once you figure it out, it is a terrific and amusing game to play with your family and friends. My daughter, who loves playing games more than any of us do, insisted that I add this as one of my favorite Friday items. We were all up way past our bedtimes last night, hooping and hollering, playing this entertaining and thought provoking game.

Favorite Good Idea – My daughter gave me this tip. I love that my kids are at the age where I am learning more from them, then they are from me. When shaving your bikini area, just use a little of your hair conditioner. You don’t need any special shaving cream, and conditioner makes for a smoother, less irritating shave versus utilizing traditional soap. Try it. You’re all set for the beach or pool now!!

Have a fantastic weekend, my friends!!!

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.