Saturday Inspiration with Stevie

Lots of history here. Baby boomers are going to love this.

Please vote. 

#blog4peace NOV 4
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This Message in a Bottle Website is Free and Fun!

Several years ago, I started a blog called Message in a Bottle. The website is still up and running. It's like PostSecret for the blogosphere. Now might be the perfect time to let off some steam or perhaps say something loud and intense. Or gentle and sweet. You choose whether to submit your message anonymously or link your blog/name to it. Your choice. The graphic is free and there is no charge to toss a bottle in the bloggy ocean. Here's how to do it:

1. Compose a message to place in your virtual bottle.

2. Right click and Save the graphic above

3. Use a graphics program to place the message on the picture. Save in JPG format

4. Return your anonymous (or not!)  "Message in a Bottle" to

sendmessageinabottle @ yahoo.com

Your virtual bottle will remain afloat in the Blogosphere Ocean for all blogernity.
You may post the virtual bottle on your own website. Send in as many as you'd like. If you choose to remain anonymous, no identifying information will EVER be disclosed to anyone. Need inspiration? Browse through the Message In a Bottle blog to see the fascinating and mysterious message bottles from all over the world. 
Now...back to peace globes! November 4th is upon us!  It's almost time to blog for peace. See you there. In the meantime, I invite you to go play in the Bloggy Ocean.
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30 Days Until We Blog4Peace ~ Peace in the Time of Quarantine

This is our 15th year of peace blogging. Blog4Peace (aka BlogBlast For Peace) is held annually on November 4

I still find my own peace in the sanctuary of silence, meditation and prayer. Over the years, many of you have written about what personal peace and world peace means to you. Alarms are screaming PEACE PEACE PEACE all over the globe in the year 2020. There is so much noise you can barely hear yourself think. The chatter is visceral, urgent, alarming. But in this year of remarkable metanoia, we will speak from a place of revolutionary turning and change - because that's how the world feels to me at this moment. No matter how dark the darkness has been, we still have an obligation and more importantly, a desire to speak for peace. We are peace bloggers. It's what we do. The atmosphere, the environment, the rivers, the seas, the planet all need to hear words of cohesive oneness spoken in one accord - Dona nobis pacem - Grant us Peace.

If you've never blogged for peace (or tweeted, or posted on Facebook, Instagram!) this is your year to join us. I feel it in my bones. This is your year! Peace Bloggers come from 214 countries/territories and all seven continents. Over the years we've collected thousands of inspiring "peace globes" (like the one you see on this page) created by people from all walks of life, all nationalities, every tribe and race -  the old, the young, the in-between. Students. Doctors. Teachers. Parents. Children. Cat bloggers galore! 
We write and draw our hopes for peace on a blank canvas (like the one above). We write our thoughts about the state of the world on blogs, vlogs, and social media pages. We share our words with each other. We inspire each other. We love each other. We uplift each other. It goes round and round in a beautiful chant though the hills and valleys of  the Internet: Peace to you. Shalom. Blessings. Pacem. Dona nobis pacem. Grant us peace. Each year is more powerful than the last. This year I can feel an explosion of peace happening already. Not ripples. Not droplets. An explosion of fiery PEACE. The world is crying out for it. Peace bloggers always raise the bar to a higher plane. 
You.make.me.proud
IN THIS GALLERY you will find thousands of examples of the work we've done since 2006. You will read words that take you to places you've never been before.You will find something in common with your neighbors who live across the globe.You will feel part of a dedicated and honest tribe of people who simply want peace.You will want to become part of us. I promise.All are welcome.
Our theme for 2020 is Peace in the Time of Quarantine.Get your peace globes ready and fly them NOVEMBER 4th from all over the world.Then write a post for the day or simply change your FB/Twitter/Instagram status to "Dona nobis pacem"See what magic you can spin out of this peculiar chaos we find ourselves in. This is the year to dig deep. Don't you feel it? How do you find your peace in the middle of a global pandemic? 
Please join us.There are links below and at the top of the page to show you how.HOW TO GET YOUR PEACE GLOBE PEACE GLOBE TEMPLATES to USEMY PEACE STORIESWhat started it allFACEBOOK PAGE - Like us

Use this blank globe to make your own "peace globe" to display on NOV 4OR go to Blog4Peace and choose one of the many designs we have to offer. We would be honored to have you join us.
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Saturday 9 ~ What's Love Got to Do with It?

Thanks to The Gal for hosting this meme.  I always learn something from Gal's meme questions. She sets them up so well.What's Love Got to Do with It? (1984)Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here. 
What's Love Got to Do with It is also the title of Tina Turner's film biography, which tells of Tina's escape from her abusive, controlling husband, Ike. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Spread the word that help is available. 
1. The video was shot around New York City in spring. Kids are seen jumping rope. Were you good at jump rope? Has it ever been part of your workout routine as an adult?NO and NO and NO

2. In real life, Tina Turner played basketball for her school. Were you good at team sports?
Yes. My dad coached Little League baseball, men's softball league and a girl's softball team. We were always at the ballfield. I could run like the wind in those days with my pigtails flying. I remember him picking me up from the bleachers fast asleep and carrying me to the car. I've done my homework many times on baseball bleachers or in a dugout.
3. In the video, Tina Turner wears a little black dress topped with a denim jacket. That jacket is a fashion staple 36 years later. Do you own a denim jacket?
I do not own a denim jacket. But I know someone who owns a really cool one! Does that count?


4. Tina's first marriage, to Ike Turner, was a painful one. Her second marriage, to German music executive Erwin Bach has been far more supportive. This has been a blessing, since Tina has had serious health problems in recent years. Do you have any medical/dental appointments scheduled?
At the beginning of the pandemic in March, I broke a perfectly good crown biting into a new chocolate recipe I'd created. Too much crunch on the bottom. Do I look happy to you?? Because of the pandemic, they no longer considered this an "emergency" even though I was miserable. I had to wait months to get it fixed (thankfully did!) which started me down a whole rabbit hole of appointments for other things and on and on and on it goes. It never ends! The worst part is dealing with the precautions before you even get in the dreaded chair. I can't believe all this happened to me during a pandemic when the LAST place you want to be is in a dental chair. I. was. terrified. to. even. go. in. Breathe in...breathe out.....breathe in......breathe out....It will be over soon. I hope!
5. Tina met Erwin at Heathrow Airport in 1986. He was there to help her prepare for her London performances. They immediately liked one another, but didn't become romantically involved until months later and were surprised to find themselves falling in love. Have you ever had a romantic relationship that crept up on you?
Yes. And maybe one day I can tell that story here. But not today.

6. The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards referred to Tina as his "favorite aunt." Is there anyone who isn't a relative of yours by blood but you refer to as aunt, uncle, brother, sister, etc?
I have two best friends who are closer to me than my own family. We call each other "sister" all the time. I love these ladies dearly.
7. Former President George W. Bush is also a big Tina Turner fan, and has praised her for having "the most famous legs in show business." What do you believe is your best physical feature?
Well. At the risk of sounding braggy....maybe my hair. That sounded braggy.

8. At home, Tina often doesn't always play music or TV because she appreciates quiet as much as music. What about you? Do you enjoy quiet?
I adore quiet. But my music needs to be loud.
9. Random question: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being "very lazy" and 10 being "very productive," what number are you?
Definitely a 10.And on a sidenote I'll tell you a story. I've been triggered, I guess, by the word lazy, which doesn't fit my lifestyle or my vocabulary.It got back to me, recently, that one of my now-former friends found out that I've been using grocery pickup since the beginning of the pandemic. Oh, the scandal! I'm diabetic. I'm careful. I'm not taking chances. Not that I should have to explain. She scoffs at social distancing rules, doesn't wear a mask and laughs at those who do, goes to crowded events like that's a bright idea, and thinks anyone who takes these precautions is a "sheeple" (whatever the hell that means). She remarked to someone that my grocery pickup habit is "just pure laziness." It didn't hurt as much as it infuriated me. Then I just felt sorry for her. How could someone I've known for years be so ignorant? So lacking in empathy and common sense? So cruel? So politically blinded?  If I ever see her again I'm going to pretend I don't know her. Because I don't.    God help us all.

Just. wear. the. mask.

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Monday Madness ~ Avoiding Turbulence

Click the logo to play along.

Monday Madness: "The Finish This Sentence"Questions

 1. My uncle once... returned from the Vietnam War. He was never the same.

 2. Never in my life have I... jumped out of an airplane. I don't like getting in airplanes either.    Why?  Because I'm afraid I'll have to jump out of an airplane. **My last plane ride was very very bumpy!! We nearly crashed into the Washington monument during a thunderstorm. ** shudder ** It was like a scene

 from one of those crash survivor movies!!

3. When I was five my parents.....were having lots of other babies. Who has oldest child syndrome? Raises hand.

 4. High school was......stressful.

 5. I will never forget to......wear my hat and pack an extra pencil skirt.

 6. Once I met 7.......cute Dwarfs in Bloggingham Forest. They were trying to get away from Snow White because they hated her high-pitched nasal voice. I started singing an aria from La Boheme and they ran away from me too. I lose more boyfriends this way.

7. There’s this boy I know... who melts my heart every.single.time.

8. Once, at a bar, I...... sat on a barstool swirling around in my pencil skirt, sipping soda water, and waiting for my date to arrive. It was our second date eight years after the first. THAT should have given me a clue. Just when I thought he wasn't going to show up, the phone rang. I hear, "My, you're looking lovely this evening," in the creepiest voice EVER and proceeded to tell me what I was wearing.  A chill ran up my spine. I looked around. No one was there, only couples dancing and dining. "Where ARE you?" I asked. Then heavy breathing, giggles (like a 12-year-old in puberty) and more stuttering nervous nonsense from Mr. Creepy on the phone. It was like a scene from one of those stalker movies!!   CLICK!  The manager escorted me safely to my car and checked out the backseat, under the car, over the car, beside the car, in the bushes, in the trunk and in the parking lot. I drove home shaking like a leaf. My best friend came over and we checked the house and property. Then the scary voicemails started. One after the other. Called the police. Changed my number.  That is what I get for going to a bar alone in a pencil skirt  (which was attached to a restaurant) .....the bar, not the skirt...oh, you know what I mean.

9. By noon, I’m ... ready for a nap.

10. Last night I ...stayed up too late. Don't call me at noon today. I'll definitely be napping.

Hush Homer...

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Saturday 9: Do You Want To Dance?

Why, yes! Yes, I do. Thanks, O Great Meme, for asking.
This week, we're inspired by the divine Miss M's plea for a definitive answer. Here are nine random "yes" or "no" questions. Naturally you're welcome to elaborate, but if you want to zip through with a Y or an N, that's fine, too.  Click HERE to play Saturday 9, hosted by The Gal Herself @ One Gal's Musings

1. Do you check your cellphone first thing in the morning?

I check it for fleas, viruses, ticks, and cellulitis (that's "inflammation of the cell" for you non-technical bloggers). 
2. Are there dirty dishes in your sink right now?Yes, but I'll wash and put them away before bed. My dishwasher is broken. It's an endless task.
3. Have you laughed yet today?Many times! It's been a hilarious day.
4. Have you written a check in the last week?Yes, to Mr. Doolittle. He mows the lawn and tidies up outside.  
5. If you met someone who shared all your strengths and weaknesses, would you like him/her?I could "like" them, but probably not romantically. I think diversity makes for interesting relationships. 
6. Is a bride ever too old to have a big wedding?Absolutely not!
7. Do you put potato chips in your sandwich to make it crunchy?No, but I read that singer Amy Grant eats potato chips right before she records a song. She said it gives her voice an edge.
8. Have you ever taken a nude photo of someone (not a baby)?No, but the day is young...... 9. On Monday, will you be playing Bud and Mimi's cool new meme, Monday Madness? I surely will. Thanks for the plug, Gal.


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The Nobody Loves You When You're Down & Out Meme

Click the pic to play along.

Monday Madness: The Nobody Loves You When You're Down & Out Questions:

1. When did you last feel down and out?

I feel blue sometimes. Papa was a Smurf.

  (Please forgive the ultra silly. I soooo need silly right now.)

2. What do you do to feel sexy? 

Since the virus began, I'm just struggling to wear matching socks in the house. We'll start there.

3. If you could be somewhere else, where would you be and why?
     On the beach with Judd

4. What have you always wanted to do?

    Match my socks...

5.  What do you appreciate the most about your life at this time? 

Everything. You can't go through a pandemic and not think about gratitude. 

6. If you could be someone else, who would you be and why?

I wouldn't want to be anyone else. I have enough trouble keeping up with me. 

7. Have you ever made a fool of yourself? If yes, spill. 

    Too many times to count. I have a penchant for falling into pencil skirt trouble. Have you read my blog???!  I can't think of a time when I unexpectedly felt like a fool.  But I've stepped into some foolery on purpose and in good faith from time to time. Have you read my blog???

8. What have you always wanted to do but haven't?  Find my socks

9. What do you think about the talk about traveling to Mars?  I would go to Mars, the Moon, the Sun, Jupiter, Transylvania, Pittsburgh, the North Pole...anywhere to get away from this evil floating virus. 

10.  If you could bring back someone who has passed, who would it be? 

My grandfather.  I have eons of delicate questions to ask him. He reads my blog!

He'd help straighten out my foolery.

 

Thanks for playing! We will see you next Monday. 

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The Gratitude Meme

Hosted by Bev Sykes of Funny The World  Click the logo & play along

1. A person I’m glad to have in my life. 

   I can't narrow it down to one, so I'll say...my three best friends. 

They all know where the bodies are buried.

2. Something I find comfort in. 

    Walking in nature

3. My favorite part of the morning 

     My quiet time on the porch

4. My favorite memory 

    My son's little league baseball years 

5. An accomplishment I’m proud of 

    My degree 

6. An opportunity I’m grateful for 

    more publishing 

    

7. My favorite song (and why)

   Songs that evoke memories

 8. A future event I’m excited about. 

     November

9. My favorite area in my home. 

    The music room

10. Something beautiful I saw today.

     A hummingbird outside the kitchen window

 11. My guilty pleasure. 

       Chocolate

12. Something I love about a family member.

      My granddaughter has the most adorable giggle. She just turned one.

 13. A compliment that made me feel good 

      "I really love the chicken dish you make."

14. The item I treasure the most. 

      My piano

15. My favorite part about nature 

      Changing leaves. Solitude

16. A book I loved reading 

      Marianne Williamson's A Return to Love

17. A freedom I’m grateful for 

      Freedom of Speech

18. My favorite part of the evening.

      Sleeping is underrated

 19. One good thing that happened today. 

       I finished some online work

20. How I show gratitude for my friends.

      I've learned that a simple and genuine "thank you" will do. 

Nobody wants me to bake them a cake. 

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