Here we are, 13 weeks into a new year and I’ve got over 100 people following this blog!
I love when my friends comment and I love reading their posts. I’ve gone on emotional journeys, cheered weigh loss and steps walked, sat in amazement over a renovated living room, viewed babies, cathedrals, puppies and desserts. I’ve read about loss and recovery, despair and hope. I’ve listened to Snow Patrol, seen spring flowers and mountain vistas.
Why bother to blog?
I started blogging as a way to put words into a post. It was hard for me to define my ‘niche’. I don’t sew, quilt, paint or design. I don’t lift, run, ride or twirl. And sadly, I don’t strum, fiddle, rock or roll.
I volunteer, play with my grandson, read books, take photos, walk, hike and engage with a wide range of family and friends. I learn, teach, listen and seek out new information through a variety of venues.
I love writing and this blog is a wonderful platform for me. Perhaps my NICHE is being me. Can that be a niche?
I didn’t envision my blog posts to be a ‘no holds barred’ type of place but instead a place where I am sharing bits and pieces of my world, my past and hopes for the future. A place where my humor is able to shine and when I feel down to be able to write freely about that as well. I’ve made friends here and it’s a fun place to be.
Why bother to blog? It feeds my soul, it helps me feel connected, I learn so much, I grow and I enjoy the process.
So tell me, what is it about blogging that you like so much? Why do you do it?
I was raised Catholic and I went to a parochial school my entire school years. Yes, kindergarten through graduation … so I was a totally immersed catholic girl. (Though I’ve only entered holy doors for weddings and funerals these days!)
During Lent I always gave up something for Jesus. Lent is begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter. As an adult, I still love this rit
Blue Mountain Vineyards, Berthoud Colorado - Pinot Grigio wine
ual and think the time frame of 6 weeks is perfect to make a habit or break a habit.
For Lent this year, I went totally out of my comfort zone and gave up wine, toast and TV. The hardest of the 3 is toast. I begin my day with a slice or two of toasted bread. Hot tea and toast. It’s like brushing my teeth –you just do it.
Now, I have to find substitutes. Cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, eggs, fruit … it’s all good for me but it takes work. I want to be simple in the early morning but alas … where’s the challenge in that?
The other two are not as hard for me. I put the box of wine (yeah, really classy huh?) in the basement and only bring it out for book group gatherings. The easy part was always reaching in the fridge and filling my chilled glass with some nice cheap white zinfandel wine or opening up a ‘good’ bottle of Pinot Grigio or Riesling and savoring that for a few days. A glass in the evening is a nice way to end the day – but not anymore.
As for TV – I only break my fast on Sundays. I figure that since I make the rules, I can break the rules.
Marge and The Good Wife have a date every Sunday night. Good Catholic Girl + The Good Wife… no surprise there, huh?!
Remember some of these games below? They got us THROUGH some long afternoons, they led to good memories, to an understanding of good sportsmanship, to sharing and keeping my mom sane!
Driving into Longmont last week, I stopped to take some photos of an establishment that was once the center of commerce in this farming community. It fit into my No Comfort Zone challenge because I had to reprogram my habits and pull over, get out, cross the field and do the deed. This building has been beckoning me FOREVER and I finally did it.
This is a photo of the Great Western Sugar Company‘s Longmont plant. The Front Range of Colorado was dotted with these plants because sugar beets were highly lucrative for all concerned. The warm dry weather helped .make the sugar content just right and the cool nights added the perfect touch.
This sugar mill was built in 1905 and stopped production in 1980. Rail lines went right to the plant and Colorado sugar was made and used across the country.
But, alas, the once thriving building is now defunct with only a hint of the beauty and power that once stood there.
For the past month, I’ve been saying “I want to do something BIG.” That thought keeps coming back and then I began saying, I can do a bunch of ‘small’ things too followed by …I want to do something big and break out of my insulated comfort zone.
Kiva (organization) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Perhaps the angels were sick and tired of hearing my request and they pointed me in the right direction. I read articles in 2 different magazines about microfinance/microlending. Microlending is lending money directly to small business owners.
It’s small because I can give a small amount and actually see where it goes and who it helps.It’s huge because a small amount of money can touch a huge numbers of lives.
It fits me because the money goes directly to women who put the money back into the family thus improving the outcome of the next generation. They create a business, hire and pay others who in turn educate their families as well. Here are some facts from kiva.org:
The results of that lost opportunity are profound:
Over 1 billion people live in extreme poverty – 75% are women and girls.
76 million primary school-age children are not in school – 60% are girls.
There are 876 million illiterate adults in the developing world – over 65% are women.
Women produce half the world’s food, but own only 1% of the world’s farmland.
But when you invest in her future, the story changes dramatically:
Research shows that when a woman contributes to her family’s income, she reinvests the majority of her earnings to build a better future for herself and her children.
Every additional year of education for a girl yields a 20% increase in her future earning potential.
A child born to a mother who can read is 50% more likely to survive past the age of five.
The entire loan goes to the business owner for a specific project. No hidden fees. Better yet, the repayment rate is 99%! Once the money is repaid the funds are returned to your account and you can have the money back or lend it to another project. Kiva will send you updates along the way.
Perhaps you’d like donate to a cause that focuses only on women? If so, check out Women’s World Bank and read about their process and the huge number of women who benefit from the micro-loans they receive. These women do not want a hand out. They want a loan to help them get off their feet, build inventory, hire workers, and other sound actions. They do not want charity and will pay back the money.
I have a cup filled with quarters sitting on my shelf that can help change the course of life for someone! Imagine that! Small acts … huge effort!
Our task should be to fight the injustice of a world where half of humanity lives in poverty. Our journey is to expand our compassion, our generosity and our humanity. We must take it personally that we live in a world where half of us live in poverty. This is the cause that we should fight for.
Pro Mujer is an international women’s development and microfinance organization whose mission is to provide Latin America’s poor women with the means to build livelihoods for themselves and futures for their families through microfinance, business training, and healthcare support.
Pro Mujer fights poverty by establishing sustainable microfinance organizations that provide an integrated package of financial and human development services that women require to build and improve their small businesses.
Pro Mujer supports the health of its clients and their families and helps women build their self-esteem. The organization also links women and their families with existing resources and services in their communities.
My mom was Irish so we grew up singing lots of Irish songs. We sang them pretty loud to cover the fact that maybe we didn’t know all the words or that we couldn’t carry a tune but we sang them with pride!
I remember this one clearly and enjoy singing it all these years later … ‘Twould be lovely if my mom were here to sing it with me…
If you’re Irish come into the parlour
There’s a welcome there for you
If your name is Timothy or Pat
So long as you come from Ireland
There’s a welcome on the mat
If You come from the Mountains of Mourne
Or Killarney’s lakes so blue
We’ll sing you a song and we’ll make a fuss
Whoever you are you are one of us
If you’re Irish, this is the place for you
And this was pretty special too. I grew up singing this song – ever heard it before? It’s called “That’s how you spell Ireland!”
I is for the Irish in your bonnie eyes my dear R is right for when you’re right, you have no cause to fear E is for Eileen, my mother’s name I mean and L is for the love I have for that sweet colleen A is for the angels who are watching over you N is never fear, keep smiling through D is for your daddy’s lesson that I pray will be a blessing
And that how I spell, Ireland
Green river in Chicago to celebrate St Patty's Day
May the roads rise to meet you, May the winds be always at your back, May the sun shine warm upon your face, The rains fall soft upon your fields, And until we meet again May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.”
Today I sat at a stop sign… waiting for it to change.
Truly.
There used to be a stop light there (and was removed about 3 months ago).
Where was my mind during those minutes when the stop sign refused to turn green?
Climbing mountains, walking along beaches, reading a book?
A gentle beep reminded me that it was time to go…
Sometimes,
when you think your day is going to be like every other day …
you look outside and realize that Mother Nature has something wonderful planned for you!
Without rhyme or reason, the gift of color is offered with the understanding that beauty is all around … all the time.
When color comes at the end of the day, it’s a reminder that someone is thinking of us!
(I made that up and I’m sticking by it!)
