Zazazu

Abandon wrongdoing.  It can be done.  If there were no likelihood, I would not ask you to do it.  But since it is possible and since it brings blessings and happiness, I do ask of you:  abandon wrongdoing.

Cultivate doing good.  It can be done.  If it brought deprivation and sorrow, I would not ask you to do it.  But since it brings blessing and happiness, I do ask of you: cultivate doing good.

~Anguttara Nikaya

Yesterday was the last day for the Fall Reading Book Swap sign-up. I hope that everyone who wanted to participate was able to sign up. As it turned out, we had a perfect number of people to pair. I’ve sent each of you an email with your partner’s name, address and email. If you signed up and didn’t receive this information, please let me know as soon as possible!

Here are the pairings, just for reference (this is a one-on-one swap):

Nicole <<<>>> Sarah

Raesha <<<>>> Pam

Aimee <<<>>> Jenny

Stephanie G. <<<>>> Stephanie H-W.

Denise <<<>>> Judy

Karianne <<<>>> Rebecca

Karen M. <<<>>> Karen Beth M.

Anastasia <<<>>> Melissa

Tammy <<<>>> Eva

Kari <<<>>> Barbara

Packages should be send out by October 9. If you cannot meet this deadline, please be courteous and let me and your partner know as soon as possible.

Remember, your swap package should include a book OF YOUR CHOOSING, a bookmark and some items that remind you of fall.

As always, this swap is a one-on-one meaning that the person you send to is also the person who will be sending to you. I do this strictly so that you can get to know a person better and make a new friend. Please contact your partner via email as soon as you can. Talk to them, get to know them, read their blog (ask them for their URL), make a new friendship! This is the FUN part!

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to let me know. If you cannot get in touch with your partner, please let me know that too.

Any questions?

Now, go forth and swap and… HAVE FUN!

This is for Sid, my lovely Sweet Goodness Holiday Sister, and for all of the others participating in the Sweet Goodness Holiday Sister Swap. If you need to know anything else Sid, just let me know. This should cover it for the questionnaire!

1. Favorite Color:

Dark Red (I’m really NOT fond of pinks or pastels of any sort… I like bold colors.)

2. Chocolate Lover? Milk, Dark, White, or none of the above?

Actually, I’m probably one of the only people in the world who do not like chocolate. I’m not fundamentally opposed to it but I could do with or without it. I’m indifferent to it, really. I don’t like much candy at all, to be honest. Oh, except saltwater taffy. I do like saltwater taffy but in Mississippi, we rarely get that.

3. What is your favorite craft hobby?

I love photography, paper collage art, mail art, vintage needlworking kits and art journal swaps / round robins.

4. What is a craft/art hobby that you would like to start?

I would LOVE to get more into sewing!

5. What craft do you NOT have an interest in or just not great in ( so your partner doesn’t send something you wouldn’t use)?

I’m not into scrapbooking, even though I’ve seen some who do beautiful work in that medium. I’m really not into beading or jewelry-making either. Also, I don’t knit or crochet and don’t really have any desire to do either.

6. Do you have any allergies? (we don’t want to send anything with peanuts if it’ll make you blow up like a balloon!)

Mango, papaya, fresh pineapple. Other than that, I’m good (as far as I know!)

7.What’s your favorite part of Halloween? Decorating, candy eating, costumes, or something else?

To be perfectly honest, Halloween is NOT my favorite holiday. I like it mostly because it comes in Fall and I LOVE LOVE LOVE Fall. I like black cats, as I have one, but other than that, I’m not into ghouls, goblins and candy corns. I guess if I had a request, it would be that my partner send more Fall-ish stuff for the Halloween part of this swap. (Can I make that request?)

8. Do you decorate for Thanksgiving/Fall?

Not so much but I LOVE LOVE LOVE Fall-ish smelling candles – cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pine, pumpkin, etc. Fall candles are a favorite. I also love cider and chai. Another two Fall favorites!

9. December Holidays–what holiday do you celebrate? What type of decorations do you like to put up in your house for that holiday?

I am the Queen of Christmas! I love Eiffel Tower ornaments and long to someday have a Christmas tree that is filled ONLY with Eiffel Tower ornaments. I like cat ornaments and nice classy ornaments (no fake ice crystals!) I love holly, mistletoe, Christmas-scented candles, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE Christmas music (instrumental or jazz are favorites). I love Santas more than snowmen and I don’t really like things that light up.

10. Do you have any children, if so what are their ages, boys/girls?

None.

11. Do you have any pets, if so what kind?

I have a beautiful, sweet baby girl (a cat) who is the light of my life and just about the sweetest creature on this earth. I kid you not.

12. Are you a reader? If so, what type of books do you like?

I love to read! I love books about yoga mostly but am also a self-help junkie too. I like inspirational books and non-fiction travel memoirs. I’ve recently gotten into historical fiction (i.e. The Other Boleyn Girl) but other than that, not really into fiction all that much. I LOVE Thich Nhat Hanh and Pema Chodron books.

13. Are you celebrating a birthday or anniversary in October, November, or December? If so, what day and what is the occasion?

No, my birthday is in July and I’m unmarried.

14. Do you collect anything? If so what type of things do you collect?

Eiffel Towers mainly as I’m a bonafide Francophile! I also collect books, quotations and vintage Kokeshi dolls. I aspire to one day collect Blythe dolls. Le sigh….

15. What type of things do you like to cook? Are you an appetizer person, cookie maker, dessert freak or a take out type of person??

I like to make odd, experimental concoctions. I like to experiment with different vegetables and ways to cook them. I rarely bake desserts or anything sugary. I hate coconut, chili and banana bread muffins (actually, anything banana flavored).

16. What is your favorite scent? Is there one that you can’t stand?

Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, vanilla (but not alone), anything baked, eucalyptus, mint, lavender

I really dislike musky scents or patchouli.

17. What’s your favorite song?

My favorite album is Kind of Blue by Miles Davis.

18. What’s the last movie you went to see at the movie theater?

I really can’t remember that far back! The last one I rented out was The Painted Veil and it was REALLY good! Oh, and I love obscure, quirky, foreign films.

19. What’s your favorite Candy?

Not crazy for candy really that much.

20. Tea or Coffee or other?

I try to love tea, really I do, but there is NO substitute for a nice cup of dark, black, slightly bitter coffee. Mmmmmmmm… However, trying recently to get off of caffeine, I must request that all coffee sent is decaf. (Hint: Please do not let this dissuade you… I LOVE getting good, quality decaf and would consider it a TREAT!)

I think this is all, Sid. If I think of anything else, I will let you know via email.

I guess Fall isn’t really the time to talk about New Beginnings. Things aren’t really blooming, nothing has “sprung”, and the promise of summer isn’t around the corner (although I do greatly prefer Fall and Winter). However, with my blog, and in several other areas of my life, I’m definitely making New Beginnings.

And it feels good.

And right.

Among other things, I’ve reconnected with some old friends and more-than-friends and I’m infinitely glad about that. For some time, I wasn’t in a frame of mind to really allow other people, especially other people who knew me so well, into my life. My health and state of mind was such that I didn’t want people close to me, I didn’t want to reveal my weaknesses, my vulnerabilities, the problems that I was dealing with when all they had ever known me as was vibrant and vivacious. So, I kept my problems close to my chest, like a good hand of cards, and I only shared them with people who couldn’t do that much about it all, people who meant well but weren’t in any position to help me.

But, I now realize that there ARE people to help me, people who love me, people who can give me advice or take me out for Friday night dinner, people that I shut out and people that I want in my life again. I’m very fortunate that they will allow our lives to meld together again. It is a blessing.

I’m also referring to New Beginnings in my planning, in the plans for my future. I’ve sat stagnate for so long, presumably because of the health problems I’ve had but I’m at least some better now and have to get this blessing of a life I have on the road. I have to get it going, even if I’m not 100% sure which direction to take. ANY direction is better than NO direction. So, the plan for now is to go back to school to get my Master’s and teaching license for Secondary and Adult English and Art. I have all the academic creditentials for both English and Art from my undergraduate studies and, from the research that I’ve done on it all, I should only have several semesters to take some much-needed teaching courses. Has it been my life-long dream to teach? No, but I know that a government job is good as the retirement is nice and I can always do things I really want to do (yoga) on the side since the schedule is pretty nice too.

Speaking of yoga… a friend introduced me to some online introductory courses for yoga that I intend to take. There are three of them and while they are no replacement for a good, in-class intensive teacher training, I think they will be a very good foundation and they will at least get me started. I’m very excited about these classes and am eager to get started with them.

Other New Beginnings that I have up my sleeve? This blog. I’ve not been a very good blog host or blog friend lately. Sure, I posted up a swap that so many of you have been so gracious about signing up for. Other than that, however, I’ve not posted much and, even more than that, I’ve not been around to visit and comment on your blogs.

To be honest, I had about sixty or so blogs that I tried to get around to reading and commenting on each day. This is overwhelming. At some point, I realized that some of these bloggers were people who never read my own blog and if they did, they never commented so I had no interaction with them at all. I like interaction, I like to befriend the people who read these, some of my inner thoughts. I like active blogging and making blog friends, not just writing for the masses. So, I’ve pared down to a very select few blogs that I plan to read daily. No more trying to make the rounds to 60+ blogs each day, blogs that I know very little about the person writing.

If you feel this isn’t fair then I invite you to de-lurk and let me know who you are, a bit about you, what your blog is… ACTIVELY participate in this wonderful blogging world with me. I thank anyone who reads my ramblings but I want to know you, not just your blog. A blog rarely interests me if I don’t have some sort of connection with the owner and writer of the blog.

So, I plan to post (aka. ramble) more as my blog has run unkempt for too long now. I’m as yet undecided about what I will ramble about but it will come to me. Now that I’ve pared down and embarked on New Beginnings, I will have more to talk about and feel less overwhelmed by what should otherwise be a wonderful and enjoyable experience.

I hope I’ve not been harsh but I’m confident that a New Direction – no matter the time of year – is a good thing from time to time.

Wishing you a Succulent Sunday!

P.S. To those of you that regularly read and comment on my blog, I love love love love love you, but I think you all know that. You are the best blog friends a gal could have!

xoxoxoxo….

I was tagged by Xiane.

I get to tell you six random things about myself (I know you are all excited), and then in turn, tag six others to do the same.  As you all know, I don’t tag other people. If you want to do this wee exercise, go for it. If you don’t want to do it, that is great too.

Here we go!

1. I have over 2,000 books.
2. My cat eats treats made from caviar.
3. I have enough stationary to send a piece of mail to every person in the whole of the United Kingdom (this is a rough estimate).
4. I have recently purged my vintage clothing stash and took 50 garbage bags full of clothing to thrift and consignment. (Not sure if they love or hate me.)
5. Today is the first day I’ve driven a car in ten months.
6. I’m going back to school to get my Master’s in English and Art so that I can teach High School.

That’s six right? Are you all enlightened?  Great!

::: Please don’t forget to sign up for the Fall Reading Book Swap! The more the merrier! :::

I’m still here and I’m still alive.  I know it has been a long time since I’ve posted and I apologize for that.  I’ve gotten caught up in off-line things and just haven’t been a very good blogger.  I’ve neglected my own blog and have also neglected to visit and comment on all of the ones I love to visit and comment on.  Suffice it to say that I’ve missed you all.

Fall is definitely here in my neck of the woods.  It really set in good yesterday, when the temperature all day was about 65.  Delightful.  It is the same today and I’ve spent much of the day outside basking in it and enjoying every cool breeze and every beautiful leaf that floats past.

Some say that summer brings out the reader in them but for me it is fall.  I love to sit outside in the cool breeze with a cup of cider and a good book.

So then, I’m proposing a swap…. A BOOK SWAP!

You will send your partner one of your favorite books, a book by a favorite author or a book by a local author.  Include in the package a nice bookmark – bought or handmade – and a few things that remind you of fall.  As for the book, you don’t have to go and buy a new one.  If you are willing to part with a copy that you already have, that is more than fine.  No need to spend a lot of money on this swap.  (If you WANT to buy new, that is fine too.)  Don’t try to find something that your partner would like.  The point of the swap is to introduce your partner to a new author, a new read, perhaps a new genre.  We all need our reading routines shaken up from time to time.  This will also give you and your partner a starting point for a new friendship.  Reading is one of the best things to talk about!

Leave a comment on this post if you want to participate.  Also, email me at msred5@yahoo.com with your name and mailing address and if you are willing to ship internationally or not.  You have until September 26 to sign up and packages should be sent out by October 9.

Any questions?  Let me know!

Otherwise… let’s get swapping!