Yesterday, my local newspaper, The South Florida Sun Sentinel, named TheTinyJEWELBox as Blog of the Day! How exciting! I feel both blessed and humbled that folks think highly of my work.
I'm also featured regularly on the South Florida Daily Blog. The Daily Blog is the work of one guy who reads a ton of blogs written in South Florida and compiles the best of them everyday.
Thanks to my readers, my posts are forwarded to many folks that wouldn't have heard of it otherwise. I really do appreciate it.
If you are reading for the first time, that I write daily and the best way to keep up is through an email subscription. You can also subscribe through a reader. Also, your comments are appreciated. I love to hear from you, even if you have an opposing opinion.
Finally, if there's something that you'd like to see on TheTinyJEWELBox, let me know!
Your comments--priceless!!
All of us have responsibilities to others--to our families, to our employers, etc. There's always something on the agenda that needs to be tended to. There's homework to check, a client to see, a dinner to prepare, a meeting to attend. But what do you do that's for you? If you are so busy taking care of everyone else, when you do get to take care of you?
I've found that this is vital to one's mental health. There has to be time, however infrequent, that is set aside for one's self. It doesn't have to be a spa day or an all day fishing charter; it could be a lunch at your favorite bistro or a walk in the park. It's simply a time and place where you can lose yourself for awhile. Even if I take only a few moments, it renews my mind and body and allows me to carry on.
What do you do that's for you? How do you communicate it to others that this time is only for you? How often do you do it? How does it affect your mood and energy level? Is it worth it? I'm very interested...
Your comments--priceless!
I've never seen the movie, "The Bucket List," but I do understand the concept of having a bucket list. It's a list of things that you would like to do/go before you "kick the bucket."
I've never had this kind of list. Of course, during wishful thinking sessions, things would pop into mind, but I never took a step farther, and composed the actual list.
But now, realizing that it's very likely that I'm more than halfway finished the race, a bucket list is quite appealing. I plan to start working on it, first mentally, and then with an actual list.
Is this strange? Do you have one of these bucket lists? Do you measure your life against it periodically?
Your comments--priceless!
I overheard a group of women lamenting about how hard it seems to be to find a mate. They didn't have trouble meeting men, but the relationships never progressed. They were looking for romance and feared it was dead.
I disagree. I don't think romance is dead. It may be comatose, but certainly not dead. I just think that in this day and time, folks want everything too fast. We seem to go from first meeting to cohabitating in one fell swoop. Whatever happened to what my granny used to call "courting?"
Let's slow it down. Let's get to know each other. And most importantly, let's not assume that every relationship should end in love and marriage. Just because he isn't what you are looking for in husband, doesn't mean that he should be disgarded as a friend. I've always believed that people come into your life for many reasons. He/She may have come into your life, not as a potential mate, but to introduce you to his/her sibling, who IS a potential mate. He may be your new BFF, and not a romantic interest at all. Or he/she may have come into your life as a catalyst to learn a life lesson. Keep your mind open to all possibilities and let it flow nicely.
Your comments--priceless!
I joined Facebook late last year and since then, I've connected with many, many old friends from the past. If not for Facebook, I'm not sure how I would have ever found these friends again. Back when I was in high school, there wasn't a computer in every home and the Internet wasn't a research tool. If someone moved or went away to college, or changed their phone number (there were no cells), you simply lost contact with them. And if not for a chance meeting again, like in Starbucks or on the subway, you may not have ever reached them again. So, I am grateful for Facebook for being a means of reconnection.
Some of the connections were huge parts of my life. It's been so exciting to catch up with them, find out where their paths have lead them, see photographs or their families, and share old stories. My experiences have not been superficial--like folks bragging on where they work or the nice home that they've acquired, but totally the opposite--sincere interest on what we've accomplished and how much we've grown.
In most cases, the friendship has picked up exactly where it left off. We haven't skipped a beat. The only difference is that now we need more time to catch up, since so much time has passed. I hope I never lose these connections again. Thanks Facebook!
Your comments--priceless!
This week is American Chocolate Week. And it just so happens that I saw a bumper sticker the other day that said, "Exercise is a dirty word...Everytime I hear it, I wash my mouth out with chocolate." I cracked up.
I do see their point though--there's always some obstacle between me and exercising. I may not be able to find the time, I may not have the right equipment, I may not have a partner, etc. But--I can ALWAYS find time for a Hershey's with Almonds.
When I was up North, I absolutely loved to go to Hershey, Pennsylvania where the air smells faintly of chocolate and the streetlights are shaped like Hershey's Kisses. I even stayed at the Hotel Hershey once and was treated to one of their famous chocolate spa treatments. Please know that you haven't lived until you've had a Chocolate Sugar Scrub.
But then, when I moved to South Florida, one of my first discoveries was the Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop, down on South Beach. There are only a few around the country. I was in absolute heaven--anywhere with both chocolate AND ice cream is fine in my book. They give you a sample of chocolate when you enter the store and it's only uphill from there. I had the best white chocolate macadamia cookie there...
What about you? Are you a chocolate monster? What's your favorite? Do you have a great chocolate shop near you?
Your comments--priceless!
I've had a rough couple weeks. There's been quite a bit going on in my personal life. So, my agenda for the weekend are ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. I don't plan to do anything more strenuous than watch films and eat snacks.
Right now, I plan to see Slumdog Millionaire and The Reader at the theatre and also The Secret Lives of Bees and Wall E on video. If any of you have other suggestions, let me know.
And thanks for your kind words and prayers. Also, there are only FIVE folks entered into the Zappos drawing, so your chances are excellent to win. Go back to Monday's post and enter a comment. Good Luck!
Your comments--priceless!
Here in South Florida, a lot of business is conducted during rounds of golf. The Good Ole Boy Network is alive and well. As a professional woman that doesn't golf, it's sometimes hard to compete with those relationships cemented on the greens.
A lot times, price and service doesn't even factor in. It's more like, "well, my wife's brother sells that, so I have to buy from him" or "my boss has part ownership of XYZ company, so we buy from them." Those kinds of parameters are hard to get around. In fact, it's best to walk away from them and move on to someone else.
Recently, I've been thinking of taking up golf, though walking/riding over a course of 18 holes in order to hit the little ball into the little hole holds absolutely no interest for me. But with the economy taking a dive and sales getting harder to come by, I may need to become the Ole Girl in the Ole Boys Network.
Your comments--priceless!
