Making Changes — Improvements

Yesterday I Did A Major Facelift To This Website

I love this website. It has been part of me since 2014, but I had it hosted elsewhere before moving it — and losing the content. My point is that I’ve had this website or domain name for a number of years — It has gone through changes . . . as have I . . . some good, others not so much . . . no regrets — it’s all part of the journey. Where we end up hopefully is worth it.

I’m not necessarily a “joiner” . . . yet for the past 8 years I’ve been involved with an internet marketing group. I’ve been a Premium Member of that group for all that time. Last year or so they did a major upgrade and offered a Premium Plus Membership at twice plus the cost . . . I passed. At the time I didn’t feel the added services would benefit me. Then there was this 36 hour March Madness Sale cutting the price down to what I was paying for the Premium Membership. Of course this internet community was talking about how this was a “no-brainer” opportunity. I didn’t act right then. I slept on it. I woke up at 4 AM went to the website and upgraded to Premium Plus.

Why am I sharing this? It’s about timing. I was revamping this website. I needed a change . . . I had even thought of building a new website — even letting this one go . . . I was thinking of how this one has become just like another website I have. My other websites were created from this one more or less . . . I love Halloween, ghost stories, the paranormal . . . all that creepy stuff . . . but also paper crafts and whatever else interests me at the moment . . . But I digress . . .

How Serious Does One Have To Be To Be Taken Seriously?

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You didn’t see that coming did you? Neither did I, actually.

I spent a lot of time yesterday seeing what my theme company had available for me to use in order to revamp this website.

It gave me inspiration . . .

Also some doubts about the direction I was going . . . or if I could make this work. Tough stuff!!

It was basically a wake up call telling me to stop messing around and get serious. Yes, I’m a senior citizen . . . all the more reason for me to have my act together and stop playing around. I can enjoy what I’m doing, but I do need to get serious about it.

That was the reason for the upgrade . . . And my reason for sharing this here. There are times we have to get out of our comfort zone. Try new things. Learn new things. Discover new things. There are plenty of opportunities available to us . . . if we would only acknowledge them . . .

Recognizing opportunities and acknowledging them . . . knowing our limitations and doing something about it. Life is fluid . . . ever changing whether we’re ready for it or not. And changes that may not be something we want . . . so it’s important to get out in front and turn the tide in the direction that works best for us. I suppose it’s about being pro-active rather than re-active.

Thanks for stopping by! Leave me a comment to let me know what you think of this post and the revamping of this website.

Until next time!

Sharon

Holiday Weekends Mess Up My Week

I don’t know about you, but after a Monday holiday my week is messed up.

I’m always a day off . . .

The same with the weekend — did I have two Sundays?relaxation

Well, it seems that Tuesday is upon us and I’m trying my best to keep up with the week the best I can . . . with my irregular sleep schedule — that may be more of the reason than a long weekend.

I do love writing during the wee hours of the morning . . . There are no interruptions . . . no telephone ringing . . . no neighbor noises . . . just pure silence that is relaxing allowing me to write without distraction.

I had to renew my security software on my computer.

It’s a bit of a bother, but necessary . . . or so I’ve been told . . . It does make you wonder if it really is doing what it’s suppose to do.

I can sometimes get on websites with a virus that takes over my computer . . . I didn’t even see it coming! Aren’t we supposed to be protected from that?

And I do wonder about the hacking that is going on . . . not that I have such important documents on my computer . . . but what I have is important to me. I do wonder how secure we truly are on-line . . . but I’m hooked on the internet right along with millions of others . . . and we’re not going to stop using it.

It’s like when my new security software was installed and my bandwidth was diminished . . . I restarted my computer to fix the problem. Sometimes the magic wizard of installing new software doesn’t prompt you to restart . . . I think it is necessary to do so . . . it solved my problem. And, why would that software have anything to do with my bandwidth?

Strange things do happen in the wee morning hours . . . you’d think I’d be the only one on-line . . . or with a few night owls . . . but maybe they do cut back a bit or do those things they do when we’re supposed to be asleep tucked securely in our beds.

Well, the good news is that I have a whole year of security on my computer.

The Unofficial Start of Summer.

It’s interesting how Memorial Day unofficially announces summer and Labor Day unofficially brings it to a close.

Memorial Day was indeed warm here . . . let’s hope Labor Day brings us fall weather. I can only hope.

I’ve been thinking of those who went camping this weekend . . . and how many s’mores they consumed . . . and how many ghost stories were told. This is truly an exciting time of year. The fair to hot weather brings on thoughts of being carefree.

Some people use their vacation time to get into their favorite hobby . . . or do something new. It’s just a welcome break from the regular daily routine of work and related responsibilities.

Some people pack their vacations with activities that keep them and the kids busy . . . doing something fun and different from the norm. It’s nice when there are vacation plans that include a variety of activities for the whole family to enjoy.

I remember some vacations that were quite exhausting from all the things planned . . . and when I did get home, I enjoyed sitting on the front porch or balcony or patio (depending upon where I lived) and relaxing . . . yes, it was home, but I had to recharge after such an exciting vacation.

But the memories were absolutely priceless . . . something I can fondly think about for years to come . . .

Life is full of precious “treats” to savor.

I remember going to this lake, not far from my home.relaxation1

It was quiet even when a lot of people were there. It was one of those places that was completely serene . . . and once you entered that sacred ground, you could feel the calmness and the weight of the world lift off your shoulders.

I’m sure you’ve found such places, too. It is necessary to unwind from time to time . . . relax and allow yourself to just enjoy the peaceful solitude of your thoughts . . . or no thoughts at all.

I remember watching others sitting in their portable chairs . . . sitting still . . . and some women would be doing needle work . . . a man would be reading a book . . . but mostly people were quiet.

It seems to be the perfect setting for a Stephen King novel . . . but it never really spooked me . . . thinking about it now . . . I wonder if something paranormal was happening . . .

I believe it’s good to get out in nature from time to time . . . dig in the dirt . . . sit calmly . . . have a picnic . . . just relax and enjoy either alone or with friends or family . . .

I think we are all drawn to certain places . . . some to the desert, others to the beach and some to the mountains . . . it is their special place to relax and soak in nature . . . There are some garden settings that are specifically designated for places of reflection and meditation.

Although it’s nice to get out and go someplace . . . I find I enjoy making that serene place in my own backyard . . . so I can visit it regularly. I’ll write out there and sometimes eat breakfast or dinner . . . sometimes have a cool or hot beverage and just unwind . . . taking in the calmness and the quiet.

In the distance I sometimes hear the church bells . . . and other times the faint sound of the train whistle . . . I love that sound . . . it is peaceful and quite calming to me.

Well . . . we’re embarking upon a new week . . . a short one with the unofficial start of summer . . . How do you plan to spend the next few months? I hope you’ll take in the sights and sounds of nature and enjoy it thoroughly. Maybe learn something new and exciting or get into something you love doing.

I’m beginning to think summer is the time to reflect and explore . . . and maybe a time of spiritual growth . . . and healing . . .

Thanks for stopping by!

Sharon

Dr. Seuss True-isms

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I found this on Pinterest and couldn’t resist adding it to my blog.

These are but 5 Dr. Seuss True-isms . . . I’m sure there are dozens more that you enjoy and may apply to your life. Some of the stories were probably your favorites . . . all because they seemed to speak to you . . . giving you some insight to something you had been thinking about . . . or it just made you feel good . . . or made you laugh.

Even as adults we have learned many things from our childhood that has stuck with us. 

These are our personal true-isms.

Thoughts and ideas we pass down to our children . . . and grandchildren . . .

We continue to learn . . . years after we’ve finished school . . .

We learn from books and movies . . . there is something that resonates within us . . . It could be a greeting card we received . . . Or even something we observed while taking a walk or bike ride . . .

There is inspiration all around us . . . we just have to stop long enough to see . . . to hear . . . to think . . . 

In my senior year of high school we had a “ditch day” . . . with planned activities . . .

Yes, there were the rehearsals for the graduation ceremony and then we went to the park for lunch . . . then we were free to go home for a nap because we had a Disney Grad Night celebration . . .

I remember that picnic lunch in the park . . . years later, I’d drive by and remember . . .

Then, decades earlier I stopped and walked through that area of the park. I even sat down . . . lost in memory of that day . . . a day when the 12 years of education came to an end . . . a time to plan for a future . . . yes, college . . . some friends were getting married . . . others had jobs . . .

I sat there . . . alone . . . remembering . . . thinking of all those kids . . . their dreams and goals . . .

Yes, I achieved my goals . . . as far as it went . . . with life lessons thrown in . . .

I do feel very fortunate and have been blessed by many who have come into my life . . . 

No, I haven’t returned to the park . . . I remember it . . . but I have my own place to go for reflection . . . to see . . . to hear . . . to dream . . . and to remember . . .

My grandmother would stop every afternoon and have a cup of tea with a couple of cookies or a Danish . . . and she would sit quietly in her kitchen and sometimes sit on her front porch. It was her quiet time . . . Wherever her thoughts led her, I don’t know . . . she never shared them with me . . . but I imagine they may have gone to similar places where my thoughts take me . . . maybe she sat with her mother or grandmother in the kitchen having a cup of tea and a couple of cookies . . . sitting still and quiet . . . maybe she thought of those days . . . or of stories she read or was told so long ago . . .

Our thoughts can take us on wonderful journeys . . . to the past and even the future . . . we can imagine so very much . . . if we just stop long enough . . .

We are living in a miraculous age . . . the internet opens a whole new concept of communicating with people around the world . . . even communication with our friends and family has improved . . .

I have a couple of friends I met in my internet marketing group who do Google Hangouts regularly . . . It’s real time face time . . . They are thousands of miles away from me, physically, but it’s like we’re right there visiting . . . we’re all sitting in front of our computers in the privacy of our own homes . . . but we’re together . . . but separate . . . That’s a mind-binder . . .

People can take classes on-line . . . they can do crafts together . . . they can visit with several friends or family members via the internet and a URL address . . . My grandmother couldn’t imagine such a thing . . . nor could I a few decades ago . . . It is really something . . .

I hope these Dr. Seuss true-isms gave you some food for thought.

Until next time,

Sharon

Spring Brings Happiness

It’s all a matter of perspective.

I find it refreshing to sit back and observe . . . nature, people, pets . . . just watch and learn.InspirationalQuote1

At times it is difficult to sit quietly. I sometimes feel I need to be doing something . . . or at least thinking about something . . . about my blog or a project . . . something meaningful and worthwhile.

I did receive an email about “breaking the cycle.” It was about getting your emails and posts noticed . . . but I wasn’t thinking in terms of marketing. I was thinking in terms of life. We are creatures of habit. We schedule time . . . we’re always on the clock.

But, break the cycle . . . even for 5 minutes . . . or a minute and build up . . . what would that do? How would that affect our day? Would we gain insight?

I came across this quote on Pinterest about taking charge of your life without excuses or blame. Too often we give our power to others . . . out of foolishness, not knowing better, perhaps fear . . . it’s always easier to blame others or situations than to take a long hard look at yourself and realize you can make the changes when you stand up and take charge of yourself.

It may be about being your own best friend . . . about finding what is truly important to you. We don’t have to follow others . . . yes, it is easier, but is it right for you? Is it what you want to do?

Life gives us opportunities . . . that don’t seem like opportunities at all. We could lose a best friend or a significant love interest . . . and we can choose to be devastated, hurt, lost, bewildered . . . or stand up and say, “That was good for the moment and in this moment I will move on in my journey and find my true meaning of life and happiness.”

Yes, it is a tall order, but it is important to allow doors to close and others to open. I’m not saying be reckless . . . I’m saying to take the time to explore your thoughts and feelings. Take a moment or two to reflect . . . to think . . . to observe . . . to discover what makes you happy.

Sitting out among the abundance of spring is like a rebirth . . . take advantage of spring . . . and watch yourself blossom and bloom.

Until next time,

Sharon