Did you know or do you care....

In old England, hanging day was Friday, and the hangman's pay per job was 13 pence. That combination, however unreasonable, added another eerie aspect to superstitions about Friday the 13th.

Another one? Okay...

It was the early day Mormons around Salt Lake City who became most widely known for their "dog coats." The less affluent of them shaved their dogs and wove the cuttings into course cloth.

Just one more...

You know what started the huge popularity for T-shirts? World War II. All armed services required GI's to wear GI underwear.

And now you know...

A new word, a new day

Machiavellian: (adj) Suggestive of or characterized by the principles of expediency, deceit, and cunning attributed to Niccolo Machiavelli.

sentence: It was all done with Machiavellian cunning by which he could gently and gradually bring about the knowledge of their brother's secret.

Charlie Chaplin said...

"You need not be famous to write something worth remembering, worth preserving, worth publishing."

Every Tid-bit Counts

It is the written word that I love. It is the written word that frees me from the jumbled, stumbling elementary vocabulary that I tend to spew in conversation. I have always had a love affair with words. They have mesmerized me, transported me, sheltered and succored me, and yes, they have even eluded me. But whether the written words are my own or someone else's, I take note of them . . . I jot them down . . . I hold onto them . . . I journal them so that one day (like this day), I can share them. I hope you like them. I hope you share your words.

Flicker Search on Thanksgiving

I'm in the process of packing and moving, so I'm thankful for the time to get it all done, the time to take a break, the time not to gorge myself on turkey and fixin's, the time to be in my own space, and...for all of you. Happy Thanksgiving!Questions:
1. What is your first name? . Margarita
2. What is your favorite food? Beef Wellington
3. What school did you go to? Waipahu
4. What is your favorite color? Sky Magic ~
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Dwayne the rock johnson
6. Favorite drink? Strawberry and Cream Frappaccino
7. Dream vacation? Fontana di Trevi - Particolare
8. Favorite dessert? Leonard's Bakery
9. What you want to be when you grow up? Literary Soon-to-Reads. Stuff on my short list, 2004 (annotated)
10. What do you love most in life? Immensité - Infinity
11. One word to describe you. A strong will
12. Your nickname. I'd Like Mornings Better if They Started Later*

Concept:
1. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flicker Search. http://www.flickr.com/search/
2. Using only the first page, pick an image.
3. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker. http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/mosaic.php (choose four columns and three rows, also choose individual URL's)

**all photo credit: 1. Margarita, 2. Beef Wellington, 3. Waipahu 1995, 4. Sky Magic ~, 5. Dwayne the rock johnson, 6. Untitled, 7. Fontana di Trevi - Particolare, 8. Leonard's Bakery, 9. Literary Soon-to-Reads. Stuff on my short list, 2004 (annotated), 10. Immensité - Infinity, 11. A strong will is better than a vain wish., 12. I'd Like Mornings Better if They Started Later*

"We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?"

Brilliance is not a word I would use to describe myself. But the question posed by Marianne Williamson in her book A Return to Love, struck a reflective cord. She followed up the question with another question: "Actually, who are you not to be?" It got me thinking. Brilliant. You can't see the slight smirk on my face that indicates doubt. Gorgeous. You also can't see the raised eyebrow indicative of doubt and skepticism. Talented. My thoughts are jumbled like a jigsaw puzzle. Fabulous. It can't be me.
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
I'll be honest, feeling inadequate is one of my fears. But, having others recognize just how inadequate I am, that is my biggest fear. Maybe that's why I never go for the big dreams. But, what if feeling inadequate is not my deepest fear? What if, my deepest fear is being "powerful beyond measure?" Do you know what that reminds me of? "Where much is given, much is required." Man, I never really got that verse in terms of my daily life. Spiritually, I got what the reference meant, but I guess I blew it in the daily application. We are powerful beyond measure. If that statement is true, do you know what that means? I mean, do you really know what that means? If I am or you are "powerful beyond measure" than there is nothing that is out of reach. All things are possible. The magnitude of that phrase is sensical, but at the same time incomprehensible. It's like staring out into the Milky Way and not knowing where to place your focus. If I close my eyes, I can just barely make out the truth of that statement, but the full shape, body, substance is still blurry. I have a feeling, a sensation of what that statement means but it's going to take time to manifest itself to me.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
What would it take to claim that power to shatter the darkness and illuminate my world? What would it take to shake the fear, doubt and skepticism and stand bold and be courageous? What would it take to overcome what frightens me the most and accept being brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?

We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.

I know that I am a child of God. Granted, I am not the best or most behaved child of God, but I am His child. I've never thought of it as Sunday school rhetoric or scriptural platitudes. So, in understanding that I am a child of God, it should follow that He would expect all of his children to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous. There would be no question of the adjectives He would use to describe His sons and daughters. Wow. That's profound...and humbling.

Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

Gosh, that statement sounds like something Professor Chase would have said. Professor Chase would have followed that up with "now that you know it, do something about it."

We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone.

My sister has three children: Travis, Trysten and Trayse. They are our future. As the adults in their world, we try to teach them how to best live a good life so that when they are adults they will be good people. We try to teach them to walk a better path than we have. We teach them to learn to be leaders so that they will know whom they are following. We teach them to love and respect each other, so others will show the same to them and their siblings. We teach them to love God so that they will always know they are not alone in this world. I need to remember to do the same.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

My younger brother Joseph was known for his famous one-liners. His best friend Troy, who spoke at his funeral, reminded us of a few of them: "Come, let me give you a free hug." "Be good to yourself. Be good to somebody else." "For you the world. For now, a ride to work." Joseph's life reminds me that being brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous isn't as far-fetched as I thought.

(Thanks to Ipo for posting the poem on her blog. It was the catalyst that got me thinking.)

fyi...Siana, these are my photos and not stock photos. I expect you to be impressed with them ;)

And the fog rolled in....

I saw the most magnificent scene today as I was driving around Mill Valley, CA. It was just the briefest of glimpses; a few clouds seemed to hug the mountain side. Granted, I couldn't watch too closely since I was drivng, but I pointed it out to my cousin and he got a bit excited by the whole scenery.

As we drove on through the east side of Mill Valley, the fog began to move more swiftly. It snuggled up close and personal along the little mountain ranges, and then it lazily sprawled itself out over the valley floor and the lake nearby. It reminded me of passing rain showers in Hawaii. I used to love to watch the rain as it moved like a watery sheet gliding without inhibition across the island. Even more spectacular, was watching it fall from the sky and end in the sea; there seemed to be no specific point of origin or destination. It just...was.

Weather is intriguing, don't you think? I mean, it has no agenda other than to exist as wind or water or both. Even in it's most terrifying state, it is still a wonder. It's hard to contemplate and drive at the same time, but those few thoughts did manage to seep in as I maneuvered my way through traffic.

And then, my cousin, pointed out just the tiniest hint of metal sticking out through the misty fog...the Golden Gate Bridge or maybe it was the Richmond Bridge. How cool is that? I keep reminding myself that I need to take my camera with me when we go to work, because work encompasses several miles to and from home. I've seen some beautiful art work, some strange pieces and even the bizarre. And each and every time I say, "I should have brought my camera."

(fyi..these photos are stock images. I don't own them.)