Sisterhood of the World Blogger Awards: The strawberryindigo edition

Smiley Face (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Big Smile, one of my favorite bloggers in this whole big blog universe has graciously bestowed on me The Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award and I couldn’t be more pleased.  It always feels good to be included especially in this sisterhood of the traveling award.  Thank you so much Big Smile!   :)

Big Smile’s superb blog Grandmother Musings is jammed packed full of useful and practical advice. I enjoy reading her interesting posts and it is always nice to see a new post from her in my inbox.  Defeat a bad attitude and Helen’s Porch have been two of my recent favorites.

It is at this point I must share SEVEN mostly true facts about me that many of you may not know. obviously this will be endlessly fascinating…obviously I’m kidding, please bear with me as I go on a seven-figure narcissistic tirade…

1. I am a shy, mild-mannered chicken in real life, not the loudmouth I portray online. (Shocking I know)

2. I have an uncanny ability to locate lost items in an almost paranormal sort of way.

3. I find it difficult to make any kind of decision at all while wearing a hat.

4. I am only 5 ft. 2″ but I am very good at standing on my tiptoes.

5. I am an ugly baker; everything I bake tastes good but it never looks good.

6. My lucky number is 13 probably because I was born on that day.

7. I invented the internet, post-it notes and sliced bread… and I am an awful liar.

 I would like to nominate my fellow sister bloggers for this sisterly award.

Drumroll please…

The Nominees

Shoes                               Shoes On The Wrong Feet

Karen H.                           The Midlife Chronicles

Mountain Mae                  Mountain Mae

Samantha Craft                Asperger’s Girls

Silly frog Susan               Sillyfrog’s Blog 

 Naima                              The Subterranean World

Ailsa                                  Where’s My Backpack

There are absolutely no strings attached with this award. It is yours to do with or not do with as you will.  Pass it on or not. The choice is yours. There are no rules here on “My Life in Color”  I’ve thrown them out.  Just have fun.

Congratulations and have a happy day!

Strawberryindigo.

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The New Face of Friskies

MARIO

I don’t have a lot going on right now so I have become my cat’s agent.  It’s not what you think, I am not crazy or anything…it was his idea.  He’s a very ambitious cat, a real go getter. It’s no wonder he’s famous here locally.    And I guess it’s no wonder that his ambitions are leading him to bigger and better things.

He has spoken to me of his plans, well meowed them to me on many occasions, usually late at night after too much cat nip. He has dreams, that’s for sure but who doesn’t?  I want to be a writer someday.  My cat wants to be a star of stage and screen.   I’m sure you have hopes and dreams too, so I know you understand that we sensitive artist types need to follow our dreams and thus I have not only encouraged him, I have become his agent.

A big part of this important and highly coveted job is the ability to think outside of the box, come up with excellent ideas and have the where-with-all to follow through. I pride myself on my common sense and intellect which I think makes me the perfect sort to promote an animal act.

9 Lives has Morris the cat who the company touts as the most famous cat in the world, that may be true for now but I think that Morris is all washed up, he’s out of date, I mean how old can a cat get?  And those meow mix cats, all that constant mewing….cat’s don’t really do that.

What we need is a more realistic, more with-it , a now kind of cat. A cat for today. A spokescat that truly speaks to today’s generation.

That’s where Mario comes in. He and I both agree that he would be the purrfect choice to be the “The New Face of Friskies”

Is this the New Face of Friskies?

I know many of you have already been introduced to Mario, I also know a great many of you have joined his fan club and some of you have even attended a few of his lectures. So I don’t need to remind you of his magnetic presence, engaging personality, sharp wit and striking good looks.  I mean who would be better for this?

 ”He certainly LOVES his Friskies and he eats quite a lot of it. That is why is he has a shiny and luxurious coat and such beautiful bright eyes.”

Now it’s up to me to convince The Friskies Corporation.

Realistically, I don’t see much of a problem there. That is more than apparent.  Once the executives at Friskies meet with Mario they will be putty in his paws.  He will be writing his own check and you can take that to the bank.  He is bound for greatness and really there’s nothing stopping him….

I Love Friskies!

…and this is only the beginning. First it will be commercials, then guest spots on popular TV shows, then maybe a little off Broadway and a few feature films and before you know it, he’ll be winning Oscars and I’ll be sitting at home like a bump on a log watching it all on the small screen and eating a frozen dinner all by myself while he lives the good life in Hollywood.

We’ve had long talks about this very thing. I am afraid the bright lights of “The Big City” will lure him away and change him forever. Maybe he’ll lose himself in a dark downward spiral of drugs and corruption.  Maybe he’ll run with a fast crowd who’ll only want him for his fame and lifetime supply of Friskies (Seafood Sensations flavor, please)

He assures me this won’t happen and he does seem to have a good head on his shoulders, he is the smartest one in the house.  I guess I can’t hold him back. I will miss the little guy but I know that someone who is that special cannot be kept back home on the farm….

…and so when I’m at home in a tattered old bathrobe watching The Oscars I’ll be cheering him on and I know you will too…he’s that kind of cat.

Strawberryindigo.

Suggested Links and Related Articles:

Mario

•  Mario The Magnificent

•  Morris website

•  Creepy meow mix cats

•Friskies Launches iPad Game That Lets Humans Play Against Cats (shoppingblog.com)

The Twitter

Join us!

Either it’s a sign of the Apocalypse or I’ve just plain lost my mind, but recently I signed up to Twitter…..yes, Twitter.  I tweet. I haven’t discovered the purpose of all this just yet, I suspect that it is as purposeless as many non-tweeters would suggest.  I mean what do we tweeters get out of all this?

Well, let me tell you. I asked myself this very same question not long ago:  I admit that I have been using this whole twittermania as fodder for some very lame jokes. I also admit that I feel a little silly for being there tweeting the night away…fascinating my 3 followers (thanks guys) with my twitterisms of profound thought mixed with delightful quips and random observations, all this in 140 characters or less.

As we are on a roll with this admitting thing, I should say that I am having some sort of strange fun doing this.  I enjoy having strange fun and this certainly qualifies.  Where else can you chat with Oprah or sass Kurt Vonnegut or find out how often Bill Gates thinks of Sorghum ( a lot)

Maybe I’m looking for answers, perhaps this little blue bird can whisper them in my ear…or inspiration; Tyra Banks is full of that ( you go girl with all that fierceness)  It could be that I just want to join an endless chorus of a million birds all tweeting a glorious song of humanity….who cares if it makes any sense anyway?  What does?

Do I look familiar?

The Indigo Bunting Bird and I agree; it may be kismet…..I don’t know….I do know however, that I’d love to see you over there……we could make beautiful music together, ponder the mysteries of the Universe or at least pass the time engaging in pointless chitter-chatter.

Strawberryindigo.   @ THE INDIGO SIDE

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You

HEY YOU!

Yes, you.

You know who you are.  You are the type to put yourself last in an endless array of somebody else’s.  Maybe it’s your family or a group of friends or co-workers, maybe its all of the above and then some.

I know you. You’ll say that you are needed and that you really enjoy what you are doing. This is true and it’s just like you to say that.  You might say that doing good has its own reward and to that I must wholeheartedly agree.  You make a lot of sense and definitely you are earning some major good karma points.  You certainly have earned my respect and the respect from many others.

You could even say that I am inspired by you……In all this there is no problem…

You deserve much praise for what you do. In that, again, there is no problem, everyone you know can see this, even if you yourself cannot.

In all that you see as important, in all that you do, how much of that importance is invested in yourself?

Because YOU ARE IMPORTANT!  You are unique. There is only one you……and you can’t be there for them unless you are there for you too.

Take the time for yourself once in a while. Do something you like to do.  Do nothing if that’s what you need. The important thing is that you do it, for you.

This is so important that they created a day especially for YOU.

 HAPPY   MOTHER’S   DAY!

Strawberryindigo.

Kindness

Kind·ness:

The quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. A kind act.

Synonyms            kindliness – goodness – favor - affability

Com·pas·sion:

Deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it. 

Synonyms:     commiseration - sympathy - condolence - empathy

How we humans treat our fellow humans is truly a measure of our collective humanity. Besides our intelligence, what sets us apart from other animals is the empathy and compassion we not only possess but thrive on.

We are all connected.  We all have wants and needs and feelings.  We are dependant on each other not just for tangible reasons but for emotional as well. We need each other.  It is instinctive and it goes back to our birth hundreds of thousands of years ago. And in my opinion it is one of the reasons we have become so formidable as a race.

There is strength in unity and harmony is essential to unity. Harmony is built on kindness and mutual respect. And as they say “Kindness begets kindness.”

Kindness can be simple and easy and fun. Doing an act of kindness feels good and it should. Altruism is a noble trait and as we endeavor to overcome our savage part and concentrate on the noble; even the simplest and most basic acts of kindness can go much further than we think.

Positive or negative emotions are contagious; they spread like wildfire.  One person’s bad day can leave behind a lot of bad feelings and bad days for others.  Of course, this goes the same for someone’s good day and it is these good days that must be shared.

The smallest of acts can make a dramatic difference. A kind word, even a smile can be heaven-sent to someone who’s having a bad day or rough go of it.  These days many people are having a rough go of it.

I have been on the giving and receiving end of this vital human connection and have experienced the full spectrum of feelings regarding it. As my experiences of late have shown me, being in the need of kindness makes one appreciate it all the more.

I can’t help but notice the kindness and generosity, the compassion possessed by those with the least to give. I see it time and time again and these times have really brought it home.  I have found people to be more understanding…more down to earth and much kinder than I ever thought.

If anything good could come out of this “Great Recession” it’s that it has forced many of us to slow down our rampant consumerism and concentrate on what is really important; each other, not things…….and really, if anything, no matter what your personal circumstances…..it’s given us all the more reason to be kind to each other.

Strawberryindigo.

small things list

They say it is the small things that really matter.  These tiny joys in life that make it all the worthwhile. They also say that appreciation is a gift and that happiness lies more in one’s attitude than in one’s present circumstance.

In need of a dose of happiness myself I have decided to compose a list. A list of small things that make me happy. (I am happier already, just thinking about it) I’d like to share this list with you because I believe happiness is contagious and I like to spread it around.

Of course, this is my list.  Your list, if you decided to make one (which I wholeheartedly suggest) would be quite different I’m sure, but I set this as an example.

*Birdsong in the morning*love in the afternoon*dark chocolate*green*slack key guitar*ocean waves*sunshine*jasmine tea*the impressionists*dancing in the kitchen*singing in the shower*painting my toenails*bee admiring*squirrel watching*beach combing*word puzzles*cats*gardening*blog writing*walking in the rain*taking that perfect shot*reading a book*geekdom*digging in the dirt*playing pool*laughing at myself*the tiny little daisies in the front lawn*running up the stairs*the birds and the bees*the forests with the trees*vivid sunsets*funny movies*bacon*dressing up for halloween*butterflies*ylang ylang*long chats over coffee*watching the clouds roll by**purple shoelaces*the yellow teapot*the blues*chai lattes with extra whipped milk*laughing*looking up at the sky*poetry*music*Dr. Suess*oregon strawberries*star-gazing*autumn leaves* spring trees*going barefoot in the summertime*silence*reading good blogs*stopping and smelling the roses*the perfect kiss*romance*ice cream*rainbows*science*wordplay*humorous banter*intelligent conversation*the eyes of a child*the innocence of youth*the wisdom of age*irony*sleeping in late*dinner parties*picnics*late night talks over candlelight*learning something new*warm summer evenings*A job well done*splashing in puddles*holding hands*talking to the animals*hiking in the forest*walking in the park*ladybugs*pygmy marmosets*cherry pie*sweet peas*rosemary*springtime*moonlight*music*fuzzy socks*driveway moments with NPR*naps*big red balloons*popcorn with lots of butter*blue skies*a wink and a smile*dewdrops*dragonflies*coloring outside the lines*3 little birds*blowing bubbles*the sound of crickets in my backyard*glitter*long lists of happy things*

Just writing this made me happy!

Strawberryindigo.

“Precisely the least, the softest, lightest, a lizard’s rustling, a breath, a breeze, a moment’s glance– it is little that makes the best happiness”

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**Friedrich Nietzsche**

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