This is me smiling.

Priority: High

While I was away (without internet, I might add)
I was forced into some sort of introspective mode.
I may not have been writing much, but I was definitely thinking.

I was thinking about how often we set things aside for later.
How we somehow work triage on life...until next thing you know whatever you've assigned as being low priority becomes buried so deeply in the ruble.

The problem with me is when I find something and suddenly deem it important, I am a spaz.
I obsessively try to make up for its absence, despite the fact that
I didn't know it was missing in the first place.

And as we are on the subject of setting things aside for later...
I asked my sister Karen these questions two months ago and only today did she respond.

But I shouldn't talk since I too, have been remiss.
I have not been able to acknowledge nor accept these following gifts...nor have I been able to pass them along either.
It is not that I did not appreciate them, because I did-- somehow they just got lost in the shuffle.
Here goes:

Thank You Polliwog for awarding me with the:




And in turn I would like to pass this on to Butrfly Garden. Amy always has charity links to help people out and and raise awareness. She is not only charitable to people but also to the earth. She is the type who gets involved in fund raising campaigns and that is why I believe she deserves this.

Thank you Anitokid (and belated happy bday)
and Wanderlust Scarlett, for giving this to me:



And in turn I pass this on to MaydensVoyage.
Cora's thoughtfulness can be felt in all her posts and stories. Once you read her-- you just know that you have to get to know her. Truly a genuine person. She does not blog to feel important, but rather blogs so that her readers feel important. How often does that happen?

Thank you Annamanila , for handing me a


Coming from you- my blog idol-this is huge.
After hanging on to this for two months after I got this from Polli,
it is time to pass it on to Sunshine's blog.



Dana is an excellent photographer, an inspiring health buff (yes you are) and a dedicated mother. And did I tell you that she works outside of the house? A career woman! She pumps fresh air into the blogosphere. I like Dana. And that is why I think she should get this.

Last but not the very least, Gypsy of Gypsy's haven -
thought I should get another one today. A BIG THANK YOU!!!!!:




In turn I pass it on to my 8 yr old daughter K who blogs at Miniexskindiver.
She loves poetry, short stories and has a deep fascination for sharks...She is truly my little rockin' girl blogger.

Thanks everyone and let the re-gifting begin!

Thank You

My eyes have quieted down to a residual "just cried" look.
The allergist, who had never met me until yesterday,
asked me: "Have you always looked like that?"
After being pricked with various allergens I was instructed not to take any antihistamines in preparation for my follow-up appointment
(scheduled on Friday, the 29th)
I was not happy.
In fact I was a witch.
Imagine how cheerful I became when I discovered that I was awarded this:



by Polliwog's Pond. (Thanks again Polli!)

That carried me until bedtime.
Until my throat started calling-- begging for an antihistamine fix.
At the suggestion of a friend, I decided to try Neti Pot.
When I checked my email to review Paddy's instructions for it,
I discovered that I was awarded this:



So here I am writing this tonight-
thankful that The Rising Blogger award has made me forget about my allergies.
Thank you Judd Corizan, for saving me from the act of inserting the spout of a watering can into one nostril and flushing it with a salt water solution, allowing it to flow out of my other nostril.
Truly I am grateful.

Four Memes to End Procrastination

To get to the meat of the matter of a blog author,
a meme is an excellent tool.
However, it can be a task to accomplish.
Had I known that the deeper meaning behind procrastinate was so dire I would have fought my inner serial procrastinator a long time ago.
Another meme here.

A month ago I was nominated for a Thinking blogger Award by Butrfly Garden.
In keeping with this meme, here are five other blogs that have made me think. Always one to alter things, I decided to pick posts that have made me think:

*This post that my sister Karen wrote, made me weep as I read how a painful loss was finally explained away by a beautiful miracle. It is a must read.
*Photowanderer (my SIL) made me think of the environment. Her post motivated me to recycle.
* Just the other day, this post by Liza's eye view--made me do a self evaluation.
*Makis made me nostalgic with her holiday memories and
*Francesca in france told me that there is no such thing as silly work, just silly people in her post dated April 15, 2007.

My response to Cherann's meme:
What blogs do I read but have not linked my blog due to plain old procrastination?

* Laura Zigman's blog. She is the author of the book: Animal Husbandry and Dating Big Bird. I love her witty writing style.
*Noemi's Touched by An Angel is about her “new normal” which she struggled to achieve after the sudden death of her 6 yr. old son . Still a work in progress, she is now in her renewal stage where her grief has moved on towards a positive resolution. As she shares her life on her blog, she offers hope.
*An Island Life by Kailani. She has interesting stories about life in Hawaii and her career as a flight attendant. She is also a mother to two sweet little girls.
*Something About Parenting by Mike. This blog written by a stay at home dad allows me into a peak into motherhood from a father's point of view. His creativity is a plus.
*Walk this way by Carlos Celdran. A very entertaining read, he is like a smorgasborg for stuff.
You never know what you are going to get with this guy--he has a link to morgue pictures.
Yes, you read right--morgue pictures. But you are not subjected to it, you have the option of clicking on it. (I will not tell you whether I clicked or not.)

And the answer to Ron's question as to what five goals I've never taken seriously:
* Make my bed everyday.
* Read 100 Years of Solitude
* Drink 8-10 glasses of water daily
* Be a sweet wife
* Avoid procrastination

Oh and so I don't completely kill these memes -- let me know if you do it so that I can link to it.