Monday Smiles Volume 13

Lately, I have been...

 

Wearing: flats rather than heels and unfortunately my feet and back thank me

Reading: is on the back-burner right now

Watching: Battlestar Galactica and Frasier re-runs

 

Singing: In My Dreams by Josh Turner

 

Tasting: chai tea lattes

 

Needing: to organize my desk

Wanting:  to do this DIY from Anna

via

 

Trying: to become a morning person

Learning: I'm much better at living a college schedule

 

Anticipating: for the leaves to start turning

 

Writing: Blogtember posts ;)

Planning: too many things to do in one Fall

Hoping: to finish painting my room soon

 

Dreaming: of a nice long Autumn day walk 

Loving: this quote from Little Women

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Smiling: because little is more wonderful than holding a loved one's day old child in your arms.

What have you been up to lately? 

What makes you smile?

Because the ultimate cure for the Monday blues is 

something that will make you smile and grateful for what you have.  

These things make me smile and hopefully they will make you smile too.

What makes you smile today?

One Photo or Five Favorites Volume 13

One photo, five different ways with my five favorite photo apps to link up with Hallie and Jenni.

 

Enjoy!

 

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Untouched

 

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Snapseed

 

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MoreLomo

 

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MoreMono

 

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Through the eyes of a child (or MoreNoel)

 

 



 

Reliving Moments

There are many moments that I wish I could go back and change, but I know from those challenging times came many things that I would not change. Those are the moments that I wish I could go back and relive, soaking up every detail and enjoying the magic each held. And then there are the moments that I want to remember. Those are the moments I wish to relive more than anything. The moments that slipped away without recognition and got lost between the struggles and the joys.

 

If I could, I would want to relive the moments of meeting the most significant people in my life. So many of those moments were unremarkable in the way they happened, yet within my story they made all the difference. I wish I could revisit them and this time I would remember.

 

What memory would you relive?

 

Visit Jenni for more.

  

Monday Smiles Volume 12

Can we combine Blogtember posts? Is that cheating? Well in my effort to catch up from a half month of falling behind, I will allow myself to combine a couple prompts for a story that makes me smile just thinking about it. Three for one! ;)
 

Pen Pals

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Have you ever had a pen pal?

That friend that you would run to check the mail to see if it contained a letter; if it did the rest of the mail was forgotten in the box as you tore open the letter and began reading as you walked back up the drive absorbing ever single detail it held?

Growing up, I had such a friend. Unlike most pen pals who begin a correspondence and years later meet, we met first. We were both lonely and searching for a friend. In each other we found a kindred spirit. We were a modern day Anne and Diana. And then a few short months after we discovered each other, her family moved away. 

We wrote for several years without hesitation and slowly as time went on the letters grew further and further apart until the box containing each and every one was closed and covered in dust.

But the story does not end here. After hearing a friend talk about reconnecting with past friends on Facebook, I decided to give it a shot and search for her. My hopes weren’t high, in fact, I pretty much thought I would come up empty handed or would discover every other person of the same name in the world, except her. I typed in her name, held my breath, and hit search. And there right at the top of a very short list was a face that I recognized and knew so very well.

Then the doubt hit, should I contact her? I was almost one hundred percent certain that I never returned her last letter which resulted in our falling out of touch. Would we still be able to relate to each other? Would she be happy to hear from me? And most importantly, would she respond?

Happily, she did.

So no matter what the negatives social media may hold, I am grateful for this positive point. And that's the change this medium has made in my life. Now onto a letter for someone special...

Dear Moonpenny, 

            Was that your pen name or mine? It’s been so long since I have taken your letters out of their box and read them that I cannot remember. I just know that Moonpenny and Roseleaf go together. But I think I have it right.

            I already gave it away; I still have all of your letters. Your friendship was such an important part of my childhood that I cannot bear to part with them. Do you remember when you wrote a story and taped yourself reading it out loud since it would be faster than handwriting it all back out for me to read? I still have that too. If only my car had a cassette player. I would love to listen to it again during my commute to work.

I think I may have told you once, but I think you should give blogging a try. You always wrote so well in your letters and your short stories! I think you would enjoy it. I know I enjoy writing for fun again and the community of others that enjoy that same thing. Now that I come to think about it, a blog is kind of like an online letter to a pen pal. In fact, sometimes when I’m having a hard time writing I just picture a friend that I have not seen in a while, like you, and write it as if I am talking to them.

But, I digress. It is hard to express how special our friendship is to me. How special you are. It makes me so happy to have reconnected with you and to continue growing in our friendship. I was so excited to meet your husband before your wedding and to know that you found a man that sees all the true beauty you possess. And I love seeing how happy you are in life.

You have been and continue to be a blessing to me. Here's to a future with many more letters (or e-mails) in it. 

Love,
Christina

Because the ultimate cure for the Monday blues is 

something that will make you smile and grateful for what you have.  

These things make me smile and hopefully they will make you smile too.

What makes you smile today?

Monday Smiles Volume 11

Crisp and clean.

The untouched pages welcome you.

 

What will these pages hold?

Only time will tell.

The story is yours to write.

The pencil is in your hand.

New Planner Pages

 

Because the ultimate cure for the Monday blues is 

something that will make you smile and grateful for what you have.  

These things make me smile and hopefully they will make you smile too.

What makes you smile today?

 

Extraordinary Ordinary

Today, I am lucky. I am honored to be the guest author on MyYear of Faith sharing what I learned from meeting Mother Teresa as a child. And it just so happens to fit perfectly with today’s Blogtember prompt.

 

So please do me the honor of hopping over and reading: Extraordinary Ordinary.

 

Enjoy and have a happy Thursday!

 

 

Five Favorites Volume 12

Jenni at Story of My Life initiated Blogtember with a month’s worth of weekday post prompts and a daily link up. I’m jumping in a day late, so I’ll catch up this weekend. These prompts are creative, simple, and most importantly, inspiring!

Check them out and join in when you like.

 

Today’s prompt: If you could take three months off from your current life and do anything in the world, what would you do?

 

The idea of having three whole months to just do whatever my heart desired is such an intoxicatingly tempting thought. This thought has entered my mind a few times and depending on my mood I have two rather different inclinations. Part of me would love to have the time off from obligations to be able to enjoy the things I already have/do. I am talking about three months of leisurely morning coffees, working out every day, dancing, doing one deep cleaning task a day, re-decorating, and getting everything in order so that when the return to responsibilities comes I am in a good spot. The other part of me wants to escape myself and do all the things that I have thought about, but just have never tried. This side of me desires to pack a small bag of the absolute essentials, hop on a jet plan, tour the world, and try new things along the way. The second scenario is a bit more exciting to dream about (probably because I know that the first is an obtainable goal with a lot of good hard work and some adaptions, such as not shunning all responsibilities…darn).

 

Seeing that it is Wednesday and I am actually writing a post, I cannot forsake dear Hallie and not join in on Five Favorites. So the two shall become one this week and my Five Favorites will highlight my top five destinations on my three month vacation. Enjoy reading this happy little union.

 

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Spain

 

Barcelona, Spain

 

Carrer de Mallorca, 401, 08013 Barcelona, Spain

 

Ever since a friend showed me pictures of his visit to the Sagrada Familia, I have wanted to see it. Designed by Antoni Gaudi, this unfinished Basilica has several facades, each with their own style depicting the different stages of the life of Christ. Everything about it is fascinating: the architecture, the artwork, the unfinished status, the story of its development and long construction process, etc. I would love to see it in person one day.

 

via

 

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India

 

The colors, sounds, and smells of India are so enticing to me. There is a sense of mystery about India to me that I want to go and discover.

 



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Italy

 

I have been blessed to visit Italy twice and my world tour would not be complete without it. There is just something about it that I feel so very at home, despite being oversees. I have never been to any of the islands, so I think the first place I would visit would be Venice.

 

via

 

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Austria

 

The green grass, fields, mountains, valleys, and quaint towns that I have seen in pictures of Austria are beautiful. The Sound of Music Tour also is a perk.

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Alaska

 

My grandparents toured Alaska years ago and ever since have been telling us that it is something we all must experience. The grandeur and the beauty of my own home country is something that I would not want to miss on my visit.

 

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Where would you go if nothing was holding you back?

 

Happy Wednesday!