the road to a friend's house is never long...

There is nothing sweeter than meeting new friends and discovering that the world is indeed as beautiful as you believed it to be.

this little light of mine...

These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers.

Take these words along with the image when you post your award.

I received this cute little award from Annette, a very special friend and fellow blogger who I love for a number of reasons, but mostly because she is real. What you see is what you get. She tells it like it is and she is just so precious in her spirit that I consider her to be an angel here on earth. The words on her blog are like a patchwork quilt--they are colorful, warm, and reflect a number of things on her heart...always honest and precise. Thank you Nettie for just being YOU...I'll pass this little gem on with careful consideration to the meaning behind it.

Even though I have been incredibly busy...too busy to post, I often sneak away from my work long enough to find refuge in a few of your blogs. I love everyone, so selecting just a handful is a task that tugs at my heart, but these blogs do it for me....they often bring me peace in one way or another - and for that I thank you and offer you this cute little "award" to adorn your blog.
So take it, pass it on, spread the joy...and know there is a corner of appreciation stored in my heart for the way you bless my day when I visit your blog.

Butterfly Gardener

Road Sage

Faith Of A Single Mom

Jules Stones

Just BEing John-Michael

a perfect blend of friendship...

I've been so busy lately, so my blogging has been sporadic...imagine my surprise when I took a moment out to play on blogger and discovered I had been gifted this cute little friendship award. Thank you Lisa
from "My New Thing To Do"...you've just made my week with your thoughtful kindness ~ truly, I thought this was so sweet!

In accepting this award I understand I have to answer a few FRIENDSHIP questions, so here goes:

1. Do you have the same friends since childhood? I have a few friends I keep in touch with from "way back when" but most of them live pretty far away. Annette is the only friend I can meet up with for coffee from my childhood days. I've known her since the third grade!

2. What do you value most about your friends? Every word that they speak, every smile they share and every thought they trust me with...I value everything about them.

3. Are your friends sounding boards? When it comes to bouncing ideas around, yes! When it comes to getting advice from them, no...not usually...when I need help I go straight to the Master.

4. What is your favorite activity to share with your friends? It depends on the friend. I can be a coffee drinker, a shoe shopper, a backpacker, a yoga buddy, a recipe swapper, a bible study companion, a meal server...any of these things at the drop of a hat.

A friend is one

to whom one may pour

out all the contents

of one's heart,

chaff and grain together

knowing that the

gentlest of hands

will take and sift it,

keep what is worth keeping

and with a breath of kindness

blow the rest away.

~ Arabian Proverb ~

I would like to pass this FRIENDSHIP award on to

Kimberly

and

Annette

Some days they are the wind in my sail

Some days they are a quiet walk

always they are a friend,

with a kind word

or

a smile to share.

not without hope

My Friday evening visit with my downtown friends went well. They always make me smile. I only served about 12 this time and there wasn't any episodes of violence...thankfully. I did have a helper this time and he was intrigued by my "system of operation". He said his heart was touched by the relationships I have developed and he couldn't believe I remembered all their names! I thought that was funny...why wouldn't I remember their names? He asked if he could help again and of course I thought it was wonderful having an extra pair of hands...so I said, "Anytime!" So we'll see if he shows up next week. We served, as per their request from last week, Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni, French Bread, and I took a container full of sliced up cucumbers and carrots...not a very popular choice! They actually kind of made fun of me for trying to sneak vegetables in. Silly me.

Here's some interesting tidbits about my homeless friends:

Several of them sleep in the cemetery...eek!

They all have real names and street names to "throw off" the police.

One of them volunteers in the homeless shelter from 8am-5pm M-F.

Most of them have families who don't know where they are.

Two of them are mentally challenged from motorcycle accidents.

About half of them drink but refuse to do drugs.

They really don't like white t-shirts. They get dirty too easy and they are easier to spot in the dark.

This has been a blessed adventure for me. I love getting to know these individuals. They are full of personality and their stories break my heart and/or make me laugh...sometimes both. I have never had to experience any hardships that compare to the ones they face regularly. I don't have to worry about where I will sleep, or where my next meal might come from. In due time I'd like to help them make contact with their families somehow. For right now they only have each other and I guess that's enough.

a little side note:


This is my new Avatar. I had to say goodbye to the cute little cottage icon. Back in July 2007 I found the image somewhere on line and really didn't think too much about it....oops....won't make that mistake again! I was informed of its ownership yesterday and I still apologize profusely for using it "without permission"...it was purely unintentional. I really wasn't trying to steal it or be sneaky about it...so learn by my mistake and be careful about the images you are attracted to. I really dislike negative energy and prefer to avoid drama and delve in peaceful simplicity, so I guess I'll have to settle for one of the free simple Avatars until I get time to create something myself...who knows when that will be! This Avatar might be more appropriate for me anyway.
Books and coffee...two things I can't live without.

Shalom.

I Love Your Blog Award

Patti from Treasure Barn gifted me with this sweet award and I think it's just precious that she would take time out from her amazing creations to share the love...thank you Patti for being so thoughtful. I am suppose to share with SIX of you, so the following are the blogs that touch my heart on a daily basis...I believe these ladies would bring me chicken noodle soup if I were sick and I think they would be a hoot at a pajama party and I know for sure some of them would call just to say Hi if they hadn't heard from me in a while...

gosh, I just love you guys!

p.s. I know from past experience that some of you ladies prefer not to pick these little "awards" up and that's OK...I'm just letting you know

I LOVE YOUR BLOG...don't feel obligated to adorn your blog spot with it if you do not want to.

Annette from Just Annette

Kimberly from Walk the Beach

Donna from Cottage Days & Journeys

Lisa from My New Thing To Do

Jules from Jules Stones

Annie from Annie's Blog

Tuesday's Treasure

I was most thoughtfully awarded this "blogging with a purpose" award from Jules and since it is the first token I have received since I began blogging in July 2007 I am claiming it as my treasure today! Although I am not quite certain what my PURPOSE for blogging is I'd like to think I am simply "here to live out loud"...famous words by French Activist/Artist Emile Zola...but he is dead, so he won't mind me keeping his words alive I'm sure. As part of receiving this honor I believe it is customary to pass it along to FIVE people and so I will, but along with passing "the torch" so to speak, I would like to add a personal note to each of these special people and let them know how their purpose is met in my heart, despite what their purpose might actually be in blogging. Please accept this from my blog to yours and know that a lot of thought went behind who I chose, although I would have preferred to stretch it to a few more people, I will keep with the tradition with these FIVE:

To: Annette ~ who has provided me with unconditional friendship since the 3rd grade and whose blog is authentic and real, adhering to the spirit of visiting an old friend on a relaxing porch with a glass of suntea on a summer day.

To: Kimberly ~ who has become such a dear sweet friend, always uplifting and encouraging, whose blog provides me with inspiration in countless ways and she genuinely cares...I can feel it.

To: Phyllis ~ who has provided me with friendship and scripture to read every single morning, whose blog brings me joy and quiet time, two things I need to kick start my day.

To: John-Michael ~ for keeping a welcome mat out for me even when I don't agree with everything he has to say, he keeps loving me anyway, because that's just who he is, and whose blog serves as a refuge I can actually get lost in because he so eloquently articulates an inspirational balance between life's questions and answers.

To: Debbie ~ for making me laugh out loud on most days so that my family wonders if I'm truly OK, and for sharing real life in a real way, whose blog is not only entertaining just from her sheer personality, but also inspirational in the down-to-earth-, keepin'-it-real aspect.

Everyone who visits my blog is a real treasure to me, all for different reasons, and I thank everyone who drops by from the bottom of my heart. I have genuinely come to care for you all and I am honored to call each of you FRIEND.

" A friend is one to whom one may pour out all the contents of one's heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that the gentlest of hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping and with a breath of kindness blow the rest away."

- Arabian Proverb