Eight Years

Eight years ago today I embarked on an adventure that took me places I had never even IMAGINED.  I learned things about myself I didn't know, I pushed past limits, and discovered new ways of making things work.  All because of one beautiful shining woman...

Jacqueline.

She pushes me to be my best, challenging old habits and ways of thinking, and supporting me even when I'm *not* my best.  Without her, my life would be so much emptier.

I am so blessed and humbled by her love and cannot wait to see all the adventures the next eight years and beyond will bring...


Click for awesomeness!

♥♥♥ LOVE YOUR BODY ♥♥♥

Don't Get Burned ~ 215:365
Originally uploaded by Bunny Spice ~ Librarian Lyssa
If you need some inspiration and help with loving your body as is, here are some great places to check out...

• Your Body is Beautiful the Way It Is.
• 8 Simple Affirmations You Should Whisper to Yourself Daily.
• Love Your Body More in Three Simple Steps
• Love Your Tree (a video)
• The Playgirl's Guide to Radical Self Love

Marriage Equality Act

YAY! NYS passed the bill 33 to 29!!!

TiLT: Blessing, Blissings, and more...

I've not done one of these since New Year's Eve, and here is, practically half the year gone by.  I've been having a rough time seeing the good lately, and thought listing the things I feel blessed to have in my life and things I've been loving recently would help me see things with a rosier tint... ^-^  So without further ado...


♥ Blessings: Always first on the list is my love, Jacqueline, who makes all things better, and my family, Antonio, Esme, JoAnn, and Lia, who amaze me everyday with their Beings.  I have a car to get me to & from work and places I need & want to go.  I have a shelter from the cold & rain and a place to bathe and get clean water.  I have a phone and the internet and lights to see at night.  I have a soft bed with blankets & pillows and clothes to wear that look nice on me even if I don't particularly like them.  I have a camera and lots of art supplies and access to thousands of books & media, and I have friends and family and even strangers who will help when things get really hard.


♥ Blissings: The hummingbird is back at the feeder and neither rain nor wind nor sun will keep him away!  Fifth & sixth grade classrooms, the rediscovery of Flatrock in the Spring, the flowers in our yard, the sounds of the birds and bugs and frogs that fill the air of our woods 'round the clock... Glee time! (sadface that there's only one epi til Fall!)  Volkwagons and the sweet guys that drive them.  Key Lime candles, lilacs in bloom, Baltimore orieles, warm chocolate chip cookies & brownies, the smell of coffee...


♥ More:  Dr. Who, teeny tiny animals, 3D movies, cosmic jewelry, MLP, mood beads, like buttons, tumblr, mermaids, lava rocks, sea glass, swirly skirts, and all kinds of crazy things on Etsy...

Things I Love Thursday is brought to you by Gala Darling...

30 Days of Me: Day 15 - 17

Day 01 – Introduce Yourself
Day 02 – Your first love
Day 03 – Your parents
Day 04 – What you ate today
Day 05 – Your definition of love
Day 06 – Your day
Day 07 – Your best friend
Day 08 – A precious item
Day 09 – Your beliefs
Day 10 – What you wore today
Day 11 – Your siblings
Day 12 – What’s in your bag
Day 13 – This week
Day 14 – Your childhood
Day 15 – Your dreams

I dream a lot about water: being caught in the rain, rivers flooding everything (and trying to save the books and animals), swimming with mermaids (and mermen), swimming in big glass buildings...

I used to have recurring nightmares about dinosaurs too, but not in a long time. As a child I dreamed they were surrounding our house trying to get in, but they were all like cartoon dinosaurs (think Dino from the Flinstones)playing some frightening game of peek-a-boo through the windows with me as I cowered in fear behind the sofa or in the closet.

Once I dreamed that I was at my dad's garage/gas station with my mom and our dog *and* cat (weird). My mom, our cat, and me went across the street to a farmer's market (which never existed there) and a brontosaurus came up the street! As my dad & dog were running across to save us (we were hiding behind some crates of vegetables), the brontosaurus gobbled them up! Like in one of those old bad claymation/live action dinosaur movies.

And another time I dreamed my best friend went into some cave/elevator which turned out to be a T-rex and she was eaten...

I also dream a lot about people who were important in my life but aren't here anymore. I wake up feeling sad when that happens...

Day 16 – Your first kiss

Aahhh... one of the people I sometimes dream about. I was in grade school, and visited the home of a boy in my class. He didn't live far away, but I had never been. He introduced me to his dog - a Doberman pinscher named Pepsi - and his family, and we watched cartoons, and ate Apple Jacks (which I had never had at that point). And when it was time for me to go, he walked me to the door, and kissed me on the cheek. It was very sweet and he remained a crush of mine for years. I'm sure I wouldn't even be able to pick him out of a line up now though! It's been decades!

Day 17 – Your favorite memory

I feel like I've answered this before... I have a lot of great memories; the one above for example. My last birthday was awesome, so many things from ARGH & Shine, a helicopter ride over Niagara Falls was pretty memorable, sunny summer days at the lake, moonlit nights of passion, long car rides all over the state with friends and lovers, road trips across country...

But I think the one that is I pull up most often is the memory of waking up on Blue Mountain, walking out of the woods to the the clearing on top, and seeing the sun shining bright over a sea of clouds - the other mountains just islands across the way - and strong arms encircling me. I felt safe and loved and there was so much beauty...

I hope someday I can take Jacqueline there...

Day 18 – Your favorite birthday
Day 19 – Something you regret
Day 20 – Your morning routine
Day 21 – Your job and/or schooling
Day 22 – Something that upsets you
Day 23 – Something that makes you feel better
Day 24 – Something that makes you cry
Day 25 – Your sleeping habits
Day 26 – Your fears
Day 27 – Your favorite place
Day 28 – Something that you miss
Day 29 – Your favorite foods/drinks
Day 30 – Your aspirations

30 Days of Me:: Day 5

Day 01 – Introduce Yourself
Day 02 – Your first love
Day 03 – Your parents
Day 04 – What you ate today
Day 05 – Your definition of love

I've been thinking a lot about what to say here about this. In the past I might not have said anything controversial at all. But in light of all the recent issues in the media, I feel the need to speak up.

How do *I* define love?

Love is fluid and limitless, and it cannot be defined in concrete terms. It cannot be labeled or put in boxes.

You cannot tell me what my love should look like, and I cannot tell you what yours should look like. You may choose to love someone who is a different race, religion, or sex than yourself, or you may find your love is more similar to you than you thought possible. You may come to realize you love more than one, or you could choose to love none. You might think my love is just a *kink* - a sexual deviance - but maybe, your love is the deviation...

There is an old Hindu proverb, that describes the path to God like the paths of a mountain: The paths are many, but the peak is one. It is my belief that love can be described the same.

*That* is how I define love.


"Love is like pi... It's irrational, it goes on forever, and people study it for patterns"
Originally uploaded by Lin Pernille ♥ Photography
Day 06 – Your day
Day 07 – Your best friend
Day 08 – A precious item
Day 09 – Your beliefs
Day 10 – What you wore today
Day 11 – Your siblings
Day 12 – What’s in your bag
Day 13 – This week
Day 14 – Your childhood
Day 15 – Your dreams
Day 16 – Your first kiss
Day 17 – Your favorite memory
Day 18 – Your favorite birthday
Day 19 – Something you regret
Day 20 – Your morning routine
Day 21 – Your job and/or schooling
Day 22 – Something that upsets you
Day 23 – Something that makes you feel better
Day 24 – Something that makes you cry
Day 25 – Your sleeping habits
Day 26 – Your fears
Day 27 – Your favorite place
Day 28 – Something that you miss
Day 29 – Your favorite foods/drinks
Day 30 – Your aspirations

Ben & Jerry are Awesome

As if I needed another reason to love them...

http://www.benjerry.com/hubbyhubby/

(Now can we lower the price a smidge?)

TiLT: ABCs

Recently, Gala Darling suggested we all make our own love alphabet, and since it's been several weeks since I last posted a TiLT, here's mine!


♥ Antonio, Allie, animals, and art
♥ Bunnies, birds, and BBQ (separately for the most part)
♥ Color and coloring with crayons
♥ Daddy and deviantArt


Antonio, July 4th

♥ Esme and Etsy
♥ Flatrock, family, friends, fireworks, and Frank
♥ Green grass, Google, gerenuks, and the Goddess
♥ Horses and ponies


Flatrock at Sunset

♥ Ice cream
♥ Jacqueline and JoAnn
♥ Kittens and cats (particularly especially my own)
♥ Lia, the lake, love, and LOLcats


Jacqueline & Lia and the lake

♥ Mommy and Mykel and muscle cars
♥ Nerds (the candy and the people) and Neopets
♥ Olives and oranges
♥ Painting, purple, and pencils


Mommy, July 30th

♥ Queens and queers and quesadillas
♥ Rocks, rivers, and rabbits (yes I know technically it's on twice)
♥ Sex, sunshine, and sandalwood soap
♥ Tomatoes, fresh off the vine


Melody Rose, June 27th

♥ Umbrellas in rainbow colors
♥ Vanilla Coke, Vanilla Pepsi, V8 juice and VW bugs (old style)
♥ Wind, wading, waffles, and wandering
♥ Xanth


Me, wading at Flatrock

♥ Yoga, Y!M, yumminess, and YOU!
♥ ZenHabits



Things I Love Thursday is brought to you by Gala Darling...

Love

I love you. <3

Forcibly Divorce Thousands of Marriages???

"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

Please, sign the petition...

Love Stories

I was just about to ask something to a friend, when I realized I'd love to hear the answer from everyone! Especially since Valentine's Day is coming up, and the season of love and all...

My friend mentioned that one of her recently posted photos was taken from her honeymoon in May, and since it seemed so recent, I wanted to know the story of how she & her husband met and fell in love and got married... I realize not all of us have spouses or significant others, but I'd still love to hear any tales of love you might want to share, happy or sad, romantic or platonic... Maybe your love story doesn't even involve another person! Perhaps it's the story of coming to love yourself or discovering your passion...

So, share your love stories with me?

Elephant Sanctuary Pair

Ok, MAYBE I am a little overly-emotional right now, but this made me cry...

Elephant Sanctuary Pair


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