Seven Bloggers Doing Cool Things

Here are lucky 7 of the at least 77,777 bloggers doing cool things.

ONE.  Guess who’ll be laughing it up in NY, NY this coming Sunday morning?? Katie West and her Levity Project gang!! And guess who’s posting this teary-eyed because she won’t be joining them in the flesh? (Me.) If you’re gonna be in NY on May 2nd, go play for World Laughter Day at 10:00 a.m. for an hour and a half. Or if you have a brother, sister, aunt, friend, co-worker, blogging bud who lives in NYC? Tell them to register!  The Levity Project is a global celebration of simple joy that’s big, Big, BIG fun — and growing.

TWO & THREE. I wasn’t even going to read Betsy Wuebker’s and Lori’s Hoeck’s co-authored “The Narcissist : A User’s Guide” because I didn’t know a narcissist (or so I thought.) But I read it for my daughter’s sake.  And you know what?!! I learned I was allowing a certain narcissist to make themselves feel better by making me feel like less.  Yuck.  But, no more, baby!!  I was absolutely gripped for the entire 50 minutes it took me to devour this free e-book.  This guide is helpful, helpful, helpful with concrete ways to understand and move on from difficult people.

FOUR. Holy cow — has it really been one one full year plus a day since I first touted Ma Vie Folle Sheila’s magical vanilla kisses that instantly transport to forests of delights? Far far too long to go without raving about her natural, organic, handmade Aventine Hill wonders of the earth!! And you know what?? Her body products are not only gorgeous to soak in and to slather on — but when you’re reading and writing blogs you can keep her sun-saturated namaste wares right beside you to bask in the sight, smells — and yes — even the sounds of, like this…

Mothers’ day is coming up — perfect time for Aventine Hill!

FIVE. When I first crashed Jeanne’s old blog a year and a half ago she had maybe 47 signatures on her (tho she calls it “our”) Endometriosis e-petition. Now she has 578 signatures — and growing! If you haven’t yet signed it, PLEASE pop over to Jeanne’s Chronic Healing blog or straight to the Endometriosis Petition and take 1 or 2 minutes to sign and make a difference in the lives of millions of women (and the ones who love them) who are not getting the correct diagnoses and treatment they need. THANKS! Thanks SO much!!!

SIX. Laura Hegfield of the Shine The Divine blog! Her young daughter, Rosewillow — as part of her preparation for her Bat Mitzvah —  has taken it upon herself to captain a team for the upcoming MS Journey Of  Hope Walk  in Hanover, NH on May 22nd.  Please consider sponsoring Rosewillow with a small donation for this wonderful very worthy cause. It ALL adds up! With the support of her generous family and friends, Rosewillow has so far raised $1663.00 of  her $2000.00 goal.  (I plan to sponsor very soon!)

SEVEN.  The Pioneer Woman  — I LOVE The Pioneer Woman!!!  If I had to choose between giving up her blog or giving up donuts and beer, I most definitely would get used to cake and wine.  Ree doesn’t know me from Adam and possibly never will, but that matters not one whit. She is sweet, funny, giving, loving, and kind.  Yes, she’s now THE top female blogger, and will most likely remain so, but that’s not why I read her, ’cause she’s all popular and such — I read her because of the sweet, funny, giving, loving, kind part.  Oh yes — and she is wildly creative.  And a little naughty on occasion!  😉

Posted with love by Jannie Muffin on a Friday afternoon.

xoxoxo

A Songwriter’s Wednesday

Firstly…  (photo by me, last week.)  Left to right are KitKat — almost 3 years old, Sweety — almost 5 years old, and Peach — almost 12.5 years old.  We acquired these buddies when they were all 6 weeks old, respectively.

They certainly are friendly enough with each other, but all 3 lying together is a rare occasion!

Secondly…

Apologies for a 404 error here yesterday. I’d acidentally published a post, then had to snag it back. Some of you were so sweet to e-mail and let me know — thanks!! (Yes, I’ve actually checked and READ my e-mail lately!! Amazing, for me!)

Thirdly…

Do you people have any idea how much your loving support and friendship on this blog means to me??!!??  But how could you?  I’m talking infinity, Babies!! Infinity for my love and appreciation for you all.

All about My Wednesday coming right up!  But first a “werd” from my trusty “bloging manigir.”

thanks yoo, my jannie.  and thanks yoo for kleering the 044 mistree up. yoo beet me to it.

You’re totally welcome, BB!

butt, my jannie!!  yor big eye iz so smal today.  wate!  i wil get yor big one, becauze i lerned mor teknologees resintlee.  here i goes…

Oh , cool!!  THANKS, BB, you’re sweet.

glad to hellp, my jannie.  now on wit the shows!

But first another new picture!  Also from last week.

Kitty really asleep, The Child only pretending — probably at my direction, but I can’t remember back that far in life. The Child WILL remember, tho.  She forgets very little.

They are both a couple of loves, that’s for sure, that child and that kitty.

Now…

REALLY back to our regularly-scheduled post…

Last year Thursday was my delectably selfishly fun “Takin’ Care Of The Jannie” day.

This year my long day is Wednesday, when Kelly stays for afterschool until 5:30, instead of the usual 3:00.

And what does Jannie do on her long day all to herself? Well…

“Fluffing up” pictures for blog posts.

Reading your blogs and /or smiling at each of you in my heart when I think about you — which is like  — 20 times a day for each and every wonderful one of you!

Speaking of thinking — did you hear we have 60,000 separate thoughts a DAY!!  Cool eh. I’m assuming that’s over a 24-hour period, ’cause the brain never stops.

that is so troo, my jannie!  we dreems at nite.  liek, last nite i was bak in kidnergartin wit my frends, drinking karrit koolade and twirling on the wirlygig in my yelow pants.

Sounds like fun, BB!!

But back to this extremely non-rambling blog post. 🙂

No! How ’bout another photo next!!

Hmn, which one??  How ’bout this one…

June, 2007 at our community pool. I found it yesterday while looking for a Kelly-Erika picture for the “Miracle Roses” post I’m conjuring up. Even tho Jim’s eyes are partially closed it’s such a sweet daddy-daughter moment.

So, what else does Jannie do on a fun long Wednesday at home?

Thinks about housework – but usually only in passing.

Oh, speaking of — guess what!? I did ALL my dishes on Sunday!!  Yes, even the big salad bowl and the salmon pan with all that baked on skin!!

On Wednesdays I also do a little dreaming.

Some dancing.

Take the dogs for a stroll (but after sunscreen, to protect my fairness!  I’m so vain — I probably think this post is about me.)  🙂

Work on new songs, with my 3 furry helpers cheering me on.  Today I had a great session on “Meet Me On The Moon Tonight.”   I think!

I take a bath.

I wash my hair or not, depending on what my major life plans are.

Today I paid the water and electric bills!!

And had fun creating packages for two Loving Internet Peeps. Mailing those tomorrow. With EXTRA love and hand-written notes!!  Oh — actually I’ve THREE to mail tomorrow!

So… that’s about it for me so far today.

Wait — one last pic, which I have no clue yet what it will be.

And what are YOU doing today??

Ahhh, THIS picture, yes!!  Remember all my give-aways a few weeks back??  These were the final parcels I mailed out last week. Took this pic in my minivan outside the P.O.

Oh, and wasn’t it cool I had the Marilyn Monroe stamps in my collection for Poet Toni Cross who won the Marilyn notecards!?!

I WILL be having more give-aways.  Still have some poetry books left.  And tons other lovingly-used Happy Life Stuff.

Anybody have any cool ideas for give-away contests? Please feel free to shoot any ideas my way!!

Thanks.

xoxoxo

A Right Texas-Friendly Blog, Some Say

(photo: summer, 2007)

All y’all are so darned tootin’ sweet!!

A few weeks back when I asked why y’all might recommend newcomers to subscribe to my blog, y’all came through with more beautifully touching words than I could’ve ever imagined in a whole lifetime of chasing hogs, ropin’ wild turkeys and jumpin’ nekkid into the cement-pond at night. 

THANK Y’ALL SO MUCH!!

I’ve incorporated y’all’s ideas I feel best reflect this blog into my new 18 Reasons To Love This Blog page, linked up for all perpetuity. And such.

Now, I know toutin’ my own blog could seem I have Texas-sized ego. But friends… like Mama done told me in the carrot patch when I was seven — “Jannie Junebug, you give the world your very best, and you’ll always be on your own sunshiney path to glory.” And Mama knows some stuff! Lots of stuff!!  Like how to blanch string beans, spot rhubarb at 200 paces, and field-dress a moose in a blizzard make her own cheddar.

So, thank all y’all, again. I love all y’all so much!

Thanks also for bearin’ with my blog construction dust as I further whip my design into shape.  I’ve gone as far as I can on my own, makin’ and puttin’ in my new nav buttons. Next I have to git with my WordPress Consultant Guru to pull my search button down yonder, and get rid of the top nav bar altogether.  Wish me luck, sweet Peeps — a design vision came to me in the night, and I daren’t rest until I lay that sucker to bed.

HAPPY EASTER, y’all — it seems we reached our goal of 500 blogs participating in the Hershey’s baskets!! Woo-hoo!!!

And lastly — a question… have you ever been to Texas?  If so, what did you like about it?  And if you’ve not yet been… what in tarnation is keepin’ ya, and what would you like to see and do in Texas?

xoxoxoxoxo, and such.

Let’s Spread Some Easter Miracle Love, Baby!!

(Kelly’s First Easter, 2002, age 7 months)

So, here’s something extra-super cool!! Hershey’s is donating $10 to the Children’s Miracle Network for every blog participating in their BETTER BASKET BLOG HOP.  Shakira gifted me with a basket.

All you have to do is…

* Copy and paste these rules to your blog post.
* Create a blog post giving a virtual Easter Basket to another blogger – you can give as many Virtual Baskets as you want.
* Link back to person who gave you an Easter Basket.
* Let each person you are giving a Virtual Easter Basket know you have given them a Basket.
* Leave your link at BetterBasket.info/BlogHop comment section. You can also find the official rules of this Better Basket Blog Hop, and more information about Better Basket with Hershey’s there.
* Hershey’s is donating $10 per each blog participating to the Better Basket Blog Hop to Children’s Miracle Network (up to total of $5,000 by blog posts written by April 4th, 2010).
* Please note that only one blog post by each blog url will count towards the donation.

As The Zen Of Motherhood (and to quote her verbatim,) “I’m tagging you ALL — let’s raise some money for the kids!”

Just put up your post by midnight, Eastern Time on April 4th. (April 4th — which just happens to be this Jannie’s birthday!!)   🙂

And thank you, Hersheys!!

xo

It Ain’t Easy Being Queen…

… of a blog give-away and having to pick the winners.

But, I have deliberated and hereby decree the remaining recipients, based upon their expressed WHYs for certain items, to be…

for my I Need A Man cd…

1.  K —  for enthusing “I’d love one of your CDs. I need some new tunes to blast in my new minivan – what could be more fun!”

2. Sean — for offering “Oh wow, you have a CD? I had no idea you sung. Anywhere I can listen to the songs or where can I grab a copy of the CD so I could post a review of it?”

3.  Robin —  for her poetic plea…
“I’d really like Jannie’s CD
….if you please
The music and lyrics
….and nice melodies
I’m sure it has all
….to please a dear fan
Like loving the title
….of “I need a Man”

4.  Anne Bender — for her certainty that  “a cd of Jannie singing… may very well be the centerpiece of any musical collection…”

5.  Brian Miller — for his simple but stunning  “Your cd –  why wouldn’t someone want that?” 

Moving on to the Billy Collins poetry…

“Sailing Alone Around The Room” goes to Davina for her poetic yearing….
“Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep,
thy angels watch me through the night,
And keep me safe till morning’s light….
so I can awake and read my new book of poems by Billy Collins, of course…”

“Nine Horses” goes to… SuZen for her whimsied wonderings, “I can imagine painting one of the horses on the cover in an abstract… and I had a horse, Silver, back in the day, that I adored and the cover of this book reminds me of him in the most nostalgic and loving way.”

“The Art Of Drowning” goes to Shona Cole for trusting me to help quench her poetic thirst…  “I need a new book of poetry, as I just finished one and I hate to choose new poets on my own (on Amazon) ’cause usually they suck… but when someone recommends a poet or it is one that I already know I am rarely disappointed. So as I already ‘know’ Collins and you are recommending him too I know it will be a sure fire winner!”

“Ballistics” goes to Brian Miller for his thoughtful wish that… “as the [Billy Collins] dust jacket says, simple words capturing ordinary life…sure sound like what i try to do, so why not learn from someone who has gone where i would like to go. ”

Moving on again…

the three books below fall magically into the hands of these uncontested commenters…

Singing For Dummies —  Cinderkeys
The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Singing — Jaymie
Tori Amos, Fingerstyle Guitar — Jeanne!!

And in case you missed it, the winners from earlier in the week were…

SuZen — my cd.
Fireblossom — Billy Collins’ “The Apple That Astonished Paris.”
Gina — “Blogging For Dummies.”
Toni Cross — the Marilyn Monroe notecards.
Snaggletooth — “Inner Productivity.”
SuZen — “Twitter For Dummies.”
Glenn — Billy Collins’ “Questions About Angels.”
Daisy — my “I Need A Man” cd.

Now, where did I put that packing tape? And that glass of wine?

I will be doing more give-aways of old stuff lying around my house in the future!  Who wants 4 out of 6 Disney Princess drinking cups?? A slightly damaged brass door knocker in the shape of a squirrel? Half a bottle of Old Spice??

🙂

xoxo