T-13 Beautiful birds of a non-feathered kind ...

Make Time for Small Reflections

Bird of Paradise ...
blooming around my neighborhood
in Southern California

13 Photographs taken with my Nikon D60
and filtered with Poster Edges
before being collaged
with PSE6Click to embiggen for better viewing.
Find others participating in ... Thursday Thirteen this week.

If you missed Monday's Celebratory Post & have a bit of time right now ... click to find some awards I'm sharing in honor of this triple milestone and celebrate with me ;--)

See also ...
Wordless Watery Wednesday @ Happily Retired Gal
WW - Today's Flowers - Purple Passion Photo @ Sacred Ruminations
Small Reflections ... Smile Back

Thought for Today
"To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting." e.e. cummings, 1955

Thursday Haiku - Blog 365

Make Time for Small Reflections

My 2008 Blog Review & Award
(for all participants) is in the next post.

This bush is blooming in my front yard currently.
Click to embiggen for better viewing.

2009

Blog 365 challenge

ends for me today!

I feel certain I'll

publish daily in this new

year ... but possibly

not always on this

blog. I have three others and

may distribute my

energies on each

as the spirit moves within.

If you completed

Blog 365

in 2008 as well,

this award's for YOU

to 'snag' ... enjoy and

pass along to others who

finished this challenge.

Created by me with images from LOL Cats & Dogs.
Click to embiggen for better viewing.

I'm delighted we've
encountered one another here
in the Blogosphere.

Small Reflections ... Smile Back

Thought for Today

"An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves." Bill Vaughan

A New Year's Gift for ALL my Bloggy Friends

Make Time for Small Reflections
(This was a 'Sticky' Post, but it's not one now)
Click for recent posts
Heads or Tails - 'Watch'
Something New & my 2008 Review (Meme)

Wishing Everyone a
Joyous, Prosperous & Peaceful 2009

Clickable Haiku Links
Procrastination
habit I wish I could break ...
perhaps THIS may help?

Entertaining and
thought-provoking musical
clip you'll want to view.

One more gift to share
I hope you will take the time
to view this brief clip

from Mac Anderson
found in Simple Truths email
early Friday morn

guaranteed to put
a smile upon your face
as it does on mine.

If you need a smile
click this 'doggie' video
... delightful surprise!

Small Reflections ... Smile Back

Thought for Today
"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man." Benjamin Franklin

UM #33 - I did it again 30 posts in 30 days!!!

Make Time for Small Reflections

NaBloPoMo-Day 30
Where did this month go?

If YOU completed NaBloPoMo too,
you're welcome to snag & enjoy this NaBloPoMo award
and/or the one at Sacred Ruminations today!
I'd very much appreciate a comment & linky-luv if you do ;--)

This is the 305th issue of ...

I'm participating for the 33rd time today.
How about you?

What comes to YOUR mind?
If you'd like to play here, copy and paste the clues in comments along with your responses ... or post on your blog and let me know so I can visit ;--)

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Sleepy :: Hollow (as in The Legend of ...)
   
2. Thanksgiving :: turkey & traditions
   
3. Fifteen :: minutes of fame
   
4. Authority :: question it ... often!
   
5. Bangs :: hair covering the forehead & sometimes the eyes
   
6. Curled :: up cosily with a good book by the fire on a rainy day with a cup of hot tea ;--)
   
7. Young man :: Henny (comedian)
   
8. Surprised :: by Joy (book by C.S. Lewis)
   
9. Mistake :: an opportunity to learn from a 'miss take'
   
10. Handle it :: with aplomb
    

Your turn: I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Sleepy ::
2. Thanksgiving ::
3. Fifteen ::
4. Authority ::
5. Bangs ::
6. Curled ::
7. Young man ::
8. Surprised ::
9. Mistake ::
10. Handle it ::

Click for others 'muttering' today.

I've completed my November 'Gratitude List' in my sidebar & transferred it to my new WordPress site, Happily Retired Gal. Tomorrow I'll begin a new list here for December.

If you missed them ...
Camera Critters is in the next post
Photo Hunt - A Metal Surprise is at Happily Retired Gal
Another Metal Photo Hunt is at Sacred Ruminations

Small Reflections ... Smile Back

Thought for Today
" Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth." Albert Einstein

Celebrating my 1st Blogoversary Today

Make Time for Small Reflections

It's hard to believe this is my 382nd post!
Thanks for joining me today ...

as I celebrate my 1st Blogoversary
starting with a little silly ...

Exactly one year ago I published my

first post ... 'Beginnings' ... without knowing why
how or what-have-you about anything
within the Blogosphere or of 'blogging'

I wish I'd taken a 'snapshot' of these
blogs when I started to show you with ease
just what a 'newbie' I was way back then ...
how things have changed over time & just when.

Alas I didn't so only a few
bloggy friends who knew me when have that view,
but I assure you a transformation
occurred quite gradually. It's been fun!

Would you care for something to
eat or drink as you browse?

Really Good Things About the Year

1. For the first 3 months or so I tended to write and publish pretty much whatever came to mind each morning ... much as I do with Morning Musings and Whimsical Wednesday these days.

2. In December of 2007 I participated in T-13 for the first time (with a list of Authors and Books to Share with Young Children) ... and I've continued that practice ever since accumulating a total of 44 Thursday Thirteens as of last week.

3. In January of 2008 (after being 'tagged' by Sandy of Momisodes for a 'chain mail meme) I answered poetically and that was my 1st Haiku Friday. I've published Haiku Friday on both blogs ever since so that I've accumulated 41 on each for a total of 82 as of last Friday.

4. At the end of January I reached my 100th post and spent the next week creating my list of 101 Things About Me ... adding 15-20 things at a time each day. If you've not read it previously and have a bit of time now, you'll find it's a succinct summary of my life to date.

5. Since then I've gradually added more 'weekly activities' (often combining two or more in a single post) and organized 'category links' in the sidebar to make it easy for visitors to find items of interest. I've decided to include them here in the text of this post ... just because ... so here are:

Links to my posts by category
at Small Reflections
Beijing 2008 Olympics
Camera Critters
Fun Monday
Haiku Friday
Heads or Tails
Make a Wish Meme #2
Miscellaneous Memes
Molly
Morning Musings
MsKitty
My 2nd Message in a Bottle
My Flowers
My Gratitude Posts
My Peace Globe #2
One Single Impression
Pensieve's 40PC
Photobucket Memes
Photo Hunt
Photoshop Elements
Playfully Poetic Postings
Posts including Blogthings
Posts with Quizzes
Posts with Wordles
Really Good Things
Ruby Tuesday
Saturday9
Sharing Awards
Sky Watch
Slice of Life
Smiley Saturday
Taos Writers Retreat
Tennis Updates & Info
T-13
Ultimate Blog Party Post 2008
Unconscious Mutterings
Weekend Whimsies
Whimsical Wednesdays
Wordless Wednesday

6. Tomorrow is my 1st Blogoversary on my other blog Sacred Ruminations, so I hope you'll drop by there to help me celebrate again.

7. In honor of this 'milestone' I've created the following 'award' and 'graphic' that you're welcome to 'snag' ... enjoy ... and share with others as you choose.

Small Reflections ... Smile Back

7am addendum
While leaving a response to the first 8 visitors who left comments this morning ... (a practice I've enjoyed all year but fallen behind on recently and hope to continue if at all possible) ... I realized I've been thinking about changing my 'storyteller handle' to something more descriptive of who I really am. I don’t seem to have much of an ‘imagination’ when it comes to creating characters and senarios … tend to ‘the personal narrative’ when I write … passing along ‘life events’ (as in memoir or her-story) but I’ve not yet come up with anything better yet. I’ve decided to insert this ‘addendum’ here ... hoping for ideas from visitors who know me … so if YOU have any ideas, I’m open to suggestions ... seriously! I suppose I could do what MaryAnn of Desperately Seeking Serenity did ... giving up her 'Moanna' persona for her 'real name' (in baby steps over time actually now that I revisit that transition) ... but I do enjoy being A Nonny Mouse, at least for now ;--)

As I type this response, I’m listening to the news … it’s foggy here at the beach but apparently the Santa Ana winds are blowing inland and there’s a wildfire burning north of Fontana … threatening homes … forcing evacuations of more than 100 homes in the Rancho Cucamonga area … so my thoughts and prayers are with those affected as I hope for quick containment by fire-fighters.
Hugs and blessings,

Thought for Today

"Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be, because sooner or later, if you are posing, you will forget the pose, and then where are you?" Fanny Brice

HF#77 Creating and Sharing New Awards/Graphics

Make Time for Small Reflections
See also SkyWatch#12/HF#76 at Sacred Ruminations

Experimenting with
Photoshop Elements ... I've
created a few

logos & awards
starting with the one above.
What fun! See a few ...

Fun Monday logos
followed by 'Motivators'
for my other blog.

























Weekend Whimsies and
Friday Fun followed by my
Whimsical We'nesday
































next two T-13s ...
finally two new awards
in dif'rent versions,





shared previously
here and here as I asked for
feedback from readers.









Setting up a post
in Blogger like this with text
and graphics is most











challenging but with
persistence I've pulled it off
(sort of) ... and if you

leave me feedback in

'comments' you are welcome to
snag whatever's here

to use if you'd like ...
and/or pass them on to your
'bloggy buddies' too.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Finally, on another topic ...
Vixen blessed me with
this delightful 'friends' award
and I'd like to share

it specifically
with the 20 'followers'
of Small Reflections.

I appreciate
you keeping 'tabs' on what I
create & share here.

Thank You All!

Click for Sky Watch #13 and Haiku Friday #76 at Sacred Ruminations

For others participating in Haiku Friday this week go to A Mommy Story.

(To see my previous Haikus, click on the Haiku Friday label below this post or in the sidebar under About Me where you'll find a 'directory' of my Haikus on both blogs).

Small Reflections ... Smile Back

Thought for Today
"Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open." ~John Barrymore