Tagged by Chuck - Top Five Hottest Blog Meme

I have been tagged by my friend Chuck at Foster Me Up (who was tagged by Milton from Bluedreamer 5) with the 'Top 5 Hottest Blogs Meme'.

Chuck wrote: "This, of course for me, will be impossible. I will not be able to pick 5 and will be sad once I've completed my task. But, I'll play anyway and work on getting over it."

I confess that I wasn't sure how to even approach this task ... (in fact it's taken me a week to settle on this list) ... but I'm honored to be nominated and felt duty-bound to make a sincere effort, so here goes (with my apologies for all of you whose blogs I enjoy reading who didn't make the 'Top 5' today).

***start copy here***

“TOP FIVE HOTTEST BLOG MEME”RULES:
1. Simply choose five blogs you want to be included in your “top five list”.
2. Give a short line or explanation why you put them on your list. One explanation for each blog.
3. Now tag as many blogs as you want.You can also tag those blogs you have listed in your TOP FIVE….you can also put your own blog in your list if you want
4. For those who have been tagged, you can also vote for a blog that was been nominated already (besides, this is what this meme is intended for, to know how many bloggers will nominate your blog)
5. Submit you TOP FIVE HOTTEST BLOG ENTRY here. Submitted blogs will be the only one to be included in the tally
6. Remember: Submissions of entries starts from MARCH 1 2008 to MARCH 25 2008 and top five hottest blog winners will be announced on MARCH 29 2008
7. Enjoy listing your top five!!!

***end copy here***

Here are my nominations (although as Chuck said ... please keep in mind I have other favorites, and this is really killing me):

1. Sandy at Momisodes is funny, endearing, and talented. She's a WAHM with a toddler who entertains her many faithful readers with delightful personal stories, wonderful photos with clever captions, and timely information on a variety of topics in addition to visiting & emailing her 'blogging buddies' constantly. I don't know how she manages everything, but I'm happy she's in this 'virtual' world.

2. Lucy of Diamonds in the Sky With Lucy and (more recently) Lucy Creates see's Lucy (of Peanuts Cartoon fame) as her 'alter-ego' ... and uses this 'playful, cynical, carefree, serious, helpful, loner' as her muse ... for inspiration and balance. This blogger is a 'middle-aged woman with the heart of a child' ... married to a photographer who takes gorgeous photos ... and shares her creativity daily.

3. At The Joy of Six, Joy (mother of 4 grown children & grandmother twice over) describes herself as a skeptical 'Blogaholic' who loves to hear and tell life's stories. She creates and shares humorous anecdotes based on personal experience along with sets of photos that elicit awe, laughter, inspiration, and wonder.

4. I first discovered Sandy Carlson at Writing in Faith through her unique and informative Thursday Thirteen posts, but soon found much richness to draw me back on other days of the week. She's a teacher, writer, wife & mother in addition to being a published poet. FYI -- She and another gal have just started a new blog, One Single Impression that is a community of poets writing and sharing haiku and other poetic forms.

5. Claudia at On a Limb, founder of the Open Grove. On this blog she 'shares her quirky experiences and impressions about holistic living, spirituality and life' and, in addition, she's the originator of the Everyday Kindness 'blog' movement.

So ... there you have it.
These are my Top 5 Blogs nominees!

Anyone else wishing to participate, please feel free to do so and ensure that after posting go here and list your 5 nominations. I tag the above 5 nominees and anybody else who would like to play. I'm hopeful some of you will take up the challenge ... and click the link above to VOTE for your favorite blogs too ;--)

Miscellaneous 'business' of the day: If you took the weekend off, be advised that (as usual) I didn't ;--)
1. Natually, I shared morning thoughts in Haiku on Friday here (with a Friendship Chain in case you'd like to play along and see what happens) and another here on Spontaneity.
2. Saturday I thanked others for awards and passed along 'bling' to blogging buddies ... and I responded to the 1st prompt from One Single Impression.
3. Sunday I added color from my yard, inviting visitors to sit a spell and shared 'seven really good things' from the past week.
4. Today I'll be off in the real world ... connecting with friends at 'Retired Gals Lunch' ... then having 'tea & more conversation' after checking out progress of the 'remodel' at Carol's house ... so I'll be catching up on blog visits all week.

Click to find others participating in Meme Monday.

Thought for Today
"You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it true." Richard Bach

Snowed in? I'm Sharing Spring and Sunshine

If you need a break
from a recent snowfall where
you live ... enjoy my

colorful collage!
Click to see a larger view
iris ... azal'as

fuschia ... citrus trees.
Sit a while and soak up some
California sun.


Blue patio chairs
await ... with tart lemonade
freshly squeezed ... or tea

iced or hot to sip.
Savor Springtime warmth ... enjoy
gentle ocean breeze.

I'll be close at hand
reading my Koontz book about
'rescued' retrievers.

Ms. Kitty and Moll
each provide companionship.
Click to see them here

with a Haiku tale
about 'change' and who's in charge.
Nope ... it isn't me.

Thanks for visiting!
Yesterday I posted 'bling'
maybe some for you! ;--)

Thought for Today
"Ten years from now you'll laugh at whatever's stressing you out today, so why not laugh now?" Tony Robbins

Haiku Friday #19 and a Friendly Invitation

Almost 5 AM
15 comments waiting for
a response from me

on my T-13
(moms and babies -- oh so sweet)
wordlessly collaged

yesterday and shared
here for all to see, but then
busy I became.

One of them a 'tag'
by my new friend Chuck and so
torn I am because

I do want to play ;--)
yet it's Friday and Haiku's
what I love to do

so ... perhaps I'll add
one right here and do the rest
Saturday instead.

If you missed last week's
Haiku Friday post you'll want
to go there this morn

since I left some 'bling'
for my blogging buddies and
you might be among

those I listed if
you've left comments here before.
So please look & see.

For a Mr. Linky to other Haiku Fridays
go to A Mommy Story or
Playgroups are no Place for Children.

Click for Haiku Friday Volume 18.
(It was my 1st Message in a Bottle)

To see my previous Haikus,
click on the Haiku Friday label below this post
or in the sidebar under About Me.

Now for one of Chuck's tags in Meme Catchup (Hold the Mayo) ... and I hope you'll play along just because I've invited you today.

Friendship Chain

~~Begin Copy~~

This is the easy way and the fastest way to :

1. Make your Authority Technorati explode.
2. Increase your Google Page Rank.
3. Get more traffic to your blog.
4. Makes more new friends.

Rules :

1. Start copy from “Begin Copy” until “End Copy” to your blog.
2. Put your own blog name and link.
3. Tag your friends as much as you can.1. Picturing of Life 2. Juliana’s Site 3. Hazel-My Life, My Hope, My Future.4. Jeanne-The Callalily Space 5. Colin from Life 6. Foster Me Up 7. Small Reflections 8. PUT YOURSELF HERE

~~End Copy~~

If you're in my blogroll, then I especially invite you to play, but all in all, anybody can play. Please join in if you wish.

Thought for Today
"It is better to ask some questions than to know all the answers." James Thurber

Wordless Wednesday - Unusual Moon Shots

Flickzzz

Click for more Wordless Wednesday participants.

Thought for Today
"Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die' so, let us all be thankful." Buddha

Ten on Tuesday #2 - Favorite Drinks

Today's Topic is 10 Favorite Drinks

1. Water - I confess I drink it all day & through the night when I wake up. Weight Watchers made a believer out of me!

2. Coffee (with half & half) - I grind the beans ... (half regular and half decaf mixed together)... and brew it fresh each morning when I arise ... 1st thing!

3. Pepsi (not Coke) - especially the Cherry Flavored variety, but I seldom indulge this habit any longer because I can't stand 'diet drinks' and try to be mindful of my sugar & caffeine intake these days.

4. Milk - I drink 3 glasses each day, every day ... always have! I prefer 'whole milk' but gave it up decades ago for 2% because of the fat content and in the past couple of years I've managed to switch to 1%. I doubt I'll ever drink the non-fat variety ... but stranger things have happened.

5. Starbuck's Caramel Macchiato (hot or cold depending on the weather)

Venti with 2% milk - 300 calories

A signature Starbucks® beverage. A creamy mix of vanilla and freshly steamed milk marked with intense Starbucks® espresso, topped with velvety foam and our own proprietary buttery caramel sauce.

Venti with 2% milk - 330 calories

The iced version of our signature Starbucks® beverage. A creamy mix of vanilla and fresh cold milk poured over ice, marked with Starbucks® espresso and topped with our own proprietary buttery caramel sauce.

6. Cadillac Margaritas (on the rocks with salt) - but given the calorie count (you really don't want to know if you'd like to keep enjoying them ... trust me) I 'settle' these days for 'wines' instead.

7. White Zinfandel - my usual when I decide to imbibe

White Zinfandel, often abbreviated as White Zin, is an off-dry to sweet, pink-colored rosé wine. White Zinfandel is made from the Zinfandel wine grape, which would otherwise produce a bold and spicy red wine. As such, it is not a grape variety but a method of processing Zinfandel grapes. As of February 2006, White Zinfandel accounted for 10% of all wine sold by volume, making it the third most popular "varietal" in the United States. Demand for White Zinfandel has been falling in recent years, but it still outsells red Zinfandel 6:1 by volume.

8. Pino Grigio

Pinot gris is a white wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot noir grape, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name ("gris" meaning "gray" in French) but the grape can have a brownish pink to black and even white appearance. The word "Pinot", which means "pinecone" in French, could have been given to it because the grapes grow in small pinecone-shaped clusters. The wines produced from this grape also vary in color from a deep golden yellow to copper and even a light shade of pink. The clone of Pinot gris grown in Italy is known as Pinot grigio.

9. Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon became internationally recognized first through its prominence in Bordeaux wines where it is often blended with Merlot and Cabernet franc. From France, the grape spread across Europe and to the New World where it found new homes in places like California's Napa Valley, Australia's Coonawarra region and Chile's Maipo Valley. For most of the 20th century, it was the world's most widely planted premium red wine grape until it was surpassed by Merlot in the 1990s.

Despite its prominence in the world of wine, the grape is a relatively new variety being the product of a chance crossing between Cabernet franc and Sauvignon blanc sometime during the 17th century in southwestern France. Its popularity is often attributed to the ease of cultivating, with the grape's thick skins and hardy vines being resistant to rot and frost, as well as the grape's consistency in presenting structure and flavors expressing the typical character ("typicity") of the variety. Familiarity and ease of pronunciation have aided Cabernet Sauvignon wines to be good sellers among consumers, even when from unfamiliar wine regions. Its widespread popularity has also contributed to criticism of the grape as a "colonizer" that takes over wine regions at the expense of native grape varieties.

10. Water - by far my favorite drink deserves a 2nd spot on this list because I drink it all day (and night) long!

Click for more participants - Ten on Tuesday.
For my previous Ten on Tuesday
click the label below.

Thought for Today
"Fixedness of purpose is the root of all successful efforts." James Allen

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

I had good intentions about posting this morning ... seriously! (Check my responses to comments on the Message in the Bottle Haiku Friday post if you don't believe me.) But then I decided to 'catch up' with some long overdue blog-reading and commenting (and that was fun folks) ... after which I encountered some 'computer' issues that required me to run a full McAfee Virus Scan. So I decided to take Molly for a longish walk and did some non-computer related tasks until the scan finished and happily ... everything seems to work again ... significantly better than before.

The good news is that the efforts I've made to free up memory on my Dell Inspiron 9100 have paid off, so perhaps I won't need to replace this trusty old computer just yet after all. After moving most of my photos to my external Western Digital hard drive (burning them to DVDs to be safe) ... then running McClean & defragmenting my hard drive, I'm delighted to see that everything runs quicker ... especially the YouTube video clips. In addition, I can once again add photos to my computer (something I had difficulty with the last week).

All in all things are good. The bad thing is that it's 4:30 in the afternoon and I've not posted on either blog yet. Therefore, I've decided to use this Blogthing (since I've made it through a couple of weeks without sharing one, thereby demonstrating I'm not addicted to them after all) for today's post here so that I have time to devote to a Sacred Life Sunday post for Sacred Ruminations.

So ... once again
inquiring minds want to know!

You Are Bare Feet

You are a true free spirit, and you can't be tied down. Even wearing shoes can be a little too constraining for you at times! You are very comfortable in your own skin. You are one of the most real people around. You don't have anything to hide. Open and accepting, you are willing to discuss or entertain almost any topic. You are a very tolerant person. You are accepting and not judgmental. You should live: Somewhere warm You should work: At your own business, where you can set the rules What Kind of Shoe Are You?

If you decide to play along and leave me your feedback
(or a link to your blog where you post the response)
you're welcome to snag a copy of this
friendship award with
my thanks.

And that reminds me ...
If you missed my Haiku Thank You on Friday ... be sure to check it out because there are "Buddy Awards" for the taking there too.

Thought for Today
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” -- Oscar Wilde

Thursday Thirteen #14 - Oronyms

Twelve Oronyms and a Challenge

Oronyms are sentences that can be read in two ways with the same sound. To inspire you to create & share one of your own, here are a dozen from The Joy of Lex by Gyles Brandreth.

1. The stuffy nose can lead to problems. The stuff he knows can lead to problems.

2. Where is the spice center? Where is the spy center?

3. Are you aware of the words you have just uttered? Are you aware of the words you have just stuttered?

4. That's the biggest hurdle I've ever seen! That's the biggest turtle I've ever seen!

5. I'm taking a nice cold shower. I'm taking an ice cold shower.

6. He would kill Hamlet for that reason. He would kill Hamlet for that treason.

7, You'd be surprised to see a mint spy in your bank. You'd be surprised to see a mince pie in your bank.

8. Some other I've seen .... (or) Some mothers I've seen ...

9. Reading in the library is sometimes allowed. Reading in the library is sometimes aloud.

10. A politician's fate often hangs in a delegate balance. A politician's fate often hangs in a delicate balance.

11. White shoes: the trademark of Pat Boone. Why choose the trademark of Pat Boone?

12. The secretariat's sphere of competence. The secretariat's fear of competence.

13. Sooooo ... what's yours going to be? Please share in comments below and snag a copy of the award below for your trouble.

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Get the Thursday Thirteeen code here!

For easy access, I’ve listed more T-13 links along with the
Thursday Thirteen Blogroll to the bottom of my sidebar.

Thought for Today

"Only the mediocre are always at their best." Chinese Proverb

I offer this award to all who participate in my challenge
(and those who simply leave a comment below)
while acknowledging my gratitude to
MPJ of A Room of Mama's Own
who gave it to me in January.

Monday Musings and a Meme

I'd like to thank everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday over the past few days. I enjoyed celebrating all weekend long! If somehow you missed my "party" ... check out my Haiku Friday and What is Hula Pie? posts for details. As I always do, I've left responses to your comments after each of these posts. If you didn't check the little box to receive follow-up comments in email, you might want to click on the comments today to read my additions there.

This morning I created a special page for Awards and Bling, added a link to About Me in my sidebar and cleared out most of the "bling" to restore some semblance of order on my blogs. Although I changed the date on the post to February 1 (where it will be easy to find & update later), it seems the post showed up in Google Reader (as did one I created a while back at Sacred Ruminations when I updated my About Me section). I suppose there's no way to avoid confusion with such "housekeeping" matters, but I wish there was. If anyone has suggestions for me on how to avoid such a post getting picked up in Google Reader, I'd be happy to hear from you.

And that reminds me. Once again my blogs aren't showing up in the Blog 365 Mega Feed, and I'm wondering if anyone else has noticed this problem. The last two posts from Sacred Ruminations were from February 18th (Monday's Addendum to Saturday's Surprise) and February 13th (Wellness Wednesday - A Brief Introduction). The last two posts listed from Small Reflections was also from the 13th of February (Tuesday Thanks, Thoughts, Talk and a Tag) and the 12th (Natural Highs). Perhaps I'll send email to Kamen about this, but I am curious to know if anyone else has noticed the problem or if it's just happening with my posts?

Claudia of Everyday Kindness tagged me at Sacred Ruminations for a new Meme she created and I posted my responses on that blog, but I'd like to invite others to read and participate ... so here's the link (Kind Fives Meme). I hope you'll check it out when time permits, and if you do decide to play along (and encourage others to do likewise either by tagging or invitation) ... I hope you'll leave a link here so that I can read your responses.

I'm delighted to have discovered, joined, and added two new Blogrolls to my sidebar here. One is Bloggers over 50 and the other is Greatful Gals! I've already met some new bloggers and look forward to meeting more of you when time permits.

Thought for Today

"It is necessary to help others, not only in our prayers ... but in our daily lives. If we cannot help others, the least we can do is to desist from harming them." the Dalai Lama

Rainy Sunday Morning in Southen California

Views from my living room this morning
(photographed through the glass of my French Doors)

I love the way the raindrops on the window
show up in these 1st two pictures

and not in this one because I opened the
French Doors to shoot it.

Note the palm frond on the ground behind the lemon tree.
There are lots of these everywhere today again.

Thought for Today
"If you asked me what I came into this world to do, I will tell you: I came to live out loud." Emile Zola

Haiku Friday Volume 15 - Celebrating Life

Yesterday I went
to a local restaurant
with my two best friends.

Celebrating my
birthday early, Carol's late
as we always do

with an ocean view.
Wine and bread to start the meal ...
Hula pie to end.

In between my 'fav' ...
Seven spice Ahi with boc
choi & mango ... YUM!

Memories of this
and our visit afterwards
back at Carol's house

sipping tea are with
me this morning as I sit
typing this Haiku.

Yet tomorrow is
February 23rd,
day that I was born

1945
so I will be sixty-three!
Happily retired

I've been now for years,
doing mainly what I choose ...
grateful every day.

Memories and plans
running freely in my mind
as I simplify

clearing clutter out ...
making room for only those
things I love around

me ... creating a
place of joy to celebrate
as I live each day.

Possibilities!
Who knows what this rainy morn
holds in store for me?

What I know for sure
is I plan to celebrate
and enjoy it all!

For a Mr. Linky to other Haiku Fridays
go to A Mommy Story.

Click for Haiku Friday Volume 14.

To see my previous Haikus,
click on the Haiku Friday label below this post.

Thought for Today
"If people did not do silly things, nothing intelligent would ever get done." Ludwig Wittgenstein

Super Tuesday

I voted and hope you did too if you live in one of the states involved. I even let myself get talked into signing up to work at the polls in future elections.

Voting Reference Information from my sidebar

• League of Women Voters
• Project Vote Smart
• Vote 411.org Election Information

Thought for Today
"Yours is not the task of making your way in the world, but the task of remaking the world which you will find before you."
-Franklin Delano Roosevelt

8:20 PM addendum
I've been watching election results on ABC for about an hour. Now that the polls are closed in California we should begin to get results from here. This is the 1st time we've voted so early in this state. Since our primary used to be in June, it seems strange to be voting so early in the year. I'm surprised at how close things are between Obama and Clinton across the Nation, and because Democratic states aren't "winner take all" ... following the delegate count should prove exciting ... so I'm going to sign off for the night.

Wednesday 2-6-08 addendum at 4:30 am
Just woke up a little while and turned on the television to see what happened while I slept. I've also logged on to CNN's Election Center 2008 Primaries and Caucuses and am watching with interest as the page get updated every minute or so as the results come in. As someone born before television existed (and when telephones had "party" re: shared lines), I'm often amazed at what technology can do. Unfortunately, I'm not as technically skilled as some and my attempts to include data here have resulted in frustration ... so methinks I'll give up in that regard (at least for the time being). The two pages I've found most interesting are these with results for Democratic and Republican races.

Haiku Friday - Volume 9

What a marathon
time of writing this has been
authoring two blogs.

Fifteen items left
to complete "One Hundred One
Things About Myself"

I've run out of steam
for the moment, but I hope
I will finish soon.

Read it if you wish
but be warned, I've been obsessed
ruminating here.

Sick I've been for three
days so I have cut myself
just a bit of slack.

Even so each day
I've done what I could to keep
up with everything

passing on awards
blogging friends bestowed upon
me ... and thus today

I invite each one
reading now to click this link
for YOU Make MY Day.

Meet some bloggers and
take a copy for yourself,
post it if you choose,

pass it on like me
to your blogging buddies and
share the love with links

of your own ... and now
as I've finished this Haiku,
I shall say adieu.

For a Mr. Linky to other Haiku Fridays
go to A Mommy Story.


Click for Haiku Friday Volume 10

To see my previous odd- numbered Haikus,
click on the Haiku Friday label below this post.
Even numbered Haikus are here.

Thought for Today

"I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.
Diane Ackerman

Monday's Momentum - A Quick Update

My 101 Things About Me Post is up to 60-something items today, so at this rate I should be finished by Wednesday. I suspect it contains more information than anyone will want to read ... (at least all at once) ... but since I have no specific guidelines ... I'm just using Natalie Goldberg's Writing Rules (as presented in Writing Down the Bones) and letting my fingers type whatever comes to mind in no particular order.

After updating my list, I chatted on my cell phone with my sister to catch up on their travel adventures then met a friend for a long leisurely lunch. We shared a salad and yummy dessert as we talked then exchanged Christmas gifts belatedly since we didn't connect during the holidays. On the way home I shopped for groceries at Trader Joe's after running a few errands. This evening I'm tired and having trouble focusing on the computer ... so this will be short because I'm ready to cuddle with Molly a while before heading upstairs for the night.

Thought for Today

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Security does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than exposure." Helen Keller (1880 - 1968)