-
Join 257 other subscribers
Copyright
All content on this blog is copyright protected.~ask permission to use my content (including re-blogging)Margaret Barry Settlement House
I am a perennial optimist
I Am Becoming the Me I Was Born To Be
As I journey through this part of my life I have discovered my next mountain. The key is to be the me I want to be in the world, as my gift back to God.-
Recent Posts
- How is your March going so far
- Architects of Change
- we can light the world
- The path less traveled
- Does a new year make you want to change?
- Begin Each Day With a Grateful Heart
- Good Wednesday to you
- wishing you porch swings and compasses
- Pause with me
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was right
- I fell in love with the ocean
- H2O therapy
Search by word. To search by tag, scroll to footer.
Archives
Categories
- 4th of July
- 9/11
- Affordable Care Act
- Awards
- blogging
- Bullying
- communication
- education and career
- Entertainment
- ethics
- faith/courage/miracles/hope
- Family Life and Issues
- food and recipes
- Friendship
- God
- Health and exercise
- Heartwarming or humorous stories
- journalism
- Misc blogger activities
- Nature
- optimism
- politics
- Positive Thinking
- Scripture
- Sketches, quilts, photography
- social media
- stress
- technology
- time management
- Writing and Literature
Smiling Jesus: by Frances Hook
Candle Lighter Award: To find other awards, click on awards button in header bar.
Monthly Archives: October 2011
Call me Pumpkin Girl!!
Earlier I blogged that I had made pumpkin soup. Gosh it was even better the 2nd day. I was in a “fall food” mood since it was Halloween today. I know out east they had cold, snowy weather. Here it … Continue reading
Pretty Easy Pumpkin Soup
Pumpkin Soup—yummy and easy Last night I made some pumpkin soup. It was so tasty—and really easy. I did it in my slow cooker—but one could easily do it on the stove top as well. Here is what I did—and … Continue reading
Who is your favorite parent? Daily Post Topic #292
Who is your favorite parent? My parents were a perfect team. There was no dividing them. So when asked who I was closest to, my mom or my dad, it was a question that made little sense. It often depended on … Continue reading
Posted in Misc blogger activities
Tagged Faith, inspiration, postaday2011, postaweek2011
Leave a comment
Yes! My Canning Jars Sealed!
On Friday I conducted my first foray into canning. I canned a dozen pints of apples and applesauce. I had so much fun doing it—carefully following the instructions given to me by Katharine Trauger. She is an excellent guide! If … Continue reading
What % of who you are is genetics vs your choices? Daily post topic #291
What % of who you are is genetics vs your choices?. It’s the age-old question of nature vs nurture, isn’t it? As an adoptive mom, the sister to two adopted brothers, and the sister-in-law to an adopted woman I have … Continue reading
Do you think Shakespeare existed? Daily post Topic # 290
Do you think Shakespeare existed?. I’ve been a little preoccupied lately. I vaguely heard that there is something saying he may not have existed. I can believe that some of the writings attributed to him were written by others. This … Continue reading
Weekly Photo Challenge: Hidden
Weekly Photo Challenge: Hidden. This photo was not taken by me but I am just so captivated by it….the lighting, the color, the gorgeous stones…..I just had to include it. All credit goes to the photographer. But as far as … Continue reading
Posted in Sketches, quilts, photography
Tagged postaday2011, postaweek2011, weeklyphotochallenge
21 Comments
How do you know when it’s time to go? Daily Post Topic # 289
How do you know when it’s time to go?. Sometimes when you are spending time with a friend (in person or on the phone) it is difficult to know whether you haven’t spent enough time or you are beginning to … Continue reading
Will my Jars Seal??
I just had my first adventure in canning. I canned sliced apples and applesauce. It was easier than I expected. My jars are cooling now. This will be the moment of truth. Did my jars seal properly? Or will my … Continue reading
Posted in food and recipes
Tagged finances, food and recipes, postaday2011, postaweek2011
5 Comments
What makes someone beautiful? Daily Post Topic # 289
What makes someone beautiful?Their heart, the way they love, their level of commitment, their faith….their laughter, their ability to empathize….their use of their gifts or talents to shed light in the world….all these things make someone beautiful to me. It … Continue reading
Where is the most relaxing place in your world? Daily post topic # 288
Where is the most relaxing place in your world? I have been thinking about this concept lately. I am finding it difficult to relax. i have been feeling extremely stressed because of a lot of different issues. Yet there are places … Continue reading
Somedays are just SO worth it!!
Today my son had a follow-up appointment with his nephrologist. He had had his usual labs done and today was a follow-up appointment. We have dealing with his lupus nephritis all year. It has, at times been a scary and … Continue reading
Posted in Health and exercise
Tagged God, Health and exercise, postaday2011, postaweek2011
8 Comments
Have you ever had to fire someone? Daily post topic #287
Have you ever had to fire someone?. I only had to fire someone once. She had been doing substandard work for while. I had attempted to correct her performance and show her what she needed to do differently to save … Continue reading
Posted in education and career
Tagged education and career, postaday2011, postaweek2011
Leave a comment
I write because I must: I hope I don’t intrude
A friend of mine blogged about why she blogs. I have written about it before, too and so has she. But today it gave me pause and caused me to reflect upon it again. Before I had a computer I … Continue reading
Who is the most patient person you know? Daily Post Topic #286
Who is the most patient person you know? That is an easy one to answer. My husband is the most patient person I know. Proof positive?? He is married to me! No matter how cranky I get, he still loves me. … Continue reading
I know it’s “only football”–but tonight I’m sad.
Yeah, my hubby’s alma mater lost tonight and I am really “bummed out”…..ND has struggled more often than not for the past several years. I, of course, get very pumped every year for the ND-USC game. But tonight was not … Continue reading
My LOVE for ND and my ahem UNLOVE for USC [how it began]
Cheer, Cheer for Old Notre Dame Wake up the echoes cheering her name, Send a volley cheer on high, Shake down the thunder from the sky What tho’ the odds be great or small Old Notre Dame will win over … Continue reading
Do you like surprises? Daily Post topic # 285
Do you like surprises?. Oh Gosh I do love surprises—at least good surprises. For instance if it is a surprise birthday party or surprise visitor, that I love. On the other hand if the surprise is coming home to water … Continue reading
Weekly Photo Challenge: Opportunity
Weekly Photo Challenge: Opportunity. When I think of the word opportunity I think of many things. Perhaps because of when I grew up, I do think of the space program in it’s infancy. I was a starry eyed kid—and no … Continue reading
Posted in Sketches, quilts, photography
Tagged God, postaday2011, postaweek2011, space program, weeklyphotochallenge
10 Comments
Would you rather have the first word, or the last? Daily Post Topic # 284
Would you rather have the first word, or the last?. I would say I prefer to have the middle or last word. By that I mean that often someone else begins the discussion topic. Then others join in the discussion. … Continue reading
Posted in Misc blogger activities
Tagged Faith, Friendship, postaday2011, postaweek2011
Leave a comment
Who knew that Joan Rivers and I are simpatico?
Joan Rivers can be funny, she can be shrill, and shall we say a tad judgmental. At least that is her schtick. Well, as I was skimming through my positive quotation book I found a quote by her that sounded … Continue reading
Posted in Misc blogger activities
Tagged literature, Optimism, perennial optimist, postaday2011, postaweek2011
Leave a comment
Intrinsic Value of Work and What Defines People:Steinbeck
I have said before that I loved the book The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. I love how he uses words….such richness of language and turns of phrases. Such deep renderings of the human condition. When I was in … Continue reading
Posted in Writing and Literature
Tagged literature, postaday2011, postaweek2011, steinbeck
Leave a comment
Chuck Yeager-what a hero!
Maybe it is a byproduct of growing up when the space program was young. Maybe it is a byproduct of the fact that my mom was a stewardess when they were called stewardesses–when it was a glamorous and brave profession … Continue reading
Posted in Misc blogger activities
Tagged Courage, Faith, God, postaday2011, postaweek2011
2 Comments
What is the best way to tax people? Daily Post topic #284
What is the best way to tax people?. Here is the thing. I do not think we are EVER going to all agree with how we should be taxed, who should be taxed, and at wht rate. I do believe … Continue reading
What is a day?
Ralph Waldo Emerson [oh I know, don’t you just love him?] said “A day is a miniature eternity”. The problem is it is so miniature. Of course when I focus on how short a day is and how much I … Continue reading
Posted in Misc blogger activities
Tagged Faith, Faith, God, inspiration, perennial optimist, postaday2011, postaweek2011
Leave a comment
Panic Isn’t
Today’s topic was about a bunch of superballs. I couldn’t focus on that topic because my mind has been panicking. But “Panic is not an effective long-term organizing strategy”- Starhawk. Now I have no idea who Starhawk is. I have … Continue reading
Posted in Family Life and Issues
Tagged Faith, organization, perennial optimist, postaday2011, postaweek2011
4 Comments
Marcel Marceau spoke volumes
When I was in college a good friend of mine was part of a group of students that volunteered to be an usher at various concerts and events in the college auditorium. No these weren’t rock concerts. They were events … Continue reading
Posted in Misc blogger activities
Tagged inspiration, Marcel Marceau, postaday2011, postaweek2011
2 Comments
Tooting my horn!
They say that forming a new habit takes 6 weeks. They say that a journey begins with a single step. They say a lot of things ;-). I began my blog earlier this year as a form of expression, creativity, … Continue reading
Posted in Writing and Literature
Tagged Friendship, God, postaday2011, postaweek2011, writing
2 Comments
Does technology help you write? Daily Post # 281
Does technology help you write? The Daily Post Topic #281: “One comical thing about writers and writing is they often ask each other if there is a secret tool, or software, they use that makes writing easier. Some writers swear … Continue reading
What’s your opinion of the occupy movement & 99%?
What’s your opinion of the occupy movement & 99%? I have not been paying close attention to all of the details involved, and I do not have the facts. Furthermore, I am not very adept at discussing political, economic, and other … Continue reading
Upgraded my blog — but you may not notice
Today when my husband was on his computer he noticed that a number of my posts had some embedded advertisement videos in them. He asked why I had put them there. Of course, I hadn’t. When I logged into wordpress … Continue reading
Posted in Misc blogger activities
Tagged de-clutter, inspiration, postaday2011, postaweek2011, technology
Leave a comment
Believe Anyway 