On a limb with Claudia

Every wonder how to be successful? Richard St. John was asked what creates success. In response, he did 500 interviews and created this 3 minute presentation.

The Secret to Success in 8 words.

Happy Monday!

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It’s awards time again! Yippee for awards!!

I received this award from Storyteller. *

Gosh, I’ve met so many nice people online. I’m kind of amazed at all the hard working, nice people I’ve met. Scratch the surface of almost any blogger and you’re going to find a nice person.

I pass the Nice Matters Award to:

• Odat for her capacity to face the winds of life,
• Josie at C’est La Vie for always having a kind word,
• Squirrelly for being nice about my fumbling,
• FuriousBall for just being a really sweet person,
• Puss ReBoots for helping me with the title of my books,
• Heart in SF for working to be nice in challenging situations,
• The CEO at Morning Meeting for support and cyber hugs.
• Nicholas at Gentleman’s Domain for making weather.

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I received this monkey award from Joy at Joy of Desserts. If you haven’t seen her yummy blog…. it’s yummy!

I give this award to:

• Avitable for this picture and post. (Be forewarned… it’s hairy.)
• Mr. Fabulous at Pointless Drivel for this fabulous dancing post.
  
• Janet at Fond of Snape for this bacon post which made me crave bacon for a week.
• BroLo at Soliloquy in an International Cloister for this post on dead Catholic saints.
• Moobs for his current nipple crisis.

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I received this award from the CEO.*** He said: “If you have no idea of the high pedestal that I have put Open Grove Claudia deservedly onto, then you haven’t been reading my blog for a while. Not only did Claudia help Susan, she was rocking out in the video. Naturally.”

Ok, that only make sense in the context of the sex on the beach video on his post. Which I think sounds a little gritty, but … never mind.

Is this a sexy butt??? It seems a little, well, flat to me.? My butt does not look like this.? My hips are narrower, my legs are more muscular and my butt is rounder.? I got in this very “discussion” with Furious Ball.? Clearly, THIS is sexy.? Sigh.? What does that mean about me?

Moving on….

Ignoring the wide, flat arse, I give the Sexy Blogger award to:

• Miss Britt because she is damn sexy.? (Take a peek here).
• Christy because she is music, entertainment and book sexy.
• Colleen at Loose Leaf Notes who is Mountain sexy.
• No Nonsense Girl because she’s no nonsense sexy.
• Amy at Lives Less Ordinary because she proves that Scots are damn sexy.
• Liz at Los Angelista because she’s got sexy hair.
• Jameil because she’s got sexy shoes – particularly these sexy boots.
• Tommie at Tuesday Update because she’s keeps the home fires burning hot with her sexiness.
• Michelle at Lede Me On because she makes sexy, executive mommying look easy.
• Cajun Vegan at I read banned books because she makes Las Vegas sparkle with her sexiness.

PHEW!____________
* Storyteller gave the “Nice Matters” award to: Betty of Betty’s This and That;Carla of zena musings and Women at Rest; Chuck at Foster Me Up; Cricket of Cricket’s Hearth;Eve at Adamswife’s Weblog; Greatfullivin’ at Gratitude Journal;
Ivanhoe of Communique by Ivanhoe; Joyce at Mom’s Musings; Karen at Journey to Authenticity; Kat at Seeking Sanity; Ladybug at Living in the Light I Find; Lucy at Diamonds in the Sky and Lucy Creates; Melissa at Such Simple Pleasures; Mother of Invention at Spilling Out!; Peajay at M?r?n cainte ar bheag?n c?ise; PJ at Bits and Pieces; Sandy Carlson at Writing in Faith; Tina at Tina’s Odds and Ends; Sonya of Mo Mh?le Gr?; and Yertle of Smile, Play, Dream.)

** Joy of Desserts gave the “Blog Yummy” award to Aged Cat.

*** The CEO gave the Sexy Blogger Award to: AmyTree, Glamourpuss, Crankster, Franki, Tiffany King, James Burnett, Heart in SF, WnG, Wicked H, Skinny Little Blonde, Heather of Phoenix Hearse, MJ, Nosjunkie, Echomouse, CMHL, Allan, Ali, Mist, and Odat.

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I had trouble getting on the Unconscious Mutterings site today. I went in a back way… I’d love to see what you are thinking!

Here’s the list:

1. Stuffed ::
2. Gills ::
3. Distance ::
4. Panties ::
5. Checkered ::
6. Fill in ::
7. Taunting ::
8. Diner ::
9. Pizza ::
10. Best friend ::

My answers:

1. Stuffed :: Turkey
2. Gills :: Breath
3. Distance :: Going
4. Panties :: Lace thong
5. Checkered :: Past
6. Fill in :: the blank
7. Taunting :: (I have a visceral response to this word – pain in the chest.)
8. Diner :: Pancakes
9. Pizza :: Cheese
10. Best friend :: Friends make a life.

Now, what are YOUR answers?

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The Driver series is coming to an end.? The forth segment is posted at Miss-Britt.com and at StoriesByClaudia.com.? I’ll post the entire story next week – as next week is the fifth and final segment.

Check it out and let me know what you think!

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This time of year, my mind turns to my honey bee hives. A hive can cling to life through the frigid winter, only to die in March due to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).

Thursday Thirteen #22 – You can save the bees!

Here are thirteen things YOU can do to help save the bees:

1. Don’t use any neonicotinoid or imidacloprid product such as: imidaoliprid, thiamoxetham, acetamiprid, clothianidin, thiacioprid, or any neonicotinoid. READ LABELS. These products are universally toxic to honey bees. Most of them are banned in every country but the United States. If you must use these products do so before or after blooming season.

2. Petition your state and city to not use neonicotinoids or imidacloprid. The insecticide lobbyists have Washington in their pockets. (For example, even though the world believes insecticides are as least partly responsible for CCD. However, insecticides weren’t allowed to be mentioned at a Senate hearing on CCD.) The only way to rid our county of this nasty chemical is a the state or city level. If your Mayor says he or she is a “green” mayor, ask him or her to prove it by banning these chemicals use or sale in your city.

3. Leave your dandelions alone. Dandelions are an excellent source of pollen (protein) for winter hungry bees. Is a perfect lawn really worth starving a species?

4. Support your local beekeepers: Beekeeping can be expensive, especially now. With the bees dying at a rapid pace (thus needing replacement), and the cost of wood escalating, many beekeepers stop keeping bees. For example, if we sold every ounce of honey that we harvest, we would cover less than half of our cost. Local honey protects you from allergies, increases your fertility and improves your health. Plus, if you’ve never had “real” honey, you owe it to yourself. It’s amazing in texture and taste.

5. Think about hosting a hive: Every beekeeper could use another place to set a hive. Live in an apartment? How about the roof or your balcony? One of the most unique honey project is run in the skyscrapers of New York City. Most beekeepers will maintain the hive and give you some honey for a chance to set a hive in a new location.

6. Learn about the survivor bee movement: So much to say…. Basically, various beekeepers around the country are creating a new species of honey bee which they hope are resistant to the mites and diseases which make up Colony Collapse Disorder. We are getting our queens this year from ZiaQueen. Most beekeepers, myself included, believe that this movement will save honey bees.

7. Support research: In the last 20 years, very little money has gone into honeybee research. Why do we know so little about Colony Collapse Disorder? No research. When asked if you would support funds for honeybee research, say “yes”. You may just save the planet.

8. Create a pollinator sanctuary in your backyard: While there’s a lot of conversation about honeybees (due to commerce), every species of pollinator in North America has declined as much as 60% in the last 10 years. You can help support pollinators by creating a sanctuary in your backyard. Try a mason bee nest or maybe a birdhouse. Humming bird feeders work for butterflies as well.

9. Pay attention to bee related legislation: Bees are huge business. Honeybees are responsible for most pollination of any tree born fruit or nut. They work the cranberry, blueberry and melon fields. A huge portion of what you eat was created by a honeybee. Vote pro-bee. Support candidates who are interested in bee research and protection.

10. Become a beekeeper: In 1950, over 50% of households had at least one beehive in back of their house. Beekeeping is fun, rewarding and a lazy person’s hobby. And beekeepers are really great people. Think about keeping a hive. Interested? Email me. I’ll point you in the right direction.

11. Plant bee loving flowers: Bees need flowers to survive. Replace a little bit of that waterhogging grass with some beautiful flowers. What do bees like? Coneflowers, Sunflowers, Cosmos, Baby’s Breath, Gaillardia, California Poppy, Lance-Leveled Coreopsis, Siberian Wall flower, Purple Prairie Clover, Forget-Me-Not, Glove Gilia, Plans Coreopsis, Black eyed Susan, Corn Poppy, Bergamot, Aspin Daisy, Rocky Moutnain Bee Plant, New England Aster, Rockcress, Lavender, or Lamb’s Ear.

12. Speak intelligently about Colony Collapse Disorder: There’s so much panic and misinformation around Colony Collapse Disorder. Here are the important points: 1) More research is needed to determine what is going on; 2) The best thinking is that it’s a combination of – bee disease, medications for bee disease, pesticides, and new bee related disease; 3) This is a world wide problem not just a North American problem; 4) All pollinators are effected. Don’t let the panic mongers create helplessness. We can overcome CCD.

13. Interesting bee facts:

• Bees are a prehistoric creature that predate even crocodile.
• Evolutionists believe that, after the first flower, bees created every other species of flowering plant.
• We’ve found a bee that is over 100 million years old.
• This quote: “If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man.” was most likely NOT said by Albert Einstein.

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My Czech-girl-transplanted-to-Ohio blogging buddy, Ivanhoe, tagged me with the Make a Wish meme last week.

I haven’t done it.

Why?

Because every Make a Wish has some save the world message. And sure, I want that.

But my heart is full to the brim with another desire, a life long fondest wish, and what I want more than anything. I feel selfish because that desire is about me, for me, for my life.

I don’t lie. I just don’t do it. Embarrassed, I’ve ignored the meme and hoped it would go away.

And it didn’t.

So, here it is. Here’s my heart’s deepest longing:

1. Think about what it is that you want more than anything, what your heart’s desire and fondest wish is, and what it is that you would wish for if you were to see the above wishing star flame across the night sky.
2. Right click and SAVE the blank graphic below.
3. Use a graphics program of your choice and place your wish on this picture:

4. Post the Make A Wish Meme and your wishing star on your blog along with these rules.
5. Tag as many people as you like so that there can be wishing stars all across the Blogosphere and ask them to please link back to Linda at Are We There Yet? so that she can see what wishes others have made and share those wishes with others.

If you don’t currently have a graphics program and aren’t sure how to put your message on the picture you can either download one for free (Linda used IrfanView which is an image viewer but also allows you to customize and optimize your pictures) or email Linda at mouseski58@yahoo.com, tell her what you’re wishing for, and she’ll customize the picture for you and email it back to you so that you can then post it.

Ivanhoe tagged:(She tagged: Kat’s Krackerbox,It’s a Shih-Tzu’s Life, Brassy Apple, Conversations with my hairdryer, Pensieve, Quirky is a Compliment,Bleeding Espresso,Forever Daisies, Life through a Lens, My LA Blog, Viva Voce, I’m just Ducky Now!, Fully Alive…Ready to Smile, The Miss Elaine-ous Life, and
Sugar and Spice & little rice.)

I tag a few people who could use a wish: FuriousBall, Los Angelista, She became a butterfly, No Nonsense Girl, Mr. Fabulous, Miss Britt, Jameil, Heart in SF, Kevin Charnas, Squirrelly, Michelle at Lede me on and Michael C.

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If you’re like me, at some point early this morning, you’ll run into a nattering nob of negativity. You might hear him on the radio, read her in the newspaper, or find him on your favorite blog. Maybe there’s someone in your home – teenage girl or boy – who spews negativity. Could be your officemate is having a bad day or week or lifetime.

Mondays can be damn hard.

You hold your whole world in your hands.
Just because they natter, doesn’t mean you have to listen.

“Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.
Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Self-Reliance”

Happy Monday!

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Let me know what’s in your unconscious.? Here’s the list from LunaNina.com:

1. Money ::
2. Unhappy ::
3. Joking ::
4. Chipmunk ::
5. Date ::
6. Slideshow ::
7. Chicago ::
8. Lifetime ::
9. Skid row ::
10. Edward ::

Here are my unconscious mutterings for the week:

1. Money :: Energy
2. Unhappy :: People
3. Joking :: Aside
4. Chipmunk :: Alvin
5. Date :: Night
6. Slideshow :: Photos
7. Chicago :: (I have an image of Renee Zelwiger in this movie)
8. Lifetime :: Achievement Award
9. Skid row :: Rehabilitation
10. Edward :: ian

Well…. there you go. What are your mutterings today?

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Every year, I pick one book that I call the “bathroom book.” I leave it in the bathroom and read one chapter per day. Over the course of the year, I end up reading the book a dozen times and really learn what it says.

This year’s book is called Trusting Yourself by MJ Ryan. The book has changed my thinking and my life. I wanted to share some of MJ Ryan’s wisdom here. I’ve edited for length.

Thursday Thirteen #21 – Increasing your trust in yourself

More than ever, we must to learn to trust our own wisdom. Here are some ideas to help:

1. If you have an inner critic, why can’t you have an inner booster? Simply stop and praise yourself. Be sure to call yourself by name. And try saying it out loud when you are alone and notice the effect.

2. When you are stuck on making a choice or decision and think, I don’t know what to do, ask yourself: If I did know, what would the answer be? Keep asking the question until you give yourself an answer.

3. Another idea if you are stuck making a choice, bring to mind the wisest person you know. What would they do in this situation? Then do that.

4. If you’re someone who always blames him or herself when things go wrong, use the psychological technique of reattribution to expand your thinking. Ask yourself, What other factors contributed to this situation besides me?

5. How do you get over overwhelm? What has worked in the past? Write yourself a reminder and put it on your computer screen or car seat. Then, when you begin to swirl, the way out is right in front of you.

6. Can’t remember a fact, a name? Relax your mind and let it go. The answer will most likely soon pop into your head.

7. Have trouble saying no? Get in the habit of saying, “I’ll get back to you,” instead.

8. Be like Julia Child. When things went wrong on her cooking show – and they did – she took it in stride. Pulling out a fallen souffle in front of millions of viewers, this master chef exclaimed: “You can’t win them all!”

9. When confronted with a problem that seems to overwhelm you and is taking all your mental energy, ask yourself: If I didn’t have this problem, what would I be doing? Then do that. That way you don’t spend all your time on the problem, but get on with the rest of your life.

10. Outlaw media that increase your self-doubt or self-loathing and tune into those that help you understand how beautiful, competent, and successful.

11. Is envy eroding your ability to trust yourself? Try this approach that Slovakian women teach their daughters: If a sincere compliment to the person who has stirred up those gremlins, and the good feelings you generate will restore your faith in yourself.

12. Ask yourself: If I didn’t worry about anyone else’s approval or ask anyone else’s opinion, what would I do now?

13. Do an airplane view of your work at the end of the week. Take a few minutes to step back, look at what you’ve done that week, and create your priorities for the coming one.

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Friends,

What do you think this straw looks like?

Walmart told this mother that they were “rocket ships”.

This was the closest thing I could find to a rocket ship. It’s a private rocket ship.? (Click the photo for the NYTimes article.)

(If you are out of things to do this afternoon, check out the dialog at BoingBoing.net on this topic Fun straws are phallic?.)

Let’s help Walmart out.? What do YOU think the straw looks like??

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