I want to thank Jakesprinters for hosting the Sunday Post. Every week he rolls out a new word to challenge bloggers to delve deeper and then share. This week the word is arrangement.
On the art of arrangement: It can come by taking a bunch of fresh flowers and lovingly placing each one in the right place.
explosive colors
an arrangement sent with love
sunshine for your day
♥ ♥ ♥
On the art of arrangement: It can come from exquisitely fine classical music like Handel’s Water Music Alla Hornpipe – Suite No. 2 in D major. In 1717, Handel wrote Water Music specifically for an open-air water party for King George. Lucky George.
“But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement the greater part of life is sunshine.” ~Thomas Jefferson
♠ ♠ ♠
Curtain Call: Featured Blogger
On the art of arrangement, I would say Janice‘s | Your Daily Dose | is the spot to go. Seriously, if you need help keeping your 2013 New Year’s resolution, you need a dose of The New Month Resolution. If you simply need to chill, well, no better place than the Daily Dose. Chill out here ->You Finish Your Own Blog Description Page. Do not wait…go grab your own Daily Dose today!
Until next time, my question is…
Where do you find great examples on the art of arrangement?
Change is not merely necessary to life–it is life. ~Alvin Toffler
Well, life for me lately has been all about blogging. If I am not working to pay the bills, doing general housework to live in a tidy and decent space and caring for the spoiled household pets around here, you know I am doing something related to blogging. Yesterday was no exception. I spent half the morning doing what most bloggers do, that is, reading, commenting, gather ideas to put together the next post and occasionally do some blog page renovations. While practicing the art of blogging, my thoughts lingered over what I could share that would have some meaning (and not just fluff) to anyone who may happen to come over to this blog.
The one thought that stood out was how blogging uncovers the person living inside you. For example, I discovered how much fun writing can be. It has been so enjoyable that I am now reading with delight, Julia Cameron‘s, The Right to Write book. I have also found that I think like a bird. You know, a free bird, no major commitments, ready to fly out of any situation with just a few flap of the wings. However, I have come to see that sometimes it is good to have your wings clipped to make a, *gasp,* commitment; especially if blogging brings stability and opportunities to practice many ways to become a better communicator.
Perhaps change is not merely necessary to life, but change may also be necessary to a blog. Commitment, for those with a flighty heart, may be necessary to a blog as well.
Since my one-year blog anniversary is coming up in September, I thought I would share with you some good changes that have happened around here and a commitment I am proud to have made since my first shaky post on, of all things, snakes! Now how charming and elegant of a start is that?
Beginnings
After a long “shopping trip” over at the Word Press Theme store, I originally thought the Chateau theme was an elegant way to make my mark on the blogosphere. After a few posts, however, it occurred to me that the Bueno theme was really the one that showed the sunny and fluffy blogger (yikes!) I was turning out to be. Only I knew about the slowly emerging writing style coming out of me and it took my 12th post–can you believe it–before someone noticed my existence. Suddenly, after laying out a dozen eggs posts, I got my first like! (Thank you, Ng Tom!)
I stayed happily in love with my Bueno theme, experimenting and playing around with most of its options and had the time of my life blogging almost everyday. It took me several months to figure out how to activate the Featured Post widget to show a thumbnail image next to the widget feature. Whenever I saw another blogger using the same Bueno theme and using the thumbnail image with their featured posts, I would ask how they did it. I did not hear back from any of them, (maybe I forgot to say the magic word, please) but somehow, I managed to figure it out on my own.
Permanency
In May of 2012, the tag line (is it called a tag line?) that shows up when you first open your dashboard finally got my attention.
Upgrade your own domain!
I would press to read about upgrading my domain, but never dreamed of committing to it. It sounded so complicated and please, do not ask how many times I went over there to read about it. (Okay, I went over many times! Sheesh.) Then, my half way mark as an almost daily blogger went by and I was still, totally ‘in love’ with writing and blogging so my ‘serious self’ suddenly asked this bold question:
Why, ‘self,’ are you still living as a half committed blogger?
“Uh, well,” I said, “because it is free? There are no strings or money involved and I can leave and walk fly away anytime. Nothing lost. “
Then, to make sure I removed any thoughts of committing to an upgrade, my thoughts whispered, “oh, upgrading is much too expensive.” Alas, after calculating all the cost, I knew I could afford $2.75 per month and what is that, about nine cents a day, on something I felt was one of the best change that has come my way in a long time. Therefore, in May of 2012, I finally said YES, and my blogging life has never been happier. Oh, gosh, I felt like I had just said YES to be married or something!
Domain
I simply want to say that the domain upgrade makes me feel this is not just a ‘drive-by’ love affair, rather, an affair that has an unspoken promise of sharing no matter how I feel or how busy my life becomes.
“A full commitment is a promise to stay active regardless of the endless changes and challenges life brings to us.” ~Sunshine
Forever
However, with the domain upgrade, I found another thing about myself. Self control. I need to practice not going overboard when I find a good thing. For example, with the new domain change came the customized fonts and soon after, another theme change: the Forever theme. It seemed only logical to go all out and celebrate like that of a festive wedding ceremony. Okay, so now my love affair is costing me a mere, $5.25 per month minus internet service fees but that is cheaper than going to the movie theater these days.
Endless changes are all part of life and part of blogging. I hope this has encouraged you to welcome changes despite the disruptions changes often bring. Oh, and if you happen to suffer from commitorum metus or commitment phobia, I totally understand where you are coming from.
****
Do you find yourself reflecting on how blogging is uncovering and defining the person inside you?
Are you the type who welcome blog changes and accept commitment well?
Hey guys, it’s me, Chuckles, the farm dog/staff writer.
I was resting my eyes.
My best bud, Roose, was also resting his cockle-doodle-doos!
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Cedric, from Implicado runs over and tags me! He was in a hurry, said something about a Popocatépetl Volcano erupting and quickly ran off again!
Thanks Cedric for the game of tag!! See ya!
Of course, my boss, Sunshine, heard all the commotion and told me to stop napping and get writing for this tag game post.
“Pronto,” she yelled!
Humph. She’s waaay too bossy, guys!
I decided to just rest my head down for a few minutes and boom, Claudia, from Pathfinder: MotherWifeStudentWorder, gently shakes me awake and whispers, “tagged, you’re it!”
What?? Who? Again?? Wha . . . am I dreaming? But . . .??
Erm, thank you, Claudia for waking me, really, and I appreciate your game of tag too!
Oh-oh. Now I’m hearing threats from Sunshine that my dinner is on hold until I get this game back out to you!
Oh, dear me . . . NOT hold dinner!!!
Better get going. Here are (my revised) rules for Tag – you’re it!’
You must post these rules.
Each person must post 11 five things about him/herself on their blog. Answer the questions the “tagger” listed for you in their post, and
. . . create 11 five new questions for the people you tag to answer.
Choose 11 one to five people to tag and link to them in the post.
Let each blogger know that you have tagged them.
11 5 things about us (me & Sunshine) you simply must know:
1. We both breathe in oxygen.
2. We love our junk food.
3. We enjoy breaking revising tag game rules . . .
4. We delight in drinking coffee (her) and me, I LOVE chasing down skunks, rabbits and birds . . .
5. We simply enjoy every sunrise and sunset that come our way.
Cedric’s question for us me, Chuckles:
Do you have an unfulfilled wish, what is it, and do you plan to reach for it?
Yes, Cedric, my unfulfilled wish is, I hope to catch a skunk before it sprays me with its gosh-awful perfume! All I want to do is play a decent game of tag!! You got any nice skunks over there in Mexico???
Claudia’s question for us:
1 Without three things you would be lost?
air, food, water … we need these 3 things and so do you!
2 If you could be famous for one thing, what would it be?
horse jockey for Sunshine and me, famous rock singer in a famous rock n roll band.
3 If you only could listen to one song for the next month, what song would that be? **Update** The classy and beautiful singer, Donna Summer, passed away on May 17, 2012…may she rest in peace and God’s blessings and peace to her family.
We both love and thrive on attention and suffer from the awful disease called, Need Constant Attention, NCA, for short. Our physician and vet prescribed blogging at least once a day.
5 If you could have your own tv channel, what would it be about?
Hmm, maybe something about charming folks who make life easier for other people? We could call it, LifeGivers.
6 What is your favorite season? And why?
Summer. We love the sun and water.
7 Do you like flowers better or trees?
Both!
8 If you could own a famous painting (or any other art object), which one would that be?
Since it’s Sunshine’s last dance, we would need Renoir’s beautiful painting:
–Dance in The City by Renoir
9 There is only one person like yourself. Name something about you that makes you unique!
I’m a simple farm dog and I blog.
Sunshine is a simple person with a simple farm dog that writes on her blog.
10 Do you plan out things usually or do you do them more spontaneous?
We both are very, very, free-spirited. So, let’s dance!!
11 Would you rather be a movie actor or a (rock)star on the stage?
If you heard my singing barking all night, you would sign me onto your rock band.
If you heard Sunshine singing, you will beg her to be a non-singing, movie actor.
Taggers, you have the choice to answer as many questions from this list or make your own set of questions. It’s all good. Just be happy.
Do you prefer . . .
1. cats or nice dogs like me? hehe . . .
2.to use a red, a blue or black ink pen to write a love letter?
3. to use a mechanical or an old-fashioned wooden pencil to sketch a picture?
4. to ride a horse or drive around in a car?
5. to drink hot or cold beverages during the day?
6. to find a nice flower or nice rock?
7. if you lost one of your senses, to keep your hearing or vision?
8. to swim or run for exercise?
9. to listen to music really loud or at normal hearing range?
10. blogging in silence or with music or other sounds playing?
11. horror, comedy or musical movies?
Okay, guys, I’ve had a simply charming time putting this tag game together. Thank you Cedric and Claudia for the opportunity to exercise this fat body of mine, but now, I must go and rest before dinner.
