The magic of words........and why I blog

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What did I do before my blog?  Well. I tried desperately to explain myself to people - very dear and close friends in fact.
Often, lol
Doesn't everyone " get " why I have a constant need to change things out?
Doesn't everyone spend abnormal amounts of time decorating a mantel - only to take it down and start over?
Doesn't everyone see why I sometimes have to paint a room over again a month later just because it doesn't "feel" right?
Apparently not.
But here, here in my little corner of the blogmosphere I am understood - and more importantly I'm completely normal.  In fact I'd be considered a little strange if I didn't do any of the above.

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” 
― C.S. Lewis

I was clueless when I sat down to write my first post - and very intimidated ( being severely handicapped in the tech department ) and it was only through friendships made - and the help of many that I was able to navigate myself around this wonderful world - friends that encouraged me - taught me - gave me much needed advice - and made me realize that maybe, just maybe, I could do this

“Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” 
― A.A. Milne


Some days are great - some days are obviously not so great
and some days nothing you do seems to turn out right - when bad news just keeps coming at you
and no matter how much you try to duck and sway and manoeuvre yourself away from it, you just
can't escape it.

“Sometimes,' said Pooh, 'the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.” 
― A.A. Milne
 
And that's where blogging has become my life line - where it connects me magically into a world
where I fit seamlessly,
Where friends gather to comment and spread love, sometimes at just the moment when you need
it most.  At night, when I sit down to answer emails - I smile as I type - every single time - at every
single comment.

“You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” 
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

As blogs grow it's sometimes too easy to just send 1 liner comments - always heartfelt but quick and
to the point because there are just too many to answer - to visit - too many parties to link up to - and in the midst of that it's sometimes too easy to forget the woman who is sitting behind that keyboard.
Sometimes I drop a line to a blogging friend I haven't heard from in awhile - just to make sure she is ok - that I'm thinking of her and hoping all is ok in her world.

“Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh?" he whispered.
"Yes, Piglet?"
"Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's hand. "I just wanted to be sure of you.” 
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

I'm not going to say who sent this to me on friday - it's up to her to reveal herself if she chooses - because
they are, after all, her words not mine, but these words came at just the moment when I so desperately needed to hear them.  At the exact moment in fact ( minutes after hearing some particularly distressing news )

" And just so you know, your furniture stays in my head.  It's really just awesome. I'll be doing something around the house, completely unrelated to anything in the blog world, and a piece of your furniture will come to mind.  I predict that pretty soon you'll be able to live in one of those houses you post... there's no way your business is not going to soar.  I've seen a lot of furniture posts on blogs, and some were nice (really nice, even) but I don't remember one of them.  Not one.  Nor the sites.  Yours, I do.  And I know I'm not the only one.  And now I'm done singing your awesomeness, lol.  Geez.  I just meant to say I love your re-
dos, but I still meant every word. "

A big beautiful bouquet of words just for me - and they couldn't have made me any happier if they had
come gift wrapped to my door by a delivery man.

“Why did you do all this for me?" he asked. "I don't deserve it. I've never done anything for you.'
You have been my friend,' replied Charlotte. 'That in itself is a tremendous thing.” 
― E.B. White, Charlotte's Web

And at the end of the day - hope really is that thing with feathers - attached to an angel - who takes the time
to sit down and write words that can make me lift my head and well, hope.
A random email by a stranger?
I think not.......................
They were kind words - well thought out words - special words written by a new friend with ME in mind and they somehow floated from my screen and settled themselves into the deepest corner of my heart.  They made me realize just how connected we all are on this journey of ours - and how profoundly happy I am that I became a blogger.

“How do you spell 'love'?" - Piglet
"You don't spell it...you feel it." - Pooh” 
― A.A. Milne


Sharing with
I should be mopping the floor ( New year's Party! )
http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com/2012/12/mop-it-up-mondays-48-new-years-eve.html

Some People choose to Walk the Walk...............

No Rant Today - nope - instead I want to concentrate on the GOOD in people for the month of December
And this will remind us all how just how good some people can be
Because I really do believe that the more love you give away - the more love grows inside you.

Meet Mr. Leuken

Employees in a small Minnesota town are getting quite a holiday bonus this year.

Joe Lueken of Bemidji, Minn, a successful local grocer who is planning his retirement, has decided to give his company to his employees rather than sell the small business to bigger buyers, the Star Tribune reports. Through an Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP), the 400 employees of Lueken's Village Foods will become the new owners at the start of 2013, despite offers from large independent chains.

"My employees are largely responsible for any success I've had, and they deserve to get some of the benefits of that," Lueken told the Tribune. "You can't always take. You also have to give back."

An ESOP is a stock equity plan that enables employees to acquire ownership in a company. The employees form a trust, which then purchases shares of the company. Employees generally contribute to the trust through payroll deductions.

In Lueken's case, however, he won't require his employees to pay anything for their shares, effectively giving the company to the employees for free.
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thank you Mr. Leuken - we need stories like this more often - you remind us that it really is a Wonderful World

( and that it's filled with wonderful people )

and once more for good measure - 

"My employees are largely responsible for any success I've had, and they deserve to get some of the benefits of that," Lueken told the Tribune. "You can't always take. You also have to give back."

Indeed, words to live by, if I had the chance to meet you I would shake  give you the biggest hug I could - but because the probability of that is quite slim - I'm giving you my big heart award planted on your photo - so that as many people as I can reach know just how big your heart really is...................