Much love Beauties! xxx
She’s a Writer
Much love Beauties! xxx
Tag: #memes
Just Breathe Beauties
Breathe in- Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Breathe out-Monday through Thursday.
It’s a Choice
Since deciding to take a Social Media fast, some friends have called me out. Facebook detects a connection, and is telling on me. To stay connected to my daughter while she is at her Father’s this weekend, we’ve used Messenger. Facebook Messenger is an app that is made by Facebook, but is separate. So, nope. I have not posted one Meme.
For me, it’s not about disconnecting from people. I love people, so why would I do that? Maintaining social media sites take a lot of time, and energy. So much so, someone created automation to do it for you. Again, what fun is that?
It all started with my phone. Sometimes the bill is due before the weekend, and before payday. I get paid on Monday’s, so I get to choose. Do I want an active phone, or money for the weekend? I choose having money to spend, over my phone.
I’ve used Cricket phone service for 5 years, and it works. There are no contracts, and you just pay month to month. No re-connection, or late fees, just pay when you need it.
The phone turns into a blingy paperweight, and I’m out the door. An iced latte would hit the spot, so I hop in my truck, and drive 10 minutes down the road to Chapparal Coffee.
This young couple moved from Austin, TX, to open this coffee bar, and his name is Austin! He has the best vibe, and it’s pure joy just walking in the door. Coffee and I have a serious relationship, and I have learned a lot at Chapparal. I go there several times a week for the coffee, and the people.
His wife brings in wildflowers, so there are always flowers. Walking in today, Austin had just finished installing a couple of beer taps, but not for beer. Oh no lovely. This is magical!
I could not believe what I was seeing. Ginger Beer!!!!
Austin handed me a glass to try, and it was unbelievable! Like an ice-cold mouthful of fresh ginger with fizz! The Kombucha is green tea with fruit, so I fell in love with that too! I grabbed half a pound of coffee beans, (which lasts us a week), a Kombucha, and Ginger beer for later. Money spent was $14.00. Not to mention the fellowship, love and laughter.
Some friends scoff at me for spending money on high quality coffee. “Being a single Mom with a part-time income, how do you do that?” I’m going to drink coffee, so it might as well be a life experience. The coffee costs a little more than the grocery store brands, but it’s well worth the extra dollars.
Experimenting in the kitchen on the weekends is a newfound love. The last time I went to the local grocery store, they had some huge basil plants on display. My daughter and I chuckled at how big they were! I’ve been wanting to try this Basil Hummus recipe, so instead of paying $3.98 per packet for a few fresh Basil leaves, I opted to buy this guy for $9.00.
It should bring plenty of Basil Hummus and fresh Pesto!
Since trying my hand at the Boston Ferns, (which shout out to the lady who left a comment with tips), this spoke to me today. I have a planter full of dirt sitting on my porch from last years plant demise, but we’re gonna give this Basil a go.
When I went in the store to pay for the Basil, I took a walk through the flower department. Fresh flowers are a love of mine and my daughters, but not just any flower. We have a few that are special to us, and this time of year is for Peonies.
This little bundle cost $6.00. They will be fully opened by the time my daughter gets home, which will double the joy.
These choices bring more meaning and beauty to my life than my phone. I’m able to choose today, and the end result is showing others, “I love you more than my phone.”
Timing and Expectations
My daughter has left to go visit her Father, so let the weekend begin! Let’s see how long it takes her to realize, she left her favorite CD’s in the CD player at home. Thank you Darling!
As she drove away, I turned on the stereo to listen to this song I’ve been bingeing on for a month. You can hear it on Feel the Music. This song soothes me even though it makes the house vibrate. Gotta love a good stereo, and sub woofer.
This weekend I am taking a social media fast. Social Media and I have had a long loved, and unloved relationship. It has been good for me, and not so good. Spending the weekends, doing whatever I wanna, the timing feels right to take this break. Will let you know next week what it taught me.
Life has a lot to do with timing, and expectations. They are our teachers. I have high expectations for myself, but realize everyone’s expectations vary. We can be our own worst enemy, so my weekends are spent being extra kind to myself.
Something social media has given me are Memes. Friends tease me about my life being one, big Meme. I love them, and will eventually make a Meme compiled with all my favorite quotes, but I almost allowed a complete stranger turn me against them altogether. This happened a year ago.
Searching for Memes to post on Letitgocoach Facebook page, I was becoming burned out over seeing the same ones. There had to be better, and more, is what I felt in my heart. I found an online software that was free, and user-friendly, and began making my own, like the one above.
My heart was right, but I had no clue what I was doing. All I knew was, they should be pretty, and say something that you don’t see everyday. Looking for Memes to share, there were times the saying was almost what I wanted, but not quite. Or, I would find the perfect one, and it would have a typo in it.
This online software was not the best, or the most popular to use, but it was simple. It had limited choices for font, and pics. It didn’t stop me though. Between my daughter’s photography, and Google, I could find pics. The software provided freedom to share whatever I felt led to share, but they didn’t look like ordinary Memes. Here’s one of the first.
One of my favorite meditative readings is a book by Melodie Beattie entitled, “Journey to the Heart: Daily meditations on the Path to Freedom.” Googling quotes from the book, pulled up very few Memes, but that is what I wanted to share. It wasn’t going to change the world, but it could make a difference. Then, in walked the stranger with my lesson.
My Facebook page was growing, and this guy that owns a couple of pages decided he would help me out. He sent a message, and here it is copied and pasted in it’s original format. His personal info has been omitted for anonymity. “If I may suggest, your messages are great, just need to work little on your images. Use picmonkey for editing images Pixabay for images and pintrest for free fonts and quotes.”
I thanked him for his advice, and did more research. Was his comment discouraging, or encouraging? I saw it as both.
Having done research beforehand, I knew of his suggestions, and they were not what I wanted. The one I was using was simple, and had everything right there, it just needed to offer more. Recently, I went back to his pages to see if his style had changed, and it had. The Memes were all black and white.
One year later, and full circle. Looking through SC Lourie’s journal, and wanting to share. I pulled up the Meme software to see if they had made any changes, or if it still existed. There it was with many new enhancements. It just took time. They know they have a good thing going, but they also know it can always be better. The one above is for my new Blog.
It’s not about being perfect, or pleasing other people. It’s about what makes YOU happy. Learning to take constructive criticism is a work in progress, but it makes me want to do better, and be the best I can be. Making memes is fun, and it’s one of the best, and free ways to advertise who you are.
Just for grins, I Googled Letitgocoach, clicked on images, and there they are! A lot of what has been posted here, or used on Letitgocoach Facebook is displayed on Google. Even some of the early ones! (slight cringe) Well, here ya go Google. Latch onto one of my faves! Much love lovelies!
The Wanna List
It was a beautiful weekend. I stayed home, and did whatever made my heart happy. It’s refreshing at this stage of my life to have no more ‘to do’ list. Instead, there is a ‘wanna’ list.
Throughout the day, I would see something that could to be done, and ask myself, “Do I wanna do that?” My daughter painted the walls of her bedroom last week, so now the trim looks dingy. The man at the paint store gave her a quart of, ‘Whitest White’, to try. Did I wanna paint trim, and surprise her when she arrived home from her Dad’s? Not really.
I grabbed a wooden plant stand she has in her room, and took it to the porch. My vision was to paint it using the white to see if she wanted something that bright in her room, before painting miles of trim. Dipping the paint brush into the can, and doing light strokes across the top shelf, it didn’t cover the surface completely. You could see the original color peeping through, which complimented her room as is. I continued with light strokes on all three shelves, and boom!
It took all of 10 minutes, and I believe she will be pleased.
That is how I spent the weekend. Giving my life a light touch.
In the post entitled, Dream While Awake, we talk about de-cluttering, and making room for more. We already have more than enough ‘things’ lovely, so that’s not the point.
It really is de-cluttering our minds, and hearts, to make room for more of what brings us joy! You can see from the picture, my daughter is into plants. She has collected a few easy ones, because neither of us have good luck with them. We love them to death. Literally. Plants take a light, loving touch.
This Spring, my daughter had a vision for our front porch. We have two hooks to hang plants from, and she requested Boston Ferns. My initial reaction was, “I can probably kill those quickly!” I have never been able to keep one alive, but my guess would be, I tried too hard. Like a lot of things in my life before now. I bought one, hung it on the porch, and she was happy. It’s been easy to care for, but she gently reminded me there is one more hook. This weekend, I gazed at the empty hook, and just knew it didn’t need to be empty.
I gave myself time with the one and only fern. Telling myself, “If I can keep it alive and flourishing, it would receive a companion.” My daughter’s vision has become a reality.
My daughter and I are so well connected, the things that make my heart happy, make her heart happy too. Speaking of heart happy. This will make your heart soar. SC Lourie’s new journal, “How the Light Gets Out,” is available now! This journal is so beautiful, I have been carrying it from room to room for over a month. You can view and purchase it here.
This journal brings me joy! SC Lourie is one of my favorite writer’s and she’s an inspiration to me. You may know her as ButterfliesandPebbles. The pages of her journal are so beautiful, I haven’t felt led to write in it! It’s not that I’m afraid to use it because I surely will, but it waters my soul just as it is.
Lastnight, as my weekend was coming to a close, I sat and flipped through the pages. When I saw this page, I was happy to see we were on the same page. Hah! (Good pun). SC Lourie had summed up my weekend, and my life. It says, “What do you wanna, darling?” I’ll just leave that here.
Hopes and Dreams
Hopes and dreams. Otherwise, our lives merely exist.
My life is evolving. Much has changed in the past month, and even more in the past week! “The Love Button“, spoke about the opportunity on Facebook to give and receive love. This caused me to take a look at my personal Facebook timeline.
My personal timeline has become my virtual ‘dream board’.
A dream board is commonly used among Entrepreneurs. Years ago, we cut pictures from magazines, and attached them to poster-board. Once complete, the board would be filled with photos, displaying a life beyond our wildest dreams! Today we have technology so, “Hello 2017.”
This photo popped up on my Facebook news-feed. My heart ran as fast as it could into that photo! My life is simple, so skip the fancy couch. A Yoga mat, or pillow will do just fine. The view is what made my heart squeal with delight!
To live by the sea is a ‘hope and dream’ of mine.
The photo was posted by a Facebook page entitled, Hopes and Dreams, and was ‘liked’, by me immediately. A beautiful soul is behind this page, and we have become fast friends! God can work through photos to reveal what’s in our hearts!
For the past month a handful of Facebook pages, and the people behind them, have caused my heart to sing! Another page is Love Notes. This woman is full of love, hence the name. After hanging out with these ladies for just a few weeks, my timeline became a literal dream-board! This morning, Hopes and Dreams posted this quote by Jung.
God gives revelation in yearly increments. Once 30 years had passed, I knew my life would change. At the age of 35, my daughter was born, and by 40, my marriage was an unhealthy space for everyone involved. After trying to make it work for 8 more years, God opened a door for us to leave. At 48, my daughter and I began our new life together, with God.
Seeing this quote by Jung stirred up memories. My life continues to change, but is it my life changing, or my soul? Photos on Facebook, and the people posting them, have helped tap open my heart, and awaken dreams. You can see it on my timeline. My soul is awake as well. ‘Hope’, is what keeps us here, but ‘Dreams’ are where the soul wants to go.
To be continued on Bentnotbroken.net…
The ‘Love’ Button
Do you use Facebook to love on people? They don’t make it easy anymore, because they control how many people your post will reach. Maybe they should hand me that button!
This made me think of the Wizard of Oz. You remember the man behind the curtain? He was controlling what Dorothy and gang were seeing as this all-powerful Wizard. He was running a machine that projected an image of the wizard. So, somebody behind the Facebook machine has set the algorithms to reach only a certain amount of people.
For example, Letigocoach Facebook page has drastically dropped in reach. Thank God that page was created, and grew before Facebook put a cap on it. Today, when I post it be like, “Letitgocoach continues posting encouragement! Almost 2 Billion people would could be reached, but we’re only going to allow 5,000.” Well, high-five Facebook!
Your new ‘love’ button in the comments section will work!
The love button! Not only can you ‘love’ what people post, but now you can express ‘love’ in the comment section as well. Way to go Facebook! Let’s spread some love!!!!
Aren’t we here to spread love? God can use Social Media!
WordPress needs a ‘love’ button. When reading a Blog on WordPress, often times it’s more than just a ‘like’, which is the only option available. In the comment section below, I’ve began writing, “LOVE button needed”, just to let the writer know, it’s more than a ‘like’. Maybe if we all started doing this, WordPress would see it, and add the ‘love’ button.
God has protected me on Facebook. The Letitgocoach page has been there for years, and not one person has left a hateful comment. That’s probably God protecting them. “Don’t do it Mama! Don’t do it!”, as my daughter would say.
We all need love. Even in the form of a button. Love flows through the fingertips, so it makes sense to press a button. People press every kind of button on Facebook! Hah! (Good one) The most lovable people have been placed in my life thanks to God working through Social Media. Often times we post to one another’s page as an expression of love.
Mah people know Facebook is uninstalled from my phone. (Boundaries) The only way these loving gestures are seen is by logging onto a laptop. Early this morning I logged on, and the pic below was on my timeline. God sent this woman through Facebook. She is a Coach, and a beloved friend, but she lives in Nevada, so we met thanks to Facebook.
The photo, and her words took my breath away! PRETTY!
It’s difficult to accept compliments, so after seeing this on my timeline, I clicked the ‘love’ button underneath, and sent her a private message. The picture was breathtaking enough, but the words Sarah wrote in the caption below the pic, rendered me speechless. My finger reached up and pressed the heart. Let’s give God some Glory for the love button!
