Encyclopedia of Moi: I

 

Islands - Hawaii, Caribbean, British Isles, Catalina, Key West -- I've visited and fallen in love with them all!

Ice Cream - I love ice cream, but unless I'm having company or am on vacation, limit myself to Skinny Cow desserts.

Once in a great while I'll splurge on a Baskin-Robbins dark fudge chocolate cone or, if I'm out with my daughters, a Ghirradelli Hot Fudge Sundae!








iPhone - Love my iphone! Isn't it wonderful to have a computer at the tip of your fingertips at all times? Looking up directions, googling price checks at other stores when making a major purchase, checking out what's playing at the theater, messaging with friends and family, never missing an important call, always having a camera with me -- I appreciate this modern convenience! Some of my favorite apps: Google,  Around Me, Weather, Google Maps, MyFitnessPal, FitBit, Flashlight, CNN, Words with Friends, and iTunes.

Italy - There's so much history and beauty in Italy! Where does one begin? Here are a few of my favorite places we visited when we were there....

We passed fields of sunflowers and rolling hills.

The Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. This was on my bucket list to see ever since I took Art History in college. It lived up to its expectations!

We took a gondola through the canals of Venice, then disembarked and walked through twisting walkways, stopping for a tour of St. Mark's Basilica.

 The Colosseum was enormous and fascinating.







This beautiful building in Rome is nicknamed
The Wedding Cake!  Very fitting.

Michaelangelo's Statue of David in the city of Florence's Galleria dell'Accademia.

What's on your list of "I" letter items?

Encyclopedia of Moi: H

 

 Things that are special to me that begin with the letter "H"....

Happiness ~ One of my highest values. Life throws so many curve balls our way, and somehow we must learn to let happiness win in the long run. I've had my share of heartaches and consequent pity parties, but in the end what is our short time on this earth worth if we can not move beyond our sorrows and find the strength of spirit to allow joy to win out? Somewhere in my soul, I think those I have loved and lost would want us to live our lives joyfully as well.


Hope ~ Like happiness, hope is a choice, but makes a huge difference in how we approach life. I prefer to be an optimist, figuring God will see me through my troubles and I need to hang on to hope!

 

Hiking ~ One of the most marvelous things about hiking are the options available. You can select easy trails or challenging ones, nearby trails or far away adventures. Outdoors, breathing in fresh air, marveling at the details of nature -- what could be better for body, mind and soul?

Home ~ Home is our refuge from life, a place we can relax and be ourselves. My home is one of the blessings I count often in my Gratitude Journal. My kitties and doggie greet me at home after a long day, and snuggle up on my lap when I slip into my jammies and put my feet up on cozy nights. Here I can create and express my tastes. I can share belly laughs and secrets and my inner most thoughts with my family. There's no place like home.


Hawaii ~ There is something in the air of Hawaii that makes it like no other place! It's warmth, the fragrance of flowers, the soft sand beneath your feet. I love Hawaii!




Horses ~ My daughter had horses growing up. We loved them dearly. I never had horses when I was young, but rode with a friend in my 20's. We would break into a full gallop and it was exhilarating! I loved brushing Lys's horses, helping her groom them, hugging their necks, watching her ride.

Encyclopedia of Moi: G

On to the letter G.... 

Geography - Call me a geek, but ever since I was a kid I've enjoyed studying atlases and maps.  I love learning about other countries. Yours truly was often the designated map reader on trips.

Giraffes - It wasn't until I traveled to Africa and saw these peaceful, elegant creatures in the wild that I began to fully appreciate giraffes.  At a giraffe center we have the opportunity to feed some (they have very long tongues!) and they were so gentle.

Gold - Are you a gold or silver person? While I do wear silver at times, I tend to gravitate toward gold for most jewelry.

Gardens - So good for the soul!  Not much of a green thumb myself, I do love wandering through beautiful gardens. Among my favorite gardens in the world are Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island, near Victoria, British Columbia.  Isn't it gorgeous?

Gardenias - Heavenly smelling! They remind me of my mother who wore a gardenia coursage on her wedding day.  They were one of her favorite flowers, too.

    


 Genealogy - I'm adding this on to my G list a day late here. How could I forget this fabulous hobby! 






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Encyclopedia of Moi: F

 

My mom was the master of wise old sayings.  Come to our house and you would hear, "Never put off til tomorrow what you can do today," "Beauty is as beauty does," and "Necessity is the mother of invention." 

Today I'm going to resort to her saying, "Better late than never."  It's been in the back of my mind for months that I need to complete my Encyclopedia of Moi. Months turned into years and I realized today that it's been two years since I posted the letter E. No, I won't give up -- I will finish what I started, it just may take a lifetime.  So I sat down and thought about what has been meaningful and fun in my life, all beginning with the letter F!

Faith - There are times it has eluded me, but I always come back to this core of my existence -- my faith.  Faith in God, faith that things will get better, faith in people that I love.  The word faith probably pops into my conversations several times a week!  There is no doubt in my mind that the more we practice faith, the more we experience it's growth in our lives.

 
Family - My family means the world to me!  We have strong family ties and in our hearts we know that we will always be there for one another, no matter what.  My parents taught my siblings and me unconditional love and my sisters and I strive to pass that on to our children and one another.  I feel so fortunate to have a family that shares this value.  Add to that a sense of humor that sends us into laughing fits, and I think we're pretty blessed to be part of such a balanced way of approaching life.






 

Friends - My friends come from so many areas of my life.  My "oldest" friends I keep in touch with are from grade school and high school.  I have a couple of cousins who are good friends that I can call on the phone and it is like all time melts away when we make contact. I've made new friends through the years through other friends, work and volunteer activities.  Through my nonprofit work, I've made friends with people all over the world and now have close friends in England and Kenya who I never would have met had it not been for this world opening to me.  My daughters and sisters are the best friends I could ever ask for!  It's such a joy and comfort to open yourself up to the richness of friendship.  

French - Today I'm sharing a secret with you -- I'm a bit of a Francophile. This started when I was a very young girl, actually, with French influences throughout my life such as...
~French classes were offered in my elementary school one summer, and I signed up so learned to speak and write French and appreciate French culture at a young age. This has followed me ever since. I took French again in college and my professor was impressed enough with my skill to recommend me for a full scholarship to attend a year of college in France.  One of my biggest regrets in life was NOT taking advantage of that scholarship!  Parlez-vous Francais?  
~The Christmas my dad gave my mom a tiny French poodle -- Tiny Lily was hidden under his overcoat when he came in the door that Christmas Eve and voila!  We had a new family pet -- my mom loved this dog dearly. 

~When I was about 9 years old, my mom gave me my first bottle of perfume --"Evening in Paris."  I can still close my eyes and remember the scent and see that blue bottle. Do you remember that fragrance?  I felt très sophistiquée.

~There was a magazine spread (I'm thinking it was Life magazine) about France in our living room which I loved to study  -- I remember one picture in particular that showed a girl about my age walking down a cobblestone street with bags of baguettes in her arms, and I imagined what her life was like.

~Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy was the first lady when I was at an impressionable age, and she brought a love of French sophistication and elegance to her role.
~I've been to France a couple of times and j'adore la France!
~Last, but not least, some of my ancestors were French, so I'm entitled!  ;)

Ooh la la -- my inner French girl is alive and well!

Flowers - Who doesn't love flowers?  Each time I pass a field of wild flowers I want to stop and take a picture. 

Join in and start your own Encyclopedia of Moi!

Encyclopedia of Moi: E

Time to move on to the letter of E in the Encyclopedia of Moi.  The first one is easy!

Elephants -  I've been a fan of these magnificent animals for years.  It started back in high school when I began collecting them.  One of the highlights of my trip to Kenya was visiting the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust -- dedicated to saving elephants and black rhinos.  What fun to pet their rough backs, watch them wrestle and wallow in the pond, and take bottles of milk from their dedicated caregivers.  The caregivers live with the elephants and provide such a service!  Consider helping these precious animals!  I was foster mom to Sinya who was rescued from a well.  Read her story here:  Sinya.

Easter - Spring! Easter lilies, beautiful pastel colors, baby animals, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Easter is full of love and promise and one of my favorite holidays.  When I was a girl my mom always took me shopping for a special Easter outfit, complete with hat.  My brother, sisters and I would dye eggs the night before.  On Easter morning we had to hunt throughout the house for our Easter baskets containing some of our dyed eggs and those sugary Peeps and chocolate bunnies.  This is a tradition I passed on to my children and even today, although they are adults, I still give them Easter baskets each year. 

Eggs - Faberge eggs, to be exact.  These bejeweled treasures from Russia have fascinated me through time.  Remember those enchanted sugar eggs with little images within from when we were kids?  Those, and a lovely Christmas ornament I received from a friend a few years ago, are the closest I've come to having such a special egg.

 

Elton - Elton John has been an incredible talent and was a rock and roll force during my high school and college years. Hearing songs like "Daniel" and "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" transport me back to specific nights in my life.

It's a little bit funny, this feeling inside...and you can tell everybody this is your song.  Hold me closer, tiny dancer.  Count the headlights on the highway.   It seems to me you've lived your life like a candle in the wind.  Don't let the sun go down on me. So goodbye yellow brick road.  All evoke memories of  good as well as bittersweet times in my life....

Join in the fun -- start your own Encyclopedia of Moi!  This great idea was started by Shannon -- check out her entertaining encyclopedia and blog here:

   
Images of spring and egg are courtesy of Wikipedia.

Encyclopedia of Moi: D

Time for the Encyclopedia of Moi again 

~ this time with the letter

Dad - My dad is a huge inspiration and I feel so fortunate to be his daughter.  He is almost 89 years old but looks and acts much younger.  His secret?  Exercise!  When he was in his early 50's he started running -- this was back when it was just becoming popular to run 5K's, and 10K's.  He quickly moved on to marathons and completed many, with a showcase of trophies for his age group to prove it. When running began taking a toll on his knees, he switched to bicycling.  He has ridden coast-to-coast (at the age of 80) and still goes for 10-20 mile rides 4 times per week.  When asked what he was doing for his upcoming birthday, he said he was thinking of going out and buying a new bike.  Now how many 89 year olds do you know that are doing THAT for their brithday?

 Dad rafting down the Colorado River!

Dogs - I grew up with dogs and currently have two sweetiepies -- both were rescued from the animal shelter.  Six year old "Chaucer" is a poet at heart, like his namesake.  He's shy and quiet, with such a gentle soul. "Uncle Frosty" is eight years old and the happiest dog on earth.  Tail always wagging, slobbery kisses if you let him up on your lap. 

Dreams - Aren't dreams fascinating?  Hot topic in our family.  Every once in awhile I will have a dream that awakens me with an epiphany.  This morning I woke from a dream with the words ringing in my ears, "It's not what you DO, it's who you ARE inside that matters."  Besides trying to analyze the many vivid dreams I have in my sleep, I'm a believer in having the other kind of dreams and goals to keep us progressing and hopeful through life.

Dusk - My favorite time of day.  There is just something magical about the feel of the still air, the blue sky giving way to darker hues and street lights and kitchen windows casting their first yellow glows of the evening.  I snapped this photo out a window in downtown Santa Cruz during a concert intermission.... 

Disney - What incredible imagination Walt Disney possessed!  Disneyland was a big part of my life --not only as I grew up in Southern California but also when I had my own children.  We still make regular visits to Disneyland.  Besides the theme park, Disney movies have had an impact on us!  

My kids were fortunate enough to grow up during the Disney animated remakes of the famous stories of "Beauty and the Beast," "Aladdin," "Tarzan," "Lion King," "Pocahontas" and all the fabulous music that went into those flicks.  You might hear us break into song around the house:  "Be our guest, be our guest, put our service to the test..." or "Make way for Prince Ali!"  And "Dumbo" still makes me want to cry:  Baby of Mine 

Hakuna Matata!

Encylopedia of Moi: C

Summer school is over, my traveling is complete, so maybe I can move along with my blog once again during these last blissful weeks of summer vacation!  My oh my -- up to letter C.  I believe mon "Encyclopedia of Moi" amies are on letter K so no keeping up with them now.  This encyclopedia will have to be completed in my own sweet time.  So let's move forward with the letter....

Calendars -- I've kept daily calendars since high school -- and by "kept" I mean in a drawer.  I can tell you where I was and what I was doing any day of any year for the past four decades.  Nerdy, I know.

California -- I love this state. We moved here from the midwest when I was in elementary school, so I'm not a native, but have spent most of my life here.  It has it all -- beaches, forests, mountains, deserts, quiet nature or exciting city life.  Quirks and all, I stand by California.

Cats -- When I was a little girl we had a cat that fit into my Chatty Cathy doll's clothes perfectly.  Poor kitty.  There have been cats in my life ever since.  Seems in our family, a house isn't a home without a cat hanging around.  Last fall my house became catless when Ash moved out with her orange tabby.  So I visited the local animal shelter, intending to adopt one adult cat, but the shelter volunteer told me about their two-for-one special and helped me fall in love with an adorable kitten (I'm partial to Siamese cats, can you tell?).  Scarlet was an itty bitty baby who thinks 2-year-old Violet is her mama (she's not, even though they look alike).  Violet has good naturedly taken this maternal role in stride and allows Scarlet to cuddle with her, they groom one another and play together.  Scarlet has grown since her homecoming picture below -- she is lively and spirited and plays with the dogs fearlessly. 

Here is glamorous Violet.  Silly girl -- I set my tote bag and suitcase on my window seat when I returned home from Florida a couple days ago and Violet couldn't wait to make herself at home in the bag!

Cocoa -- It's a bit odd but my sisters and I are not coffee drinkers -- instead we grew up with a warm cup of cocoa in the morning.  Even now, all these years later, whenever we stay at one another's home we offer each other a cup of cocoa in the morning.

Creativity -- Where would we be without creativity?  It's been a touchstone throughout my life.  This word embraces inventions, art, music, progress, problem solving, decorating, educating -- so many avenues.  Everyone has the ability to be creative, and what is so cool is that it can take so many different forms!  My friends and family engage in so many admirable pursuits:  one daughter writes books, another writes songs, one creates tunes on the piano, another takes amazing photos.  Some of my friends make beautiful quilts, some have enviable gardens, one takes oil painting lessons in her retirement.

My sister Chris makes beautiful scrapbooks, my sister Linda has a home filled with antiques and personal momentoes that exude charm!  I write poetry, create family journals and albums of our life stories and photos, create themes and materials for my speech and language therapy, and am always exploring other creative outlets.  Creativity feeds our spirits, allows us to experience a taste of success, and provides joy in knowing it is our own work and inspiration that brought the idea to fruition.  What do you do to honor your creativity?

 Join in and create your own Encyclopedia of Moi.  Link to:
http://shannonsswell.blogspot.com/2011/02/encyclopedia-of-moi-volume-d.html