Category Archives: family

‘Let’s eat Grandma!’ or ‘Let’s eat, Grandma!’ Punctuation saves lives.

Posted on November 25, 2011 | 13 Comments

Hi guys and welcome back to my blog. Thanks for dropping in.

Do you often check your stats?

I was humbled when doing my internet research and came across blogs that have a reported reader base of 300,000. I was so excited about my first 1,800. I went into the kitchen and told my husband. He was lovely and supportive. He said Julie, give it a chance, you have only just started.

Time to reflect.

Time to reflect.

He’s absolutely right.

I am reminded to thank God for my many blessings.

I spend a lot of time figuring out the basics, how to choose a picture, how to get my categories and my archives visible.

There’s a lot of behind the scenes work going on that I don’t know if my reader is aware of.

Here’s a little award going to the behind the scenes workers at this blog. Someone needs a little love and appreciation today. Smattering of applause.

Some people added me to their lists of blogs they like to read. This brought new visitors. Thank you. It is a nice friendly surprise ~ sort of like a present you didn’t expect.

More Readers Comments.

I set you free now and every moment.

Be young. Go ahead do something impossible. Could anything be more sweet?

Most comments are super supportive and positive. Thank you! A guy left a comment saying anyone who writes their biography in the third person is a dork. I deleted it. I reserve that name for me from people I truly love like my sister, my husband and my best friend – who by the way also call me Mutt, Monkey, Jules, Julie Bulie and JB.

Each Word You Say Represents Who You Are

Often when my younger students use questionable language, I sometimes give them a tiny note, a wink and a smile.

Give.

They told me in person It’s not our fault.

I told my sweet and smart students I’m going to buy you a shirt and write It’s not my fault on it for the amount of times I’ve heard that. I love that they have added me to their facebook accounts and include me in their lives. Hi guys! :)

They gave me a couple of toys to play with at school: a spinner top, a stand up Winx as big as my index finger and a poofy top Cars pen.

Smiles. Silliness. Wonder.

Just how cute this is? Wouldn't this make a great gift?

Everything is going to be okay. Really!

Life is Participation.

I walked into class and some of my students noticed I got a new hair cut. They gave me compliments. I think were sincere. Although at the moment my hair is getting really long.

I’ve learned so many things from people and living lately. I would say the number one thing I have learned is how to be a nicer person. I mean it. I surround myself by lovely people and I thank you for being here right now in this minute reading these words. Hi! Welcome.

I’m Still Smiling.

I received a ton of stuff from my loved ones. Thank you so much. They continue to spoil me. I don’t know what I have done to deserve such wonderful treatment but I try to be humble and thankful.

My kids got a lot of clothes, toys and candy. I get love.

We talk about health, not smoking and going the extra mile – and flossing. how knowledge will make you a better people. We talk about how making decisions now effect the rest of our lives.

Miro. Love it!

Miro. Ha!

I feel privileged to be a writer and a teacher, to talk to them and to you too. I’m also enjoying every beautiful minute of this glorious day. Thank you.

I know I got through to my class because they got real quiet and started listening, eyes transfixed. We talked about health we talked at length about existentialism, fatalism and Christianity and dreams. They get it. Kids are smart. They are our future.

As always, I hope this finds you well, happy, lucky and in love. Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to read and visit. Have a great day.

Julie

Be inspirational. Be inspired. Note to self: Try harder. And smile. Everything is going to be alright.

A Sweet Afternoon ~ Semi Abstract~Fine Art Canvas print

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Posted in family, happiness, Inspiration, Italy, journal, learning, motivation, teaching, writing

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Looking for the window to open.

Posted on October 14, 2011 | 10 Comments

Hello. I’m republishing a post I wrote on May 26, 2011, but then for privacy reasons added a password protection.

I’m starting to be okay with it now so I’m letting my friends and blog readers in on what’s happening in my life by making the article public again.

This is motivated by the fact that I went to talk to the highest person I could think of today in the government. I brought a file full of supporting paperwork as a last ditch effort to get my job back. The man is extremely busy but has not received me in his office. I waited for three hours without an appointment until finally one of his four secretaries surfaced.

She was lovely. It felt good, no it felt great, to just look into someone’s eyes and explain my situation. She said she’ll call to set up an appointment with me. I just feel like I have to meet with this man to talk and figure out what happened. The receptionist had me in tears. I wear my heart on my sleeve. She talked about Karma. She offered me the entire pack of kleenex.

Sometimes the act of someone offering me a tissue is enough to send me into tears. People’s kindness at certain moments is unbelievably touching.

At least I’m making steps, albeit baby steps, towards either reconciliation or moving ahead with my life. Wish me luck.

Julie

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When a door shuts ~ a window opens.

When a door shuts ~ a window opens.

First published May 26, 2011

Last week I got a dreaded letter from the Department of Education that basically fired me.

It was and is devastating.

People near me are supporting me and lifting me through this difficult moment for me and my family.

I’ve received countless telephone calls, text messages, online chats and letters of support as well as visitors who sustain me while I run from one office to another: lawyers, teachers union, my old school and administrative offices.

It’s been difficult to say the least.

I haven’t talked about it because I’m in shock.

Also I’ve had to get a lot of paperwork done trying to sort things out, hopefully with a positive outcome.

In a nutshell, my American University degree has not been deemed necessarily equivalent to an Italian degree therefore annulling my two credential courses taken in 2000.

Some people say it’s the government. Some people say it’s the school. Some people say to just keep my head up high.

My friends are stunned as well as me and my family and my students. I wish they had told eight years ago before being called to teach.

I was a private school teacher for eight years. Then I was a public school teacher for the last eight years.

Now I’m looking for a window to open while a big door just slammed shut leaving me and my 150 students to basically sink or swim.

That’s all. I’d get into the particulars if you’d like, but I’m still trying to sort it all out myself.

Much love and thank you for reading. Your kind words. prayers and encouragement are appreciated.

e' la vita continua. ♡

e' la vita continua. ♡ come scendi sali ♡

In fact one of my dearest friends was so shocked, angry and hurt about my news I found myself consoling her. Bless her.

I’m especially worried my students who have exams coming up in a couple of weeks.

Here are some of my comments left by students and friends on facebook.

~~~~~~~

My advice for you would be simply to trust your heart. Maybe take a step back like you said and just let everything settle down and then see how you feel. A mother’s intuition is a powerful thing. I personally think that it’s God directing us to do what’s best for our children.

Your writing is an inspiration to me and to a lot of people and I have to honestly say that you are one of the main reasons why I get so much enjoyment out of facebook. You’re so engaging and interesting and just plain NICE and I’m happy and honored to be your friend.

Here it is: Stay In Your Lane

Many people spend their lives trying to become someone that they hope to be as opposed to the person that they actually are.

This approach to life only leads to frustration and unhappiness. Contentment, peace of mind, mental and emotional satisfaction only come when we stay and flourish in our assigned lane.

In Romans 12:4-10, the Message Bible encourages: Let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without trying to be something we aren’t. If you preach, just preach God’s Message, nothing else.

If you help, just help, don’t take over.

If you teach, stick to your teaching.

Love from the center of who you are, don’t fake it.

In the body of Christ we each serve a vital and unique purpose.

If the eye is trying to be a hand How will we ever see?

If the nose is trying to be a knee How will we ever smell?

If the foot is trying to be an ear How will we ever walk?

As 1 Corinthians 12:8 puts it God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be.

God wants each of us to stay and excel in our lane. If you’ve grown frustrated or unhappy in your endeavors, it is time to ask Am I operating as the one and only me or am I failing at being someone else?

~~~~~~~ a school mom writes ->

I really don’t like it. After a school year they end up which such a good idea? No way. Something is gonna happen, trust me!

~~~~~~~

You’ll be great….no matter what happens…and hey i am with you!!

~~~~~~~

I mean it is sad. You need to be in people’s lives because you get as much or more from them as you give. I would say we are not too disimilar in our love for the world and its inhabitants.
~~~~~~~
He says. You know, I know from experience that in life, as you go down, you go back up. I had sunglasses on or he would have seen my tears.

~~~~~~~

♥ Nella vita tutto può succedere, anche l'inimmaginabile.

Nella vita tutto può succedere, anche l'inimmaginabile. ♥

Here’s a Google translator link to read the comments in English.

Protestiamo! Non si può togliere un insegnante a un mese dall’esame! Non si può togliere la professoressa che ci faceva ascoltare Jamelia e Daniel! che ci faceva fare le prove d’esame ~ quella prof che consideriamo più come un amica. Quella prof che ci raccontava dei suoi figli. Non si può! Preside non puoi togliercela. Noi ce la teniamo!

~~~~~~~

One of my favorites, really well written.

Ho appena saputo della bruttissima notizia non sa quanto mi dispiace !!!
Ormai ho capito che il mondo va all’incontrario e che non va mai come vuoi : i buoni se ne vanno e i cattivi rimangono …

in questi tre anni abbiamo dovuto sempre batterci contro la scuola per riavere le nostre insegnanti , ma ogni volta se ne sono andate via le migliori, come in questo caso .
le dico GRAZIE …

.. Perchè lei è stata l’unica persona che ci ha sempre capiti;

.. perchè ogni volta che avevamo bisogno, lei era sempre pronta a darci una mano;

.. perchè ci ha fatto capire che si puo’ imparare anche divertendosi;

.. perchè nonostante tutto lei ha sempre creduto in noi e ci ha sempre sostenuti;

You always believed in us, supported us, no matter what.

.. perchè per tutti noi non è stata solo un ‘ insegnante , ma qualcosa di più;

For all of us, you weren’t just a teacher but something more.

..perchè ci ha fatto capire la parola : SPERANZA che per noi ormai non esisteva piu’.

You made us understand the word HOPE that for us no longer existed.

Ed oggi è questa che ci fà continuare , che ci fà lottare pur di riaverla tra noi.

Per tutto questo la ringrazio di cuore!

Mi creda: la scuola non ha ancora capito che facendo questo sta’ mettendo ancora piu’ in difficoltà dei ragazzi ed una insegnante che è anche mamma!

Continuero’ a sperare che tutto venga risolto e che lei possa ritornare tra noi perchè ce lo ha insegnato lei ! spero di cuore che come io la ricordero’, anche lei si ricorderà di me.

Mai arrendersi!!

Prof, non ci scorderemo mai di lei. Grazie a lei ho imparato che nella vita bisogna provare come io nel canto Jamelia and Michael Bublè!!! Però una cosa è certa, protesteremo e come ho già detto rivolta!! :) grazie di tutto prof da … e … (ke è a casa mia) :)

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Mi dispiace tantissimo prof. Ci eravamo affezionati tanto. Non puo andare via così. Faremo di tutto per riaverla con noi. Le vogliamo tutti bene!

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Carissima a scuola mancavi tantissimo. Purtroppo i tuoi ragazzi non ti avranno per l esame. Spero che tu possa risolvere al piu presto questo problema. Ti voglio bene!!!! Un abbraccio e un bacio a te e ai tuoi cari !!!!

~~~~~~~
♥♥ e’ come faccio io senza di voi?
♥♥ .. ha ragione ci manca tantissimo :) ♥
♥♥ ci manca ♥
♥♥ anke a me manca =(
♥♥ anke a me :(
♥♥ prof ci mancherà tanto !
♥♥ ah mi dispiace tanto =( ci mancherà moltissimo prof ♥
~~~~~~~
Prof, lo sa che mi manca davvero tanto?! ♥ Adesso ci hanno dato un’ altra prof ma nessuno riuscirà mai a superarla! Se lo ricordi prof…Will be forever in our hearts ♥ (Mi corregga se sbaglio!) Un bacio la sua alunna

E’ stato un onore conoscere una persona splendida come te …. Un abbraccio

~~~~~~~

Ritengo che anche noi genitori dovremmo fare qualcosa o perlomeno io intendo fare qualcosa. Giusta o sbagliata la ragione, non entro nel merito, non si può togliere un’insegnante ad un mese dall’esame di terza media. Se loro dicono che c’è un’irregolarità nella laurea, io dico che se ne dovevano accorgere prima, sempre che sia vero e che NON intendo fare le spese della loro inefficienza.

~~~~~~~

Prof lei deve tornare per favore. Le voglio troppo bene. Voglio ke tutto questo si risolvi. tvtttb.

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Dolcissima prof. io non ho prole per cio che e’ successo. mi manchera troppo. Lei e’ buona comprensiva. Le voglio troppo bene. Lei e’ bravissima ad insegnare. Non ascoti mai la gente cattiva a vada avanti.

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

arrivederci prof ci mancherà! sappia che io protesterò.

~~~~~~~

Finalmente hanno trovato qualcuno competente!

~~~~~~~

Prof non possono toglierci le sue lezioni.

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Posted in family, Italy, journal, learning, relationships, teaching

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10 paintings in 10 days. ► {and} go! ► RECAP

Posted on October 11, 2011 | 7 Comments

September 29, 2011 Background info.

Hi. Thank you for dropping by. Nice to see you! I mean that.

Today’s post is inspired by a quote a recently came across that goes like this:

Good leaders create a vision, articulate that vision, passionately own the vision and relentlessly drive it to completion.

So here I go. I’m going to sell ten paintings in ten days on ebay. I’m off to a good start. I’ve listed five, because I’m on day five. The next one goes live today 11a Pacific Standard Time, or California time as I like to call it.

The first four have been bid on.

A HUGE ENORMOUS GIGANTIC THANK YOU to people who support my art work. They are just little paintings I paint in my garden, but I love them.

I hope you enjoy looking at them and God BLESS you if you take a little chance and hit the bid button.

Thanks for having a look.

October 11, 2011

It’s ten days later and the contest is almost over. Here is a ► RECAP ► of where my paintings have been sold.

Here's the picture that recently won 5th place at a local art fair contest. It was fun and challenging to paint.

#1. This painting was sold to a v. nice man in Milan, Italy. This painting won a prize at a local contest. I'll always be grateful to my first buyer.

Pastel Mums

#2. My 'Pastel Mums' were won by a cool blogger friend. This has been sent off to Bolivia where she is doing a mission. I love how this one came out.

#3. Went to my sunshine girl in Huntington Beach, California. This is one of my favorites. Very young and fun. This is going to look great framed.

#4 went to a sweet family in Ojai, California.

#5. This went to a fantastic family on the California Central Coast.

#6. This went to an awesome guy in Bothell, Washington.

#7. Went to a repeat buyer in Milan. : )

#8. This went to a repeat buyer on the California coast. : )

#9. This was sent as a donation to New Orleans Louisiana to be auctioned off at a charity event.

#10. California.

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Posted in art gallery - if you're new start here, family, happiness, Inspiration

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Lessons from my Yia Yia ~ most beautiful woman ever.

Posted on September 22, 2011 | 33 Comments

Georgianna (Jane) Angelos, my mom and us three kids.

I find my life is truly blessed. I live in a spirit of thanks. When my husband walks home from work and asks me how my day was, he always likes to add how lucky I am. I think he’s right.

My road to where I am has been filled with bumps and jumps ~ beautiful, sometimes heart wrenching, highs and lows. Today, I look at the highs.

My grandmother, called YiaYia (Yiy yah), the most beautiful woman in the world, told me to find the good, find the positive.

When we were little, we’d spend a week, a weekend or a day at Yia Yia’s house. She had rosy cheeks, her hair done and she smelled like baby powder.

As we drove up to her curb in south Pasadena, we had troubles parking the car every time because the curb was too high to open the car door. My father would drive forward, us three kids would climb out, then we’d wait on the sidewalk while dad would park.

My sister Lisa and I made these glasses from wires we found in the garage. We had talcom powder in our hair to look old.

We’d walk up the sloped driveway to the front screen door. The five steps infront of the house were painted green. The dogs would jump and bark, the screen door would crack. Maxie. Maxie. I noticed the funniest long shoot drop mailbox, a chiming door bell and then there she was, Yia Yia, in all her smiling, sweet, come on it, glad you made it loving glory.

Is there anything more wonderful in this world than a grandmother for a child?

I remember if we would visit and she was ill, she’d stay in bed. She’d invite us kids on top of the comforter and she’d hug us. I remember looking at her arms. Her skin was smooth as silk with nice brown and pink spots on it. I’d ask what they were and she’d laugh and cover them. She said they were age spots.

My beautiful Yia Yia. She's so beautiful.

Isn't she just breath taking? Yes!

Her voice was always soothing. When my dad talked to her she used to look at him with listening ears and a smile. She’d say Ah, come on, Nicky, when she knew someone was teasing her, and then she’d laugh her lovely laugh.

Mike, Lisa and Julie circa 1968

She liked to apologize for her house disorder that I never saw and she loved girly things. I remember she had two alarm clocks and two big lamps with curious chain pulls to turn them on and off.

Her husband, Jack, my grandfather had passed away for at least 10 years but his clock was still on his night table. On the walls were framed pictures of ballerinas. On the pink and white cotton bedspread, she had her L.A. Times and her glasses. At the foot of her bed on her dresser, she had the TV turned on low. She liked to watch 60 Minutes.

She liked to write too. She liked Los Angeles. She’d write long detailed letters to her mom who was still back in Pennsylvania about the people she would meet at the Hollywood parties in the 50s, 60s, 70s.

She was lovely because she was. It was her essence.

When she passed, I was ready for it. I am sure I cried but it was through subtle acceptance and love that I knew she was ready to go.

If I had to sum up how beautiful the world is, I would say, it was when I laid my head on my Yia Yia’s chest and she would just hold me and caress my hair. It was as natural as birth, life and death.

If I had to sum up what she taught me in life, she’d say Julie, find the positive, find the good.

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Posted in family, happiness, Inspiration, learning, writing

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Abruzzo ~ fresh on my mind.

Posted on September 5, 2011 | 3 Comments

It was super sweet of my husband to organize this family trip to Abruzzo. It took us four hours without traffic to get there and five hours with traffic to come home. We stayed for a week and well, the last evening which was our wedding anniversary celebration was nothing less than magical.

Do you know that moment when you are relaxed eating and all of the sudden you see two guys walk out carrying speakers and amplifiers and you think, Oh. My. Gosh. There goes my quiet dinner?

Well, lucky for us, the guys put my favorite two cds on at a low volume and I loved it. They were Michael Buble and Pino Daniele. The evening literally was an evolution from us finding the place, parking, being the first to sit down, as the kids immediately found a place to play as they ran off towards a jumpy bouncy thing that later filled with more kids.

Then, we walked past a sign that said Oggi Sposi and we realized there was a wedding in progress inside the restaurant. We were outside by the pool with a view of the Mediterranean.

The food was good, our waitress was adorable and sweet. We took some pictures, watched people and just talked for the longest time.

What a special evening.

Then as if by magic, or on cue, out walks the bride down to the pool with all of her friends.

They were a very beautiful couple and it was quite a glamorous wedding. I noticed that the groom was having a hard time standing up as he had probably been celebrating for the entire day. His friends thought it would be funny to undress him and throw him into the pool.

Guess what? It was. He was smiling. His new bride was smiling. For a minute I let my heart get carried away into the celebration. Weddings truly can be something magical. I know mine was. We laughed. We danced. I walked into visit room number two because it was raining, and we all had moved inside.

Inside room number two, my husband’s friends all started smiling, clicking their glasses with silver, toasting me, and chanting, ‘Viva la sposa’, meaning Here’s to the bride.

Flowers

One of my paintings. Flowers

>I tell you, people still come up to me and say it was the most memorable wedding they have ever been to. It was. 20 or so Americans came to visit. My dad made friends with Vitmar. My dad still asks me how he Vitmar is when he calls.

Abruzzo.

Yes. Our vacation. It was absolutely lovely. We spent our time between restaurants, the jacuzzi, swim pool, shopping and the beach.

I feel at this moment very lovely, lucky and blessed. I’m trying to hold on to the feeling as long as I can, as real life faces me. As they say here, I’ve recharged my batteries.

As always, I hope this post finds you lovely, lucky and in love.

Julie

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My View of the Internet ~ by J. Angelos Lama

Posted on May 19, 2011 | 1 Comment
People back people more often than ideas.

♡ ㄥ❀∨モ ♥ People back people more often than ideas.

Hello readers and welcome back.

Nice to see you. Thank you for clicking here. Thank you to my regular readers who keep coming back to read my blog, that’s really sweet of you.

New readers, well welcome. I hope you enjoy it here.

Just for today, allow yourself to imagine what your life would be like if your hands and heart were to receive something better than what you are holding onto right now.

My favorite subjects are motivation and inspiration, yet today I’m writing about the amazing thing called The Internet. To get motivated to write this post, I had a look at the people who are visiting here and am still overwhelmed to see visitors from around the world. I have to choose my words well.

What I am trying to say is that I still am in awe of the world wide web ~ that the people reading these words right now in this moment are from all parts of the world.

I thought it would be a good idea to let you see what I can see from behind the scenes known as my stats. People who have recently visited my blog, in the last week came from

It’s a long list so skip down three paragraphs if you’d like!

Indonesia, Spain, Shaghai China, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, China, Germany, Tokyo, Japan, Fukuoka, Japan, Los Angeles, California, USA, France, Olymia Washington, USA, Central District, Hong Kong, Greece, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Marocco, Bologna, Italy, North Wales, Pennsylvania, USA.

Hello friends from Dublin, Ireland, Sweden, Nairobi, Kenya, Germany, Dulles, Virginia, USA,  Beijing, China, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, Haarlem, Noord-Holland, Netherlands, St. Louis, Santa Fe, Saint Paul, Wisconson, Luguria, Italy, Kelowna, British Columbia Canada, Cairo, Al Qahirah, Egypt, Russia, Portsmouth, United Kingdom.

I also have visitors from Nicosia, Cyprus, Aukland, New Zealand, New York, New York, USA, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Turin, Italy, Tehran, Esfahan, Iran, Islamic Repubic of, Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland, Parkersburg, USA, Cape Town, South Africa, Colombo, Sri Lanka, San Pablo, Philippines, Chiba, Japan, Doha, Ad Dawhah, Qatar, Albany and Milton in NY, Milan, Italy, Corona, Huntington Beach, Sacramento, Piano Texas, Florida, Denmark, Sheffield, United Kingdom, Burbank, California, USA, as well as Kagoshima, Japan.

I like the sound of this city: Clackamas, Oregon, as well as Portland. and even Inverkeithing, Fife, United Kingdom.

Of course, my home state, California visitors are always welcome. It makes me feel like I’m back home.

In fact, one of my friends from high school has read my blog from the middle of  Guam, Micronesia. It’s a dot in the middle of water. I know because I saw a flag on my visitor map in the middle of the water and I thought. How in the heck can someone be reading my blog from there?

Google services such as YouTube are blocked in places such as China, Bangladesh and Pakistan according to Alan Davidson at his MIT lecture I watched at the UTunes university education link.

I believe in you. I do.

I believe in you. I do.

Apparently Turkey has blocked You Tube because Greek activists had published an offending video against their government.

The point is I feel sort of lucky to have a blog. I get where google doesn’t. How crazy is that?

Sometimes I click on links and find out that they have been censored or not available in my region.

This is especially true for US television programming, like my long time favorite, David Letterman on CBS. Not ABC. He left ABC for CBS in the early 80s.

Still, I can’t watch his program here in Italy except on the internet and that bothers me.

I also don’t particularly like that I can listen to music on Pandora. When my sister called me and said there was a great channel on Pandora but I couldn’t hear the song.

What is empowering however is knowing you can be resourcesful and find your information in other ways.

You know that something is missing so you can go out and try to find it.

The greatest works of humanity are not necessarily available to everyone on the internet such as Google Book Search that has 13 million digitized books on line.

Now that the intoductions are over, hope you get to know eachother over time. In the mean I just wanted to offer you guys some resources for learning.

I believe that the only thing you will have all of your life is what you have learned along the way.

I believe that when you develop a love for learning your grades at school are going to go way up. I believe that having a positive outlook towards a subject your interested in is going to increase your chances of really getting the point.

I ♡ my cat. ✿◕ ‿ ◕✿

I ♡ my cat. ✿◕ ‿ ◕✿

I love to read your thoughts and learn from you. I don’t feel that I actually know much at all. I can figure things out though. I know if I have a question, I ask it. I wrote a list of things I want and put them in a little box in my wallet. I check them and most of them are true for me. For example, one says, to be a shining light of God’s light.

Another one says to ask for help when I need it. Another is my trip to see my folks. It’s all good stuff. It’s all good.

Thank you for dropping by. It’s nice to see you here. Feel free to leave your comments.

1. Have you ever been censored by something you have wanted to see on the internet?

2. Do you have a blog? Do you find that your visitors are linked to a geographic region or do they come from all over the world?

3. What’s your view on internet censorship, for example Facebook not being in available China or China having different seach results for things like the 1989 protest in Teneman Square?

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Posted in family, happiness, holidays

Building a Better Blog – You guys rock.

Posted on March 1, 2011 | 4 Comments

I’m so proud of my readers I’m turning the spotlight on you.

My heart is bursting with joy as I welcome you again to another pot of blog copy at jbulie’s blog. I have to share today how proud I am of my readers. They are all taking HUGE leaps and bounds towards their personal goals. It’s such a wonderful feeling to be part of that.

What I didn’t expect when I started this blog is the many thanks I am getting.

Choose HappinessWho would have known?

So much news to report all about you guys, my readers. I don’t even know where to start. Yesterday I had a chat with a friend of mine that I have known since I was a young kid. We were literally cracking each other up talking about our lives, our families and our progress on our blogs.

We pitched each other ideas and we got to the point of intense laughter. My idea was the hand in the video with the Mtv microphone interviewing myself about the success of my ebook Zero to Blog. I had the microphone decorated like a real mtv mic with lights, bells and whistles on it. And a puffy something or another.

Only problem was working out logistics since I make my own videos, I have to be the hand and the voice. We were laughing thinking how we are going to manage this on line from a distance. Maybe we can use a fake hand?

I’ll get my cat to prop it up on a pillow. Too bad the cat can’t talk.

Everyone’s starting to write, express themselves and make blogs.

It started with a friend of mine who is a runner. She sent me her article and asked me what I thought. I thought it was out of this world. She made a step of sharing. If you knew this girl and her story you would see what a big personal step that was for her. She’s a mom of five. Her running is her time for herself. She runs marathons. When I went on a diet, she’s the one who filled my inbox with health and fitness information. I love this girl. She is working on her personal growth and I am so very proud of her.

Then the blogs.

At LEAST four of my good friends who have read my book have talked about it and made positive steps on make their blogs more reader friendly and interactive, by asking for comments, by interacting with their visitors, by adding music, but adding of themselves. It’s a wonderful feeling to know I am somehow part of their process. We encourage each other. It’s like a fire under your buns. :)

OK, I have more and more and more to tell you about but life is calling me. I feel like I’m living life at the top of my game. I have my work, my family, video, my book, my blog, my friends, my mom’s new website and my clothes line going on.

OH AND two of my readers have a date this Saturday. Ah ah ah, life is good.

jb

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Pre Holiday Jitters ~ Is there a gift wrappers pre hab?

Posted on December 16, 2010 | 5 Comments

Hi guys and welcome to my blog.

Christmas Shiner

Christmas Shiner

How are you? How is everything going in your pre holiday worlds? Hope you are welcoming the upcoming season with joy in your hearts. I know we joke on facebook and in conversations that we feel like we can’t get it all done but at the same time, I think we know in our heart of hearts that it’s really all going to be okay. Are you with me?

It’s all about the journey, right? Hopefully we are enjoying it.

I’ve been thinking about this blog and why I started it. I haven’t yet quite figured it out. I’m almost certain it has to do with spontaneity. I believe some things are inexplicable, like where children come from and how plants grow. Also how wounds heal. Who would have known.

I can precisely remember when I got my first cut on my finger and I thought, oh no, now what. I’m going to have to live with a cut on my finger for the rest of my life.

It was my sister, Lisa, who explained to me that God made us in a way that we heal. I was sort of shocked. She explained how a cut would stop bleeding because the blood got harder, dried, made a scab and in a couple of days it would fall off.

you inspired in me as a small child

you inspired in me as a small child ♡

Wow!

Just like that!

When I hear things like that I just am awestruck. Sometimes I have a young student in class shout out something to the fact that they are non believers in God. I just couldn’t fathom a life without religion and belief. How else would we answer the questions about where babies come from and how wounds are healed.

How the Internet is Changing our Lives.

I think with access to information available to anyone with an internet connection and nearly immediately people just want to learn. I think they like to learn and like absorbing information.

When I was a kid I learned like a sponge. I’m a little bit slower to learn as I get older yet I think people love to learn.

What floors me.

What floors me is that the more I learn, the more I connect, and reconnect with my readers and old friends, I find that people generally have a loving attitude. I find that most of the information that is shared is out of a loving heart with good intentions.

That is the choice I made.

Well, that’s about all I got for now. I just wanted to leave you with a few quick thoughts. I’ve had some REALLY stressful last few days. I found myself stuck in traffic and in situations I didn’t want to be in. I felt uncomfortable at meetings I wished I wasn’t in. But at the end of the day I felt thankful.

I felt thankful for my job, for my family, for my house, for my car, for my friendships, for my blog, for the ability to communicate, for my health and the list goes on and on. I felt thankful for having a blog, being able to write and paint, having readers and having a creative outlet.

Hope this post finds you lovely, lucky and in love. Have a happy relaxed easy joyful pre holiday season.

Julie

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Christmas Music is in the Air

Posted on December 1, 2010 | 4 Comments

So I’m just going to start playing into the Christmas spirit with a fun light post. I’m endulging myself and my blog visitors.

Do you guys remember the song On the first day of Christmas?

Well, the countdown has begun. I like Christmas music. My favorite Christmas song is All I want for Christmas by Mariah Carey.

I’ve made a CD I play for the kids in the car on the way to school and work that includes Jingle Bells, White Christmas and all of the classics. The kids LOVE the Alvin and the Chipmunks version. I also like Jingle Bell Rock that was sung by Linday Lohan in Mean Girls.

There are so many beautiful songs for Christmas. What’s your favorite? I’d like to hear.

Have a happy day.

Julie

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Time flies when you’re having fun.

Posted on December 1, 2010 | 8 Comments

If you miss love, you miss life. ♡

Hey guys, thanks for stopping by my blog to check in on what is going on in my part of the woods. I appreciate the click. I haven’t written I believe for a couple of weeks although I still see a steady stream of visitors clicking over here. So thank you.

How ARE you? What is up? ‘Tsup out there?

I’m starting to freak out that Christmas is around the corner. First of all, can we just all agree that the Christmas decorations in the stores go up WAY too early? I know I’ve seen them since Halloween. It seems somewhere or another I catch a glimpse of how many days are left until Christmas. This countdown number is helpful and stressful.

I just LOVE the Christmas season yet I put a lot of pressure on myself as a mom and wife to make the season special. This includes the magic touches that I think make all of our lives special: cool decorations, candles, the Christmas tree, the lights, the pressies, the perfumes, the food and the music.

I am getting rid of the old to make room for the new.

That’s always a joy and a challenge. My kids seem to be growing WAY too fast. I keep hugging them to try to keep them from growing but they just squeeze by. I try to be a good mom and every day seem to fall short of that goal. I don’t know HOW my mom did it. It just seems like you need an ENDLESS amount of patience.

It also seems like there is NO knowing when the joy or sorrow moments are going to come. They just happen so you have to be ready for them. I suppose I can say this is teaching me to be a bit more elastic. I remember in my young single days living in my rent control apartment in Santa Monica how I liked everything just so. I liked to alphabetize my spices. I liked to have my clothes in my closet divided by type and color.

Ha ha ha.

{Those were the days my friend.}

We thought they’d never end. I remember my mom sang that when we were little in a play she was in. We have always been involved in theater and art. How wonderful.

I think the most wonderful thing about being a kid was seeing my mom’s art on the walls. In one of her classes she copied a Picasso. It was so cool to see the picture on the wall painted from different perspectives. In some way I think that gave me courage to pursue painting.

When I’m in the classroom, I like to tell the kids that we are ALL artists. We are ALL creative. God made us that way. I think anyone can do anything they set their minds out to do. It just takes will, patience and perhaps repetition.

You Can Do Anything

You can learn to paint, speak another language, construct houses, construct cities, cook, program, play ANY sport, even solving puzzles with a bit of conviction. I believe in you. I know you can do it if you set your mind to it.

What would you like to do if you could? I was thinking about learning how to knit a scarf for Christmas. Ha ha! As if I have time. :) In the mean time, I hope this little post finds you smiling, lovely, appreciative, lucky and in love.

Have a wonderful day and God bless.

Julie

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