Dove Chocolate Challenge Day # 81 " Dream in real time." Lisa / Atlanta, GA

Hey ya'll! :)

Today has been a pretty good day! A productive day. Well, I mean, I didn't do too much or get that much accomplished, but I was certainly on my way! The house is cleaner, I sent in another application to a casting call, took a nap, watched a little bit of t.v., but mostly took a nap, and it's been a calm day. Albeit the blown tire, although I wasn't in the car when this happened because Brian was driving, but this little piece of news still tried to put a damper in my day, but it didn't succeed! :) I'm glad that Brian is okay. Nothing major. Praise God.

Well, I guess lately, my own prayer for myself is that I become more practical, more grounded, stable, rational, whatever you wanna call it. Since working the front desk at Joel's Place, I've had many kids come up to me and just download their life on me, they tell me things, worries, fears, hurts, and things such as that. And I've noticed that lots of times their fears and worries or rationalities really are just that, irrational and not true! It's a mental state of being, and it's a harmful state of being to be living in when you cannot connect poing A to point B when your destination is point Z. It's a hard knock life. Or does it have to be? I mean, sure, yes, there are things that happen that are out of our control,  and there's nothing we can do about it, but what we do have control over is our thought process. We have the amazing ability to sort through truths and lies, darkness from light, black from white, concrete from abstract, and stable ground from shaky ground. But the thing is that we actually have to take the time* (notice, I said time* which = effort), to actually sort through our thoughts, to separate the laundry in our head into the right colors that way when we throw it in, we don't accidentally throw in a pink thought into the laundry and have all of our sorted white thoughts result in ultra uber pink instead. Confusion, is the main cause of fears and worries, or the beginnings of them. Irrational thoughts lead to irrational fears, which intern lead to unrealistic expectations, maybe even no expectations, and ultimately to an irrational and irresponsible life. And usually when this happens, people are the victims of their own thoughts, their irrational, unhealthy thoughts. That's why I strongly believe that everybody has a voice, and everyone's voice must be heard by others. It's so important to have accountability, I cannot stress that enough, or just simply a listening ear, but if you seclude yourself, then your in for a whole lotta doo-dah. But anyway...I think it's important for kids to be heard, infact, for everybody to be heard, because sometimes, our thoughts can get the best of us (where do you suppose anxiety comes from? From the compiling fears through the thoughts that we bring on ourselves. Yes. Anxiety is self-made, which is sad to say. And yes, I've struggled with it. Not fun). But anyway...back to the point, everybody needs to be heard, whether that is by blog, by friends, by family, by counseling, by therapy, or by whatever healthy means. It's important for human beings to bounce ideas and thoughts off of each other, and that's where accountability comes in, if someone hears you say something wacky, they can let you know and they can subtly point out where you're wrong, or  thinking unclear, or irrationally. It's important, because fears start with irrationalities, those stupid irrational thoughts. That's how people can go off-the-wall, simply bonkers, crazy, is when their irrational thoughts and dreams take over and become their self-made reality. And that, ladies and gents, is a scary place to live out of. It really is. But anyway...that is my dream, and my prayer for myself, is that my thoughts be clear, rational, black and white, and that I may have the discernment to know the difference between truth and lies, traps and freedom, darkness and light, and genuine things such as that. I guess wisdom would be the alternate word for all of this, to acquire common sense and wisdom. Have you ever heard of the quote that common sense ain't so common? Well, it's true, and I guess that one day I want others to say of me, "there goes a girl with some common sense in her." That's what I want to be said of me. And when I'm working at such a place such as Joel's Place, I want to be able to be that solid rock that the kids can rely on when they bring their irrational thoughts up to me, I want to be that person that can organize rational thoughts vs. irrational thoughts and be able to distil and ease others' fears. I want to be that rock solid foundation that they can lean on, humanly speaking to the best of my abilites. But ultimately, I have a solid rock, and he ain't human. (I bet that will make some of you wonder what the heck I'm talking about, but some of you will definitely know what I mean). ;)

Well guys,

I better get a goin'

It's late.

Love Your Fellow Chocolatier,


P.S., Can I say a little prayer for you (myself included)? I hope that your irrational thoughts and fears will be washed away, and that you will be able to begin this day or the next with a clean slate on your mind, one with the true reality, apart from your irrational reality. I pray that you recieve clarity of mind, clarity of thought, and that you have a great day ahead of you! That your thoughts will be able to connect from point A to point B, and ultimately along the way to point Z.

Goodnight childrens or good morning depending on where you are! :)

Dove Chocolate Challenge Day # 80" Smile - you ARE amazing!" Donna / Dunmore, PA

Hey ladies and gents!

 Hope you've had an AMAZING day!

Today, I woke up around 11am (I could not get out of bed), and I got ready as quick as I could for call time for the play (I'm in "The Miracle Worker). And of course, I dragged Brian out of bed, it took me 15 minutes to get him up! That boy is a log and a half! Shout, pull, anything, he is just a log and when he finally woke up, I said, "Brian, we have to go!" and he replied, "where?"  ...apparently all of the other times were just sleep talking conversations.

So, the day went by in pretty much this order;

• Acted in "The Miracle Worker"
• Saw Emma and Steve @ Miracle Worker (Emma didn't recognize me at first cause I wore a brown wig).
• Stopped by Subway *Eat Fresh!  :)
• Stopped by the gas station, bought cheap tickets to the movie theater
• Thought it would be a great idea to invite Mark to come along (we love him).
• Went back home, lounged around. Just chillaxed, watched the tube.
• Went to The Well (church)
• Ate awesome Thanksgiving leftovers (yummy yummy yummy there's a party in my tummy).
• Had a good conversation at The Well, lots of clarity.
• And the evening ended well with a movie night with Mark as we watched "Tangled." (Such a great family movie! I LOVE THE HORSE! (For those of you who've seen this movie, you'll totally understand why I said that). :)
• And so the day ended, and it was just a good day. An awesome day, an amazing day!

Well, today's quote says "Smile - you ARE amazing!" (I actually have a smirk on my face right now), but not so much because I'm "amazing," but because I feel so loved by my friends an family and they are what give me confidence, and they are the amazing part of my life. They make life interesting, full, fulfilling, fun, and worthwhile.

Love you guys!

Your Sleepy Fellow Chocolatier

P.S., I was so tired yesterday that I took a nap (and I didn't blog). I asked Brian to wake me up in an hour so that I would blog but he said, "I know how you are when you wake up." And I replied, "no, I'll wake up because I know that I need to blog), and then off course, when he went to wake me up, I was sleepy, grouchy, and I fell back asleep in a twinkling of an eye. Needless to say, the blog didn't happen.

So there was my lesson learned, never take "naps" when I need to blog. Just blog, and then geddyon up to bed.

Well, night nigtht loves!

Dove Chocolate Challenge Day # 79 "Remember, mistakes make life interesting." Nancy / Burgoon, OH

Hey ya'll!!! :)

 Happy Thanksgiving once again!

I'm not sure if I'm repeating a quote today because it sounds familiar, but I'm not so sure if I've used it before. Eh, it's getting to that stage where I can repeat quotes once again after 78 blog enterees. :) But let's hope I don't have to repeat too much. :)

Well! I had a great Thanksgiving! I spent it with my family and it was just amazing. We had a really chill time, just hung out with each other, ate, and simply enjoyed each other's presence. It was a very much enjoyed holiday and I have lots to be thankful for.

Oh, I know I didn't blog last night, I mean, c'mon guys! It was Thanksgiving! :) I figured that I lived far away from my family and that I don't get to see them much often, so the blog could wait until the next day. I just wanted to spend every moment I could get with my loved ones. I don't wanna miss a thing. Actually, I think that's a good rule of thumb, to have no blog days be okay on national holidays and family trips where there is no internet or time to blog. Other than that, I am tied, and I have-ta blog every single day. :)

But yes, I had a wonderful Thanksgiving day, and I just miss my family more and more now. I am so thankful for them. Each and every one of them.

Well, during Thanksgiving, I made a couple of mistakes, I showed up right before serving time and started making my famouse "Tzaziki" cucumber dipping sauce, and I basically worked on that thing half an hour into family meal time, everybody kept telling me to drop it and just come and eat, which eventually I did after I finished making it,. The lesson here is to prepare the food beforehand, say, the day before, not the minute of.
...And of course, there were other such similar lessons. Like showing up an hour late to another Thanksgiving party at mom's house, we thought we wouldn't miss much, but boy we sure did. We missed the family time. The eating around the table. I was pretty bummed about that. Sure there were left overs, but I don't really care too much about the left overs as much as I do about having missed out on family time. Bummer. You see, usually, mom's house and eatin' meals is notorious for starting late, but this time around, when we thought, "oh, they'll start late," they actually started on time, and we missed it! So the lesson there is to not make assumptions, but to call and find out and things such as that.

Well, but those mistakes sure did add some flavor to my day, but I definitely learned from them. And they made life a little interesting, maybe too chaotic for me.

Well guys,

I am going to sleep. Plain and simple.

Ta ta for now!

Sweet Dreams,

Love Your Fellow Chocolatier

P.S., Have you allowed room for any mistakes lately? :)

Dove Chocolate Challenge Day # 78 "Remember to exhale." Debbie / Pollock Pines, CA

Hey fellow blog readers! :)

 HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! (It's 1:13 A.M)., so even though I'm blogging for November 24th because my day hasn't ended, I'm gonna take the liberty to wish you this holiday's blessings! :) I hope you enjoy your time with your family (people who share your blood or who you would give your blood for).  :)

I am ready for some gobble-gobble time. Turkey. Yum. And I'm thankful for my friends, my family, my husband, and for just life in general. Good stuff I tell ya. :)

Well, although I've had the last 3 days off, I can't wrap my head together to organize and clean, the house in all of it's glorious messiness is completely overwhelming me. So...I guess today's quote fits perfectly, "remember to exhale," and this is something that I need to do exactly right now! :)

Everything will be alright, and just need to remember to take it a little bit at a time, minute by minute, moment by moment, day by day, and I just need to exhale a little here and there. :)

Well ya'll

Have a terrific holiday!

I wish you many blessings and much peace!

-Your Festive Fellow Chocolatier

P.S., I now have my own computer on which I am blogging on right now! Yeah! My friend said I could have her broken computer, and my husband fixed it! Yeah! So be expecting the photo of the day to come back again soon! :)

Dove Chocolate Challenge Day # 77 "Someone is thinking of you right now." Lisa / Morristown, NJ

I hope so. I hope someone is thinking of me. :)

Hi guys,

I've had an okay day today, and a pretty crappy evening. Relationship issues. That's all I'm gonna say.

I am just super frustrated right now. I just want to beat someone up. lol. I'm just blowing some steam right now. So no worries.

Well, today was another no work, no school day due to the dangerous road conditions. I tell ya what, some people just don't know how to relax. They drive me nuts. My husband included. He's a type of guy that can't sit still, so you'd think he'd be happy for a day off, but nooo, not him. He's the antsy type. He's definitely not a homebody, but I definitely am. So we drive each other crazy when we're at home together. Ugh.

But that's marriage, right?

Well guys,

I really don't have much to say today other than I hope you've had a good day today, and I hope you don't bite at each others necks, whether that's you and your friends, you and your family, or you and your spouse and kids. Have patience with each other, after all, you've got quite a journey in life ahead of you. So have grace towards one another, (believe me, haha, it's not easy, but it's possible, so I'm learning!!!).

K guys,

And to all a good night.

Love Your Fellow Chocolatier

P.S., I am curious, how do you handle your relationship issues / annoyances? And what do you do to calm down?

Dove Chocolate Challenge Day # 76 "Don't covet; compliment and aspire." Victoria / Alexandria, VA

Hey guys!

Today has been quite an interesting day! I woke up to a text message from my boss saying that we should all stay home and take the day off because of the dangerous road conditions. Today, Fairbanks, Alaska woke up to an ice storm / freezing rain. It was extremely slick out today, or as my husband says, "slicker than frog snot on a frosted door knob." Now a friend of the family said that as he was driving to Fairbanks, (Delta and Fairbanks are 98 miles apart), he said he saw around 30 cars sitting in the ditch that have slid off the road, and on the way back, he said he stopped counting. And he also saw a school bus that was flipped over. Now that's dangerous. So yep, today everything was canceled. Play practice, school, and work were all canceled due to the dangerous road conditions. Crazy. It's still storming outside (raining in the middle of November in Alaska!!!), and the bad thing is that GVEA (Golden Valley Electric) has issued a warning that the electricity may even go out city wide if the power lines get too weighed down. That's no bueno because those who don't have other forms of heating, such as wood stoves will have a lot of trouble with the frightening cold. It's scary to be without heat in Alaska winters. :(

But anyway, today was just a leisurely day, a perfect day for catching up; did all of the laundry and washed all of the dishes, and even watched a little bit of 'The Nanny.'  :) Today was a pretty chill day. I enjoyed it. So Brian and I took the liberty of walking in the freezing rain, outside is like an ice rink. At first I really didn't go, but my husband (I think) has a caffeine addiction, he drinks soda and rock stars ALL THE TIME, and he wouldn't listen to common sense that says, "don't go outside in crazy weather," and so he wanted to drive at first, and I wouldn't let him, no way jose, esepecially since we live top of a hill, and it's icy going down it. So, we walked to the gas station to get him a rock star. Yep. Crazy. But you know what, besides slipping the entire way down there, it was quite refreshing outside. The air just felt moist. It felt nice, not like the  usual crisp and dry air we have here on a day to day basis, and it's also especially warm outside. But, I certainly did not enjoy slipping the entire way down, I can't image cars driving in this weather, and there were some that were even speeding! On our way back up we saw 3 car pile ups that weren't there just a minute ago. Again, crazy!

So we walked back home, chilled out at the house for about 1/2 an hour and then we went back out and walked down to the Sourdough Cafe, and it was delicious. Nothing like some soup and a grilled tea sandwich to top off the evening on an icy day. It was perfect. And to top it off, I had lemon tea, and it was delicious! So after dinner, we walked home and had for the most part a pretty good evening. And now I am ready to go to bed.

About today's quote, "don't cove, compliment and aspire." Well...I'm an actress, certainly aspiring, but I don't like to use that word. :) But I sometimes get envious of other actors' progress, sometimes looking at other people's resumes overwhelms me because I realize that I still have quite a bit to go. Amateur would be the word. But, when I really think about it, I am on my own journey, and my experience is exactly that, my own. My road to being a successful actress looks different than other roads taken by actors. I am uniquely me, and my expriences are uniquely my own, and they will unquiely get me to where I need to be. The goal is in not giving up and not losing sight of the goal. So, whenever I meet an actor that has more experience then me, my advice to myself is to ask for wisdom and advice from the actor, and to try to learn from their mistakes and successes. I want to be the gal that compliments and aspires. I want to wear that attitude. It's certainly more attractive. :) So don't covet, and aspire. What great advice. Just perfect.

So, today has been all in all a pretty good day and now I am looking forward to a pretty good night. Oh, and sorry for not blogging yesterday. That's a first for me. I had such a depressing and horrible evening yesterday that I just kind of gave up, I was very sad and extremely exhausted, so I plopped in bed and fell asleep and I didn't blog, I just had no energy to. But today has been a new day, and things have changed. And now I'm okay. :) No worries.

Well guys,

Have a blessed night!

Love Your Fellow Chocolatier <3

P.S., Brian pretty much inhaled my entire bag of caramel Dove Chocolates. Infact, there's none left, he ate them all. Remind me to buy the dark chocolates next time around (he doesn't like those that much, and they'll stick around longer). So now I have all of these wrappers with quotes, but no chocolates. Gotta love my husband. lol.

Dove Chocolate Challenge Day # 75 "Take chances and risks - they are worth it!" Robin / Mount Holly, VT

Why hello there!

 I thought I wasn't going to be able to blog (I decided to just lay my head down for a very little, little while, and I ended up dozing off. So, if I wasn't woken up by husband (I am a light sleeper and if so much as a twig budges I wake up), I would have slept right through today's blog.

So...I have a dilemma...Yes, I do. I just realized that I've done it, I over booked myself. And this time it happens to be between my choir Christmas perforamance and my play! I thought I would be able to miss a dress rehersal, but I thought wrong. :( You see, this upcoming week is hell week for the play, which in the theater world means that you can't miss a day if your life depended on it because it's opening weekend. BUT, this week is also the ultimate rehersal time for choir, and If I don't make it, then I won't be able to sing at the Christmas concert...what to do, what to do? I don't want to be half-hearted at any one of them, but that's how it's turning out to be, if I can't be there 100% for one, I can't be there for the other. So now I have to chose, unless I call around and find a miracle by chance. Bummer. :(

I really don't like this kind of stuff...it makes me sad, and a bit anxious, (a bad kind of anxious), because I'm already so emotionally attached to both things and on both sides the people are like family. This really sucks. It just really does. Yep. So, we shall see what will go down in the next couple of days, I am currently weighing my options. And tomorrow (well later on today actually), I will have to make some phone calls.

Welcome to my lovely world of decisions. It seems to me that I'm learning a lesson here...and I'm not so sure that I'm liking it. No, actually not at all, but lesson is definitely learned. Ditto.

My brother told me a Russian phrase maybe about a month ago when I was talking about double majoring in music and film. He quoted, "If a hunter trys to hunt two rabbits at the same time (if you chase two things), that he will end up getting none." So basically, it's best to pursue just one thing and to get quite good at it, because if you chase two, you won't get either. Yeah. Sad, but true, as I'm learning anyhow.

Well guys, atleast I don't have to make any decisions from now until tomorrow afternoon, so I'm going to go take my sweet time and enjoy my one day off, and then, back to reality.

Love your Fellow, double-booked, Chocolatier

And Peace to you and good night.

Sweet dreams!

P.S., How ironic today's quote is! Take chances and risks, they are worth it!

Dove Chocolate Challenge Day # 74 "A bubble bath can matter more than a clean kitchen." Susan / Mechanicsville, Va

Hi guys

Today has been a super stressful day. Very stressful. All sorts and kinds of emotions. Not fun.

I've been upset, depressed, cried, laughed, and all together, after a soup of emotions have become exhausted. On top of that, I worked a full shift today.

Basic words; relationship issues. And let's leave it at that. I'm not one to gossip.

But anyway, I quite agree with today's quote, a bubble bath can matter more than a clean kitchen. Something that has the power and ability to give you R&R is well worth the effort. I am an avid believer in de-stressing and relaxation. I believe that laziness does a bit good for the soul once in a great while. Just relax, go back to yester-year, throw all of your problems and cares aside, and burry yourself into a warm bath or comfy bed. And, eat a chocolate while your at it.

Although a bath does sound like a grand idea, I think I will actually opt out for the bed. I am tired. Very tired. And really I'm just ready to close the book on today's chapter and call it a night.

Well beauties and beasts,

I am off to tra-la-la-la land. ZZZzzzz

-Your very wearied Fellow Chocolatier

P.S., on the bright side, tomorrow is a new day, with new opportunities. I am looking forward to it, and to a good night's rest as well.

Goodnight sweets!

Dove Chocolate Challenge Day # 73 "Go out for adventure, go home for love." Ann / Pittsburgh, PA

Hey guys!

 I'm back!!! :) And now I finally have internet access again.Whoo! :)

Oh I had such a fantastic time!


I went to California for a casting call for the movie, "Picture Me Blue No More," and I visited my family, which I haven't seen in 3 years. The casting call went great, and visiting my family was just refreshing (the best, I haven't seen them in such a long time, and I've missed them so). It was awesome to just get a week off in the middle of my hectic schedule and spend time with my family (feel like I'm repeating myself over and over, lol), and it was just great to get a little vacation smack dab in the middle of everything. It was a God send, definitely.

I'm going to post what I did in bullet point

•  $200 ticket there and back (score!)
• Arrived in Cali, Sacramento (so warm!!!)
• Dad met me at the airport big hug (love my daddy's hugs)
• Hung out with mom and dad, watched a movie, saw my brother (big big hug)
• Dad showed me off to all of his people at work (he's an auto mechanic) and I met his next door auto mechanic neighbor and apparently, he's known me since I was little, and he had a picture that I drew hanging up in his shop (I drew it when I was like 10),  I gave the pic to my dad, his neighbor saw it, and he made a copy of it and gave it to him (it was super cool to see!). I was definitely surprised.
• Hung out with my sister's kids (loved every minute of it!) and spent the night. Gave my sis a big hug.
• Hung out with my brother's kids (so fun) and loved every minute of it too. :)
• Mom, Dad and I drove to Los Angeles for my audition. Loved the drive. Wouldn't trade that time I spent with them for anything. :)
• Stayed at a super duper expensive hotel (for a cheap deal) ...$400 a night, we got it for $50 (I've gots connections).  :) 
• Ate an apple fritter and o.j. at a donut shop with my ma and pa :)
• Casting call went really well.
• Before audition, rode in the elevator with author, pretty cool.
• Soaked up the California sun in 80* weather on the beach next to the Santa Monica Pier
• Got a tan! (Score!)  :) A tiny one though. But still! Victory! Hahaha ;)
• Drove back to Sacramento with mom and dad, love the city, love the country side (California has a lot of country side).
• Loved the warm dark nights (in Alaska, dark means cold, cause dark skies only happen in the winter, and in the summer, we have 24/7 daylight).
• Spent more time with my family
• Saw my best friend and her new little baby. :)
• Ate awesome chinese food with her on top of a skyscraper.
• Finished my time in California, said our goodbyes for now. Teared up. Hugged. (I miss them so).
• Had a great flight back, smooth flight, smooth lay over, met people I knew, chatted it up.
• Ate ice cream. Yum.
• Watched Ramona and Beezus on the Digitel (very cute movie) and on the way to Cali I watched Despicable Me (which was hi-larious!!!!)
• Came home, husband picked me up. BIG HUG! (I've actually missed the guy!) Whaddya know! ;)  He's gonna read this thus the hint of sarcasm. ;) I love him.
• Came home to roses and sparkling cider awaiting me on the table (made me smile). 10,000 brownie points right there. :)
• Came home to love. 
• Had the time of my life, and the best of both worlds.

Well guys,

I basically told you what happened in very short terms. :) But now it's time for me to go to bed. I went out for adventure and came home for love (although both places are home, I consider so anyway). :) Home is where the heart is. And my heart is torn between Cali and Alaska. Family is where the home is, for me. :)

Goodnight friend,

Love Your Fellow Chocolatier

Dove Chocolate Challenge Day # 72 "Well-behaved women rarely make history." Chrislynn / Yelm, WA

Hey guys!

Sorry I couldn't blog yesterday, I didn't have any internet access! I'm visiting my family in California and I'm staying with my mom and dad. :) I've missed them so. It's so good to see them! I'm so happy right now! :D So yeah, for the next 5 days my blogs my not be day to day depending on the internet access (right now I'm at my sister's house and she has internet). So it puts a tiny little dint in my everyday blog writing, but I'm visiting my family, so who cares? :) The 365 day deadline can wait a couple of days, right? :)

Well, today I've been at my sister's house all day. I'm blogging from her computer as we speak and there's a little grey kittin flustering in the papers behind me (he's so cute!). It's like a little fur ball (the fur is so soft, it reminds me of a baby chick's). So, I've had a very fun, relaxing and leisurely day at my sister's house today. I've been playing with my four year old niece and my 1 year old nephew (they are adorable!). I've been holding them all day (how many times does their aunty get to hold them? I mean, I only live in Alaska...long ways away). So yeah, today has just been fun. We've been drinking tea (this is my third time drinking green tea today, I love tea time), and I played hop scotch with my niece and we swung on the swings, rode on the bikes, walked around, and fed the chickens. Yes, chickens. :) Did you know that what ever color legs the chicken has is the color of eggs it's going to lay? I did not know that! So cool! My sister told me that today! Very neat little fact. I was like, really? I was definitely amused. For sure. The cat is messing with my shoe right now, I just want to pack it in my purse and bring it to Alaska with me.

Well, we're about to have a quick dinner soon, and then off to my brother's house we go. We're all gonna pack in the car and drive over there (I'm so excited by I get to see his kids too!). I am definitely a proud auntie. :)

So, I really love today's quote. It rocks. It's true, well-behaved women rarely make history. Take Amelia Earhart, she was a strange one for her times, she wore pants, and she flew planes, she was the outcast of her society, and yet she made history. And another favorite radical of my, Mother Teresa, that women was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!! Her simple acts of kindess and laying down her life for others had changed millions of lives! This woman was a radical lover (I'm reading her biography right now, it's very neat, definitely a recommended read). She loved every human soul that she came in contact with. I hope to be like her. I want to have that loving quality. Anyway, women like these had changed the world.

But you know who also changes the world? Moms. Yep. In my opinion, mother are beautiful. Being a mom takes a lot of strength, vitality, life-sacrificing love (like mother Teresa), and tons of patience. Moms basically give up their life for their kids. So if you ever come across a women with disheveled hair and tiny kids running around, respect her, because she is a mother, and she is making a difference in this world. She could be doing her own thing you know, but instead, she sacrifices her love to take care of others, very needy little others, and it's nature's most beautiful thing I must say (as I'm looking at my niece who's eating a Mike 'n Ike popsicle. LOL).

Anyway, I've been hanging out with my sister all day and her kids. The love of a mother is beautiful. And my sister is a beautiful woman, inside and out. She is very loving and caring. And her kids adore her. They give the biggest smiles when they see her. :) I love it. And you know what? She is making history you know? She is changing the world as we speak. And she is making the world a better and safer place. She is my hero. Mothers are my heroes. As well as fathers. :) (I love my dad).

And to you dear reader, if you have ever raised a child, or parented a kid, foster or not, or even if you're a day, I want to congratulate you and thank you for doing you part to make the world a better place, because without your love a child wouldn't have made it out alive in this world. Thank you for your sacrifice, thank you for your love.

Well,

I better get going, I don't want to miss a moment of spending time with my family.

We're about to eat some yummy ice cream.

Ok ya'll,

Have an excellent and tasty night!

Much Love,

-Fellow Chocolatier

P.S., here's a link to my sister's business, it's actually pretty cool, check it out if you want, she sells all kinds of natural make-up, cleaning products, vitamins, body care, and super cool accessories. Visit; www.amway.com/mpetv and enter this IBO# 5930883 (And you can even start your own business package, I think I might even do so myself! Tjey've got some cool stuff).


Ok guys and dolls!

Goodnight! :)

Dove Chocolate Challenge Day # 71 "Be yourself. You are wonderful just as you are." Sue / Mount Tabor, NJ

HEY!!! :)

Well, I'm not gone yet, but I will be! I leave in the a.m! Whaaa-hooo!!

So today was kinda sporadic. I guess. I missed class, e-mailed everyone last minute to let them know I'm not gonna be here, went to work, helped a friend who got locked out of her house, and mostly just doing little things here and there just trying to make sure that I have a comfortable flight tomorrow. Trying to pack ahead of time (I'm pretty much all packed, yesss!!!) Well, so far so good, I guess my mind is more sporadic than my day because I'm just going all over the place with checking mental check lists off in my head, all of my to-dos).

Well, I've been practicing my Posh Savannah Southern Accent (the character I'm auditioning for has a Savannah Accent, so I'm practicing every opportunity that I get). So far so good, I've practiced my accent on a few people and they've all said that it's pretty darn good. Yeah! That's good to hear! I'm even catching myself actually talkin' Southern here and there totally by accident. Pretty cool.

Well, this week will be fun and I will be anxious. I am exicted to see my family which I haven't seen in 3 years and I'm super excited about auditioning. I don't know what to think. I'm going to study my character, accent, and auditioning techiniques book as much as possible while in flight tomorrow. And the best thing for me to remember right now is that I just need to be myself, because if they auditioners will like me, then they better like me just as I am. The point of acting isn't to be out of yourself, but to be completely yourself with a different spin on it. You can't separate yourself from you character, there will always be a little piece of you shining through, and if you try to make it too foreign from yourself, then it will be just that, foreign. And weird, and awkward. You've got to include you in the process. That's the key ingredient.

Well guys,

Off I go, I better pack up my last little bit. Say a prayer or two for me!

Good night now,

-Your very excited Fellow Chocolaier

P.S., Be yourself. You are wonderful just as you are.

And hey, check this video out, this girl is amazing!



Here are some more cool videos to watch;

Dove Chocolate Challenge Day # 70 "Drink champagne, wear a tiara, use the good china." Susan / Mechanicsville, VA

Why hello there, (imagine me saying this in a 'Posh Savannah Accent." :)

Well, today has been kind of nerve wrecked for me. Yes. It has been.

Short story; on Saturday I received an e-mail from Onyx Pearl, the casting company for the upcoming movie, "Picture Me Blue No More," and they said that my resume was reviewed and that I am invited to audition. This is super exciting!

But imagine me seeing that e-mail, and realizing that hey, I live in Alaska, and you know what? This audition happens to be in Los Angeles, California..Yeah....quite a ways away. I'm flattered that they liked me and that they chose me for an invitation to audition, but those three thousand miles are just not gonna cut it. You know what I mean? ..Well..I prayed about it, thought about it, and then so Brian and I started really looking into actually buying a ticket, one word, e-x-p-e-n-s-i-v-e! BUT! I posted that I got accepted on facebook and asked my friends if they would like to support me or help me, and one of my friends who lives in L.A. said that she would house me, and I got a lot of encouraging comments. Well, I thought, Hmmm, this is a step. But then, I called my dad and let him know the situation, and I let him know that Brian and I were considering coming, and I asked my pops if he would do me the honor of driving me out there (cause my parents live around 8 hours from L.A). And without giving it a second thought, my dad said, yes, definitely, absolutely, and he told me that he would check around and call me later. And he certainly did call me later, to let me know that a cheap ticket was bought for me for $200.00 there and back (my uncle works at the airport, so we gots connections), and he said that hotel booking are on the way. I was kind of at a loss for words. I honestly didn't think this was possible. In fact, I've been nervous all day. You see, not only would I be going to the great city of Los Angeles, but I will also be seeing my family, which I haven't seen in years. This is very nerve wrecking for me, but exciting all at the same time, but most definitely more currently leaning toward the nerve wrecking side of things. A). I had to talk to my boss, my teachers, co-workers and all of the above to ask if I could go, (everything is clear and good to go), and B.) I didn't believe that this would actually happen. And C.) I've been eating all day out of nervousness (which is a bad habit, one that I don't usually attend to, only on rare occasions such as today).

So, that's that. I've been packing all night, and soon I will be off and about. I don't know what to think. I want to be excited, but I think the right word to describe me at the current state is anxious. So pray for me. I'll need it. In fact,y I need it now.

Well guys, off I go, wish me blessings.

I better get to bed, this little nervous wreck I am.

-Your very anxious and jittery Fellow Chocolatier

P.S., Dreams really do come true, and anything is possible is you believe. Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you'll land upon the stars. I'm gonna shoot for getting a supporting role for a major picture film, and even if I don't get it, I will still have the pleasure of spending time with my beloved family which I am anxious to see because I haven't seen them in years! :)

G'night!

Say a prayer or two for me. K. Thanks! :)

P.P.S., I've been so busy spilling out about my day that I forgot to blog about today's quote. Well, I guess today really matches the quote in a way because I have something to celebrate. I can bring out the champagne, wear a tiara, and use the good china. But, since I don't drink, and I don't have a tiara, I think I'll stick to using my good china, which I do often (we tried paper plates this summer, they don't last long). :) So break out the china my friends, break it out, and celebrate each day of your life, because each day is unique and different, and the time you have to spend today will be gone forever tomorrow, it will not longer be, so marvel in this thing called life, marvel in today, for today, right now, this very moment as we speak, is your only opportunity. So take joy it it, take pride in in, and make something of it, even if it's something bad, allow it to turn into something useful and good. But remember, that you are alive. And I am happy that your are. :)

Well, here's a little music video to conclude today's day. (I used to blare this song loud on the radio when I would go on road trips). I love this song. :)



Oh, and by the way, just want to give a shout out to my husband, thanks Brian for believing in me. I love you. Your a good man.

Dove Chocolate Challenge Day # 69 "You do not have to clean like your mother." Heather / Carleton, MI

Hey peeps! :)

So guess what I did all day? Yep, you betcha...I cleaned! All day long!

Well, I may have taken a break or two in between, but yes, I cleaned all day! :)

Now granted the entire house isn't spotless, but it's definitely a lot cleaner than it has been for awhile (we haven't been doing our 30 minute cleans for about two weeks now). I feel accomplished. :)

So now, I am sitting on the couch with Brian, blogging, chewing on a halls (think I'm comin' down with some sniffles), watching a family friendly tv show and ready to retire for the night.

Well, today's quote was quite perfect for today and Brian ate the Dove of the day instead of me (we're on the caramel kind and he likes those best, they remind him of caramellos, his favorite candy bar. Yum (I happen to like them too), but yeah, today Brian ate my Dove Chocolate of the day and it happened to fit the day quite nicely. I don't have to clean like my mother, that's good to know, my mom pretty much tears the house apart and it looks like a tornado has hit, (which is essential to cleaning process), and then she puts things away nicely. You see, it's import to sort through things like that, to actually go through them and not just sweep stuff into the closet and let it pile to have a "clean appearance." So the tornado process is essential to sorting. And even though I don't have to clean like my mother, I think I did anyway. :) It happens.

I hope you've had a great day!

I wish you a peaceful and restful night! :)

Your Fellow Chocolatier

And you know what? Today I spent the entire day in my pajamas. It was glorious. ;)

P.S., Was watching a little bit of T.V and I thought that this was super cool, check it out if you want sometime, "Diary of Jay-Z: Water for Life." This is a really cool documentary about raising support and awareness for building wells in 3rd world countries. Kudos to Jay-Z. Very cool.

Dove Chocolate Challenge Day # 68 "Never let negative people bring you down." Carol / Palmyra, VA

Why hello there! :)

 Today way busy! But great all at the same time. :) Clocks are set back right now, so now it's 1:28am, but *without setting time back, it's 2:28 (so I am definitely sleepy). It's late. But right now Brian and I are hanging out at Mark's house having movie night. We are watching Fantastic Mr. Fox and it's pretty fantastic! I would say so! :) Is it all stop motion? Anyway, it's pretty great. I'm enjoying it, neat movie. :)

Well today was an extremely busy day at work. Lots of kids, lots of skate boards, lots of bmx bikes, and most of the candy sold. As you can imagine, all of the above call for a recipe of disaster. lol. Nonetheless it was a great day.

There was a new kid that came into Joel's Place today and he was alright at first, kind of estranged, but later when he asked to buy candy, he made a remark about my teeth, quite a negative remark. He looked straight at me and said, what's wrong with your teeth? They're nasty!" I was like, excuse me? (You see, I have an underbite and two canines, and it's not noticeable right away, but it is when I smile big). I used to be super extremely self-conscious about my teeth, I never smiled with my teeth, it took me years to accept my smile. I am planning to get braces in about a month to straighten them out. But you know what? Over the years I've learned to like myself, and I've learned to like my smile. Infact, when I mention that I am going to get braces to other people, they say "nooooooo, it's becoming, it's you, it's cute." But anyway, back to today. When the boy looked at me and said that, I knew that he was being rude. I mean, I don't really care if you make fun of me, I'm a big girl, I can handle it. But for a kid to walk into Joel's Place and be straight up rude to other people for no reason and then expecting things in return is a little ridiculous. And he wasn't just being a butt to me, he just had an attitude. It's the way he carried himself. Well, I thought, no way am I going to let this guy be so rude and let him get away with this. No way. So I flat out refused to give him service. I said unless you apologize then I won't let you buy candy. He looked at me dumbfounded, and he said, "how'd you get those teeth?" And I admit, I thought it was kind of rude when I said this but I said, "same as your face, I was born with it." He looked at me like whoa. But I think that this kid learned his lesson, although he didn't apologize, he did act polite the rest of the night. And then we got along just fine. In the beginning, the kid was just being rude on purpose, for careless reasons I suppose, just being rude because he can be, and I showed him that he can't, and he can't with me. I stood my ground and I held on to respect. I respect myself. At first, I thought, but I'm not being nice back, which I should be, I should just love on him. But then I remembered that sometimes the best way to show love to others is to stand up for yourself, be strict, and to hold your ground. I think this kid realized that he has to show others respect, at least I hope he did, he seemed to get it for the rest of the day, and he just became kinder to everyone around him. I think that in the future we will get along just fine.

So that's that guys. I made a decision today to never let negative people bring me down, and the opportunity happened to come up for me to make such a decision and follow through with it. :)

Well guys,

Goodnight!

-Your Fellow Chocolatier :)

P.S., Never let negative people bring you down.

Dove Chocolate Challenge Day # 67 "Keep your promises to yourself and to others." Garda / Osburn, ID

HEY!!! :)

Today has been a pretty darn good day! :) I enjoyed it.

I woke up, had a meeting with my Russian Lit. Professor, and then drove to work, and work was absolutely fun.
Today was particularly special because it was a Friday night, (and Friday nights are always hopin' at Joel's Place), and it was just very family oriented, and by that I mean that everybody at the youth center acts like one big happy family, and it feels like family to me. It was great. And, on top of that, we had some amazing southern cookin' for dinner tonight; mashed potatoes, breaded chicken breast, steamed vegetables, and a gold ol' corn fritter biscuit. One word, YUM!

So, after the youth center, we packed the cars out with a bunch of kids from the youth center and drove to an  all-nighter youth event! Fifteen of our youth from the youth center came with. So some of the youth ministries in town partnered together to hold an all-nighter youth event. They rented the biggest gym in Fairbanks for the entire night. Sweet! Brian and I  became home early off course, we are tired, we have a very big day ahead of us tomorrow. Although we did consider going back quite a few times, you see, this  particular gym has an amazingly huge tantalizing pool located inside, so we were definitely drawn to it. But then off course, after seeing the place packed out with around 200 young people, and hearing lots of noise, we after all decided to go home. It was fun. We stayed for the concert, wish we woulda stayed for the pool, but oh well, it was fun nonetheless. :)

Afterall, we had to stop by Wal*Mart and buy some Dove Chocolates cause I ran out of mine last night! So starting today, I am starting the caramel pack. Scrum-didli-umcious! Yum!

And a short not for today's quote; keep your promises to yourself and to others. To me, this means that I shouldn't be two faced or double-standard. It's okay to be real with myself and to be honest with myself about things that I want to accomplish or what not. It's okay to make goals for myself and to actually take the time to fulllfill them, even if it's bit by bit. It's okay not to put myself off. It's okay to take care of myself, it's okay to fulfill my promises for myself. It's also important to keep your word with others. I strongly believe that when you give your word, you put your honor and reputation on the line. Your word is very important, probably more than you actually realize. Did you know that back then, people didn't have contracts and all that, but they had their word, infact, all of their business affairs and what not were based on their word. A given promise is a powerful things, it has been and is still considered to be on of life's most powerful things. Fulfilled promises show character. Haven't you ever been hurt as a kid or even as an adult when someone close you has promised something to you, but then at the last minute just kind of brushed it off and said a quick but sloppy, oh, I'm sorry, to you? It's not pleasant now is it? Infact, it breaks trust and breaks relationship. I mean, think about it, divorces don't just happen, most of the time they are a a rewsult of broken promises, partiuclarly promises called wedding vows. I know that that was an extreme example, but it's the first thought that flew into my head. But you get my point, do you?

Anyway, keep your promises. I promise, it'll be worth it, especially in the long run. Promises = reputation, and most importantly honoring those around you, including yourself.

Well ya'll

I am hitting the bed!

Goodnight! :)

Your Fellow Chocolatier

P.S, What promises have you fulfilled lately? :)

Dove Chocolate Challenge Day # 66 "Don't stress - think, and this too shall pass." Janice / Waterboro, SC

Hey you guys,

Well, today...actually, right now more than ever, I am super stressed. For one, I have a super bad sleeping habit, and blogging late at night doesn't help any, and two, I over commit myself to a lot of stuff...stuff that may seem important at the moment, but in the long run isn't my ultimate goal of destination...It's funny how small things become big things and how they happen to blow up to big importance, when in reality, they are not, and in reality I'm just wasting my time on them. Buh-hum-bug! :(

Well, anyway...

The quote above says "not to stress, cause this too shall pass." Somehow, I know this to be true in the back of my conscience, but I really just don't know it in my heart. I know it in my head, but not my heart. And this sucks. Yeah. It does. AND, I am wayyyy behind schedule on putting up the picture of the day for the blog quotes. I hate being behind. Right now I don't have a computer, so I don't have the luxury of editing photos or uploading them, nor do I have a camera. Double bummer. I know, I know, I'm totally being a negative Nancy right now.

Blah!!! I just want to scream "blah" at the top of my lungs. I just want to crash. You know, when you're at a peak moment, and all you just want to do is snuggle up in bed, or be a coach potato, that's all I want to do, crash. I just want to be lazy. But I know that's not the way to do it. Again, the battlefield of the mind and heart, what to do...what to do?   ...The right thing, that's what I have to do. Despite my feelings, I have to do the right thing, there's no other way. Or I could go the easy path, but then all I'll be doing is succumbing to my emotions and only allowing them to live my life for me, and that's kind of a stupid way to live. It's careless. So I have a choice between the two, and even though kicking back and totally chucking every care in the world out the window sounds like a plan to me, I actually gotta soil my hands and get to work, not waste time, and yet realize that you know what? There's no need to stress, because all I can do is the best I can do, and that's all I can do. That's that. And I must remember that balance is key. I need to balance my work and my rest. Otherwise I just kill myself.

Well guys,

I know this may not make sense, and all of it may just sound like jumbling words or like I'm complaining...I guess you can judge that for yourself, if it made sense or not. At least in my head it did. ;)

Well, once again, spitting words out into cyber space has suddenly left me feeling more relieved. I have vented. And now, I am done. Thanks for listening (reading), if you have read all the way through. :)

Anyway...take today's advice and do yourself a favor, don't stress, because...it too shall pass! Wa-la! Just like that! :)

I wish you a goodnight and sweet dreams!

-Your very ready to retire Fellow Chocolatier

P.S., I am out of Dove Chocolates, time to make a run to the store tomorrow. Need to pack up. ;) Just finished with the peanut butter kind. Now off to a new adventure. And now I need to go apologize to my husband, cause I've been really fussy lately. Poor guy. Glad he is so forgiving. Hah. :)

Dove Chocolate Challenge Day # 65 "There are 86,400 seconds in the day. Have you used one to say "thank you." PROMISES Messages

Hey guys and dolls,

 Today has been a crazy day. It's been an emotional day. I think yesterday's happenings finally caught up with me today, and today's happenings happened to collide with yesterday's, which created a big huge mess today.

Well, there was a lot of drama today. Far beyond the small stuff that everybody sees from the outside type of drama. A little piece of drama extended into a big one.

But all's to say is that there were certainly lessons learned.

I learned quite a bit anyway, I learned these following things today (or rather that they became more real to me today);

• Take things lightheartedly, just cause a person says something that offends you, doesn't mean that they said it out of the intention to offend, you might have taken in the wrong way
• Even is somebody is in the wrong and you are in the right, or vice versa, it's good to take a moment to reflect on what you have learned from the situation, and to become better for it.
• You can't force anybody to ask for forgiveness or come to the term of asking for forgiveness, and you need to be able to forgive that person whether they come to the point of asking or not ever.
• You can't bring other people into your problems and put unreasonable expectations on them. (Just don't pull other people in, it's your problem, not theirs).
• Watch what you say, be careful of letting your tongue speak loosely, because your words may come back to bite you or haunt you.
• Sometimes the people you love most and who are closest to you can hurt you the most.
• People can be irrational when they are upset, hurt, or angry. Even though the truth may be blatant and it may be staring you in the face, your head may know it, but your heart will not agree with the truth because of your need to feel justified or because of stupid tangled emotions.
• And last but not least...forgive, forgive, forgive.
• Oh yeah, and love, love, love.
• And then learn to let it go.
• And yes, sadly but truly, the old adage goes without saying, "time heals all wounds." Time is truly miraculous.

Well,

So what I've got here is a video that I happen to like quite a lot; Please take a moment to watch it**




Anyway, I was so wrapped up in spilling out my day onto these white walls that I almost forgot to blog about today's quote, which happens to be kind of a slap in the face, and by that I mean that I'm pretty well sure that I went throughout my entire day without mentioning a single thank you to anyone. And you know what? That just makes me bummed. Because I know that there's a lot that I'm thankful for. I mean, come on, what's not to be thankful for? I am thoroughly upset/dissapointed with myself for letting my drama askew me so much that I wasn't even able to give a single thank you today, which I had the opportunity of doing so very many times today. I was so wrapped up in my selfish little world, that I forgot to be human.

Well guys, trust me, I'm not being hard on myself, I'm just being real with myself.

Anyway,

Tomorrow is a new day, with new opportunites to await, some joy, some sorrow, some mistakes, and some adventure.

I'm glad to have a new day awaiting me. Especially when my day gets soiled and blotted, I'm thankful for the opportunity of a new and clean day.

Well,

Twas a night ladies and jellybeans,

Now onward to my dreams I trollop. :)

-Your Very ( ___ insert word here, not sure what's the right description to fit my mood) Fellow Chocolatier

Adious Amigos!

P.S., I very well hope that you have a splendid and terrific day tomorrow!

Dove Chocolate Challenge Day # 64 "Live for today, not just tomorrow." PROMISES Messages

Hey dollies and jelly spoons,

 Today has been completely hectic. Hec to the tic. It was CRAZY!

Basically I will post today into bullet points;

• 2 young adults got at it at work, (they didn't fight, but there were threats and some mean verbal language)..it could've escallated, but thankful others stepped in and stopped it. Phew. *Rubs sweat off forehead*
• Somebody was trying to stop the intense argument, the person trying to stop them got so upset because they wouldn't listen, so they banged the door open in the front office, and now there's a huge whole the size of a crater in the wall. (about 2 feet).
• One kid ran away, didn't let anybody know where he was, the people he's staying with were so worried. He's been giving them trouble (they're being kind to this kid by taking him in and they just have some house rules for him to follow, but this kid grew up in a lack enviornment, where he was never told what to do, he could do whatever he wanted when he wanted). Well...basically, this kid's real parents abondoned him, and now that he has people that have taken him in when he was in trouble, it was either them or foster care, and they took him in, but now he's totally being disrespectful, and he's breaking all of the rules, on purpose, for the sake of hanging out with his friends..stupid. But anyway, he ran away, and claimed that he spent the night at his friend's. His friend was there to back him up.
• Later I get a call from the parents of the buddy which he spent the night at. And the reported that their son was a runaway as well. So it turned out that the whole sleeping over my house deal didn't actually happen adn that both kids were runaways. 
• The cops came by, and the kids ran away, then they come back, parents were involved, cops came back again. Crazy stuff. This cat and mouse chase happened for about 4 hours straight. No bueno.

ANYWAY. It was a rough day, needless to say. And I felt like the middle man in all of it, I had to deal with all of it, and everytime I thought sometime didn't seem right, even things that the cops said, I made decisions to trust my gut instincts, and I called the boss, and the boss came over and helped me handle junk.

Well anyway, I wasn't really stressed out, but I was definitely the middle guy, I tried to keep everybody calm, gossip from spreading, and tried to keep everyone's anxiety down, and you know what? I think I succeeded. It was crazy, but I'm glad I was able to talk to people calmly and I was happy that I could give them rational thinking and comfort. I was most certainly surprised with myself.

Anyway, today was definitely a live for today type of moment, especially in the fact of listening to people's stories and calming them down, it was definitely a live in the moment type of day.

So, that was pretty much the gyst of it all. And afterwards, my wonderful and handsome husband took me to a A.W. Family Restaurant, and I was able to eat some comfort food, ham and cheese grilled sandwich. Yum.

Anyway, that was my day, how was yours? :)

Well guys,

I am logging off for today,
I'm actually surprised because I'm blogging early for me. :)

Have a night full of beautiful rest!

Love your Fellow Chocolatier

P.S., I think I am falling in love with my husband all over again. You know what I mean? The kind of ooey gooey love that you first get when you meet that first love in high school type of deal. I am so crushing on him. Which is a good thing. :) When you're married, your bound to go through different phases of love, the "in love" phase, and the "oh, I love you because I need to, want to, and we're stuck with each other for the rest of our lives type of love, so let's make it work."  I'm definitely in the "in love" phase again. It's exciting.

Anyway.

Peace and Chicken grease!

Dove Chocolate Challenge Day # 63 "Share an embarrassing moment with a friend." PROMISES Messages

Hey guys!

 Today was kinda of mellow. But the day wrapped up pretty nicely. :)

After work, I drove to Barnes & Noble, read my homework, and was practically falling asleep (Barnes is the perfect place for a nap, it's so peaceful there!) and then...but wait, I forgot to mention that before Barnes I decided to take a slight detour, Barnes & Noble happens to be located right next to a Pets Mart. Yes. :)

I took the little yellow brick road to Pets Mart and had an absolute blast! I looked at all of the fishes (want to get some for Christmas), all of the hamsters, funny squirrley mice, and the mezmerizing parrots (which I bet were more mezmerized with me, or rather thinking, "who be dat?" But yes, every little animal brought a smile to my face and just brought a sense of home to me (I grew up with tons and tons of animals, so it's been weird for the last 5 years because I've lived in places that don't allow animals...sadness). So yeah, every little breathing ball of cuteness brought a tremendous smile to my face, and I was just filled with a heart warming feeling. And then I've decided that when Brian and I actually settle into our own home one day, that we will own lots of animals, hamsters, guinea pigs, parrots, parakeets, fresh water fish, salt water fish, puppies, kittens, you name it. :) Because that's the way I grew up, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Pets bring warmth and joy into families. And healing. Did you know that if you pet a cat or dog or play with your pet for 15 minutes a day, you improve your health? And if you're depressed, pets help alleviate depression! Cool stuff! Well, anyway. :)

So...Famous Footwear happens to be located next to Pets Mart...yes...I bet you can guess what happened next...yes, I bought 2 pairs of boots, conveniately on sale. (Cool bargains!). And then I realllly had to go to the bathroom, badly. So I asked Famous Footwear if they had a bathroom, and unfortunately, theirs is out of order, so the staff recommended that I go to the neighboring store, Old Navy, the Famous Footwear Staff always uses Old Navy's bathroom. And...so I did. AND, there were GREAT bargains there too! Actually, I saw a nice men's hoodie that was fairly cheap with fleece lining, and so I bought it for my husband. And I got a pair of fleece gloves. Score!

And as I was walking out of the store, which I had not planned to attend in the first place, the parking lot around me was pretty much empty. And I am very cautious when I walk outside by myself, partly because there are a lot of creeps out there, and because I am a girl. And I've had some wierd happenings lately (stalker experiences), but those are stories for another time. But as I walked out of Old Navy, I noticed that somebody was walking out behind me as well, but not only were they behind me, they were following me. I got very uncomfortable, and half way through, I turned around and gave a suprised gasp, and as I turned around, I freaked the older gentlemen behind me out, he stopped dead in his tracks and looked very scared and aloof! So I said sorry! I really didn't mean to freak him out. It was so awkward! He was a few feet behind me, and I stopped him in his tracks, turned out, the out of the few cars that were parked in the parking lot, his happened to be next to mine. LOL! Poor guy! You shoulda seen his expression! I really didn't mean to scare him like I did. I was the one being scared at first, but it turned out vice versa! And I was embarrassed. I really was.

Well, the quote of the day says to tell a friend of an embarrasing moment, and since my husband is my dearest friend, I shared it with him. :) He got a little laugh out of that. :)

And to end the night, I hung out a bit at Heather's studio, and then Mark and Heather came over house, and all four of us played a fun game of Skip Bo 'till 2 o'clock in the morning (and we drank some amazing tea). And I WON! Yeah! (I promise, I don't have a big ego, I just wrote that big for the purpose of writing it). ;)

Well ladies and jelly beans,

Off to Slumber Land I go.

G'night!

-Your Very Jelly (Jolly) Fellow Chocolatier :)

P.S., I thought I'd leave you guys with a funny little story or whatchamacallit. Oh, I just looked it up. Poem. :)

Ladies and Jelly Beans,

I come before you, to stand beside you,
to tell you a story I know nothing about.
Next Thursday, which is Good Friday,
there will be a women's meeting, held strictly for men.
Admission is free, so pay at the door,
and they'll be plenty of seats, so sit on the floor.
Now to get on with my story...

One bright day, in the middle of the night,
two dead boys got up to fight.
Back to back they faced each other,
took out their knives and shot each other.
The deaf policeman heard the noise,
and came to kill the two dead boys.
And if you don't believe my story is true,
just ask the blind man, he saw it too.



OH! AND ONE MORE!!! :D

Lewis Carroll

(from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1872) `Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
  Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
  And the mome raths outgrabe.


"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
  The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
  The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
  Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
  And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
  The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
  And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
  The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
  He went galumphing back.

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
  Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
  He chortled in his joy.


`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
  Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
  And the mome raths outgrabe.

Dove Chocolate Challenge Day # 62 "Love is, above all, the gift of oneself." PROMISES Messages

Hey guys!

Today was a great day! :) Made yummy baked potatoes with all of the fixins for The Well. :) First time I baked potatoes just plain. :) Today's dinner was a feast! Delicious! :) And the family and friends were what topped the entire evening off. :) Made my day seeing eveybody's lovely faces.

Well, today's quote is maybe a bit cliche, but it is so true, and I happen to agree with it very much. :)

Ever heard of, "you can't love another without loving yourself?" Well, it's true. If you first can't love your own flaws, insecurities, and your own uniqueness, then it will be hard for you to love on others, because you can't even love your own self. And you know, that everything comes from the over flow of the heart, if you love and your heart is full of love, then your love will flow out on others. If your love is full of hate, it will flow out as well. You affect change, you affect the atmosphere around you. You carry it. Ever walk into a room, and think, wow...that was a heavy place, it was depressing or stressful, usually that's because the people in the room were either depressed, frustrated, or stressed. People affect change, whether that's good or bad, but they do. (I was going to say something else, but it just slipped my mind). But let's take one more example to mind; HOMES.
A home is made up of the atmosphere, of a family, and a family consists of individuals, of people with real emotions, real insecurities, real relationships. Family, individuals, bring atmosphere. A home is known by the feeling that it brings. If you live in a family where there's always tension, mistrust, yelling, and all sorts of things such as that, than it's because you live in a place where the people that are around you carry a negative atmosphere around them every where you go, and unfortunately, there's an old quote that says, "whomever you hang around with, you become," and it's true, humans influence each other, sometimes for the worse. Sad, but it's true. So yeah, vice versa also goes for happy families. Happy families carry a positive influence about them, and it all boils down to the individuals.

You know, sometimes the best thing you can do to get away from the negative influences in life is to be around positive influences (if you have negative and grumpy friends or family, then find some positive folks to hang around...I mean, you still need to love on your family no matter what, they're your family, but sometimes you need to be around a good influence, so you can be one in return. Atmosphere and influence are like smiles, they are contagious. So the way a person carries oneself, his or her attitudes and emotions, affects those that are around them.

ANYWAY.   :) After saying all of that.

I just want to say that you are a gift. And when you love, you are a gift to oneself. So go ahead and love. Love is free, it's contagious, infectious, courageous, and influential. And love really does make the world go round.

Don't know if I made a clear point or not, hopefully I did. Hopefully it makes sense, just bare with me. :)

Thanks for reading!

I am out.

-Love Your Fellow Chocolatier

P.S., Just learn to love yourself, a little bit at a time, take the time to do that. It's worth it. :) And out of the over flow of love your have first for yourself as a messy human being, you will be enabled to easily love those around you. Even the most unlovable. :)    (You can't love another without loving yourself).

P.P.S...I gotta wake Brian up, he fell asleep on the couch while I was using his computer to blog. Time for bed. Now I gotta drag him there. He's so tired right now. He looks cute while he sleeps. :)

Here's some food for thought;

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves."
-- 1 Corinthians 13:4-7