Dank je wel, Patty van http://petitemagique.wordpress.com voor de “Semper Fidelis Award”!

semper fidelis award

Received from Patty of  http://petitemagique.wordpress.com

May 20, 2013

crystals

         Patty of  http://petitemagique.wordpress.com  created this award, and she wrote: “… because I wanted to do something special for my friends on WordPress.” Thank you, Patty, for this beautiful award and the extra special effort you invoked to create this beautiful, personalized award! You are so sweet!  I am so touched by the uniqueness of your creation! You certainly took an important idea–love crystals–from my poems and crafted an exquisite award. I am so honored and touched by your insight and thoughtfulness!

This description was written by Patty of http://petitemagique.wordpress.com:   Semper Fidelis is Latin and means Always Loyal. Loyalty means the world to me. I am very loyal myself, but I’ve got major trust issues as well. And I think trust is very important if you are sharing so much of yourself with people you meet through the internet. So I am working on that! :)  Why the wolves? Because wolves have very strong ties with their pack. Like a family or a great group of friends. And I just love them! This award stands for the loyalty and love between friends.

The Rules:

  • Add the Semper Fidelis Award logo somewhere on your blog.
  • Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog.
  • Nominate 5 bloggers who’s loyalty and friendship you value and you consider being part of your ‘pack of wolves’ on WordPress.
  • Post something special for each one of your nominees  and dedicate it to them. This can be a quote, saying, poem, picture, anything you think that would fit that person.
  • Let the nominees know that you’ve nominated them.

I am very grateful to Patty of http://petitemagique.wordpress.com for her award to me!

My pack of wolves are: :)

* Celestine: http://readingpleasure@wordpress.com         

I have nominated you for the SEMPER FIDELIS AWARD! I think the following should enable you to find the image of the award:

http://petitemagique.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/semper-fidelis-award.jpg

Celestine is the Queen of Haiku from the country of Ghana, on the West coast of Africa. She is now published! Celestine has a gentle heart that is filled with warmth and joy…reflected in her writings and her dear correspondence with me.  I am so happy to know her! When I read the quote below, I thought of Celestine, because she is a courageous woman. She believes in her writing and she always goes forward. She finds a way to succeed!

 Quote

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 *Gyslaine: http://lgyslaine.wordpress.com

I have nominated you for the SEMPER FIDELIS AWARD! I think the following should enable you to find the image of the award:

http://petitemagique.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/semper-fidelis-award.jpg

Gyslaine is a  beautiful poet from France,  whose gentle words have healed me. This quote makes me think of her because despite challenges in her life, she goes forward and towards life.  She inspires me to do the same:

Anaïs Nin“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”
Anaïs Nin

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* M Murali  Mohan: http://advocatemmmohan@wordpress.com AND  http://advocatemmmohanaksharaalu.wordpress.com

I have nominated you for the SEMPER FIDELIS AWARD! I think the following should enable you to find the image of the award:

http://petitemagique.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/semper-fidelis-award.jpg

M Murali Mohan, from India, cares about all of us!  He shares his knowledge of the law on his blog. He shares his understanding of human life. He shares the deep wisdom of his beliefs. He is always a faithful reader of my writings–this encourages me so much to keep writing…and gives me purpose to live.

Albert Schweitzer

“Sometimes our light goes out, but is blown again into instant flame by an encounter with another human being.”
Albert Schweitzer

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* Paul:  http://poesypluspolemics.com   

I have nominated you for the SEMPER FIDELIS AWARD! I think the following should enable you to find the image of the award:

http://petitemagique.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/semper-fidelis-award.jpg

Paul hails from the East Coast of the USA. His poetry delves into many different topics –it is profound! He encourages me by reading my blog. Seeing his icon there makes all the difference to my day of writing.  He has taught me to write because it is important for me to express myself…not to impress my readers.  He has taught me to write for myself through his own example.

Thomas Paine

“Independence is my happiness, and I view things as they are, without regard to place or person; my country is the world, and my religion is to do good.”
Thomas Paine, Rights of Man

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* Shaun:   http://prayingforoneday.wordpress.com

I have nominated you for the SEMPER FIDELIS AWARD! I think the following should enable you to find the image of the award:

http://petitemagique.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/semper-fidelis-award.jpg

Shaun, a writer from Scotland, is a man who faces each day with courage despite the constant pain his body gives him.  He is a brave man, caring husband to his wife and a wise father to his children. He thinks deeply about the world and all of us in it. He goes beyond the walls of his home and is open to all people and encourages us along the way to keep writing, to continue to be our best selves, and to never ever give up.

Hunter S. Thompson

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!”
Hunter S. Thompson
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* Rebecca Budd: http://clanmother.wordpress.com ….   http://chasingart.com/  ….http://takingthekitchen.com/

I have nominated you for the SEMPER FIDELIS AWARD! I think the following should enable you to find the image of the award:

http://petitemagique.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/semper-fidelis-award.jpg

Clanmother, from Vancouver, impresses me because her blog shows that she appreciates the beauty of the world in which she has found herself.  Her blog is filled with the beauty of so many artists –she appreciates the creativity she finds around herself. Her writing moves me to think beyond myself and her presence is often found on my blogs, giving my writing her confirmation…which is so encouraging to me.  She seems to be a person who is constantly engaged with life and goes forward into it with joy.  Recently, she jumped into recycling and is asking us to join in her conversation about sharing food with each other in her blog, “taking the kitchen.” Her openness to transitions in life encourages me to go forward in my own life.  

Christine Feehan

“Life gives us choices. You either grab on with both hands and just go for it, or you sit on the sidelines.”
Christine Feehan, Night Game

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* Sheri DeGrom   http://sheridegrom.wordpress.com

I have nominated you for the SEMPER FIDELIS AWARD! I think the following should enable you to find the image of the award:

http://petitemagique.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/semper-fidelis-award.jpg

Sheri, from the USA, is a woman who goes the extra mile…hundred miles…thousands of miles! When I read of her support to her husband and how she bravely fights for him and his health…how she willing faces those who would deny him help…I see her inner strength and unconditional love for the man she married. She is a woman of great determination and courage. In between all of that, she still takes time to read others’ blogs and give her comments…all of which takes precious time.  Sheri is a person who genuinely cares about all of us.

Life must be lived and curiosity kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life.

Eleanor Roosevelt

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 Patty:   http://petitemagique.wordpress.com

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YES—you have just been nominated for the award you created!  I have nominated you for the SEMPER FIDELIS AWARD! I think the following should enable you to find the image of the award:

http://petitemagique.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/semper-fidelis-award.jpg

Patty, from Holland, impresses me because she is herself in her writing and on her blog.  When she is happy, we know it.  When she is struggling, we know it.  She is fully human and is not afraid to be who she is…she writes who she is.  Patty’s total honesty encourages me to be honest in my writing. On top of all that, as busy as she is, working on her new publication, her triology on dragons…she still has time to visit and encourage me in my writing.  She also is my sister of the universe–Patty encourages me to be strong and to continue to live each day!  Patty lives the quote despite any obstacles in her way–and helps me to do the same!

Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Spread love not war

Almost every family

in this countryside has had a family member

who has either

died in a war,

fought in a war,

been lost in a war,

suffers a mental disorder because of being in a war.

So many human lives lost…

so many innocent people killed…

so much LIGHT snuffed out…

WHY?

No war has ever stopped another war…

Young men and women

in our country

are told to fight for democracy…

for freedom for others.

Meanwhile, we are losing our right to assembly here in this country,

we are losing our rights to unionize,

we are losing our right to question…

we are losing our homes…

we are losing our families…

we are losing our health…

the healthcare of our elderly is going to hell…

the education of our young  children is being destroyed…

the number of homeless people…has now developed into homeless families…in every state

something is NOT right…

We are told we fight wars for humanitarian reasons

Yet we are more dehumanized by war.

We go abroad to fight wars,

yet we have internal wars here.

Unless we are Native American, we are all immigrants to this country.

Yet, today, we fight against allowing others to live here.

WHO are WE?

Another war here on immigration.

WHY are we destroying ourselves and each other?

WHY are we not building one another up?

WHY are we not being tender and kind to each other?

WHY?

Sticks and Stones…

There are a number of issues in this story: (1)no one should be ridiculed; (2)no one should be called names of any sort; (3)Personally, I do not have an issue with anyone’s homosexuality–nevertheless, in this story, being labelled “gay” is said in an offensive way to this young boy–this should never happen! (4)WHO teaches children to “name-call”…to call someone “gay?” in a derogatory way? This is a sad reflection of the adult models in the lives of these children.

MusingMaven's avatarThe Musing Maven

We all grow up in a world where there are bullies. Most of us, if we are lucky, reach adulthood without too many scars. As a mom, I can now see that the physical scars aren’t really what caused the most damage. The real long-term harm came from the mean things people said and did along the way. Those mean words that planted themselves into our self-image. They play, like broken records, in our minds. The words that we adopt as our own, until we bully ourselves into submission.

My son has been bullied since he was in 2nd grade. The term bully congers up images of a big kid, with big-bad words, and even bigger fists.  My son’s bully doesn’t really fit that description. For him, it’s a group of sweet little boys and girls who somehow, at the age of 7, decided that they would use their big…

View original post 208 more words

Thoughts on SCOTUS and Gay Marriage

A very open-minded, constructive and sensible approach that would help us all travel to respect for one another.

Paul F. Lenzi's avatarPoesy plus Polemics

symbols_interlocking_gender
The two court rulings this week relating to the whelming social issue of gay rights provoke fiery passions and deep conflicts. I wish it were not so, but it is, and I think I understand it. But I believe it’s best for everyone to take a few steps back and try to view the larger frame. Regardless the technical strengths and weaknesses of constitutional jurisprudence, and there are both, in the arguments made before the court as well as in the decisions and dissents of the justices, the core issue grinding these judicial proceedings is simply one of human decency and social equity.
 
My citizenship credentials are conservative; philosophically, politically, economically and ethically. I am Roman Catholic by birth and by informed adult choice. So I understand much of what motivates protest against gay rights. But the good Lord blessed me with a free will and a soul I…

View original post 426 more words

hoping

A drop of water on a leaf. The leaf is hydroph...

A drop of water on a leaf. The leaf is hydrophobic so the droplet forms into a spherical shape to minimize contact with the surface. The hydrophobic effect occurs when water excludes non-polar molecules. (Original title: The world in a waterdrop) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

the green of the leaves

lightly dances in the rain

hoping love’s reclaim

 

loss of a friend

the stream flowed through the forest bend

and i always hoped i would speak with you again

the flowers danced delightfully when you were around

now all i see are the stark stems…the life snapped to the ground

the water crystals once spun…the spider built its glorious web

then the awful words by me were said…and now i am a broken thread

the stars struggle to shine through the night

my heart is torn…i did not plan to fight

the moon is rising in the sky so high

but you have not returned and i weep a heavy sigh

the wind blew…the sun was you shining through

you were the breath that gave me life as our friendship grew

moss now covers the roots and stone

i call your name but there is no one home

the caterpillar struggles to become the butterfly

but the wings have been clipped when you said goodbye

not that i did not deserve it…deserve it I did

i wish that i could undo…all that i said and hid

like the seed that doubts the sun and rain will come again

i doubted you…did not believe…and left myself to the henchman

Old spider web

Old spider web (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

if only i could have realized beauty in my midst

that was offering me a deep gift that i should not resist

the silence of loneliness

Margin of Silence

Margin of Silence (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

the silence of the night

caused serenity’s flight

dipping  into your consciousness

you failed with your bluntness

awakening your questioning thoughts

of all that was lost while your loneliness fought

thinking of those who stepped into your life

for a brief time you had it until out came the knife

their faces pass before you, one by one

like the stars of the night, until you were shunned

glistening feelings deep within

where are they now…when did it wear thin

what are they doing…why did it end so soon

did you ask too much…did they fly to the moon

did you ask more than they could give

did you forget to forgive…allowing it to live

did you not understand…did you have to demand 

do you not have a right to be heard…your brain was banned

why did it become so absurd…did you really have to be heard

why do humans sift away…and you are left with an empty day

why does emptiness loom looking for a  home to stay

why can’t we be more open and receive

why do we run and deceive

why do we burn what we are given

do you enjoy the feeling of being beaten

 

Photo- Erdogan has praised the “legendary heroism” of police forces

Freedom to demonstrate should not be curtailed in any country. People should have the right to express their concerns without the fear of being bullied and killed. My heart bleeds with the citizens of Istanbul and those who were trying to keep Gezi Park open.

carinaragno's avatarPiazza della Carina

BM54p6sCAAAvXlf

tayyip_erdogan_kizginTurkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has praised the “legendary heroism” of police forces in quelling anti-government protests that have rocked the country for more than three weeks.

Speaking at the Police Academy in the capital, Ankara, on Monday, Erdogan thanked the country’s security forces for their “patience” and “discipline” during the demonstrations.

“Our police successfully passed a very important, very challenging democracy test,” Erdogan noted, adding, “Our police have responded to attacks, provocations without violating the law … and have written a saga of heroism.”

Erdogan’s remarks came as his government has been widely criticized by human rights groups and its Western allies for using excessive force against protesters.

The unrest in Turkey began on May 31 after police broke up a sit-in at Istanbul’s Taksim Square to protest against a proposal to demolish Gezi Park.

The protesters said Gezi Park, which is a traditional gathering point for rallies…

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