Advertising with the Mermaids... is a great way to get your business noticed. The Mermaids of the Lake website is an online magazine, reaching thousands of readers.
If you had to describe 2009 using one word, what would it be? Mine would be "humility." For the first time in many, many years, I felt humbled by many situations in my life - my work, my finances, the overall economy, and through altruistic situations.
Being humbled is a positive quality, although it doesn't always feel that way at the time! Being on-top-of-the-world might feel a little better.
But it is at those times of challenge and of feeling small that perhaps we learn the most about ourselves and the people around us. Doesn't being humbled make us realize who we can really count on? For me, it has helped me to grow in my spiritual life. It hasn't always been easy, but it has been necessary.
For the coming year, I hope to use the word "success" to describe 2010. Success in some personal pursuits as well as in business is my goal. I'll let you know how it comes out.
How would you describe this past year of your life in one word? What word would you like 2010 to epitomize?
If we receive a fair response, we'll run a story on this topic in Mermaids of the Lake.
Today is Pink Saturday again and our lovely hostess, Beverly has suggested that we feature our favorite holiday decorations. And... since pink is a derivative of red... we can use red. I love red! Red is my favorite color.
Welcome Home
By Mermaid Debbie
Several years ago, as I was sluggishly attempting to "take down Christmas," I realized that I had a few too many Christmas decorations. There were those that I loved, cherished, and treasured! And... there were those that I simply put out each year because they were there. So I got busy and cleared out a bunch of Christmas stuff.
My rule: Keep only those things that you absolutely love!
Apparently, judging by the number of boxes in my basement... I absolutely love a lot! Oh, but they are wonderful; so worth carefully storing and lovingly welcoming home each year.
My very favorites, other than those the kids have made through the years, are my vintage Santa, elf and pixie collections. I say, "Welcome Home," as I take them out of storage and place them in their favorite locations. I greet them with a smile and a festive mood; I play their favorite holiday music; (the soundtrack from Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer) I light a luscious holiday-scented candle; I make them their favorite peppermint coffee, and shower them with special, loving attention.
My little whimiscal darlings bring me the most wonderful hostess gifts of smiles, silly grins, and most importantly, cherished memories and feelings of nostalgia. They also very generously move over a bit to make room for any shy little newcomer that may have been rescued from yet another antique shop or yard sale.
Please visit How Sweet the Soundfor the list of all of the other Pink Saturday participants. I can't wait to visit them and see what their favorite holiday decorations are.
I have always loved the “magic of Christmas.” The entire season, from Thanksgiving through New Year’s, is a time I cherish. I am filled with childhood memories and wonderful adult memories, as well. My children added a whole new beautiful element to the holidays for me. My husband and I were determined to make their childhood memories of Christmas be as wonderful as ours; a beautiful, wondrous combination of the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior, fabulous food, gathering with family and friends, beautiful decorations, and of course… Santa!
My most wondrous memory of Christmas was one very snowy, Christmas Eve. I was a little girl of six, and absolutely filled to the brim with anticipation of Santa’s arrival. I believed! I had spent the last month watching every Christmas special on television, sung Christmas carols until I new every beautiful word; I had helped bake cookies and eaten my share too! My visit to Santa was magical. I just knew that he loved me and I just knew that I had been such a good girl that Baby First Step would be sitting under my tree when I woke up.
As I lay in my bed, exhausted, but far too excited to sleep, I said a little prayer, wishing Jesus a Happy Birthday and thanking him and his father for creating Santa Claus. Just as I was about to drift off… I heard it!!! I know I did!!! Santa’s sleigh! I can still hear the sound of those sleigh bells in my mind. Truly I can. I can still close my eyes and imagine that glorious sleigh with that jolly old elf and his majestic reindeer. I know that Rudolf was pulling the sleigh on that cold, snowy night in the magical year of 1968; a year that made the record books in our town as one of the snowiest winters ever!
Christmas morning arrived! I rushed down the steps and there she was! Baby First Step!
I believe!
Please Visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound and read the memories of all of the other Pink Saturday participants. Merry Christmas!
It's the Holiday Season! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Pink may not be the traditional color of Christmas, but in some homes it may be tradition. My Grandma had the most beautiful white flocked tree, with pink lights and pink ornaments. This was in the 60's. My Grandma was very traditional in most ways, but she had this little flare that I always admired. Grandma is 95 and we just moved her from her home to an assisted living facility. I inherited all of her photo albums, among other things. I will be looking through them and hoping to find a picture of that beautiful tree, but for now, here are some fun pink trees. Grandma was before her time.
My most treasured possession is a set of Johnson Brother's Rose Chintz China. I inherited my Great Aunt Elsie's set of this gorgeous pattern. I have many, many memories surrounding this china. I feel grateful for all of them, full of Aunt Elsie, her husband - Uncle C.C., my grandparents, my parents, brother, and on and on. Elsie was a fabulous cook and I love thinking of the hustle and bustle in her tiny kitchen as the ladies got dinner on the table. My Grandma, her sister is still alive and so very old and frail. She is 95. We have spent the last couple of days moving her into a retirement home. Oh, the emotions. Remembering the old times are a comfort.
The cups are cute with a candle in them
This was Valentine's Day dinner last year. This china looks great on red, pink or even a baby blue table cloth. There is a tiny blue flower in the pattern.
I hung these two on my bedroom wall
Thank you for going down memory lane with me. Do you have cherished memories of meals shared with loved ones?
Have a wonderful weekend and don't forget to visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for the list of all of the fabulous Pink Saturday Participants.
My sister Kris is one of the funniest people that I know. If I were a children's book author and illustrator, I could write a wonderful story about my sister illustrated with her curly red hair and silliness. Her hysterical comments about observations on life could be written throughout the book.
She is one of those people who notices details about people in the world around her with a running commentary. If a lady is sitting on a bus bench, Kris can come up with a name for the lady and an entire story about this woman's life.
She might take a sip of her Starbucks latte and comment with authority, "Oh, her name is Esmerelda, and she lives in a small house behind the grocery store. She has 7 cats at home, named after the 7 dwarfs, and she loves floral patterns."
Last year, Kris went on a cruise with her boyfriend and she noted that the majority of the people on the cruise ship were wearing or had at least thought of wearing a white boatneck top with an anchor on the front and banding around the waist - with elastic pants, mind you.
There was an older gentleman on the cruise that appeared to be so ancient that when he got out of the hot tub, his skin just sagged off his body as if it were chicken skin. She emphasized that after they saw some of the folks coming out of the hot tub, they steered clear due to the "people soup" connotation.
In Kris' job, she works with the public everyday. She also manages about 50 people from all walks of life. While she is very good and extremely professional about her job; she is under a lot of stress on a regular basis. Luckily though, due to her sense of humor, she is able to take everything in stride. She knows how to laugh at herself, and how to get others laughing to make their day.
I think that if Kris wanted to, she could become a stand-up comedian because of her ability to characterize different personalities.
I think that it's important to take time to recognize the attributes of those we love in our lives. My sister is an inspiration to me, and often helps me to relax in stressful situations. She is also a great listener.
Who do you have in your life that inspires you? Are they funny, a great listener, a problem solver, great at entertaining? Share your inspiration with us today!
Debbie, Jennifer and I call ourselves Mermaids of the Lake for good reason. Not only do we live on or near Liberty Lake, but we absolutely love bodies of water. We just can't get enough! We have collected several of our favorite lake recollections and posted them to our e-zine. Our goal is to continue to build this reservoir of humorous, delightful and meaningful memories. And, you dear reader, can be part of it!
We would love to hear your Lake Reflections, be they exciting, meaningful or funny. Tell us about times at your favorite lake, especially if they include family and friends. Here are our Lake Reflection guidelines:
Keep it around 200-300 words
Mention the location and name of the lake for which you are writing
Tell us about unique features, or the uniqueness of the lake
Communicate one thought or memory
Write in the first person
If you can, submit a photo to complement your piece. This makes the story really fun!
To all of our wonderful, fun readers... we would love to hear about your favorite lakes, rivers, oceans, ponds...
We have a regular section of our Mermaids of the Lake online magazine/website called: Lake Reflections. We write about our own lake memories and our readers send us theirs. Click here for an example.
If you are interested in sending us a lake memory, please email us at mermaids@mermaidsofthelake.com and we will send you our Writer's Guidelines.
I used to collect pigs. I still love pigs. If I lived on a farm I would have a pet pig for sure! My pig collecting days are over, but I still have a few left and I treasure them. These darling salt and pepper shakers were given to me in high school by my Secret Pal.
Did any of you ever have a Secret Pal? I was in a social and philanthropic club in high school. We had a Secret Pal every semester. I loved having one, and I especially loved being one. I have always loved to give gifts and it was really special to try to figure out special likes of your Secret Pal and surprise her. At the end of the semester we all revealed who our Secret Pal was. Such fun!
Please visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound and see her wonderful pink post and the list of the other Pink Saturday participants.
