mysignsoflife

My father used to ask me:

“Did anybody tell you they loved you today?”

It didn’t matter what my response was,

he would always respond with

“I DO”…

It was a small gesture,

from someone who didn’t always know what to say

or how to strike up an important conversation.

The point was that he cared enough to try.

It was his way of opening the door to communication and letting me know he cared and that he was there if

I wanted to talk, about anything…

His words and intentions made me the person I am today. I never want to miss a chance to tell the people

in my life that I love them.  

It rubs off…

I think I balled my eyes out the first time my youngest son came to me UNPROMPTED and said

“Mommy, did anybody tell you they loved you today?, I do”

My point is, we never know what impact our words and actions will have on other people.  

I bet my father never imagined that his simple little phrase would effect me the way it has.  

My father isn’t here anymore, but I hear his sweet words echoed every time I ask someone:

“Did anybody tell you they loved you today?”

Give it a try, you never know whose day you’ll make, or whose life you may effect with just a few simple words…

 Love,

I’m thankful for laughter.

It’s a well-known fact that a large percentage of the population experiences depression during the holidays, myself included.  They say laughter is the best medicine… 

If you are like me and feeling that seasonal depression monster creeping up on you, read on and watch some of the video below ~ you will laugh and doctors have proven that the simple act of laughing is credited with the increased the release of endorphins, the bodies natural painkiller and protector against depression.  

 Watch these Thanksgiving funnies:

Did you know:

Laughing conditions the abdominal muscles…

Did you know:

Laughing releases an enzyme that protects the stomach from forming ulcers.

Did you know:  Laughing reduces your blood pressure and heart rate.

Laughter is contagious,

so laugh out loud,

laugh hard,

laugh deep.

This is week five of Blogs that Rock!

This week the Blog that Rocks is “10 Things I hate about your site”.

Wasn’t it Dr. Phil who coined the phrase “You either get it or you don’t”?  I’m pretty sure it was, regardless of that, the phrase popped into my head while perusing the 10 things blog.  What a great freakin’ idea!  

Nobody’s perfect, we all see things from our own unique perspective and sometimes our own perspective can be, umm, shall I say “a bit one-sided”.  Arrogance and the “know-it-all” mentality are traits of people who “don’t get it”.  I’ve always believed that by acknowledging my own weaknesses and welcoming opinions and feedback from others, everything improves!  Get it?

10 things creator, “Web-Betty”, has all the credentials to objectively critique any website or blog.  She provides you with tactful constructive criticism to improve your site.  The 10 things blog design is clean and easy to navigate.  You can’t help but feel welcome when you see the baby in her header, his expression really captures the lighthearted, friendly manner in which the reviews are provided.

I also found that by reading the critiques of other sites, I could very easily take her suggestions and apply them to my own site/blog.  Doing so surely doesn’t replace a personalized review, but helpful all the same.  Ok, note to self, (clean up my blog before publishing this post, then submit my blog for review)…

There is a section in the sidebar called “The Queue”, I found myself skimming the list of sites waiting to be critiqued, thinking “I’m checking out all those sites”, they automatically ranked a bit higher in my mind because they have the gonads to open themselves up to review.  They obviously “get it!”.

So kudos to 10 things for such a unique blog!

Check it out and submit your blog or site for review, all the cool people are doing it!

Check back next week for more “Blogs that Rock!”

Click here for a listing of all of my “Blogs that Rock!”

With a title like this, you are bound to take a look!  A Stingray Bit My Nipple! True Stories from Real Travelers, would make a great coffee table book or gift for the holiday season!

Everybody loves to laugh, and who wouldn’t while reading these sometimes strange and oh so addicting stories.  The stories were submitted to Budget Travel magazine by travelers from all over the world.

Author Erik Torkells notes, “One of the things I love most about our ‘True Stories’ section (and by extension, this book) is that readers are so willing to laugh at themselves—they send in what are sometimes very embarrassing stories, because we all know that that’s life, especially when you travel.”

Some of the stories include: a woman who accidentally set her hair on fire while lighting a prayer candle to the tourist who unwittingly purchased a T-shirt featuring the Swahili word meaning “white boy tourist.” From the stingray that actually did bite a gentleman’s nipple (he was told the stingray may have mistaken his white belly for a female stingray).

Some of the best times we’ve all had traveling have been when unexpected things happen!  

A Stingray Bit My Nipple! True Stories from Real Travelers

By: Erik Torkells and the Readers of Budget Travel magazineFormat:

Hardback: 5 x 7; 224 pages

Price: $10.39

Check it out!

I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived and was able to let down the guard I had mistakenly put up.  Shame on me for assuming the worst!  My crew, (my husband, my oldest son and his girlfriend), were four blobs of red in a sea of baby blue.  You can understand my inclination to be guarded.  The UNC fans surrounding us were friendly, polite and even made a point to say some really nice things about our team.  I’m not sayin’ they wanted to invite us over for dinner or anything, I’m just sayin’ both sides acted like they had proper home training!

I like to believe it’s karma, what goes around, comes around.  Since the arrival of Tom O’Brien, the Wolfpack have been on an upward spiral.  Our boys had their heads on straight today, and boy did it show!

The Pack scored two touchdowns in a 14-second span in the third quarter.  We were a bit worried in the beginning when Owen Spencer dropped two potential touchdowns.  He redeemed himself when he caught a 21-yard pass from Russell Wilson.  The momentum was there and it didn’t stop.  

“We just played phenomenal, hellacious defense,” said defensive end Willie Young, “We played with such tenacity.  We kept coming back at them and coming back at them.  We were the best team today.  That just comes from playing team ball.  We are a new team.”  

Final Score: NC STATE 41  ~ UNC 10

NC State spokesperson Tim Peeler has this to say:

It’s the third straight win for the Wolfpack (5-6 overall, 3-4 ACC), all over Big Four rivals.  It’s the first time State has beaten UNC, Duke and Wake Forest in the same season since 1986 and the first time since it has beaten the state’s other four Division I-A schools since that same season. 

In NC State coach Tom O’Brien’s two seasons as head coach, the Wolfpack is 6-1 against the other Division I-A schools in the state.

The victory, for the second year in a row, set up the possibility for the Wolfpack to become bowl eligible by winning its season finale, which will be next Saturday against Miami at Carter-Finley Stadium. Last year, however, State lost to Maryland 37-0 to finish O’Brien’s inaugural season at 5-7 overall. Game-time for the contest against the Hurricanes will be announced Sunday.

Kenan Stadium emptied, for all but the pockets of red that filled the stadium with chants of “Wolf” and “Pack.”  

Oh, and a BOO-YAH!