Connections: Worldwide and on the World Wide Web.

Over 1000 bloggers and videographers come together on the 20th of every month to raise their voices for compassion and to speak for good. I am joining them again today. The #1000 Speak for Compassion topic for this month is “Connections.” 

When I started thinking about what to write for this post, two very different examples of connections immediately came to mind. One involves a quick but valuable tip for bloggers; the other is the challenge of maintaining personal connections as we travel through life.

I. Connections on the web: an explanation and a helpful tip for Bloggers

Yesterday I mentioned “broken links” and talked about a tool I found to repair them.  I was referring to

Fixing Things: Spring Cleaning and Broken Links

I seem to be on a roll with trying to improve some things! The decluttering book I recently read by Marie Kondo and the tech-tips German Pearls website I just discovered have really motivated me. I've been busy!

Marie Kondo's system of decluttering is really working for me, even after I broke one of her rules. (I'm not strictly sorting items in the order she recommends. Some things - like books! - require the input of my family, and they haven't yet been available to help me.) I am still getting a lot done; the method of sorting by item (instead of by room) is sort of magical. Since I wrote about this three weeks ago, all my

I Found A Blog With Helpful Tech Tips & Tutorials!

Today my Saturday Spotlight is shining on a source of information that I am very excited to share with you! It has the potential to save you time and prevent some moments of frustration. You will be wanting to say thanks - not to me, but to the blogger whom I just discovered this week!

Pearls - but not from an oyster!

I just found a type of pearls I really like - German pearls! I'm not talking about the kind that come out of oysters. I am referring to a website I was lucky enough to find yesterday, at the linkup party, Foodie FriDIY. The name of the blog is .... German Pearls!

The pearls of the website are not jewelry. They are “pearls” of information, to help non tech-type people - like me! The blogger, Amy, is a self-professed “tech-geek,” and she writes posts with “tips and tricks for using your computer, smart phones and more.”  Her site is (I think) fairly new, but she has already posted quite a few excellent articles that are worth spending some time reading.

Amy provides "Tech tips for non-tech types"

The first post of Amy's that I discovered was Help Me Find My iPhone! Update these Settings Now to Find Your iPhone Later. I felt confident that I had already enabled the

A Simple But Scrumptious Salad

On Mother's Day this year, my kids gave me gifts and cards, and my husband spoiled me. Really spoiled me.

He brewed coffee and made me a mimosa. That was followed by brunch - a yogurt parfait, scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast.  

I spent the afternoon doing things that I wanted to do: a little blogging, some reading, and enjoying the nice weather outside.  I'm really not trying to make you jealous, but my husband even washed and waxed my car!

Have I mentioned that my husband likes to cook? Not only does he enjoy cooking - he is a very good cook! Although I'm the primary meal-maker in our family, he often likes to fix breakfast, and sometimes prepares dinner on the weekends.  Yes - I am very lucky.

The offer was made to make dinner on Mother's Day. A nice bottle of wine with cheese and crackers, followed by a salad, steamed clams, and crunchy bread.  As I said - I'm very lucky!

On Mother's Day, my husband made this salad without mushrooms, but decided the next time he made it to add them.

The whole meal was perfect, but it was the salad that I raved about the most.  I liked it so much, we've

A Blank Page: Overcoming Writer's Block

This is the 335th blog post I have published since the most - - of every moment began. I have been asked how I am able to keep coming up with new ideas to write about.  I'm not sure I really have an answer.

Sometimes it just happens.

Writing is a little bit like thinking.  It just happens.  I may be struck by an idea while I'm gardening, or falling asleep, or cooking dinner, or taking a shower. I often write whole pages in my dreams, only to awaken in frustration, with nothing but a teasing tidbit of that content remaining once I am conscious. Sometimes I have more ideas in my head than there are days to write and publish them.  Occasionally, I draw a blank.

An editorial calendar can help - if you use it!

Organized bloggers keep an editorial calendar of topics to be published, sometimes

Love the Life You Have

Today I am sharing some thoughts I've been having about contentment.  But first, a question: Have you read  Love the Home You Have: Simple Ways to...Embrace Your Style *Get Organized *Delight in Where You Are, by Melissa Michaels?

This book showed up on my Amazon account today, as a "book that I might enjoy." I have not yet read it, but the title drew me in for a closer look and the description sounds really interesting. I was delighted to realize it was written by a blogger, whose blog (The Inspired Room) I now follow! You can

22 REALLY Last-Minute Ideas for Mother's Day!

Much of the world observes Mother's Day, although different countries do so at different times of the year. In the United States, (where I live now) Mother's Day is the second Sunday in May. It is a day designated to honor our mothers, mothers-in-law, grandmothers, the mothers of our children, and all of the important mothers in our lives.

Sometimes though, despite it getting a lot of media attention,  Mother's Day can somehow catch us off-guard.

Your intentions were good! 

You fully intended to think of a way to make Mother's Day really special this year.  But - - how did this happen?! It is suddenly the Saturday of Mother's Day weekend, and you have no plan.  Yikes. You could still buy flowers or chocolate at the grocery store, but that may not seem quite special enough, and might not even be an option at this late date, if Mom is far away.

Don't despair and certainly, don't give up! 

It is true that there is no way that gift you were thinking about ordering on-line will now arrive on time ... and it is much too late to have a piece of jewelry personalized ... and there's no way you could possibly afford to surprise her with a plane ticket departing tomorrow for Hawaii!  BUT - it is still possible to make tomorrow the perfect Mother's Day for the important mothers in your life!

22 suggestions that just might help you out ...

How to Email Your Videos to Friends and Family.

I am not very technologically savvy.  In fact, it is a challenge for me to keep this website running smoothly.  You may have noticed that for the past few days the background of this blog was black. (!!!) I have been corresponding on the Blogger Help forum to try to figure out how to fix it . . . but I still don't have it repaired quite right yet!

My technological ignorance is not just limited to web pages.  For years, I have wanted to email the videos I've taken at my children’s events to far-away family, but I could never figure out how.  

In the past, whenever I tried to email a video of a sporting event or musical performance, I have met with frustration. It seemed the videos files were too large, and therefore could not be sent.  Does this sound like a familiar problem?

This photo of a video is from my phone. Without using Google Drive, I would have no idea how to share this with anyone!

My options for sharing videos long-distance used to be:

• uploading the video to Facebook or Youtube (not something I have always wanted to do!)  
• burning them to a CD and sending it through the mail.
• waiting for an opportunity to show them in person. 

Recently though, I discovered a way to successfully email a video to friends and family! 

Though far from being an expert in these matters, I am sharing what I know here today - with the hope

Which Teachers Should You Thank This Week?

This is National Teacher Appreciation week. 

No one is born knowing everything, or with the ability to figure everything out on their own. We rely heavily on the teaching of others throughout our lives.

When you think of a teacher, who comes to mind?  Is it your favorite elementary school teacher?  A

Busy as a Bee

Sometimes we use a phrase without giving much thought to its meaning. Many expressions that are now a part of our every day language have a rich history, of which we may not always be aware.

Recently, I was weeding around our caragana hedge - and collecting enough scratches from the thorns to make me look like I had been in the middle of a cat fight! While weeding, I observed a big fuzzy, beautiful bumblebee collecting nectar from the flowers of the hedge. Weeding is not a very cerebral task, so my mind was free to wander.  I started thinking about bees, and the phrase, “busy as a bee”

A Favorite Enchilada Recipe - Super Quick and Easy

Saturday Spotlight #17

Today my Saturday Spotlight is shining on Mexican food, in honor of Cinco de Mayo. 

Cinco de Mayo, literally translated, means “5th of May.” Although it is not a celebration of Mexican Independence Day,  Cinco de Mayo is a holiday celebrating a victory the Mexican army had over the French. 

Today I am sharing an enchilada recipe that is perfect for a Cinco de Mayo party, a potluck, or an easy family meal.

I lived in Spain for a number of years, so many people assume that I know a lot about Mexican cooking.  The two cuisines are really quite different, but I love both. I have discovered a number of good Mexican recipes over the years.  

Many years ago I got the idea for this dish from a recipe on the side of a bag of Kraft cheese!  I have added quite a few more ingredients, and changed the method quite a bit, however, so it now hardly resembles the original recipe. My guests have always enjoyed it - and I hope that you like it as well!

Quick and Easy Chicken Enchiladas

(Printable Recipe  - click here)

Ingredients:

A Clever Graduation Gift That's Always Appreciated!

We received a graduation announcement in the mail this week. It is that time of year. Final exams will soon be written; caps and gowns are ordered; parties are being planned... and announcements are being addressed and mailed by graduates everywhere.

When I was growing up, high school and college graduations were celebrated. Now, middle school (a.k.a. junior high school) and even kindergarten graduations are recognized, although usually not to the same degree as higher education.

Receiving a graduation announcement does not always require a response, however people frequently give a card and/or gift. When my daughter graduated from high school, we were overwhelmed by the