And Now For Something Totally Different...

A friend of mine has recently filmed a documentary about an organization that he believes passionately in, called Round Table. This link will take you to their website in the UK. From there you can read all about their activities and find links to their other chapters. Please take a moment to read Andrew's words, watch his film, and consider if this is something you would be interested in as well. Feel free to send the links on to anyone else you feel might be interested!

Thanks! Be blessed y'all! ")

Watch the video...

This link is for Facebook members only.

Watch the video...Part One

Watch the video...Part Two

These links should work for everyone!

This is a promotional video for the organisation Round Table, a fundraising organisation with an unfortunately dwindling membership. These guys give their time to raise money for good causes and the loss of this organisation would be a blow too many charitable organisations which rely on them to raise funds.

The Oft Coveted Zombie Chicken Award

Well...I tell ya...in all the years I've been doing this...creating websites...doing the blog thing...I have NEVER received an award like this one. And honestly? It's my favorite! Why? Because it's so...MEL! ")

My BBFF...that's Best Bloggin' Friend Forever...has graciously presented me with the prestigious Zombie Chicken Award...with the following caveat:

The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken - excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all!

Hmmm...knowing full well I never follow the rules that come with these awards I'll simply have to take my chances with those zombie chickens. Maybe they'll let me get by with only awarding it to the following TWO fellow bloggers:

1) Jennifer, one of two contributors from the ever humble More than Cheese---if I didn't know any better I would think SHE had created this award herself. We met online...I don't know...13 years ago? Yikes! I LOVE you my girl. One day we are going to meet each other face to face. After I hug you and cry a lot...and embarrass the both of us I'll probably just stare at my feet and mumble.

2) Mike of the aptly named Mike's Place---whom I've known for well...forever. Recently I have discovered, with great pleasure, that the man has the soul of a writer...a GOOD one. I can't wait to see what he puts down next. I love you too...Mikey. ")

Carolina of course would receive one had she not already presented it to me...and Andrew deserves one as well...if he still blogged. ; p

Perhaps that will keep the zombie chickens away from my doorstep...if only for a little while...I'm safe...but for how long...

Be blessed y'all!

So! It's that time again!

I want to thank the Man Upstairs again...for letting me hang around for another year to watch my girls grow and change...nag the man I love...and be a pest to those who love me both near and far...year 46...check.

I'm extremely thankful and utterly grateful that I am still in touch with several of my former students...and they don't seem to feel I've ruined their lives! ; ) My Lil' Lis' came to visit me a few months ago...what a gorgeous, intelligent, confident young woman she is. I'm so very proud of her...can you tell? She has bestowed my latest nickname upon me...Mama Bear.

I feel the need to thank Terri yet again...although I've thanked her numerous times...both publicly and privately...but she needs to hear it again. This person...this friend...this Twinkie...who has been a part of my life literally since I was Hope's age was THE only person who believed me. Yes, she believed *in* me and still does. But she was the only human being, albeit a child herself, who believed a scared and bewildered Mel when a lot of other trusted adults should have. She's one strong broad...and she's got one tough Mama of her own...and I love them both.

Yet another blessing in my life is my friend Linda. This woman was the first person to sign my guestbook at Prayer, Praise & Peace many years ago. I wrote her back...and it just grew from there. She has helped me through more crud than I ever want to go through again. It was Linda who led me to my own personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I didn't know such a thing was possible...but she showed me it was...and I am so thankful!

And then there are my cubs. How can I ever begin to tell y'all just how special these two people are to me...and just how quickly they became that special? I don't trust people...I've said it before and I'll say it again...I just don't trust people. Well, ok...every ten years or so I attach to one new online friend. But it hasn't been ten years since the last attachment...and there are two cubs. I call them my cubs because I have come to feel extremely maternal towards both of them. I suppose that technically I *am* old enough to be Carrie's Mama...but not Andrew's...but I could've been his teacher!

I met Carrie playing Scrabulous...a very thinly disguised version of Scrabble...on Facebook. After a few months of playing daily she said she had been playing against someone who now wanted to play against me. Enter the boy cub, Andrew. I think the three of us have played in one combination or another, every single day since then.

For lack of a better explanation...there are so many parts that make up who "Mel" is...and even those closest to me don't "get" all of those parts. It's self preservation...if you share too much of yourself, if you give someone else too much power over you, you're going to get hurt. I once told Carrie that I intended to use blogging as a way to "put myself together again" or merge all of those parts into one. She said, "I already love every part of you that you've shared with me. Why wouldn't I love the rest?" I cried then...I'm crying now. She has shown me that it is absolutely ok to FEEL. I've spent years shoving my feelings down...or trying to ignore them. That works really well until they explode. She taught me to just go ahead and feel...even if it hurts...even if it's bad...because if you don't? Well, you're going to have a mess to clean up afterwards...or you're going to be so busy NOT feeling you're going to miss the GOOD feelings too.

And Andrew? What has he taught the old Mama Bear? Well, I mean besides the fact that he can make up totally ridiculous words that nobody has ever heard of and get hundreds of points for them? In his own words, "I'm a happy bunny." And he is. He goes through drama just like the rest of us but he deals with it and then lets it go. No matter WHAT kind of a day it has been he's always Andrew...he's always himself. I so admire him for that...among many other things.

So as Mama Bear continues to grow and change and become "Mel 46.0", she is so thankful for her cubs and their "Feel It...Deal With It...Forget It" strategy. They both accept me for who I am...whoever that might be at any given moment...they trust me...and I trust them. Yeah...I said that...I TRUST them. That's really scary...because darn near every single piece of Mel, loves these two people.

Thanks as always for reading! ")