Sweaters for penguins!

I saw this news story that combines two things I really like: penguins and sweaters! Apparently, in an effort to help some penguins recover from an oil spill in New Zealand, people have been knitting them sweaters! The sweaters protect the penguins because the oil they were covered in makes it so they can't protect themselves from the cold. An appeal went out over the internet and loads of sweaters were sent to help the penguins! If you want to learn more, watch the story here:

Happy Wednesday!

I wish everyone the happiest of Wednesdays! Congratulations! We’re halfway through the week!

A very accurate weather forecast

"Weather forecast for tonight: dark." -George Carlin
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/george_carlin_108466

Weather forecasts aren't always accurate and I do find that I sometimes take my umbrella with me when I go out just so it won't rain.  However, I figure the weather forecast above is quite accurate (at least where I am.) If you find yourself out in the dark, I wish you a sky full of stars.

A song for a stormy day

Currently it's really stormy where I live and this made me think of the song "Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head" and it made me feel better as it's shamelessly cheerful. I wish everyone a very happy Monday and an even happier Tuesday to come.

Even elephants can dance!

I really enjoy seeing people and animals dance spontaneously. So when I saw the video below of an elephant dancing, it made me feel really happy. Thus, I felt the best thing to do was share the video here. I wish everyone the happiest of Sundays!

Hallelujah

The composer George Frideric Handel was born today in 1685. When I think of him I always think about this piece of music he composed called the "Messiah." It's this really grand sounding (although perhaps rather heavy) classical piece of music or oratorio if you want to get technical.  The piece is all about the like of Jesus Christ. One part of that piece that I really like is the Hallelujah chorus because it's happy and I especially like singing it with a very large group of people. It's inspiring enough that sometimes sing-alongs are organized to sing either just this chorus or the whole Messiah piece. I found this clip of an orchestra singing the Hallelujah Chorus with their audience and I thought it was really cool. I've  always liked singing in choirs/with large groups of people because everything sounds better together and music is best when it's shared. Plus, when large groups of people sing this particular chorus it really does feel like a celebration. To give you an idea of what I'm talking about, watch the clip below. Happy Saturday everyone!

Celebrating Friday with a dance!

I saw this video of birds dancing. They were actually doing a mating dance but it made me think they were celebrating and as Friday is a day to celebrate, it seemed appropriate to share this video. Happy Friday everyone!

About love

"I'll love you, dear, I'll love you till China and Africa meet and the river jumps over the mountain and the salmon sing in the street." W. H. Auden

I thought this quote was a really nice expression of love and in the spirit of this quote I send love to everyone.

Happy Hump Day

Happy Wednesday (hump day) everyone! You're half way through the week, e.g. over the hump of it!

The impact of the need for communication

I saw this news story about a little girl in Newton, MA who is deaf and she inspired her whole neighborhood to learn sign language.  As I'm continuing to learn how to use sign language to communicate.  I liked the story a lot because the little girl was so happy to be  able to communicate with anyone anyone and the fact that her neighbors shows how communication in its many forms, unites and brings happiness to many. If you'd like to read more about this story follow this link: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/samantha-savitz-newton-massachusetts-neighborhood-learning-american-sign-language/.

One thing to do each day

"Smile in the mirror. Do that every morning and you'll start to see a big difference in your life."-Yoko Ono

I've found that smiling really does help me through many things. Maybe it's not a cure for all ills necessarily but I have noticed that without fail smiles are contagious and when I smile it does feel lovely.  I like the idea of smiling each day in the mirror because it means each day can bring a smile and that's a lovely way to start the day.  On that note, I wish you a very happy Monday!

Because I like reading....

As I really like reading and sometimes wish I could advise characters in books, here are some things I'd say if I could give some book characters a piece of my mind:

*To Heathcliff and Cathy (from Wuthering Heights): For goodness sakes, stop moaning about and get married.
*To Oliver Twist: If you really want more food, start a rebellion with your friends and take the food from those nasty gits who are hoarding it!
*To Jane Eyre: When considering Mr. Rochester as a potential significant other, swipe left! You can do better!
*To Dorian Gray (from the Picture of Dorian Gray): You look handsome, ok? Now get over yourself or you'll pay!
*To Winnie the Pooh: I love you!

Love is free and love is freeing

"One word frees us of all the weight and pain in life. That word is love."-Sophocles
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/sophocles_133194

I know I go on about how love is the best thing ever but I don't think I can express that thought enough and I don't think people tell each other enough that they love each other. That's why I dedicate this song to everyone and I send love to everyone because love is all you need.

A happy birthday to my dad

It's my dad's birthday today and I write this to celebrate this day and my dad as he's always been my good friend as well as my dad. When I was around 4 and my sister was born,  my dad didn't want me to feel upset that I was no longer an only child. So he took me aside and said I'd always be his special friend and that idea has stayed with me all my life.  So I dedicate this posting to my dad as he's always my special friend with much love now and always.

Valentine’s Day Playlist

I love music so it seemed fitting that I should share some love-related music that I like. Here is my Valentine’s Day themed playlist (in no particular order):

• One- by U2- I like that one of it's lyrics says that love is a higher law, because love can govern things people do (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpDQJnI4OhU)
• Love me tender (sung by Norah Jones)- because it's sweet and love is sweet (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo9WgacriC8)
• I'm in the Mood for Love (sung by Louis Armstrong)-It's happy and love makes me happy and I wouldn't want it any other way. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5THTGXG0sA).
• Overflow of Love From the Movie "The Shape of Water"-it's an instrumental piece but it really is beautiful, as is love. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AdXZl7gPvc)
• What the World Needs Now (Is Love)-Because that's what the world always need more of. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNlc65Zxo2g)

"Sunsets are so beautiful that they almost seem as if we were looking through the gates of Heaven."-John Lubbock
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/john_lubbock_165600

I always like seeing the sunset. Sometimes, if I'm lucky and the weather is nice, I  sit outside and eat my dinner and watch the sun go down and it is really beautiful. The fact that this doesn't happen every day makes it all the more special to me when it does happen. It does remind me to look for the unexpected beauty in each day. On that note, I wish you all a very happy and beautiful Wednesday!

Sunsets are so beautiful that they almost seem as if we were looking through the gates of Heaven. John Lubbock
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/john_lubbock_165600

Still more proof that laughter is contageous

I saw this video clip below that shows once again that laughter is contagious and kids can be really funny. To everyone who reads this I wish you a very happy Tuesday and an even happier Wednesday!

Funny start to the week

I saw this video and thought it was appropriate and funny as it's the start of the week.  To all who read this, I hope you had a great Monday and I wish you an even happier Tuesday.

Funny joke for a Sunday

I saw this joke and thought it was appropriate for today as it's Sunday. Wherever you are reading this, I wish you a very happy Sunday and an even happier Monday.


A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5, and Ryan 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. "If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, 'Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.'" Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, "Ryan, you be Jesus !"

Source of joke: https://www.kidssundayschool.com/teaching-aids/story-telling/jokes-and-riddle

Speeches I would watch religiously

The State of the Union address was given last week and it got me thinking about an alternative (and my favorite) potential State of the Union speech would be. (See the video clip below for an example.) For the record, I think that no matter who the president is, Minions should always be in charge of State of the Union addresses on behalf of presidents. If that ever happened I'd watch those speeches religiously! Happy Saturday everyone.

A happy Friday Dance

I love dancing and Fridays and to combine those two things I thought I'd share the video below because it made me smile. I wish everyone the happiest of Fridays!

The best kind of power

"I just believe in the goodwill of people, the power of people to do something positive." -Eddie Izzard
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/eddie_izzard_454880

One thing I believe in most about humanity is that people can be really good to other people. For example, I heard this story about a woman who arranged for homeless people to stay in hotel rooms in Chicago a week or two ago because it was freezing cold there. (To learn more about this story watch the clip below.) I figure as long as people are willing to look out for each other there is hope for everyone.  To all who read this, I send you much love and best wishes now and always.

One thing I like best....

I don't know how devout I am in terms of religion but when I do go to church I find that my favorite part of a church service is the passing of peace.  This ritual involves turning to the people sitting around you and wishing them peace. To me there's something nice about wishing someone peace especially because it sometimes involves hugging them. There's also something comforting about being wished peace, it's a nice blessing. Although I physically can't hug everyone, I want to wish everyone much peace now and always.

The funniest dream

"Dreams are necessary to life"-Anais Nin

I think dreams make life more interesting.  One funny/silly thing I used to dream of doing is going up Mount Everest.  I think it's funny because I didn't actually want to go up Mount Everest, I just liked the idea of seeing the top of the world. My friend and I had this joke that we'd somehow get to the top of Mount Everest,  plant a flag on it  and run all the way down. (We never quite got round to working out how we would get up and down the mountain.)  I realize this "dream" is silly but the idea made my friend and I laugh a lot and that was the best part of the whole thing.  Sometimes I feel like the best dreams I've had are ones that I've shared with others. I feel like dreams are best shared. They may not turn into reality but they still bring happy memories when I think of them.

Preserving a memory

"Memories of our lives, of our works and our deeds will continue in others."-Rosa Parks
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quoteys/rosa_parks_133228

The civil rights activist Rosa Parks was born today in 1913 and this quote makes me think of how it's important to preserve memories. I like keeping this blog because it allows me to write down things I remember so I can remember them and maybe someday some of those memories will live on in others. One thing I remember and I don't want to forget happened a few years back when I went with some friends to Boston and in order to celebrate my birthday we went to stand in Copley Square and we gave hugs to anyone who wanted one. What I also liked about that day was that everyone who walked by and saw what my friends and I were doing smiled. I had so much fun. It was just nice to see so many people happy and know that something I did helped them to feel happy. I feel like the best memories are happy memories and the memory I just described is one I want to keep safe in the hope that it lives on for a good while.

Even Minions play football

Since the Super Bowl (an American football game) is being played today and so I felt this short video clip was appropriate. Apparently Minions play football too! Go Pats!

Better together

I went grocery shopping with a friend and her mom today and it was lovely being with them and it was extra nice because we all went out to lunch at a diner afterwards which was super fun. Even though buying groceries is something I have to do, it's more fun running errands with friends. In fact, I feel like most activities that seem like chores are improved when people do them with other people. Friends make so many things better. Whatever chores you may have to do today I hope you have friends to do them with.  I wish you the happiest of Saturdays

Happy Friday!

I saw this video and thought it was appropriate for today! I wish everyone the happiest of Fridays!