Comfort 24-7

December 21st we found ourselves in the mid December solstice marking the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. The winter solstice brings the shortest day - and the longest night! - of the year. 

In the last 10 days of 2010 a great opportunity to give the gift of warmth to a deserving family is happening! Best of all it is free!  

Now through December 31st, 2010 nominate yourself, friend, neighbor, coworker, or loved one for a FREE FURNACE!


Comfort 24-7 is giving away 63 furnaces to homeowners located in Illinois and Indiana through their Comfort To The People Promotion. This Contest is open to residents of Illinois or Indiana who are eighteen (18) years of age or older at the time of entry. You must also reside within a twenty (20) mile radius of a Comfort247.com Dealer.

There is no commitment to purchase, and all you have to do is submit a brief blurb, (less than 500 words) telling why you, or someone you know, deserves a free furnace. Entry is very simple. Even a  2-3 sentence submission will do!  Entry and additional details can be found at http://www.comfort24-7.com/comfort2thepeople.


Tell the House if you enter and especially if you WIN!


Thanks to Interactive Amy for this wonderful news ~

Where Do Our Dreams Go To Hide

New possibilities in my life resonate like a yodel bouncing around a mountain somewhere off foreign shores. I have been chasing dreams for decades now, but all I am really left with, at this time, in this place of my existence, is a civil servant's job ~ a life that is full, fulfilling - but not necessarily the life I WANT to lead. OR the life I felt I was supposed to lead.


While I was pursuing my bachelor's degree back in the late 1980's early 90's, my aspiration was life by the sea. In  my visions, day after day would be spent chasing the perfect story. Words would just be spewing from my pen, while novel after novel piled up. I would wake up surrounded by my published works, publishers knocking down my door in pursuit of my crafted sentences. 


Two decades later, I have not seen the shores of an exotic locale in 5 years, my pens are full and my pages empty. I have not published the great American Novel, won any literary accolades, nor have I accomplished world peace!


I managed to raise my son on my own, mother him and his dog, all while servicing felons as they attempt to reintegrate into society. I somehow managed a masters degree for which I am now grossly in debt. Not SO shabby, I must say ... after all, like Dad says, "there is no glory in mud-ville".


Thankfully, by a stroke of some incredible force, the prospect of achieving even a portion of my old dreams remains. These life assertions I desire are attainable, quite incredibly through blogging and social media! It is for that reason I stay perky, and thus, I persevere. 


Back in 2007, Latrice Fowler and I met on Women For Hire. Tory Johnson's dream unfolded piercing everyone she touched with a brave new world. Her social media site was the first I ever belonged to. Women there were nurturing wounds, developing new confidences and fostering new relationships. Who knew it was "networking"!


The website was amazing and changed my life. Now I have visions of connecting women to better opportunities for themselves and their families. A woman's self worth feeds the globe in so many ways. We have voices that uplift with knowledge unbounded. We live, learn and love with fervor - and capturing it each day by sharing on our blogs and sites is both revitalizing and monumentally important. I want for my 3 websites a place where all can feel safe to understand each other and embrace differences. I want it to be stressed that eating better, operating our health, managing our goals can be fun, exciting and globally motivating. Touching some young woman in a remote part of the world with just one sentence is profound and it can really happen with the internet via reading our blogs, reviews and sites. All are responsible for small glimmers of information being sent out to thousands if not millions of folks who then begin moving outside of their comfort zones or perceived constrictions into higher understandings. It happened for me, so I know!


Now, about that spot that is waiting for me by the sea ....




I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network blogging program, for a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Soul To Soul Parenting with Annie Burnside

Annie Burnside, M.Ed, Soul Nurturer has news for you. You too can parent your children and mark your

lives together with meaningful and encouraging life experience.   

In her book, Soul To Soul Parenting, Annie unravels raising children and participating in a soulful journey with incredible detail that fosters spiritual growth and an openness to life and the realm of conscious living.

I was particularly struck by the green-light approach that lists hopeful strategy and mindful release techniques.

Communication is delightful in families where there is acceptance and peace. Annie's "cues", "signs" and "role-play" offerings are only tips of what this book can unfold for people interested in true connections and loving environments to touch the presence of higher powers and enrich God and enlightenment without religious attachment. Families can be free to worship as they do while still being able to implement Annie's ideas.

Having this sort of access to alternative parenting is wonderful if you keep an open heart and an open mind. The world is needing our openness and oneness. If you pick this one up, come back and let me know if you've received something positive! 

How was your family impacted and would you recommend loving in this way?