Day 365: Mission Accomplished! Looking Back At PostADay 2011 Challenge

This has been an amazing challenge! Thanks for joining me!

“Don’t measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.’ John Wooden

With a great sigh of relief, I’m posting my 365th post this year!  I’ve imagined this day many times.

In mid-January, I was ready to quit posting when WordPress spurred me onward.  They highlighted my blog so that I gained new friends and followers.  My audience is not large, but they are patient and encouraging.  Knowing that someone reads my daily posts keeps me writing.

Setting goals makes life fun, but knowing what goals to set is most difficult.

Here are my reflections (as suggested by WordPress) of completing these 365 days and my reasons for doing it:

• Why did you start the Post a Day/Week Challenge?  I was looking for a challenge last December when I happened upon the daily challenge by WordPress.  They suggested we get a blog (which I didn’t yet have) and tell the world that we would be posting every day.  That’s how I started.  I told the world that I was starting what I have found to be a very long, but exciting, challenge.
• Describe the state of your blog at the time you started the challenge.  As I mentioned, I had never created a blog but did have a website when I began the challenge.  I didn’t even understand posting at the time.
• How did your blog evolve over the course of the challenge? Initially, I wanted my followers to join me in creating something every day.  I tried to challenge the readers to do an activity with me.  Over time, I simply posted about things I had noticed with my camera or during the day’s activities.
• Did you post as often as you had hoped? Why or why not?  Yes, I posted every day.  On a few occasions, I posted something very simple because of my schedule that day.  Generally, I tried to write a post that connected something tangible with something intangible.
• What type of blogging strategy works best for you?  I fell into a pattern which helped.  I would first look at a picture and choose my topic.  Then, I would search for a quote about the topic and include it in my post.  From there, I could compare my topic with my thoughts.  I often looked for related links to put into the post.
• If you could go back to the beginning, what would you do differently? I’m sure my first few posts would be more in line with my other posts.  As it stands, I’m happy with how it went and wouldn’t change it.
• What are you most proud of accomplishing this year?  I’ve met some great people this year.  I’ve learned to post, and I’ve enjoyed other blogs.  Finally, I completed this daily task all year long.
• Name 3 great blogs you discovered through the challenge.  I have enjoyed Fruitful Words, Julia’s Place, and Savoring Today.  I felt especially connected to Susan and Julia.  We’ve befriended one another during this process.
• What surprised you about the challenge?  I found that this daily post made me look more closely at my day-to-day activities.  I started taking pictures of interesting things, and I noticed more of the little details I often overlook.
• What advice would you give to others who want to blog regularly?  I highly suggest the PostADay initially.  If you can make yourself commit to that long length of time, it will change your daily thinking pattern and make you more vulnerable.
• What are your blogging goals for 2012?  Basically, I have no blogging goals this year since I thoroughly blitzed myself out in 2011.  I’m in the process of putting together a BrainCaviar for Educators site.  It’s just starting up.  I will not commit to posting daily, but will post at my own pace.

Now, I must thank many of you!

• Thank you Julia, Ruth, Susan, Cooky, and Brad for being my top commenters this year.
• Thank you to those who have “followed” my posts.  It made the journey worthwhile knowing that someone was reading!
• Thank you family for putting up with me during this crazy year when I would have to rush home to finish my post of the day on many occasions!
• Thank you to the readers who put up with my ramblings and who laughed with me all year long!
• Thank you  WordPress.  You supported me daily, sent weekly photo challenges (which helped a lot), gave me this free place to post my thoughts, and connected me to a wonderful blogging community.

If you’ve stopped in this year at BrainCaviar, please leave a comment!  I appreciate each one!

Goodbye to this PostADay 2011 Challenge!  I promise never to take another one, but I will pop in at BrainCaviar from time to time and share my latest thoughts…just not every day!

Decent Guys Who Skate

Birmingham skatepark demolished to make room for the Birmingham Barons.

“I consider skateboarding an art form, a lifestyle and a sport.” Tony Hawk

With the recent demolition of the downtown skatepark in Birmingham, Alabama, one might question the city’s prejudices.  Baseball certainly has its place, and Birmingham enjoyed the season when Michael Jordan brought more fans to see the Barons.  However, in choosing the new location for the minor-league ballpark, we’ve demolished the site where Birmingham’s skateboarders go to get noticed and hopefully to become pro-skaters.

Other than monetary gain, our stereotype for skateboarders might be a part of the problem.  We often see these guys as a bunch of vagabonds who wish to destroy the town by riding the stair rails, doing drugs, and plastering graffiti on downtown brick walls and tunnels.  Who cares about them anyway?

So I ask you, dear Birmingham, where will these skaters go now?  The Birmingham Railroad Park built what they considered a skatepark, and since it didn’t meet their needs, the skaters made their own park right across the street.  This park, however, included appropriate ramps, bars, and rails that the skaters could use to practice tricks, jumps, and grinds.  In essence, they made a place to contain themselves so that they could get the practice they needed without vandalising the city.  They don’t require an audience like the Barons, but they do need certain types of equipment which were not considered by the Railroad Park.

Since I was born and raised in and around the Birmingham area, I consider myself in the know about our city.  My son, however, is just now developing a love for Birmingham since he has spent his years in the big city of Bangkok, Thailand, where he enjoys skateboarding with many of his friends in several of our public parks.  He has worked with our slum ministry and loves helping people.  He is a decent guy who skates.

Birmingham, would we consider a place where both minor-league baseball players and minor-league skateboarders could both excel and practice?  Could we once again look past your prejudices and see the skateboarders as a group of decent guys who skate?  Could we provide a place for them just as we are providing for our baseball players?

We’ve worked through difficult times in the past, and here’s another chance for us to shine.  What do you say?

Day 363: 5 Things To Throw Out Before the New Year

This chandelier once lit a beautiful hall.

“Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.” A.A. Milne

If I could walk back in time, I’m sure I’d catch a dazzling view of this ritzy theatre with shimmering lights, people parading in their Sunday best, and lots of anticipation for a romantic evening.  As it stands, there are two families waiting to see a cheap show.  The chandelier hangs but is partially lit.  The adjacent golden fixtures are putting their green faces forward with the energy-efficient, yet ugly, bulbs.  All good things must come to an end, but this one is fighting to its death.

What could be a more perfect time to get rid of those things that no longer dazzle?  The new year is around the corner, and I love change that I initiate more than change initiated by someone else.   To get myself going, I checked out two e-books from the library and both are telling me to throw things out.  One says to Throw Out Fifty Things while the other tells me I’ll need to demolish the old in order to start with the new.  Both authors have great ideas.  Both are challenging me to rid myself of too many things.

Here are five things that I really must throw out before the new year:

1. Throw out the junk food – I talked about this earlier in the year, but all Halloween candy must now be thrown away.  If we don’t at least start eating healthy in the new year, when will we ever?  Even if we don’t keep it up daily, we must start somewhere.  My friends told me about a lady who has lost so much weight they don’t even recognize her.  I surely don’t want to go that far, but it is now time to address this stomach bulge.  Are you with me?

2. Throw out the idea that I can’t accomplish what I start – In the second book I’m reading, I’m hearing that one of the best ways to complete a task is to understand the motivation behind it.  If we know of  a reason to accomplish the goal and it has a long-term positive impact on life, we are more likely to accomplish it.  I challenge each of us to choose a great goal and write down the reason we want to accomplish it.  Then determine how that will impact a positive future.  Let’s try it.

3. Throw out the broken things – If I haven’t fixed them yet, I’ll need to fix them now or throw them out.  These intentions can hang around and keep me bogged down.  The quicker I rid myself of them, or fix them, the better.

4. Throw out the overwhelmed feeling that holds me back – I sometimes don’t want to start because my mind tells me I’ll never get there.  Well, why not get started?  That’s the worst part for me.  So what if I don’t throw away 50 things?  I can throw away 5 for sure.  That’s 10% that gets me on a roll.  Today, I choose not to feel overwhelmed.  The goal is mine and not for someone else.  If I don’t make it to 50, I’ll still make it to 5.  Goodbye overwhelmed feeling that keeps me from starting what I want to start!

5.Throw out one fear –  I love what God can do in our hearts when we refuse to fear change.  God never changes, yet He is in the changing business.  If we are to be more like Him, we have to trust Him with our futures.  It’s important to throw out anything that is keeping us from moving in the direction He needs us to go.  Throwing away one fear can get me moving in a new direction.

Now comes the decision. We can keep this beautiful chandelier as it is and let it take up space in our lives even though it is not shining beautifully. We can fix it or throw it away.  Yes, it seems too valuable to throw away, but will it free us of space needed for something more practical?  Will it free us to enjoy life in a different way?

Are we ready to throw away 5 things?  What will they be?  Are they physical or mental?  Please share your list.

Day 362: A Place For Everyone – Lumpini Park, Bangkok

Find your place at Lumpini Park.

“When I’m old I shall give up writing the big stuff and shall wander round the park thinking of songs.” George Lloyd

We’re pulling out the socks and hot chocolate today in Bangkok.  It’s cloudy with a chance of rain at a frigid 70 degrees, which is quite cold for our city.  Believe it or not, you’ll find all of the street dogs sporting winter clothes and people wearing long sleeves or jackets.  In a tropical city, it’s our cold season which brings on some special events at our fabulous public arena, Lumpini Park.

Whether you prefer running, walking at a hefty pace, sitting for a leisurely picnic, or joining the ranks of one of many exercise groups, you’ll find your place at Lumpini.  I love that people of all levels of society join together for public fun.

On Christmas night in Lumpini, we had the pleasure of hearing the free concert by the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra.  For 30 Baht (around $1) we rented a family mat, sat with our books, and awaited the concert.  In a crowd of about 2,000 we enjoyed the music–or mostly so–since the two men beside us chatted rudely throughout the concert.  We were on the outskirts and therefore also endured the booming music from the nearby aerobics class of about 250 people oblivious to the outstanding concert.

That’s how it is in Lumpini.  So many varieties of events happen at once that one just bumps right into the next.  To enjoy this plethora of activities, hop on over to Lumpini in the early morning or around 5 in the afternoon when the various groups are getting organized.  I enjoy seeing the senior citizens early in the mornings doing Tai Chi and then sipping hot tea over a morning news chat.

For variety, you’ll have a hard time finding a place more accommodating than Lumpini Park.  What’s your favorite hang-out?

Day 361: Things Remembered – Things Forgotten

A sparkling ornament holds a memory to shine or to put away.

“Every man’s memory is his private literature.” Aldous Huxley

Seeing the tiny elves again drew a smile on my face.  I’m not even sure of the memory I associate with it because it has grown in size.  I don’t know where to start thinking back.  With the ornament in my hand, I embrace feelings of hope, joy, and warmth.

A box of Christmas ornaments holds more than decorative pieces.  As we hang each one, a plethora of memories flow through our heads.  The associations are likely different for each person.

Recently, my children shared how they hung ornaments for their grandmother.  The tree was completely weighed down, yet the memories behind the ornaments were important to her.  None could be left in the box.

Today, we will begin taking down the tree.  We’ll keep the ornaments safely in their places.  What sorts of inspiration will they provide for our new year?

Family – Some ornaments remind me of my family and of the close connections we shared.  It reminds me of simple times when we ate cornbread, cream potatoes, and sat together at the table.  Like an ornament, we choose which memories are best to keep and which ones are best to throw away.

Friends – We came across an ornament of our first year of marriage given to us by a special friend.  It reminded me of a different period of life.  How exciting that time when we were working and learning to love each other daily.  We had another set of friends then.  We are still connected with many of these friends.  It made the difficult times easy to forget.

Hopes – Sometimes ornaments remind us of a hope we have lost.  Perhaps we’ve lost the joy that we once held daily.  Ornaments can trigger a memory that can help us change our present.  Bringing back the hope into our lives can be a gift in disguise.

Dreams – As time moves onward, we often abandon dreams which were either foolish or forgotten.  With each ornament, the dreams we wish to shine up and pursue again can be a treasured challenge.  We can also realize our need to abandon a dream for something even better.  Age and wisdom can help us know which to keep and which to discard.

If these ornaments connect our past and present, they are meaningful.  Yet, if we allow an associated memory to propel our future, then we have captured their great value.

What ornament holds special meaning for you?

Day 360: Thank You! Thank You! To You and to You!

Thank you, Nadie for your nomination!

“He’s my friend that speaks well of me behind my back.” Thomas Fuller

This 365 day challenge has been a wonderful ride.  I’ve learned so much and have met so many wonderful people.  Today, many thanks are in order.

First, I must say thank you to Nadie at Lil Lady…Giant Brain.  She uses her creativity to encourage others, and I appreciate her nomination.

Thank you Photo Poetics for this nomination!

Then, I must also give a warm thanks to Photo Poetics for the nomination for the Liebster Blog.  Hop on over to the blog and enjoy poetry inspired by wonderful photographs.

As part of these awards, I’ll need to tell you some random things about myself!  Here are a few:

• Travel – I love to travel and have spent two years in South Africa, my growing up years in the United States, and most of my adult life in Thailand.
• Art – I’ve never had an art class, but I have a great appreciation for artists.
• Coffee – I’m a coffee lover.  I like it with milk and medium strength.  Coffee is my best friend in the early mornings.
• Work – I love teaching.  It’s fun to share new ideas with others who get excited about learning too.
• Student – I’m a perpetual student.  I love reading books that teach me how to do something new.
• Goals – I like have goals I’m working toward.  It gives me a direction.
• Projects – Getting projects completed makes me happy.  I like a project that I can finish quickly because for me, I like the finished piece of work.
• Wife – I have an awesome husband who puts up with my great need to learn and to change.
• Mom – I have three of the most awesome children I know.  I guess I have to call them adults now.  I’m proud of them.  They are all creative and love dabbling in many projects like I do.
• Life – I love God and have a passion to share God’s love with people I meet.  Whatever I do, I hope that others know more about God because I’ve helped point them in that direction.

Kreativ Blogger Award Rules:

• Thank the person who gave you the award
• Share 10 things about yourself
• Pass the award to 6 or more bloggers
• Copy and paste the Kreativ Blogger Award onto your blog
• Notify the new nominees

Here are my nominees:

Film is Love – Here, you’ll find some amazing photographs!  I always enjoy the unique perspective I find here.

Indulge, Travel, Adventure, & New Experiences – Lesley will take you everywhere doing just about anything.  I don’t think it would be easy to try more things than this young lady has tried.

3rd Culture Children – I relate to this blog since I also have 3rd culture children.  Enjoy the creative touch at this blog.

Savoring Today – I love the recipes and links shared at this creative sight.  I’m not very creative with food so Savoring Today gives me inspiration!

Liebster Blog Award Rules:

• Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
• Reveal the five blogs you have chosen and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
• Copy and paste the award onto your blog.
• Request that people you have sent the award to forward it on to their favorite bloggers.

Here are my nominees:

Taking the World on With a Smile – I love the way that Karen puts a positive spin on life.  Stop over and visit her blog today.

Healthful Momma – Here’s a fun new blog that reminds me of the early years with my sweet children.  Give Healthful Momma a visit and send a nice comment her way!

Thank you again for your vote of confidence by stopping in this year. May the Lord bless all of you during the holiday season!

With much love here at BrainCaviar,

Claudia

Weekly Photo Challenge: Between

Choose between the middle and the outer biscuits.

“Time is the longest distance between two places.” Tennessee Williams

Biscuits, though close together on the pan, are very different depending on the proximity.  My mother makes the best homemade biscuits, and in return requests the middle biscuit.  She likes its texture, I guess.

I have wonderful memories associated with biscuits.  Christmas with the family will mean biscuits and gravy during some part of the day.

Like biscuits on a pan, families, though very similar in look, surely have differences.   Some are the middle biscuits–soft and mushy.  Others have a kind of outer shell.  They’re harder to break into.

This Christmas, I’m on one continent and my son, my parents, and my sisters are on another.  I’m used to this distance, but It’s not always easy.  Though we are all connected in many ways, there is a great distance between us today.

Merry Christmas to you all.  I miss our time together.

Day 358: Merry Christmas From The Land Of Smiles

Even the plants are displaying their Christmas colors.

“A gentle word, a kind look, a good-natured smile can work wonders and accomplish miracles.” William Hazlitt

Being in Thailand on Christmas is always a highlight.  The weather is nice. The Christmas lights are beautiful, and walking downtown puts a smile on my face.  Here, we get to celebrate with family and friends, and we have a chance to tell the meaning of Christmas to many who want to know.

A few nights ago, we met with a group of friends we call family along with our two daughters.  We missed our son, but it was a cozy time as we each shared what God has done to encourage us this year.

Christmas is not white in Thailand, but I love the tenacity of our Thai brothers and sisters.  We’ve been through a lot together with the severe flooding this year, the Tsunami that came the day after Christmas several years ago, and the political troubles we had last year.  Through it all, the Thai people remain kind, patient, and full of smiles.

Whether we sing near an open fire or with palm trees swaying, we’ll remember the importance of family and friends.  May the Lord speak personally to each of us today as we prepare our hearts for celebrating the coming of the Christ child.

Day 357: Honesty Can Be An Interesting Policy

Don't expect a lot from the coffee. After all, they share a garden cafe with Starbucks!

“Acting is all about honesty. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.” George Burns

There are several signs around town that amuse me.  This one is quite honest.  Basically, if you want coffee, they have it, but it’s not their specialty.

Sometimes I like honesty.  I’ve found it interesting to listen to stories told by different people.  When I was about 30, a friend of mine died, and his wife, a great story-teller, began to give me the details.  Each time she told the story, it was different.  I found myself completely frustrated, because she was still working out how to tell the story in the best light, and I wanted the real facts of how my friend died.

Stories, though believed to be true by the teller, are usually told in one of these ways.

1. An Honest Story – I’m not a great story-teller, probably because I tell them as true to the fact as possible.  Facts are important to me, and I suppose I don’t like hearing a story that leaves me wondering about its truth.  Inspirational true stories, like the story of Helen Keller, tend to motivate me.

2. An Embellished Story – The great story-tellers tend to stretch the truth.  For some, it’s not that they mean to stretch the truth, it’s just that if the story keeps to the heart of the truth, the details don’t matter to them. That’s fine for me, as long as I know it’s embellished–and I usually do.  I’m closely related to a great story-teller, and it works for me when I know how to separate my emotions from the story.  When I listen to these kinds of  stories, I try to think about the purpose.  Often the story-teller wants to play on our emotions in order to help us see our need for change.  If these stories help us to make needed changes, I can agree they are needed “truth” in our lives.

3. An Honestly Detailed Story – Some people cannot tell stories because they give so many details that they have forgotten the story part.  In essence, we never hear the meaningful part of the story because we lost interest when the story-teller and the spouse got into an argument about a detail.  Yet there are times, like when someone dies, that the correctly presented details are very important.  In these cases, the more honestly detailed the story, the more it is appreciated.

So what kind of honesty will it be?  I guess it’s a matter of mood or need.  If we want to hear a heart warming story, we’ll choose a different kind of person than if we’ve been diagnosed with a dreaded disease.  Children instinctively know who to go to for fun and who to go to for truth. Many stories seem to have truth, but the kind of truth we need might change based on our situation.

What kind of honest story do you tell?

Day 356: I Hope You Dance – A Christmas Wish

In a sea of flowers, we may not notice this beautiful, quickly wilting rose.

“The sharp thorn often produces delicate roses.” Ovid

She finds herself in a hopeless situation.  She asked me, “What can I do?”  The words rang in my brain this morning.  After all, what can she do?  She no longer has parents. She’s overstayed her visa. She can’t work.  She is locked in a temporary prison. This is one of hundreds of people, all with a desperate story.  Yet, she is so fragile–looking sick, frail, and perhaps anorexic.  Who knows how long she will call this existence her life?

As I sit here sipping coffee and eating a slice of pecan pie, I’m trying to make sense of this daily life I lead.  Sure, I get to rub noses with people who have real problems, but what is this hope I have to offer them?

In Luke 2:6, we read how Joseph took Mary to Bethlehem to be taxed.  He traveled this route because he was fulfilling his right as a citizen of his country.  Yet, more than a thousand years before the birth of Jesus, it had been foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.  Joseph may have questioned God about why he was to travel all of this distance when it was time for the birth of the baby– as he probably didn’t know about the foretelling of the birth.  Yet, it wasn’t necessary.  In this story, we can see clearly that God’s divine appointments happen in His time, as a result of what we might call circumstances.  The bottom line is that He knows them all and well in advance.

Since God cared so deeply about the place where Jesus should be born, doesn’t it make sense that He also cares that each of these people I met are in a seemingly hopeless situation?  Does He hear their prayers and answer them?

Yesterday, I met a delicate rose.  It seems she is wilting quickly.  My prayer for her this Christmas is that somehow she will dance in the hope of a living God.  I believe He cares that she is far away from her home in a situation that I deem as hopeless.

Is it possible that He has a purpose in her long distance travel?