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Posts Tagged ‘David Kanigan’

Me Either

Posted in Other Blogs, Philosophy, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 4, 2025| Leave a Comment »

You can be made small by life or rage against it.  “Nie chce byc malym szarym czlowiekiem,” he told me.  “I do not want to be a little gray man.”  This is a common expression in Poland — and a good motto for us all.
    —    Elizabeth Weil quoting Aleksander Doba
Excerpt from:  “Why He Kayaked Across the Atlantic at 70 (For the Third Time“
From:  New York Times, March 22, 2018
[Found at one of the blogs I follow:  “Live & Learn”
The blog is administered by:  David Kanigan
The blog can be found at:  https://davidkanigan.com/
This specific post can be found at:  https://davidkanigan.com/2018/03/26/monday-morning-wake-up-call-134/
Please visit the original site if you have some time.     —     kmab]
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Click here (4 March) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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Joys

Posted in Other Blogs, Philosophy, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 23, 2024| 4 Comments »

One thing is certain, and I have always known it — the joys of my life have nothing to do with age.  They do not change.  Flowers, the morning and evening light, music, poetry, silence,
    —     May Sarton,
From:  “At Seventy:  A Journal“
One of life’s most fulfilling moments occurs in the split-second when the familiar is suddenly transformed into the dazzling aura of the profoundly new.
    —     Edward Lindaman
From:  “Thinking in the Future Tense:  A Workout for the Mind“
[Both quotes were originally found at a blog I have been following for several years:  davidkanigan.com
The specific link to the post is:  https://davidkanigan.com/lightly-child-lightly-378/
The first was a blog post.  The second was a response to a comment about the blog post.  Please visit the original site if you have some spare time.    —    kmab]
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Click here (23 January) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011, so not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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Artificial Me

Posted in Other Blogs, Philosophy, Quotes, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , on August 8, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Title:  Embracing Life’s Journey: A Reflection on Personal Growth
Introduction
Welcome to my humble corner of the internet, where words weave stories and emotions flow freely.  In today’s blog post, I want to take a moment to delve into the beauty of personal growth and the journey we all embark upon in this roller-coaster of life.  So grab a cup of your favorite beverage, settle into a comfortable spot, and let’s explore the intricacies of embracing life’s ever-changing landscape.
Embracing Change and Resilience
Life is an unpredictable tapestry, woven with threads of joy and sorrow, triumphs and setbacks.  As we traverse this winding path, we encounter change at every turn.  Some changes bring elation and excitement, while others may seem like trials too daunting to face.  But it is through these moments of adversity that we discover our resilience and strength.
Like a lotus flower rising gracefully from muddy waters, our resilience allows us to bloom even in the most challenging circumstances.  Embracing change becomes an art, and in this process, we uncover facets of our personality that we never knew existed.  As Kahlil Gibran wisely said, “The only constant in life is change,” and by embracing it, we find the courage to endure and grow.
Finding Beauty in the Ordinary
In our fast-paced world, it’s easy to get lost in the pursuit of grand accomplishments and extraordinary moments.  Yet, the beauty of life lies not only in the extraordinary but also in the ordinary.  It’s in the simple joys of a morning sunrise, a heartfelt conversation with a friend, or the warmth of a loving embrace.
Taking the time to appreciate these small wonders enriches our lives and brings profound meaning to our daily existence.  The act of being present and fully engaged in the here and now allows us to savor life’s intricacies and discover the extraordinary in the seemingly mundane.
Embracing Self-Discovery
One of the most profound journeys we embark upon is the exploration of our inner selves.  Understanding who we are, our passions, fears, and dreams, grants us a profound sense of self-awareness.  It is through self-discovery that we begin to comprehend our purpose and the unique contributions we can make to the world.
While this journey may be both rewarding and challenging, it is crucial to approach it with compassion and patience.  Embracing our flaws and imperfections with open arms enables us to grow and evolve, fostering a sense of acceptance and love for ourselves.
Cultivating Gratitude and Mindfulness
Gratitude is a powerful tool that can transform our lives.  By acknowledging the blessings and lessons life offers, we develop a positive outlook that radiates into all aspects of our being.  Gratitude allows us to shift our focus from what we lack to what we have, instilling a sense of contentment and abundance.
Alongside gratitude, mindfulness plays a pivotal role in grounding us in the present moment.  When we practice mindfulness, we silence the noise of the past and the anxiety of the future, finding solace in the here and now.  This practice of mindfulness connects us deeply with our inner selves and the world around us.
Conclusion
Dear readers, life’s journey is a myriad of experiences that mold us into the individuals we are meant to become.  Embracing change, finding beauty in the ordinary, embarking on a voyage of self-discovery, and nurturing gratitude and mindfulness are all part of this wondrous expedition.
As we navigate the ever-changing tides of life, let us remember to be kind to ourselves, savor the present, and seek growth in every challenge.  Embrace the journey with an open heart and an adventurous spirit, for it is in embracing life wholeheartedly that we discover its true essence.
Thank you for joining me in this exploration of life’s beauty and complexities.  Until next time, may you find inspiration in the smallest of moments and courage in the face of change.
With warmth and gratitude,
    —    kmab  (actually: ChatGPT)
[The above post was “inspired” by a post on one of the blogs I follow:  Live & Learn which is created by David Kanigan.  Please visit his site if you have some spare time.
I asked ChatGPT to create a blog post in the style of kmabarrett.wordpress.com and the above was the result.  I did the formatting and high-lighting.   —    kmab]
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Click here (8 August) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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Share Moments And Enjoy The Ride

Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , , , , on August 1, 2023| Leave a Comment »

I like to follow the path that nature gives me.  Much of what happens in life is not in my power;  most events are the outcome of stuff that happened thousands of years ago and will have outcomes of their own in years to come.  I adapt and enjoy and refuse to fight the things that can’t be fought, I let go of the questions that cannot be answered and instead I push at doors that fall open to my touch and ignore the ones that resist too much.  I have worked hard, tried hard, learned that life has flow and that resisting it brings problems.  I’ve known people who fight too hard for what they want — fighting and wanting become a way of life and they never stop and never get happy.  I ride streams that are going my way, share moments with people who are friendly, stroke relaxed dogs and approachable cats, cut the grass when the sun shines, shelter when it rains, and so on.  Instead of standing in the ocean and feeling its swell pushing at me, trying to resist its push and then staggering and falling, I like to lift my feet just a little and be lifted.  Bobbing effortlessly along like a leaf in a rill, turning this way and that to look at the world as it passes — enjoying the ride. That doesn’t mean simply accepting the ways of people.  Injustice, cruelty and greed must be addressed, but I try to do it with love, with understanding and compassion.  Not to confront, but to gently open a better, kinder desire-path for the stream to flow into because it’s easier.  Some people, of course, are beyond the ability to change and so must be resisted.  It’s not all plain sailing.
I wasn’t always a follower of the path.  I wanted to be a writer and I tried so hard, entering, applying, but the doors remained so tightly closed that my knuckles bled from knocking.  Then I gave up fighting and fell in love again with life, wrote the poetry of my days and the things that woke me in the early hours, demanding to be held in the mind for a moment and be seen.  Now I don’t care about ‘being’ anything, I like writing for fun.  Desire got in the way and slowed me down.  I do what the moment tells me to do, instinctively.  Of course I make plans of a vague, uncertain kind but I’m not overly attached to them.
    —    Marc Hamer
From his book:  “Spring Rain:  A Life Lived in Gardens“
Found at one of the blogs I follow:  “Live & Learn“
The site’s actual address is:  davidkanigan.com
The specific post is at:  Lightly Child, Lightly. – Live & Learn (davidkanigan.com) aka: https://davidkanigan.com/2023/05/18/lightly-child-lightly-363/
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Click here (1 August) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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Immerse Yourself Fully

Posted in Other Blogs, Philosophy, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , on July 20, 2022| Leave a Comment »

I urge you to find a way to immerse yourself fully in the life that you’ve been given.  To stop running from whatever you’re trying to escape, and instead to stop, and turn, and face whatever it is.  Then I dare you to walk toward it.  In this way, the world may reveal itself to you as something magical and awe-inspiring that does not require escape.  Instead, the world may become something worth paying attention to.  The rewards of finding and maintaining balance are neither immediate nor permanent.  They require patience and maintenance.  We must be willing to move forward despite being uncertain of what lies ahead.  We must have faith that actions today that seem to have no impact in the present moment are in fact accumulating in a positive direction, which will be revealed to us only at some unknown time in the future.  Healthy practices happen day by day.  My patient Maria said to me, “Recovery is like that scene in Harry Potter when Dumbledore walks down a darkened alley lighting lampposts along the way.  Only when he gets to the end of the alley and stops to look back does he see the whole alley illuminated, the light of his progress.”
    —     Anna Lembke
From her book:  “Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence“
Found at one of the blogs I follow:  https://davidkanigan.com/
The specific post is:  https://davidkanigan.com/2021/09/06/monday-morning-wake-up-call-267/
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Click here (20 July) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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A Wonderful Tension

Posted in Other Blogs, Philosophy, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 2, 2022| Leave a Comment »

There’s this wonderful sort of tension in the wind — that moment when you’re held there suspended is a very beautiful moment … a moment of clarity in a very chaotic situation.  …  It’s like a shaft of light that penetrates.
    —    Andy Goldsworthy
From:  “Leaning Into the Wind”
[Originally found at one of the blogs I follow:  “I can’t sleep” AKA:  “Live & Learn“
Located at:  https://davidkanigan.com/
The specific post is located at:  https://davidkanigan.com/2021/04/15/lightly-child-lightly-295/
Please visit the original site if you have a spare minute.    —    kmab]
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Click here (2 March) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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Experience A Simple Whatever

Posted in Other Blogs, Philosophy, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , , , , on November 5, 2021| 1 Comment »

Experience one beautiful thing a day.  However small.  However trivial.  Read a poem.  Play a favorite song.  Laugh with a friend.  Gaze at the sky just before the sun’s final tumble toward night.  Watch a classic movie.  Eat a slice of lemon drizzle cake.  Whatever.  Just give yourself one simple reminder that the world is full of wonders.  Even if we are at a point in life where we can’t appreciate things, it sometimes helps to remember there are things in this world to enjoy, when we are ready.
    —     Matt Haig
From:  “The Comfort Book”
[Found at a blog I follow:  https://davidkanigan.com/
The specific post is:  https://davidkanigan.com/2021/09/20/monday-morning-wake-up-call-269/
Please visit the original site if you have a free moment…    —    kmab]
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Click here (5 November) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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An Accumulation Of Acts

Posted in Other Blogs, Philosophy, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , on February 8, 2017| 2 Comments »

Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach.  Any small, calm thing that one soul can do to help another soul, to assist some portion of this poor suffering world, will help immensely.  It is not given to us to know which acts or by whom, will cause the critical mass to tip toward an enduring good.  What is needed for dramatic change is an accumulation of acts, adding, adding to, adding more, continuing.  We know that it does not take everyone on Earth to bring justice and peace, but only a small, determined group who will not give up during the first, second, or hundredth gale.
One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul.  Soul on deck shines like gold in dark times.  The light of the soul throws sparks, can send up flares, builds signal fires, causes proper matters to catch fire.  To display the lantern of soul in shadowy times like these – to be fierce and to show mercy toward others; both are acts of immense bravery and greatest necessity.
   —    Clarissa Pinkola Estes
You Were Made For This (Awakin.org, Jan 28, 2008)
[From one of the blogs I follow:  Live & Learn
Run by:  David Kanigan
The specific post is located at:  http://davidkanigan.com/2016/12/01/lightly-child-lightly-97/
Well worth checking out both sites.    —    kmab]
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Click here (8 February) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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Think Like A Hero

Posted in Other Blogs, Philosophy, Poetry, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , , , , on January 28, 2016| Leave a Comment »

And it occurs to me that
there is a proper balance between
not asking enough of oneself and
asking or expecting too much.
It may be that I set my sights too high
and so repeatedly end a day in depression.
Not easy to find the balance,
for if one does not have wild dreams of achievement,
there is no spur even to get the dishes washed.
One must think like a hero to behave like a merely decent human being.
    —    May Sarton
From her book:  “Journal of a Solitude“
[Found at one of the blogs I follow:  “Live & Learn” run by David Kanigan
The blog is at:  http://davidkanigan.com/
The specific post is at:  http://davidkanigan.com/2016/01/05/di%c2%b7lem%c2%b7ma-n/
Enjoy!    —    kmab]
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Click here (28 January) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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True, Vibrant And Open

Posted in Other Blogs, Philosophy, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , on June 28, 2014| 2 Comments »

If we are to measure and monitor and improve anything, let it be our presence and character, a mindfulness for who we are and how we are experiencing and relating with the world.  Have I been true to myself?  Have I lived vibrantly today?  Have I loved openly today?  Have I made a difference today?  Let us check in to ourselves in these ways;  for, in the end, these are the only measures that matter.
    —    Brendon Burchard
[Found at on of the blogs I follow:  http://davidkanigan.com/
The specific post is found at:  http://davidkanigan.com/2014/05/28/yet-our-useless-fascination-goes-on/
    —    kmab]
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Click here (28 June) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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Where I Stand

Posted in Faith Family and Friends, Other Blogs, Philosophy, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , , , , on June 23, 2013| 2 Comments »

Self Portrait
It doesn’t interest me if there is one God
or many gods.
I want to know if you belong or feel
abandoned.
If you know despair or can see it in others.
I want to know
if you are prepared to live in the world
with its harsh need
to change you.  If you can look back
with firm eyes
saying this is where I stand.  I want to know
if you know
how to melt into that fierce heat of living
falling toward
the center of your longing.  I want to know
if you are willing
to live, day by day, with the consequence of love
and the bitter
unwanted passion of your sure defeat.
I have heard, in that fierce embrace, even
the gods speak of God.
     —    David Whyte
From his book:  “Fire in the Earth“
[I found this poem on a blog I follow:  http://davidkanigan.com
The actual post is:  http://davidkanigan.com/2013/04/09/in-that-fierce-embrace-even-the-gods-speak-of-god/
The poem’s author is David Whyte, who you can find out more about at his own blog/web site:  http://www.davidwhyte.com/home.html    —   kmab]
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Click here (23 June) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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Before

Posted in Leadership, Philosophy, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , , on April 16, 2013| Leave a Comment »

We must be silent before we can listen.  We must listen before we can learn.  We must learn before we can prepare.  We must prepare before we can serve.  We must serve before we can lead.
    —    William Arthur Ward
[Found on one of the blogs I follow.
The site is titled:  “Lead.Learn.Live.” but actually goes to  http://davidkanigan.com
This particular entry is at:  http://davidkanigan.com/2013/02/19/serve/
I don’t mention / encourage this as much as I probably should, but feel free to type the name “William Arthur Ward” into the “Look For Stuff” search box on the right hand side of my blog (hit enter) and you’ll see a number of interesting quotes from Mr. Ward.    —    kmab]
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Click here (16 April) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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Making You Stronger

Posted in Faith Family and Friends, Philosophy, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , , , on February 16, 2013| 1 Comment »

…there’s an old saying:  that which does not kill you makes you stronger.  i don’t believe that.  i think the things that try to kill you make you angry and sad.  strength comes from the good things:  your family, your friends, the satisfaction of hard work.  those are the things that keep you whole, those are the things to hold on to when you’re broken.
    —    Jax Teller
A character on the TV show:  “Sons of Anarchy“
[I found this quote on a blog I follow:  Lead.Learn.Live maintained by David Kanigan.  The actual posting was:  http://davidkanigan.com/2012/11/05/no-pain-no-gain/  Dave’s site contains a variety of interesting an motivational postings.  Check it out.    —    kmab]
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Click here (16 February) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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For However Short A Time…

Posted in Quotes, Reading, tagged , , , , , , on November 14, 2012| 2 Comments »

Until recently, I wasn’t aware how completely books dominate my physical existence.  Only when I started cataloging my possessions did I realize that there are books in every room in my house, 1,340 in all.  My obliviousness to this fact has an obvious explanation:  I am of Irish descent, and to the Irish, books are as natural and inevitable a feature of the landscape as sand is to Tuaregs or sand traps are to the frat boys at Myrtle Beach.  You know, the guys with the belted shorts.  When the English stormed the Emerald Isle in the 17th century, they took everything that was worth taking and burned everything else.  Thereafter, the Irish had no land, no money, no future.  That left them with words, and words became books, and books, ingeniously coupled with music and alcohol, enabled the Irish to transcend reality.
…
People who need to possess the physical copy of a book, not merely an electronic version, believe that the objects themselves are sacred.  Some people may find this attitude baffling, arguing that books are merely objects that take up space.  This is true, but so are Prague and your kids and the Sistine Chapel.  Think it through, bozos.
The world is changing, but I am not changing with it.  There is no e-reader or Kindle in my future.  My philosophy is simple:  Certain things are perfect the way they are.  The sky, the Pacific Ocean, procreation and the Goldberg Variations all fit this bill, and so do books.  Books are sublimely visceral, emotionally evocative objects that constitute a perfect delivery system.
Electronic books are ideal for people who value the information contained in them, or who have vision problems, or who have clutter issues, or who don’t want other people to see that they are reading books about parallel universes where nine-eyed sea serpents and blind marsupials join forces with deaf Valkyries to rescue high-strung albino virgins from the clutches of hermaphrodite centaurs, but they are useless for people engaged in an intense, lifelong love affair with books.  Books that we can touch;  books that we can smell;  books that we can depend on.  Books that make us believe, for however short a time, that we shall all live happily ever after.
     —    Joe Queenan
From:  “One for the Books“
[This quote is from a column posted on the Wall Street Journal online site titled:  “My 6,128 Favorite Books“, and is an excerpt from Queenan’s book.
I found the link to this article on a blog I follow:  Lead.Learn.Live maintained by David Kanigan.  Dave’s blog  (post) was titled:  “He’s Read 6128 Books“
I too suffer from book hoarding syndrome.  I too have a Nook.  I have tried it, but don’t care for it for reading books.  I use the Nook as a portable dictionary and web browser (mostly reading news or email).  I find it grossly inadequate as a tool for typing or other data input.  I use my home computer (desktop / netbook) for most everything else.
When I was younger, I would only open a book so wide as to read it, but not so wide as to break the binding.  Most of the books I bought were paperbacks as hardbound were far too expensive for my budget.  Now, while I “respect” the books (don’t destroy them), I also dog-ear them and underline them and write comments in the margins.  Over time, I’ve found that books are like old friends I’m having an on-going conversation with.  I can come back later to refresh the conversation or just touch bases with their ideas.  And, of course, there’s the requirement for a steady stream of quotes for this blog.   —    kmab]
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Click here (14 November) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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Recipe To Write: Start With One Aching Urge

Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, Writing, tagged , , , , , , on November 13, 2012| 3 Comments »

If there is a magic in story writing, and I am convinced there is, no one has ever been able to reduce it to a recipe that can be passed from one person to another.  The formula seems to lie solely in the aching urge of the writer to convey something he feels important to the reader.  If the writer has that urge, he may sometimes, but by no means always, find the way to do it.  You must perceive the excellence that makes a good story good or the errors that makes a bad story.  For a bad story is only an ineffective story.
     —    John Steinbeck
[The above quote was found at a blog site I follow (and have mentioned several times):  Lead.Learn.Live maintained by David Kanigan.
The specific quote was under the heading:  “Writing Better“
If there is a “magic” in blogging, it is that it allows those of us who are not traditional writers to express ourselves – to ease our “aching urge” – conveying to the universe of readers the moments in our days where something touched us and made us feel something important just happened in our lives.  Sometimes those things will be banally trite to most;  but, sometimes, to others they will be like the light from a candle, passed from one to another, without loss to either but with more light for both.   —    kmab]
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Click here (13 November) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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