How did 2018 go by so quickly? As has become a tradition, I’m joining Dawn Landau’s positive affirmation challenge (my words 😉 ) You can find the directions here on her post. Do set your timer. I did and was surprised that in 15 minutes I exceeded 50 things I was thankful for and when the timer went off I really wasn’t finished. I named a few names but could name so many more. The number order has nothing to do with importance. This is totally stream of consciousness.
I dare you to join the fun. I double dare you!!!
Thank you, Dawn for doing this again. 😀
And for another perspective here’s my friend Susan’s list.
- My re connection with my brother in 2018
- Healthy food
- Water in which to swim
- I’m 65 and can still do a cartwheel
- Dancing
- Good friends
- Blogging friends
- Going on 7 years of Friday Fictioneers
- A car to drive
- A comfortable bed to sleep in
- My sons
- My daughters in law
- My granddaughters
- A computer on which to write
- Jigsaw puzzles online
- My elliptical machine
- My God who loves me, and understands me when I’m at my worst
- A cell phone that keeps me connected
- Languages – I wish I were more fluent in Spanish and Hebrew than I am
- My new book of illustrations and short stories –My dream book
- Watercolors
- My rapidograph pen that has never failed me.
- The friends I’ve made through blogging
- The ability to write
- The ability to paint
- Art fairs
- Being alive and still pursuing dreams
- Breathing
- Eating
- My imagination
- Great hats
- The color purple, of course
- Books to read
- Chaim Potok
- Did I mention my brother with whom I made a major reconnection this past year?
- Spending the holiday with my youngest son in Chicago
- The ability and opportunity to read Torah from the scroll
- Teaching Hebrew
- My Hispanic Hebrew students who help me with my Spanish
- Gluten free options for pizza
- Coffee, strong and black
- Cheese which goes great with wine
- Soft sheets on my bed
- Scented candles – patchouli is my favorite
- My desktop easel that serves me well
- My husband Jan of 47 years
- Ozarks Writers League where I’ve met agents and found wonderful mentors
- My sister in law who has put up with my brother for over 35 years.
- The opportunity to visit them in North Carolina this past year
- Drawing and painting with granddaughter Olive
- My 5 speed 2011 Chevy Cruz that’s paid for and still running
- Being retired from cake decorating and sign making
- The friends I’ve made and kept from those years of working at Hy-Vee grocery
- Days I don’t put on makeup and stay in my PJ’s all day
- Skype that allows me to chat with friends overseas
- The internet that has made the world a little smaller and given me the opportunity to connect with people of other races and belief systems
- Potatoes
- Chocolate
- My wonderful female doctor who I’ve been seeing for 20 years
- Continued recovery from major depression and anorexia (a little too recovered)
- Paper to paint on
- Good neighbors to share wine and laughter with, Bud and Cindi you know you are
- My beautiful home
- Fresh herbs that add so much to food
- My hunky dory best friend, Regina
Yes! We all need that Attitude of Gratitude in Our Life!
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It makes life sweeter, doesn’t it? 😀
Shalom and Happy New Year,
Rochelle
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I accept your challenge and will do it later today!! Happy New Year Rochelle!! ❤
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I’m looking forward to reading yours, Kim! If I’d listed names, yours would be on mine.
Shalom and Happy New Year,
Rochelle
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It’s posted and linked to both you and Dawn!! ❤
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Happy New Year, sorry I haven’t been around much for Friday fictions I promise to try and get better in 2019 x
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Happy New Year, Claire. You have been missed. Thanks for coming by. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
What a perfect list! So much to be grateful for/happy about/inspired from out there, dontcha think? I’m going to be setting my own timer soon because I think this is what we should do on January firsts, not those stupid resolutions that just make you feel like a failure!
Lotsa love now and throughout the year,
Dale
xo
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Dear Dale;
I quit making resolutions years ago. That seems to only set one up for failure. I don’t believe I’ve ever kept a resolution. 😉 In any event, I was surprised at how many reasons for gratitude I could come up with in 15 minutes. 😀 I’m looking forward to reading your list, my friend. If I’d had to come up with names instead of reasons, you would be among them. ❤
Shalom, hugs and more reasons to be grateful in 2019,
Rochelle
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They are just that – a way to point a finger at yourself and call yourself a failure. I’m so done with that dreck!
And, I know it… xoxo
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Rochelle, so grateful you joined my annual list! It’s so wonderful to read each one and realize that for everything I put on my own list, I can find that many more on other lists. Gratitude begets appreciation begets happiness, and so on… biblical humor. 😉 I’m grateful for all your time and work for FF and hope to get back on that bandwagon in this new year! Love that we both rediscovered our brothers, and like you, I’m a HUGE fan of Chaim Potok… discovered him in college and love every word I’ve read.
Happy, happy New Year friend! Thanks for sharing my post. xo
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Dear Dawn,
It’s been over the past two years that I actually discovered Chaim Potok. A reader told me my writing reminded her of his work. Of course I had to check that out. 😉 Oh my, what a compliment! He was amazing. I still have a few of his books left to read, but what a feast. I’m looking forward to reading other lists.
Shalom and a happy new year, my friend. ❤
Rochelle
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I liked… computer playing up…
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Awe the color purple…. yes! What a wonderful list which I definitely appreciate. Cheers!
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Thank you so much, April. Of course my love of purple is pretty obvious. 😉
Shalom and Happy New Year,
Rochelle
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What a cornucopia of a list Rochelle ! Love the eclecticness of it.. An affirmative challenge to take part in. Happy New Year to you.
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Dear Francine
I’m not sure if this is my third or fourth year but I’m grateful to Dawn for coming up with the idea. 😀 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Congratulations on your list of things for which to be grateful. You really are a talented, beautiful, and blessed lady. Yesterday I checked out your blog. I saw that the Friday Fictioneers prompt was still up dated Dec. 28, no later prompt, so I wrote a story about the goat by the headstone last night, planning to post it tomorrow (Thurs.). Not I see others are writing on a new prompt. Can I still post the “goat” prompt? When are the starting and stopping dates. Time zones could be getting me a day off but that doesn’t apply. I like my story; I wanted to post. Any chance? If I can’t link, can I use it on my blog? I guess I ask mostly because of the copyrighted picture used as a prompt. Thanks for help.
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Dear Oneta,
Thank you for the sweet compliments. I am grateful to God for his giftings and blessings.
As for the goat prompt. The Friday Fictioneers prompts go ‘live’ every Wednesday at 2:30 AM CST. The link list goes live at the same time. The link list closes on Tuesday at 6:55 PM CST. Feel free to use the prompt and post your story, but you won’t be able to link it. You can post your link on my page if you’d like. Meanwhile, I hope you’ll also write for this week’s prompt.
Shalom and Happy New Year,
Rochelle
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Thanks much. Actually Fri falls in the middle of the challenge, doesn’t it? I noticed that I always came in somewhere in the 60s or so. I wondered how I could be so far behind. I’m watching. Thanks for permission to post on my blog and link in your comments. And I will set Wednesdays to be sure to look for you. I feel like your needy prodigy with all the goof ups. Thanks and blessings on your new year.
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Sorry for the confusion, Oneta. Originally when the challenge began (before I joined) the prompt was posted on Wednesday so everyone could have their stories written by Friday. Hence the name Friday Fictioneers. I kept the name but it has become a Wednesday race. That also happened before I took the lead. I hope this helps. 😉
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What a fantastic list! Yes to so many of those and smiles to many others. So glad you’ve reconnected with your brother, and I hope that more grows from it. Yay to purple!!! One of my favoritests colors (am wearing purple today, actually! Also have purple shoes and jacket and pocketbook to match …). Purple makes me smile.
I hear ya about time running out (for the list challenge) before the gratitude did. Isn’t that fantabulous? Only means that there’s more loveliness to be grateful for than 15 minutes of even the fastest typing can summarize.
Yay hurray!
Na’ama
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Na’ama Y’karah,
Reconnecting with my brother was the high point of my year. Actually reconnect isn’t exactly the right term. We connected in a way that we never have before. Very sweet.
Purple makes me smile, too. Nice to know I’m in such glad company. 😀
Thank you for coming by.
Shalom and Happy New Year,
Rochelle
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Yay to connecting on a higher level than before, especially when sweet! 🙂
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I will forever cherish the words, “I’m sorry it’s taken me 60 years to really appreciate my little sister.” ❤
Lots of connecting and remembering parents as only a sibling can.
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Awww … these ARE words to cherish forever! 🙂
And, yes, siblings can reminisce (and gripe and remember and share anecdotes and fact-check and all that) about parents in ways that no one else can.
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Should you want to read more about it. https://rochellewisoff.com/2018/08/12/sibling-revelry/
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Out of place and out of time but here is my goat story. https://onetahayes.com/2019/01/03/you-old-goat/
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Querida Rochelle,
Wonderful lst of so many things to appreciate in your life.
I can’t believe you drive a stick shift. Did I read that correctly?
I was so grateful to get an automatic before I got whiplash. LOL
I LOVE potatoes too. My dad had my mother make them everyday even if we had some other side dish. Of course, I’m with you on all the art things. Coffee – negro 👍🏻
There are so much more but this IS supposed to be a comment. 😂
I forgot the FF gang, sunsets and my cat King Pelu. He’s been looking at me strangely today.
I think he knows. Anywho … the timer was freaking me out. I don’t work well under pressure.
Keep the positive vibes, mi amiga. Have a SUPER weekend ….
Abrazos y Shalom,
Isadora 😎
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ooopppsss – forgot – my ‘Like’ button isn’t allowing me to click it.
Mmmmm …. strange : )
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Querida Isadora,
¿Cómo se dice ‘potatoes are my biggest downfall’? I noticed that we are hermanas in the art department and dancing. Our synagogue has a dance team which I’m part of. Every so often I still do some interpretive as well.
I prefer a stick shift over automatic, but the latter is getting harder to find. .
Abrazos y shalom,
Rochelle
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