Word of the Year

This Blog Is A Teenager: 13 Years Old!

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Blog Anniversary cupcakes

Thirteen years ago today, I became a blogger! Yay blogging! This blog moved from it’s original home and had a slight name change. But that happens with people all the time. Still the same blog!

In keeping with my annual tradition and with the word that I’ve chosen, this post is short and sweet.

The word for this year is SIMPLIFY. Because life can be busy and difficult, so I’m making things easy on myself when I can.

That’s it!

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Links to posts for past years are below. Thank you for reading and visiting!

12 Years Blogging: RISE

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As of today, I’ve been blogging for 12 years! And what a joy it’s been!

April 29th is my blogging anniversary and the day that I pick my new word for the year. This year I’ve chosen RISE.

There are many definitions for RISE and the ones resonating with me are:

To move upward
To become heartened or elated
To increase in fervor or intensity
To attain a higher level or rank
To come into being
To exert oneself to meet a challenge

When I think of the word, I hear “Rise Up!” from Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

I also hear Maya Angelou reciting her poem, Still I Rise.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.
…
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.
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If you’d like to take a look, past words of the year with links to the posts are below. Thank you for reading and visiting!

#The100DayProject

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#The100DayProject

Like most people, when I was a kid, I loved to draw and paint. For years after, I used to doodle as well. Then I stopped. I’m not sure why or when. But that creative part of myself ended.

Sure, I had many other creative outlets — writing, photography, baking and cooking. Then blogging.

Over the past few months, my father had been talking about how much he was enjoying painting. He really loved it! Talked about his color palette and the textures. He often remarked that he was quite good.

When he passed away last month, I was able to get his paintings. They are beautiful! My mom has two. My brother and I each have one. I hung up mine a few days ago.

Over the last several years, I’ve found myself very drawn to illustrations with ink and watercolors. I started thinking that I might try it someday. Then I didn’t.

Then last Monday, I learned about #The100DayProject. It’s a free global art project that anyone can participate in. Last Tuesday, April 3rd, was the first day of the project that will last for 100 days. The end date is July 11th. All you do is pick an art project and post everyday on Instagram with the hashtag #The100DayProject.

Creative Mornings of Boston is joining in and has their own hashtag #100DaysofCMBOS, so I’m joining in with them too. I set up my own hashtag (#lisajillustrations) as well, so I can see all my art and my progress in one place. Hope you’ll take a look!

If you’re interested in the project, you can join in anytime. People are quite encouraging and I’ve learned a lot already. And it’s only the 6th day! The picture of the tree above is my painting for today.

Part of the reason that I’m doing this project is because my father was enjoying painting so much during what turned out to be some of the last days of his life. Maybe painting will help me heal.

Last April 29th, my blog anniversary, I chose MEND as my word for the year. I had no idea how that word would play out in such a huge way.

It will be 12 years that I’ve been blogging in a few weeks. I haven’t chosen my new word for the upcoming year yet, but maybe this art project will help show me the way.

11 Years Blogging: Mend

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11 years blogging

It’s my 11th year blogging today! Yay! And I’m keeping up with my annual tradition of choosing a new word for the year.

After writing the post about finishing my quilt, I found it — MEND.

I mended my heart. I mended my quilt. And as my mother pointed out to me when I mentioned my choice of a word, “Our country needs mending.” The United States is not quite in tatters, but it’s not united either. We are a nation divided in need of healing.

Merriam-Webster defines mend in several different ways. Here are a few.

To free from faults or defects
To improve in manners or morals
To set right or correct
To put into good shape or working order again
To patch up or repair
To improve or strengthen (as a relationship) by negotiation or conciliation
To restore to health or cure

The picture above doesn’t have much to do with my word, except for it reminds me of the phrase that “you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.”

I took a bunch of photos at Eataly and bought this Mieli Thun honey. It was really good! And who knew about nomadic beekeeping? The baguettes are just pretty to pair with the honey. And the sweetness of honey goes well with bread.

For this country to mend, I think we need a whole lot of loving-kindness and learning to be sweet to one another. Even when we’re strangers. Maybe especially so.

Since I first drafted this post, I realized that today is Trump’s 100th day in office. I was hoping that he’d be gone by now, but at least we have survived!

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If you’d like to take a look at my past blogging anniversary words of the year, see below.

10 Years Blogging

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ten year blogging anniversary tree

Ten years ago today I started blogging! Yay!

As I’ve mentioned many times before, blogging changed my life and really opened it up. Because of blogging, I’ve met so many people that I would have probably never encountered otherwise.

Blogging especially moved me in big way towards my major goal of writing more. I was already writing freelance when I started, but feel more solid in it now. I’ve had so many writing opportunities. And look forward to even more!

Also, this lovely picture of a tree is one of many that I took recently on Instagram. Hope you’ll check out my feed sometime! By the way, today is Arbor Day. So go do some fun tree related stuff!

Back to the blog. In keeping with my blogging anniversary tradition, I pick a word for the year. The words below are the ones I picked over the past seven years.

Over this past year, it’s become increasingly clear to me that the only way to get what I want and need is to ask for it. Simple. Yet, sometimes quite hard.

Sometimes the ask seems impossible. How could this possibly work? But I’ve found that often just putting the request out there in the universe, may tilt things toward my favor.

When you really want something, the world conspires to make a dream come true.
~Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

When I muster up the courage to ask, I often receive what I want. Sometimes the answer is a resounding Yes! Of course! Not a problem! Why didn’t you ask sooner?

So this year, the word is ASK. I am going to practice it well, but also keep in mind that sometimes others cannot ask. If I see a need and can help, then I will give without the ask.

By the way, if you’re looking for a freelance writer, just let me know and maybe we can work together. I would love to hear from you!