http://skyley.blogspot.com/
A year ago, the water engineer went to HongKong and took this photo.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
And That's Why They Call Her A "Saint"
I'm gonna start this post with a quick disclaimer that I'm not Catholic. I was raised for a short time in the Catholic church, before I was asked to leave CCD.
True story: I was kicked out of the Catholic Church!
For Telling a priest to fuck off?
Pissing in the holy water?
No, young Bonnie's crime was laughing too much in class. Pure blasphemer that I was. So that's what this tattoo on my left arm is all about:
Now, all that said....
This woman's appearance may not look overly inspiring on the surface...
But she wrote some of the most moving words I've ever read. So this blog is about sharing that with you. I don't know if my interpretations are exactly as she meant them, but nonetheless:
And if you're wondering what all this has to do with roller derby.... Well, read it again!
Truest words I ever read. So applicable to roller derby in so many ways!!!
A skater that I've always respected said something to me recently that made me feel sick inside. She said, "The best man doesn't always win." As a justification for the cut-throatiness of business.
I don't know if I'll ever see her the same way after that.
I would like to encourage people to choose, instead of accepting what is and allowing it to sour you... To take the high road and live from inspiration of what could be, and will be, if we keep working at it.
All religious zealousness aside, Mother Theresa's a pretty inspiring figure for these words. I've been affected by them since I first read 'em years ago.
That said... I'm still a blasphemer who likes to laugh a lot, so I'm gonna post these funny pix of Ma Theresa that I found while searching for the dignified one!
Have a rad day today!!! Here's my parting gift:
True story: I was kicked out of the Catholic Church!
For Telling a priest to fuck off?
Pissing in the holy water?
No, young Bonnie's crime was laughing too much in class. Pure blasphemer that I was. So that's what this tattoo on my left arm is all about:
 |
| Sadly, 12 years later... it looks more like an alarming birthmark than this picture. |
This woman's appearance may not look overly inspiring on the surface...
"People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
...Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis,
it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway."
-Mother Theresa
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
...Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis,
it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway."
-Mother Theresa
And if you're wondering what all this has to do with roller derby.... Well, read it again!
Truest words I ever read. So applicable to roller derby in so many ways!!!
 |
| Unlike this picture, which has nothing to do with roller derby. But it's cute! |
A skater that I've always respected said something to me recently that made me feel sick inside. She said, "The best man doesn't always win." As a justification for the cut-throatiness of business.
I don't know if I'll ever see her the same way after that.
I would like to encourage people to choose, instead of accepting what is and allowing it to sour you... To take the high road and live from inspiration of what could be, and will be, if we keep working at it.
All religious zealousness aside, Mother Theresa's a pretty inspiring figure for these words. I've been affected by them since I first read 'em years ago.
That said... I'm still a blasphemer who likes to laugh a lot, so I'm gonna post these funny pix of Ma Theresa that I found while searching for the dignified one!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
My World Tuesday: New Zealand Crabs
http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/
This is one Christmas dinner will we remember for a long time. They are from the Southland of New Zealand, we we bought them live from the Auckland Fish Market. The bigger beautiful purple crab is the male, and the female is brown. The legs of the male were more than a foot long.
We cooked them with four American crabs, and cooked them Singapore chilli crab style. I forgotten to take a photo of them after I cook them, but I can assure you that they were very delicious. We had a visitor from Singapore and she agreed with me.
When ever I have American crabs, I think if Patti in Crisfield, wondering if the crab I ate came from her fisherman. http://crisfieldnews.blogspot.com/2010/12/snow-storm-hits-eastern-shore- whiteout.html
GREAT (ARTISTIC) SPACE
I really love this very artistic space belonging to the very artistic John Stezaker .... books, art, rugs, great antiques .....
.... what's not to love !!!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Live, Love, Encourage
Being great at roller derby has been my obsession since 2003. But for a little longer than that, being great at life has also been an obsession.
And by that, I don't mean all the material things we normally place under the "great at life" banner.
I'm not against material things. I love things!
But having a lot of things shouldn't be a priority over treating people well.
Have you ever had a totally brilliant stroke of genius inspiration, shared it enthusiastically with someone close to you, and then watch in utter disbelief as they do a river dance on your dreams???
I know I've had that happen to me. Too many times to mention! It sounds innocent enough to the other person, I'm sure.
Most dream killers do it in the form of questions like How are you going to do that? Why would you want to? Or judgments like What's the point? Don't you think you should be worrying about X, Y or Z first?
Each time I think, I'm never gonna make another human being feel this way!
(And if I ever have, unwittingly, I'd be the first to apologize. Because it feels very shitty.)
See, what most people don't consider is that every new idea is kind of fragile at first.
And when someone decides to share their fragile thing with you, it means they're actually allowing themselves to be vulnerable.
Many don't seem to realize how far a little care and encouragement would go in those situations...
But great things can happen when you decide to be encouraging!
I remember when a friend of mine mentioned, almost in passing, that she and another LA Derby Doll (at the time) had the idea to start a magazine about roller derby.
You could hear the uncertainty and readiness for rejection in her voice.
Having been the victim of dream crushing so many times myself, I felt like this was really my time to shine!
No, not that kind of shine...
More like that.
So, I practically did cartwheels out of excitement for her! I told her that was the best idea she ever had and to go for it and it'll be great and successful and magical!
And a few years later when she had mentioned, almost in passing, considering hosting a training camp, like she went to for gymnastics as a kid, but with roller derby....
Again, I took my role as person she was mentioning this to as a serious responsibility and basically went bonkers over the idea, offering San Diego as the first place to host.
I'm not taking credit for anything here, Black Dahlia did all the work. And she continues to be an innovator, now organizing the first Roller Derby World Cup!
I'm sure if she'd shared her ideas with someone less supportive, she still would have made them happen anyways. But, at the same time...
A little encouragement can go a long way in a sport that's being built off of enthusiasm as it's main resource!
Being encouraging of someone else's inspiration is what allowed SDDD to be the first hosting venue of a Blood and Thunder Training Camp.
And what got me some of my most exciting international coaching opportunities. (England and New Zealand!)
So what am I getting at with all of this? Well, I guess I could sum it up by saying:
Next time someone comes to you with one of their crazy ideas... consider this reaction:
Or be labeled a dream killer... you know.... either way.
Have a rad day today!!!! Here's my parting gift:
And by that, I don't mean all the material things we normally place under the "great at life" banner.
 |
| Some quotes I wrote back in the day, and still strive to live up to/remember. |
I'm not against material things. I love things!
But having a lot of things shouldn't be a priority over treating people well.
Have you ever had a totally brilliant stroke of genius inspiration, shared it enthusiastically with someone close to you, and then watch in utter disbelief as they do a river dance on your dreams???
I know I've had that happen to me. Too many times to mention! It sounds innocent enough to the other person, I'm sure.
Most dream killers do it in the form of questions like How are you going to do that? Why would you want to? Or judgments like What's the point? Don't you think you should be worrying about X, Y or Z first?
Each time I think, I'm never gonna make another human being feel this way!
(And if I ever have, unwittingly, I'd be the first to apologize. Because it feels very shitty.)
See, what most people don't consider is that every new idea is kind of fragile at first.
And when someone decides to share their fragile thing with you, it means they're actually allowing themselves to be vulnerable.
Many don't seem to realize how far a little care and encouragement would go in those situations...
I remember when a friend of mine mentioned, almost in passing, that she and another LA Derby Doll (at the time) had the idea to start a magazine about roller derby.
You could hear the uncertainty and readiness for rejection in her voice.
Having been the victim of dream crushing so many times myself, I felt like this was really my time to shine!
So, I practically did cartwheels out of excitement for her! I told her that was the best idea she ever had and to go for it and it'll be great and successful and magical!
And a few years later when she had mentioned, almost in passing, considering hosting a training camp, like she went to for gymnastics as a kid, but with roller derby....
Again, I took my role as person she was mentioning this to as a serious responsibility and basically went bonkers over the idea, offering San Diego as the first place to host.
I'm not taking credit for anything here, Black Dahlia did all the work. And she continues to be an innovator, now organizing the first Roller Derby World Cup!
 |
| I like to call her "Blacky D" |
A little encouragement can go a long way in a sport that's being built off of enthusiasm as it's main resource!
And what got me some of my most exciting international coaching opportunities. (England and New Zealand!)
So what am I getting at with all of this? Well, I guess I could sum it up by saying:
Next time someone comes to you with one of their crazy ideas... consider this reaction:
Or be labeled a dream killer... you know.... either way.
Have a rad day today!!!! Here's my parting gift:
THE ROAD SOUTH
We visited my husbands family for Christmas this year ....
so after our early Christmas dinner at home we hopped in the car for the 7 hour road trip south .... a long drive but a very pretty one.
Our first stop is always Berry where they sell the best bread and french tarts at "The Sourdough Bakery" ....
not exactly blue skies , but perfect for traveling ....
... this pair were on my lap for the whole trip .... they are good little travelers !!!
We stopped at a beautiful beach for a stretch .... totally deserted except for an old man having his daily dip .....
the boys were very happy to get out for a bit of a run ....
.... and we were pretty happy for a stretch too.
Then it was back in the car for the second leg of the trip ....
to be continued .
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