Music Passion for January 2013 (Jazz) – Come Away With Me by Norah Jones


This is my entry for January’s Music Passion.  Every month, bloggers are posting one of their favorite songs based on each month’s theme. This month’s theme is “jazz”.

I absolutely adore Norah Jones.  Her voice is purely magical and this song, “Come Away With Me” is my all time favorite.

The lyrics:

Come away with me in the night
Come away with me
And I will write you a song

Come away with me on a bus
Come away where they can’t tempt us
With their lies

I want to walk with you 
On a cloudy day
In fields where the yellow grass grows knee-high
So won’t you try to come

Come away with me and we’ll kiss
On a mountaintop
Come away with me
And I’ll never stop loving you

And I want to wake up with the rain
Falling on a tin roof
While I’m safe there in your arms
So all I ask is for you
To come away with me in the night
Come away with me

Norah was born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar, March 30, 1979, to famed sitar player the late Ravi Shankar and Sue jones.  She is also half sister to the talented Anoushka Shankar.  She has won 9 Grammy Awards and was declared Billboard’s top jazz artist of the decade for 2000-2009.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

If you’d like to participate, jump on over to Allaboutlemon for more information and jump on in!  The blogger posting the video which receives the most “likes” for the month gets to choose the topic for next month.

 

Blog of the Year 2012 Award! Thank you!


Blog of the Year Award 1 star jpeg

 

I am delighted to share that Moonlightened Way has received the Blog of the Year 2012 Award.  This honor was bestowed by Ganesh of Known is a Drop, Unknown is an Ocean.  If you haven’t visited his blog, please do.  It’s jam-packed with insightful information from spirituality to health.  Thank you so much, Ganesh!

The rules for this award are:

The following is the rules for this nomination…

  1. Select the blog(s) you think deserve the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award.
  2. Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen – there’s no minimum or maximum number of blogs required – and ‘present’ them with their award.
  3. Please include a link back to this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award – http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/our-awards/blog-of-the-year-2012-award/ and include these ‘rules’ in your post (please don’t alter the rules or the badges!)
  4. Let the blog(s) you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the ‘rules’ with them
  5. You can now also join the award’s Facebook group – click ‘like’ on this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award Facebook group and then you can share your blog with an even wider audience if you choose to
  6. As a winner of the award – please add a link back to the blog that presented you with the award – and then proudly display the award on your blog and sidebar … and start collecting stars…

  • Yes – that’s right – there are stars to collect!
  • Unlike other awards which you can only add to your blog once – this award is different!
  • When you begin you will receive the ‘1 star’ award – and every time you are given the award by another blog – you can add another star!
  • There are a total of 6 stars to collect.
  • This means that you can check out your favorite blogs – and even if they have already been given the award by someone else – you can still bestow it on them again and help them to reach the maximum 6 stars!

My nominations for this award are:

The Mystical Path

Being Arandam

Joy in the Moments

Dear Kitty, Some Blog

Mamasheri’s Blog

Congratulations to you all!  You deserve it!

 

The ABC Award and a Big Thank-You


I’ve had the honor of being awarded not one, but two ABC Awards by Heartwinds and Katrinanofear.   A very heartfelt “thank you” goes to both of these extraordinary ladies for their recognition.  If you take the time to visit their blogs you will see each is a dynamic writer with a very definitive voice.  Do stop by both of their blogs.  It’s worth it.

The rules for accepting the ABC (CBA) Award are:

1. Thank the person(s) who nominated you

2. There is no limit to how many fellow bloggers you can nominate so go crazy

3. Share some things about you but alphabetically just a word or two about you starting with each alphabet. (Or alternatively, just write the first word you think of.)

A – Antsy

B – Being (I’m very much into the word “be”)

C – Creative and curious

D – Dork (I’m a huge dork)

E – E-gads I can’t think of a “E” word!

F – Follows no one

G – Galloping horses in my heart

H – Hero:  I need to become my own

I – Inspire

J – Joking  (can’t take yourself too seriously)

K – Knowledge is a misnomer

L – Love for the sake of loving, let the rest go

M – Moonshine (not the alcoholic kind)

N – Nonsense:  it’s fun to find the sense

O – Olives… little round heavenly goodness

P – Paranormal (it fascinates me)

Q – Quizzical

R – Radio silence!  (what I seek in my head)

S – Silly

T – Tai Chi, when I did it

U – Underground

V – Violets

W – Willow

X – …

Y – Yonder (I love that word)

Z – I wanted a zebra as a kid

My nominations for the ABC Award are:

Believe Anyway

Julia’s Place

The Laughing Housewife

Unwritten Truth

Enjoy and thank you again!

Mrs. Sparkly’s Ten Commandments: Tag, I’m It!


Linda Williams of Heartwinds was gracious to nominate/tag me for Mrs. Sparkly’s Ten Commandments.  To quote Linda about Mrs. Sparkly:

“I am certain that Mrs. Sparkly, a woman of high expectations, commitment and integrity would agree with this approach. She is notable,  respected in her own community and likely to be peering down upon us; possibly spell checking and taking notes that feed into a mammoth government information data collection system (MGIDCS). She may have been recruited because of her discretion and integrity even behind closed doors.”

The rules of engagement are:

Ten Questions must be answered with complete honesty or Mrs. Sparkly will find you. Mrs. Sparkly-we love you. We Do! Manners and behavior, words beyond reproach…  Then tag five other people.

The Ten Questions:

1.Describe yourself in seven words.

Curious, creative, obsessive, moody, whimsical, deep, conflicted

2.  What keeps you up at night?

The word factory between my ears keeps me awake.  If I go to sleep with something unwritten, there is no sleep to be had until I get up, turn the computer back on, and bang the words out onto my keyboard.  Then when my head is empty I can sleep.

3.  Whom would you like to be?

I would like to be me.  I can’t be anyone else.  I wouldn’t know how even though I’ve tried.  It’s a dreadful thing to try to be someone else.  The only qualifier I’d slap on this is that I’d like to be me fully realized but I know this is an ideal I may never hold in my hand.

4.  What are you wearing now?

This is one of those things where fiction would definitely be more interesting than the reality.  Fictionally, I’m wearing a purple superior hero unitard with coordinating cape and identity-concealing little face mask, ready to fork out justice with hands on hip in a wide-legged stance and hair billowing in the wind.  But, quite blandly, the reality is I’m wearing a comfy t-shirt and sweat pants.  I know.  “Zzzzz.”

5.  What scares you?

Oh all those unfounded worries scuttling around in my head.  The “what ifs” and “could be’s”.   Insidious little things like spiders with too many legs. They also don’t like to die no matter how hard or how many times you swat them.

6.  What are the best and worst things about blogging?

The best thing about blogging is allows me to express myself.  The worst thing about blogging is the occasional day when I have no clue what to blog about.

7.  What was the last website you looked at?

WordPress.Com.  You mean, there might be OTHERS??!!  I stare at this one all day long!

8.  If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?

Only one thing?  But I have this list…  It’s as thick as a phone book so this might take some time to decide on only one.  I’ll get back to you.

9.  Slankets, yes or no?

Neither.  I have no clue what a “slanklet” is.  If I find out, I’m afraid I’ll want these slanklet things and I’m sure they won’t be available in India.  And if they are, they will be too small because I’m just a white amazon floating in a sea of very beautiful tiny-boned brown women.  So…  maybe I’ll amend my answer to “no.”  (Swats at one of those spidery “could-be’s” as it scuttles by…)

10. Tell us something about the person who tagged you.

Linda is an extraordinary human being.  She is so multi-dimensional I don’t know where to begin.  She is eloquent, intelligent and full of grace.  Do visit.

I’m passing Mrs. Sparkly’s Ten Commandments on to:

  1. Being Arindam
  2. Joy in the Moments
  3. Allaboutlemon
  4. I Choose How I Will Spend the Rest of My Life
  5. Freedom to a Full Life

Have fun!

One Lovely Surprise. One Lovely Blog Award!


Arindam of Being Arindam has thoughtfully awarded my blog the One Lovely Blog Award.  I’m so grateful for his continued recognition and appreciation.  If you haven’t read Arindam’s blog, I would encourage you to do so.  He handles his topics with sensitivity and insight and is always a pleasant read.

One Lovely Blog Award Rules:

  1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.
  2. Pass the award to 15 other newly discovered blogs.
  3. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

The 15 blogs I pass the One Lovely Blog Award on to are:

  1. Mortal Hearts with Immortal Souls
  2. Julia’s Place
  3. CKuhnTampaBay
  4. The Bard on the Hill
  5. Joy in the Moments
  6. Mystical Tidbits
  7. Daniel Blaga
  8. Inside Out Café
  9. Cereal with a Fork
  10. I Choose How I Will Spend the Rest of My Life
  11. Living Life in Glorious Color
  12. An Evil Nymph’s Blog
  13. Cravedfw
  14. Robotic Rhetoric
  15. Sake White

Here’s your Award!  Enjoy!

Blogging the Leap Year 2012


If you haven’t visited feb29th.net yet and you’re a blogger, don’t miss out!

The folks at feb29th.net explain:  “Feb29th.net is a global blogging project that will cross all age groups and continents. As soon as Feb 29th 2012 begins in Tonga, the Feb29th.net will open up for posts for one day only. This blog will capture posts from all over our planet on this rare day until midnight in the Western Pacific. The result will not only be a celebration of technology, but a celebration of audience and purpose…”

If you want to be a part of this special Leap Year blogging event, visit their website, subscribe and pass the word!  I’ll be there, will you?

 

My Versatile Blogger Nominees Are…


On January 21, 2012 I was awarded the Versatile Blogger Award.  You can see that here alone with my seven personal facts.  At that time I was to nominate 15 other blogs I thought deserved the award.  That night I passed on five of them, and tonight I’m finally awarding the remaining 10.

My remaining 10 nominees for the Versatile Blogger award are:

  1. Inspirational Thoughts from the Back Pocket
  2. Living Life in Glorious Colour
  3. Dear Kitty.  Some Blog.
  4. Believe Anyway
  5. Why Evolution is True
  6. Photos from the Loony Bin
  7. Being Arandam…
  8. Joy in the Moments
  9. I Choose How I Will Spend the Rest of My Life
  10. Unwritten Truth

If you’ve received the award previously, then know I feel you deserve another one.  You are all deserving and I enjoy your blogs immensely.   Congratulations!

The responsibilities of the award are:
1) Thank the person who nominated you and link back to them in your post.
2) Share 7 things about yourself.
3) Pass the award on to 15 more bloggers.
4) Contact the bloggers you’ve chosen to let them know that they’ve been selected.

The Kreativ Blogger Award… Thank you so much!!


I’m just blown away with happiness and gratitude for Linda Willow and her blog Heartwinds for nominating me for the Kreativ Blogger Award.  If you visit Linda’s blog, and I encourage you to, you’ll understand.  Her blog takes you through a beautiful world filled with inspiration and eloquence.  She’s quite a remarkable and accomplished person.  Thank you again, Linda.  I’m honored someone of your caliber found my blog worthy.

Sometimes synchronicities can be enlightening and receiving this award brought one into my life.  I mentioned to a friend because I was pretty excited.  Her response was, “No offense, but it can’t be much of an award if it requires you to widen the circle.  Sounds like some pyramid scheme for bloggers or something, not that I know anything about it.”  At first I was deflated but this caused me to go off quietly and think about this award, as well as the other two I’ve been nominated for.  Instead of lessening my happiness, it only deepened it.  I later explained to her:

“It’s an award that’s given by your peers in recognition of what they feel is a worthy blog. No. It’s not an official sponsored literary award, but it is peer recognition. We’re a community of weblog writers and readers and this is a way we support each other. As far as “pyramid scheme”… to what gain? It helps drive readership to quality blogs. I don’t think that’s anything shady or underhanded. Regardless, I’m still happy to receive these from my peers considering I’ve only been blogging for a little over a month. I’ve been working pretty hard on it and it gives me the incentive to keep forging ahead and hopefully keep improving.”

I guess in summation, this makes me feel welcome and warm and among good folks.  I’m very proud to display my “awards that aren’t a big deal.”  They certainly are to me.

Now, in keeping with the rules of this very appreciated award, I must share 10 things about myself.  I’ll try not to exactly repeat the 7 I listed for the Versatile Blogger Award, but if I do forgive me.  I’m writing this at 3 am.  (Who says I’m obsessive??)

  1.  Yes, I am obsessive.  When something trips my wire I dive in head first and don’t stop until I’m worn out.  This may not always show externally, but internally my gears are always going.
  2. I lived in Egypt for a year and sat on one of the stones of the great pyramid in Giza.  I saw Tutankhanum’s golden death mask at the Cairo museum and the Roman ruins in Alexandria.
  3. When I was young I pursued show jumping and dressage lessons and was determined to become an equestrienne, but an injury forced me to quit and then life currents swept me elsewhere.
  4. I’ve published one short story in a book, Rural Voices, which is now out of print.  It was about the life of my grandfather on the Nebraska Prairie.
  5. I love animals.  My life is void of color without their presence.  To me the song of a bird is more beautiful than any music ever composed.
  6. I have a fascination with the moon.  I’m a Cancer, but even as a child before I knew what that meant, the moon was my special night time friend.  I sat at my window many nights and talked or sang to it.
  7. I’m fascinated by the mind in all its aspects.
  8. I used to make my own soaps and lotions.
  9. The only Hindi I know is related to cooking even though I live in India!
  10. I have a secret obsession for Indian cloth and sarees.  I find them unspeakably beautiful and fascinating.

I am passing this award on to 10 more bloggers.  If you’ve already received one, just know that I feel you deserve another one!  They are:

  1. Allaboutlemon by adollyciousirony
  2. Being Arindam by Arindam
  3. A Mantra a Day by belleofthecarnival
  4. Source of Inspiration by patcegan
  5. A Heart’s Whisper by jackielrobinson
  6. Dear Kitty.  Some blog by petrel41
  7. Photos from the loony bin by photosfromtheloonybin
  8. Robert coffey’s Photo Project 365 by urbanbuda
  9. Straight from the Horse’s Heart by rtfitchauthor
  10. Deidra Alexander’s Blog by deidraalexander

Enjoy your award.  You all deserve it!

The Versatile Blogger Award!! Thank you!!


I’m very honored and very excited to be nominated for The Versatile Blogger Award by whenquiet.  She serves up a powerful inspirational punch on her blog that’s definitely worth reading.  She loves to share good things and this really shines through.  So if you’d like to warm up a bit, drop on by her blog.  Thank you, Whenquiet!!

The rules for receiving the Versatile Blogger Award are:
1) Thank the person who nominated me and link back to them in my post (See above.  Thank you, thank you, thank you and thank you again!)
2) Share 7 things about me
3) Pass the award on to 15 more bloggers
4) Contact the bloggers I have chosen to let them know that they have been selected

Now for the hard part, sharing seven things about me.

I’m an American now living in India with my husband, Atul, and immersed in learning all about this new culture.

I’m in the process of editing my first novel, “Falling Up.”

I make a wicked chole masala that I’m very proud of.  Chole is an Indian dish that resembles chili only using chick peas.

I have two handsome grown up sons who I’m very proud of.

I’m absolutely addicted to Lays potato chips and happy to say they sell them here in India.  Thank God!

I’m very interested in meditation, the mind, the self and transcendentalism.

I’m very obsessive, so if something interests me I tend to drive the whole world crazy with it.

Now I’ll nominate my first five nominees.  The remaining 10 will be nominated in two more successive posts because I want to take my time and do this right!  If you’ve already received the award from someone else, then please accept my recognition that you deserve another one!

The first five are:

SpiritualiTea:  Shannon has such a gentle and lovely blog.  Whenever I drop by to read her I feel like I’ve been invited into her home, offered up a steaming cup of tea and a soft place to sit.  She’s mindful, insightful and inspirational.  What more could you want?

Stumbling Gracefully:  Esperanza’s blog is an interesting and insightful walk through her life.  She makes you feel you’re walking beside her and I find a lot of warmth in her posts.  Her life is her journey and she invites you along.

My story to you…:  Andy says he wants to tell his story to you, a little bit at a time and he does just this.  I enjoy his vignettes but he has more to offer.  It’s definitely worth sitting with Andy awhile and listening to his story one bit at a time.

Turns of endearment:  Dora’s blog is a graceful artful journey through her world.  I feel a bit transformed after reading her words.

Sake White:  This is a very interesting blog because I find it so multi-dimensional.  Ymarsakar offers up a bounty of information on anything from martial arts to world religions.  Definitely a good read.

These are my first five nominees.  The next five will follow soon.  Now, I’m off to let them know!

My Candle Lighter Award Nominees


As a responsibility to receiving The Candle Lighter Award I need to nominate other blogs I felt were deserving of the recognition.  Because I’m so new to blogging and the blogging community, I took a little time to feel I was making the right choices in my nominations.

What is The Candle Lighter Award?  It’s the brainchild of Kate Kresse, author of Believe Anyway.  You can read more about the award here.  Briefly, The Candle Lighter Award is awarded to those bloggers who:

“…light a candle in the darkness that envelopes us all at times.”

My nominees/award recipients are:

Zendictive:  I find the thoughts presented in this blog to always be gentle as a breeze but as powerful as a hurricane.  When I leave zendictive’s blog, I always feel pleasantly changed.  I would like to acknowledge that feeling by presenting him The Candle Lighter Award.

Source of Inspiration:  Pat’s blog is just that, a source of inspiration.  I always find reading her blog a powerful experience.  She shines her words like a beacon on a hilltop.  I feel she deserves to be acknowledged for this so I’m presenting her with The Candle Lighter Award.

SpiritualiTea:  Shannon writes a beautiful and focused blog, rife with diversity without wandering off the path.  Every time I open her blog I find myself not really wanting to leave it.  Gentle, soothing, inspiring..  she’s very deserving of the acknowledgement and The Candle Lighter Award.

As recipients, all you need to do is accept this.  You may post the badge on your blog if you like, and of course pass it along to any inspirational quality blog you feel is deserving.

Thank you for continuing to lighting the way!

(And, of course, my thanks to Arindam for nominating MoonLightened Way.)