Power and Grace

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Chronicles of a Blogaholic

“I think dancing is a man’s game and if he does it well
he does it better than a woman.”
Gene Kelly

Alek Skarlatos with pro partner Lindsay Arnold on DWTS.

If you follow my blog you know how I love dance and enjoy watching Dancing With The Stars. This season the show has Alek Skarlatos as a contestant. For those of you who don’t watch DWTS, Alek Skarlatos is an Army National Guardsman and happens to be one of three Americans who overpowered a gunman on a European train in August 2015.

Skarlatos and the other two men received the Soldier’s Medal and Airman’s Medal awards for their bravery. These are the highest awards given to service members who perform heroic acts in non-combat situations. France also honored all three men with its Legion of Honor Award.

If you haven’t had a chance to see this years DWTS show, check it out. What I like most about Mr. Skarlatos dancing isn’t so much his style, but his pure strength when he dances. He might not be the most seasoned dancer, but what he lacks in professional skill he makes up in power and grace.

Shine On

Autumnal Equinox

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Chronicles of a Blogaholic

“We cling to our own point of view, as though everything depended on it.
Yet our opinions have no permanence; Like autumn and winter,
They gradually pass away.”
Chuang Tzu

Shine One

Sunset – Day Before Autumn

Posted on September 22, 2015 by Chronicles of a Blogaholic

“There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in its sky,
which through the summer is not heard or seen,
as if it could not be, as if it had not been!”
Percy Bysshe Shelley

Sunset The Day Before Autumn

Shine On

That’s Living

Posted on September 21, 2015 by Chronicles of a Blogaholic

“Be as you wish to seem.”
Socrates

Coleus plant from the Manhattan Beach Mall.

There comes a time in life, when you walk away from all the drama and the people who create it

Surround yourself with people who make you laugh, forget the bad, and focus on the good.

Love the people who treat you right.

Pray for the ones who don’t.

Life is too short to be anything but happy.

Falling down is part of life, getting back up, that’s living.

Shine On

Laughter is the Best Medicine

Posted on September 20, 2015 by Chronicles of a Blogaholic

“A day without laughter is a day wasted.”
Charlie Chaplin

A sincere compliment can really boost ones morale. I’m not one who demands constant attention or praise. But, it sure is nice to hear, “good job” once in a while. I always have showered my son and husband with compliments. Whenever I accomplish a major hurdle, my son is always the first to give me a compliment.

After 20+ years living together, I’ve come to realize it’s just not my husbands style to give out compliments easily. I guess my husband’s style is more akin to Don Rickles than Johnny Carson.

A few years back I suggested my husband “get in touch with his feminine side”. So one day he said something that was showing his feelings. When he realized this, he stopped and pointed out to me that, “he was getting in contact with his feminine side”.

He may not dish out kudos or compliments easily, but he makes me laugh. To me, that’s more important than any compliment he could ever give me. When I’m feeling low, I can always count on him to make me laugh.

Fishing for compliments has never been something I’ve ever had to do. And I’m not planning on starting this late in life. Besides, I’d much rather be with someone who makes me laugh, because as the old proverb says, “laughter is the best medicine”.

Shine On