Blog hopping (Update #2)

Quote of the Day:

And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye. Antoine de Saint-Exupery

I had a bit of free time this morning to peruse some of my favorite bloggers. Things are happening. Here is just a taste, a snippet of the huge, diverse blogging community out there. But I am energized and comforted to know that even I am a part of it all - however small (Technorati says I am not even in the top 100,000) ...

Yesterday I wandered over to Danny Miller's blog and found that I am not the only one when it comes to family angst about what and how I write. What a great piece! It brought me back to my own trials and tribulations of yesteryear and why I started Mining Nuggets in the first place. The only huge difference for Danny, and for which I envy him, is that his family is forgiving and, more than that, proud of him for being the writer that he is. I am proud of him too and grateful. For Danny has given me support and encouragement all these years to find my own voice as a writer. I know he hates it when I say things like this but, yes indeed, he changed my life! Check out the comments. Especially this: "Books and articles would be pretty dull if writers didn't exploit their real lives, so I guess this means you are a real writer. Congratulations. Don't expect to be invited to any more family gatherings." [Phew! That hit home ... or, at least, what once might have been considered home]

Now take a look at what is happening to Ronni Bennett. She is truly a voice for all of us. Bringing the aging news front and center through all media venues, not just her great blog. Congratulations, Ronni! You are an inspiration for us all.

I got a kick out of Mona Patata over at Jean's blog this morning. It certainly made me smile. Check out Jean's Third Monk series. Talk about being a real writer!

And as always, so much is always happening over at Neil Kramer's site: Birthdays, road trips and separated spousal conversations. His blog not only warms the cockles of my heart, Neilochka makes me think, gives me pleasure and makes me laugh from my belly.

Update:

More from favorite bloggers: I could not resist a quote that I found while reading Blaugustine this morning. Natalie gives credit to Find me a Bluebird for it. I think I will use it for my Quote of the Day, which starts off this post. Another really good quote from Find me a Bluebird comes from Woody Allen (Love and Death):

To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering one must not love. But then one suffers from not loving. Therefore to love is to suffer, not to love is to suffer. To suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy then is to suffer. But suffering makes one unhappy. Therefore, to be unhappy one must love, or love to suffer, or suffer from too much happiness. I hope you're getting this down.

Update II:

Over at Simply Wait is a fantastic list of suggestions that will seriously help you kill time if you are preparing to write. I laughed so hard I almost choked on the crackers I was eating while checking my e-mail for the umpteenth time today before I get down to writing. Did Patry write this just for me?

Listen to this as #1:

Sit around and think about every single person who's ever been mad at you or mean to you, and mentally go through the reasons that it's so unfair. (This could not just kill a day, but it can, and HAS, annihilated entire lifetimes.)

Priceless!

Comments

[MB]

I love that last quote!

[tamarika]

Danny,
Am so pleased you are more comfortable at hearing praise from me and finally accepting *my* gratitude for you!

Am trying to go it alone for my next book and, gee ... it is so hard to find the confidence to get over the shaming I endured from people who meant so much to me.

For example, when you used the term "ground breaking" in your comment about my book, it brought tears of gratitude to my eyes.

"Healing the Shame that Binds" [ http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Shame-that-Binds-You/dp/0757303234/sr=8-1/qid=1172145066/ref=sr_1_1/104-2448794-1247921?ie=UTF8&s=books ] me is the hardest part for me lately.

Thank you, Danny.

[Danny]

Thanks, Tamar, and just for the record, I do NOT hate when you say things like that, I am actually quite grateful and honored whenever you very graciously acknowledge my role in getting your ground-breaking book published. True, being the Jewish neurotic that I am, I may be more "comfortable" hearing criticism than praise, but know that deep down I really LOVE it!

By the way, I laughed at the comment about not expecting to be invited to future family gatherings, but it's not true, thank God. My family members have smoothed out their ruffled feathers and I've learned an important lesson that being the self-described "family archivist" doesn't trump sensitivity to the feelings of others.

I know some of your family members DO appreciate your incredible writing gifts, I'm just sorry that this appreciation doesn't go across the board.

[Ronni Bennett]

Heh, heh, heh. That last quote is sooooooooo Jewish...