The Miracle Day

Today seemed like just another day in many aspects but in others, it was full of miracles.

Miracles witnessed:
1) How much being a true friend can change someone's day, life, attitude.
2) How powerful social media is checkout Twitter posts for #operationlayla and #prayforjapan. 
3)  Operation Layla. Social media was abuzz and these tremendous ladies in the blogging world raised and are continuing to raise money for a friend in need. Just reading a couple of blog posts from Jessica and Laura, I jumped on board. I was so moved and I hope you will also be willing to donate to this cause. I'm making Oreo Fudge Bars and I hope that you'll want to bid on them! Trust me, they're delicious!
4) Absolutely beautiful weather for the beginning of March.

For Lent, I'm doing things that will enhance my outlook on life and help me realize that life isn't as bad as I sometimes make it. I'm counting my blessings and taking time to think about the best thing that happens to me every day and I'm also going to help someone else in some way or another every day. I was feeling kind of down in the dumps tonight and in my attempt to be positive, I started thinking about the miracles that I saw today especially in Operation Layla and wanted to share it with you all.

Words of Wisdom: "There are only two ways to live your life: One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything in life is a miracle." - Albert Einstein

Visiting Mrs. and Mr. F

When I say Mrs. and Mr. F...I'm not making an Arrested Development reference,

Please tell me there is atleast one Arrested Development fan out there!

 I'm talking about seeing Laura from The Luckiest in Love!

I never told you...

I never told you that I love you,
You were never mine to love.
Our situation did not allow for loving,
But it happened anyway.
We worked well together,
Loving but not loving.
Now I miss you and need to
Tell you that I love you.
I want you to be mine to love.

copyright JustSimone 2011.

I want my paperback, paperback, paperback books!

I love technology...most days. Sometimes I get overloaded with information but then again sometimes I'd love an iPhone to Google every question that comes to mind. Every day I love being able to blog, read blogs and check my email. But recently I've been frustrated with technology because of it's effect on one of my favorite things/places...bookstores. If you watch the news and don't completely live under a rock, you may have heard about Borders filing for bankruptcy and yesterday the Wall Street Journal had an article about Barnes and Noble's profits falling 25%. With the introduction of the Kindle, iPad and, Barnes and Noble's attempt not to completely fail, the NookColor, as well as the ability to purchase books online thanks to Amazon, bookstores are quickly becoming a thing of the past. It's funny to think that about 15 years ago, big box bookstores like Borders and Barnes and Noble were on the rise threatening mom and pop bookshops and now technology is king.

                                                      Reading in the National Garden
I know there are many benefits to being able to carry every single book in one device, bookmarking points and typing notes in the margins. It creates less waste, though I personally have kept every book I've ever purchased and actually purchase books instead of using the library. I, however, love perusing a bookstore, judging books by their covers. I love the smell of books, the feel of turning pages and feeling the end draw near based on transfer of pages from front to back. I don't like to think that someday I may be expected to read all my books online. I would like to think that books will never become completely obsolete, and that maybe I'm just old-fashioned in my young age. Technology, of course, has brought us many great things such as the Internet, news and information at our finger tips and the ability to work from virtually anywhere. But there's something beautiful about books! I've always dreamed of having a room in my future home where all the books I collect over the years line the walls. While in DC, I visited the Library of Congress, which after a fire, was sourced by Thomas Jefferson's personal collection of books. He had thousands of books on virtually every subject and in many languages. After hearing about the failing of current bookstores, there was also a news story yesterday about Thomas Jefferson's books. While there is currently a display of his remaining collection in the Library of Congress, more of his collection was discovered at Washington University in St. Louis. Read about it here!

                                            Books stacked side by side floor to ceiling...beautiful sight!

All in all, technology is great and so is moving forward. I don't want to be a hermit and completely out of touch with the world. However, I hope that it doesn't threaten to change one of my favorite pastimes. I've been reading books, well devouring books, since I was a child and I don't like the fact that the way I will access them is changing. Somehow discovering someone famous' Kindle 200 years from now doesn't quite hold the same charm and mystery that discovering an old book collection does. I'm sure that there will always be bookstores, though not in the beauty and splendor that we have seen in the past few years.  

How do you feel about books? Are you happy reading them on electronic devices or are you like me?

Words of Wisdom: "I cannot live without books" - Thomas Jefferson

"I know every book of mine by its smell, and I have but to put my nose between the pages to be reminded of all sorts of things." -George Robert Gissing

National Drink Wine Day: Bluejacket Crossing Winery

Thanks to my new blog "friend", Jessica at Jesstagirl and Her Officer, I found out that today is National Drink Wine Day, which I might just deem my new favorite holiday. Sorry Thanksgiving!

                                           A little vino and some brushetta...yum!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

This post may upset some people who think being in love and celebrating Valentine's Day is the bees' knees but I think Valentine's Day is an unnescessary holiday. It's just another reason for the corporate world to overly commercialize a historically Christian holiday. I honestly shouldn't blame it entirely on the corporate world...I am all for increasing profits but ugh. If you really love someone you don't need a special holiday to give them roses, shower them in kind and loving words, and treat them to a nice dinner. That should be done as often as possible. These may sound like the rantings of a bitterly single chick, and you may be partially correct but I still feel that love should not be displayed one day out of the year. If you love someone, tell them right there in that moment. Tell them every chance you get. I believe that deep down under all this hurt, I'm still a hopeless romantic and maybe if things weren't the way they are, I would be glad to revel in a gift of flowers and sappy cards but maybe not. I think I will always stand by my thought that Valentine's Day is ridiculous. This year as much as I'd like to have this mindset:

 

But I'm going to ignore all the lovey-dovey mushy stuff and focus on a couple of relationships that have been falling through the cracks. I'm going to do a better job of loving myself and remembering His love. One of my favorite Bible verses is: "And live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." - Ephesians 5:2.

So although I may have started off being bitter about this holiday, I will not be acting in such a way. I want to show love to all I come in contact with, no matter how much I hurt inside. I hope those of you who are single will join me in this effort to spread the love. And love yourself.

So to add to this post's ridiculous contradictions, my words of wisdom are going to be some of my favorite love quotes.

Words of Wisdom: "Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired." -Robert Frost

"To those who have given up on love, I say, Trust life a little bit." – Maya Angelou

"I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, in secret, between the shadow and the soul." - Pablo Neruda

"When love beckons you, follow him though his ways are hard and steep." - Kahlil Gibran

"Do not harbor a calloused heart, instead open your heart and love completely." - me

Washington, DC: Food Review, Brunch and then some...

Ahhh Sunday morning. Sundays in DC usually consisted of getting up and going to church and then hitting up somewhere for brunch. Later, as I mentioned previously I would spend the afternoons in Eastern Market and would sometimes grab a delicious pretzel and lemonade for lunch or a snack. One of my favorite brunch places was Montmartre.