Praying for a Stranger

Recently I wrote a post about making Prayer Monkey Hats for a co-worker's unborn twin grandsons.  I finished them, along with several other hats for other orders this week.  I've been working on them in the evenings after a day at work.   As a nurse, I am on my feet the entire day but this is a sitting down job, and I enjoy doing them so much, it doesn't feel like work at all.    I thought maybe you'd like to see how the monkeys turned out.

I received some nice comments on that post, most from followers I "know".  I love reading those!  I also received a comment from a woman in the UK that found my blog by accident that day.  She left a nice comment and also an invitation to join her today on a mission.  She is holding a blog hop, today.  It is different than most as it is really a giant prayer chain.

This prayer chain is on behalf of her friend, Kerry, shown in these photos.  Kerry is a mother and blogger who suffered a ruptured aneurysm and brain hemorrhage.  Her husband is now posting on her blog in her place.

Today, we (me and my readers) are invited to join the blog hop of prayer, praying for the recovery of this young woman.  We are praying for her return to her home and her family.  Anyone who has been around a patient suffering from this type of brain injury knows that the path she is on is difficult and challenging, not only for her but also for her family.

 So, today I am praying for Kerry.  I am praying that she will be able to fight off infection.  I am praying she will be able to work through the exhaustion and confusion and find her way back to her life. I am praying for the healthcare workers surrounding her, for their skill and wisdom as they support her recovery.  Perhaps you'd like to join in on this big prayer as well?

Joining in on 5 Question Friday

One of the blogs I enjoy reading is My Little Life.  On Fridays there I see the 5 Question Friday link up.  I always think, "Someday I will try that!"  So, today I am going to give it a try.  It's a blog hop!

If you don't know what a blog hop is, read this definition directly from the Linky folks:

"What is a blog hop? A blog hop is a linky list that is SHARED ON MULTIPLE BLOGS. When several blogs put the same linky list code on their blog, the exact same list appears on each blog. Blog visitors can submit their entries on any blog that contains the list. The entries will appear on each blog where the list resides. Blog readers see the same list on each blog, and can "HOP" from blog to blog seeing the same list of links to follow: BLOG HOP!"

If you have a blog and want to join in, here are the rules for 5 Question Friday (5QF):

"Rules for 5QF: Copy and paste the following questions to your blog post, answer them, then watch for the linky post to appear Friday morning and LINK UP!"  

Here are the questions as well as my answers.  Even if you don't have a post, you can answer the questions in my comments section if you'd like!

1. What were you scared of as a kid?
     I remember that I was pretty frightened by rattle snakes.  We lived near a place called Rattle Snake Hill for awhile and we saw plenty of them.  Even after we moved from there I had scary rattle snake dreams for years, even into adulthood!

2. Do you sleep well in a hotel?
     I absolutely LOVE sleeping in a hotel!  Really, I love it.  I admit that all the stories about bedbugs has been a bit off-putting but I still love it.  I don't know that I really sleep all that well but even when I wake up in the night, I enjoy just knowing that I'm waking up in a hotel, a place where I am not in charge of making the beds, doing dishes, etc.  OK, sometimes I still make the beds but it just looks nice that way.  I don't want the maids to think we are pigs.



3. If you could meet any celebrity, dead or alive, who and why?
     I long wanted to meet John Denver.  My husband was a big fan of John Denver music so I paid attention to him as well.  Listening to his music, I started thinking that John Denver was searching for something, some kind of forgiveness and peace.  I thought we could point him in the right direction for that.  I wanted to bring him home for dinner and let he and Mike get to know each other.  Maybe Mike could have counseled he and Annie and they could have stayed together, filling up each other's senses with sunshine all over their shoulders in the Rocky Mountains... HIGH in the Rocky Mountains.



4. It's a hot summer day. Do you prefer to be pool side or at the beach?
     Absolutely the beach!  I enjoy a nice pool and love the smell of chlorine (not kidding), but watching the power and the beauty of a natural body of water is by far my preference... the bigger the body of water, the better!  Take me to the ocean any day!

5. What is your favorite summer dish?
     No particular "dish" came to mind but a fresh, juicy peach makes me all happy!  I don't want an imposter peach!  You know what I mean, the kind that look delicious, maybe even have lots of juice, but no flavor.  Nope.  I want one that is sweet AND juicy AND pretty.  I want to eat it while sitting on a wrap-around porch with the juice running down my arm.  By the way?  Do you eat the skin on peaches?  Not for me.  I tried and tried because I think that seems all mother earthy but I just don't like the fuzz. 


There!  I finally joined up for 5 Question Friday and I'm kind of proud of myself!  Join me if you'd like, or just click on some of the other blogs in the list.  Have fun!

My First Linky and Blog Hop

First of all, yes, this is my second post today but it is really for tomorrow.    I want to try something new so just ignore this post until tomorrow.  I've been working on this while I should have been finishing up our taxes but tomorrow I ABSOLUTELY will finish up our taxes...maybe.  I've reverted to my old style of posts for the next week.  That is because, after hours of trying, I discovered that the style with the flipcards for some reason will not work with a blog hop/linky set up.  I did not know that.

OK, So I really DO NOT KNOW WHAT I AM DOING but I want to try a Linky.  The problem is, I am not sure what a Linky really is or how it works.  That is not going to stop me from trying, though!

(Yes, that is a photo from an old post and yes, I just wanted to 

use it again because my hair doesn't usually look that good.)

I went to several sites for instruction. They used words like "meme" and "technorati tag".  Huh?  I was about to give up when I found the Linky Tools Site.  I still don't know quite what I am doing but again, that isn't going to stop me.  I have seen blog hops on other people's blogs but I didn't really know what that meant.  Well, the Linky Tools Site shared this explanation...

blog hop is a linky list that is SHARED ON MULTIPLE BLOGS. When several blogs put the same linky list code on their blog, the exact same list appears on each blog. Blog visitors can submit their entries on any blog that contains the list. The entries will appear on each blog where the list resides. Blog readers see the same list on each blog, and can "HOP" from blog to blog seeing the same list of links to follow: BLOG HOP! By designating your linky list as a BLOG HOP, a link will appear below your linky list where your blog readers can get the blog hop code for your linky. If you want to do a 'PRIVATE' blog hop, then do NOT check the blog hop checkbox, and simply share the code PRIVATELY with the other blog owners. Brent Riggs & Linky Tools create the concept of the "blog hop" as it is used on so many blogs today.

OK, so then I had to think of a purpose for this blog hop.  Some people share a "photo of the week" and every blogger that wishes to "link up" to share their photo.  Some blogs have great questions that every blogger that links up answers.  All the bloggers posts show their own answers and the links to the other bloggers posts just show up on all the linked blogs...at least that's what I think.  Those look kind of fun and maybe I will try that in the future.  

For now, I decided maybe I'd ask bloggers to share one of their most thought-provoking posts.  Will that work?  I am just saying "one of" instead of your very favorite thought-provoking post.  That way you won't have to spend too much time deciding which you prefer.  Maybe down the road I'll go for funniest post, most embarrassing post, etc.  Today, though, I am asking for one of your most thought-provoking posts.
Here's one of mine.

For my followers who do not blog, maybe you could leave a thought-provoking comment or quote?  For those who are still having trouble leaving comments, send me a thought-provoking e-mail at onlythemanager@yahoo.com.  OR, I read that you can copy the linky and put it on your Facebook site as well.  I'm not sure but be brave and give it a try!