Category Archives: Relationships

Celebrating My 25th College Reunion

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I celebrated my 25th College Reunion Year last weekend!  It was great to be on campus visiting old haunts and appreciating the new construction that so perfectly seems to blend the old with the new.  It was wonderful to be in the physical presence of my classmates.  I have had the chance to reconnect with many classmates on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, but nothing replaces being in the same space and time with your friends.  I was most struck by how moved I was by the experience.

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It was especially wonderful to exchange hugs and smiles and reminisce about old times with a couple of lifetime friends who I love and cherish.  A classmate shared that we don’t know if we were experiencing a “collective delusion,” but we all felt like we looked as good as we did 25 years ago!  I don’t know about the rest of them, but I feel like I am only 25! And I know I AM NOT experiencing any delusions!  LOL!   How can I be celebrating 25 years of graduating from college?

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Sunshine Hugs

Like the touch of love

Wrapping its warmth around me

I love sunshine hugs!

by Michelle Lynn Thompson

August 18, 2012

Exquisite Haiku: Sunshine Hugs

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Dancing and Twirling

Each time I see you

My heart skips a beat, and smiles

Dancing and twirling

by Michelle Lynn Thompson 08/15/2012


Exquisite Haiku – Dancing and Twirling

Life is an Exquisite Journey Accepts the Very Inspiring Blogger Award!

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Thank you to Cathie from The Cathie Barash Blog for nominating Life is an Exquisite journey for The Very Inspiring Blogger Award!  I am so appreciative of the recognition and am excited to extend the nomination to a few other bloggers who have inspired me on this blogging journey.

Here are the rules for this award:

1. Thank the person who nominated me.

      Thank you so much, Cathie!

2. Share 7 things about myself.

  1. I am the mother of five children ages 20, 18, 17, 15 and 9.
  2. I have my own live, call-in television program.
  3. I grew up in Sicklerville, NJ.  Yes, the hometown of Olympic Gold medalist Jordan Burroughs! 
  4. I enjoy visiting new cities and towns.
  5. I am a Girl Scout.
  6. I lived in Austin, TX for a year.
  7. I was born in France.

3. Nominate 7 other bloggers for this award.

At this time, I have selected the following nominees for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award:


  1. http://bestmotivationalguides.wordpress.com/

  2. http://upgraderealite.wordpress.com

  3. http://selfimprovementdeals.wordpress.com

  4. http://creativityorcrazy.wordpress.com


  5. http://focsimama.wordpress.com/

  6. http://soitgoes1.wordpress.com/

  7. http://caraholman.wordpress.com/

4. Put the logo of the award on my blog site.

Thank you for visiting my blog and sharing your comments.  It has been a blast getting to know you all and I look forward to strengthening our connection.

Peace and Love,

Life is an Exquisite Journey ~ Michelle

 

TAG, You’re It!

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There’s a game of Tag in play on WordPress and it gives us an opportunity to share a little bit more about ourselves with one another.  I’ve been tagged by Yasniger and YOU might be next!

11 Fun Facts About Life is An Exquisite Journey~Michelle

1.  I am 5’10″ and I am the shortest one in my family besides my 9 year old daughter.

2.  I love to roller skate.

3.  I love to laugh!

4.  I enjoy romantic comedies and foreign films.

5.  I am teaching myself French – trying to pull from some foundational training from high school and college.

6.  I love to visit new cities and towns.

7.  I have my own bi-monthly live, call-in television program.

8.  I mentor college and high school students.

9.  I am a mother of five children ages 20, 18, 17, 15 and 9.

10.  I love to line dance.

11.  I am an optimist.

My Responses to Yasniger’s Questions:

If you really had the option of changing your name, identity & nationality, would you & to what, if you could?

I would change my name to something different and uncommon.  Do you know how many times I here the name “Michelle” in the US?

What do you thing is the reasons why some people are gay & other are not?

I have no idea.

If you alone knew for certain when you will die, would you rather keep it a secret or tell anyone?

I would keep it a secret, but I would  squeeze in as much of my Bucket List as possible before my expiration date!

Do you think you will be a lot happier of you were a lot more different from what you are now?

I am very happy the way I am.

If you had the choice of killing someone painlessly, to save them and prevent them from an agonizingly slowly death, would you?

I would not participate in any act of killing.

What is cruelest comment you had made on somebody else`s blog post, was it honestly made & would you take it back if you could?

I choose not to make negative comments on anyone else’s blog.  I don’t believe in spreading that type of energy.

Has blogging made a world of difference in your life?

It has given me a voice.

Do you have any particular event that you could quite clearly identify as the most life altering occurrence in your life?

Participating in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People workshop.

Do you think educated people are a lot friendlier & more sincere than uneducated persons?

I don’t think education has anything to do with being courteous and polite.

What are the most difficult choices you made & would you change these choices if you had a foolproof chance to do so?

Staying in a relationship for the wrong reasons.  Yes – I would have left the relationship sooner.

What is the longest time you have kept a secret & did you let it out intentionally finally or someone else did?

I keep all the confidences entrusted to me.  It’s not for me to tell.

 

 
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Here are the rules, read them, they are important.

1. You must post the rules.
2. You must post eleven fun facts about yourself.
3. You must answer the questions your tagger set for you
4. You must create eleven questions to ask the people you tag.
5. Tag eleven people and link them on your post.
6. Let them know you have tagged them.

Questions from Life is an Exquisite Journey:

1.  What are you most passion about?

2.  How are you living a little bit of your passion each day?

3.  What is the most favorite travel memory in the country that you live?

4.  What is the most favorite travel memory outside of the country that you live?

5.  If you have a day job, what type of work do you do?

6.  How long have you been blogging and what topics do you like to blog about?

7.  Who are your favorite authors?

8.  What is your favorite type of cuisine?

9.  What is the most bizarre question that someone has ever asked you and how did you respond?

10.  Are you actively engaged with other social networking media?  If so, how can we reach you?

11.  When was the last time that you sent a handwritten letter or card to someone?

Let’s keep the game going and I look forward to learning a little bit more about you!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Wrong

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Yesterday was National S’mores Day.  Christina and I wanted to celebrate by trying to make s’mores for the first time.

This was our first attempt:

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We cracked up as we realized they looked nothing like the picture on the box.  The jumbo marshmallow we used practically exploded.  We thought we could fix it by putting the other graham cracker on top, buy the marshmallow just oozed all over the sides of the crackers!

We decided to divide the jumbo marshmallow in four sections and use one section per s’more.  Mission accomplished!  They were so yummy!

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Social Networking Media MaNiA!!!

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It seems that the big promotion for electronic communication is that is was going to simplify our lives.  I don’t know about you, but with all of the avenues to be socially engaged, I have become completely overwhelmed.  Perhaps there is a 12-step meeting for Social Networking Media Addiction (SNMA).

As I consider my options, I realize that there are a few things that I can do to try to manage the influx of information from so many sources.

1.  Deactivate the email notifications to my social media accounts and my blogs.

2.  Schedule time during the week to review the activity on my social networking media accounts so that it doesn’t consume so much of my time.

3.  Deactivate my email account on my phone.  I can check my email on my desktop when I get home.

4.  Deactivate e-newsletter subscriptions.  The newsletter will be on the website which I can search for on Google at another time.

5.  Deactivate the email notification of telephone voice messages.

Based on today’s level of engagement, it would seem that these strategies are a bit extreme.  Perhaps I have a secret desire to become a recluse.  Maybe, but I would like to feel more in control of the amount of information that I am exposed to each day.  So I may implement a few of these strategies to see if it helps me to manage the social networking media mania more efficiently.

The long-term goal is to free up more time to spend with family and friends.  I am looking forward to enjoying their company and being in their presence.  I need more human connection in this season of my life.

I’ll share my progress at the next SNMA Meeting.

Peace and Love!

Michelle

Busboys and Poets

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I Speak With Conviction

The rhythm of verse

Filled with passion and purpose

Expanding your mind

by Michelle Lynn Thompson 08/10/2012

After five years of  hearing about all of the exciting activities that are hosted by this venue, I  finally experienced an open mic event at Busboys and Poets!  There are four Busboys and Poets restaurants/bookstores in the Washington metropolitan area – two in Washington DC, one in Hyattsville, MD, and one in Shirlington, VA.  I ventured out to The Village at Shirlington, VA to get a feel for the venue and experience this icon for myself.

It was my first time visiting The Village at Shirlington,  an urban village, hosting an eclectic collection of restaurants and entertainment options, but quaint enough to be home to thousands of residents who enjoy the convenience of so many amenities just outside of their front door.  I loved strolling through the neighborhood as I made my way to Busboys and Poets.  The village has this rich, bohemian feel and I can easily see this becoming a favorite place for me to just BE!

I want to share an excerpt from Busboys and Poets website – there is no way that I can explain the essence of this venue any better.

Busboys and Poets Tribal Statement
 
Busboys and Poets is a community where racial and cultural connections are consciously uplifted…a place to take a deliberate pause and feed your mind, body and soul…a space for art, culture and politics to intentionally collide…we believe that by creating such a space we can inspire social change and begin to transform our community and the world.
 

Those of you who have gotten to know me, can understand why I felt instantly welcomed and at ease when I arrived.  The ambiance was soulful and engaging.  The place was full of energy and just had this amazing vibe that enticed all of my senses.  I can see that I will be coming back to this location as often as possible.

This Monday Night Open Mic was hosted by Shelly Bell.  She was absolutely AWESOME in creating a fun, energetic and welcoming atmosphere for poets of all levels and experiences.  She encouraged the audience in being supportive of each artist that approached the stage.  This was my sneak peek – I like to check things out before I step out there.  I am planning to visit the other locations in the area and I am so looking forward to sharing some of my work at the next Open Mic Poetry event!

I have to share the history of the name “Busboys and Poets”.  I am always intrigued about how things came to be.  The website educates us by sharing that “the name Busboys and Poets refers to American poet Langston Hughes, who worked as a busboy at the Wardman Park Hotel in the 1920s, prior to gaining recognition as a poet.”  Mr. Hughes would feel very, very welcomed at any of their locations and so will you.  If you are in the Washington metropolitan area, make it a point to stop by  the nearest Busboys and Poets for a meal, share a poem, hear a discussion – or just relax in the space and just be YOU!

Peace and Love,

Michelle

Exquisite Haiku: A Weekend of Firsts

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First time at the beach.

First amusement park visit.

All with my best friend!

by Michelle Lynn Thompson

08/2/2012