first friday fiesta of 2026!

I've received some excellent advice the last few days about how to live.

The above is from Amy in Michigan.

To fit me, it needs a few exclamation points! 

"Be too much! Be extra! Live large! Smile big! Laugh hard! Celebrate your damn self! Open your heart! Express your emotions! Giggle! Dance! Breathe deep and love your damn life! You only get one."

Much better!

Then here's the one from Sherry of Thomasville, Georgia.

It's actually a quote from Neil Gaiman, but it needs some exclamation points, too. 

"May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness! I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful! And don't forget to make some art, or write, draw, build, sing, or live only as you can! And I hope in the next year, you surprise yourself!"

Yes, that sounds more like it's meant for me!

 

Plus, I'm all in favor of living according to this advice from my first niece.

"Today I learned about a term called a 'glimmer', which is the opposite of a trigger. Glimmers are those moments in your day that make you feel joy, happiness, peace, or gratitude. Once you train your brain to be on the lookout for glimmers, these tiny moments will appear more and more."

As I told her, "They're like glitter - small and easy to overlook unless your light makes them sparkle!"

So, keep that "little light of mine" shining for others to see!

That's why I made sure to be at Jalapenos of Pooler this evening.

The inguinal hernia was being bearable, so off to see my brothers I went!

 

Ah, the joke was on me: Tony wasn't there!

Both of the Kameron brothers were in place. 

Smitty was in his spot, too, but Robin was in Tony's usual seat.

Sweet, that allowed me and her to actually have a conversation this time around!

I also got to have conversations with Laura and Mary - excellent!

So what did we converse about?

The vegetables that Robin was growing, the recovery of Laura's broken vertebra, and Mary's feeding of squirrels, among other things.

Oh, and how we started out our New Year! 

I also talked of movies and plays and meals with friends, as I'm always trying to encourage them to come along.

I'll have to invite them over some time to see my blessings walls.

This one was filled twice with events from 2025!!!

Some were free, some had a fee.

Some were parties, some were concerts.

Some were musicals, some were plays... 

all were fun and brightened my world!

Blessings, blessings, blessings, just like these Smith & Kameron Friday Fiestas are for me!

i thank You, God!