May 2020 – Page 3 – Sonja Danielson

#motivationmonday

It’s time to set your intentions for the week!

What do you want to accomplish? What do you want to have done by the weekend?

I guess you could call this a weekly bucket list… to do list… success list.

I have my goals: finish editing my current work in progress (WIP), write the next installment of the Guinness the Therapy Dog series, continual communication with the folks who like my books (I love to hear from them!), reach out internationally… the list is long and continually growing!

I’m also working on my lifelong learning. I’m refreshing my French and German. I’m getting my classes lined up to learn Japanese with my son (a huge leap on my part) and I’m taking some writing classes online since there’s always something new to learn and improve on.

What are your short-term goals?

Time to take the plunge! Sonja

Happy Mother’s Day!

Today is the day to thank your mom for everything she does, and has done, for you. It’s Mother’s Day in the United States and was initiated as a holiday in 1908 when a woman named Anna Jarvis wanted to memorialize her mother.

The day is meant to honor mothers and motherhood or, as Jarvis said, because a mother is “the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world”.

Mother’s Day is celebrated in more than forty countries, not all on the same date but usually in the first half of the year. There are a handful of countries that celebrate mothers and mothering in the last quarter of the year (October-November-December).

In the United States, carnations are meant to be given. White carnations remember a mom who has passed, and colored carnations thank those who are living.

Jarvis, the creator of the holiday, lamented how commercialized it became, and protested at a candy makers convention in 1923 and at a meeting of the American War Mothers in 1925 when they sold carnations as a fundraiser.

There are some who even credit commercialization (especially by the floral industry) with keeping the holiday current and not allowing it to fade away.

Happy Mother’s Day! Sonja

Uplifting

When I think of someone uplifting my moods, I think of a new friend on Instagram. She’s a poet and writes some truly beautiful verses.

You can find her at @august_musings on Instagram. Go to her page and read some of her poetry and not smile. I dare you!

Do you follow anyone on Instagram, Facebook, or on a web site that inspires you? I would love to know about them.

Enjoy! Sonja

Sale Prices!

(c) 2020 Guinness trains to become a therapy dog! He’s so excited to get his heart-shaped tag!

I arranged for special pricing on these two ebooks.

The sale on the Guinness the Therapy Dog book ended yesterday, I hope you were able to grab a copy with the lower price!

The sale on The Voyage ends late on May 9. If you are interested in this nonfiction account of one man’s search for an end to persecution in the 1600s, then this is your book. It is written as an easy reader and has wonderful illustrations.

This book should be especially interesting to members of the Wing Family of America, as it chronicles the life of Reverend John Wing in England and Europe.

I hope you enjoy these special prices, and the ebooks! Sonja

Be Kind

Ask Me Anything!

Photo by Georgina Steytler on Unsplash.com

It’s Wonderful Wondering Wednesday and I’m awaiting your questions. I do reserve the right not to answer it, but would love to hear what you’re thinking.

You can ask me here or via email at sonjadanielson.com.

Are you wondering about The Fairies of Carlow series, or Guinness the Therapy Dog, Lucy the Wonder Dog, The Voyage, or something else?

I tend to say everything in my posts, but if I missed something that left you wondering, I will address it.

Tell me what you want to know! Sonja

Transformation Tuesday

Since Guinness the Therapy Dog was adopted into our family close to his second birthday, we didn’t know him as a puppy. So, this transformation shows him throughout the past two years with us.

The only changes he’s gone through growth-wise while with us is that his neck and head have widened (which is normal for the breed). That meant a new collar.

He wasn’t a good leash walker and would lunge and pull with all of his 95 pounds. After a few weeks of training, he was able to walk nicely and made our neighborhood walks very fun. Before, it was a trial (and a workout!).

I probably wrote about this during a post about how Guinness became a therapy dog. I’m so proud of him!

I’m so thankful that he is in our family. Sonja

Online Site

I found an online site that offers ~1,500 free classes and wanted to share it with you. (This isn’t a sponsored post; merely information). Open Culture offers classes that are taught by universities around the world. I attached the link to the above site name. It should open in a new window so you can explore the list of classes.

The opportunities presented by this service are astounding. Are you interested in history, sociology, math, etc? You can watch classes or listen to them as MP3 files whenever you want. The site offers free classes if you audit or choose ‘no certificate.’

Or you can choose to pay for the classes and get credit or a certificate.

There aren’t enough hours in the day!

I hope you find something you like. If you have a good site for free online education, please leave the info in a comment, or send it to me at sonjadanielson@gmail.com.

Enjoy the time that you have to become a lifelong learner! Sonja

Is the glass…

Lucy the Wonder Dog

So, when you look at Lucy’s expression do you see the impending eye roll?

What was happening was this:

She was in a highly anxious mood and wouldn’t come out from under the table. I didn’t want a picture of her with her ears laid flat against her head (her typical ‘I’m anxious’ look), so I was squeaking a high-pitched tone to get her ears to perk up.

It worked but, clearly, she thinks I’m insane.

Well, her ears are perked but the expression doesn’t make for a great picture.

Oh, well! Sonja