Thoughtful Reflections

Aerosmith Breaking Up?.....

2009-11-08T16:42:00.002-05:00

Nah...I doubt it! They may be taking a break though. According to an interview with Classic Rock Magazine, this is what heartthrob (in my humble opinion) Steven Tyler, lead singer, had to say: “I don’t know what I’m doing yet, but it’s definitely going to be something Steven Tyler: working on the brand of myself – Brand Tyler.”

I LOVE Aerosmith, and I'm thinking an album done without Steven Tyler wouldn't sound like them at all. He is the voice of Aerosmith! I'm hoping that they take a short hiatus and go back into the studio to record an album with Steven.

Kiss Concert Tonight....And Musical Monday Metallica Edition

2009-10-26T11:00:00.002-04:00

Going to see Kiss and Buckcherry tonight! I scored tickets on ebay for $8.50....very cool! I am so excited!

On to Musical Monday, Metallica doing a Misfits cover---"Die, Die My Darling." Been in my head for days--they do such a great cover!

Thinking of Getting My Nose Pierced...

2009-10-25T00:50:00.003-04:00

Just a stud, not necessarily a ring. Any thoughts?

A history of nose piercing, courtesy of here.

NOSE PIERCING HISTORY
Leonardo Da Vinci believed that the nose set the character of the whole face.

Nose piercing was first recorded in the Middle East aproximately 4,000 years ago, it is mentioned in The Bible in Genesis 24:22 Abraham requested his oldest servant to find a wife for his son Isaac, the servant found Rebekah, and one of the gifts he gave her was a "golden earring" the original Hebrew word used was Shanf, which also translates as "nose-ring".

This practice is still followed among the nomadic Berber and Beja tribes of Africa, and the Bedouins of the Middle East, the size of the ring denotes the wealth of the family. It is given by the husband to his wife at the marriage, and is her security if she is divorced.

Nose piercing was bought to India in the 16th Century from the Middle East by the Moghul emperors. In India a stud (Phul) or a ring (Nath) is usually worn in the left nostril, It is sometimes joined to the ear by a chain, and in some places both nostrils are pierced.

The left side is the most common to be pierced in India, because that is the spot associated in Ayuvedra (Indian medicine) with the female reproductive organs, the piercing is supposed to make childbirth easier and lessen period pain.

In the west nose piercing first appeared among the hippies who travelled to India in the Late 1960's. It was later adopted by the Punk movement of the late 1970's as a symbol of rebellion against conservative values.

Belated Blogging Anniversary

2009-10-18T22:44:00.003-04:00

Oh. My two year blogging anniversary came and went without notice by me. I haven't been as frequent with my posting this year, as I've been focusing more on other/different aspects of my life, and for some reason not able to share, here, as fluently and freely as I would have like to. Though, I am still committed to Thoughtful Reflections and the joy it brings me to connect with the world. And thanks to my readers; I appreciate you for keeping up with all of my sporadic posting. Stay tuned for further musings by me.

And for your listening and viewing pleasure, below is Pearl Jam, live, doing Little Wing with an awesome guest guitar player who happens to be my mom's friend's husband. How cool is that?! I also just found out that said guest guitarist was a former guitar teacher of Eddie Vedder's!

Bear Makes Beer Run in Wisconsin

2009-10-18T01:07:00.003-04:00

This speaks for itself! LOL

HAYWARD, Wis. — Shoppers in a Wisconsin grocery store got an unexpected surprise when a 125-pound black bear wandered inside and headed straight for the beer cooler.

The bear stopped Friday night at Marketplace Foods in Hayward, about 140 miles northeast of Minneapolis, sauntering through the automatic doors and heading straight for the liquor department.

It calmly climbed up 12 feet onto a shelf in the beer cooler where it sat for about an hour while employees helped evacuate customers and summoned wildlife officials.

Officials from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources tranquilized the animal and took it out of the store. Store workers say the bear seemed content in the cooler and did not consume any alcohol.

Bear Makes Beer Run in Wisconsin - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

Posted using ShareThis

I'm Slightly Obsessed With the New Pearl Jam Album

2009-10-03T10:33:00.003-04:00

Ok! Slightly obsessed is really an understatement! I've been listening to Pearl Jam's Back Spacer nonstop, for a week now! (And I'm thinking the only pause will be tonight when I see Metallica, for the first time!)

It's a wonderful album overall...I had forgotten how good these guys are. Even if you are not a fan, you should really check Back Spacer out!

Yay--I Have an Awesome New Laptop!!!

2009-09-26T17:06:00.003-04:00

I am geeking out this weekend--- playing with my new computer. My birthday is on Monday, and my parents decided to get me an amazing new laptop! (Thanks guys! :) My old one, though it has held up really well after four years, has been starting to show it's age. Not letting iTunes copy new songs to my iPod was one of its latest offences.

My new Lenovo IdeaPad, yes I am dropping names because I am just SO impressed, rocks.

It has tons of memory, a great graphics card...and a web cam! The sound system is wonderful, too--the speakers are so loud and clear....important for me to have great sound since I'm listening to music all of the time.

I am so impressed with this computer!!

There are some pics below, but they don't do it justice. For some reason, I had the hardest time taking nice pictures of it.

Recap of My Past Couple of Weeks...

2009-09-13T22:07:00.006-04:00

I've become addicted to these. And only just a few days ago, found out that they are something like 350 calories a pop! Yay, go me, I have not only ceased my exercising as of late, I have added a million more calories to my diet! LOL But, hey, they are so SO good!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I've been fluctuating back and forth between missing my old job and loving the perks of my new one! I guess that is the Libra in me coming out...never completely satisfied with a decision.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've been listening to tons of Cuban music! I've become kinda obsessed, in fact. Buena Vista Social Club is the best!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Also, I've been having fun learning about jewelry making! Here is one of my newest creations:

So, what is new in your world?

Be More and More a Watcher

2009-09-09T21:42:00.002-04:00

My friend Kimmy posted this today! I think it's great, so I wanted to share it with you! :)

Be more and more at ease.

Be more and more here and now.

Be more and more in action, and less and less in activity.

Be more and more hollow, empty, passive.

Be more and more a watcher — indifferent, not expecting anything, not desiring anything.

Be happy with yourself as you are.

Osho.

A New Hobby

2009-08-30T20:18:00.004-04:00

A while back, a beloved beaded bracelet of mine broke. I kept the beads, determined to fix it myself. Then, a few months ago, I finally set out on the task to find supplies to mend my bracelet.

Long story short, I got inspired, bought tons of jewelry making supplies, ordered bead catalogs, and scowered many "how to's" on the web.

Next, I found a simple project; I made my mom wine glass charms/sun catchers for mother's day.

After that, for the next couple months, I got busy, and didn't have any time to devote to my new hobby.

Recently, I started feeling creative again, and I bought a pendant which I absolutely adore, so I decided to make a necklace to show it off.

And as far as my beloved bracelet goes, let's just say it has seen better days. (a lot of the beads are missing, so reforming the bracelet, as it was, is impossible. But I will use what is left for another project.)

Is There Anybody Out There?

2009-08-25T19:33:00.002-04:00

Do me a HUGE favor...leave me a comment with some happy, exciting, or good news. I'm feeling really down and would love to read about some good stuff that's going in the world, and in your lives. Thanks in advance.

Willard Wigan and His Unique Art

2009-08-24T22:36:00.003-04:00

Willard Wigan creates sculptures on the head of a pin, or on an eye of a needle! How cool is that??? And the one on the left is the Incredible Hulk!

Born in 1957 in Birmingham, Willard Wigan began his artistic life at a tender age. Suffering from dyslexia and learning difficulties, he struggled at school, finding solace in creating art of such minute proportions that it virtually could not be seen with the naked eye.

“It began when I was five years old,” says Willard. “I started making houses for ants because I thought they needed somewhere to live. Then I made them shoes and hats. It was a fantasy world I escaped to where my dyslexia didn’t hold me back and my teachers couldn’t criticise me. That’s how my career as a micro-sculptor began.”

Willard’s micro-sculptures have become so minute that they are only visible through a microscope. Each piece commonly sits within the eye of a needle, or on a pin head.

The personal sacrifice involved in creating such wondrous, yet scarcely believable, pieces is inconceivable to most. Willard enters a meditative state in which his heartbeat is slowed, allowing him to reduce hand tremors and sculpt between pulse beats. Even the reverberation caused by traffic outside can affect Willard’s work. He often works through the night when there is minimal disruption.

Willard’s work is described as “the eighth wonder of the world”. One of the specifically commissioned works includes the replica of the iconic Lloyds of London Building. This piece was later auctioned by Eric Knowles of Bonhams. Willard was subsequently honoured with receiving an MBE from HRH Prince Charles for his services to art.

Unsurprisingly, Willard’s life is now attracting significant attention from the literary and film industries alike, each eager to secure his life story.

This text is taken from Willard's website. Go visit to see more of his incredible work.

Inglourious Basterds...

2009-08-23T20:26:00.003-04:00

was an awesome movie! But what else can you expect from, one of my favorite directors (and I am picky!), Quentin Tarantino.? He has such a way with the screen . Everything from his wonderful camera shots, to his great dialog is abundant throughout this movie! Go see Inglourious Basterds!

(See the trailer)

And Then, There Was Rain....

2009-08-20T21:33:00.006-04:00

I was feeling a bit melancholy this afternoon, so I decided to experiment a bit with my camera in the rain.

Honoring Life Changes

2009-08-19T21:36:00.003-04:00

Received this yesterday from The DailyOM. I thought it fit nicely with the whole theme of change.

August 18, 2009
Honoring Life Changes
The Wisdom of Fear

Anything worth doing will always have some fear attached to it. For example, having a baby, getting married, changing careers—all of these life changes can bring up deep fears. It helps to remember that this type of fear is good. It is your way of questioning whether you really want the new life these changes will bring. It is also a potent reminder that releasing and grieving the past is a necessary part of moving into the new.

Fear has a way of throwing us off balance, making us feel uncertain and insecure, but it is not meant to discourage us. Its purpose is to notify us that we are at the edge of our comfort zone, poised in between the old life and a new one. Whenever we face our fear, we overcome an inner obstacle and move into new and life-enhancing territory, both inside and out. The more we learn to respect and even welcome fear, the more we will be able to hear its wisdom, wisdom that will let us know that the time has come to move forward, or not. While comfort with fear is a contradiction in terms, we can learn to honor our fear, recognizing its arrival, listening to its intelligence, and respecting it as a harbinger of transformation. Indeed, it informs us that the change we are contemplating is significant, enabling us to approach it with the proper reverence.

You might wish to converse with your fear, plumbing its depths for a greater understanding of the change you are making. You could do this by sitting quietly in meditation and listening or by journaling. Writing down whatever comes up—your worries, your sadness, your excitement, your hopes—is a great way to learn about yourself through the vehicle of fear and to remember that fear almost always comes alongside anything worth doing in your life.

One Week From Now

2009-08-18T07:18:00.000-04:00

I will be starting my new job.

I'll be making more money, as well as keeping my vacation, sick time, and benefits.

I'll be adding more time to my day by cutting my commute by about 2 hours. (My new job is 5 minutes from my house. It's even in walking distance, if I'm so inclined.)
*****************************************************************************
The decision to take this new job was somewhat difficult for me. Change isn't always easy, and I had envisioned myself at my current position for a bit longer. I have made lots of friends, and I LOVE the people I work with. However, life is always changing, nothing stays the same forever, and I am very hesitant to turn down something that has been so perfectly laid out for me. (I did not seek this job out, it literally sought me.) So, I'm really excited to see where this new road will lead me!!!!

A Refresher In Mindfulness

2009-08-16T19:32:00.003-04:00

Last year I read Jon Kabat-Zinn's Wherever You Go There You Are. After a reading a post today at A Mindful Heart, I have decided that it's time for me to reread the book. To help awaken, myself, again to the present moment. Jon Kabat-Zinn does such a beautiful job simply explaining the art of mindfulness in everyday life.

Looking Forward to Tonight!

2009-08-12T11:20:00.004-04:00

So much so that, in fact, I'm wearing a dress today! My co-workers are shocked and awed that I actually "have legs." lol I just might start wearing dresses more often. I feel rather cute.

Anyway, back to my point, which is--I'm going to see Counting Crows tonight!!

As many of you know, they are one of my most favorite bands, and a continued source of creative inspiration. I've written about them here, a lot.

Last year, I even saw them from the front row! I took lots of pictures, and had planned for so long to write about it, but, life got in the way, and I never did. Then this morning I had a brilliant idea, I was going to start my much anticipated (I say that with a grin because I'm the one that has been doing the anticipating) music blog with this post. However, there was a foil in my plan---all but one of my pictures from the show are on my computer at home, so it was a no-go!

Instead I wrote this lovely post, which I'm sure conveys my giddiness about this evening. :)

Enough about me, what concerts have you seen recently? Any in the future you are looking forward to?

It Really is a Small World

2009-08-09T22:43:00.004-04:00

It never ceases to amaze me how small this world truly is . Today I was the highest bidder on a pair of Counting Crows tickets, and as it turns out the guy selling the tickets son and daughter-in- law live across the street from me. How weird is that? It's a very strange small world that we live in.

Director John Hughes is Dead

2009-08-06T22:13:00.002-04:00

Upsetting to hear about the death of Director John Hughes. I love all of his movies. The Breakfast Club is an all time favorite of mine. In fact, I wrote about it, here, a while back.

Wordless Wednesday....Back From The Dead Edition?

2009-08-05T16:40:00.004-04:00

We will see...but...for now... here are a few pictures!

ww

I'm excited!

2009-06-24T22:26:00.003-04:00

I'm excited because I'm headed to Atlantic City tomorrow! My cousin is getting married, Friday, on the beach! I will also be doing a little site seeing in Philadelphia.

On Sunday I'll be home, and I'm super excited because I have the whole week off from work! I've been really worn out lately, and not feeling too well, so I'm planning on doing some serious relaxing!

So tell me,what are you super excited about?

Slash And Conan O' Brien Looking For Guitars=Awesome

2009-06-13T09:42:00.003-04:00

I've been DVR-ing Conan 's new Tonight Show! Awesome! This segment with Conan and Slash is great!

An Afternoon Storm

2009-06-11T16:20:00.003-04:00

A storm blew in, suddenly, this afternoon. Now, just as quickly as it came, it is gone. And the sun is peaking through again.

Here are some pictures taken from my office window.

Aw, A Bunny

2009-06-02T21:08:00.000-04:00

I wanted to share some pictures that I took on Saturday evening. This bunny lives in my yard, but I hardly see him. Naturally, he's scared of Buddy, who I'm sure has chased him a great deal. The bunny, normally, can be seen in the evening on a little patch of grass in the front yard. I just love him!