Clap Along if You Feel....

...very happy or medium happy, or little happy.  Clap along even if you don't feel happy at all, because believe it or not, happiness is also a matter of personal will. One can work to feel happy. Now, if you're the kind of person who is happy being sour, then by all means, suit yourself and be HAPPY!

I have too many news so I'm gathering them all under VikLit badge for her Friday meme. (I know, bad dragon sucks and always forgets - but not today.)

Let's start clapping then!

FIRST, I want to announce the winner of Yolanda Renee's giveaway from her visit to the Cave two weeks ago (I should have done this last week, baaaad dragon.) An Ebook copy of  Murder, Madness & Love  was the prize for one of the commenters. The names were put in Pancholin's hat and then innocent Milin took one name out. And the winner is...

Melissa Maygrove, who by the way, asked me if she could have her name written in Dragon's breath. For you, dear lady. Here it is your name and Yolanda will make sure you have your Ebook copy. Congratulations!

SECOND, S.K. Anthony's book, Kinetic, is a hot release. I and my dwarves prepared this to celebrate her happiness because we just like her that much. Check her site, there are giveaways and plenty of interesting stuff.

LOUDER CLAPPING FOR THE THIRD SUPER CELEBRATION....

For the first time in history, a dragon will receive the knighthood. No, your eyes do not deceive you. David Powers King offered Father Dragon a place in the order of the Cosmic Table and Father Dragon has graciously accepted.

I invite you to drop by the Cosmic Lair and join the celebration. You'll witness this once-in-a-lifetime event. (Even though I was already friend of knights, I don't think Sir David can find anymore Father Dragons around.) There are no armors that fit my XXX Dragon Super Large Size but I get to receive an armor nonetheless. It will be placed in the Chamber of the Treasure and polished daily by Sancho Pancho Panza, my squire.

Sir Father Dragon, knight of the Cosmic Table, head of the Order of the Dragon, master of the Silly Dwarves Cheering Squad, Writer of the Flames and Mighty Keeper of the Virgin Snack Jar, salutes you!  You can call me Sir Dragon for short.... or you can just hug me. :)

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, Sir Dragon also got a job. I am very happy to say I am a productive dragon once more. I might even recover the dwarves I left on the pawnshop. I promised the squad another zero on their monthly checks. 000000. Six figures. They feel rich already!

As always, I leave you Dragon Hugs for the weekend and until next time...that would be Wednesday for the IWSG.

Celebrate....Salted with Fire

Celebrate the small things is the brilliant idea of VikLit. Each Friday we post something we wish to celebrate achieving or doing during the week. It can be writing/reading or life related. You can find the list and join us  here.

Honestly, this Friday caught me with a troubled heart. I've handled trials on many fronts since my last post. On top of it all, due to the worst hail storm in the year and a tree, I and my dwarves have spent the last four hours getting icy water out of the cave. Fire dragon doesn't like icy water. Dwarves are chilled to the bone and my back is killing me. All this and a headache that has persisted for three days don't help the celebration mood. Nonetheless, I'll still celebrate two things.

1. Today is Mother Dragon's birthday. I'll make my best to make of this a special day for her in spite of everything else.

2. Today I have Nancy LaRonda Johnson as my guest. This is her first stop in the blog tour for her book Salted with Fire. She prepared something special and I would have loved to have something special for her but sometimes not even dragon magic seems enough to take care of everything. Please help me in making it special for her by giving her a warm welcome. I leave you with Nancy and many dragon hugs.

Salted With Fire is from Mark 9:49-50, in which Jesus directs that we must continually transcend ourselves to be more like him. We all go through trials, but we should never lose the “salt” or flavor that makes us who we are. Instead, through the formative forces of these trials, we must become more as God made us to be while maintaining peace in our hearts toward ourselves and each other.

This book is a representation of how this process shaped my writing. Starting from stories meant only for entertainment, my writing later expressed how I began to move toward God’s outstretched hand.

I was fortunate to have church as a foundation in my youth, and have always had a strong feeling of God in my life. My favorite books at that time were a ten volume set of Bible stories. Yet, it took decades to understand how much God was with me and loved me, even while I yearned to know who he was during my difficult pre-teen and rebellious teen years.

Writing, however, was a good way for me to look into myself and give those confusing emotions a voice. Journaling thoughts, goals, dreams and poetry helped to keep me sane, as they were an outlet for the turmoil that raged within.

Story writing came later, along with my interest in reading books that were too adult for my young, impressionable mind, including the sexually explicit books by Jacqueline Susan and Harold Robbins, the violent worlds created by Mario Puzo, and the salacious and entitled lives of  Sidney Sheldon’s characters. Still, the creative flame was lit, a flame ignited long ago by God and that is still being stoked by him.

My understanding of God’s will for me as a writer has been long-coming. My endeavors into story writing were first represented by developing the craft, including expounding on emotion, creating a concise storyline, fine-tuning dialogue, and of course, the never-ending journey of grammar and flow. Despite the technical part of it, creating lives in stories was magical and fun.

Then came God’s nudging me to write for his honor. This meant writing stories that bring people a greater understanding of his love, of life and of others. Although my writing often has a dark edge to it, I believe God allowed me to develop that interest to reach those who otherwise would steer clear of Christian theology.

I am still God’s work in progress. Salted With Fire, with its myriad of flash fiction pieces and poetry, is a journey of my growth as a storyteller and sometimes poet. Starting from writing what was for pure enjoyment, to me opening my ears to God’s directives, later came my desire to write about God’s influence in the lives of those who reach out to him.

As a growing child of God, I am constantly salted with fire, for he never fails to mold me into who I am meant to be – someone who pleases God.

Nancy LaRonda Johnson
 

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Anticipation of the Penitent & Salted With Fire

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Friday Fun at the Dragon Cave and More Celebrations

I'm hosting part of Martin Willoughby's amazing Friday Fun. It's not that he suddenly ran out of space. This is part of the blog tour for his first book, Tempers Fugit.

If you haven't been at From Sand to Glass, you're missing the chance to get plenty of smiles in your day and meet an author with a wonderful sense of humor. After you're done here, please go there for the other half of the fun and make friends with Martin.

Martin Willoughby has performed on stage in comedy, drama and pantomime and makes people laugh wherever he goes, sometimes deliberately. Tempers Fugit is his first book, published by Bubble Books and is available as an ebook on Amazon, and will soon be available as a paperback.
Links
Blog:  http://mwilloughby.blogspot.co.uk/
Twitter: @Willabywriter
Alan Ayckbourn clip: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/hardtalk/9709576.stm

FRIDAY FUN

Good News Stories

In Ethiopia, the land of famine according to the aid agencies, people are starting up tech companies.  (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23086014)
In Manchester, UK, a museum allows visitors to unwrap a mummy. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23045904)
Still on the subject of mummies, a statue of one is moving by itself....as far as anyone can tell.  (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23029507)
Lastly, how would you like your arm returned to you after it was amputated. One Vietnamese man waited forty years for its return. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23124347)

Youtube audio of an eight year old Irish girl making a prank call. She wants a local building firm to knock down her school, preferably with the teachers in it.

Celebrate the small things is the brilliant idea of VikLit. Each Friday we post something we wish to celebrate achieving or doing during the week. It can be writing/reading or life related. You can find the list and join us  here.

It's 11 pm as I type this part. A recent phone call is having me struggling hard with disappointment, sadness, hurt pride and some annoyance too. Gosh! My dragon size pride is quite a sting when hurt. More so over 50 cents of a dollar. It sounds idiotic if not because there is a story behind the 50 cents. Aside from this, earlier this week I realized a very stupid mistake I did (for my lack of patience) resulted in two lesions. Due to these lesions, I have to interrupt my therapy of exercise. (Pity, we were doing so well.) There's no one to blame on this but me. 11:22 pm and my Zen is seriously messed up. I feel bad about feeling bad. I'm far better than 50 cents. I'm far wiser than tripping on the same stone for a second time. And I'm far stronger than allowing my low emotions have a field day with my spirits.

By the Higher Powers and my Dragon Ancestors, may all my scales fall off if I don't celebrate today and the whole weekend with fireworks and smiles (even if I have to force them) and sunshine. May my magic fire disappear if I don't dance all around the garden in gratitude for the permanent chance to become a better being. Every obstacle, every mistake, every concern, every fall hides in it a chance of choice. We all have the choice to be more patient, more forgiving, more brave, to have more faith, to believe more in ourselves, in our capacities and our gifts.

I am not able to choose when storms will come but I can decide whether I will allow the rain to ruin my day or not. I cannot control many of the things that happen around me but I can select what kind of thoughts I'll allow into my mind, and what kind of feelings will reign upon my heart. I cannot stop someone from giving me shit, but I am the one who decides if I'll take the "gift" and let it infect me or I'll just pass. No one can upset you unless you get in their game and let them. I deserve better than the shit game. I am deciding to attune with the beautiful things I've got. Attune with flowers, with birds, with breathing, with friends and loved ones, and with all those things that put a smile on my face. This is my choice and no one can take it from me but myself. And I would be a fool if I waive this right.

11.56 pm. Let's celebrate choice!

  
Choice is your right. Use it! Choose the smile, choose the sunshine, choose love, and choose to be happy. Dragon hugs for you who bring smiles to my life.

Here Comes the Ninja and Celebrate Super Blogger Award

He's the Master of Blogging.
He visits hundreds of blogger buddies and leaves nice comments.
He helps to promote books, blogs, cover reveals, tours, bloghops and anything else that inspires him.
He reviews movies, he plays guitar, he is the successful author of CassaStar, CassaFire and soon-to-be-released CassaStorm.
He is the founder of the very successful (and growing) Insecure Writer's Support Group.

And none of the above is the reason why I am including Captain Ninja Alex J. Cavanaugh in the cave's Hall of Fame as part of my Dragon's Eleven. Don't take me wrong. It is all great. Alex is Da Ninja. He deserves all the recognition he gets. I don't believe there are many in the blogsphere who can do as many things as he can, and stay sane. If dragons wore hats, I would take off mine.

But the truth is, the first time I ran into his blog, I clicked on all tabs, checked the very long blogroll and noticed the high number of followers. I thought, "this guy is very popular and successful. Good for him!" And I moved on. I didn't believe we had much in common. I came from another world. I am not into rock. I rarely go to the movies. I am no author so I have no published or seeking-to-be-published book, and I had no idea what a bloghop/blogfest was. Lastly but not least, I had always been reluctant to join support groups (regardless how much they say I might need it). To me, dragon and ninja were different "genres", so to speak.

The only way to find out if there was common ground between us was through actual conversation, beyond comment and reply. Fat chance, I thought. Having such a tight agenda, why in the name of the Ancestors, would he care to converse with a dragon? He started by making me laugh. Surprise, surprise. There just might be something in common after all. Then he showed me he paid attention to what he read and not just understood it, but remembered it as well. And finally, he did care for conversation, even if it had nothing to do with blogsphere, books, hops and fests, rock or movies.

I'm including him because of a one-to-one approach. Neither the ninja left the suit behind, nor the dragon his scales, but they did walk on common grounds. Laugh and heartfelt conversation got the Captain Ninja into Father Dragon's heart. That's why his name will be in the Eleventh's wall for as long as Father Dragon writes.

Alex, this friendship has been a joy and my pleasure.

Celebrate the small things is the brilliant idea of VikLit. Each Friday we post something we wish to celebrate achieving or doing during the week. It can be writing/reading or life related. You can find the list and join us here.

Mother Dragon and I decided on celebrating doctor's good news with Italian food and red wine. Too drastic a change for a vegan stomach. It protested with fire (as dragon's stomachs do) so I spent three days pondering on the benefits of small and progressive "permissions." I'm celebrating my stomach forgave me already for my impulsive feast. (The wine was heavenly sweet, though. 8D)

On Monday, I was interviewed by Alex at Blogging from A to Z. He did a wonderful job putting the interview together and I had fun answering the questions. If you have not dropped by, check it out. (You'll get the chance to witness something completely unbelievable and extraordinaire. The one and only, the official Anti-A to Z, Gary Pennick, was there! Now I can say I've seen it all. Thank you for your sacrifice, Gary! ;))

On Sunday, sweet S.K. Anthony awarded me with the Super Blogger Award. This is a brand new award created by another blogger friend  of mine, Mark Means at Left and Write. The rule is: Take the award for yourself, and then pass it along to someone who inspires you or you just think is 'super' one way or another. Tell us why you think this person is super and deserving. Now, all the recipient has to do is reveal one small secret about themselves and pass the reward to another person.

Thank you very much for the award and for your kind words, S.K. You made me smile and float several inches above the ground, humming...

Those were the dwarves. They also thank you for mentioning them. There are many inspiring super cool bloggers, but since "there can be only one" I pass this award on to Jeff Hargett at Strands of Pattern. A dragon story should include a knight. Just this knight is not up to kill the dragon (thank goodness). Jeff was my very first blogger friend, critique partner and beta reader. Hidden under his cloak, I got the courage to enter this community and make this blog. Thanks to him, I've met awesome people I've come to cherish and who make my life richer. Tassin, Pancholin, Milin and Sessin owe their life to Sir Jeff.

To the Guardian of the Book, the Keeper of Secrets, Knight of the Order of the Red Dragon and my dearest friend, this award is yours.

Dragon's secret: I collect parrots. I have plush parrots, clay parrots, battery parrots, parrots in puzzles, in posters, and in hangers...and a Mr. Potato Head. The secret? I still play with Mr. Potato Head. (Long live the Inner Child!)

Buy an ice-cream to your inner child and have a marvelous weekend! I leave you dragon hugs.

Time to Be Actively Still, New Schedule and Celebrate Good News

I have been without internet connection for 15 days. My last post barely got through using a "stolen" signal. There I talked about turning the poison into medicine and the option of praying with action. Many things have happened since that day and not all of them good. Some of them have tested my temper enough to make my health falter a bit.

For some reason, each time I declare some new life-altering determination something happens to make my path more difficult. I'm close to believe it is a dare game between me and Life. I say "I'm going to stay balanced through the storm" and hail starts to strike my scales. I say, "No matter, I'll seek shelter in my cave," and a flood comes. I say "Dwarves, block the entrance!" but dwarves are already floating downstream along with the whole treasure (yes, the dragon's treasure is gone.)

I close my eyes, cover my ears and keep repeating "Inner peace, inner peace" as I struggle for the inner inferno not to kick in. I can feel, oh so clearly, how my stomach squeezes, my guts tighten, the muscles twist like cords and the acid flows. My whole body responds with stress signals to over-pressured systems. Eye pressure, heart pressure... and here I am madly working the relief valves in order to prevent a dragon disaster.

But Father Dragon doesn't take his word lightly. I said that I would work a miracle and that I would adjust my formula until I got the results I wanted. I said I would pray with action and that I would replace anger with love and friendship. So far, I've shared with you my ideas, my experiences and my falls. Today I offer you this thought.

Not all action has to be physical, and staying still doesn't necessarily mean you're not active. A day came that I was left with absolutely no option to move forward. I could either feel helpless, blast my rage against the rock to no avail (except giving me some days in bed) or I could sit down, trust everything to Mother Dragon and the Higher Powers and focus on actively keeping my insides (and wits) together. Honestly, it feels like doing nothing. Only paying closer attention I realized exactly why reaching inner peace takes sages a lifetime to attain. It's HARD work, make no mistake.

Life just reminded me there's a time for everything. Time to fight and time to step back. Time to fight outside and time to bring peace inside. Time to take the straight road and time to look for alternative paths. I know deep inside there is also time to win and time to lose. There is even a time to quit... but it is NOT that time yet!

However, it is time to let you know that I've chosen Friday for my regular posting day. Passing from three to one post a week is a difficult adjustment for me (I've become deeply addicted to you) but it is necessary. Besides, without treasure I can no longer pay such a large minion staff. I've set aside a handful of dwarves and taken the rest of them to the pawnshop for fantastic creatures. I was assured they will be well fed.

I'm still in for the occasional bloghop and I will be delighted to keep promoting my friends' books, set the fireworks for their cover reveals and have them as guests here. Good thing about fire dragons is that they always have fireworks available.

This meme is the brilliant idea of VikLit. Each Friday we post something we wish to celebrate achieving or doing during the week. It can be writing/reading or life related. You can find the list and join us here.

My celebrations are:

1. My butchering parrot made it against all odds!!! I am extremely happy and grateful for this. It has lifted such a tremendous weight off my heart. He ended up very thin but I'm sure he'll be back to his normal shape soon.

2. My friend Sir Jeff kept his word and met his deadline. Yes, I'm doing the dragon happy dance for that. Just imagine what I will do the day he gets published. I am convinced great victories are made of many little conquests and each of them deserves to be acknowledged.

3. Internet connection was reestablished yesterday morning. I'm crossing my talons it will stay like this but a few more days of instability are possible. Anyway, I'm glad I could work on this post in peace and I could also start visiting some of you.

4. My beautiful friend C. Lee at TheWriteGame awarded me with no less than the Dragon's Loyalty Award. What kind of dragon would I be if I didn't have the Dragon Award? You're right, Lee. The cave would not be complete without it. Thank you very much!

Now Father Dragon talking about dragon's loyalty gives this award an additional meaning. To me it also means that the dragon will be there for you, to the best of his capacity, in good and bad times. Problem is the rules limits it to seven and those for whom I feel this way are many more than seven. So I'll keep the award and prove my loyalty to you with action. Deal?

Now seven things about me. Hmmm, I'll tell you three but big ones.

1. I dropped my laptop just fifteen minutes ago and it didn't break. (And that's a break!)
2. Mother Dragon is my mother. (I stated it before but it was when I had like 3 readers. Have not clarified ever since.)
3. I'm not married. (Centuries-long war with Dragon Slayer and dragons going nearly extinct makes difficult finding a suitable mate.)

Bonus. I am happy to be able to talk to you again! Already told you that? Well, I've suffered severe withdrawal here so I'm going to go all cuddling and leave you dragon hugs! (Not that I will not keep seeking for victims if connection allows. Stay alert because you might be suddenly tackled by a big red scaly hugging force. :o))

Turning the Venom into Medicine - The Potential Hero within Us

This post is part of Alex Cavanaugh's IWSG, a group created to express not just our insecurities but also words of encouragement to one another. 

It is also part of Heroes and Villains Blogfest hosted by Dani at Entertainming Interests and Jacky at Bouquet of Books.
Post your favorite Heroes and your favorite Villains. List as many or as little as you like. Be creative with it and above all, have fun.

And part of Celebrate the small things, the brilliant idea of VikLit. Each Friday we post something we wish to celebrate achieving or doing during the week. It can be writing/reading or life related. You can find the list and join us here.






Hosts, please forgive me for doing three in one. Unusual circumstances makes this my last post of the week and I didn't want to miss my other two commitments. You'll see my subject is related anyway.

(Specially dedicated to my Dragon's Eleven-more-like-Thirty-something.)

All vaccine has in itself a small amount of the poison it is meant to counter. When one of my Teachers of Life said I should turn the poison into medicine, he meant I should look at my flaws, not with the idea of getting rid of them but with the ultimate goal to make better use of them. In other words, an individual with a strong temper (such as mine) could use this temper to confront his challenges and succeed. Opposed to getting angry because things were not like I wanted them, use this fury as the propeller to change all those things I didn't like and make them better. It sounded well and it worked better.

Behavioral patterns are difficult to break but my greatest challenge has been the speed of thought. Everything that happens around me triggers a thought (good or bad) and an immediate emotion. Action comes as a result. The first thought is instantaneous and it's the result of years of brain programming. For example, someone says a creation of mine can be improved. First thought = "It's shit." Emotion=Anger. Impulse=Dump it and start anew. Or after doing a health progress, I suffer a relapse. First thought=I'm never gonna make it. Emotion=Anger. Impulse=Smash myself against the wall I can't pass. The lapse between the first thought and the emotion is less than a second, so I am already angry by the time I'm struggling against acting upon my first impulse.

I became a Doctor of Laughter because I was in need of that doctor. I am always writing about positiveness because I need to keep my own pessimism in check. Turning venom into vaccine is my full-time, daily job. I work 365 days a year and although sometimes I call in sick, and other times I would like to call in dead, I am above all a fighter and I hate the idea to give up. In the past, my fury helped me to stay alive but that formula doesn't work anymore. Anger is my villain and the integrity of my whole digestive system depends on me taking anger out of the equation. I asked the Higher Powers to help me. (I call it Higher Powers to skip the discussion over the name. Life, Universe, God, Supreme Energy, insert the name you prefer.)

I believe in the power of prayers but I also believe in action. It's not my style to sit and beg for the Higher Powers to fix the mess I did (knowingly or unknowingly, by will or by mistake). I believe in taking responsibility for my actions and if it is shit what I have before me, I definitively had something to do to make it so. My prayer is not "Fix this for me" but more along the lines of "Teach me how to clean this mess and make it right." Usually, God answers me, not with The Voice from the Above but through anything and anyone around me. I have to keep alert, though.

Mike L. Swift gave me a book as a gift. Neither of us knew at the time he was acting as God's messenger and he wasn't sending a book but delivering vital information I've asked for weeks earlier. It was the help I needed to get back to the ring. My gratitude to Mike and knowing he is suffering right now twisted my heart badly. I am too far away but I still wanted to help him in a way that truly mattered. I turned to the Higher Powers "How can I pay back for the help he gave me?" Pray with action. The idea echoed in my mind while I was about to start my exercise routine (which I really didn't feel strong enough to do.) So I got on the treadmill and thought "God, Mike gave me a sparkle and I am going to turn it into a beacon, for him and for me. Please deliver what he needs in the way you see fit."

As I was doing this, I thought on M.J. Joachim who asked me to send prayers her way and all the times her writings had put my ideas on place. I thought on Gary's reason to smile, his son, and the many smiles he has gifted me with. I thought on Jeff and Alex and their personal dreams, and how they support my own dreams. And Laura and Julie, who cheer me through their respective challenges. I thought on all of those who have been there for me one way or another. Suddenly, I watched the mile counter in disbelief.  I broke my own record as I got the answer to the missing factor of my equation. Replace anger with friendship and love. Those dear to the dragon can be my new propeller, as I pray with action for you all. I commit to make the seeds you've given me give fruit and this effort I dedicate to you as I plead for God to deliver what you need in the way He sees fit. You are heroes for you're helping me save my life by becoming a powerful reason for me to behave heroically.

At one point or another, we all have the chance to be Heroic Messengers. We can all be the Hand and the Voice that delivers the answer we're needing. And I am celebrating I have eyes to see it, ears to hear it and a heart that has a place for love and friendship.

Friday of Celebrations (because it IS Friday, right?)

As every week, here it is Father Dragon joining VikLit's meme to say cheers for the things that bring joy to life.

1. Another battle won. The virus is definitively on its way out. It's been two days now that I have been able to leave the Quartz chamber and do most of my usual daily activities, except going back to my exercise. I'll need some dragon vitamins (or eat a few villagers) to recover my strength but I'm definitively doing much better.

2. The fact I have been able to sleep two whole nights in a row is simply marvelous. Now THAT's another small great pleasure, uninterrupted sleep.

3. I am at 7 letters away to finish the A-Z posts. Considering I was out of the ring for 7 days or so, writing two or three posts in a day surprised even me. I do hope the weakened brain cells are not too noticeable in these new posts, though. Tassin thinks probably the X-Dwarf Files for X will betray my mental state at the time, but my Ninja Muse is more optimistic.

4. Now I need you to join me in a deafening ovation. Internet is finally working and stable again (insert ovation here.) Technician had  to change some cables that were damaged. He thought it was the shredder Chihuahua dog's fault but I told him it was just Milin. Some dwarves have odd manias here.

5. Spring has arrived and it is evident in Mother Dragon's garden. When one is standing there, it's difficult to believe we're in such a big city like Mexico. So many birds, so  many flowers, there's even fruit. I really can breathe peace in that place. I just hope spring doesn't get INTO the Dragon Cave just yet. Dwarves get crazier than they are already. I don't want them to go out looking for female dwarves instead of doing their minion job. I'll have to send butchering parrot to watch over them and make sure they don't break lines and escape on spring-break to Cancún.

6. I'm thankful VikLit sent me a reminder email that today is Friday. Yesterday I was under the impression it was Wednesday twice (as I was wondering why Alex didn't post a "Wednesday" post, hahahaha) and Tuesday once. Okay, I'm a bit disoriented still but I swear I am definitively improving.

So, what are you celebrating this Friday?  Are you ready for the challenge? Are you ready for Spring? Have a wonderful weekend!

Father Dragon has not Left the Building Yet

It is Friday and it is VikLit's Meme, Celebrate the small things, although some of us don't mind to celebrate big things as well, like being still alive. No small thing at all.

Whenever I complained about a headache, my grandmother's official answer was; "that's a sign you have a head. Be thankful for that." Oh, elderly sweetness in seeing the bright side of things. So honoring my grandmother today I'm celebrating...

1. The bright side of having the doctor sport her harpoon abilities with this dragon is that improvement was significant after the third session.

2. The bright side of being on a liquid diet for 5 days is that I've lost weight around the middle. That should improve my aerodynamic shape, not to mention my flying speed. Sessin believes I'll just find the pounds I lost inside his cookies, though. I told him that's absolutely possible.

3. The bright side of coughing the lungs out is that I have dwarves that put them back as they practice their basketball skills. Besides, doctor said it is a sign worst is over and we're definitively on our way to get better.

4. The bright side of watching more movies in the last four days than in the last four years is that I'm now ready for Alex's Top Ten Movie Blogfest on Monday.

5.  I celebrate all of you, blog friends, who left Get Well messages on my blog these days. Thank you very much!

Also, thanks Murees Dupé for awarding me with the Liebster last week. I really appreciate it. Since this is the third time I got this honor I'm only awarding one blogger, who ironically I had already awarded. She lost all her followers due to a malfunction in her site. It's working fine now and she is more than willing to welcome all her previous friends and many new ones. She's sweet, she's creative and she's supportive. So please pay a visit to Yvonne at Poetry From The Heart.

Only yesterday I found out that S.K. Anthony awarded me with the Sunshine Award that is given to bloggers who "positively and creatively inspire others in the blogsphere." Thank you, S.K!

Those awarded have to answer the following questions:
What inspired you to start blogging? I got bored to talk only with the dwarves.
How did you come up with the name of your blog? I wanted to make clear who I was and what I did. Couldn't get any clearer.
What is your favorite blog that you like to read? Many favorites here.
Tell about your dream job? The one I do now just with a better income.
Is your glass half full or half empty? Half full. Always half full.
If you could go anywhere for a week's vacation, where would you go? The Caribbean
What food can you absolutely not eat? Chocolate
Dark chocolate or milk chocolate? Give me locust, give me frogs, give me anything but chocolate.
How much time do you spend blogging? 1 to 5 hours depending on many factors.
Do you watch TV? If so what are your favorite shows? No TV. Stalking villagers is better than cable.

Now, if you choose to accept it, the award goes to:
Moody Writing
M.J. Joachim's Writing Tips
David Powers King
Alex J. Cavanaugh

Don't you think it fits them? What are you celebrating this week?

Celebrate the Small Things despite the Fat Lady won't Sing

If my week were a circus, I could summarize it by saying the dwarves grew tall, the hairy woman went bald, the fat lady lost her voice, clowns got depression and animals escaped in stampede. And yet, Father Dragon is loyal to VikLit's meme and here I am celebrating the small things.

1. Still no Internet of our own BUT there is a weak free signal that appears and disappears. I am sure the Ancestors send it when my levels of frustration and rage increase too much after nearly a month of intermittent service.

2. Without Internet I've tried to keep my Zen in place by keeping myself busy. My dragon sculpture got wings, mane and face features. Although on Wednesday its mane reminded me of a mix between Alex, the Lion (Madagascar) and Harlem Globetrotter "Wildkat", I am happy to say now it looks just like me; totally debonair. So much that I've decided I'm going for my "cover reveal" during the A to Z challenge. On April 6th I'll reveal myself (well, the sculpture of myself) in all my glorious dragonness. (Crossing claws now to get done by then.)

3. Right now, I have challenge posts done up to "G". (Go me!) Meanwhile, dwarves visited a few sites from the A to Z list for the little time we had signal. (They are practicing on their second minion job.)

4. I am reading Save the Cat. It's an achievement in itself that I lay my eyes on it. I know many of you sing hymns to this book but for some unknown reason, I was reluctant to read it. I'm reading it because it kept getting in my way. Last time, the High Powers practically dropped it on my head so I interpreted that as a signal. I am still grumbling about the task but I'll read it and at least find out if my feelings against it were founded or not.

5. I got another couple chapters of critic done.

6. Last Friday I won a book at David Powers King's site. It's on its way to Mexico now. It will take about three or four weeks, but the way I'm practicing patience with Internet, I'll attain Nirvana state by the time the book arrives. Either that or I'll have gnawed my own leg.

7. Although I was already honored with the Liebster and the Very Inspiring Blogger award, I want to thank Jolie du Pre from Precious Monsters and Melissa Maygrove for thinking on me.

I'll take the chance to answer here Jolie's questions because they are fun and because this post has already taken me two days with the flickering signal.

1. What is the top item on your bucket list?
See the whole world.

2. What do some people do that bugs you the most?
Disrespect just as much as cruelty to animals.

3. What do some people do that you love the most?
Compassion.

4. If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be?
Being so impulsive and passionate.

5. Do you believe in Astrology?
To my convenience.

6. Do you believe in monsters?
Of course! I've met very ugly humans.

7. Who is your favorite male celebrity?
Hrithik Roshan, Robert Downey Jr.

8. Who is your favorite female celebrity?
Liv Taylor, Jennifer Gardner, Emma Watson

9. Are you doing your dream job?
I could say yes, except for one little tiny detail.

10. What do you want people to say about you when you die?
Hope he doesn't get up. Seriously now, I would like them to say it was nice to share part of their life journey with me.

11. Do you want to live forever?
Except in my legacy and the memory of those who knew me, Higher Powers forbid it! Even dragons must go one day.

I've been slow with news, with comments and with visits. I am sorry. The internet gods are amusing themselves tormenting me. Yet, I've managed to create the Cave's Notice Board where I included some of the bloghops, launching parties and activities for this month (as far as I know). Everything in one single look. My plan is keep it updated. I hope it works better than the three agendas and multiple notes I never see. If I am missing something, drop me a note. :) I wanted to participate in the Back to the Future Bloghop but it was impossible to sign up (pondering now on celebrating a deeper connection by eating the modem).

Anyway, I would love to hear what you're celebrating. Have a great weekend!

Habit Turns Big Things into Small /Celebrate the Small Things

This weekly Meme is the brilliant idea of VikLit from Scribblings of an Aspiring Author.

I have a theory. Babies smile hundreds of times more than adults because adults already lost the ability to notice all the marvels life is made of. Habit makes adults minimize and even ignore those same marvels. It's until they lose them that they appreciate them again. Now listen to this dragon, it is not necessary to wait until you lose the "small" BIG things. Make the purpose to exercise the wonderful ability you were born with, and that you lost in the process of growing up to the turmoil of adult life. In joining this bloghop, you'll be doing yourself a small BIG favor.

This week I'm celebrating that:

1. The Dragon Slayer is biting the dust and I managed to do it with all my internal organs still in place and working.
2. Lost a few scales but hospital wasn't necessary for this combat (my heart is relieved for this.)
3. The miracle of breathing.
4. The blessing of food.
4. The chance to enjoy sunny mornings and blue skies all this week.
5. The chance to enjoy Mother Dragon's garden. I had not realized our trees had become multifamily housing for all kind of birds, including a mockingbird and a lark. They sang for me both mornings I was there.
6. All those wonderful dragon friends who made an awesome job this Wednesday and Thursday. You reloaded me with emergency power with all your jokes, your links and your smiles. I am deeply grateful for attending my request. You were like Father Dragon "The Great" Back up Team and it did work.
7. My legs are still strong enough to keep fighting. YEAAAH! (Alternating between Dragon Happy Dance and Dragonjitsu stances.)

Faithful to my resolution, I am still in the ring!!

Come on, what are you celebrating this week? Try harder and search deeper. There is always something to smile for, I assure you.