The Journal of the Traveling Squid USA

The Traveling Squid does a USA Road Trip! On the road again ... yep, the Traveling Squid recently hit the road again after a rest period. You might have heard of the goodwill project, The Journal of the Traveling Squid.

The original first edition hit the road on March 21, 2009, departing from Jacksonville, Florida, and arriving in the United Kingdom. After a jolly old time there, it traveled on to Ireland and then went down under to Australia and New Zealand before returning home.

The second edition hit the road on July 9-10, 2009 in the United States of America, connecting with a number of key Squidoo HQ people before venturing on to connect with giant squids in California. There were so many lensmasters and giant squids who wanted to participate that we decided to launch edition three on March 21, 2014. They say the third time is the charm, you know?

Image Credit: The Journal of the Traveling Squid USA Edition III created by Steve Thompson, TagsforKids.

The Traveling Squid Project in a Nutshell

Folks! It is important that I don’t repeat myself … you know, I like to keep it original. I believe you should be the best that you can be and be authentic. But, don’t proliferate the internet with duplicate content!

#1 – I think it is important that you first acquaint yourself with the original project, The Journal of the Traveling Squid. There are so many cool people who were apart of the two editions. You’ll see their wonderful pictures and fabulous original content that they penned for their journal entries.

#2 – If you want to be a part of the United States Volume III edition, it is easy to sign up! Please add your lensmaster profile link here!

#3 – Take a moment to read, 7 things you should know when participating.

#4 – When you receive the traveling squid package, sign the USA participant guestbook.

Basically, the project consists of a giant squid t-shirt that you will sign with your lensmaster name, location, and date. Then you pen your own personal entry in the journal. Next, you travel to some local landmark and capture photos of yourself with the t-shirt [and journal if you like]. Lastly, and completely optional, you can record your personal experience in a travel lens!

When you have completed your contribution, you send me the pictures so that I can add them here, along with some information on your experience. You can also transcribe your journal entry and send that to me.

Participants in Volume III in the U.S.A.
Who have actually RECEIVED the project. We are logging date the package is received here! For those lensmasters who reside in the U.S.A., who are participating in Volume III. When you have received your package, be sure to sign in and add the date received along with your favorite charity.

We had three participants in the relaunch of the Traveling Squid USA. Then, Squidoo announced the acquisition of key content by HubPages!!

What They Said!

Ruthi Jul 16, 2014 @ 12:15 pm - I received the Traveling Squid parcel from Jennifer Akers on June 25th, 2014, hooray! Unfotunately, I've been consumed by ill health issues with my dog Tidbit, and am now mourning the loss of my girl, but I have plans for a special project or two for the Squid! I have several favorite chrities, but being a Florida resident and dog owner, I most certainly have First Coast No More Homeless Pets at the top of my Squidoo charity list.

JenniferAkers Jun 30, 2014 @ 6:25 am - I received my package at the end of April. I visited Largo Central Park - a beautiful park that offers many fun activities and is a popular place for our wonderful local events. My favorite charity (not a Squidoo charity) is Gluten Free in Florida Support Group, also located in Largo, FL. They're a non-profit, hold a monthly support group, support GF food donations to a local food bank, and host a yearly gluten free annual expo: http://glutenfreeforlifeexpo1.blogspot.com/ Portions of the donations go to a GF camp for kids.

CruiseReady May 25, 2014 @ 5:41 am - I received the package from Julie sometime at the end of March, while I was out of town on business, and was able to go down to the port and take those cruise ship pictures in April of 2014. My favorite charity currently (not a Squid Charity) is Honor Flight. 

Volume III - USA Participants
The first stop on the USA road trip was Merritt Island, Florida. CruiseReady took the project to Port Canaveral to check out two cruise ships!

These photos were taken at the edge of the ship’s channel. Both ships were putting out to sea from their home port of Port Canaveral, on their way to The Bahamas. At this point, they are nearing the end of the channel and will soon be in the open Atlantic, where they will turn Starboard, heading south.

Since this is their home port, their voyages begin and end here. Each would have arrived at Port Canaveral before sun up that morning, ending one cruise. That group of passengers will disembark, and the ship will be thoroughly cleaned, restocked, and readied for another couple of thousand cruisers. The new group begins boarding roughly around noon, and the ships leave at 30 minute intervals, beginning at around 4 or 4:30 pm (depending on how many home ported ships are in on that particular day).

The day we were there, two ships sailed. The first one, where you see just the bow, is the Carnival Sensation of Carnival Cruise Line. The second one, the one with the white Mickey Mouse icon on the red funnel, is the Disney Dream, which belongs to Disney Cruises.

You get a sense of how big these ladies of the sea are when you look at the top deck of the Disney Dream. See how tiny the people look who are lining the railing of the top deck? That’s about the 12th or 13th deck up, I think. And guess what? The bigger ships normally do their turnarounds on the weekends. This was a week day.

I haven’t sailed on either of these ships. We usually sail with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, which did not have a ship in port on that particular day. Theirs come and go on Sundays (Freedom of the Seas) and Friday / Monday (Enchantment of the Seas).

One really cool thing is that when the Disney ship blows its fog horn to signal it’s leaving port, it sounds very different from most other ship horns. It actually plays a tune – the first few notes of “When You Wish Upon a Star,” whereas all the others just intone a deep, loud EEEEE-OH.

Though it’s WAY more fun to be on board, it’s still a lot of fun to watch the sailing aways… everyone on deck waves like crazy at the people on shore, who wave back, and you can hear the island music playing as they pass. ~ CruiseReady Sheila from Merritt Island, Florida, April 2014.

Stop #2
Jennifer Akers took the traveling squid project and giant squid t-shirt to Largo Central Park!

June 20, 2014 – Largo, FL : “I can’t tell you how excited I was to be a part of The Traveling Squid Project! What a heartwarming journey connecting lensmasters across the miles. My personal Squidoo journey started over 7 years ago. How exciting to see my first published lens go live on New Years Day, 2007! I started as a way to express myself, shares things of interest with other curious people.” ~ Jennifer Akers

Stop #3!
The Journal of the Traveling Squid headed on to Carrabelle! Where will it travel next?

History: The Journal of the Traveling Squid USA was originally created on Squidoo by JaguarJulie on May 4, 2014.

The Journal of the Traveling Squid

Fellowship, Goodwill and Making Connections Worldwide with Other Squidoo Lensmasters! The Journal of the Traveling Squid is a goodwill project connecting Squidoo lensmasters, particularly Giant Squids of yesterday, today, and tomorrow worldwide. The inspiration for the journey of the traveling squid really originated in the Summer of 2008. At that time, I contemplated how to launch this project of sisterhood and brotherhood for charity; to take my Giant Squid t-shirt, sign it and send it on to the next Squidoo lensmaster.

The Traveling Squid International Edition T-shirt photographed by JaguarJulie

This is the original, founding lens of The Journal of the Traveling Squid -- which tracked the traveling squid worldwide journey internationally and in the United States. The journey celebrated its anniversary on March 21, 2014. That was coincidentally my 8-year anniversary on Squidoo. The Traveling Squid kicked off its worldwide journey in Jacksonville, Florida and then flew on to Gordon Hamilton in the United Kingdom.

Volume II, the U.S.A. edition was traveling last in California. Volume I left the U.K. after enjoying 6 full months there; stopping off in Ireland and then on to Australia! Volume III, the second U.S.A. edition headed out to Merritt Island, Florida and is looking to travel in the state before moving on.

Whew! The international edition arrived home in Jacksonville, Florida on August 18, 2010. On July 15, 2010, we informed Flynn the Cat in New Zealand that the international edition was being called home to the United States, home base in Jacksonville, Florida, for a rest period. The international traveling squid has had a lot of fun traveling internationally -- thank you everyone for participating so boldly! Oh, the USA traveling squid also arrived back home in Jacksonville, Florida a short while after the international edition. Thanks folks for contributing to such a marvelous journey. There is a possibility that we will resume its travels some time in the future!

March 21, 2014, Jacksonville, FL: Relaunch ... We launched the next edition of the traveling squid in the United States in Florida. And, we now have a new lens, The Journal of the Traveling Squid USA. If you are in the United States and want to participate, lensmasters in the U.S.A. sign up here.

Look At THAT Squidoo Giant Squid T-Shirt - The International Edition! OMG, is this not a cool t-shirt?

It is our objective to auction off The Journal of the Traveling Squid — signed international edition of the Squidoo Giant Squid t-shirt! This auction is to benefit a Squidoo charity. Once we have determined where the auction will be held, we will let you know. The winning bidder will have the distinct honor of determining WHICH charity will benefit from the proceeds.

WOW! Look at this shirt! Imagine the priceless miles, the priceless experiences, the sheer amount of DNA the shirt has collected in its worldly travels. I tell you, it boggles the mind! Yes it does.

What is The Journal of the Traveling Squid? There is a Journal and a Giant Squid T-Shirt ...

The Journal of the Traveling Squid project consists of the Journal and a Giant Squid T-shirt. As each Squidoo lensmaster receives the forwarded package containing the journal and shirt, they will make their contribution to the journal with a journal entry. And, they will also sign the shirt with their lensmaster name, location and date.

Each participating lensmaster is asked to make a personal journal entry of their choosing. What does Squidoo mean to you? What are you passionate about? What matters to you? Feel free to add a drawing or maybe some poetry. After all, this is your journal entry.

Read on for further information about participants’ participation in this project — 7 things you should know — for participants.

Purple Star Journey

BTW, wonderful news for The Journal of the Traveling Squid -- on June 25, 2009 this lens earned the coveted purple star for quality content. The traveling squid is overjoyed! Then, Gordon Hamilton and The Five Dollar Vacation earned a purple star! Woo Hoo! Holy Moly Batman, KimGiancaterino earned a purple star for The Journal of the Traveling Squid Hollywood and KathyMcGraw earned a purple star for The Journal of the Traveling Squid Palm Springs.

The Journal and the Giant Squid T-Shirt

How do you feel about The Journal of the Traveling Squid?
Can such a pay it forward, goodwill / charity project work? Do you believe the traveling squid will make it around the world? A few lensmasters weighed in and this is what they had to say!

7 things you should know when participating
If you participate in this worldwide project; when you receive the package!

* Please sign the shirt with your lensmaster name, date and location [city, state, country].

* Add your journal entry: What does Squidoo mean to you? What are you passionate about? Feel free to write a page entry about something that matters to you. Add a drawing or maybe some poetry.

* Photographs please: As shown below, take a picture of your journal entry. Also, we are asking participants to have a photograph taken of themselves holding the shirt and journal next to an interesting landmark close to their location. If there is no interesting landmark, an outdoor picture will work! Pictures should be emailed to JaguarJulie at the email included in the journal. You may also want to upload these to your Flickr acount.

* Visit The Journal of the Traveling Squid lens and leave a comment here for participants in the International Edition and likewise leave a comment here if you are a participant in the U.S.A. with date the package arrived, your location and provide your favorite charity!

* Most important: package up the journal and signed t-shirt and mail/post it on to the next lensmaster. Each participating lensmaster may determine the next lensmaster to receive the package with the goal of covering all interested lensmasters in a location [city, state, country] before moving on to a new state or country. Check this lens for interested lensmasters!

* A donation to your favorite charity is encouraged at the time you receive your package. This part is optional and up to you!

* Please keep me [JaguarJulie] in the loop when you receive your package. You can use the contact me on my lensmaster profile.

The goal of The Journal of the Traveling Squid
The goal of this project is to connect lensmasters worldwide, hoping to travel far and wide — to all continents, and to raise money for charity. Inspired by The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, this journey is starting with an idea — with a journal and a shirt.

The Very First Logo Graphic for This Project
Designed by lensmaster Janusz Biela

This cool logo was designed by fellow lensmaster Janusz Biela. It was his creation to feature a Traveling Squid wearing the Giant Squid t-shirt, standing atop Mt. Everest holding the Journal! Pretty clever don’t you think. Janusz offers his designing skills free to fellow Squidoo lensmasters — that is mighty remarkable, don’t you think. Thank you Janusz!

Have some ideas?

Stazjia Jun 05, 2013 @ 4:20 pm - I remember the Travelling Squid so well and followed its progress. I can just about see a bit of my name on the left shoulder, hidden a bit by the fold. I even remember where on the T-shirt I signed it though it was 4 years ago. It was a marvellous, magic idea which demonstrated the Squidoo spirit of the time.

The Journal of the Traveling Squid P1 and P2

Make your mark by signing the Journal and the Giant Squid t-shirt

International Edition of The Journal of the Traveling Squid
It flew to the U.K. in March 2009 and has returned to Jacksonville, Florida for a rest period!

Welcome to the International Edition of The Journal of the Traveling Squid! If you are a Squidoo lensmaster who is or will be participating in the Traveling Squid project, and live outside the United States, this is where YOU will be found. This page is highlighting the journal entries and landmark pictures of participating Squidoo lensmasters internationally. We started off the International Edition in March 2009, and here we are, one years later and still going strong!

The journal started off in Jacksonville, Florida and was dispatched to the United Kingdom. Do you know, the traveling squid spent 6 months in the U.K.???? Oh my goodness, I say! From the U.K., the traveling squid HIT Ireland and then flew like crazy to Australia. Said traveling squid spent a good bit of time there, down under, before gearing up to hit New Zealand.

July 15, 2010: We have informed Flynn the Cat in New Zealand that the international edition of the traveling squid is being called home to the United States, home base in Jacksonville, Florida, for a rest period. The international traveling squid has had a lot of fun traveling internationally — thank you everyone. Oh, for the time being, we will continue on with the USA traveling squid. Thanks folks!

The Journal of the Traveling Squid is a goodwill project connecting Squidoo lensmasters, particularly Giant Squids of yesterday, today, and tomorrow worldwide.

Volume I -- International Edition: U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and on!

The Journey in the U.K.
Continuing throughout the U.K. connecting so many lensmasters and giant squids. Gordon Hamilton has ‘made his mark’ on the Volume I U.K. journal and t-shirt in March 2009. Some six months later, the journal had visited 17 lensmasters in the U.K.! That’s pretty remarkable.

Once all willing lensmasters located in the U.K. have participated in the journey, the journal and t-shirt will be ready to make its way out of the U.K. into Ireland and then into Europe for an Eastern journey around the world!

Oh, did you read that we started a second volume of the traveling squid on Seth Godin’s birthday??? July 10, 2009, the journal departed Jacksonville, FL headed to our very own Gil. Now it is September, and Volume II is underway in the U.S.A.

Kick-Off -- Volume I International Edition
Squidoo Lensmaster Participants

1. JaguarJulie -- Jacksonville, FL USA
2. Gordon Hamilton -- U.K.
3. AJ2008 -- U.K.
4. Inkserotica -- U.K.
5. Debnet and Poddys -- U.K.
6. The_Book_Garden -- U.K.
7. NanLT -- U.K.
8. Kate-Phizackerley -- U.K.
9. Stazjia -- U.K.
10. thefluffanutta -- U.K.
11. oneskms -- U.K.
12. Rob3 -- U.K.
13. MrLewisSmile -- U.K.
14. AndyPo -- U.K.
15. Wizard-Morton -- U.K.
16. sherridan -- U.K.
17. Auntiekatkat -- U.K.
18. tirial -- U.K.
19. spook -- Ireland
20. susannaduffy -- Australia
21. Charlyjl -- Australia
22. RhiannonL -- Australia
23. skiesgreen -- Australia
24. N376 -- Australia
25. RonPass -- Australia
26. seegreen -- Australia
27. Flynn_the_Cat -- New Zealand
28. Bria-Silivren -- New Zealand

Volume II - U.S.A. Edition
Originating in Jacksonville, Florida with JaguarJulie

Hello to my fellow lensmasters, Squidoo you all, who reside in the United States of America! Woo-Hoo you all. I am so glad to have connected with each and every one of you to celebrate the traveling squid in America. It was truly fabulous to actually have the important folk of Squidoo — let’s see, Gil Hildebrand, Kimberly Dawn Wells, Corey Brown, Seth Godin, Megan Casey … did I miss any of the HQ gang? How awesome it truly was to have these fine Squidoo people participate in The Journal of the Traveling Squid? Yes indeed. And, it has been a true honor to be involved with Squidoo, speaking for myself.

Thank you hugely to the fine U.S.A. lensmasters who lent their time and talents to the traveling squid. Hugs you all.

In the U.S.A. -- Volume II
Squidoo Lensmaster Participants

1. giltotherescue -- Boulder, CO
2. SquidooKimberly -- Medford, WI
3. Seth Godin -- N.Y.
4. Corey Brown -- VA
5. Susan52 -- AR
6. KimGiancaterino -- Los Angeles, CA
7. KathyMcGraw -- Palm Springs, CA
8. badmsm -- Modesto, CA
9. Squidster -- Riverside, CA
10. Frankster -- Fort Bragg, CA
11. Megan Casey -- San Jose, CA
12. boredofeducation -- Fullerton, CA
13. GreekGeek -- Irvine, CA
14. Heather426 -- Canyon Country, CA
15. Paperfacets -- La Verne, CA
16. _Joan_ -- Someplace in CA

Lensmaster Spotlight

GILTOTHERESCUE 8/10/2009 – Boulder, CO and New Orleans, LA

Wawaweewa! I’m delighted to be the second Squid to sign the US journal. For the collection, I’ve taken two photos – one at work and another at play.

In the photo at my desk I am hacking away, most likely on a lensrank bug or our new modules as pages project (hope you like it).

In the other photo I took the journal to my home town: the European-inspired, laissez-faire city of New Orleans. After walking around the French Quarter all day, I made a pit stop to take this photo on the corner of the famous (or is it infamous?) Bourbon St. before making my was to Port of Call, home of the best beef and portabello burgers in town.

Before I go I want to say thanks to all you fantabulous lensmasters for using Squidoo. We’ve created something special here, and I’m thrilled to work with such a talented, eclectic group of writers and marketers. Keep on rockin. ~ Gil aka giltotherescue

Squidoo Kimberly / Kimberly Dawn Wells August 24, 2009 – Medford, WI

Hi Lensmasters!

When I started doing web design in 1997 I never dreamed a service like Squidoo would become available and make the process so simple; nor did I ever guess I’d one day be part of the team running it!

In my photo I’m multitasking – kicking back in my office between a long day of coding and writing and preparing to be on ambulance call for the night.

The potential of Squidoo has only begun to be tapped. Every day lensmasters surprise us with new ways to collect, share, and archive information through their creative use of lenses. Keep up the great work, and keep working hard on what you are passionate about. ~ K. D. Wells

Seth Godin Wednesday September 2, 2009 New York, New York

SQUID ALERT!

That’s the little Seth action figure wearing his too big t-shirt.

Keep Creating

Keep Leading

Keep making a difference

~ Seth Godin

Corey Brown Thursday September 10, 2009 Winchester, Virginia

The traveling squid has made its way to historic old town Winchester, Virginia, in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley.

I’m sharing two pictures … the first is one of me in front of The Bright Center, where we have a coworking location. The second is me hard at work, reading an email from Blake on something Squidoo-related and coming soon.

Thanks to all the Squids for all you do. You’ve made this platform better than we could have imagined. ~ Corey Brown

Donations? Yessirreee Bob! We are talking about charity and donations, part of the foundation celebrating the worldwide journey of The Journal of the Traveling Squid! Each step of the worldwide journey was slated to be marked by charitable donations from participating lensmasters.

What is your pet charity? Do you actually work with a charity? Me? Well, yes I do! My pet charity is First Coast No More Homeless Pets often known as FCNMHP. Funny when I spell that out, I have to repeat the words to get it right. My journey with FCNMHP started in October 2003 and I’m still going strong with this fine charity even today … as we speak.

The mission of First Coast No More Homeless Pets (FCNMHP) is to eliminate the killing of dogs and cats in our community through free and low-cost spay and neuter programs.

So, let’s pony up and do our part in the charitable donations department. It will feel good — go ahead; try it; you’ll like it. Charity begins at home! Your home.

Thanks Squidoo for the Memories!!

giltotherescue Mar 22, 2010 @ 11:52 am - I love browsing this lens from time to time to see where the traveling squid has gone next. Reading about so many passionate lensmasters all over the world is inspiring.

THANK YOU * THANK YOU * THANK YOU!!!

History: The Journal of the Traveling Squid was originally created on March 21, 2009. On June 25, 2009 this lens earned the Purple Star Award for quality content. Highest lensrank ever achieved: #14 overall. This was a top lens with 65 days on the Top 100 list. Lens #412 in the quest for Giant Squid 500 Club.

How to Celebrate a Senior Birthday

Happy Birthday JaguarJulie
from Steve Thompson aka tagsforkids

How do seniors celebrate their birthday? Hmmm? Well, seniors tend to be old-fashioned type of people. Hey! Who are you calling old-fashioned?

"If the shoe fits, wear it!" they say.

It was two years ago, on July 9, 2010, that I actually filed for divorce and had the ex served with papers on the morning of my birthday.

I don't regret the filing,

But I do regret the timing!

One year later. On July 9, 2011, I was new into my home on the street that floods thanks to a clogged storm water drain. My next door neighbor reached out to me and took me to dinner for that birthday. For that particular warm act of kindness, I am eternally grateful to THAT neighbor!

So, July 9, 2012, was marking two years since the filing. "I must do something novel today," I mumbled. Up at the crack of dawn to work on my Squidoo lenses [call me crazy please]. Next, I headed out to my local HomeGoods store to sniff the scented candles. After my high, I headed over to Longhorn Steakhouse and had a delicious lobster and crab soup with a spicy peppered steak salad. I really wanted to order Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, but couldn't find it on the menu!

After lunch, I opted to take in a movie; ah, Magic Mike starring Channing Tatum. How to celebrate a senior birthday? Well, if you are a sharp senior gal such as myself, you might want to have Channing Tatum dance for YOU! My oh my ... mighty fine. Trust me, Matthew McConaughey had nothing over on Channing Tatum! Good thing I didn't need to adjust my pacemaker.

Once the magic ended, I headed out of the theater and over to my local Lowe's to buy me a sunflower plant. Would you believe that there were NO sunflowers to be had? I'll be checking back next week for sunflowers as I now have a rather sunny backyard thanks to the removal of 3 large water oak.

So, back home to work on my Squidoo lenses [call me crazy please]. "My dear, you are CRAZY!"

We [me, myself and I] were heading into the evening. I'd received no viable date offers from PlentyofFish, so I jumped in the roadster and headed over to Outback. Keeping in the spirit of Magic Mike, I was blessed with a most handsome young waiter by the name of Devon. "How old are you?" I asked. Twenty-two! Ah 22.

I wasn't really all that hungry so I asked if there was a lobster appetizer. I had a steamed lobster tail, some bread, and a skinny girl margarita. The lobster and margarita were delicious. Pretty soon I heard dessert coming. For my birthday, I got some tasty ice cream in chocolate sauce and a fine rendition of "Happy Birthday to you!"

And, that folks is precisely how you too can celebrate a senior birthday! Why not take yourselves out?

P.S. Did I tell you that Channing Tatum is looking mighty fine in the Magic Mike Movie. Oh and I will be imagining THOSE men at work in my backyard!

The Stuffed Cabbage Love Poll

Do you love Stuffed Cabbage? Have you registered your vote in the Stuffed Cabbage Love Poll? We are working to get the vote out folks for our favorite comfort food. Is it your favorite comfort food? Let's hear from you! So ... here is how we stand thus far:

The Stuffed Cabbage Love Poll

According to my Excel spreadsheet calculation, 90.4% of the love vote equates to 4,341 Stuffed Cabbage fans out there. Almost 5,000 readers have already registered their votes in the Stuffed Cabbage Love Poll.

We have a worldwide readership base of readers for our Stuffed Cabbage page. And, Stuffed Cabbage is known worldwide, in many different cultures, with many different recipes. 7.7%, or about 370, of the readers acknowledging that they haven't tried stuffed cabbage yet. Gosh, let's get the lead out people! There are plenty of different recipes; you can find it at restaurants; you can buy it in the store. Why not add Stuffed Cabbage to your Bucket List?

Hey! Only 2%, or about 96, of the readers said "Naw, don't like stuffed cabbage!!" Not bad, you all. I think that number can be a changeable number. By that I mean, because there are so many different delicious recipes for Stuffed Cabbage, I'm of the thinking they need to try another recipe, like Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage. Then, I believe they will become a fan!

So ... it is time to get the vote out! Let your vote be heard ... vote in The Stuffed Cabbage Love Poll.

Surviving the Divorce and Moving On

Good day to my readers who haven't totally deserted me. Life can be quite tough these days for couples dating and for couples in a marriage. But think about how tough it can be for single people!!! With the difficult financial and employment landscapes of today, going it alone can be incredibly challenging and quite daunting. I won't soon be writing a guide to tell you how to survive a marriage, but I do see that there is a market for that type of book.

This is my segway blog post to help me transition in my writings from the previous to the future. And to offer up an explanation for what the heck I have been doing in my personal life. What I found with my divorce is that things were not as they seemed. I found that I lost many of the friends with which I shared good times during the marriage. After the divorce, those friends seemed to evaporate into thin air. One friend told me "not to worry as those must have been shallow friends." Maybe, but what happened to YOU? He was gone too.

Jaguar Julie is Available! Yeah.

I served the ex with divorce papers on my birthday of all days: July 9, 2010. I do not recommend using your birthday in this fashion. You know, Seth Godin's birthday is July 10th? I only mention that because of how much time I have allocated to his platform of Squidoo; and because I did more of a celebration of my birthday on the 10th.

After some two plus months with the really expensive attorney, I released the high-powered attorney in October 2010. Working with the ex, we came to a divorce settlement, that I now realize, really favored him. I hate that he changed things in the settlement after I released my attorney!! In hindsight, not a smart move on my part. The divorce was finalized on November 16, 2010. But, I'm afraid the ex is going to make me wait until 2018 to pay me what he owes me! That stinks; enough said.

Well whatever! I have officially finished the grieving period for said divorce. In the meantime, I let my poor blog suffer. It is now officially time that I got a move on.

On the dating front: Any peers out there in single-land? Have you recently been divorced? There is hope for us in these trying times. I have yet to pen that personals ad. My friends, thank GOD for my friends, have suggested I try Match.com, PlentyofFish, OurTime and eHarmony. Yikes, dating!!! Have you tried any of those sites and have a success story? Oh ... please tell me about it.

On the employment front: I made a little time this past week to update my two branded websites: Jaguar Julie and Jaguar Julie Designs. On my about me page: "I am currently accepting inquiries from forward-thinking, dynamic companies in the Jacksonville, Florida area."

I am seeking to secure a creative marketing position with a very special company and boss. [in Jacksonville, Florida] I prefer a smaller-sized company with a tight nucleus of professionals. At this point in my creative career, I'd love to be a meaningful part of a team of creative web builders and writers.

I'd thrive on being able to have a creative consultative environment to brainstorm concepts with a creative team of my peers. Writing and editing are two core loves of mine; along with creating unique and clever product fact sheets, product labeling, and newsletters.

Oh, and I hope to work my blogging in there too. That's just the tip of the iceberg of what can get my motor running in any given day.

P.S. There is light at the end of that tunnel for surviving the divorce and moving on. I hope YOU have found your own light!

A Fork in the Road Finally

So today I am readying myself for "A Fork in the Road, Finally!"  Today I am expecting that my neuromuscular massage therapy session will be my last official type PT session under the PIP coverage through my automobile insurance.  I also have a final follow-up appointment with my treating physician who has told me that the insurance claims adjuster has been "hounding" her to finalize my treatment and rate me.  I fully expect to be rated this afternoon -- Oh, we are not talking about stars folks.

I've never really heard about "rating" the patient, you know, assigning some point value for my perceived injury.  Like, I don't know, less than 10 points or something?  How does a doctor or insurance company achieve an objective and fair value of a patient's pain or long-term injury?

You know, there are certain "functions" and "things" that I am NOT able to do without feeling very specific pain(s) in my hand, wrist and forearm.  I don't know if I've got THAT now for the rest of my life.  But, I guess that is OK considering I am an old-timer, you know?

FLASHBACK:
It was on December 9, 2009 that a sort of fork in the road first "presented itself." I really thought that my hobby, my passion, my livelihood would come to an end in one abrupt tremendous moment of pain when those trunk hydraulic struts in my car failed and smashed my hand and forearm.  O-M-G!  People, some moments will stick with you forever; that is the type of moment I experienced.  I really thought my writing career had come to an end.

Why doesn't the MRI show everything? Good grief, that was a mystery to me. I've had MRIs in the past you know.  And, I've written about my painful adventures, something like trying to become the Six Million Dollar Wonder Woman or something?  You see, I've been there for SLAP Tear, Meniscus Tear, Morton's Neuroma, Achilles Tendon, and Percutaneous Discectomy! Yes indeed; ALL THAT!

FAST-FORWARD:  "A Fork in the Road, Finally!"
Well, like I said, one thing is coming to the end for me and it is like a fork in the road AND a passing of the baton, so to speak!  YOU see, I was diagnosed less than two weeks ago with trochanteric bursitis. Can YOU believe that?

Remember Gilda Radner's "It's always something!"  Yes it is.  And, how about our dear Bret Michaels, "every rose has its thorn!"  Yeah, it does.

P.S. Thanks my friends, followers, and fans for being there for the journey.  You mean the world to me.  And, I thank YOU for that.

Who IS Listening I Wonder

Have you ever paused for a moment in your daily lives, in your internet presence, to speculate as to Who is listening to you? Who is reading that message you have put out there? How many of your readership base is totally getting what you are putting out there? Are they maybe "hearing something else?" You know, not hearing what you originally intended for them to hear?

Well, I was wondering this morning "Who IS Listening?" And, more importantly "do they really get IT?" I honestly think that worldwide there is a bit of information and meaning that gets lost in translation. Sometimes you may have a humorous message and you wonder if that "humor" is totally understood?

I was curious as to what specific countries make up my Squidoo readership base, the platform that occupies a pretty good majority of my time.  Take a look at this chart.

There is no surprise here that the United States is the top country on the list; however, I might have thought the percentage would be a bit higher than 58.55%.

The Top 5 countries responsible for bringing in the readership base to my Squidoo lenses or article base include, in descending order: the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and India.

Gosh, can I make the assumption that about 60% of my readership base will TOTALLY get what I am saying and understand the entire message?  Perhaps, perhaps not.  It's important to understand who is listening when you craft your article and message you know.

You know, it does make sense that Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia are in the Top 5! These 5 countries account for 79.62% of the overall readership base.  So, an assumption could be that, on the very best day, and in the very best crafted message or article, I might be lucky to have 80% of the people TOTALLY get what I am saying.  You know what I am saying?

So, thirteen other countries comprise 9.0% of the overall readership base: Philippines, Germany, New Zealand, Singapore, Italy, France, Netherlands, Hungary, Malaysia, Poland, Russian Federation, Spain, and Romania.

And, it is an OH WOW for me to see this particular list of countries.  You know why?  Well, I write a LOT about Eastern European topics and about Hungary, Poland, and Romania ... so that is sort of a plus for me to be connecting to a readership base from those very countries, you know?

What countries comprise your readership base?  Who are your Squidoo readers?  Who is listening to you?

P.S. I also write on a second blog, the Topicability Blog. Gosh, I wonder if the worldwide readership base for that blog is comparable to that which comprises my Squidoo lenses or article base? You think?

Who grabbed cut and ate the cheese

Say people!  As Saturdays go, this one started off like any Saturday of recent experience.  Hubby is off now going round and round on the golf course with the usual suspects, hitting and chasing that silly white ball over the river and through the woods and into 18 holes.  Gosh, what a lovely sport!  I think I need to take it up and hit a few balls and knock the crap out of some silly balls ... you know what I'm suggesting?

The morning has progressed with a visit to freshen up some puppies, feed the cats, and pop that laundry of hubby's into the washer to see if I can hook up with some fabulous finds, or not. I'm hoping for at least a twenty dollar bill; I'd like fifty, but hubby doesn't usually carry fifties or hundreds, at least NOT since we had a rent-paying tenant who didn't have a checking account, so he liked to pay in cash in a dark alley ... oh, kidding!  He ran out of cash and excuses and has moved on to grace somebody elses' path and door.  Thank you Jesus!

I was sitting here looking at something that I would call a mystery, but it really isn't a mystery ... it is the story of popularity, traffic, the internet, and other people who like that story of popularity and want that traffic too ... thinking the road is paved with gold.  Writing on the platform of Squidoo has been a marvelous experience for over 4 years.  The ideas for more Squidoo lenses literally keep exploding out of the top of my head, but I have paused for a moment to notice a mystery.  And, I put a lid on my head to contain those ideas temporarily.

People are talking about how the power of Squidoo has attracted a lot of attention worldwide.  People are talking about traffic suddenly and mysteriously disappearing from their top topic lenses.  Holy Topicability Index Batman!  That's life, you know!  Have we not seen this happen for years and years?  That people will focus on a cool topic that seems to be a cool topic only to them or to only a few people.  And, then they will love and nurture and develop that topic.  Then, BAM!  One day that topic hits the bigtime. "Why, I want a piece of THAT action!"  Yes, others notice and want in on the action.

On June 3, 2010, I penned a JaguarJulie Blog On post asking "Why all the ads for Stuffed Cabbage?" It was a natural curiosity I had that in the beginning, it was perhaps Martha Stewart and me talking about the virtues and delicious taste of stuffed cabbage rolls. Then, pretty soon ... everybody's talking about delicious stuffed cabbage rolls. Don't you just love the internet, I ask?

So ... BAM! The latest foodsy candidate for all those ads, ads, ads is another gas-producing vegetable, Brussels Sprouts! Oh, I love love love Brussels Sprouts and have written a delicious page to celebrate all those 5-star fabulous recipes for preparing brussels sprouts.  What is most curious, about all this hot air on the internet, is to see a website that I recognize!  First, they loved stuffed cabbage, now they are loving brussels sprouts ... keep your eyes peeled for more from idealhomegarden !!!

Who grabbed cut and ate the cheese I am wondering? This is where I want to show that my thought pattern hit a brain f*rt and started thinking about cheese. You see I dropped by a Squidoo lens that was asking which kind of CHEESE you like on your burgers! Ah, cheese -- I love cheese, but had to start cholesterol-lowering meds so that I could still love my cheese! For me, cheese is such a favorite food, well that is in addition to stuffed cabbage rolls and brussels sprouts oh my!

My favorite cheese is blue cheese ... it can be quite stinky! Oh, I almost forgot, I also love love love limburger cheese ... a shameless plug that stinks, no it's yummy!

Now, here is where this will all make a little sense ... I am attempting to pull this blog post together for you! Who grabbed cut and ate the cheese I am wondering? I picked the fork in the road to venture onto Amazon and search on "Who Moved My Cheese?" as they say it is "An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life."  My first observations made me ask, why is that book not rated as a 5-star book?  It was that curiosity that made me read the reviews.  And, for that I am quite thankful this morning!  You see, I really really really needed a good laugh.  Let me share it ...

Usual cheesey stuff, March 30, 2010 by nr8209
This review is from: Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life

This is a typical meaningless self improvement book. We were forced to read it at a previous company. Basically if you think you are so bad you really need help from this book I would give up now and head for the nearest cliff. I much prefer the parody Who Cut The Cheese? - An A-Mazing Parody about Change (and How We Can Get Our Hands on Yours) by Stilton Jarlsberg - a much more satisfying read.

You know it is encouraging to note that Google is always tweaking the algorithm to bring in the most relevant and spot-on search results. I'd like to think that when I am searching on my favorite search engine of Google that they are giving me premium search results. We all are pulled in so many different ways these days. Thank goodness for the fabulous Google. Huh, oh yes there are other search engines out there these days. Hmmm, remember what I said about working on a cool topic, nurturing it, and developing it until it hits the popularity index and then BAM! Others are on the bandwagon? Others are noticing that top traffic cool topic. In February 2008, I penned a fun debate that I think YOU will love. Be sure to express yourself GOOGLE vs. YAHOO -- Which side are you on? Ah, I do love Google you know!

P.S. Ah I am a woman you know! Yep, that is really me in that profile picture -- no mysterious avatar to make you wonder who the heck I am! Oh, and quite incidentally, I am a blonde and blondes do have more fun! Are we having fun yet? Tell ya more later. Thanks for dropping by today. Love ya!

What the heck old crow or a blackbird

What the heck old crow or a blackbird? Today, I was looking up on Wikipedia to check out that wonderful reference for a blackbird and I ended up being a little bit MORE curious than I originally thought!  You see, when you check that reference, you will find a BUNCH more links to other blackbirds!

Next, I looked up the Wikipedia reference for crow as I was thinking that might help to answer my question.  Oh my word!  Have you ever checked out just how many species of crows there are?  There surely are a lot! 

I read there in that Wikipedia reference that "crows have also been known to imitate the human voice, just like parrots. Crows that have been trained to 'speak' are considered valuable in parts of East Asia, as crows are a sign of luck."  Oh, too bad I don't live in East Asia, I thought!

Oh, and reading further on, did YOU know that "in the UK, the crow is considered a pest when in a large community and under certain conditions can be shot under a number of general licences issued by DEFRA."  Oh me, oh my I say!  And, did you know that "a group of crows is called a 'murder'."  Well fancy that.

You see, we had decided to take an early morning ride on hubby's motor scooter ... and that early morning ride morphed into a full-blown motorcycle ride on a day that definitely hit 100 degrees!  He had to stop twice to fill up his gas tank, so that tells ya that we rode a LOT!  I'm not going to tell you about our ride just yet because I am seriously thinking about maybe doing a Squidoo lens or two ... and don't want to let the cat er blackbird or old crow out of the bag just yet.  You know what I'm saying?  Don't want to give away MY topics just yet.

So, at that first gas station we stopped at, hubby was inside a wee bit too long.  I didn't get a chance to share my laughter with him as it played out.  You see, up in the tree was this old crow making lots of noise.  The next thing, that crow flies out of the tree with two mockingbirds zooming into his old butt!  Golly gee those mockingbirds could sure accelerate, I thought!  Next thing you know, there are two old crows up on the power line.  And, now there are some 5-6 mockingbirds making short order of them crows.  I tell you, it was the most hilarious thing I had seen thus far that day!  One of the mockingbirds had been standing guard before all the ruckus took place.  I think the way it was looking, I could understand a "murder of crows!"  Get it???

Well, I might be having a difficult time distinguishing an old crow or two from a blackbird, but I do know an old buzzard when I see one! Say hello to an old turkey vulture! Hello YOU old buzzard YOU!

What the Old HECK is Trochanteric Bursitis?

Ah, yes indeed! What the Heck is Trochanteric Bursitis? Oh, it is also known as Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome and that is a huge Oh My! Oh my for me; Oh my for YOU ... some day. Yes, my friends, some day you too can experience the oh no moments of Trochanteric Bursitis!

It was Thursday, June 10, 2010 when I first got the diagnosis of Trochanteric Bursitis from my orthopedic doctor, Dr. Hakim. I really LOVE my doctor as he's been there through thick and through thin with me. He was my crack, expert surgeon for a SLAP Tear major repair surgery on my left shoulder and the Meniscus Tear repair of my left knee.

Do you know something? The reason I am making a point to write this blog post today is to NOT waste any more time on getting this word out there. The word is this, do not hesitate on going to see your doctor at the first sign of hip pain! And, do NOT think because you have hip pain that it means a hip replacement ... you know ... that you would delay seeing your doctor because YOU are so sure it will be a major thing and it is a hip replacement that is part of your problem. That is the very reason I waited THREE years to see my doctor. I was so sure that because my mom has serious hip pain, coupled with my great aunt having to have had two separate hip replacements on the same hip. Well, I think you get what I'm saying, right?

So, I do hope that if you do have any hip issues, that you are fortunate enough to get treatment right away. And, I do hope, for your sake, that you do not need a hip replacement! But if you do, God speed to you in your recovery. And, if you'd like to celebrate a fabulous lady out there who obviously has great hips, stop by my humor page on Hips Don't Lie! Oh, you probably guessed it ... Shakira! Yes, Shakira Shakira ... for her, her hips definitely do not lie!

Why all the ads for Stuffed Cabbage

For nearly three years, I have been actively writing and blogging about my favorite comfort food, Stuffed Cabbage. Well before that, I was doing lots of buzzing and sharing of my grandma Julia Nagy's Hungarian recipe for stuffed cabbage rolls as I've always said that her Hungarian stuffed cabbage rolls were the very best!

Over at Squidoo, I have been conducting polls and duels debating whether Hungarian is better than Polish stuffed cabbage recipes. And, I've talked lots and lots about how I really think Martha Stewart has done her part to popularize the Polish recipes for stuffed cabbage. Are you already a fan of stuffed cabbage?

Why do you think stuffed cabbage rolls are so popular?  Do you think it is because of Martha Stewart or perhaps because Jaguar Julie has talked about stuffed cabbage so much?  Which recipe is your favorite for stuffed cabbage?

You know, it was not that long ago that I was checking my daily Google Alerts on stuffed cabbage and what did I see?  Holy mackerel Andy, but I saw that stuffed cabbage rolls have now hit the Nigerian market ... say, you know you've arrived when they are talking about you in Nigeria!  Let's hear it for stuffed cabbage rolls!!!!

So, something else that I've been noticing for longer than a month is the fact that my high traffic to my ever popular Stuffed Cabbage page has been a little off. When I do a Google search, I see that my lens is #1. I do a Bing search, and again my lens is #1 for stuffed cabbage. However, it is when I do a Yahoo search for stuffed cabbage that I discover what I think has happened to my extra traffic.  You see, I'm not the top search result on Yahoo like I am on Google and Bing.  And, it would appear that there is some competition for traffic from LOTS of advertisers!!!  Take a look at this screen capture that I have provided from my Yahoo search.

First of all, do you notice just how many ads there are for stuffed cabbage and stuffed cabbage roll recipes? What the heck is that all about? Do you get it that stuffed cabbage has hit the mainstream of popularity? OK, next ... do you notice some of the websites going after the traffic/hits for stuffed cabbage? I am looking at the top ad ... idealhomegarden.com ... And, even more interesting when you do a Who Is search you see it is a ValueClick website.

Gosh, what do you make of all that ...  Why all the ads for Stuffed Cabbage? If you want the scoop on Stuffed Cabbage and what secret ingredient my grandma added to her recipe, drop by article - it's a five-part series. Check out the various polls, the various stuffed cabbage roll recipes, and drop me a line in the guestbook. Let me know you found me!

An artist in heaven

Many of us, who are Squidoo lensmasters, got to know a beautiful and talented lady named Sherry Holder Hunt through her Squidoo lenses. What Sherry's Squidoo profile says about her: "a member since May 30 2008, has rated 675 lenses, favorited 392, and has created 41 lenses from scratch.

Sherry was a remarkable person who just happened to be an artist in addition to being a fine writer. Sherry was ONLY 48 years old! 48 years old!!! Sherry left us on April 9th due to a massive heart attack.

It's been reported that Sherry "might" have suffered additionally from stress in her life. I'm not a doctor; I don't know personally what health factors might have impacted Sherry, but I can TELL you this ... stress can put you at risk. I really hate to think that Sherry might have had too much stress in her life. I really hate to think that Sherry is no longer with us, but is up in heaven looking down on us. I think I see her smiling! Sherry, we miss YOU!

It was from a fellow lensmaster Susan that I first learned of Sherry's passing.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the
paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death; I will fear no evil: for thou
art with me; thy rod and thy staff they
comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the
presence of mine enemies: thou anointest
my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all
the days of my life; and I will dwell in the
house of the Lord for ever.

Drop by and check out Sherry Holder Hunt, Artist. Her beautiful art can be found gracing many places; like Fine Art America.

"Sherry ... you were a bright star that we got to know through Squidoo. I'm looking up towards the heavens and thinking of you. Blessings to you my dear. We will miss you."

Getting hooked on a good thing

It was more than one month ago that I had a conversation with Todd, my neuromuscular massage therapist. "I wonder if there is a treatment center for getting hooked on massage?" We laughed about that thought and how it would be like "getting hooked on a good thing" yes a good thing massage can be! I first started enjoying massage in early February 2010 as prescribed treatment for my hand injury of December 9, 2009.

So, today it is March 21, 2010! I have well passed two dozen neuromuscular massages, rather back-to-back, along with 3 memorable acupunctures. I've not yet achieved the aura that acupuncture is a "good thing," although I do believe it is ... I'm still working on that thought.

What about March 21, 2010? Yes, I've already chatted about that in the SquidU Forum in this memorable post: Thank you Squidoo for my 4-year anniversary milestone today!

From the forum, I ventured onto Twitter to say: "Thank you BzzAgent for introducing me to Squidoo. Celebrating my 4 year anniversary milestone. My first lens of 3/21/06."

Then, it was off to populate the Topicability blog with this post, A Milestone on Squidoo!

Another milestone for me is each day that I hear my mom tell me to write that book. In a sense, I have been writing that book each day over the past 4 years of my milestone anniversary on Squidoo. Mom just called me the past week to present me with a new challenge! You see, she has been conscientiously reading and commenting on my lenses. And, now she says I simply MUST take all my great content and put it into a book to share with others trying to find their way on the internet. Thanks mom! ;)

As a lensmaster on Squidoo, my profile states that I have "rated 7,147 lenses, favorited 537, and have created 637 lenses from scratch, and that I have 1,775 fans." What it doesn't say is how much Squidoo has been a part of my life and daily journey over the past 4 years. It doesn't tell you about THAT journey.

There have been definite HIGHS and LOWS. I refuse to dwell on any of those negative moments to detract from the wondrous POSITIVES of Squidoo. The power of Squidoo has allowed me to express myself; to be the very best that I can be. It has allowed me to be hugely unique with my most creatively niche-like niches! I've purposely written about what interests me and sometimes those topics have been definite non-mainstream topics. But, I am happy for staying true to my course.

Before I go and enjoy this rainy day, may I share with you a parting thought that has been my online mantra for over a decade? That would be to "be the best that YOU can be! Be authentic, original and unique." And, yada yada!!!

So, today I am commemorating my huge milestone of 4 years on Squidoo. Isn't that about 36 years in a cat's life??? Yes, indeed my friends! "Getting hooked on a good thing ... can be a good thing!"

Reflecting on 2009 -- It was a pain-FULL year for us!

So, I haven't written a blog post in many days -- a couple of weeks actually. Why? If you read my last blog post, you know that I had a bit of a weird accident with my car. At first, my hubby said that "I smashed my hand in the trunk." Well, that really is incorrect as "the trunk slammed ON my hand and forearm." It's been over 4 weeks since that happened. Today, I am contemplating a follow-up with an orthopedic surgeon because of residual pain I have in my hand, wrist and forearm.

That is just one of the pain-full moments of 2009. As Squidoo lensmasters, we have been encouraged and prodded to write about our New Year's resolutions. I personally have gone with a concept, to "be the best that you can be." That is not something new for me as I've always aspired to improve myself and be the best that I can be hopefully at all times. With that in mind, I have further prodded myself this year to "reach for the stars." Perhaps you have caught that "inspiring and positive theme" on my twitter profile?

2009 was probably our most difficult year. You have heard and read a lot about the homeless? Well, we rather directly were responsible for 2 separate families not being homeless for the past year. They are our tenants in our two rental properties. It's been a cost to us of some $20,000 plus out of our pockets for non-paying tenants. This has been a really tough "issue" for us as we have not wanted to evict these families, yet we have bills to pay ourselves. It would be too much information to talk any more about these rental matters ... just suffice to say that we are quite charitable people.

Just this morning, I was talking with my hubby about challenges with a recent loan I secured. The bank officer set up the automatic payment directly from my checking account with that bank. However, I just got a reminder call yesterday that my December payment hadn't been made and was I planning on making that payment? "Say what?" I asked the caller. "It's on automatic pay." Yada yada -- a word of caution -- check any newly set up automatic payments to be sure they are making those automatic payments!

Oh, automatic payments? I come to find out that my hubby had a reverse issue ... and I want to raise a caution over that! It seems that he had two automatic payments set up to a company for insurance. One was for his son; his was the other. Over a year ago, he went into the bank to STOP the one payment for his adult son's insurance premium. It got stopped for the one month; HOWEVER, the accounting department attempted to collect the payment the following month. The first "debit" attempt didn't work; but the second one did! Long story short, a so-called "closed" insurance account collected monthly payments for the next year or so. Hubby didn't catch it either. When he finally did "catch" the wrong payments, he had paid over $1,000 for a closed account. I have bravely stepped up to go to bat for my hubby to recoup this wrongly COLLECTED money. Hubby is pretty upset about that, among other matters, and doesn't feel he can deal with this right now.

So, happy Saturday eh? Looking to 2010 to be a brighter year. We have had issues as shared in this blog post, AND issues that I have not shared here. 2009 was an incredibly pain-FULL year for us! We are turning the other cheek(s) and looking to learn from what some might call our mistakes and incredible challenges of 2009. You know, it is indeed interesting that our local newspaper had a headline about 2009 being a pain-full year for others. I'm thinking 2010 HAS to be better!

Ah fresh air - Perfect weather for chili

I moved South from Ohio quite a few years ago and sure do enjoy not having to shovel snow. Because the weather is warm in Northeastern Florida until the end of October, it makes us hunger for my award-winning chili recipe. This is one recipe that my grandma really didn't teach me. Racking my childhood memories, I really don't remember grandma making spicy chili ... Stuffed cabbage rolls, yes; chili, no.

Traffic to my award-winning chili recipe started increasing in mid-September and has steadily been rising through the end of October. Recently, one day's traffic nearly hit 400 unique visitors and has been averaging well over 325 visitors daily. Surprisingly, the up-tick in visitors hasn't translated to rising lensrank as the lens has been declining for some mysterious reason. The highest lensrank achieved was #28 overall with a reported 26 days in the overall top 100. What's the reason for the high traffic? It is thanks to Google! This lens has been ranking as the #1 position in the Google search with a number of keyword phrases.

So, what makes my award-winning chili recipe so special? I give away the secret ingredient on my page. I also spell out in black and white how to make this tasty chili recipe. It is a meatier consistency. We like to use a special kind of chili beans too and usually opt for the spicy ones. I also give you an idea of the cost to make this chili. My last recipe was geared up to feed the office staff of a dozen. The good thing about chili is that it won't go to waste. Simply freeze a portion of your chili batch for a quick fixer upper meal.

Why not drop by and participate in the award-winning chili debate about secret ingredients. Register your vote for how hot you like your chili. And, be sure to drop me a comment in the chili guestbook. Check out my recipe and let me know how you like it.

Angels on earth can be heavenly indeed

Did you know that there are angels amongst us? Angels on earth? And that angels on earth can be quite heavenly indeed.

If you are a Squidoo lensmaster like JaguarJulie, you get to interact online with some wonderful lensmasters. It's really a great perk that you first of all are able to write about your passions and interests on the platform of Squidoo. Once you have become established with over 50 quality lenses, you have the opportunity to qualify to be a Giant Squid. Make over 100 quality lenses, and you may join the Giant Squid 100 Club. Giant Squids earn a number of perks for the honor of this role on Squidoo, and you will see gold stars on their lenses to designate that status. Take that a step further, and a Giant Squid might earn a purple star for their quality lenses. Purple stars are awarded weekly by the Giant Squid Organizers.

There is an additional honor that comes along a couple times a year on Squidoo, and that is the role of Squid Angel. JaguarJulie has been distinctly honored to regain her Squid Angel wings on October 13, 2009. Squid Angels have a code of ethics and honor in how they conduct their daily roles on Squidoo. They are entrusted with the ability to "bless" worthy lenses; to provide a little of their angel dust to deserving lensmasters' lenses. That is the glass is full scenario. Squid Angels can also serve in their roles to give a proverbial "thumbs down" to spam.

JaguarJulie grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and attended a number of Catholic schools. This 'rewarding' childhood presented her with the opportunity to attend daily masses, interact with priests and nuns and to learn more about heavenly angels. This childhood experience contributed to a deep appreciation for all things spiritual. So, JaguarJulie is quite the spiritual individual who is distinctly honored to be a bit spiritual in her role as Squid Angel. Thanks to those that made this possible! Blessings to YOU my dear!!!

A beautiful journey to Hollywood with the Traveling Squid!

To celebrate my three year anniversary with Squidoo on March 21, 2009, I launched The Journal of the Traveling Squid, Volume I. By now those of my friends who have followed this journey know that Gordon Hamilton in the U.K. was the first participant in this journey. And, you probably know the story behind my selecting Gordon? We had previously emailed each other to talk about my leaving a package for him at a Southern Spanish hotel. After deciding that might be a risky venture, I opted to mail the traveling squid directly to Gordon. However, I decided to leave a test package for Gordon with Juan, a receptionist at The Hotel Bali, Benalmadena.

In my package to Gordon, I include five brand new dollar bills -- USD currency. I wanted to send a little help with postage costs. It was from the five dollar bills that Gordon created a remarkable project, The Five Dollar Vacation - A Worldwide Charity Project with a Difference. This is a remarkable lens and an equally remarkable charity journey with a big difference. At Squidoo, a lensmaster can earn a bit of recognition for their remarkable work. It is called the purple star and it is a star that is purple-colored and appears on your work. Well, if you visit Gordon's lens, you will see a beautiful purple star there!

Well, Volume II of The Journal of the Traveling Squid departed Jacksonville, Florida on July 10, 2009, Seth Godin's birthday you all! The project had already spent 6 months in the U.K. so it seemed right to launch the second edition. As of this writing, the journal has visited Gil, Kimberly, Seth, Corey, Susan and now Kim -- Kim Giancaterino. The journal has traveled from Jacksonville, FL to Colorado, Wisconsin, New York, Virginia, Arkansas, and now California! Something beautiful happened in Hollywood with the traveling squid! We owe it all to our dear Kim who created a beautiful tribute and travel lens, The Journal of the Traveling Squid Goes Hollywood.

Oh, and how wonderful to hear that the Hollywood journey earned a coveted purple star when it was newly published? Congratulations to Kim and a big thank you for her beautiful, beautiful lens and journey. It doesn't get any better than this -- to think that the original lens earned a purple star, followed up by two additional purple stars for its goodwill journey around the world.

You'll want to take time to check out these wonderful lensmasters KimGiancaterino and Gordon_Hamilton as they write some truly amazing articles and lenses. And, they are remarkable people too!

P.S. Please be sure to check out my other writings over at Squidoo while you are at it! I'm known consistently as JaguarJulie there. And, if you are convinced that you are ready to put pedal to the meddle and maybe earn a purple star medal for your work, join me on Squidoo! I've helped many a lensmaster to succeed there; to write better lenses and to even earn giant squid status too. Oh, and be sure to check me out on Twitter -- Yep, I'm known as JaguarJulie there! I like being consistent with my messages. ;)