FOUR DAYS A WEEK. At Our Fingertips. An Unexpected Place.

I WASN'T QUITE SURE about where I was going, only knowing I wanted to create a place to encourage our dreams, give voice to our wishes, and celebrate the joys that will always come from trying. That was two years and eleven days ago on March 15, 2010 when I launched my blog (my Monday Musings).

Since then I have met many wonderful people across the World Wide Web; saw my writing improve by being out there (here) with no safety nets; took flight by trying new things; beat back that small but sometimes persistent voice telling me to stop blogging for all kinds of reasons—real and imagined; listened and learned from my readers, fellow bloggers, and Twitter followers, who inspired me to see and create in new ways. As was the day (Thursday) when I stumbled upon Orie's wonderful blog post: Making the Ordinary Extraordinary.

I reached out to Orie and thanked her for sharing her thoughts and celebrating the beauty of an imperfectly perfect life. I also wanted to let her know that her post was my week's surprise inside the orange gift box at Thursday Treasures.

In an unexpected moment, I received an email from Orie full of sweetness and generosity. Her note filled me with gratitude. Today reading Orie's email below from 2010, I am inspired all over again.

Thank you—readers, budding artists, bloggers, writers, aspiring dreamers, travelers, families, and friends—for being here and making this corner of the World Wide Web a special one. I treasure your presence, your dreams and aspirations, your daring to leap forward and take flight.

It is you who makes this place special. Thank you for being part of the journey through the moments, travels, stories, treasures and dreams. From here to there. Let's Do. Dream. Believe.

-Mia

SOUL SCRIBBLES
an email from Orie
September 20, 2010

Hello Mia,

I have been away from my computer for short while, and what a lovely surprise upon my return to find your comment of kind words on my blog post and a note from you here in my email as well.

As you can see by my posts I am a new blogger and am still learning my way around the blogosphere, and so I cannot tell you how delighted I am that you thought my post would appeal to your readers. Being selected to be part of your 'Thursday Treasure' is encouragement for me to keep writing, to keep practicing courage and "leap fearlessly" towards this new journey. Thank you for this.

Your website, 'four days a week', is a very special place that is both intriguing and inspirational. It feels like one of those cabinets with dozens of square drawers; each time you pull one open, there are the most interesting things inside, compelling you to open another drawer and then another, just to see what little treasures you may find. I look forward to come and browse often.

Having read and enjoyed your post for Monday Musings, I must tell you my favourite part was the paragraph:

I left my shoes behind and walked to Mom's garden, her heaven on earth. I stood for a moment and took in the breath of the morning air, my visit home. I dipped my toes into the soil, felt the roots of Mom's passion and love for the things that grow green and vibrant.

The imagery and emotions this evokes is lovely; a truly fine piece of writing.

Thank you again for visiting my blog and sharing it with your readers.

Warm regards,
Orie

*A top story in Anita's Finding Inspiration Daily. March 2012.*

On March 11, 2011
a tsunami devastated Japan but not its resolve and spirit.
Remembering together we can make a difference.
Wrapping our arms around hope.

Thank you Naoko for sharing with us
your lovely artwork above, THINKING OF HOME.
Thank you, Ken (as pictured above),
for receiving our wishes and cranes for Japan.


OUR WISHES FOR ALL
WHO HAVE BEEN THROUGH DISASTERS and TRAUMA:
LOVE, LIGHT, and H๏Pモ.

May you always know you are in our prayers.
May your courage and strength be the light
in the night that brings you a new day
when all that has been destroyed be remade.
May the uncertainties, the losses, and the hardships
never hold you down.
May you always remember you are not alone.

-Mia-

VIDEO ABOVE: Japanese children singing and dancing at Fukushima OperationSAFE, a day camp for children who have been through disasters to help them recover from trauma.

PHOTO BELOW: Our treasure box of wishes and cranes—love, light, and hope for Japan. A special thanks to Ken Crane for coordinating the delivery of our treasure box to Mr. Kumagaya of Sunflower NPO who volunteered to deliver it to the shelters of Kesenuma in Japan in May 2011.

ART INSPIRED ABOVE:
Custom artwork by Rachel Awes, who draws from Mia T. Starr's words.

Join in the dance for a chance to win
a print of the featured drawing above, plus a surprise gift from Mia.
A raffle ~ giveaway below (through December 26, 2011).
Connecting and sharing our journeys through the moments,
travels, stories, treasures and dreams.
 
♪♫ ✶ Happy Holidays. ✶ ♪♫

_
I had just returned from an immersion into writing, bliss, and the artful life in Tuscany when I saw a new follower, Rachel Awes, in my Twitter stream. As with all my new followers, I read Rachel's bio and recent tweets. Later I went to check out her blog and learned she was a psychologist, art playgroundist, writer, wife, mother, and friend, who loved listening to the beauty in people. She also sold art for your heart at her Etsy shop. At her blog, she shared her awe and inspiration from the gold she kept finding. On that day, Rachel was also having a Word Giveaway at the Wish Studio. She wrote:

Feeling inspired from my writing immersion in Tuscany, I accepted Rachel's invitation to play in her Word Giveaway contest and submitted my words and joy:

We danced in the delight of inspiration all around.

My submission was a line from a story and photo journal I had just finished writing and putting together: Embracing the Sun in Tuscany (which was also recently posted here at my blog).

On August 4, 2011 I received an email from Rachel and learned I was the winner of words :-) I was both thrilled and honored. It marked the first time my words inspired someone to *draw* from them. Celebrating that moment and the spirit of sharing in a circle of joy and inspiration, I am sponsoring a raffle for a chance to win a print of the featured custom artwork above (drawing by Rachel Awes and words and inspiration by yours truly). There will also be a surprise gift from me.

_
♪♫♪♫
You're almost there.
Scroll and see below for the various ways
to enter the raffle for a chance to win:
post a comment, share, subscribe, follow, like, or tweet.

Come. Join us in a circle of joy and be inspired.
Be part of the magic. Dance in the delight of inspiration all around.
♪♫♪♫

_
Thanks so much for being here. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and happy holidays. We wish you a glorious New Year. May it be blessed, joyous, and inspiring. May it be full of creativity and discoveries, following and trusting your bliss.

Let's do. Dream. Believe.

-Mia

ENTER THE RAFFLE BELOW.

✶Leaving a comment on this blog post is worth 4 entries.
Sharing your dreams under *aspiring and inspiring* is also worth 4 entries.
All other options are worth one entry each. Enter below for your chances to win.✶

✶Twitter followers of Four Days A Week
will be automatically entered in the raffle
(up to 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on December 27, 2011).✶

♪♫ Thanks so much for being part of the fun, raffle, and inspiration. ♪♫

✶For readers viewing this post via email or a feed reader,
please click through the blog post title or here to enter the raffle,
which ends at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on December 27, 2011.✶

✶The winner will be randomly selected and announced at the blog
on January 2, 2012 when we return from the holidays with a new post.✶

✶If you wish to share this raffle at your blogs,
please contact us for the widget, or if you have any questions.✶

✶Thanks so much for joining us in the circle of joy
and inspiration all around.✶

✶A top story in Anita's Finding Inspiration Daily and
The Becoming Daily. November 2011.✶

Thank you, Steve Jobs,
for your boundless vision and inspiration.
Your spirit lives on.

ƒ๏ℓℓ๏ωing our ❤ and intuition

ƒ๏ℓℓ๏ωing my dreams with Morning Sun
-Mia-

Connect the dots.

     .      .     .  . .          .        . . .. . .      . . . . . . .
     .      .     .             .   .      .         .           .
     .  ..  .     . .. .      .  ..  .     . . . . . .          .
     .      .     .          .        .    .         .           .
     .      .     . .. .    .          .   .          .          .               ... ... ... ...

... Trust that it will all work out. One of the best decisions I ever made. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on.

Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something—your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

Find what you love.

Steve Jobs
1955-2011

A Sister's Eulogy for Steve Jobs
by novelist Mona Simpson
delivered on October 16, 2011

Steve's final words:
OH WOW. OH WOW. OH WOW.

 iPHONE PHOTOS ABOVE: Life, vision, dreams, and gratitude. Remembering Steve. Apple. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL. October 7, 2011. 

✶ A top story in The Becoming Daily. November 2011. ✶

Last week Sunday I visited HG at his home. I stood before him with the treasure box (as shown above) in my hands.

"Do you want to see what's inside?" I said.

HG came closer, drawn to the silver and gold, the glitter that twinkled on top.

I opened the box. HG's face brightened with a smile. Nestled inside were four colorful, paper cranes. A rainbow of blue, yellow, pink, orange, red, and green.

He caressed the beak of the crane closest to him.

"Do you know where we are sending this treasure box?"

He shook his head.

"To Japan."

"Japan?" he said, excited about going to a new place and telling his friends at pre-K.

"We're also putting wishes inside the box."

HG raised his eyes in a wonder.

"And you will get to pick four names, who will each receive a special print created by Naoko Stoop. She's a Japanese artist. Would you like to pick four names later?"

HG nodded. He touched another crane, careful not to crush the wings.

I searched for the right words to explain the recent tragic events. Words that would not lie but also not leave a mark of helplessness. I bent down, meeting him face-to-face. I said, "There was a big earthquake in Japan and many things were lost, even children's homes like the one you have here. We are sending wishes to show them that we care and are praying for them."

That evening at the dining table, after dinner had been eaten, I spread a small confetti of yellow rectangles in front of HG. His parents smiled.

"Are you ready?" I said.

HG's face bloomed with joy. He reached over and picked a rectangle, then another until four were placed in my palm: Michael Douglas Jones, Dr. Pooja Tripathi, Anita Bondi, and Katie_9999.

"Can I pick more?" HG said.

"Sure," I said. "That's a good idea. In case the first four are unable to accept the gift."

When all the names had been selected, I asked HG if he had a wish for Japan.

"That I love them," HG said. "Yes."

❤ Thank you, readers, for all your wishes of light, love, and hope for Japan. For joining us here and wrapping your arms around hope. So many ways to help:

American Red Cross ๏ Doctors Without Borders ๏ Global Giving ๏ Japan Earthquake Relief Fund ๏ Naoko Stoop's Help Japan Project ๏ OperationSafe ๏ Faith and Courage.

Thank you for making the Journey of Hope a possible one. For the donations, large and small. It all helps as we move forward. Together.

A special thanks goes out to Ken Crane for receiving our treasure box of wishes
and cranes for the children of Japan, and to Naoko Stoop for
donating portions of her proceeds to the American Red Cross. Thank you
for showing the way with H๏Pモ.

May Japan's strength and courage be the light in the night that brings her a new day when all that has been destroyed be remade.

In this moment for Japan, SUMMER by Joe Hisaishi. Let's play it live, lift our hearts together with a song. To the grace and courage of Japan ❤

-Mia

✶ A top story in Anita's Finding Inspiration Daily and other online papers. Featured at Keithpp's Blog. April 2011. ✶

KIND & GENEROUS
❤ This one is for you. A song by Natalie Merchant in concert (above). Thank you for all your wishes, for WRAPPING YOUR ARMS AROUND H๏Pモ for Japan. Join us next week when we share with you the names of four randomly selected readers and tweeters receiving THINKING OF HOME from Naoko Stoop's HELP JAPAN PROJECT. Each tweet and wish of H๏Pモ for Japan will be placed inside a treasure box and sent to Ken Crane, who will deliver it to the shelters at Kesennuma, Japan. Thank you for your friendship, kindness, and generosity, for the love, light, and hope in building a new day.

May the uncertainties, the losses, and the hardships never hold Japan down. May they always remember they are not alone. We wrap our arms around Hope.
❤ Mia, Naoko, and Ken

KIND & GENEROUS
By Natalie Merchant in concert (above). For you.

You've been so kind and generous
I don't know how you keep on giving
For your kindness I'm in debt to you
For your selflessness, my admiration
And for everything you've done

You know I'm bound ...
I'm bound to thank you for it

You've been so kind and generous
I don't know how you keep on giving
For your kindness I'm in debt to you
And I never could have come this far without you
So for everything you've done

You know I'm bound ...
I'm bound to thank you for it

I want to thank you
For so many gifts
You gave with love and tenderness
I want to thank you

I want to thank you
For your generosity
The love and the honesty
That you gave me

I want to thank you
Show my gratitude
My love and my respect for you
I want to thank you

I want to ...

Thank you
Thank you
Thank you
Thank you
Thank you
Thank you

✶ A top story in Anita's Finding Inspiration Daily and other online papers. March, April 2011. ✶

THE MOMENT came when I stood on the edge of Boreas Pass, Colorado. September 26, 2009. Letting go, I nodded and closed my eyes. I placed the prayer arrow to my chest. I thought about my wishes, thought about the one that spoke to my spirit and opened the door to possibilities. Three words formulated two wishes, both connected. I made my prayer. I threw the arrow without watching where it landed.

I threw away my doubts--the ones telling me not to try. I withstood the fears and launched four days a week on March 15, 2010.

I reached the steps of an unexpected place.

Here celebrating my blog's one-year anniversary, celebrating being a

• Possibilitarian.
• Experiential Traveler.
• Writer.
• Believer of Following Your Dreams.

Thank you so much for being here, for making my first year an amazing celebration of dreams coming true.

-Mia

PHOTOS, TOP ROW:  Boreas Pass and Breckenridge, Colorado, where my creative spirit dared to leap forward and believe. September 26, 2009. I reached the steps of an unexpected place.

PHOTOS, BOTTOM ROW:  One of four windows in my living room. Sun hoop earrings by Sacred Cake, a pair I often wear. Treasures at the entrance of my home. A paper flower from a wedding, showing my niece that life is full of wonderful surprises. Go. Follow your dreams, they know the way.

As we say in Vietnamese, cảm ơn bạn rất nhiều.
Thank you so much.

Thank you for making the journey to March, the month we celebrate
our one-year anniversary here and on Twitter, a special one.

Thank you for the ƒ๏ℓℓ๏ω, the laughs, the cheers, and smiles along the way.

Your tweets were treasures that always brightened the dayツ

-Mia-


For readers who have subscribed to Monday Musings via email, click the ♥♥♥♥
to view the sweet tweets, which may not show up as a photo slide in your email. Thanks!

NO MATTER HOW DARK THE MORNING, THE SUN ALWAYS RISES. 

Join me here next week on Monday
for a new scene in my story, my MORNING SUN,
a historical fiction in progress.


✶ UPDATE: NEW SCENE SHARED FROM CHAPTER FIVE. ✶
✶ Follow my journey into writing. ✶


✶✶✶✶✶✶✶


Thank you, Jennifer, for asking and encouraging me
to share a scene from my novel in progress.
Thank you, Kelly, for also expressing an interest in my work.
Jim, thank you for reminding me to not give up.
Sisters, I hear your cheers. Thank you for being a constant force of support.

And to Tom, thank you
for the gift of VIETNAM: JOURNEYS OF BODY, MIND, AND SPIRIT
and these words on the inside cover:


May this book be a guide and reference ...
Good luck, good writing ... I await the beauty of MORNING SUN.


Thank you to our readers who come here every week
to be part of a special community. Inspiring. Encouraging. Believing.

I am doing things I never thought I would dare to do.
Thank you.

-Mia-


The photos above were taken as the sun was rising over Lake Michigan
on September 27, 2010. Chicago, Illinois.

✶ A top story in Anita's Finding Inspiration Daily, The Becoming Daily, virtualDavis Daily Digest, Write On Daily, and other online papers. 2010 - 2012. ✶