M.J. Compton's Blog, page 29

One of My Finer Moments

A former co-worker recently passed away. There were many heartfelt tributes to him on social media, all of them well-deserved. He really was a good person. However, we did have a couple of points where our views on life could not have been further apart. One of them was the ERA–the Equal Rights Amendment. As […]

#UpbeatAuthors: Thriftiness

The #UpbeatAuthors theme for the month of December is thriftiness. It’s a timely enough topic, what with the major gift-giving season upon us. My family–parents, sibs, nieces/nephews–came up with a way to have holiday fun without breaking the bank.  Once a person hits the age of 21, there are no more individual gifts. They become […]

Dogs

Lately it seems as if dogs are taking over America. There are dog friendly restaurants, dog nights at the baseball stadium, people who advocate for Bring Your Dog to Work Day. Not everyone loves dogs. I don’t hate dogs–we always had one when I was growing up–but I am wary of them.  If I go […]

#UpbeatAuthors: Friendliness Is Just Being Nice.

Friendliness is kindness, laughter, caring. It’s asking, “Did  you have a nice weekend?” It’s telling someone their lunch smells/looks wonderful or complimenting them on their new haircut. It’s smiling at the antics of the toddler in the grocery cart in front of you in the checkout line at the supermarket. But it’s also telling the […]

Thanksgiving

I count my readers among my many blessings. Thank you.

#UpbeatAuthors: The Little Things

One way to show friendliness is to speak kindly to strangers. I don’t mean start random conversations with someone who could turn out to be an ax murder. I mean if someone is wearing an awesome hat, tell her. If you admire a person’s dress, let them know. “I love your hair!” Let people know […]

Who Invented “Birthstones?”

A few weeks back, I started wondering where the idea of “birthstones” came from. To me, it sounded like a marketing ploy invented by a greeting card company. Turns out I was wrong. Sort of. The origins are Biblical. Old Testament Biblical. The Book of Exodus describes the breastplate of Aaron as having twelve stones, […]

#UpbeatAuthors: Saying Good Morning

My husband has a pet peeve. If someone can’t be bothered to say, “Good morning,” or otherwise acknowledge you–even a “Hi!” will do–he thinks poorly of that person. If someone always greeted him, he maintains a good impression of that person. I always try to say good morning to the people with whom I work. […]

My Stupidest Injury

A few months ago, someone on Facebook asked, “What was your stupidest self-inflicted injury?” I didn’t even need to think about it. When I was three or four, I had my three pet toads (1 big one, 2 little ones) in one of those big, barrel-shaped pickle jars. My dad had helped me poke holes […]

#UpbeatAuthors: Friendliness

This month’s #UpbeatAuthors theme is FRIENDLINESS. When I think of friendliness, I think about the first time I walked into a CNYRW meeting. I “knew” one person, the president, because we’d been on an Internet group together. This was before email groups and the massive use of the Internet by RWA and its chapters. The […]