Category: Question of the Month

Toi contributes to this montly blog hop on the first Monday of each month, designed as an ice-breaker or get to know ypu exercise.

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Question of the Month

#Question of the Month: a #bloghop to think about. No. 9- When have you lost or found love?

A little while ago, Michael D’Agostino, of A Life Examined, brought up the idea of a new blog hop called Question of the Month. He thinks blog readers would like to know a little more about us, the bloggers. So we’re all gathering to show you guys who we are by taking part in the Question of the Month blog hop. On the first Monday of each month, we answer the question that gets posted here.

This month’s question is: “When have you lost or found love?”

Love is such a general term; it’s difficult for me to talk about it without going off on crazy tangents.

I’ve been blessed. I met the love of my life in college, and while I couldn’t stand him at first, we became friends and later fell in love. There really is something special about falling in love with someone you’re such good friends with, but not all love has to be romantic.

I’ve also lost love in my time. I’ve lost friends, people who I thought would always be there for me and vice versa. Alas, when the right circumstances present themselves, you find out exactly where you stand in someone else’s life. That’s not to say that I don’t have some devoted friends, but it still hurts to figure out how not devoted some are.

For me, family is the embodiment of love. I don’t always like or even agree with my family, but I love them and appreciate them so much. It saddens me when I see other people being hateful towards family members, or try to avoid family at all cost, or have a complete disconnect from the people they are related to by blood. However, I also appreciate the fact that not all family members have to be people you are related to by blood. People can say what they will about those “Fast and Furious” movies, but they are a wonderful representation of how family sticks together- if you ignore everything else that’s going on in the movie, hopefully, that message comes across.

Revisiting romantic love briefly, I just wanted to point out that my husband and I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day as a couple. It’s too much of a hassle and is no reflection on the true nature of our relationship. We celebrated it once when we were still dating before we were even engaged. We vowed then to never do it again. We do special and romantic stuff for each other all the time- we’re cool…

With that said, we love to see how other people celebrate it. We love hearing stories of how others have expressed their love and celebrated this holiday.

If you’re interested and have the time, please check out my last BooktagsBlogHop post and perhaps join in.

Also, please visit the other participants in this hop and even join in if you’d like.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

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Question of the Month

#Question of the Month: a #bloghop to think about. No. 8- What are some new year’s #resolutions you’ve had in the past?

A little while ago, Michael D’Agostino, of A Life Examined, brought up the idea of a new blog hop called Question of the Month. He thinks blog readers would like to know a little more about us, the bloggers. So we’re all gathering to show you guys who we are by taking part in the Question of the Month blog hop. On the first Monday of each month, we answer the question that gets posted here.

This month’s question is: “What are some new year’s resolutions you’ve had in the past?”

It’s been a while since I’ve really set any New Year’s Resolutions. I typically have so many other goals and deadlines to meet throughout the year that I simply don’t want to add on to anything at the beginning of the year. Plus, I go through a period of consecration each year, as do many Christians, and that’s usually when I stretch myself either mentally, physically, or both.

With that being said, I’ll admit that in the back of my mind I’m always thinking this will be the year I:
Lose weight,
Read more,
Hone old skills I’ve lost, such as: sewing, speaking Spanish, and programming.

I’d say that the last real resolution I set for myself was back in 2009. I told myself that I’d write a book and then I did. I have other goals I hope to meet, but I’m not setting any limitations on when they’ll get met.

Since it’s a new year, and if you feel like trying something new, why not check out my blog hop. It’s a great way to sample new-to-you books. Check my categories to see previous posts or click on BooktagsBlogHop to learn more.

Also, please visit the other participants in this hop and even join in if you’d like.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Categories
Question of the Month

#Question of the Month: a #bloghop to think about. No. 7- Which one social convention would you get rid of?

A little while ago, Michael D’Agostino, of A Life Examined, brought up the idea of a new blog hop called Question of the Month. He thinks blog readers would like to know a little more about us, the bloggers. So we’re all gathering to show you guys who we are by taking part in the Question of the Month blog hop. On the first Monday of each month, we answer the question that gets posted here.

This month’s question is: “Which one social convention would you get rid of?”

It’s been awhile since I’ve given much thought to annoying social conventions. In some ways, the world has changed for the better in that regard. There was once a time I worried about what to wear to church, but so many churches (not all, but many) have truly embraced the “come as you are” mentality that no one is expected to show up in their “Sunday’s Best” unless they want to or it’s a special occasion that calls for it.

While I think it’s silly for me to “dress up” every day for a job that will literally require me to get down on the floor with children, I do actually like to dress up from time to time. I just don’t like being told I need to. How I dress doesn’t really affect my ability to do my job unless I happen to be wearing a skirt that’s too short to bend over in. If that’s the case, I probably shouldn’t be wearing that at all.

I wonder if hand shaking counts as a social convention. I don’t have a problem with it, but I’ve noticed that people don’t really do it much anymore with introductions unless the setting is formal. Maybe it’s a germ thing or maybe our culture is simply changing. Maybe a man’s handshake isn’t as important as it once was or perhaps it has become so important that people don’t want to squander that moment on casual insignificant intros.

Hugging is where I have a problem. I like to hug people I’m comfortable with, but just because I’m related to someone doesn’t mean I’m comfortable with them. I’m tired of social conventions that state you have to act like you love everyone you’re related to, even when you’ve only just met them. Blood or not, if I don’t know you, I don’t want to hug you.

And why am I expected to give a graduation gift to a cousin’s kid I’ve never met? …

There is one social convention that I’ll keep as long as it’s needed. Business gifts are always uncomfortable to some degree. You know, those gifts you give or get from the people you work with. Just accept the gift, smile, and decide what to do with it later. When you spend as much time with someone as you spend with your co-workers it just seems wrong to not offer some kind of gift for socially accepted holidays, even if it’s just a card. If we’re really honest with ourselves, whether we like it or not, some of us spend more time with our co-workers than we do our families. It would be a bit cold-hearted not to acknowledge them on a significant or mutual day of celebration.

It’s the last month of the BooktagsBlogHop trial period and I hope you’ll consider joining in. It’s a great way to sample a book and get an opinion on it without scouring its list of reviews. Please check it out. BooktagsBlogHop

Also, please visit the other participants in this hop and even join in if you’d like.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords