Well, mostly figured it out – there are still some things that I don’t get. For example, how do I add friends to a “note” when I do an meme?  I need my girl, Leah, to walk me through it, I suspect.  Leah, she’s one of my two closest girlfriends - I found them both on MySpace.  We were friends the first time, back in the 8th grade.

So far, I have a few old friends and even a couple old boyfriends added to my “friends.”  I love hearing from old boyfriends. I’m not a bitter ex, so I like to hear that they are doing well, see photos of their kids, their wives. It’s not that I’m ridiculously balanced or grounded or mentally healthy – I just don’t feel that we are keeping score.  If an ex goes on to find love and happiness, it does not take anything from me and my accomplishments. There’s enough good to go around for everyone, I think.

My ex-fiance, whom I’ve not seen since….’85 or possibly ‘86, put up photos of himself and his family last week. He was a sweet, blonde, cherub-like, curly-haired boy, back in the day.  Mom has this clear memory of him smelling the scratch-n-sniff stickers that my little brother tacked up to his door. Today, he’s got that hot pirate look going on – tan, shaved head, huge tattoo, earrings. It suits him. Mom said, “Wow. So, manly.” I’m pretty sure that he’s still the type to stop and admire a kid’s scratch-n-sniff stickers. 

I sent a message to another old beau. This one, he’s from way back – the 10th grade, when I was 15.  I wasn’t very good to this boy.  He was just my type – rebellious, lovely skin, great smile, good kisser  – but he had this slow, gentleness to him that I was too young to appreciate at the time.  I’m hoping to hear that this man is doing well, too. I’d like to admire photos of him, his family, maybe his wife, and smile because he’s living a good life.

My computer has brought me so many good things over the years, including a way to earn a living, but absolutely the greatest gift it’s given me is the re-introduction of old friends.  My last love, we found each other through Classmates.com and even though that hasn’t turned out the way that I had hoped, I still wish him the best, and hope to hear from him from time to time. 

How about you – have you ever looked up an old boyfriend on Facebook? How about MySpace or Classmates.com?

Post from: Blisstree

Facebook and Looking For Old Boyfriends

For more information on Wear Red Day, as well as other February Heart Truth events, like the Red Dress Fashion event held during New York Fashion Week, then please look here.  

I hope that you have the opportunity to take part in National Wear Red Day.  Remember, studies show that men prefer ladies in red.

Post from: Blisstree

National Wear Red Day for Heart Truth

Apparently, he has very little to say beyond, “How are you doing? Me and my buddy were out late…,” that kind of thing. I commented on his photos, that’s what he contacted me about in the first place, but I got the impression that photography is not one of his intersts, after all.  We have nothing in common. Nothing.

I think what I’m going to do is find some new female friends – not instead of the friends that I have, but additional friends.  I would like to find friends who enjoy biking or running or…….well I’ve always wanted to try a book discussion. 

So far I’ve decided that to do this I would probably need to join some groups.  I could join the local VELO riding group – I’ve done some volunteer work with them through Girl Scouts and they seem like nice people.  I could join the running group. I could look for a book club.

I could…….. Any ideas?  Where did you meet your circle of friends?  I work with some nice people, but we don’t hang out together. I have a bunch of new neighbors – maybe when the weather is nice and people are hanging out on their patios?

I want to stop focusing on men and dating for awhile. I don’t want to get into the needy frame of mind which could lead to dates with men who I really don’t have anything in common with, just because I’m hungry for another adult to talk to. 

Meeting new people is so easy when you are kid, but for busy adults – not so easy.

Post from: Blisstree

How Do You Meet New People?

I picked up one our local weekly papers and this is what my horoscope said:

Happy Holy Daze Leo!

If I could give you one gift for the holidays, it might be a magic object to add to your love altar – something like a pomegranate resting on red velvet, or a golden heart-shaped magnet or Pablo Neruda’s book 100 Love Sonnets. What?  You don’t have a love altar? Well then please begin creating one as soon as possible, and continue building it throughout 2009. For the next 12 months, the time will be right to get smarter, wilder, and kinder in your approach to creating an intimate connection.

Wow, that sounds exciting!! (Read it like this, “X-cite-TING!) 

I’m going to get to work on my “love altar” right away. Any suggestions? Candles, of course, I can probably find something great from my favorite soy candlemaker.  I like to keep sea shells (another fish in the sea?) and plants close to my bed, so they seem fitting.

Possibly a picture of Robert Pattinson?  No, that’s probably pushing it, aiming a bit too high. I wonder if Robert Pattinson has a slightly older brother, or an uncle?

I’d love to hear your ideas. Please share them with me or better yet, start building a love altar of your own. Even you non-Leos. If you are intersted, you can see your horoscope here.

Image credit: All Posters.com

Post from: Blisstree

Ever Hear Of A Love Altar?

Retired couple, Honey and Ray Smith have dressed alike every day for the past 5 years.   Their closet is full of matching size small and size medium shirts, pajamas, watches, two sizes of matching croc shoes (yuck) in various colors, as well as matching pants. Honey does skip the boxer shorts – apparently she enjoys Victoria’s Secret under her matching Hawaiian shirts.  

Together since high school – when they first sported matching outfits for Senior Ditch Day – the couple wears the matching outfits to show the world that they are a happy couple.

“I don’t even think about it anymore,” said Honey. “I just went in one day and bought some shirts for him and some shirts for me.”

The couple had often matched their clothing colors in the past. But after Ray retired in 2003, they decided to match everything.

“The reason is we wanted to let people know we’re happy,” said Ray. “Also, people remember us because we dress alike.”

This is a cute story, they sound still very much in love after 46 years of marriage. They take monthly trips to Disneyland and shop together at the mall. These two enjoy together-time.

I haven’t dressed like Steve since we were dating in high school and got matching t-shirts at Great America and I don’t intend to start now (he wouldn’t look good in a skirt), but I do like to do things that are couple-y… Okay, well I like to hold hands when we go places and to me, this is another version of that. Their matching outfits are like a visual bonding, the clothing version of a hand-hold, a connection.  Does that make sense?  They are showing the world that they are a team. 

What do you think? Do you know a couple like this?  Is there truth in the theory that people grow to look alike as they age?

Post from: Blisstree

Married Couple Has Dressed Alike For Five Years

A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.  ~Phyllis Diller
 

You’ve decided that you are open to meeting someone and you’ve made your wish list known. The next step is to show the world that you are open to meeting someone. The two best ways to do that are to make eye contact and to smile. 

I work midday at an elementary school.  I am a teacher’s aide and I spend lunch hours with about 570 children.  I like all of the students, but there are quite a few special kids that greet me with a big smile each day.  I feel those smiles and appreciate them each day.  Kids seem to instinctively know how to attract friends. They are open and warm. They grab the hand of the child next to them and say, “Lets go………” They are fairly fearless. 

As adults, we learn to put up walls. We learn to be guarded and private and it’s never as easy to make friends once we walk off campus that last time.  Think back to high school. As awkward as it could be, it was often easier to meet kids, to develop a crush, than it is as an adult. Just being around all those peers, having access to so many fellow humans in a similar stage of life, it made a difference. Of course, we were teens then and teens aren’t wired to appreciate what they have, unfortunately. 

I’m going to issue you a challenge.  I challenge you to make eye contact and smile at least 5 new people today.  Try for 10, if possible, but shine that smile of yours on at least 5. 

Here’s what I think will happen, that smile will be contagious.  The person you smiled at, they are going to take that on, internalize that warmth you shared, and they are going to, in turn, shine it back at someone else. I could be wrong, there are some true curmudgeons out there, but that is probably not the kind of person we are hoping to attract anyway. Right? 

Sharing something positive, it’s going to make you feel good, it’s going to increase your confidence. This is a small step, I know, but maybe baby stepping it is the true path to success. It’s the small changes that you can easily make a regular part of your day. 

Give it a try and let me know what happens. Good or bad, I’m curious and if you’ve got a challenge for me, let me know. I’m game for pretty much any sort of self-improvement. I’m not fully formed yet, still a work in progress. How about you? 

Image credit: Michelle Smith

Post from: Blisstree

Lead With A Smile…

A few days later, I saw the same post listed with very few responses in the comment section.  Surprised me, as the guy is pretty cute and the scenery behind him is very intriguing.  I tried to find out more information, as in where the guy is located, but there’s been no word yet.  

Here’s an excerpt from the post:  

I am posting this special message on behalf of a great friend who supports my blog and jokes it at the same time.  We are talking about a fall on the floor funny kind of guy.  We always talk about him finding the perfect girl and he claims it’s next to impossible, especially on the internet.  So I wanted to test out his theory and see if we could prove him wrong.  He (let’s call him Braveheart) is 28 years old and looking for someone in their 20’s as well.  Location is not an issue. 

Why don’t you take a look and let me know what you think?  Where do you think this picture was taken?  Does it look familiar to somebody, somewhere? 

Post from: Blisstree

Would You Date This Man?

Everyone has heard the old adage, “Gentlemen prefers blondes,” right? 

Well, apparently that is not the case. According to a case study conducted by researchers from Florida State University, men prefer women with long, thick, dark hair. It’s biological, the brunette is seen as the healthier female, the most likely mate. Part of the study consisted of one woman in different colored wigs. The long, brown hair was the one that both men and women responded to. As explained by AOL’s Beauty and Health channel:

“The study: Fifty men and 76 women whose average age was 27 rated the attractiveness of women who were depicted in six different photographs. Three of the photos were of the same young, Caucasian woman who had the same facial expression, but her hair was altered by computer to short, medium, and long lengths. Short was really short–cut close to the head and above the ears. Medium length was just a bit below the ears. Long was at least eight inches below the shoulders.”

Men, keep your hair short.The very same study showed that women see men with short hair as more virile. My friend and I were talking about men’s hair just this last weekend. She said that she prefers short hair and I said I don’t care how long it is, as long as it’s clean. My boyfriend wears his hair short and he uses some sort of product on it when he fixes it. I like the days when he showers and leaves it alone. No sticky stuff, just soft hair.   

The article that I read doesn’t mention hair color preference on men. I can tell you what I don’t like – men with colored hair, hiding their gray. Whenever I see a guy with obviously colored hair, I want to say, “Hey, have you ever heard of a guy named George Clooney?”  When it comes to graying hair, men should follow his example, but not with the Caesar thing he used to wear. That was not good. 

What do you think?  Do you still believe that blondes have more fun?  Do you wear long hair or short hair?  What do you think looks best on men?  And where do you weigh in on the product debate – sticky and looks good, or natural and soft, (but best hidden under a hat when you head out to town)?  

Text and photo credit – Michelle Smith

Post from: Blisstree

Which Do Men Prefer – Blondes or Brunettes?

You know, pretty as these boys are, not a single one of them can hold a candle to this guy. (No, not the photo with the goofy face – the one where he’s relaxed and holding a drink…….ahh, refreshing). Maybe I’m getting old, but I like men who look a little bit seasoned. I even like the mustache, but I am hoping that he is wearing some sunscreen. 

Post from: Blisstree

Cosmos Hot Guys of 2008 vs George Clooney

Count decreased risk of both heart attack and stroke in men, a slower rate of aging and better body image in women, as just a few of the ways in which regular doses of intimacy with your partner can improve your overall health and well-being. 

Are you a fan of chocolate? Well, according to 34 Reasons To Have Sex on AOL Health;

“Your sensitivities are heightened after sexual intercourse,” Gardos says. “That bottle of wine or chocolate bar will taste even better.”

Hhm, I wonder if this theory has anything to do with why I love my boyfriend’s cooking so much? I thought it was his skill with fresh herbs and the way he looks in my apron.

Cold and flu season is descending upon us pretty quickly. Why get a flu shot when Newsweek.com advises that;

Sexual intercourse once or twice a week raises the body’s level of the immune-boosting antibody immunoglobin A by a third, according to research at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania.

Regular sex, practiced safely, with a committed partner is good for body and soul. Plus there’s the biggest bonus of all – it’s great fun.

Post from: Blisstree

Regular Sex For Better Health