Squidoo Challenges vs Life Challenges

Sure wish I'd quit falling off the face of the earth.  It just makes everything so dang hard to catch up with.  But you know how life is...stuff happens.

There I was, finishing up the Giant Top100 challenge with My 100th Lens ~ A Tribute to 100 Lensmasters, and feeling on top of the world, when BOOM, hubby finds a melanoma lump on our Toby's jawline.  This is Toby's second round with canine cancer and he beat it again, Thank God.  Poor hubby was diagnosed with COPD, but then responded quickly to a short course of antibiotics and prednisone, again~Thank God. 

The kicker that broke our hearts, though was unexpectedly losing my mother-in-law on October 6th.  Her passing is now three weeks apart from the anniversary of my own  mom's passing on Nov 1st. 

Yea it was tough to get through all that, but we did.  All that stuff was happening in the space of about 4-5 weeks.  What a tornado!  Seems like I just turned around and here it is today.  WOW!  How did that happen?

Anyway, here I am back and things are easier every day.  Well, except maybe catching up!  Yoinks!  I still managed to graduate (sorta) Rocketmoms Session 3.  I also graduated from September 2009 Giant Squid School.  Stand by for a  link to that page ~ it was fun!

Glad to be back among  the living; come back soon now, I got lots to tell you!
Blessings,
Sylvia

Two Budding Squids Invited To RocketMoms!

It's my great honor to announce that not one, but two of our Budding Squids have been invited to RocketMoms Session 3. I'm so proud of Patti (abeautifulsecret) and Wilma (mainmom7501), I could just burst! These two ladies worked hard on their Squidoo lenses these last two weeks.

Patti wasn't new to Squidoo but wanted to learn how to make better lenses as well as pick up some tips and ideas. She's the Owner of A Beautiful Secret, and the Forum Administrator of Independent Sellers Resource Forum. She's also the Mom of 2 beautiful little girls, as you can see on her AboutMe lens, A Little About Me.

Wilma is new to Squidoo, but is soaking everything up like a sponge! I keep telling her she's a natural born squid. LOL Wilma is the Owner of A1 Collectibles and Gifts & is the proud Mom of a son and a daughter. She's already getting lots of compliments on her Wilma's Fabulous Smothered Chicken recipe lens.

Please join me in congratulating these fine ladies in their accomplishments by visiting their lenses and leaving them some comments! I'm sure they'd appreciate it!

I too was invited to RocketMoms and I'm sooo honored to be included in this great group of smart women. They produce some of the best lenses I've seen on Squidoo, so I'm looking forward to learning a great deal from them. Thank you for the priviledge of joining RocketMoms!

Well, better get busy! I've still got 31 lenses to make! Yikes!

See you soon!

Totally Squidilicious News!

Well, where in the world have I been, AGAIN? Ok, I confess. I'm working toward The Giant Squid 100 Club. What a challenge! As of today, I'm at 69 lenses and still writing. It's tiring, but so much fun. Gotta keep saying it, you meet the most wonderful people on Squidoo ~ it's the best community I've *ever* joined. I'm glad I'm there and I'm there to stay! (5bj7qaix2s)

My Giant Squid Challenge Team is Willow's Wonder Squids and we're having a great time competing against four other teams! Stop by and check out our lenses and you'll be amazed at what wonderful work is coming from this team. Thanks Willow for all your inspiration, leadership and hard work. I know we're going to win the competition AND meet our goals because of you!

The Giant Squid Buddy Up Project: August 2009 has also been a very rewarding project. There are eight Giant Squids, yours truly included, who invited their friends to join Squidoo and teach them how to make lenses. There are eight great women on my buddy team, The Budding Squid Buddies. We started "class" on August 1st, even though the actual challenge started on August 3rd.

Much to our excitement and PRIDE ~ Mojavelyn, Owner of AlsoShop Auction Site, made a Squidoo lens on her very first day!! WOW! Mo rocked my socks off! LOL Please stop by and visit Mo's lens. I'd be so happy if you'd give her a rating (5 stars I hope!) and leave her a comment congratulating her on her fine lens AlsoShop Top Sellers.

Well, I better scoot and get some work done. I SOOO promise not to be a stranger, ok? There's so much to tell you, I MAY be back later...LOL

Blessings,
Sylvia

Lordy, How Time Flies! Squidoo Time, Of Course!

Where in the world is Sylvia? What happened to me? LOL! Well, I've been reading the most wonderful lenses, learning from the most amazing expert Squids and getting into the most delicious trouble. hehehehe Next thing I knew, it's today! Holy Squidology, Squidman!

Let's catch up ~ hold on to your hat ~ this is just totally fun!

Since I made Giant Squid, I joined the Senior Squids. What a great group! We're baby boomers, over age 50 & what a hoot some of the members are! You know who you are Drifter! These are people worth knowing, who write lenses VERY worth reading! Be sure to visit the Senior Squids for some awesome reads.

Here are a couple that I especially want to point out ~ totally loved them & I hope you do too:

Angelica, by Heather426;
I've always felt connected to angels since the first time I ever saw a picture of one in a church handbook as a child...and years ago I started collecting angel ornaments, a new one every Christmas. Then as time went on I started buying angel sculptu...

Woman Who Hobbles After Wolves, by grannysage;
This lens is dedicated to wolves and all who love them. I named it "Woman Who Hobbles After Wolves," as a sidekick to my favorite book, "Women Who Run With the Wolves", by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. The reason I am only hobbling after, rather than runni...

Now don't think I wasn't doing anything at all, I mean I did make three new lenses myself.

It's been so hot here in South Texas that I was daydreaming about Aguas Frescas, so I whipped some up in my blender and shared the super easy "recipes" on my new lens, Aguas Frescas - Cool, Refreshing Fruit Drinks From Mexico. Not smoothies, mind you, this is fruity water and oh so goooood!

I don't like throwing things out if they can be reused. I noticed there were some other repurposing, recycling and reusing lenses in the Green Living category, but none about something I'm crafting with lately. Check out my new How To ReUse Old Sheets and let me know what you think, eh?

The third lens I made has to do with a new project I'm working on. A real labor of love. The "Giant Squid Buddy-Up Project" is a month-long challenge and opportunity for the Giant Squids to teach, mentor and support a small team of people they think would make a fantastic lensmasters. Soooo....

I stopped by some forums and invited some friends. Then, I made my own lens to be able to showcase their work ~ Budding Squid Buddies Squidoo Buddy Up Challenge. Say that 3 times fast, I dare ya. LOL Take a look at *that* lens would ya? The challenge officially starts on August 1st, but we've already got a Ning group set up and I have copious notes. hehehe We're bound to have some fun. Contact me by 07-31-09 if you want to join the challenge; class will be closed that day.

Well, I'm whooped just writing about what I've been doing. DOH! But wait, there's more! I'll just have to tell you about it next visit...muahahaha!

Don't forget to subscribe if you haven't already & please tell all your friends about us. Leave me a comment & let me know what you think or just to say hey. We'll see you soon!

Blessings,
Sylvia

Today, I Am A Big Fish, er Squid...I'm A Giant! WOW!

Hi! I'm Sylvia and I'm a Squidoo Lensmaster (or should that be lensmistress, lol). Today, I received the best squid-news! Working hard down to the wire to meet the required number of lenses, I chewed my nails waiting for the anticipated notification. Would my lenses be good enough? Would I make the grade? WOW! I did make it!! WOO HOO! I'm A Giant Squid!

What the heck is Squidoo, you say? And what in the world am I talking about? Good grief, I was gushing and skipped that part, huh? Well, Squidoo is this awesome site where you can create web pages for FREE about almost anything you want, plus you can earn money for yourself and/or charity.

That's a very nutshell explanation for an incredibly addicting, super creative site that has changed my life. But rather than put you to sleep with long, techie explanations...why not check out some examples made by some very talented fellow Squids? Here's a very well written Introduction To Squidoo, by Victoria_Neely, another Squidoo Giant. Cool, eh?

Fast forward and take a look at Farrah Fawcett, Forever An Angel. That's mine, and it happens to be my best performing one. Yay!

If you prefer charity works, you can do that too. Here's some I made.

For Michael Jackson, We Are The World, So Let's Start Giving (Donates to ASPCA)

Soldiers' Angels Helps Troops Beat The Heat With Cool Ties (Donates to Soldier's Angels)

Crafts For Charities (Donates to The Humane Society)

Here is my bestest Squid-friend, the very talented Bev, who is also known as BevsPaper. We reached our milestone of Giant Squid, together. She's my inspiration, a beautiful muse and a dear friend. Stop by and visit her lenses, you'll be glad you did!

Time for a teensy shameless plug. If you think you'd like to join us and have the best fun you could have and get paid for it (LOL), just click your heels three times and say I want to be a Squid, too!

Well, have to run kiddies! Lenses to make and others' lenses to rate, you know. I'll be back to gush about the coolest lenses I find real soon!

Toodles!
Sylvia