Where Will You Be on Valentine's Day?

If you lived in San Francisco, you could take in the Gourmet Chocolate Tour on Valentine's Day.

In New York City, you could spend thousands of dollars at Tiffany's.

You could shop online and customize your own M&M's.

You could spend way too much time in the Hallmark store searching for the right card.

-OR-

You can share your love by giving to Hospice of Central Ohio!

Join us for our benefit concert, "It's All About Love" on February 14th in Newark, Ohio!

For more details, please visit: http://Celestial-Voices.webs.com

 WE WILL have chocolate and decadent desserts! What is that? Wine too? Of course!

See you there!

'Tis the Season

What a way to kick off the holidays for 2014. On Sunday, December 7^th, I shared an incredible day with 39 other authors at the Delaware District Library, Orange Branch. All of the authors who participated are based in the Central Ohio area. There were writers who have passion about relationships, animals, retirement, medicine, self improvement and those who love to write novels about fantasy, mystery, sports and history.

I have always believed that I am exactly where I am supposed to be and on that day, the library coordinator had positioned my Single 101 table next to an expert and author on numerology. As we met and greeted the library patrons, signed books and networked with the other writers, Nancy Fairbrother and I shared our experiences and the joyful journey of being an author. Nancy was there with her eBook, “Born to Succeed”. Those of you who are a part of the Single 101 Nation can guess immediately where this is going, because you know I was intrigued by her book and yearned to know more.

In my Single 101 blogs, journals and scratchings on the desire of flying solo, a greater part of my passion has been about success. Whether it is success in relationships, career or simply finding peace, those 6 letters always float to the top. It has also been interesting to me throughout my life that the second half of the word ‘success’ is one of my nicknames, Cess.

Nancy Fairbrother asks us, “What is success?” These are her statements:

Success is living with passion, enthusiasm and joy.

Success is experiencing the delight of expressing your authentic self.

Success is using your challenges as opportunities for personal growth.

Success is using your innate genius to serve your highest good and the highest good of others.

Nancy writes, "You were born to succeed in every area of your life. Your personal formula for success is encoded in your birth name and birth date." Her e-book shows you how to reveal your life purpose and the key to creating the life of your dreams.

Check out Nancy Fairbrother’s eBook on Smashwords, Kindle, or Nook.

Living the single life will always present new challenges and it’s definitely worth the time to look deeper with the help of experts like Nancy Fairbrother. Visit her website at: http://YouWereBornThatWay.com

After having the great opportunity of meeting Nancy, my theme for 2015 is “success”!

Thank you once again to Joe O’Rourke and his great staff of the Delaware District Library, Orange Branch for a lovely author’s event.  If you live in the Delaware or Columbus area, stop in over the holidays and relax by their wonderful fireplace with a great book.

As we close another year and begin a fresh look at the horizon, pick up a copy of “Single 101:101 New Year’s Resolutions” on Kindle, downloadable to Kindle Fire, iPad and iPhone.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Single-101-New-Years-Resolutions-ebook/dp/B006RY6IP4

Share your theme or goals for 2015 by commenting here!

Happy Holidays!

XO,

Celeste   Cess  :)

http://Single-101.com

 

 

AskMen.com Relationship Survey

AskMen.com decided to survey their readers to find out what it means to be a man in today’s world. Opinions and roles have changed dramatically throughout the past few decades. You may be impressed at how compassionate and considerate today’s man is with regard to the woman in his life.

The percentages of the answers are very revealing in how men view their roles in relationships. Here are a few of the AskMen questions:

Of the four choices listed below, which is the most important personality trait for deciding if a woman is relationship material?

40% a sense of loyalty

25% sense of caring and nurturing

16% sense of humor

19% intelligence

Comment:  Okay, so some women might view these answers responding that you have to display that you think he’s funny, take care of him because every man needs a mother, be loyal even if he cheats and you don’t have to be very smart. (just sayin’)

 

Do you believe in the institution of marriage?

76% yes and one I would participate in

16% yes, I believe it is an institution, but it’s not for me

8% no, I do not believe in marriage

 

Is it important for a girlfriend to have wife potential?

48% somewhat, although I won’t break up with her if I realize she isn’t wife material

32% yes, I won’t bother pursuing a woman who isn’t a potential wife

20% no, I don’t look that far ahead in my relationships

Comment: “material”- the Encarta English dictionary defines this as the substance used to make things. The Thesaurus lists- fabric; cloth; textile; stuff; substance; matter; bits and pieces. Can you find a better word?

 

If there were no chance of your partner finding out, how likely would you be to cheat?

40% not at all likely, I might be tempted, but cheating violates my morals

32% not very likely, I may be tempted, but I love and respect her too much

19% somewhat likely, but I would feel guilty, nonetheless

5% very likely, she can’t be hurt if she doesn’t know about it

Comment: Ouch, is your mate or better half in that 5 percentile?

 

Who should pay on a date?

45% both parties should take turns

51% he should

3% always go Dutch

 

Have you ever read your partner’s Facebook messages, email or other electronic correspondence?

37% no, I respect her privacy

24% yes, but with her knowledge

17% no, but I would if I suspected she was up to something

15% yes, I have broken into her email and social media accounts

Comment: I wonder why ‘trust’ wasn’t listed as a choice to that first question.

 
To read more, check out AskMen.com. We’d love to hear your answers to these questions here on the Single 101 blog.  Post a comment.

 

The Bible as We Know It- or- Do We?

On a blustery, snowy Saturday evening, I joined a friend to see the film, “Monument Men”.  As we entered the theatre, it wasn’t listed on the menu board and the last feature had been presented that afternoon.

We checked out what choices in other films were offered, should we decide to stay and chose the new sci-fi, fantasy “Noah”, in I-Max format.  At the start, we were uncomfortable in the theatre with the maximized volume of sound, which pounded your head and bounced you around in your seat from its strength.

Starring Russell Crowe, this Darren Aronofsky-directed epic has met with much controversy.  My friend and I left the theatre with mixed feelings as well, but the greatest effect it had on me was the motivation to open my Bible and read the book of Genesis.  After seeing an interview this morning with the director, I have a new take on the film and understand it not merely as art, but a provocative look at the destruction of the world by water.  It is truly a brave new world where younger audiences desire the X-game approach to film design, but I still don’t see the need for the gargantuan transformer-looking rock men called ‘The Watchers’.

What does this have to do with being single?  In the story of Noah, man was to be destroyed and the innocent, the animals of the Earth, were to be saved, each species by two.  In this new film, Noah’s family is spared, but not every member is left with a mate.

    If you were on board the ark, would you be satisfied with being single and left alone 
without a partner?

My answer, from a lighter approach, is that I’d be just fine, as long as all of the animals were saved. Much greater is the fact that the planet Earth was saved.  Left with being single on the ark would have still been a gift, offering the chance to see the world once again.  I just wonder about all of the sea life that wasn’t affected in deeper waters.

Finally, the best shot in “Noah”, for me at least, was at the end where the dove returned to the ark carrying a stem of something green in its beak, a sign that life existed and God, or the Creator was still with us.

Who are we to judge?

With so many critics weighing in, who have knocked down the film before even opening in theatres in the United States, who are we to be the judge?  I congratulate the director and his writers for having the courage to create a biblical film, fifty years after the Cecil B. DeMille story of Moses. What would we write if compelled to do the same?  Do we have the courage to share the possibilities of history?  For an experience that makes you think and question, I recommend seeing this film.

On the Battlefield of Cancer

    Author Celeste Friedman shares her experiences with her late mother, Awanna Reichert, who fought a valiant battle with cancer for twenty-plus years.  In her newly released e-Book, “Among the Fallen Leaves” she tells the story from the view of her journal, “On the Battlefield of Cancer”.

    Each day, we learn of countless individuals who have some form of cancer.  Most of the world now has somewhat of an understanding of what this monster is and its name has become a part of our daily dialogue.

    There are over one-hundred forms of cancer and research is unveiling more about metastasis.  After a radical mastectomy in February of 2013, her mother’s oncologist informed them of the grave possibility that the cancer would metastasize the bones, lungs and spleen.  A former nurse, Celeste’s mother refused to go through any further treatment, as she believed that her eighty-five years on this earth had been enough.  With her strong belief that life is in God’s hands, she continued to fight, still hoping for an unparalleled breakthrough.

    Current statistics show there are approximately 155,000 Americans living with metastatic breast cancer.  40,000 of those individuals will die within the coming year.  The American Cancer Society estimates there will be 232,670 new cases of invasive breast cancer diagnosed in women in 2014 and possibly 18 million by 2020.  To date, there are 2.8 million documented breast cancer survivors in the United States.

    If caught early enough, many cancers are manageable.  Some of the most common treatments for cancer include chemotherapy and radiation, miraculously killing the abnormal cells, if you are one of the fortunate.  The cost endured from treatment can be insurmountable, having a critical impact on a patient’s financial situation and adding a tremendous burden on the family.  Cancer takes its toll on everyone and the price that is paid emotionally is immeasurable.

    The National Cancer Institute predicts that the amount of money Americans will spend on cancer treatments yearly will reach a staggering $158 billion by the year 2020.  Since the 1950’s, the American Cancer Society has been committed to intensive research with regard to preventing cancer; the link between cigarette smoking; lung cancer and other risks such as obesity.  To learn more, visit the following online links:
www.CancerResearch.org
www.CancerCenter.com
www.Cancer.org – The American Cancer Society official website.

For more on Celeste’s upcoming eBook release, please visit http://BattlefieldofCancer.webs.com

Reason Number 75- Freedom to Pursue Your Passion

Dear Single 101 Friends,

I have been away for the past few months caring for my mother, who fought breast cancer for twenty years. She was a warrior and a champion. Due to the angels and volunteers of Hospice of Central Ohio, she went peacefully just before dawn on a frigid December morning just before Christmas. Her soul is now free to expand in eternity.

My mother and I spent countless days, months and hours together, agonizing over medical decisions and existing in a life of ambiguity. Leonardo da Vinci taught that we must embrace life’s uncertainties.

As I get back on track with Single 101 blogs, I’d like to share da Vinci’s wisdom and highlight Reason Number 75 from my book, “Single 101: 1201 Reasons to Celebrate Being Single”.

Reaching the summit of your full potential is a tough climb, but so worthwhile. If you’re single, there are far more opportunities for self-actualization and reaching your goals. It is possible that you have experienced times in your life when a partner or spouse held you back or distracted you from focusing on your heart’s desires and dreams. Life is too short. Go for it all fearlessly!

Check out the seven steps to genius, designed by artist, scholar and inventor Leonardo da Vinci:

“The Seven Principles”

1. Curiosita- the unrelenting quest for continuous learning.

2. Dimostrazione- the commitment to test knowledge through experience and persistence.

3. Sensazione- continual refinement of the senses, especially sight, which enlivens life’s experiences.

4. Sfumato- literally meaning, “Going up in smoke”- the willingness to embrace ambiguity, paradox and uncertainty.

5. Arte/ Scienza- the development of balance between science and art, logic and imagination.

6. Corporalita-the cultivation of race, ambidexterity and poise.

7. Connessione- a recognition of and appreciation for the interconnectedness of all things and phenomena, also known as ‘systems thinking’.

To learn more, visit: http://www.davincisciencecenter.org

If You're Afraid to Go It Alone, Don't Read This!

If you don't need the bed all to yourself, don't read this! If you love sharing the milk jug in the refrigerator with someone who sneaks a slurp or two, don't read this! If you don't mind living with a slob, don't read this! If he's insanely jealous that you having male friends in addition to your female friends, don't read this! If he's so adorable hogging the remote and being the master controller of the thermostat, then . . . well?

There are those who believe that if you are not in a relationship and prefer living alone, you just exit and don't really live. Yes! When it's five below zero in the middle of winter and he insists on sleeping with the bedroom window open, now, that's living! Is that guy the Prince Charming you waited for all of your life?

Those who try to influence you with fear and negativity will never understand the strengths of flying solo. They're bullies who never experience the possibilities because they don't want to know. It may be true that there are some who are really living life and those who are just existing, but the latter is not true for the majority of singletons and factually, countless men and women end up just existing when locked in a marriage.

Um, is this 2013?

Guess what? No matter what the cowardly bullies say, you don't have to be one half of a couple to feel complete. Single people who have chosen to remain single are actually enjoying life, especially in the way they choose to live. Single men and women have been labeled many negatives, but until you embrace the possibilities, you'll never know.

You may want to try living single for a period of time before you enter into another relationship and you're bound to discover who you truly are. In this so-called sophisticated and evolved society, people will knock you down for managing your life on your own without a spouse or partner. It's true that single parents cannot possibly give equitable time, energy and creativity compared to what two parents can do. However, life goes on in the same manner as when you're the sole grocery shopper, mower of the lawn, changer of every light bulb and air-filler-upperer of every flat bicycle tire. It all gets done and you are a champion.

If you're like some women who convince themselves that they can tolerate mediocrity with a condescending mate, then why are you still reading this? One of the saddest moments you can experience is when you've realized how lonely you are in a relationship. No matter what you have tried to stay committed, communicate or make an effort toward building your relationship with your partner or spouse, you discover that you've wasted precious time. Your time- your life.

Doggie Doo and Cat Vomit
I will admit that it would be nice for someone else to handle a few chores now and then, especially when the gross things that cats do make it impossible to get the stains out of the carpet. Hair balls aside, there is one great benefit to having sole responsibility of walking your dog. You get fresh air, exercise and both you and your buddy cherish the time you've spent together. You may have to convince yourself now and then that you'll survive when your Golden Retriever is taking ten minutes to pee on one bush and the frost is developing into icicles on your eyelashes. It is most definitely true that what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. It's huge. Taking the first step across the threshold into single status is all about strength and courage.

Serenity is the Key
In what is probably the most complicated and challenging times in our world, peace and serenity are hard to find. If you're ready to make a change, find the happiness you deserve and not laden yourself with insurmountable guilt, it's time to go and you have had the key all along.

From "Single 101, 101 Reasons to Celebrate Being Single", remember Reason #24- you never have to be afraid to go it alone. Thanks for reading through to the end!

From our Friends at Purina

I have to share this wonderful story recently published on Purina's PetCetric site!

The Perfect Friend
by Rebecca Desfosse

Marni can't wait to get out of work each day. No, she doesn't hate her job or dislike her boss. She's just crazy about her dog. "When I pull up to my house and see that adorable face in the window, all the stress and irritation of the day are just gone." Marni's gaga over her pet's love.

Forget that old cliché of a single woman and a gaggle of finicky felines. Marni, a single woman living in New Jersey, is all about dogs - namely, her cocker spaniel Chico. Why is Marni crazy about Chico? Well, she'd love to name the reasons.

"Now that I have a dog, I get more exercise." Chico and Marni go for long walks on the boardwalk and like to go hiking. Since Marni adopted Chico a year and a half ago, she's lost five pounds. That's mostly thanks to daily walks around the block with Chico in addition to the longer walks they enjoy on the weekends. "He gets me moving," she says.

He's also great company. "With Chico, I don't feel alone. He's my constant companion," Marni admits. That makes spending the holidays as a single woman much more bearable. It also means extra security at home. "I just feel safer with Chico around," she says. It's true. Chico acts like the perfect guard dog - barking at anyone who walks past the house. He's very protective of her. He also loves to greet Marni at the door after a long day at work. "The second I walk in the door, I'm showered with kisses from Chico."

However, she's not overly close to her dog. Pets love human attention, but they also need time on their own. Marni loves Chico a lot, but she'll leave him home to go out on a date or with her friends. He's also not a stand-in for a kid. She avoids what she calls "baby talk" at all costs. "I realize I need to go out and socialize - it can't all be about the dog," she says.

She go to lengths to socialize on her own, but Marni sure spends plenty of time spoiling Chico. He eats the highest-quality organic food, wears a pricey leather collar, and gets a monthly grooming session at the local pet salon. "I definitely spend a lot of money on Chico," Marni says. She also brushes his teeth each day, hoping to keep him healthy for years to come.

Will Marni adopt another dog? She's not sure. With Chico, she feels like life is complete. She might get a second though, just to give Chico a friend. "Sometimes I think he must get lonely all day by himself," she says. Pets love the company of another animal throughout the day. A new pet won't take the place of Chico in Marni's heart, however: "No other dog can take his place. Though there's always room for more."

Rebecca Desfosse
Adoptive mom to two dogs and a cat, Rebecca Desfosse understands life with pets and why we love them.

A Letter to the President

So many of us would like to have our voices heard.  Maybe you've wanted to write to the President of the United States, but procrastinated, thinking it would end up in an oval office shredder.

This is one woman's recent correspondence.

April 17, 2013

Dear President Obama,
In a recent press conference, you stated, "As humans we can identify galaxies light-years away. We can study particles smaller than an atom, but we still haven't unlocked the mystery of the three pounds of matter that sits between our ears."

On April 1st, surgeons removed a 7.5 lb. mass from my abdomen and three additional cysts from my left fallopian tube. Pathology results proved the same conclusion, another mystery of life. My mother, who has stage four breast cancer had surgery in February to remove a cancerous tumor, along with her left breast. A second surgery looms for her, but we don’t know how much time she has.

We have survived the recession until this point, although I’ve needed to borrow funds to keep my self-employed business alive, incurring more debt. Within the last two months, we have hit a wall with no work, medical bills arriving and facing home foreclosure. We have had my mother’s home for sale since 2005 and I know that I will have to prepare to lose my own home as well. Every application I have completed with Federal and State government agencies who have been designed to help the elderly and the disabled are finding us ineligible.

I am 59 years of age, challenged with rheumatoid arthritis for the past twenty-five years and my mother is 85. My SSD and her SSI is unsubstantial for survival. Our economic challenges, rise in the cost of living, gas and utilities are shutting us out, dividing us from those who get through the doors of new opportunities.

Will our government’s $100 million investment in new research of the brain unlock the area that will lead us to answers for our survival? Will we be more intelligent and wiser? Are there any programs forthcoming to help Americans like my mother and I bounce back or recoup what we have lost? We are among the countless American citizens who do not want to leach off of the government. We don’t need a hand-out, just a leg up and who will keep us from being written off? Will studies of the brain produce new solutions for people like us?

Hoping for your personal attention and reply.

Sincerely,
American from Ohio

Sunshine and Me

It's finally here. "Sunshine and Me" by Celeste Friedman.

A heartwarming story of cat rescue and happy endings.

Now available for download to Kindle and Kindle Fire: http://www.amazon.com/Sunshine-and-Me-ebook/dp/B00B1WDHR4

　

Here are a few excerpts and a peek inside . . .
 . . . His routine was the same, showing up every couple of days or a week later.  What he was putting me through! He wasn’t my cat, but was he my cat?  Still, I was concerned for his welfare daily.


 . . . Sunshine continues to be pressed for time, as if he’s late for an appointment or a date.


 . . . At this point, I have reluctantly kept Sunshine’s adoption ad updated and as beautiful as he looks in his photo, no one has inquired. Maybe no one was supposed to.


 . . . There is a new lady in his life, an all black long-haired beauty with brilliant green eyes and very chatty. He escorts his new love to the deck and up to the back door, as if it is necessary to be ceremonial about it. Sunshine puts his front leg, forearm, if you will, around her neck and grooms her face. He is smitten, for sure. 

　
. . . Suddenly, the big day arrived. It was a hot August afternoon and I happened to be near the door to witness Midnight leading the kittens into my backyard. Following obediently behind her in a straight line, they parade across the lawn and up the steps onto the deck.  Midnight lies down in the middle of the deck and stretches out, content, yawning and ready for a nap. The kittens stay near to her, watching and waiting for her next move. They are a bit spooked by me and keep their distance.  Sunshine comes around the corner of the house and stations himself on the top step of the deck. They appear to recognize him immediately. I know in that moment that this is not my house anymore.

　
. . . Sunshine continues to linger on the railing of the deck in the evenings, gazing off into the distance, either waiting for someone or daydreaming. We both ponder about survival. Feline or human, we possess instinctive ways of smelling the coming rain or sensing changes on the horizon. Of course, he’ll never understand my concerns of finding work, paying the bills, keeping our house and being able to afford the cat chow. Regardless, he has become the architect of my greatest priorities.