It's Fri-YAY, friends!! But not just any old Friday; it's Friday the 13th. Are you superstitious about Fridays that fall on the 13th day of the month? I used to be more so than I am now. But even nowadays, waking and realizing it's Friday the 13th gives me a little pause. Hoping and praying that all of us survive this day unscathed by any bad luck!!
Not only is it Friday the 13th but it is also the second Friday of the month which means - drum roll, please - it is time for this month's installment of Where Bloggers Live.
Where Bloggers Live
The “Where Bloggers Live” series was created by Bettye
at Fashion Schlub to
be something like HGTV’s “Celebrities at Home,” but…with bloggers! Bettye
recognized how most of us enjoy peeking behind the scenes and looking inside
people’s homes, interests, and lives. So, "Where Bloggers Live"
was born. Every month these blogging buddies share their lives and their
thoughts in posts based on specific prompts.
These gals have been so patient with my sporadic
blogging. When I told them I might try to reconnect with them for their
first 2026 post of the series, they welcomed me back. I am not yet sure
I'm dependable enough to say I will contribute every month but I always so
enjoyed the monthly themes for "Where Bloggers Live." So, here
I am, joining them for the third time this year.
And check it out!! Em created a new graphic for the group and the series and there I am...
front and center!! Feels good to be back.
Where Bloggers Live 03.2026
This month Bettye challenged us to write about 'glimmers.' That term is one that is fairly new to me. Glimmers are something I have often called little miracles or little blessings in my life. The term 'glimmers' in this sense of the word was first coined by Deb Dana, a clinical social worker, in a 2018 book she authored. Glimmers are positive little moments that spark joy in our lives. They are the opposite of triggers which inflict a negative emotional response.
Glimmers warm our hearts and make us smile. And for me, the more I notice glimmers in my life, the more glimmers I find in my life. This article at
MindBodyGreen.com by Perpetua Neo, Doctor of Clinical Psychology, suggests that "seeking more glimmers is a recipe for a happier, calmer, more connected life." She even recommends taking walks - 'awe walks' - in search of glimmers. Neo writes:
"For me, using a camera is a good way to focus my mind, and
then if I choose to share photos online, it becomes a way of reflecting and a
gratitude journal. This makes it feel like the HIIT version of glimmers, where
the effects last for a long time, and can easily be reawakened."
I've shared how taking photos helps me appreciate the beauty in the world around me. Sunrises, sunsets can be glimmer-inducing. The first star in an evening sky. A smile on the face of a loved one. You can find my most recent The World Through My Lens post, here. It is chocked full of glimmers!!
Always Looking for a 'Sign'
You might remember that I was a single mom for a number of years. More than once. Both times, finances were really tight. Life was stressful and hard more often than not. And I was always looking for a 'sign' as to how I should proceed, which direction I should move in order to get our (the girls and my) lives back on track.
One night in 1990 mid-divorce from my daughters' dad and after going to the mall to purchase some kind of baby gift I couldn't afford to buy, I told myself I couldn't get in my car and go home until I found a penny in the parking lot. It was dark. Seeing anything on the ground was difficult. But I wandered until I finally found that penny. When I did, there was a sense of well-being, like everything was going to be alright. At least for a few minutes!! And, as I always did, I put the penny in my left shoe for 'good luck.'
More Single Mom Blues
Ten years later, my second husband had left our marriage, moved out of our house and walked out on all of our financial responsibilities. I had met with a bankruptcy lawyer who did all the math on our debts vs my income and determined that there was no way I could stay afloat. No way I could pay for everything and keep the house and our cars. He advised me to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy. I didn't feel right about that and chose to file Chapter 13 bankruptcy. That allowed for my debts to be restructured into more manageable payments over a 5 year period. And at the end of 7 years, the bankruptcy would completely drop off my credit history.
But boy, was it a long, hard 5 years. Both of my daughters worked while going to high school, then college, to help out. I worked fulltime as a librarian and had about 3 side hustles going to make ends meet. Many months, they still didn't 'meet.'
On one particular evening, I was especially exhausted and depleted and, as my mother would say - downtrodden. As I set out to take the dogs on their before-bedtime walk, I began to pray asking God for a sign that He was there, and that I was doing the right thing with my life, my daughters, my finances. I hadn't gone very far on our walk when I looked down to find a quarter at my feet. Then a dime. In the next block, a nickel. And right before the pups and I turned for home, I found 3 pennies. One coin in every denomination and 3 pennies, because 3 is my favorite number. God was indeed with me. He was confirming me, validating me and letting me know He was there. And He sent that message in a 'currency' I best understood. I put all the coins in my left shoe for the remainder of the walk. And no doubt slept very well that evening.
My Favorite Glimmer
Since my return to blogging this year, I have alluded to the turmoil I am experiencing with my daughters and their spouses over the crazy state of our government and our country. My past political preferences have been questioned by my family and although I have acknowledged my disillusionment with the current administration and the direction our country is moving, my daughters are still resentful of me for past voting decisions. And our relationships have become very strained.
I have been unable to sleep many nights as we have moved from winter to spring. And really don't know what to say or do to right things.
While we no longer have pups to walk before bed, PC and I often take a sunset stroll around the neighborhood. Sometimes we drive over to the lake and Paul will do a little fishing while I walk on the lakeside path. On one recent such walk, I began praying that God give me the words, direct me in the actions I needed to take to repair the damaged relationships with my girls. I asked Him for a sign that He was there to walk me through these dark days.
I sat down on one of the lakeside benches then looked down at the ground around my feet and this is what I saw.
One coin of each denomination. And because pennies are truly my language of love, God threw in an extra penny this time.
Praise the Lord, things are much better right now between my daughters and me. We have agreed that our country is a mess but that we can't let politics and politicians affect our relationships with each other. My oldest daughter will be here next week for a visit with her 2 children. And I look forward to having both daughters and all the grandangels under my roof and at my table again. Thank You, God, for the loving guidance, support and reassurance.
Pennies from Heaven
This morning I remembered that there was an old song entitled "Pennies from Heaven." Decided to ask AI (with whom I have a very definite love-hate relationship) for info on the background of the song. Here's what I learned:
"
"Pennies
from Heaven" is a popular 1936 song about finding unexpected fortune
during tough times, with lyrics by Johnny Burke and music by Arthur Johnston.
It is a metaphor for finding blessings in adversity, popularized by Bing
Crosby. It also refers to a 1981 film starring Steve Martin and a belief in
signs from deceased loved ones." [source]
The coins I find are certainly blessings during times of adversity or struggle.
When I did a search for coins among all of the photos in my Google Gallery, I came up with a windfall!! For some reason, I feel the need to document each finding with a photo before putting the coin in my left shoe. Always left shoe.
Here are just a few of my recent finds.
Glimmers of Another Sort
As suggested in the above AI quote about Pennies from Heaven, some folks view finding coins as a form of after-death communication. I like blogger Elizabeth Lewis's explanation of this phenomenon in her article
Remembering a Life. She writes:
What
Are Pennies From Heaven?
After
a loved one dies we often look for signs of their continuing existence in the
spirit world. We may sense these signs are direct communication from our loved
one. Or we may sense an angel or God has contacted us on our loved one’s behalf
to let us know that all is well. For some people such signs and messages come
in the form of coins, a phenomenon known as “pennies from heaven.”
Pennies
from heaven are a type of after-death communication. According to a recent
survey by OnePoll, 63% of Americans have experienced some sort of after-death
communication. The communication can come in a variety of ways. For example: we
awake to the scent of a favorite food a loved one used to make for us. Or we
feel someone gently touch us but nobody is there. Or our loved one’s pet now in
our care acts strangely as if they are seeing someone that is to us unseen.
Grief is a very individualized, unique to each person, and the experience of
after-death communication often reflects that individualization, that
uniqueness."
Strangely enough, I don't associate finding pennies (or any other money) with an after-death communication from my mom or dad or grandparents. Instead, I look at butterflies as a message from my loved ones in heaven. Those glimmers make me happy and of course, require a photograph, too. Here are just a few sightings of my mom, dad and grandparents.
I especially like spring and early fall because butterflies are in abundance and I feel more in touch with those family members I am missing so much.
Glimmers or Little Miracles
If you have followed me here from my former WordPress blog, you might remember a couple of different series I participated in where I wrote about little miracles in my life. At that time, I was not familiar with the term 'glimmers' so designated those sparks of joy as little miracles or blessings. They included finding pennies, seeing butterflies, but also kind words, smiles and hugs that were unexpected and most appreciated.
Whatever you call them, glimmers punctuate our days with delight and wonder. The members of my online book club and I are reading (and thoroughly enjoying) our March book of the month, Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford. In Chapter 25, the main character, 77-year-old Jennifer Quinn defines happiness as "one of thousands of little moments which together form a lifetime." Likewise, I believe that glimmers are little bits of happiness that woven together create a lifetime. Your Turn
Are you familiar with this concept of glimmers? What kinds of things bring you moments of joy? Hope you will share your thoughts in a comment below. And then take a few moments to run by the blogs of the other Where Bloggers Live members for their take on glimmers.
The Poppy Fest kicks off this evening. I wrote about it earlier this week, here. Hoping we can run by for some of the festivities over the weekend.
This afternoon, I've been spring cleaning bathrooms. A necessary evil. But they are all done now and I can move on to the bigger job - spring cleaning our bedroom and closet. Makes me tired thinking about it.
Thank you for visiting today. I appreciate your friendship and support. Have a glimmer-filled weekend!!
Hugs and kisses,
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