It was because I wanted to start a blog anew that I set-up WordPress early last month.  At that time, I had an old Blogger that was kept somewhat idle for around three years.  Eventually, I lost steam as I seemed to  have lost direction, or purpose for it.  There was no interaction that came out of it.  Just a bunch of hits.  I thought about rehashing it, give it a face lift like I’ve done many times in the past.

Then, an idea hit me: why not reboot my online life and start all over again?

And so Jar Of Salt was born.  This time, it was for one simple goal: to write from the heart.

Whether it’s one word, one image or one idea — I shall just write.

No SEO, no Google ads.

Just pure expression.

I wanted to see if this new energy will change the course on which my thoughts and my blog will traverse.  To whom it will reach, how and why.

Shortly after the inception of the blog, a vision began to form.  Suddenly, I wanted to see how far the blog can go, to derive inspiration from others,  to meet like-minded people in the blogosphere (and beyond!), and to discover how the goodwill of strangers can make a difference in people’s lives.

And that was how I started to dream.

Little did I know that because of Jar Of Salt,  a community in a remote part of this planet will receive financial aid after reading my post on water advocacy.  I also had no idea people would express support of my work — my writing, my art and my photos.

Today is Easter, and I am reminded that each new day is a chance to begin fresh.  I would like to take this opportunity to show my appreciation by offering a big THANK YOU to all visitors of Jar Of Salt — for dropping in, for reading the blog and for sharing your thoughts

Along with this, I woke up to an Easter morning and received this today:

Thank you very much to the Obscured Dreamer for this nomination!  Your vote of confidence makes a difference and your support serves as an affirmation of what Jar Of Salt is all about.

To spread the cheer and the generosity that has come my way, I have nominated 10  favorite blogs on  this post.  There are a few easy steps to keep the sun shining on your blogs:

1. include the award’s logo in your post

2. link the person who nominated you

3. answer 10 quick questions below

4. nominate 10 other bloggers and  link them in your post, and

5. let them know the good news by commenting on their blogs.

*****

10 Questions

Favorite color:  Turquoise and many shades of green — emerald, olive, apple and celadon.

Favorite animal: Hands down — dogs.  Good dogs

Favorite number: 8 — because I love the shape.

Favorite non-alcoholic drink: fresh ripe mango shake (with mangoes that are sourced from the Philippines!)

Prefer Facebook or Twitter?  Definitely Facebook.

My passion: Primarily, cooking and drawing (not necessarily in that order).  I also taught for 13 years and enjoyed every bit of it.  No, I didn’t teach kids.  I taught an interesting bunch of very grown kids — diplomats, celebrities, politicians, nuns, priests and beauty queens.  I will explain this in posts later on.

Prefer getting or giving presents:  This is tough.  How about this answer: I love pleasant surprises that go both directions.  I enjoy the thrill people get when they receive their loot, but I am also grateful when I am on the receiving end of people’s thoughtfulness.

Favorite pattern: bold stripes.

Favorite day of the week: Because I am a domestic engineer (a.k.a. housewife), I like Mondays — because there is no one in the grocery!!!

Favorite flower: I love receiving roses and carnations — any color as long as they’re all natural without any artificial dyes.   To plant, I love Forget-Me-Not’s (because it reminds me of my grandmother’s garden) and LARGE sunflowers (because it reminds me of when I used to live up north in the mountains)!

*****

10 Blogs

1. Obscured Dreamer

2.  Ana’s Lense

3.  Creating In Alaska

4.  Hotel Dog

5.  Home Spice Life

6.  Domestic Diva, MD

7.  Illustration 365

9.  Enjoy My Adventure

10. Tutti Confetti