One World One Heart 2011!

Welcome to the 2011,  5th annual (and FINAL) celebration of the One World One Heart bloggers' event.    If you 'click back' to the beautiful site of A Whimsical Bohemian, you will find countless blogs - from all over the world - and each one will be hosting a giveaway!   As Lisa explained when she founded the event, it's a giant open house, with door prizes at each stop -- what could be more fun?!    It's too bad that this is the last OWOH giveaway, because it is also my FIRST time to participate in the event!   The only rules for entry are that you must be 18 (or have adult permission), you can be anywhere in the world, and you must leave a comment with contact information to enter into the random drawing for each prize.   A sort of Meet and Greet for grown-up bloggers, no admittance charge, no travel required.     How cool is that?!

So hello! to any new visitors, I am so happy to meet you, so glad you could stop by.   And welcome back! to any regular visitors -- I met many of you in last year's event!

My name is Gail, I used to work as a government lawyer until I lost my job a year and a half ago and so far I haven't found my way to replace it.    Some days I think I will -- I must! -- work again, if only to earn more Island Time (because I am a Sanibel Island junkie).   Other days, not so much, as I find myself content with my own cooking and my own backyard.    If left unchecked, I tend to be a hermit, although I fight that impulse when I remember to do so.   I am a grandmother, and those little faces are my primary addiction.   I travel when I can, visit New Orleans most years, and have been to Alaska a couple of times.   I spend time on Sanibel Island, Florida, whenever I can, where I visit friends, enjoy the beauties of nature, and pick up seashells to add to my collection.    Here at home, I target shoot, work on learning to fly-fish, bake, and cook.   My life is mostly calm except when calmness is outside my control.  No drama, please, I have had my fill of drama.   But that's another story.  When I started this blog, I intended it to be more about environmental issues, but as you can see, it ended up being about me, me me.

About my door prize:    Unfortunately, I have no authentic creative talents to share, so my prize is an tribute to my preference for calm.     When things get frantic and I need to find my center again, these are little things that can help me get there.    Sipping chocolate or tea and a snack.   A little quiet time to remind myself how lucky I truly am.    I recommend the sipping chocolate from Trader Joe's, which you would add to milk -- yummy.    But when you aren't in a chocolate mood, another favorite is Tazo Chai tea, guaranteed to warm your tummy.   The winner will receive both beverages, along with a tiara, because really, who doesn't need a tiara!    There will be a snack, too, but I don't know yet what it will be.    And maybe I'll toss in an extra surprise or two, just so you'll know how special you are to me!

To enter my giveaway, please leave a comment, along with the link to your blog and contact information.    I will number all comment-ers and do a random drawing on February 17.   I will announce the winner here and will also send them an email to notify them that they have won.

Thank you for stopping by, it is so nice to have visitors.   I hope you will come again!   And good luck!