SO GOOD TO BE INSPIRED!

      A few days ago I opened my kitchen window just before 6 in the morning here in Jamaica.  The sun was coming up and I saw the view featured below. There is just something about it that made me run for my digital camera! Here are 3 of the shots:

      Shortly afterwards  I saw an awesome Facebook status by another twinless twin, Frances Quinn. I immediately asked her if I could share it here as it has lifted my spirit so much as I face a  birthday later this week without my twin sister.  If you have also lost a relative or known someone who died from cancer I hope it helps you also:
     "What Cancer Cannot Do" - "Cancer is limited... It cannot cripple love. It cannot shatter hope. It cannot corrode faith. It cannot eat away peace. It cannot destroy confidence. It cannot kill friendship. It cannot shut out memories. It cannot quench the spirit. It cannot silence courage. It cannot reduce eternal life."

A FACEBOOK FAN PAGE AT LAST!

I have had a Facebook Profile for almost 3 years. Today I decided to take it to another level and start a Facebook Fan Page for this Blog -Judy H-J's Thoughts - a Twinless Twin I have seen a lot of Bloggers with Facebook Fan Pages and even liked many of them. I welcome anyone who wants to follow and let me know so that I can follow you back. If you wish I would also be happy to hear from those who have Fan Pages as to how they have benefitted from having one.

GOOD LUCK AGAIN!

      I won my first Blog giveaway recently and now I have won round #27 in a raffle at Writing.Com and received some well needed gift points.  The Power Reviewers group is an awesome group and we had a wonderful time reviewing poems, short stories etc. in this month's raid. They really rock and I am happy to be a member. 


      Below is a picture of a personal signature that was given to me by a member called Breaker.  He chose 2 birds that he said represent my twin and me.  I like the idea of us heading towards a rainbow!:) For more details about this you can see a post that I published in my early days of Blogging titled A WONDERFUL BIRD SURPRISE

A FAVOURITE WALL HANGING

My twin and I have had this wall hanging for over 20 years. It has graced the walls of our living-room in several places but now it is near to our bird figurine display unit!  Feathered friends flock together!:) It came all the way from England as a gift from a pen-pal. I hope to have it for many more years.

4 laughing babies

Very funny and cute! As someone born one of multiples I asked my mom if Janine and I ever laughed together when we were babies. She said that she remembers on occasions that both of us smiled and laughed at the same time. I know that at times Janine and I not only smiled and laughed together, we even uttered the same words in unison!:)  

FLOCK TOGETHER BLOG HOP 10/25

      Blogging has been part of the healing process for me since the death of my twin sister in 2008. Since I started this Blog in March of this year I have met many persons from around the world who have lifted my spirit on a daily basis with a wide range of interesting Blog Posts, comments etc. I thank all my Followers and the persons who have encouraged me along the way. I look forward to meeting many more persons. I want to say a special thank you to Mikki of Mom's Best Nest for choosing me to be the "Fine Feathered Friend" and guest host of the Blog Hop this week.

HAVE YOU JOINED NETWORKED BLOGS?!

     
    The days are moving so quickly and I can't believe that it is already almost 9 months since I started Blogging. Well, I noticed that several Bloggers are members of Networked Blogs on Facebook .  I decided to add my Blog last Thursday, October 20. I have already become a Follower of some Blogs that are listed there and will join others whenever I come across them on sites that I am following on Google Friend Connect etc.  Are you on Networked Blogs? What are your views about this network so far? I welcome Followers and will definitely follow back.

MY FIRST GIVEAWAY WIN HAS ARRIVED!

       When my brother checked the post office and informed me that I got a small packet from someone with the surname Hankins I said "Yes! The earrings have arrived!" Thank you very much Erin who has a wonderful Blog called Indiana Coupon Savings for having given me this opportunity. I love the earrings! Below is a picture of them. 


                             
                  Earrings have always been a favourite of my twin and me. You can learn more about this from my earlier post EARRINGS - A BIG FAVOURITE! We have worn a wide variety over the years and it was always a joy selecting the earrings that matched our outfits. We got our ears pierced when we were about 12 years old. I can't remember Janine and I being afraid of the needle then!:) Right now I can picture the small gold drop earrings which were given to us by our mother in those early days.  

ADVENTURES WITH NEEDLE &THREAD!

       I am here thinking about the sewing classes that Janine and I did during our high school days. Mark you, they did not go on for a long period but believe it or not my twin and I managed to make two skirts.  I would not say they were the best of skirts but they turned out okay! :) I wish we had taken a picture wearing them. However I remember they had a green background with some orange designs on them.


       Neverthless I am not hopeless with a needle and thread. I have dabbled with cross-stitch and can crochet quite well.


     In this post I am featuring my work done in cross-stitch.  I can remember how relieved I was to get a card kit not too long after my twin's death. I could not stand a moment of idle time and I was not in the frame of mind to write. I passed the time working on this card and presented it to my mom on Mother's Day.


    Below are pictures of the card and 3 other pieces that I have done over the years. Janine helped a little but I did most of the work. You will notice that they mainly feature birds and have therefore been big favourites for us! I really enjoyed doing them.

                         
       

CHERISHED MEMORIES NEVER DIE!

     I am very happy to participate in the link party at A Dance For 5 where one shares cherished memories.  It is good when one has wonderful memories that live on. Last Sunday was not the easiest day for me as I celebrated another anniversary of the death of my twin. I thank all the persons who supported me with comments on my post, Facebook, phone calls, emails etc.  What has also helped me through difficult times was the fact that I can remember all the good times I had with my twin. I wrote about this in an article which was published in the Summer 2010 Digital online edition of  the American publication, Twins Magazine.  It was one of the early posts on this Blog and was titled TREASURED TWINSHIP MEMORIES.

EXPOSURE 99% WEEKDAY BLOG HOP

Welcome to Exposure 99% Weekday Hop. Thank you for joining us again this week. This  blog hop gives you the chance to link up your Blogs, Reviews, Giveaways, Twitter, Facebook pages and many more. Exposure 99%  hop linky opens every Monday (CST) and closes every Friday. It is a hop that helps you make new bloggy friends,  getting more blog  Followers, blog  Readers, People entering your awesome giveaways, People reading your reviews and many more on your  family friendly activities in your blogs. If this is your first time of linking up in Exposure 99% hop, we hope you  find great blogs to follow and be followed. Big thanks to each of you who writes a blog post about this hop, we really appreciate it and keep up the good work. Finally it will be of great help if you can grab the hop button and place it anywhere in your blog to help us get the word out. You will also benefit. Interested in getting featured  in Exposure 99% hop? Fill out this form HERE.

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* Kindly follow the hostess--- ONE MOMENT IN TIME , Co-host-- JUDY H-J'S THOUGHTS and  this week's  featured blog PERPETUAL PANDEMONIUM   to participate, and let us know you are following so that we can return the love to you. If you are already a GFC follower of our blogs you can follow us  another way ( don't forget to notify us).

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IN MEMORY OF MY IDENTICAL TWIN

     October 16, 2008 changed my life forever. This was the day that my twin sister passed on shortly before midday.  My mom, two brothers and myself will always remember the wonderful times we had with Janine.

                                             Our thoughts are ever with you
                                             Though you have passed away.
                                             And those who loved you dearly
                                             Are thinking of you today.
                                               

                                                  Your life was a blessing
                                                  your memory a treasure...
                                                  You are loved beyond words
                                                  and missed beyond measure...
                                                  
                                            

                                              Those we love don't go away

                                              They walk beside us every day

                                              Unseen, unheard, but always near
                                              Still loved, still missed and very dear.

                                              

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COLOUR?!

    I have been looking through my many albums as I reminisce on the good times I had with Janine over the years. We have worn clothes in a variety of colours but I would say that our favourite colour has always been blue. We also liked green, red, white and brown.  Below are pictures of us in clothes in a variety of shades of blue. Some were fully blue or had blue as the main colour.

What is your favourite colour?!

GET WIRED WEDNESDAY BLOG HOP!

A big welcome to the GET WIRED WEDNESDAY BLOG HOP. I am very happy to be GUEST HOST this week. I want to say a special thank you to VICTORIA VOICE and THREE BOYS AND AN OLD LADY for giving me this opportunity. I invite you all to link up. 

                                                                     
In order to join:

 * Follow the Hostesses VICTORIA'S VOICE and THREE BOYS AND AN OLD LADY
 * Follow me as GUEST HOST - JUDY H-J'S THOUGHTS
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 * Follow some of the other great Blogs ( Remember to leave a comment so they know to follow you back.)   
  * Copy and paste the Blog Hop Button so that others can join ( optional)
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THE NUTRITIOUS BREADFRUIT!

         There is an abundance of breadfruit in my area of Jamaica at this time and my family and I have been enjoying a lot of roast breadfruit.  Over the years Janine and I have enjoyed many meals with this fruit. We particularly liked it with our national dish, ackee and saltfish. Below is  a picture of some of the roast breadfruit that my family and I have been enjoying:

     No sooner than I was thrilled to see this fruit in season again I got a FORWARD EMAIL with this information:-
    "Breadfruit has the health benefit of providing high energy to those who eat it through its carbohydrates that the body needs for warmth and maintenance during daily activities. Not only is breadfruit a rich source of energy, breadfruit also contains significantly high amounts of fiber. According to the American Heart Association fiber decreases bad cholesterol and triglycerides which increase heart attack risks. An increased intake of fiber lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol levels in the body, while elevating HDL (good) cholesterol levels in the body. Breadfruit protects the body against heart disease and heart attacks. 
     Additionally, the fiber found in breadfruit can help those with diabetes to control the disease. Research shows that fiber can control diabetes by reducing the absorption of glucose from the food we eat.
     Another health benefit of breadfruit is that breadfruit helps to make our intestines and bowels work properly. Fiber regulates bowel movements and clears out the buildup of junk from our intestines; eating breadfruit on a regular basis can reduce the risk of developing colon cancer.
      Breadfruit benefits the body as it contains favorable amounts of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. These essential fatty acids help the body and mind to develop normally. Fatty acids also stimulate skin and hair growth, regulate our metabolism, promote reproduction and stimulate bone health.
      In addition to these health benefits breadfruit also contains Vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, iron and phosphorus. Further research is being done to uncover even more health benefits of breadfruit."


What nutritious fruit are you enjoying at this time?!

AWESOME STEVE JOBS' QUOTES!

       There are always times when one could do with a lift! I just love inspirational quotations and I read several every day. Here are  4 from Steve Jobs:

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living somebody else's life


Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking.  Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice.


Be a yardstick of quality.  Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected.


Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition - they somehow already know what they truly want to become.

IT IS GOOD TO BE VERSATILE!:)

     
          I must say a very special thank you to pargasjunkyard for passing on the Versatile Blogger award to me. I am truly grateful to you. Readers do check her wonderful Blog!  Now it is time for me to tell you 7 things about myself. As I approach another anniversary of my twin sister's death on October 16 I will mainly share things about my life with my twin:
1. I was born 5 minutes before Janine on November 4, 1961 but she walked, talked and did everything before I did.  You can see some baby pictures of us in the following posts ANALYZING SOME TWIN BABY FACTS and A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS.
2.  Throughout our  lives we attended a Preparatory School and 2 high schools - Marymount High for 5 years and St. Mary High for 2 years.  Before we started school our parents made us receive lessons from someone who would come to our home. Mom even had us wear uniforms to put us in the school frame of mind!:)  In Jamaica school uniforms are worn.
3. Janine and I dressed alike throughout our lives and while we had many similarities there were a few differences in our personalities.  I was more reserved and did not smile much in pictures while Janine was outgoing and always had a bright smile. Strangely enough I notice that since her death I seem to have more of her traits. It is not intentional, it has just happened.  Nevertheless only a few close friends and our immediate family could tell the difference. The easy way for many who went to school with us was just to call us 'Twiney.'
4. Throughout school we both did well in the Arts and pursued Journalism as a career. We wrote many articles together.
5. Where music is concerned we have always been fans of a wide variety of music, singers and groups with our favourite being our national music, reggae.
6.  We liked visiting various places in our country but most of all we always enjoyed our Christmas shopping trips to the popular tourist resort of Ocho Rios with our family. We are from a close knit family with 2 brothers and our mother. Our father died when we were 13 years old.
7. We have always had an insatiable curiosity about people, places, customs, wildlife etc from around the world and world affairs.  At the age of 12 we started corresponding with pen-pals from around the world.  We have had many pen-pals. These days I mainly exchange emails with my pals and several of Janine's pals are now my pals.


         I now take pleasure in passing on this award to the following 15 Bloggers:


         *the mommyhood chronicles
         *Discovering The Me in Mommy
         *Soul Speak
         *Home to 4 Kiddos
         *Mom Daughter Style
          *Maves Faves
         *bassgiraffe's Thoughts
         *Obstacles and Glories
         * The Spring Mount 6 Pack
         *Mama's Musings
         *Skylar
         *Life With Two Boys
         *MENOPAUSAL NEW MOM
         *Two Children and a Migraine
         *Tammy's Two Cents

BIRDS PAINTED ON SILK!

          The above picture has always been a favourite of Janine and me. I can remember the day when this painting arrived all the way from Belgium as a birthday gift from a pen-pal. She remembered that we were bird enthusiasts while holidaying in India and decided to get it for us.


          It looked so exquisite painted on silk so we decided that the best way to protect it was to have it framed. We therefore contacted someone who made picture frames and he had it done quickly. Since then this wonderful painting has graced our living-room wall.  It will always be treasured.

OLD CALENDARS DON'T GO TO WASTE HERE!

        When you go through my house you will see several calendars and notice that most of them feature birds. I know many of you are not surprised to hear this!  Over the years Janine and I have received many calendars from pen-pals with these beautiful wonders of nature as they know that we are serious bird enthusiasts.


        Well, before you know it another year will come to an end. When that last day arrives our calendars are taken down and safely packed away as those pictures will in turn decorate somewhere in our home. Above is a picture of one of the doors in my room all decorated with several bird pictures from old calendars. These beautiful pictures are also used to make big special cards for our mom on special occasions like Mother's Day, her birthday and Christmas. Of course as I continue this tradition Janine's name is still mentioned in the cards.


       The calendars that feature sections that you can write on serve as notepads for me. I also remember that one of Janine's pen-pals used old calendars to make some beautiful envelopes and wrap gifts. Does anyone else make use of old calendars? 


P.S. After doing this post I came across Eisy Morgan's great Inspired By YOU Wednesday LINK PARTY and linked up. Do check her Blog EISY MORGAN.

THE TIME FOR GOOD NEWS!

       Oh how I welcome good news as I approach some difficult dates in October, November and December due to the loss of my twin sister. Well, my latest good news is another award, the Blog on Fire Award, from Melissa of the mommyhood chronicles.  I am truly grateful to you Melissa. Please check her great Blog.  

   
               I am supposed to share 7 things about myself. Seven things about me were listed in a post I did about a previous award, the KREATIV BLOG AWARD titled OH! I AM FEELING SO-O-O GOOD!  I have met many wonderful Bloggers and appreciate everyone who has become a Follower and shared comments. Now to the Bloggers who I would like to pass this award to:-
                *Every Day Is A Country Song       
                *Sunray Gardens
                *Mama-press  
                *TREAT & TRICK        
                *RICH FAITH RISING
                *Frugal in WV
                *Self Sagacity
                *One Moment In Time
                *Pickle Jars and Pears
                *Katherines Corner
                *pargasjunkyard
                *All Things Important
                *Time And Oft
                *Debs Dealz
               * Indiana Coupon Savings
               *Cute-Ecakes

SUNDAY FUNDAY HIPPIDY HOP

Thanks for stopping by the HIPPEST Hop on Sundays, hosted by Cute-Ecakes and Beauty Brite!

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Do-Wa-Dippidy
Welcome to WEEK#14 of our Hip Hip Hop :)
(Yes that song is SOOOO in my head)
And ya don't stop
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Each week we will randomly select one blog from the previous week’s entries to be our featured blog for that week. If that blog happens to be yours, you will get a cute little button to display on your blog, and you will also get the #1 spot for that week! If you are interested in co-hosting, EMAIL ME!

I'd like to Welcome our co host this week, Judy from A Twinless Twin

My name is Judy and I was born one of identical twins. Sadly I lost my twin sister Janine on October 16, 2008. I thank God for the almost 47 years we had together. On my Blog I share pictures, articles, poems, music videos etc. I write about the good times and wide variety of interests that my twin and I shared. In the process I cover a wide range of subjects.I also hope to help those who have faced loss and grief. I have been a freelance writer for many years and find writing to be a good grief management tool.I started my Blog in March of this year.