About Me

Is it possible to make a difference in the world? I believe so. One way is through trust in sharing each other’s stories. That’s what I hope to give in writing these kitchen-table stories.

Throughout my life I’ve experienced interesting situations and met some unique people like most of you, I’m sure. I’m interested in connecting with you through sharing stories, insights and lessons learned.

Pat, Riley and Abby - November 2012

Pat, Riley and Abby – November 2012

People always seem more comfortable wherever food and drinks are being served either in the kitchen or on the patio. It’s where we’re most relaxed to catch up on the latest with family, friends and open to conversation with new people.

I’ve always believed, if we could find common ground and talk, anything is possible and, if there are problems with one another or life issues, most of them could be resolved.

It is my hope that you’ll pull up a chair and join me at my kitchen table, “Plain Talk and Ordinary Wisdom”, kick back and relax reading these stories. Maybe, they will warm your heart and take you to a similar place — similar memory — or trigger a feeling.

You can also find me at:

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What you may not know about me . . .

Backyard Photo of the Rocky Mountains

Backyard Photo of the Rocky Mountains © Pat Ruppel

In March, 2015, I was tagged by one of my fellow bloggers, Sherri Matthews at “A View from my Summer House” to tell 5 secrets about myself and pass it along by tagging 5 other fellow bloggers. So, while my site is award free and I may not have as many interesting things to note as Sherri, I’ll give you my best shot and add them here on my About Page:

  1. This year, 2015, hubby and I will be celebrating 49 years of marriage. I’m humbled and proud of that having experienced many highs and lows. I treasure the journey.
  2. I live at an elevation of 8,500’ above sea level in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. We’ve lived here for over 35 years. That’s another story I wrote about on how we first came to Denver from back East.
  3. I have never traveled much in the States nor abroad and I’ve never been on a cruise ship. I love to hear when others travel and can picture the beautiful places and energies they hold. I have a few places on my bucket list I’d like to visit some day — Scotland to explore family history, Lourdes, France for the candlelight procession and British Columbia, Canada, for the tulips.
  4. My grandmother had an uncle with a peg leg and a monkey. In checking this out with family, the only information I could come up with is that this relative was probably a panhandler that worked in a circus at one time. I wish I knew more as he sure impressed my childhood memories filling my head with all sorts of vivid imaginings.
  5. I’ve had no formal training in writing or the internet ― I’ve just jumped in learning as I go. I hope you will take a tour and read some of my stories. In what I may lack in technical skills, I hope I will make up in what you read by touching your heart and taking you to a familiar place you call your own.

There you have it. I’ve enjoyed sharing a little more of who I am with you. I hope you’ll come back and read, sit at my kitchen table and tell us one of your stories. So, with that, I will tag 5 of my all-time favorite fellow bloggers that I enjoy and have similar interests with. I hope you enjoy them as well:

“A Selection of Reflections” by Diana Jackson — I enjoy when she takes me along and talks about her roots in the UK and Scotland.

“Finding Our Way Now” by Susan Cooper — I love sharing stories with her and she never ceases to amaze me in her artistic as well as culinary skills. Whenever one of her new stories pop up, I have to check it out.

“Italian Living 1” by Shauna MacDonald — She is now taking on a personal challenge by walking on The Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. This fascinates me and I admire her for her grit and courage.

“Harvesting Hecate” by Andrea Stephenson — her writing expresses a lot with how I feel about life and nature. Her words touch something in me on the inside and warms my heart.

“Ghost Talk Blog” by Beverly Young — because we have a lot in common with spirituality and the paranormal. In case you haven’t seen any yet, there are some ghost stories I’ve written over here and Bev has helped me with some questions I’ve had with my own interesting encounters.

Thank you for stopping by.

Pat from her ol’ kitchen table

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Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2015-2020 Pat Ruppel

148 thoughts on “About Me”

  1. Pat, Sorry for the delay, I just now re-checked the Social blogging comments. How I envy your having moved west in time to raise your family out here. My brother’s first true love was from Norwood. He married another, but still lives in the the area as do his four children and many grand children.

    We have been through Bailey, often hike around Evergreen Lake. We live in HIghlands Ranch, our youngest son lives in Conifer. He lured us west feeling he wanted our support as he and his wife wanted to start having children. So here we are.

    Will pin you to my Blog Hop. Also need to start getting some back to Be With Beauty Posts, so may use some of yours. You get credit of course.

    So glad you contacted me, lets be friends and perhaps we can meet someday halfway between here and Baily and break bread together. Stay strong.

    Kat as my friends call me.

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    • Kat – thank you so much for getting back with me. I feel like we have so much in common and would love to meet with you. Maybe be friends. Still after living out here so long and in the mountains I still miss the ocean. When I go back to visit my sister in Kennett Square I remember how green it is but also how small it feels too with all the tall trees around and woods. So different out here with the big, open spaces. Let try to get together to meet and set a date. I’d like that and thank you for sharing my site. You can email me at pcruppel47@msn.com or locate me on Facebook at the name Pat Collingwood-Ruppel. I think I have my contact information there. Hope to talk to you soon and thank you again for writing back.

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  2. Hello. You are absolutely right about each one of us experiencing the varying situations in our loves. I wrote a nonfiction book about just that. It also discusses addictions, our faith, spiritual guidance, and all the relationships we experience in this thing called life.

    I can sense, just from reading your “about me” that you are a sincere, dedicated, and lovely wife, mother, grandmother, and person in whole. I invite you to read my blog on this site, and visit my Facebook page about the book (LIKE it and pass it on if you wish too) .

    I also have a blog on blogger at splaterbs.blogspot.com as well as one dedicated to the book at wordsfrommymouth-personaddiction.blogspot.com

    I also made a blogger page for my newest niece last year at patiencerayne.blogspot.com
    Below is my Facebook page for “Words from my Mouth-Relationship Addictions”. Stay in touch, Brian.
    http://www.facebook.com/pages/Words-from-my-Mouth-Nonfiction-Addiction-Author/218297534885343

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    • Hi Brian – thank you for stopping by and reading “about me” and your nice comments. I see on your site you’re working through health challenges and keeping a positive outlook. I’m happy to see you’re continued faith is helping you with that in times when it gets to be too much. I also saw your post on the 11 challenges in 30 thirty days and Wow! – would take a lot of discipline to succeed. Have you done all of these? I’m impressed.

      I also found you on Facebook and you can find me at http://www.facebook.com/pat.ruppel.1

      I wish you much success in your new book and hope you subscribe and continue to visit and will enjoy the reads. I write stories with the hope to connect and inspire and I hope they will inspire and encourage you to keep doing what you’re doing. It sounds like you’re well on your way in living the life that you want. If you like you can have my first free e-book called “What’s Wrong With This Picture And Other Wisdom Stories” at https://plaintalkandordinarywisdom.com/?page_id=780.

      It’s nice to know you’re out there and stay in touch 🙂

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    • Thank you Swati for stopping by and reading. I’m happy you found me and enjoyed the posts. I hope you come back for more visits and that you have a Happy New Year.

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    • Thank you for stopping by too Akanksha and sharing the reads. I hope to get to know you more and hope you come back for another visit. 🙂

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    • Me too — that connection and common ground anchors us and the love of our lives makes it worth living! So happy to see you again. Hope you had a great St. Patrick’s Day and a good week as well!

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    • Diane – Congratulations on your SUNSHINE AWARD and I’m so happy you were acknowledged in this way! You do light up the day with your photos, poetic words and reflective thoughts. 🙂

      Thank you for the nomination. I am honored to be included as one of your blogging friends. I accept and I’m looking forward to checking out your other nominees.

      xoxo – Pat

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  9. Hi Pat. I thought I had commented here before because I remember thinking how true it is about food bringing people together. Your warmth oozes through your blog. I have read many of your stories about your grandparents. Just lovely!! I hope these are passed down and treasured by your own ancestors. You have a big heart. Emma

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    • Aahhh Emma – thank you for such gracious and supportive thoughts. It means a lot to me and I’m happy you have enjoyed the reads. It makes it all so worthwhile when I receive feedback such as yours. I hope the stories will be passed down and hold value to those that follow. We can only hope in leaving our footprints behind.

      I’m looking forward to you coming back to visit again. There’s a place for you at my “internet” kitchen table anytime. 🙂

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    • Shaun – thank you so much. I am honored to accept and to be included among your other most notable nominees. It means a lot to me and I will try to do justice to those I pay it forward to in nominating. 🙂

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    • Thanks to your suggestions, Wendy. I truly appreciate your support and expertise in the advice you gave me to improve the flow of my site. I can’t thank you enough!! 🙂

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  12. It’s lovely to get to know you Pat, and thank you for this warm intro. I’d love to stop by and share your kitchen, if only we weren’t so far apart!

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    • It’s a joy to get to know you too Yaz and distance is no problem. You’re welcome to pull up a chair and sit at my internet kitchen table any time you like.

      I welcome your thoughts and discussion. That’s what’s most enjoyable about sitting around the kitchen table is hearing each other’s stories or their take of the day. 🙂

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  14. Hi Pat! Just to say many thanks for visiting my site and for the follow. I found you from Wendy at Searching For The Happiness. I was so drawn by your blog’s name ‘Plain Talk and Ordinary Wisdom’ and your lovely welcome to ‘pull up a chair’ and sit down and have a chat with you around your kitchen table. Love the idea of sharing stories!
    I look forward to that very much, it’s lovely to meet you 🙂

    Reply ↓

    • Thanks for popping over, Sherri, it’s great to meet you too. I’m happy to have you here and that you liked the name and enjoyed the idea of sharing stories. I hope you’ll have a story or two you’ll want to share sometime.

      I look forward to seeing you again for another visit. 🙂

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        • Thanks Sherri and also for the information on WordPress loss of follower count. Not resolved yet. But added a comment to the thread in the forum.

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          • You’re welcome. That’s good, hopefully you will get some answers. I read somewhere else that they are having the number of original followers drop off and only showing newer ones which affects the numbers. I’m sure that is what has happened to you rather than people just stopping following you. There is definitely some kind of glitch at the moment!!

          • I agree, Sherri, there’s definitely some kind of glitch at the moment. I’m sure in time it will work itself out. Thank you for pointing this out on your site in the first place. I wouldn’t have known otherwise. 🙂

          • Me too, Sherri, glad you helped in the discovery of the WordPress problems in the follower count. Hope it sorts itself out soon. Appreciate your feedback and follow-up. 🙂

  16. Sisterhood of the world bloggers award
    Yes you are being Awarded this by a man
    Below is my reasons:
    http://prayingforoneday.wordpress.com/2013/11/15/sisterhood-of-the-world-bloggers-award/

    I ask in the name of FUN and good manners you accept!
    If you have this already, put it up again and add this:
    “I got this from a man called Shaun”
    😀 I think this would be good fun..

    So I award you the “Sisterhood of the world bloggers award”
    Please accept x Award Below!
    http://prayingforoneday.wordpress.com/2013/11/15/sisterhood-of-the-world-bloggers-award-from-a-man/
    I will be DEEPLY UPSET IF YOU SAY NO!!!

    Reply ↓

  18. Hi again Pat! I just wanted you to know that I’ve done my acceptance post for The Sisterhood of the World Blogger’s Award here: http://sherrimatthewsblog.com/2013/12/10/just-imagine-a-beautiful-sisterhood-award-part-two/
    Thanks so much again for nominating me, dear sister and friend!

    I also have something for you! I’ve nominated you for The Blog of the Year Award 2013 Award, the link is here: http://sherrimatthewsblog.com/2013/12/10/going-out-in-style-blog-of-the-year-award-2013/

    Many congratulations and have a lovely day 🙂 (and hope you’re keeping warm!) x

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    • You’re truly welcome, Diana, on the award. It’s always a pleasure to share my fellow bloggers with my readers. You’re right, it’s a nice way to end the year, my friend. 🙂

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  21. Pat, Sounds good to me!!!!!!!!!!! Great conversation around the table!!!!!!! I could not find “Follow” without getting emails. I like to Follow on the WordPress scroll when I have the time. Tell me what I am doing wrong on my About! Thanks! Phil

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    • Hi Philip – I’d love to have you at my kitchen table. It would be fun to share stories. I’d love to hear more about the ‘old house’ and what you guys have been doing all these years.

      I think you can ‘Follow’ me, like you want, in the WordPress Reader or when you see where I favored your post in the orange bubble at the top of your comments page I think you can click ‘Follow’ me from there, too. I hope that works and look forward to seeing you back again. 🙂

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  22. Dear Pat, so glad I could get ‘back in’ again to your lovely blog! I thought I had lost you….!!! I’ve nominated you for The Butterfly Light Award. It is a beautiful, shimmery award reflecting the light and goodness that you share here through your writing and also from your heart and spirit. This is my appreciation of you and your friendship and many congratulations to you! Big hugs… Sherri 🙂 <3
    http://sherrimatthewsblog.com/2014/07/15/the-butterfly-light-award/

    Reply ↓

    • It’s good to see you back, Sherri. I love it when you stop by. I appreciate you so much and I always enjoy exchanging stories with you.

      Wow! thank you, Sherri, for the beautiful Butterfly Light Award. I don’t think I’ve ever quite seen one like this. I love how it shimmers. I am greatly honored that you nominated me and I especially appreciate your gift of spirit in how you enjoy my writing. That means a lot, my friend. 🙂

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      • You bet Pat, you deserve this so much and also the other awards which I nominated you for (hope you read my other message over on my blog about the mix-up – yi yi yi, so sorry for the confusion!). Bless you dear friend – enjoy 🙂 >3

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        • Truly value sharing and exchanging stories with you, Sherri, and appreciate you coming back time and again. I read a little in the comments on the mix up but was not quite sure what it was all about. I think it ended with being resolved, though.

          Did I miss any other awards? I hope not. I’m so sorry, if I did, as I’ve been trying to keep a close watch. Would you please let me know? 🙂

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    • Thank you, Philip. I’m glad you like what you see and appreciate the concept. I hope you’ll come back again and share some kitchen-table stories. 🙂

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  24. I agree — our simple little stories have much more power than we may ever know. Thanks for sharing yours! I’ve added your site to a list of positive blogs I keep on my own site and am glad I found my way here. 🙂

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    • Thank you, Meg. I’m thrilled you found me and enjoyed what you saw. I’m happy to meet you and honored to be included in your “Random Kindness Blog Tour”. I can’t tell you how much it means to be included among so many positive, loving bloggers.

      Thank you again and hope you’ll come back and sit around my kitchen table here at Plain Talk and Ordinary Wisdom and share a tale or two. 🙂

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  25. Yous is a great vision PAT. When you visit my blog you’ll see you have people who’ll go with you. I BELIEVE we can change the world. I believe the world can be an excellent place. If all the good people of the world work together in synergy spreading good, promoting good, evil will eventually be overcome. Have you heard about Operation One Billion People for an Excellent World? Get more from my blog.

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    • Hi Ngobesing — I’m happy to meet you and thank you for your kind words. We share similar visions in wanting a better world where we can live in harmony. I do believe we can each do our part in making a difference. I agree that it does take working together spreading and promoting good will. I can see from your site that you’re prolific in doing that and I commend you on your work.

      I hope you’ll come back and share some stories with us around my ‘ol kitchen table. Thank you for stopping by. I’m happy you enjoyed your visit. 🙂

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  26. I am on your blog. I’ve just read your tribute to the veterans. It’s great. I did not see where to comment so I came back here. You do real honor and justice to the heroes who gave their lives so that humanity might go on.What a wonderful sacrifice! Are there people nowadays who can make such sacrifices? Yes there are. Many are making enormous sacrifices in different ways to make the world a better place.We thank God for such people.They will also be honored tomorrow.

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    • Hi Ngobesing — great to see you again. Thank you for stopping back and reading. I’m glad you enjoyed the tribute to our veterans. With regard to commenting, you can get to it 2 ways. One is by clicking on the ‘replies’ at the end of the post under the tags. The second way is by clicking on the bubble at the top of the post to the right of the title. I hope this helps and gets you to the comments easier next time.

      I agree on your thoughts about sacrifice. These heroes have given the ultimate so that we can live the lives we have in freedom. I can only imagine what that took on the front lines and continues to take in the many battles of war everyday. Like you said, others are sacrificing, too, in other ways to make this a better world by sharing their vision and expressing their passion. We all have a part to play and none of it goes unnoticed. It’s pretty awesome when you think about it. 🙂

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  27. Hello Pat,
    I’d love pull up a chair and exchange stories with you. Eat together, and laugh out together. That would be very interesting. I wonder what food will you prepare when I come over? 🙂

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    • Hi Joan — thank you for stopping by. I’m happy to meet you over here at my virtual kitchen table site. I’d love for you to join me and hang out together sharing our stories with a bite to eat and a cup of Joe (or your choice of beverage). It would be nice to listen to your stories from the Philippines, namely, how you fared in the latest typhoon, Ruby. I hope you are all okay.

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    • Hi Vlad — thank you for commenting and visiting my site. I’m happy you enjoyed what you read and hope you’ll come back and share more at my virtual kitchen table on the internet. You’re welcome anytime.

      I enjoyed browsing on your site and learning more about you. You are a very talented young man and I’m excited with all the new things you’re discovering and learning and putting out in the world. It’s a pleasure to meet you and have a new friend all the way from Russia. Keep doing what you’re doing. It’s wonderful and refreshing. 🙂

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    • Hi Sherri — sorry I just saw this as I’ve been off the grid for a couple of days. Thank you for thinking of me and tagging me for Sarah’s “Tell 5 Secrets Blog Hop“. I like how you’re mysteriously adding them every day with the photo challenge. The first was great with a birthday surprise for your hubby. I’m looking forward to more and learning what other secrets you have over there in your summerhouse — hehe. 🙂

      I hope it’s okay if I honor this by adding my secrets, like your tagger, Sarah at “Lemon Shark” did, in my About page? I’m gonna’ have to think about this as I’m not sure what secrets I would have that would be interesting — hmmm. LOL Hugs

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  30. Thank you for the mention, Pat. It was fun learning more about you…sometimes what we consider to be a “simple” life is what we all search for. I am grateful for the amazing opportunities I’ve had and continue to have in this lifetime. One of these days I will share some of my “secrets”. Thank you for extending the opportunity to do so, my friend.

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    • You’re welcome, Bev. I agree with you in being grateful for some amazing opportunities. I’m happy to spread the love and share you with my readers. I’d love hearing about some of those secrets some day when you’re ready. 🙂

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  31. Hi Pat How are you getting on being inspired by hubby’s library? Thinking of you the other day and just wanted to be in touch. You’ve always been such a supportive on line friend. D

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    • Thank you, Diana, for thinking of me and being so supportive. It means a lot. I’ve been off the grid lately waiting for the first of my upcoming cataract surgeries starting next week.

      In the meantime, I’ve been reading away many books in hubby’s library. I can’t get enough and it seems like that’s all I want to do. It’s a new found love and I find myself getting lost in the stories. The latest author I’ve discovered is Pete Hamill. I don’t know how long it will last or where it will take me but I’m in book heaven for now. (You can catch what I’ve been reading lately on Goodreads.)

      Happy Friday and hope you have a great weekend, my friend! 🙂

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      • Hi Pat Enjoy your reading time. It sounds bliss. I’ve been away for a week back in Scotland but I noticed you had not been around of late. I’ll be thinking of you for your op. It should make all the difference when it is over but the waiting is tough. all the best Diana

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        • Thanks, Diana, for thinking of me. It has been nice to read and have some down time in between cataract surgeries. The first one went well and I can’t believe the difference it’s making in my life already. I have the second surgery next week and hoping it goes as well as the first. It’s truly been life changing. Hope you had a nice time in Scotland. 🙂

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  32. Hi … I just found your blog through another woman who writes about her healing and other things similar.. its nice to connect with others who also write about the same things… I like your blog and look forward to reading more of your blog …. its amazing how many people are connected to the blog world and I am excited to connect with so many new people … I look forward to following your blog and to connect.

    Karen
    http://www.findingthegracewithin.com

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    • Hi Karen — awesome that you found me through another woman who writes about healing and similar things. I love when connections happen that way and it means a lot that you stopped by and enjoyed what you read. Thank You! The more we come together, the more we learn and it’s no accident when people come into our lives. I hope to get to know you and that you’ll come back again and share your stories at my kitchen table. 🙂

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  33. Pingback: Competition Winners | Hugh's Views & News

    • Thank you Beverley for this mini numerology reading. I’m honored to be one of your chosen three and appreciate this mention on Hugh’s Views and News.

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  34. Dear Pat,

    First of all, I would like to express to the Almighty God all my gratitude for having had the great luck of knowing such a great friend like you. I haven’t had the opportunity reading all your posts since there are a lot of articles to do, but now that things are better settled for me, you can count on me to add posts on what you share with us 🙂

    I never asked myself, before knowing you, how a kitchen table would be the best place for sitting and sharing a lot of stories together or to solve some matters better. But according to my own judgement, the kitchen table is the best place since it’s a place where you will find joy, warmth and re-comfort, being surrounded with your dearest ones from your family or from a community, enjoying a good meal together, relaxing and talking in a very comfortable way which is different from all the other situations you could retrieve yourself in, and which wouldn’t allow you to sit and to talk properly (for example when you are at work, or driving your car, etc.) Things have changed nowadays, since dialogue within a family is a very important ingredient to maintain the good balance of a family background. The kitchen table is one of the best places for the dialogue, as well as another important place of the house: The living room. I truly hope that my little family and myself one day could share that experience together with you and your folks, either if you visit us one day in the Seychelles, or if we come to Denver 🙂

    As we are in year 2016, I would like to send you my warm greetings and congratulations, since this year, by God’s blessings, you are celebrating, together with your beloved husband, your 50th Wedding Anniversary. May God bless the both of you as well on that special occasion and may your marriage life be as beautiful and as immortal as the phoenix who rose from its ashes. Having been together for 50 years is a proof that you perfectly respected the sermon pronounced by the priest in church on your marriage life, in which he asked both you and your husband if you accepted to be husband and wife “for better or worse, through health and disease, till death do us part”. You both said “Yes, I do” before kissing each other at church, and both of you perfectly fulfilled that condition as a true Christian couple in the name of Jesus. Not too far after you, last year I had my godfather and his wife who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary too in Mauritius, my native country, and my in-laws who have been married together for 45 years and who are today harvesting the beautiful fruits of the hard and bitter labor they had been facing together, since they had experienced extreme poverty since they were young 🙂

    As I once told you in an old email, I know very few about Denver and about Colorado, at the exception that it’s a Black Gold Eden and that it was known especially for the 80s sitcom “Dynasty”, which I loved watching on TV during my teenage years, and since I am a big fan of actress and writer Joan Collins 🙂 I would really love to discover Colorado and Denver one day, not the Denver with high-rise buildings and skyscrapers, but the wild Denver and the wild Colorado with total contact with Mother Nature. Since I have been born and brought up as an island girl, one of the main richness I had been experiencing in Mauritius and in Seychelles is being in total communication with Mother Nature, with the beaches, forests and beautiful mountainous landscapes. Our mountains also have stories and legends to share, such as Le Morne Mountain, which was historically known in Mauritius for a refuge where African slaves were hiding from their masters and where they lost their lives by falling down from its edge during their escape… or the legend of the Pieter Both, relating the story of a milkman who was transformed into a stone, because he betrayed some fairies who were dancing on top of that mountain, and who asked the milkman not to reveal to anyone about their existence nor about what he had seen. But yet, this is a legend which has to be proved to be a true one 🙂

    Dear, even though you never traveled overseas nor in any other parts of your native Denver, it doesn’t mean that you are not travelling. That was an experience that I shared thanks to our best friend, who made us discovering so many interesting places for which we never knew the existence, even in such a tiny country like Mauritius. There are still a lot of places in Seychelles which we don’t even know in its archipelago, nor even on the Mahe Island where we are living and which is the main island of the archipelago, though it’s much smaller than Mauritius 🙂 So you see, even in your own environment, you are a traveler. Travelling doesn’t mean forcefully being on a cruise ship, a plane or a train. Travelling is much more a spiritual journey, a way for your inner soul and your heart to discover and to feel the fragrance of something new that you never experienced nor discovered before. And as you once told me before, in Colorado there are so many things to discover 🙂

    Finally, even though you said that you had no experience into writing on the internet, I see that your writing skills are wonderful and I really feel at ease reading all your stories and anecdotes every day, since I consider them as a real bunch of oxygen 🙂

    Unfortunately I don’t know though whom to tag for the moment since I don’t follow regularly many blogs, but I will definitely tag you among the blogs I follow the most for the moment, for sure 🙂

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    • Aw, thank you, Uma for visiting and all your kind words. Every time you write I learn a little bit more about your part of the world. It sounds so different and exotic. I love that the world is so different and there are many beautiful places to explore.

      I appreciate you browsing around and reading my stories I’ve posted. I’m getting better at writing and it means a lot when you read something I’ve written that grabs your attention or touches your heart. 🙂

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      • Hello again Pat, it’s Uma. Before replying to you, just to inform you that my WordPress blog name changed from sunrisingunicorn to ekasringavatar. I will asap explain why I chose such a strange name on my website since I am still preparing that part of it.

        Pleasure is mine dear. We share something in common, the fact that we enjoy discovering new things coming from our respective socio-cultural backgrounds where we have been growing up and brought up since childhood 🙂 As I myself am a mixed-cultured girl and had been born in a multicultural and multi-religious little island like Mauritius, it helped me greatly better understanding other cultures of the world.

        I also discovered something very interesting with USA: It may have several states, but each state has its own history, culture and way of living, which makes its real beauty and richness. I may asap document myself more about Colorado and I am sure I will discover a lot of great surprises 🙂

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        • Thank you, Uma, and hello again to you, too. I read in your email why you chose the new name for your site and that it comes from one of your Hindu gods meaning protection among other things. I like that and enjoy learning about your culture. I know very little about it, your language and culture. I’m amazed you speak and write English so well and know about the United States. It’s a complex country with a lot of diversity and history, although not as old as yours I’m thinking.

          You should be proud of your knowledge and abilities. I know I am and impressed the more I learn about you.

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          • Thank you so much for appreciating me so dearly, Pat 🙂 But to be honest with you, it’s my curious nature which made that I try to learn things about new cultures too 🙂 Regarding my English, thank you so much too for appreciating my English writing, but honestly, it’s much far from the perfect English written by Shakespeare and by Her Majesty the Queen, LOL!

            But you know what ? Even with you I am learning a lot of things which are really interesting, and the more I am learning to know you, the more I am learning about Colorado and about Denver too, since I knew about it only through the TV soap “Dynasty” (with my favorite actress of all time Joan Collins!) Yes that’s what I guess about USA being a complex and diversified country, and I am sure that there are lots of untold things and mysteries still unfolded in that wonderful land 🙂

          • You’re welcome, Uma. I’m glad for your curiosity in learning new things and other cultures. Makes life interesting with something new just around the bend. I’m happy to bring some of that information to you about my country and Colorado. I enjoy learning about Mauritius, as well. It’s what I love about the internet. You can connect with people all over the world and learn so much about them and their world. 🙂

  35. Hello Pat,

    Yes, you are right when it comes on culture exchanges, and through you at least I am having the opportunity to know a little more each and every day from one of the part of that huge country where you took birth and which is one of the richest countries of the world, especially through its diversified historical and socio-cultural background 🙂 But to be honest with you, even though my country is such a tiny winy island, I admit there are still so many things which I ignore from my country and which I keep on discovering all the time, not the new things developing, but the oldest things as well. For example, as a tropical island, Mauritius is known for its fields of sugar cane. But I never asked myself how people used to live in the past on the sugar cane properties, until I discovered by hazard a link proposing a 2-hour visit by bicycle on the sugar estate of St Antoine, in the North part of the island, where the visitors will have the opportunity to meet “Madame Azor”, a storyteller who will tell them more about this unknown part of our history. I wish to participate into that activity one day with my family since it sounds very interesting, original and enriching, not only for tourists, but even for Mauritian people as well. It’s very sad that nowadays, with the invasion of new technologies and of the cyber city in my country, lesser and lesser Mauritians are interested into the story of their country. Only those who frequented the best schools have that spirit of knowing more about their country. There was recently an ex-student, actually settled in Canada where he is actually studying Physics, who wrote a book relating the anecdotes of 200 Mauritian veterans who took part into the 1st and 2nd World Wars. Cases like that student are rarer and rarer nowadays in Mauritius and this is so sad. If you have an opportunity, try to read my post “Mauritius: From the Roots to the Fruits” where I condemned the Mauritian image since lots of Mauritius don’t seem to realize where they come from and spoil the beautiful image of our little paradise island. I don’t only denounce Mauritius but I even took some other examples from other countries, mostly from India, to better illustrate my opinions. The link to that article is http://sunrisingarticles.over-blog.com/https-/sunrisingunicorn.wordpress.com/2016/02/05/mauritius-from-the-roots-to-the-fruits/

    Have a nice weekend dear xoxoxo

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    • Thank you, Uma, for the follow up. I don’t think you’re alone in wanting to learn more about your own country and cultures, though it may seem there are more less interested. Life is demanding and I think most would be interested if other things were not commanding our attention. I like your mention of the 2-hour visit by bicycle to the sugar cane estate to listen to stories by Madame Azor on the unknown history of your land. You should do that — it sounds interesting.

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  36. I popped over for a visit 🙂 It’s been lovely getting to know you through this page. I can almost smell the mountain air just thinking about it ! You’re right of course about the ktichen table being the hub of social connections. Such an important role it plays in our lives.

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    • Hi Raili — happy to see you popped over and enjoy getting to know you, too. Mmm, you’re right, there’s nothing like that mountain air, except for the salt air of the ocean. I love them both — sometimes, even the asphalt smell of the city. It’s all good.

      I like that you can relate to the energy and feel of sitting around a kitchen table. It played an important part in my life and is what I’m trying to share here with others. Thank you for stopping by — means a lot to me that you came by and shared your thoughts. Hope you’ll come back. Take care. 🙂

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    • So happy to see you stopped by, ‘Faraday’, and liked my Page and header photo. Also, the comments, too (sometimes, people don’t pay that much attention to them). You made my day, my friend, and hope you’ll come back and, also, you’ve dug out from all your snow. 🙂

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  38. Hey beautiful! 😀💖 Pleased to know you. Congratulations on 49 years of marriage.🌸🌹😊Hey beautiful! 😀💖 Pleased to know you.😊 Found a way here through someone’s blog. Now following so looking forward to explore it more.😊
    Blessings.🌸
    Xoxoxo.💖
    Jannat.

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    • Hi Jannat — thank you for your congratulations and happy thoughts. We’re now working on our 51st year of marriage and still going strong, loving life and each other. I haven’t been online, as much lately and posted, so it was a nice surprise to see that you found me. Hope you stop by again and wish you many blessings on school and your new endeavors. 🙂

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