I began blogging January 25, 2006 with The Whippoorwill Chronicles under the pen name of Sissy. It was to be a journey through my past in order to find my voice in the present. Through the exploration of my past I discovered the need to explore both the nurture and the nature construction of my personality. It was with this journey in mind that The Bipolar Diaries (using only my first name) came into being. Through this wonderful venue of blogging I began to find my voice and began to unearth my ‘authentic’ self. The person I was meant to be. This discovery made it’s way into the name change of my blog to My Name is Danielle. This is my website. with the use of my real full name.

After several years of therapy, an acceptance of the necessity to balance the chemicals in my brain, and an ongoing relationship with my God….I find myself weaving my own personal tapestry of contentment…with the emergence of Acres of Diamonds.

The name of my blog was taken from a famous Victorian lecture that was known as “Acres of Diamonds”.

Russell H. Conwell, a former newspaper correspondent and minister, delivered his speech more than six thousand times between 1877 and 1925. When it was published it became an immediate best-seller and a classic inspirational literature.

The story Conwell told in his lecture had enormous appeal. It recounted the life of a Persian farmer named Ali Hafed who sold his farm and left his family to travel the world in search of wealth. He looked everywhere but he could not find the diamons he lusted after. Finally, alone and in despair as a homeless pauper, he ended his own life. His search for riches had consumed him.

In the meantime, the man who bought the land from Hafed was grateful for every blade of grass that was now his and lavished love and hard work on his farm. At night, surrounded by his family and eating the fruits of his labor, he was a contented man.

Finally one day he made a remarkable discovery. In the backyard that Ali hafed had abandoned was a diamond mine – literally an acre of diamonds. The simple farmer became wealthy beyond his wildest dreams.

~ Sarah Ban Breathnach ~

And that is where the name of my blog “Acres of Diamonds” comes from. I am in the process of uploading all my previous posts from my previous blogs (although they are presently unavailable online I did make a hard copy of all them). As I find time to upload these posts you will be able to access them in the category Archives from The Whippoorwill Chronicles and Archives from The Bipolar Diaries. My Name is Danielle. This is my website. posts are already incorporated in Acres of Diamonds.

Today’s Around the Square: Winter from Rodeo with a Twist of Suspense. I have been reading Winter’s journey of being a writer, a mother and the wife of a military man. It is quite inspirational to read how she is able to fulfill all these roles with a smile and a twist of humor. Click on over and check out her book giveaways!!!

Today I am grateful for: the fact that Snickers is now sleeping through the night!!! DID YOU HEAR ME!!!! Yippee….and you can be assured that if Marbles could type he would be putting in his HOORAY also as Snickers will not go outside without him (grin).

Today I will simplify my life: from worry and back up to another flash drive all my school lectures/powerpoints/handouts/etc. Thanks to both Holly and Linda for their great advice about external hard drives. I am now in the market for one and have put it on my birthday list.