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 |   Theses are my thoughts and ramblings as I forge my way through this thing they call life. |
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These are my thoughts and ramblings as I forge my way through this thing they call Life. I blog with these groups:     "Blogging Circle of Friends "  [E] 
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Blog City: Prompt: Eclipse What does the word 'eclipse' mean to you? And what about the darkness in some areas of life where we need to seek clarity and light? So I did venture out today. Ran errands and checked out a new cafe - Stockyards Coffee. I wanted a place where I could see the outside world without having to be gawking at the eclipse. It was funny to see how we all gathered outside to witness the event. It did not get as dark as I had imagined. What you see on the TV screen is so very different as the eclipse itself is highlighted and the sky around it is dark. That did not really happen. The sun still shone, but not quite as boldly. And it was a bit cooler. I found it interesting that it was cloudy this morning, but cleared up in time for the eclipse and now a few of the clouds are hovering back in. It'll be another 120 years before this happens like this in our area again. It happened in 1925 - a total eclipse. Canadian Coverage: Nasa: Now today's blog asks more thought provoking questions. What does 'eclipse' mean to you? What about the darkness in some areas of life where we need to seek clarity and light? I like these questions. I have been reading a lot of books lately that have discussed the idea of loving your whole self - the good parts and the shadowy darker parts. We all have things about ourselves we are not so happy about or want to admit, but they are there. And just because they are darker or shadowy-er does not mean they are not important. We are loved for all our parts and so we need to embrace those parts and bring them into the light. Awareness helps us to heal those parts that have suffered so long in silence. We are the sum of all our parts. All those flaws and foibles make us human. Sharing those parts of ourselves makes us vulnerable. In doing so, we can help others to heal and bring the light into their scary parts. You can't heal what you don't acknowledge. |
Blogging Circle of Friends - Day 3457 March 30, 2024 “But it is a sort of April-weather life that we lead in this world. A little sunshine is generally the prelude to a storm.." ― William Cowper I read this and it resonated with me. How we all tend to live a life like that and we really don't need to. We are actually raised to live like that; a social conditioning that limits us. And most of us are not even aware we have a choice. We can in fact decide not to fall victim to our weather bound tendencies that act like the rollercoaster of the season. How might we do that, you may ask? Those sunny days we are on a high, feeling good and bringing good things to us with our higher frequencies. Then something happens and we let in the negative vibrations and things begin to crumble and the next thing we know we are dealing with turbulent storms. It's exhausting, really. How do we live above this rollercoaster? It has to do with our vibrational frequencies and the fact that like attracts like. Vibrate on a high positive frequency and the world is a beautiful, sunny place. And you will attract those wonderful vibrations to you. Things will be sweet. But vibrate on a low negative frequency and the world becomes stormy. You will attract the gloom and doom. And believe it or not this goes deeper that having a good or bad day, it goes deep within your cells, your make up... your health. I always had this thought that it was the negativity in your life that would eat you alive. I figured my Dad kept all his crap to himself and didn't deal with the painful emotions that were deep in him. Those things ate him alive. He died of cancer at the age of forty-four. My Grandmother, his mother, also had cancer at the same time, but she maintained her faith and stayed more positive. She conquered her cancer and it was not until Alzheimer's tackled her that she lost her faith and her way. She had weathered a lot of storms and always came out on top... until then. Then I got my hands on Excuse Me, Your Life Is Waiting by Lynn Grabhorn. Reading her thoughts and ideas made those ideas I had make sense. Though instead of being eaten alive, he was probably attracting more negativity to himself. We are magnetically charged meat suites. We attract what we put out there much like a tuning fork. We vibrate on a frequency that matches with others. Grabhorn's book does an amazing job of explaining why we have war and rape and all those nasty things in our world. It's not God's doing, its ours. We attract it and it is magnified by the social vibrational forces around us. And yes, we can learn to change our frequencies to attract positive things by feeling good. This doesn't mean burying our head in the sand and avoiding things. It means finding something that makes us feel good, increasing our positive higher vibrational frequencies and then taking the steps we need to take from a calm place. It is amazing how the answers will come if you calm down and listen. Acting from a place of calm intention is so much better than rushing in to FIX something with a 'hi ho silver' attitude - the one we have been raised to believe is the way to deal with issues. Taking time to shut up and listen to our small wee voice inside us after we take a moment to think about something that makes us feel good goes a long way to making things better... and avoiding those April storms. It sounds simple. It is challenging to do, but so worth it in the long run. I challenge you to read Grabhorn's book and see for yourself. It can make the world a better place. 627 words.     |
Blog City: DAY 2339 July 22, 2022 “From time to time in the years to come, I hope you will be treated unfairly, so that you will come to know the value of justice. I hope that you will suffer betrayal because that will teach you the importance of loyalty. Sorry to say, but I hope you will be lonely from time to time so that you don’t take friends for granted. Whether I wish these things or not, they’re going to happen. And whether you benefit from them or not will depend upon your ability to see the message in your misfortunes.” ― John Roberts Allow this quote to inspire your post. "See the message in your misfortunes". I like that line. This life is not an easy one. No one lives in a bubble and adulting is challenging, even at the best of times. The thing to remember is that 'this too shall pass'. All things - good and bad, regardless of our perception, will pass on. Nothing stays the same. We grow and change with the times. We are the culmination of what we have been through. Nature may give us our skin colour, eye colour, height and so forth, but nurture passes with us as we move through this life, gathering stories. Nurture colours our perceptions. What keeps me centered is trying to live in the present. The past is past. The future has not yet come, but the present is a gift to enjoy and savour in all its delights. Some may be sour and cause us to pucker up, but others could be sweet. You can't have one without the other... and you can't appreciate the sweet without having experienced the tart, tangy, sour or salty. Life is a buffet. Try a little of everything. |
Blog City: Day 2324 July 6, 2022 Prompt: Life is about collecting memories. Write about this in your Blog entry today. Collecting Memories They say 'Life is what you make it'. A mosaic of memories People, places, events All coiled into your DNA Like a map of your life Each piece a step forward Along a path so uniquely yours Each moment pressing into the foundation Of what makes you tick How you move through this world Is influenced by those bits and pieces Each fuels your passions Makes you who you are I would not change any of them Even the harder challenges and failures Have built the me that I am today My compassion comes from a place with rough edges. My heart connects to those who are experiencing what I did My experience makes me open to their pain and anguish I move into a place of helper or mentor Knowing I can offer guidance I may not have had. I also lean into the compassion and guidance from others As they are there for me. Then I pay it forward. My curiosity is sparked by the psychological impact Of how experiences and memories entwine Each person perceiving the same situation in their own way Each taking from it and making it there own Some people struggle and argue Some people turn hateful Some, like me, are opened by the experience And let their vulnerability Transend time and space and build compassion It does not happen over night. It builds over time. Memories, tempered by time Become who we are And that influences how we interact with this world. It is all about choice and perception Some take a negative path, Others stay positive in the face of adversity. It is all up to you. How will your collected memories colour you? Lines to this point = 43. This piece may need some work, but I like it so far. |
Blogging Circle of Friends: DAY 3421 July 2, 2022 Music: 💙 Carly   mentioned she likes to sing to lift her spirits. What song lifts your spirits? Do you play the song or do you just sing it yourself? I will make up my own words or belt out songs with the radio (in my car or at home). The one song that always used to make me smile... when I was frustrated by my (now ex) husband. You are my Sunshine.... only I changed the words: You are my asshole My only asshole You frustrate me Beyond belief. You are my asshole My only asshole Please go take A flying leap. These words change at times, but the sentiment is there. It got so I could hum it with him in the room and he had no clue what words I was really thinking! But other than that... I am open to an eclectic taste in music. As I have gotten older I tended to listen to Contemporary Christian music.... not the gospel stuff - that stuff is a bit much. The commonality in all these songs... is their lyrics. I love the words, the melody and the harmony.... it just resonates with me and my soul. Here is a sampling: Nichole Nordeman's Brave Lauren Daigle's You Say Laura Story's Blessings This one is a favourite these days: Christina Perri - A thousand Years. You Are The Reason - Leona Lewis & Calum Scott I love this song - Love Me Like You Do - combined with Pride and Prejudice.... I love this movie. |
Blogging Circle of Friends: DAY 3420 July 1, 2022 Social aspects: Half full or half empty Is it easier for you to see the positive in a situation or the negative in a situation? In your network of friends are you the one that sees the potential in any given situation? Having grown up under the umbrella of negativity and depression from my mother's clinical depression, I have learned to develop a more positive outlook. I say learned, because I felt the heaviness of that dark cloud that seemed to follow my mother around. I did not want it to be what I was, so I made a conscious decision to change. Sometimes I struggle to stay positive, but for the most part, I think I stay on the upbeat side... particularly when I am with friends. I have developed a sense of humour that tends to lift people out of their funk. I began doing this as a child. Doing comedy routines based on Tim Conway's Old Man character, I found I could get my mother to laugh. Physical humour had her in stitches and kept me out of trouble. Even if that trouble was only annoying my mother's last nerve. Her depression often left her irritable and snappish. Over the years, I have learned to play with language. Comedic comments tend to fall out of me on occasion. They lighten the mood and make me feel appreciated and included in social settings. Settings that, at one time, scared the devil out of me, as I was painfully shy. Yes, humour is a defense mechanism for me. I am aware of that. Having grown up under that umbrella, I mentioned earlier, has also allowed me to read people and emotions with a high level of sensitivity. I can be compassionate, and I can also use humour to lighten the situation and get the person feeling less stressed. Get them to open up and talk to me. More often than not, it works. I like bolstering others. I use humour and peppy talks to get others feeling better. Perhaps this is why I like working with students. I feel for those who come from the more broken families, like my own, I want to raise them out of the place they are in and let them see it is possible to overcome a sad situation. I am also inclined to sing. It makes me feel lighter. So often I have had others comment on the fact that I break out in song after a long day of work. The students are gone and I have the classroom to myself -- I just start singing. I used to sing after classes on Fridays at Teacher's College as well. Singing picks me up... whether I am singing something from the radio or making up my own words to a tune I already know. I may even add a little dance.... Anyone who has mentioned my singing to me has done it with a smile on their face... as I often don't realize I am doing it. In fact, when they point it out, I often invite them to sing along. I had one EA that would break out in song with me. It helped make the day brighter. It was also hilarious to see our younger EA shake her head at our antics. Some days ya gotta sing. |
Blog City: Day 2325 June 30, 2022 Prompt: Make a list of 10 things you like about summer. 1. Day Trips to explore the area around me. 2. Movies under the stars. 3. Time to write - and a variety of places (outside and cafes) to write in. 4. No school. So supply work - that is both good and not so good in that my income goes down. 5. Going swimming with my client 6. Going for hikes alone or with my client. 7. Getting to sleep in or get up in the wee hours to write and then go back to bed without worrying about having to get up for work. 8. Free outdoor concerts. 9. Not having to bundle up in coats and scarves and mittens 10. Warmth and sun. Walking in the rain. Overall, summer is pretty laid back for me. |
Blogging Circle of Friends (BCoF) Day 318: June 28, 2022 Tuesday: Cultural: . “I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way - things I had no words for.” – Georgia O'Keeffe What do you think, can a artist say things with color that they can't find words for? This is an interesting concept. I am currently working on a paranormal novel that has my main character, a witch, with the talent of seeing colours as emotions when she touches others. I think this use of colour adds another dimension to expression. Shades of colour and colour combinations can express different things. For instance, Green. Green has many hues and aspects. Jealousy to me would have a yellowish tinge to it. A deep forest green is growth and strength. Two very different aspects of life, but each with a colour pallet that speaks volumes. Red can mean passion or anger. With my character, she sees a reddish golden glow whenever her love interest touches her. It is so strong she can experience it without even making contact. The colour heightens to a deeper red in passion when they are more intimate. The golden aspect of it is more affectionate and stable. Having seen and experienced this colour from him, she has learned when to be leery of boys who are only out for a good time - their colour pallet is far more menacing. It has been a defense mechanism for her, in a way. As for artists.... I haven't experienced enough art to really say, but this concept interests me and I may just have to take myself off to a gallery to really see I can get a sense of things. Looking at art online does not have quite the same impact as seeing the art up close and personal. Maybe that is a colour thing.... the vibrancy of life is in the face to face, not the online aspect. |
Blogging Circle of Friends: Day 3417??: June 27, 2022 Monday: Health: 10 Simple Ways to Cope with Stress by Malaika Stoll, M.D. Do you use one or more of these ten ways to cope with stress? Do you have a way to cope with stress that is not mentioned in this article? https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/mind-body/10-simple-ways-to-cope-with-stress... These are the 10 things: 1. Re-balance Work and Home I try to make a point of separating work time from home time. It helps that during Covid I taught in a special education class where we were required to go in and work in the schools even when the regular classes were not there. I found the commute time was helpful transitioning from work to home. I really felt for those working at home who had to find other ways to break work and home time in a more creative way. My friends husband works for a world wide company that has him working odd hours - meetings with the California office at 9 pm or meetings with the Berlin office at some ungodly early hour... in the same day. That did not seem fair to me. When I did work at home, for a short time, I made sure to take a walk before and after school hours to give my mind the break. 2. Build in Regular Exercise An active day is a better day. I feel more accomplished and settled. Just a 20 minute walk helps to re-center me and help me shift gears. I try to move as much as I can over the day. Wearing a Fitbit helps remind me to move. 3. Eat Well and Limit Alcohol and Stimulants I am not the biggest fan of alcohol. It makes me sleepy. Then I am lethargic for days afterward. When I already have low energy levels that drives me nutty. Caffeine is my weakness. I try to limit it, as it also makes my bladder weak and that is an issue, in and of itself. I try to eat well. Key word is TRY. I am not always successful, but I know that fixing my own meals at home gives me more control of my sodium levels. If I make it myself, I know what's in it. I try to eat more veggies and protein. I also try to drink more water. Being thirsty is often disguised as hunger... I am trying to tell the difference by drinking a wee bit more. 4. Connect with Supportive People This is not always an easy one for me, but I see the merit in it. Recently, I found that talking to someone helped me put my current situation into perspective and that helped alleviate some of the 'blue' feelings I was experiencing after not getting called for any LTO interviews last week. 5. Carve out Hobby Time Writing is my go to. If I feel stressed I write. Just getting it down on paper or onto a computer screen makes the monster seem less oppressive. What was causing me such anxiety was actually not really all that scary after all. I was making a 'mountain out of a mole hill' as they say. I also find if I am stressing about a story, I shift gears. Write something else - from a writing prompt or write a poem. Switch perspectives in the story for a scene. Shift to paper and pencil instead of the computer. Get out of my head - take a walk and talk the story out.... nature trails, without anyone around, are a great place for this. 6. Practice Meditation, Stress Reduction or Yoga I've been trying this over the past 3 years. Being mindful and staying present helps to center me. Focusing on the breath relaxes me. Even before I started meditating, I often found myself doing a kind of breathing exercise that slowed me down and centered me... I started doing that in university before I had to write an exam. It stuck with me. 7. Sleep Enough I love sleep. And a good night's sleep can do wonders. Lack of sleep can propel me for a day, but then I crash.... hard. It is far better to maintain a healthy sleep routine than bounce around and be over tired. I already have ebbs and flows when it comes to my energy levels. I try to work within those boundaries and try to push myself to be more active during my lower moments (midafternoon). Pushing through helps. But if I can work in a nap.... I will do that too. 8. Bond with Your Pet I love having cats. When I am stressed, I bury my face in my cat's fur and let their purr take me out of myself. I also find cats are comical creatures. They remind me to laugh at the funny in them... and myself. 9. Take a Vacation Day tripping is a wonderful thing to do to get away when I can't afford a big vacation. I am lucky to live in an area surrounded by many small towns with huge character. Getting out and just being is a great way to reconnect and relax. 10. See a Counselor, Coach or Therapist This is not one I have done as much. With no health coverage or benefits I find this pricey. I have, in the past, used a physiotherapist for a health issue which was largely a stress issue. It helped me regain control and find a way to manage my weak bladder and, in time, my Self. So I guess you could say I use them all to manage my stress and anxiety. Find what works for you. Experiment and be open to just let go. It will do wonders for you. |
Blogging Circle of Friends: DAY 3415 June 25, 2022 Music: Let one of these lyrics or all inspire your entry today- 1. If I was you, I'd wanna be me too." Meghan Trainor, "Me Too" 2. "Sunshine mixed with a little hurricane." – Brad Paisley, "Perfect Storm" 3. "I'm no beauty queen, I'm just beautiful me." —Selena Gomez, "Who Says" 4. "Hello, it's me." —Adele, "Hello" I have enjoyed listening to these songs. The ones that stood out for me were Megan Trainor's Me Too. My friend often sings the lyric "If I was you, I'd wanna be me too." and I have to smile. It is a kick ass appreciation for loving ourselves.... and I think that is important because all too often we give away our power to those how don't deserve it and abuse the privilege of the gift. My friend has done just that.... and I think she sees me as having taken back my power. But have I? I don't feel like I have, but at the same time, I have the freedom to be me. I am no longer tied to someone who didn't always appreciate my quirks and made me feel ashamed of having them. The other song I enjoyed was Selena Gomez's Who Says. I like the line "I'm no beauty queen, I'm just beautiful me." I like the message of the song. Don't listen to others. Follow your own heart and mind. You are a creation of beauty in your own right. Don't let others try to diminish that with their negativity. Self esteem is a woman's strength. If we have it and hold onto it, we can go as far as we can imagine. All too often, we are cut down as being too much by those who feel threatened by our inner power. I also really like Adele's Hello. Her sultry life resonates through time as she sings "Hello, it's me." I love the video. It gets my story thoughts moving. What is the story behind the song... I would be inclined to tell my own story. A young couple torn apart by decisions they have made.... the woman leaving the man to fallow her dreams and in doing so she does not return to him. She tries to call to apologize but he has moved on.... never home when she calls.... or never answers her calls. |
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