Istijlál (Majesty), 18 ‘Alá (Loftiness), 165 BE – Thursday, March 19, 2009 about 7:38 AM Pacific Time

Today I am thankful for the birds I hear singing in my front yard
Today I am thankful that neither bank account is overdrawn
Today I am thankful for all the canned milk we have in the house
Today I am thankful that today is my mother's 88th birthday
Today I am thankful for having enough coffee in the house to make fresh coffee
Today I am thankful that the weather is finally warm enough to turn the heat off
Today I am thankful that the weather is not hot enough to turn the cool air on
Today I am thankful that my mother has received birthday cards from the Baha'is in Las Vegas over the past three or four days
Today I am thankful that I was able to pay for the paper for another 13 weeks
Today I am thankful that we have bagels to toast for breakfast this morning
 

‘Idál (Justice), 17 ‘Alá (Loftiness), 165 BE – Wednesday, March 18, 2009 about 1:06 PM Pacific Time

"In the beginning was only darkness," Linda's voice echoed from the Botany Bay's metal wall. "Not even the lights of stars were seen in all the material universe. Only in the spiritual universe did light exist because the spiritual universe was illuminated by the Creator." Linda smiled as the children gathered around her waiting for her to continue.

"Because the angels hadn't been created yet, God was lonely. He didn't like being alone, so God proclaimed Be and light was born in the material universe."

"Why," ask Ginny, the most precocious child on the ship, "do you call God He? I thought God was a spirit and had no gender."

"Ginny, we refer to God as male because all the prophets we know of were male, but women gave birth to them."

"Oh, all right," Ginny's brow knotted.

NOTE: This is going to be a creation story. This is as far as I've gotten. The Botany Bay is an interstellar prison ship and the children are those of the cargo and crew. Linda is a robot and has the duty of overseeing the instruction of the children on the ship. Ginny was born to one of the prisoners, but her father is a crewmember.



 

Kamál (Perfection), 15 ‘Alá (Loftiness), 165 BE – Monday, March 16, 2009 somewhere around Sunset Pacific Time

I was planning on making another entry today, but tomorrow is Saint Patrick's Day or is that Saint Padrick's day. Because I am Irish or at least part Irish, I decided to write about that. I've never visited Ireland. Perhaps it is just as well because my illusions of the country remain in tact. If I visited the land of my ancestors then my illusions would be shattered.

Since my Illusions are intact I can think of Ireland as a green island where a Leprechaun hides behind every bush with his pot of gold just waiting for an unsuspecting tourist to pass. All right, let's face it I'm not sure whether I believe in Leprechauns or not. At least, I'm not sure whether they exist on this planet, I will accept the fact that they live somewhere in this wide universe. I will also accept the fact that, no matter what planet they live on, the collect gold coins for some reason or other.

All though, I suspect that if rainbows and pots of gold are so common on their planet that ever Leprechaun has both a pot of gold and a rainbow. The two items must not be worth very much on their planet. For a material object, such as gold coins, to be worth something, they have to be rare. Rainbows probably aren't as sacred on a planet where they are common phenomena. Here on Earth rainbows are rare enough to be considered sacred and to have a pot of gold at the end.


 

Jamál (Beauty), 14 ‘Alá (Loftiness), 165 BE – Sunday, March 15, 2009 about 9:09 AM Pacific Time

My mother's birthday is March 19, she turns 88 on that day. The first day of spring is March 20, the sun crosses the vernal equinox about 11:44 Universal Time that day. Naw-Ruz is March 21, I have no idea, as yet, whether the celebration at the Baha'i Center in Las Vegas will occur on the evening of March 20 after sunset or on the day of March 21.

I am as prepared for the New Year of 166 BE or as prepared for a New Year as ever. I have my goals set for the year. I am even working on a budget. Actually, I started the budget in January, but then decided to change the budget spreadsheet to monthly. I am keeping track of what we spend each month and putting that in the spreadsheet. So far I am doing all right, not perfect but all right.

After counting the money we have in the bank and on hand (including the $17.00 I still have on a gift card), I found we spent about $27.00 per month (January, February and March) more then I showed. I know what happened to it because it was cash and I lost the receipts for the money spent. Therefore, instead of keeping receipts loose in my purse or on the coffee table, I now put them in an envelope.

I suppose I should bring up the April spreadsheet and figure out what I know we have coming in and going out, but I am going to wait until after the fourth Wednesday in this month to do that. I have some aluminum cans to sell next week and I still have money coming in from some blog ads this month..I am going to take some of the money I have and take Mom out to eat for her birthday.


 

Istiqlál (Independence), 12 ‘Alá (Loftiness), 165 BE – Friday, March 13, 2009 about 5:01 AM Pacific Time

I visit Blackwell, Oklahoma, in my dreams. The dreams usually occur in my Grandparent's house (I can't remember their address) or in the house we lived in on West College. The dream last night didn't occur in the house on West College, but that house was in the dream.

I was driving my Kia and my sister was sitting in the passenger seat. In the dream, I attempted to turn into the driveway of the house, but missed the driveway and had to go past the house to turn around. The only way to turn around was to drive to the next corner and go around the block. I missed the turn at the next corner and the one after that.

My sister and I drove to the end of College drive and made a right. I almost hit a white Royals that was driving down that street. The couple in the Royals were dressed in white and they were selling homemade salad dressing door-to-door. Anyway, I had decided to go down to the next street and make another right to get back to the house on College. I woke up before I got to that street.

I said to my sister (sometime in the dream), "You'd almost think I forgot how to drive." Her replay was "Maybe you did." She had no emotion in her voice. I don't know why we were going to the house because that didn't come up in the dream.

 

Istijlál (Majesty), 11 ‘Alá (Loftiness), 165 BE – Thursday, March 12, 2009 about 8:22 AM Pacific Time

All right, I'm almost sure it's an ulcer that is cause the pain in my gut and dry heaves. Fortunately, last night I didn't throw up, I thought I was going to a couple of times, but I didn't. I talked to my doctor the last time I saw her, I described the symptoms and she agree it probably was an ulcer. I'm going to do a bit more research on-line to see if those symptoms indicate something else, but I doubt that it will change the doctor's mind the next time I discuss it with her.

I'm going to have to have a physical before I can go back to work next month. The job I'm going to do requires a yearly physical, but they reimburse $20.00 of the cost. I have a choice of going to their doctor or my own. If I go to my doctor, then it cost $25.00, while it doesn't cost me anything to go to the company doctor.

I think I'll go to my doctor because it is closer then the other doctor. All so, my doctor know my conditions so if there is a problem that prevents me from doing this job we can determine a treatment. If I go to the other doctor and there is a problem, I would have to go to my doctor anyway and the fewer doctors I have to deal with the better off I am.


 

‘Idál (Justice), 10 ‘Alá (Loftiness), 165 BE – Wednesday, March 11, 2009 about 8:13 AM Pacific Time

‘Alá is half over, after today there are only nine days left in ‘Alá and in the year. A new month and a New Year begins on March 21. I have nine days to finalize my goals for the coming year. I thought I had everything finalized until I decided to take a different approach on my budget.

I decided it's easier for me to deal with the bills and the money if I do it a month at a time. Last night, when I was transferring the January, February, and March items into the monthly spreadsheet for those months, I realized that there were two items (both for March), that I had forgotten to put in the other spreadsheet I set up in January. I think I'm going to have to put down "Put today's spending in March budget sheet" on my "To Do List". Since I'm not in the habit of putting the items in immediately, I need a reminder.

A "To Do List" is a good way to work on a new habit because it reminds you to practice that habit before you can check he item off. When I was downloading EXCEL spreadsheets yesterday, I downloaded a "To Do List" template. It's much simpler then the one I set up, therefore, I'm going to use it as my "To Do List".

I don't know why I make things more complicated then they actually are, but I do. I think that's one of the reasons I have difficulties sometimes. I just need to take an approach that simplifies the situation. The budget spreadsheets will help in that department. I think I'm going to check and see if there are any other free EXCEL templates I could use.

 

Fidál (Grace), 9 ‘Alá (Loftiness), 165 BE – Tuesday, March 10, 2009 about 6:55 PM Pacific Time

I got a haircut yesterday and I started a household budget today. I downloaded free budget spreadsheet to use in EXCEL.. I decided that was easier then setting up my own spreadsheet. Templates are so much easier to use. I'm using a monthly budget spreadsheet rather then a yearly. A month at a time is easier, less stressful and helps me focus on the budget.

At the beginning of 2009, I set up a spreadsheet to keep track of the year's expenses by month. However, when I downloaded the monthly budget spreadsheet I realized it was much better then the one I set up. Therefore, I'm using the free download.
 

Jamál (Beauty), 7 ‘Alá (Loftiness), 165 BE – Sunday, March 8, 2009 about 12:47 PM Pacific Time

Daylight savings time is here and spring is over a week away. My time sense is going to be messed up for a few days. Twice a year my time sense gets messed up; first, in the spring when time springs forward and then in autumn when time falls back.

Eventually I get used to the difference between the position of the sun and the time I think it is, but it takes a little while. Since I don't wear a watch I have to make sure I leave the house early enough to get anywhere I'm going on time.

I'm glad the computer updates the time automatically because otherwise I would be a hour behind today. I'm not going any place today, but if I were I'd be an hour behind. I haven't reset my alarm clock yet today. I'm going to move it into my bedroom, so I'll do that this afternoon and then reset the clock and the alarm.

I'm going to have to put a battery on my shopping list because my clock has a battery back-up. I'm going to have to get a battery to put in the clock in case the electricity goes out. We haven't had a brown out in this part of Las Vegas for a while, so we probably due for one any time this coming summer or fall.

 

Jalál (Glory), 6 ‘Alá (Loftiness), 165 BE – Saturday, March 7, 2009 about 8:46 AM Pacific Time

The boxes of cheese and cans of chicken, beef or pork, haven't changed all that much since I was a child. The the labels are still white with black or blue letters. I remember there were other cans and boxes with that type of lettering, which isn't included in the senior food program, but the boxes of cheese and cans of meat look the same.

I remember when my parents divorced Mom had to go to the government and my grandparents for help feeding us. The house we lived in belonged to my Grandfather, so we didn't have to worry about a place to live. Grandpa and Grandma Newland had their own house in the Smelter heights on the other side of the rail road tracks.

Every month Mom would go after government food or commodities to feed four hungry mouths and herself. I remember the cans of meat; I think one of the cans contained spam, which I still like today. The only differences between the type I buy in the store today and the cans Mom received in the food boxes is the salt content and the labels.

I remember we received meat, cheese, butter or margarine, flour, sugar or corn syrup (and sometimes even honey), and canned veggies. It was enough to help feed a family of one parent and four kids. My grandparents helped as much as they could and Mom eventually got a job working in a restaurant. I still remember the government food fondly.

 

Istiqlál (Independence), 5 ‘Alá (Loftiness), 165 BE – Friday, March 6, 2009 about 4:28 AM Pacific Time

I extended my upgraded membership for another three months. The membership is due again on Monday, June 15, 2009. My next step is to clean out my port, which should be an interesting experience since I haven't actually cleaned it out since I've been a member. I'm not sure exactly where to begin but I guess I will start with the folder containing images. I believe here are some photo's is one or two items in there that I want to remove. I also think there is a novel I'm in the process of rewriting and/or finishing (off-line), which I can remove for the present. After that I'm not sure which folder I will work on.

I also need to clean out my e-mail box and see what I have in there that I don't need to keep. I suspect the problem is that I don't like to throw things away. All right, I'm not actually throwing the novel or images away. Those I'm transferring off line and putting on a CD. Still it's the idea of removing an item and placing it someplace else.

By June 15, I'm planning on having enough GPs to purchase a one, two, or three month premium membership and having enough cash to purchase a 12-month premium membership. That ought to take care of my membership into 2010 and then I have to decide if I want and/or need a professional membership or continue the premium membership.

June seems far away, but I know from experience that it isn't. The time will fly and I won't have the GPs and cash if I don't start working and saving now. I think one of my problems is I have (as the old saying goes) champagne taste on a beer budget. I need to set a goal and just work toward it without distraction or worrying about other stuff.


 

Fidál (Grace), 2 ‘Alá (Loftiness), 165 BE – Tuesday, March 3, 2009 about 3:01 PM Pacific Time

I don't suppose having an ulcer is anything to brag about, but at least now I know what the problem is and focus on something else. I didn't realize what the problem was until I got to talking to a friend and then to my doctor. My doctor confirmed the ulcer. My doctor also suggested I avoid the foods that set it off.

The only problem is that the foods I eat don't set the ulcer off. Other things cause it to act up. I have found that eating breakfast helps avoid ulcer pain. I have also found that saying the Long Healing Prayer when I am having an ulcer episode helps calm it down quickly.

I can no longer get upset at other drivers in traffic or at the slowness of the traffic lights. I have to calm down and smile instead of getting irradiated at the other drivers. Fortunately, I know the remover of difficulties by heart, so that helps calm me down.

Writing helps me refocus my emotions as well. The only problem is that it's difficult to write and drive at the same time. I'm not saying it is impossible, since I've never tried writing and driving at the same time I'm not sure whether it's impossible or not. I have not intention to attempt writing and driving at the same time. True, the stoplights in Las Vegas are long enough for a person to make a short journal entry.


 

Istijlál (Majesty), 1 Ayyám-I-Há (Intercalary), 165 BE – Thursday, February 26, 2009 about 2:41 PM Pacific Time

Today is the first day of Ayyám-I-Há and I did the dishes for my mother. I also order a Coffee Bean Mill with the Gift Points I had in my Homescan account. The mill should arrive around Mom's birthday, at least I hope it does. I will then get a pound of coffee beans and we will grind our own coffee.

I know buying coffee that is already ground is a little cheaper then buying the beans. However, I like grinding my coffee myself. I'm not sure what type of coffee beans I will get just yet. When I buy them, I will go to a specialty coffee shop and see what is offered. It's been a long time since I bought a pound of coffee beans.

I have a small coffee grinder in one of the cupboards, but it doesn't grind very many beans at a time. I thought about saving the GPs for something else, but decided that the coffee bean mill was something I wouldn't go out and spend actual cash for. This is why I like to do surveys, I can get merchandise from some of the sites. This lets me get items I wouldn't take the cash to get myself or my mother.

 

Kamál (Perfection), 17 Mulk (Dominion), 166 BE – Monday, February 23, 2009 about 1:07 PM Pacific Time

Mom is going to be 88 years old on March 19. She wants to go out for prime rib, but the only coupon I have is her birthday coupon from Marie Calender's. Therefore, we will go there for her birthday dinner. Mom gets $5.00 off of her entree and we both get a free piece of pie, so that is within our budget.

I am keeping track of how much we spend. I have to count the money in my wallet, both bank accounts and the pill bottle, but I think I show more on the budget spreadsheet then what we have left to spend this month. That means I didn't record something and I'm not sure what it was. I do know it was either food or gas, Once I figure out how much we have I will know which it was and can put that amount in the proper place.

Starting in March I am going to keep all the receipts in an envelop and then I won't have to worry about what I didn't put in the spreadsheet. Things have gone fairly well this month, with one exception. I had to turn Balu into the animal shelter for them to put down because we didn't have the money to take her to her regular vet.

Since Balu was Mom's cat, Mom signed the paper. Mom understood why it had to be done, it was difficult. I think I'm having a harder time with it them Mom. Mom is having cataract surgery in March and a birthday.

 

‘Idál (Justice), 12 Mulk (Dominion), 166 BE – -Wednesday, February 18, 2009 about 8:14 AM Pacific Time

I have suspected for sometime now that Mom, the cats, and I aren't the only entities living on these premises. The reason for this is that late at night or early in the morning, I feel I'm being watched. I feel someone standing behind me or in the doorway watching me. In addition, the cats react to another presence in the house especially in rooms neither Mom and I are occupying at the time. However, until this morning the ghost has never bother Mom.

This morning our ghost woke Mom up. I don't think the ghost is means us any harm. The ghost is just here living in the house with us and unable to ascend to the next world. When we first moved into the house, I said prayers for the departed for the ghost, whoever it is. Beginning today, I am going to start saying prayer for the departed for the ghost that lives in my house.

This isn't the first house we've lived in that was haunted. When we first moved to Vegas, the duplex we living in was haunted. That ghost was male and he stood in the doorway between the living roo and the hall watching everything that went on in the living room. He just stood in the doorway watching, until then I didn't know ghost were interested in what the living people were doing, but that one was.

The ghost in our present house is either female or we have two ghosts. The one that woke Mom up was female. The ghost I feel watching me is male, so we may have two ghosts living in this house. I'll still say prayer for the depart for the ghost.

 

Mom and I went into Walgreens today to pick up two of her prescriptions. There were valentine items all over the store. Red and white objects in the shape of hearts or teddy bears holding a heart shaped items of some time.

We pick Mom's prescriptions up at the Walgreens on the corner of Las Vegas Blvd. and Charleston. To get there I drive west on Oakey and turn right on Las Vegas Blvd. this allows me to turn into the Walgreens' parking lot without have to cross traffic. Going this way takes us past some of the local wedding chapels. Today is the day a lot of people get married. I'm not sure why because about half of all marriages in the U.S. end in divorce, so I don't think Valentines' Day would make a very good wedding day.

Anyway, on the way to Walgreens we saw a couple of lemos and wedding parties at one of the chapels. I think it was the chapel that does the themed weddings. A good reason to get married in Vegas is a themed wedding. I knew a couple who used the Star Trek themed wedding. There are other themes for wedding, I think a Lord of the Rings themed wedding would be nice or perhaps a Star Wars themed wedding.

 

Istiqlál (Independence), 7 Mulk (Dominion), 166 BE – Friday, February 13, 2009 about 4:28 PM Pacific Time

February 13 is Change your name day, so if you don't like the name your parents gave you now is the time to change it. Friday, February 13, is the first Friday the Thirteenth in 2009 so it is also Blame Someone Else Day. The first Friday the Thirteenth in any year is Blame Someone Else Day.

Today you can change your name and blame someone else, which give changing your name an entirely different prospective. I'm not sure who comes up with all these weird and intriguing holidays, but today it's someone else's fault. Maybe I need to come up with an interesting holiday. Something that the greeting card people could use and everyone else could enjoy without actually having to buy a greeting card. After all, a person feels sort of guilty not buying or sending a greeting card on a holiday, even if that holiday is off the wall and weird. How about Don't Feel Guilty if You Don't Send a Greeting Card Day.

 

Istijlál (Majesty), 6 Mulk (Dominion), 166 BE – Thursday, February 12, 2009 about 7:04 AM Pacific Time

The concept behind Thankful Thursdays is that, no matter how difficult life is at the moment, a person can find at least ten things to be thankful for once week. So today I am thankful for

Having enough coffee and paper filters in the house to make several pots of coffee today

That my bank account is not overdrawn at 7:04 this morning

The beautiful white and gray winter rain clouds I can see out of my kitchen window

There is no morning breeze moving the limbs of the stone pine tree in front of the house

I got up before dawn and could watch the southwest sky lighten with the approach of sunrise

Wednesday was trash pick up day and all four the trashcans in the garage were emptied

Friday is the first Friday the thirteenth in 2009 and therefore is Blame Someone Else day

I found my green prayer beads laying on the coffee table last night

We were able to pay the entire power bill this month, which was under $300.00

I decided not to attempt to sell the computer this month
 

Fidál (Grace), 4 Mulk (Dominion), 165 BE – Tuesday, February 10, 2009 about 8:05 AM Pacific Time

There are only 39 days left until Naw-Ruz, which falls on a Friday this year. I always begin a new set of goals on March 21. It's a New Year for me and a time for new beginnings. I'm reevaluating my old goals now. I'm also considering how I should celebrate Naw-Ruz. I'll probably go to a Naw-Ruz party on the evening of March 20, but I wanted to do something more to celebrate this year.

As I said I've started to reevaluate the goals I set last year and see why I failed to achieve some of them. I'm not sure whether the problem was motivation or just letting my negative self, my inner critic, tell me that achievement of those goals was impossible. Anyway, I have nine questions that I am going to answer in my Writing My Spiritual Journey journal to determine my motivation before starting the goals. As 166 BE progress, I will answer some of the questions to see what problems I'm encountering when it comes to achieving those goals.

I'm going to begin a new writing.com blog on Naw-Ruz, even if I have not gotten this one completed. I don't have very many more entries before I reach 500, so there shouldn't be a problem in completing Snow Melt. I'm going to call the next blog More Snow Melt. At present, I'm not sure how much I'm going to change the way I make entries. I do know that I want to put more poems and stories in the new blog.

One goal I know I'm going to increase is my daily word count goal. I've already decided to increase the count by 19%, which would bring the daily goal up to a minimum of 2,975 right now. I'm going to evaluate this count for the next 39 day by seeing how much of it I can reach. If I do a good job in reaching the minimum of 2,975 per day then I my increase that goal by 19%.

 

Jamál (Beauty), 2 Mulk (Dominion), 165 BE – Sunday, February 8, 2009 about 2:05 PM Pacific Time

Today, February 8, in the middle of winter is Kite Flying Day. Yes, folks this is a real holiday, at least according to http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/February/kiteflyingday.htm. This is the day to fly a kite or to tell someone to Go fly a kite. Considering that February is also Creative Romance Month, this ought to give everyone a unique idea to say I love you or We're no longer a couple to someone special or no longer special in their lives.

Kites have been uses for various creative purposes for over 3,000 years. So I guess saying someone must have said I love you with a kite before 2009. Still it isn't the usual way to ask someone to become one's spouse or significant other.

All right, I'm the queen of the bitter love poems, so I'm probably not the best person in the world to take romantic advise from. Still I think using a kite to say I love you is romantic.

Right now, there is a breeze in Las Vegas because I can see the limbs of the stone pine tree in my front yard waving. It's not a real kite flying wind, but it is a nice breeze. The sky is mostly cloudy and the humidity is up. It's cold or rather it's chilly outside. If I had a kite to fly, then I would have to put on warmer cloths to fly it.