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 |   A Journal to impart knowledge and facts |
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July 22, 2015 I'm going to start today to record on a daily basis whatever happens to strike my fancy. So, it is a very cool breezy day. I just posted 5 short book reviews to The Monthly Reading Challenge. I'm suppose to put away some winter wood today from the woodpile outside but I'm playing hookey from work to write so starting this blog will get done. I'm having a daily fight with a flock of English Sparrows that are trying to take over my barn. They are making a terrible mess so they have to go. I have destroyed several nests so far they don't leave but they get out of the barn when I am around. I'm just starting the fight so I guess I don't know how far I have to go to discourage them. I'm trying not to spread myself to thin on WDC because I find so many things that are interesting here and I am trying to work on a new story. I really enjoy sitting at my desk with a cup of tea and reading blogs on WDC. |
  Prompt: Write about a Happy Monday. Today is a happy Monday. Some time Saturday, between 3 and 4 p.m. our electricity went away. There was a serious storm raging outside. It consisted of strong winds, rain, thunder and somewhere lightning. We did not get hit with lightning, just some thunder. The storm lasted into the night. Our corn stoves run a fan which is necessary to the way they burn. Of course, that means no heat, no Wi-Fi, and mint was not on my phone. I still had my kindles, some of my games run without Wi-Fi. and time, lights and games on my phone were running because I have back up chargers that run on solar. Flashlights that run on solar and some battery driven lights in my bedroom were amply available. The house never got too cold. Maybe into the 40's. It is pretty well insulated which creates dead airspace. As long as you can keep out the drafts you can stay warm enough. The electricity came back on Sunday morning by 9 a.m. I think. It is interesting how quiet the house is when we lose power. It does not happen often. This morning routines were back to normal. I can use the internet and do the laundry. Ho Hum. March is almost gone. Spring is sprung, and life goes on. ![Merit Badge in Fancy
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To a very deserving,fancy member of the WDC community.](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/general-Fancy.gif) |
Blog City:  Prompt: Your childhood toys Remember your childhood. Which toys impressed you the most and which ones you've destroyed willingly or by accident? I'm elderly, all my childhood toys are gone. However, I started collecting a Tommy toy train set several years ago. When my daughter was young, I sewed Cabbage Patch dolls for her and still have a couple of those around. Plus, I like to fly kites, so I have some of those around. My grandfather on my mother's side built me a cupboard which I still have and use it for storage. I used to have a doll bed but, someone took it and left my cousins here in its' place. At least I think the one that is here now belonged to Kathy. The doll bed was also built by a grandfather. I crocheted an Amish Granny Bunny pattern. And other stuffed toys I collected on my own are still here. did you know cats and dogs like to sleep with stuffed animals? If I get another toy, it will be more of the train set collection. Or a drone. Toys are fun. |
BCoF:  What does freedom look like? Taste like? Smell like? Sound like? Feel Like? Have fun! Freedom Looks like the stimulus checks that helped us get through during covid--tastes like the ability to decide what I want to buy at the grocery store--smells like fresh cut lawn in the summer when everyone mows their grass--sounds like the grader fixing the dirt road that runs near our house and the bark of my rescue dog when he sees a squirrel in the tree out back--feels real to me when I read the problems other people in the world may be having. Let's face it, people are dying that should be waking up to plant gardens, clean houses, and enjoy the growth of their children. Recently, saw an ad for the elderly to join the army. Wondered what I would have as a job if I joined. Spring is alive with birds and green grass and green showing in the woods out back. Stay safe. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ As for missing Wi-Fi. I sometimes have problems with it when it rains. We have Hughes net with a dish. It is pretty steady but, sometimes it is slow, or the computer does a glitch. Sometimes my browser drops whatever website I'm working in. I have had the computer freeze before I'm finished with a blog or finished paying bills in the bank or finished with whatever. Recently, the bank refused to let me in until I changed something in the browser. It took me two days to figure out I needed to look in Bing and change the pop-up situation. Two days of getting other things done so I could think straight enough to find the problematic situation. Only a few minutes to fix it. I don't spend all day online. So, when I can get time to sit and write or do business, I want it available now. I can be very impatient with tech glitches of any type. I'm the one in the household who has to find the fix. Also having problems with my phone. Been on Mint since late 2021. Before it changed owners. Never had trouble with it until November 2022. Now it drops me all the time and I cannot make calls only texts. Spent several hours in a chat with Mint technical, which they are blaming T-Mobile towers for the problem. After several changes to a different tower and new apn in my phone I still have the same problem. Bothers me that I might not be able to call out when K is not here if I need help. Not only that situation it also bothers me that Mint is recommended with T-Mobile for the elderly on an elderly website, because it has a great price on their plans. K says T-Mobile is overextended on their towers because of the influx of customers. I'm not sure I believe it, maybe paranoia. Nevertheless, I'll probably hang on for awhile, until the right solution shows its' face. Bye for Now. |
 Words for today: Live, Laugh, Love, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Live from my desk to you.  Yesterday a day to bring laughter and love. It was sunshiny all day and melted all the snow. Today, it is overcast and threatening rain all day. Has not rained yet. Tomorrow, I have not checked the forecast for tomorrow. News at one o'clock said lots of rain expected in the far west of USA and deep southern states. I wonder why they did not say what we are going to see weather wise? In any event Spring birds have been here for several weeks. Odd to hear spring bird song in the mornings, when I put out feed in the bird feeder, in the middle of a blizzard, which we had two heavy snow days over the weekend. Now, hoping Spring stays sprung. Have a great day no matter the weather. |
| March 20,2023: Prompt: Try the “stream of consciousness” writing and tell us what you see when you're looking out of a window, any window closest to you at the moment. At my desk sunshine is streaming through a window onto the desk. One of my cats is sleeping in the broad place where the sunshine is hitting. Behind the cat is the scenery. Farm equipment is covered in tarpaulins, The sunshine has melted a lot of the snow. Most of the ground is green where grass grows. Patchy places of snow still hang on where trees shade the wet turf. Even the trees without leaves have a shading presence. The bird feeder is bare because in the night the deer have come and licked it clean. It is slightly wobbly because the deer stretch their necks up into the feeder to get all the last bits of seed. It stretches the wires that stabilize the feeder, so the feeder is always a little bit off balance. I tighten the wires occasionally, but the deer come back again, so it continues to be a little loose on the pole. Out the window extending behind the yard is the hay field and the woods. Birds fly in and out of the apple tree all day that I can see from the window. It is the tree closest to the bird feeder. Birds will continue to check the feeder from the apple tree all day to see if I have put more seed into the feeder. The driveway is close to the house. You can see the deeply rutted mud tracks made by the car. The weather this year did not really ever freeze the ground, so the tracks are pressed into the driveway by the weight of the automobile, when it goes into and out of the garage. Prompt: Travel-- Share with us a real or imaginary travel story. Who is with you and who or what do you meet on the trip that is extraordinary? Was there a difficult moment and at the end, what advice would you give to other travelers? It isn't often we travel anywhere. One day feeling adventurous we went looking for bike or hike trails. I suggested we try Oil country. So, off we went in our Jeep to oil country. Traveling Route 8 toward Titusville we passed through some small towns. Most of the road travels through farmland with some villages along the way. Entering Titusville is different than it use to be. There is a new Walmart and a Tractor Supply. You pass the Veterinarian office close to the same area. The biggest attraction is the Oil Creek Railway. Passage on the railway takes you around oil creek park with views of fishermen casting rods on the creek, good views of deer, birds and other wildlife, and stops at the museum where it picks up bikers and their bicycles who rode out of town and around the many trails offered by the park. There are sites where old oil wells have been abandoned but the ancient oil producing machinery still stands. The trails to walk or ride bikes on are quite extensive and well kept. Besides taking a ride on the railway, we walked up a trail for a while, and visited. a picnic area. One time K and I took the tour on the Oil creek railway which is really a very relaxing afternoon train ride. Another time we took one of my granddaughters; on that particular trip we visited the museum and walked some trails and visited a park that had camping facilities and picnic tables. You really have to have some travel maps of the area in order to find all the sites that are interesting. The historical visuals at Oil Creek are worth seeing. It makes you wonder about the people who discovered oil there, and then they went to the far east to discover oil in other parts of the world. The Oil Creek Railroad offers overnight stays in a train car motel. Someday I'll go back to ride the train again. At some part of November or December they offer a mystery train. A group of people put on a mystery performance. The passengers get to try and solve the mystery. A nice way to become an amateur sleuth. THE END |
| For Blog City: Write about the Bluebird of Happiness. Bluebirds have been a symbol of happiness for years uncountable. The Bluebird of Happiness Day in the USA is September 24, 2023. One of the first mentions of Bluebirds as a symbol occurred in China. Some Chinese thought the blue bird was immortal and a symbol of the sun. In reality, the small blue bird with the orange chest (the Eastern Blue Bird) has a lovely song, is devoted to its family, and exhibits beautiful colors. They are welcome in gardens, because they eat insects and plant destroying bugs of many kinds. Like many birds their numbers are diminishing in parts of the world. A phrase, Bluebird Days depicts a sunny day following a storm. A 1934 musical recording, The Bluebird of Happiness became an international hit in 1945. In 1908 Maurice Maeterlinck published a play "The Bluebird" which became an opera, numerous different movies, as well as a novel written for children. New York's bird symbol is the Eastern Bluebird. More than one state uses a blue bird as a symbol. Robert Frost wrote a children's poem "The Last Word of a Bluebird" https://rainydaypoems.com/poems-for-kids/nature-poems/the-last-word-of-a-bluebir... Birds of all kinds are symbols. Isaiah 40:31 and Job 12:7 are two examples. Hope your days are Bluebird Days. |
| Weeds or Yummy vegetables? While other people are trying to find ways to get rid of weeds in their yards, I'm trying to find ways to save my weeds and still mow the grass. Dandelions are very eatable. There are yummy recipes online that tell you what parts and when to harvest the parts for the best eating. I used to give them as treats to my horses and still give them as treats to my parrots. Milkweeds are a special need to Monarch Butterflies. One of the reasons the Monarchs are down in numbers is the difficulty in finding enough Milkweed to sustain their numbers. It is also used in the production of water safety equipment and the plant itself is medicinal if used properly, but it can alsos be poisonous. We have a natural pond on our property where I can find mint growing in wild bunches. Mint is used medicinally and is also just good flavoring in salads and summer drinks. I like a leaf in my tea. Lambs' quarters is a good salad fix and considered a weed. Lavendar grows wild in some places. Lavendar has so many uses. My point today is, until I started looking at these plants and looking up these plants, I was not aware of the many uses they have. During WWII many plants we consider weeds made it to the family table because food was scarce. Because they grow wild does not make them contemptable. They are in hiding until you find the reason to make them a part of life. ![Merit Badge in Every Moment Matters
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Happy 21 Birthday Site Week. Thanks for all you do. Love: Megan](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/Kudos-Every_Moment_Matters.gif) |
| Weather Haiku March Winds Sun Moves, sunshine peeks. Warming winds climb high in sky. March, surface winds blow. |
Andre the Blog Monkey's Banana Bar / Share the Love Event Part 2![Merit Badge in The Blogging Banana Bar
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Congratulations & Thank You
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For competing the full four weeks of the Non-Judgmental Blogging Event in January 2023.
Please show your badge when entering the Banana Bar and join others in the Banana Bloggers' Lounge .
Your blogging is always welcome at [Link To Item #1985857] .](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/group-The_Blogging_Banana_Bar-2246010_9.gif) Personal Prompt 2: A find on a Japanese Beach A woman, on a beach in Japan, reported an object on the beach. Police and bomb squads found a 5 foot in diameter steel ball resting on Hamamatsu beach. Japanese personnel were not sure how to respond. You can understand their caution when you take into consideration WWII Hiroshima and recent threats from North Korea. North Korea has been hurling armed rockets into the sea near Japan. Under the circumstances what would you think? The large rusty steel ball was one more problem Japan doesn't need. Authorities examined the ball and x-rayed it. They soon decided it wasn't dangerous to the public and carted it off to a storage place to rest. I wonder if anyone will claim it? If you look close at pictures of the object it seems as if there might be a hatch and a handle on one side. After reading several articles about this object I still wonder what is inside? In one article Professor Mark Inall, an Oceanographer at the Scottish Association for Marine Science, voiced his opinion, that the ball may be a foreign made buoy. He asserted that they may be used as anchoring for instruments to keep them floating in the ocean. The buoys often break free from ocean mooring and wash up on other shores as well as Japan's. Wet metal, and saltwater account for the scrubby rustic look of the ball in photographs. Of course, other suggestions include the Aliens are among us version of this story. If there really is a hatch in the object maybe it should be opened. Could be a message to eartlings inside. Or just more rust. THE END All Word Count by WDC:301 |
| Andre the Blog Monkey's Banana Bar/Share the Love Event, February part 2 P23: When did you last go re-read items you wrote over 2 years ago. Go read one and tell us about what you thought of your writing from back then. I chose "Mushrooms On the Trail" to reread. It was first entered into my portfolio on September. 29, 2015. Then it was modified September 2nd, 2017. After I read the story, I thought it would be good to go back and re-edit it. I would be more specific in some sentences. One explanatory paragraph should be aimed at the reason for it being there. It seems to bounce from the characters of the story to the narrator in an odd way. I do like the story content. It was supposed to have a small adventure while presenting wild mushroom facts as purposeful as possible. Then there are words to put in and words to take out. I think anything I write would need editing after a couple of years. I rely on the editing tool a lot for spelling and commas. I know a lot about grammar but always ignore specifics until I finish writing a piece. The older I get the less it seems to matter although, as a reader I know that isn't true. I was in a local writing club in the early 1970's. The leader was experienced in selling some of her work. She told the club you should lay your writing aside for a week or so then reread and edit it again. Even if you do what she advised, I think you should do it after a couple months. Editing is an ongoing purpose for any writing, and it is the job that doesn't get done often enough. I should review some of my own reviews. The ones I wrote about books I have read. They are the oldest and probably need a lot of work. Recently, someone reviewed a poem I wrote in 2021. "Future Knowledge," is an ok poem. I just don't remember writing it and posting it. I don't consider myself a poet either. I have another story line about a horse stable in the portfolio. I wrote the first stable story when I took my course with WDC about fiction short stories. I took two of the stable stories out of the portfolio that had the same characters and setting. I'm not sure they are still where I put them. Sometimes, what I write comes up missing here. If anyone had offered to pay me for my writing it would probably make a more subjective need to me. Since, that does not happen I guess it still doesn't worry me much. One time someone took a story I wrote and rewrote it their way. The grammar was perfect in the way they submitted the story The story had lost the mystery and character I had put into it. When I review others on WDC, I keep what happened to my story by the other writer, in mind. It is nice to have good grammar. A written piece also has to have something special presented by the writer. Grammar is important but, the story has to have that special something from the personality of the writer. All words count by WDC:554 WRITE ON! |
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