%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 |   Theses are my thoughts and ramblings as I forge my way through this thing they call life. |
|
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] 
|
30 Day Blogging Challenge PROMPT July 5th Tell us about someone you find inspirational. Inspirational. I am not feeling overly inspired these days. So who inspires me. Off the top of my head - Oprah Winfrey. She has introduced me and countless others to many inspiring people. The power of possibility was introduced to me and opened me up. Turned my negative, closed life into one with a positive outlook. For that I will always be grateful. Her interviews, particularly with Super Soul Sundays made me want to explore and challenged me. From Brene Brown and Elizabeth Gilbert to the poetic wonderfulness of Maya Angelou and wisdom of Iyanla Vanzant. I have felt my life become richer with the exposure to these perspectives. |
30 Day Blogging Challenge PROMPT July 4th What could you give a 40-minute presentation on with absolutely no preparation? Wow... I feel stress just reading this prompt. No preparation??!! That is crazy. Talking and shooting from the hip... would this be me chatting away or would this be me introducing something and letting my audience do some interactive activity? Would this be something I feel totally comfortable with or... what exactly. I need to breathe. Deep, slow breaths to calm my racing heart. Could I lead a 40 minute meditation session of Sahaja Yoga Medditation? Would I speak about remote learning and encourage my audience to share their own experiences from the past three and a half months? Or would I tackle a writing topic? A discussion of what writing references that have truly inspired me... or start a discussion of which authors have inspired each of us? One of my Zoom writing groups had each of us discuss books we had been especially moved by. The parameters were to pick two books - one book not from your chosen genre and the other needed to be a book from over 5 years ago in any genre. Now in our group we had a week to think about this and consider... but what if we did it spur of the moment. I chose Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down The Bones and The Late Great Me by Sandra Scoppettone. I didn't need to week to make that determination. Talking books and influences would motivate me and make the conversation flow. Or I could talk on a weight loss plan I had been following before the pandemic - and all bets were off. The combination of foods and times to maximize your body's ability to metabolize the food and lose the weight. Or maybe even have the group do 40 minutes of yoga. When I read the word 'presentation' I get the heeby-geebies. Who wants to chatter on for 40 minutes without the interaction of your audience? Their eyes judging you. I much prefer to present to children. I remember reading a book - Little Mouses Big Book of Fears and taking the whole 40 minutes because the children (a class of grade 3 and 4s) were interested in sharing their fears as I shared my own. It was a great way to build our class community because everyone felt open enough to share - even my one little guy who didn't talk in front of the whole class. He whispered his to me. I let my audience guide me and came out with one of my better class moments. |
30 Day Blogging PROMPT July 3rd Describe a missed opportunity you encountered, and how things might have been different if you hadn't missed it. I feel like fictionalizing this... playing with my dreams, in a way. On Tuesday the Paris Writing Workshop began. It is a month long immersion into writing in Paris. It is a dream of mine to go to something so wonderful. But time and expense... as well as this year's pandemic make that not possible... even if I could afford it. I'm even curious if the workshops are even happening. When I printed out my copy of the month's agenda, there was no talk of the pandemic... I have not checked the website since. https://pariswritingworkshops.com/ So if all was set and I was able to go... without the worry of catching covid-19, I would head out so I would be able to arrive in Paris, perhaps a few days early to explore Paris on my own at first and get over some of the jet lag that would set in. Paris is 6 hours ahead of my usual time. Bring able to immerse myself in the experience before going to the Paris American Academy Office on July 1 would be fabulous. Having already met a few friends in a Paris Writing group this spring, I would meet up with some of them to see the Paris they know and enjoy. Since many of them have been in Paris for years, they will know the best places to visit - places not so touristy... though I will be getting to the Shakespeare and Co bookshop either with them or on my own. Alone I could browse for hours and make sure to make at least one purchase so that I have a reminder of the place and the time. The workshop itself would be an immersive experience. Monday to Friday full of writing workshops and plenty of time to meet new writers who share my love of the written word. I would be certain to take the optional French language classes each morning during the week and on weekends I would join my friends at the Unicornor's Cafe to write and chat. I might even take one of their Sunday morning trips to walk the trails and write surrounded by nature. Even thinking of this makes the possibility possible. |
30 Day Blogging Challenge PROMPT July 2nd We all know the mood-ring fad of the 70’s only predicted body temperature and not necessarily mood, but what if people could actually see your emotions, like an aura of color surrounding you. Would you try to mask it, display it proudly, or something in between? Having just finished reading The Catalain Book of Secrets by Jess Lourey, this prompt resonates. I highly recommend the book, by the way. Several of the witches in the Catalain family have the ability to see other's emotions and pain. I think it is a very cool attribute to possess. Particularly when an aura of colour surrounds you. I think I would proudly display my colour... though I would wonder, would everyone be able to see it or just those attune to the idea? |
30 Day Blogging Challenge PROMPT July 1st Write a letter to your parents from before your birth. Give them advice about how to raise you and give them a heads up about anything they might struggle with when you come into their lives. So babies are a two person, team playing kind of thing. One parent does not do it all, while the other sits on the sidelines playing like life is the same as it was before the baby. You both need to be involved. Having a kid does not mean your marriage has to suffer. If you feel neglected, then help with the little bundle, don't go off with your buddies or start up an affair. Please learn to communicate. Don't be afraid to say 'I love you' and let others know what you appreciate about each other. I don't want to hear 'I married her, she should know I love her' - that doesn't cut it. Mom needs to hear the words. She needs the reassurance. And with that assurance, she will fight the battle of depression. And Dad, go to the doctor regularly and take care of yourself. Don't wait for the cancer to eat you alive. This little person wants your love and attention. She is pretty independent, but she also needs to know you love her. Do stuff with her... don't wait until its your weekend, to step up. Get her involved and go see her shine. Where was my Dad when I performed at the Community Center after Kiwanis was having their winners performances? Was he working or was he off bowling with his buddies? My mom and my grandparents were there, but not him. That memory still rubs at me. A little kid needs to know you are their champion and you are there for them. I didn't always feel that my parents were.... and I didn't ask because - what kid asks for that kind of thing? Being an only child was not a thrill either. I would have loved a brother or sister as support. It would have been easier to tackle the teasing and develop a backbone if I had had at least one sibling. I know my parents loved me, but the words were rarely, if ever, said. They were both wounded people. We lived in Northern Ontario, so getting help in the form of therapy was sparse - 30 minutes once a month - mom told me. What kind of progress can you do with that? I had a grandmother who loved me and that made a huge difference for me. Moving away from that restrictive, small, Northern Ontario town was a good thing. It was hard to be away from my Dad... but he died within 3 months of us moving away. I was twelve, I had my aunt and uncle to love... and love me. And a short while later I had a cousin who was also a gift. |
Blog City - Day 2172 Prompt: For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven-- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 Since it is so, spiritually speaking, why do you think our planet now has this Covid 19 pandemic? It was time to take a step back and reassess what is most important. Things were starting to get a little out of whack. What is important? Family and connection. Those are the cornerstones. As we move forward, mental health with be paramount. Developing our Emotional Intelligence and teaching our children that emotions are important and must be acknowledged and dealt with in healthy ways. These skills can and should be taught. They are not going to magically appear. They need to be cultivated so that we have a society that stands strong on compassion, love and understanding... one that sees all people equal - regardless of any perceived differences - race, gender, age, sexual orientation.... anything. We are all the same, but we have differences that make this world a wonderful place. We need to embrace those differences and learn from each other, not condemn or put others down. Lift others up. Shine a light into the dark corners and chase away the shadows that we fear will harm us. |
Blog City - Day 2156 Have you ever asked someone what their favorite poem is? It's not as easy as you would think for them to name an author and a poem with the reason why. One of mine is Marge Piercy's The Moon is Always Female. I was trying to understand women in general. Please recommend a couple to us and why. Right off the top of my head, I would have to say Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44272/the-road-not-taken I love the imagery of two paths and a yellow wood. I can see it in my minds eye. Both beautiful. Both full of possibility and wonder. I like the aspect of the physical as well as the metaphorical aspect of picking a way to go, knowing that in the choosing, you may not come back to chose again. The way you go marks your life's path. I also ran across a poet just recently that I quite like - Langston Hughes. His voice is true and clear. He makes me think and remember that we each have an experience worthy of being told. Mine is no better or worse than his, just different and that difference makes this world more diverse and expansive. We need to learn to appreciate what each of us brings to the table. Keep open minds and hearts. Learn from each other. Theme For English B by Langston Hughes. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47880/theme-for-english-b Another poet I had the pleasure of hearing read her work last fall at the Kingston Writer's Festival is Abena Beloved Green. Hearing her speak her poems, seeing her strong, supportive entourage of family, and reading her words myself - over and over, I was moved by her keen eye and strong voice. I highly recommend her book of poetry - The Way We Hold On. Today I read 'Slow and Steady' and found myself smiling at her words and how much they pertain to our times. Here is an excerpt from that poem: The sloth is the keeper of the lost art of living in the moment. Being slothful should mean having mastered stillness and intention; possessing impeccable control. The sloth is unfazed by the propaganda, The sloth never lines up for the rat race. The next time someone tells me I am being slothful, I will say, "Thank you. I try." This is a link to another poem. I love listening to her strong voice... enjoy. https://abenagreen.ca/blog/2018/06/03/stretch-marks-spoken-word-poetry/ |
Blog City - Day 2149 Prompt: What books are on your summer reading list? I am trying to read books I currently own and have not gotten to over the years. I am currently reading a non-fiction memoir called Lean Out by Tara Henley and I am loving her style. She wrote this book as a response to her own frantic lifestyle pace that was giving her heart palpitations from anxiety. She withdrew from a life too fast paced and needed to reconnect with the important things of life - human connection. I find it interesting to read during this pandemic, as what she has to say, speaks to all of us, in a way. Something big has had to happen to make us reassess our lives and see what is important. As I look out around me I see families walking, people biking, life has slowed down. If we stop to consider the good that can come out of this situation we will see the silver lining - the one that has us reaching out to others and embracing humanity... even if we can't physically hug each other and need to keep six feet apart. I did break down and order four books through Amazon.ca... one of these I am currently reading is May Day by Jess Lourey. I found this author when researching dream writer's retreats I would love to go to. One is in the Gladstone Library in Wales. Imagine staying in a library for a whole week while exploring your own writing. Ahh, heaven. Jessica Lourey is an American author who leads writing retreats abroad - one in the Gladstone Library and another in a castle an hour outside of Paris (another interesting place to visit). I figured I would read some of her work and see what kind of writer she is.... so far I am not fully impressed, but I am keeping an open mind. May Day is a Mira James Mystery (apparently there are 12 of them; one for each month of the year). I also bought another of hers - The Catalaine Book of Secrets. It delves into witches and such. It sounds really good. She strikes me as an interesting person. Here is a Ted Talk she gave: Rewrite Your Life is another book of hers I am waiting to have delivered. Okay so not all my reading is from books I currently own, but many on my list are. Since the pandemic I have only bought... hmmm, okay 9 books. Three of them were when I bought 2 for my mother for Mother's Day. I couldn't pass up buying books for me too! So of the 9, 7 were for me. I have gone through my book shelves and found books I didn't realize I had... and have put away ones to donate (usually hard cover beasts I refuse to bother with, but were given as gifts). I have passed some on to my mother to read. To list them all here would be way too long, but my plan is to move through them. Many are books bought at writer's festivals - they are signed copies. Ones I will keep even after they have been read. Anything not signed I will pass on.... unless I really like them - this would be anything by Jill Shalvis. Though the more I read of it, the more I think I will keep Lean Out as well. Henley's style is fresh and she is Canadian. Another book I finished was Building Your Best Writing Life by Kristen Kieffer. She also has a website called Well-Storied that I like to visit occasionally So in a nutshell, I will say - I will be reading some romance (which is easy, mindless and fun), I will be reading some new authors and a few non-fiction and writing reference books over the course of my summer. I may even read some teaching books to balance off my life of reading. I wish everyone a wonderful summer of reading, writing and reviewing. |
Blog City - Day 2147 Prompt: A wall clock subtly reminds whoever reads it to stay in the moment. What does “to stay in the moment” mean to you, and how easy or difficult is it to stay in the moment? Staying the moment means being mindful, centered, and present. It means stopping to take in a breath, a full breath and letting it out slowly as you focus on the feeling of filling up and letting it go. It means looking up from our devices and seeing what's around us. The world really is a wonderful place if you pay attention. Focusing on the actual people around us. It drives me insane when someone is on their phone, while the person they are with sits idly by waiting for them to finish whatever was so urgent it took them away. The more stressed I am, the more difficult it is to stay in the moment. Thoughts race as our heart catapult, all to keep up to some kind of expectation or deadline. It is at these times when it is more beneficial to stop and just take a moment to recenter than push on. Taking a moment and breathing deeply gives us a chance to get ourselves in the right place to get things accomplished. It may seem counterproductive to stop when the world is whizzing by, but it actually helps to refocus us and calm us so we can handle the chaos that may be coming our way. It helps us put things into perspective. Since last fall, I have been incorporating meditation into my life. I find it is helpful. I feel calmer. Able to take things on. Not so anxious or scattered. |
30 Day Blogging Challenge PROMPT May 30th Congratulations on making it to the last day of the competition! What was your favorite prompt from the last month? What was the most rewarding aspect of participating in the competition? What did you learn? It is the last day. Wow. I can't believe May is almost done. Time to pick my favourite prompt and reflect on the past month. I enjoyed the virtual traveling because I got to know my fellow bloggers a bit better in terms of where they live and I got to take a virtual trip that involved a little traveling over the internet. That entry was as good to write as it was to read other people's entries. I also loved writing the the poems on May 8. The prompt for that date was "I used to believe..." I used to believe I was invincible I used to believe life would go on I used to believe that I could do anything I used to believe life was my oyster But then life happened.. Now I believe life is fleeting Now I believe you must cherish what you have Now I believe love and gratitude abide Now I believe in following my bliss Because life is too short to waste. I also appreciate the prompts when I was facing the blank page each day. Having a starting point got the creative juices flowing for the day. Some days I needed that kick in the pants to keep me showing up. I keep thinking that I will take the next month off and so far I have blogged each month of this year so far. Thanks for being here and providing grist for the mill. |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
