%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 |  Look around. Let Nature nurture your Soul. I record images I sense and share them here. |
|
NURTURE your NATURE  Nature can nurture our writing, can nurture our soul. What is the language of Nature? And how do we learn it? We look at the natural wonders around us and do not see them, hear, taste nor smell them. They do not touch us anymore than we dare touch them. And then we wonder why we feel so dead. To breathe in and live like a child again opens the Land of Wonderment. It's still there after all these years.   |
| I'm dying (we all are). But am I living? What does being alive really mean? What is the point of staying alive past one's expiration date? Are we-who-still-live willing to embrace our mortality and immortality? Out of circulation. The coins minted the year I was born are scratched, discolored, worn, the copper tarnished, the nickel dulled and whatever was silver melted down long ago. No bills remain that aren't tattered, torn. What was once of some use in exchange for a cookie or a glass of milk, is now deemed worthless and tossed in a jar or abused, flattened on tracks as trains pass or stretched and molded into trinkets at a hot tourist spot (now closed). Is it my time to go? If so, why do I hang on. I'm old. Not so much by the calender date. That's just a reminder that I've survived thus far. So many haven't. Am I old because I remember when songs first came out — fifty years ago? Am I old because I remember, albeit vaguely, how things used to be done? No, I'm old because I can't zig and zag and zog like the youth I once was. I just can't keep up as my body gives out. But I'm not dead yet. Just slowly dying. Like wasps in autumn, a final frenzy before a frost puts their sting to rest. Am I resting when I nap or merely practicing lying prone before I'm laid out? In the morning, do I look like I've slept in a coffin? Some days it takes more than sunlight to get me up and more than coffee to wake me. My expiration date cometh. Sooner if I don't take better care of myself and fall off the shelf. I'll have to embrace that reality now or later, like it or not. And I will. We all do at the end. Until then, I may as well keep learning — and living. But do I look beyond? Realize that my life is a gift not just to myself but to others. What kind words or wisdom, still unspoken, need to be said. What inspiration I wrote for someone will be stuck in a book and forgotten, to be read and bring forth smiles decades or centuries later. Beyond the Veil of Death will my actions still matter in the material world. I remember my mistakes and shudder. My Muse might know, but he remains as mute as the angels that pass overhead, those who will return at the proper hour to chant the final poem. ~425 words "Blogville "  1154 |
| I admire well centered and calm people. Those that remain unperturbed or oblivious no matter what. Me? I'm always on alert. I am a wounded person. Layers and layers of woundedness from my own insecurities and sensitivity. ผมอ่อนไหว I'm not sure why but I suspect I was nervous as a child, shushed, 'half-blind', clumsy, funny-looking, clueless. I was made fun of. My parents protected me but failed to build my self-esteem and didn't quite grasp how I was different. Looking back? I was. In some ways I was more like my grandparents than my parents. But they didn't live close and frankly, no family except for my mother's sister and some cousins of my father lived near. I was to be seen not heard, had to be careful with my glasses at age 6, and was supposed to stay clean. We were poor, but no one was supposed to know that, so nothing could be broken, ripped or torn. None of this helped. I was chatty and loved playing in dirt. So I played with close neighbors but admired other kids from afar. These days? There are so many to admire... from afar: Gare, who is unflappable like my father; Nick who is well centered with a good moral compass; people who glow. I keep my inner light hidden under a basket. I fall in love with rational people, centered people, even those who share my passion; but, I can never be them and whether they love me is questionable. I never felt lovable, so even when they do, I have a hard time accepting that. I fall in love with characters in books and movies. I can even love the flawed characters I create. But famous people? They are role models for others, everyday people matter to me. "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" PROMPT September 13th: Who do you see as role model of yours, either a professional or 'everyday' person, and why should everyone else know about this person.~325 words In "Blogville " 1151 |
![Merit Badge in Blessings
[Click For More Info]
Just cause I read some of your writings and like it.](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/general-Blessings.gif) A favorite given to me by Apondia. Blessings: never to be 21 again. I was blessed to turn 22. The hellish year continued but I survived it. 22 is still my favorite number. With 364 days to celebrate my life there's no need to focus on that one day I reserve for myself. Needless to say, I don't do birthdays. But, if you really don't like me being here then maybe I should schedule my own euthanasia on that day to save space on my headstone. Month/Day will suffice. If not, then my name or no name, just "Fred". Too late now to die young and leave a good looking corpse. I looked real good at age 23 cutting shatter-cane in the milo fields of Kansas. Funny... P'Med... died on his 22nd birthday in "He's coming to me". Makes me want to write "Forever 22" (ตลอดไปยี่สิบสอง) I'll keep posting this until someone watches and comments. *sigh* Now, this is another kind of blessing. A surprise from Kit of House Lannister. My first awardicon for this 13 year old blog. She liked "Opening the garden ... of the heart [109] (36 lines)" a story-poem of 36 lines for: "Share Your Faith" .Opening the garden ... of the heart The garden opens its gates each year ... as the gardener watches in anticipation, as frost and freeze have finally yielded ... yet early visitors want a carpet of color (its not quite spring) and holler to each other, "How little these bushes, how ugly this stream, how useless they seem."1 The gardener knows better and calmly explains, "in time we will harvest bushels of berries. these will be red and juicy, those black and loved by bears we'll be lucky if they don't glean them first." "Well, this one tried to grab my purse!" "Ah, to love a rose we must forgive its thorns, to inhale its fragrance we must nourish its nature, cherish it for whatever it offers... and never scorn.2 They walk through the drizzle under umbrellas, sidestepping the puddles, avoid every wet frond. "Why don't you drain this dank muddy pond?" "I'm fond of the blossoms that rise from the muck each summer." The visitors wrinkle their noses. "Yuck." "Well, lets move on and not block the view for those behind us."3 Around the back bare trees overshadow slick paths, shading the promise of ferns and moss. "I like flowers. I have no use for forests." "This tall tree pelts us with nuts by the hundreds; these twigs ease pain; this straight limb will give its life to provide us shelter; these beckon with golden leaves come autumn; they have earned my respect and deserve to remain."4 And so the gardener gently guides his guests breathing deep to put his own anger to rest as he remembers his teacher, a master gardener, who showered him with patience over the years and taught him how to overcome inner fears by showing him how to tend the garden and make it his friend.5 © Kåre Enga [177.109] (29.juni.2020) posted in "Blogville " 1151 Footnotes |
| It's time to talk hurricanes. In 2005 this weekend there was a storm that some folks only refer to as K. That bad. This year we have Ida brewing. Soon to be a hurricane, maybe before I post this. I follow Yale Climate Connections. A couple days ago "txhurl" wrote "Iffn' Ida known you was a-comin I'da" And a poem spewed forth from the froth: Iffn' Ida known you was a-comin Ida... battened down hatches locked all those latches savored one last look around put up the shutters shouted not muttered and took the train outta town Ida bought me some floats invested in boats and learned how to swim or fly but I didn't do dat so now it's a wrap, time to kiss my sweet-ass goodbye © Copyright 2021 Kåre Enga [178.215] (24.agosto.2021) About that K storm:
I'm sure we have lost WDC members to storms and other weather events... just so you know. Because I grew up in a stormy area known for blizzards I paid attention, delighting in every snowflake. My father, however, had grown up with tornadoes in Oklahoma. He knew what wind could do. We were raised to respect the weather. Hurricanes aren't as focused as tornadoes. They aren't very picky. They can last for days, not minutes and their impact can be felt far inland. Hazel in 1954 killed folks in Toronto and Agnes in 1972 nearly took out Rochester. Perhaps we shouldn't focus so much on wind. Flooding kills more people much more effectively. Ask anyone from Houston about the H storm... or maybe not. So... if you have friends in the path of Ida... make sure they are prepared to hunker down. If they are in NOLA it may be time to leave. Who at WDC is in the path? ~300 words Posted in "Blogville " 1149 |
| I told Joy: "Gold. Very little will combine with the noble metal. Very offish, in my humble opinion. Thankfully we are carbon based, less pure but also much more complicated and interesting and much more flexible than its cousin silicon which is what [Artificial Intelligence] is based upon." Gold Properties: Gold conducts heat and electricity. ... Gold is ductile: It can be drawn out into the thinnest wire. ... Gold is highly reflective of heat and light. ... Gold is malleable, so it can be flattened into extremely thin sheets. Gold is prized for its beauty. ... How are humans like gold then? Do we conduct love [heat] and emotion [electricity]. Do we conduct our inner being by speech and touch. Are we capable of being stretched like a wire [ductile] to cover distance and time. Is our essence never reduced to nothing. We reflect what's around us. But the void reflects nothing. Do we reflect goodness [heat and light] when it is present? Can we be fashioned [malleable] into something useful knowing that no matter how thin we may seem or become our essence remains intact. Are my metaphors too suspect? Are we beautiful? Are we prized? Do we feel that our humanity falls short somehow. We are carbon-based life forms after-all. But what about our souls? I think this quote from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (23 May 1844 – 28 November 1921) may be comforting: "Be thou not sad, neither be thou unhappy; although the divine tests are violent, yet are they conducive to the life of the soul and the heart. The more often the pure gold is thrown into the furnace of test, the greater will become its purity and brilliancy and it will acquire a new splendor and brightness. I hope that thou art thyself in such a position." ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá v2, p. 302-303 ~300 words Posted in "Blogville " 1146 |
| The graves in Norway are marked by flowers planted in May and many tombstones engraved with Fred6 and Takk for alt7 appear well maintained. There is no sense of gloom around the old stone or wooden churches. Perhaps in the pine forests where the huldra still lurk, perhaps in the stone caves of the trolls. Not in Solvorn where grass grows and horses graze. Not even in Gamle Oslo. In Sweden where my ancestors are buried there remains not a trace. Graves are reused once the family stops paying for their upkeep. In a corner next to the church in Hesselby there's a tomb for old graves stones, stacked neatly. Nothing remains of the scars left by The Plague that killed off families and towns, killed the Kingdom of Norway8. Even left some with resistance to the modern plague of AIDS9. But Norway and Sweden took divergent paths to controlling the covid pandemic. Norway has a death rate per million of 148; Sweden, 1438. Montana is 1639 with the not-so-honorable ranking of #34 out of 50 US states. Norway closed its border with Sweden, imposed mask mandates, shut down, took an active approach to combating the disease. Sweden was more laissez-faire, depending on the 'common-sense' of its population. Both were slow to vaccinate, but 56-57% are now vaccinated. Montana is at 49% and not rising. I'd be safer in Sweden these days, safer still in Norway this past year. The battle lines have been drawn in the USA. Americans would rather retreat to their tribal enclaves than seek solutions. I don't see how one side can live with the other if they are perceived as killing them off. Rather than politicians and media, I suspect it's traditional dogmatism versus investigative science. This schism runs deep in American society. It morphs with every generation but it's underpinning is an us-versus-them zero-sum mentality that in my opinion goes back to the Old Testament. There are modern nations that don't play this tribal game. Personally, I don't have much of a choice because of where I live10 I'm feeling trapped again. A tourist town is a curse when the tourists show no respect. So, let them rest-in-peace. All those who curse the sun and choose to live in the darkness of ignorance. May they die soon and allow the rest of us to live in peace. ~430 words Posted in "Blogville " 1144 |
| A white pall shrouds Mount Dean Stone. The weak sun tries to break through, carressing the yellowing locust leaves lighting the way towards an early autumn. The river runs slow and whispers low as the flag hangs limp and listless. Smoke stings my eyes as they shutter. I abandon this lost day to others. tomorrow hides beyond the smoky haze that chokes us KE [178.205] (15.08.21) With an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 167 it's hardly safe to go out. 150-200 is considered hazardous. Tuesday may bring forth rain and a few days of cooler temperatures. Wednesday 61°/46° may feel like autumn. We'll try to send some relief east to bless QueenNormaJeanGreeneggs&vegham  .It's 10 a.m. There will be no Pulitzer Prize blog posted today. At least not by me. Posted in "Blogville " 1139 |
| I huddled in the deepest darkest corners of my cave during the Years of The Kovid. I barely ventured out. For an extrovert/introvert like me I just curled up and depression-napped. So... I've poked my head out. Still dangerous for some ... like old-timer me. By interacting with people today, by taking a long walk in the heat yesterday, I'm hopeful that I can rejoin society soon. When I'm not napping (hibernating or estivating) I'm a social bear. I'm busiest in spring and autumn. Missoula has sidewalk dining and now that the sidewalk across the bridge acts like promenade to view the river kayakers/surfers/tubers not to forget the sunset it's a wonderful place for people meeting and viewing. Today I stopped in at the Break Espresso to see friends, checked my post office box and dropped off a postcard to Neva in Nevada, strolled through Butterfly Herbs, spoke with a different friend, bought two books on Thai and Thailand at Shakespeare & Co. When I got back Angie was sitting with Billie Jo so I sat with them. That should be enough for today. Joy  mentioned that Paris was a great place to people watch. It is. Other good places to sit and watch: Storgata in Lillehammer, Norway; Mother Tereza Mall in Prishtina, Kosovo; Manuel Antonio Beach in Costa Rica (and most small town central squares like the ones in Grecia, Ciudad Quesada, Perez Zeledon, Heredia); Lotus Pond in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Ueno Park in Tokyo, Japan... hope to travel again soon. Her blog entry today "August 12, 2021" inspired the above.But. Our covid numbers are soaring in Montana. Eastern Montana has been spared but after the rumble and roar in Sturgis, South Dakota, that may change. Some counties are only 25% vaxxed. 393 new cases today. We were down to 50/day. 30% of those hospitalized die. Our hospitalizations are up. The center of the outbreaks is Flathead County (Kalispell/Glacier Park) which is still only 40% vaxxed due to anti-vaxxers. Why should I be concerned. Anti-government folks here will say that it's none-of-my-business what they do or don't do. But it is, it is. I'm an old bear with not the best pair of legs nor lungs. I can't outrun covid. I shouldn't have to. I'm thinking of my options: a place where people are less scientifically-challenge or just never going out. Kovid Konsernz in Mississippi as beds run out: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/we-re-going-to-see-a-lot-of-deaths-covid-leave... ~390 words Posted in "Blogville " 1136 |
| "We need Joy as we need air. We need Love as we need water. We need each other as we need the earth we share." — Maya Angelou I'm joyful each time my stick plant blooms in February, each time I see a meagre bloom on the geranium in Summer. When I'm hugged I feel a connection. Some might call it love. I'm energized each time. So few times this past year. Yes, we need each other in our lives to survive or thrive. Except here. Here writers retreat into their caves of depression or hide with their fantasies behind thick fortress walls. They eschew interaction. And I feel abandoned on my Isle of the Lonely, begging for visits as ships pass by barely leaving a thumbs up. At a distance I can't distinguish that from a middle finger at attention. I realize that people don't want to listen to the same lament stuck on replay. Yes, we need each other. Yes, we could show more love. Yes, we flourish with joy. Repeated ad nauseum. Air and water and fertile soils are nice when there's access to one's needs. Without your joy, love and hugs, I'm barely surviving. ~200 words For "Blogging Circle of Friends " Posted in "Blogville " |
| "Why do some people find it so hard to trust God’s plan with their lives?" "Take up Your Cross" (July 9th prompt) Some false assumptions: 1. God knows. God cares. 2. I know what God wants. 3. God wants what I want. God knows in a universal way. How that applies individually is beyond my reckoning. God cares in a universal way. God has never abandoned humanity and constantly gives us Guidance (which in our hubris we ignore). But the answer is NO! to 2 & 3. We do not KNOW except in a general way. And we are mentally/spiritually ill if we think we are the center of the universe. So what to do? Some seek answers deep within themselves. Some make sure they follow societal norms. Both approaches have limits. Humans are a social animal and society cannot be dismissed as a mere inconvenience. But humans are also not lemmings and the adventurous and questioning human has resulted in great societal advances. And the Depths of the Soul are greater than the Oceans. It's hard for many religious people to accept that the most loving individual in the room may be the Atheist and the ethical one an Agnostic. Even worse if that person is a member of a rival gang! Y'know Team Christian versus Team Heathen facing off in a Cosmic Olympics (fortunately contained to a small insignificant planet; popcorn supplied by the Alien non-competitors). Ah... so much easier when we accept that God loves us (belief not necessary) as in "all of us" as in "our souls" not limited to whether we won a beauty contest or a weight-lifting gold (Go Philippines!). Yes, the simple answer is easy. So I have a question for all'y'all: WHY DO YOU KEEP TRYING TO PISS HER OFF! Posted in "Blogville " ~295 words 1,098 |
 Log in to Leave Feedback |
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
