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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: 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. |
Blog City: Day 2318 - June 22, 2022 Prompt: Time is a cruel mistress. Write about time in your Blog entry today. Time is a Cruel Mistress Time is a cruel mistress She dresses for seduction Temps you with open arms And a bounty that seems endless But in all, she is wasting away And dragging you along with her Unknowing and lost Floundering and forlorn You awake one day To find her gnarled and grey Hazy and out of focus And your limbs are stiff Your body tired, old too soon She has stolen your youth Caused you to lose sight of your dreams And cast you adrift So that anything you did have Is only a distant memory Gone And with it.... Your life Ebbs away Like a receding tide. Lines: 23. |
Blogging Circle of Friends: Day 3401 June 11, 2022 Music: WebMD did a study showing music helps improve our focus, helps us study better and calms us in emotional situations. Do you agree or disagree? How does music work in your life? https://www.webmd.com/balance/features/benefits-music-studying#:~:text=Music%20I... Music does indeed calm the savage beast. I used to sing the little ditty 'You are my sunshine whenever my ex-husband upset me... only I changed the words to 'you are my a**hole, my only a**hole, please don't piss me off today'. It would make me smile despite my frustration and I could get over the annoyance faster. Even humming the tune without the words was enough to get me through a rough patch. Listening to music and singing along helps me relax. It makes a car journey so much better and I find when the traffic comes to a standstill I just jack up the tunes and belt it out. I'll get there, when I get there. I might as well enjoy the getting there, despite the traffic. I will turn the tunes down if I need to concentrate on my driving, particularly when I am unsure of where I am going. I tend not to have a soundtrack for my writing. I know some people do, but I find I would be singing along instead of doing the writing. Still, songs can inspire the parts you are writing, so I am not ruling this out of my repertoire of tools. I would just have to listen and when the song is done, write. Music without words can set the mood and not distract me. I have studied to Classical music in the past. I also like listening to music when I meditate. There are particular songs for cleansing each chakra. The music is also not the kind of stuff I am not used to, so it keeps me engaged during the meditation - focused attention instead of nodding off to sleep. I also find that music engages students. Students with special needs respond very well and I find that engagement uplifting. I often use music to help with transitions - for example clean up time. Overall, I would say music is a huge part of my life. Even listening to the chorus of sounds around me as I sit outside to write is wonderful. I suppose that is why I prefer Spring, Summer and Fall to Winter. Snow has a way of buffering the sound and all the birds have gone into hiding. |
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