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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. |
What’s on your mind right now? Do you have any “brain worms” or current obsessions? If you didn’t have to blog right now, what would you be doing?   A Timeless quote from Goodreads: “I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo. "So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring Blogging First let me say I don't have to blog right now. I blog because I like the challenge of the prompts and the comments of the entries. If I wasn't blogging I would be reading and doing laundry. The two young cats got a hold of some advertisements that came in yesterdays mail. Now, it's in little pieces on the floor. So, even though I'm blogging, I'm loading laundry now and then, I will read later, and I will vacuum up the paper and dog hair from yesterday. The first hay is in the barn. K is off to his regular part time work so I'm having a slow day. {{size:3.5}b}Obsession hmm let me look that up: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/obsession Obsession definition: the domination of one's thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, desire, etc. I've been working on mindfulness for a long time. It helps a lot if you have unresolved issues in your life. I believe most people have thoughts that are recurring. If you are trying to solve a problem or if you have been mentally assaulted by other people it is normal to rehash mentally how you could have avoided or changed some situation. Because of reading and learning about mindfulness I am more likely to walk away from troublesome thoughts or accept them as something unsolvable and move on with my day. Screaming is a physical exercise.  Lots of issues that come up here are brought about by people meddling in my life. Sometimes, if they can't get you to live their way they just want to disturb you so it makes others feel accomplished if you scream. OHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!Mindfulness does work but like changing your eating habits you have to actually do it to make a difference in your life. I use to teach riding to people who owned horses by going to their own barns and giving the lessons. The point was they could have something to practice each week between lessons and they would be training their own horse. Doing their practice on their own mount. You would be surprised how many put the horse away and never practiced at all. If I asked, How did your practice go this week? The answers were-I was busy, or I forgot to work the horse, or I did not get it done so I'm not really ready for new information. Sometimes, I would be exasperated and wonder why they expected me to show up and give them a lesson. Then I realized there was more to the situation. So, I gave the same lessons over and over encouraged them to practice and moved on to the next student. Mindfulness teaches you to look at your own thought patterns. If you want to read today and catch yourself saying, I ought to read that book today. No, pick up the book read one chapter than do the dishes or laundry or lift weights. Pretty soon you won't have time for thinking up ways to trip up the kid that threw the rock through you window. You'll you will read one more chapter of that book or write one more paragraph of the blog then fix the window and do whatever comes next. One day you will say wow I'm getting so much done. Guess I'll take a day off and go on a picnic, walk the dog, play a game on your kindle? I deserve a day off, Yes I do. Eating habits work the same way. Don't say I just never seem to get new habits. Look up vegetables and how they taste. Look at what kind of flavors you like? Buy a tomato cut it up put some dressing that you like and eat it. One day I accidentally spilled some cinnamon on the green beans on my plate. Green beans = yuck in my book. Wow, they taste good with cinnamon on them. Another thing I found out about green beans is you can crush them add them to a pot of chili. Wow. you can't even taste the flavor of the green beans over the chili sauce. So, now I have a lot of different ways to eat green beans that don't turn me green. Mindfulness works if you practice it. ![Merit Badge in Point of View
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Happy Birthday! Belatedly. I like your point of view *^*Bigsmile*^* ~Adrienne](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/general-Point_of_View.gif) Obsess On! / I'm going to vacuum up the paper now hmm maybe the cat too. This cat helped me change sheets on the bed this morning. She wouldn't get out from under the bottom fitted sheet so, I made the bed on top of her. When I was finished there was a big cat lump in the bed. She has been a very busy kitty today. When she takes her afternoon nap I will read a book. |
| Respond to a current news story with your opinion. Share a link to the story if possible. https://www.npr.org/2019/07/09/739770699/judge-blocks-trump-rule-requiring-pharm...by Bobby Allyn https://www.commonwealthfund.org/sites/default/files/documents/___media_files_mu... Drug Manufacturers For Or Against Health? A recent law that was suppose to take affect July 9, 2019 has been blocked by the United States District Court of Columbia. The law would cause drug companies that advertise on TV to state the price of the drug within the advertisement. The Trump administration was sued by three companies, Merck, Eli Lilly, and Amgren. Case No.19-cv-01738CABM. Within the article written by Bobbie Allyn is a full disclosure of the ruling by the court. One of the two points of the ruling has to do with freedom of speech. The efforts by the Trump administration to put this law into affect are to bring relief to people who are presently not able to keep up with the price of drugs that would alleviate symptoms of disease. Drug costs presently outpace costs for hospital and doctor visits. Costs for drugs are expected to continue to rise for the next 10 years. Co-pays and deductibles are already out of reach of some patients. People who have to take medicines daily for diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis and Diabetes are often cutting pills in half or skipping doses in order to afford their medications. The article above from NPR gives a complete look at the case as it was brought before the court. It will take an action by the Congress of the USA in order to reverse this decision. The PDF from Commonwealth.org gives details about the way generic drugs and costs are manipulated by manufactures who quite often are not the developers of the drugs they manufacture. It also tells about legislation pending in states that is attempting to bring the cost of drugs into line with people's ability to pay. Personal Comments: I live with a person who has diabetes two. It is considered one of the rising health problems in the USA. The two of us shake our head when someone is told by a Dr. they are pre-diabetes. Our Doctor told K you either have it or you don't. In truth, I'm not even sure after twenty-five years of living with someone who has this disease exactly what is good and what isn't. When K first was diagnosed, we both went to a class that was suppose to teach how to eat and fight the disease. One of the main things stated by the nurse teaching the class, which was attended by couples over 40, "Don't be mistaken, this is a disease and once you have it, it is progressive." We went out and bought calorie books. Eating and the way you eat is suppose to aid in fighting the disease. Here is the kink in the subject. Can you give up high caloric, sugar based, cholesterol ridden foods? In the USA, we were fighting price because lots of times those types of foods were cheaper than fresh vegetables. I believe are changing some now and varieties are better in fresh isles than they used to be. At the present K takes 3 medications for diabetes. He started out taking one and now it has progressed to three. If you are one of the people out there who is fighting the disease you can help yourself by cutting your intake of food to the minimum. Find recipes for vegetables that are tasty as well as good for you. There are vegetables out there you like. You may not know that fact. Exercise a lot. Articles I've read say you need to change the way your brain tells you to eat. Not an easy thing to do but, it is possible. If you want to. One day at a time. And, don't talk about dying talk about living tomorrow, then tomorrow, then tomorrow....Don't hold your breath. Breath deep. Watch the sunrise. Swim. Boat. Fish. Hike. Listen to music. Live. This battle taking place in the USA about medicine is going to be won but, it is an uphill battle. Just like women's rights. Just like pet care. Just like every thing that is needed and right we need to move forward into a better place for health care.  |
What fictional character do you admire? What specific characteristics do they possess that make them attractive? As dawn leaks into the sky it edits out the stars like excess punctuation marks, deleting asterisks and periods, commas, and semi-colons, leaving only unhinged thoughts rotating and pivoting, and unsecured words.” ― Ann Zwinger, Downcanyon: A Naturalist Explores the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon tags: canyon, constellations, dawn, grand-canyon, imagery, metaphor, national-parks, nature, nature-writing, night-sky, poetic-prose, sky, sunrsie “When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. Arthur Conan Doyle Quotes (Author of A Study in Scarlet) - Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/2448.Arthur_Conan_Doyle Strong Characters I like adventurers. Women who work through problems with a flair. I read a lot so I find lots of characters that I admire. Two that I go back to every time they put out a new story are Laurie R. King's Mary Russell and Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon. About a year ago. I found out each author had written two new novels that I had not read and I could not afford to buy the kindle editions. Off I went to the the local library where I found all 4 books. Then I spent a week with these characters. Laurie R. King's Rae Newborn is another character that I will never forget. I only know about two stories King wrote about Rae Newborn. Who wouldn't want to move to an island, repair an old house and make a living building with wood? (Folly) I like their independence. The way they face adversity is great. I have to say though, I think Anna Pigeon was named Pigeon because she always ends up getting beat up or injured by some unsavory character. Barr uses Pigeon to give you a good murder mystery while also giving you an inside look at the National parks and how the staff are run. I will usually read anything by Rita Mae Brown. Brown's, Sister Jane Fox Hunting series is a favorite of mine. This series is about wealthy people indulging themselves in a good way. Plus, murder is the subject and it can be done so many ways; while still educating the reader about fox hunting, fox hounds and foxes. Women detectives who solve crimes or work as coroners are in my list of reads too. Oh well now you got me thinking there are a lot of good male crime solvers out there too. That's enough for today. See Ya. And, Space characters, and end of the world stories and...............  ![Merit Badge in Golden Reader Award
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It’s the Sunday News! Reflect on the first week of July. Are you on track to meet you goals? What are your plans for the rest of the month? “You never know what's around the corner. It could be everything. Or it could be nothing. You keep putting one foot in front of the other, and then one day you look back and you've climbed a mountain.” ― Tom Hiddleston “If you were born without wings, do nothing to prevent them from growing.” ― Coco Chanel Goals The first week of this July brings us the devastation of a blown up mall(Where?), and two serious earthquakes in California. This kind of news sits with me as I do things that need doing this week. I hope further news this week will tell us how relief for the areas are being accomplished. 1. I have a Goodreads goal for the year. So I've read 5 books since June 1 but they are not posted yet on goodreads. Maybe I'll get them posted before this week flys by. 2. The family is starting to hay. I won't do a lot of the heavy work but, I'm cleaning hay spaces and getting the hay storage ready for new hay. It isn't difficult work and it helps the haying crew so all they have to do is load wagons and unload wagons. If weather permits we really want to get this job done its a major summer job. 3. There is a load of wood that needs stacking maybe I'll do that this month. 4. I love to play Microsoft's Zoo Tycoon. Now I've found Township on my kindle. I'm trying not to annoy K by playing it to often. Might not meet that goal.5. I want to finish Wu Li Masters this week so I can start Trance. Plus, I read that you can read the whole bible in a year in 20 minutes a day? I never heard that before I just mainly read the books of the bible by books as it strikes me to read it. It's the only book I ever read more than twice. 6. And, I'm keeping my story open on my computer so I can just sit down and tell some more of it. 7. I'm learning modern day Hebrew phrases from an app called Drops. I studied Old Testament Hebrew so I know the alphabet and some of the Grammar all ready. I use the App once a day. At the end of the year I want to go back to working on Spanish. Dishes, vacuuming, clean the furniture, cook meals, brush the pony, exercise  When I get over whelmed I just take the dogs walking or play Township or watch a TV show. Probably do more resting than working on the goals? I'm busy , I have to just be happy being me. I love cell phones cause I can put things in the calendar and my phone reminds me. The dogs got their bath and flea meds on the 4th so I'm keeping up for now. Goals can be annoying! Just live for awhile. |
| Make a list of five things you wish you could be a master of. Be sure to explain why you chose what you did. *Bigsmile* I used this definition: To know something thoroughly so you can do it very well. Having control over something in your life. Today's quote is from Goodreads:“Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.” ― Marthe Troly-Curtin, Phrynette Married Mastering Time 5 things to master 1. Classical guitar 2. Spanish and Hebrew (languages) 3.My eating urges 4. How to heat the house efficiently in winter. 5.My time. I chose these 5 things because I'm working on all of them all the time. Guitar means practice, time means to do things I like to do and encompasses the other 4,and languages worked on not mastered. Have a good weekend.  |
| What did you dream about doing as an adult when you were little? Have you been able to achieve any of your childhood dreams? Share a fact about your life now that you never imagined would come true. Today's quote is from:https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/dreams "I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death." Robert Fulghum Dreams or Precognition When I was small I wanted to ride horses. I thought Dale Evans was cool and I wanted to ride trigger. My bicycle was a horse until my teen years when with help from my dad I was able to start riding real horses. My first riding experience happened while I was visiting a aunt. On a very hot humid summer day one of my male cousins threw me onto the back of a very large workhorse. (like a clydedale). The horse was loose in a pasture with other horses the same size and cattle. It promptly walked out into the middle of a pond with a lot of other large farm animals and stood there to keep the flys from biting. I was probably about. 2 feet tall and weighed about 20 lbs give or take a couple pounds. The farmer realized what he was seeing from the barn and came running out yelling. Of course he thought he was rescuing me from a possible death. I thought it was to bad he saw me and stopped the fun. I still believe the horse was as happy as I about the little girl who wanted a ride. The farmer yelled at my aunt, my aunt threatened to thrash her son. I had to promise to stay away from the horses and stay on our side of the road. Summer fun.By the mid to end of the 60's I was married had two children and was showing on the A show circuit in Texas and riding cross country events. I owned a part thoroughbred part Quarter horse named Tweet Hornet. He was nearly as tall as the horse I sat on as a child but, of course more refined in his confirmation. Horses are every bit the amazing creatures written about in stories. They love people if people aren't cruel. They put up with a lot of human stupidity and will play tricks or take advantage of an inexperienced rider without malice. I believe the Shekinah always rode with me. If you make a real friend and it happens to be 4 footed with a mane and a long tail it is not a sexual experience. There are some real creepy doctrines spouted by church people who simply need to meet up with some regular teaching including church history. Do they think God didn't know what he was doing when he created horses? This is part of the don't dance and don't watch movie's crew. Learn to think people. (e:rant) Enough about this. I was given a Plastic Ukulele for Christmas one year. I don't play ukulele but in the 80's I learned to play classical guitar. I recently found a whole album of classical guitar music on Pandora. I don't play this well but it's fun to try. I became a dog groomer to pay for my horse and guitar habits. I birthed 4 children who were healthy while they were in my home. I raised sheep, chickens, eggs, and dairy goats,and a garden to keep us fed. I did not expect to be married twice. I did not expect to have 4 children. I did not expect people to be what they are to me. Life has a lot of twists and turns. You learn to endure or you die. Did all the interfering people in my life cause me to grow up? No. I'm still the introverted, book reading, animal lover I always was. The little girl who happily let Danny throw me up on the back of the giant horse still lives.  Family nicknames for me = Pollyanna and Tweety Bird.P.S. My cousin Danny died in Florida in a motorcycle accident. |
Write about independence. There are so many different angles to take this prompt, I’m eager to see your creativity! *BurstR*  Quote: “The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who’s going to stop me.”Ayn Rand http://www.planetofsuccess.com/blog/2015/the-most-empowering-inspirational-quote... Independence One Day at a Time https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2019/07/case-against-marriage/591973/... From Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, "Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come." I read a lot of journalistic books written about USA presidents, FBI, History etc. I'm beginning to believe national Independence depends on how much independence individuals feel, and that they experience in their every day lives. This observation came as I observed recent history of all kinds of nations around the world. A lot of the riots and upheavals on the news are from people losing the ability to control peace vs. violence within societies. Yesterday, I read an article about a women in New York City who has won a lot of awards for her news articles. When she turned 61 people started withdrawing their support of her ability to continue to report and be a part of the news scene. She brought the elderly worker problem to the attention of her superiors and they would not listen so, now she is suing in court. A few years ago I saw a news show on PBS about how women cannot get jobs after they are in their 50's in the USA. Now we have the Me Too movement. I see things that gave people independence like strikes for better pay in factories. For awhile, Labor Union breaking was a big deal, in factories because the workers were driving up prices with their demands. I don't know the answers to a lot of the problems societies of the world are looking for, but I know more and more people are looking for answers. Migrations of peoples are not the answer. People need to stand, stay, and work toward real solutions within their own societies. War only releases some of the pressure, because so many people die. Really there are a lot of social problems. It's difficult to see independence when bombs are destroying your neighborhood. Real independence may be a myth. You have to cultivate independence with the way you approach your life. I'm not sure any of what I think today is very clear. So, Google found this definition for me: "Being independent means being able to take care of your own needs and to make and assume responsibility for your decisions while considering both the people around you and your environment." This is what I think about when I watch hundreds of people leaving their ancestral homes, to hunt for independence somewhere else.  |
What is your go-to dish to bring to a potluck? Does your family have any traditional recipes? (In Hawaii, these appetizers are called “pupus”  Read more at:{link: https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/food} POT LUCK I have not been to a pot luck for a long time. The last time I went to any gathering it was to a pig roast a neighbor gave. My daughter and I whipped up a large pan of goulash by a special recipe out of a Mexican cook book? It turned out pretty yummy. There were a lot of people there and the pan was empty when we took it home. I haven't seen that recipe for a long time I wonder if I still have it? When we were still attending church as a family, I took different foods. Sometimes cakes or other types of casserole dishes. Thanksgiving when my children were young was always at K's mother's house. I found a recipe for green beans made with mushrooms. That dish was a hit. I'm surprised how much better green beans taste if they are cooked with equal parts of mushrooms. Fresh green beans sliced into a fry pan with a pat of butter and some olive oil, add equal amounts of mushrooms and fry until green beans are slightly softer. (mushrooms are good for cholesterol) How about a bowl of cooked brown rice- spread with fresh crushed tomatoes and feta cheese chunks. Yummy! Food in any amount should be inspirational. A doctor once told me the meat and potatoes staple this country was fed as children is not a good diet. One of the things I always looked forward to in the summer was my own fresh grown lettuce from the garden. What do you think of fewer calories and more taste? I don't like to cook. I do like to eat. When I was young I did not like to eat. That was better. walk it off. Walk it off. Walk It off. Walk It Off. WALK IT OFF. |
| Write about something mysterious. Is the mystery ongoing, or has it been resolved? Quote for today is from Goodreads:“কিন্তু মানুষের জীবনে এমন সব অদ্ভুদ ঘটনা ঘটে তা উপন্যাসে ঘটাতে গেলে পাঠকরা বিশ্বাস করতে চাইবে না, হেসেই উড়িয়ে দেবে।” ― Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay, চাঁদের পাহাড় What this quote says is a mystery to me  Writing is a mystery I started writing a story for a picture I saw in a Short Shots Contest awhile back. The facts of the character's actions just started rolling out. Then as usual, I was called away to do something else. So, the story did not get finished in time for the contest. Since it is my characters who are working through another life story, I will use it as a chapter. I'm getting pretty familiar with the characters, what they would do to get out of the situation I put them in is a real mystery until I set down and write some more. Another mystery to me is i think of this story every day. I think now I have to sit down and finish it just to find out the end? Maybe there isn't an end. Sure there's an end. Like reading any story, I just haven't found it yet. I have literally left books in the middle of a story for a few months while I finish reading 3 or 4 other books then come back pick up the book I left and finish it. My kindle paper white just updated. They want to put the books that are open in the cloud, if the book s say they are a certain percent read, because they can't figure out whether I read them or not and they are trying to separate the ones I read from the ones I'm reading. then I will have to go hunt them up and down load them again. I like being able to bounce back and forth between different types of stories. Fantasy one day, comedy to lighten the mood, or detectives to hunt for a solution. Fiction is not like writing an article in a journalistic mode. In journalism you gather a lot of facts, zero in on something that needs told about a much larger subject. Gather specific facts about that one item inside a larger subject and write about it. You know the end because your facts are about it. Fiction writing is fun because you create some characters then follow them around writing down what they do. It's just as entertaining as reading a book. I've decided to open the story and keep it open so I'm faced with it every time I open the computer then I will just have to go find out what the characters did when I was away from my desk.  Time to feed lunch to the critters.    |
| It’s summer here in the US, the perfect season for a road trip! In your blog today, plan your ideal road trip. Where would you go and who would you go with? Quote:“That's why I love road trips, dude. It's like doing something without actually doing anything.” ― John Green, An Abundance of Katherines https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/road-trip Rolling Along a Road  Who would I go with? Anyone who wanted to go I guess. I would need an automobile that I could trust to travel 1000 miles. Definitely going to take the two dogs. They are both travel worthy. Where? I'm looking at some places along the great lakes. If I head East we could travel the Great Lakes Seaway Trail. It flows along part of route 5 which I have traveled before. The route takes you along the shore of Lake Erie into New York. A good place to visit vineyards and add to your wine stock. Wine tours feature Ice Wines. Plus, the parts of route 5 I traveled don't have a lot of traffic but great views of Lake Erie. The Seaway Trail runs toward the 1000 Islands and has 500 plus miles of shoreline to view. Lots of sights to see. Advertisements for camping at Evangola State Park are encouraging. Peaceful views of the lake, pet friendly and clean according to the reviews I read. POA camping places are also available. Boat tours, islands to view, camping, and shopping for travel trinkets, sounds like fun.  Heading west you can visit lots of lakeside places and travel lots of miles. There are highways that circle each of the Great Lakes. Some of them take you North into Ontario and then back south into the USA. The trails offer railroad museums, scenic boat tours, and Great Lakes Shipping ports.Different types of natural forest camping and hiking is hosted along the routes. Might want to hike or even try some bike trails. Wikipedia has a lot of information about Great Lakes Circle Tours. Such a lot of really fun sites to see as you travel.  |
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