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Guided by prompts from WDC blogging challenges... and of course, life |
HI! I'm Jenn - and I'm all over the place (well, at least my mind is). In this blog, I have attempted to gather my thoughts on things prompted/inspired by WDC blogging challenges from "Journalistic Intentions"  , "The Soundtrack of Your Life" , "Blogging Circle of Friends " , "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" and, well, LIFE.    |
| Written For: "Blogging Circle of Friends Prompt Forum" 3192 August 10, 2021 Prompt: "We meet aliens every day who have something to give us. They come in the form of people with different opinions." - William Shatner What do you think? Have you met any aliens in the past month or so? Whoa man! Somethin' crazy is going on here! I've been watching UFO documentaries the last couple of days and now I'm asked to write about the critters here too. And don't get me started on Shatner. Been a fan since before I can remember. Want a giggle? Program your GPS to have Shatner's voice. Only one I find funnier is when Ozzy gives me directions. I'd love old Shatner to give my eulogy - or to read a selection of my poetry. That would be awesome. But seriously. Aliens. If we look at common definitions of alien, used as an adjective meaning "belonging to a foreign country or place" or as a noun meaning, "foreigner, especially one who is not a naturalized citizen of the country where they are living", then well, I live with one of those and have for the last twenty-odd years. My husband is Canadian, so he's an alien in his own right. People with different opinions... If defining aliens were that simple then I'd have to say I see them every day. Heck, I have one of those for a brother. And he is a bit, well, his own breed. But, in the common definition of alien, we see that thoughts that differ from our own could be considered alien to us. We aren't used to them, they aren't from our own heads, so they could be considered alien ways of thinking. I think that just because it is not familiar to us does not make it alien. Does it really matter what I think though? We all have different opinions about everything. My children seem alien to me half the time. Do aliens really exist? I don't know. And I'm perfectly fine not knowing. I don't see that knowledge changing my life, unless they have cures for all the conditions that our Earth doctors still haven't figured out how to cure. If that's the case, well then, bring them on! LeJenD'Poet - Just ME  |
| Written For: "Blogging Circle of Friends Prompt Forum" DAY 3189 August 7, 2021 Prompt: Write about your favorite movie or book for 2021. This is going to be a short one. Movies: I'm not big on going to the movies. All the ones I do watch are on Netflix so none of them are really "new". As far as my favorite? Well, I generally only put something on to watch as background noise at night as I am settling down to sleep, so I really can't say I've enjoyed any of the movies in full as I tend to fall asleep about thirty minutes into a show. Books: My current book readings consist of the Bible and a book titled Signature in the Cell written by Stephen Meyer and released in 2009. Signature is a book which states that there has to be intelligent design and purports that there is DNA evidence to prove it. It is definitely not what you would call light reading, as the book is heavy with scientific jargon and charts, and it reads like a long scientific article. However, it has been quite interesting so far, as he attempts to integrate two opposing views on how life came to be using both modern science (genetics) and the theory of intelligent design as taught in the Bible. Is there something there? He certainly seems to think so. He even has a second book that goes into even more scientific detail on the two topics. Is it worth the read? That's difficult to say, as it has taken me seven months to get one-third of the way through the book. It certainly isn't one of those books that is so good you can't put it down. But, I am not a quitter and will finish what I started before I begin my journey into another book. Next time it will probably be something a lot more entertaining. LeJenD'Poet - Just ME |
| Written For "Blogging Circle of Friends " Day 3188 Aug. 6, 2021 Prompt: "Remember to be gentle with yourself and others. We are all children of chance, and none can say why some fields will blossom while others lay brown beneath the August sun." - Kent Nerburn. Write something this quote makes you feel. I like the reminder to be kind, not just to others, but to ourselves. The second line explains that we never know what is going on in the lives of others to cause them to be where they are or how they are. But we still affect people by our words and actions whether we realize it or not. Back when I was still teaching, I assigned my life science and biology students to perform an experiment to see how words and attention, or lack thereof, can affect the growth of plants. We had a control group, which only received basic attention: watering, lighting, etc. but the plants did not get spoken to in any way or touched by the students. The second group was placed into a different room where it received the basic attention however, the plants were spoken to negatively and I allowed students to place mean notes (such as I hate you) under those pots. Our positive group, placed in yet another room, were given the same general care but were also spoken to gently and lovingly and the students were instructed to caress the leaves and stems of the flowers. Positive and encouraging notes were placed underneath those flower pots as well. All plants received the same amount of water daily, the same lighting, and were in the same potting soil. How did it end? After the month-long experiment, all plants were brought into the classroom and examined next to each other. Those receiving the positive care (and words) were larger and had more blooms than those of the other groups. Those that received only basic care were average in height and had fewer blooms than those that were spoken to positively but they were more healthy than those that received negative attention. The final group, those that were spoken to negatively, were stunted, beginning to wilt, and had very few flowers. After studying the plants for a while, I asked my students what they learned from the experiment. One girl in my biology class spoke up saying, "Words really can hurt but they can also help. It depends on what we say." Another student said he didn't realize the damage that could be done by bullying people. They all thought the experiment would be a joke and wouldn't show us anything. Life proved them wrong. I drove home the point I was trying to make that if our words can do that to plants, imagine what it is doing to everyone we interact with. Maybe the kids got it, who knows. While I was blessed that year with a lot of really good kids, even they didn't realize the effects their words had on people and things. So, just be kind. To others and to yourself. Every part of ourselves, mental and physical, is interconnected - and words can either hurt or heal, just like actions. Choose them carefully. LeJenD'Poet - Just ME |
| Written For "Blogging Circle of Friends " DAY 3187 August 5, 2021 Write about your favorite thing to do in August. August is jammed full of birthdays and anniversaries in my family, so there is seldom a dull moment any longer. When I was young, my favorite thing to do during the month of August was go buy school clothes and supplies. I have always gotten excited about getting new pencils, erasers, and pens. But, hey, I've been writing as long as I can remember. I also loved to walk barefoot on the road that runs in front of my parents' house, popping tar bubbles with my toes and soaking up all of the stored heat with the soles of my feet. Growing up in a rural area (mostly farms and fields), I expect certain qualities for nature in August as well. Signs that tell me that Fall is on it's way. August in my life has traditionally been dry, hot, dusty. Along with September, the scent of dryness can be experienced, the smell is of grass turning to hay and the fresh dirt smell of fields being turned for the next season's planting. I am driven by my olfactory sense, so smells play an important role in my life and memories. This August, along with all of the birthdays and anniversaries, my husband and I have added in some tournaments. Disc golf. It's like ball golf only you throw frisbees (discs) at baskets instead of hitting balls at holes in the ground. After last year's chaos, we decided to live our lives to their fullest and get back to the things we love to do. Camping and fishing are next on my list. Maybe I'll remember to get fishing licenses for us next year... Do you have a favorite tradition to do in the summer/ winter depending on where you live that you look forward to every year? No traditions in particular to speak of any longer. When our girls were young, we would take them every year to the NARBC (North American Reptile Breeders Conference) in the fall and in the spring, we would all go to Scarborough Faire (one of Texas's Renaissance festivals). The girls and I would also watch the parades together every year on Thanksgiving until they grew up and left home. Our little family also has "holiday quirks" seeing as how my husband is Canadian. We celebrate both U.S. and Canadian holidays. Two Thanksgivings, a longer Christmas celebration (as we include Boxing Day), Memorial and Remembrance Day - you get the picture. And in July, well, instead of only celebrating the Fourth of July, we also celebrate Canada Day...and our wedding anniversary in on July fourth as well - oh! and the family reunion for my family, so we have a yearly week-long celebration. It started out as just another excuse to party, but grew in meaning after the first few years. LeJenD'Poet - Just plain ol' ME |
| Written For: "Journalistic Intentions" Prompt: June 8 of 8 - Doorways I Haven't Opened Having spent my youth travelling between different planes of being, I have seen my fair share of doorways and gates, and gone through more of them than I should have. In my limited time on this earth, I have found that some doorways weren't meant to be opened. I know, you're thinking, "It's a doorway, they're made to be opened." But, "Made to be" and "meant to be" are two totally different things. Think about it. Just because a doorway was made to opened, it doesn't mean that we want that door opened; you might find something behind said doorway that you wouldn't want to encounter. While some doorways lead to great and beautiful things, some lead to absolutely nothing - an absence of being, and others to horrors beyond our imagining. I'm sure most people think I'm tripping. Maybe I was for a few of my journeys but I've been sober for decades now, and I am still encountering new doorways. I have learned that usually, if there is a gatekeeper or doorkeeper, those passages are not intended to be explored. Be careful when choosing the doorways you open, some cannot be closed once they are opened. I could go on and on about the metaphysical aspects of astral travel and dreams, but I will not bore you all with such things, besides, many of you will just laugh it off as part of my insanity anyway. Maybe we'll find the doorway leading to space travel, maybe the next doorway mankind will open will be that of time. But I will leave you with this: the best doorways one can open are one's mind and heart. Happy Writing everyone! And whether or not I am sane, well that's in the mind's eye of the one perceiving the situation. Cheerios! LeJenD |
| Written For: "Journalistic Intentions" Prompt: June 7 of 8 - Oink Joint Rd. I had just moved to a different part of Texas and was driving around to get a feel for the area. Because my old radio settings were not coming through, I ran a scan on my radio in order to find a suitable radio station to pass the time as I was driving southbound on Interstate 35. I was somehow in the middle of nowhere even though I was on the highway. I love that about small towns. Anyway, the scan picked up a local classic rock station, so I left it there and continued about my drive. A few miles down the road I saw a sign for a Love's truck stop and decided it was a good time to refuel, as I was unfamiliar with the area and did not know when I would see another gas station again. I was also getting rather hungry and figured I would just grab a snack at the station. As I was pulling into the truck stop, the radio DJ excitedly announced, "We're broadcasting live from Oink Joint until 10:00 pm tonight! Come on by and see us, where you can get ice cold beer from tap and great food! Aaannnd tonight we have a special treat for you! Come and check out the live bands playing until close!" This piqued my interest as my stomach growled, reminding me of my hunger. Music, beer and food; a win-win-win situation. When I walked into the Love's, I saw the attendant, apparently bored, sitting on a stool behind the counter. He was a tall, bespectacled, lanky guy with long, stringy, dishwater blonde hair and light blue eyes. On his nametag it said "Chad". After I paid for my fuel, Chad asked if there was anything else he could help me with so I proceeded to ask him if he was familiar with Oink Joint - and told him about the advertisement I had just heard on the radio. Upon this, Chad's face lit up and his speech and body language became instantly enthusiastic. "Oh yeah! I go there after I get off work all the time! They have the best double chocolate stout on tap, man. And tonight my band is gonna close the house down. You should come and check us out! Band's name is Bowling Pin Whiskey, I think you'd like us." "Thanks," I said, "I'll consider it. What kind of music do you guys play anyway?" He responded, "Aww, you know, a little classic rock, some heavy metal covers, some stuff we wrote ourselves. Really, come check us out." "The food is awesome there too," he said as my stomach growled again. So I asked, "Where is this place, in case I decide to go out there?" "Just keep going down 35 for another mile or so and you'll see the sign on the right side of the highway. You can't miss it." At that moment, another employee of the gas station walked in. "Or, I'm about to clock out of work. You could follow me if you want," Chad said. Being an adventurous type, I agreed and followed his red 90's model mustang convertible down the road to this...bar. The sign for the bar was huge and well lit. It had a cartoon pig on it, smoking what looked like a joint. I took a moment to appreciate the word play of the sign before I entered the establishment. I guess Chad must've gone around to the back because he didn't go in through the entrance. It was dark and already somewhat smoky inside. The food smelled heavenly. I sat at a table close to the stage and asked to see a menu. I scanned the beer selection and found a few beers that suit my taste. I decided to try this double chocolate stout that Chad had said was so good. When the waitress came, I ordered my beer, a water, and a chicken fried steak plate with the usual sides. Then I settled in to listen to the local bands. The first band to play, Bubba Haze, was pretty good. Their guitarist reminded me of Stevie Ray Vaughn, and you could tell he loved playing. While they were playing, the waitress brought my order. The chicken fried steak could have rivaled my mom's and the stout really was good. A nice thick, dark, full flavored brew with a hint of dark chocolate in the aftertaste. The next to last band, a band called Fully Loaded, played mainly old country. I still enjoyed listening them, as that was the kind of music I grew up listening to. Finally, the last band of the night was announced, "Everyone put your hands together to welcome Bowling Pin Whiskey!" And there was Chad, carrying a bass guitar onto stage. A large guy with long dark brown hair sat at the drums and gave them a little sound check and this bald guy with a long beard wearing a Batman tee-shirt walked out with an electric guitar. And then they started to play. Wow! Chad was right on all accounts. I did enjoy their music! They were amazing! It seems as though my evening of driving around not only helped me get acquainted with the area, but also resulted in some new friends! And Oink Joint has turned into my new hangout as well! LeJenD |
| Orpheus's skill with both note and word were harkened far and wide. Yet Orpheus pined for Eurydice who died of viper's bite. He descended into the underworld to retrieve his lovely bride. But as Gods' wont, the cards were stacked and maenads end his plight. Post 6 of 8 for June "Journalistic Intentions" Prompt: Orpheus Descending LeJenD |
| Post 5 of 8 for June "Journalistic Intentions" Prompt: Insomnia is just another way to brand yourself "not normal". by Black Crisis   What exactly is "normal" in this day and age, where everyone tries to be more outlandish than the next person? The Merriam-Webster's dictionary states that normal, when used as an adjective, means "conforming to a standard; usual, typical, or expected." And when used as a noun, "the usual, average, or typical state or condition." So, what is the usual, average or typical? Is yours the same as mine? In recent times, it seems to be more the norm for people to have issues of some sort rather than to be without. How much has to be wrong with a person for others to label them as "not normal" anyway? Or is "normal" a term relative to the persons or group perceiving it? For most people, it would not be normal to live with chronic excruciating pain, but for people like myself, it is unfortunately our norm. Does normal change as our societies change or with differing societies? History tells us that it does. Approximately eighty-five years ago, public hangings were normal, whereas nowadays it is highly frowned upon (to say the least). The normal for people in upper North America is completely different than the normal of those in South America. Until we all begin to realize that normal is relative to the person or group perceiving the issue in question, the peoples of the world will continue to label and discriminate against those we deem as not normal. Personally, I think the word normal is over-used and often misunderstood. Then again, I am about as normal as a unicorn in a pond of sea cows. LeJenD'Poet - Just Tryin' to be ME. |
While I have absolutely no experience with the British education systems, I do have quite a bit of experience with education in both the public and private sectors in the United States. Public education systems here in the old U.S. vary depending on the state, with many states having the bare minimum of requirements for their students to graduate. Since my experience has solely been in Texas, I will discuss my thoughts and feelings about the Texas Education System, Texas public schools, and some Texas private schools. Having taught a core subject (Biology) in a Texas public school and having worked with numerous others teaching the rest of the core classes (English, History, Maths), I and many of my colleagues have come to the conclusion that the state places too much emphasis on students passing the state tests. This has gotten to the point that teachers must teach to the test material, so the students miss out on other valuable areas of the subject that the state has deemed not as crucial. Students are not fully ready upon graduation to enter into higher education. I have also seen the flaw that public schools seldom offer classes in particular trades for those students who have no desire to attend college after graduation. Class Sizes: Most larger school districts in Texas can have around thirty students in a classroom at one time. This causes far less one-on-one time that students need to adequately learn the topics being discussed. There are also so many students in the classroom that it takes the teacher longer to learn who each student is and the learning abilities of each. Add to that, the inevitable rabble-rousers and class clowns who constantly misbehave during lectures and the actual learning time in a class period is reduced even more. In smaller towns, class sizes can be as few as five or six students. I have personally worked for a couple of school systems like this and these are the ones I prefer. While you still have the class clowns, there is far more one-on-one time to help those students who don't seem to be understanding the subject matter and teachers are more quickly able to learn their students abilities and weaknesses to better help those students grasp the material. Dress Code: In Texas, almost all public schools have a dress code. Some schools have a uniform policy, most of which list colors of polo shirts and pants or skirts allowed to be worn, so it is not a standardized uniform. I personally have no opinion on this as a former teacher. However, as a parent, I was miffed when the school my daughters attended implemented a uniform policy. That meant I had to go out and buy additional clothes for my daughters to wear to school in addition to their away from school clothing. Private School Sector: Most private schools in Texas have a tuition fee and all I have seen require their students to wear uniforms. Many private schools in Texas are religion based due to the fact students are no longer allowed to pray in public schools as a group or personally. The private school community is more closely knit as well. These were the first differences that I saw when I began teaching at a private school. I also saw that private schools limit class sizes so each student has an optimum amount of personal learning time with their teachers. Private schools also offer a wider array of subject matter for their students and are not required to teach to nor administer core assessments for their students. You also have fewer class clowns to detract from learning time. What was lacking at the private school? Many do not have a band or art classes. I could go on and on about the benefits of private schools as compared to public schools but I won't. All in all, if I had it to do all over again, I would have found a way to afford for my daughters to go to a private school. I think they would have had more chance to succeed. But, they are doing well enough with their public school educations - and they're both happy and that's all that matters in the end. Written for: "Journalistic Intentions" Entry 4 of 8Prompt: LeJenD'Poet - Unapologetically ME. |
| Written for: "Journalistic Intentions" Entry 3 of 8 Prompt: This video talks about the "Baby Bust" of the recent year due to the effects of Covid-19 on our society, which runs in direct opposition of their prediction that it would result in another Baby Boom. They interviewed people with differing opinions on whether the decline in child births was a good thing or a bad one. The video also attempts to introduce reasons as to why this decline is happening. I am going to attempt to look at this from both sides and give my opinion along with reasons I feel the way I do. Side 1: "This Baby Bust is a bad thing for our world." - Those who feel this way believe that in order to support our growing population of persons in the older demographic, a child has to be born to "replace" each person who dies or is too old to work. What's wrong with this view in my opinion? Mainly, I oppose this view because the world is overpopulated with humans as it is. Bringing more children into this world is not going to immediately refill a slowly receding workforce, nor will it ensure that those too old to work will be taken care of. It is just going to put even more stress on the adults who actually do work for the next ten years or more because they are then having to care for the older generations as well as a growing population of a new generation. This seems, to me, to be less economically feasible than the "Baby Bust" does. Side 2: "The Baby Bust is a good thing for our world." - Those siding with this view acknowledge that we have already overpopulated our world and due to our overpopulation, we are killing the earth. My opinion? I side with this way of thinking personally. In nature, when a population of anything gets too high, it begins to choke out other life. Eventually, an act of nature will happen that helps restore the order of things and reduce the overgrown population. Casualties occur both while the population is exploding and when nature comes to correct it. How can we, as the supposed only creatures to have a conscience, be okay with killing the earth and its denizens to ensure our continued growth of population? The Whys: What were considered to be the reasons that people had forecasted a Baby Boom and the actual Baby Bust that happened? Opinions were that due to couples being stuck at home together for interminable lengths of time due to Covid-19 restrictions, there would be an increase in the number of children being born. The reality was, in fact, that there were fewer. Why? The video offers a few viable reasons. First, economic instability was a factor. During the lock-down, very few people were able to go to their jobs to earn a living and many had to result to using monies from their savings in order to get by. Secondly, it was proposed that being stuck in a domicile with each other for so long began to grate on nerves and so people were less likely to want to have sex. For single people (somehow usually sizeable contributors to at least the U.S. population), they were no longer able to go out and meet up with one another. Then there was the reasoning that women are demonstrating their rights, do not want to have children and instead want to have a career and lead their own lives. (I do not understand how this particular one can be included in a video about how birth rates have gone down instead of up during the pandemic. I mean, wasn't this happening before the pandemic? And finally, some didn't want to bring more kids into an already messed up world. But what could be some other reasons for fewer births since the onset of Covid-19? Being a mother of two and an aunt of eight, all in their child bearing years, I asked. Yes there were responses of economic uncertainty, becoming tired of being around their spouse or significant other all the time, and for those not in serious relationships, the inability to go out. But They also had other reasons. My youngest doesn't want kids at all. She is aware that my medical issues, as well as her fiancee's, are genetic and could possibly be passed to any child she might have. My oldest said she didn't want to have children with the guy she had been with and was going to wait until she felt she had found the right one. She is less worried about genetic traits being passed down. My nieces and nephews are a varied bunch. A couple of them aren't interested in getting into serious commitments (and kids are definitely that). Two of my nephews are married to lovely ladies and already have children, one of them is a brand new father. One of my nieces is happy being single and doing her own thing and says she has enough responsibilities for now. At least one of the kids is on drugs and I hope he doesn't help create any kids until he gets off the stuff - but he's too lost in his drug induced world to care about too much. But you know what they all have in common? They all said their lock down time was dominated by playing video games and being on the internet and their phones. How can the youth of our nation procreate when they're lost in the artificial worlds of computers and video games? They talk or text people using their phones and other apps rather than interacting face to face. Heck, most of them don't even have the time to spend with family because their lives are dominated by the digital world. Wanna have a kid? I'm sure there's an app for that. LeJenD |
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You're so right, they are definitely perceptive. They know when you need extra attention, and they know when to keep an eye out for you. They are definitely a blessing from God.
