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  My blog was filled up. I'm too lazy to clean it out. So I started a new one. |
| Prompt: "When all the world appears to be in a tumult, and nature itself is feeling the assault of climate change, the seasons retain their essential rhythm. Yes, fall gives us a premonition of winter, but then, winter, will be forced to relent, once again, to the new beginnings of soft greens, longer light, and the sweet air of spring." Madeleine M. Kunin I had to look her up, not a familiar name to me. Kunin was governor of Vermont in the late 80's and ambassador to Switzerland in the 90's. The bigger part of what she says here is true. Life goes on from season to season in our lives, and in our world, no matter what happens. The Pandemic may stop us in our tracks, like the Bubonic Plague in England in the late 1500's. but nature doesn't stand still. Places that experience seasonal change will continue to do so. Places that have been bombed or hit by a tsunami will still experience that age old change of nature. Those areas ravaged by fire will also have seasonal change, although less dramatically. The word that keyed me into her attitude immediately was "assault". That word indicates a liberal thinker. The "affects of climate change" wouldn't have told me anything. Climate change has been around since the Ice Age. Yes, we can make it worse by being careless with our carbon foot print. But science and restructuring any country is not going to lower the temperature. Global warming has been a part of the original plan since the Dawn of Creation. It's not going to go away, no matter how much we scream or restrict business. We will keep going on like the seasons until the earth self-destructs. Then there will be a new Heaven and a new Earth. |
| Day 2908: November 3, 2020 Prompt: “There is not a more pleasing exercise of the mind than gratitude. It is accompanied with such an inward satisfaction that the performance sufficiently rewards the duty.” – Joseph Addison Life coaches will tell you to start out every day with gratitude. No matter how old you are, thank God or your higher power you woke up again this morning. You have another day ahead of you which means another chance to get it right! Be thankful for the weather, or the birds chirping, or the nice warm house you're in. I'm always thankful to get into a bed with freshly laundered sheets! So many little things we take for granted, that we really could take time to feel gratitude for them. Hot coffee, fresh air, mother nature, moonlight. Listing our blessings lifts our spirits and prepares us to receive greater things. I recently read a book about two young women in Paris who were sent to a concentration camp; they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were tortured and starved, but were allowed to stay together. They constantly reminded themselves they were still alive and still together. They had nothing else for which to be grateful, but it helped them get through the nightmare. We can get through our own nightmares if we look for things that please us or make us thankful. The Karate kid used the mantra "The grass is green, and the sky is blue." In very difficult times in my life, when I felt like I had nothing for which to be grateful, I told myself, "the grass is green, and the sky is blue." It kept me from feeling so sorry for myself, and eventually, I could make the list longer. |
| Prompt: “You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” ― Maya Angelou What do you think? Can you use up creativity? I agree. The more you create, the more ideas you have. I can't write music, but people who do always have one more song. That creativity applies to cooking, crafts, music, and all art forms, not just writing. Famous examples would include Clint Eastwood. Despite advanced arthritis, and a ton of work in acting, producing, and directing, he's still going strong. He can't stop finding new actors to coach, new projects to undertake, and he's almost 90. He is driven by creativity. The same is true of inventors and scientists. It's like you inspire yourself to do one better than the last one. You never rest on your laurels. Creativity breeds creativity. |
| Pick a dessert quote and share a story that connects with the one you chose. "People who love to eat are always the best people." by Julia Child This is so true. Eating employs several senses: tasting, seeing, smelling. Touch is used with foods eaten with the fingers, and hearing with foods that sizzle or snap. Now she's not saying overindulging or making yourself a glutton. But simply preparing food, sharing it and consuming it. Maybe even growing your own would be included. It always seems to me a tomato you grew yourself tastes better. I've noticed that people who like to eat tend to be more generous, more amiable, and more adventurous. Picky eaters are more uptight (in my limited observations) or have personality quirks. I learned in my single life that if a man only likes Velveeta cheese or white bread, he's going to be a pain with too many hang-ups. He got dumped. The person who likes to try new recipes is more likely to be appreciative, of anything, and have a more positive outlook. It would interesting to know if some social scientist somewhere had actually done a study of this. I broke out laughing when I read Julia's words that "The only time one eats diet food is while waiting for the steak to cook." (of something close to that) I like it, but I think the title quote is more insightful than Julia meant for it to be. |
| Write a limerick or a short story about the word pumpkin We bought a pumpkin so big around. We could not lift it from the ground. We used a hand truck, Crossed our fingers for luck. Now it is decorated in town. |
| I just filled the dining room mantle with metal spiders, real mini pumpkins, scarecrows, and one ceramic jack-o-lantern. There's a bat and a ghost hanging under the mantle. I don't have that many kids visiting, so I guess it's just for me. I have short scarecrows in the windows and a haunted house in the kitchen over the big window. The living room has a dancing Mickey Mouse wizard on the coffee table. He's the one decoration that's meant to played with. I have a burlap pumpkin on the end table, and a carved wooden pumpkin down in the foyer with seasonal color flowers. Outside I have a large ceramic jack-o-lantern (Kroger sold a ton of them last year). We have scarecrows in front and back, left from trying to keep the woodchucks and the deer from eating all the plants. They didn't do their job, so now they get Halloween duty. And I have my potted mums from last year showing their white, yellow and brownish blooms. The cars in the driveway block the outdoor view because of the weird layout of our yard. My 92 year old dad likes to clown around by posing with the scarecrows or the elephant ears (plants) for photos. Sometimes he enlists one of his great-grands, and we have two clowns. We don't usually get many trick or treaters because of the wooded feel and the distance between driveways. The pandemic will probably prevent all tricks or treats, so we will have the candy all to ourselves.   |
| Prompt: Who has changed your life, and how? This can be a tough question. Lots of people have influenced me: parents, grandparents, teachers, some older friends, etc. Who changed me? Besides me, that is. You might say my husband when he became a raging alcoholic and made my life a living hell. I changed it by walking out on him and giving up all my worldly possessions. No, overall, through all the ups and downs of my life, I have to give you what many would call the corny or sentimental answer: Jesus. No matter where I find myself or what the circumstances, it is Jesus who determines my actions and attitudes. I am continually changing as I attempt to study his word and to walk more closely with him. I have to delve into my deepest thoughts and feelings to clear out the old "clutter" while trying to be more in tune with his teachings. Without Jesus all these years, I know I would be a different person. I wouldn't be examining my values or trying to improve my being. I would have made more mistakes than I did. |
| Day 2857: September 12, 2022 Prompt: Spring, Summer, Autumn, or Winter. Pick your favorite and write a tribute to it. There is something special about each of the seasons, and i am grateful to be alive in any of them. Autumn does seem to be kind of special, however. I think it goes back to my childhood and the anticipation of school and its activities. We never outgrow the feelings it arouses. It gets dark sooner, so I can't work in the yard as late. There's something nostalgic and sad about seeing the days getting shorter. Summer vacation is over, the winter lies ahead. The summer harvest is done; no more tomatoes, no squash, no watermelon. Even the basil is looking withered, along with the sage. The petunias are looking scrawny, no matter how much I groom them. As for housekeeping, I'm already thinking holidays. Washing the special dishes I only get out in the fall, spiffing up the dining room, decorations. It's too early for Halloween or Thanksgiving, but certainly fall style knick- knacks and flowers. I'll miss all the crafts fairs and harvest festivals this year, thanks to the Pandemic. Even my dad is thinking about holiday gatherings and meals. and what needs to be different. Dining out is not a good option this year. Buying catered food and serving here is viable, but not appetizing. I don't think my crowd is that hungry for institutional broccoli casserole. Cooking as usual and serving here is probably the best option. The family has started taking liberties anyway. It depends on the news and the cautions issued by then. So the fall brings a certain anxiety and busyness even without a dreaded disease chasing us. We welcome the cooler air, the change in colors, decreased humidity, and more darkness for more rest. More than that, autumn reminds us of our mortality. Spring is a happy time of rebirth and childhood and growing. Summer represents the full green productivity and activity of adulthood. If winter is our old age and the wait for death, then autumn is that last great burst of beauty before the winter of our lives. We slow down and cherish each day. |
| I'm finally getting around to thinking about what I would pack if I had an emergency evacuation. Since it took me several weeks to gather my thoughts, I'm afraid I wouldn't be much good at getting out fast. The tropical storms that hit Florida brought this on. First, I'd pack all my meds, including over the counter drugs. Then I guess clean underwear, extra shoes, and toiletries would be next. A flashlight, my cell phone and charger, my Kindle, some snacks, and a change of clothes come next. My dad goes where I go, but he has to pack his own underwear and socks and medicine. I'd have to double check his wallet and masks. We'd need a full tank of gas, maybe a blanket or two in case we get stuck on the road. The shorter the notice the less I would take. It would be nice to have some tools and more clothes in case it took longer than expected. I would not take time to grab photos or antiques or collectibles. I have no children, so I wouldn't grab the toys at my house (for visitors). Our lives are more important than things, but we want to have what we need for days, possibly weeks. Whether it's an out of control forest fire, a tornado, or a violent mob, I don't have anything worth dying for. It is an interesting question. What would you take if you were given orders to evacuate within 12 hours? 4 hours? |
| I'm finally getting around to thinking about what I would pack if I had an emergency evacuation. Since it took me several weeks to gather my thoughts, I'm afraid I wouldn't be much good at getting out fast. The tropical storms that hit Florida brought this on. First, I'd pack all my meds, including over the counter drugs. Then I guess clean underwear, extra shoes, and toiletries. |
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