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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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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. |
Blogging Circle of Friends - Day 3363: May 3, 2022 Tuesday: Cultural Arts: Write about a painting that you like? Who painted it? Why do you like the painting? This prompt intrigues me because I was talking to some friends over the weekend and we were discussing the concept of race and art. There had been some controversy surrounding an artist, a white woman, painting black children with painted faces. When I took a look at the Pinterest account of this artist's paintings I was moved by the emotions that they awoke in me. The artist is Margaret Bowland. https://www.pinterest.ca/wmhammond/margaret-bowland/ The one that really gripped my gut the most was the one with the little girl being strangled in the shadow behind. Having read Amanda Lovelace's The Witch Doesn't Burn In This One, I felt particularly sensitive to male violence and our need to fight back against the oppression of those who hold us back, don't listen to our voices and / or expect us to be something we are not. These beautiful black girls are being made to feel their blackness is less... and that is a crock. By painting them white they are trying to cover their natural beauty and strength. I think Bowland is trying to show this in her paintings. Social expectations and prejudices colour our world and restrict the beauty and wonder of the human that is that child. I wrote a poem in April that I posted on Instagram that speaks to this idea... perspective. And who made the 'rules'. I feel I am not articulating myself very well this evening. The topic of equality is an important one for me. I believe our world is a much grander place if we accept the diversity of those around us - we are similar in many ways, but we are also different in other ways. And those ways make the world a far more interesting place than simply bland, white bread. Who wants that, when you can have a banquet all the world has to offer? Here is a link to my poem: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc6zAdvtzUd/ I hope it works. The Poem is called Only An Illusion. I also wrote this poem earlier this spring: "Contrast - Soup to Stew" and "Come Dine With Me - Which Table Would You Choose?" |
Blog City - DAY 2516 March12, 2022 Poems, like dreams, are a sort of royal road to the unconscious. They tell you what your secret self cannot express. - Erica Jong What type of poetry helps you connect with your unconscious self? Favorite poet? Favorite poem? Why do you like it? I love to write free verse poetry. I find I open myself up and let the words swirl. I am almost always amazed at what wee gem presents itself. In the process I learn a little bit about myself as I see it connects to the universal. I also find writing poetry helps me make sense of some big emotions that I find hard to articulate verbally. I wrote a lot of poems in high school. I was one of my saving graces during a time that was absurd and confusing. Not only was I a teenager, but I also lost my father to cancer when I was 12... so there were some pretty big emotions - even if I didn't write about them directly... right away. Things percolated and came to the forefront when they were ready and I was able to make sense of this will my creative source's help. My favourite poem is Desiderata by Max Ehrmann. Written in 1952. I hepoignantead by Morgan Freeman. His voice and the poem were poignent. I would love to find a YouTube video of it, but I believe it was on an episode of Oprah Winfrey's Masterclass featuring Morgan Freeman. This poem is also posted in a bathroom off the staff room in an old school - Sheppard Public School, I believe. When the day is going rough, you read it in that small moment of time by yourself and take it to heart as you head out for the rest of your day. I also have a copy of it by my bed - one of these days I will get it posted up on the wall in a proper frame. I only found this poem in the last couple of decade, but I wish I had read it when I was much younger - say, in high school, though I may not have appreciated it as much then. Who knows. Poems come to you when you need them. Desiderata Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less that the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you concieve Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy. |
| Soundtrack Of Your Life Prompt: What were you listening to last year? A little Pussycat Dolls I really like Nicole Scherzinger. She does most of the lead vocals and is also part of one of my favourite shows - The Masked Singer. She embodies classic sexy. Stickwhitu - Pussycat Dolls This is probably one of their more subtle videos. A few lyrics: I don't wanna go another day So I'm telling you Exactly what is on my mind Seems like everybody's breaking up And throwing their love away But I know I got a good thing right here That's why I say, hey Nobody gonna love me better I'ma stickwitu forever Nobody gonna take me higher I'ma stickwitu I also really like.... Buttons A little modern burlesque. Hot and sexy, but also controlled. Women who know what they want. Lookout boys... you can't touch this... if you ain't worthy. It is also great to dance to to get your own sexy back.  |
Soundtrack Of Your Life Prompt: What were you listening to last year? I Turn To You - Christine Aguilera This is one of the CDs in my car... that did not get stolen before Christmas. Three weeks before Christmas break someone broke into my car - in my driveway and messed up everything I had in there. The only things taken were a very old GPS and its charger, my teaching supply bag, and my Extend A Family information for my time cards. They left all my CDs. I am still trying to get my supply bag organized. Many of the things were of no value to anyone else, but to me... it was my 'organined' space. I still feel violated that someone could be that bold. Anyway... for the song.... I like to think the one I turn to is GOD. The lyrics are probably not intended as that, but for me... it works. Take a peak at the lyrics and see what you think. A few lyrics: When I lose the will to win I just reach for you and I can reach the sky again. I can do anything, 'cause your love is so amazing, Cause your love inspires me. And when I need a friend you're always on my side, Givin' me faith to get me through the night. For a shield (for a shield) From the storm (from the storm) For a friend, for a love to keep me safe and warm. I turn to you. (I turn to you) For the strength (for the strength) To be strong for the will to carry on. For everything you do I turn to you. (oh yeah oh) For the arms to be my shelter through all the rain. For truth that will never change. For someone to lean on. For a heart I can rely on through anything. For the one who I can run to |
Soundtrack of Your Life Prompt: What songs were you listening to last year? Another loud and proud. I have seen this group in person. They are amazing! The drum beat throbs and carries you along. I was drawn in the first time I heard them. It was quite an experience. 5 drummers and a piper can drown out a full marching pipe band! I also love the video shots of Scotland. When they came to Canada the first time in 2018(?) I saw them. Here is a longer taste of their music... |
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