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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. |
  First prompt for today: What do you do to keep yourself in a healthy state of mind mentally and emotionally?  I believe physical health is attached to mental health. I've had a lot of burnouts over the years because I was responsible for too many things at a time without interaction from other people near me. I learned to do things for me. When all the churches around were preaching against yoga. I looked into it and took it up because it was helpful to my mental stamina. I took the time to find the scriptures that are scaring some people. Looked at properly there is no way I can see that Yoga is a problem between humans and the Lord. It just becomes another don't do it run around by word of mouth. Zen might be a problem if you are trying to use it to spy on your neighbors. Adrenaline might be a problem which can follow any sport or physical activity. I picked up on the word mindfulness this summer. There was an article about it on WDC. I took an online course which was basically Yoga and I have looked into Tai Chi which is a base for Yoga. I also discovered I need light in the winter months. Light therapy is expensive so I tried different ideas. I found that just lighting one room exceptionally and making that room a place to read and rest helped. Where I live has a beautiful wildness to it. Winter is very gray. Sometimes there can be several weeks without any real blue skies or sunshine. So, inside lighting is important to me. Then, there is music. I like a lot of different types of music so the variety helps me keep moving. I like to clean to swinging musical notes. The work gets finished faster. Second Prompt for today: Clouds  Once I stepped in a hole under the snow and fell flat on my back. A couple feet of snow was laying on the ground so it was a really soft landing. Instead of getting up I noticed the cumulous clouds floating high above me. It was a pleasant place to rest and I realized I had not spent any time looking up at the sky for a long long time. So, I made a snow angel and watched the clouds floating by in their many different patterns. Sometimes I am much too busy doing. This summer I made an effort to go outside on a clear night just to see the stars. We do these things when we are children. We shouldn't leave this kind of sight behind just because we grow up. I think I covered most of the prompts. Probably not in order. My tree is up. The lights are on it. Now, Christmas is 25 days away.  |
 I found new prompts in yesterday's entries. Since today is the 29th and tomorrow is the 30 I am going to do 2 today and save clouds for tomorrow. First: Oh! I wish it could be...? Grandma always told me don't wish your life away so I can't wish for an early spring. I like to think the weather we presently have is the proper weather for that day. Just don't ask me about major problems with the weather like drought or excessive snow. I don't have the answer. I wish it could be a world filled with gardens and farms to feed the hungry. Absolutely no wars because instead of fighting over who owns God or the land people would spend time fixing, learning, building or resting. Second: What do you think resiliency is? What are resilient people like? Are you or do you know resilient people? Reference: Google definition: re·sil·ient rəˈzilyənt/ adjective adjective: resilient (of a substance or object) able to recoil or spring back into shape after bending, stretching, or being compressed. synonyms: flexible, pliable, supple; More durable, hardwearing, stout, strong, sturdy, tough "resilient materials" (of a person or animal) able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions. "the fish are resilient to most infections" synonyms: strong, tough, hardy; More Google definition pretty much says it all. I think you see that at least some of the USA is springing back after the atrocious campaigning and the election. The 30-Day Challenge is working on flexible as we move forward to finish the challenge in November. I know a lot of people around me that are resilient. You pretty much have to show some resiliency in order to continue aging. So, Blue Moon, Fivesixer, Wake up & Live, Mind The Shark's Teeth, Prosperous Snow are all examples of resilient people. Each one achieves this in their own habitat and approach to living. Twenty-six days until Christmas.  ![Merit Badge in OctoPrep
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*^*Balloonr*^**^*Balloono*^* Congrats on winning [Link To Item #1474311] 2016! *^*Balloony*^**^*Balloonr*^*](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/group-OctoPrep-1474310_14.gif) |
 It's nice Stevie is Back to Nanoing is keeping track of the order the prompts came in. Yesterday, I figured what I was writing was also out of order. Chalk it up to Thanksgiving preparation and not checking all the prompts before I used them. Isn't it nice to find so many from different people. It is kind of like listening to individual opinions during a conversation. Well, I still have a couple to write an opinion about so that is what I will do today. There are some Christmas tunes I'm not so happy about but most Christmas music just shines light on the season. If you don't celebrate Christmas I assume it could be irritating to shop and have to suffer the seasonal music. I was in a store last summer that was playing music so loudly I thought they might be trying to drive the customers out the door faster. Many years ago I read a newspaper article that said Christmas Hymns were played around the world to calm the public for a season near the winter solstice.  I don't know if it really works or is just a psychological trick to play on the public?As for themed Christmas Trees. I guess I have to fall back on what ever works for you. I've seen some I really like. I would not want one in my home since I have numerous different types of bulbs and decorations on my tree. Some are birds, I have an sea anenome, dwarfs, angels, houses, a crane,animals, (5 military helicopters just roared over our house. very loud but not low enough to shake the house, now I have barking dogs to calm.) and many other different types of colored lights and bulbs.As for people drifting..................: I'm inclined to believe there is a group of people in the USA and maybe other countries who never drift. They have parents that plan out their lives and they stay centered on that plan whether they want to or not or at least until they become aged enough to see the reasoning behind the plan. If they drift it has to be in their free time. Then, there is the general population that drifts because they grow without guidance. They don't get where they should be early enough in life to make a difference to society, or they are not accepted because their plan for life does not take a strong enough hold early enough to make a difference. If they are not grounded in a brother hood of some type they can be driven from end to end even if they are talented, their talent is not accepted. There are too many homeless people, refugees from wars, and scapegoated people in the world for this quote not to have a meaning. Quote from Noah Chomsky:" If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all." I watched a documentary called "Requiem for the American Dream" featuring Noam Chomsky Saturday afternoon.In this documentary Chomsky has a startling way of laying out social ideas in a way that is easily understood. Send those prompts my way I'll try to answer them sooner or later. Bye for now. |
![Merit Badge in The Monthly Reading Challenge
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Congratulations for hitting your [Link To Item #1945699] goal in September 2015. Very impressive. Keep reading! *^*BigSmile*^*](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/group-The_Monthly_Reading_Challenge-1945677_12.gif)  I just gleaned these news stories from Rueters this morning: There is a recount of the votes for the presidential election in Wisconsin planned. Spoofed by Trump as a worthless effort. A new USA shooting this morning in New Orleans. (one dead, nine wounded.) A power-ball lottery ticket sold in Tennessee will anti up $ 421 million for the ticket holder. The neighborhood here is sighting in guns for the beginning of deer season tomorrow. My tree sits in the living room so tomorrow I will begin decorating it. Merry Christmas. |
 Prompt: Best Thanksgiving/Worst Thanksgiving/Kitchen Mayhem I can't remember any truly kitchen mayhem. The first year my daughter-in- law ate Thanksgiving with us, she helped put the meal on the table. Between the two of us we managed to put too much milk in the mashed potatoes. They were kind of runny and it made us laugh, even gave us the giggles, but everyone still ate and enjoyed the meal. Also, I can't remember good versus bad Thanksgiving Days. I used to put meals on the table for 6 people. My boys all learned to cook and took some turns helping in the kitchen. On a normal day. If there was any mayhem it would have been canning season. I canned for years everything I could get my hands on in order to adequately feed our family. Gardening, canning, butchering feeding livestock, milking dairy goats, making cheese and yogurt. It use to be all fresh, canned or frozen. Now, I buy most of what K and I use. We ate healthy food. But, summers there wasn't much time for anything but food gathering. That is true mayhem. Christmas is on a Sunday this year. 29 days until Christmas. |
Prompt: What's Your Favorite Board Game?  I like scrabble the best. I bought a new game that is a travel buddy. There is not a lot of opportunity to use it. It is a special edition that can be used long distance if another person has one like it because the letters lock into the trays. The lack of interest from others near me doesn't slow down the opportunities to play the game, because I play on my kindle against the computer. Thanksgiving dinner was a success. Nothing burned. The food was delicious. There were lots of left overs so I'm eating it over again today. I love left over Thanksgiving dinners. Everyone sat around catching up on family chatter. The Grandchildren went out and had a snow battle. Then played games from kindle apps later. It was an all around normal Thanksgiving celebration. I am always thankful for normal days. I went for another 4 wheeler ride today. It was a longer ride. I got lots of time to get used to the machine and begin to feel more comfortable riding it. I drive slow, old lady speed. It gives me time to look around and see more parts of the farm I haven't explored for awhile. Most of the snow has melted and I was able to clean barn this morning. The skies are still over cast and threatening. I have not heard the weather but I'm guessing rain maybe. So, I went for a long walk with the dog. My dog had to stay in his kennel yesterday because he can't take the riotous children's play. So today he needed extra play to wear down his energy. I like to play fetch but he likes tug or keep away. We finally compromised and played find the toy. I hide the toy he finds it.   Now I'm going to rest and read. Bye. Happy Trails. |
 The turkey is roasting. The potatoes are peeled part of the table is set so I'm taking a moment to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. The weather is warm enough but we have a fog hanging in the air making the trees and buildings a ghostly white out. We don't have a Black Friday tradition. I like shopping on the internet so I could shop on Friday there but mostly this year I will rest on Friday because I am cooking for the family this year its my turn. Fruit Salad YUM! I'm thankful the election is over. I'm off to watch the parade. Bye. |
Magic Spells:![Merit Badge in Blogging
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Congratulations on taking 2nd Place in the July 2016 [Link To Item #30dbc] !](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/type-Blogging-2180.gif) Truly I I am removed from spell making to the point that I draw a complete blank about how someone writes one. I understand curses because there are some people who live in this area that are inclined to try to put curses on people. Usually it is because of some idea that they have been wronged in some way. I love all kinds of fiction and I am drawn to stories about elf's, fairies dragons, and other types of spirits that can, yes, use spells for their own protection. So, in the spirit of blessing I look for prayers that will drive the adversary from any poor soul who is fighting wrong doing against them or a life troubled by hardships. Many people feel condemned for the situations they find themselves in as life moves from day to day. Often our situations are not of our own making. God does not condemn us for situations beyond our control or bad judgment because of lack of information. We can't find a job because the jobs are taken by someone who has a friend or relative where we need to work. There isn't enough money because our advisors did not see the present escalation of taxation headed into society. Some generations lost their advisors to WWI, WWII, the Korean War, The Viet Nam War, Irag, Syria, war, after war, after war. Recently I became aware of a book on Amazon called "defeating your adversary in the court of heaven" by the praying medic. I don't know anything about this book or who the Praying Medic is or why they write. I haven't had time to research this. Research to me is looking before I leap. Around here people put curses on people so having found this to be true other people try to interrupt the sounds with booms and bangs. Now we have people setting off compression bombs which if they are close enough actually shake houses. To end this long winded story I say, the best prayer I know is the Lord's Prayer, taught by Christ. I blathered on here, trying to find the words I need to fulfill this prompt about spells. For the 30-Day-Challenge family: Father turn evil back against evil. Put guards around people with upright hearts so they may go about their every day efforts to bring peace, joy and plenty to those around them, who suffer. AMEN. Does this qualify as a spell? Are prayers the same as spells? Always seeking more information.  |
| I received a message this morning from Brother Nature who is encouraging us to continue to blog in November and post in the 30-day-challenge. So, here goes. Odd facts for today: On November 22, 1718, Blackbeard the infamous pirate was killed off the coast of North Carolina, USA by British Sailors. This ended his neigh of terror in the Caribbean. I was looking on https://www.wikipedia.org at Syria in an effort to gain more understanding of the war there. stria has a long history of political unrest. An interesting note: Syria was a founding member of the United Nations. During 1963 to 2011 Syria was under emergency law which gave the citizens no constitutional protections. Since 2011, as part of the Arab Spring there is an uprising against Assad who gained power through his father, who was the head of government before Assad. the Ba'ath party is the political party that revolutionists are fighting against. There are 375 million refugees from this war, 200,000 civilian deaths and 1 million of the refugees are children who have experienced the death and violence associated with the war. All of these facts I found at Wikipedia. I posted yesterdays blog in Andre's Banana Bar after reading the news there. The weather here has stabilized. I was able to get in and out of the barn this morning. The barn cleaning was accomplished so, onward to thanksgiving. I'm thankful for another year living here just watching the wildlife and being. |
| The 30-Day-Challenge is over for November. Our thoughts are with 5-Sixer, Leslie, and Brother Nature as we plow toward the holiday. I have lots of time to catch up on writing before I have to cook the turkey. The storm is blowing itself out slowly. It stopped snowing about 3 A.M.. The wind kept blowing in a desperate effort to continue the storm. Flipping the snow off the ground and blowing it around in the air like a high flying kite. Storms of the caliber we experienced for two days always seem alive, so I attribute feelings to them. The wind is still blowing, shaking all the snow out of the trees onto the ground. Anyway, I took mail to the box on the road this morning. The roads are plowed so I'm sure people got to work and business has resumed as usual. I will be vacuuming rooms today. I'm expecting at least 11 or 12 people for Thanksgiving. The kids may want to set up the train. Sometimes I set up the Christmas tree for Thanksgiving but I think I will wait and do it on Monday. Deer hunting season starts that day and I will probably have lots of time to figure out the decorations. Weather forecast says 40 degrees for the end of the week. Lots of turkey cooking advice on Youtube. Where was Youtube when I was raising a family? It would have been great to have all that advice then. Happy Thanksgiving. We are thankful the USA is still in one piece after the rowdy election. Think peaceful thoughts. |
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