Scutoid

The scientist have discovered a new shape while studying epithelial cells.  Scutoid is geometry's newest shape.

The scutoid shape was named after this top-down view of a beetle’s scutellum.

Image: Pedro Gómez-Gálvez et al. (Nature Communications)

The scientists decided to name the scutoid after the scutellum of a beetle (a part of its thorax), because the two look similar from a top-down view.

Javier Buceta, systems biologist at Lehigh University and co-author, was grateful for the chance to name a new geometric shape.

Learn something new everyday.

Meditating Standing Up

You cannot focus on your breath in, out, and worry about anything, at the same time.

Just for today, focus on your breath more instead of your feelings, and watch how the day changes.

Your mind cannot do two things at once.

Simple way to gain control of your mind momentarily. Now do this all day, every day, now you are meditating standing up with your eyes open. Now can we do this for a week? A year? How about the rest of our life?

Personally, I prefer it. I think I will focus on my breath, thankful to know the benefits.

I love Mister Rogers' Wisdom

"It came to me ever so slowly that the best way to know truth was to begin trusting what my inner truth was...and trying to share it-not right away-only after I had worked hard at trying to understand it."                                          ~The World according To Mister Rogers~      by Fred Rogers


The inner truth is only found through peaceful thoughts, this I know for sure. 

Inner peace is the choice I made. Thankful to have found ways to practice it daily.

Tour de France Winner

Geraint Thomas from Wales won this year. He watched the "Tour" since childhood and dreamed... and here he is today.  He encourages kids to dream big and work hard, believe in yourself.

We cannot believe three weeks of cycling has gone by, we watch every year and the older we get the faster time flies by.  If you ever want to do something, do it now.

So absolutely excited for Geraint and his family to win.  Congratulations!

Thankful to have a Sweetheart to watch the Tour de France with every year and to be creating more fun memories with him as the days go by. Life is good in the woods.

SnickerDoodle Graduation

Going to a high school graduation party in Peebles Island Park, Cohoes, NY. yesterday I was shown another NYS park I had not visited. This quaint park is located across a one lane bridge at the confluence of the Mohawk and Hudson rivers. It is 190 acres open year round for recreation. I had never been here until yesterday and will return for a walk and picnic for sure.

The niece of a friend was being celebrated as a high school graduate with a plan to enter Hartford College in CT this fall.  As I walked around I remembered our children leaving home years ago.  There were conversations from other parents speaking with students present about their dorm room, the usual questions, have you met the roommate, what's your major, do you have everything on the supply list, and I thought about my life.  This stage of our life, adult children out living life after college, military service, working in the world making their own way, discovering their own purpose, and I thought of my own life.

Actually leaving home was exciting to me and I loved living without a mother asking constant questions of my whereabouts and what time I got home, etc. Independence, my own schedule, freedom to live without parental judgement. 

This young woman has an athletic scholarship and she is an "honor" roll student.  She goes to a new world of friends and challenges.  As an athlete she will have the team to socialize with and the sport to excel in as she studies.  This is the plan and this is the direction.  Always good to have a plan and direction, this gives you a goal.  The challenge to live outside of  an institution's schedule when she graduates will be next chapter for her.

So many unforeseen events and wonderful worldly travels, being young, starting out in the world. No one can tell you what life will be, you have to experience it but to my way of thinking, a college education, or a technical school is a nice place to begin.

Her aunt told me she loves snickerdoodle cookies so I made three dozen, a private stash for the graduate and her aunt to take home for later. Both love these cookies.  Her aunt brought a tear to my eye when she presented me with a flower arrangement she made as a gift.  My friend is so busy taking care of everyone in her family, setting up for this party since early morn, doing her best to make everyone comfortable and arranging outside tents for food in case of rain.  To receive a flower arrangement too was so thoughtful. 

I have known this woman for about 4 years and her story is amazing, yet she and her 5 siblings stay in contact.  Her mother and father have long been gone but she keeps the family celebrating special events and together. Together, family. Words that go well together, 

Congratulations Natalie! I know you will do well, you always do and you have your aunt and family, the future is bright for you. Thank you Gail for the flowers, you are an angel.

Thankful to be invited to such a nice event.

When Our Kids Moved Out I Lost My Reason For Living

In my own private residence, in the country with no neighbors, where people rarely visit, if ever, with my clothes on, 24/7.

Thankful for privacy and free dressing!

Change this image to a woman and voila!

Vote, Get True Facts, Vote

One true compass for any one to judge the character of any person or leader, is to watch how the innocent children, innocent women, innocent men are protected and their individual rights. Laws in every country are always tested on the people governed. 

In this country, we can vote the politicians that enacted misguided laws out of  office.  Other governed people across the world aren't as fortunate.

Career politicians are trouble, no man or woman that we have seen to date, can remain there with access to the people's hard earned tax money, and focus on the will of the people. We have seen laws that boost their personal income, benefit their family, their family's lifestyle, personal agenda, with no regard for the will of the people. This is rampant administration after administration. (Look at how their money is obtained and spent.)

A brush of the pen behind closed doors in the middle of the night by politicians make law for all a personal agenda too often against the will of the people.  What can we do? 

Vote them out and cross out fingers.

Our vote, our power, reveals our moral compass here in America and the American people value individual peace, individual freedom and transparency of the truth.

Thankful to be here in America today, exciting times.

Thank You Notes with PIctures Are The Best

Recently I donated to a nunnerie that Pema Chodron supports for girls.  Today I received a beautifully written thank you LETTER with a picture of Pema.  This was not expected because she is so busy and I'm sure many people donate but I can tell you it meant a lot.

Handwritten notes from relatives and friends warm my heart and when I get pictures my heart sings. I have two ladies in my life that do both and you know who you are A&S. 😉

It is a good thing to know how to write a personable  thank you note.

Thankful for you all, thank you Pema, thank you A, and thank you S.

I love you.

Change Everything When You Change One Thing

Everyday we think about 60,000 thought, 95% of these are the same thoughts we thought yesterday.  If you think fearful thoughts about life outside of you, and you think these negatives again and again, you start to believe there is no way out. 

When it comes to you personally, if there is something you do or say that hurts another, you can change that. Instead of being afraid to apologize, don't choose denial of your part in any hurtful situation, admit you may be mistaken and ask forgiveness. Family is the important thing, be kind to one another and mend the relationship. 

What if, just maybe, we change our focus, not in denial, but practice positive thinking about those fearful situations? Truth is the situation changes because there is a new way of looking at it. Looking for the positive brings new ideas and positive change.  Recycled negative thoughts brings more and more fear of the same.  We can choose to focus on the good until time passes.  Only time reveals what will happen, worry has no purpose. 

Life is too short to figure out the world's problems, in fact no "one" has the answers.  Each only has a one point of view, your own, make sure it is a positive view, this "ONE" thing can change your world.  Thankful to see this and practice it. 

Choose your positive teacher, mine are Eckhart Tolle and Byron Katie Mitchell of
www.the work .com.  Turn off the TV and social media, learn to think for yourself.  😌

Wise Lady, Good Parents!

The sunset cruise across Lake Champlain was worth the trip for Sweetheart and me to make the drive.  The Ethan Allen II had three levels but the top, where we sat was the best to my way of thinking with a bird's eye view all around.  The sunset over the water was orange and red, the pictures say it all.

There was a traveling nurse, Alana, at the table next to us and I asked her to join us.  She was a southerner like "Moi!" How exciting for me. She is visiting for a 12 week assignment in Burlington, VT.  Twenty nine years old, educated, originally from South Carolina, she decided to become a traveling nurse to see the world, this was her first assignment and so far away from home.  She spoke immediately of her mama and dad. She has one sister and the family is very close.  Both her parents taught her to be her own woman, speak up for herself when needed and stay silent rather than engage in senseless arguments.  They thought Burlington VT was little far to go on a  first assignment but their daughter is brave.

Her parents worked themselves up from their own sharecropper parents, through focus and education, to become professionals, he is an electrician and her mother a teacher.  This is the America and its opportunities that make me respect this country.  However, her parents are the "hard workers" that pursued and made the good life they enjoy and share with their kids. (Hats off to them!) They provided a very nice life for her and her sister. Alana is a doll, a charismatic personality with a light hearted attitude and a lively laugh that anyone would enjoy conversing with her.  Wonder where she got that great personality from? Mom or Dad? She jokingly teased that she has "One Good Marriage In Her" and she is waiting for the right man to have children with, and live with, the rest of her life. She has seen a good marriage, her parents', and wants one for herself.

Her mother told her that "At the end of the day you have to go home with yourself, so brush off negative comments from others."  Her wise mother taught her "negative people are unhappy people otherwise they wouldn't talk so negative." True so true.  She once again is another example of how important it is to spend time with your own children, teach them about life, share your wisdom, but walk the talk, the children will cling to that wisdom and love you forever. Children learn more from watching you than you know.

It would be nice to meet her parents and congratulate them on raising such a fine woman.  Looks like her parents are coming up soon for their own first visit to the Northeast, maybe go to Canada too. This is a beautiful time of year for them to visit. Thankful to meet another wonderful young woman with a peaceful voice, a kind heart, and a backbone. No doubt, she is going far in life for one so young, she has direction, a plan, and is wise beyond her years.  The future of America is in good hands.  I'm really excited about this next generation. Nice meeting you Alana. 😉

Paul, The True Easy Rider

In Plattsburgh after I visited the  MacDonough Monument  I decided to stop at Dunkin' Donuts for a cool drink.  Out in front was handsome friendly young man sitting enjoying the day.  There was a Harley just in front of him and I asked him if it was his. He said, "My bike is over there, I built it myself from spare parts I found."

Now I am really interested. I love good old fashion ingenuity and "get 'er dun" mentality. Whenever I have wanted anything my inventor mind always goes to "How can I make it?"  It so much fun making things and such a fascination to see it come together that the process is more fun than the finished product...well almost. 

He loves his motorcycle and after all, it gets him from point "A" to point "B" and is this not the purpose of any bike?  As we talked I found he is very kind and open to new ideas of thought that lead to calm civilized conversation.  He told me he grew up in a house that peace was not present and this, caused him to be aware of always speaking in a kind, calm voice to everyone, especially his own children and wife.  He is wise, his wife and children are lucky to have such a kind husband/father.

He has learned and now advises that yelling at children does not make them hear the message, but the hurt from the volume can remain with them a lifetime.  He is a wise man, and I loved that he built his bike. Thankful to meet great men and women everyday in my travels. The world needs more consciously aware men like Paul, it makes the world a better place.

Love mechanics and handymen, "men that work with their hands will never go hungry." (A southern expression) Great bike Paul!  Thanks for letting me take your picture and get your autograph.

The Moose Beautiful Day

My closest know I love "Meese."  Any time I see a fake moose in a field, on a lawn, in a picture I stop.  In my travels I have been in "moose" country many, many, times but have not seen one in the wild yet.  I keep looking...

Years ago I saw a metal life-size moose at a huge flea market/antique sale in South Carolina and determined I would love to have a life size metal moose in my yard.  Everywhere I ride I look.

This weekend we celebrated life everywhere we drove and much to my joy, we saw fake life size meese.  There was one in a lawn beside a gift shop I visited, there was one in the shop of a most unusual photograph and at night we had dinner in Lake George at the DEUCE MOOSE CAFE. 

And for those persnickety perfectionist scholars, yes I know meese is not a word but thanks for pointing out the obvious again, lighten up, laugh. Life's too short to be perfect. The word moose has its origin in the Native American Algonquian language. 

Love those Native Americans. Thankful to have a camera to share these great, pictures with you.

Just For Today Expand Your Thank You

Something I have trained myself to notice is whenever anyone does anything nice for me I thank them.  If I look for random acts of kindness I see these performed for others and for me every day. Majority of people are nice like that.

Trained as a good southerner, we all say "Thank you." It's our religion.

To expand this, when someone does a random act of kindness for me, I add, "Thank you. You are a really nice person to take the time to hold that door for me, and I appreciate it. Have a nice day."

Watch people beam.  I beam when someone expands a compliment for an act of kindness I do for another. If you see positive results, share with me in the comment section. (Love being alive today.)

Thankful to be a part of making the world a nicer place, and be with others who are doing the same. Namaste.

We All Come To Same Conclusion, The Way To Peace

Eventually...Peace is found by going deeper and deeper within. When you have had enough confusion and enough luxury...and still look for purpose and world peace, you finally run out of options and there is no where else to look but deep within.

Fortunately, we all have the answer there.  How to get there? Slow down, become calm, the greatest cargo ship comes in when the waters are calm. Anger dissipates, wisdom can enter.

World Seem Crazy? Control of What You Focus Upon

All life has challenges. Life is not perfect never has been, and never will be. That is why we focus on our own peace of mind and mind our own business.  Change will come in every area, there is no stopping this, time takes care of this.

I know a lot about a chaotic mind, I have been working to organize my mind for decades and root out anger. My discovery is the closer I get to inner peace and inner organization, the more I make outer surroundings of my home and life organized and my emotions are more stable and peaceful. Less clutter more structure, equals peaceful, less stressful and chaotic life.  An uncluttered mind is a peaceful mind that takes actions to create structure and peace. My discovery is this, I may need to work to maintain my peaceful thoughts every day for the remainder of my life.  I can do this.

Becoming clear in my mind, maintaining organization, clean peaceful thoughts, takes discipline but makes every day much easier to live.  Thankful to have free will to create my own organized, mind, schedule, home, and business. Without organization chaos prevails and nothing is accomplished. We all have this free will, we do not all have this knowledge, time to teach. Pass it on. 😌

You Know Something That the Rest Of The World Needs to Hear

Believe it or not, you have a right to be here, think your own peaceful thoughts and the rest of us need to hear you speak.

Now your mission should you decide to accept it is:

Decide what is your passion, it will always be something positive that leads to peace on earth, and now find a vehicle to deliver that message.

This is why the life you live is exciting. Once you no longer wonder if you are enough, "YOU ARE!"

You have a message for the world that will make it a better place.

No matter how small or large you may value the message you must know, all messages are of the same value no matter how big or small anyone thinks it may be.

All of us are "Royal Citizens of Planet Earth." NO ONE IS ABOVE YOU IN IMPORTANCE and NO ONE IS BELOW YOU IN IMPORTANCE.  We are one.  Move on with your good self!

Givers Absolutely Need to Set Limits

Or "Takers" will take advantage of you till you have no more to give, and then still expect you to help again.  Having a sweet, kind, heart is a wonderful thing until you give too much to the wrong people.  I am a giver who has given way too much too often to the wrong people. Who are the wrong people? The ones that take and take and take and give little if anything back to the giver. This includes your time and emotional energy, you spend time with and give emotional support to people who expect you to let them have your time, your house, your food, and your emotional support without any limits and evidently no sense of the fact they are using you.

Years ago I met a wonderful woman, a single mother with two kids in the school our children attended.  She was delightful and her children polite, upbeat, positive, and I invited her family over for a visit.  She came and we had a good time together.  After this one visit she came to our home again and again without a prior phone call, she just showed up.  She would go to our refrigerator and say, "What do you have to eat?"  At first I thought this was endearing and I was glad she felt like family but then...

She would show up unannounced at 11 PM when I had a migraine and the lights were out at our house, we all had gone to bed.  I wanted to be polite, I would tell her, "I have a migraine this is not a good time" and she would push the door open saying, "I'll just be here a short while, I wanted to see my friend." Once again I would let her end and offer some tea. No one else got up in our house, it was 11 PM.  My husband wisely said, "I'm not getting up, I need my sleep, she is your friend."

As years went on she actually showed up unannounced with her two kids often, opening the refrigerator and expecting me to feed everyone again. I did.  One holiday she brought her husband, he had been in Nigeria for years but now was back in the states. She introduced us to him. Once again I prepared nice festive party foods and after the visit, he actually said to my friend, "Your white friend is using you for her token black friend."  He actually thought I talk to people about my friends and what race they are.  I told my husband, "This is preposterous, and I have had enough."

Next visit she was in town and told me she and her kids needed a place to stay the night and knew I would put them up, no worries, they could all three sleep in my living room on the floor they brought blankets.  Enough, I told her, "No you cannot. This is Christmas and we have plans, you will need to stay somewhere else."  She looked surprised as if she expected me to allow her to intrude once again without question.  The blank look on her face said everything, she was a taker, and there was no end to what she would take if I did not set limits. Unbelievable, once again I did not know there were people like here on earth. I always looked at others from my perspective, I would never take advantage of someone's hospitality knowingly.

After this encounter, months later, she and her family moved to another state and I kept her on my Christmas letter list, I liked her, I like to hear about her family, I did consider her a friend.  She would send a card or maybe call in January in response to my letter, never mentioning our last contact in person. Years went by and I stopped contacting her but last year I did. I had seen her at the tulip festival in Albany and asked how everyone was, she was in town visiting her mother.

She does not stop in anymore when she comes to town to visit her family. And in the card I sent this year I asked, "I was wondering after all the times you came to my house and we fed you and your family, why did you never once invite me to your house for dinner?"  She called and left a voice message and we played phone tag, last time she was “it.”  She never called again...

Thankful I learned to set limits on takers, she was a good lesson for me.  That one was sly, slipped in under my radar of kindness, that will not happen to me again.

The Right Love, The Right Time, The Right Place

True love is easy. You will know it by the ease of the union from all sides. True love is not butterflies in your stomach. It is not being anxious, waiting, wondering if he or she will call, if it is true love they absolutely will call and you don't need to wonder.

True love is not about sex. It has nothing to do with being sexually compatible, you will be compatible.  No need to experiment to find out.  Matter if fact, true love does not need the sexual act to prove anything, the act does not prove anyone loves anyone, it proves you are human.  A fact we already knew. Better to wait on this act, wait to be closer and sure of the intentions of the other.

True love does not shame or embarrass one another, or tell intimate secrets to anyone else.  There is no need to when the two are best friends.  No need to lie, the reason anyone lies in a relationship is because one is not sure the other will still love him or her if the truth is known.  This love is something he/she wants and will lie to keep it.  If only the other knew that true love works through problems together and if each is willing to admit to the mistake and not do it again, then the love has a chance. Lying decreases chances of survival of love.

True love is something the world does not see everyday.  So when you meet him/her you may have a spark, a mutual minute electrical connection, so subtle you may not know what it is a t first. But if you pause, it just might start a flame of friendship.

True love is more easily identified when it begin with friendship, not sex.  And that you can take to the bank.  Thankful to have true love in my life now.

Ever Love Someone That Did not Love Himself or Herself?

It is hard to be in a healthy relationship with this person.  You can constantly give and give to them of your time, your presents, presence, your words of love and no matter what you give, it is never enough.  Next time you see them or talk to them you hear, "You don't call enough, you don't visit enough," you don't do something enough or the opposite, this same personality type only comes around when they need something from you. This personality however when you ask something of him/her, change the subject, they suddenly are too busy or unable to help you.

In your world you are happy, you have learned to look for the rainbow in the clouds.  When you are not with this self-absorbed person, you believe all is well.

Have you met this person? Are you related to this person? In the end this person is exhausting to be around with no end to the attention needed to placate "their needs."  The attention they truly need is to give to their own mind, their own heart, to learn to love self.  No one else can fill this abyss.

Now I am older, I know more and I treat myself better because of what I have learned.  I'm much more open to listen and agree to disagree, however I am no longer interested in a one sided relationship.  Equal sharing of ideas, time, and respect for each other is my minimum requirement. If I can't get this, I'm moving on.  This is what makes life exciting, the exchange of opposite viewpoints and the wonderful debate to come to an understanding of another's opinion, even if we don't agree.

To my great relief, there is sunshine just over the mountain of fear and negative self-judgment. The climb is hard at times but the reward is worth it, I have made the climb myself.  When we go deep within our heart, we uncover a wealth of self-love we were born with and began to uncover the goodness in all of us. 

And this I know for sure: When you are kind to yourself, your actions begin to line up with your kind heart, and you become kinder to the world.  

I encourage you to find your peace and move on to maintain it. If this means giving up a relationship with a victim personality, you have to move on, this is your life.  You choose what you will sacrifice to have this person in your life, if your sanity is at stake, you may have to move on without them. You choose how you allow others to treat you. Choose well.

Thankful to have great friends and family in our life. More good people in this world than not, you can find them. Like-minded people always find each other eventually.  Move on with your good self!

 

How Do We See the Creator?

This is a story I have experienced throughout my life and one that had I not experienced it I would not believe it.  In times of my confusion and total inability to see what is going on in the five senses world I have turned to an unseen power, a sixth sense that everyone has but it seems females tune in to see the full colored picture answers unknown to the five senses more often than males. In studying why this happens more with women than men I offer this theory, "men and women" who are not totally blinded by inflated egos, the five senses and their worldly achievements, have an ability to see the unseen in times of need. To receive answers from beyond human comprehension. My experience, women are more sensitive to this.

These women know that self-understanding goes only so far, that it has limitations, and to truly have control of your own mind at times we need to turn to a greater power and that power is known as God, The Great Spirit in the Sky, Allah, the all-knowing creator of the Universe.  When men in their egos define a God they give it male perspective characteristics, when women in their egos define God they give it female characteristics, it is perceived from the mind. These characteristics can be both peaceful and deadly depending on the mind of the person explaining it. Most of what all of us are believing about any Creative Spirit is taught us by our culture.

If the culture is warlike, the teachings are the Creator wants war and death to all that think and act differently from us.  If the culture is peaceful we believe all love and peace is the answer to handle everything. The problem arises when these very different beliefs collide.  You cannot deal the same with two polar opposites of belief. Indeed there cannot be world peace when trying to allow warlike beliefs and cultures to have the same freedom as peaceful people.  These destructive behaviors have to be stopped or much harm comes to innocent people.

This is the dilemma to humans.  The only way to stop violence on earth is by the strong arm of the law. It is how civilization was established.  The problem arises when lawmakers take away the individual freedom of peaceful individuals to live in peace and give freedom to warlike, violent people.  To rid the earth of war, oppression, and deviant behaviors that pray on the innocent we must begin with laws and enforce them.

When all minds, all, come to the realization of kind, compassionate, behaviors then and only then can the world begin to flush out negative, warlike, thoughts and actions. The mind is the bed of behavior, we must begin to soothe our fearful thoughts by making a softer, kinder place to reside in our fears. 

How? Meditation, slow down, sit in silence, enjoy the life you are given.  Turn off TV, social media, go to nature daily to escape the chaos of this world and be good to yourself. Stop comparing your life to someone else lifestyle. Eat clean, exercise daily, drink water and settle your mind down for a long period of acceptance and rest. Wake up knowing you are not responsible for saving anyone but yourself. When everyone comes to the peaceful, cool, waters to drink this wisdom then and only then will the world begin to heal itself, its people, and the planet. When we become calm, then answers will arise from beyond the five senses in full color. This I know, there is a God and this God wants all of us to live in peace with one another, but we have to figure out how.

One day I may share many of my full color answers that came from beyond and gave me a picture in my mind of my real problem and then through intuition I made decisions to move forward with much success and direction. And so I write my book. We all have this power, we must learn to become open to receive these answers through a thankful, positive attitude and an acceptance of the life we live.

Thankful to be present more now than ever before, and found my peace in it.  Teachers of mindful living and peaceful thoughts have surely solidified these in my heart and mind.

 

Your Smile Is A Flower You Offer To The World

Listening to Thich Nhat Hanh "The Art of Mindful Living" he shared a teaching on a smile and compared it to looking at a beautiful flower.  Then he said your eyes are like flowers and that when you look into another's eyes and smile it is like giving them a bouquet of flowers.  I love this analogy, so kind, like him.  I like to smile.

Thank you Thich Nhat Hanh for becoming a teacher for us all, a beautiful soul.

Difference in Purpose and Mission

Depending what book you read and what speaker you follow these two words are confusing.  The best definition and application that defines this more clearly for me:  

*The "purpose" is an "inner" desire you have in your heart to give to the world.

**The "mission" changes from time to time in offering this desire in the work you do. As your life changes or what is needed in that area, you change the mission.

Say a person has a true love for animals and see them as needing people to care for them. Looking to care for animals may become a "purpose" in life.

The "mission" to do this can change from time to time as needed. Maybe become a veterinarian, a vet tech,  person that does research for medicines for animals, you may work in a kennel, become a foster mom for homeless animals, actively get involved in finding homes for strays, whatever direction you take, you always find a way to help animals, this brings you comfort knowing you helped an animal.

Or

Say you have a true heart committed to helping humans be healthy. This becomes your "purpose" in life.

The "mission" to do this can change from, being a fitness instructor, a medical doctor, a nutritionist, physical therapist, the list in the medical field goes on and on, and can change as you change.

Or

You love music and like to see people happy when they party, dance, and listen to good music. I heard Jimmy Buffet of Margaritaville XM radio say when he was young he like to surf and party on the beach with good music and friends. He decided early on he "wanted to "kick death's ***

by bringing good time to everyone until then." So he wrote songs and formed a very successful band know for beach and island type music and now after many decades he now has added a radio channel. Amazingly enough he still writes new songs every year.

His "purpose" to make life a party for everyone.

His "mission" is write songs, form a band, tour, and now he has a radio channel.

I have a "passion" to enjoy every minute of my life, to live in harmony with this world. Sounds selfish doesn't it?  It is. Once I can learn to relax and enjoy my life then I can be at peace with the world.  I write what has helped me to live with a peaceful perspective that heals the mind and unites us all.  Basically to enjoy life right now. This is something I have sought because it was missing from my life. I have been enjoying my dream for many years now and it is getting better every day.  

My mission is to share this knowledge through writing. The goal is that it may help bring peace of mind to others. Continued daily study through reading of other peaceful, successful people that live their purpose is a joy to me.  Currently I write a blog with a focus to finish my first book. Truth be known, everything I write has been taught before, but we don't all know of it.

After that, who knows?

Passion is a clue to the purpose, and finding a skill you really enjoy to express that purpose is the most rewarding.  What is your passion? How can you fulfil that passion as you work and live? And when can I read your story? I can hardly wait!

Why Do Women Give Away Their Power?

Perhaps we are brainwashed into this and we believe it because most women around us give away their power.  Perhaps it was stolen from us in an attempt to control us. The first task of any one to make you change your views is to make you doubt what you think.  Women have been taught to doubt our thoughts and defer to the man to keep the peace in a house or any disagreement. We are taught by example in society, especially major world religions that women must defer to the men, women cannot function without someone else leading us.

What is the first clue that any religion, society or marriage devalues women?  Look at the leaders of it, and how women are treated. Are there different passes/rules for men and women?  Look at the submissive roles women are reduced to and the confusion many women have at believing in themselves. My own mother is so concerned with making a mistake that she finds it almost impossible to make a stand alone decision. She always defers to my brother and at times me, her daughter.  Thank goodness we have her best interest at heart, it would be easy to take advantage of one so timid.

Then we have the modern intellectual women who believe they have the answer. They have achieved the rights, the voice, the credentials to be toe to toe with any man today.  In this country they are missing their power to change the world, because they are pursuing the opposition by copying men with hateful name calling, anger, blame, and threats. This has not worked for the men, look at history, they are still at war with other men that have a differing opinion from them. 

Yet when women go against men with venom and caustic words, women think they are going to win with a louder voice and the same finger pointing and inflated egos that the men use. It does not work.  Women have power but they don't use it. The female power is a good, honest, heart that makes them transparent in deed and words.  Personally I believe it is women without inflated egos that have the ability to show concern for all, not just self, that will turn this country, every country around to be the peaceful world we pray for. Women need to use their peaceful persistence to meet male aggression to reduce a call to war. First women have to believe this power will work, most do not today.

Two women who demonstrate such composure with persistent calm voice is Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Gingsberg and Sonia Sotomayor, both women who no matter what they present as an opinion, it makes one want to listen. If you listen, then you can see another point of view and come to a civil compromise.  You don't have to agree, but you can listen.  In a civilised country we need laws and citizens that respect laws or there will be utter chaos.

When men or women have not made decisions based on the good of all the people, instead performed perverted actions to serve self only, transparency is not available.  Men know their power and have built it for centuries.  Women have yet to find their power as a whole. How do I know? Look at the tactics celebrity women are using today, it will not work. Women are attacking other women with different views. That's what men do. It does not work.

We need male power balanced with female power, it is not one or the other that will save the world it is the two coming together to create the equilibrium.  One thing I thought we, women, recognised by now, is that name calling, blame, and threats is not the way to peace.  Men do this.

When I hear a high profile woman calling any other woman with a different opinion, in this country, crude words with coarse language, I realize we, women are still groping in darkness for the unity we crave.

Women need to unite.  Women lose their power when they copy men in war like behaviors.  My hope is the "Me Too" movement has a positive effect to protect the innocent and not turn into a man hating petition.  I know it is hard to believe when you stare at a TV or Iphone all day, but most men are NOT sexual predators.  It takes a sick male mind to do these things and we are all seeing where these predators hide, expose them, prosecute them. Move on with your good self.

Thank God I did not get that memo, to attack others, especially my sisters. I have to thank my mother for that. Thank you Mom.

~Virginia Woolf~ said it best...

Outwardly, what is simpler than to write books? Outwardly, what obstacles are there for a woman rather than for a man? Inwardly, I think, the case is very different; she has still many ghosts to fight, many prejudices to overcome. Indeed it will be a long time still, I think, before a woman can sit down to write a book without finding a phantom to be slain, a rock to be dashed against. And if this is so in literature, the freest of all professions for women, how is it in the new professions which you are now for the first time entering?

This Thought Will Knock Your Socks Off!

Or her...He...him...you know what I mean. 😉

Doing Laundry In The Night

Have you ever scheduled yourself to do laundry and other activities got in the way and you did not do the laundry?  Maybe you had time when you first thought about it but you were distracted by something more important that needed immediate attention.  And then in the night you wake up, thoughts on your mind, things to do including the laundry.

What do you do when you can't sleep?

There are many suggestions of why anyone cannot sleep, a guilty conscious, maybe, an inspiration to do something new, perhaps, an unsettled mind, obviously, and the latest, sleep apnea due to obesity, all of these have a remedy within your reach.  Years ago I was taught if you can't sleep try this or that to go back to sleep and when I was young I tried to make this the truth.  Now with years of personal experience I suggest this:  Get up, do what first comes to mind, then meditate, relax and look inside to see what is waking you?

At first it may be a 5 senses need, like doing the laundry, a preparation for the next day, or my favorite, a message wanting consideration. So get up and get the first  thing out of the way, for me tonight is is doing the laundry.  Next I will hang the laundry out on the clothesline, yes in the dark of night because the forecast for tomorrow is dry and beautiful, and then there is another load of laundry to do.  And in between these activities I will sit and write.  On a conscious level I have promised myself to write a blog so I'm doing this now. 

And here's the part I invite you to do that is creative and more to the point: Write. Let every thought flow onto the paper and then let go.  Let yourself write anything that comes to mind, almost bypass your mind and write freely without thinking.  After ten minutes you may want to stop or not, you decide.  Now read your paper and see what you can extract from the words.  Inspiration to do something? Insight to answers or a worry?  Fun to explore your wonderful gift, a thinking mind.

But first get distractions out of the way, so I'm doing laundry in the night, I enjoy cleanliness and order.  Thankful to relax into the life I was given to live and see the good of it. Love to write for fun and exploration. Would you like to try this? What do you do when you can't sleep?





 

What Do You See?

Whap A Cat!

We have two cats. The first and older cat is a treasure. Always purrs, no matter what. Sweetheat loves this cat and plays with him by hitting him playfully off the top of the sofa again and again. The cat loves it.

The younger cat sees Daniel being hit off the couch and gets up to have Sweetheart hit him off too. He does and he likes it kinda...Daniel loves it. So my husband and this cat do this everyday often.

My husband ordered some foam tubing for a project and tape it together. Now when Daniel is on the couch Sweetheart whaps him with the foam tubing, he loves this even more. So for the next trick he taps the foam on different surfaces such as a desk, a table, the couch first and Daniel jumps over there to be whapped again and gets up to do it again and again.

The other cat Moke Moke doesn't like the whapping sound and runs to hide.  Daniel we think doesn't mind because he is deaf.  Anyway whapping is reserved for Daniel now. Moke Moke is too scared.

Sweetheart nas his cat, he loves that cat and Daniel loves him.  Daniel is old but he acts like a young cat when he gets whapped.  Go figure...

Thankful for my cats and my honey. Life is good.

We Purchase Equipment According to Our Age

Exercise equipment is so subjective to your age.  When you are young you think, "Oh Yeah, treadmills, weights, elliptical, Nordic track, yes let's do this."  Or you may even a join a gym that cost you a year membership only to find out 4 months later, you don't go enough and now you can't get out of your membership easily. Life gets in the way.

Work, meetings, clients, overtime, social life, obligations to work, time with significant other, family, children and their activities, last thing on the list is exercise for yourself, that can wait. The thing is exercise can be put on the back burner for....ever and then age creeps up on you, children are gone on their own and you have time for you. But now, the equipment you bought when you were young, you can no longer climb on or use. Now what?

We have a full gym for the younger crowd but I had to start over. I bought another machine to help me with squats. That's right, I can't do squats without losing my balance and falling over, at my age that will ever do, I could break something! This machine feels great!  At first I could hardly do 10 but after a month of daily tries I did 50 at once!  The goal is to do 100 every day for 6 weeks to see greater abdominal strength and to build arm muscle.  In time I will be able to use the entire gym equipment in the basement.

What I have learned about life, body, and exercise.  Find time to do it everyday. If you work 20 hours in a day, don't go to bed till you do 30 minutes of high energy cardio.  If you can't get a babysitter, if you are a parent, get equipment for the home and never stop daily exercise. You will feel better, have more energy and your body will not have to go through what I am going through, starting out so slow you may wonder what is the use?  The use is I'm getting older and the body ain't getting younger, if I want to keep moving till I die, I need to keep moving with exercise. So on I go to 100 squats and beyond.

My knees are thanking me now, you're welcome body!  😅

The Fourth of July and The Constitution Remind Me Of Individual Opportunity

Civics is no longer taught in US schools.  This one topic would be helpful for all living in this country and those coming to this country. Too many younger people are not aware of the great minds that studied the world governments at the time it was written with a focus on a guarantee for individual freedom to create this US Constitution. Logic, reason, love for individual freedom for all legal citizens designed this Constitution. It is meant to keep individuals free and give individuals opportunities like no other found in the world at the time or before.  Younger generations take this Constitution and their individual freedom for granted. They certainly don't study it to see the greatness of it, if anything they are taught in college now to deconstruct it for flaws by angry professors.  These professors are there to further their own agenda more than teach.

College is not necessary for every individual success anymore.  Many are figuring a way to be successful without it, thanks to the internet.  You can take college courses online now from the comfort of your home. Many courses are free, for those that cannot afford college. Let's face it we need the knowledge and confidence, not the diploma to put knowledge in action, unless we are going into the medical field.

Let's keep the Constitution in tact, study it and see why it is the greatest document for a basic foundation of a government and anyone's individual freedom that comes here legally. Amendments can be added as needed but I wonder now...

Would the founding fathers even recognize what the career politicians have made law for them and their personal family greed today?  This government since 1776 has made many mistakes in dealing with people indigenous here and other places.  We, the people us, were not in charge to make some heinous decisions that has caused damage to other countries but we must remember... when other countries are in trouble because of a dictator or tyrant, they call on the US to rescue them. Why? Because we have more of everything, why? Because the Constitution made it available to us! 

We need elected officials that are awake and conscious!  Elected officials need to study Eckhart Tolle and Byron Katie Mitchell's www.thework.com to get back to human truth.  When they begin to awake, then and only then will they begin to make governing decisions from an awakened state of mind that leads to world peace.  In time the rest of the world's governing rulers will begin to awake. Then we can really know world peace is coming.   Until then, "If peace is to be, it begins with me."

Intellectuals with college and law degrees, making deals to get money to sell their seat in the government to these donors, is not what the founding fathers had in mind when they made the Constitution. These politicians are clever but not wise, their education is simply not enough, Personal behaviors of politicians home life is proof they are insane, civilians see this and wonder how did they get elected?  And how are they staying in office? Politicians know how to campaign to get elected, it is a game to them. Once elected the majority of career politicians help themselves to taxpayers' money and their luxurious lifestyle, private personal investments, their personal family profits first, it is their unenlightened human behavior, greed.

Read A Common Struggle by Ted Kennedy's son, Patrick Kennedy. He reveals the insides of campaigning to get elected to have a paycheck coming in while each "finds" what else they really want to do.  Really to have a paycheck coming in? 

These career politicians need to go, serving the people might have got them there first term but they no longer focus on the people, their focus now is their personal family and luxurious lifestyle, in other words, personal greed with taxpayers money. They will lie to the American people to get reelected. Look and listen to campaigning politicians, see what is promised and see what they deliver once elected. Everyone of them, after elected, say they could not get their campaign promises into laws because of the red tape they had to go through to do it. I thank God for the red tape, all the campaign promises are not good for all the people but you can bet them being elected to office will serve them financially personally and their family the rest of their lives.

Founding fathers meant for politicians to serve the elected term and go home. Back to civilian life and serve in their own communities as civilized examples of conduct. This government is meant to have new representatives every decade or so to keep ideas of the "Royal American Citizens" the people moving forward.

Most government officials today are stale and greedy.  Our Constitution is still a governing document like no other in the world and is the reason so many want to come here to this free country of individual opportunity. The USA Constitution insures this including legal citizens owning guns to keep government in line.  The laws are to first protect individual legal citizens that live here and then extend to people that want to become American citizens. Without law and order this nation will not survive.

To control a people you must control the mind of the people. To do this you must be controlled through getting you to focus on their narrative. How to get you to believe the lie?  Social media.  If you have not gone to the actual area, if you do not meet the actual people, and you do not understand law, you will swallow whatever social media tells you to believe. If you do not understand that every successful outcome has to have laws to abide by, you will run on emotions as if this is all that matters.  It is not, emotions alone, will create chaos. If laws need to be amended it needs to be done peacefully through legal means. Any other way is destructive and hurtful to people.  The thermometer to measure a to call to action should never include any action that causes you to break the law in this peaceful country. Our laws today are for orderly conduct and then take a grievance to court. That is the way in this country, civil disobedience.

Thankful to be here now, thankful we have a chance to maintain this freedom, hopefully younger minds will wake up, become enlightened by their own study of Eckhart Tolle, Byron Katie Mitchell, and others like them before serving in the government.  I actually think they will, this next generation are more socially and economically aware of the world and the needs of the same, than generations before They are pretty amazing, they will make really good politicians, I hope they serve and go home, let others keep us moving forward.

Happy Fourth of July to us all.

Water, Water, Water, Water, Water!

Drink lots of it everyday. Your body is made up of a lot of water. The body needs another supply everyday. Wake up with a minor stiff neck? Try drinking 16 oz. of water and see if your neck feels better in a few minutes. 

According to H.H. Mitchell, Journal of Biological Chemistry 158, the brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water.Dec 2, 2016             



***This means water, not tea, not soda, not energy drinks, pure filtered water. Basic but needed.       






             

Dodging the Bullet

Another young woman I met today was visiting Lake George with her Aunt, who just happens to be from my home state of North Carolina. And the Aunt just happens to be writing a book like Moi.  What a great group of women to meet tonight as we ate dinner at the same restaurant.  Sweetheart waited patiently as we chatted after dinner, he is use to me striking up conversations with complete strangers lo these many 40+ years.  I love people and their stories and in particular I have been promoting education and women my entire adult life especially when I see a young woman.  So many young women do not know the dangers of this world and some of the men in it.

Men are absolutely wonderful once you know what you are dealing with and how to spot the predators, something none of us are taught unless we have a very modern and experienced woman in our life, something I did not have.  My father taught me the most about men but I fear a little too late.  So  now I warn young women to hopefully help them become independent and brave through education and listening to the wiser elder women of her tribe.  Formal education is a must for most of us but not always available to us all.

One key element I advise any young person is to NOT be in a hurry to find a mate. Learn to be alone with yourself and be happy, be brave, be wise.  Then after establishing your direction and finances, around 30 years old, now you may consider someone your equal in kindness and independence that respects you until then steer clear of a partner.  If you don't know what you don't want in a partner, you surely will not know what you do want.  Wait, slow down, plenty of time to spend the rest of your life with a compatible partner that you will "know" when the time is right. Until then stay out of all "love" relationships, you don't want to end up barefoot and pregnant or heart broken with no partner to help you raise the child if you don't have to. This has made many a woman and man bitter.  That is a road that is not easily remedied.

The young woman was in tenth grade and just broke up with a boyfriend, thank God, she just dodged that bullet! Now on to the most fun days of every woman's life, having clean fun, getting focus and educated.  Like I advise her, tell the men to get a number and go to the back of the line, she will be considering each after she has earned her Master's and established herself in lucrative employment or even more desirable a lucrative business of her own. (Freedom)

Believe me, the line will be long and the men will be there waiting no matter how long she makes them wait.  Thankful to have a wonderful man in my life, thankful he is patient and kind with me, I know I can be a firecracker to live with at times, but he loves fireworks, and I love him.😉

Cake Decorating with TanNhatHuong

My newest craze is watching cakes being decorating by master decorators and artist from where else? The Eastern countries. These orientals can decorate anything and the intricacies, the patience, the fabulous artistic ability, must be genetics. Masters of their craft I never tire of watching each create colorful cotton candy to any type of dessert, focusing on cakes at present.

Thankful to see these cakes being decorated on YouTube although I have reduced my sugar intake to almost nil, it is pretty to watch. Love technology, where else would I be able to see such art created?