%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 |   A Journal to impart knowledge and facts |
|
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. |
Have you picked up any new hobbies or interests since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March? New Hobbies? No. My reality is that my life hasn't changed much in the last few years except now K is home 7 days a week. Covid took his job and enforced people to stay at home. With partial reopening I have gone back to grocery shopping once a month. This morning there are half grown wild turkeys prancing around my back yard. They like to eat apples from under the apple trees. Happy Trails. |
You just woke up to discover you had dozed off in your 3rd grade class... how would you react realizing your entire life since then was just a dream?  How would I react as a 3rd grader? I'm assuming here that I'm going to remember specifics of the dream. If my life was going to play out like the dream I would be more prepared for each incident as it came up in my life. In the first waking moments I would still be myself. That means keep quiet and reorient myself to whatever was going on in the classroom. In places in my life where I might think to make decisions that would change events somewhat I would probably attempt to put life in the proper lane. I would specifically be more prepared to speak up to a lot of people, because if you know why something is happening to you, it's possible to turn situations in a more positive way. ![Merit Badge in Blog Camping
[Click For More Info]
I would travel to the ends of the earth with you. It was a very enjoyable blogging experience. Thank you for participating. *^*Heart*^* Lyn](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/group-Blog_Camping-1788309_13.gif) |
Write about friendships that are more like family. What makes a great friend? Friend I have had friends in my life. Not necessarily here where I live now. A friend gets to know you. They don't evaluate you on what someone else says ( gossip). They don't bully you or attempt to give out bad advice. They share as much as you share. You don't have to fear that everything you say will be spread abroad for the fun at you're expense. They don't attempt to cut your children off from their own parent. I have set out at least 3 different times to cultivate friendships. So far, I struck out. I often hover between silence or outspokenness. Someone quite a few miles away asked me once about friendship in this particular part of the country. She was having a difficult time but, did not live near me. The truth seems to be to connect around here you have to go to church, be in a brotherhood or sisterhood, drink or take drugs. This is a rural area with small tight knit communities. It isn't actually all that different from other spots in this country. When I raised sheep and goats instead of continuing with the horse community I lost my contacts with like individuals. Besides, people in those types of groups are now much younger. Sometime after college, I decided a few years ago to join a local library book club and get back into social aspect of life I found the only people in the club were members of a sisterhood. There was absolutely no discussion of the book, that was assigned. I accidentally stepped on some of their beliefs when I said the book they assigned was an allegory. They tried to use psychology on me to put me to sleep and access an oracle. I excused my self and left. I know when I'm not wanted. I have the physical and mental scars to prove it. In college I had some friendships and good acquaintanceship. But, college is a different social society. It accepts that there are all kinds of people and all kinds of beliefs, and lifestyles. Small towns and small churches aren't like that. One day a women who was a few years older than I am came up to me in a store and started talking to me. She and I were once in a writing group sometime in the 70's that was run by a local ministers wife. The group shared our writing and helped each other with editing. The ministers wife was a play writer, who had been published. We were learning some good things. This women in the grocery store and I were engrossed in a conversation when her husband came up and angrily tried to pull her away. It was obvious that he did not want her to talk to me or maybe to anyone. I stood up to him and he backed off, so her and I were able to finish our conversation to a point. It seemed to be important to her and she made some good points about how she was living and where she grew up, which was close to me. If I'm ever going to have a human friend again someone else will have to step up because I'm not going looking for one.  ![Merit Badge in Risk Taker
[Click For More Info]
Thank you for reading and commenting in my blog!](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/general-Risk_Taker.gif)  |
Write about something you need to get off your chest. What’s pressing on your mind?  Fall Maintenance, Annoying but Neccessary Should get this done because it is suppose to rain later. We get internet with satellite. In the last two years a heavy rain storm literally wipes out the internet. When we first started up with the satellite weather never mattered Twice last winter in bad snow storms we had to broom the snow off the dish. I'm wondering if the angle has changed in some way. Also this time of year, we get some thunder and lightning storms. I usually get off my computer and shut down because there is sometimes an electricity outage. Since last Christmas, I'm keeping solar chargers that will run my phone or kindle in an outage. We changed phones in the spring to upgrade so the G-5 starting up would not interfere with phone service. The last two weeks I've been getting irrelevant phone calls. Google keeps bugging me about setting up chat. People leave voice mail for someone who is not me. In the last two weeks some times my phone drops the network, when I'm in the house. This is something it never did before. Shutting it down and then restarting seems to solve the problem. I'm concerned that technology may get to be more difficult to keep up with, as I age?? We had the septic pumped and cleaned the house drains. I'm going to make some changes to the dog pen for winter. It's one of the jobs I want to be sure of before snow flies so I think I will tackle it next. Anyone want golden rod? I have a couple fields of it ripe. Golden headed and still green it is ready to harvest. Thanks to our last winters struggle with a red squirrel I have some inside re-insulating to do before winter. The squirrel shredded all the insulation above the back door. At least, that is one job, I or we (depends on who is going to do the work.) can tackle inside the house. The last time we had to do this kind of work around the outside of the house was about 30 years ago, so it isn't seasonal. The weather has been kind. Not to much rain and cool breezes. Better to work in than high temps and high humidity. Nevertheless, I tire more easily this year than 30 years ago. And, I take more days off, than I did 30 years ago. Another 20 years or so and I won't want to do it at all. I received my WDC t-shirt that I ordered in the mail. It's 100 percent cotton and very nice. ![Merit Badge in Keep It Up
[Click For More Info]
Hope you have a wonderful party week! *^*Bigsmile*^*](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/Kudos-Keep_It_Up.gif) |
Write about your favorite childhood game or toy.  Toys for Tots I had a copy of "Heidi". I read it so many times I can remember pictures on pages that went with certain parts of the story. Dad gave me a plastic ukulele for Christmas that was a favorite. It had a book with directions for playing tunes. Before my bike, I skip galloped all over the farm playing like I was riding a horse. I saw a Roy Rogers movie when I was in first grade. After my bike arrived in my life, the bike was a horse. Of course, I named it Trigger. I also had a Manx cat that was special. As a teenager my brother gave me a part Shepard part collie pup I named Tim. Dogs, cats, and horses have been in my life always. They were my friends. Now there are not any horses here. I still find myself thinking I should go out to feed and do barn chores at certain times of the day. Yesterday morning squirrels sat in the trees around the house and screamed. I keep wondering what upset them? Maybe a cat? I know people think I should get rid of all pets and travel but, that is their lifestyle not mine. I do miss taking my bike and going out for a day to local trails. Sometimes I took my dog to the trails and just walked them . K doesn't enjoy walking as an activity and so I take the dog and walk in the yard and around the barn. Covid 19 curtails a lot of my activity plus, I'm not so certain trails even close to home are safe for an elderly female alone. My brother and I played board games when we were younger. Monopoly, hearts, puzzles. At Christmas I got paint by number one year. When my children were growing up we had TV, I found skis at the Salvation Army store, ice skates there too. Sleds and good bikes helped keep them active. We have always been kind of self isolated except for church activities. So, the internet is an advance for socializing. O.K. See Ya! |
In your entry today, write about silence. Consider silence in both your personal life and in your writing. What messages can be conveyed through silence? Is there power in a person being silent? When is it appropriate to be silent and when is it not? SILENCE I was digging a ditch yesterday and this morning along one side of our woodshed. It will drain storm water away from the shed. So, if I did not write at all silence would be my statement for the day. Truthfully, I'm happy I can still type. Digging ditches is not part of my normal daily duties. It's one of the draw backs of a virtual meeting place. The silence makes you wonder where the person is who should be communicating. Deliberate silence of one party or another in an other wise close relationship is sometimes used to intimidate or hurt mentally. Silence can be used as a power then. Some times silence is just an avoidance of a situation that may get out of hand in any other way. I think it is appropriate to be silent if the other party is deliberately misunderstanding a statement of situation. Silence can be a way of holding a line. At this point I would not want to confuse silence with a person withdrawing from a given situation bodily in a deliberate manner in order to save themselves from intimidation. So, an inappropriate silence example would be a teen who would not answer a parent who was trying to communicate some life lesson. O.K. I'm off to rest up for tomorrow's fall work load. I'm going to attempt some changes to the dog run that is attached to the house. My dog is happy when I work outside because he gets to go along and check out the wildlife close to the house. If it rains I get a day to read or write. Happy writing, stay safe. ![Merit Badge in Job Well Done
[Click For More Info]
Congrats for the most creative entry about the Iditarod! Norb and Lyn](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/Kudos-Job_Well_Done-1150.gif) |
| Write a letter to your future self. Write the date you would want to read the letter again at the top of your entry (you can choose how far in the future this date is; One year, five years, twenty years, etc.) What would you want to tell your future self? What would you want to know from them? Future Knowledge Sometimes a desire becomes obsessive. Sometimes an idea just doesn’t equate. Sometimes a need to know becomes possessive. Sometimes knowledge just learns to wait. ![Merit Badge in Point of View
[Click For More Info]
Happy Birthday! Belatedly. I like your point of view *^*Bigsmile*^* ~Adrienne](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/general-Point_of_View.gif) } |
What does confidence mean to you? Describe the traits of a confident person. Looking at the traits you listed, would you consider yourself a confident person?  I am confident of my own abilities. I believe This may depend on a specific situation. I know what subjects I am trained in. So, don't ask me to teach scuba diving, Because, I don't know the first thing about it. I'm confident that I can't do it and can't teach others to dive either. I can swim underwater but do not enjoy it. Confidence means knowing your abilities without necessarily showing them to others. It means being sure of something in the face of adversity. It means being able to impart knowledge you have gained to others in an organized manner. It means being able to asses a situation and knowing how it will end, because of the way it is playing out. |
| I completely rearranged my desk space yesterday! It was a much-needed change and has helped with my motivation. What does your desk space / writing space look like? What sorts of things do you need (or not need) in your work space to be productive and happy? My desk like my house has to be a neatly organized space in order to live and work in it. I would like another book shelf near the desk. I keep numerous reference books close. They are writing, grammar, bible, environmental, a handwriting journal, horse, coloring books, and other essential subject or references. Then there is the shelf for pens, pencils, batteries, crayons, drawing compass, an electronic garden reference, an electronic dictionary, colored pencils, fingernail polish. and drink coasters. The one drawer on my computer desk is the messiest. hole punches, staples, rulers, a pitch pipe,combs; miscellaneous might come in handy things. Once or twice a year I have to go through everything especially the drawer because things Have a way of moving around. For instance in my drawer is presently a batch of wires for hooking up a sound system. This likely was in a box in the basement or from a small plastic box under my desk. How it got into the drawer? Was probably put there by K who moves things around in the house every once in awhile. Absolutely must remember Bonzi Buddy, a spinner, a lamp, computer sound system, a hand crafted beaded wire tree and a lamp. My space is stuffed but organized. I generally know where to look for a book or item I want to use. However, if I needed to move it would be difficult to move. If moving meant, out of the house, it would probably have to be cut to a more needs only scenario. With all of this there is an empty spot on the desk by the window so one or another cats can sit to look out while I work. Sometimes they walk over and look at the screen. Watching the cursor jump from letter to letter. There are things here I don't use much or actually need particularly, just don't know how to get rid of some of it at the moment. Probably this blog will wake up my urge to dump thing out again. I feel winter coming on. We have overcast skies this morning so maybe rain. It was still dark at 6 a.m. The last hay is in the barn so rain is o.k. today. I think we are taking the day off I'm trying to think of a nice meal for the day. Have a holiday today. |
Reflect on the last week. Write about something you did really well last week and something you could have done better.  If we stick to  I wrote reviews 4 days last week. I'm trying to make more time to spend on WDC and still accomplish all the other things life demands. At home I was fortunate enough to have a visit from my daughter and grandchildren. I baked a cake this morning before breakfast, for tomorrows celebration. Do Better? I could have stopped reading about Eragon's travels in "Inheritance" and wrote a story. I could have done more actual yoga which energizes me. I'm going to mow some lawn later today. lawn could have been done yesterday. I don't really have a scheduled life any more. It's do what I want when I want. I believe people should all have a one year paid vacation when they are in their 30's and 40's. Retirement would not be so much a splash of cold water in the face then. Something cool did happen yesterday. About 6 o'clock we turned on the TV and it came onto the Kentucky Derby. Almost every year we watch it and pick a horse to win. I had forgotten when they were going to run it after it was postponed. They were on their way to the post when we found it. So, no time to pick a favorite. The stands behind the race were empty no gorgeous ladies hats to see. It was a great race but the winner was not fond of the roses they draped over him. He flew around in a circle and knocked down some of the owners in the winners circle. I clean, do laundry, and other chores every day. With the Exception of Sunday. This week we are declaring Monday a holiday. If it is like last evening there will continue to be booms and bangs because of fireworks all weekend. It causes the wildlife to hunker down and hide. We had a herd of deer in the back hay field last evening. The turkeys that are trolling the field early mornings for insects were not out this morning. I'm off to just do today. |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
