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 |   Theses are my thoughts and ramblings as I forge my way through this thing they call life. |
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These are my thoughts and ramblings as I forge my way through this thing they call Life. I blog with these groups:     "Blogging Circle of Friends "  [E] 
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30 Day Blogging Challenge How much do you know about food waste in your country? Spend some time researching this issue and share a fact you learned. How conscious of your access to food are you and in what ways can you be more responsible for reducing your own food waste? To be honest, I don't really think about it and that is the problem. Most people don't think about it and in doing so we model that behaviour for others around us - namely children. When I really think about it, I think of my grandparents. They lived through the depression. They were farmers and they were poor. My grandmother did many things to conserve and use all the food that was produced and consumed. I think we need a little more of that. They did not have refrigeration. My grandmother canned and preserved all the food she could. Thinking about how they lived, makes me embarrassed by the waste I generate. If we want to change it has to change with each and everyone of us. We need to be conscious and aware of the situation. There was an article in the newspaper this morning. http://www.canadiangrocer.com/top-stories/headlines/study-finds-more-than-half-o... This got me thinking.... and knowing I need to do something at my own level... From last fall: https://www.therecord.com/opinion-story/8943212-food-waste-something-to-think-ab... My grandmother was also really good at making something from the left overs all to often we just toss things out. We don't want to take the time or make the effort. So what can we do? Here is a food waste diary to see what happens on an individual (Family) basis: https://www.heifer.org/join-the-conversation/blog/2013/January/keep-track-of-you... Let's Plan To Reduce Food Waste in 2019 https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2018/12/23/lets-plan-to-reduce-food... |
30 Day Blogging Challenge Do a bit of research on your Zodiac Sign. What are the associated characteristics of people with your sign and how do you exhibit those characteristics? I am a Capricorn. My birthday is January 12. Capricorn is from December 22 to January 19, I believe. It is one of the Earth signs which means they are grounded, conservative and realistic. They are also practical, loyal and dependable. They stick by people through thick and thin. Capricorn in a nutshell: Strengths: Responsible, disciplined, self-control, good managers Weaknesses: Know-it-all, unforgiving, condescending, expecting the worst Capricorn likes: Family, tradition, music, understated status, quality craftsmanship Capricorn dislikes: Almost everything at some point Capricorn is a sign that represents time and responsibility, and its representatives are traditional and often very serious by nature. These individuals possess an inner state of independence that enables significant progress both in their personal and professional lives. They are masters of self-control and have the ability to lead the way, make solid and realistic plans, and manage many people who work for them at any time. They will learn from their mistakes and get to the top based solely on their experience and expertise. https://www.astrology-zodiac-signs.com/zodiac-signs/capricorn/ As for me exhibiting these characteristics, I find myself expecting the worst and that tends to undermine the strengths of discipline. I can be very focused, but if I am stressed I can veer out into the abyss of terror and scattered thoughts. I often hide in something else or lose myself in a private session of tears, before I finally settle back and get some serious work done. I am kind of in that place right now as I prepare for a job interview. I have decided to book a few days off (Friday and Monday off) to help me get some focus and reduce the stress levels. I just have to make sure that I avoid excessive, mindless TV viewing and escapist reading (romance novels). I will reward myself with the reading if I get a decent amount of work done towards the task at hand. I just need to make a decision and follow through on it when it comes to deciding on what lesson plan to chose and how to make up a 5 day at a glance at my math program. Once I do that I will find everything else will fall into place. As a child I was serious and did not appreciate the idiocy of my peers. I also need to get a good amount of rest and eat sensible. Most of the time my self control is pretty good. I at least look calm and composed on the outside (like a duck), but below the surface I am paddling like hell... hoping no one sees me as the fraud that I feel like. As for being a good manager... I can step up if need be, but I tend to stay open to making sure that I listen to others and hear what they have to say. I am not a dictator, I am more of a facilitator guiding the process. That is my teaching style anyway. As for the other weaknesses... I don't see myself as a know it all. At least I hope not. One thing I learned in university was that I am only scratching the surface of the world's knowledge. And it is in constant change and flux. Unforgiving and condescending... I hope not. I am not a fan of stupid behaviour, but I am tolerant. Less so when the person doing the stupid behaviour is an adult who should know better. As for unforgiving... I am working on that. I can attest to liking the Capricorn Likes up above. When it comes to understated status I much prefer the smaller artist or musician than someone who gets for too much attention, like Justin Beiber. As far as I am concerned his 'fans' have brought stupidity to a town, Stratford, Ontario, that used to be only known for it Stratford Festival. Music, tradition and family are all important to me. I love to sing and make up songs. I love the traditions of my family. My family is important to me. On of the issues I had with my ex husband was that he was not a fan of my family. Over the years with him, I saw less and less of my family and lots of his. It was not really fair. I have always felt 'normal' around my family. With his I felt out of place and slightly off balance. Whenever we saw mine he would be offended by how we interacted... that is part of the reason I tended to act differently around my family when he was with me.... and in doing so I was not being truly myself. As for a Capricorn's Dislikes, I laugh at the comment of 'almost everything at some point', but I can see that in pet peeves I have. The annoying things others do. Sometimes, I can shake it off, other times it will drive me nuts. |
30 Day Blogging Challenge I have a stressful day at work today ... What strategies do you use to manage stress in your life? Given that I am going through a very stressful week... I can tell you that one of my things is to avoid the situation - prepping for a job interview - for as long as I can. I realize this only increases the stress, but I find when I get focused on it I tend to get overwhelmed and need to withdraw. I do a lot of that with TV viewing - mindless TV viewing - and reading. The books I chose are escapist.... that means romance in my world. When I do settle in to prep I tend to do it during my peak time - mornings. But with supplying, my days are full. I have decided, for my sanity, to take Friday and Monday off to really focus. My interview is Tuesday morning. Tuesday afternoon I will just want to sleep. This will be my reward - a good nap! When I am not quite so stressed, I try to enjoy walks along nature trails, but this is better to do when the weather is not so cold. It is -12 degrees Celsius and there is a wind chill on top of that... certainly not conducive to nature walks. Yoga is a better alternative. Music and singing often help and so does a good cry. I also try to get a good night's sleep. Staying way from excessive junk food is also a good idea. |
30 Day Blogging Challenge Where in the world would you like to visit the most? Assume you are not worried about money in any way. While you're traveling, give me a status update on January so far. Smooth sailing, or turbulence? Sum1 is prepped to reward another contestant with a MB today! Paris. Paris is where I would like to visit if money was no object. I would love to walk the places where the ex-patriots, like Hemingway, walked. The places they went to. The old beauty of the place, the cafes. The people watching. I think it would be fascinating. I would also spend some time in the bookshop, Shakespeare and Co.. I think it would also be great to go back to Scotland and even England. Ireland, Wales and Cornwall would be lovely as well. I really enjoy watching the show 'Escape To The Country' and would love to walk and explore the hills and valleys of the area. Experience the areas that Jane Austen lived in. I'm interested in the history, but also where these writers lived and loved. My status update…. I was dong pretty well, but since I have an interview next Tuesday I am stressing. I am continuing to blog each day. |
30 Day Blogging Challenge “We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.” -Ernest Hemingway What are your thoughts on this quote by a writer many consider a master? Who are some other writers you admire or consider masters? Each time we begin a new project we are starting at the beginning. Not only the beginning of the story, but the beginning of a new adventure. Each time we come to the page, ready to begin, we are faced with the nerves of newness. We are in the position of finding our way through the forest of uncertainty. Learning what this new piece of writing has to teach us. It will teach us what we need to learn next to make it work, but it will also teach us about ourselves and who we are as we face this new challenge. I write to discover who I am as a writer, as much as what the story is about. Both intrigue me and I want to know more. I think we, as writers, all do that to some extent. We are also not God. We may try to act like God; crafting stories where we think we are in charge... but characters do not always do what we want. The best stories are the ones we find we are simply the tool that gets down on paper what the universe has to offer. Only God is the Master of his creation. He knows all and sees all. I don't think I would want to be that.... I kind of like the journey writing provides. I write to find out where I am going. My path is only illuminated to a certain point. My curiosity urges me into the unknown... and in following that path, the story teaches me what it must and that, in turn, adds to my life and to the life of those who chose to read my words. This is the great adventure. Write on, my friends. |
30 Day Blogging Challenge Open your local paper or browse online for a news story headline that grabs your attention and share it with us. Try to venture outside your comfort zone and read a story you wouldn’t normally read or even one from another country! My mother had the misfortune of seeing an accident the other day. A fatality. A young man was speeding into a plaza, lost control of his vehicle and ran into the barrier in front of the LCBO - the liquor store. The investigation is still going on, but my mother thinks alcohol was involved. My mother is a curious soul, but she is also emotionally weaker at times. Her curiosity got the better of her and she moved to look and see. What she saw was something that I am sure visited her nightmares for several nights. This headline was a little close to home. I am relieved to know no one else was hurt during this accident. The young man was going fast enough to flip his vehicle and almost lose a tire. There could have been a lot more fatalities if people were walking out of the shops.  ** Image ID #1855238 Unavailable **   |
30 Day Blogging Challenge Besides the craft of writing, are you an artist in any other medium? Sculptor, singer, dancer, painter? Share a story about your talent! Aaaannnnd... I’ll be awarding another MB this Creation Saturday! I also like to sing and dance and draw, but that is for my own interests and not much beyond. Years ago I sketched a student with Rett's Syndrome that had fallen asleep on me during and activity. I was working as an Educational Assistant at the time, so I sat beside her and sketched her holding her bear. She was twelve at the time. Later I sent a copy of it home to her family. That young lady has since passed away (just before her 21st birthday). I still have a copy of that drawing which I cherish as much or more than any of the actual pictures I have of her. She was a sweetie. In that same class, I used to draw pictures for the students to colour. They would listen to a story with a tape and I would sit beside them and sketch a scene from the story. Later I would photocopy the drawing and let them colour it. It was seriously fun. As for the singing and dancing. That is strictly for my own benefit.... and not for public eyes or ears. I will not be trying out for So You Think You Can Dance or American Idol anytime soon. Be thankful for that. Blog City - Day 1853 Dinner with Queen Elizabeth or Stephen King. Which one would you enjoy dining with and why? You can only ask one personal question, what’s it going to be? I had a conversation with some of the people around me in my Saturday morning writing group and they all thought the Queen would be far more interesting.... and you'd get a better meal. I had initially thought Stephen King... but given that I don't like horror fiction and I have read his writing book, On Writing, and seen YouTube videos of him, I am thinking the Queen might be a better bet. There is not as much personal stuff out there about her. And privately she may be really quite interesting. She probably wouldn't be prone to swearing either. Besides going to England would be better than going to the States. I'd enjoy a tour of Windsor castle. And I might even get a to see the grandchildren or even the great grandchildren - the future King. |
30 Day Blogging Challenge Tell us the story of your name. How and why was it chosen? You can choose to talk about your real name, your WDC username, or even your handle if you like! My name was chosen because I was supposed to be born close to Christmas... hence the Carolyn. My middle made is Bobbi. My father's name was Robert, but he is from the generation that calls Robert, Bob. Since his father went by Bob, my dad went by Bobby and my mother decided I should have his name as my middle. That's it in a nutshell and because I am so tired I will end here. |
30 Day Blogging Challenge If you were a fighter pilot in the Navy or Air Force, what would be your Call Sign? Why? Example: Ice Man from Top Gun. And, surprise, surprise! It’s another MB challenge day! Impress again, and you might win yourself a shiny MB! *Bigsmile* (I told you there would be plenty of chances! *Wink* ) Chicken Shit! That's what my uncle used to call me.  But that's only because he could not get me to go on roller coasters with him. PS. I happen to love roller coasters now.... but it took my best friend to ask me to go with her. My apologizes this is so short. I was working on the first draft of my January short story. And I also worked over 12 hours today so I am kindof tired. Saw this and thought it fit: https://scontent.fyyz1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/49946866_2270637232980151_905315... |
30 Day Blogging Challenge Tell us about the pet you had for the longest amount of time or the one that made the most significant impact on you. If you have never had a pet (I’m sorry), what pet would you want? My family has always had cats. For a time I had a cat and a dog. I love animals... even though I have developed an allergy to cats. Life is unfair sometimes. Regardless, I still have two cats at present. Both are tabbies, though one is a calico tabby. They are 16 and 15. The oldest is a rescued barn cat who was taken in after his first owner died. He is a sweetheart. Our fifteen year old is a feral cat who was born in my mother's back yard. She has Asperger's tendencies and since I have a soft spot for children with autism, we get along very well. She is not a fan of strangers, but he adores them - more attention for him. She is okay with my client coming over. He has autism and they seem to 'get' each other. Over my life I have had three other significant cats. The first was a grey Persian that my parents had when I was born. My dad, who had grown up without pets, thought we had better get rid of her before I arrived, but my mother, the farm girl, would not hear of it. That cat used to protect me from the dog next door whenever he got too close. She would run his ass off. Everyone needs a good bodyguard. She was great. My second cat we got when I was seven. She was a clowning calico. Mom could set the moon by us - we both went a little squirrelly every full moon. She lived the longest and survived through my childhood years. She was the family cat, but mostly mine; though she preferred women to men - as my father had a tendency to teach her to fly if she got under his feet. She was probably the most significant of my cats because she lived with us during the most formative time of my life. She even had her first and only kittens on my bed.... while I was sleeping. When I started university she came with me. She died at almost 21, the year I moved in with my boyfriend... who is now my ex-husband. She had a stroke. One of several, I think. I am almost certain she did not want to leave me, but I told her it was time. Losing her was hard. We'd been through so much together. My third cat, also a calico, I bought when I was feeling lonely, while living with that boyfriend. He had his dog, though he had grown up without pets. I felt often left out. He was never a fan of that cat. I adored her. And she was my cat. She tolerated him. She only lived to be 17 having developed mouth cancer. I called her my opera singing cat because she would sing to herself in the furnace room when she was alone or before she went to sleep at night. She was such a funny dear thing. Her picture is up as my Facebook page. Her body was covered with a lovely display of calico patterns, but her face.... looked like she got too close to the paints and it spattered all over her leaving only a white line from her mouth down her chin - a dribble line. Like my second cat, she had a wicked sense of humour. And a great opera voice. Cats have always been my soft place. My solace and my laughter. My mood minder. Despite my allergies I will continue to enjoy their company. They are far better than the human equivalent. |
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