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 |   A Journal to impart knowledge and facts |
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July 22, 2015 I'm going to start today to record on a daily basis whatever happens to strike my fancy. So, it is a very cool breezy day. I just posted 5 short book reviews to The Monthly Reading Challenge. I'm suppose to put away some winter wood today from the woodpile outside but I'm playing hookey from work to write so starting this blog will get done. I'm having a daily fight with a flock of English Sparrows that are trying to take over my barn. They are making a terrible mess so they have to go. I have destroyed several nests so far they don't leave but they get out of the barn when I am around. I'm just starting the fight so I guess I don't know how far I have to go to discourage them. I'm trying not to spread myself to thin on WDC because I find so many things that are interesting here and I am trying to work on a new story. I really enjoy sitting at my desk with a cup of tea and reading blogs on WDC. |
Write about something happy in your life! What’s happened recently that made you smile? What’s the last thing you laughed at? I will award a MB to my favorite entry today! It's the last MB challenge day of the month, so give it your best go! *Bigsmile* “"If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you.”  ― George Bernard Shaw I have a lot of happy things in my life. My brother called me on my birthday and we talked for a couple hours. We talk a couple times a year like that and it is fun. Yesterday, I laughed all through my blog about the definitions for bull headed and pig headed people. Then I remembered how my cousin said I always did have a strange sense of humor. She told me that some time in the late 70's or early 80's. So, I laughed at the memory. Of course, animals always show me a fun time. My new kitten is a constant source of fun as she is still learning how to deal with the no word and playing tricks on the dogs or me. Right now she is sitting on the desk watching the letters fly onto the computer screen as I type. If she attacks the screen I will have to put her in the dog cage, that I keep under the desk, to contain her enthusiasm. I was laughing and wrestling with my dog after I came in from outside chores. I'm gone outside to do barn chores all of about 20 or 30 minutes. I take him with me when I can and we take walks, But he is only about 12 inches high and 12 inches long so if the snow is a foot high I don't take him out in it because his legs are very thin and spindle like. He gets cold fast. When I come back in from outside he is exceptionally welcoming.  A lady who lives down the road from us has a Jack Russel terrier. I laugh when I see her walking the dog on snowy days because he has boots to wear. I don't think my dog would leave them on if I bought some for him. This morning I laughed at the bunny that spends its time in the barn with my pony. I caught the bunny sleeping on top of the pony who was laying in the hay of the pony stall, early one morning. They are great friends in this type of weather. This morning I pitched some surplus hay into an empty stall to help insulate the pony stall. The bunny has burrowed a nest into the dry hay and so I heaped the extra hay onto the nest for warmth since we are expecting another snow clipper and extreme low temperatures to arrive on Tuesday. Of course the bunny is wild and when I show up it runs fast to a place to hide. It amazes me how fast that rabbit can run. It has great reflexes. I received a new merit badge in today's email, which definitely made me smile. It is a badge I don't have and I like it really well.  I will probably use it to decorate once in awhile.  I was looking up Quotes this morning about laughter. There were so many good ones all making me laugh.Reference:https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/laughter-is-the-best-medicine.h... "Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain." Dec 28, 2018 I like laughter if it is honest. But, sometimes I think screaming helps too.I call it getting the screaming memes.  ![Merit Badge in Point of View
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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) Laugh On as you Write On! |
Reflect on the 30 Day Blogging Competition as a whole. What is something you learned about yourself over the course of the month? What is something you learned about your fellow competitors? Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes. Jim Carrey Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/funny I did not learn this new thing on WDC or blogging in the 30-Day-Challenge. I recently learned that some relative thinks I inherited bullheadedness in my genetic make-up. I had to look this up because I don't usually use it in my vocabulary to describe anyone. This is what I found:"very determined to do what you want to do, especially without considering other people's feelings.Synonym: pigheaded, disapproving." reference:https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/bullheaded. So I looked up Pigheaded. This is what I found:"showing unreasonable support for an opinion or plan of action and refusing to change or listen to different opinions" reference is from the same dictionary. . These are startling definitions which describe my refusal to live my life the way others think I should. I keep thinking they will get the message that I am an individual, not necessarily letting other people influence my actions, but, I guess not. Wow! I have two new words to use in my vocabulary bullheaded and pigheaded.   . Now for those fellow competitors. I think at some time in their lives they have been the subject of more than one situation like: false accusation, financial burdens beyond personal control, wishful thinking about how to get off the planet, being thrown down the wrong rabbit hole, rabid musical lyrics, and a few other ideas. This makes us all happy for good friends, peace loving researchers, and hopeful that the squirrel in the bird feeder won't eat all the bird seed. As for all you bullheaded pigheaded writers. Use your imagination, write-on! Anyone who is offended by this Blog. Please email me, I will print a retraction that you probably won't be happy with it. My Afghan will be finished today. I'm working on the last row. Have a great day. It's cold today with snow and ice, My sweet roll needed extra spice, Dumped extra bird seed in the feeder, Now, I'm going to be a reader. ![Merit Badge in Congratulations
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Congratulations on finishing your [Link To Item #monthlyreading] goals for July 2018 *^*Bookopen*^*!
~Minja](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/Kudos-Congratulations-2500.gif) |
For this final Creation Saturday, write about something that’s in its final countdown. Have fun! 1. Final Countdown: Reference Wikipedia: a song release in 1986 written by Joey Tempest 2. Or a 1980 Sci Fi film called Final Countdown. 3. Or the Australian Open to be held in 2019 between Naomi Osaka and Petra Kvitova. The two will battle for the first and second place world champion title. Neither player has lost a Grand Slam final yet: https://www.wtatennis.com/news/australian-open-2019-final-countdown From music to sports there are lots of final countdowns going on in life every year. This is truly not very creative but the best I can do for this day. Happy snow day. {{center}badge:256406} {/center} |
| It's the last Fun Fact Friday of January! Here’s a straightforward prompt to celebrate: Make a list of at least ten random facts about yourself. The moon is moving away from the Earth at a tiny, although measurable, rate every year. 85 million years ago it was orbiting the Earth about 35 feet from the planet's surface.https://owlcation.com/misc/Over-200-Odd-Facts-Did-You-Know-Them 1. I'm 74 today. 2. I'm blonde but I don't believe blondes have any more fun than anyone else. 3. I read a lot. 55 books a year in the last 3 years. A few less than that in previous years. 4. I'm a student of horse mastership. 5. I keep dogs and cats as friends. 6. I know how to do some tracking and I would like to learn more tracking knowledge. 7. I live in an A-frame house. Every so often someone circulates a rumor that this house is a pyramid?? It is funny how many people don't know the difference between an A and a pyramid. 8. I can play classical guitar. 9. I"ve been a professional dog groomer, a teacher of balanced seat in horse back riding, and a journalist. 10. I'm a Christian (I believe Jesus is the physical manifestation of God), who believes only God decides who will reside in heaven. |
How did you start writing? Did someone urge you to write, or did it come naturally? will award a MB for his favorite entry today. I was reading quotes from "A Treasury of Great American Quotations" by Charles Hurd. I found this one by Henry Clay, "Sir, I would rather be right than President." Clay lived from 1777-1852. There has always been controversy surrounding the Presidency.Guess what? There wasn't any TV when I was a child. I don't even remember a radio in the house. There might have been one. We used to exchange gifts at Christmas with other family members. My cousin gave me a diary. I used to write in it. I had good English teachers who always encouraged good grammar. Until 8th grade I attended school where each class was held in the same room. One teacher taught one grade English, writing, math, recess and whatever else we were suppose to learn. We learned to read and listen to stories at lunch or other times for recreation. Eighth graders were bused to the local high school. As a senior I worked on the school newspaper as a reporter for the senior class. I was also in secretarial training so we published and printed the school paper. One time some students went on a field trip to a tuberculosis hospital to learn facts about the disease, how it is treated, and about patients. I had a question at the end of the lecture and would not leave until I tracked down a nurse to get the answer. The bus was pulling out without me. Luckily, the teacher chaperon took a head count, stopped the bus and came back for me.  At one time in the "60's" I read a magazine advertisement for people to send in a sample of their writing to a mail order school that was training writers. They liked the scene I wrote, about a barn cat catching a bird, but I did not have the money to pursue it at that time. After I purchased my first computer I wrote articles for a bird club online. It gave me some experience and I really enjoyed it. I have a journal I keep once in awhile. I wrote a lot more in college. I had the time and enjoyed learning how to dig into researching and even interviewing. Right now I'm just lazy this time of year. Plus, I think sometimes my kindle is a detriment to artistic expression, when it comes to just sitting down and getting the story written. I rarely have writers block. I can tell a story but, I have trouble describing things in an entertaining way. Alas, the journalist part of me just tells the facts and has to go back to describe what the characters were wearing or how the horse flew over the fence with his legs tucked, for safety and grace of movement. OK, I'm going to put a load of clothes in the dryer. Happy Writing. |
How different was your life one year ago? How different do you imagine your life will be one year from today? "Stir a Plot Until it Thickens" by Raymond Obstfeld from Crafting Scenes In November my daughter brought me a new kitten. It was about 5 inches high at the top of the front shoulder. Now, it is about 12 inches high and still growing. She learns fast about what she should and should not do as a companion cat. Then, she does which ever suits her fancy at the time. We have a new microwave. K changed his work days from the middle of the week to the end of the week. The days changed from Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to Wednesday Thursday and Friday. At one time in life people settle in for the long haul and life doesn't change a lot after that. Doesn't most of the change come from about 16 to 30? Small things move around once in awhile. Like what you learn as you go along and how you incorporate your new knowledge into your life. Some people have more freedom to make their own decisions than others. Some families interfere in young lives more than others. Some people grow up faster than others. I don't imagine my life changing very much. Small changes along the way are normal. If I continue in good health and stay financially sound I will be here chugging along on my track. Watching time pass.  If there is any bombshell changes I'm sure I won't be expecting it. One of the hardest things for people to accept is the daily grind of getting up, doing the job at hand, and moving on to the next day. Really, that is the best life you can have. Just moving from one day to the next, accomplishing the days duties, without to much interference. He that blows the coals in quarrels he has nothing to do with; has no right to complain if the sparks fly in his face. by Benjamin Franklin from "A Treasury of Great American Quotations" by Charles Hurd. See Ya!  |
What is your preferred book reading medium? Kindle, computer screen, audiobook, or good old fashioned paper? How come?  “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies . .Computer Reading:I only read on the computer when I need to because of Facebook, writing.com. Or, writing, banking, media, research but, not just a book. Paper books: I have a lot of reference paper books which I use as necessary. And, sometimes if i'm in hurry to read a book that isn't going to be available in eBook form from the library quickly I will take it out of the library as a regular book. Last summer two of my favorite authors released 3 different books. In eBook form I would be about twentieth on the waiting list so I went to the library. sure enough, all three books were available. I read all three in a week and took them back. I put my name on a waiting list for another book in eBook form. I was thirtieth for three copies and it still took 6 months for the book to be available to me from the library. On the other hand I have two paper books that were given to me and I do want to read them but, I have so many books available to read that I haven't attempted to read them yet. Audio books: I especially like audio books because I can listen and cook, bake, crochet or knit, clean house etc. So, far I can't afford Audiobook so I get them from the library. It takes longer to listen to an Audiobook than it does to read a book. That's the only draw back that I can see. Kindle:I was upset when the people around here started trying to make every family have only one of anything. My kindle is a library. I have a Paperwhite and a Kindle Fire. Reading on a Paper White is the best. The mechanism holds 1500 books or is suppose too. I can jump back and forth between Bible History and Scripture. I am often reading three books at one time. I always have a nonfiction and sometimes two fiction stories open at a time. My Kindle Fire has games on it that I like. So, I play some games as mind relief if I want to get away for awhile. However, I like the way I can change the color of the page according to the time of day I am reading on the Fire. Also, I am trying out a new way of turning the pages from top to bottom. It seems to turn the page faster when you scroll them up and there is less hand movement involved. I also have a lot of Bible History Apps on my fire. They have exceptional references. And, I had another Fire that is not functioning. If I could afford it I would take Amazon up on there new offer to trade in your fires for an upgrade. I had Audubon Field Guides on it. They were spiffy. You could put in the name of the bird, tree, etc, and get pictures as well as bird calls and other neat references. I learned to hunt butterfly's at the proper time of day and then identify them in the field. Just last week I found a free audio book app for my phone. It has many books available. So, even though I don't read from my phone (it has a kindle app on it) I was able to download an environmental book that tells about the earth. So far it has read us lectures about how soil is made, how rock is made, and what causes wind. I am playing it at night as we go to sleep. It seems to bring a restful peace into the room and calms the pets as we all settle in for a long winter's nap. I also have a new App I bought myself for Christmas called Drops. It is a language learning app. I'm resting more because of the cold. I will be glad when spring comes back because my days will be longer. I will accomplish more. I cooked lasagna Saturday. It has been a couple years since we ate lasagna. We seem to be eating less because food has become boring. My afghan has one more motif to build and then I can put the trim on and it will be done. My computer corner is kind of cold in this weather so writing does not appeal, since I do most of my writing on the computer. Still, I'm meandering through some things that need to get put on paper. See Ya! ![Merit Badge in Consistent
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Congratulations on finishing your [Link To Item #monthlyreading] goals for August 2018 *^*Bookopen*^*!
~Minja](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/general-Consistent.gif) |
| January 20, 2020 What event from history do you wish you could have witnessed? The biggest enemy to the partnership of dressage is impatience and the human nature to dominate other creatures.Walter Zettl reference:https://deannacorbydressage.wordpress.com/2013/01/17/inspiring-quotes/ I would like to watch the equestrian events in a summer Olympics. So far, I have only watched short news about Equestrian events. We don't have cable. Sometimes they put short spots about Dressage on the news. For many people Dressage doesn't have enough activity to interest most people but, I like it. I can get the statistics and winners from the internet. That isn't the same as watching the competition, understanding the movements and getting to know the way the competitors work with their partners. January 20,2020 is a catch-up blog because the storm knocked out my internet. January 21:Today in the US is Martin Luther King Day, a federal holiday celebrating the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., a civil rights activist best known for advancing civil rights through nonviolence and civil disobedience. In August of 1953, King delivered his famous speech “I Have a Dream” calling for civil and economic equality for all Americans and the end of racism. On this Motivational Monday, write a speech advocating for something you’re passionate about and use the phrase “I have a dream” in your entry. I watched a TV special on Sunday on PBS. Different speeches, marches, and celebrations when Martin Luther King was alive and after his death were highlighted. I was interested to see how difficult the situation was when they were trying to initiate a Martin Luther King Day in congress. The situation has some similarities with the present fight over money to finish the present existing wall between Mexico and the USA. "I have a dream" that someday we will get better coverage of each law or congressional move in the USA. In the respect that news coverage is aimed at a population that has been educated to a certain level, through the public school system. We should not have to go through all the psychological intimidation that is present when the news is presented to the public, about trending legislation. Sure it is nice to know a President's ideas but I like the coverage about the way individual senators and representatives think as well. We also need to know how a specific situation lines up with how the new rule will affect parts of the public. A majority public made it known that they wanted a special day of remembrance for the values and the man that brought them openly to the public, in his speeches and actions, Martin Luther King. When the congressional vote was counted the majority voted for Martin Luther King Day. The public cares about a secure border because of the times we are living through. Eventually, it will become a done deal. Isn't it actually about a secure border. I liked the recent news about how different towns on the border are involved in the situation. How the people in those towns feel about the arguments. What the experience is in the towns on the border. What happens in those towns? Are they experiencing a lot of illegals? Don't we have a border patrol? What are their experiences on a daily basis. How did some thousands of people decide to move to the USA from South America? We heard a report once in the last few days that there are more illegals coming down into the USA from Canada per year than cross the border from Mexico in a year. Is the government worried about the border between the USA and Canada? During news I sit and ask questions that are not being answered or even addressed. As an inquiring public do you ever shut off the news wanting to know more than was actually addressed in the coverage? The End. My day:   Snow is up to my waist on the walk to the barn. We are going to try to plow out tomorrow. I am already looking for spring. apondia#1781748 |
Find a piece of nature that you can hold in your hand (leaf, twig, rock, berry, etc). Describe it as closely and carefully as you can. Use any means available to you to examine the object (magnifying glass, scale, all of your senses) and practice your descriptive writing skills. My favorite entry today will receive a Nature MB. *Leafo* Did you know that avocados are a fruit not a vegetable? Possibly originated in Mexico, a member of the family Lauraceae,(Persea americana)I grew an avocado tree from a seed in the winter of 2018. Using an unrefrigerated pit from a fruit, stab in 2 or 3 toothpicks one third of the way up from the flat end. Place it in a small glass or jar in luke warm water. It should sprout in 3 to 6 weeks. I planted mine in a plant pot that has multi vines and other plants growing in it. However, the kitchen is cold. and, the plant pot was not getting enough water so it eventually lost the struggle against a lack of water and not enough space for its root system. This summer I started another tree from a seed. The seed is from an avocado I bought at Walmart in the grocery store section. The label pasted on the fruit said it was from Mexico. Avocado trees are shallow rooted trees. They put out the root system in the top 6 inches of soil. The tree can live for more than 50 years. The fruit will not be produced by the tree until the tree is 3 to 5 years old. Hass avocado orchards depend on bees for pollination. The fruit is the large green fruit you see in food markets. The fruit grows from the blossoms of the tree. A well tended tree can grow 15 to 30 feet tall. In the proper climate it can blossom twice in a year. There can be 150 to 500 blossoms on a tree depending on its health and age. My second attempt at growing an avocado tree is planted in a pot that is presently one foot deep and two feet wide. It is filled with a plant growing product from Walmart. The trunk is now 45 inches tall. It is about a quarter of an inch thick and a beautiful bright green color. The leaves start out small and grow very large. The leaves on mine are 14 inches long from the base of the stem which is emerged from the trunk. Each leaf has veins running out from the central stem about 1 inch apart. the veins run from the base of the leaf to the tip. The shape of the leaf is similar in shape to a gondola. The leaf flares out from the base of the leaf to about 5 inches than gradually shape back to a point at the end of the leaf, They are a vibrant green color. The texture is like a thin soft leather. I am keeping the tree in an East window because it gets what ever early sun happens out in the winter. My tree takes a great deal of water. And, it is suffering from lack of sun and heat. We have only had about 3 days with real sun in the last month. As the trunk of these trees grows up new leaves sprout from the top. As, the tree grows bigger the leaves get larger, they stay on the trunk and grow bigger and grow out into limbs with more leaves. I grew mine before I knew there were You-tubes about the way to do this so I put this here because it has some valuable hints I did not use. I found out online that it has become a fun thing for many people to try, growing fruit trees of all types, avocado, mango, lemon, and others. I would never be able to set this tree out because it could not survive the weather in zone 5. ![Merit Badge in Blog Camping
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Thank you for joining me on another August adventure. Hope you join me for the book signing tour next August. *^*Heart*^*](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/group-Blog_Camping-1788309_13.gif) Happy trails I hope the snow clipper expected today and tomorrow misses everyone. |
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? “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” ..https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1&q=quotes+food If Americans waste one pound of food a day it isn't happening in my household. For instance, scrapes of meat and bread can be put out for the birds, squirrels, moles, and other critters that regularly scrounge through trash for scrapes. I count them as part of our consumer family. One thing I noticed was a list of what foods are wasted most: bread, milk, potatoes, apples, cheese. In our household I am the only one that tries to eat fresh vegetables. There is some waste of lettuce leaves occasional baby carrots, wilted celery, over ripe avocado or cucumber. As for carrots they are consumed by me, the pony, and both our dogs. So, most of them are not being wasted. Milk we buy it, drink it, and cook with it. Milk usually barely makes it to the next shopping trip. We buy lots of potatoes. By the 50lb bag when it is available from a local grower. If we are using them less for some reason we give them to family members who live near. Mostly, we can go through a 50 lb bag in about 5 weeks which is how long between social security checks. Some will go bad especially if they are not stored in a very cool place. We have good cool storage for them. Some bread would be wasted if we did not have a hound dog that was raised on bread by some strange person. Our beagle is crazy about bread because of her unfortunate puppy hood experience. Don't leave your toast or sandwich low enough for her to catch the scent. We adopted her when she was 5 because someone left her tied to a dog house and drove away never to return. For awhile she would not touch dog food, bread was the only thing she would eat. . I buy apples by the bushel and freeze them or get them from trees on the farm if it is a good year. We eat applesauce and apple pies. So, we don't purchase apples from the market. Don't forget as you age I think you eat less and that is a good thing. Our waste is paper. We get so many useless advertisements. I throw away so much paper it makes irritated. My problem is these advertisements are unsolicited. Like robo calls they never go away. ![Merit Badge in The Monthly Reading Challenge
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Congratulations on finishing [Link to Forum Post #3207655] for September 2018 *^*Delight*^**^*Bookopen*^*!
~Minja](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/group-The_Monthly_Reading_Challenge-1945677_12.gif) Happy Trails |
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