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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. |
Congratulations on making it to the last day of the competition! What was your favorite prompt from the last month? What was the most rewarding aspect of participating in the competition?  I used the dancing owl today because making it clear through the month was a very joyful experience.Quoteshttps://:https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/competition “Real learning comes about when the competitive spirit has ceased.” ― Jiddu Krishnamurti “Man is not, by nature, deserving of all that he wants. When we think that we are automatically entitled to something, that is when we start walking all over others to get it.” ― Criss Jami, Diotima, Battery, Electric Personality Day 30 Every prompt brings it's own type of endeavor. I guess I worked at the one on bias most because, we are living in a time, in this nation, that is revisiting the past. There is a certain kind of influence in politics that brings out the worst kind of bias in the nation. I was interested to see meddling manipulation was happening all over the world. I'm always rewarded when I blog daily because I end up writing something other than the blog that is worth while. Why blogging motivates me to finish a story here and there I don't know. Blogging daily gets me going earlier. Plus, reading what others write makes me feel like there are other people out there in the world. I'm always startled when the 30th arrives. Not much of a calendar watcher. Which reminds me to put some reminders in my calendar. ![Merit Badge in Favorite
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Congratulations on your winning entry [Link to Book Entry #950638] in the [Link To Item #1786069] !](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/general-Favorite.gif) Lets see what next month brings? Forward into the future.  |
I need help building the stock of prompts in the Challenge War Chest! Write four prompts of your own and then choose one to write your entry on *Smile* Quote:"...the deepest truths are best read between the lines, and, for the most part, refuse to be written." by (Amos) Bronson Alcott (1799-1888) from A Treasury of Great American Quotations 1. Do you spend some time daily communing with nature? Walks, bicycle rides, automobile rides or other forms? 2. There is a tall ship festival on Lake Erie every year. What kinds of special festivals do you look forward to during the year? 3. Recently someone made a point of telling me how prepared they are if the country shuts down for several months. After the amount of books published in fiction over the last few years about holocaust type problems, have you ever thought about or prepared for a local disaster or national disaster? 4. Iphones get so much publicity, what are some of the other cell phones out there that work well? Are there phone problems or special phone aggravations that never reach the public? How have cell phones changed society or the lives of people you know? 4 Ha! Now I get to tell my story. We use Tracfones. I realize this is an inexpensive way to keep a phone. But, basically we started up in the year 2000. I was in college and we could not afford some of the other companies. Recently, I received a notice that they are upgrading their network and our androids would be inoperable at the end of the year. I did not want to change phones over the Christmas holiday plus, if I changed my phone now I would get an upgraded phone for 15 percent off. With the package I would get 2 day free shipping with Fed EX. After purchasing I received an email that the 2 day shipping was not valid until the company mailed out the phone. It was 2 days before they sent another email saying the phone was mailed and 8 days and arguments with Fed Ex employees before the phones were delivered. Now, they say it will be one to three days before the phones are activated. they turn off the old phone when they activate the new phone. Even after you change the sim card. This is really a rural place and we use the phones to keep in touch when K goes to work. Plus, this is the phone my children can use to reach me. We have had good basic service down through the years and did not think it was a bad idea to upgrade. Recently, I had some trouble getting into a website I use regularly (Not  ) . When I talked to the web manager they wanted to know if someone I knew worked for the company????Guess if this keeps up we will be looking for another way to keep a phone. Sometimes changing every thing in life at once can be a real bummer. This kind of public harassment went on during the 8 years of Reagan's administration. I hate to lock it on the politics but, if the rest of the lower income public is experiencing these kinds of nitpicking harassment's in their daily lives we should be hearing about it in the media. Other wise I will have to take it personally. I was receiving death threats at one time and we had to have our telephone calls traced. This was in the 90's so it was a bit of time ago. It turned out to be a couple girls in my daughters high school class that thought an A frame was shaped like a witches hat.  . ![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) I'm done ranting now. . |
On this last Talk Tuesday of May, let’s talk about bias. How do your own biases influence your life? Is it possible to ever be truly objective? “In an extroverted society, the difference between an introvert and an extrovert is that an introvert is often unconsciously deemed guilty until proven innocent.”― Criss Jami, Venus in Arms “All my life I'd been told what to believe about politics, coloreds, being a girl. But with Constantine's thumb pressed in my hand, I realized I actually had a choice in what I could believe.” Kathryn Stockett, The Help Above Quotes are from: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/bias BIAS In my life, I find bias pop up every now and again. It's usually associated with some experience I have had with another person. If I'm still angry with the experience it probably will take me awhile to make excuses for the other person. Finding the reason for both sides of an argument can be enlightening. I can truthfully say, I believe if we could pull out some mental thorns we would be able to find out why so many people make unfair judgements.  Power and violence just doesn't work. I read the Little Book of War. We can't get our own way by taking something away from someone or forcing our views on others, they will only fight back. Bias needs diplomacy. There is a reason for every form of Bias out there. If I'm angry, I tend to not evaluate some situations until I can back away from it. Also, if a person is willing to fight for some piece of misinformation it's often easier and better to just avoid them and let them live their own life. It's one of the reasons the USA has specific ideas about the separation of church and state. The constitution writes specific ideas about what freedom means, so we can speak freely and walk away. Still, right now, the USA is going through a phase of challenge about what bias is and isn't in the press. It's difficult to watch but, not worthless, to see the press present different sides of bias related situations. I read in one of my courses that mindfulness is a key to saving the population of the USA. Because, it teaches kindness, and evaluation for other points of view.  Free speech needs kindness. |
| Today is Memorial Day here in the US, a federal holiday for remembering and honoring persons who have died while serving in the Armed Forces. How do you honor those who have passed (whether they served in the military or not)?Quote:" Where liberty dwells there is my country" by Benjamin Franklin from A Treasury of Great American Quotations Today is Memorial Day here in the US, a federal holiday for remembering and honoring persons who have died while serving in the Armed Forces. How do you honor those who have passed (whether they served in the military or not)? Memorial Day Concert In the last few years we have watched the Memorial Day Concert in Washington D.C. This year it was 1 1/2 hours long. It honors soldiers and the players sing songs that are spiritual or meaningful to patriotism. Some of the actors tell personal stories of soldier's war activities. Usually they are honoring a specific soldier who is sitting in the audience. The stories are horrendously specific about how a soldier was injured and survived. This year they also honored a wife, whose husband was burned in a bombing of the Humvee, which he was riding in. He died in-spite of many surgeries in a Texas hospital. You really cannot watch this show I don't think, without remembering family members or acquaintances who have died. The show itself is a very somber affair. Before it was finished this year, I felt it was very depressing to watch To me, I felt it was pushing an agenda that would be better served in some other way. Truly, I don't know what other way would work to serve this particular holiday.  Larger cities do have parades.This year they used the show as an outreach to members of the military who have not received the help they need. A real concern is military people who served, but are now out of the service and not doing well in life, because of their military years. Many of these people are committing suicide and so the outreach to them was pointed. ![Merit Badge in Celebration
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Congratulations on completing your reading goals in [Link To Item #monthlyreading] for May 2018 *^*Bookopen*^*!
~Minja](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/general-Celebration.gif) I always wonder what the deceased would tell us about this holiday? Would they prefer not to enter wars? |
Share an instance in your life when you would have liked a do-over.  “It's not that we spend five days looking forward to just two. It's that most people do what they enjoy most on those two days. Imagine living a life where everyday are your Saturdays and Sundays. Make everyday your weekend. Make everyday a play-day…”― James A. Murphy, The Waves of Life Quotes and Daily Meditations https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/sunday Do-Over If it's anything at all, it is, that I should have had more knowledge to share with my children. I was deliberately kept as ignorant as family could manage. Basically, I have come to realize that my life is what it is. In spite of manipulation about my education and deliberate with holding of things my Mom would have taught me; I still managed to exist in the face of adversity. I now understand that my knowledge was imperative, proper experience, and ability to give, where giving is important, was all manipulated by relatives, who did not want me to succeed. Now, when they ask I have no ability to aid or express. So, my loss is their loss. I read a book written by a journalist, who reports from the Vatican. He wrote that one time Pope Benedict told people to stop trying to get information from him because he was not an Oracle. It made me laugh, because I have had the same experience. I don't moan over the losses I just move forward into today's moment. I personally find, that I must move with the times to complete the time I'm given. After all, the Holy God is in charge not me. |
Write about your plans for the weekend. If you had 48 hours to do whatever you wanted, no holds barred, how would you spend your time? “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” ― Ursula K. Le Guin, The Left Hand of Darkness Memorial Day WeekendI haven't made any plans. I'm just here living through what ever happens. K is deep in lawn mowing and tractor repair. My daughter and granddaughters are arriving here soon. I still have morning pony chores and laundry to wash and dry. It probably won't calm down around here until Tuesday the 28th. Who knows what the weekend will bring. Have a happy memorial day.    apondia#1781748 |
Congratulations on making it to the last week of the competition! You all should be proud! *Heart* How do you celebrate your successes? What is your favorite thing to give yourself as a reward? “I still encourage anyone who feels at all compelled to write to do so. I just try to warn people who hope to get published that publication is not all it is cracked up to be. But writing is. Writing has so much to give, so much to teach, so many surprises. That thing you had to force yourself to do---the actual act of writing---turns out to be the best part. It's like discovering that while you thought you needed the tea ceremony for the caffeine, what you really needed was the tea ceremony. The act of writing turns out to be its own reward.” ― Anne Lamott https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/reward REWARDED After a couple months away I'm actually astonished I made it through the challenge this far. It's a reward just to do the writing. Plus, I'm actually getting some writing done outside of the 30-day-challenge. I think there are some nights when I would be happier typing into the night instead of reading. We will see.  I've been on a kick to throw out all kinds of things we just don't need. Now, I'm finding that my computer could use a good cleaning out, so I'm working on it a little bit at a time. And, portfolio needs some rooting out as well. At the end of a session of GET RID OF IT, I reward myself with time off for entertainment or a walk or food. Cookies and milk is my down fall so I've switched to trail mix or peanuts.I'm not wasting as much time but, more sunshine and warmer weather account for an upswing in activity. ![Merit Badge in Job Well Done
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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) Have a Good Day. |
What is your learning style? Do you prefer to learn through reading, images, audio, discussion, hands on, etc.? What is something new you learned in the last 30 days? "Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding." Kahlil Gibran --http://wisdomquotes.com/deep-quotes/ALL OF THE ABOVE I read everything all the time. If we watch a video with captions I read the captions out loud. If I'm trying to accomplish some cleaning or knitting or crochet, I put on an audio book and ear phones and then I'm multitasking. I like discussions because you get other peoples point of view. Lectures are great because speakers often input with their own experiences, about the subject being taught. Then, of course hands on gives experience in using knowledge gained, It is always a plus to gain hands on experience. You simply cannot teach riding, train horses, clip horses or groom dogs properly without having hands on experience of several years and trainers that fed you knowledge. Proper instruction in any subject needs a background of knowledge and hands on experience. The teacher of any subject should know a lot about the subject so when you get to the hands on part you skip a lot of the mistakes that would make your joy of learning unfortunate. I think this is all common sense. WHAT DID I LEARN IN THE LAST 30 DAYS?: I learned how to use blue tooth headsets. For 10 dollars I picked up blue tooth headset in the FAMILY DOLLARS STORE. I'm going to learn how to get blue tooth on my computer. I'm reading "The Dancing Wu Li Masters" by Gary Zukav. So: "Particles of the same species look alike" Particle is a word that does not fit just one part of speech. Protons, neutrons, and electrons are smaller than atoms. "Quantum mechanics indicates that subatomic particles constantly appear to be making decisions." The book I'm presently reading is about quantum mechanics. I've read more than one book about physics such as "How to Teach Physics to Your Dog." The book I'm reading now is so specific. It will leave your mind reeling with information. I really think its good info to know that the place you are is absolute. Black holes may be tunnels to other parts of the Universe.  I also saw that baby red squirrels and young rabbits play together in my back yard.   Bye For Now |
When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?  Quotes: the two references below are from the https://blackmtnranch.com/horse-quotes/ 1. "You can't tame a cowgirl" 2. "“A horse is the projection of peoples’ dreams about themselves -strong, powerful, beautiful- and it has the capability of giving us escape from our mundane existence” Pam Brown One time in a bible study some one asked me to share something I had read in the Bible during the week. My answer was proverbs 14:4 from the Living Bible "An empty stable stays clean but there is no income from an empty stable." {The person who asked did not believe this statement was in Proverbs. I had to look it up an show it to him.) Cowgirl Blogging When I was little I wanted to be a cowgirl. My bicycle was named trigger. I had some misadventures on horses and ponies aided by various people, while I was growing up. I read books and dreamed of sitting in a glade reading and writing while my horse grazed nearby. Dad did not buy me a doll house he bought me a barn complete with animals. And one year he bought me a ukulele. When I was a teenager I rode this part of the country from one end to the other on a small painted pony and loved every moment of it. I miss just mounting up and riding for hours. Trail riding is the best exercise and recreation. Plus, the horse loves it as well. The U.S. Airforce use to put out a pamphlet about the benefits of exercise. Horseback riding was at the top of their list of ways to keep fit. So, I raised dairy goats and sheep, trained horses and riders, groomed dogs professionally, completed a school of Journalism, and learned to play classical guitar. Now, I blog and read books and store knowledge in my brain. In an odd way, with all the things I know, I guess I lived in my dream. One of the best teachers I had was an 84 year old retired Colonel who rode every morning at dawn. Horse people are known to be healthy and long lived. Maybe, it's because of all those stories, about the day the horse dumped its rider. LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE |
| Write about an opinion you’ve had that has changed over the years. Opinion: Is a judgement not based on knowledge, fact or even necessarily experience. “There will always be someone willing to hurt you, put you down, gossip about you, belittle your accomplishments and judge your soul. It is a fact that we all must face. However, if you realize that God is a best friend that stands beside you when others cast stones you will never be afraid, never feel worthless and never feel alone.” ― Shannon Alder https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/judgement OPINIONS I don’t make big opinions that change. It’s more a question of learning as you live your life. Knowledge you receive as you grow is like a treasure that helps complete your faithful feelings. If you have questions in life, as you travel through your time, sometimes, it takes awhile to gain the answers. Life time answers come through people you meet along the way, or books that you read. Even, just an inner knowledge given by the holy spirit. A feeling from the heart about right and wrong ideas. Sometimes called intuition. Just an illustration: I was training a horse under the tutelage of a knowledgeable trainer. My trainer entered us in a competition in which we did very well. The day after the show my trainer and I had our first ever disagreement. I felt the horse needed to lower its fences for one lesson and have an easier lesson. My trainer believed the horse should be pushed to greater heights because it succeeded so well in the competition. Later in life, after I had read many books and spoke with other professional trainers about training horses, I found a lot of backup for giving a good horse a lighter load and easier lessons right after a big win. So, even though my trainer had lots of experience I still felt instinctual knowledge of the particular horse I was riding at the time, trumped her experience. Maybe it is caution that keeps me from forming opinions, without a lot of knowledge to back them up. Even now, if someone takes a strong stand about something I may disagree about. If I don’t have the knowledge about the subject to back me up; I will wait until I learn enough to know if I’m right or someone else’s opinion is better. Opinion is different than knowledge. Have a good day:   |
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fudge, I'm coming over! 