Showing posts with label My Post Monday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label My Post Monday. Show all posts

Monday, July 9, 2018

Beginner To Expert + #MyPostMonday The Week's Best Original Content

It's been awhile now that I've been creating posts at least once per week, and on average 2.5 times per week. These posts have been mostly original (unless it has been a guest post) and there have been so many times I have struggled at trying to get wording just right, trying to create a nice image to go along with the post, remembering to link everything properly, and giving credit where it is due. 

But I found out recently that all this hasn't been in vain! I can actually use this hard won skill in other areas! I found that I am more able to gather my thoughts and create something when it comes to speaking in public, which I was asked to do recently. It has been quite awhile since I've talked in public because I don't relish it much, mainly preferring to be in the background, letting someone who is more outgoing than me do it. 

But what I noticed is that when I was writing up my presentation, the words came out of my head, onto the page quickly and getting the material to flow and be cohesive was so much easier than I remember it. It made me feel so good that a skill set I've been developing in one area actually translated rather well into another area!

I watched 'Running Wild With Bear Grylls' last night with his guest, Roger Federer. Roger is the greatest tennis player in history, winning more Grand Slams than any other man (although Raphael Nadal is on his heels!) As they braved a treacherous descent and subsequently, a steep climb up an ice waterfall in Switzerland, they used Roger's tennis racquets and his tennis balls to accomplish some daunting tasks! Roger's skill at hitting a tennis ball very long distances with great accuracy came into play. I loved how his skill set really did help when it was needed in a different situation than tennis! I really love that show btw!!! All the hearts!

Image - Jeff Stewart

Monday, January 29, 2018

What I Learned From 'My 600 Lb. Life' + #MyPostMonday The Week's Best Original Content

I don't watch T.V. that much because I've got work, husband, house, dad, pet, blog, church, and service projects to keep me busy. (Not necessarily in that order). So it's kind of amazing that I found a couple of new shows to watch or binge-watch, as the case may be. One of them is "My 600 Lb. Life", a documentary-style show about the lives of people who are morbidly obese and how they must either change or essentially die. 

There are a few similarities that I see with almost all of the subjects on the show. For instance:

Monday, January 15, 2018

Follow Your Intuitions + #MyPostMonday The Week's Best Original Content

I had a really great post planned for today, but dang it, I got the flu! It started Saturday night, with a very suspicious scratchy throat and a slight cough. The next morning the cough was worse and I powered through it, with the help of my trusty cough drops. I literally ate the whole bag to keep from coughing my brains out. By the time 10 pm rolled around, I was achy, cold, and miserable. Nothing to do but put on my essential oil diffuser, rub down with my favorite muscle relaxant, take a flu tablet, and try to get some sleep. It was a restless and miserable night. I finally got out of bed at 1 pm today, struggled through the most basic tasks, and was grateful that I didn't have work to worry about, or little ones to depend on me, like one time a long time ago.

When I was married to my first husband, he would disappear for a couple of days and I usually knew when he'd be back and why he'd gone. After our little girl passed away, it became more like weeks at a time. I wouldn't know where he was or when he would return. Eventually it turned into months, and finally he disappeared with my two boys. 

Monday, January 8, 2018

When A Girl Gets Educated + #MyPostMonday The Week's Best Original Content

There was a day when parents would take their daughters and subtly package them in attractive gowns, complete with the proper etiquette training and skills that would make them viable in terms of being a good wife and mother to attract prospective husbands. They were debutantes and it was called a "coming out" party or gala, which happened between the ages of 18 - 21 years old. It's still done in the more exclusive communities in the South and on the eastern shore board. 

But a new day is dawning and it is more common now for men to search not for the traditional attributes that once made a girl attractive to marry. The most alluring thing now, it seems, is the level of education a woman has. 
I don't think it is necessarily a new thing. I remember when I was in college and the most popular girls, with the most dates, were not always the best-looking girls, but the ones who were ready to graduate. Not only that, they were the girls who could readily get a job and help a young guy get through his own schooling. And usually it was the man who ended up having the higher education in the marriage.

But in 2015 education between partners hit a new norm. Now 24.5% of men have more education than their wife, BUT 25.3% of women have more education than their husbands! That is very interesting! Except hold on, it doesn't translate into earning power. 72% of husbands still make more than their wives!

Monday, October 23, 2017

Good's Enemy + #MyPostMonday The Week's Best Original Content

On my last "My Post Monday", I was pondering about how personality disorders and mental illnesses affect everyone involved. One of the most common of these is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It stems from an obsession with being perfect. It's so sad because it robs the victim of time, satisfaction, self-esteem, and happiness. Of course, it's great to be good at something. It's great to be excellent at something, and there are even times to be perfect at something. But my experience is that getting something done at all requires letting go of some things so the task can be completed. 

Being chronically late is one symptom of OCD. One tries to get ready as perfectly as possible, it never seems to be achieved, and then comes the never-ending late arrival, or the arrival that never happens. I dealt with it as a kid, and now as an adult. Two different members of my family. Not myself, mind you, someone close to me. As a result, I am always late or going ahead because I don't want to be late. But I am affected by the symptom.

So often we are reaching for that perfect event, evening, dress, dessert, party, or whatever it might be. When it falls short of our expectations, we discount it as a failure! Is the picture above anything short of gorgeous?  I would go to a party held here. And especially this time of year! I'd be trying to take a peek out of that top window! Yet look at all of the "flaws!" Flaws are what make us unique, gorgeous, and US! Celebrate difference and perceived imperfections! We're all amazing!
Today is "My Post Monday!", a curation of the week's best original content. It's all about posts from Crafts to Camping, Wellness to Wealth, Fashion to Food, and whatever else is on the brain!  I  open up with a post of my own and then follow it up with a linky of the week's top original blog posts! It's all about what the writer thinks, believes, and knows--in other words, they are active, writing blogs. If I happen to find a great original, non-sponsored post, I'll link it up and share it with you here and on Twitter via the #MyPostMonday hashtag!  I can miss some amazing posts, but I don't want to!  So, in addition, if you'd like to link up yourself, you can do that too!  I'll visit your site, comment, promote and publicize! (Affiliate links welcome!)   

Monday, August 28, 2017

How Extra Time Makes You Happier + #MyPostMonday The Week's Best Original Content

I've always felt that my time is the most precious possession I own, not things, and sometimes I'm very jealous and protective of it. Think of what you can do with time. You can use it to perfect yourself, create something of value, use it for service to others, or you can squander it. Now, my belief has been verified by a study that just came out in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences! It says that "when people spend money on time-saving services such as a house cleaner, lawn care or grocery delivery, it can make them feel a little happier. By comparison, money spent on material purchases---aka things---does not boost positive emotions the way we might expect."   
Image - Ben Milner
I can apply the time saving idea in another way. For 7 years I worked at what used to be my local high school. But for 4 of those 7 years I had to commute because we moved to a city 33 miles away. This school year is different. I actually took a significant pay cut to start at the bottom pay level because, sadly, my years of service in one school district make no difference to another school district. But at least I won't have to commute 66 miles per day! I've only been at work for 4 days and I can already feel the difference! It is amazing what that commute took out of me. In essence, I bought a shorter work week and for me it's worth everything! When I come home after work I'm not feeling like all I want to do is take a nap and recover from not only the work day, but the commute itself! 

I guess what I get from this study is a reaffirmation that Americans could be doing more to make themselves happy. We are lured into the notion that having more material things will make us happier, when it actually could entrap us into an endless cycle of playing catch-up! Instead of throwing down $100 at the local favorite place to shop or friendly internet site, think about paying to have someone mow the yard, pick up your groceries, clean the bathroom or kitchen, or simply give up something that sucks time and energy from your life. Then with that saved time, think of the most enjoyable, productive thing that you can do with it. It may be getting a good nap, reading a great book, or going on a hike somewhere. It may be watching a movie, talking to a friend you haven't seen in awhile, or volunteering for your favorite charity. It's a sure thing that your happiness quotient will go up! I know that I will try to do that more because I have experienced the feeling firsthand when I gave up my commute. Read about the study here!
 Today is "My Post Monday!" It's all about original content from bloggers who care to share what is on their minds--from Crafts to Camping, Wellness to Wealth, Fashion to Food, and whatever else is on the brain!  I  open up with a post of my own and then follow it up with a linky of the week's top original blog posts! It's all about what the writer thinks, believes, and knows--in other words, they are active, writing blogs. If I happen to find a great original, non-sponsored post, I'll link it up and share it with you here and on Twitter via the #MyPostMonday hashtag!  I can miss some amazing posts, but I don't want to!  So, in addition, if you'd like to link up yourself, you can do that too!  I'll visit your site, comment, promote and publicize! (Affiliate links welcome!)  

Monday, March 6, 2017

'Eyes Led By The Heart' #MyPostMonday + The Week's Best Original Content


I've decided which movie star my youngest son resembles! I had figured out long ago who my first-born son looks like, duh, Tom Cruise! I swear he has his profile to a tee, and even down to the little twitch Tom gets in his jaw when it tenses up. (I study these things very carefully) Tom Cruise is an action star and my son is 100% action as well. He just won his 2nd belt, held simultaneously, for his work in the ring. He's an MMA fighter, right now ranked #1 in Utah for his weight class. (Look him up on Instagram!) He's also in the military and ready to go to war for our country. He's as full of testosterone as anyone I've ever seen. 

But I could never find anyone that my youngest son favors. Not that it mattered one bit--I know I have the best looking sons on the planet! (lol, do all moms think like I do? ) Joe is a gentle giant. He has two championship rings from playing on his high school football team, winning the state division championship two years in a row, and he is an awesome wrestler, making state. But his easy-going nature is a contrast to my eldest son. He chose to serve an LDS mission. He cleaned up his act, put his affairs in order, and left in January to serve for 2 years in La La Land! Yes, he's in L.A.! He e-mails me every week giving me short updates on what it's like to serve. It has been so much fun to share some of the things that happen to him since he decided to take on that role. 

Once a week they are able to take some time off and have a day to do laundry, grocery shopping, get together with other missionaries in their area, and maybe even do a little sight-seeing, like last week. They went to the Petersen Automotive Museum to check out all of the amazing cars there. But what was really cool is that they ran into Chris Pratt, star of Guardians of the Galaxy, and Passengers!
Only in L.A. am I right? They were in the gift shop, with no one else there but themselves and Chris Pratt! They said hello and introduced themselves. He had his little boy with him and he explained, "Hey, it's the elders! They meet people and talk about God!" When he drove off, he waved to them. Nothing huge, but enough to certainly make me take notice. 

Well, of course, I had to go see Passengers, because I am a slacker and didn't see it when it first came out. As I'm watching it, and seeing Jim Preston (Chris Pratt) go through that agonizing dilemma of whether or not to wake up Aurora (Jennifer Lawrence), and then living with what he did, trying to make up for what he did, and more than making up for what he did, I was so moved because I saw my son in him. He has those gentle blue eyes and those good looks! And what a coincidence that he met his doppelganger so early on in his stint as a missionary in L.A.!

Am I being unrealistic in thinking my sons are so amazing and good-looking? Some people would say yes. But I know the feeling is real for me. It doesn't matter that other people may see it quite differently. The point is that those you love take on a beauty that maybe only you can see, or maybe the whole world can see. But the point is, the beauty is there for you! 

Image - Eric Melander
I've seen so many examples of little old men and women who have been married for years and years. They are old, wrinkled and past their prime, but to each other they are beautiful. They see beyond the imperfections that time has wrought and they just see the beauty. It's so sweet to see!

I've given up rejecting the compliments my husband gives me, telling me I'm pretty, cute, sexy, etc. I realize that to him, it's true. As time passes, I quit thinking that he's just saying those things to get something from me, a fault on my part. He genuinely believes it! 
So I must conclude that despite the deluge of photographs, models, fashions, and fleeting standards of beauty, truth be told--true beauty must be seen with eyes that are led by the heart!
Today is "My Post Monday!" It's all about original content from bloggers who care to share what is on their minds--from Crafts to Camping, Wellness to Wealth, Fashion to Food, and whatever else is on the brain!  I  open up with a post of my own and then follow it up with a linky of the week's top original blog posts! It's all about what the writer thinks, believes, and knows--in other words, they are active, writing blogs. If I happen to find a great original, non-sponsored post, I'll link it up and share it with you here and on Twitter via the #MyPostMonday hashtag!  I can miss some amazing posts, but I don't want to!  So, in addition, if you'd like to link up yourself, you can do that too!  I'll visit your site, comment, promote and publicize! (Affiliate links welcome!)  


Monday, February 13, 2017

Storms They Have Been Through #MyPostMonday + The Week's Best Original Content

I occasionally do accompaniment work on the organ or piano. This past Saturday I played organ for a funeral. It was for some friends of ours, whose mom had passed away. I had never met their mother, but by the end of the funeral I felt that I knew her personally. 

I had heard a few things here and there just because of our associations with our friends. Before the funeral I had heard in passing that their mother, Jackie, wasn't in good health, that sometimes she wasn't the most pleasant person to be around, that sometimes she upset her children, that her husband had it rough because she was hard to manage with her poor health. That was about it.

Then Jackie died rather unexpectedly after some surgery. During the service I learned a little bit more about her life. Apparently she had been healthy until the last 20 years of her life, when she was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. For one reason or another, this disease really did a number on her. She was constantly in pain, and her extremities started to slowly die. Her feet especially gave her lots of trouble and she ended up losing one of her big toes. Because of that, she wasn't very mobile and spent a lot of time indoors or bedridden. 

But what I learned as well is that Jackie was passionate about her hobby of making dolls--and these dolls were special! (They were displayed at the funeral) Every one of them was individually made and had so much character. They really were little works of art! If she had been healthier, she could have had quite a business, either on Etsy, partnering up with retail chains, or something of that nature. She had given many of her friends the dolls and so there were many memories told about them. 

Jackie also loved her family very much, as was revealed. Her only son remembered that she defended him with vigor, even when, as he admitted, he may have not have always deserved it. But she was also very vigilant about making sure her children were honorable and learned valuable lessons. As her daughter recalled, once the kids were out in the local horse park and started a small fire, which was prohibited. She somehow saw the smoke and went out to investigate. When she saw that the incident involved her children and their friends, she came out to the park and after a severe reprimand, took them all to the fire department so they could learn the full impact of starting a fire in a field next to homes.

Her husband told of the time they went up to the State Park in the mountains, where he had proposed to her. She had been totally taken by surprise and apparently always remembered it with fondness. She had a best friend whom she had known for years. At the funeral this friend learned why Jackie always loved to go up to this State Park on outings with her. It was the place where she had been proposed to! She had never suspected, until then, that was why Jackie always wanted to go there any chance she could. She was a closet romantic and loved her husband dearly.

We also found out that she loved beauty around her, tried to keep her home beautiful, loved spiritual things, and loved Jesus Christ and taught her children to do the same. Her youngest daughter talked about her last association with her the week that she died. She was in bed and her daughter was leaving. Jackie insisted on getting out of bed and walking her to the door when she left. She slowly and painstakingly walked each step with her, told her she loved her and that she was going to try and walk more and more. Unfortunately, that was the last time her daughter ever saw her alive.

I'm sure there were a lot of people who didn't know her before she got ill, before she suffered with all her health problems. To others, she may have seemed "out of it", "lethargic", "bedridden", "grouchy", "temperamental", or even "lazy".  But when you put together the whole of her life, and understood just what she had gone through and who she was before her illness, you start to realize that she was a beautiful and strong individual, who endured many years of pain, probably just to be with those she loved a little longer.

It makes sense to withhold judgement just a little longer than usual next time we are tempted to make a swift character assessment, because everyone has a story and just because we may see one part of that story, doesn't mean we can interpret the whole of it! 

 Today is "My Post Monday!" It's all about original content from bloggers who care to share what is on their minds--from Crafts to Camping, Wellness to Wealth, Fashion to Food, and whatever else is on the brain!  I  open up with a post of my own and then follow it up with a linky of the week's top original blog posts! It's all about what the writer thinks, believes, and knows--in other words, they are active, writing blogs. If I happen to find a great original, non-sponsored post, I'll link it up and share it with you here and on Twitter via the #MyPostMonday hashtag!  I can miss some amazing posts, but I don't want to!  So, in addition, if you'd like to link up yourself, you can do that too!  I'll visit your site, comment, promote and publicize! (Affiliate links welcome!)  

Monday, January 23, 2017

Perspective Gained From Others' Quest For Freedom + #MyPostMonday The Week's Best Original Content

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This past weekend I read an amazing book called The Girl With Seven Names: A North Korean Defector's Story by Hyeonseo Lee. It was fascinating and I couldn't put it down!   We can learn a lot from North Korean defectors. From childhood they are lied to, made to believe they have no choice, are made to be afraid, to not ask questions, told to betray their neighbors and friends, and watch public executions for things like complaining about rations, not dressing like the rest of the citizenry, or consuming foreign literature, entertainment, and music. They are taught that the Kim regime is all-knowing and beneficent. Religion and free-thinking are absolutely not allowed.
Some of them are actually brave enough use logic and reason to form different opinions than what they are indoctrinated with, and dare to think there is something else out there. Most of these "truth-seekers" go through extreme risk and hardship in order to defect to neighboring countries like South Korea, China, Taiwan, Laos, etc. If they do succeed, they find such a stark contrast, compared to the fictitious things that were fed to them. They realize that their country is 3rd world compared to the neighboring countries and that their supposedly mighty military power is weak at best. They certainly didn't conquer South Korea or China, as they were told. Nor are the Americans and other Westerners savages that kill children in the streets.
When many of the defectors first come into their host countries after many hardships, their problems aren't over. They have adjustment problems. They are usually very suspicious, vindictive, ready to fight and rat out their fellow citizens. They are hesitant to help another human being. It's what the regime has turned them into! It takes patience and a period of tutelage to help the new immigrants to adjust. Thus, the journey to one's freedom is more than mere distance!
Image - kw Wood

Monday, January 16, 2017

Creating Peace and Serenity + #MyPostMonday The Week's Best Original Content

There is nothing as peaceful to me as quiet snow falling around a tiny little cabin, warmed by a fire, with a cup of something hot to sip on. I'm sure it stems from the vacations my family took when I was small. We stayed in a tiny cabin for a few weeks every summer in Montana, and it was magical for me! To languish as long as possible in those moments is truly something to hold onto. Especially when there is so much to get stressed over, just thinking about it. 

I mean, seriously, how can Barnum & Bailey be closing forever? There goes a 146 year old piece of Americana! And all jest aside--the America I have known for all my life, is it really that bad? Because it is disappearing like a really bad game of Jenga, one piece at a time. Before long, children will think of the America I have known and loved as some kind of ancient history! And I'm not talking about the land-line dial-tone phones, the t.v.'s you had to stand up and walk over to change the channel, the strict dress standards at the school, or the excitement of watching the local parade. I'm talking about the respect that neighbors had for one another, the friendliness of people to each other, the slower pace of life, the overall lack of worry about locking the front door, the patriotism that citizens felt for the flag. 

And while I am concerned for the future of the country, and definitely other things that are more parts of my personal life, I love those peaceful moments when I don't have to think about anything but how much I'm enjoying the moment.  
I hope that we can all take a few moments and go to that peaceful place that gives us serenity more often, where worry isn't a part of the equation. Yes, it's appropriate to voice concerns, to take part in the change that is wanted/needed. But worrying about it is not really going to change anything.

Image - Jerol Garner

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Determination Could Save Your Life + #MyPostMonday The Week's Best Original Content

I sometimes wonder exactly how much grit and determination I would have if I were stuck out in the wilderness and no one knew where I was. Would I just lay down and hope against all hope that someone would rescue me, or would I do everything humanly possible to find a solution? If my recent experience of running out of gas on the freeway is any indication, it might be a very sketchy situation for me if I were in a more precarious scenario. 
I am a work-smarter-not-harder kind of person. But somehow my gas tank filling habits are definitely on the dumbed down side of my thought process, I am always seeing how far I can get before I absolutely have to fill up. 
And so I found myself trying to get home after work on fumes, constantly glancing at the gauge to see if I could make it to the next gas station. Fortunately, I was going downhill on the freeway and close to the exit, which I took, as my car slowed down---70, 60, 55---What made matters even worse was it was also the day I forgot my phone, so I couldn't call anyone. (Yes, it was a Monday and it had been a hectic pre-Christmas weekend.) There is obviously more than one way to run on fumes!
 I waited in the car with my flashers on for a full 26 minutes, not knowing where any gas stations were. I finally decided I needed to hoof it to someplace, any place, where there was a phone because no one seemed to want to stop and help this hapless woman, chilling in her car, flashers going, just barely off the exit ramp. I saw a distant building approximately 2 miles away that looked like an office setup. So I got out of the car and started walking. I hadn't walked 20 yards when I realized that on my right was a gas station that had been obscured by a small hill. That was my ticket to success and I was soon happily on my way. 
I could have waited in my car indefinitely, waiting for who knows what. I'm embarrassed that I waited for as long as I did.

Image - John Lloyd
And then there's the recent story of a woman who walked for 30 straight hours to find help when her family became stranded around the Grand Canyon because it was closed for the season. She wasn't about to give up. Her twin sister said that her personality is "Do it, or die trying."  She ended up eating pine twigs to keep herself from starving, drinking her own urine trying to keep herself hydrated and finally found a ranger cabin, breaking a window to get in, where she collapsed, barely conscious. Fortunately she was found. I've got to say, I admire her courage and her unwillingness to just lay down and give up. 
I think this kind of determination applies in a lot of different situations, not just life or death. What about you? Do you have the determination to "Do it, or die trying"?

 Today is "My Post Monday!" It's all about original content from bloggers who care to share what is on their minds--from Crafts to Camping, Wellness to Wealth, Fashion to Food, and whatever else is on the brain!  I  open up with a post of my own and then follow it up with a linky of the week's top original blog posts! It's all about what the writer thinks, believes, and knows--in other words, they are active, writing blogs. If I happen to find a great original, non-sponsored post, I'll link it up and share it with you here and on Twitter via the #MyPostMonday hashtag!  I can miss some amazing posts, but I don't want to!  So, in addition, if you'd like to link up yourself, you can do that too!  I'll visit your site, comment, promote and publicize! (Affiliate links welcome!) 

Monday, November 21, 2016

Loved And Lost (Mostly Loved) + #MyPostMonday The Week's Best Original Content

This week my heart hurts a little more for those who won't be with their loved ones. Everyday people die, that's just how it goes. But during the holidays it seems a bit more tragic. I know my mom died just 2 days before Thanksgiving. It was hard, but at the same time, it turned out pretty nice because it made it easier for our working family members to come in and be with us during that hard time. We were able to come together and reminisce about times with our mother. It would have made her so happy to see us all together like that on Thanksgiving!

Today a school bus carrying 35 children in Chattanooga crashed and 6 of them were killed--So tragic for so many people. My heart goes out to the families who have to endure this loss and try to make sense of it in their own minds. Although I don't know any of these children or their parents, I do know how it feels to lose someone who is your world and when they are gone, your world goes with them. There is a time when you feel as though you don't want to go on, that you'd rather just lay down and not try. It hurts so badly. But even in that sadness and grief, you might say that you were one of the lucky ones--who knew, loved, lost, but mostly loved.
Image - Mark Smith
Today is "My Post Monday!" It's all about original content from bloggers who care to share what is on their minds--from Crafts to Camping, Wellness to Wealth, Fashion to Food, and whatever else is on the brain!  I  open up with a post of my own and then follow it up with a linky of the week's top original blog posts! It's all about what the writer thinks, believes, and knows--in other words, they are active, writing blogs. If I happen to find a great original, non-sponsored post, I'll link it up and share it with you here and on Twitter via the #MyPostMonday hashtag!  I can miss some amazing posts, but I don't want to!  So, in addition, if you'd like to link up yourself, you can do that too!  I'll visit your site, comment, promote and publicize! (Affiliate links welcome!)
 

Monday, November 7, 2016

Wise Decision Making + #MyPostMonday The Week's Best Original Content

I just read a Facebook thread where the owner of the page wrote, "Name 5 Things You Love About Yourself." There were those who were able to write 5 things and then there were the ones who said, "I can't today" or "I can't at this point in my life." It's kind of heartbreaking when someone can't even see one good thing about themselves. It means that they are living with stress, sorrow, and loads of self-criticism. There is a point when you can't live to please others, you need to nurture and help yourself. Stress, anxiety and depression are caused when we are living to please others. If you find yourself trying to fit someone else's mold, and it isn't making you happy, it's time for a break to find out what you can do to renew yourself! Sometimes making a correct decision is a hard decision. We live so much to please others. So today I want to remind you to find 5 things about yourself that you admire or love. If you can't do that today, then work on it by choosing a path that nourishes your soul!

Today is "My Post Monday!" It's all about original content from bloggers who care to share what is on their minds--from Crafts to Camping, Wellness to Wealth, Fashion to Food, and whatever else is on the brain!  I  open up with a post of my own and then follow it up with a linky of the week's top original blog posts! It's all about what the writer thinks, believes, and knows--in other words, they are active, writing blogs. If I happen to find a great original, non-sponsored post, I'll link it up and share it with you here and on Twitter via the #MyPostMonday hashtag!  I can miss some amazing posts, but I don't want to!  So, in addition, if you'd like to link up yourself, you can do that too!  I'll visit your site, comment, promote and publicize! (Affiliate links welcome!) 

Monday, October 24, 2016

America's Middle Class + #MyPostMonday The Week's Best Original Content

We are getting ready to vote here in the U.S., with millions of mail-in votes already in, and I have never felt more dismal about the whole thing. I feel like so many things are wrong with how the government governs. I feel like too many burdens are being placed on the backs of decent, hard-working middle class Americans. I feel like we are being lied to by everyone in government. I feel like once the middle class goes, America goes. These are just two stories coming at me TODAY, not even scratching the surface, but still more than I want to even think about. 
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1) The pentagon promised 10,000 California National Guard veterans bonuses of varying amounts, the most being $25,000, if they would reenlist. They did this because California was severely short of recruits in the conflicts of Iraq and Afghanistan. These were veterans who had already served and were not obligated in any way to reenlist. But they did, with the good faith that if they put out this one extra sacrifice, they would be rewarded. After all, they were already trained and proven, so they would save the military money. Now 10 years later, the government is telling them to repay the money or be subject to aggressive collection. It doesn't matter what the reason is, I feel that it's immoral to go after veterans who kept their promise to defend our country and then take back what was promised them for doing so. Many of these men had served multiple tours and were doing so again in order to somehow support their families doing what they had been trained to do. This of course is the middle class being picked on. If you want to sign a petition protesting it, go here!

2) We have just learned that Obama Care premiums haven't peaked. Not by a long shot. They are going up by double-digits! If you are one of the middle class, who either doesn't have access to job provided insurance or you need additional coverage for existing conditions, etc. you are getting gauged! Middle class folks are getting upset and I can see why! Consider this frustrated voter:
"If you don't think it's real I'll give you a personal example. My company sponsored insurance went from me paying around $550 per month to about $1400 per month. That is ridiculous! Seriously? Who pays that? We had to switch to a lower coverage, higher deductible plan just to get our premiums back to what they were. This Obamacare has destroyed the health care market. And he calls it a growing pain? Easy to say when you're a millionaire with every perk life has to offer. He's destroyed insurability for the middle income. The class that all these presidents vow to help. We are the cash cow that lines the pockets of the elite. We work hard so they don't have to. It's sickening..."
 I don't have the answers. But for a system to be failing so dismally in so many areas, there is only one thing that screams out to me...There is widespread corruption on every level of government, and every level of corporate America, and it has spilled into the citizenry because we have been fed lies of complacency. Wake up America before it is too late! Or is it already too late and we will be facing the consequences in November?

Like fall leaves clinging to the rocks in the rushing water, so are the middle class fighting to just hang on and not be swept away by the headlong tide of governmental control and greed! Are you a middle-class American? How does it feel to be an endangered species?
Image Credit - Jan Munger
Today is "My Post Monday!" It's all about original content from bloggers who care to share what is on their minds--from Crafts to Camping, Wellness to Wealth, Fashion to Food, and whatever else is on the brain!  I  open up with a post of my own and then follow it up with a linky of the week's top original blog posts! It's all about what the writer thinks, believes, and knows--in other words, they are active, writing blogs. If I happen to find a great original, non-sponsored post, I'll link it up and share it with you here and on Twitter via the #MyPostMonday hashtag!  I can miss some amazing posts, but I don't want to!  So, in addition, if you'd like to link up yourself, you can do that too!  I'll visit your site, comment, promote and publicize! (Affiliate links welcome!)

Monday, October 17, 2016

Choosing Happy + #MyPostMonday The Week's Best Original Content

I am in quite a quandary right now. I enjoyed the best summer vacation--I got to blog, travel, relax, enjoy family, get creative, and develop myself as a person. Then the school year began and although I like my job, I don't love it. And when things get hard, like when one of our staff is gone and we have to do double duty, then I really don't love it. (In fact, it approaches intense dislike) That is why I've been absent here for awhile. When work gets stressful, my routine suffers. I neglect my health more because I don't take the time to plan my eating routine and work out, etc. My husband starts acting really needy because I don't have time or energy to give him the attention he seems to crave. And my blogging suffers because I am tired and am basically in survival mode. 
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Right now, I need to make sure that I have the right mindset because the most important thing for me is that I am happy during stressful times. If it means I need a pint of Haagen-Daas chocolate ice cream, (which I did "need" today) in order to survive and feel like I am happy, then that is what I'm going to do. However, if over the course of a week, my pants start feeling uncomfortably snug, am I doing a myself a favor? I think not. But are these stupid little stresses even worth worrying about? 

Monday, September 5, 2016

#MyPostMonday Link-Up #27 The Week's Best Original Content

I used to think that once I met my husband and got married, that my life would be set and I would achieve my happily-ever-after. Wow, was that delusional or what? I had so much living yet to do and so many experiences that would make me the awesome, cynical, sometimes-depressed, introverted, and opinionated person that I am. And I know that I'm not even close to done yet! I love the photo below because it really illustrates that one may have done quite a bit to be where they are at an exact moment, but we are certainly not ever done! I believe in continuous movement. Whether that is going backwards or forwards, it is constant. I am the one that will choose which way I want to go!!

Image - Colleen Awsumb
Today is "My Post Monday!" It's all about original content from bloggers who care to share what is on their minds--from Crafts to Camping, Wellness to Wealth, Fashion to Food, and whatever else is on the brain!  I  open up with a post of my own and then follow it up with a linky of the week's top original blog posts! It's all about what the writer thinks, believes, and knows--in other words, they are active, writing blogs. If I happen to find a great original, non-sponsored post, I'll link it up and share it with you here and on Twitter via the #MyPostMonday hashtag!  I can miss some amazing posts, but I don't want to!  So, in addition, if you'd like to link up yourself, you can do that too!  I'll visit your site, comment, promote and publicize! (Affiliate links welcome!)

Monday, August 29, 2016

#MyPostMonday Link-Up #26 The Week's Best Original Content

Along The Extra Mile
Suffice it to say that a picture can speak a thousand words and leave it at that! This is one of the many shots my son got while he was hiking in the back country of Wyoming with his college roommates. We have a great working partnership, he and I. He gets all these amazing shots of places that I can't get to 'cause I don't own a helicopter. Then I put nifty captions on them and sometimes put in my two cents worth. Not a bad deal, eh?

image - Ed Whitmore
Today is "My Post Monday!" It's all about original content from bloggers who care to share what is on their minds--from Crafts to Camping, Wellness to Wealth, Fashion to Food, and whatever else is on the brain!  I  open up with a post of my own and then follow it up with a linky of the week's top original blog posts! It's all about what the writer thinks, believes, and knows--in other words, they are active, writing blogs. If I happen to find a great original, non-sponsored post, I'll link it up and share it with you here and on Twitter via the #MyPostMonday hashtag!  I can miss some amazing posts, but I don't want to!  So, in addition, if you'd like to link up yourself, you can do that too!  I'll visit your site, comment, promote and publicize! (Affiliate links welcome!)

Monday, August 15, 2016

#MyPostMonday Link-Up #24 The Week's Best Original Content

What The Meteor Showers Taught Me
The Perseid Meteor Shower happened last week. We love to watch cosmic displays when possible.  One year we took our blankets, pillows, and pet to a well-attended park to see the phenomena! It was going to be an amazing time!!! It started out so great--people laughing, talking, oohing, and ahhing when a meteor was spotted! And then, two hours into it, all the sprinklers came on, dousing us and everyone else. I'm not going to lie, it also kind of doused our own enthusiasm and we left in a hurry.
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We hadn't tried to go again until last Thursday, the 11th of August, because this time it was going to be an "outburst"--meteors showing at double the rate!  I said something like, "Let's go! We are so much more experienced than before and have our acts together. We're seasoned and will be able to navigate this. We won't hit a park, no siree, we're going up to the heights of the mountain, out of the light pollution, to see it in as much glory as we can possibly see it, without traveling hundreds of miles." (After all, this was very spontaneous.) So again, we gathered our supplies--the anti-gravity chairs, the tarp, the sleeping bags, blankets, some snacks, and headed up the mountain to Alta! Our destination was the Albion Basin Campground, high above Salt Lake Valley.

We set everything up out in a meadow, near the parking lot. It was a cool crisp evening, almost 25 degrees cooler than where we live below. But I was fine, I had a blanket and a sleeping bag to snuggle in on my own anti-gravity recliner! But soon I felt the need to keep my entire face covered because it became uncomfortably cold, not the ideal position to be in if you want to see a few meteors whizzing by! I must have fallen asleep because my husband patted my head and asked if I was O.K. I said "yes, but I'm freezing!" Apparently he was too, because he wanted to pack it up and go. He wasn't dressed as warmly as I was, having worn cargo shorts. So once again, a rather anti-climatic end to a rare show in the night sky. That's OK, I saw a few meteors and they were beautiful. I just didn't experience the deluge of falling light that I had envisioned. But, all it takes is one shooting star to make a wish come true! I also love the quote below, along with a beautiful image by someone who planned much better than we did!

Image by Ryan Jones
 Today is "My Post Monday!" It's all about original content from bloggers who care to share what is on their minds--from Crafts to Camping, Wellness to Wealth, Fashion to Food, and whatever else is on the brain!  I  open up with a post of my own and then follow it up with a linky of the week's top original blog posts! It's all about what the writer thinks, believes, and knows--in other words, they are active, writing blogs. If I happen to find a great original, non-sponsored post, I'll link it up and share it with you here and on Twitter via the #MyPostMonday hashtag!  I can miss some amazing posts, but I don't want to!  So, in addition, if you'd like to link up yourself, you can do that too!  I'll visit your site, comment, promote and publicize! (Affiliate links welcome!)