Blog in Progress

I learned something new today. Yes, me! That feeling is pretty amazing, isn't it? When you learn something you didn't know before and you have that "aha!" moment. The thing is, learning is one of the few things I get really excited and passionate about. It's why I love to read, why I love watching YouTube tutorials and why I love to travel. Unfortunately, it's also the reason I get bored with jobs. Once I've learned how to do a job, I'm done. I'm finished learning. But I still have bills! ...sigh...which is why I have to find new ways to challenge myself in whatever work I'm doing. And I can do that, too, it's just not nearly as much fun as learning something brand new. But today--I LEARNED SOMETHING BRAND NEW!!!! Well, new to me, anyway. And I know you're going to think it's silly, because some of you already know how to code. But I don't. And I've avoided learning any code every since I failed that Java Programming...

I have been an admirer of Matthew Lesko for years. I have watched his enthusiastic antics as he showed people how they could get just about anything for free, or at a greatly reduced price. Are you unemployed due to the economy? Stuck in a job where you don't feel you're making a difference or being relevant? Are you just living from paycheck to paycheck? Or throwing money away on rent when you'd love to be in your own home? Matthew has so many resources available for YOU. Sometimes it takes some paperwork, maybe some thinking or making a few decisions. But a year from now, you'll be happy you finished that application, or kept that appointment. I firmly believe that if you can imagine your life as different, you can get there from where you are right now.

Who doesn't love free things? The idea of finding freebies ranks right up there with finding buried treasure--I know I get excited at finding free stuff (even if I have to pay a little tax, I still consider it FREE!) So imagine my excitement at finding FreeStuff.com. I still haven't finished checking it out, so I'm off to see what else they have! Click here for more information!

Do you ever talk just to hear yourself talk? Let's be honest and admit that sometimes we firmly believe that what we have to say is much more important and valuable than what other people are saying. It doesn't matter what age we are, our opinion will always be more valuable to us. That doesn't mean that we never listen to other's opinions, because we do. That doesn't mean that we won't ever change our opinions, because it happens all the time.  But it does mean that if someone is voicing an opinion that is different from the one we are currently choosing to entertain, that they'd better have a pretty good line of reasoning to make us even consider a change. Otherwise, most of what they say is not going to resonate, to stick with us, and they are pretty much just talking in the wind. And we'll stop listening eventually and our inner voice will reassure us that we do, in fact, have the better opinion after all. So when we talk, we are convinced ...

If you are like me, you like to look at pretty things. Even when I know I can't afford something, looking is free, right? In my imagination, I know what it looks like, what I would put inside, or what I might stash in it. And a healthy imagination is a good thing. So I do a lot of web surfing on store sites. My version of window shopping. Oh, yeah. Check out this pretty case! I love collecting nice things! And sometimes, it makes me long for the days when I was still dreaming about my wedding in the future.... Wedding dress......yummmm But usually, I'm just happy to be thinking about what it would be like to have a great pair of boots. Great boots!

And here I am again. It seems as if I'm always in front of this screen and typing away. Even when I'm at my "job", I am thinking about what I'm going to write next, what I will say and how I will arrange the words to make it sound "the best". Isn't that what we all really want? To be heard as an individual? To be appreciated for our uniqueness? To have our existence validated by others? I say that, and on one level, I believe it's true. But there's this internal dialogue that replies: really? you don't even know these people, and you're asking for peer validation? It doesn't make sense. But still, it feels true on some level. So, I write these words and send them out into the universe. They may never be seen by another living person. But the fact that I've written them and imagine that they will be read as soon as I hit the "publish" button, validates my thoughts and feelings. At least to myself. Those are my ...

Ever wondered about getting your own TENS unit for pain management? Living Pain Free

Antlers, Oklahoma "Come visit Antlers, Oklahoma, Deer Capital of the World and home of the annual Deer  Festival the first weekend in October*. See the Kiamichi River and the lovely rolling hills in Pushmataha County."  That's the ad for my ebook that was written in early 2016.  Click here to check it out . I don't like to sound like an advertisement for tourists--but Antlers is my home town and a very friendly place to visit. If you get a chance, you should visit! *Recently, the town has voted to change the date of the annual Deer Festival to the last weekend of each September, beginning in 2018.

Passageway By Stephen Godwin There was something odd about the narrow passageway the two of them were crawling through but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Maybe it was the ambient lighting that came from nowhere, but was a warm glow that allowed for everything you were looking at to be seen.  Perhaps it was that,  while the low ceiling necessitated them crawling on hands and knees while dragging their gear behind, it was fully wide enough for them to be side by side. Maybe it was that, even thought there was an intermittent spray of something water-ish coming from pipe fittings not quite sealed, there was no filth or mold or vermin to be seen. Or maybe, just possibly, it was because he and she were completely comfortable with the fact that they were as naked as the day they were born. As they made headway down the path, he thought a bit of conversation only natural, so he asked about the weather. "You know, that's a very silly question," she said....

Those Wacky Cats One of my favorite things to do when I'm having one of those "blah" days, is to check out what those wacky cats are doing these days. They get into some pretty hilarious adventures, and thanks to other people who think the same thing, this world will NEVER run out of funny cat videos! So one of my favorite things to do while sipping a cup of hot tea on a cool morning is to watch funny videos of cats and other animals going completely bonkers and having a rollicking good time. Baby animals are the cutest, but just about any animal can behave in wildly unpredictable behavior. It's more fun than television! And if I can watch them in person, I'm mesmerized by the hilarity. I like to think that most people are as fascinated as I am by wacky antics of animals. I'm pretty sure, anyway. I say that based solely on the multitude of videos produced and maintained on YouTube and other video sites. If you've never taken a picture of your p...

Satiety Once again, I was in deep thought over my love of words . Satiety is one of those words. The sound of them as they roll off the tongue. How they came to be, and how young people take them and reshape their meaning and usage, chopping off the ends, or adding new endings. Etymology. What, exactly, does an etymologist DO? It's not like there's a big demand for etymologists. You never hear a first grader say, "I'm going to be an etymologist when I grow up." You never hear a spelling-bee champion say that her goal is to someday be the most famous etymologist in the world. Nope. It just doesn't happen. What would be the criteria for a bad etymologist? "Oops, John was just demoted for not knowing the root meaning of 'zelaphonous'--and he couldn't even use it properly in a sentence!" Serious head-shaking going on there as the office watches John pack up his Roget's and Webster's volumes. Despite the shortage of etymolog...

I've always loved rhyming words. Well, mainly poetry. But anything that rhymes catches my ear. Probably yours, too. It's the reason commercial jingles always do so well. I can remember television ads from when I was a child. Not every ad, of course, just the ones with really catchy tunes. But who wants to go around singing, "Winston tastes good like a cigarette should." ? Although most of those jingles have outlived their usefulness, they refuse to be deleted from my memory cells. And do I really need them taking up space? I don't want them taking up space; and I never intend to use them again. But there they are. And there are plenty of new things that I need to learn, to remember, to hold onto.  But there's no space for the new stuff. Actually, according to scientists, there is still plenty of space for the new stuff. So why do I forget things so easily the older I get? By the way, it's not just me--I hear people in their 20's say the ...

September Fourteen Have you ever had one of those days when, well, you wake up tired? And you can't seem to focus on anything.  I know that there are things that I need to be doing, I know that there are things that I absolutely have to get done....today. And I will eventually stop procrastinating long enough to get those necessary things done. There are other things that I want to do that I just feel that I don't have nearly enough time. Those are the things that I know that are good for me--like: I want to start walking again, but how in the world am I going to fit even 30 minutes of walking in my schedule, when I get up and I'm just barely in time for work, and I get home and all I want to do is sit down or take a nap? It's just very difficult. So, I think I need maybe to work on just not procrastinating so much. Can I do that later? The one thing that helps me (a little bit),  is watching YouTube videos on motivation because when you're starting ou...

Relativity Do you have relatives like mine? My perception is that some of the people in my family you probably would label as "unique" just to be kind.  I do, too, but let's face it: sometimes relatives can be embarrassing. You know what? They probably say the same thing about me from time to time, if what my kids say is any indication. There's the relative who thinks they know it all. Got it. Check. There's the relative who really does know it all. Got it. Check. There's the relative who works at trying to sound and act like Barney Fife--you know: the hopeless yokel. Got several of those. Missing teeth and all (except that Barney Fife had all of his teeth. As far as I know). There's the aunt who has to hug too long. I'm still working on that. Relatives exist to bring you joy, pain, humiliation and embarrassment.  They keep you grounded, they make you infuriated. They help you stay humble (not always in the nicest way) and sometimes if ...

Does it Matter? Sometimes no matter how hard I feel like I have tried to do the "right" thing--people still disappoint me. I still feel like they have let me down. This time, it's been  a double whammy.  My ex-husband  (of 20 years!) thinks that I am behind some trouble he got into with his newest ex-wife and authorities. He has been married twice since we divorced. He moved away, moved back, got divorced in the last year. And the trouble he has been in is all of his own making.  But our grown daughter, who lives with me, was working for him (he owns his own business), and she quit, which is the ONLY factor I can see that even comes close to having anything to do with ME. And now he is spreading this accusation against me to anyone who will listen. Oh, and did I mention he's stalking my house? It's just downright creepy. He's parked a half a block away each morning when I leave for work. The other part of the whammy is my sister who recently moved ba...

There are not nearly enough descriptive words to describe how colors can change the way I feel. Delighted. Awed. Amazed. Breathtaking. Grateful. Soothed. Calmed. Excited. And colors in flowers, nature, paintings or photographs can lift your spirits and make your day brighter. Combine it with the right music, and it's amazing what it can do to my mood. Make a list of what makes you feel encouraged, motivated and uplifted.

What Inspires Me Everyone has something that inspires them. It might be a painting by someone famous. It might be a beautiful piece of classical music. Or a special motivating quote. But you have something that you can hear, see, touch or feel that gives you strength to continue when you are tired or discouraged or just feel like giving up. Well, I'm the same way! There are some things that I feel so deeply about, that move me so much that I can't find the words to express, and many times, I experience them on such an emotional level that I start crying.  I think all of us can feel that same level of emotional connection, we just have to give ourselves permission to be really in the moment. Concentrate on that feeling, let it take you as deeply inward as you can possibly go. Even a quiet moment can be used to focus on what you are feeling and let it move you. But that's just what is happening inside your mind and body. I want to use this site as a resource that...

September Eight There's a lot going on in the world right now. So many things sometimes my head is spinning with all of the media overload.  There are multiple hurricanes coming. Hurricane Harvey just devastated Houston and Irma is threatening to do the same to Florida. My cousin and friends live there and I think they're safe but I won't really know much more until tomorrow.  Then there's a humongous earthquake that just hit Mexico, which will trigger a tsunami. There are wars and terrorism and a raging fire in Oregon. That just scratches the surface. And on top of all that, I think my phone just died. Just trying to keep things in perspective. Hey, I did leave the phone incident until the last. I'm not completely without a true sense of priority.  Today was Friday. It was good because it was Friday. I think we don't have enough Fridays. Who's with me? I'm trying to get a break from the news. Just trying to enjoy a little peace and quiet fo...

September Seven Went by in a blur. But, to be fair, most of my days go by in a blur. But I have lost track of too many, so September Seven is going to get a review, even if it is brief and after the fact. Okay. So, being a weekday, I got up for work and immediately thought: do I really want to get up and go to work? And the answer, of course, was no way!  But, I have grown addicted to hot water and electricity, and can't count on the relatives anymore to pitch in and help buy groceries...sigh....So I convinced myself once again that I should get up and go about my normal business until something better comes my way. Will it ever? I don't know, but I choose to remain optimistic about the chances of my being able to live the kind of life I want to live, rather than the one I am forced* to live at present. Which always brings me back to my vision board. I love the idea of a vision board, a concrete way of reminding myself what my short- and long-term goals are. But do ...

Variety The spice of life, or so they say.  But that means that life can be spicy. Or not. So, what's the opposite of spicy? Bland? Then I definitely have lived my share of unspicy days. But I will have to amend that statement to stress that although nothing exciting may have happened on those very bland days--I always felt like I learned something from every experience in my life. Sometimes it wasn't really something that I wanted to learn, or felt like I needed to learn--but I learned something new nevertheless. Everything that happens to you can be a teachable moment, if you pay attention. However, if you find yourself having the same kinds of experiences over and over again--and maybe not enjoying them at all--then maybe you're not paying attention. Because really, you should (ideally) only have to learn a lesson ONE TIME. I am a firm believer that if you find yourself having made the same mistake twice--that you should never repeat it again. It's basic...

September Six Wow. There's something so freeing about writing an online diary with just day to day events. And interesting to think that should this post outlive me, my children, grandchildren, and who knows who else? will be viewing this at some point when I am not around to explain exactly what I meant by that comment. This site is just for fun, really. I have others that I am working on, but they all started with different ideas about where they were going and what they were going to be designed for. Well, actually, this one did, too. But then I decided to change it up and make it more personal. This site is not designed to help anyone or anything except relieve the pressure of all the words I have floating around in my head, wanting to get out. And all of the need to be creative, to write down my thoughts, my ideas--even those that are just half-formed. And believe me, there are plenty of those! I've tried using a recorder app, but I can't even talk fast e...

Rarity. He stopped digging for a few moments, listening for the sound he knew was supposed to be there. Nothing. Sighing, he lifted his shovel once again.  Four hours later, he stopped abruptly as he felt a hard metal surface under the shovel blade. Digging with renewed enthusiasm, he moved another two feet of sandy soil before triumphantly uncovering his treasure. He reached down into the chasm he'd created, opened the rotted wood and metal trunk and gently picked out the silver engraved goblet, lying in pristine condition amid overflowing jewels of every brilliant color and bright coins both silver and gold.  Ignoring everything except the silver cup, he stood tall, glanced quickly around in the darkness, listened carefully once again, and silently left. The journey home took several hours, but it seemed only a few moments because of the tumult of his excited thoughts. Finally, the cup was his and his alone. Back where it belonged. It should never have been taken fr...