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Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water
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#WeekendCoffeeShare Transformation Time
January 7, 2017
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#WeekendCoffeeShare
If we were having coffee this weekend I would tell you my life is healthy and happy with few exceptions. I had a quiet week experimenting with historical fiction and multi camera live streaming on Facebook. I produced nothing of great artistic import, but have challenged myself to develop these skills in order to do so. I wrote one very undeveloped story in which I mixed some outrageous truths about my paternal great-grandfather with some embellishment I created. It was short and kind of silly, but I feel happy to have started down this path. I published it. I have studied my genealogy for a long time, and have many factual stories on which to base my future efforts. I believe in time I will write longer and more involved stories, but also have been reading and studying flash fiction. This burning hot brief format insists on an outstanding title, a perfect last line, and usually the events presented out of chronological order. I want to work up to that too. I started a bullet journal and joined a Facebook group on the subject. This calendar system is a brilliant way for me to incorporate my new writing styles into my regular blogging. I have much to learn from the Bu-Jo peeps, as they call themselves. They are inspiring and highly educational, much like the food preppers.
If you are here in Tucson at my home today I will invite you to drink a hot cup of coffee or tea of your choice. I had a big fire in the stove last night so the house is staying warm this morning. We have not had our first real freeze, so the flowers are still in bloom. Help yourself to fresh grapefruit juice from the giant crop I am harvesting in the garden this year. I am serving a large fruit salad with berries and watermelon. Enjoy our sunny day and some fresh fruit flavors while you tell me how your week has been. I so appreciate sharing this time will all of you on the weekends. In fact, many of my new efforts as a writer have been inspired by all of you. I love to learn about your writing studios, the writing challenges you accept, and the way you make it work with daily life. I admire the fiction writers and poets who tell stories from imagination. I also love to see the photography from your own environments. I get to travel without leaving my office. I look forward to your visits. You have encouraged and inspired me to transform and expand my writing skills. It reminds me of being in beginners’ ski school, where you see that everyone falls down, but with practice they get better. You fiction writers are like the intermediate skiers who make me want to be that good someday. Starting is key.
If you want to share some digital coffee and some relaxation with a group of writers go to Diana’s weekend party link. She holds this regular gathering of inspiring individuals from her home in New Orleans. Please join us to read, write, or comment on your week. Thank you all for stopping by today.
poet
Recommit To Fitbit
January 6, 2017
— 3 Comments
waterproof fitbit
I have used a Fitbit for tracking my movement and sleep for years. Recently the battery has started to lose the charge very quickly, indicating end of life issues for my tracker. I thought about just going without it, but decided to re-enlist by purchasing a Fitbit 2, which is waterproof. I have slacked on recording much of the data on the app since my life is going well. To get the most out of my new device I will put it to full use b giving it data. It is easy to record water and foods consumed in the log. By being lazy at the data recording I fail to notice how I can improve on my dietary habits. This is the simplest step to better health and yet I am not doing it. There are logs for resting heart rate and hours of sleep which I have ignored for over a year. When I needed help with my sleep the knowledge gained from my monitor was of supreme help. I found ways to sleep longer and more deeply by watching my statistics carefully. Once I conquered my sleep issues I stopped recording the data.
I did get a good deal on my new fitness tracker, but it will only be a good deal if I use it to the fullest benefit. I do not accept friends or do challenges with the app, but think I will be healthier if I pay attention to the diet/sleep/water/calorie intake/weight data. When the new apparatus arrives my plan is to give it all the information it can process. If we are fitness partners there is no point in trying to hide from my own truth. Fitness and health are complex issues. They are influenced by habits and social norms. We know what is healthy and good for our bodies, but must practice awareness to stay in a healthy groove. Fitbit 2 will be on my team, but I am still the leader of my own wellness program. Do you use a fitness tracker, gentle reader? Have you been faithful to logging all the data, or have you been a slacker like me?
Ready for Epiphanies?
January 5, 2017
— 1 Comment
Time For Transformational Epiphany
Dynamic Start-UP energies are running strong today Jan 5 and tomorrow morning, Jan 6!
The first ARIES MOON 2017 – an Initiation Energy that we can easily tune into emotionally now – kicks the CAP SUN and PLUTO out of its ‘hibernation station’ –
WAKE UP, People!
HA – the Year of the Fire Rooster or Phoenix Bird is on the horizon too (starts on the day after the next New Moon, Jan 28).
Phoenix
Today, the ARIES MOON ignites URANUS in ARIES:
Time to be open for Breakthroughs, and to give ourselves permission to Break Free from old, heavy, slow, conditioned consciousness, and into liberated initiatives.
Prometheus bringing the Fire of the Gods to Humanity
And remember, 2017 is a ‘1’ Year – and it all starts with ARIES, and # 1 – the SELF. Nobody does it ‘for you’, and that’s a good thing.
Show up authentically, drop…
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#NationalSpaghettiDay Celebration
January 4, 2017
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The food holidays come daily, but few are as popular as spaghetti day. Pasta is popular all over the world. Kids can usually be cajoled into eating dinner if there is pasta involved. When I was a child we rarely ate pasta at home, but I looked forward to outings to restaurants where I could order it. I also had some Italian friends at school and Brownie Scouts whose moms totally rocked the dinner table. I connived to find ways to be invited to their houses to eat. The first dishes I learned to prepare myself in the kitchen were lasagna (my mom never made it) and beef Stroganoff on a bed of egg noodles. I believe I was trying to knock off some of my friends’ mothers recipes. Since pasta is such an easy and versatile dish to prepare I have been making noodles since I was knee-high to a grasshopper.
We eat pasta about once a week, but I try to vary the ways I prepare it. I have not made a lasagna in years because I am so lazy now, but I do bake pasta dishes for the same effect. Today I have an assortment of fresh vegetables that need to be used. I have roasted a butternut squash for sauce, and am now roasting a red onion for color and excitement. My approach to cooking is to use what I have on hand in the most creative way possible. I hate to waste food. I have parsley, basil, rosemary, marjoram and sage growing in my garden to use to build the flavor profile. Brown butter sage is a great compliment to the butternut squash. If you have not used this versatile winter vegetable to make sauce, here is a vegan recipe:
You can choose to use milk or heavy cream if you want those extra grams of fat and calories. It also works with vegetable bullion. Of course there are plenty of pre-made sauces in jars that taste fabulous. #NationalSpaghettiDay is a very easy holiday to use to express your inner chef. Wander off into trying ingredients you like on other dishes..olives, artichokes, garlic, herbs..Have fun, gentle readers. Buon apetito!
I love spaghetti!
Crab Grass
January 3, 2017
— 1 Comment
Ernie in Coffeeville
The perfectly manicured green grass shimmers in the bright morning sun as we take out the lawn bowling set that belonged to our great-grandfather. He was both a lawn perfectionist and a lawn bowler, a rare combination none of his children or grandchildren has encountered again in life. He took great pains to keep the crabgrass out and the healthy green grass trimmed evenly. His yard was his pride and joy. His children were enslaved in landscaping work during the time they lived in their father’s home. Like Claude Monet it appeared that Jason cared more about his garden than he did about his children’s happiness. Because of his particular love of lawn perfection and startling indifference to humans his children called him Crab Grass behind his back.
When my grandfather was young he left home with his brother because they were not fond of Crab Grass, and even less fond of his wife, their stepmother. She claimed to be a witch , but she was known as a con artist. She was a Cherokee woman who would arrive in a town saying she knew where Tecumseh had buried gold in the vicinity. She would then scam the townspeople to bankroll an expedition to find the hidden treasure, then leave. When she met our great-grandfather he was a snake oil salesman. He peddled patent medicine and introduced his second wife to his family as a witch capable of harming them. The boys’ birth mother had died young, leaving them with old Crab Grass and this con woman/witch, living on the Cherokee Nation. Ernie and his brother Ralph ran away to become migrant workers, picking corn and doing other agricultural work all over the Midwest. They worked in the season, then returned to their grandparents’ farm in Kansas during the winters. They rarely visited their father, who lived in a nearby town in Oklahoma.
When great-grandfather Jason died his wife wanted to get rid of the lawn bowling set because she said it was haunted. Nobody recalls which member of our family accepted the large burlap bag full of heavy balls that he had used almost every day of his life. The family did not give it a second thought until the spooky feeling that accompanied the bag became obvious. A family meeting had been called to decide what to do with this creepy inherited game set. It was decided that the bag would travel from home to home, staying for a period of a year each time. Since 1927 this lawn bowling set has brought tragedy, mystery, and wealth to our family. It has acted as a Ouija board, seeming to be directed by spooks, to foretell the future. It seems to be inhabited by the spirit of our ancestor. His restless soul still wants to play his favorite game. Since he is not longer incarnate we figure it can’t hurt to keep the game going for his amusement. As we play on our own lawns now we wonder exactly what we inherited from all our relations. It is far from clear.
William Little Jr, Seventh Great-Grandfather
January 2, 2017
— 1 Comment
In this inventory- Jeanette Armour gets a years support-Her son Andrew is the person who did the inventory.
My seventh great-grandfather was born in Surry, Virginia in 1685. His father, William Sr, was born in Massachusetts Colony and migrated to Virginia. There is a William Little in Surry County by 1687 when he and Edward Napkin are convicted of not going to church. Even earlier, in 1673, a William Little is listed in those who took part in the Lawne’s Creek Church uprising, the first tax strike. According to Elizabeth Wright, a William Little is found on the tax rolls as early as 1674. A John Little appears in 1688.
William Little Sr. was involved in the early colonial tax strike in Surry County, Virginia in 1674. Upon his death, he left his son, William Little II, his plantation and 200 acres upon which William II lived. He also set his slaves free (source: Michael C. Little, 2004).
William Little Jr. was born about 1685. He is listed in his father’s will as the oldest son. Thigpen Tribe lists his birth in 1685. He owned Bought land in 1738 in Surry Co. VA. He owned land that sold on 18 Feb 1755 in Surry Co. VA. William sold 100 acres to Buford Pleasant ” it being part of a tract of land granted by patent to Phillip Hunniford bearing date the 17 Day of May 1666 which was left to the said John Little by his Father in his last will and testament it is part of the tract of land which William Little the father of the sd John Little purchased of Edward Napkin junr” on 5 Jan 1709. He was living on 23 Jun 1755 in Surry Co. VA. 10 Jan 1755 William Little and wife Mourning of Surry Co. to Thomas Davis of Elizabeth City Count 300 acres (being the land William Hart sold him on 16 Mar 1738) bounded by the Mill Swamp, the Meadow Branch, Mile Branch, Benjamin Bell, and the Hog Pen Branch. Witnesses were Thomas Wilson, Benjamin Little, Jacob Little, Joseph Holleman.
On 23 Jun 1755 Mourning Little, wife of William Little, relinquished her Right of Dower in the 300 acres sold to Thomas Davis of Elizabeth City County
In the 1755 tax list for Beaufort; Wm. Little, Abraham Little, James Little, John Little, and Thomas Little were listed. William and Abraham were listed together with only 2 polls (themselves). Amos Atkinson was also listed.
In 1762; Isaac, James, John, Joseph, and Robert Little were listed. He moved before Sep 1755 to Beaufort Co. NC. September 1755, William Little of Surry Co. VA received 300a on Cheeks Mill Swamp to pay a 40 pound obligation from James Cheek in Halifax precinct NC. Deed was witnessed by Amos Atkinson and Abraham Little. He died in Mar 1756 in Beaufort Co. NC. Beaufort Co. NC March Court, 1756. Son Abraham 100 acres where he now dwells, Thos Sharp, Cheek’s Mill Creek, James Hearn; 12lb to survey the land I bought from James Cheek & then to make a title to his 2 brothers. Son William & James – the remainder of sd tract of land which I bought from James Cheek. Son Jacob – 100 acres where I now dwell joining the Dividing Branch. Son John – 100 acres on north side of sd Dividing Branch except my daughter Jane Moring to have the use of where she now dwells during her lifetime. Son Isaac – pot. Son Joseph 10L VA. Wife Morning – rest of my estate during her lifetime & then to my 5 youngest sons Jacob, William, James, Joseph & John. Wife: Morning. Executors sons Isaac and Jacob Little. Witnesses Amos Atkinson, Mary Judkins, Jane Atkinson
He was married to Morning Kimborough . It is likely that Morning is not the mother of Abraham, Isaac, and Jane. William’s will gives Abraham the land where he now lives, Isaac only a pot, and Jane the right to live where she is now living. He makes other specific requests to Jacob and John. He then gives the balance to Morning as long as she lives and then to be divided between his youngest 5 sons. I believe this indicates these are Morning’s children and the other three are not.
(Notes from Jane M. Lindsay 1/3/99 and updated 2002)
William II was involved as a North Carolina commissioner helping settle the Virginia/North Carolina border in 1728, resulting in North Carolina becoming a royal colony.
William Little Jr (1685 – 1756)
7th great-grandfather
Jane Jeanette Little (1713 – 1764)
daughter of William Little Jr
Andrew Armour (1740 – 1801)
son of Jeanette Little
William Armor (1775 – 1852)
son of Andrew Armour
William Armer (1790 – 1837)
son of William Armor
Thomas Armer (1825 – 1900)
son of William Armer
Lucinda Jane Armer (1847 – 1939)
daughter of Thomas Armer
George Harvey Taylor (1884 – 1941)
son of Lucinda Jane Armer
Ruby Lee Taylor (1922 – 2008)
daughter of George Harvey Taylor
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Ruby Lee Taylor
estate
inventory
Float, Sting, Sizzle
January 1, 2017
— 1 Comment
the watcher
I have joined Chris Brogan for several years in pronouncing three theme words for the year as it begins. I have had some random success with this method, but sometimes I completely forget the words. I could look them up, but I don’t know what the words I chose were last year, so it did little good to decide on them. Ironically, I usually have a word on my inspiration list that reminds me to practice regularly, or stay consistent. I believe I have not been specific enough about exactly what I would consistently do or practice. My approach to this year’s words, which I almost did not even do, relate to my wellness and creativity goals. Both wellness and creativity are the summation of small but consistent practices. This year I want to put in minimal effort for maximal results. I want to waste no time, money or effort on anything that does not serve me. If what I find myself doing does not pass the three word test in 2016 I will change my actions. I want to do exclusively three things:
- Float- An efficient swimmer uses glide to stay on top of the water. Getting the most out of each stroke is an art and a strategy for endurance. If I want to live a better life I need to make use of my leisure time to truly fully relax and glide. Meditation, time in nature, yoga, joyous communion with friends, and similar practices feed the soul and allow the mind to center and restore. The float can be active or passive, but in order to qualify as a float it cannot be distracted. We all need the restorative antidote to active lives. This includes sleep and dreams.
- Sting-In an obvious tribute to Mohamed Ali, I plan to sting like a bee in 2017. This represents clean, clear planning and targeted actions. If I am not floating like a butterfly I need to direct my full attention to the task at hand to make it work. I am forever flying by the seat of my pants. This has worked well (??) for me, so I am lazy as hell when it comes to planning. I have so much faith in my own ability to wing it that I do so. Planning and executing a bullet journal to foster ideas for fiction writing I plan to do is an example. I have thought about trying fiction for years, but have taken no action to begin. A sting can be active or passive, but to qualify it must have a target. Stinging involves hitting a predetermined bullseye. It can be a health or a creativity goal, but it is specifically planned to create a desired outcome.
- Sizzle- In order to make any project worth the time it will consume in my schedule it needs to shine. I have plenty of mundane tasks I need to accomplish without adding to the list. This is related to stinging, but is about how the outside world receives my work. If I am to write poetry or fiction worth reading I need to be much more discriminating. In planning what and how to sting I will look beyond my ego and ask the question, “How does this serve the world?” Maybe this will be the year I start to do comedy, which I think I am so good at doing all the time. If I really did comedy on purpose, and actually wrote some material, I could find out if the world would be amused. To sizzle means to score somehow with others to enrich their lives. It can be strangers or people I know, but it has to benefit somebody somewhere.
I think this year I will print the list of words and keep it in my office where I will see it. That is probably the easiest and best way to stick to it. I wish all my gentle readers a healthy and fortunate year.
#WeekendCoffeeShare No Regrets
December 31, 2016
— 4 Comments
fairy duster
Welcome to my home this 31 December, 2016. May I offer you some coffee, tea, or a cocktail? We have a lavish buffet of fruits and nuts to tickle your taste buds while you tickle my imagination. Do tell what your Christmas, or last week, was like for you. If you are visiting Tucson from a cold climate you will enjoy seeing all the flowers still blooming in my yard, and the grapefruit tree loaded with fruit. We had a good rain storm last night so the air is clear and fresh. Stay for a while before you have to go back to winter.
Our holiday decorations have been taken down and stored in the barn. I keep it simple, so striking the set takes little effort and time. The days are quickly lengthening again, and the narcissus is blooming in my garden. In a way we have a two-phase spring, and not much of a winter here. It is almost always sunny, a blessing and a curse. I went to my dermatologist for a light treatment for all my sun damage. This painless procedure requires 3 days in darkness to recover. I fully indulged in my 3 dark days, which fell between 18 and 21 Dec, the darkest days of the year. I hibernated, emerged for a party weekend, then went back in my hobbit hole at home this week. I have been at the gym or at home all week, and it has been divine. I have been reading a lot of new books and generally soaking in the season. I may have also watched a little too much TV, since we have a few free trial channels going now.
For 2017 I look forward to by every day life, which I find to be very pleasurable. I make no resolutions, and so far have not chosen three words for next year, as I have done for a while. I may choose three before the end of the day, but my basic philosophy is to be as helpful to others as I can with the talents I have. In order to be of service I need to accurately assess by own self efficacy, then improve on it. I am going to try writing fiction in 2017. I see a lot of flash fiction that fascinates me, and I have not given fiction much focus. I think if I use a journal to stimulate fictional stories I can get that engine started. I will do NaPoWriMo in April, writing a poem a day for 30 days. This gets easier each year, but I wonder when I will turn into a poet.
I appreciate the coffee sharing community and the diverse cultures and views we represent. May we all party on in good health in 2017 and release all our petty regrets from the past. To join this weekly party check in with Diana. Comment, read, or add your own two cents. Thanks for being such good company, my coffee sharing friends. May the force be with us. I wish you all health and happiness.
pyracantha
red chiles
New Year’s Foods For Good Luck
December 30, 2016
— 1 Comment
Glückschwien
The tradition of eating black eyed peas on New Year’s Day is common in the south. Strict traditionalists eat collard greens and pork with the peas (in a dish known as Hoppin’ John)to symbolize wealth, folding money and coins. The use of black eyed peas in a ceremonial meal to assure good fortune and fertility dates back to Sephardic Jews who have eaten them at Rosh Hashanah for centuries. The Sephardic tribes believe that eating symbolic foods like pomegranate, squash, and dates on the new year will usher in good fortune and abundance for the year. The black eyed pea has been cultivated for over 5,000 years. They arrived in America with African slaves and were grown in the new world as food for slaves and animals. Eventually they made it onto the master’s table.
Some say that the symbolic meal eaten on New Year’s Day is the one eaten by emancipated slaves on January 1, 1863. There are many variations on the proper way to serve and eat this fortune enhancing meal. Some say that the peas eaten without pork and greens will backfire and ruin your year. I hope this is not true because I am a nice vegetarian girl who will always skip the pig part. There are other cultures where pigs are symbols good luck and abundance. In Germany a traditional gift of a Glückschwein or marzipan pig is gifted and eaten on the new year to keep the money flowing. Some say this is because a pig roots forward. Some folks think the eating chicken or lobster on New Year’s Day will bring ill fortune due to the fact that these animals scratch or feed going backwards. Why take a chance? If you really feel like lobster or chicken you can wait for January 2nd. Lobsters aren’r kosher anyhow.
There are a few specific beliefs which may take the superstition too far:
- You cook them with a new dime or penny, or add it to the pot before serving. The person who receives the coin in their portion will be extra lucky.
- You need to eat exactly 365 peas on New Year’s day. If you eat any less, you’ll only be lucky for that many days. I guess on leap years, you need to eat an extra one. If you eat any more than 365 peas, it turns those extra days into bad luck.
- Some say you should leave one pea on your plate, to share your luck with someone else (more of the humbleness that peas seems to represent).
- Others believe if you don’t eat every pea on your plate, your luck will be bad.
I don’t eat the greens or count the beans, but I do like to make Texas caviar for the occasion. My mother was from Texas and this was the dish she used to make. I think she put bacon in it. It is served cold, and does go well with cornbread, another good luck food. Cornbread represents gold. You can choose the tradition that suits your tastebuds and your beliefs. Just skip the chicken and lobster for a day, gentle readers. You never know..
Texas Caviar
Ritual vs Habit
December 29, 2016
— 2 Comments
Hygge
I have started to read about the Danish version of minimalism known as hygge. I purchased a few books on sale and have started to read Hygge: A Danish Concept of Cozy Simple Living, by Noah Neilsen. This simple but elegant lifestyle is core value centered as opposed to consumer centric. Keeping a mindful ritualistic pace as well as a clean clear space leads to happiness and contentment with life. This Danish version of minimalism is more multi dimensional than the similar Spark Joy book about tidying up, Japanese style. I believe the lessons and the system proposed by Marie Kondo in her joy through tidying books, but I have not yet managed to follow through with the whole system. Her books have guided me to vastly improve my tidying and set a long term goal of carrying out the system from the first step to the last. She has outlined what I know will be the final solution to clutter in the space and on the schedule.
I am successful at keeping my time to myself and my schedule light and easy to accomplish. I begin early on most chores, like filing taxes. I have certain ritualistic practices at the end of the year designed to make the first of the next year run smoothly. I clear my desk and clean out my files. There is always a pile of paper I can use for starting first in my wood stove. I keep an IRS pertinent file which I carefully fill for my trip to the accountant. I file as soon as possible in order to experience the great feeling of relief from having finished it. I never let it slide because the reward is to be basically finished with the year in taxes until my property taxes are due in November. That is a wonderful vacation from concern. I don’t make resolutions. I work for an early tax return in order to liberate myself from that drudgery for an extended period.
I like the elements of Hygge that go beyond cleaning and clearing clutter. Meditation, simple hospitality, and artistic self expression are part of the Danish happiness template. Dedicating time to pleasurable shareable activities is stressed over using time to consume things. A monk like attention to the meditative qualities of daily work and life creates a person who is fully present. Yoga is designed to train the mind to focus in spite of distractions. There are other practical ways to unplug from the constant clammer of commercial interests to be closer to nature and to friends and family. Any chore can become a source of pride and contentment. The satisfaction in doing little things adds up to a content way of living.
I practice a few rituals upon which I can build my hygge. My gym time, followed by steam room is a part of my life that reward me directly and over time. I also exercise at home in my community hot tub. Few others use it, so I virtually always have the pool deck to myself for a morning or evening stretch and relax in the water. In summer I enjoy using the big pool as well. This lifts my spirits and keeps me flexible. I incubate ideas, but do not allow any worry or distress to enter my work out time. The movement is a remedy which needs to be applied in a pure state. The steam room and personal grooming time that follows the gym time is part of my daily ritual that makes me feel good as well as look a little better. I leave refreshed, relaxed, and ready to face any task. The gym love is probably my strongest positive practice.
I believe the key to happiness is to find contentment in every moment, the face of God wherever one looks. In 2017 I plan to hone and perfect some rituals I love, as well as find some new helpful ways to be present and find joy. I believe that less is more and that simple pleasures are always abundantly available. Here are some examples I find very pleasurable:
- Bathing
- Skin care
- Journaling
- Mediation
- Food sharing
- Writing
- Gardening
- Art
- Poetry
- Exercise
The Danes are some of the happiest people on earth. I had heard that this was because they have low expectations. Now that I am intrigued by the hygge concept I see that they have very high expectations for presence, for authenticity, and for intimacy. I have a couple of other books to read on the subject, but I have already embraced this idea. I believe that coziness and simple abundance are much overlooked sourced of fulfillment in our society. It is no wonder these Danish writers are all the rage now. We need a big dose of it in the United States. How is your own hygge situation, gentle reader? Can you think of ways to leave bad habits in the dust by taking up purposeful happiness?
rest awhile
mermaidcamp 