SoCS: No One Person has a Monopoly on the Entire Truth, but Together….

Today’s prompt: “starts with mono.” Find a word that starts with “mono” and use it in your post. Enjoy!

It’s very unlikely that I have mono. I have been fighting a virus for almost a week. Thankfully my immune system is working along with the vaporizer I used last night since I feel better tonight (Friday pm) than Thursday. Vaporizer sounds like a weapon from Star Trek/Wars. Maybe it’s a humidifier, but it’s small like the vaporizer my parents had when I was little. Anyway, it helps. Maybe taking an intentional break from Facebook has helped, too.

The mono prompt has many other possible streams. ~~~ It’s okay to be single. Having a dog helps. Or a cat. Being married now is like icing on the cake. But my life was good cake with or without the icing. I’m glad I decided to trust God’s plan and to trust the timing of that plan.

Monotheism is an interesting topic. Most people would probably say that Christianity is a monotheistic religion, in spite of the holy Trinity – three in one. Personally, I believe there are many paths and manifestations of one most high God. This is illustrated by the story of “The Blind Men and the Elephant” which I recently mentioned to another blogger. There are multiple versions of this story. Each man experiences the elephant from a different perspective, and each thinks his experience is the whole elephant.

I like how the narrator concludes that the only thing the blind men were entirely wrong about was that each thought he was entirely right.

What might happen if this story was about six blind women and the elephant? Do you think the outcome would be different? Do you think they might have listened to each other better? Maybe one woman would say, “Hey, Flo, come over here and feel this part!”

That would change the story, but not necessarily the message. Maybe they would start to argue, but then investigate further. The message is as important today as ever. No one has a monopoly on the entire truth. We have different experiences. Let’s listen to each other and learn from each other’s experiences. Maybe we won’t change our minds every time, but we might have a better understanding.

Some of the photos in today’s gallery can be interpreted various ways. For example, the fallen monkey toy is a good sign that Mama Cat, normally a cave dweller, played with the monkey I put on the top of her cat tree at bedtime. Most mornings, it’s on the floor. This time, it was on her window seat.

fallen monkey

Dragon or brontosaurus cloud

on our last trip, I forgot the forks

Rat snake in the barn

Underground shark?

Or cypress knob?

An painting by Joannaoftheforest

The painting above was done on a piece of bare wood in the kitchen. I did not plan on it being so strange. I started by following the grain in the wood, but guess I ended up following the stream of consciousness.

~~~

For more streams and info on SoCS,

visit out wonderful host,

Linda G. Hill by clicking HERE.

SoCS: Mats, Mutts, and Mosaics

Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “mat/met/mitt/mot/mutt.” Choose one or use them all, any way you’d like in your post. Have fun!

I’m not planning a bit, even a minimal as the rules allow if I recall. Not to say I plan a lot or at all on other weeks, but sometimes I mull over the prompt before I start writing the stream. Today, I’m just writing.

No idea what to do with mot. Mottled? Is mot a word? should I look it up? Na. Not right now. I’ll go to the mat. I got a really thick yoga mat for my feet and knees, but it’s harder to balance on, so I went back to the regular yoga mat that lives in my car waiting to go to yoga class. The thick mat might come in handy if I ever go camping again or want to lie out on the deck.

We’ve used an old yoga mat for Marley to practice staying in “PLACE.” We should practice that more and not just use it when we practice being calm and lying down when Mama Cat is on the other side of the gate. The command comes in handy, and Marley’s pretty good at it in situations where there is control and Mama Cat stays behind the gate. We would not try it otherwise. Maybe one day….

Marley’s still a bit fixated

David has been getting Marley to lie down when they see a cat on walks – just until he is calmer, though Marley is on high alert when there’s a cat around outside. He’s become less reactive to squirrels, but when the squirrels get close to taunt my mutt, he gets excited.

Mutts are great dogs. I’ve read that they are often healthier with a diverse mix of genes. I don’t know if I like the word mutt as it’s got a sort of negative connotation. Mixed breed might be better. Heinze 57 is okay, I guess, but could there really be a dog with 57 different breeds all mixed together like a melting pot? Who knows? I know there are plenty of mutts and mixed breeds who need homes.

There’s a quote by Jimmy Carter about how we’re not a melting pot, but something better. I’ll go fetch it.

We become not a melting pot

but a beautiful mosaic.

Different people, different beliefs,

different yearnings,

different hopes, different dreams.

Jimmy Carter

A woman at my church, Alice, is a kitchen designer. For fun she makes mosaics from tiles, broken glass, found objects, and melted marbles. She’s donated several to our church. Here are some of her creations:

Doves over a wave

random close up

Tree

Weave Us Together

Mother Nature also makes mosaics:

Maybe one day I’ll make a mosaic out of my big bottle cap collection.

~~~

For more streams of consciousness and the rules,

visit out host, Linda Hill

By clicking HERE.

SoCS: Perfection Will Not Have My Soul. I’ve been to the Grace Street Garden.

Ah, perfection, you devil,

driving dedicated dudes to delusions of grandeur,

or to early graves from stress.

Not me, though.

Perfection, you will not have my soul.

I will redefine you.

Not a hair out of place becomes wild and free ~

catching the wind and the sun.

The manicured lawn goes native,

A natural home for bugs and birds.

Business casual has become

Hoodies and yoga pants with clogs.

Take THAT perfection!

You have no power over me.

There’s a yard on Grace Street I often pass on my way home. Over the years, the person who lives in the house has collected more and more yard art. I suspect people in the community have also contributed. Some unenlightened people might consider this an eyesore. I think it’s perfectly magnificent! Recently my friend was driving and offered to stop so I could take pictures. That’s when I discovered this was not just a collection of funky yard art. This is the Grace Street Prayer Garden! Who needs perfection when you can have Grace?

~~~

To learn more about Stream of Consciousness Saturday,

visit our host, Linda Hill

by clicking HERE.

Good News Tuesday for Jan. 31, 2023: Pope Fracis Calls to Decriminalize Homosexuality, More Affordable Solar Panels, Students’ Art on Electrical Boxes, and a Rescued Dog Saves Her Dad

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

Pope Francis Calls on the World to Decriminalize Homosexuality

In an interview last week, Pope Francis said homosexuality should not be a crime and called upon the 67countries with such laws to decriminalize. GoodGoodGood has details HERE.

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Solar Panels Will Soon be More Affordable

The cost of solar panels is getting ready to “plunge” due to increasing access to affordable materials. TechCentral has details.

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Elementary Students Make Art from Defaced Electrical Boxes

Student Art

Elementary Students in San Diego, California have turned defaced electrical boxes into beautiful works of art. Take a look and read their story HERE,

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Rescued Dog Saves Her Dad

When Brian Myers had a stroke and fell, Sadie the German Shepherd he rescued, pulled him to his cell phone so he could call for help. You can read all about Sadie and Brian in this article full of photos and a video of the two reuniting after Brian’s hospital stay. Here’s a video of Brian telling the story:

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Got Good News?

Feel free to share your good news in the comments!

SoCS: Why or why not?

Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “start with why.” Begin your post with the word “why.” Have fun!

“Why can’t I ……?”

“Because I said so.”

When I was a kid, I promised myself I would never give that irritating response to my children. “Because I said so,” is no answer for inquiring minds who really want to know the reason. I believe I broke this promise a couple times with my kids, but not often.

Asking why is healthy. It helps us learn more about the world. Unless you’re in a life-or-death situation, like a tornado is coming and we all need to get down in the cellar.

There’s a quote about asking why:

Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream of things that never were and say why not.

Robert Kennedy

Why did he say, “men,” and not people. I guess saying men or man was still the norm back then.

Why do we have to have two main political parties with such polarity and hoopla on each side of the chasm?

Why not try more ranked choice voting which is what got the first native Alaskan elected to the US congress. Mary Peltola defeated Sarah Palin in a ranked choice vote. The way I understand it is that you get to rank your preferences on the ballot – first choice, second choice, etc. This gives a more accurate measure of voter preference with less temptation to vote for someone who is more electable. The person with the lowest number of votes is eliminated and their votes go to the second choice for each voter. I think that’s how it works. I just read about this yesterday. Didn’t even know it was an option. Well, why not?

Wrote all that Friday. Now it’s Saturday morning.

Also, why did my home covid test come back negative yesterday when I feel so damn sick? I guess I should be thankful it’s not covid, which I apparently haven’t had yet, but I was almost sure it would be positive. The symptoms remind me of my reactions to the vaccines: Zero energy, body aches, headache, no appetite, plus foggy brain, and at 2am I had teeth chattering chills and a fever. Ugh. Sure makes me appreciate an average day with just feeling okay.

One good thing is I did some art before I got sick. I was going to share it here, but not sure if I have the energy…. Maybe later.

Okay, here are the two pieces from the acrylic pouring class I took. For the first one, I used a small stick to make the lines in the starbursts. In the second one, the I used a paintbrush to add the dolphin which was totally unplanned. I’d been playing with the still wet paint with my finger (why do we do that?) and messed it up. Eventually, the dolphin emerged.

Dancing Network

Dolphin Dream

For more streams and details on SoCS, visit our host, Linda Hill, but clicking HERE.

The Unicorn who Rescued the Fairy from the Troll

My sketch from the 70s

I might not jot every day in January, but today’s Just Jot it January prompt from Astrid is UNICORN, so I had to jump in and jot something. Visit Linda’s post here for details and Astrid’s blog for a multitude of musings.

The sketch above is something I did in the mid to late 70s. I had forgotten about it then discovered it recently at my high school friend’s house in a frame. It had faded, so I offered to go over the lines again with a sharpie. I probably did not plan the content of the sketch, but it seems to tell a story anyway. Perhaps the unicorn is going to rescue the fairy. Maybe I can try my hand at some fantasy…

The lord of the trolls, knew the fairy was magic, but was clueless as to how to exploit her. He captured her and placed her in the terrarium that had been stolen from the elves. He kept her near his nest. He thought about pulling off her wings, but vaguely wondered if he could use her magic and thought it would be better if he kept the thing alive for a while. He fed her mushrooms, but she ate very little.

A winged unicorn called Jaden was peacefully munching clover, when he received a mysterious message through the underground mycelium network that someone needed help. His task was to find out who and how he could help.

Jaden is not used to spending so much time close to the ground but must do so to follow the mushroom trail. He overcomes earthbound challenges along the way. When he finally finds the fairy, he must face the lord of the trolls. In self-defense, Jaden stabs the troll in the heart spreading unicorn magic through the hulking form which puts him into a deep sleep of metamorphosis. A jade green cocoon grows the troll king. What will he become? We do not know.

Asking for help, the fairy raised her arms up to Jaden who sliced the top off the terrarium with his horn.

“Thank you, very much for coming to my rescue,” said the fairy. “You are rescuing me, right?”

“Of course, little one. I am Jaden.”

“I am Silluie,” said the fairy. “We should leave before more trolls come.”

“Certainly! I know you can fly, but we will go faster if you cling to my mane.”

Silluie flew up to Jaden’s head, secured herself in his forelock, and they flew away to more adventures.

~~~~~

My granddaughter’s is all about unicorns, so that was the theme of her last birthday party.

Here’s what I get when I search for more unicorns among my pictures:

From the birthday party

Yummy unicorn cake

Christmas card ? IDK

Be sure to click the links above to visit our host Linda and today’s prompt giver, Astrid.

SoCS: Gratitude and Angel Art

Our Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “close eyes and point.” Grab the closest printed material to you when you sit down to write your post, open it up (if it’s a book, flyer, etc.), close your eyes, and point. Whatever your finger lands on, use that as your prompt. Have fun!

Thanks Linda!

It’s Friday morning, earlier than I usually write my post for SoCSaturday. I’ve got a busy day getting ready for tomorrow’s artisan fair at my church. It’s a big deal to me. The forecast is for a lot of rain, but it’s an indoor event, so I hope they don’t cancel it. This afternoon will be clear skies, or at least not much chance for rain, so that will be good for the set up. I’ll share some more later about that if the stream takes me there.

So, sitting at the table which doubles as my desk, there is a pile of papers to my left. The one on top is a green piece of scrap paper that I’ve written notes on from one of my organizations – Northside Food Co-op. I live near the northside of town which is part of a large food desert that includes my neighborhood. We’re starting with a Saturday farmers market and the plan is to have an affordable grocery store in the area. I signed up to be on the community engagement committee. (This was after telling myself not to sign up for anything new.) Anyway, there was a zoom meeting and a guest who is a former resident of the northside. The young African American woman talked to the committee about growing up without regular access to food, the poverty of not knowing, watching her mother struggle, and some personal trauma that she experienced. I asked her what helped her get through these things, and she said she just did – she got through it. She shared a spiritual awakening as an adult that has given her enthusiasm to go back and help those in the old neighborhood.

I didn’t point with my eyes closed, because when I looked at the green piece of scrap paper trying to decipher my notes, I was pulled to the word, “gratitude” in the middle of the paper. The young woman who grew up on the northside said,

“I have a purpose. Gratitude is a big fire inside.”

That would make a nice one-liner for Wednesday. But here it is in the stream. A big fire inside makes me think of heartburn, so I don’t normally think that way. But for some people, a fire inside is a motivator for enthusiasm, a warm glow that gets things going. I could use some of that. I’m pretty busy right now, but I need more exercise as I get older. There is a tendency to want to be a couch potato which is okay sometimes. Good thing I have all these ideas that get me off the couch and nice weather of the autumnal kind to get me walking outside.

This morning David texted me that he has known me for 50 years. The party where we met in 1971 was on November 6th. That was so cool that he remembered, even if he remembered it a day early. He is the farthest thing from a couch potato. It’s interesting how partners compliment each other. I’m a night owl and he’s a morning person…….

I am filled with gratitude that God brought David back to me when the time was perfect. I’m also grateful that I have the flexibility in retirement to be busy, when ignited by the fire inside, or to sit on the couch and watch the Lord of the Rings or whatever I want to watch.

Here’s my favorite recent piece I’m taking to the artisan fair Saturday. I believe I already have a buyer!

“Blessing the Whales” ~ Acrylic on Wood Panel

Here are some other projects I’ve been working on for the artisan fair. David drilled holes in the mimosa cookies so they can be ornaments. We had to cut the mimosa way back when we had the roof redone. It grew back well.

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  Angel on Mimosa Cookie

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  Angel with Golden Dog – acrylic on canvas

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  Fun with shells – a work in progress

Maybe this is my way of thanking the angels for all these years of protection and nudges.

~~~

For more streams of consciousness, rules, etc. visit our host Linda Hill by clicking here.

SoCS: Art Inspiration, Vegan Aspirations, Expiration Dates, and a Road Trip

Today’s prompt is from Dan who’s filling in for Linda. You can visit both of them over at the virtual bar at Dan’s blog today. Here’s what Dan came up with:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “inspire/aspire/expire.” Use them in any form you like. Use one, use two or use them all if you want. If you use two, you get bonus points! If you use all three, Cheryl will put your next drink on David’s tab. Enjoy!

I hope to inspire, but more naturally than in the past. Because I like to be inspired, too. In my art folder here on my laptop, I have a folder named, “inspiration.” It has ideas from nature and other people’s art that I want to, not copy, but be inspired by, taking my own spin on them. Clouds inspire me, like this one:

If you know a lot about clouds, you might be able to tell I turned this upside down. Originally it looked like a bird or angel diving down to earth. Turning it upside down makes it a rising mermaid or angel or something. I like rising better than diving, though I do love diving under water. So I’m going to paint it rising, whatever it turns out to be. The head will be different. We’ll see what happens. Do you notice the face near the very top a little to the right of center? It’s kinda eerie/cool. The face seems to be looking over a shoulder or wing.

Aspire. I have aspired to be and do many things. Maybe the best is to aspire to be ourselves. Our true selves, not what others expect. I think of myself as an aspiring vegan, inching closer and inspired by the vegans at the farm where I volunteer. Been doing better on not eating fish. Gave up chicken a couple years ago (the chickens on the farm reinforce that) and stopped eating mammals in my early twenties. Cheese though is sneaky. Dairy productus show up unexpectedly in granola bars or veggie burritoes. Anyway, I’m not perfect, never have been, never will be.

Expiration dates are subjective. My husband will eat (almost) anything that smells okay even if it’s expired. I might go a couple months out from when something was said to expire. Maybe six months. A lot of food is wasted because it’s expired or looks funny, but it’s still good to eat. I’m glad people are starting to rescue and redistribute some of that. I got some free almond butter that had expired at the new food co-op down the road. Almond butter is something I don’t usually buy, because peanut butter is so much less expensive, and there’s something about almonds production that’s a problem, maybe with bees. I don’t remember. But it was a nice gift, the expired almond butter.

My energy level expired Saturday when David drove home from southeastern Connecticut to southeastern NC. He’s a tough guy. Just riding in the truck all those hours was hard on my body. We took the scenic route close to the eastern shore, because it was less traffic and less stress, though more time (15 hours with our stops.) We had considered stopping for the night halfway, but David seems to have an amazing ability to keep going which only inspires me to take a nap or take pictures. Oh, the reason for the trip – we had gone to visit David’s mother who is 86 and doing very well except for some vision problems. (We have all been vaccinated.) She was very happy to see us after five years and told me all about her volunteer work at the elementary school when her kids were little. I’m going to write another post about that sometime – about how she helped start a kindergarten, school library, and got things done as a mama bear back in the 1960s. But that’s enough for now. Here are some photos from our trip. I hope to stay home for a while.

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  Windmills in NC

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  Somewhere on the east coast

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  Abandoned house in Rhode Island

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  Nice view in Connecticut

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  Chesapeake Bay Bridge

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  Chesapeake Bay

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  Same windmills heading home

~~~

Happy October!

For more streams of consciousness visit Linda’s blog HERE. Be sure to look for Dan’s contribution at “No Facilities” in the comments.

SoCS: Angel Wings, Caladiums, Fairies, an Owl, and my Old Dog

Here’s our prompt: “the last photo you took.” Take the last photo you snapped. What’s the first word that comes to mind when you look at it? That word is your prompt. Enjoy!

The last photo I took was…. No wait. What’s the word? It’s a toss up between, Fairy, and What, as in What is the title of this piece of art that I’ve been working on for the past year and a half?

It all started when David was making a cabinet to store more canned goods at the start of COVID. He brought home the door of the cabinet, and I said, “Wait a minute! Look at those angel wings!”

Here’s one section

Unfortunately, it’s a bit heavy, but I couldn’t let it just be a cabinet door. Here are some enhancements below inspired by the wood grain. I was looking at caladiums a lot. Then the owl just showed up.

This was maybe a year ago.

Well, it’s closer to being finished. It might even be finished. I don’t know. And I don’t know what to call it. Tree fairies and friends? Caladium Angels, Fairies and Friends? Any ideas? Here’s where it is now:

What’s the first word that comes to your mind?

I didn’t plan the painting much. Some things just emerged, like my Golden Boy, Jesse who’s in heaven. Maybe he’s hanging out with fairies and owls.

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For more streams of consciousness and rules, visit our host, Linda Hill at:

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS July 31, 2021 | (lindaghill.com)

One-Liner Wednesday: Beware of Artists

I might have shared this before, but when I saw Linda’s One-Liner Wednesday topic of art, I couldn’t resist. Not that we have to stick to a topic. I just like the idea of being “dangerous” through art and mixing with all classes. I have seen this quote attributed to Queen Victoria.

For more one-liners and guidelines, visit Linda Hill at:

One-Liner Wednesday – Art | (lindaghill.com)