Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “yes.” Find a word that starts with “yes” or use the word “yes” as is. Bonus points if you start your post with the word you choose. Enjoy!
The first thing I thought of was the Beatles song, “Yesterday.” Such a sad, but pretty song. “Why she had to go, I don’t know, she wouldn’t say, ” That’s a mystery right there. But the clue may be that he said something wrong.
It’s funny how things can seem so wrong but eventually turn out right. Funny and good. I don’t long for yesterday, though I might have in 1972 the day after 15-year-old David, my first boyfriend, moved so far away with his family. Today, the 66-year-old David, now my husband, is leading a spiritual “Cursillo” weekend at the beach. I’ll be joining them Sunday for the closing service.
Who would have guessed? Neither one of us.
God can take something wrong and, in time, make it work out better in a way we never expected.
Just goes to show….
Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow’s a mystery.
Today is a gift.
That’s why they call it the present.
I stepped out of the stream a bit to research the song, “Yesterday,” and came across this little piece of fun. Now I want scrambled eggs but will have to find a substitute since I’m vegan, like Paul changes chicken wings to tofu wings since he’s a vegetarian. I can always have a tossed salad without the scrambled eggs, but that’s another song…. from Frazier.
Have a wonderful day!
~~~
For details on the Stream of Consciousness Saturday,
“Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life.” Rachel Carson
Walking around your trunk,
Taking pictures of roots
Exposed by years
of river risings,
About to continue on,
I felt the call: Come
and took two steps back.
My hand moved to your mossy curling bark.
There it was ~
The subtle vibration
Holding my hand in place
Asking me to stay
Inviting me to commune
with the depth of wisdom
Drawn from the Earth,
Compelling me to express gratitude,
to acknowledge a knowing
Deeper than words.
I looked up at your branches
still bare in early spring,
draped over the singing river.
My heart opened like a blossom
Wanting to stay forever
Feeling the quiet endurance of life.
~~~
Hiking along a river in the North Carolina mountains, I touched many trees. This one called me back after I had stepped carefully over its exposed roots. I think maybe it’s a river birch – hard to be sure with no leaves yet and lots of moss on the bark. I hope to see it again with leaves in the summer.
Click each photo to see it all.
Approaching the treeRoots on the trailCurly bark with mossLooking upTree Lover and TreeFarewell my friend
(Sorry to be late again. The good news is, I remembered! )
Recovery High Schools
In the US, there are 43 high schools for kids in recovery from substance use disorders and related mental health issues. Students in these high schools attend recovery meetings, wellness activities, and take traditional high school classes. NPR has more.
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New Ways of Coping with Pain
A former emergency pediatrician Amy Baxter is finding success with the use of vibration plus cold as alternatives to opioid pain medication. She developed a device called, “Buzzy” which looks like a bee that vibrates and has ice pack wings. Here’s an interesting article from GoodGoodGood.
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Tanzanian President Ends Ban on Pregnant Girls in Schools
Uzbekistan Senate Passes Amendments to Protect Women and Children
On April 6, the Uzbek Senate unanimously passed several amendments to its criminal code, officially criminalizing domestic violence and protecting children. The amendments still have to be approved by the president which is likely. This article from Eurasianet has details.
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Mom Wins Lottery After Helping Daughter Pay for Cancer Treatment
Since I’m a big fan of serendipity, this story grabbed my attention. Geraldine Gimblet used some of her life savings to help her daughter beat breast cancer. The day after her daughter finished chemo, Geraline won two million dollars in the lottery. Happy early Mother’s Day! Here’s the video from GMA:
Got Good News?
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Don’t make a scene. Unless you’re painting. That would be my usual goal. Lately, I’ve become less and less tolerant of drama, especially when it’s violent.
But on this Earth Day, I can’t forget about the violence in Atlanta in January. I don’t want to forget about Manuel Esteban Paez Terán, also known as Tortuguita, which means, Little Turtle. Tortuguita was an environmental activist camped out in a forested area near Atlanta on the site proposed for what they called “Cop City.” His family denies allegations that he shot and wounded a police officer. The recently released coroner’s report states the body of 26-year-old Manuel had 57 gunshot wounds which resulted in his death after police opened fire.
57 gunshot wounds.
I wonder if I would have protested clearing the forested land for a huge police training center if I lived in Atlanta or if it was proposed for my city. I can’t imagine carrying a gun, but then, I would not have camped out there. Maybe when I was 21, I might have camped out to protest. But not with a gun. A baseball bat is the deadliest weapon I’ve ever kept nearby – behind my door. Thankfully, I’ve never used a weapon. My environmental activism is generally as peaceful as I can make it: not eating meat, buying eco laundry sheets that come in recycled brown paper envelope, reusable grocery bags, letting the trees grow in my backyard urban forest… pretty safe stuff.
I’m just wondering….. and I don’t want to forget Manuel Esteban Paez Terán, Little Turtle.
Yeah, I’m a little down at the moment of writing this. But I’ll be okay. Getting outside helps. I’m still recovering from a virus (negative for covid and flu) and have a lingering cough and congestion. My cup runneth over with invitations and events I could go to, but I’m being very selective, being mindful of my energy level. I do enjoy walking Marley around the neighborhood in the evenings. It’s the highlight of my day.
So that’s where the lions are! I was wondering.
The house on the corner has been vacant for as long as I can remember. I don’t get it. The nice thing is that, in between occasional mowings, wildflowers take over. Thank God for flowers.
Spiderwort AbundanceSee the face? A favorite of beesspiderwort close up
Speaking of flowers, here’s a John Denver song to lift our spirits.
~~~
Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday was: “scene.” Use it any way you like. Have fun!
Canopy, a company that works to reduce deforestation by finding alternatives to wood pellets, was one of ten recipients of Ted Talk’s 2023 Audacious Grants. Read more about the Ted Talk grants here. You can learn more about Canopy HERE.
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Plant-based Shelters for Refugees
A Bangladeshi scientist has joined with a bioplastics startup in Texas to develop an inexpensive plant-based plastic made from jute that can be used to build stable shelters for refugees. EcoWatch has details.
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A German Department Store for Recycled Goods
What makes the Stilbruch store in Hamburg, Germany different from a regular thrift store is that it’s run by the city sanitation department, and it’s big- as in 20,000-square-feet of space. Of the secondhand goods sold there, 45% are sourced from municipal waste centers and 40% are direct donations from the public. Here’s more from The Progress Network.
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A Quote I Love and Five Books
“Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the Earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.”
Clicking above on “Braiding Sweetgrass” takes you to summaries of five books the GoodNewsLetter says “will Change How You Think about Climate Change & the Earth.”
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Cheetah Cubs Born in India 70 Years after Declared Extinct There
70 Years after chetahs were declared extinct in India, four cheetah cubs were born in Kuno National Park wildlife sanctuary to one of the females relocated from Namibia last September. Here’s the story from BBC News, and below is a video of the chetahs from India Today:
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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 monkeyDragon or brontosaurus cloudon our last trip, I forgot the forksRat snake in the barnUnderground 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.
Iran and Saudi Arabia Re-establish Diplomatic Relations
After seven years of tension, Iran and Saudi Arabia formally restored diplomatic ties on Thursday and affirmed interest in regional stability and economic cooperation. China helped this process along having brokered an initial reconciliation agreement a month ago. AP has details HERE.
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Two Women Save Girls from Drowning in Australia
Elyse Partridge and Bella Broadley, young women in Australia, saved two girls from drowning in a rough rip current. They’ll be getting metals for bravery. Here are the details.
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Teen Births and Abortions Continue to Decline in New Zealand
In New Zealand, abortions and teen births have continued to decline. “The decreasing number of teenage births coincides with improved education and access to contraception,” statistician Michael MacAskill said. Here’s more from RNZ.
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Ecuador Communities Stop Mining Project to Protect Nature
People of the Intag Valley of Ecuador won a major legal victory on behalf of one of the world’s most biodiverse forests. On March 29, the Imbabura Provincial Court ruled that a Chilean copper producer had violated communities’ constitutional right to consultation as well as the rights of nature, thus canceling their mining licenses. Here’s more from Mongabay.
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Veteran Pilot Helps Rookie Land Plane after Front Wheel Fell Off
After 21-year-old Taylor Hash’s single engine plane took off, the front wheel fell off and bounced along the runway. Veteran pilot Chris Yates saw it happen and talked her down to a safe landing. Watch, listen, and be thrilled:
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Got Good News?
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Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “starts with gen.” Find a word that starts with “gen” and use it in your post. Have fun!
Jesus was a gentle man most of the time. There was that incident where he turned over some tables in the temple, because people had turned the temple into a den of thieves. He’d had enough. Everybody gets to that point now and then. When you are generally gentle and calm, people take notice when you lose it a little.
The movie Jesus Christ Superstar planted some seeds in my rebellious, agnostic brain during the 70s and early 80s. I even bought the vinyl soundtrack album. Maybe I’ll play it today. The Temple scene below includes some exotic and suggestive dancing. (That was your only warning.)
Jesus was ahead of his time in treating women and children as precious beings to be respected, not just property as was the general thinking of the time. Some people probably thought he was strange. Some appreciated him, like Mary Madelene who washed his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair and brought him expensive perfume which Judas wasn’t happy about. I can understand Judas saying they could sell that perfume and feed the poor. But everybody deserves to splurge now and then.
Well, these clips don’t show Jesus’ gentle side very well. There are many examples in the actions and words of this healer, the Good Shepherd, like this passage from Matthew 28-30:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
I love that it was a woman, Mary Magdalene, who first saw Jesus risen on Easter morning.
Here’s one of my favorite fortune cookie fortunes:
Gentle shaking could be like rocking.
Rock on, rock of ages, rock me in your arms….
“Close your eyes, close your eyes and relax think of nothing tonight.”
It’s sort of a lullaby….
Here are some residents of Blueberry Lane Farm Animal Sanctuary who are gentle most of the time:
Sweet Esther Old Lady GoatsWinnefred
Happy Easter!
~~~
Stream of consciousness Saturday is brought to us by our host, Linda G. Hill
FDA Approves Naloxone/Narcan for Over-the-Counter Sale
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved over-the-counter sales of naloxone, also known as Narcan, a nasal spray that reverses opioid overdoses. PBS has details HERE.
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Three Afghan Refugees Start “Rise Again” School in Wisconsin
Hundreds of children living at a military base in Wisconsin are among 53,000 Afghans refugees who left their country after the Taliban seized power. Seeing kids roaming around doing nothing, three women refugees decided to set up their own school at the base, naming it “Rise Again”. The school has now has about 20 teachers and 200 students aged seven – 14 and is operating with donations. Read more HERE from GoodGoodGood.
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A Group of Lawyers in England Refuse to Prosecute Peaceful Climate Protesters
A group of lawyers in England have signed a “Declaration of Conscience” saying they will not prosecute peaceful climate protesters. Here’s more from EcoWatch via my Goodnewsletter.
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Prison in California Adopts Scandinavian Rehabilitation Methods
Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “antic.” Use it as a word or find a word that contains it. Bonus points if you do both. Enjoy!
I confess to looking up the word, pedantic, because I’ve heard or rather read it a few times, but wasn’t really sure what it meant. Don’t want to use that word, but I might. I further confess to looking up words that rhyme with pedantic. This was not planning, it was just curiosity, BEFORE I even began to write the stream.
Words that rhyme with pedantic…. I’d much rather be romantic than frantic or pedantic. But if one is too romantic, one might end up being frantic about trying to get away from someone pedantic. This might happen because we need both the heart and the brain, working together for the best outcome. “Follow your heart, but take your brain with you,” is a quote I use in my short book about finding a healthy relationship.
Speaking of books, hearts, and brains, I’m reading Jane Goodall’s The Book of HOPE. It’s written as this guy Douglas Abrams interviewing her, but very personal, not at all pedantic. I went to get the book to see if I could find the quote. This is not planning; this was just stepping out of the stream for 30 seconds. Well, I’m not going to look that hard for it. It was in the chapter about the “amazing human intellect” being one of the things that gives her hope. BUT and this is a big but, we need the heart, as in compassion, to work with the intellect and the intellect to work with the heart. We need intelligence and compassion. It reminds me of how we need both knowledge and ethics. But human knowledge is overreaching and sometimes lacking in ethics and compassion.
My intellect says, people do have a right to own guns, though not necessarily automatic assault weapons. Why would anyone need those, unless they are paranoid or watch too many doomsday movies that I’m trying to stay away from so as not to give them power. Compassion for our children and other beings says there need to be limits, boundaries, so that the gun ownership is “well-regulated” as the second amendment states.
I recently read an article by a military veteran who makes a case for implementing strict regulations on guns like they have in the military and apply these regulations to society and guns in general. He wrote that on most military bases, people are not allowed to carry concealed weapons for example. I did not mean to write about guns, but that’s what happens sometimes in the stream of consciousness. Here’s the article from my Goodnewspaper: A Veteran’s Case for Implementing Military Gun Standards in Our Society.
Personally, I’d rather not have anything to do with guns. I’d rather go for a stroll along the Atlantic Ocean or hike in the mountains. Did I share the video of our flight over the Atlantic? I’ll have to check that and come back to it.
Meanwhile, here’s a song with antic in it:
I love Carly Simon.
Okay, in case you’ve been anticipating the flying video… I’m having trouble finding it. Plus, it makes me a little nauseous just to look at it. But here are some of my pictures of the Atlantic ocean: (click to see the whole picture.)
Now for the hike! It had been about two years since I last hiked this rocky trail next to the river. My feet seemed to have wings as I leapt from rock to rock. April Fools! Seemed like I was much nimbler in the past. This time, my feet were hesitant. But I did not get frantic. I heeded the caution sign, took my time and even sat down and butt-scooted over rocks once or twice.
Caution SignWhat’s around the bend?I might have scooted down here.StepsSame steps with poolMossy rocksleaning toward the lightView from between Anybody home? Heading backWorth the viewImagine the soundFace in rock Hill across the riverfungi on tree
(There are a few more photos from my hike I’m saving for a tree love post.)
~~~
I hope you enjoyed this rambling stream of consciousness.
Anything is Possible! 