SoCS: Love, Hate, and Yes, I Like that TV show, Plus: Dogs with Sticks.

Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “stick.” Use it as a noun or a verb; use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

Love is not always easy. To be honest, there are people and things that are hard to love. I admit to saying I hate some things. Maybe I don’t hate any particular person, but I hate it when people are mean and act like bullies. In order to save ourselves, sometimes we have to love people from a distance. Like people who are critical, or talk constantly, know it alls, who might have a good heart somewhere deep down, but after a while they can be toxic.

Back to love. How to stick with love….. I suppose it’s possible to remember that God loves everyone. But God doesn’t hang around with everyone all the time (I’m guessing here.) God can assign angels to hang out with someone. God, please don’t assign me to hang out with a critical know it all who talks all the time, after I die. I try to be good, and that would be hell. Why do I keep going back to that?

Love! I can pray for someone from a distance, even if I want to hit them with a stick. Sticks should never be used for hitting, except in self-defense. Sticks are better for poking things. Gently. But be careful what you poke. Don’t poke a skunk. Don’t poke…

Wait. What was that movie? Oh, it was in a Young Sheldon episode when one of the kids questioned a compliment and Mee Maw said, “Don’t poke at it.” Or maybe she said, “Don’t go pokin at it.” Yes, I like that show. I didn’t watch it for a long time, thinking it would be…. IDK…shall we say, not my cup of tea. But I have discovered it’s funny and comforting. Mee Maw (played by Annie Potts) is Sheldon’s grandma. She’s usually sassy, but not always. I wish I could be a little more like that sometimes, even though some things she says might not be aren’t very loving to her son in law. (Is she like my alter-ego? Would I even like her in real life?) Anyway, she loves her grandkids, daughter and even, deep down, her son in law. Love always wins.

One time we saw Mee Maw’s human side when she secretly tried to use Sheldon’s new computer and cautiously picked up the mouse like it was a microphone and said, “Hello?”

I couldn’t find that video. But here’s another one that’s typical Mee Maw.

I had zero intention of writing about Mee Maw and Young Sheldon, but that’s where the stream went. I never thought I would like a show like Young Sheldon, but anything is possible. We need a little easy comedy.

I was going to share a video about dogs carrying big sticks. Marley has done that, so there must be a photo.

Marley got him a stick.

Here’s a short video of a smart dog, Theo, figuring it out:

If you really want something, don’t give up. Be like Theo. Keep trying!

FYI, Youtube has lots of video of dogs with big sticks.

~~~

For more about Stream of Consciousness Saturday,

visit our host, Linda Hill

by clicking HERE.

SoCS: High Hopes, Trinity Center, and Marley Gets Ice Cream

Today’s prompt from Linda is to think of a song from our childhood and start writing. The first song that popped into my head was, “High Hopes.” Not knowing the whole song, or even who sang it, I decided to do a little research before I started typing the stream. The song was sung and made popular by Frank Sinatra in a 1959 movie called, A Hole in the Head. The song won an Oscar, so must have been played a lot on the radio when I was a kid. I remember by older sister singing it. She was ten years older than me. Dad must have sung it, too. They both liked to sing and many years later, sang together in my sister’s church when my parents visited them in California.

Now, I find myself missing them – my parents and both sisters have passed on to the other side. I can almost hear them singing, “High Hopes,” in that faraway place, or like they are closer now, whispering the song in my ear, wanting me not to be melancholy, because they are happy and I have a lot to be thankful for.

One thing I am thankful for is my husband, David. Last weekend he led the Cursillo weekend at Trinity Center near Atlantic Beach, NC, and I joined him on Sunday for the closing ceremony and stayed overnight. I have pictures of the scenery for today’s gallery. But first, back to that song…

They sing about an ant trying to move a rubber tree plant and a ram trying to punch a hole in a dam, which are unlikely, UNLESS the ant and the ram get help. Working together and with perseverance, we can accomplish a lot and make our dreams become realities.

I have high hopes for peace and that humans will learn to cooperate and work together to heal this precious planet Earth. I have high hopes that my adult kids will find comfortable and affordable homes where they want to live. I’m thankful they have jobs and supportive partners.

What are your high hopes?

Here are some photos from after Cursillo when David began unwinding and processing. He actually went to Trinity Center on Wednesday to start preparing for the event with team members. The pilgrims arrived Thursday evening. So, by Sunday evening, there was a lot to process.

Cursillo Memories

David and Me

Trinity Center Accommodations

Trinity Center View

Tunnel under road to beach

Tunnel to beach

Rough Surf

Processing

Unwinding

Connecting

Dune

Trinity Pond at Sunset

Thursday evening, we took Marley for some ice cream. I saved him some vanilla and some cone. Dogs should NEVER have chocolate.

Vegan Blueberry and Vanilla

No chocolate for Dogs!

Marley gets vanilla

~~~

For more streams, songs, and SoCS guidelines,

visit out host, Linda 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.

Good News Tuesday for January 3, 2023: Dog Therapy in Ukraine, Cellular Glue, Humpback Comeback, 2022 Good News Review, and Surviving the NY Blizzard in a School

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

Dog Therapy for Kids in Ukraine

A special dog named Bice offers positive distraction and comfort to kids affected by the trauma in Ukraine. This story reminds me of how well dogs (and other animals) bring us back to the present moment. Click here to learn more.

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New Cellular “Glue” Helps Heal Wounds

Scientists at the University of California have engineered molecules that act like a “cellular glue” to bond tissues. The research has implications for podetial of regeneration of nerves and tissues. The Good News Network has details.

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Humpback Comeback

Humpback whales were almost wiped out by commercial whaling in the 19th and early 20th century and were one of the first species to be protected under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1970. But with global conservation efforts, the current population has rebounded from 10,000 to 80,000 in 2022. Here are the details from GoodGoodGood.

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Good News Stories from 2022

Many news services are publishing a look back at last year’s good news. A short one from my 1440 email has a quick overview of ten topics including medical discoveries, earth work, the declining death penalty, LGBTQ rights, and more. (I opted to decline cookies and X’d the pop up and could still read the article.) Here’s the link: https://www.france24.com/en/environment/20221228-top-10-good-news-stories-yes-really-from-2022

If you really want to delve into the good news, a longer list of stories arranged by month is available HERE from Good Good Good

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“Merry Christmas, Jay” Saved Lives by Breaking into a School in the NY Blizzard

A man named Jay broke into a school to survive the recent New York blizzard. Then he went out rescue more people who were stuck in cars and brought them inside. He saved 24 people and two dogs. Here’s the story from ABC News.

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An unfolding story I’m following for next week:

A family of four apparently survived a crash after their car fell 250 feet off a cliff in California.

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Got Good News?

Feel free to share in the comments!

SoCS: Birthday Hike and Pizza

 Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “start your post or one paragraph with the word ‘anyway.’” Bonus points if you start your post with “anyway” and regular points if you use it in a paragraph somewhere else in your post. Enjoy!

Anyway, is a useful word for getting back on track after tangents, so it could be useful in SoCS since tangents are common. Now, that I’ve mentioned tangents, none are coming to me. Stream on. “Anyway you want it” reminds me of a song. Not a song I love, but it’s nice to have options. Any way you want to go is okay, as long as no one gets hurt. There is more than one way to salvation, nirvana, happiness. Different pathways. Which reminds me that I have a lot of photos to share from my birthday hike at Carolina Beach State Park.

It was great to be back on those trails that used to be a traditional birthday adventure for me in years past. Not sure why I haven’t gone in a couple years. Maybe it was weather or maybe my feet hurt. Monday, which was my birthday # 67, we hiked for about an hour. We didn’t go to the giant sand dune overlook, but we did enough. The air was crisp and invigorating. It was Marley’s first time there. He was not interested in the water at all, but oh the smells! I think most dogs need to be introduced to water at a young age to be interested in it.

Anyway, my feet didn’t hurt and neither did my knee thanks to Nanosocks and my compression knee sleeve. It was a good day. After the hike, which was in late afternoon, we went out to dinner. My favorite birthday Thai restaurant is closed on Monday which was disappointing. BUT if it had not been closed, we would not have gone to Blaze Pizza for the first time which I liked a lot. It’s set up like subway, but the pizza is good, and they have lots of interesting toppings including vegan cheese, roasted garlic, and toppings like arugula after the pizza comes out of the wood stove. I love seeing a fire that gives the impression of a fireplace. Blaze Pizza is one of my new favorite places to eat.

Anyway, back to the hike which started along the intracoastal waterway and went into the maritime forest.

My guys

Overturned tree roots

Dave watches planes, Marley sneezes

Birthday Pizza

~~~

For more on the Stream of Consciousness Saturday,

visit our persevering host, Linda Hill

by clicking HERE.

SoCS: Twin Flames, Soulmates, Dogs, and Cats

I had a great time collecting and arranging these leaves

Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “twin/tween.” Use, “twin” or “tween” any way you’d like. Bonus points if you use both. Enjoy!

A twin flame is a person (could it be an animal?) who shares your soul. Like the soul split into two bodies. That’s what I read somewhere. No scientific evidence to support this. Sounds kind of mythical. That doesn’t mean it’s not true. Afterall, anything is possible. Twin flames are said to share many qualities mirrored in one another. They also may share past traumas.

Excuse me, but I don’t really want to share a soul with someone. I much prefer the concept of soulmates. One difference between twin flames and soulmates, besides soulmates having their own souls, is that soulmates are not twins. They definitely have a lot in common, but not like twin flames.

My soulmate David and I just celebrated our ten-year wedding anniversary on December 1st. This is my second marriage and David’s third, so ten years gives me hope. Of course, the fact that we were high school sweethearts reunited when the time was perfect also gives me hope. I appreciate how he supports me and also gives me space, how he loves dogs and has come to love Mama Cat, too. We have a lot in common, but our differences complement each other well.

Meeting your twin flame could be exciting and helpful. A twin flame does not have to be romantic. It can be platonic or intellectual. To be honest, I’m no expert on twin flames, so feel free to add alternative information or ideas. From what I recall, a person only has one twin flame, but can have multiple soulmates (maybe not at the same time which could be complicated.) I’m okay with not having a twin flame, but I’m very happy to have a soulmate.

As I type this, Mama Cat is lying next to me on the couch making me wonder if a person could have a cat or a dog as a soulmate. They certainly can be good companions. When David and I reconnected in 2011, we had five dogs between us. That was quite a pack in our little bungalow. That’s what happens when you manifest your soulmate “must love dogs.” In our ten years together, each member of the five pack has crossed over the rainbow bridge. We’ll see them again and won’t need leashes.

Soulmates with the original “Five Pack.”

We’ve had Marley for one year now and brought Mama Cat home from the church about two years ago. They are part of our family, though they have limited contact with each other under close supervision.

It’s unlikely that a dog and a cat could be twin flames, but soulmates maybe. Anything’s possible!

Marley with heart of leaves

Mama Cat watching squirrels from the catio.

Marley staying in “PLACE.”

~~~

For details on Stream of Consciousness Saturday, and lots more streams,

visit out host, Linda G. Hill by clicking HERE.

SoCS: Feed Your Hopes

 

Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “your favorite word.” Decide on your favorite word and use it in your post any way you’d like. Enjoy!

It’s not easy to decide one ONE favorite word. For a moment, I thought my favorite word could be, “possible.” Then I thought of hope. The meaning behind the word, hope, is one of my favorite things. Hope does not have the certainty of faith, but it can lead to faith. If you don’t have faith, look for hope.

I have a bumper sticker that I never put on my bumper. It used to be on a mirror. Now, it’s on my kitchen counter propped by the window. Maybe I’ll stick it on something one day. It says,

Feed your hopes, not your fears.

That’s where the top meme above comes from. Fears can roll around in my head like a crazy dance I don’t want to go to, but end up going anyway. Even knowing how to stop them and rethink takes remembering to do it. Questioning your fears would be like, what evidence is there to support that thought of a cataclysmic meteor hitting the planet? Sure, there are plenty of sci fi movies about it, but what are the chances?

Fear: But I want to be prepared just in case!

Hopes: Okay, so prepare some, but don’t dwell on it, especially at 2 AM.

Let’s hope it never happens. Let’s hope for the best, prepare for the worst, but not make a hobby out of preparing for the worst.

Let’s focus on things we can control or change. Like the serenity prayer says, “Courage to change the things we can.” We can change our own thoughts and actions.

Ten years ago, I quieted my fears of falling back into a sick relationship and focused on myself. I began to hope that there was a partner out there for me that would be a good fit. Not someone who had fits, but who would be compatible. In December, David and I will have been married for 10 years. He doesn’t have fits. He is compatible as in open minded, spiritual, practical (which I need) and he loves dogs.

I hope my dog Marley doesn’t catch the snake I saw this morning. It was a black racer. David says we won’t have a rodent problem with that guy around, meaning the snake which is not poisonous. I’m glad I spotted the snake before Marley did. My daughter suggested I put some big rocks out there the snake can hide under. There is already an old rain gutter embedded in the vines as you can see in the photo. I’ve tried to remove that old rain gutter many times, but it was too hard. Now, I’m going to leave it.

Black Racer

I hope the old rain gutter will provide refuge for the non-poisonous snakes and skinks that Marley likes to hunt.

I hope there are no poisonous snakes in our yard. Changing that to be positively stated, I hope the snakes in our yard are all harmless to people, beneficial to people would be even more positive.

Stating our hopes positively is important. I wrote about this in my very short how to book: From Loneliness to Love. (See sidebar.)

Instead of saying, I want a partner who is not crazy. I would say, I hope for a partner who is reasonably sane, stable, and dependable. Nobody’s perfect, but compatibility is possible. First, we need to get compatible with ourselves. God has a plan for when we are ready.

I hope we humans learn to respect planet earth and help her heal. I hope we clean up our messes. I hope we can learn to live in peace and work things out safely. I interrupted the stream briefly, like a nanosecond, to change the negative words in my head to positives. Flipping that switch gets better with practice. Not perfect. Better.

I hope you all have a beautiful weekend full of hope!

Be a hope dealer.

(I just bought her book on hope.)

For more hope, drop by on Tuesday for some good news!

~~~

For more streams of favorite words, along with the SoCS rules,

visit our host, Linda Hill by clicking HERE.

Thursday Tree Love at our Neighborhood Park

“Trees are in love with the earth, the earth is in love with the trees. The birds are in love with the trees, the trees are in love with the birds. The earth is in love with the sky, the sky is in love with the earth. The whole existence exists in a great ocean of love. Let love be your worship, let love be your prayer.” …Osho

I’m thankful to be walking our dog Marley more regularly since I’m feeling better. Our late afternoon jaunt takes us to the little park a few blocks away. Today’s tree love shares some of my favorite trees living in the park.

The first group of trees were featured in a previous post when the middle tree was cut down a few years ago. It was not doing well and leaning low over the playground. Now, the stump has aged and serves as a canvas for carving initials.

The next gallery includes more of my favorites from the park. I don’t see the usual option to add captions, so you if you click each photo, you get the titles I saved them into my laptop with. The first photo includes my husband David and Marley. The last one shows a long root from the bench tree running along the surface of the earth hinting at a vast underground network.

~~~

Thursday Tree Love is hosted by Parul Thakur on the second and fourth Thursday of each month.

For more tree love, visit Parul at Happiness and Food.

Good News Tuesday for June 21, 2022: Refugees and Dogs Safe in Poland, “Eco Mermaid” Sets Record, Teacher Teaches Father to Read, Teenager Saves Woman in Car, and “A Wild Hope”

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

Ukranian Refugees with Dogs Safe in Poland

Two women and 17 dogs are starting a new life in Poland after spending 40 days in a Ukranian bomb shelter. Read about their amazing story and the shelter that took them in this story from CNN.

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“Eco Mermaid” Sets New World Record and Picks Up Trash

Merle Liivand, also known as “Eco Mermaid,” broke a Guinness World Record in May by completing a 26.22-mile swim using a mermaid monofin. She could not use her hands or arms for swimming, but she did use them to pick up trash along the way. Read more from CNN.

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Pre-School Teacher Teaches her Father to Read and Write

Luciana Flores had a rough childhood and never learned to read or write. He eventually moved to the US and has been working in the construction industry for most of his life. His daughter Lucy, a preschool teacher, has been teaching him how to read and write. Lucy is the first person in her family to graduate from college. Enjoy the full story from Good Morning America.

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Teenager Saves Woman Who Drove Car into the Water

High school senior Anthony Zhongor dove into a New York bay to save a woman who drove her car into the water. (I guess it’s not just old ladies like me who’ve accidentally confused the gas and brake pedals, especially in parking lots where I now drive very s l o w l y.) Learn more about Anthony in this video:

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Spix’s Macaws Released Back into the Wild

Spix’s Macaws are being returned to their natural forest home in Brazil after two decades of being extinct in the wild. You can read all about these rare and beautiful birds in “A Wild Hope,” from Science Magazine. The following video shows their release earlier this month.

Got Good News?

Share your good news or GNT link in the comments!

SoCS: For the Love of Pets

Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “a picture from wherever.” When you sit down to write your post, find a picture, whether in a magazine, newspaper, or even product packaging. Write whatever thought or emotion the picture provokes. Enjoy!

My daughter who is 29 has not lived here for years but sometimes magazines, like People, get delivered here for her that she did not order and does not want. I don’t want them either, but sometimes I flip through them. This ad at the back of the magazine stood out to me:

Can you imagine being in a domestic violence situation and not feeling you can escape because you can’t take your dog or cat with you? I don’t want to think about it too much, but this is a project I can get behind. Pets are family.

You can read more about The Purple Leash Project here.

I think if you donate, you get a purple leash. I don’t really need another leash, though I do like the color purple. I have a bunch of leashes along with collars, and other tools that a highly reactive dog needs. I never thought I’d want to try an “e collar,” but after David and I having injuries from Marley’s lunges, we’ve accepted this recommendation from the trainer.

We’ve made progress. Last night I walked Marley to the park by myself. On the way back, we saw a cat on the other side of the street. Marley was intensely interested. I could feel the tension in his body. My job is to stay calm and confident and to remember to use all my tools. He responded well to a firm, “LEAVE IT!” along with a collar vibration. The collar vibe goes to 100. He responds to 10 to 15 in the backyard but needs at least 20 to 30 on neighborhood walks depending on the situation. In time, we should be able to reduce these levels. It’s like a tens machine. I’m learning to be vigilant and avoid high risk situations. Without this tool, I don’t think we’d be able to safely walk in the neighborhood. Marley has pulled me down more than once, and David’s hand is still healing after surgery and ongoing PT after one of Marley’s lunges.

Speaking of healing, David is feeling better after eight days of covid. He still tires easily but is doing a little more every day. Miraculously, I have had two negative home tests and seem to have been spared any significant symptoms. We’ve been keeping our distance and, though we’re living in the same house, have missed close contact. I especially miss hugs which are about to resume. Marley has been getting more hugs lately since I’ve tested negative. I still don’t get right in his face yet.

Last week, I had stopped Marley from bringing his ancient, tattered ball in the house three times before going to get my phone to take this video. Each time he would drop the ball then pick it back up when I opened the door. The ball did not stay in the house.

And let’s not forget Mama Cat on her side of the house…

In her room

In the hammock chair

On the catio

~~~

For more picturesque streams of consciousness, along with rules, etc.

visit out host, Linda G. Hill by clicking HERE.