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: Antic Words, Intellect + Heart in Jane Goodall’s Book of Hope, A Veteran’s Perspective on Guns, Carly Simon, the Atlantic Ocean, and Pictures from My Hike

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 Sign

What’s around the bend?

I might have scooted down here.

Steps

Same steps with pool

Mossy rocks

leaning toward the light

View from between

Anybody home?

Heading back

Worth the view

Imagine the sound

Face in rock

Hill across the river

fungi 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.

For more streams, rules, and such,

visit our host, Linda Hill

by clicking HERE.

SoCS: If You’re Going to Call Yourself Pro-Life ….

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “starts with pro.” Find a word that starts with “pro” and use it any way you like in your post. Enjoy!

The first thing that popped into my head was pro-life. Then, Oh, no. You better be careful with that, especially if you’re going to be writing stream of consciousness style.

Maybe I should just get this out of the way and then change the subject. This is something I have strong feelings about:

If you’re going to call yourself, “pro-life,” then please be pro-life. Try not to harm things that are ALIVE.

If you’re going to call yourself, “pro-life,” at least try to be a vegetarian or vegan. Don’t use pesticides much, especially outside. Don’t buy poinsettias during Christmas time and then just throw them in the trash when Christmas is over if they still have LIFE.

If you’re going to call yourself, “pro-life,” then don’t support the death penalty. Don’t support war.

If you’re going to call yourself, “pro-life,” then help babies and children stay alive even after they are born.

If you’re going to call yourself, “pro-life,” then work to support all life on this precious gift of planet Earth. Protect forests and oceans from so called, “development,” which destroys the lives and habitats of so many plants and animals. Support renovation of existing buildings and build green.

The list goes on. Pro-life, means in favor of and in support of LIFE.

Well, I haven’t changed the subject yet. I’m not sure if I’m even going to publish this as it is so controversial. But it’s something that really irks me. If someone calls themselves pro-life, and they truly are pro-life and not just pro-human birth, then we could probably be friends, even if we don’t agree 100% on everything. I could respect them for being honest. For Life’s sake.

Maybe I’ll just have a gallery of life pictures:

Me and Daughter Ayla 1993

Ayla and Mira 2022

Esther and baby Mira

Butterfly on Lantana

Chimp mom and baby – Source Unknown

Life hiding in the grass

Family of Geese Crossing the road

~~~

For more about Stream of Consciousness Saturday,

visit out host, Linda Hill

by clicking HERE.

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: In the Elements, Mary Poppins, Wildlife Photos, and Getting Cozy

Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “element.” We can use it any way we want. Who knows what will happen?

It’s not so bad being out in the elements if you are dressed for it, and it’s like for 20 minutes. Last evening, I walked Marley in a chilly rain, well it was more like a drizzle. We just went to the park and back. Having run errands earlier, I was tired, but made myself go to an art show since I had entered some of my and my daughter’s photos with encouragement from my friend, Linda who is a photographer. Now, Friday evening, I’m drinking some hot tea called “Calming.” It contains elements of chamomile and licorice root and others I don’t remember.

The element of surprise is not something I care to be subjected to. Elements of peace and joy, those are nice. There is an element of joy in every day. What’s that song? “In every job that must be done there is an element of fun. You find the fun and SNAP the job’s a game.” How did I end up memorizing those Mary Poppins songs? We must’ve had the album when I was a kid.

Pausing to pet the cat on my lap, I don’t know where to go from here. Feeling thankful to be home and cozy, except I need a blanket on my feet. Next time the cat gets up, I will get the blanket. But my tummy is very warm, with warm tea on the inside and a warm cat on the outside. It’s not even that cold out, just in the upper 50s and rainy. Just enough to make the inside cozy.

Well, must be time for a gallery or something before I start repeating myself more. Maybe I’ll sleep in tomorrow, but I have a dog and a cat to feed by the crack of 9am, or the cat will chastise me for being late with long, loud meows.

“Yes, I will.”

Oh, what a life where sleeping in means 8:30am. I’m glad our host, Linda slept in on prompt day. My older sister’s name was Linda, too. It’s a lovely name.

The gallery shows the photos we put in the show which was about wildlife. The first two are mine, and the second two (Dancing Osprey and Turtle Undercover) were taken by my daughter, Ayla.

Laughing Gull on the Wing

Fuzzy Moth on Red Barn

Dancing Osprey by Ayla

Turtle Undercover by Ayla

Isn’t it amazing how wild animals adapt to the elements? Especially birds. I certainly hope they don’t get as cold as I would.

Speaking of cozy, here’s my go to dinner music of cozy jazz:

~~~

For more streams of consciousness, along with rules,

visit our host, Linda Hill, by clicking HERE.

SoCS: Not Knowing and Being Thankful

Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “a word that contains a silent letter.” Choose a word that contains a silent letter and use it in your post, or write about words with silent letters in general. Enjoy!

I just don’t know why so many words have a silent k at the front. We could differentiate no from the knowledge know with noe. Wait Why does knowledge have a k in front? You know what? I don’t care. Much. We have to prioritize our cares.

I still don’t know why I was so sick over the past week. Thought it must be covid, but nope. Two negative test results. I’m about 75% better now, thank God. But there were a couple days of headaches and chills when I got in touch with my own mortality. Thank you, God that the mysterious rash did not itch. It’s the rash that made me heed the suggestions of friends and go to the doctor Friday for further investigation in spite of feeling better – ish. We decided I will go back Monday for tests since the West Nile Virus antibodies take 8 days to show up. I look forward to getting my energy back to where it was. I miss walking Marley. I used to complain about being tired. Now, I’m looking forward to that level of energy which was good compared to what the mystery virus took from me.

Enough of that! I am thankful for what I have. Not knowing can be okay. Some things might even be better not to know. I didn’t used to believe that. But now, there is only so much room in this brain.

Not knowing much about Queen Elizabeth, it was nice to learn she worked on vehicles during the war and worked to help pay for her wedding dress. Plus, she loved animals, at least dogs, especially corgis. And here’s a humble quote from the queen:

“Let us not take ourselves too seriously. None of us has a monopoly on wisdom.”

— Queen Elizabeth II

Speaking of not taking ourselves too seriously, when I was about five or six years old, I asked my mother if Queen Elizabeth and Elizabeth Taylor were the same person. Mom laughed out loud and told me no, they were two different people. I didn’t know why it was a funny question. Now, I kinda get it.

Please feel free to join me in taking a moment to pray and/or send strength and comfort to the people and animals suffering from disasters around the world, especially in Pakistan, Ukraine, California, and Kentucky.

We are all part of the web of life. “Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.” (Chief Seattle)

Below is one of the many golden webs around my home made by what I call banana spiders. This one was well over my head. I cropped it to see it better.

Banana Spider

~~~

For more streams of consciousness and to learn more,

visit our host, Linda G. Hill, but clicking HERE.

SoCS: Fancy Hats, Plain Hats, Funny Hats… Improvise if You Have To

Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “hat.” Use it literally or metaphorically. Have fun!

Nothing is jumping out at me, yet, except that I’ve never been much for fancy hats – the big ones ladies wear to church on Sundays some places but more so in the olden days. I don’t want to be snob about something I perceive as snobby sophisticated. I should be more accepting. If someone gets joy from wearing a fancy hat, that’s nice. I should leave it at that.

I should also wear a hat more often outside because I have fair skin. So far, so good. The cap I’m wearing in my profile pic is more my style, though it does sometimes leave my ears and jaw exposed. Sometimes I wear sunscreen, but most of them have chemicals that are harmful to the environment, so the free stuff from Medicare OTC store, well, it will last a while.

Speaking of the environment, our water here has PFAS contamination. Thankfully, I got a reverse osmosis system for the kitchen sink last year, but lots of people can’t afford that. Three private wells are contaminated in our area, and I hope the wells at the farm animal sanctuary are okay. They need to be tested, but the testing and research is being done by consultants connected to the company, Chemours, doing the polluting. I went to a hearing Monday about the well situation to speak for the sanctuary. Then I asked a question about how we can stop the release of contamination at the source. What I meant was, alternatives that don’t create PFAS chemicals. These are created in the manufacture of non-stick cookware, water repellant clothes (probably like my windbreaker) and I think sunscreen. The panel from the state didn’t get what I was getting at.

We do what we can with the things we can control. Eat healthy, exercise moderately, don’t stress too much, and wear hats outside. Fancy hats, plain hats, aluminum foil hats, cowboy hats, whatever. Here’s a very old picture of my husband David wearing something on his head that looks like a hat, but I think it’s a planter that sticks into the ground. Hats. Improvise if you have to.

Circa 1958

And let’s not forget my dad’s M*A*S*H hat.

~~~

Stream of Consciousness Saturday is hosted by our famous and fearless leader, Linda Hill. You can read more about it and find more streams by visiting Linda, HERE.

SoCS: Can We Just Go Without Screaming?

Revolution.

I’d like a quiet one, please.

Is that possible?

Anything is possible, right?

But we need to speak up

For a revolution.

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.

Children. Animals. Planet Earth.

But the planet is speaking to us.

Are we listening?

Not enough.

So we must speak for the planet.

Sing for the birds.

Dance for the children.

Hope. Believe. Speak.

Try to speak with kindness

Not with hate.

Whenever you can,

Strive for peace,

But not peace at any cost.

Balance the cost.

We each make a choice

Every day. Every hour.

All is not lost.

There are still possibilities.

Perhaps we may not go quietly.

Can we just go without screaming?

~~~

I keep wanting to add something, to clarify…. Maybe we do need to scream. Maybe some things are screamworthy. This just reflects my stream of consciousness. I don’t like loud. Chanting is good. Singing is good.

Sing it with me: “All we are saying, is give peace a chance.”

And…

I’m stepping out of the stream a bit now, because I found this relatively short TED talk about a quiet revolution. Susan Cain talks about quiet leadership and empowering introverts for the benefit of all. She offers this quote from Mahatma Gandhi:

“In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”

~~~

Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is……. “rev.” Use “rev” or find a word that contains it. Have fun! Thanks, Linda!

For more streams, rules and such, visit our host, Linda Hill by clicking here.

SoCS: Camera, Camping, Camels, and Camelot

Our prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “cam.” Find a word that contains “cam” or use it as is. Enjoy!

Camera. I use my phone. There’s a camera in my closet that is frozen as in stuck. I am so not mechanical. Maybe one day, I’ll get it fixed or looked at. But my phone takes good enough photos for me – just for fun, for now. Cameras are amazing when you stop and think about it. So much of our culture depends on them, for better or for worse. Let’s keep the most beautiful, life enhancing pictures and videos.

Camping. It’s been a long time since I went camping. I miss the camp fire and the smell it leaves on my clothes. But I don’t miss the sleeping on the ground. If I ever go camping again, I’ll be sleeping on a THICK foam pad, or in a bed in a camper, or a cabin. Maybe I’ll have a camp fire in the back yard this winter.

Camel. I’d walk a mile for one in my twenties if it was the only cigarette available. Thank God I don’t smoke anymore! The camel is a symbol of sobriety, since camels can go a long time without drinking. But they can’t go forever, and they’d want water. Water is the best thing to drink as long as it’s not contaminated. We finally got a reverse osmosis filter for drinking water at our kitchen sink, because our city water is too risky. Some people call city water Gen X water which is one of the contaminants. Camels got the wise men to baby Jesus. I hope they had enough water.

Camelot! It was a song and a movie. So romantic. At least when I first saw the movie and the play. Seems like it was in high school. Now, I’m irritated at Guinevere for cheating on Arthur. But I don’t know if that really happened. But I still like the music in musicals.

I was going to try to capture the romance of the movie I watched in my youth, or the play, but alas, there is no use. Monty Python figured that out.

I trust that no animals were hurt in this silliness.

Writing this Friday evening, who knows how I’ll feel in the morning after getting my covid booster this afternoon. There’s going to be some movie watching for sure. It’s nice not to have any other plans.

Update: The nurse said effects, if any, from my 1/2 dose of vaccine which is what the booster is, would kick in after about 12 hours. It was more like 8. My immune system cranked up at 10pm last night and has been going strong since. Maybe I shouldn’t have picked staying with moderna for consistency, but at least I know I’m building immunity, or so I tell myself – chanting in my head: Immunity! Immunity! Immunity! Even if it’s not 100%. It’s a good thing. Now, I’m going back to bed.

~~~~~

For more streams of consciousness, rules, and more, visit out host, Linda Hill by clicking here.

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.

• 

  Angel on Mimosa Cookie

• 

  Angel with Golden Dog – acrylic on canvas

• 

  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.