Good Morning!:) A new day, a fresh start, another beginning! What will you do today? Who will you love? Who will you help?

What will you learn? What will you discern? What will you choose? What will you refuse? (THANKS for choosing to read my blog–Thank You for letting me be a teeny/weeny part of your morning!:) Can you hear the birds singing a happy song? What heart song are you singing?

Is it Morning or Mourning?…the choice is yours! Despite sadness or uncertainty, we can enjoy a Good Morning when one starts the day with a healthy meal. Have you eaten yet? Here’s some Brain Breakfast–Bon Appetite!:)

The familiar piano arrangement on Stevens’ recording was performed by Rick Wakeman, a classically trained keyboardist best known for his tenures in the English progressive rock band Yes. On a documentary aired on British television Wakeman stated that he felt Stevens’ version of “Morning Has Broken” was a very beautiful piece of music that had brought people closer to religious truth. He expressed satisfaction in having contributed to this.[6] ~Wikipedia

“Closer to religious truth”…how about “spiritual” truth?! or “scientific” truth? Seriously, does anyone like being “lied” to?! Not me! Not You, too! (That’s no way to start a morning!)

The sting is especially hurtful/damaging when coming from a place of trust/concealment (i.e. your parents, your priest, your doctor!)

One in 7 UK based scientists or doctors has witnessed colleagues intentionally altering or fabricating data during their research or for the purposes of publication.” ~British Medical Journal, Britain.

Just before the 2011 Christmas celebrations, fighting broke out among some 100 priests and monks of rival denominations in the Church of Nativity, Bethlehem. “It was a trivial problem that…occurs every year,” said a police lieutenant-colonel. “No one was arrested because all those involved were men of God.” Reuters News Service, USA

Would “God” want his men …

“True self confidence comes from honing your talents and learning things,” says the book Generation Me, “not from being told you’re great just because you exist.”

“Parents want to make their children happy, and children want stuff,” says the book The Narcissism Epidemic. “Thus parents buy them stuff. And children are happy, but only for a short period of time. Then they want even more stuff.”

“Throwing material goods at problems is a notoriously unsuccessful solution,” says the book The Price of Privilege. “Problems need to be addressed with thought, insight, and empathy, not shoes and purses.” (How many shoes and purses do you own?! or ties and sneakers?! or backpacks and lalaloopsy dolls? or skateboards and legos?:)

Escaping the Endless Adolescence, Dr. Joseph Allen tells of a young man who said to him during a job interview: “I get the sense that sometimes parts of the work can be a little boring, and I don’t want to be bored.” Dr. Allen writes: “He didn’t seem to understand that all jobs have some boring elements. How did one make it to age twenty-three without knowing that?”

Parents face so many varying challenges to raising kids/teens these days. As any busy Mom/Dad of 4 or 3, 2,1…knows it gets overwhelming and exhausting to say the least! Hubby and i chose to have these kids and so, we also chose to raise them ourselves. (i.e. i became a stay-at-home mom and Hubby is self-employed. We tried to maximize our time to be present for our children (and to protect their fleeting childhood) during their tender, formative years.) We all make sacrifices for important reasons. All worthwhile endeavors require hard work and sacrifice…Parenthood is such an endeavor–a daunting one at that!

The above-snipets/quotes are from an article/s i recently read on parenting which explored:

3 Parenting Traps:

1. Overpraising: For example some parents have been caught up in the self-esteem movement. You know, praising their kids say for breathing and totally ignoring any indiscretion or offensive behavior. Lavishing …

“Globally Organized Crime Syndicates are penetrating secure wildlife populations.” “An immense, increasingly sophisticated illegal trade in wildlife parts conducted by organized crime [is] decimating the world’s most beloved species…on a scale never before seen.” ~ Wildlife Conservation Society, USA

photo credit: Schimalto

The practitioners of this multi-billion dollar illegal wildlife trade are violent enemies of conservation. The internet is the growing medium for the sale of illegal wildlife parts. (Lingo: “wildlife parts” is kinda gruesome to me.) The wanton abuse, disregard and disrespect for “any” life (wild or otherwise) fueled by love of money (or some other stinky diesel) is sad, appalling, sickening to me! (Yeah, that was partly an “emotional” condemnatory statement. Let me follow it by a “logical” acknowledgement that all of us have “learned” a specific set of survival skills. Some a positive, civilized set and others a negative, barbaric set and/or everything in between the extreme set.) What is your survival skill set?

All of us, starting at a young age, have had a differing survival/values education of one kind or another. Each of us, depending on where (i.e. city mouse or country mouse) and when (decade/generation influences) we were born and to whom (our parents and their culture/education, etc.)–as well as other factors–provided the extensive variables that shaped and make up our personal/present value system/education. Hopefully, you were born to parents that highly valued you and loved/cherished you! Not everyone has had that privilege. Some have experienced betrayal at a very tender age.

For example, the despair learned by a young girl (i read about) named Sharada who was taken from her Asian village to a foreign city. Guess who sold her at age 9? Shockingly, Sharada’s father and for a measly $14 (U.S.). My heart breaks for Sharada and others like her who have been sold/forced into slavery. I wonder about Sharada’s father…like why he sold his daughter? Was he too sold at a young age and by whom…his father?!

Some of us have learned …

Freedom. Ephemeral or Eternal? Mankind’s quest for freedom remains illusive and elusive. All of us desire freedom…to choose our food, our work, our friends, our leaders.

All of us have preferences such as what we like to read and what we like to write. Where we want to live and how we want to live (i.e. stay single or marry).

Millions throughout history have never experienced “true” freedom! Have you??

Partners, Caregivers, Others–Most of us–enjoy a “measure” of freedom. THANKS for using your freedom to read my blog!:)

French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote:
“Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains.”
Born Free? Are you free? or are you in chains? Think again! Everyone is in chains (of some sort)…Some self-made, some imprisoned by power-hungry people without compassion or compunction who have injured and dominated others on their way to the top of the prominence pile aka pig pile; crushing the freedoms and innocence of innocents!

A sad reality, some prisons exist without bars or chains! Poverty, sickness, hunger, hatred are brutal masters.

Please know, this post intent is Not to depress or dwell on negativity, rather my hope is You, my Readers, will think differently (reeducate) about the gifts (talents, abilities, privileges) you have/enjoy (that others may not) and the manner in which you choose to use or share your daily gifts, in particular, the gift of free will…
FREEDOM!…Freedom is Truth.
Freedom is Relative.

Freedom is privilege. How would you describe Freedom?! Why does it appeal to you?! What will you do or not do to obtain it?! And once you obtain it, how will you use it? Selfishly of selflessly? Negatively or positively? Will you choose to live in a way that respects the dignity/freedom of others? As Caregiver, Partner, Person, Friend how will you use your measure of freedom…today?

Freedom to me (figuratively)– can be liken to an innocent child enjoying an innocent childhood. A child who enjoys the warmth, affection, benevolence, protection of a selfless, non-abusive father who allows this child to play, learn and grow, …

YUMMY! Do you like chocolate? Belgian, Swiss, Milk, Dark, White?! Go!…Diva!…that’s how one feels–like a Diva on the Go…after some!:)

Sorry Readers, you never know when I may try to insert a goofy joke! Yes, your definition of “joke” is better than mine. Though, we may share the same “goofy” definition!:)

Are You a genius?! A “Sweet Genius”? Ever see that Food Network show with Master Pastry Chef Ron Ben-Israel?! (I have a sweet tooth, but I don’t like to bake.) Do you like to bake? Do you have a sweet tooth? Oh, you don’t have a sweet tooth, but you like to bake?!

What interests me, this baking competition consists of various “tests” designed to challenge 4 Premier Pastry Chef’s’ imagination, ingenuity and creativity.They are given “out of the box” (as in they bake from scratch with non-traditional dessert, mystery, mandatory ingredients i.e. Peking Duck). To aid their invention and imagination included is inspiration in its various forms: ballerinas, live baby chicks, stained glass, a python, electricity (not for appliances) but as theme. With finite time ticking away and interrupted by last-minute surprise ingredients, chefs must be flexible and act quickly to create candy, cake, chocolate genius!
“Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.”
How’s your day going? Working up a sweat in the kitchen or elsewhere?!

Genius. Chocolate. Do the two relate?? According to a tongue-in-cheek report by Franz Messerli (a cardiologist at New York’s St. Luke’s­-Roosevelt Hospital) in the New England Journal of Medicine, they indeed do! My response: Woo-Hoo!

Notice what this article The Secret To Genius? It Might Be More Chocolate from NPR had to say about Messerli:

After being asked to peer review an article on flavanols, the substances found in tea, wine and chocolate, among other things, that seem to help slow down or even reverse the mental slowdowns of aging, he began to toy around with a silly idea: If chocolate consumption could boost a septuagenarian’s brain power, might it also boost an entire country’s?

Messerli, who is Swiss, knew that his homeland had the highest per-capita number …

Continue reading… »

Do you like Mosquitoes? I’m not too particularly fond of them, but they really like me! Whenever I’m outdoors, they snack and munch on me repeatedly.

All of us have been bitten by the insect and/or mosquito-like problem or person. What can we do about it?

Learn to appreciate the mosquito. Learn to repel the mosquito. Beware of the infected kind!

Greetings from Florida–the Land of Flowers (and insects)!

Here in FL:

 ”there are currently 80 species of mosquitoes known to occur or have been identified from various collections in Florida, more than any other state. Of these, 33 species can cause pest problems for man and/or domestic animals in all or parts of the state. Thirteen species are capable of transmitting pathogens that cause disease in humans and animals.” ~ Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory- one of the world’s largest research institutions devoted to the understanding and control of medically important and biting insects.

photo credit 1: SimonM. photo credit 2: adam79

According to the FMEL website:

“There are three very important mosquito-borne diseases that occur in Florida: Eastern equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, and West Nile fever/encephalitis; all of these diseases are caused by viruses that are transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito.”

Here’s a link on how to repel the insect http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in419

From time to time (depending on the season) as Partners, Caregivers and Others, we may have pesty problems or pesty people that fly into our lives. Who wants pestilence?! Not me. May be, we need a “pest analysis” or a (green) pesticide -lol:)

Learning “Positive”/Green (thus the color:) Pest Management can keep us on the Path of Peace and Wellness!

As Partners, Caregivers and Others: How do we handle or treat the people and problems in our lives? How do you manage your pests? the Green approach?!

Can taking a closer “appreciative” examination/look at the …

Most don’t know that child caregivers exist! A 2005 report by the National Alliance for Caregiving (PDF), “estimated that there were at least 1.3 million between the ages of 8 and 18 –(caregivers) most caring for a parent or grandparent, some looking after a sibling.”

According to the Report:

A child caregiver was defined as anyone aged 8-18 who provides unpaid help or care to any person who has an ongoing health problem or chronic-illness, or is elderly, frail, disabled, or mentally ill. In addition, to qualify as caregiver, a parent had to report that the child helps the care receiver with one or more of the following tasks:

• Household Chores or Meal Preparation
• Dressing or Feeding
• Taking Medicine or Talking to Doctors or Nurses
• Keeping Him/Her Company/Providing Emotional Support
• Shopping
• Paperwork, Bills or Arranging Outside Services
• Moving around the house, or Getting around the Community
• Bathing or Using the Bathroom

“Nearly all caregivers help with at least one instrumental activity of daily living.” “The ADL performed by the largest proportion of child caregivers is helping the receiver get in and out of beds and chairs.”

My four kids are learning about the caregiving role (and not only because they help encourage their Father, Chato Stewart,who is living with Bipolar Disorder.) I am learning about the care receiver role. I severely sprained my left ankle since my last post.

This is not a woe is me…Cannot complain, I’ve been very healthy my whole life and pretty much injury-free. This is my very first sprain that I can recall. It’s mostly an inconvenience. It interrupts my organization.

Have you sprained anything lately?! Elevating my foot as I write, hoping the swelling will go down. This sprain and swelling can serve as a *meta “phor”  something…(hopefully, it will come to me by the end of this post-lol:)

I’m learning “new” skills like how to hobble around on crutches and the value of stuffing my pockets to transport things. As a person who lives an extremely active life-style, who’s use to doing …

Where are You?! “You’ll be “here” in my heart–ALWAYS!”

Distance, disease, death, circumstance…may separate loved ones, but some bonds can never be broken!

Honestly, each time I sit here at my laptop about to compose what I hope to be a “light” (not too deep) post…with the goal of not “publicly” pouring my heart completely out on any given topic (cause let’s face it–You, my readers who “may” follow my writing, know more about me than I, You–which btw puts me in a vulnerable position of self-sacrifice and/or rejection)…It’s too difficult a task, I just cannot do it–NOT pour out my heart in my writing!

Thanks for reading, I know you have way better things to do than pay attention to my heart. Your heart beats for something. Your heart beats for someone.

Why do I care so much about all the topics I babble endlessly about??!! “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

It’s tough when you care so much or too much and others may not whatsoever! Guess, I must have bigger fears than vulnerability, rejection, sacrifice. Maybe I live life like a crash-test dummy!(emphasis on dummy -lol:)

Maybe I fear silence. Or maybe my love is greater than my fear. (I hope so.)

When your love is deeper than your fear…seemingly impossible things happen. How deep is your love? What do you make happen? Is your love greater than your fear?

I like words. (I hope You like mine.) I hope You find them encouraging or helpful. Letters, words, posts go places we (physically) cannot. Places like one heart to another. Bridges leading from one heart and mind to another heart and mind. I believe in building bridges and not destroying them. A wrong word like a bomb can explode a bridge.

photo credit: Rusty Russ

Can you build any bridges today? Is there someone out there you need to mend a bridge with? …

Are you running around in circles? Can’t see the forest through the trees? Can’t get out of the forest because you’re expending all your energy walking around in one big circle with no clear direction? Admit it: You’re lost!

What will you do? Continue talking and walking in circles not making any progress forward? Do you really want to end up in the same place – which is, NOWHERE?

Are you the offspring of impossible figures? Is your father Oscar Reutersvard?

What am I writing about?

Please check it out:

Swedish artist Oscar Reutersvärd was the first to deliberately design many impossible objects. He has been called “the father of impossible figures”. In 1934 he drew the Penrose triangle, some years before the Penroses. In Reutersvärd’s version the sides of the triangle are broken up into cubes.

In 1956, British psychiatrist Lionel Penrose and his son, mathematician Roger Penrose, submitted a short article to the British Journal of Psychology titled “Impossible Objects: A Special Type of Visual Illusion”. This was illustrated with the Penrose triangle and Penrose stairs. The article referred to Escher, whose work had sparked their interest in the subject, but not Reutersvärd, of whom they were unaware. The article was only published in 1958.

From the 1930s onwards Dutch artist M.C. Escher produced many drawings featuring paradoxes of perspective gradually working towards impossible objects. In 1957 he produced his first drawing containing a true impossible object: Cube with Magic Ribbons.  ~ wikipedia

“At a quick glance, these drawings seem to make believable what clearly violates all rules of common sense. When examined carefully, however, they can be seen as clever tricks invented by the artist to confuse or deceive the eye and mind of the beholder.”

Come on People, Partners, Caregivers and Others: let’s not fall for an “impossible” object!  PLEASE don’t be a Don Quixote…don’t deceive yourself!  Impossible objects are not the only things that are clever tricks appearing different from what they truly are. Careful examination and investigation are vital! Especially in matters of life and death. In matters of …