04.02.16 – End of Day Notes

What I did today: Today was another busy day for me. I did a ton of writing projects:

• A Scifi flash fiction piece for A2Z titled Byal’s Mission
• A poem for the PAD Challenge
• A poem for the NaPoWriMo
• A poem for Stream of Consciousness Saturday
• A small stones
• And here on this blog, I wrote a piece on Buddha for the A2Z, did the Weekend Coffee Share, Saturday 9 and the journal writing for NaJoWriMo

I’ve also been hopping around the blogosphere reading A2Z posts. I’ve probably read and commented on around 20 blogs today. Here are a few of my favorites from today:

• Fascinating telling of the Japanese legend called Aka Monto @ DJINNIA and the ENGLISH LANGUAGE
• If you like murder mysteries, check out Yolanda’s A2Z posts (bookmark her, Feedly her, follow her!) @ Defending the Pen
• Are you as obsessed with serial killers as I am? Check out Yolanda’s A2Z posts on Serial killers (bookmark, Feedly, follow!) @ Murderous Imaginings
• Awesome post on the Anti-Muse: Not Waiting for Inspiration (Catharine and Evelyn are shaking in their boots!) @ Yvonne Ventresca’s Blog
• Leanne is blogging about positive personality traits over @ cresting the hill of midlife
• Are you Star Trek Enterprise fan? Then check out Shanjeniah’s fan fiction. She is A2Zing them over @ shanjeniah’s Lovely Chaos
• Beautiful piece of Spiritual Fiction on Acceptance @ Soulful
• Do you write mysteries? Want to learn some unique ways to kill? Join Sharon @ Parsley, Sage, and Rosemary Time
• Like cozy mysteries? Guess-who using tips from a WIP with Sophie @ Sophie’s Thoughts & Fumbles
• Great post on Mindfulness via Vidya @ Vidya Sury – Collecting Smiles

What I learned today: How to BreathWalk! I definitely want to begin this practice!

What I am most proud of today:  I managed to get 4 hrs of sleep

What did you do today, dear readers? Learn any lessons? Have a reason to be proud? Share your thoughts with me in the comments!

10 Daily Currents – 04.02.16

It is Saturday at 1:05 pm and I am currently…

1. listening: my BB on the phone

2. eating: cabbage and meatballs

3. drinking: Pepsi Max

4. wearing: black silky pj bottoms, black silky t-shirt, purple socks

5. feeling: extremely sleepy.. been up now for 15 hrs

6. weather: cool, about 55 degrees… sunny

7. wanting: to actually sleep instead of toss and turn

8. needing: sleep

9. thinking: have I finished all of my posts for today?

10. enjoying: chatting with my BB on the phone

I had a thought, dear readers… if you’d like to grab these 10 Daily Currents and write your own, link back to my post so I can share along with you!

Saturday 9: Fool on the Hill (1967)

Saturday 9: Fool on the Hill (1967)

Unfamiliar with today’s song? We can’t help you. The YouTube copyright police have removed the Beatles’ version.

1) Friday was April Fool’s Day. Did you pull any pranks? Did anyone put anything over on you? I didn’t and usually don’t. Thankfully, no one pranked me either.

2) The practice of playing tricks on one another on April 1 dates back at least to the 14th century and Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales includes a mention of it. Geoffrey Chaucer has been called England’s greatest poet. Quote a bit of poetry for us. (It doesn’t have to be English, or great.) I collect poetry with the word “bone” in it. Here is a favorite of mine:

3) Beatle Paul is a huge Elvis fan and is happy to own the bass that was played on Elvis’ 1954 recording of “That’s All Right, Mama.” Tell us about one of your prized possessions. My Prince collection. I’ve been collecting his music since 1979. I have vinyl, cassettes, CDs and all of his movies. I also have several posters and magazines where he appears on the cover. And the highlight of my collection is a concert ticket when I saw him in concert Wilmington NC back in 1997.

4) In contrast to his easygoing persona, Sir Paul has been described by former band mate Ringo Starr as strong willed and “determined to get his own way.” Do you consider yourself strong willed and determined? Or are you more easy going? I am fairly easy going unless someone ruffles my feathers.

5) The Beatles once bought a Greek island, planning to live and record there, but sold it after a few months because it started to seem like a bad, expensive idea. Tell us about a purchase that gave you buyer’s remorse. That only happened when I bought shoes online. I never got a pair that fit right. I’ve learned to only buy them when I can try them on.

6) Legend has it that the Beatles officially broke up in Disney World. John Lennon was staying at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort when he received and signed the court papers that dissolved the group. Have you ever conducted business while on vacation? Not really business, but I did working holidays while in college for Spring breaks, usually preparing for finals.

7) George Harrison loved puttering around in the garden and dedicated his autobiography to “gardeners everywhere.” Do you have a green thumb? I do. I can usually get everything to grow for me but ivy.

8) Ringo regrets not having saved more Beatles memorabilia, which he realizes now would be worth a fortune. Are you a pack rat?  Not really. I have collections of a few things like books, anything with a raven on it, some music and dvd collections.

9) Random question: Which do you prefer, Girl Scout cookies or Boy Scout popcorn? Neither – diabetic, so I cannot have the GS cookies. Can’t eat popcorn because the kernels always get stuck in my teeth.

#WeekendCoffeeShare: 4/2/16

If we were having coffee, I would invite you into the warm kitchen. I’d serve you some fresh oatmeal raisin cookies with your breakfast blend coffee or Earl Grey tea.

“I’ve been baking cookies all morning for my dad. Oatmeal raisin are his favorites,” I would tell you as I place a plate of them on the table.

If we were having coffee, I would complain about how cold it still is in April. The few warm does are overshadowed by the cold night temperatures.

“I hear some areas in the US are even getting snow today and tomorrow,” I would say.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you how excited I am about the A2Z and how I am doing it on two blogs – As the Fates Would Have It about People Who Inspire Me and Promptly Written with Science Fiction flash fiction.

“I’ve also been writing poetry and drabbles,” I would confess.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you how horrible my sleep patterns have been. Most days I am lucky to get 5 hours of sleep.

“I hope you don’t mind if I cut this coffee break short,” I would say. “It’s getting close to time for me to rest.”

I would wrap you up some cookies to take home with you and wave goodbye at the door as you leave.

“Thank you for having coffee and a chat. I will see you next week,” I would assure you.

If we were having coffee, what would YOU tell me? Let me know in comments!

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This delightful coffee share is brought to you by Part-Time Monster and friends.

Taking Care of Self #NaJoWriMo

Today’s journal prompt is write about or make a list of ways you’re taking care of yourself. What are you doing to maintain or improve your health? What are you doing for fun and relaxation? How are you making time for family and friends?

I’m not, or at the very least, not taking care of myself well. For 6 months, I was on a strict low carb/healthy fats diet. I went on this diet because it promised to do two things – lower my blood sugar and help me lose weight. Initially, it did both, but only in the first 2 months. I didn’t change my diet at all and kept a strict diet journal. I kept my carbs under 20 grams a day, kept my protein intake at a moderate level and my fats high. This was the formula. I quickly lost 22 lbs. I was ecstatic. My blood sugar had come down into the low 100s after being in the 200-300s. Everything seemed to be going well. Then during the 3rd month, after changing nothing, the weight began to climb back up, as did my blood sugar. I asked all of the experts and they had no explanation. The only difference was that I was staying up at night and sleeping during the day because I was doing a lot of writing. I’ve pretty much given up the diet for now after gaining back 11 lbs and my blood sugar staying in the 200s (with insulin *sighs*).

I also don’t sleep much. So I am sure that doesn’t help anything either. I would blame it on the caffeine, but even when I went decaf, I still couldn’t sleep. Unless I take medication, I usually stay up anywhere from 18-24 hrs before crashing. When I take sleep meds, I am groggy for up to 4 hours after waking up. As a writer, I cannot deal with the grogginess or brain fog from the medication.

I do meditate, but again, not nearly as often as I should. I do two forms of meditation. One in the morning using a guided audio and the other at night before I go to sleep called Ho’oponopono. Both involve deep breathing. They relax me when I do them, but they won’t help me sleep.

I lift weights and walk two or three times a week. I should be doing this daily, but I just can’t seem to work it in more than that. I need to at least lift weights once per day. I think I need to challenge myself and schedule both the weight lifting and the walking.

I make it a habit to brush my hair each night before I go to bed. When I suffered deep depression, I would go as long as a week without brushing my hair. I’ve had long hair now for the better part of 20 years and it gets tangled easily. Twice I’ve had to cut my hair to my shoulders in order to get out severe tangles.

I try to stay in touch with a couple of friends on a consistent basis. I can easily go months at a time without contacting anyone. I don’t have problems being alone, but there is a big difference between being alone and isolating one’s self. The former is healthy, the latter is not. So I reach out now that I am no longer depressed.

And finally, I journal. This is probably the best self-care I do for myself. It has become a daily practice to write something, anything first thing in the evening, which is my usual morning *laughs*

How about you, dear readers? What things do you do for self-care? Share your thoughts with me in comments.

(Note: if you would like to participate in this month-long journal writing activity, sign up for emailed prompts here)

#atozchallenge – Buddha Inspires Me

Gautama Buddha, or Siddhārtha Gautama, is known as the Supreme Buddha. Buddha means “awakened one” or “the enlightened one.” Siddhārtha’s teachings are called “The Middle Way” or “The Middle Path” and are the basis behind the Eastern Philosophy of Buddhism.

The reason the Buddha inspires me is because he has given me the means to control my attitude toward life. I no longer look to the past and witness my harmful life, and I no longer long for the future. Both of these left me unsatisfied, disenchanted, and often quite depressed. It wasn’t until I began following the teachings of the Buddha that I learned to live in the here and now. To be present in every moment. To be mindful of my daily activities. To become emptiness in order to live a full life. I no longer desire possessions, feel entitled, or have the need to be better than anyone else. I simply AM. The me I was destined to be. Wholly and spiritually aware.

Interesting fact: Siddhārtha Gautama was said to be a Prince, was married and had one child. He gave up his stately life after encountering a diseased man, a decaying corpse, and an ascetic. After which, he went on to become an ascetic himself and eventually the enlightened one.

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Thank you for joining me for the A-to-Z Challenge. If you’d like to see who else is participating, check them out here.

Each day, I will be posting about People Who Inspire Me.