My lava lamp Is working again, Its orange ball Moves slightly In the lamp’s bright Interior liquid. I bought it Years ago In memory of Paul He had one, So I needed one too, To sit on my Office desk in A room where he Was my muse. But the lamp broke, And wasn’t fixed Until yesterday. It feels like a gift From the past. Lava lamp information From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigationJump to search Lava lamps of several different colors An original Mathmos Astro lava lamp A lava lamp is a decorative lamp, invented in 1963 by British entrepreneur Edward Craven Walker, the founder of the lighting company Mathmos. The lamp consists of a bolus of a special coloured wax mixture inside a glass vessel, the remainder of which contains clear or translucent liquid. The vessel is placed on a box containing an incandescent light bulb whose heat causes temporary reductions in the density of the wax and surface tension of the liquid. As the warmed wax rises … [Read more...]
Please read the attached article
I read this article yesterday, and I thought it was worth sharing with my Choices readers. That is not to say I know a lot of people who won't get the vaccine for whatever reason, but if this article could get even one to change his or her anti-vaxer mind it would be worth it. At least please scroll down and look at the main points Peggy Drexler makes: Listen, Talk in a way that will help them listen, Stay detached, Make it their decision, Bribe them, and View it as a long game. Please read! Can you do something about stubborn unvaccinated people? Yes, you can. Opinion by Peggy Drexler (CNN)Covid cases are going up. Mask sales are again on the rise. And yet, vaccine resistance grows. Does this make any sense. The ongoing surge in all 50 states, plus DC and Puerto Rico -- one that's putting cases in some regions at the same levels they were one year ago, at the height of the pandemic and before there was a vaccine -- is largely due to the fact that about half of the US … [Read more...]
Really I’m not a broken record
I have a new friend where I live who also writes a blog. But she writes everyday - something, I'm sorry to say, I won't commit to. Plus she adds great illustrations, news topics, trivia questions, and a daily puzzle. This I must say is one fun blog even when she asks pointed questions about the new mask directives and discusses why she doesn't watch the Olympics. And it's not all that serious. She even recommended buying a pair of shoes like her latest ones. Yes, I'm going to buy a pair. Here's her blog address: Joyce@joyceswhatsupblog.com I hope you'll check it out! *** As for me, well, I'm like a broken record. I keep writing and writing about the same old thing - my moving and how I'm feeling about it. Though I hope this latest piece is a little more optimistic. Writing Group Prompt: Write about your comfortable space and what draws you to it or the reverse: Supposedly when I moved to my new apartment in Playa Vista I was moving to a more comfortable space. Leaving my big … [Read more...]
More poems about moving
While my moving days are still clear in my mind, here's a few more poems I've written about that awful chore. So many decisions, so many memories, so much pain involved. Bob, your favorite Yellow leather chair Is going out of our lives. It doesn’t fit In my new home So I’m giving It to Joe. I know He’ll take good care Of it and remember you Whenever he sits in it. And I won’t ever forget How you looked Snuggled up in it Dozing and relaxing There even when You were the most sick. I don’t need The physical chair Or the physical you To have all The best memories Of our undying love. This is the penultimate Moving day. The piles of boxes Filled the whole garage And now are Packed tight in two trucks. Soon the furniture Will go in. By close of business The trucks will be packed And ready For delivery tomorrow. And with every step The movers make I remember the story Of the things they carry. We lived with an armoire In our bedroom For over twenty years. It held our … [Read more...]
Like modern art? Then go to LACMA!
I went with two friends yesterday to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA),, specifically to see its newly installed Modern Art collection. It took us at least two hours to gaze at the art, listen to the commentary, and soak in the works by mostly familiar artists from the 1900 to the 1960s. There were concentrations of work by Pablo Picasso, Alberto Giacometti, Kathe Kollwitz and other not so well known women artists, Diego Rivera, amongst wonderful examples of paintings, sculptures, assemblages, wood cuts, lithographs, and drawings. I urge you to go – even if you’re not in the neighborhood. It’s well worth the trip. And it’s well worth your aching feet and back when you leave the scene. I, for sure, am going back. There is so much there to revisit - over and over. Maybe someone out there wants to join me. … [Read more...]
Moving has its likes and hates
Hello everyone. Please welcome me back. I can't believe I haven't posted here since June 9. And I only posted one time in the month of June. But, I have a good excuse. I moved out of my house of forty-two years on June 23, and the work leading up to that day and after that day has been horrendous and exhausting. I wrote a bit about my moving experience in my writing group yesterday - my first time back there in several weeks as well. I thought I'd share it with you here. *** I’ve said to several people since I moved to my new apartment in Playa Vista, whether I like it or not, I’m never going to move again. The only way I’ll get out of here is feet first. How’s that for standing firm? It is not that I don’t like it here. Actually being here just a day less than two weeks, it’s too soon to tell. Everyday I find things I like and things I very much hate. For example a wonderful woman named Blanca cleaned my apartment this morning. She came at eight and worked about two hours, and … [Read more...]
Is it possible to get our beauty sleep?
Our guest today is Sheila Olson who writes about how to get our beauty sleep. It's a perfect subject for me. My sleeping habits definitely don't fall into the beauty sleep category. I need all the help I can get. Waking at three each morning is not a way to erase my aging dark circles and wrinkles. Here's Sheila. Image via Pixabay 3 Tips for Getting Your Best Beauty Rest by Sheila Olson We’ve all heard that we need to get our beauty rest, but do we really take this seriously? According to Healthy Magazine, not getting enough sleep can make you appear older by causing wrinkles and under-eye bags to develop on your face. If you get a good night’s rest, your skin will be healthier because deep sleep allows you to create new skin cells. If your skin is constantly dry and dull, it might be because you’re skimping on your beauty rest. You should be shooting for around eight hours of quality sleep per night. Courtesy of Madeline Sharples, author of Leaving … [Read more...]
How to relax on a budget? Ask Emma!
Perfect timing. An article by Emma Grace Brown about how to relax in Los Angeles and do it on a budget. Here's Emma. How to Relax in L.A. Like a Celebrity Without Spending Like One by Emma Grace Brown Los Angeles is the perfect place to get away and refresh your mind and body. There are so many wonderful things to do and see, and so many memories to be made. At the same time, you need to leave some room for self-care. That way you don’t end up needing a vacation to recover from your vacation. Now when you think of L.A. and self-care, you may immediately picture pricey spas and resorts, but the following are much more practical options, including the pointers below. Stay Like a Local for Less When you’re looking to relax, the last thing you want is to get stuck in a less-than-perfect hotel room. However, good hotels are notoriously expensive in Los Angeles. Which is why if you’re traveling with friends or loved ones, you may want to look into renting a short-term rental … [Read more...]
Please welcome Nicole Souza, Dystopian fiction author
Nicole Souza is on a WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING TOUR of her book, Sins of Our Mothers. We are happy to welcome her here. Sins of Our Mothers has received some wonderful five-star reviews. For example: "I loved this book. I haven’t read anything quite like it before. It was absolutely captivating. There was something about Souza’s style that just drew me in." "Dystopian stories are generally unique anyway, but this one felt very different from anything I've read before. The world-building, the society, and the characters were captivating and unique." "This was different than most books I read. A dystopian novel with strong female characters, taking place after a solar catastrophe. This was a really good read and I enjoyed it." And we are very pleased to introduce Nicole Souza's thoughts about what life would be like in a world with just women. Here's Nicole: In A World of Just Women, What Would Be the Ultimate Success? What Would A Successful Woman's Life Look Like? by … [Read more...]
I like lazy days
Even though I’m writing about laziness today – another writing group prompt – I’ve been far from lazy. With escrow closing on the sale of my house in forty-three days, I have to stay busy with the clearing out of the things I’ve accumulated for over forty-two years. It’s a horrendous job. Nobody should have to do it. So, no wonder I like the idea of laziness. These days I find myself wanting to nap at almost any time of day. For most of my life I was an early riser. Sometimes getting up as early as four thirty so I could workout at the gym before having to get ready for and go to work. That kind of schedule became a habit for me. Now that I’m not working, I still get up to workout before starting the rest of my day, but I’ve become a little more lazy about it. Sometimes I’ll set my alarm for six thirty, sometimes seven, sometimes seven thirty, and sometimes I don’t set it at all. Most days however, I wake up on my own in the dark of the morning way before my intended wake time. But … [Read more...]
No memories at all
My house is now in escrow, which means that in about two months from now I'll have to move out. That brought on some I can't imagine thoughts about moving. Here goes: After living in this house for over forty-two years I can’t imagine living anyplace else. The house was brand new when we bought it and to me it was like a palace. It has three levels with four bedrooms, two and a half baths, a huge kitchen with more cabinets than I knew what to do with, plus a living room, family room, and a formal dining room. Luckily, we already had the dining table – an old claw foot oak piece with lots of leaves to accommodate twelve people at the many dinners I used to prepare. Now I have no idea who will end up with that table and the antique sideboard also in the dining room. There’s no room for them in the tiny apartment I’m planning to move into. Actually, I’ll have no room for most of my things in that apartment. And I can’t visualize what I’ll do with all of them. At least I’ll have three … [Read more...]
Advice about consciousness from Michele Sammons
Michele Sammons is an intuitive, which she shares in her new book, The Little Book of Big Knowing. She tells us how to be conscious from her perspective below. A View of Consciousness from the Perspective of an Intuitive by Michele Sammons I remember the first time I felt energy tingling through my body—a sensation that felt like tiny champagne bubbles vibrating on the inside of my skin. It felt so delicious that I didn’t move a muscle hoping to hang on to the feeling as long as possible. It was my first experience of physically feeling an aspect of consciousness flowing through me. Consciousness is the 21st-century label for an ancient is-ness that existed before time and form. It’s been called many things in the past—energy, God, Source, Yahweh, The-All-That-Is, The Great Spirit, Atman, and more. Humans like to define our experiences so that we can understand them. Especially when we are trying to understand something beyond our physical self, we find it helpful to have a signpost that … [Read more...]
Selling, getting rid of the stuff, and moving
My house has been on the market for three weeks with no offers yet. Bub I assume that will happen in good time. In the meantime I'm nervous about it and I work hard to make sure my home is in perfect condition when people come by to see it. In the meantime I also write my daily poems - hoping my words will help the process along. I'm abandoned Put upon Left to do All the work. Arrange for repairs Take care of the garden Sign the listing papers And make sure Everything is perfect before a buyer Comes by. Then I’m the one Left to decide On an offer If one ever comes through Next I must take care of all the work Of the move: The throwing away, The giving away, The taking away, Handling all the things We lovingly bought together And put into this home. And touching each One by one while deciding What to do with it. I resent it I want him by my side. After he died I had to take care Of the finances Pay the bills Do the taxes Manage the money. This other stuff The selling, the … [Read more...]
New poems to go with a new life
The big news is that I'm getting my house ready to sell. I decided last month that I need to move out of the house I shared with Bob for over forty-two years. It's just too big and lonely and filled with all the memories of the years we spent here with each other and our boys. It's time to start anew. And to live where I can meet some other people - I'm thinking a senior independent living community. I cannot stand how lonely my life is now. So the scary part is, the house will go up for sale at the end of this week. And I worry that no one else will love it as much as I do and will not want to buy it. I'll keep you posted on that. But I'm sure you know, I'm still writing my daily poem. Here are some new ones. Remember they are only drafts that get written in no more than ten minutes or so. Someday, I'll revisit them when/if I decide to publish another chapbook. Enjoy! I find myself Talking about “we” And “our” lately. I can’t let go Of him even In small … [Read more...]
Introducing “Moving On”
My new poetry chapbook, called Moving On, published on January 30, 2021, arrived in my mail box this week. Here it is: It's kind of cool how this book came about. I wasn't looking for a publisher. In fact that was the last thing on my mind while my husband was so ill and since his death. Instead the publisher - Cyberwit.net - from India - sought me out. He had read one of my poems in a Story Circle Network journal in the True Words section and offered to publish sixty to seventy of my poems in a chapbook. How could I turn that down? Because of what was happening in my life I took longer that he wanted to get the poems together, edit them, and send them off, but finally I did it. I love this description of Moving On: "The poems are full of lyrical force and show freshness of style. No doubt, this is a significant work. The poems have great power of observation and originality of imagination." Here's a little sneak peek: Buddha “The dead we can imagine to be … [Read more...]
