Happy birthday kitty kats

Happy birthday Ebony age 12 and her son Smokey age 11. Like any mother Ebony rules the house and still occasionally swats her baby when she thinks he needs being reminded of that fact.

Ebony had a difficult time giving birth to her four kittens. Smokey was her first born and the next day was joined by three siblings, two black like mom and a tiger stripped, which was given to my grandson. I felt sorry for Smokey and I kept him. The other two were later given to friends.
       

 This is my favorite picture of Smokey and has received a lot of attention over the years.
            

Kissed by an angel

This beautiful poem came across my news feed on Facebook today. I shared it with my friends. It received no response. Not being one to easily give up I am offering it to my readers. To me it seems a perfect response to the almost unbelievable mess our country is in at the moment. I think the last line says it all. I would be pleased to know what you think. Don't be shy.

One Inspirational Poem

(From the website Kissed By an Angel)

One song can spark a moment,

One flower can wake a dream.

One tree can start a forest,

One bird can herald spring.

One smile begins a friendship,

One handclasp lifts a soul.

One star can guide a ship at sea,

One word can frame the goal.

One vote can change a nation,

One sunbeam lights a room.

One candle wipes out darkness,

One laugh will conquer gloom.

One step must start each journey,

One word must start each prayer.

One hope will raise our spirits,

One touch can show you care.

One voice can speak with wisdom,

One heart can know what’s true.

One life can make the difference,

You see it’s up to YOU!

Why do you listen?

A little while ago I eavesdropped on a Facebook conversation between a couple who were having a conversation about race and the current state of affairs in America.

Female: The nation is out of control

Male: I agree, but what do we do?

Female: We start by listening to understand instead of listening to respond.

What a great answer. I decided to use it to write a blog post. I would only add the word learn. (Hope you don't mind Alaina.)

I am very grateful to have the privilege of having a computer and access to a world I would have never known if I hadn't taken a leap of faith and plunged right in several years ago. As the result I have friends all over the world of every color, race, religion and belief. The only time we don't see eye to eye is when one of them tries to shove what they believe down my throat. I am perfectly willing to listen, understand and learn from their experiences, but my life is mine and I will live it as I see fit.

In addition to FB I also enjoy the Kindle books that Amazon offers. Many of them are free. Two books in particular that taught me things I would never have imagined were:I  Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou and Desert Flower by Waris Dirie.

I had no idea what it was like being a female of color. I also had no idea what Ms. Angelou's life was like as a child and young woman. The things she endured as a young black woman should never have happened to anyone. How she grew up to be the revered woman she was has to be the work of the Creator.

The second book woke me up to learn about a young woman from Somalia who became a super model and United States Human Rights Ambassador. It is a true story detailing the barbaric circumcision of young African women. I had no idea this existed. Her job as an ambassador is to spread the word and end the custom which is still going on today. It's hard to believe she says she still loves her country.

I believe Alaina is right: Listen to understand/learn, not to respond.

Who do you trust?

If you make a habit of lying I have no more time for you in my life. It doesn't matter if you are a relative, friend or acquaintance. I'm done with you. I realize that we all tell little lies once in a while, but there are those who lie so much that they actually believe what they are saying. When a person's actions don't match their words over and over I have no more time for them.

To continue to accept negative behavior from anyone is beyond all reason.

Many have been taught that Jesus always turned the other cheek. Well, we are 100% human and as such, we are allowed to turn our backs when others treat us with disrespect. I believe the loudest noise you can make is to quietly walk away.

Trust is a wonderful powerful word that should be reserved for those who have demonstrated by their actions that they are worthy of our loyalty.

I found a couple of interesting quotes on the subject of trust, worthy of sharing.

Better to trust a man who is frequently in error than one who is never in doubt.~Eric Semiarid

Beware of anyone who says they know, trust me they don't, or they wouldn't have to say they did.~Harvey Fierstein

Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.~Golda Meir

And finally a quote from Dr. Benjamin Spock who wrote the book, Baby and Child Care in 1946. His words were read and trusted by millions of new mothers all over the world. His advice: "Trust yourself, you know more than you think you do."

Check the box

Lately I have been having a problem with checking the box on forms.Married-single-divorced? Gee I don't know what do I feel like today?

Well I'm definitely not married, but do I check single or divorced?

Single doesn't seem fair to my 3 legitimate children, but divorced was 17 years ago and doesn't really apple anymore.Maybe I should just leave it blank.

The only box I don't  have a problem with is nationality. I always check Anglo, but that doesn't seem fair to my French, Scottish, Swedish and English ancestors. After all Spanish, Native American and African American have their own boxes.

Maybe I should leave that blank too.

Last but not least is the box that covers your eye color. All my life I have had a problem with that one. My eyes are not brown, green or blue.They are an odd mixture of grey and green and really don't fit in any box. Maybe I should leave that blank too.

Perhaps the only box I can truthfully check is female. That's never going to change!

In other words

FREEDOM IS NOT FREE

I watched the flag pass by one day,
It fluttered in the breeze;
A young Marine saluted it,
And then he stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform,
So young, so tall, so proud;
With hair cut square and eyes alert,
He’d stand out in any crowd.
I thought… how many men like him
Had fallen through the years?
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers’ tears?
How many pilots’ planes shot down
How many died at sea
How many foxholes were soldiers’ graves
No, Freedom is not Free.
I heard the sound of Taps one night,
When everything was still;
I listened to the bugler play,
And felt a sudden chill;
I wondered just how many times
That Taps had meant “Amen”
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend;
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea,
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No. Freedom is not Free!

©Copyright 1981 by Kelly Strong

Living a healthy life

From 2000 to 2004 I wrote many articles as a columnist for the Cibola Beacon in Grants, NM. They were mostly life stories and the interviews with local residents were not only fun, but interesting. Some of the lives had surprising twists and turns. In 2013 as a member of the group Write On People, I also wrote several articles for the paper on various subjects, as a contributing columnist. One in particular I would like to share today because I was told by a reader that it was probably my best work. It was titled, Living a "Healthy" Life.

When most people think about healthy living they focus on what they put in their mouth. From research and my own experience I have found that living a healthy life encompasses much more than diet. It includes our environment, the people in our lives, the homes we live in, the thoughts we allow into our minds and the choices we make on a daily basis.

Of course, we all know that we should drink plenty of water. The recommended amount is eight glasses per day. This isn't hard to do in the summer when  everyone is thirsty, but winter is a different story.

Drinking water replaces what is lost through urine, bowel movements, perspiration and breathing. It is a necessary ingredient for our bodies to function properly.

Although it is not necessary to become a vegetarian, adding more fruits and vegetables is essential for good health. Synthetic supplements (vitamins) are not the same as consuming natural foods. The most nutritious fruits are: watermelon, apricots, apple, avocado, cantaloupe, grapefruit, kiwi, guava, papaya and strawberries. Top of the list vegetables are: most beans, asparagus, sprouts, button mushrooms, carrots and of course, anything green.

A great idea for adding variety to the menu is to think of a color wheel. White is for bananas and mushrooms, yellow for pineapple, mango and squash, orange for papaya and orange, red for apple, strawberry, tomato and watermelon, and green for guava, avocado, cucumber, lettuce and celery.

Telling someone that they can't have something is like giving them a green light to eat it anyway. For this reason I don't feel any food should be completely off limits; not even a hot fudge sundae or a perfectly seasoned portion of prime rib- once in a while.

Being overweight is the number one health problem in our country. If you are not close to your recommended weight you are prone to multiple diseases and a decreased quality of life.

Daily exercise will help get your weight where it should be. It really doesn't matter what you do as long as you exercise on a regular basis. Find a variety of activities that fit your physical capabilities and that you enjoy doing. Exercise lowers the risk of disease, lowers blood pressure and increases life span and bone density.

Next is resting your mind, better known as sleep. Getting enough sleep is important whatever your age. Inadequate sleep leads to eating high-sugar foods that are not good for you and can cause weight gain. 

Another way to rest your mind is meditation. All it requires is to sit quietly and turn off your "self-talk". Focus on deep breathing from the abdomen or listen to calming music. Just five minutes a day is enough to begin a good habit. 

Eliminating all the negative things in your life that are causing you stress is like weight loss for your mind. Spring cleaning can be done at any time of the year and should include those people who are draining your positive energy. Don't forget to take the time to laugh, especially at yourself.

Great advice from a local physical fitness trainer is, "Decrease your stress level by limiting the number of commitments you take on. Many people are stressed because they are over-committed or over-scheduled."

Now that you are a healthy person living a healthy life get involved with your community, join a group that interests you, take up a new hobby, look for people with similar interests or simply pay more attention to the beautiful world our Creator has provided for you.

Healthy or not your life is what you make it.