Barbara`s Travels

I Choose Today...Thank You!

orencoopinions@gmail.com (b) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 05:11:00 +0000

[Fiction] Friday Challenge #135 for December 25th, 2009
If you could be any age today (Christmas), what would it be? — list 5 reasons why (don’t stop at 5!!)

At any age
I am what I am
Not older
Nor younger
Perfect for me.

I like it that way
Not yearning for less
Dissatisfied
Is not my way.

To wake up on Christmas
A teen once again
Would leave me yearning
For all that I've been.

My love for those people
That have fills all the years
Could not be replaced
By youth or the stars.

I see all the wonder
Of magic in their eyes.
Time has become
an old friend.

So don't waste a wish
For some other time on me.
Today is the best
Of them all.

If I could be any age
I choose now.
Thank you any way.

And he was named Jesus!

orencoopinions@gmail.com (b) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:48:00 +0000

Christmas Past

Of the things that amaze me, Christmas has got to be at the top of the list. I woke this morning at 5:00 a.m. in a state of wonder...again. Whether you believe in heaven or even in earth, you need to give some thought to the miracle of the birth of Jesus and a way of life.

All those years ago in a place so hard and difficult that kings killed first born sons and taxed people that he might live in oppulence, a baby became the symbol of peace, love and generosity. People are still following his teachings. We forget that this philosophy survived...survived for thousands of years.

So in the season when people gather together as families to celebrate their love for one another by giving to those they love and those that are in need of love, we should stop and reflect on the birth of an idea. The idea was named Jesus!

Merry Christmas my friends...may the peace of the season be with you.

b
I invite you to go to THREE WORD WEDNESDAY where the words are hinder, journey and rigid.

Spider Webs of Life

orencoopinions@gmail.com (b) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:31:00 +0000

Spider Webs of Life

This is a poem posted on Senor Life Style about what happens to our minds as we age. You will like it.

Posted using ShareThis

China has NO funding for "migrant schools"! Are we better than that?

orencoopinions@gmail.com (b) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:16:00 +0000

My family just returned from Shanghai, China today. They come home at Christmas every year and we look forward to talking with them face to face. Even though we Skype with them frequently there is nothing like a sweet kiss from a shy grandchild. We talk very fast for the first few days. They always have wonderful stories to tell.

This year our granddaughter is in first grade and attends Shanghai American School in the Pudong area of Shanghai. She is learning to read and is a very good writer I am told. Last week her class was privileged to visit a migrant school her school supports. They brought gifts to the first grade students in the Li Min Migrant School.

My daughter-in-law posted a blog on Maddie's Minute about Maddie's field trip. I want you to notice how the flag of China is flown proudly and student sing the words to the national anthem after the Shanghai American School students sang a Christmas song. I could not help but be amazed at these clean beautiful children from both the migrant school and the American school. You need to understand that the migrant children do NOT have heat in their homes or at school. The coats they are wearing stay on all day long. Students in the American school are very privileged by Chinese standards.

The government does not provide funding for children of parents that come from other places because they are "migrants". It reminded me that we have many people that would have us do the same thing here in the states with our Hispanic children. The question then would be...are we better that that?

Have a wonderful weekend.

b

Life is Hard...bravery by comparison!

orencoopinions@gmail.com (b) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 16:27:00 +0000

Saturday, December 12, 2009

#193 - Brave

Someone said that "life is hard and then....!" Boy is that true or what. Just being alive requires bravery...getting old takes up a lot of your time and being young...well that is just impossible.

I am the mother of three and the grandmother to 10 (almost 11) grandchildren. I am living the old part and watching the young people in my life do the impossible. I am not responsible for their courage yet I swell with pride as I watch them overcome each road block and move on.

Teenager with their delicate hearts endure broken relationships and the depression that follows. They try for what they want and then wait to be selected for the team or a job and still smile when they see me. They have not burdened us with their fears or spread their gloom over our lives. I admire that a lot. Living through the bad times with courage is one thing but displaying the bravery of a smiling face is another. Severe illness has visited one grandchild yet he is resilient, kind and above all positive about his life. His bravery has been an example for us all.

My children have chosen lives of public service. They have endured hard times in their personal and professional lives with dignity and came back better than ever. Their courage truly has been a inspiration for my husband and I. It is very difficult for me not to become a braggart. Still is seems to me that even though our children are doing remarkable things, it is only when we see the contrast of what they have endured, that we can appreciate their success. I will not tell you the full story because I think you have all seen the same patterns in your family and friends.

Brave is a very big word and heros are hard to find...or at least that is what we think. It occurred to me this morning that the world may be looking in the wrong places. Brave heroes are all around us. We should be very grateful.

b

The Nobel Ideal!

orencoopinions@gmail.com (b) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:09:00 +0000

i feel your pain
when you are hurt

i bleed into the soil
when you are wounded

the wonder of plenty vanishes
when you are hungry

i weep for the wilted flowers
when you mourn a loss

i hear the distant trumpet
when you are at war

i only wish to help you
never would i change you

i spring to
action to give
what I have
sacrificing my life
for you

in my heart
I know that I can
only at be at peace
in the dark of the night
when all of humanity
slumbers
warm and safe.

i am a human

The Dream

orencoopinions@gmail.com (b) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:00:00 +0000

the dream was the fragrance of roses

floating on the wind as though

it were not mine.

please sweet lark

singing that morning melody

write that chimera on the wind.

if only i could catch a glimpse

of the reverie

in my minds eye.

the lark wrote your name

across the sky

but the wind blew it away.

waking I could sense

the scented melody of roses

on a breeze.

for:

Carry on Tuesday

Monday Poetry Train

A Lighthouse for Me

orencoopinions@gmail.com (b) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 02:21:00 +0000

each to his own lighthouse

high on a cliff

finding a refuge

from life set adrift

one for the recluse that

shuns the light

one for the child

that fears the night

one for the aged

fearing death at the door

one for the dreamer

that o'er the sea does soar

one for the lovers

battling the storm

the lighthouse will

keep them safe and warm

one for me

in this mist of night

seeking the answer

in it's blinding light.

each to his own lighthouse

high....

The Door

orencoopinions@gmail.com (b) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 03:15:00 +0000

Sunday Scribblings
#192 Weird
flash fiction

Deviant Art
Through the Key Hole
by Jesidangerously

We tried to lock the door...over and over. The key was turned this way and that. We felt in the lock hole and reinserted the key. We discussed who had opened it last. We stood on the porch and stared blankly at the the gaping door. Then we gave up. Someone else would have to solve this problem. We were not sure if the house would be safe but what could we do?

I closed the door one final time as my friend walked away. That was when the door locked itself. I could almost feel it's glee as I looked at the staring key hole.

It was very, very weird!

b

A true story!

IIIWW Caress the Chocolate

orencoopinions@gmail.com (b) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 02:48:00 +0000

Fondle
Kick
Sumptuous

in the book of meanings
fondle would be to caress
touch or stroke lightly in a loving or endearing manner
it is said.

in our minds eye
we would follow
the erotic path.
he felt a jolt of recognition
when the chocolate
he held in his hand
was as sumptuous
as the taste of a woman.
now we know that the words have
meaning beyond reason.

b

elegance is the key
jolt says more than kick
I think!

Saddest Story Ever Told....maybe?

orencoopinions@gmail.com (b) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:52:00 +0000

Post for Carry on Tuesday

it was the saddest story I had ever heard
not true
not inspiring
self serving
cr..........!

let me tell you
those that have sad stories to tell
don't!
they live with their misfortune
without sympathy
because
those with sad stories
are wiser that we
could ever imagine

so the "saddest' story
every told
won't be!

b

Some Things Never Change!

orencoopinions@gmail.com (b) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 04:22:00 +0000

Saturday, November 28, 2009

#191 - Game

My husband has always done this...when things puzzle him he scratches the top of his head. He began his career in education when he was 26 or 27 and then for the next 31 years went to work to help educate children. He worked as a high school teacher, a vice principal, principal and assistant superintendent in schools around the state of Oregon.

I swear that everyday of those thirty-one years he came home with a tuft of hair standing up on his head. I could visualize him looking at a student in amazement, scratching the top of his head and thinking "How in the name of heaven did you manage to do that?" Teachers, parents, students, secretaries, newspaper people and bosses managed to confounded him everyday. I loved that he did those jobs with such enthusiasm and was always game for the challenges. Even if he did scratch his head a lot.

This morning he opened the insurance statements...two of them for the same residence. Different amounts due, policy numbers that did not match and a note that said "This is not a bill...the real bill will come later." He scratched his head and had that look on his face that said "These people are driving me crazy!" I had to laugh when I saw the tuft of hair standing up on his head. Some things never change.

b

Beauty before Function!

orencoopinions@gmail.com (b) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:48:00 +0000

Was the food good?
I don't remember
but the restaurant was
beautiful!
Las Vegas, 2009

it has always been my quest
to find beauty in each day.
the deep blue lake
or the fish in the stream
all must have that esthetic quality
that leaves me breathless.

the workings of a machine
does not capture my eye
but the line of the mechanism
or the color of the shell
will inspire a whim to
possess it for my own.

while I know
I cannot live on the beauty
of a mountain or a valley vista
I would rather see beauty
than eat.
it is that valuable
to me.

b

Learning to Write Clearly...1883 book still pertinent!

orencoopinions@gmail.com (b) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:55:00 +0000

I was reading a blog called How to Write this morning. I assume that writers everywhere are interested in the correct usage of their language. How to Write described it's mission by saying "This site is dedicated to those of you who love to read or to write. I hope you find interesting reviews and discussions of your favorite books or authors, as well as, resources to help your writing endeavors." As I scanned through the How to Write, the post that caught my interest was called "How to Write Clearly". The author sited was Reverend Edwin A. Abbott. Abbott wrote a book called HOW TO WRITE CLEARLY - RULES AND EXERCISES ON ENGLISH COMPOSITION that was published in 1883.

The author of the blog post chose ten rules for writing clearly using Abbott as his reference point. The very old material is just as pertinent as it was over 120 years ago. In the preface to the book Abbott said:

ALMOST every English boy can be taught to write clearly,
so far at least as clearness depends upon the arrangement
of words. Force, elegance, and variety of style are more
difficult to teach, and far more difficult to learn; but clear
writing can be reduced to rules. To teach the art of
writing clearly is the main object of these Rules and Exercises.
....The art of writing forcibly is, of course, a valuable 
acquisition almost as valuable as the art of writing 
clearly. But forcible expression is not, like clear ex- 
pression, a mere question of mechanism and of the 
manipulation of words ; it is a much higher power, and 
implies much more.

I appreciated that Rev. Abbott recognized that quality writing is not all about mechanics. One could not help but see that he knew a writer must be talented in order to write "forcibly" or with "elegance". I was inspired by his words.

Have a nice day.

b

Sarcasm + a Buddist Metta

orencoopinions@gmail.com (b) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:36:00 +0000

fragile ego

words cutting
working to retain equilibrium
appreciating the good
while discarding the hurtful.

b

note: I deleted yesterday's post...so sloppy that a critic let me have it. Sigh!!

I loved these thoughts. Pia at Courting Destiny submitted this today on Face Book. A Buddhist Metta:

Pia Savage

I got this from my cousin Gena: METTA: The Buddhist tradition has a loving kindness meditation called "Metta" where first you wish for yourself, then someone you care about, and then someone you hold in judgment...

"May you be at peace.
May your heart remain open.
May you awaken to the light of your own... true nature.
May you be healed.

May you be a source of healing for all beings."

Thank you so much Pia!

b

Hopeful Soul

orencoopinions@gmail.com (b) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:01:00 +0000

azur sky framed
fearless wren's adobe
thorn covered haven

b
November 2009
for Monday Poetry Train

haven:(noun) a shelter serving as a place of safety or sanctuary. Synonyms: oasis ...

Children Seldom Misquote You!

orencoopinions@gmail.com (b) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:48:00 +0000

Brayden in the Pumpkin Patch
Larry/Kim 2009

Written for CARRY ON TUESDAY

"Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said."
Anonymous

I hope that Keith doesn't mind if I use this quote rather than the one he chose. I am in love with our children and grandchildren! Love does last beyond the grave in that we give our children all we have and when we are gone, they keep our memories alive. "Some love lasts a lifetime, true love lasts forever" is just a lovely thought but if our children or grandchildren decide to quote our words, love would not come to mind. We often want to run and hide when company comes. We try to shush the youngest who is repeating what daddy said about the neighbors. The child will quiet down after a while but the damage in done. You will hear the little person say, "I was just saying!" from the chair in the corner. So goes life in a family.

Now you see I have been a teacher in a past life. At the age of 20 I entered a classroom of 4th graders in a small rural town in Oregon. I was as little prepared to do that job as I was to become a mother three years later. Students confounded me, I did not like to teach a music class I was assigned and at the age of 20, I was not prepared to deal with things my students would say. I wanted to laugh at their "show and tell" stories but knew I shouldn't. It was really hard not to.

"Show and tell" could be a very boring time of the day for a teacher...endless stories about kittens and lost dogs would start each day. Then, when I least expect it, the perfectly innocent child would get up and reveal a family secret or tell what mom or dad had said. I wanted to run from the classroom. One day the little red headed child of a prominent church leader told about his dad's bottle of whiskey in the freezer and then warned everyone in the classroom not to tell. "It is a secret?" he said. On another occasion a fellow teacher listened as one of her students told about sneaking down the hall and listening at his parent's locked bedroom door. I don't remember if he told what he had heard...I am sure his teacher stopped that story very early on. See what I mean. I'm sorry, but you just have to appreciate that there are NO secrets in a family's home if they decide to bear children! Love may not last forever but these stories live on! For my own part, I did not tell on the parents, not for a long time anyway. I somehow knew that my turn would come!

So, those of us that have children and grandchildren are at the risk of being part of a story at anytime! In fact, it works the other way too. Our children are the subject of our stories...and probably don't particularly like it. I know my granddaughter doesn't...but I tell them anyway. The story about "the ipod earbuds up your nose" is a prime example. There are so many others that I would need to consult with other people and take notes.

Keith anonymous quote "Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said." is just perfect. It started my day off with a bang! Thank you Keith!

b

Did you know? Oracle Sunday Scribblings

orencoopinions@gmail.com (b) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:18:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

va·tic·i·nate (v-ts-nt, v-)

v. va·tic·i·nat·ed, va·tic·i·nat·ing, va·tic·i·nates

v.tr.

To prophesy; foretell. See Synonyms at foretell.

v.intr.

To be a prophet.

Friday, November 13, 2009

#189 - Oracle

ORACLE!!! YIKES!!! If I could have foretold that such a word would greet me I would have gone back to bed and slept a bit longer. It was not bad enough that I actually did not really know what the meaning of the word was. I then found that one of the synonyms, va·tic·i·nate, was a word I did not even recognize. I do not go around saying, "If I could have vaticinated the outcome, I would not have eaten the last piece of pie." I don't say that ever.

Did you know that Oracle can actually be a place...not a town (like here in Arizona) mind you, but an actual temple or shrine where people come to see the wisdom of a seer or even a god? It can also be a mathematical solving machine..I think that is what google said. Oracle it turns out is a very flexible word! I had always thought it was only a person...a very wise and learned person that could somehow foretell the future because they saw patterns around them and the future just seemed to make sense for them. That is what I thought! In that case the dialogue would read, "He went to ask the Oracle to tell him if he should sell the ugly daughter or not." But no, know one is going to tell the guy what to do. He is going have to find the answers himself! Bummer, I hate when that happens.

So I am going to have to beg off on that word. I don't even know what to say!!!

Smile!

b

I you read this blog please click on the Redit icon...it will help me.

How to Sell a Motor Home

orencoopinions@gmail.com (b) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:35:00 +0000

How to Sell a Motor Home

Marilyn Monroe and Marilyn Wines

orencoopinions@gmail.com (b) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:57:00 +0000

When the UPS man drove up to our door he asked me if I was intoxicated. I must have stopped dead in my tracks because he laughed. I could only say "Not yet!" He was delivering our annual bottle of Marilyn Wine from the Napa Wine company and on the outside of the box was a label that said "Do not deliver if the recipient is intoxicated." Isn't that strange?

We received our bottle of Marilyn Wine today. Marilyn Wine is a wine made in St. Helena, Ca. at the Napa Valley Winery. This particular winery is home to a number of vineyards and their winemakers. It is designed as a coop where smaller vintners can made, store and age their wine. We had the privilege of touring the facility several years ago with the Marilyn Merlot winemaker, John McKay, as our guide. We have a bottle signed by him and have collectors of the wine ever since. Those bottles that sold in the 1990's have become hot collectibles I am told.

In exchange for using the Marilyn Monroe image on the labels as well as her name the company gives a percentage of the profits to charity.

Marilyn Wines holds an exclusive agreement with the estate of Marilyn Monroe for the use of the name and the images. The royalties paid are distributed according to Marilyn's will to Anna Strasberg who helps support the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute and to the Anna Freud Foundation in London, which has set up a special child treatment center called the Monroe Young Family Center.

We now own a 2009 Norma Jean. I don't think we will ever drink any of the wines we have collected but the labels are beautiful. We just love having them.

Free Personal signatures - cool!

orencoopinions@gmail.com (b) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:33:00 +0000

Leo over at Impromtu used this signature function on his blog. I thought it was very cool so I went over to see how it worked. It is very simple so far as I can see. You can add it directly to your blog, download as a picture or copy the html to insert in your blog template. I am just trying to out right now but you might go see how it works. My Live Signature has registration and you can upgrade signatures by purchasing the function. For example, for around $20 you can purchase an animated version.

Have a little fun while you blog today!!!

The Judge for IIIWW

orencoopinions@gmail.com (b) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:32:00 +0000

Three Word Wednesday

Errant

Hanker

Murky

He had always wanted to be a cowboy...he would practice saying hankerin' when he played in front of the mirror as a child. Then, when he was a grown man, he finally got his chance. All those dreams about sitting at the bar stool where the good old boys gathered on Friday nights and talking about hankerin' for a big ole t-bone steak or a wantin' to see that ole boy he used to hang out with when he was a kid were about to come true. He would keep his eyes down like a real cowboy. Mostly he would just listen.

It had taken him a long time to chose this saloon. He would walk by during the daylight. All the rigs parked in front were old and many were missing fenders or even a head light. The rifles hung in the rack in back of the driver's seat in every pickup was the deciding brick. This was the perfect place to start looking.

The bar crowd was a little murky about who he really was. They could tell he wasn't low down like they were. There was something about his eyes. It seems that one night he came around in those cowboy boots and dirty jeans. Being men, they didn't ask too many questions. It wouldn't be seemly. If he was an errant husband they would not tell...they would not tell even if he were Jessie James...the less they knew the better off everyone was. So when he let the western drawl slip one night as Joe on the end bar stool began complaining about his neighbor's dog howling all the time, everyone turned to give him a new look over.

Joe the cowboy said, you don't need to put up with that kind of thing. There are laws.

LAWS!!! Never in any one's memory had the word "law" come up in the conversation. All heads turned in unison and the man they all called Hap mumbled something under his breath. What say Hap? Joe asked.

I SAID, How'd he know that? IS he a judge or something?

The cowboy looked down at his drink and turned his head real slow like...could be, he said, could be.

Parking Lot Magic!

orencoopinions@gmail.com (b) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:02:00 +0000

We have a running joke at our house...the space in the parking lot by the front door belongs to my husband!!! A-la-Seinfeld's Uncle Artie (a wild guess at his name) no one can believe my husband has gotten the best parking spot in the lot.

I on the other hand have always just giving in to the fact that the lot is full and, if the lot has 20 stories, I will be parking on the 20th story in the rain. I am a simple woman and easy to please so I have really never minded. Not until last Saturday that is. On that day I changed my mind. It came to me that I would like to parks in a better spot. I said to myself, "I am going to park in front" and when I drove around the corner, there it was...my husband parking spot waiting for me. :) I love when that sort of thing happens. It is living with intention + magic! Wow!!!

This story really has no beginning or even an ending but it does amuse me. I guess that it is just plain ordinary, every day stuff that will make me (and maybe you) laugh. AND I know for sure it is true.

Have a wonderful "Carry on Tuesday"!

Linked to:
Sunday Scribblings
The Question (response to Sunday Scribblings #188 "Interview")
Carry on Tuesday

b

The Question

orencoopinions@gmail.com (b) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:10:00 +0000

Interview question:

Barbara, what did you do today that would surprise me.

I found a parking spot right in front of the grocery store.

You did. How did that happen. I can never get that parking space.

As I was driving around in the store parking lot I turned so I could head back toward the best parking spots at the store. Then I said to myself...I want to park in front! There will be a space. And there was. It was like I made that happen.

Well...

Really, I am as surprised as you!!!

b

Karma vs Fate

orencoopinions@gmail.com (b) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:31:00 +0000

Image by Franco_pt via Flickr

In yesterday's post I talked about living with intention...the idea was that if you or I really are desiring to attain a particular goal then we will go about making that become a reality. Our Karma or energy and how we use it will determine what our destiny is.

Several people commented that they not only believe in Karma they also believe in Fate. Fate is that other side of karma...the side that is not in our control and has things happen totally by accident. Random occurrences. That would be those things like a car being hit by a rock falling from a cliff. If that person has hesitated for one second at anytime during their journey the rock would have fallen behind or in front of them and they would have escaped without harm. We have all know someone that had this happen to them. These things we accept without question because there are those things we cannot control...gravity, the rotation of the earth...we do all we can to avoid those freak events. But in spite of that "stuff happens". So be it.

But I am talking about selling your house or getting a new job or even investing your money. On this day we know that our house, for example, is worth a lot less than it was a year ago. Now is the time to know that value is all relative...you may sell for less but you will buy for less. So the question is "Do you really intend to sell you house?" If that is what you truly intend then price it so it will sell...period. You need to truly intend to do what you set out to do. Life is not and never has been a matter of luck or pipe dreams. Living with intention is being true to reality and then setting the wheels in motion. I do not believe that greed pays or dishonesty will work. I would ask you "If you want a job, are you really trained for it and do you have the ability to do that job?" If you do then go for the job in earnest and believe in your own heart and mind that the goal is achievable then do it. Live with the intention. In the case of the house we can be pretty sure that if you set out to gouge someone, the house will not sell or if it does you will pay a price in one way or another. So, with the full intention of selling the house, price it right and you will sell immediately. Live with intention!!!

There are those of us that would like to write books...but unless we do our homework, have a truly unique and worthy idea it will not happen. If we want to do that, we need to find out how to go about it and then set out with true intention and focus. It will not happen by magic. Very few things do!!

So Karma, those things that we do that determine our destiny and fate, those thing that happen with out our control do walk, hand in hand. People that are truly talented and focused AND are treated kindly by fate are those people that we call lucky! The rest of us must work a little harder. But, I think, that we under estimate what might be possible. So I am your cheer leader and coach. Live with intention!!!

b