In My World

Tanka is a form of poetry similar to haiku. It's short, and the lines don't need to rhyme. The just must have a set number of syllables: 5/7/5/7/7. Today's tanka prompt is: Mountains. I've flown over the mountains but don't understand their majesty seen  photos but don't comprehend I'd like to drive through mountains

Today's Prompt: Theft Have you ever had something stolen from you? Surprisingly that is something that has not happened to me very often.  Many years ago my purse was stolen from a shopping cart at Zehrs.  The purse was found a couple of days later by some kids playing in a nearby gully.  Everything was wet but intact.  Too bad for the thief that I never carry cash.

The authors tell the story of the of the Ovitz family in a clear, well-researched, easy to read style. They provide an amazing amount of detail into the life of the family gleaned from public records, former neighbours, other Holocaust survivors, and Perla who is the youngest Ovitz daughter. The close-knit family, made up of seven siblings who are dwarves and three siblings who are not, formed an very successful troupe of entertainers who travelled throughout Central Europe. Although they were able to avoid many round-ups of Jews, they finally ended in a cattle car headed for Auschwitz in 1944.  Saved by Dr. Mengele's predilection for human anomolies, the family avoided the gas chambers.  Mengele knew his new test subjects were very fragile and was careful to keep them alive for his enjoyment and for study.   While it is impossible to say that I enjoyed the book because of its time and place, it was definitely worth reading.  The authors could have ...

Journal Prompt: Dark I'm not afraid of the dark.  I get startled by creepy bugs and sudden noises when it is dark.  But the dark itself doesn't scare me.  I sleep better when it is totally dark . . . which is a difficult thing to accomplish in our world of flickering lights on electronic devices.

From  https://www.heritage.nf.ca/articles/society/emile-benoit.php Émile Benoit (1913-1992) Émile Benoit is doubtless the most renowned individual to emerge from Newfoundland's tiny French-speaking community. Just as locals on the Port-au-Port peninsula regarded him as a fine entertainer, provincial, national and international audiences alike admired his fiddling and recognized him as an accomplished musician. But for years Émile Benoit worked, like most of the people around him, as a fisherman. After retiring from nearly sixty years of fishing in 1980, he concentrated primarily on his music career with the help of Memorial University of Newfoundland professor of Folklore, Dr. Gerald Thomas, who at that time had already spent several years studying the French-Newfoundland culture on the Port-au-Port peninsula. Émile Benoit, n.d. Benoit performed at a variety of festivals. He is seen here on stage with his daughter Roberta. From Colin Quigley  Music from the Heart: Compositions...

Journal Prompt ~ Six Words Describe your life or current situation using exactly six words. crafting and playing in comfy clothes

An emergency fund is something everyone should have. When you set money aside for emergencies, you are preparing yourself for unexpected expenses. Instead of relying on credit cards or borrowing money, which can cost more in the long run because of interest charges, an emergency fund can protect you from taking on debt. If you don't have an emergency fund and an emergency happens you have to go into debt, add to your current debt, or not be able to afford your basic expenses. What kind of emergencies? No matter how secure you think your job is, there is always a chance that something could happen where you may need money. You could have a medical emergency come up which is not covered by your health insurance (if you even have health insurance). An emergency fund is a good idea if you have a car. You just never know when it will need a repair. If you own a home you might have to deal with an unexpected home repair that is not covered by your home insurance. If you have a sick ...

Today's Prompt: Manners Do you think manners are important? I think manners are critical. Knowing how to behave in public and at home leads to a more harmonious life. It shows respect for the people around you.

Today's Prompt: Reunion Imagine you're on your way to your next high school reunion. How do you think your old school friends will react to the person you are today? Believe it or not, I never graduated from high school. I have a college diploma and a university degree, but only made it half way through Grade 11. So I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be invited to any high school reunion.

It's time for the next installment of Tanka Tuesday! Tanka is a form of poetry similar to haiku. It's short, and the lines don't need to rhyme. The just must have a set number of syllables: 5/7/5/7/7. Today's tanka prompt is: fire. Is there anything more delicious than food cooked over an open  fire hot dogs marshmallows bring back my childhood memories

Today's Writing Prompt: Lies What is a lie you have told yourself? Oh boy . . . do I have a list. It won't hurt to have just one more cookie. I frequently knock 10 pounds off my actual weight. I'll get to it one of these days.

From the back cover: On any given night, there are over 643,000 homeless people residing in shelters and on the streets across America. What can we do to help?"Levy crafts stories of characters who sear the memory: Old Man Ray, the World War II veteran who resents the VA system and regards himself as the de facto night watchman at Port Authority; Ben who claims to be a prophet disowned in his own country, crucified by the government and enslaved by poverty finds a bridge to the mainstream services and a path to housing through the common language of religious metaphors, including redemption and forgiveness; and Andrew who has been 'mentally murdered' is helped to understand his own situation and gain disability benefits through the language of trauma; among others. These stories are deftly interwoven with theory and practice as Levy constructs his developmental model of the engagement and pretreatment process. The outreach worker strives to understand the lang...

Today's Prompt: Siblings If you could choose, would you rather have been born an only child or born the middle child in a very large family? I've never really thought about being an only child. I'm not even sure what that would be like. I am the first born child and I like it, especially now when my siblings are starting to look as old as or older than me . . . LOL.

Emerson Drive is a Canadian country music band consisting of Brad Mates (lead vocals), Danick Dupelle (guitars, backing vocals), Mike Melancon (drums), and Dale Wallace (keyboards, backing vocals). The band was founded in 1995 as 12 Gauge, which consisted of Mates, Pat Allingham (fiddle), Steven Swager (bass guitar), Chris Hartman (keyboards), Dan Binns (guitar), David Switzer (guitar), and Reni Barre (drums); Swager was replaced with Jeff Loberg early on. After recording under this name, the band moved to the United States in 1999 and renamed themselves to Emerson Drive. They released two albums for the former DreamWorks Records Nashville branch: Emerson Drive in 2002 and What If? in 2004. These accounted for their first hit singles in the United States: "I Should Be Sleeping", "Fall into Me", and "Last One Standing". After DreamWorks closed, Emerson Drive signed with Midas Records Nashville for the 2006 album Countrified, which produced their only Americ...

Today's Prompt: Risky Business Do you prefer taking risks, or having a safety net? It depends on what I'm doing.  In my arts and crafts world I love to take risks.  In the really world, I tend to freak if I have to take risks.  I have become braver in my world and more conservative and nervous in the real world as I age.  I wonder if this is normal?

My husband wanted to have Amazon Channels on our TV so he ordered it. It was a simple process. And only $9.99. Except it wasn't. That was US funds. In Canadian funds it was $14.68. And you had to be subscribed to Amazon Prime which was another $11.29 in Canadian funds. And that is how easy it happens. The hint for today is to cancel subscriptions you don't use really want or need. Chances are, you’re paying for multiple subscriptions like Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, gym memberships, trendy subscription boxes, phone plans and Amazon Prime. And make sure you turn off auto-renew when you make a purchase.  "But when it comes to subscription fees, auto renewals are your worst enemy. That’s because not having to click the pay button every month makes it a lot easier to ignore or even forget the money leaking out of your wallet. The best way to keep subscription costs in sight and mind is to just turn off auto renewals. If that’s not practical, then set a calendar reminder to check y...

 You must know by now just how much I love sketches so when I saw #508 I just had to get busy. https://atlanticheartschallenge.blogspot.com/2023/01/sketch-508.html I pulled out some Blue Skies papers from Close To My Heart because the dreary sky outside meant I needed some colour. And here is my finished card. I hope you like it as much as I do.

The Sound of Music (1965) The Sound of Music is a classic movie featuring the amazing voice and talent of Julie Andrews.  I don't have any clue how many times I have watched the story of a novitiate who is a square peg in a round hole until she is sent to act as governess to the von Trapp family and falls in love, gets married and escapes from the Nazis.  What is not to love about this movie? Even if you've never watched it, I bet you sang the songs in music class in school. Academy Awards, USA  1966 Won Oscar Best Picture Robert Wise Robert Wise  couldn't attend the award ceremony, as he was busy filming The Sand Pebbles  (1966) in ...  More Best Director Robert Wise Robert Wise  couldn't attend the award ceremony, as he was busy filming The Sand Pebbles  (1966) in ...  More Best Sound James Corcoran   (20th Century-Fox SSD) Fred Hynes   (Todd-AO SSD)   Best Film Editing William Reynolds   Best Music...

Today's Prompt: Favourite Clothes Describe your favorite article of clothing. Right now my outfit of choice is a pair of leggings and an comfy over-sized t-shirt. I know there is nothing sexy or exciting about my choice of outfit but I dress for comfort and for the life I lead.

Tanka is a form of poetry similar to haiku. It's short, and the lines don't need to rhyme. The just must have a set number of syllables: 5/7/5/7/7. Today's tanka prompt is: Lake so close to the lake a fifteen minute drive there we rarely get there tradition is Mackie's first and last stop Shaw's Ice Cream 

I know that the paper challenge can be a bit overwhelming but I hope you gave it a shot.  Even if you SPACEd through just some of your papers you are ahead of the game.  Next time . . .  I'm still working on sorting through my papers and packing page kits. Its taking a little longer than usual because I'm changing my system up a bit. I'll share photos of the finished challenge when I'm done . . . which I hope will be soon. I'm almost ready for Challenge #3 ~ Photos So, your paper is beautifully organized, your scraps carefully stashed or purged, and your desk is gleaming! You are starting to get organized. Doesn't it make you feel creative? Don't you want to get cropping? Well, you CAN'T scrapbook without PHOTOS!  Our third challenge is to organize our photos. Here is an excellent article to get you thinking about how to organize those precious photos before we start to S.P.A.C.E. them:  https://www.scrapbook.com/articles/organizing-and-storing-your-phot...

Today's Prompt: Prom Do you remember your prom? I don't know these people.  I borrowed this photo because it cracked me up. I only went to one prom and it wasn't my own.  I left school when I was 16 . . . hey it was the 70s! I really don't remember much about it except that we had supper at McDonalds and I wore a long black skirt.  That was a really really long time ago.

I finished reading The   Wife's Tale   by Lori Lansens and it is definitely a good read. According to the . . .  Library Journal Review Mary Gooch is beyond shock when her husband leaves the night before their silver anniversary party. Jimmy Gooch has always loved her, but with each new trauma - two early miscarriages, her father's death, even the loss of her feral cat - Mary has felt less worthy of his affection and more hungry. Now weighing 302 pounds, Mary can't seem to move past her malaise. Finding $25,000 in their bank account, Mary flies, for the first time, from their small Canadian town to her mother-in-law's home in Southern California, determined to wait for her prodigal spouse. While there, she loses her appetite but discovers a measure of self-worth through the "kindness of strangers." VERDICT Lansens's (The Girls) portrait of a woman who hides behind the Kenmore as protection from life's heartache is earthy and primal in its pain. Yet Lan...

Elephant Stone is a Canadian indie rock band fronted by Rishi Dhir. Dhir formed Elephant Stone in 2009 after he left The High Dials. The band began to combine Indian classical music and instrumentation with 1960s pop and rock. The band's debut album, The Seven Seas, was released June 2, 2009 on Dhir's own Elephants on Parade label, with distribution by Fontana North. The album was a longlisted nominee for the 2009 Polaris Music Prize on June 15, 2009. On July 4, 2009 The Seven Seas was released on Irish label Indiecater Records. On February 12, 2013, their self-titled second album was released on Reverberation Appreciation Society. The band's third full-length album, The Three Poisons, was released in 2014. In 2015, Burger Records released a cassette featuring a remixed version of The Three Poisons titled ES3PRMX. The cassette features collaborations with Anton Newcombe of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Fabien Leseure, Tom Furse of The Horrors, Al Lover, Alex Maas of The Bla...

Today's Prompt: Salvage If your house was on fire, what would you grab and save before you escaped? Funny enough, I have given this question a great deal of thought. It started the day someone took down all the signs in our apartment building that would have warned us that there was going to be testing of the fire alarm system. So the next day when the alarms kept going off I know I wasn't the only one a little "concerned" by them. We quickly found out is was a test, but it made me start to think about what I would grab in the case of a fire or other emergency. On the lucky side, I am in a main floor apartment so I knew, unless the fire was in my own unit, I would have a few minutes to prepare my departure. I decided the things I would grab would be medications, coat and boots or shoes, a change of clothes, house and car keys, purse, a box of memories that could not be replaced and the external hard drive of my lap top which contains copies of all my documents,...

Today's Prompt: Admiration Who did you look up to / admire as a child? When I was growing up I remember reading biographies of women who became nurses or doctors. Among the ones I admired most were Florence Nightingale, Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, Dr. Jenny Trout, and Dr. Emily Stowe.  I was fairly certain I was going to enter the medical field when I grew up. Unfortunately, I discovered I didn't have the stomach for it. The sight of wounds or vomit just makes me ill.

I could go into great deal with what is going wrong in 2023 but I think we already know what the problems are. I'd rather find some solutions. Menu Planning I was menu planning whenever I was in the mood and paying for the service I use even when I wasn't using it. That wasn't going to help.  I am determined to menu plan every week in 2023 and have included it in my weekly to do list. The service I use is inexpensive, well-researched, and has menu plans for many health conditions as well as budget menus. Why pay for a service? Not everyone needs one. Many people are very shopping and food planning savvy. I constantly make bad choices, overspend, and fall back on take out food. So paid service it is. If you want to learn more about the service I use just send me a message or comment below. Why is it worth it to me to use a service? To get variety, good suggestions to deal with diabetes, and it provides all the recipes. The best part though is that if you register your favour...

ET the Extra-Terrestrial 1982 Who doesn't love E.T.?  Action, adventure, aliens, bad guys, government agents, heroes, and friendship.  It has everything. E.T. is an alien who was left behind when his ship had to leave Earth quickly because a government task force was nearby.  He is befriended by Elliot who helps him try to get home. I still loves this movie today. Things you never knew about E.T.: http://dailynewsdig.com/e-t-the-extra-terrestrial-movie/ Academy Awards, USA  1983 Won Oscar Best Sound Robert Knudson Robert Glass Don Digirolamo Gene S. Cantamessa   Best Effects, Visual Effects Carlo Rambaldi Dennis Muren Kenneth Smith   Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing Charles L. Campbell Ben Burtt   Best Music, Original Score John Williams   Nominated Oscar Best Picture Steven Spielberg Kathleen Kennedy   Best Director Steven Spielberg   Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen Melissa Mathison ...

Today's Writing Prompt: Listener When was the last time someone truly listened to you? http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/5-simple-ways-to-be-a-better-listener.html My dear hubby is not generally very good at listening so we have rules of engagement for discussing serious issues like money which include having no distractions, sitting comfortably facing each other, and having any necessary information available . . . such as pulling up the bank account on the lap top. Sometimes he forgets the rules of engagement and it never ends well for him. That has become the exception rather than the rule, thank goodness.

Tanka Tuesday: Thunderstorms (Whew, alliteration!) It's time for the next installment of Tanka Tuesday! Tanka is a form of poetry similar to haiku. It's short, and the lines don't need to rhyme. The just must have a set number of syllables: 5/7/5/7/7. Today's tanka prompt is: thunderstorms. harsh light from the sky terrifying sounds all 'round I must hide from it danger fear lurk in my heart until the storm has passed by 

This is a true gem of a book. The style and language in this book definitely feels like a young person's voice.  Parvana is an 11-year-old girl living in Taliban-era Afghanistan.  When her father is arrested by the Taliban for having a foreign education the family is left destitute and cloistered in their home.  Women cannot be outside without a male relative to escort them.  It is decided that Parvana will become a boy which is initially very upsetting to her.  They cut her hair and dress her in her late brother's clothes.  Parvana can now go out for food, and she reopens her father's letter-writing stall in the market, and she realizes she loves the freedom she has as a boy. This is an interesting and thought-provoking story for most any age. There are more books in this series and they are already loaded to my Kobo.

How did you make out on the first challenges? It's not too late to share your photos. Doesn't it feel great to start the new year with a clean work surface?   Let's move on to the next challenge . . .  Did you know that a 1” high stack of patterned paper equals as many as 250 sheets of patterned paper? That’s a lot of paper. I don't know about you, but I have a lot more than 1" of paper.  So here is this week's challenge:  Your challenge this week is to  S.P.A.C.E.  your paper - - and I mean ALL of your paper: cardstock, patterned paper, specialty papers, and all those SCRAPS!  If you are a quilter you need to S.P.A.C.E. your fabric. A knitter -- your wool. I think you get the picture. This challenge is for everybody!  SORT :  Bring all of your paper to one area. Sort it all into piles: KEEP, SELL, DONATE, TRASH  PURGE :  Bag up, and assign a price to paper bundles that you want to SELL at a garage sale or online, and put the bags i...