Murdered
While he ran.
His family grieves
We run free.
Murdered in her bed
She was only twenty-six
Her family weeps,
We still sleep.
Murdered
While we watched.
On his neck a knee,
He couldn’t breathe.
It is not about a counterfeit bill,
Not about a no-knock warrant,
It is not about looting or fires.
We know what it is about and
Yet we fail to speak, to act, to change.
Here we are sixteen months later and the EPA has finally begun to acknowledge what research has shown for years: that neonic pesticides pose serious risks to bees, birds, other wildlife — and even human health. But, rather than taking sweeping measures to crack down on neonics, the EPA is pushing to continue allowing widespread neonic use all over the country, including on food crops.
Bees in particular, are necessary for successful food crops and their numbers have been reduced by over 90% in large part by the neonic products listed in the above referenced post. During the current corona virus pandemic many are worried about our food supply chain. We need to be more aware and concerned about how the lack of pollinators and neonic use will affect our agriculture in the future.
Yellow is my favorite color and I believe that is inspired by the daffodils that bloomed when my daughters were born in March.
Daffodils are pure, bright, and beautiful. To me, their appearance in springtime heralds new life . . . my precious daughters.
“It’s a good thing that when God created the rainbow he didn’t consult a decorator or he would still be picking colors.” Sam Levenson
I realize all this is essential. As an extra high-risk senior, I appreciate the guidance, but it is sure getting redundant! I have been mostly inside since March 16th and I am bored. Yes, I need a haircut and a visit to the nail salon. Yes, I’d like to eat out. Although I’m not a big shopper, I’d like to go to a mall. But, still, the biggest complaint is boredom. I know that’s a small price to pay for being safe from COVID-19 and I’m ashamed to be complaining so I’ll stop now.
Thank goodness for books! I have been reading one book after another and it sure passes the time for me. Folks have loaned me their books, I’ve ordered online and I’m even re-reading books that I’ve read years ago.
So, that’s my status, I’m grateful for books and for every ray of sunshine that I see from my windows. I enjoy the flowers in my courtyard and I also take an occasional walk in the neighborhood and that is pleasant. Oh, yes, and I’m eating a lot of chocolate.
How are you coping during these unprecedented times?
“Since boredom advances and boredom is the root of all evil, no wonder, then, that the world goes backwards, that evil spreads. This can be traced back to the very beginning of the world. The gods were bored; therefore they created human beings.” Kierkegaard
“We . . . would like to start a petition that all teachers get paid $1.71 million . . . per day.” John Kransinski, after homeschooling.
“Use this time to spread kindness, check in on your family and friends, and, of course, no biting.” Arnold Schwarzenegger
“We’re realizing how much we need each other, how we’re all in this together. Don’t you hope we remember that on the other side?” Alfre Woodard
“Laughter is a symbol of hope, and it becomes one of our greatest needs of life, right up there with toilet Paper.” Erica Rhodes
“Just a reminder that when Shakespeare was quarantined because of the plague, he wrote King Lear.” Rosanne Cash
These are just a few of the definitions I found in a search of less than five minutes. I’m sure there are many more out there and some are more accurate than others. Similarly, there are different professional opinions about what hypnosis is and how therapeutic it can be. Some probably see it as entertainment, the “quack like a duck” trick. This is not what hypnosis is today. It is a sound medical treatment for various mental health issues and can be very successful in controlling pain.
I am no expert, but I have been hypnotized more than once and I have found it very helpful in changing habits. The first time I was hypnotized was many years ago to stop smoking. It didn’t make smoking cessation easy. Hypnosis did not do it for me, but it helped me to do it for myself. I did stop smoking permanently.
More recently I have been hypnotized to reduce anxiety. I won’t go into details, but it has helped me to control anxious thoughts about a particular issue that was troubling me. It has included what some refer to as “self-hypnosis” which involves listening to a taped session by a trained hypnotist tailored to an individual’s needs. I listen to that twenty-four minute recording at least once per day. It involves deep relaxation and peaceful imagery and is a very positive experience.
Anyone can claim to be a hypnotist so if you trust your issues to someone, be sure they are certified. If you have experience with hypnosis, please share with us.
“There are no constraints on the human mind, no walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress except those we ourselves erect.” Ronald Reagan
find me
look among my wealth of nature’s bounty…
among feathers, acorns,
and a harvest of dried leaves…
among the marbles and arrowheads
that i plucked from the ground…
and the skeleton keys and old coins
that rose from there as well
look among my treasure chest
of cherished things…
the photos of loved ones
both living and gone…
the shelves of books
that house a hundred voices…
and walls of art
that feed my hungry soul
look among my memories of
timeless things…
loves and friendships
that know no end…
places ventured
that echo a thousand footsteps…
and unknown journeys
whose steps are yet unknown
look among these things
and that’s where you’ll find me…
divided between the present
and the fragmented pieces of time…
between nature, relics, sentiments
and written words…
only look…
look among these things…
and find me
written by: Sylvia L. Mattingly, August 18, 2019
I cannot explain why this book has such a hold on me, but I have read it four times. It was copyrighted in 1962. I was introduced to it by my psychiatric nursing instructor in the early 70s. I saw the movie and re-read the book a few years later. Finally I read it in 2010 and again in 2020. Seeing the movie influenced me because in subsequent readings I always pictured the main character, Randall McMurphy, as Jack Nicholson.
If you like a good story, if you are interested in psychiatry or if you are just curious and haven’t yet read “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” I recommend that you try it. The psychiatric ward is running smoothly under the direction of Nurse Ratched until McMurphy lands there. Nothing is ever the same. The wards are full of competition, gambling and testing the boundaries for a time. Then it comes to a stop and you need to read it to see who wins, Nurse Ratched or Randall McMurphy.
I recommend this book for 
an inside look into psychiatric care in the sixties and before.
“The personal ego already has a strong element of dysfunction, but the collective ego is, frequently, even more dysfunctional, to the point of absolute insanity.” Eckhart Tolle
Now that warm spring weather is here we see more motorcycles. We also hear them revving up beside us. I used to find that loud sound intimidating but now I know that for the most part they are loud so that we know they are there. Too often motorcycles are overlooked on the streets and highways. Car and motorcycle drivers must be more alert to one another to prevent accidents.
Both cyclists and other drivers must always follow traffic laws. Each should respect the rights of the other. Never ride or drive impaired.
Do you know the meaning of Cinco de Mayo? Most Americans do not and we probably celebrate it anyway with Mexican food and maybe a margarita or two. Cinco de Mayo actually means May 5. It marks the day of Mexico’s unlikely defeat of Napoleon’s French army in 1862.
“Cinco de Mayo has come to represent a celebration of the contributions that Mexican Americans and all Hispanics have made to America.” Joe Baca
I plan to stay “physically distant”,
Not giving up for a day or an instant.
Yes, it is hard and NOT the norm,
In any way, shape, or form.
My heart is aching for those not paid,
For graduations, proms, canceled, or delayed.
Yet if we’re careful for some months or more
Our reunions will mean more than ever before.
Sadly, for some, it’s never to be,
Because some they loved they’ll never see.
Let’s do it right. Stay strong and hope.
Calling and texting will help us cope.
“Normal” will be a thing of the past,
But what we learn can truly last.
Pay closer attention, develop new skills.
For it is ignorance that truly kills.
We are better when we are wise.
Don’t be fooled by selfish lies.
This year’s Kentucky Derby will be the 146th running of three-year-old thoroughbreds. Known as the fastest two minutes in sports this horse race attracts people from all around the globe. Beginning in 1875 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY the Derby runs on the first Saturday in May. It is preceded by the Derby Festival with steamboat races, world-class fireworks, and many other special events.
Due to the coronavirus, things will be different this year. The Kentucky Derby along with all of the festivities have been rescheduled for September. It will be exciting, but it will not be the same. The change is unavoidable and the jockeys will still give it their best, the ladies will wear their fancy hats and the Kentucky Derby will run to the cheers of excited fans. At the end of the one and one quarter mile race the winner will be draped in a blanket of over 400 roses and we will sip mint juleps and dream of next May.
“You can’t win the Kentucky Derby unless you’re on a thoroughbred.” Joe Torre
Crooked Creek by Sue Mattingly 