Not Good At Normal ~ Page 2 Of 4 ~ Join Me As We Explore And Drive Through History And Women's Roles With A Positive And Can Do Spirit! It's Never Normal.

October 31, 2020December 8, 2020

How The Salem Witch Trials Continue

Why witch hunts could still happen today

The Salem Witch Trials of 1692, in what would become the state of Massachusetts, are world renowned. Everyone knows or at least has heard the story. Could it happen again? The hysteria? The events may change, but the mob mentality continues. Can we stop it?

It’s just a witch hunt

The church plays a powerful place in a community.

Let’s take a minute to look at what really went on in Colonial Mass. In 1689 war between France and American colonies sent refugees into the Massachusetts bay colony. Salem already had slim resources and splintered families. By 1692 tensions were high. In the strong Puritan area, it was believed the devil would give people powers to harm others. These people were mostly women. Older or single and different. They were called witches. The Salem witch hunts were about to begin.

First Minister

The Reverend Samuel Parris became the first ordained minister and was immediately disliked as a greedy, ridgid leader. It was the reverend’s own daughter Elizabeth and niece Abigail who started having what were called fits and could not control themselves. Other girls soon began acting the same way. These girls began to blame their behavior on witches. Names were demanded. 3 women who were poor and different from others. Two had claimed innocence and the third confessed to the devil giving her powers and claimed there were many more like her as well.

Twenty people died during the Salem Witch Hunt.

The Real Threat

The real threat was that there were people who were different and willing to change or challenge the way of life in the puritan village. The word of someone without evidence, can and is taken as fact. Luckily, the Salem Witch Trials didn’t last very long. But history shows us that hysteria leads to the mob mentality and it happens often.

World War II, German and Italian Americans were harassed and thought to be sympathizers with Stalin and Hitler. Even worse, after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Japanese Americans were held in camps. Americans were scared of those different than us, even if they were born here. Hitler was one that grew as a result of mass hysteria. The mob mentality made him a deadly leader.

It wasn’t long before another witch hunt took place here in America. In the 1950’s Senator McCarthy began what has become “The Red Scare” finding communists or those who joined the communist party. This action caused many to lose their jobs and split friendships as people were asked once again to name names.

“Drinking the Kool-aid”

The sign welcomes the unsuspecting
sheep to Jonestown. (photo-jurist.com)

In the 1970’s people followed Jim Jones, the term Drinking the kool-aid is from his when he talked people into killing themselves, by drinking poison kool-aid. The expression is used for when people blindly believe anything they are told as the truth. In the ’90s David Koresh in Texas became the name to follow.

Think it can’t happen again?

Questions about a persons politics or personal political beliefs. It happens all the time. That’s the thing about mob mentality. Otherwise educated, reasonably responsible people follow a slick campaign or believed injustice or made up news. They call people with a different opinion names. Look at both political parties. The Democrats and the Republicans, both have the party faithful who will go along with and even try to persuade others to follow as well. It may not be a cult or as dangerous as other times and situations in history-but remember, in this sound bite society when most people believe the 5 second headline anyone can rise above the noise to gather followers and lead them astray.

The Facts and Freedoms

I look for facts. I base not on TV news, social media or what an online acquaintance may say. I don’t vote on party lines but on evidence of how a person has and may vote that best represents my view and values. In recent years, the girls from Salem have been thought to have eaten fungus that caused muscle spasms and vomiting and hallucinations.

Charlatans, haters, rioters, movements, snakes, conspiracies, witches. A few causing mass hysteria and lost lives. Real or imagined, it can and will happen again. A Witch Hunt. The Salem Witch trials. Don’t be a follower and go with the flow.

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October 11, 2020October 11, 2020

You’ve Always Had the Power

The Power of Positive Thinking

Long before the book and movie The Secret (Rhonda Byrne) came out in 1997, Wallace D. Wattles and James Allen wrote, at the turn of the 20th century, books that told of the power of the mind and how to use it.

As A Man Thinketh by Allen and The Science of Getting Rich by Wattles tell of how, by using your mind, you can create or change your life.

New teachers

Today, there are all sorts of thought teachers and leaders. Some are straight forward and some may be a bit more “out there”, but if you keep an open mind, you are sure to find someone to whom you connect and resonate with. So many speakers, authors, teachers, preachers. Some of my favorites have been Les Brown, Dr. Catherine Ponder, Florence Scovel Shinn(The Game Of Life and How To Play It), Bob Proctor and Louise Hayes. The books and teachings of these and many more live on to reach generations to change their thoughts.

Motivation

Some motivational speakers try to get you to realize only you can motivate yourself. If you want to change, you are the only one who will do it, and only when you are ready. People like Mel Robbins, Lisa Nichols and Tony Robbins are paid handsomely to try to get you out of your comfort level. All are really saying the same thing, maybe in different ways. You have to hear the same thing or study the same thing over and over, many many times before it become a habit or true for you. Sometimes, hearing the same thing, but said by someone else will trigger you to remember or change. Lisa said when she was working toward her goal as a speaker, she was working a job, but called it funding the dream.

Power to Change

Just as you have the power to decide if you want to get out of bed in the morning, you also have the power to change the trajectory of your life. Why is it that we can tell ourselves once or twice we can’t do something or are not good enough and believe it, yet it takes many, many times telling ourselves yes, we can do it before we believe? Yes, it’s nice to have someone in your corner, someone who has confidence in you, but it’s your choices that ultimately move you into action.

Feelings

Think back over your own history of the “wins” in your life. The times that you have gotten what you wanted. In order to help speed the process of knowing you can do and create and be anything you want is to feel it. Remember the feeling of getting that new bike or job you wanted. Your wedding day. The feeling is what makes it real. You knew the color you wanted, the style. That feeling of knowing what you want and getting it is what is real. The power of believing in yourself is the most important and powerful in the world.

Confidence

Confidence grows when you do something you put off, or that you don’t think you can do, but do it anyway. Each time building yourself up. When I feel like I failed, I tell myself that I can do it, I have in the past and will again. Like Lisa Nichols, I am funding my dream by currently working for someone else until I am ready to make it happen.

LOA

The Law of Attraction may seem to you like a bunch of mumbo jumbo, voodoo, crazy new age stuff. But when you think about it, God gave us free will, that we may think for ourselves. You can think your way to changing your life. As Napoleon Hill says, what you think about most, you bring about. If you think about lack and poverty, that is what you will see. What dream are you working on? Or what is it that you think you need an extra push on? Who is your favorite speaker or author you enjoy listening to?

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October 7, 2020December 21, 2020

The Emerald City, Wizard or Man?

“You’ve always had the power, my dear”

Remember how excited the four traveling companions were when they first set eyes on the beautiful, shiny Emerald City? Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion and Scarecrow all thought it must be the most wonderful, magical place. They couldn’t wait to run to see all it beheld behind the beautiful facade. It was magical from afar. Would it be just as magical up close?

Things are not always what they appear to be

The man behind the curtain in the Emerald city

At first glance, beauty and newness can be overwhelming. Remember a time when you were so excited you could hardly wait? The anticipation grew as the day approached. You get what you were waiting for or you finally meet that person who seemed so genuine. And then, it’s kind of a let down.

Like the visitors to Oz, all is not as it seems. The Emerald City was indeed beautiful, but was it magical? Dorothy needed guidance and wisdom. She was after all far from home, she needed to find her way back. What she received instead was a man pretending to have the answers, hiding behind not only a literal curtain, but of what others thought him to be. A great and powerful wizard. Dorothy thought seeing the wizard would solve her problem and she would be sent home. Then she and her traveling companions were given a nearly impossible task.

Treasures

Though the Emerald City did hold treasures, they were the kind you take with you in a different way.
That horse of a different color? Unique and unusual? An everyday occurance in Oz. That you can be anyone you want: The doorman, taxidriver, wizard and Professor Marvel, all the same person. You don’t have to limit yourself or pretend to be someone you’re not. That true friends stick together, and that we all have inner strength.

Strength

Like our friends from Oz found out, it won’t always be easy. You will most likely run into obstacles or people who don’t want you to succeed. They may even go out of their way to cause you to think you can’t do something. Dorothy was almost stopped by fear, by thinking she wasn’t smart enough or too young, to figure it out.
Because Dorothy found strength, courage and flexibility to see beyond what is at face value that enabled her to fight the witch and carry on to push past her comfort zone.

You’ve heard the saying, It’s not the destination, it’s the journey along the way. The road to get there should be just as thrilling. Take time to see all that is around you. Stop and smell the roses, only maybe skip smelling the poppies. Life is about the people you meet and lessons you learn. In trying times, try to remember you are growing through it.

Home

As Dorothy watched her new friends receive a heart, a brain and courage, she realized there wasn’t anything in the wizard’s bag for her. It was at that, she knew these people here in her dream, represented the strength she already possessed. She had to help herself. She knew the real strength and power lie within believing in herself.

As Glinda the Good Witch told her, “You’ve always had the power, my dear”! Drop a comment below of what you learned from this most classic MGM movie or what ways you have found your courage to really be you! How many times have you watched The Wizard of Oz? Was the Emerald City as spectacular as you thought?

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October 1, 2020October 14, 2020

Every Scar Tells A Story

What does your story say?

Do you have a physical or emotional scar? Imagine you are at your sink washing dishes. You face a window overlooking the sprawling backyard. Glancing out seeing a flash of red, think nothing of it. Continuing washing you realize your three young children are playing in the backyard, and your husband is showing his visiting uncle how the new industrial size riding lawn mower works. As the dish drops and shatters as it hits the floor, you run outside to the mower as fast as you can. The next few days a blur as you are in and out of the hospital room with your youngest daughter, a 2 year old. At least this is what my mother recalls. This is not my story. It is my scar, but not my story.

Cold and dark

It was dark under that heavy piece of cold steel. I was scared. I heard screaming. This would be my story, if I remembered it. Thank God for not remembering ANY of it. I do sometimes think I recall the sound of my bones hitting the under blade. Maybe that is part of the emotional scar. I don’t have a story to tell, I have my mother’s story and hers alone. My father refuses to speak about it. I haven’t spoke to him at all in years. He is a coward, and no not because he feels bad about it. He still has that mower and displayed it as a trophy recently. Another part of the emotional scar? Maybe.

Physical

Let’s fast forward to today. My lasting impressions of this summer day so long ago:

Left hip long, thick scar, notice the dent where the chunk of skin is missing.

From just past the middle of my back at the spine, going along the left side of the hip and down toward the other side of my thigh. All along the left side of my body there are scars. One and two inch lengths along my arm, on the back of my head, and a thick one halfway across my knee. It truly is a miracle I was not cut in half or lost my leg in two places.

Miraculous

The true miracle is that I am even alive. I can walk and even had a natural childbirth! God is Good! I do now some 40 plus years later, have days where my hip hurts so bad I can’t stand for long or sit for long, but that is so minor to what could have been. At first I was surprised that this long after an old injury, one could have issues, but upon researching (something I love doing), I learned old scar tissue can continue to grow into bone and tighten and thus arthritis is also starting.

There are different types of scars. We all have them. Some are larger and more visible then others. Some you can’t even see, but there are still there. Hidden, ready to come back at you when you least expect it. Like a song or memory you thought you left in the past, it shows up to remind you it’s still there.

Dealing with the pain

The way each one of us deals with the emotional aspect is as similar as the physical scars on our body. Each one unique as we are. Is The act of what happened to me emotionally painful? Not as much as a bad relationship with a controlling, narcissistic person I am still trying to recover from and get back in touch with my free spirit. If you were in an abusive relationship, the emotional scars usually last longer then the physical ones.

Testimony

I think I have an amazing testimony. I am so blessed. Look at all the people God has used to share their stories with us. Our scars make us who we are. What we choose to do with our story is our choice. I used to hide them. I didn’t like wearing shorts. Bathing suits would be the long skirt kind. Now part of my healing journey was a tattoo cover up. I designed it to still show just a bit at one end (just over an inch). To me, it represents “I may have been ripped apart, but underneath, I am pure stone-strength. You will not break me”. As the flesh is pulled away, you see a vibrant slab of turquoise stone. Turquoise gems represent strength. Plus I have always loved the color!

Trauma

Do I deal with this like its a past trauma? I don’t think so. Some might say anger toward a man whom I have zero relationship with. I don’t know him, so I feel like you don’t miss what you don’t know. My journey has led me to being a lifelong seeker of truth. I knew from a young age I was here for something greater. I can walk and breath and am alive for a reason. God is my father and I will tell my story to all who will listen. What story do your scars tell?

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August 19, 2020November 5, 2020

Badass Women in History

Well Behaved Women Seldom Make History

On this anniversary month of the 100 years of women having the right to vote, I am finally publishing the women in history blog.

In 1976, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich wrote a little article about a Puritan funeral service. She included that sentence never realizing it would become almost an anthem for women. The article concluded that witches and women of ill repute would be remembered, but that those to whom were mothers and upstanding members of society would not.

Well Known Women

While All women are important, some of the better known women throughout history have left a mark on the consciousness of society. Starting with one of my all time favorites, Elizabeth Cady Stanton. It as Stanton, not Susan B. Anthony, who really started the women’s movement. It was in 1848 in Seneca Falls, NY when she came to be known for writing the Declaration of Sentiments for women for the first women’s rights convention. She began her interests with abolition and temperance, but soon focused her efforts on women’s rights or lack thereof. When she married her husband, she left out the phrase “to obey” feeling it was a partnership. You Go Girl! That, at the time, total badass move!

Fateful Meeting

It wasn’t until 1851 that Elizabeth met Susan B. Anthony and the two women formed an unstoppable force. They traveled the country giving speeches wherever they could. Since Elizabeth had 7 children throughout the years, it was up to Susan to do much of the travel. Both women died before seeing their years of hard work become a reality with the ratification of the 19th amendment.

Fly Girls

Even though Raymonde de Laroche in France was the first woman to fly solo, and Harriet Quimby was the first American female licensed pilot, it was Amelia Earhart who is well known as the first woman to pilot across the atlantic. Had she not followed her heart and determination, and had the ambition to do so, no one would know who she was. She didn’t let anyone stop her and she changed history.

First Ladies

A few of the most influential first ladies in U.S. history are Eleanor Roosevelt, first lady from 1933 to 1945. After President Roosevelt died, Eleanor was on the board of directors for the NAACP, helped form the United Nations and was instrumental in believing in FDR so he could run for elected office in the first place. Betty Ford was a major advocate for the Equal Rights Amendment and founder of the Betty Ford clinic. Dolley Madison wouldn’t leave the White House during the war of 1812 while it was being attacked until she could save as many items as possible ensuring historical significance.

Why it took 100 years for women to get the right to vote, comes down to fear. Man feared change.

The first woman to run for president, was a suffragette, named Victoria Woodhull, though she wasn’t yet 35 years old and couldn’t even vote! Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress, ran for President in 1972, as did Carol Moseley Braun in 2003.

Gloria Steinem and Bella Abzug help found the National Women’s Political Caucus. The League Of Women Voters, founded just 6 months before the 19th amendment was passed, to ensure the passage and continues today to be a bipartisan information and voter registration organization.

Queens

Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, was thought to have influenced Roman politics through her relationships with Caesar and Mark Antony, keeping Egypt an independent country. Queen Kristina of Sweden never married and never had a male advisor.

Mother of the Freedom Movement

What if Rosa Parks was well behaved and didn’t sit in the ‘whites only’ section of the bus? By doing so, she started a snowball of events that changed history. By not sitting at the back of the bus, she inspired thousands of people to make a change for the better. Harriet Tubman was an abolitionist and activist who escaped slavery and went on to rescue many more, and organized a network to do so.

“Each Person Must Live Their Life As A Model For Others”~Rosa Parks

Margaret Thatcher, Mother Teresa, Marie Curie, Pocahontas, Hillary Clinton, Alice Guy-Blanche, Hattie McDaniel, Mary Shelley, writer of Frankenstein, and thousands more all refusing to be complacent and accept that they should not do their own thing and stand out. History, despite most of it being written and narrated by men, does not belong to only men, but to all. Remember, women can do anything a man can do, backwards and in high heels. If girls can’t open a book and read about women and girls like themselves, how are they to know anything is possible?

Who are some of your favorite female warriors and badasses? Share in the comments and go be a leader!

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July 27, 2020July 28, 2020

Crime and Punishment

Or The Lack thereof in America today.

In other words, cause and effect

Dateline America 2020. If you lived 100 years ago and time traveled or were transported into the future, into 2020, your mind would be blown and you would think you were on a different planet. It would feel like the Twilight Zone. You might even question where you were and what is this lawless nation. 100 years ago people who commited a crime were arrested and would receive swift justice. No waiting for your court sentencing and certainly no waiting to go to prison. Prison.

It is not always through the perfect goodness of virtue that one obeys the law, but sometimes it is through fear of punishment~Saint Thomas Aquinas

You see, there was a time, not too long ago, that laws in this country were upheld. Crime and punishment went together. That if someone commited a crime, they would be arrested. People were scared to get caught and thrown in jail and that would be a big deterrent not to do a crime. Kill someone meant the death penalty, not waiting forever being taken care of with free meals and television, activities and college courses.

Soft on Crime

Very early this year I heard a true, but scary piece of news. There was a woman, lets call her Janelle. Janelle was single mother and worked at a bank in town. Each morning she would get the kids to school and head to work at the bank. One day she was getting her station ready when she looked up and saw a man shoving a note at her with one hand and a gun in the other. The armed robber demanded she give him $1100. Shaken, she gave him all she could gather.

Apprehended

About 2 blocks away, he was found counting the money as he said he was going to give back the overage. He said he was in his 70’s, his wife had died, his dog was sick, he was homeless living in his car and it was about to be repossessed. That is why he needed the money and only wanted that amount. Because of his sob story, he was let go with a small probationary period and a promise not to do it again.

Meanwhile, Janelle the single mother, was so upset and shaken, she cannot go back to working at the bank and is traumatized with PTSD and has a hard time taking care of her kids. Her life is turned upside down but this guy who freely chose to break the law walks free. There is no further thought about the victims!

It takes time to persuade men to do even what is for their own good~Thomas Jefferson

Changing times

When did the change start? Why did we stop holding people accountable for their actions? Part of it comes because we no longer teach our children right and wrong. Winning and losing. Give everyone who shows up an award. No longer having a first place winner. When my daughter was in first grade, the principle of the (private)school said a boy would not be punished for hitting another child because he was having a bad home life.. what?!

Law cannot persuade where it cannot punish~Alexander Hamilton

This is exactly how society is today, “well he was…oh they had a bad upbringing”. It is a choice to break the law and do wrong. Not everyone with a bad childhood chooses to go down the wrong path. Everyone has things they go through but don’t choose to do illegal activities. Choices create consequences.

Being so soft is not working out. I was working at a radio event and had the opportunity to speak at length to two police officers. They spoke of how crime is growing in juveniles and they are much more violent at a younger age. If there is no fear of punishment, why would they not do whatever they want? Who or what is to stop them?

Repeat offenders

Recidivism rates are on the rise. In the US, it is as high as 76.6%!! In Missouri it is 44% according to the MO Department of Corrections. 2 out of 3 are repeating crimes within 3 years of release. Recently I heard about a horrific killing in FL by three men who between them had 230 Felony arrests. yes, 230 FELONY ARRESTS!

Lately, prisoners and those in jail have been set free do to the Covid-19 pandemic. Some areas are not even taking to jail those that are caught. In CA, in one day, the same man was arrested 4 times and let go. 4 times! Why, because he knew nothing would be done so why not!

Ways to change

Crime and Punishment. Is it even a thing anymore? Do we even teach that choices come with consequences? Would in prison programs help? Community support? As most everything, I think it starts at home. Teaching our children right and wrong. After all, we are their first teachers. If not us, then whom?

Have you ever been a victim of a crime or have you been in jail or prison? Have you read Crime and Punishment? Leave a comment or thought. How would you go about change? Like and share to continue the conversation.

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July 5, 2020July 27, 2020

Why Being Creative is Important

Use of creativity with resin for plant charms

Creativity stimulates brain function.

Creativity sets the mind free. Think about all the times your mind wondered. You thought about a new car or how you would want to change or update your bedroom. That is being creative. Anytime you use your imagination even to write a report for work, you are being creative.

Some of the items I created with resin, for sale on my esty shop, notgoodatnormal1.

“You can’t use up creativity, the more you use, the more you have”~Maya Angelou

Being creative gives you an outlet

If you are feeling stuck or are board, you just have to use your imagination and change your thought patterns. When was the last time you colored or drew a sketch? Had a hobby? Don’t say you don’t have time because we all make time for what we want. Television and now surfing the net and scrolling mindlessly wastes time you could use being creative.

“Creativity is inventing, experienting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes and having fun”~Marylou Cook

Started a new hobby!

Being creative makes you happier. When you are thinking of how to do something, which color or way to start, you are not stressing or letting negativity in.

“The imaginative child will become the imaginative man or woman most apt to create, to invent and therefore to foster civilization”~L. Frank Baum creator of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz book series

Creativity with resin — The Tin Woodsman from the Oz books. Use as a charm or plant decoration or for a rearview mirror.

If you think you are not the creative type, how did you get the house you wanted or the mate you have? You had to think about it and see it in your mind. Use of imagination is what drives us. Stop and think of planning a fun day. Where would you go, how much money would you spend, who would go with you? That is the creative process at work!

Mixing several of my favorite things together, creating with resin, Halloween and skulls.

Look at this blog. I wanted to get back to my creative side, a side that I pushed away for a few years thinking I didn’t have time for and wanting to fit in with someone I was seeing. Taking my own advice, Never change for anyone. I needed my creativity back. Back big time! Photography, writing, podcasting, building with wood, now arts with resin (I dabbled in stained glass but that was a one time thing).

“You’ll never be bored when you try something new, there’s really no limit to what you can do”~Dr Seuss

Using a journal, write out what you would want your day to look like tomorrow, or how you would rewrite today if you could. That is one way to get back into the creative spirit. By using our brain in a way that is either new to us, or a way that we haven’t used in a long time, you allow the creativity to flow. Sometimes, you need to give yourself permission to do it. Give yourself a few minutes in the evening or morning if that works better for you. Do this for a week and see how you feel.

Resin charms for decorating your plants and flowers. The creative process! I am always looking for new places for charms as I ran out of room on both of my charm bracelets!

Planting a garden takes planning. Imagination starts and action makes it happen. It’s all part of the creative process at work. I am doing custom items and taking orders for Halloween and Christmas.

Visit my new etsy shop at :https://www.etsy.com/shop/notgoodatnormal1?fbclid=IwAR1VAd0Nje8ASI8j_E9SVLMH2UDMZ_zJb5oz1MLB0ewFP9PsHu01zzVwt_g

I will be adding items to the shop and posting some on the blog, check back for more. Let me know in the comments what ways you are being creative or have started to do different. Have a new hobby or started a website or new business? Add that! Like and share. And go get creative!

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June 11, 2020June 13, 2020

What We Learn From History

How History Can Shape the Future

“The history of the past is but one long struggle upward to equality”~Elizabeth Cady Stanton

I am a self confessed history geek. I love history. All kinds. I don’t believe in past lives, but I am drawn to certain decades more than others. Early American history 1770-1800, women’s history and the suffragettes, the gilded age, the 1920’s and 30’s( mostly for the style and movies). As with everything I do, learning about these and other time periods brings me great joy. We must not forget the past, nor the people who lived through it.

The Buildings

What did this look like back in the day? St. Louis, MO.

Seeing older, abandoned buildings, I want to know more about what it was like when it was first built. What was it used for, who lived or worked there? What happened to cause it to be no longer in use. I want to know what kind of people lived in an old house. Where they worked, were they happy there, what circumstance caused them to leave the home, sometimes leaving their belongs, where did they go and why is it no one bought or restored it.

“History, despite it’s wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again”~Maya Angelou

Ghost Signs

Passing some buildings, mostly brick, I search for old signs. Some are barely visible and some have layers of advertising through the years. These give us a glimpse of the past. How people lived, what and how they purchased. Fashions and lifestyles. An anthropologist’s dream. Or perhaps, an archaeologist. Both study history and how people lived to an extent.

MzHyde in front of a ghost sign with several layers/years of advertising! Columbia, TN Living history!

Through learning about the past, we gain understanding of what worked and what doesn’t. How not to make the same mistakes.

This building, in Benton Park, STL had a ghost sign on each side.

“History is a gallery of pictures in which there are few originals and many copies.”~Alexis de Tocqueville

Older buildings have charm and character not found in today’s build it fast world. Historic places are being demolished in the name of progress and modernization. New is not always better.

Grand Blvd and Chouteau, What was left of the Pevely Dairy complex. Saint Louis University (SLU)purchased land to continue their expansion, despite this building being on the National Registry of Historic Places! Dated to 1915. This was a four story brick building with white glazed brick walls just on the inside.

Heritage of a City

Preserving our heritage is also practical. Materials can be recycled and reused, thereby continuing the aesthetic look of the city. This is what gives a unique, rich character. Having roots also makes us feel like we have ties to the community.

“History isn’t about dates and places and wars, it’s about the people who fill the spaces between them”~Jodi Picoult

Biographies and Documentaries

Biographies and documentaries are great sources of learning. Almost like a living history where you are in the shoes of another seeing life through their eyes. Reading a biography is my favorite, as I am also a book worm. Rich and detailed information on a past generation. A documentary can take you visually into another time. My favorites are books about inventors, movie stars and people who have changed the world.

“Those who do not know history are destined to repeat it”~Edmond Burke

Of course not all of history is good and therefore we must learn from the mistakes of our forefathers and make sure not to repeat it. Removing stories from books and monuments and not teaching certain lessons in classrooms does not remove what happened. We must not forget the pain, but teach our children the wrong and what makes it wrong and to not let it happen again.

“We cannot escape History”~Abraham Lincoln

A television show I love is Finding Your Roots with Dr. Henry L. Gates, Jr. , about genealogy. Knowing your personal history and where you come from is very important.

Part of the defunct Lemp Brewery complex,St. Louis, MO

I will leave you with a quote from another American President. Leave a comment about your favorite part of history. Like and share.

“The More You Know About The Past, The Better Prepared You Are for the Future.”~Theodore Roosevelt

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April 8, 2020July 5, 2020

Ecclesiastes 3 A time for everything

A time for every purpose unto heaven

There is a time for everything. A season or reason. In the Bible verse, Ecclesiastes 3 tells us there is a time for everything to happen. A time to reap, a time to sow. A time to be born and a time to die. God has it determined what will happen. These are extraordinary times we are living through. No one knows what will happen or what to do. At this point it is a waiting game.

The best of times or the worst

Spring is a perfect time to get out and enjoy God’s wonder.

This could bring out the best in us or the worst. We have already seen how some people fought over toilet paper trying to hoard it. Others not following guidelines set out by public health officials and doing what they want. On the flip side, more people are meeting their neighbors and making sure medical personal have supplies. People can sit and watch television and eat all day and come out of this having gained weight, or go outside and walk, run, bike and play with the kids and be more fit. It’s a mind set. You get to choose what you use this time at home for. It could be a blessing or a curse.

Home School

So many people are complaining about having to homeschool their children. If you are a parent, you are your child’s first teacher. This one really gets me angry. It is not the school’s place nor a teacher’s to show your child basics of living or right and wrong. It’s not that hard to teach counting and reading. When my daughter was two I placed printed words around the house. DOOR on the door. TELEVISION on the TV, ect. She learned how to read, also helped that I read to her often and we didn’t spend hours in front of a screen each day.

Easy and fun way to teach basic math. Yum!

Simple math was made fun by using candy. M&M’s work best, but this is what I had when writing and taking pictures. If Jr. has three pieces of candy, and mom eats one, how many will Jr. have left? Fun and rewarding way to add or subtract. I home schooled from 4th grade through 8th, with the munchkin going to public school a few hours a week for the gifted program. It seems it would be much easier now with a lesson plan from the school online.

The Byrds

By now, you may have noticed a few themes run through my blogs. Music and Movies (Oz mostly) how they relate to life, positivity and God. How you can change your mindset and change your life. The folk rock band The Byrds had a number one song in 1966 titled, “Turn, Turn, Turn” based on the bible chapter and verse, Ecclesiastes 3: A time to kill, and time to heal, a time to laugh a time to weep. A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing. See, now is not the time to embrace.

Useful

No, it wasn’t a Sunday. Feels like the Twilight Zone. Not a soul in sight!

What will you use this time for? It is a gift, for the most part. Yes, it can be difficult. I worked at a radio station, in promotions. All of the events were canceled, leaving me out of a job. The positive side is I get to see family, to read and write and do research. Drive with the top down and take photos. The things I love to do, but hadn’t had much time to devote to. Will you learn a new craft, or finish a book? Do a DYI project around the house. Plant flowers. Learn a new language. Start a journal so your kids can remember this time. Read the Bible and the rest of Ecclesiastes 3.

Maybe just spend more time with the kids and those you love. From a distance. Be safe and use common sense. Let me know what you are doing or plan to do. There is a time for everything.

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March 23, 2020April 6, 2020

The Wisdom of Country Music

What we can learn from Country Music

“For These Times -in which we live the sound of someone’s heartbreak is the soundbite at the news break” Martina McBride

The Wisdom of Country Music — Martina McBride and the author, Tee. Not only one of the best singers of our time, but a great humanitarian.

Country music, the real, older style, tells stories in melody. Each song is like a pearl of wisdom. I’m not talking about the current state of what is found on radio now, or for the last several years, with few exceptions.

The Real Wisdom

The kind of songs that tell stories about life and love and are filled with lessons. There are no shortage of these. One only has to go back a few years to listen and learn. Let’s start with Faith Hill. She sings about how The Secret of Life is the simple things, getting up early, a good cup of coffee, “the secret of life is, there ain’t no secret and you don’t get your money back!” Live a life filled with what you want and you already know the secret.

Pay Attention

Words and music by Casey Breathard and Chris Wallin

“You’re Gonna Miss This” and “Don’t Blink” by Trace Atkins and Kenny Chesney respectively, tell us to live in the moment, not to take for granted or miss out and complain too much, because one day you will look back and think where did that time go? “You’re going to wish these days hadn’t gone by so fast, you may not know it now, but you’re gonna miss this.” “You just might miss your babies growing up, like mine did. When your hourglass runs out of sand, you can’t flip it over and start again” We can also add Tim Mcgraw’s “Live Like You Were Dying” to this group. Why wait, for anything? You may not get a second chance!

Songs that make you think

There are songs that make us think, cry, smile and remember a moment. Songs stay with us, mostly for a lifetime. Some of the earlier country songs I started listening to, in the late 80’s, are some of the most memorable ones for me. Shenandoah singing sad, but thought provoking lyrics with haunting melodies. Spending hours playing the what if game. “The Road Not Taken”, ” I Wanna Be Loved Like That”, and “Mama Knows” all about a simpler time. These songs craft the question, do we live in regret, or choose the life you have made.

The Big Guy

Garth Brooks even sang about the wisdom of not getting what you want. “Unanswered Prayers” reminds us, as he sees an old flame he once prayed would be the one, realizing she wasn’t and that God had someone better for him. “The Dance-I’m glad I didn’t know the way it all would end, the way it all would go, our lives are better left to chance,I could have missed the pain, but I’d of had to miss the dance”.

The Preacher Won’t Have To Lie

Some of my favorite singers also wrote a few books.

The idea for this blog came one day late last year when I was on a long drive in my convertible, and saw a billboard sign something about God is watching. I immediately thought of the Lee Ann Womack songs “The Preacher Won’t Have to Lie~I had a dream and I got a good look at myself. I stood face to face with the ghost of my past and I saw what was to come. They made it clear that on day I’d have to answer for what I had done. I saw what I’d become. The choices you make, the chances you take, they’ll follow you all of your life” and “Something Worth Leaving Behind”. Who could forget her monster crossover hit, “I Hope You Dance-never settle for the path of least resistance, when you come close to selling out, reconsider”

So many great songs, so little space. Here is a short list of some great songs to listen to again, or for the first time: Lynn Anderson “Rose Garden” The Judds “Grandpa” Suzy Bogguss “Letting Go” Kasey Musgraves “Mind Your Biscuits” Loretta Lynn, just about any of her older stuff. Grab your klennex for when Patty Loveless signs with a tear in her throat, “How Can I Help You Say Goodbye”

Martina McBride

I could write an entire blog on just Martina songs. She certainly can pick them, and she wrote some of them as well. Her songs inspire and give hope in trying times. “Love’s The Only House big enough for all the pain”. “Anyway sing, love, dream, do it anyway””In My Daughter’s Eyes”, which I wrote about here.

“All The Things We’ve Never Done” and “Whatever You Say” sometimes it’s not what you say or do that speaks volumes. Who could forget not only the soaring vocals but the message of “Independence Day”? Let freedom Ring, Let the whole world know that today is the day of reckoning. A song I use almost daily for inspiration, “Ride” Life is a roller coaster ride, time turns a wheel and love collides, faith is believing you can close your eyes and touch the sky. Hold on tight to what you feel inside and ride.

Back to the beginning

Especially now, “For These Times-where the worst of what we live is laid out for all the world on the front page. Give me a heart full of love and kindness and arms ready to open wide”. The wisdom of country music. What are some of your picks for songs on the list? leave a comment.

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