Day 3 – Awesome WordPress Bloggers

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A serene landscape photography

Image via Wikipedia

Today, I dedicate this post to Picture a Poem – Connetta.  If you love poetry this is one awesome WordPress blog, as you will find it a treat.  When you visit Picture a Poem, you are welcomed with a beautiful picture and a poem that corresponds to it, so not only do you get the story visually, but in beautiful and inspiring words as well.

I love this blog because it actually stimulates my senses and serves as therapy to me – I enjoy the visual part of it, the glorious scenery and creative pictures, but I am also touched by its poetry.  Connetta’s blog relaxes me and gives me a sense of peace and delight.  Its style is refreshing, serene, and simple.  I love the way the blog is organized, the colors, graphics, and the way you navigate through it.  If you ever need to get inspired and delight your senses, head out to Conetta’s blog and you will emerge not only inspired but refreshed.

If you like poetry, you will like Picture a Poem and even if you are not a fan of poetry, you will enjoy the visual aspect and simplicity of it.  This one is a winner in my book.

Day 2 – Awesome WordPress Bloggers

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LesCorsetsLeFuretParis18cutA

Image via Wikipedia

Today, I dedicate this post to C2C – Courage to Create by Ollin Morales.  This is one awesome blog that has many followers and in which you will find great information about writing, but also much inspiration to keep going.  A writer’s world is not an easy one, and C2C manages to give you the courage to continue in your writing journey.

I like this blog because it talks to the reader, it presents information and great tips, but also manages to make the topics personal and real.  It features writing topics, many writing guests, as well as great insight from the author.

C2C has a light, realistic, and encouraging tone and manages to keep real but informative throughout the author’s writing journey.  I think it is also innovative in the way it approaches many writing topics, pointing not only to the writing tasks, but also to the whole that is the writer’s life.  So there, you will find the information you need but also great insight and perspective.  Visit C2C and see for yourself.

Awesome WordPress Bloggers Week

/ inkspeare / 3 Comments

I am dedicating this week to writing about some of my favorite blogs.  I will feature one blog each day and tell you why I think they are awesome and worth reading.  I will start with Bardicblogger . This blog, just as its title suggests, is a place for “creative writing tips and advice.”  I like this blog for its down to earth writing tips, but also because its style flows easy on the reader.  It shares information, creativity, inspiration, and much more – I like its variety.  I recommend this blog to aspiring writers, as it does not complicate your writing life.  I have read many blogs for writers that actually manage so well to depict a very frightening writing world, scare you to death about writing, as well as making the issue so complicated, almost unattainable.

The blog has several sections in which it shares great writing links, tips and information, and much more from the author.  It is visually appealing as it is great to digest.  The tone is professional, but not stuffy or pretentious.  If you love writing and are not familiar with this site, check it out.  It is worth your visit.

Tomorrow I will share another great writing blog full of insight and inspiration.

What Happened to Common Courtesy?

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"Rhodesian Cave Man" from Scientific...

Image by Wyoming_Jackrabbit via Flickr

I thought I had seen my share of rude and inappropriate behavior, but what I saw last evening puzzled and shocked me.  My husband and I decided to grab something quick to eat at the local McDonald’s, since we were trying to beat the time.  I was filling the cups with coke at the beverage dispensing machine, which is right across from the bathroom about 25 or 30 feet.  The coke dispenser is next to the water dispenser, and then the rest of the flavors.  I finished refilling one cup and set it aside to refill the next.  A woman who had finished eating, stood next to me, said excuse me, and proceeded to wash her hands in the drinking water dispenser (next to the coke) splattering all over and almost reaching my drink.  I was shocked, frozen in disbelieve at such inconsiderate and bizarre behavior.  It was not only rude, but also gross, and lazy on her part, since the bathroom was behind her – just a few steps.

What happened to common courtesy?  This was a grown up woman.  What happened to good manners?  Are they forgotten?  Are we becoming Neanderthal and uncivilized people living in a technological society?  Maybe some people may think about this post – what is the big deal?  And I say to that – yes, it is a big deal, and maybe that is the reason good manners at home and in public are forgotten – because we think of these things lightly and have become used to them as normal behavior.  Pardon me please, but there is nothing normal about washing your hands at the beverage dispensing machine using the water refill.

Well, all I can say is that I am still shocked, hence this post, and hope that one day, we start appreciating common courtesy and good manners in our daily living, and that future parents continue to make an effort to make time and teach their children basic acceptable social behavior and common courtesy – just so our species does not reverse to the glacial period and subdivides into the early Neanderthals, Cro-magnon, or Homo sapiens.  A little dose of good manners may save our species after all.

Monarch Butterflies 3 – The Mystery is Solved

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This morning, I noticed more Monarch butterfly wings on the ground below the butterfly bush.  This only means that they died overnight.  I picked them up and decided to look at the tree to see if I could explain why this is happening.  It wasn’t until I was checking out the butterfly tree for a second time around that I noticed a green leaf move slowly.  I checked it out and there it was – the culprit, a Preying Mantis.  Although Monarchs are supposed to be poisonous, this little guy seems to have found a way around that.

I decided to  check this out and it seems that Preying Mantis have adapted to eat Monarchs.  I found this video in YouTube, which tells the story and it certainly happens at a blue butterfly bush.  Check out the link here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfsJMKOMcis&feature=player_embedded

Here is a picture of my little guest (not so little) who is having a huge food fest.

It is a bit tricky to see the Mantis because she is perfectly camouflage.  Focus on the center of the picture and there it is, in a vertical position heads down.

So the mystery is solved, and although I still feel sad about the fate of the butterflies, at least I am glad that the Mantis is surviving – it is the natural course of things, the cycle of life.

Monarch Butterflies 2

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I don’t know what is happening with my blog but this is the second time I have to cut a post in two parts because when I publish the original it only shows half of it and the rest of the post is lost.  So back to the Monarch butterflies.  Here is the other half of the post.  Please refer to the previous post so you know what’s going on with these Monarch wings.

Monarch female wing – no black dot.

More male wings; there is one that looks as if it had been picked thru by a predator.  This is unlikely as Monarchs are poisonous to birds, insects, and mammals as they have milkweed in their system, from when the larvae nourished itself with milkweed.

I don’t know what I will do with these beautiful wings, maybe I will frame them, but they are too beautiful to discard.  They remind me of the fragile beauty of this Universe and of how blessed I am to be able to admire it.  It is a priviledge that I don’t want to take for granted.

Sad but beautiful Awakening – Monarch Wings

/ inkspeare / 1 Comment

This morning, as I sipped my coffee outside, I was talking to my husband and noticed one Monarch butterfly wing on the ground.  I picked it up and was observing its beauty and for the first time realized that it feels similar to a bird wing, except thinner.  Then my husband told me that he saw another one behind the butterfly bush.  We went to see if we could find it and found tons of butterfly wings all over.  It was a sad and beautiful thing at the same time – the only way I can describe it.  I picked up the wings and believed that there most have been tons of butterflies that die; however upon closer inspection of the wings, I realized that maybe only 4 or 5, according to the wings remains.

What caused their death?  I am not sure, but the other day, as I was observing one that was flying I realized that it was too cold for them and wondered why they were still around.  I am not sure if these are the last generation of this year matting but it certainly looks that way, as their color is very intense and bright.  This means that these butterflies did not make it to migration to the south.  A few wings were showing sings of a predator picking thru it, but most were whole.  Later, I decided to learn a bit about monarch butterflies and found a great website which I will share with you for when you want to learn a few interesting bits of info – http://www.monarch-butterfly.com/

On my research I learned that most of the wings belonged to male butterflies, as they have a black dot in one of the veins.  I also learned that there are four generations in a year – March/April, May/June, July/August, and September/October.  The last generation is the only one that gets to migrate, the earlier generations die.  So I am not sure if these are from a third generation that died or from a fourth generation that was born and died due to the recent cold temperatures.  I doubt that they were eaten by predators, since Monarchs are mostly poisonous to birds, insects, and mammals due to their diet – Milkweed.

When we moved into this house there were no flowers or plants only grass.  Over 10 years, I had grown a garden and planted two butterfly bushes which feed a lot of butterflies and even the occasional hummingbird.  I get tons of hummingbird moths as well, an amazing sight.  One time I attempted planting carrots and got butterfly larvae eating on them.  I left the plants so the larvae could nourish from it and continue its life cycle.  The larvae was Monarch butterfly larvae.  It was feeding from carrots; however most information I have read points out that it only survives from milkweed.  I don’t know but they were eating carrot plants and pooping to their contentment.  Later that season I saw tons of beautiful monarchs being born.  One of them even came to me when I was sitting on my steps, and rested on my hand, as if saying thank you for feeding me.

Here are the pictures of this morning’s findings, what looked like tons of fairy wings.

Tons of monarch wings in hubby’s hand.

Monarch wing.  This is a male, see the black dot in the vein.  The rich colors suggest that this might be a fourth generation that never got to migrate.

More male wings.  I think by the amount of wings we found on the floor, maybe four or five butterflies the most – two or three males and maybe the others were female.  These were Monarchs and not Viceroy butterflies which look very similar.  Check out this link to see the differences in the wing pattern, go down to the picture at the end comparing the two butterflies – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch_(butterfly

 

 

 

 

 

WWJD? The Humanity of Evil

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Jesus Cleansing Temple Mormon

Image by More Good Foundation via Flickr

This morning I visited my FB page and found a very sad and horrible picture being passed around – it was of two kids hanging a puppy and enjoying the act (for what their faces could tell).  The person(s) who shared the link was asked to keep posting it to see if these people are caught and punished.  I love animals and all living things, and in a moment of rage, I shared the picture with the plea, and used some profanity directed at the abusers.  This prompted this post.

I am not one to like that kind of language but the rage that boiled inside me when I saw the picture gave way to those words.  Then, feeling a bit sorry about my poor choice of words, I thought – In that case, WWJD?  Immediately the scene of a Jesus irate at the merchants in the temple came to mind.  Apart from his divinity, at that moment of anger, Jesus was being human – his humanity was leading his actions.  I thought, “Ok, I can’t compare myself to Jesus, but I understand why I reacted in such way – my humanity.

Then, I thought, “Wait a minute!  Why were these kids committing this crime?  Because of their human condition?  Because of the evil that we humans are capable of and let out many times?  I pondered the issue and realized that we all are capable of committing evil, whether in the name of God or the Devil (if you believe in such) or just by the fact that we are human.  My reply to the picture was “I wish they die the same way … (and other words that I not dare repeat here).  The point is that in a millisecond, out of fury, I saw myself hanging those kids and enjoying their death as punishment for killing that puppy.  At that moment, was I worst than them or equal?  I don’t know, other than I was angry at their evil act, and they were enjoying their evil act.  That is the only difference I can find.

So WWJD?  I don’t know other than I am sure that he would not just stand there watching these kids kill a puppy and I doubt that he would open his arms and say “Come here my children for you have sin.”  No, he would probably be as pissed off as he was with the merchants in the temple; however, there is nothing written as if he hit one of them or not.  Maybe that is the answer – it is fine to let your emotions out and your true feelings; however not always ok to act on them.  As humans, we are capable of acts of Love and Evil; as spiritual beings our nature is one of Love.

Daily Inspiration

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(Computer generated) Dawn at the North Pole

Image by pakitt via Flickr

Today’s post is dedicated to the Desiderata.  This is one of my favorite pieces to read over and over.  The Desiderata was written around the 1920’s by Max Ehrman, a lawyer and poet from Indiana.  Here is a link to the entire poem – http://www.sfheart.com/desiderata.html

The history of this piece is quite interesting, so I will share this link if you want to know more about it – http://www.fleurdelis.com/desidera.htm

This is certainly one my favorite pieces for inspiration and one that I turn to when I need a bit of solitude and peace – it grounds me.  I urge you to read it, you will see why.  To me, it is very important to find daily inspiration and whether it is from poetry, a picture, a painting, a song, my pets, or a beautiful scenery, it is one thing that keeps me going and puts a smile on my face.

We live in a material world, and sometimes, besides spirituality, we also need something tangible to give our senses – the scent of a flower or perfume, of a favorite food, the sound of nature or a favorite melody, the colors and shapes in a painting or the ones found at a particular spot that brings you peace and delight … All those things help ground yourself and they can become a source for tuning your soul and finding a spiritual connection in a material driven world.

The point to all this is that you don’t have to sit for hours in a yoga position (unless you enjoy this) to find a bit of grounding on your daily living, and a bit of inspiration to fuel your day.  When you pay attention to these things – you are present in the moment, and that is all .  The millisecond that went by is gone, and the future has not arrive yet.

Clothes Shopping – An Eye Opener

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Illustration depicting thought.

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I consider myself observant, and many times I look for clues on my daily living – I believe that messages are everywhere, as well as inspiration.  While wandering at a few stores, I decided to check out the clothes section, I’ve always been fond of fashion.  When I started touching the many fabrics, I noticed how thin the articles of clothing have gotten over the past year.  I compared inexpensive brands to expensive designer brands and found that this was not related to price, as the more expensive brands were also lacking in fabric thickness and even quality.  Then I wonder, why is this?

I had to ponder this some more, so once at home, I thought about it some more.  I came up with a few possible issues that may be influencing this trend.

  • Signs of the current economy – My first thought was that it is probably a reflection on the overall worldwide economy and the need for cutting costs and save on materials and manufacturing costs.
  • Signs of conservation – Then I thought that it could also mean that we are being more sparse with resources and conserving on materials, as the Earth may be lacking, due to the many climate changes that have been felt worldwide.  This has also affected production, import/export of material, and of course, money.
  • Signs of a new world order – My last thought on the issue hovered on the planet’s resources and the need for using less raw materials and the need for recycling materials, which may probably end up in products being less dense and a bit lighter, thin …  At least, if this is the case, it is a good thing that manufacturers are using less material and recycling what they can – it helps the planet.

I did not ponder the issue much more than that, most likely, it is due to a combination of factors – resources, climate, economy, production/manufacturing issues …. however, it is certainly a sign of the times.