An excellent article here with good suggestions. Living in an atmosphere of anger will suck the life from you. It’s disrespect at its most basic. To live being afraid of triggering someone’s anger, not knowing which personality will wake up, is a hell on earth. And to keep your kids in that atmosphere for any reason is unconscionable.  Here are ways to break the pattern:

The Downside of Anger By Hara Estroff Marano
A strong emotion that is accompanied by arousal of the nervous system, anger produces effects throughout the body. But if you express it, you’re not necessarily better off.  Funny thing about anger. As emotions go it’s often pretty clear-cut. It’s rarely subtle.  But is there an emotion that is more misunderstood? Many believe that holding anger in is bad for you, that it only builds pressure to be expressed. In fact, sudden bursts of anger or prolonged anger are bad for you. A strong emotion that is accompanied by arousal of the nervous system, anger produces effects throughout the body. It eats away at your cardiovascular system, your gut and hijacks nervous system, often obliterating the capacity for clear thinking. And it may even grow in intensity.  Continue reading →

I forgot I had my big puffy hugger pillows on the living room couch and when I went in to bed at midnight, I was too sleepy to walk back out and get them. I slept with one flat head pillow and one small throw pillow as an arm hugger. I awoke all crinked up. Oh, how I appreciate my pillows so much more today!

Today I begin final layout on the November magazine. Maybe take breaks to paint and prune in the garden. The turk’s cap are growing like crazy due to the rain, so are the bamboo. They’ve made a nice wall out front. I dig a trench in the direction I want them to grow next, and keep it fed and watered. Then when they sprout, it’s the path of least resistance. I don’t like to force things, I like to suggest alternatives, then let them find their own way.

A Facebook friend saw my posts about wanting a pair of binoculars and sent me the perfect pair, they arrived today! Thank you, mysterious benefactor!  I’d ordered a pair from Best Buy and they were too heavy, and their 12x amplification was too hard to hold a steady view.  These 8 x 21 let me see right into the treetops here, so watching the hawks will be a breeze.

I just watched –> this video on my new Bissell PowerFresh Hard Floor Steam Mop.   I’ve been using it and like how it cleans, and without chemicals!  I had carpet until 1997.  I had no idea how toxic an older carpet could be until my home was rid of it.  With cats and my own foot traffic in and out of the house and yard and garden all day long,  I sweep or vacuum every few days.  I like the act of cleaning my vinyl tile floors and this will make it more fun.   It only takes me about 15 minutes per room.  I’ve even taken it onto the back porch and done the floor out there!  That will take several times to get “clean.” Since the floor was never sealed, there’s a lot of ground in dirt.  I’ve been using the steam mop every few days.  Good purchase, I wish I’d thought about it years ago.   I paid about $70 for it at Best Buy.

UPDATE: I used it about 2-3 times a month for six months, then let it sit for 2 months. It no longer dispenses the steam and the little screw-on water reservoir cap is coming apart as it would do from being over tightened.  I never over tightened it. Other reviewers said this as well, although this was the highest reviewed steam mop at Amazon.  It was out of warranty and no replacement part available.

Stocked up today at K & C Oriental Market on Aurora in Melbourne, east of Wickham on rice sticks aka rice noodles, fresh lemongrass, holy basil, bean sprouts, gangalal, daikon and chili garlic paste. Then to Jason’s west on 192 for fresh mushrooms, frozen Chinese dumplings and fresh shrimp. Yep, the weather cooling down a lil and soup’s on.

Whew, that was close. I was down to 7 stretched canvas so I just ordered 17 more. Is that obsessive thinking, scarcity consciousness or just good planning?  I like to have several on hand in different sizes, 8 x 10, 9 x 12, 11 x 14. Right now 9 x 12 is my favorite size.  Office Depot can scan up to 11 x 17 on their flatbed scanner, and I haven’t needed anything larger yet. I like to track photo progress of what I paint.  Here is another watcher at the window I’ve been working on.  It’s been slow going since I’ve had a head cold this week that I let sap my energy and my creativity.    Continue reading →

I’ve watched some tv the last couple of days, I even discovered The Blacklist on Netflix.  It’s a good show but with violence in every episode. Watching meanness and hatefulness is neither fun nor entertaining for long, even when done in jest. No wonder I like the cooking and real estate shows best. Yeah, yeah, call me square.