#vellumdays in austin, texas (family vacation memories!) cont.
***** every visit, every meal, every activity; every day exceptional in austin! ******
was recently asked, 'what do you mean by vellum days?'
we mean this: vellum is a see through paper. if you print out 3 calendar days on this clear paper, with 1 day = great memories; next day = great day, 3rd day = fun plans. and you cut them out, and place them on your calendar.. and then just slide the 3 days over, one day at a time..
captures what our vacation was like.. many great days, turned into great memories.. all in a row.
all of it tithing..
all of it blessing...
all of it gratitude..
all of it wonderful! "Thank You Jesus! Family! Friends!.. hallelujah & amen
irony of our cultures ignorance & results of non-stop asking by (me!) sandra #ladybirdjohnsonwildflowercenter
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inspired by our recent visit to lady bird johnson's wildflower center.
quite intentionally just changed two words from my recent writings about the irony of our cultures 'benevolence' & results of our non-stop 'giving.'
benevolence ignorance giving asking.
****
i miss, MISS, MISS, -i miss the days i could purchase something and not be asked for more. this post is a direct result of being asked for more, one too many times.
it is also a direct result of my understanding that, "Thank You!" to this blog, i have a place i can say what i wished i would have said; but didn't.
what i wished i would have said at the lady bird johnson wildflower center in austin, texas -when at the register in their gift store:
store clerk "would you like to round up? and donate to our center"
wish i woulda, calmly, respectfully, in a clear and poised Christian tone said the following
"well, i kinda think we already did quite a bit to support your center.
1. we returned, and brought others. we paid admission for 4 adults.
2. we ate our lunch at your cafe. that is, we paid for 4 lunches, supporting your cafe and center.
3. we are write now, shopping in your gift store.. spending over $100..
so, we returned, brought others, paid admittance, dined at your cafe, shopping in your gift store..
my answer is NO; i do not want to 'round up'
-would be really nice just to have someone say, "Thank You!"
*******
the only thing i did actually say at the register was "no." -and it has nothing to do with the amount.. small change. but we are asked for small change every. frickin'. where. we. go.
i am now a hard NO at every register. -aware of this irony: if lady bird johnson's wildflower center charged each of us $1 more per adult to enter... if 'more' was 'camouflaged' in the entry fee
and they didn't ask us to 'round up' at the gift store register. wouldn't bother me a bit.
-free advice to many businesses
*****
now, also has nothing to do with my love for lady bird johnson, or wildflowers, or the center.. i was so excited to return! and mistakenly thought, visiting in march [spring] would yield more flowers than in July [summer]. i was wrong. it was filled with greenery; but very few flowers in bloom..
i have since learned, maybe late april early may.. and will try again.
****
anyway,
be me for a minute k, -me, the author/playwrite of kissin' the chocolate blues; me, enormous fan of dr maya angelou [disciple maybe..]
and we paused at a pond at the lady bird johnson wildflower center.. and there are many plaques all around identifying the name of plant, flower..
but this plaque:
and, so i was like.. i find that disturbing! chinese proverb!?! don't they know.. i mean this is a college -attached to a college...
i would also learn -quite later in life,
and so, i bought that book too. i keep it with my collection of maya angelou books.
we could spend an entire day on the topic of 'origins' of quotes.. who really 1st said...
truth is -not knowing the truth,
well, its a strange paradox i think..
if you incorrectly associate a quote to someone who didn't 'initially' say it..
you could live out your entire mortal life with little to no consequence for that ignorance
but if you are able to 'know' accurately who 1st said what.. when it is a life enhancing/enlightening quote -place it in its original context of the true author's life story.. understand what combination of internal/external experiences inspired the words.. how did a given quote manifest; etc.
it might just....
well, look at where we arrive together: at the truth. -which, according to the Bible; sets us [ caged birds] FREE..
****
i remain highly interested in truths.
****
close here with a big "Thank You!" to my husband and adult children. In speaking truths.. when you are visiting austin, texas,
with all their great music, crazy awesome BBQ, amazing restaurants and bars in general, parks/lakes/rivers/trails, shopping districts..
going to the lady bird johnson wildflower center might not be highest on the must-visit list.
we still joke as a family... "mom, are we going to be the youngest ones there? -no, no, -there will entire families!"
and, at one point, i saw a cluster of people.. mostly grandparents/great grandparents, but, WITH their very young great grandchildren or grandchildren
i pointed to a toddler in the arms of his grandma.. "see! you are not the youngest ones here!"
but, it really does, at a glance here and there, appear as if, one or two generations in the middle are somehow absent entirely
our young adult children, may have been the only 20-something's there. save only, a young engaged couple and their photographer taking pictures in the beautiful landscape..
in any case.. great sports! my husband and grown children.. much appreciated!
can't wait to 'return to the scene of great times' next year.
In Jesus is the reason for all seasons name.. selah! hallelujah! & amen!
*****
we entered w/a docent pointing out athena..
which inspired me to share a quick pix of my mixed media, fall owl bliss
i do want to find a permanent home for our owl; a special place where it will be protected and visible to a public who might appreciate and enjoy it -currently a mascot at our home, dressed for whatever the special occasion might be..
***
wildflowerly grateful for this experience; family time.. memories. hallelujah & amen
"weeEEeee did it!" -passengers in autonomous driving automobile; waymo (husband, son, daughter & me!)
that's been my light-hearted joke of late, '
we're still a little bit amish' -and i find myself saying it more and more frequently; especially when/if it gets a laugh.
the most recent time i said it, my husband and i were having our boarding passes scanned at the airport; we were the only ones with paper boarding passes; the only ones not using our phones
as i handed the kind checker-in person my paper, i said with a smile,
we're practically amish arent we.
and before that, i had a conversation with my son.. there's going to be a new colony of amish that result from this driverless car era..
the people who dare and move on.. and the people, like me, who want to remain in the driver seat.
****
i know very little about amish people, their customs, ways, history.. i only use it to describe..
well, from what i do know, they still use horses/carriages for transportation. that might seem absurd at first.. but, if i were to place a few pictures here, of miles and miles of parked traffic, car accidents, receipts from gas stations, smog checks, car repairs.. license/registration fees.. people driving around for hours and hours trying to find a parking spot...
i see both sides. i still would not want to clean up accumulated horse poop.. would not want to live without shelter, windshield wipers, AC/Heat, radio, a cup holder... automatic windows.. 5-75mph options, when the road is clear; but, i respect their way of life; for them.. i would never insist on changing it. -i am only borrowing it, if you will, to make a point
initially, before i learned about the religious history, i just thought.. the world is moving at a rapid pace -or rather, the rotations of the earth might not be speeding up, but the technology, our ways of life, as humans beings -the speed at which it is all introduced and employed
and obsolete with newer, faster, better technology introduced monthly weekly daily hourly;
that speed.. is -faster than some of us are comfortable with. faster than our ability to understand and acclimate. so, in my imagination, i pictured everyone, in the early 1900's say, -acclimating and moving together at an agreed upon pace, and then cars were introduced
and that's when a small percentage of the population said, that's okay. you go on ahead... we'll stay here. -and they just hopped off the conveyor belt of life. people who embraced cars, started driving.. forward; into the future.
those who did not, hopped off the belt, hopped back on their horses and still ride around.. & around in the early 1900's even today.
-it is in that context, that i use the word/term am-ish.
so, if life is more conveyor belt, than circle: i was quite ready to jump off myself the first time i heard about driverless cars. you go on ahead.. i'll hop off here.. in 2025.. stay in the driver seat. -send a post card from mars when you get there, okay..
i still want to have paper and stamps and letters and post cards.. and united states postal service; can we keep those? like, if i do start a new amish community,
we will remain in the driver seat of our automobiles and people in the near future will marvel at how we still pen our own love letters and write our own poetry -on paper! but!
we keep amazon. every amish community embraces a percentage of the modern conveniences, is my understanding. Good God, i still can't believe how i can press a button and have products delivered to my front porch!
anyway,
i have felt.. much like i'm riding a scooter. this is the best analogy. one foot rested and riding effortlessly, in perfect harmony with the speed of life and technology
the other foot pumping, pumping, doing all the work... wanting to stay grounded. one foot in 2025; one foot in 2000... working to help me catch up
but!
happy to report, that i had a recent experience in which i felt quite like, as if,
-there are those stretches, when you are riding a scooter, that you pump, pump.. push, push, and with enough momentum achieved -you can place both feet in resting position and just glide effortlessly for a while..
and that is exactly what it -later- felt like, after having my first and currently only experience as a passenger in a
autonomous driving vehicle. -confess to struggling here with a vocabulary that works for me..
'self' driving doesnt work.. a car is not a 'self' -i reserve that for humans.
driverless, kinda works.. i mean,
"My God! this is the most bizarre thing i have ever done!!" -my reaction to watching the steering wheel move, but no one in the driver seat moving it.
literally looks as if a ghost! -it is the strangest, strangest.. it is just undoing what i have been seeing and experiencing for nearly 60 years!
crazy.
but, also report, it never felt like an invisible robot was driving.. it did not at all feel robotic. it really did feel as if a human being was doing the driving.. felt like a very safe, good human being driver was driving..
the subtle adjustments, turns, accelerations, slowing down... negotiating space and obstacles; honoring the rules of the road.. highly nuanced
i'm still processing the experience even as i write this..
mostly with enormous gratitude. a first! even at 59 years old... and more importantly, a first -shared with my husband, son and daughter.. a wonderful experience/memory together.. not likely to forget.
my daughter had already acclimated.. i admire that; very proud of her! -it was a first for the rest of us.
and, as it was a first time, -we only went about 3 blocks... -but i would be comfortable going 5..
i would do it again. everyone would was the consensus...
i'm seeing some great benefits.. amazing potential...
and thank here also, cleo abrams.. i believe watching her youtube/podcast where she introduced her audience to autonomous driving vehicles in san francisco helped ready me.. that, and my BMF, carla and her husband russ, who were the first friends to share video they had experienced this.. passengers in an autonomous driving vehicle.. in Arizona, i believe. brave.
writing a scooter on the conveyor belt of life... working to keep up... -for 3 blocks, all of me was in the 21st century
"weeeeeeee did it!" -#waymo, austin texas.
all of this is a "Thank You!" prayer.. hallelujah & amen
so, i called 911; but could not text the dispatcher these pictures (me!) -sandra mickanen
on march 10th, 2025, i ran a quick errand to our local CVS @ Berryessa Corners. When i parked and glanced over, i saw the scene in the picture above. i thought the man was deceased and called 911. -i am aware this call is recorded and so hope we can all use it to advance our current 911 system -namely,
i hope sharing this results in UPDATING OUR SYSTEMS SO THAT WE CAN SEND PICTURES to 911 DISPATCHERSimmediately the dispatcher asks me to identify..
an age, a size/weight, an ethnicity.. what clothes.. -i am not good at this.
i know my own psychology -and my mind will, in an effort to prevent a return of PTSD symptoms, avoid 'identifying' explanation/awareness here.
a reluctance to identify is my new cerebral/spiritual default, which i must consciously override in order to provide descriptions..
eventually, i was able to successfully relate the clothes he was wearing, etc.
BUT! IMAGINE how much more quickly, efficiently, and more importantly, accurately, the information could be gathered if i were able to just send the 911 dispatcher the picture i had taken vs. using all that time and energy to -best guess- his age, ethnicity, height, weight, etc.
anyone keeping track? in addition to hoping we can get a set time for public speaking times at city council meetings, in addition to dignity acres emergency campground; perhaps a perfect candidate in the picture above -who,
wait a minute. not deceased. -he just moved
i hope we can update our 911 system, so that we can send pictures to dispatchers. wow! to how helpful this could potentially be.
****
-recently returned from one of my favorite vacations of all my lifetime.. look forward to organizing pictures/memories and posting them soon...
Glory be to God's name.. let's restore everywhere, and everyone we can to magnify that glory
*****
works in progress: letters sent certified. -remain bewildered at how difficult to reach the appropriate person.. just to get owner names/addresses.. 'thank you awesome elva!' i am aware, that without a attorney's/lawyers letterhead, our letter could easily go ignored; i wrote it anyway. -but have learned, that sometimes, legal threats, are the only language some people will regard.
To:
Barchester Silicon Valley LP ONE
CVS DR, Woonsocket, RI 02895 FROM:
Re:
2514 Berryessa Rd, San Jose, CA 95132
Beautify Berryessa Neighborhood Assc.
To: Safeway Inc. PO BOX 800729 Dallas TX 75380-0729
P.O. Box 610192, San Jose, Ca 95161
Re:
2558 Berryessa Rd., San Jose, CA 95132
BeautifyBerryessa@gmail.com
To: Tesoro Sierra Props LLC, 300 Concord
Plaza Dr., San Antonio, TX 78216
Re: 1140 N Capitol Ave, San Jose, Ca 95133
To: Anderson Yee L C Trustee & ET AL, 1678 42nd Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
Re: 2516 Berryessa Rd., San Jose, CA 95132
03/07/2025
Dear San Jose, Ca, Berryessa Corner
Business Owners:
I write on behalf of my husband and I,
and countless neighbors we have conversated with over the past several years.
Many
of us only visit the Safeway at Berryessa Corners for ‘emergency’ shopping
only. We have all started to do our
‘regular’ shopping at grocery stores much further away, in some cases other cities. The reason for this is because Berryessa
Corners no longer feels clean, safe, welcoming.
It has been on a slow decline for a long time; it appears neglected. In fact, my husband and I used to frequent
the pizza parlor there; the Chinese Restaurant, a hair salon.. CVS and we now
go to other plazas for all those things.
We have learned there are multiple owners
for Berryessa Corner Businesses -Not
just ONE owner responsible. We are asking ALL OWNERS of
every Berryessa Corner Business to PLEASE CONTRIBUTE TO A CLEAN-UP EFFORT,
so that we may return to shopping at our local Safeway, and return to visiting
the restaurants and salons also. We see
the following:
Retaining walls, in desperate need of
repair.
Landscaping, in desperate need of
attention
Desperate need for graffiti removal (and maintenance of removal on ongoing basis)
Sidewalks
in desperate need of a pressure wash
Walls in desperate need of a fresh coat
of paint.
Desperately need to replace old worn out
signs with new modern signs
The parking lot, in desperate need of new
pavement.
And
most importantly, Berryessa Corners is
in desperate need of security to prevent panhandlers, loiterers, homeless from
hanging out; sleeping; defecating/urinating on the sidewalks -ultimately causing a huge reduction in the
number of paying customers who once shopped at Berryessa Corners.
We are so grateful to Beautify Berryessa,
a neighborhood association devoted to putting on the brakes -to stopping the current decline in its
tracks, and heading us all back in a healthy, clean, safe, beautiful direction.
We recognize that goal requires making
contact with each of you; bringing this concern to your attention. And asking you to take action.
. Please
Acknowledge Receipt of this letter by providing us with the correct person
(name, title, best contact info) from your business, that we should contact to
help us move forward. beautifyberryessa@gmail.com
“Thank You!”
Robert & Sandra Mickanen, o/b/o:
BBNA
FEAST OF ST PATRICK 2025 @ The Micks
big "Thank You!" to me family & friends.. Awesome group of human beings you are! -for co-creating another wonderful evening -fun in every way.. look at cha' in those irish pub fashions THE BEST!
In honor of St Patrick.. "slainte!" We LOVE you!
My notes from listening to Pres. Trumps address to joint session of congress (me!) sandra
(me!) -sandra, President Trumps favorite issue-based [not party based] USA voting citizen.
open by wondering/suggesting.. every party had to start somewhere, -write. well, i don't even want us to call ourselves a 'party'
we are (thinking of it..... ), i am here on my blog, this very moment suggesting a new population of voting USA citizens who will be called...
ISSUE-BASED AMERICANS. IBA's.. #issuebasedamericans and our color...
red is taken; blue is taken; green is taken.. even yellow is taken..
our color is GOLD! We do not like it when people place their party loyalty over the more important and consequential issues, policies, laws, ordinances, etc. that serve our entire nation.
So often party alliances result in peer pressure wins, over public safety wins.. or turn our government meetings into sporting events, with radical fans, who just want to win.. and want their opponent to lose.. or we see our government like a bad, traveling vaudeville show.. booing a villian, cheering a perceived super hero [ the villian/super hero being opposite for each side ].
****
that said, i'm a third of the way through LISTENING to President Trumps address to congress..
1) -just listened live as his speech unfolded...
2) -re-listened with remote in hand, taking notes along the way; lots of pause, rewind, play... for the entirety of his speech. and let me say, i heard A LOT MORE during this note-taking listen..
3) 3rd way i will LISTEN/UNDERSTAND, is to type bullet points from my hand-written notes..
****
for now, i just want to say, -DENSE! PACKED! speech... and i like the direction Trump is taking our country...
very glad to learn about GAS CARS being ok again! "Thank You!" -not mandatory; but we can choose.. electric, gas, hybrid... as a JEEP owner.. this is great news. And glad to learn about the efforts to return car manufacturing to America. /also noted.. not like Trump doubled-down on electric only w/elon musk on staff... to the contrary. -yes, to interest payments on car loans tax deductible if car is made in the USA..
-i've had conversations w/well educated people regarding how much energy, how rich with resources we are here, -if not for restrictions/regulations.. so, i am remembering those conversations, when i learn about Trumps 'drill baby drill'
thrilled with any/all efforts to be tough on crime; on criminals.. go to war w/cartels.. address the fentanyl crisis..
thrilled with take it down act; consequences for these criminals. caught & consequences..
getting repeat offenders off our streets.. grateful for death penalty if you murder police; and believe in the death penalty for rapists/murders
i did experience/witness/observe free speech slipping away.. and am grateful for any/all efforts to preserve and protect free speech..
grateful the brakes are being put on in a variety of areas.. by way of tariffs.. by removing federal funding. -money as creating incentives; disincentives.. this does appear to be the language many governments speak; their mother tongue if you will..
accountability for federal workers.. english as official language... only 2 genders... ban on men playing in womens sports... return of skill, competence, merit based hiring/promotions.. glad about banning schools from indoctrinating children w/transgender ideology -i believe parents should parent.. autonomy/authority/decisions belong to the parent of the child; -unless found legally unfit..
LOVE the creation of, DOGE.. and grateful for any/all identification and immediate halt of waste, fraud, misuse, scams, theft -with accountability; consequences.. [remember here our DATA DESERT.. where an audit revealed billions of dollars designated for homeless and our most vulnerable went missing.. was not tracked].
who does not want to see our inflation reduced; our national debt addressed.. who does not want to have their mortgage rates go down, have lower car payments, lower grocery bills, who does not want to protect our seniors? what American does not want to experience more money in their pocket; in their banks, savings.. that is the new American dream.. to go back to when the American Dream was achievable with hard work, dedication
lots of talk, incentives regarding manufacturing, production, jobs returning to the USA...
Yes to tax cuts! no tax on tips; no tax on overtime; no tax on social security benefits..
bringing shipping manufacturing back... reclaiming panama canal.. invitation to Greenland..
plant american flag on mars..
a dense, packed speech! and, my respect, love, gratitude, to each and every guest.. your bravery, -what you have endured.. some unnecessary and preventable pain and suffering and death..
it is my observation, experience, opinion that crime, criminal behavior, violence.. every negative thing has, in fact, been on the rise for several years
i am grateful the current administration has a 'tough on crime' agenda. -grateful for a revisit, a return to healthy values
****
it seemed to answer my question.. address my personal confusion: the rise in homeless.. how i watched it grow, not just in one or two cities.. but everywhere we turned..
places that for my entire life were free from homeless populations; suddenly with visible homeless colonizing creekways, shopping plazas, along freeways..
it seemed to be growing exponentially.. in number and scope.. everywhere...
i couldnt get 'covid' or 'job loss' or 'lack of affordable housing' to explain what i was witnessing..
something is happening on a larger scale.. felt a bit like a slow, strategic, invasion..
when President Trump talked about the massive amounts of migrants.. Bidens open border insanity..
this matches with what i've been witnessing -and then the temporary 9th circuit decision which tied law enforcements hands to do anything about it..
grateful that decision was rescinded!
i'll close here.. with love and condolences to the families who lost loved ones to violent crimes..
with love and gratitude to anyone/everyone preventing more victims..
with heart felt celebration and appreciation for our returned hostage.. for steel workers, for farmers.. and for DJ, our very brave, very strong, newest and noble secret agent... for all first responders..
****
and, for all my life.. i've witnessed party loyalty; peer pressure resulting from... a win/lose mentality where the win benefits a party; not the people of the united states..
all my life.. in the after of a president's speech, you can watch on tv, or hear on the radio.. such certainty about the president lying.. or such certainty he is not.. and flip back and forth, and depending on republican or democrat status.. you can have your ideas validated/confirmed..
comedians can make you laugh, tell jokes.. flip channels, the punchline is anti-republican; flip channels, the punchline is anti-democrat..
each side certain they are -write. each side with their own evidence, stats, graphs, stories; in polar opposite of each other..
that's why i started something brand new today: Issue Based Americans. Our color is gold..
i'm working on the rest...
The 'Independent' category already got all convoluted do you mean, unaffiliated with a party? or
no party preference?
ISSUE BASED AMERICANS is exactly that: We look at ISSUES; period. The pros, cons, of any given issue. And most importantly.. ONE ISSUE AT A TIME.. comprehensively
no sneaky legislation .. with these 1000 page documents that combine this good law... but only if this bad law also gets through... where a yes on one thing, also results in a yes on things you are a solid no on.. you know what i mean...
and no manipulating language... where a yes, actually means no..
ISSUE BASED AMERICANS demand CLEAR HONEST COMMUNICATION..
and we can vote in the primaries..
tbc. God Bless America! & Amen
UPSHOT from recent Garbage Police Visit, Part II by (me!) sandra
highly unlikely 'check locally' is going to get results.
i do want to (re-)report our new, updated recycling practices:
the addition of a 'store drop off' container
[adding to, our containers for:
aluminum; plastic; clear glass; green glass; brown glass; paper recycle & regular garbage
plus, our used printer cartridges which we return to staples... AND! with great consistency, we bring our own [safeway has best ones] reusable plastic bags with us when we grocery shop].
anyway, we now read every label.. and my granola bar wrappers now go in
store drop off only;.. and with my empty yogurt containers, i now, remove plastic label and place in garbage, wash out cup, and place in plastic recycle, per instructions on the yogurt cup.
i am fascinated by all the recycle icons.. instructions.. languages.. do's and don'ts
and i will always advocate for a color-coded system. universal language. no need for text translations. when i look at the recycle bin in the picture here -black landfill; blue recycle; green compost.. i think, "yes! you are half way there..." -but who wants to stand in front of a recycle bin and play match-your-item, with pictures.. not me. so, once all items have a color dot, AND those color dots match with the bins.. now, compliance will increase significantly. remember, humans are creatures of habit and
convenience. amen & amen.
p.s. because i have other topics i want to write about. i'm skipping writing about the recent documentary i watched that included amazon's selling practices.. included a lady discussing how fraudulent, deceptive and misleading recycle icons are on packaging; -just a 'feel good' thing to help the manufacturers sell more products.. and a thing to help the consumer believe the manufacturer is doing good, and that they are too, by buying 'recyclable' products... and,
i was very moved by the comment toward the end.. a gentleman who said, if he 'could wave a magic wand' and have an impact, based on what he has learned..
all manufacturers would consider, factor in, the 'end life' of the products they make and sell in mass numbers across the globe.. cell phones among them
and the documentary shares how manufacturers purposely make products that don't last so that they can create a demand for more of the same product, sooner, by masses of people, because, of course.. that's how sales and profits work -write. you cant make money if you are not always selling...
always manufacturing; always selling...
and seen at scale; a global scale.. the result of all these products which become pollution...
also spoke about how manufacturers are intentionally making products which the consumer can no longer fix themselves, -so that they could last longer..
the new designs prevent any fixing.. and require the purchase of a new [given item].
*****
very enlightening this documentary.. thought provoking.. i'll relook up name and get back..
my commentary here is that much of what we do is short sighted.. make a product; innovate.. market.. sell.. profit.. make more.. -all of this is celebrated, encouraged; financially reinforced, without much thought at all to the 'end life' of given products
financial rewards are immediate; long term negative impacts take longer to reveal themselves..
[ clips of massive amounts of used cell phones (billions!).. tsunamis of discarded cell phones littering our planet]
but once the negative consequences do reveal themselves: responding to the gained knowledge and truth is paramount
[cigarettes and cancer are coming to mind here also... the tobacco industry].
-i'm moving along to Pres Trump addressing congress..
amen & amen.
speaking of Joyce Meyer.. she put me way ahead! "Thank You!"
i was once upon a time, decades ago, a student of oprah's.. and watched many of her 'master class' and 'super soul sunday' programs; soaking up any/all wisdom, life advice i could
i recently revisited some of oprah's shows, listened again to her guests -and it is something special to watch her re-interview guests/authors/friends she first interviewed 30 years ago
people she has now had decades long relationships with
what i realized, for myself: i've been learning, from this one tv minister, joyce meyer, everything oprah and her guests, all combined, set out to teach.
over and over i realize the Bible already teaches...
especially, when i watched the famous 'let them' author -joyce already teaches everything she is sharing..
joyce meyer has already 'been there, learned and taught that' to me, and countless others.
but we do need many voices -generation after generation- they are all teaching the same thing really -one of them will resonate with YOU..
it only seems, every new batch of authors present their work as if they themselves discovered these truths for the first time in human history -people have been rediscovering, rediscovering... for as far back as teaching goes..
*****
it does seem, -reflecting here on a new earth book/author, which i already wrote thoroughly about, so will skip to this:
we are not born knowing..
it appears each generation, each person, needs to be taught:
you are not your thoughts. you can observe your thoughts. the 'observer' inside you, that enables you to recognize and assess your thoughts; that is you. your spirit essence. -this 'observer' allows you to observe and honor noble thoughts, or cast down counterproductive thoughts;
for Christians this practice is in collaboration with the holy spirit.
for every human being, it should become a daily habit; a lifetime practice: the ability to proactively replace a negative thought with a healthy, productive one. at master level it becomes as natural as breathing.
always remember: you can only be conscious of one thought at a time. make it a worthwhile one;
-at a time.
*****
hallelujah & amen also, worth repeating, 'ego' in secular terms, is same as 'flesh' in Christian terms,
we are flesh & spirit -rise above flesh.. secular: ego, and authentic/true self -you rise above ego!
-same lesson.
River Dance Bliss March 2025 yard art by (sexy! & topps!) #bliss
so much fun!! and public "Thank You!" again to our artist friend Jerry Heinrichs for the shamrock and Happy St. Patrick's Day art squares.. WE LOVE THEM! and you and sandy too, of course!
i'll be making some collages of the yard art process itself.. our 10ft tall irish dancer templates..
and how much fun to create this yard art, paper doll style.. painting the dancers bodies on the bricks, but then adding clothes/hair on top. -actually brings back wonderful creative memories..
how fun to change outfits on those paper dolls as a young girl.. loved it! and not just paper, but vinyl too.. and, felt.. -same process, different materials; all of it, fun with #fashion.
"slainte!"
conviction. a limerick for our friends at Total Wines & More, Pacific Commons, by (me!) sandra mickanen
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