Listening to Bruno Mars singing Uptown Funk takes me back a step…to Michael Jackson, to choreographed dance steps by singers, to guitars, a horn section, the strong beat of a drum. Uptown Funk is not just another song… it is a performance. The song makes me want to get up and dance, to laugh with friends…the song makes me just plain happy!

I have been writing this blog for over a year. In that time, I have realized the extent that music turns the very most mundane and ordinary happenings in my life into far from ordinary heights. I have included songs and references to songs so often in my posts that I start to think…”Whoa! people must be getting very tired of hearing about yet another melody or lyric from me!”…that is just how I am!

I have felt some sort of vindication from an article published in Psychology Today (What is Music…Exactly?, written by David M. Greenberg, 8/3/2016). The article is part of a series titled The Power of Music. I just happened upon this article and the words delve deeply into the meaning of music in our lives. A few interesting paragraphs from the article…

“Music is essential to many of our lives. We listen to it when waking up, while in transit, at work and with our friends. For many, music is like a constant companion. It can bring us joy and motivate us, accompany us through difficult times, and alleviate our worries.

Not only does music reach us on intellectual, social and emotional levels, but many describe it as spiritual or mystical. The use of melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic devices in music can induce a psychological state in both the musicians and the listener that is beyond words to describe. Music can bring us back to ourselves, be our mirror, and show us a side of us we may have long forgotten or never knew existed.”

Music has been at the center core of everything that I have every done in my life. I like the melodies, the harmonies, the lyrics, the instruments blending with the voices, the choreography of musicians with dancers and…most of all…the vibration of the sounds resounding through the world. Like the article from Psychology Today says, music brings me back to myself. Music is a mirror to our past, our present, our future. I learned the following quote when I was a child…

“The world is like a mirror, reflecting who we are and what we do. So, give to the world the best that you have and the best will come back to you.” 

I do not know who originally wrote the quote, but I do know that it is very true. Music can be a catalyst to bring us to the point of giving our best. Sometimes…the best ideas sound naive and simplistic. However, if something works…then go for it!

I do honestly believe that music is the universal language of the entire world. It just might be that we need music like we need sunshine in our sometimes self-imposed busy lives.

Music is never ordinary to me. Music is the at the very essence of our existence…an important explanation of who we are and what we are and what we hope to be. Music is simply not just an ordinary part of our lives…it is an extraordinary part of our lives. Thank goodness for music and the way it can move our deepest emotions and our constant decisions!

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/ordinary/

Listen…people are starting to talk about you. Yes…you! They know good and well that you need a vacation. Not just a fast trip around the block to a neighbor’s house or a weekend foray to see the Bluebonnets…or whatever wildflowers grow in your area.

Even seeing the flowers would not be enough. You need a real vacation where you can sleep late, have dinner when you want to have dinner, read a good book (or any book) by the lake…just do exactly what you want to do…not what THEY want you to do. Come on now…you know who THEY are! THEY are most likely on vacation right now and flew there on a private plane. You need out of this town immediately and pronto!

SYMPTOMS OF A REMARKABLE VACATION…

NO CELL PHONE!

NO TEXT MESSAGES!

NO EMAILS!

NO BORING MEETINGS!

NO ENDLESS QUESTIONS!

NO DESK!

NO HEADACHE MEDICINE!

NO LISTENING TO THE NEWS!

NO REPORT TO COMPLETE IN 30 MINUTES!

NO COMMUTE!

NO HASSLE!

NO LOUDSPEAKER CALLING YOUR NAME!

NO PERSON REMEMBERING YOUR NAME!

NO FROWNS!

NO NEW WRINKLES!

NO BROKEN PRINTERS!

NO WORKING RIDICULOUSLY LATE!

NO QUILT ABOUT NOT WORKING LATE!

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/symptom/

Bear’s New Friend by Karma Wilson and illustrated by Jane Chapman will keep your young listeners glued to every page as you read. The story is something that a child can easily understand because…

1. The story happens in sequential order.

2. The story continuously adds new animal characters.

3. The text is fun and moves at a fast pace.

4. The illustrations are truly enchanting.

5. The story teaches an important friendship lesson.

An important friendship lesson from Bear’s New Friend…some friends are shy and quiet. We need to learn ACCEPTANCE so that we can appreciate our many differences.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

YouTube video of Bear’s New Friend…

Find a little friend or two or three to share this fun book with you!!

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/acceptance/

Or maybe a better question would be…why?! Why have a completely minimal amount of space? Why sleep in a loft where you cannot sit up without almost smashing thru the roof? Why have a kitchen that is really a living room that is actually a bedroom that is also a closet? Talk about an open house plan! In a tiny house, hardly anything is closed off…most everything you see is what you get! 

What about gaining freedom from too much of a mortgage…or freedom from paying rent to someone you might not even know or…what about freedom from paying a fee to an architect!

Ah!!! Possibly no debt for your living space. And that idea pays off in extra money to live the life that you perhaps have always dreamed about. Take off for NYC to see a Broadway show? Sure! Ride a donkey down into the Grand Canyon? Sure! This weekend? Travel to Savannah, Georgia just to have lunch at Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room? Certainly!

A Gallery of Tiny House Interiors…

On the other hand, living in a tiny house makes life very simple. You might not even want to travel and see the world. You might want to give of your resources and your time to important causes in your area. Whatever your life choice…it is highly likely that you will be adding positive feedback to the environment. Think about the results of living in a tiny house…you would have less water usage and the possibility of generating your own electricity.

And how about putting your house on a trailer and moving from place to place? Hey! Now that is an idea!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Gallery of Tiny Houses…

Tumbleweed Cypress off on another adventure!

Really…a tiny house might not work at all for us! However…I can see one at a lake in the Ozarks or in the Blue Ridge Mountains! A little place to enjoy the peace and quiet of the beautiful outdoors…another idea to think about!

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/minimal/

Evidently, I made it through the first year of blogging! The calendar says 3/20/2017 and I published my first post on 3/20/2016.

~I had no idea what I was getting into!

~I had no idea that I would meet so many very creative and kind people from all over the world.

~I had no idea that I would absolutely love reading other writer’s posts.

~I had no idea that I would reach a new level of understanding about cultural differences and why placing a label on people is so incorrect.

~I had no idea that I would remember how much I truly like to write and share my opinions…actually I love to write…I could most likely write all day long!

~I had no idea that I would make so many new friends …friends who share some of the same beliefs and the same hopes as I do.

~I had no idea that I would meet friends who I have now gotten to know more closely than I know some of my neighbors.

~I had no idea that I would gain important friends who I have not actually met in person…much cared for friends who have brought even more joy into my life!

Thank you! I appreciate you so very much!

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/label/

It is true. I have missed the children at school each and every day since I retired last June. I miss the teachers and their friendly voices and strong opinions. I miss the friendly greetings each morning from the children, the teachers, my teaching assistant, the principal, the assistant principal, the office clerk, the secretary, the nurse, the security leader-always looking out for the children’s safety, the building manager & her custodians and of course-the parents. Perhaps, I might not ever really conquer missing the children. It is most likely very typical for me to miss the cherished task of teaching joyful children!

Honestly, I could barely walk from my car to the side door of the building without a parent or child calling out my name. Every teacher was usually greeted that way. The families love the neighborhood school and many attended the same school when they were young. I loved the school too…more than I ever realized. It is true that I did not like non-positive interference from the administration building when we had visitors from “downtown”. The following is an actual scenario in my classroom last year…

Them: “Mrs. Davis! Why are you having the children complete a worksheet?” Me: “It’s not a worksheet. It is a six page book that they are learning to read. Don’t worry. It truly aligns with the curriculum.” Them: “It is a worksheet.” Me: “You are standing by the door. How can see what they are working on? Walk over to a table and sit down with them. They will tell you what they are doing! Maybe one of them will want to read the book to you. Remember! They are barely five years old. Lots of them are starting to read!” Them: “That is impossible.” Me (politely): “You must not believe in these children! Most of them speak two languages! Give us some credit for working as smart and as hard as we can! Give me some credit!” Them: (while shutting the door and walking out): “Teachers. They get on my nerves.”

That is the exact moment that I decided to go ahead and retire…five years before I planned to retire. Because of a back injury in a car accident, I was totally uncomfortable all of the time. The pain tended to be severe. If I retired…I could have more time for serious physical therapy. If I retired…I could write this blog. If I retired…I could write the book that I have planned for so long. I know that without the back injury, I would have stayed. There is no doubt about that. Difficult decision, but really no choice.

However…If I retired…I would not have to listen to the people from “downtown”  complaining about something that did not exist. If I retired…I would not have to be upset because our scores were high and not even one person commended us. If I retired…I would not have to be upset because the children were excited about learning and not one person seemed to notice. If I retired…I would not have to be upset because my class was building a very strong foundation and not one person really realized what was going on.

If a person from “downtown” simply stands at the door and does not walk over and talk with the children…how will “downtown” ever really know the potential of these children? They will not know, but I know. And that is what matters the most. They did not know that I always try to talk with many students and parents from all of my past classes. But I know. They did not know that I put my whole heart into that classroom. But I know. And that very fact is what is important.

Yes…I miss the children and the teachers each and every day. I miss encouraging the children and the parents. I miss the laughter. I am certain that the laughter is what I miss the most. To retire before I had planned to retire was a difficult decision, but the right decision for many reasons. I would not want to “get on the nerves” of someone from downtown. Far be it for me to make them unhappy…just because I happened to always be putting the children first!

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/conquer/

I might have filled out a bracket for the NCAA Final Four March Madness (is that what you call it?), but I need to take Bracket Training. Training as in a Bracket Tutoring Session…like the tutoring we have in schools for students who are simply not prepared enough for the state testing. Since I am so totally against state testing, I may not be a true basketball fan. It may be that basketball and state testing go hand in hand. As in…you better win (coaches or principals) or you may not have a job next year…in both cases.

James Corden trying to fill out a bracket…so funny!

Don’t get me wrong…I am competitive beyond belief. I am watching the Northwestern/Gonzaga game  and I am about on the verge of a mental disaster. It is really wild and I am not even sure where Gonzaga is located, but I think they are from Spokane, Washington. And I really believe that I would like Spokane. However, my brother went to a Northwestern banking seminar every summer for several years. He would have definitely been going out for Northwestern.

Just 52.9 seconds left. I have not even decided who I am really for in this game. This is why I could not have filled out a bracket. I would have to take into consideration any connection that I might have with each school. That bit of an ordeal might take weeks to accomplish and I would have a short amount of time to complete this task. It is just too much for me…much like this game.

Now 39.2 seconds left. Oh good…a time-out. Now there are 32.something seconds left. Now 27.5. Now 19.4. Now 14.1. The announcer said that time is really running out for Northwestern. Six point difference at 11.5 seconds left. Now 3.7 seconds left.

And there it is…the buzzer. Gonzaga! A group of  young boys in Northwestern shirts are sobbing. This is a very good lesson boys! You can’t win every time. Just as the announcer said…it is not the end for Northwestern…is the beginning of developing their program!

But, back to me…I am completely exhausted after that game. Sweating. Out of breath. OK…I will admit it…the game was exciting. Maybe I will figure out how to fill out a bracket next year. Donald Trump perhaps should fill one out too…what a controversial decision he made this year! If I put out the effort…then he can too!

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/controversy/

I have no idea what made me think about the following incident today. It has nothing to do with St. Patrick’s Day or wearing green or playing bagpipes. I do hope that you had a fun day celebrating your Irish heritage even if you have no real Irish heritage!

Remembering this incident might possibly have something to do with a mother (location unknown) who realized that her young daughter’s beloved goldfish bowl held zero actually living goldfish one recent morning.

Maybe I heard it on The Today Show. Maybe I read it online. Maybe someone wrote it in a blog post. Maybe I dreamed it. Anyway, the mother was worried that her daughter would be extremely upset upon finding out about the goldfish demise.

So the mom added some of those very small carrots to the goldfish bowl…and everything was just fine and dandy when the daughter checked on the goldfish! I wonder how the carrots are doing floating (?) in that water-filled bowl!

Hearing about the carrots being goldfish must have reminded me about THE INCIDENT that happened to me a long time ago when I was fourteen. My cousins were visiting our house for for a few days or maybe one day. That’s not the really important part. Their parents and my parents were drinking coffee and talking in the breakfast room. The children were driving them crazy. I was the oldest and two years older than their oldest. There were five of them and one of me.

So their mom said…

I have a great idea! Tricia (me)…walk all of the kids down to Gibson’s (a small Walmart type store). Let them each buy a little toy and then walk back. And she gave me some money.

Gibson’s was just a couple of blocks away and we did fine walking and even crossing a street. When we got into the store, I gathered all the children around and gave them a lecture…good practice for when I became a teacher. I told them that we would…

STAY TOGETHER, NOT RUN,  NOT SCREAM, NOT CRY. BASICALLY ACT JUST RIGHT OR THERE WOULD BE NO LITTLE TOYS!

They all shook their heads up and down. They promised. As soon as we started walking towards the toy department… the oldest child ran as fast as he could in the opposite direction. The rest of us did not follow my very fair rules and all screamed at him to stop. He kept going. I was beyond furious. I had never been so furious in all of my fourteen years.

We looked all over the store and could not find him at all, so we walked back to the front door of the store and waited. We saw him walking towards us looking like a rat that fell into the creek and could barely walk.

The child (twelve years old and he should have known better) was soaking wet. His hair was flying every which way but the right way. Water was dripping down his face. An awful sight.

I screamed (another scream)…”What have you been doing? You look crazy!” Honestly, it was just downright embarrassing. And then he said…

“Tricia…don’t you understand? I stuck my head in the fish tank! All I wanted to do was to see what the world looked like for a fish. Doesn’t everyone think about that?

That twelve year old boy is a successful writer now. He has imagination and creativity galore! I cannot help but think…why in the world didn’t I stick my head in that fish tank?

Happy St. Patrick’s Day…And Keep Celebrating All During the Weekend!!

When a good friend graduated from college, I sent him a card to congratulate him and wish him well in graduate school. I received a copy of the following poem from him as an early graduation present…I would not finish college for another year or so. He was two years older and much wiser than me at that time. We had worked together on the college newspaper, The Pine Log.

As a member of the college newspaper staff, he had been the Editor and I had been a Copy Editor. Directing his life with the poem’s philosophy, Robert McCullough absolutely achieved high levels of success. Thank you, Robert! Without knowing it, you gave me a focus and a plan for life.

When I first read this poem, I realized that luck in life depends on what you put into it. It is truly amazing that one small gift can make such an appreciated difference!

************************************

Desiderata – Words for Life

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

************************************

The meaning of the poem’s title…Desiderata are the things considered necessary or highly desirable. The poet is listing things that possibly could be desirable in life!

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/luck/

Small town grandeur…Telluride, Colorado

Telluride, Colorado is just different. Sure..Telluride’s beauty is undeniable. The ski slopes in winter are not particularly crowded. Telluride is not a massive ski resort, as compared to others that we have visited. The shops are expensive, but the sweaters for sale are simply the best. Guess what…you don’t need to be wearing one of those high priced sweaters to feel at home in Telluride! Being yourself is enough.

Telluride is sort of like being in Austin…but this Austin has mountains and snow and biking trails that seem to reach the sky. You might remember from another post that Austin’s motto is “Keep Austin Weird”. Telluride might adopt their own motto…such as “Keep Telluride Eclectic”. From the fun people to the fanciful architecture to the old fashioned ice cream parlor, Telluride is a unique combination of friendly people and a different way to live. Telluride is a place for the free spirit to live…perhaps a free spirit with deep pockets of money.

As Christopher Solomon says in his article “36 Hours in Telluride, Colorado (The New York Times, 12/10/2015): “Beauty and great skiing keep pulling the money here, and that keeps refreshing the scene. But it’s the people who make this place interesting-a quirky stew of Patagonia-clad men who look as if they came straight from base camp; flushed women direct from their 10-mile runs; still others reciting poetry in bordello-wear at a Colorado Avenue bar; and gray-poneytailed hippies who play ‘Sugar Magnolia’ so often you’d think Jerry Garcia never went to that great jam fest in the sky. Telluride isn’t a just a ski area; it’s a way of life.”

Telluride is located in the San Juan Mountains…the southwestern part of  Colorado…49.6 miles from Ouray and 65.7 miles from Montrose. We have visited Ouray multiple times and I wrote a post about this equally interesting Colorado town a few months ago. Honestly, it is less expensive to stay in Ouray and drive over to enjoy Telluride. The drive is outstanding and worth the effort. Better yet…rent a jeep and drive to Telluride on the jeep trails…it does take a bit of nerve and some jeep driving practice!

A must see in Telluride…Bridal Veil Falls 

When our children were still in elementary and middle school, we met our very good friends in Ouray. Their two daughters were in elementary school…so there were eight of us all together. They had been going to Ouray for years and knew the jeep trails backwards and forwards. We had never been to Ouray, but had rented jeeps quite a few times in Red River, New Mexico. So…surely we knew what we were doing! My husband was doing great driving our jeep until we got to Bridal Veil Falls.

When we were very close to the falls…we had to turn around. The pass that we planned to take was closed because there was still too much snow. The temperature was 101 degrees when we left Texas. Just a not so subtle reminder of why I was really supposed to live in Colorado!

In order to turn around, we had to back up incredibly close to the edge. Our son and their five year old daughter were “helping” by giving my husband continuous advice on backing up.”EEK…WHOA…STOP!” yelled the two helpers who quickly ended up standing outside of the jeep during the maneuvers! 

However, Bridal Veil Falls met all of our expectations. The waterfalls are 365 feet in length and are the tallest free falling waterfall in Colorado (according to the Telluride Tourism Board). Many people bike, hike and drive four-wheel drive vehicles up the road to the falls. Telluride is very near perfect any season.

Peaceful, friendly, challenging, old fashioned buildings…yet modern at the same time. Telluride…a place to enjoy the mountain views as well as the warm small town atmosphere!

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/massive/