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Female 112 years old San Antonio, Texas United States Profile Views: 18965 [ 201886 ]
Too many to list entirely. Some include Sleuth (the old version with Michael Caine and Lawrence Olivier), the Lord of the Rings triology, The Twilight Series, Harry Potter series, The Pirates of the Carribean series, Rio Bravo, Casablanca, Stand By Me, et al.
MUSIC
Just about anything except opera and hip-hop/gangsta rap. Particularly fond of Celtic music and hammered dulcimer. PLEASE DO NOT ASK ME TO ADD YOUR "TRIBUTE PAGE" TO MY FRIEND LIST. I understand that several folks have these and put a lot of work into them, but they are really not my cup of tea, and I will most likely turn down your request.
BOOKS
Anything having to do with trivia; books by James Clavell, J.K. Rowling, JRR Tolkein, Jonathan Kellerman, Stephenie Meyer, Kathy Reisch, Charles Dickens, Stories by Edgar Alan Poe, et al.
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Needlework, cooking, reading ...
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Things to do today:
1) get up
2) survive
3) go to bed
4) repeat as many times as possible
I am a divorced (for several years) woman looking for friends, old and new. What I am NOT [repeat...NOT] looking for here is any romance or "hook-ups". Been there. Done that. Never going back again.
TURN ON'S
Numerous and varied, depending on the day and the mood I'm in.
TURN OFF'S
Jealous, "clingy" people. People who send friend requests even tho' their profiles are set to "private". ABOUT COMMENTS -- I don't send out comments to anybody, nor do I "forward" or "share" the comments I'm sent. That reminds me too much of chain letters. I appreciate your comments and will try to respond when I get them, but if I don't, please don't get mad about it...especially if you send me tons of them. Oh, and I also delete all comments I get after I've viewed them, so if they're not showing, I've already seen them.
The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof.
Waiting for Sheila's Brush? Here's some of N.L.'s other weather lore
NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR
Sun dogs are caused by the refraction of sunlight through ice crystals in the atmosphere. When the sun was low on the horizon, the sun dogs arching into the sea looked to sailors like the sun was drawing water. (Rick Bohn/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
Many Newfoundlanders will be hoping that the snow headed our way this evening is Sheila's Brush — the last big storm of winter — which, according to legend, always falls shortly after St. Patrick's Day.
Sheila's Brush is one of the few survivors of an enormous body of weather lore that once existed in the province.
For people who lived off the land and the sea, advance knowledge of the weather could mean the difference not only between poverty and prosperity, but between life and death. Heavy rain could ruin a catch of fish set out to dry, a long winter could deplete food stores, and a storm could sink a ship with all hands.
So, before meteorologists, weather apps, and Environment Canada's seven-day forecast, our ancestors relied on rhymes, proverbs and folk wisdom passed down through the generations to predict the weather.
Here's a taste of that forgotten lore.
Animal instincts
Historically, Newfoundland and Labrador's rural residents lived closely with animals, both wild and domestic, and they looked to the behaviour of their non-human neighbours for a hint of what weather might be on the horizon.
If the goats hid under the fish flakes, the bees kept to their hives, or the spiders abandoned their webs, it was a sure sign of rain. The creatures were seeking shelter from a coming downpour.
At sea, fish could signal changes in the weather, too. Schools of herring rushing to the beach presaged wind, while pebbles in the stomachs of freshly caught codfish portended a storm.
Overhead, even the flight pattern of the gulls told a story, as captured in this little ditty:
Seabirds keeping near the land
Tell a storm is near at hand,
But flying seabirds out of sight,
You may stay and fish all night.
The common housecat was perhaps the most versatile meteorologist of them all. Practically every feline behaviour, it seems, could be interpreted as a forecast.
Was the cat scratching at the wall? Strong winds were in the offing. Washing its face? A thaw was on the way. Sitting with its back to the fire? Expect a heavy snowfall. Even a sneeze was not just a sneeze but a potential rainfall warning.
Taking the lay of the land
The natural environment provided its own clues to the coming weather.
You might have heard the saying "red sky at night, sailor's delight." This is just one of the poems linking crimson sunsets to fine weather and crimson dawns to foul. My personal favourite is:
Evening grey and morning red
Sends the traveller wet to bed,
But evening red and morning grey
Sends the traveller on his way.
The shape of the clouds, too, was telling:
Mackerel scales and mare's tails,
Make tall ships carry low sails.
Cirrocumulus clouds that are dappled or banded like the scales of a mackerel and cirrus uncinus clouds that curl at the ends like a horse's tail were thought to foreshadow gusty rain storms, the kind that would force a ship to lower its sails for fear of being capsized.
Mackerel scale cloud formations, as seen at the top right of this photo, and mares' tails, as seen along on the bottom, were a sign that a rainstorm was on the way. (Hugo.arg/Wikimedia Commons)
When the sun is drawing water,
Better bide home with wife and daughter.
The charming image of the sun drawing water refers to sun dogs, a type of solar halo that creates two bright spots on either side of the sun. When the sun is low on the ocean horizon, sun dogs can appear to arch right into the sea, as though the sun is thirsting for water.
Like mare's tails, sun dogs are a predictor of stormy weather — reason for a wise fisherman to stay home with his family rather than set to sea.
Counting the days
Feb. 2 may be Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, but in Newfoundland and Labrador it was Candlemas, which was also considered an opportune time for weather predictions.
N.L.'s folklore is the reverse of Punxsutawney's, where a day sunny enough for the groundhog to see his shadow foretells six more weeks of winter. Here, fine weather signals that winter is almost at an end:
If Candlemas Day be bright and fine,
The worst of the winter is left behind.
If Candlemas Day be rough and grum,
The worst of the winter is yet to come.
Feb. 2, though, wasn't the only significant date for weather. Saints' days throughout the year were thought to forecast the weeks to follow, with a portentous day falling practically every month during the fishing and growing seasons.
You might want to mark these lesser-known holidays on your calendar:
If St. Vitus Day [June 15] is rainy weather,
It will rain for thirty days together.
St. Swithin's Day [July 15] if we have rain,
Forty days it will remain.
If St. Bartlemy Day [Aug. 24] be fair and clear,
Hopes for a prosperous autumn that year.
If St. Matthew's Day [Sept. 21] is bright and clear,
It means good weather for the coming year.
The science behind the sayings
It might have been wishful thinking to believe that the conditions on certain dates would reflect the weather for weeks to follow, but some of the other proverbs have been backed up by science.
After all, science is a system of observation, and what is weather lore based on if not centuries of informal observation?
Take the example of animals sheltering before a storm. Many animals are in fact able to sense the drop in atmospheric pressure that precedes rainy, snowy or windy weather.
Meanwhile, mackerel scales, mare's tails, and sun dogs often appear at the leading edge of warm fronts, which tend to bring storms along with them.
As for Sheila's Brush, well, you don't need to be psychic to know that March in Newfoundland and Labrador always has a few snowstorms in store. The only mystery is whether Sheila's will be the last.
When my son, Justin, was four, he found a caterpillar and put it in a jar. Each day he fed it fresh grass and leaves. In a few weeks the caterpillar was fat and ready to sleep. One morning we discovered the caterpillar wrapped in a cocoon. It hung from the top of the jar, an example of one of nature's wonders.
Justin was excited. To him it was like Christmas. He knew a moth or butterfly was about to be born, but he didn't know what kind. He was curious to know what gift nature was about to give him.
'Dad!' as he ran to me one day. 'Something's happening. Come see!'
He led me to his room. The cocoon had become translucent. We could clearly see the wings of the unborn. A few days later, a beautiful black moth broke free from its silky cage and began to lay eggs on the blades of grass, completing the life cycle of the little caterpillar.
The next day, I convinced my young son it was time to set the moth free. He took it outside, opened the jar, and the little moth flew out. It circled the yard twice, came back, and landed on Justin's arm. He picked it up, tossed it in the air, and the moth repeated its flight pattern. He tried over and over to set it free, but each time it would return to his arm.
Justin gave up. He returned his little pet to the jar. The next day he attempted to set it free again, and after a few return flights to his arm, the moth finally flew off into the tall grass.
Like a person, I believe the moth was afraid to leave what it was comfortable with. It wanted to stay with something familiar, scared to move on and experience new things.
I was once that little moth. My cocoon was my mother's love. I was comfortable wrapped in it. Like the moth, I didn't want to fly too far from it. My first job required me to move to a new city. I resisted. I was afraid. What would I find there? I liked where I was.
Many times in my life, I have faced a move and resisted. Humans are creatures of habit. We resist change. However, if I hadn't moved, I would not have experienced many new and wonderful things. I also would not have met many of my friends.
The moves have been between cities, provinces, states, and even countries. Each move gave me the opportunity to learn and experience, but best of all, I met friends. I hated leaving my old friends behind, but when I think about it, I didn't lose them. They're still my friends. I talk to them regularly. However, I have even more friends now.
I'm glad I found my wings.
Written by Michael T. Smith
You are an original, an individual, a masterpiece. Celebrate that; don't let your uniqueness make you shy. Don't be someone other than the wonder you are. Every star is important to the sky Douglas Pagels
JOY FOR THE SOUL... HOPE FOR THE HEART... BELIEVE AND THEY CAN BE YOURS! BLESSINGS FRIEND.
According to legend, a young man while roaming the desert came across a spring of delicious crystal-clear water. The water was so sweet he filled his leather canteen so he could bring some back to a tribal elder who had been his teacher.
After a four-day journey he presented the water to the old man who took a deep drink, smiled warmly and thanked his student lavishly for the sweet water. The young man returned to his village with a happy heart.
Later, the teacher let another student taste the water. He spat it out, saying it was awful. It apparently had become stale because of the old leather container. The student challenged his teacher: 'Master, the water was foul. Why did you pretend to like it?'
The teacher replied, 'You only tasted the water. I tasted the gift. The water was simply the container for an act of loving-kindness and nothing could be sweeter. Heartfelt gifts deserve the return gift of gratitude.'
I think we understand this lesson best when we receive innocent gifts of love from young children. Whether it's a ceramic tray or a macaroni bracelet, the natural and proper response is appreciation and expressed thankfulness because we love the idea within the gift.
Gratitude doesn't always come naturally. Unfortunately, most children and many adults value only the thing given rather than the feeling embodied in it. We should remind ourselves and teach our children about the beauty and purity of feelings and expressions of gratitude.
After all, gifts from the heart are really gifts of the heart.
Written by Michael Josephson
MAY THE ANGELS SHOWER YOU WITH BLESSINGS DAILY HUGS.
The greatest virtue is peace. Throughout the day, stop for a minute and ask yourself 'How peaceful am I at this moment?' If someone tries to make you peaceless, you mustn't allow yourself to be peaceless, no. Instead, look for the virtues in everyone and pass these on to others. Remain very sweet and peaceful.
March is unpredictable like life, you never know when the sun will be smiling from the clouds. ~Unknown~
God willing, you will be gifted another decade or more of life experience.
But even if you aren’t, the core principle of this article remains relevant:
As you age, you will learn to value your time, genuine relationships, meaningful work, and peace of mind, much more. Little else will matter.
Deep down you know this already though, right?
Yet today, just like the majority of us, you are distracted by almost everything else.
The simplest things in life are also the most precious. Happy Pie Day! Blessings x
Each day comes bearing its own gifts
A group of students were asked by their teacher to list what they thought were the current 'Seven Wonders of the World.' There was some discussion amongst the students before they each submitted their lists and the following received the most votes:
1. Egypt's Great Pyramids 2. Taj Mahal 3. Grand Canyon 4. Panama Canal 5. Empire State Building 6. St. Peter's Basilica 7. China's Great Wall
However, after counting all the votes, the teacher noted that one student had not handed in her list. So she asked the student if she was having trouble finalising it. The student replied, 'Yes, a little, I can't quite make up my mind because there were so many to choose from.'
The teacher said, 'Well, tell us what you have as your first seven and maybe we can help you to decide on your final list of 7.' The girl hesitated, then said . . . 'I think the Seven Wonders of the World are '
1. To see 2. To hear 3. To touch 4. To taste 5. To feel 6. To laugh 7. and finally - To love
After she had finished the room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. The things we often overlook as simple and ordinary and that we may take for granted are truly wondrous! It also gives a gentle reminder to us all, that the most precious things in life cannot be built by hand or bought.
First of all, understand discontentment. Discontent is caused by a constant multiplication of desires. One desire leads to another until there's never a moment when you feel fulfilled. Desires are like traps. Because of endless desires relationships have become very fragile. There is a lot of irritability and anger due to:
Selfish attachments (to possessions and people)
Pride (attachment to a particular image of the self)
When there is discontentment, the heart can never be still because wasteful, negative thoughts destroy peace.
Contentment is the result of spiritual awareness which allows you to recognize negativity. It changes your pattern of thinking. As you tap your huge inner potential, all desires are fulfilled and you regain your peace.
SHORT STORY ABOUT DEATH AND LIFE
A girl was standing on the roof of a high building. After finding out that her husband was cheating on her, she wanted to end with her life. After a short hesitation, she made a step forward. The girl fell fast towards the ground. But just before the death, the fear filled her soul. Suddenly she felt like she was in someone’s embrace. She opened her eyes and saw an angel, who was holding her in his hands. – Why didn’t you let me fall? – She asked with anger. – I will let you go if you agree to die understanding that there won’t be any memories of you left on earth, nothing. – How is that? – asked the girl in surprise. – You don’t have children, who would remember you, your mother is old and she will die soon. And everyone else…they will forget about you soon… – And my husband? He will blame himself for my death. If he will feel remorse all his life, he will remember me. – That won’t happen, he doesn’t love you, he is happy with another woman. And he won’t blame himself for a long time, soon he will forget you. – Fine, I believe you. But I have things, photographs. – Your apartment will burn down after one year. And all your things will turn into ash… – But my friends have photos of me. – You don’t have friends, – the angel said quite coldly. – But… I am on the collective school photos. Suddenly, the angel started to unclamp his hands. – You are letting me go because I proved to you that there will be memories about me left? – The girl asked mockingly.
– No. You are clinging to the strings so hard; you are convincing me that I would let you die, just like others are clinging to some futile opportunities so that they could live. I don’t want to spend these moments with you, because I could help other people during that time. I want to give people a chance to live, not to die.
Winds of March, we welcome you, there is work for you to do. Work and play and blow all day, blow the winter wind away. ~Unknown~
“You can talk with someone for years, everyday, and still, it won't mean as much as what you can have when you sit in front of someone, not saying a word, yet you feel that person with your heart, you feel like you have known the person for forever.... connections are made with the heart, not the tongue.” ― C. JoyBell C.
Here we are, afraid of losing what we have all the time, holding on to it so tight that not a soul can touch it. We think by hiding it from the world, it’s hidden and it’s ours. Nothing is. Nothing ever will be. For, nothing ever was.
If you think there is anything that you have, that’s yours, be it money, a house, a job, or a girlfriend… it’s nothing but an illusion. It’ll all disappear… in one blow. One blow, my man.
Here we are, so insecure that we are afraid of re-starting our lives, so we just carry on trying to sort out the current mess. The thought that we should give it all up and just start all over – with nothing – might cross our minds some time, sure, but we get scared and we push away anything that scares us.
There is nothing I can ever achieve or gain that I cannot lose, in a matter of seconds. You have never gained enough to not be able to lose it all, in just a few minutes. What you think is yours, was never yours and will never be yours. Whatever you make here, you leave here. You came naked and you’re going to go back naked.
So what are you afraid of?
Let all be lost. Let them take away everything. As long as you have your heart beating strong, as long as you have your nostrils working fine, as long as the blood flows in your veins, you will live, you will breathe and you can get it all back… again and again. For, if you can do it once, you can damn well do it again. It’s just a game we play – Life.
WORDS OF WISDOM''The formula for success is simple: practice and concentration, then more practice and more concentration."
SPRING IS ON IT WAY ..HAVE A GOOD DAY BLESSINGS
Weakness or Strength
Sometimes our biggest weakness can become our biggest strength. Take, for example, the story of one 10-year-old boy who decided to study Judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident.
The boy began lessons with an old Japanese Judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn’t understand why, after three months of training the master had taught him only one move.
“Sensei,” the boy finally said, “Shouldn’t I be learning more moves?”
“This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you’ll ever need to know.” – the sensei replied.
Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training.
Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals.
This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened.
“No,” the sensei insisted, “Let him continue.”
Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion.
On the way home, the boy and sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind.
“Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?”
“You won for two reasons,” the sensei answered. “First, you’ve almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. And second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grap your left arm.”
The boy’s biggest weakness had become his biggest strength.
Bits & Pieces, August 15, 1996, Economic Press Inc.
