Adding Up to Peace +Joy

 Seeking Peace and Joy Adds Up

So holy cow it’s January 12th already and my “new Year’’s Resolutions are sitting patiently by waiting for me to dig in.   Now it could be  that some of us make these resolutions and don’t start on them right away and are starting to feel guilty…let’s visit that a little later.  It may be that we’ve already given up  in which case pat yourself on the back for being an overachiever as research has shown that the majority of all resolutions are abondoned by January 19th sometimes known as National Give Up Day.  Either way let’s figure out what we really. Want to work on and start today but… first….

Let’s figure out why we didn’t start right away… There are probably lots of reasons, however, maybe its mostly about fear of change?  Maybe  let’s explore this by relating it to something most people are taught to fear—MATH.

Yep… you see most people get taught to be afraid of math at some level and then they stop building the foundation to change their level of math skills.  So … let’s substitute  math skills for  life skills and put some stronger math  bricks in your foundation and then in the next couple posts  bring the two together.  Life hacks/ Math Hacks

We are usually taught somewhere around third grade. Or fourth grade the only math hack  we ever learn… so your schools are ripping you off (big shocker).   What’s that Hack?

The rule of 9

When you multiply. Any number  by nine the sum of the numbers in the answer will add up to nine.  While this is true no matter how high you go we are usually only taught up to 9 X 9.  

That’s a good foundational hack, however, it just get’s left there with no building. On top of it and that leads to some uncertainty so let’s expand shall we?  What is almost?  Why 10 of course… So multiplying by 9 is the same  as multiplying  by 10 which is adding a 0 to the end and subtracting  that number multiplying by 1 which is of course  that number.  So let’s say we want to multiply 319 X 9 well that is 3190 — 31990–19  is 71 and 3100 —300 is 2800 so the answer is 2871 and of course 2+8+7+1 is 18 and 1+8 is 9 (remember what we said about the digits adding up to 9?  So instead of multiplying all this numbers you are simplifying be adding a zero and subtracting  and subtracting  shouldn’t scare anyone… 

The  5 Hack 

Now another hack we should all be taught is the 5 hack but we are not.   Now multiplying be 10 is adding a 0  and 5 is half of 10  so take the  you are multiplying by  5 let’s say 1286 just for giggles.  So cut 1286 in half which is 643 and and the 0 there’s your answer so what if it is an odd number …pick the next higher or the next lower number  and do the same thing and simply add or subtract  the 5. So let’s do 6217 for example… we’ll add 1 making it 6218 cut in half that’s 3109 now add the 0 so you have 31090 then subtract the  5 and presto you get 31085

Squaring  numbers that end in 5 … so let’s say  we are going to multiply 25 time 25  the hard way is to multiply 20 times 25  and then add another 5 times 25 or the other way around.   The easy way is to look at the first digit  which. Is 2 and then multiply it by the very next number which is  3 and then stick 25 on the end.  So 25  time 25 is 6 (3X2) 25. Now let’s go to 45 squared  using the same hack it is 4X5 (20) with  a 25 tacked on or 2025 so of course 85 squared  is 7225 etc..  and yes 105 squared is 110 (11X10) 25 11025! 

Just one more for today

Multiplying by 25… 

Now 4 X 25 is 100  and just like  multiplying by 10 adds one  zero… multiplying by 100 adds two  zeros.  Now the trick here is to remember. We are multiplying by 100 divided by 4.. so we add the two zeros and then divide by 4 or divide by 4 first and then  add the zeros.  So let’s take 72 X 25 .. Now 72 divided by 4 is 18 and 25X72 is 1800 Now you say that’s all good but what if the number  doesn’t plot by 4?  Good question… since you are multiplying by  25  your answer has to end in 00 25 50  or 75 so after you divide if there is 1 left  over your answer ends in 25 for example 117 X 25 = 117  divided by 4. Or 29 with 1 left over.. so the answer has to end in 25 which means 117 times 25  is going to be 2925  39 X25  would be 39 divided by  4 which. Is 9 with 3 left over so that is going to end in 75 or 975

The point is …. Math can be fast and fun and easy..however many of us were not taught that… We learned that  there were piles of complicated numbers to be figured out. Carried put in columns and the very least we need a fancy calculator to even come close.. 

What is being suggested here  is that we are probably more likely to feel good about seeking peace and joy through New Year’s change if we start with a simplified scheme that we can feel good about.  

So let’s say you want to eat better…. Start by multiplying  by 10… What?  Adding one zero… eating one piece of fruit or one green vegetable  Then  if you want to get a little more advanced multiple. By five.. Eat one fruit AND. One vegetable .  

Back to the  point about not starting yet… Screw it… You are the master of your own life calendar… start today … Guilt never changed history… and you may have to start again a few times  in order. To figure out what formula works for you.. You may multiply. By 9 by simply  multiplying by 9 but. You may find  it must easier to multiply. By 10 and subtract.  

Seeking peace  and joy or any change or building any meaning  is adding up the pieces from where you stand at any one time.   And after a while  you can start putting some anchors down like knowing that 74 squared is 5476 and 76  squared is 5776 and 88 squared is 7744… the point is practice facing fears to build a foundation  from which to exercise curiousity …  and be sure to show your work!

More Math hacks soon and your new year starts now… 

Peace.

Meditations Prayers and Poetry Hello Good-bye

 Turning  a Page…Not Quite

Well I…yes I’m writing. In first person today.  Why?  This entry is about prayer and meditation and yes celebration and these are very personal matters so if I’m asking the reader to take things personally…well maybe I owe it to you all.  

At least this once anyway…

for me this time of year is a time of prayer and meditation for a ton of reasons only a few having to do with Christmas, however, that day plus the start of the new year definitely contribute to my state of being/mind.  

So let’s talk meditation.  For me seeking peace and joy means finding ways to bring the things I actually experience in line with spiritual meanings that make sense in answering  the question “why do I exist?”  Peace and Joy are the products of finding insights related to that question.   Meditation helps me actually experience what is going on without attaching the ghosts of what happened before and the fears of the future things I can’t possibly control… (why do i fear things?  Lack of faith mostly…plusit’s good to feel like you control a lot…. Egotism  is easier than humility.  

Meditation places me in a grounded place where my actions have immediate meaning and where I don’t need to worry about any other place or time…. That’s a powerful feeling.  ‘

Also meditation is a place where it feels like I “hear the universal sound” of the great spirit/the force/God.  I can quiet my thoughts, feelings, etc… long enough to be and to learn.  

Prayer…

Now I’ve mentioned this before, yet since it’s still true I’m repeating it today as something for us all to think about.  We often make resolutions about what we want for the new year… we promise ourselves and others changes big and small.  Well… my favorite prayer serves as a reminder about making plans and moving forward in collecting experiences and meanings.  

“Give us today our daily bread”.   

My daily bread is what  I am able to experience and enjoy right now and what i can use to understand my spiritual existence.  I don’t need  to know how it all ends or who comes out on top.  I don’t  need to know if I’ll be successful in the eyes of my friends, family, or the world.   It doesn’t say give me just a little more bread than the next guy or just a bit more than yesterday.  

Forgive us our trespasses…

It doesn’t say… “if  I mess up”. IUt pretty much says… look you are human and sometimes you will f**k up royally.  So… please take into acccount that I will admit. My failures and get over  it when the failures others have create potholes in my fast lane.  

As I forgive those who trespass against me.   It doesn’t say  if you are right hold a grudge until the whole world decrees  you were smarter, faster, wiser, and altogether better than someone else.  It also doesn’t say a human’s forgiveness  has to be infinite it says be reasonable  people… It says take a shot at being fair  and don’t whine.  

It seems  if I can hold on tight to these simple things it doesn’t matter what day the calendar says… 

Now thank you all for reading all year or listening to the podcast… I’mhumbledby thenumbers so it is fitting. I toast you all as the ball gets ready to drop’

The road ahead may not be clear 

But we’ll fly ahead with love not fear

We’ll hold each other’s spirits. High

And last year can kiss our ass good-bye

Love You All 

Almost out of time – or maybe not time peace enjoy part one of three

YOU’RE ALMOST OUT OF TIME—OR MAYBE NOT

Peace, Joy and Time

This morning—well in the night sometime I woke up hungry.  Now, I didn’t rush right out to the kitchen (oh sometimes a I do so I’m not judging anyone here).  I thought about asking my phone what time it was....then I stopped.  What does  time have to. Do with hunger?  Well I listened to  part of  an audio book and after a good half hour I felt hungry still so I thought about. My options.  I decided on toast.  Someday I’m going to write about toast but today I’m writing about time.  

So I’m standing in the kitchen breathing in the smell of toast because  we have this fancy toaster and. I never  have learned what settings to use so I pop the toast out when I think it is done.  “You should just learn how to  run the toaster Mr. Brilliant,” I can hear you thinking it so you don’t have to say anything.  NowIget a little butter and sugar out, put it on the toast and of course that means it’s time to eat?  Nope, of course not—it’s time for a trip to the bathroom because when you get to be a certain age waking up always means a trip to the bathroom unless you fell asleep in there—but that’s probably another story.  

Well, it’s still dark out but now I have toast and life is  good.  Now I could pay attention to  the toast I made and enjoy it, but I just start chewing semi-burned bread and wondering how long till the sun comes out?   Off course that train of thought moves right into the tunnel of “whendo we turn the clocks back?”

Yes in a couple weeks some of us will move the entire clock back an hour and then agree we are actually living at a different  time than we were just a few seconds before that... I propose that each of us gets  to move the clock backward or forward an hour twice a year, however, it would just last that day and we could  have the hour like on our birthday or when we have a layover at  the airport—whatever...

Okay...okay...it. Is time  to get seriously to the. Point here.

After my toast I listened to a “self-help” podcast and the host said “We. All need to make moretime for the important things in our life.”  Well I have a coffee maker, and I’ve seen a bread maker, however I searched Amazon and I didn’t find a time maker.  I did find a  left-handed banana slicer.  Now, I understand that  these folks were saying I. Need to use my time differently.  Unfortunately, they talked about becoming more efficient and effective What they were really talking about was  going faster or not doing some things.  

That argument sounds so good in theory, however, I stopped to consider it a bit more.  Well what would I. Cut out.  I spend a lot of annoying time shaving every year and yet facts indicate that. The average adul male beards  only grows about six inches per year Oh and I like to eat Ketchup or catsup on some things and talk about  a time waster?  The average speed at which  that fine tomato based yum leaves the  bottle is 35 miles per year.  Maybe I could go to self-checkout at the  grocery store instead of  standing in line....because. It’s  faster right?   Well let’s see...there is me who runs the  register at self self check maybe 100 times a year tops and there’s a trained cashier who  serves thousands of customers a year—who do you think might be faster?  But if you want, go ahead serve yourself—run to your car—get on the road and when the stop light turns. Red—thanks for playing the time savings  game...pick up your consolation prize.  

What if faster has nothing to do with saving time.... what if we  look at using time to create experiences a that we value regardless of  what a clock says?  

What if  we realize when we are enjoying something and open up all our senses in order to pack in far more  sensory info into our present moments?  When someone  says something that makes. You laugh, go ahead ad smile right out loud and if that makes someone else smile then that’s efficient—I mean a laugh and two smiles coming from one event—that’s efficient and effective and how long did it take?  Who cares?

Share. A creative idea with someone.  You both can probably grow the idea faster that either. Of you could do that separately and bam!—you have saved some more time!  

Okay....I’m going to stop for now because you’ve used enough of your time for. Now.  I’ll be back on. This topic tomorrow and the same bat time.    Until then I’m going to think about how to  connect my ketchup bottle  to a power washer or. A Wagner power painter...35 miles per year just won’t  cut it.  :)

  

A song of peace and joy?

 PEACE, JOY AND LEARNING  TO BE STILL

Twenty some years ago the Eagles of Hotel California fame not of  let’s say Boston. College or Philadelphia, released a song titled  “Learn to Be Still.”  Some mornings I wake up pretty still so to speak and others are like today.  I can’t wait to pick up my guitar or take out the trash or wipe a little flour  off the counter or even goodness me clean up a around the toilet.  So, before I sat down to write this I’ve already done  many of these things and now maybe, just maybe, I’m still enough to put some thoughts together in a way that reaches out from behind  all the noise.  

Here goes... 

So today is  a day for. Writing a song...some days I can just feel  that inside.  I have some lyrics bubbling. Up and a couple of chord combinations that have been waiting  for the lyrics of some kind to enhance.  Earlier in the week I read a quote about  songwriting.  Arlo Guthrie (mostly known for  Alice’s  Restaurant) Described song writing as if it were fishing.  Lyrics or words  go by. In a stream and  eventually , as long as your hook is in the water, you will catch the right ones.  He does, however, add that you shouldn’t fish downstream from Bob Dylan.  

That being said, I thought I’d offer up a few lyrics that have been rolling  through my mind this morning.  Of course, listen.to Learn to Be  Still from the Eagles and then maybe a song titled “Last Resort” that will let you know how  my state of mind was (not a very peaceful or joyful one)  first thing today.  Now I’m going to share  a verse from two. Songs I’ve been working. On  One is nearly finished but the melody or chord progression isn’t quite. There yet and the other one  is part of the song I’ll likely  work on most the rest of today until I record a podcast this afternoon.

Anyway here are those lyrics and they have to do with seeking peace and joy.

How much longer until we see some rain?

Will it wash away this dust that has settled on my brain

Is that light in the darkness. An oncoming train

Have the  dreams all vanished or do some remain

These are the questions that seep into my soul

Do I stand back and. Wait or crank it up, crank it  up let it roll?

A 

Other song... 

 And the sage said as  she  sighed

When’s the last time that  we’ve tried

To build together. Not divideAsk what others feel inside

Set your  bank account aside  and 

Let your souls decide

So it’s going to be a peace and joy roller coaster today...because  while. The lyrics come forth I will gain peace, yet joy might not come till the song is done and sometimes that’s a day and sometimes that’s. A bit longer...

Oh well my  soul is engaged now and that’s. Where the journey always  feels best to me.  

Find a song to sing... More Sooon

To everything turn turn turn the season of peace and joy

TO EVERY SEASON...TURN, TURN, TURN, AND SEEK PEACE AND JOY

Sure the Byrds made it a mildly successful folk tune in the viet Nam era.  However, just like Elvis did so often, these folks pinched the words from another source.  Now you can’t find  the “heartbreak Hotel” in Judea, but you only need take a peak at another King’s words to find Solomon cranked out this classic in Ecclesiastes.  Lo and as I recall the song mentions “gathering Stones together”.  Who knew Mick, Keith, and the lot would still be getting satisfaction after all these years?  

Okay this effort isn’t meant to be a snippet left on the cutting room floor from “The School of Rock”—it’s about being late. September (no I’m not launching into Maggie May). You see, we are rolling toward the first day of fall and the season that was summer is about to turn, turn, turn and I’m left here wondering (like many of you) what in the world happened to Summer?  Wasn’t it just the 4th of July?  I mean wasn’t it just yesterday I was watching the great hot dog eating contest sponsored by Nathan’s where this guy packed away 60+ hot dogs in 10 minutes?  

Holy  Mustard and relish Batman that’s a lot of tube steak.  Then again, Americans love their hot dogs.  In the summer, we eat an estimated 7 Billion hot dogs every year and spend 2.5 Billion dollars on hot dogs.  The unofficial  world’s record price for any given  hot dog was recorded  on the West Coast and rang up at $169.00Now, ballpark prices are out of control, but this wasn’t a Dodger dog thank goodness.  While that pushed the limits of price, the world record holder for size is a reported 668 pounder.  

Alright we’ve covered rock music and hot dogs..and they may have a lot do with summer and peace and joy, butI’ve been waiting for my internal control to come along and start writing about “seasons” because that’s the real topic here...and this is the season to make those thoughts clear.

One song lyric that emerged when  writing about the lessons Ive learned in life is that every dream has a season if you don’t let apathy win.  I believe that and yet I’m not sure I believe in the “norm” when it comes to seasons.  The norm is things are born, they experience a childhood full of growth and experimentation, they reach an adulthood where they are stable and “prosper”, and then they decline.  Another way to look at this is through the lens of  a fruit tree.  The tree grows from a seed, eventually grows into a state where  the tree produces fruit containing seeds, drops those  seeds by letting the fruit ripen and fall away to the ground and then the fruit rots away letting the seeds have a chance to start the growth of another tree.  The difference here is that the tree gives back and passes along the essence along.  Finally, I have  learned to look at seasons as not quite as inevitable  for people as they are for some other things.  If someone gets up each morning, meditate3s or prays or and  prays (or does anything that reflects  their beliefs, and then dedicates themzselves to the notion that today is a “new” day, then maybe each day becomes it’s own new season.  Each day contains a rebirth or dedication.  Each day includes experimentation and learning.  Each day. Has a part where. You pass things along or share your gifts.  At the end of the day, you lay down the remains of the day knowing that  if there is a tomorrow you will start anew.  

Yes what I’m suggesting is that every day has it’s seasons and that.every day has the potential to contain changes.  That’s what we can learn from  the actual seasons—that things will change and so will we.  as seasons pass in our lives we grow comfortable with the fact that winter will give way to spring and that summer rolls past into fall when leaves turn glorious colors and prepare to coat the ground thus producing the natural material to enrich the soil that will bring forth the next new tree.  For me, when I pay attention, andam seeking peace and joy I see a lot of new trees each day.  People get new jobs.  People move to new locatins.  People offer up artwork or things they have written.  People build things that inspire others.  You might argue that  these things are fruit not new trees and that’s just fine with me.  The point is, that if I look I see these things and that since the seasons have taught the  lessons of change, it brings a sense of peace and not fear when the changes come as they will.  

We all can see new trees every day—we can see growth in the trees—we see the fruit ripen and fall so  trees can come forth.  We experience all of. This in the  here and now and it is a full experience.  Again for me looking at daily seasons brings some peace and lessens the thoughts I havetyhat any given thing is happening out of season—for the feeling that things are.  Taking place out of season is a thief of peace and joy.  The reality is that everything happens in a season,but it is very hard to  see the whole season sometimes.  On the other hand, if I am intentional, I include elements of all the seasons in my day each day.  Then nothing seems quite as out of place.  

Wow who knew we could go from a 668 pound hot dog could find its way through to  a philosophic metaphor for living through the seasons of events in life?  Well... it happened and now it’s time to let the primary hot dog season go.  Bring on the bon fire season, the apple cider and a new school year because now and always the times they are a changin’

Let’s go nuts the musical

Just a little Nuts (the Musical)

WARNING THIS SONG CONTAINS INUENDO THAT MAY BE OFFENSIVE TO SOME...IF YOU ARE  OFFENDED I AM BOTH SORRY AND A LITTLE SADDENED, HOWEVER, MY PURPOSE WAS TO TAKE A SHOT AT THE VANITY OF  SOME MEMBERS  IN OUR CULTURE.

Verses 1 & 2

Well you can have your Pecans in a pie

Your Almonds  Slightly Toasted

Of course there’s salty peanuts

And Chestnuts can be roasted

You can crush your peanuts up and make them into butter

Now listen very closely to what I’m about to utter

I will make a valiant effort not to stammer or to stutter

If you  vow to keep your mind from falling in the gutter

Chorus 

What I’m about to share,I hope you’ll keep between us

To write these little songs, it doesn’t take a genius

When they shout “hey you right there”it probably doesn’t mean us and 

No one really cares about the size of your peanuts—or cashews or hickories or macadamia —

Verse 3-4?

Take whatever nuts they give you because beggers can’t be pickers

Eat them  by the handful or crammed inside a Snickers

Eat those babies whole or chopped up into pieces

;oOr covered up in chocolate like in M&Ms or Reeces

Most all kinds of them are healthy

So let’s hear. No ifs, ands, or buts

Unless you are allergic I’m telling  you go nuts

If you have a chance share some with a friend

That’s it in a nutshell, this song is at an end

Chorus

Seeking Peace and going a little nuts in a good way

SEEK PEACE AND JOY—OR GO A LITTLE NUTS TRYING TO GET SOME SELF HELP?

Okay...let’s make something clear right. From the beginning.  The term “going a little nuts” has nothing to do with.mental wellness status unles you want it to be connected.  I would argue that the self-help world gets a little confusing for my blood, and I live some challenges when it comes to all that.  the longer I live and try to control the world, the more I question our understanding of the brain thus far—so when talking about nuts—I’m really talking about  nuts!  There are too many varieties of nuts to fully expand upon, so I’ll stick to one type today and feature a few more in “Going Nuts Over You” the musical coming  later.  

For now, it’s peanuts and the marvelous spread we have come to know as peanut butter.  

Some folks know that George W@ashington Carver was the first to produce peanut butter by crushing and emulsifying  (not  the skin care term—he didn’t spread a bunch of this poor man’s bar food  over his face at night.  He made a paste by compacting the nuts.  There is no clear record of any additives used in this initial  offering and no one knows if he smacked some jam or jelly. On top of his earth-feeding discovery.  Here is what we do know.

It takes about 540 regular sized peanuts to make  one 12 ounce jar of peanut butter.  Choosie Mothers  choose Jiff—and moms who have kidscircling around like fireflies choose all kinds  of peanut butter.  In fact, the average American child will eat 1,500 peanut butter sandwiches before they head off to  college and eat pizza and drink beer (oh that was just me?—Right?). Seriously, if you didn’t eat your quota, I’m sure  we covered your spread in our household.  Since. The ingredient  in modern peanut butter  that makes it so spreadable is extracted from seaweed, we did the Vegan thing long before  it was a thing.  To give you an idea about  how many sandwiches that is, I measured the height of a typical PB&J at just around. One inch tall.  So stacking up 1,500 of them you’ve got a pile of goodness that tops out at the same  level as a 11 or 12 story building and that’s pretty impressive don’t you think Skippy?    So do we have to worry about eating our way through our supply?  That is. Doubtful.  One. Acre of peanuts grown specifically for the task. Of  keeping Peter  Pan happy provides the raw material for 30,000 sandwiches.  Doing the math, one acre can fill the lunch boxes and brown bags of 200 kids.  I didn’t run across data  about  how much peanut butter  it would take to make all those  tasty lunchtime favorites, however, maybe you could take  your lifetime supply and make one gigantic sandwich. If, by the way, you intent to hold the world’s record for one sandwich you’ll be laying it on thick for a while.  To date, the largest  PB&J weighed   In at 1,342 pounds. 

That’s probably enough context, however , I wanted to add that two American presidents have been peanut farmers—Thomas Jefferson and Jimmy Carter.  I won’t. Go through a list of what other presidents have been.  A lot have been  lawyers, lifelong politicians, or business folks and most of course could have come from the circus as they have pretty much been clowns—oh did i write that?”  

Okay this is all interesting (or somewhat so) you say, but what does it have  to do with Peace and Joy?  Well, for me, peanuts and peanut butter are reminders of simple things that do the thing they were meant to do.  They can make up the main part of a meal or simply be an added element.  Unless you are allergic, there’s probably  at least one form of nuts you like and one or more candied items with peanut butter you look forward to be that cookies or those peanut butter cups.  Like many of my good friends who bring me peace, they are comfortable with staying on the shelf from time to time yet showing up in a big way when called upon.  That creates peace within me.  Peanuts and peanut butter are connected to a lot of holiday experiences and can bring  back pretty good memories.  So there’s  some Joy there.  In the end, I’m pretty sure I like these things not because they are great every time, but because they simply show up, perform well and don’t make me feel flawed and in need of rescue like a lot of self-help gurus do.  Knowing about peanuts is to know about  most of the people in your community knows—peanuts are pretty good for you, pretty easy to come across, and like Joy peanut butter is easy to spread.  

tNext USA musical salute to peanuts and other nuts—including that very strange storage unit called the nutshell I have commented on before. 

Until  we meet agin don’t be afraid. To go a little nuts now and again.

Chase the blues away with peace and joy

YepSOME DAYS JUST DO  THIS—AND FILL  MY SOUL WITH A SONG—SORRY

So yesterday around  2 my time (as if I own a time lol) Idecided to run up  our small hill of a driveway to get the garbage can.  Given the forecast and how the weather seemed around sun up I didn’t. Expect what I found when I strolled out in my classic  black hoodie.  Now I have had this hoodie for 15 years and I hope to have it a few more... I guess it is one of those things that own me more than I own it.

Okay let’s get down to it.

The day  is freaking spectacular!!  Almost no breeze and the sun is shining brightly.  All of the sudden I’m feeling a rush of joy and peace  and  lo and behold my mind kicks into gear with the following set of lyrics.  For those of you not familiar with the flawed yet marvelous creative mind...this is the crap that happens.....

Anyway here are the words that came bubbling out and the video is below.  Enjoy

Chasing  the Blues. Away

The breeze it is light and 

The sun  it is shining

There’s no one around that. I can hear whining

These are the days that chase the blues away

There’s kids flying kites. And there’s kids blowing bubbles

Makes me forget  nearly all of my troubles

And makes me. Forget that there is any other way

Than how f I  can seek  peace and joy every day

These are the days that chase  all the blues away

I’m going to get my. Guitar and sit out in the sun

And I really don’t care if. My work’s not all done

I’m going to sing. Every song I ever learned how to play

Because these are the days that chase the blues. Away

I’m gonnna grab my guitar and sit  out in the sun

I don’t really care. If my work gets all done

I’m gonna sing every song I  know how to play

And these are the days, these are the days, these are the days that chase the blues away

And here’s a link to some products that will chase your blues away from one of my very first and new sponsors take a look great products for summer

https://whal3n.bigcartel.com/

Reflections on mirrors and peace and joy the musical

 Reflecting on mirrors pun  intended and peace and joy

 Just a short video about mirrors life peace and joy

"OR" I've Never Lived This Life Before

I'VE NEVER LIVED THIS LIFE  BEFORE


A request came in  from  three or four
Another  rhyme? At least  One more?
My first instinct was "just ignore"
At being Dr. Seuss I'm poor

Attempting this  would be a chore
Like rowing  'round with just  one oar
Or  sweeping dust from a dirt floor
It may please some  but most will snore

But then I thought "at least explore"

Tho it's not a form  I may adore
Unless you let the ship leave shore
The trips you take  will be a bore


Anyway


What lessons sprouted from this lore?
To peek inside most every door
For no  one knows what's quite in store
We've never lived this life  before


Play  your songs well write your own score


Seek out  your gifts "Make Love not War""
 Another's Hopes try to restore
And  your Peace and Joy  shall simply Soar

Have a Tremendous Tuesday...or whatever  day it is for you .  I want to say thanks to every person  who has been reading along for the last couple months... but I don't know  who you are because  my drones don't have  the ultimate facial recognition  software yet... however in all seriousness... thank you all and please  share this  with anyone who you think might smile  at  it  if only for a second.

Peace (and Joy of course)

these things usually End Badly

 Well let’s face it you don’t usually seek peace and joy when you already have it —

 At least for me when I start seeking it usually comes at a time when I have really messed something up.   Sure I have 47 ideas  just how I did that.  It could be that I’m being  over self-critical right then but  you have  to be to find the lessons on your journey.

So the point is...

Don’t wait - start seeking routinely  so you know your favorite  seeking tools.

One of my favorite  peace  seeking tools is  listening to audio books...
Joy.. usually  has to come later.  Tomorrow is THANKSGIVING  and I’ll add some more to peace seeking. Yep