Reader Input please – Name your Monkey

Posted on June 24, 2019 by dfolstad58

Dear Friends, Family, and Fellow bloggers,  You may already know I am one of those people who like to memorize songs and quotes.

It comes in useful in speeches or impromptu discussions. Not to say that I memorize whole speeches like the Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln. (Click here to learn more about Abraham Lincoln)

However, since I mentioned it,  I would like to point out that the Gettysburg Address was only 6 1/2 minutes long (only 271 words) so definitely possible to memorize it.

There were two speakers that day (Thursday November 19, 1863) and the other speaker spoke 10 times longer (actually 2 hours) than Honest Abe and the other speaker was quite famous at the time. However, it’s the Gettysburg Address we are aware of and it demonstrates the power of a brief speech. Click here to read more about the Gettysburg Address on Wikipedia

My mind has been remembering a fun Bing Crosby song “Would You Like to Wish On a Star. Full Lyrics click here

swing on a starThe lyrics are fun, and I enjoy the song memorization and singing it. It’s possible I am regressing eh?

All that to say one of the verses from “Wish on a Star”  is:

 

 

And all the monkeys aren’t in the zoo

everyday you meet quite a few

so you see it’s all up to you,

you can be better than you are…. you could be swinging on a star

As I remembered the last verse (above) I thought about the monkeys we meet daily in our lives and I wondered about yours.

Would you mind commenting on the monkeys in your world?  Pretty Please?

Some of the monkeys in my world I meet on the road. They don’t put their turn signals on until the light changes, they swing out left before turning right, they speed through school zones or drive on my bumper as I slow down for parks and schools. 

Oy vey – don’t get me started. 

stop sign

Stop In the name of Love

I would love to hear about the monkeys in your world, regardless thank you for reading this post and enjoy your day. – David

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July 1 was extra special this year

Posted on June 24, 2019 by dfolstad58

This gallery contains 7 photos.

Originally posted on Life and Random Thinking:
? July 1 is Canada Day, ironically I am writing this on July 4 which is USA’s national day. Allow me to say that over the years of travels to the United States,…

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It’s been a long hard day, and I’ve been working like a dog

Posted on June 23, 2019 by dfolstad58

I think everyone missed this the first-time- so I hope you enjoy it today instead. Thank you for checking it out, singing is encouraged

dfolstad58's avatarLife and Random Thinking

Have you had a long hard day? or do you just like this song and recognized it right away? Did you start to sing it and did you smile? 

electricThis post  is dedicated to my lovely wife, Sue. She puts in the long days, and I appreciate it.

She likes to come home, put up her feet, grab something warm to drink, and slump down onto the floor so she can watch TV and get her neck rubbed.  I get to sit behind her and watch TV while rubbing her neck. It’s nice because she likes it, but I love it. Instead of being detached watching, I feel more whole.

Funny how in life there are moments like those that hold such meaning and we get confused about their real value. Those moments are the ones to hold on to,  and I do.

2013-08-19 20.44.21I am grateful always for those moments, and will…

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Easily Cut Your Stress by 50%

Posted on June 23, 2019 by dfolstad58

Life is probably stressful for nearly all of us.  The causes of stress are simply too many to list or this would be a very, very long blog post. Good news though, I think it is possible to reduce stress in our lives by 50% or more !

die

If I stop and honestly think about the causes for my stress, and you can do this also, more than half of it is not stress from actual events such as direct issues that happen like car accidents or work related.

More than half of my stress is caused by me worrying about potential events or issues.  The discerning difference is that my stress is being provoked by events that have not happened yet and realistically may not happen at all.

It’s kind of like the quote about bravery –

A coward dies a thousand deaths; a brave person only once.

Another blogger – Brian Lageose had the poem (below) on his blog recently and gave me permission to share it. Click here to see his post.

 

There are moments

When you simply turn a corner

And you get a reminder

That we spend far too much time

Worrying about nothing

When the best thing you can do

Is let it all fall away

Let everything go

And just breathe…

 

Now I sincerely doubt that you or I worry about nothing, but we could be worrying and stressing about something that many never happen and then we will stress over it again when IF it actually happens.

Let’s all cut our stress levels by 50% or more, and train ourselves to stress over events ONLY that actually have occurred.

By doing that I hope that you and I both will cut down our stress by 50% or more easily, and that our minds can instead focus on the joy-provoking moments in our lives like the outdoors.

img_2107

Okanagan lake and your scribe himself

My sincere thanks to everyone who takes the time to read and follow my posts. I appreciate you!    If you have suggestions or feedback, I welcome it 🙂

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Don’t blame me! Blame Albert Einstein

Posted on June 22, 2019 by dfolstad58

sweet 5I think I like vacations for the same reason you do.  On my vacation I try to relax and coast through the day. I don’t measure my vacation day on what I accomplished. 

When I am home,  I try to be balanced,  accomplishments can vary – actually do a household chore, some exercise, blog, connect with friends live or via media, and some reading.

(Today I am thinking out loud.)      Albert Einstein wants you, me and everyone to do more or  possibly at minimum question what we are doing in our lives.

Learn from yesterday, Live for today, hope for tomorrow. 

The important thing is not to stop questioning. – Albert Einstein

How should we interpret a quote like that?

In my case I know I have lots of room to improve, one of them is procrastination on obvious sins like clutter.  But, I am going to put that one off until tomorrow to work on.

I do question also how I use my time, because I feel like I should be doing more.

In a lifetime 2.4 hours a day of tv adds up to seven years of an average lifetime.  Oh boy, in this case I am above-average for sure.

kick in but 1

I am asking myself, especially after being recently blessed with a kidney transplant and free of dialysis three times a week (15 hours a week), how should I spend my time? I want to spend it well, improving my health but also activities that I enjoy. Isn’t that why we look forward to retirement? So that we can choose how we spend our days? I have responsibilities and family that I depend on and vice versa so I am not about to fly off to the Cook Islands.  But I am going to carve out a little more time consciously for particular activities that take me off the couch.

IMG_0530

Life needs more hugs

 

 

Thank you Albert ! I am indeed questioning, learning from yesterday, trying to live for today and while in the present –  and in regards to the future -still hoping for more stories ahead to create with family and friends.

In the meanwhile I will also try not to take life too seriously but will at least try to coast less tomorrow.

When life is gone, all that will be left is the stories and I want to make more.

 

I wonder how this post will be received by readers.  Thank you for taking the time and for reading my posts.  Otherwise I would be like the tree falling in the forest and no one hears it.

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In healing – what the doctor didn’t tell you

Posted on June 21, 2019 by dfolstad58

After a major surgery of any type, doctors will tell you that you need rest, and extra protein to assist in the healing of tissues. They could be right; I have never been accused of being a doctor. But just like Readers Digest has told us for decades; Laughter is the Best medicine, laughter and smiles.

Over the years, surgeries and my collection of scars from various surgeries I have learned the value of humorous stories, silly jokes, and smiling faces to assist everyone from the doctors, the nurses, and also the patient.

Smiling faces make a huge difference in our lives and our attitudes.

f8342527-2420-4bb7-8ee0-07b8ba596672-990-000000e5034079b8At the most painful times in our lives, a joke relieves faster than a Tylenol a quick dose of endorphins (endorphin definition: a chemical naturally, released in the brain to reduce pain, that in large amounts can make you feel relaxed or full of energy.)

Chuckle, I can still recall some of the silly jokes I told back in 1986 when I survived a five month hospital stay.  I’m thinking of the three-legged chicken story. 🙂

At the risk of causing an ear-worm (defined in the urban dictionary as follows –A song stuck in your head. Came from the German word, “ohrwurm,” which means earworm litterally, and a song stuck in the head not literally.)

Whenever I see your smiling face
I have to smile myself
Because I love you – James Taylor

Smiling faces are a gift; the medicine that your doctor didn’t tell you about.   A close friend and a laugh always makes me smile, whether from a phone call or in person.  Some people make you smile merely at the sight of them.

If you have family and friends who give you smiles, call yourself rich, that is certainly a huge part of what I call my treasure, family and friends who give me smiles and help me to heal, and make every day better.

mandy 2000

My daughter is a smile giver.

 Sincerely, I wish all the best to you,  have fun , be yourself and smile. 

 

Thank YOU to everyone who reads, likes and comments to my blog.

I have created some other categories also if you are inclined to investigate including a five-part ultra short story involving a character named Skywalker.  (It will make more sense if you start at the beginning.)

May smiles fill your life today and in your future 🙂

 

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